Fantasy Football News

Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, the New Orleans Saints have requested permission to interview Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich for their head coaching vacancy. (Source: Adam Schefter on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: While Leftwich is reportedly close to becoming the next head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars that deal has not yet been finalized and it seems like the Saints are trying to swoop in last minute and potentially entice Leftwich to instead come to New Orleans. The Saints have also been linked to Lions DC Aaron Glenn and their own DC Dennis Allen.

According to Tom Pelissero, the Denver Broncos are hiring Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett as their next HC. (Source: Tom Pelissero)

Fantasy Impact: The veteran coordinator has been hired to be the next head coach in Denver. Hackett was the offensive coordinator in Jacksonville from 2016-to-2018 where he had two bottom-8 finishes in PPG on offense and one top-5 finish. Over the past three season's, he's been the offensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers. The move comes with a bit of speculation as Aaron Rodgers has ties to Hackett and has expressed some frustrations with the team.

Per Ari Meirov, Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger has announced his retirement from the NFL. (Source: Ari Meirov)

Fantasy Impact: After 18 seasons and two Super Bowls, Roethlisberger has announced his retirement from the NFL. The Steelers have a combination of Dwayne Haskins and Mason Rudolph on their roster for 2022 but it remains likely they find another candidate via free agency or the draft.

Per Tom Pelissero, the Dallas Cowboys are retaining Dan Quinn as defensive coordinator for 2022. (Source: Tom Pelissero)

Fantasy Impact: After an impressive 2021, Quinn will stay with the Cowboys after drawing several offers from teams with head coaching vacancies.

According to Adam Schefter, Chicago Bears have hired Colts’ defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus.

Fantasy Impact: After a multi-week search for a head coach, the Bears have found their guy in Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus.

Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll is the favorite to be named the next head coach of the Miami Dolphins, according to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News. (Source: Pat Leonard on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: This would be an intriguing pairing given the offensive weapons already in Miami and what Daboll has done with Buffalo's offense. It's good news for Tua and company to get someone offensive-minded in the position. Daboll to Miami likely means that either Dan Quinn or former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores would be heading to New York to be the Giants' next head coach, according to Leonard.

Joe Schoen told reporters during his introductory press conference that the team's new offense would be built "to accentuate what Daniel (Jones) does best." (Source: Jordan Raanan on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: While what Jones does best could be debated, the big takeaway from today's comments from Schoen and owner John Mara is that Jones appears to be set to return under center for the Giants in 2022. This is far from a guarantee, but at least initially the team is pointing to Jones returning and continuing to try to build around him. He's always been a tempting fantasy target given his dual-threat ability. Unfortunately, that has yet to result in much fantasy production. Jones is currently the QB28 in our early expert consensus rankings for 2022 redraft leagues.

Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski told reporters that if he were forced to decide now, he would retire. (Source: Jenna Laine on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: However, Gronk added that he needs the next three to five weeks to decompress and determine his future. Since he's not going to be forced to decide now, this doesn't carry much impact. Gronk will be one of several veterans to monitor early in the 2022 offseason. He's already said his future is not tied to teammate Tom Brady, but you would think he'd be more likely to return in 2022 if his signal caller was also going to come back.

Giants owner John Mara told reporters Wednesday that the team is not trading for quarterback Deshaun Watson. (Source: Jordan Raanan on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Mara added that the allegations, salary cap and all that exists with the situation is “not the right fit” for the Giants. Despite all that's working against him, Watson's talent displayed on the playing field will continue to have him mentioned in rumors across the league. At this point, he's nothing more than a player to hold in dynasty leagues to see if he's able to return to the field in 2022.

Jeff Wilson Jr. was limited during Wednesday's practice session by an ankle injury.

Fantasy Impact: Wilson suffered the injury during last weekend's Divisional matchup against Green Bay. Even if he is able to suit up versus the Rams, he and the other San Francisco running backs have taken a back seat to Elijah Mitchell. Wilson won't be relevant for fantasy purposes unless there are injuries ahead of him.

