Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy clears concussion protocol, set to start Sunday

Thu Dec 4 5:50pm ET
Field Level Media

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy is on track to start Sunday against the Washington Commanders after clearing concussion protocol on Thursday.

McCarthy, 22, was a full practice participant for the second consecutive day. He missed last Sunday's 26-0 loss at Seattle after sustaining a concussion in the prior game, a 23-6 setback at Green Bay. It was his second injury absence of the season, previously missing five games due to a high ankle sprain.

He told reporters on Thursday that he couldn't pick one play that caused the concussion.

"Every single game kind of feels like you get kicked in the face by a donkey," McCarthy said.

McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, has struggled this season after missing his entire rookie campaign due to a torn meniscus. In six games, he has completed 54.1% of his passes (86 of 159) for 929 yards with six touchdown passes to 10 interceptions and a 2-4 record.

His passer rating of 57.9 ranks him 46 out of 46 eligible quarterbacks this season.

Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said this week that the emphasis now is on McCarthy making on-field decisions that keep him healthy and available to play, rather than an earlier focus on the quarterback's mechanics.

"There will be time to fundamentally focus on things and continue building this layer and a foundation that will be important for him into the future," O'Connell said. "But now it feels like he's got enough experience. He knows a lot of these principles that we've talked about. I want him to have a clear head and a clear mind to just go play, but play with an understanding of the decisions that I make with the ball in my hand, the decisions that I make as a passer, and as we've learned, very important as a runner to protect himself and make sure that we can keep him in there."

Minnesota (4-8) has lost four straight games entering Sunday's home game against the Commanders (3-9), who have lost seven straight.

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Starts, Sits, Sleepers: Week 14

Player Notes
Rashod Bateman Dec 4 9:00pm CT
Rashod Bateman

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman (ankle) was a limited participant in practice on Thursday. This was a step backward after he had logged a full session on Wednesday. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to his status on Friday, as it appears he's trending in the wrong direction. In the event that he can't suit up this week, DeAndre Hopkins would likely operate as the Ravens' No. 2 receiver alongside Zay Flowers. At the moment, neither Bateman nor Hopkins is a reliable fantasy option in leagues with 12 or fewer teams.

From RotoBaller

Quentin Johnston Dec 4 8:50pm CT
Quentin Johnston

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston (shoulder) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice. This was the Chargers' first practice session as they prepare for Week 14 against the Kansas City Chiefs, which means that Johnston will have two more opportunities to log a full session before the team publishes its final injury report of the week. Fantasy managers should check back over the next few days for updates, but at this point, it appears that Johnston has a decent chance to play. He's the overall WR30 in PPR leagues this year and is coming off a decent game in which he caught three passes for 23 yards and a touchdown. In his last contest against the Chiefs, he racked up five catches, 79 yards, and two touchdowns. He's a low-end WR3/flex option for this week.

From RotoBaller

Kenneth Walker III Dec 4 8:30pm CT
Kenneth Walker III

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (glute) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice. This was the second consecutive day that Walker was limited. Although it's concerning to see him on the injury report once again, fantasy managers should feel optimistic given that he was able to get on the field in some capacity. If he practices in full on Friday, he should be able to enter the weekend without an injury designation. Otherwise, he could end up being labeled as "questionable." Either way, he's trending in the right direction for Sunday's Week 14 contest against the Atlanta Falcons. Although Walker shares the backfield with Zach Charbonnet, he has posted double-digit fantasy points (PPR) in each of his last three games and remains a high-end RB2 this week. Atlanta has allowed the 11th-most fantasy points to running backs in 2025.

From RotoBaller

AJ Barner Dec 4 8:30pm CT
AJ Barner

Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (knee, shoulder) was a full participant in practice on Thursday. This was an improvement after he was limited the day before. Barring any sort of setback, Barner should remain a full participant in Friday's practice, which would put him on track to play in Sunday's Week 14 contest against the Atlanta Falcons. The 23-year-old is the overall TE18 in PPR leagues this year, but his fantasy value could slip a little against a Falcons defense that has allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends in 2025.

From RotoBaller

Geno Smith Dec 4 8:10pm CT
Geno Smith

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (foot) practiced in full on Thursday. This was an improvement for the veteran quarterback after he had logged a limited practice session on Wednesday. Assuming Smith remains a full participant on Friday, he should enter the weekend without any injury designation, leaving him on track to play in Week 14 against the Denver Broncos. In his last game against Denver, the 35-year-old had 143 passing yards, zero touchdowns, one interception, and six sacks. He has been sacked 25 times over his last four games and will remain outside the top 24 fantasy quarterbacks for Sunday's divisional battle.

