Team news: Pittsburgh Steelers | Page 5

Steelers’ WR Diontae Johnson is expected to be sidelined “a few weeks” due to the hamstring injury he suffered Sunday vs. the 49ers, per source.

Related players: George Pickens, Allen Robinson, Calvin Austin III

It's a big blow to the Steelers offense as Johnson was expected to bounce back this season after not scoring a touchdown all of last year. We'll have to wait word for how long Johnson misses, and now the big fear is the team places him on IR, which means he'd potentially miss the next four games. Pickens and Robinson likely take over the top-two roles at WR, but Austin could sneak into the fantasy-relevant category as well.

The Rams had not just one, but two receivers with more than 100 receiving yards on Sunday. Tutu Atwell set career highs with six catches for 119 yards, and rookie fifth-round pick Puka Nacua’s 10 catches for 119 yards were the most receiving yards in a rookie debut in team history.

And although fourth-year receiver Van Jefferson finished with just four catches for 24 yards, McVay said after the game that the receiver “is going to continue to be a big part of this as well.” Unlike last season when Jefferson was out with a knee injury, where defenses knew Kupp was Stafford’s most likely target, the Rams had multiple successful options.

Related players: Cooper Kupp, Matthew Stafford

The story said the depth at WR is one reason the team has a chance to survive without Kupp in the lineup, for at least the next three weeks. Another reason is the health of QB Stafford, who ended up not throwing for a touchdown but did have over 300 yards passing in the surprise win over Seattle. Atwell and Nacua will likely be waiver wire targets this week in your league, and along with Jefferson, are certainly worth looks if you're in need at the WR position.

The Bears did not do enough to utilize D.J. Moore, who they acquired in a blockbuster trade with Carolina. Moore is expected to be the legit No. 1 receiver the Bears have been lacking in recent years, but he was targeted twice in the second quarter, with both catches totaling 25 yards. The ball did not come his way again.

“It’s important for us to be able to get the ball to our best skill,” Eberflus said. “We have to do a better job there. “Were the plays designed for [Justin Fields] to go there sometimes? Yep. And they had some different coverages rolled up to him at times and different things that they were doing, which some teams are going to do, but we certainly have to find ways to feed DJ and feed our skill.”

The Bears passing attack was supposed to be improved this year with the addition of Moore. But as the story said, Fields only had four passes travel at least 10 yards downfield. One of those plays resulted in a third quarter touchdown to Darnell Mooney. Another turned into a pick-six.

Rams coach Sean McVay says WR Cooper Kupp is out Sunday as he deals with his hamstring injury.

Related Players: Van Jefferson, Puka Nacua, Tutu Atwell

What's worse, there's no guarantee that Kupp will avoid IR. Truly miserable news for fantasy and the WR himself, but we power on. Van Jefferson is now a very interesting fantasy piece and could absolutely be in Flex consideration as soon as this week. Nucua is an interesting hold on deep rosters, but the team has already shown their hand regarding Atwell as a rotational player.

Kupp is an obvious hold in all formats, regardless of a league's IR slot being active or not.

Without Kupp, Van Jefferson would step into the No. 1 receiver role, while Tutu Atwell and Puka Nacua would become Nos. 2 and 3. Depth receiver Ben Skowronek would likely play more on special teams this season than in the offense. But if Kupp is absent into the season, Skowronek knows each receiving position as well.

This depth chart is something else. Van Jefferson should be a fantasy target regardless of Kupp's health, but finding usable weeks for the other three options listed are sure to be hard to come by. Nacua is fine as a late-round dart, but Atwell has only one game of 60+ yards receiving and one other separate game with more than two receptions since being taken in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Rams head coach Sean McVay says Cooper Kupp has had a "setback." He calls it a "muscle strain."Day-to-day, per McVay.

"We're obviously a much better team when he's out there."

Related Players: Van Jefferson, Tyler Higbee, Puka Nacua, Demarcus Robinson, Tutu Atwell

These minor setbacks seem to be adding up for the 30-year-old Kupp's hamstring. Though fantasy drafters should refrain from overreacting, this certainly isn't a good look. Moving the surrounding cast of Ja'Marr Chase, Tyreek Hill, and Stefon Diggs over Kupp is not out of the question as it stands.

The Chicago Bears released backup quarterback P.J. Walker on Sunday, the team announced.

Related players: Tyson Bagent, Nathan Peterman, Justin Fields

Walker signed a two-year contract worth $4.15 million in March with over $2 million in guarantees. After three seasons with the Carolina Panthers, Walker was brought in to compete for the backup quarterback job behind Justin Fields. The Bears will now hand that role to undrafted rookie Bagent or veteran Peterman. Bagent, who signed with Chicago after playing for offensive coordinator Luke Getsy's squad at the Senior Bowl, has been the team's strongest backup QB throughout training camp, the story went on to say.

Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, and Allen Robinson will be the Steelers’ starters, with Calvin Austin holding down punt return duties and Miles Boykin adding speed and special teams duties at the back of the rotation.

Related Players: Gunner Olszewski

A forgotten piece in Fantasyland, Robinson has the ability to make some noise in 11 personnel, which the team figures to use extensively. In typical redraft leagues, he figures to be a guy coming off and back on waiver wires throughout the season, but makes for a great pick deep in best ball leagues, particularly when you have Kenny Pickett on your roster.

One to watch heading into the season: Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy is being carted off at practice with an apparent hamstring injury.

Related Players: Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims, Marquez Callaway, Kendall Hinton

Early prognosticators believe the best-case scenario would leave Jeudy out for Week 1, while something more severe could immediately land him on the PUP. It seems like even moderate timetables put him at a six-week recovery from today, so it would seem that he is going to be missing some game time regardless, unless we see an additional report about a mistaken diagnosis. Conservatively, we should be ignoring Jeudy at his ADP and push him far down draft boards until we hear otherwise.

Unsurprising news, but the Lions have waived WR Denzel Mims — acquired from the Jets last month — with an injury designation. Mims certainly looked the part of a big-bodied X receiver with intriguing speed, but he was never able to gain momentum after an ankle injury sidelined him for much of camp.

Related Players: Josh Reynolds, Trinity Benson

Upsetting news for Mims, who was hoping to add some depth to a team that sorely needs it. It's tough to hold him in all but the deepest of dynasty leagues at this point.