There's an "overwhelming likelihood" that Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (Achilles) will remain with the team in 2025, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB. However, the Browns are expected to "work to put competition in the quarterback room, either through the draft or free agency," Breer said. This is an important development given that there has been significant speculation about Watson's future in Cleveland. Per Breer's understanding, Watson will be given the chance to recover from his Achilles tear and regain the starting role in Cleveland, but it won't merely be given to him as easily as it was ahead of the 2024 season. Rather, the veteran quarterback will have to get healthy and beat out competition if he has any shot at starting in Week 1 next year.

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey continued his post-injury slump in a 39-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday. Last year's overall RB1 finished with 31 yards and a lost fumble on 11 carries while adding three catches of four targets for 37 yards. The last time a healthy McCaffrey scored so few half-PPR points in a game was way back in Week 2 of 2019 with the Carolina Panthers. Opinions may vary on how much blame to pin on McCaffrey himself -- it's fair to question his football shape after his lengthy absence -- but other circumstances are certainly in play. With career backup Brandon Allen filling in for quarterback Brock Purdy (shoulder), Green Bay was likely emboldened to key in on the running game. All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams (ankle), who is just as important to the Niners' rushing attack as its passing game, was also out. If Purdy and Williams can return in Week 13 at Buffalo, it's safe to flush and forget this one for the most part. But if not, McCaffrey will be at risk for continued struggles.

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) is in Green Bay for a Week 12 matchup with the Packers. Through two games since his return, McCaffrey hasn't quite been himself, producing 13.7 half-PPR points in Tampa before totaling 12.6 at home in last week's home loss to the Seahawks. Conspicuously, McCaffrey hasn't scored a touchdown since he came back. The last time he went two consecutive games without a touchdown was almost exactly two years ago, spanning 28 games including playoffs. Green Bay presents a good enough opportunity for McCaffrey to start a new streak, ranking in the exact middle of the NFL in fantasy points surrendered to running backs. Though CMC has proven to be matchup-proof during his time in San Francisco, the 49ers offense is limping into Lambeau. Quarterback Brock Purdy (shoulder) has been ruled out -- ceding the start to backup Brandon Allen -- and future Hall of Fame left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) is questionable. Any volume boost created by the 49ers leaning more on McCaffrey is washed out by the likelihood that the offense becomes less efficient. McCaffrey is still a must-start high-end RB1 this week, but DFS players looking for maximum production out of a pricy back might rather have Saquon Barkley or De'Von Achane.

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) was rested on Wednesday in the first practice of the week before being limited in Thursday's session. McCaffrey isn't in any real danger of not playing in Week 12 against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, but the 49ers will continue to take it easy on him during the practice week after he missed the first nine weeks of the season due to bilateral Achilles tendonitis. The 28-year-old hasn't scored for his fantasy managers in his first two games of the season, but he has gone over 100 scrimmage yards in both contests, which counts for something. In addition, backup Jordan Mason has been a distant No. 2 in terms of usage. The Packers defense has been middle of the pack this year in terms of fantasy points allowed per game to RBs, but they've given up the fourth-most fantasy points to the position in the last three weeks. CMC is a must-start RB1.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens came down with four of his seven targets for 48 yards in a 24-19 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Outside of a 31-yard deep ball he caught in the first quarter, it was a relatively quiet night for Pickens, who had four straight showings with over 70 yards heading into Thursday night. The weather conditions in Cleveland weren't ideal for big plays downfield and surely impacted Pickens' performance. While Pickens has been incredibly productive with yardage this season, his touchdown upside is limited in this Steelers offense that has struggled to find the end zone over the past two weeks. He'll look to get back on track against another divisional opponent in the Cincinnati Bengals next week.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens enters Week 12 with the fourth-most receiving yards in the NFL and will look to advance his breakout campaign against the Cleveland Browns. Although the Browns have been solid defensively this year, they have been exploited by opposing wideouts. Cleveland allows the fourth-most fantasy points per game to receivers despite surrendering the fourth-fewest receptions to the position. In other words, the Browns give up big plays and touchdowns, which is exactly how Pickens tends to make an impact. The third-year pro has only scored twice this season but is tied for the sixth-most red zone targets in the league and has had multiple touchdowns overturned or nullified by penalties. Fantasy managers should confidently deploy Pickens as a low-end WR1 on Thursday night.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens hauled in eight of 12 targets for 89 yards in an 18-16 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Although this was far from a career-best performance for Pickens, the 23-year-old did set new single-game highs for himself in both targets and receptions. His most memorable play of the contest came on a beautiful deep ball from quarterback Russell Wilson for a 37-yard gain late in the third quarter. He was targeted in the end zone multiple times but could not score a touchdown as Pittsburgh was forced to settle for six field goals. Fantasy managers who are slightly disappointed in Pickens' output given the favorable matchup should be encouraged by the elite usage he continued to see with Wilson under center. He'll have another opportunity for a big showing against the Cleveland Browns next week.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy caught all six of his targets for 85 yards in a 24-19 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 12's Thursday night game. Jeudy led the Browns in all receiving categories on a cold, snowy evening in Cleveland where passing yards were hard to come by. The veteran receiver came up big in the close win, making several clutch catches to keep the chains moving including a big 15-yard catch on third-and-six in the fourth quarter that set up Nick Chubb for the game-winning touchdown run. Jeudy has been on fire of late, having caught at least five passes while reaching at least 73 receiving yards in five straight games. He will be a WR3 in fantasy in a tough matchup against the Denver Broncos in Week 13.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (knee) turned in his best game of the season last week, catching six passes for 142 yards and a touchdown in a loss to the New Orleans Saints. He will look to stay hot at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 12's Thursday night game. The Steelers have been a difficult matchup for receivers this season as they allow the eighth-fewest fantasy points per game to the position. The veteran receiver is listed without an injury designation heading into Thursday despite being listed with a knee injury on the practice report earlier in the week. Jeudy's performance last week was certainly encouraging but the prohibitive matchup in Week 12 does not set up for a likely encore. That being said, Jeudy is still worth plugging into fantasy lineups as a WR3 this week.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (knee) was a full participant in practice on Tuesday. Jeudy has been listed on the injury report for two straight days but has been a full participant both times. Jeudy certainly did not appear to be limited by injury in Week 11. He caught six passes on 11 targets for 142 yards and a touchdown in a loss to the New Orleans Saints. The production was by far Jeudy's best of the season. With quarterback Jameis Winston slinging the rock, Jeudy has enjoyed solid success in recent weeks. He has reached at least 73 receiving yards in three straight games. Week 11 marked his second touchdown of the season. The Browns will meet the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football in Week 12. The Steelers pose a tough matchup for opposing offenses. However, Winston has been able to find success through pure volume and that does not project to dwindle in Week 12. With the way the Steelers' offense is playing, they should have no problem jumping out to a lead in this game. As such, the Browns should have to play catch up just as they have for most of the season. Jeudy has a chance to deliver high-end flex value or even WR2 numbers once again in Week 12.

