NFL insider Mike Florio spoke on Thursday with Chris Simms on NFL on NBC and mentioned that Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (shoulder, foot) needed extra support after being injured and away from his team for the first time in his career, according to people close to the situation. He also mentioned that Irving "isn't going to be back anytime soon," Bucs beat writer Rick Stroud reports. This news is not what fantasy managers who have been holding onto Irving want to hear, especially after Irving has been able to log limited practices the past two weeks. At this point, Irving's status remains unclear, and the hope is that because he is logging practices, he is nearing a return. While Irving remains sidelined, Sean Tucker is expected to see more reps after breaking out with three touchdowns in Week 11, with Rachaad White staying involved as well.

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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco (shoulder) is likely losing his starting job soon, with Joe Burrow (foot) logging two straight full practices on Wednesday and Thursday this week. Flacco has performed admirably in Burrow's absence, bringing fantasy life back into players like Chase Brown, Tee Higgins, and Ja'Marr Chase. In his five starts with the Bengals, he has 2,268 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He also has a 46.4 QBR and a 108.6 passer rating as the team went (1-4), which was no fault of the offense, as they put up 18, 33, 38,42, and 12 points in all of his starts. Burrow is the team's clear franchise quarterback, so if the Bengals feel he is ready to go, he will. At this point, considering Flacco will likely only start one or maybe two more games, it's okay to drop him to the waiver wire in all formats once Burrow is announced as the starter.

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Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills completed 16 of his 30 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night Football. He didn't turn the ball over and managed his way to a third straight victory while starting in place of C.J. Stroud (concussion). Mills has proven to be a very competent backup over the last three weeks, leading a big comeback over Jacksonville, taking care of Tennessee, and now defeating the Bills in a game with big playoff implications for both teams. He'll be ready for another start next week on the road against the Colts, but there's also a chance that with the extra time off, Stroud will be able to return for next week's contest. Keep an eye on the injury report leading up to Week 13 to see if Mills will get another chance.

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Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins was only targeted three times on Thursday Night, catching all three passes but finishing with only 55 yards. He was not targeted at all in the second half. Despite his down game, Collins' team was still able to pull out a huge win over the Bills, 23-19, to remain right in the middle of the playoff hunt in the AFC. The Texans have won three straight under Davis Mills, but they'll hope to get C.J. Stroud (concussion) back for next week's huge divisional road game against the Colts. If Stroud returns, Collins will have a higher ceiling, but he has gotten so much volume in the rest of his games this season that he should be poised for a bounce-back performance next week, regardless of who is under center.

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Houston Texans TE Dalton Schultz had one catch (on four targets) for nine yards during the team's Week 12 win over the Buffalo Bills.

Fantasy Spin: Schultz had seen his production go up with Davis Mills under center, but that was not the case on Thursday night, and now C.J. Stroud (concussion) is set to return. In Stroud's seven full games this season, Schultz averaged just 44 yards per game without a touchdown. We'll see if that trend continues in Week 13. For now, Schultz is worth owning exclusively in leagues deep enough to carry a TE2.

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Houston Texans WR Christian Kirk had five receptions (on six targets) for 54 yards and a touchdown in a Week 12 win over the Buffalo Bills.

Fantasy Spin: By pretty much any measure, Kirk has been a disappointment in his first season with the Texans, battling injuries and doing little in the games he's appeared -- entering play on Thursday night he'd topped 30 yards in a game just once this season. We'll see if his 5-54-1 effort against the Bills helps get his season on track or if he'll be right back on the struggle bus in Week 13. If you're desperate for help in deeper leagues, you might want to take a flier on Kirk. For everyone else, a wait-and-see approach is sufficient.

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Houston Texans RB Nick Chubb had 16 yards on six carries against the Buffalo Bills in Week 12. He also had one catch for minus-one yard.

