The drumbeat for the NFL to ban artificial turf — particularly at MetLife Stadium — will only grow louder after Miami Dolphins pass rusher Jaelan Phillips suffered what appears to be an Achilles tendon tear in the league’s first Black Friday game.

Phillips was coming out of his stance to rush the passer Friday when his entire right calf rippled, a clear sign that he suffered an Achilles injury and, almost certainly, a tear.

#Dolphins pass rusher Jaelan Phillips goes down with a non-contact injury on this play and has to be carted off the field.

pic.twitter.com/nsAn96d5rI

— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) November 24, 2023

Miami Dolphins Rip MetLife Stadium Turf

It was just the latest casualty of New York/New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, which continues to end seasons even after the Giants and Jets replaced the notorious playing surface this past offseason.

MORE: Miami Dolphins Depth Chart

Cleats tend to stick more in artificial turf than they do natural grass, and the NFLPA is already on record calling for the abolishment of fake grass.

If Dolphins players were not onboard with the initiative before, they almost certainly will be now. If the Jets played on grass and not turf, they might still have one of their best defensive players for the stretch run.

“It’s tough, especially playing on this turf,” Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert said after the game. “No player wants to go down with a significant injury. You saw what happened to [Aaron] Rodgers, very first game, first series.

“It just sucks. For JP, I know he’s going to get his mental right and be back stronger and better than ever. But we’ve got to do something about this turf and this playing surface. Obviously, it’s still a major problem, even with trying to figure out what we can do. I don’t know. It just has to change.”

Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert on the turf field at MetLife Stadium:

“We have to do something about this” pic.twitter.com/YkcLQeo6AZ

— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) November 24, 2023

Dolphins safety Jevon Holland was even more blunt.

“My rookie year, my homeboy ended up going down [at MetLife Stadium], Jamal Perry,” Holland said. “Kind of the same thing. I don’t know the statistics or anything like that, but I do know that turf does increase your chances of getting hurt, so that field’s trash.”

Phillips — who reportedly left MetLife on crutches and in a walking boot — will undergo additional tests Saturday to confirm his Achilles is torn, but the Dolphins seemed resigned to the fact that he is out for the season.

“It doesn’t look great, but we’ll find out more tomorrow,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said after the game. “I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but not fired up about it.”

McDaniel added, per the Miami Herald: “[Jaelan is] the type of person and he has the right mindset where he’ll be able to turn anything that’s perceived as negative into a potential positive. But this is going to be tough and trying for him.”

McDaniel: “(Jaelan is) the type of person and he has the right mindset where he’ll be able to turn anything that’s perceived as negative into a potential positive. But this is going to be tough and trying for him.” https://t.co/6PORoXEbSm

— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) November 24, 2023

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Even though the Los Angeles Rams missed RB Kyren Williams while he was on injured reserve (IR) for four weeks, they made do primarily with Darrell Henderson Jr. and a little bit of Royce Freeman sprinkled in.

Williams has been practicing all week for the Rams and is looking to play this week against Arizona. When the Rams released Henderson earlier this week, fantasy managers were even more convinced that Williams is good to go. But will he be eased back in? Which Rams RB should you be going with in Week 12?

Should You Start Royce Freeman or Kyren Williams for Fantasy Football in Week 12?

In the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, PFN’s Consensus Rankings say managers should start Williams. Williams is projected to score 12.8 fantasy points with 48.4 rushing yards, 4.3 receptions, and 36.4 yards receiving. On the other side, Freeman is projected 6.8 fantasy points with 31.8 yards rushing, 2.4 receptions, and 12.9 yards receiving.

Fantasy Outlook for Freeman This Week

With Williams out, the Rams were utilizing both Freeman and Henderson, but Henderson ended up being the most valuable asset fantasy-wise. Freeman’s best fantasy finish was in Week 8 against Dallas, when he finished as RB20. He was practically invisible from Week 2 to Week 4 when he and Williams were both on the field.

I just do not expect to see much from Freeman this week. If Williams truly is completely healthy and ready to go, even if they temper his carries, I do not expect Freeman to get enough volume to make him a startable RB. And, if we see the Rams elevate Henderson from the practice squad, that would drip Freeman down in the pecking order.

Freeman is RB43 in PFN’s Consensus Rankings this week.

Fantasy Outlook for Williams This Week

The matchup for Williams is great this week — the Cardinals allow the third-most fantasy points to opposing RB, and even if head coach Sean McVay does ease him in, I believe he will do enough with the opportunities to be started.

He had the lowest amount of carries this season in Week 3 against Cincinnati and Week 5 against Philadelphia, and both of those teams were much better at defending the run than Arizona. His lowest fantasy finish of those two games was RB30.

Throw in the possibility of Cooper Kupp not being 100%, and I see Williams having a big workload. He is the RB16 in PFN’s Consensus Rankings. The Rams must activate Williams by Saturday afternoon to be able to play on Sunday, so monitor the news.

Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!

After Thanksgiving and Black Friday games, fantasy football managers now have a smaller pool of players to pull from as they tweak their lineups at the last minute. Injury news is vital to these decisions. What are the latest injury updates regarding Dameon Pierce, Kyren Williams, and D’Onta Foreman?

RB Injury Updates

Dameon Pierce, RB, Houston Texans

Lately, the RB backfield has not been led by the second-year RB Pierce. He had a solid rookie season last year, and managers were anticipating a successful 2023, even if on volume alone. However, this has not been the case.

Pierce has missed the last three games due to an ankle injury, and Devin Singletary has stepped in and been efficient. But will we see a split backfield this week with a potential Pierce return? Pierce practiced in full on Wednesday and Friday this week, and he officially has a questionable tag for Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

If Pierce has another game on the bench, expect another game of Singletary as the RB1. Pierce is RB39 in PFN’s Consensus Rankings.

Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams

The last time we saw Los Angeles Rams RB Kyren Williams was in Week 6 against Arizona, where he was the RB2 on the week. He was a delightful surprise for fantasy managers who got him as a steal late in drafts. Williams is eligible to return, and it looks like managers might see him soon, with him practicing fully this week. The Rams must activate him by Saturday afternoon to play this week.

Head coach Sean McVay has made it known that he wants to be cautious with Williams’ return. “I think you want to be smart about it,” McVay said this week. “I think you want to be able to try to simulate some drills without the risk of injury to be able to just get him back to some of the things that are going to occur on Sunday. You can’t ever truly simulate those things, but it wasn’t like it was too long ago.

MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor

“You certainly don’t take anything for granted. If he’s feeling good, we want him to be able to have a normal workload, and I know he’s excited to be back, and his teammates are excited to have him.”

Keep an eye on the Rams on the PFN Fantasy News Tracker to see if they elevate Darrell Henderson Jr. from the practice squad, as that piece of information would say a lot about the team’s faith in Williams and his health. He is RB16 in PFN’s Consensus Rankings this week.

D’Onta Foreman, RB, Chicago Bears

Foreman has stepped up this season to help the Chicago Bears as they were dealing with an injured Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson. Foreman was valiant in his effort, even finishing as the RB1 in Week 7 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Unfortunately, he is now dealing with an ankle and shin issue, which caused him to leave the Week 11 game against the Detroit Lions early.

Foreman was limited in Friday’s practice, which is good news for his health. The Bears play on Monday night, so make sure you have a pivot option available if he is unable to go. If Foreman sits, expect it to be the Herbert and Johnson Show. Foreman is RB47 in PFN’s Consensus Rankings.

Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!