The Indianapolis Colts had two players on offense and one on defense selected to the prowl bowl for the 2024 season.
From the Colts offense, Running Back Jonathan Taylor and Guard Quentin Nelson have been awarded a Pro Bowl spot for their performance this season. Taylor finished the season strong and is currently at 269 attempts, 1,254 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns. He’s also only behind Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry in rushing yards per game (96.5), all that while facing the second most defenders in the box as NFL teams focused on stopping the run vs Indy this season. Quentin Nelson also had a pretty nice year in the trenches, allowing only 3 sacks and 19 total pressures this season.
From the Colts defense, Linebacker Zaire Franklin had an outstanding season. Franklin finished the year as THE top point scorer in IDP fantasy leagues, logging 91 tackles, 73 assists, 2.5 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 4 forced fumbles this season.
Lukasz Stec, @Lukasz_FF01
The Houston Texans had 3 players on offense and one defender selected to the prowl bowl for the 2024 NFL season.
On offense, wide receiver Nico Collins, running back Joe Mixon and tackle Laremy Tunsil have all been awarded a Pro Bowl spot. Collins has missed 5 games this year but still has an impressive 63 receptions for 968 yards and 6 touchdowns. He’s averaging 88 yards per game, 4th best in the NFL this year. Joe Mixon, who missed 3 games himself, has 240 carries for 993 rushing yards, 304 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns this season. Laremy Tunsil logged yet another stellar season at left tackle – he has only allowed 2 sacks, 3 hits, and 19 total pressures on the year.
From their defense, the Texans will send cornerback Derek Stingley to the Pro Bowl this year. Stingley has 5 interceptions, good for 6th best in the NFL and is 2nd in the league with 18 passes defended this season.
Lukasz Stec, @Lukasz_FF01
The Arizona Cardinals are placing starting running back James Conner on IR for the last week of the regular season.
Running back James Conner has had his healthiest season in years. This is only the second season he has reached at least 15 games in his 8 years in the league. Conner is a bruising power back, so it is testament to his toughness as a player who is reaching the later years of his career. Conner has been a reliable starter for the Cardinals since joining the team in 2021. He has averaged no less than 15 points a game since. With this latest knee injury it is wise to shut him down since the Cardinals were eliminated from playoff contention. Journeyman running back Michael Carter was elevated from practice squad to replace Conner. Carter will likely get most of the carries as rookie running back Trey Benson was just recently put on IR as well.
With the season coming to close, the Cardinals are looking to get their top two RBs healthy for next season. This season was a disappointment on offense as quarterback Kyler Murray was expected to take the offense to another level. Conner will still start as long as he’s healthy, Should Conner slow down any, Benson will take the reigns from there. This offense should progress with the young weapons going ahead.
@J_Baldwin51 on Twitter.com
Saquon Barkley Won’t Play in Week 18, Ending Shot at NFL Rushing Record
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni announced Wednesday that running back Saquon Barkley will not play in the team’s Week 18 matchup against the New York Giants. With the Eagles already locked into the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs, Sirianni confirmed that other key starters will also be rested for the game.
Barkley, who has rushed for 2,005 yards this season, was 101 yards away from breaking the NFL single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards set by Eric Dickerson in 1984. His remarkable 167-yard performance in a dominant 41-7 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17 put him into rare company, as only nine other running backs have surpassed the 2,000-yard mark in a season.
Sirianni had been noncommittal about Barkley’s status following the Cowboys win, saying he would consult with team officials and players before making a decision. However, Barkley himself expressed he would be content with whatever choice the coach made, signaling his focus on the team’s long-term success over individual accolades.
With the playoff picture settled, the Eagles will shift their attention to the postseason, where Barkley will look to help lead the team to a potential Super Bowl run.
-Sagar
The Minnesota Vikings are likely to receive multiple inquiries from quarterback needy teams in hopes of acquiring J.J. McCarthy next season.
When asked by ESPN Radio about the Minnesota Vikings quarterback situation, NFL insider Adam Schefter alluded that a possible solution would be capitalizing on J.J. McCarthy and sticking with Sam Darnold. Schefter said McCarthy c
would be the top ranked QB in this upcoming rookie class, which Minnesota could leverage to get not only a high draft pick back but a little extra interest on top. This year more teams need a long term solution at QB than elite options available in the upcoming draft. The Giants, Raiders and Jets, are the most desperate teams. The Browns, Titans, and Colts also need to be asking themselves if they have the position covered. Additionally, the Steelers, Seahawks and Rams all have aging veterans with strong supporting casts around them. This early in the process Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward are the only two QB’s projected in the first round so far, making a bid for McCarthy more tenable for teams with lower draft capital.
The Vikings seemed to make all the right moves at QB this year. Picking McCarthy 10th overall was then-lauded and sending Kirk Cousins packing looks savvy, especially after what Kevin O’Connell and the coaching team were able to do with Sam Darnold. Darnold is having a late career renaissance, he’s ranked 4th in passing yards and 5th in Touchdowns this season and is about to face the Lions for control of the NFC through the playoffs. With such success this year, the debate about what to do with McCarthy vs Darnold next season has been unremitting. Either way Minnesota decides to play it, it’s looking like a good problem to have.
Lukasz Stec, @Lukasz_FF01
Bijan Robinson is the RB-2 for week 17 heading into Monday Night Football.
Bijan Robinson has given fantasy managers much to be delighted about in 2024. Entering week 17, Bijan was the RB-3 on the season.
Bijan Robinson had 17 carries in week 17 against the Washington Commanders. His 90 yards were boosted by 2 touchdowns on the ground. Bijan added a paltry 3 receptions for 8 yards in the receiving game. Bijan’s 24.8 fantasy points make him the RB-2 on the week with Monday Night Football’s contest between the Lions and 49ers remaining.
While Tyler Allgeier takes more series than Bijan managers would like, there is plenty of optimism entering year 3. Bijan will be in his age 23 season and has not had significant injuries to date in his NFL career. He is ranked 5th in carries (259) and targets (62). This has yielded Bijan being 5th in rushing and receiving yards respectively. His 19.0 fantasy points per game is ranked 4th at the running back position.
In 2025, Bijan will safely be a first round pick on UnderDog drafts for Best Ball and is a bonafide top tier running back that is coveted in Dynasty leagues.
Jeremiah Retzlaff, @coachretzlaff1