Fantasy Spin: If there was any lingering doubt, Thursday night in a huge game against a tough opponent, Woody Marks got 17 touches to seven for Chubb, and the rookie was more effective with them. Unless Marks gets injured or starts having ball security issues, it's hard to see a path for Chubb to get back into playable fantasy territory again. Perhaps those in deeper leagues might want to roster him for depth, but that's about his ceiling right now.

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Houston Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk caught five of his six targets for 54 yards and a touchdown during Thursday's Week 12 win over the Buffalo Bills. The 29-year-old had his best game as a Texan, scoring his first touchdown of the year and setting a new season-high in receptions. Kirk is trending up in the Houston offense, but so is Jayden Higgins, and Nico Collins has already established himself as the alpha receiver. If C.J. Stroud (concussion) can return next week and support three fantasy-relevant receivers, then Kirk will be worth starting in Week 14 and beyond. However, if that's not the case, the veteran is likely the odd man out among him, Collins, and Higgins. For now, he ranks as a fringe top-50 fantasy receiver rest-of-season.

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Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen completed 24 of 34 passes for 253 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions versus the Houston Texans in Week 12. Allen, who added 20 yards on five carries, was also sacked a career-high eight times in the loss.

Fantasy Spin: Coming off a monster six-touchdown effort versus the Buccaneers, Allen went without a touchdown for the second time this season. He also took an absolute beating, and it'll be interesting to see if he came away from the game with any kind of lingering wrist issue after he was frequently shaking it out for much of the game. Assuming he's alright, Allen should be right back in your lineup next Sunday in Pittsburgh.

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Houston Texans running back Woody Marks rushed for 74 yards on 16 carries during Thursday's Week 12 win over the Buffalo Bills. He also caught his lone target for a loss of five yards. Marks led the Texans' backfield in the victory, notably logging 10 more carries than Nick Chubb. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry and was productive in short-yardage scenarios, rushing for a handful of first downs. Although Marks' lack of touchdowns and receptions resulted in him finishing below his fantasy projection in most formats, it was encouraging to see him handle the lead-back role with efficiency once again. He remains a mid-to-low RB2 with high volume heading into Week 13 against the Indianapolis Colts.

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Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen completed 24 of his 34 pass attempts for 253 passing yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions during Thursday's Week 12 loss against the Houston Texans. He also rushed for 20 yards and took a career-high eight sacks. Allen had no answer for Houston's ferocious pass rush, and he didn't fare well against their secondary, either. For the first time since Week 9 of the 2021 season, Allen finished a game with zero touchdowns and at least one interception. We all know that Allen is an MVP-caliber player with tremendous passing and rushing upside, so he should bounce back as a QB1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 13. Nevertheless, this Thursday night defeat is one that Allen and his fantasy managers will want to forget, as it likely put a lot of managers in an early deficit as they kick off their Week 12 fantasy matchups.

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Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins caught four of his nine targets for 38 yards and a touchdown during Thursday's Week 12 win over the Buffalo Bills. The rookie led the team in targets and had more catches than Nico Collins, contributing to the Texans' third straight victory under backup quarterback Davis Mills. Higgins has looked solid with Mills under center, catching 13 of 23 targets for 135 yards and two touchdowns during that three-week span. He, Collins, and Christian Kirk have all carved out fantasy-relevant roles lately, but it remains to be seen whether the distribution of targets will look any different when C.J. Stroud (concussion) returns to action next week. Higgins' streak of strong performances should keep him in the high-end WR3/flex tier for Week 13 against the Indianapolis Colts.

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Buffalo Bills running back James Cook had 17 carries for 116 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown during Thursday's Week 12 loss against the Houston Texans. He also caught all three of his targets for an additional 13 receiving yards. The highlight of his game was a 45-yard touchdown run to break a scoreless tie in the first quarter. Even as the Bills' offense was slowed down by the Texans' strong defense, Cook still had a very productive game and carved out a terrific fantasy performance once again. He logged his first rushing touchdown since Week 8 and now has nine trips to the end zone this season. He remains a high-end RB1 option heading into Week 13 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills completed 16 of his 30 pass attempts for 153 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions during Thursday's Week 12 victory over the Buffalo Bills. He also rushed for four yards and didn't take a sack. Mills has played quite well in the absence of C.J. Stroud (concussion), going 3-0 with six touchdowns and one turnover while getting the Texans above .500. Houston will likely turn back to Stroud if he clears concussion protocol ahead of Week 13 against the Indianapolis Colts, but Mills' efforts have been impressive nonetheless. Managers could trust him as a mid-to-low QB2 if he gets thrust back into the starting role later this season.

