Atlanta Falcons

The Jacksonville Jaguars signed kicker Riley Patterson to a Reserve/Futures deal on Monday, bringing back the player who kicked a 36-yard field goal as time expired to complete the team's comeback from a 27-0 deficit in a wild-card victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in January of 2023. The Jaguars used former Denver Broncos kicker Brandon McManus as their kicker in 2023, but he'll be an unrestricted free agent this March. If McManus signs elsewhere, Jacksonville could go back to the 24-year-old Patterson, who made 16 of his 18 field-goal tries in 15 games this past season with the Detroit Lions before signing with the Cleveland Browns late in the year. He kicked in the final two regular-season games with the Browns and in their wild-card playoff loss to the Texans.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (Achilles) is reportedly ahead of schedule in his recovery from surgery to fix a torn Achilles that he suffered in the Week 8 win over the Green Bay Packers and will be throwing in the next month or so. It's good news for Cousins, who is scheduled to hit the free-agent market in March as he enters his age-36 campaign in 2024. As long as he doesn't have a setback in his recovery from his Achilles injury, Cousins should sign a lucrative contract on the open market after throwing for 2,331 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions in only eight games played in 2023. His 2024 fantasy value will depend on his landing spot, but he'll probably have the highest ceiling if he stays in Minnesota with All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, who really impressed in his rookie season.

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts suffered a PCL injury beyond the MCL repair in his right knee, which ended his 2022 season. Pitts said his knee is feeling better and he considers it a success that he was able to play all 17 games in 2023. He was targeted 90 times and had 53 catches for 667 yards and a career-high three touchdowns. He had four games over 50-plus receiving yards and five games with under 30 yards. It was far from his rookie season, when he had 68 catches for 1,026 yards and a touchdown, but considering his major knee injury the year prior, it wasn't all that bad. Heading into his fourth NFL campaign, he'll have a new head coach, which could mean a different role entirely. Depending on who the Falcons bring in, Pitts could end up being a sneaky value target at the tight end position in 2024 fantasy drafts.

Cleveland Browns kicker Riley Patterson will appear in his third game for the team in Saturday's playoff game against the Houston Texans. Patterson, who is kicking in place of the injured Dustin Hopkins (hamstring), will go up against a Houston defense that allowed the 11th-most fantasy points per game to the kicker position during the regular season. Across 15 games between the Detroit Lions and Cleveland, Patterson had made 16 of his 18 field-goal attempts. He can be considered as a decent flex option in DFS contests that utilize kickers this weekend.

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts wrote on his Instagram account that he had surgery on both the MCL and PCL in his knee after getting hurt in Week 11 of the 2022 season. It was previously reported that he had only torn his MCL. Pitts had a career-high three touchdowns in 17 games in his third year in the league in 2023, but overall it was another disappointing campaign for the former first-rounder with 53 receptions on 90 targets for 667 yards. PCL injuries are more complex and have a slower recovery time, so it's possible that Pitts was playing at less than 100 percent for a big chunk of this past season. If the 23-year-old is fully healthy in 2024 with a new head coach that can utilize him more than Arthur Smith did, he could be a fantastic value pick at the tight end position in fall fantasy drafts.