From RotoBaller

Kyren Williams Dec 4 7:50pm CT
Kyren Williams

Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams (ankle) was a limited participant in practice on Thursday. This was the second day in a row that Williams was listed as limited on the team's official injury report. It's refreshing to see the 25-year-old get on the field in any capacity, but ideally, he'll log a full session on Friday to avoid any sort of injury designation heading into the weekend. It's also possible that the Rams have reduced Williams' workload in practice to keep him healthy down the stretch. Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur recently told ESPN's Dan Graziano that Los Angeles' decision to split touches between Williams and Blake Corum has kept Williams fresh, so we can expect that they'll continue to manage his practice and game workload going forward. Nevertheless, he remains an impactful pass-catching and touchdown threat out of the backfield, keeping him in the low-end RB1 tier for Week 14 against the Arizona Cardinals.

From RotoBaller

Davante Adams Dec 4 7:40pm CT
Davante Adams

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams (hamstring) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice. According to Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com, Adams said his left hamstring is "feeling good" and feels much better than he expected. As the Rams continue to prepare for Week 14 against the Arizona Cardinals, it was refreshing to see Adams get on the field in some capacity after he missed practice on Wednesday. Ideally, he'll log a full practice on Friday and enter the weekend without an injury designation. However, if that doesn't happen, he's at least trending in the right direction. The veteran receiver has been dominant lately, extending his touchdown streak to six games last Sunday against the Panthers. During that six-game window, he has 293 yards and 11 touchdowns, and he ranks as the overall WR3 in PPR leagues. Assuming he plays this week, he'll continue to be a strong WR1 and should be started in all formats.

From RotoBaller

Greg Dortch Dec 4 6:40pm CT
Greg Dortch

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Greg Dortch (chest) missed a second straight day of practice this week on Thursday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Dortch apparently suffered a chest injury in last week's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is firmly in danger of missing the Week 14 contest this Sunday against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams. In addition to Dortch, Marvin Harrison Jr. (heel) looks iffy to play this weekend as well, which would leave Michael Wilson as the target hog once again in Arizona's passing game. Xavier Weaver and Andre Baccellia would be included in the starting lineup if both Dortch and Harrison are ruled out. Dortch is extremely hard to trust when he's the WR3 for the Cardinals, but he did deliver fantasy-relevant numbers in the two games that Harrison missed after having an appendectomy in Weeks 11 and 12, catching 12 of 15 targets for 119 yards and two touchdowns.

From RotoBaller

Pat Bryant Dec 4 6:40pm CT
Pat Bryant

Denver Broncos rookie wide receiver Pat Bryant (hamstring) was added to the injury report on Thursday and was listed as a limited practice participant with a hamstring injury, according to Mike Klis of 9 News. Bryant was fully healthy on Wednesday, so this means that the 22-year-old likely suffered an injury in practice on Thursday. It's definitely something to watch for fantasy managers as the Broncos head into a rematch against the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders on the road this Sunday. Bryant has become much more involved in the offense in the last five games, and he had eight catches on 13 targets for 124 yards in the last two contests. In his first 12 NFL games, Bryant has recorded an 18-273-1 line as the WR3 for the Broncos behind Courtland Sutton and Troy Franklin. If Bryant is unable to play in Week 14, Franklin would become a much more attractive WR4/flex play in fantasy, with Marvin Mims Jr. also becoming a more attractive big-play threat in deeper formats.

From RotoBaller

Harold Fannin Jr. Dec 4 6:39pm CT
Harold Fannin Jr.

Cleveland Browns rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. has completely taken over the starting tight end role since the bye week. In back-to-back games, Fannin has played over 90% of the snaps, while veteran David Njoku has played under 50%. The rookie was able to find the endzone in Week 13, totaling 43 yards on four receptions against the San Francisco 49ers. As rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders enters the fold, Fannin has taken charge as the leading receiving option in the offense, leading the team in receptions and targets in back-to-back weeks. The Browns face the Tennessee Titans in Week 14, who have allowed the ninth-fewest fantasy points to tight ends this season. However, with a nice target share and connection with Sanders, Fannin is a TE1 in Week 14.

Geno Smith Dec 4 6:23pm CT
Geno Smith

Las Vegas Raiders QB Geno Smith (foot) fully participated in practice Thursday, Dec. 4.

Fantasy Spin: Smith missed some practice time earlier this week but in on track to play in the Week 14 game. He struggled against the Denver Broncos earlier in the season and has thrown at least two touchdowns in only one of the last four games. Fantasy players should have better options available and can avoid Smith.

From TheHuddle

Geno Smith Dec 4 6:23pm CT
Geno Smith

Las Vegas Raiders LB Jamal Adams (knee), WR Alex Bachman (thumb), DE Maxx Crosby (knee), TE Michael Mayer (ankle) and WR Dont'e Thornton Jr. (concussion) did not participate in practice Thursday, Dec. 4. OG Jordan Meredith (ankle) and OG Dylan Parham (back) were limited during practice. C Will Putnam (shoulder) and QB Geno Smith (foot) fully participated in practice.