The Bengals listed wide receiver Tee Higgins as a full participant in Wednesday's practice with a thumb injury.

Fantasy Impact: This is a new injury for Higgins, but given his full participation, it doesn't seem that it's a risk of keeping him from playing against the Chiefs. After putting up a dud against the Raiders in the Wild Card Round, Higgins was back to his productive self with seven receptions on nine targets for 96 yards against the Titans.

Darrel Williams was able to fully participate in the Chiefs' practice on Wednesday.

Fantasy Impact: Williams missed the team's game against the Bills due to a toe injury. Prior to suffering the toe injury during the Wild Card game against the Steelers, Williams fumbled and took a back seat to running back Jerrick McKinnon. Despite appearing on track to return this week, it's unclear what sort of role he will be returning to given the performance of McKinnon and the presence of Clyde Edwards-Helaire

After clearing waivers, the Kansas City Chiefs added Josh Gordon to their practice squad on Wednesday. (Source: Aaron Wilson on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: The Chiefs waived Gordon on Monday, and it was reported at the time that they were planning to send him to their practice squad if he should clear waivers. He did, and they did. Gordon didn't have an impact on fantasy football this season. While it doesn't hurt to be on one of the league's most dynamic offenses, Gordon is no sure bet to return to fantasy relevance in 2022.

Patriots guard David Andrews (shoulder) underwent offseason surgery for his shoulder Wednesday. (Source: Mike Reiss on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Andrews 2021 season was ravaged by injuries, including some he attempted to play through. If healthy, Andrews will return to lead a formidable Patriots offensive line as they attempt to take their next step in the roster reconstruction centered around rookie quarterback Mac Jones.

49ers wide receiver Mohamed Sanu Sr. (knee) was activated from injured reserve Wednesday. (Source: Doug Kyed on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Sanu will join the 49ers ahead of their NFC championship matchup with the Los Angeles Rams. It will be interesting to see how Sanu Sr. is utilized.

49ers left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) did not practice Wednesday. (Source: Doug Kyed on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Williams followed a similar workload last week before ultimately being cleared and playing Saturday in the 49ers NFC divisional round upset of the Green Bay Packers. He will be tasked with protecting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo from Los Angeles Rams defense that will be bringing pressure early and often with a Super Bowl berth on the line Sunday.

49ers running back Elijah Mitchell (knee) did not practice on Wednesday. (Source: Doug Kyed on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Mitchell followed a similar course last week in practice, before being removed from the injury report Friday and turning in a fourth consecutive 20+ touch game for San Francisco. He will be heavily relied on in a game San Francsisco will try to control the clock by establishing their ground game early and often against the Los Angeles Rams.

49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (thumb) practiced on a limited basis Wednesday. (Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter )

Fantasy Impact: Although limited in Wednesday’s practice due to his thumb injury, Garoppolo’s shoulder sprain was removed from the injury report which is good news heading into the 49ers NFC championship contest against the Los Angeles Rams.

Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu (concussion protocol) did not practice Wednesday. (Source: Matt McMullen on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Mathieu will need to clear protocols and practice in some capacity ahead of the Chiefs AFC championship showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals this Sunday to be able to take the field and help slow down quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.

ESPN is reporting that JuJu Smith-Schuster is expected to return to Pittsburgh in 2022. (Source: ESPN)

Fantasy Impact: They cite the fact that the sides were able to reach an agreement in 2021 despite the limited cap space. Given what happened this season and the fact that Pittsburgh has even more cap room available in 2022, ESPN feels like it wouldn't be surprising for Juju to return in 2022. It's far from a guarantee, especially given all the questions around the team's quarterback. While his ultimate ranking will be determined based on his landing spot this offseason, Smith-Schuster is more likely to be a WR3 or draft-day afterthought versus the top fantasy target he has been in the past.