Kansas City is on critical mass alert for injuries on the offensive line. That light flickered in the Super Bowl against Tampa Bay. It was less so injuries versus Philly last year and more quality of tackle play, which Josh Simmons had shored up earlier this season. However, the star rookie’s season went sideways, and he’s now on IR. Two KC stalwarts are doubtful for…...

The famous Lane Johnson splits are part of weekly fantasy decisions once again. This tertiary but not insignificant factor was put to the test during the Eagles’ collapse in Dallas without the future Hall of Famer, even if Philly’s full game EPA landed about halfway between the In and Out splits on the season leading up to the game. They had an EPA per play…...

The Raiders’ offensive line profiled as a sneak-back-to-average unit heading into the season, derailed largely by events involving Kolton Miller and Jackson Powers-Johnson. Miller’s long been one of the league’s underrated elite left tackles, while Powers-Johnson really came along down the stretch in 2024. JPJ’s handling in August and September is still a bit murky as to the why: What were offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and Pete’s son, offensive…...

The Bucs’ OL cavalry has fully arrived. Baker Mayfield ran for his life in the early weeks without OTs Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke, but the former returned in October and the latter this past Sunday. However, Mayfield’s rushing production has vanished, which might also be attributed to his knee and oblique injuries. Wirfs is a stud, and Goedeke’s reliably above-average, while utility lineman Charlie Heck landed…...

After leading last week’s column about how critical Joe Alt’s return to the lineup would be for Justin Herbert and company, the Chargers’ injury luck went and struck again. Now they’re kicking the tires on Saints first-rounder Trevor Penning in the hopes he can hit the OT growth curve in Year 4. A change in scenery, coach, and quarterback seemed worth the swing for Coach Jim Harbaugh and GM Joe…...

The tip of the Chargers’ spear had been dulled without both Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater. Passing efficiency had slowed in late September and October for a unit that produced bona fide fantasy starters through the league’s first month in Justin Herbert, Keenan Allen, and Quentin Johnston. Slater is done for 2025, but Alt’s return last Thursday generates a sustainable second wind for a Bolts offense now helping…...

A much-needed week for the Jahmyr Gibbs bags started with Taylor Decker returning at left tackle for the Detroit Lions. Decker had missed the previous two weeks, and the ROI on that top-5 pick nosedived. Gibbs went off on Monday night, mostly because he’s very good, though it also helped that the tackle play improved dramatically. The previous two games saw different LT backups in Giovanni Manu…...

Packers RT Zach Tom played sparingly before the bye due to an oblique injury, which became a real problem when Jordan Love and company faced reasonable opposition in Cleveland and Detroit. Green Bay’s fourth-year starter was among the top right tackles last season, and last week his return ushered in one solitary pressure and zero QB hits from the RT assignment. While injuries hammer the receiver position for Green…...

Last week this column focused on the jump in store for the Buccaneers’ and Saints’ offenses due to the reverberations of returning cogs on the offensive line. Left tackle Tristan Wirfs bumped Graham Barton back to center for Baker Mayfield in Tampa. The Saints stabilized protection around Spencer Rattler with promising young right tackle Taliese Fuaga, and at least creeped back in the direction of…...

Four teams lost offensive line continuity while four teams gained it last week, though these won’t all cleanly translate to bullish or bearish signals. This column will identify situations where it’s arrow up or down on the OL front and the resulting fantasy implications. Who’s losing and returning fixtures on starting OL? Baker Mayfield surely appreciated the season debut of preeminent young left tackle Tristan Wirfs…...

Last week saw a ton of movement on the offensive line continuity front, especially with franchise left tackles making their season debut. We also saw plenty of disruptions up front for teams, including two units that were forced to replace multiple longtime starters. This weekly column evaluates how all this shakes out and fantasy impact moving forward, with a premium on offensive line continuity. Check…...

Thomas Emerick breaks down how offensive line continuity impacts fantasy performance heading into Week 3 and reveals which lineup changes could boost (or blow up) your quarterback and running back selections. This column finally gets to sink its teeth into week-over-week changes on offensive lines and the potential fantasy impact. Continuity will remain the central focus, keeping in mind which linemen have been an integral…...

Thomas Emerick launches his weekly offensive line continuity series and reveals how these crucial trench battles could give you the perfect buy-low opportunities in Week 2. Each week this column will update offensive line continuity totals and starting lineups for every team while highlighting a few developments that could impact fantasy outcomes. There’s no better time than September to text league mates and move players,…...