From TheHuddle

Alvin Kamara Dec 4 6:13pm CT
Alvin Kamara

New Orleans Saints OT Taliese Fuaga (ankle), RB Alvin Kamara (ankle, knee), S Justin Reid (knee) and S Jonas Sanker (head) did not participate in practice Thursday, Dec. 4. WR Chris Olave (back) was limited during practice.

From TheHuddle

D.J. Jones Dec 4 6:13pm CT
D.J. Jones

Denver Broncos TE Nate Adkins (knee), DE Zach Allen (calf) and DT D.J. Jones (ankle) did not participate in practice Thursday, Dec. 4. WR Pat Bryant (hamstring) was limited during practice. LB Jonah Elliss (hamstring) and CB Reese Taylor (chest) fully participated in practice.

From TheHuddle

Amon-Ra St. Brown Dec 4 6:10pm CT
Amon-Ra St. Brown

Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle), who was listed as questionable for Week 14 after not practicing all week, is officially active for the Thursday night game against the visiting Dallas Cowboys. St. Brown suffered a low-ankle sprain in the Thanksgiving Day loss to the Green Bay Packers a week ago and was considered to be on the wrong side of questionable to play this week, especially after not practicing at all Monday through Wednesday. The Lions are battling to stay in playoff contention, though, so the 26-year-old wideout will tough it out and play in a plus matchup against a Cowboys defense that allows the third-most passing yards per game (251.5). The risk fantasy managers run by leaving St. Brown in their lineups is that he'll serve as a decoy for Dallas' defense at less than 100%. On the flip side, St. Brown has been a top-five fantasy WR in half-PPR scoring in 2025, so he's probably still a better gamble than a potential replacement, especially in what is expected to be a high-scoring affair.

From RotoBaller

Harrison Smith Dec 4 6:03pm CT
Harrison Smith

Minnesota Vikings OT Christian Darrisaw (knee) and DE Levi Drake Rodriguez (neck) did not participate in practice Thursday, Dec. 4. LB Jonathan Greenard (shoulder), OG Donovan Jackson (ankle), S Theo Jackson (neck), RB Aaron Jones (shoulder) and S Josh Metellus (shoulder) were limited during practice. T Jonathan Allen (non-injury), OG Blake Brandel (concussion), RB Ty Chandler (knee), DT Javon Hargrave (non-injury), C Ryan Kelly (hip), QB J.J. McCarthy (concussion), DE Jalen Redmond (hip) and S Harrison Smith (non-injury) fully participated in practice.

From TheHuddle

Jadeveon Clowney Dec 4 6:03pm CT
Jadeveon Clowney

The Dallas Cowboys have declared DT Jay Toia, RB Jaydon Blue, DL Perrion Winfrey, LB Jadeveon Clowney, OT Tyler Guyton and WR Jalen Tolbert inactive for Week 14.

From TheHuddle

Alvin Kamara Dec 4 6:03pm CT
Alvin Kamara

New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara (ankle, knee) did not participate in practice Thursday, Dec. 4.

Fantasy Spin: Kamara appears to be on track to miss another game, but fantasy players can keep an eye on the situation over the next few days. Devin Neal will receive another start if Kamara sits out and can be at least a flex option in leagues.

From TheHuddle

Omarion Hampton Dec 4 5:50pm CT
Omarion Hampton

Los Angeles Chargers rookie first-round running back Omarion Hampton (ankle) was listed as a limited participant in practice on Thursday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Hampton returned to practice last Tuesday for the first time since suffering a fractured ankle back in Week 5, but he was ultimately held out for the team's win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. Although the 22-year-old first-rounder was only limited in the first practice of the week, head coach Jim Harbaugh said earlier this week that Hampton was tracking towards making his return for a Week 14 Monday night showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles at SoFi Stadium. Hampton will probably need a full practice on Friday or Saturday to avoid a questionable tag going into Monday's game. The North Carolina product should work up to being L.A.'s primary RB again in time, but in his first game back, he figures to be in more of a timeshare with Kimani Vidal, making him more of an RB3/flex for fantasy purposes.

From RotoBaller

Justin Herbert Dec 4 5:40pm CT
Justin Herbert

In the first official practice of Week 14, Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (hand) was listed as limited on Thursday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Herbert had surgery on Monday to fix a metacarpal fracture in his left (non-throwing) hand and had a plate and screws inserted to stabilize the fracture. The 27-year-old plans to play on Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 14, and the Chargers' coaching staff is very optimistic he'll be ready. Herbert should be active in Week 14, but he'll be more of a QB2 option for fantasy managers while playing behind a shaky offensive line against a strong Eagles defensive front. If Herbert is active on Monday night, as expected, he's likely to take most, if not all, of the offensive snaps out of the shotgun formation to limit the strain on his injured left hand. That could be an issue near the goal line, and it was announced that backup Trey Lance would be taking the goal-line reps under center this week.

From RotoBaller