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Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir caught eight of his 10 targets for 110 yards during Thursday's Week 12 loss against the Houston Texans. He also lost a fumble. Shakir padded his stats with a pair of impressive plays in the fourth quarter. The first was a 44-yard catch-and-run that turned a third-and-long into a first down. The second was a nifty lateral from Joshua Palmer to Shakir that converted a 4th-and-27. Despite the loss, Shakir's big game against a strong Texans secondary was very impressive, and it should vault him into the low-end WR2 tier for Week 13 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs continues to lose ground in his battle for playing time and volume. As the Colts emerge from their Week 11 bye and prepare for Week 12 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Downs is likely fourth in the pass-catching pecking order behind Michael Pittman Jr., Tyler Warren, and Alec Pierce. In his last game, the 24-year-old played a mere 43 percent of the offensive snaps, converting two targets into one catch for three yards. The 24-year-old impressed as the WR35 in PPR leagues last season, but he has taken a step backward this year. The Colts are running the ball quite often, and when Daniel Jones does throw, he often looks for a different weapon. Downs ranks outside the top 40 receivers and can no longer be trusted in fantasy starting lineups.

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Chicago Bears rookie first-round tight end Colston Loveland had a breakout performance in the Week 9 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, catching six of seven targets for 118 yards and the first two touchdowns of his career. In two games since then, the 21-year-old out of Michigan has seven grabs for 95 yards and no touchdowns on his eight targets. His role in Chicago's passing game has grown over the last four games, although fellow TE Cole Kmet remains involved, as evidenced by his five catches for 45 yards on Sunday. Kmet's presence will continue to limit Loveland's opportunities, but a Week 12 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers will provide him with another chance to break out. The Steelers' defense has allowed the fourth-most half-PPR points per game to TEs this year, including six receiving touchdowns.

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New York Jets wide receiver Adonai Mitchell is carving out a larger role with his new team, filling the void left behind by Garrett Wilson (knee), who is on injured reserve. Mitchell played 49 percent of the offensive snaps last week, which is his second-highest mark of the season. Although he caught just one pass for 10 yards, he also commanded a season-high six targets. Acquired from the Colts last month, Mitchell is enjoying a fresh start after a very disappointing year and a half in Indianapolis. Going forward, his fantasy value hinges on the Jets' quarterback play. Mitchell will continue to earn high volume as a top receiver alongside Tyler Johnson, John Metchie, and Isaiah Williams, but whether Tyrod Taylor or Justin Fields can consistently get him the football remains to be seen. He's worth stashing in deeper redraft leagues, but we need to see more consistent production before inserting him into lineups.

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The New Orleans Saints still plan to release WR Brandin Cooks, but contractual technicalities have delayed the process, according to league sources.

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Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier continues to earn goal-line opportunities, and his three touchdowns over the Falcons' last two games have salvaged his otherwise uninspiring performances. Allgeier has 14 carries for 67 yards over those two contests, plus a pair of receptions. However, he also has three rushing touchdowns, scoring at least 9.6 fantasy points (PPR) in each of the two games. The Falcons have shown a tendency to give the ball to their running backs around the goal line, as Bijan Robinson and Allgeier have combined for five touchdowns over the last two games, including three last Sunday. As long as there are enough goal-line opportunities to go around, Allgeier should continue to score touchdowns at a promising rate. He remains in the RB3/flex tier ahead of Week 12 against the New Orleans Saints, but managers must accept the fact that his value is heavily dependent on finding the end zone. As a result, he's more of a matchup-based play rest-of-season.

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