Dose: Kicking Duel on TNF
The Arizona Cardinals moved to 11-3 on the season as they topped the St. Louis Rams on Thursday night in a fierce kicking battle. This NFC West matchup left fantasy football tanks on “empty” as neither team managed to find the end zone, with six field goals producing a 12-6 final score.
Although kickers Chandler Catanzaro and Greg Zuerlein were the only players to make a dent in the scoreboard on Thursday, the Arizona running game showed some promise with both Stepfan Taylor and Kerwynn Williams turning in solid performances. The workload among Cardinals backs was essentially split, with Williams turning 17 touches into 86 total yards while Taylor handled 14 touches and totaled 61 yards. The St. Louis defense had given up just 88 total rushing yards in their previous two games, both shutouts, so this performance was encouraging from the pair of young running backs. Next week won’t be as kind however, as Arizona hosts the red hot Seattle defense.
Tre Mason was the most notable disappointment in St. Louis’ half of the Thursday Night Football box score, as the rookie running back turned 13 carries into just 33 yards and lost a fumble. The youthful back has only eclipsed 4.0 yards per carry once over his last seven games, but his grasp on the bulk of the St. Louis backfield work remains intact. Mason should be trusted in Week 16 with a tasty matchup against the New York Giants on the horizon.
Cardinals at Rams Quick Slants
Arizona quarterback Drew Stanton left Thursday’s game with a knee injury and will undergo an MRI on Friday to assess the extent of the damage. Either Ryan Lindley or rookie Logan Thomas will take over if Stanton misses time. … Rams receiver Stedman Bailey kept his nice run going, catching five of eight targets for 74 yards. Bailey is averaging 77.5 receiving yards per game over the last four weeks. … Larry Fitzgerald rewarded PPR owners on Thursday as he snagged seven of 10 targets for just 30 yards. The 31-year-old is experiencing a tough season and won’t be fantasy relevant with the inexperienced options under center for the Cardinals. … St. Louis tight end Jared Cook failed to build off his solid Week 14 performance, as he caught just three of eight targets for 22 yards.
In Other News…..
Green Bay running back Eddie Lacy (hip) alluded to the fact that he may miss Week 15’s game against Buffalo, which would leave James Starks to handle the team’s rushing duties. Starks looked great in Week 14, rumbling for 75 yards on just 10 carries, but would be facing a much stiffer defensive front in the Buffalo Bills. Lacy owners without other options will likely have to lean on Starks, but he will be a lower-end RB2 option with the tough matchup.
DeAngelo Williams (hand) is expected to miss Week 15, which will give Jonathan Stewart another chance to shine in Carolina’s backfield. Stewart turned in a stellar Week 14 performance, whipping 20 carries into 155 yards and a touchdown. In Derek Anderson’s Week 1 start, Carolina backs handled 30 carries, so J-Stew could be set to see a huge workload this week and is a solid RB2 candidate.
Jaguars OC Jedd Fisch announced that the Jacksonville backfield will be a fantasy black hole for the remainder of the 2014 season after Denard Robinson (foot) was declared out for the year. Fisch stated that Toby Gerhart, Jordan Todman, and Storm Johnson will all be involved, which means fantasy owners should look elsewhere for production.
News and Notes
Bengals running back Giovani Bernard admitted on Thursday that Jeremy Hill will get the start for Cincinnati this week. Raymond Summerlin touched on this topic in Thursday’s Dose, but Hill will be a fantastic play in Week 15 as he handles the lead role in OC Hue Jackson’s offense. … The San Diego Union-Tribune does not think Ryan Mathews will be re-signed in San Diego after the 2014 season. If Mathews does indeed test free agency, the Chargers could be in the market for one of college football’s top running backs in the NFL Draft. … Washington coach Jay Gruden may have put the final nail in the coffin of Robert Griffin III on Thursday when he announced that he doesn’t need to see any more of RG3 in action to know what he can and cannot do on a football field. Hopefully Griffin lands elsewhere and gets another shot to start in 2015. … Albert Breer of the NFL Network reported that the St. Louis front office wants Sam Bradford to return to the team in 2015. The oft-injured quarterback would likely have to restructure his contract in order to return, but this could arguably be the best his supporting cast has looked in his time with the Rams so Bradford may be inclined to do so over the offseason.
Injury News
According to Minnesota OC Norv Turner, tight end Kyle Rudolph (groin) is still not at 100%. This official confirmation comes after Rudolph totaled four catches for 16 yards in Weeks 13 and 14. … Washington quarterback Colt McCoy (neck) practiced with the first-team on Thursday and looks likely to start on Sunday against the New York Giants, where he will be a desperation 2QB League play only. … Percy Harvin (ankle) missed practice again on Thursday and looks like a shaky bet to see the field in Week 15. … DeSean Jackson (leg) was limited at practice on Thursday but looks likely to suit up on Sunday after missing Week 14. … Julio Jones (hip) missed practice again on Thursday after injuring himself during his Monday night explosion. Julio will be a game-time decision on Sunday, so keep Harry Douglas on-deck in case of emergency. … Denver tight end Julius Thomas (ankle) turned in another “limited” practice on Thursday and seems likely to return to the field this weekend. Thomas should help fantasy owners this week after last Sunday’s active/inactive debacle. … Kendall Wright (hand) was limited in practice on Thursday and will attempt to play with a splint on his hand this week. Fantasy owners should prepare a safer option. … Baltimore’s Torrey Smith (knee) missed practice on Thursday and is a long shot to play on Sunday as the Ravens face the Jaguars. … Andre Johnson (concussion) has not been cleared this week and Houston expects him to be a game-time call on Sunday. DeAndre Hopkins would see a bump in value if Johnson sits.