Las Vegas Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson knocked through field goals of 34, 34, 53, and 22 yards and made his only extra point attempt in his team's 19-29 loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 12. He's still clearly an elite player at his position. He scored 15 fantasy points in fantasy football leagues with typical kicker scoring rules. He's now hit 91.7% of his field goal attempts this season and has yet to miss an extra point. There's not much more Las Vegas could ask of their placekicker -- he should ask them to get the team into scoring range more consistently. It's tough to predict kicker scoring, but the offense could struggle to move the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 13, especially if quarterback Desmond Ridder gets the start with Gardner Minshew II (collarbone) out for the season and Aidan O'Connell (thumb) still on injured reserve. Carlson is a play only in very deep leagues next week.

Las Vegas Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson has now hit on 18 of his 20 field goals this season. He's a perfect 15-for-15 on his extra points. On many teams, he'd be an elite K option in fantasy, like the 2020, 2021, and 2022 Raiders. Not so this season. He's the 17th ranked player at his position because the offense hasn't played very well. There's plenty of turmoil on that side of the ball, and LV has dealt with poor play from its quarterbacks and running backs. In addition, the team's top-2 RBs, Zamir White (quad) and Alexander Mattison (ankle) are both listed as "Doubtful" on the team's injury report. A depleted backfield won't help against a tough Denver Broncos defense. There's a lot of uncertainty here, so it's better to look elsewhere for placekicker options for your fantasy teams.

Las Vegas Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson made both his field goals, attempts of 22 and 27 yards, and nailed his only extra point try in his team's loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 11. Though he didn't face too difficult of a test, at least he didn't miss any of his kicks, which is more than can be said for other kickers. Regardless, it wasn't a great week for him for fantasy football, and he continues to see very little volume, which he would need to be fantasy relevant. He'll face the Denver Broncos in Week 12, who have a defense that will likely limit the Raiders' scoring potential. Denver boasts an excellent defense that just aided the team in winning a 38-6 blasting over the Atlanta Falcons.

Minnesota Vikings running back Cam Akers has a road matchup against their division-rival Chicago Bears on tap this Sunday. Akers has been far from efficient with his rush attempts over the last two weeks (23/63[2.74 YPC]), but he had at least 12 touches in each appearance and got into the end zone for the third time this season in Week 11's victory over the Tennessee Titans. It's unclear whether his workload has been due to backfield mate Aaron Jones (ribs) and his injury. Still, he's seen his snap share rise in each of the previous three contests. Chicago has been a decent matchup for fantasy running backs, allowing 17.4 points to the position -; a bottom-half of the league number. The 25-year-old's workload could be spotty, but he has a good shot at being effective with his touches against a unit allowing 4.8 yards per carry on the season. He's RotoBaller's PPR RB34 in this week's rankings.

Minnesota Vikings running back Cam Akers will not be a recommended option this Sunday when his team squares off against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville. The former Florida State Seminole garnered his highest touch total of the season in last weekend's victory over the Jaguars when he received 14 of them (13 rushes) with backfield mate Aaron Jones (ribs) briefly tending to an injury. It appears that Akers has taken over Minnesota's RB2 role over the last few weeks, superseding Ty Chandler, who previously held that title. Even with his new-found promotion, the 25-year-old is little more than a handcuff unless Jones is forced to miss time. Akers ranks as RotoBaller's RB42 in PPR formats for Week 11.