September 2019 4for4 Player News Articles

HC Jay Gruden said the following about his Week 5 QB:

“I think I’ll figure that out, especially when I find out the true status of our quarterbacks that are banged up a little bit,” Gruden said, in reference to Case Keenum‘s foot and Colt McCoy‘s leg. “Obviously Colt coming back from his leg injury, if he’s 100 percent ready to go. Case, how he’s doing with his foot — he was in a boot after the game, precautionary reason. We’ll see where they are. And then talking to Dwayne Haskins, seeing his progress. I’ll make that determination. I think it will depend on the decision I make and then how that person performs on Thursday and Friday.”

Gruden said his decision has nothing to do with playing the Patriots this week. We reported yesterday that Gruden apparently loves McCoy and he could have the edge in Week 5. Despite what Gruden said, it seems hard to believe he would throw the rookie Haskins out there against the Pats good defense.

Saquon Barkley has said he thinks he can beat the timetable given to him for a return from a high-ankle sprain. The Giants running back is on his way to doing just that.

He already has shed the walking boot, a week after his injury.

Related players: Wayne Gallman

Barkley is eager to get back the story said. HC Pat Shurmur said he and the team will make the decision as to when Barkley returns on a week-to-week basis.

Frank Reich also says RB Marlon Mack (ankle) and WR Parris Campbell (abdominal) will be monitored throughout the practice week.

Related players: Nyheim Hines

Bremer added in another tweet that Mack wasn't ruled out with the ankle injury against the Raiders, but instead Hines was on the field because the team was playing from behind and in hurry-up mode. While it's good news Mack could have played, fantasy owners want a back on the field in those situations, so it's something to monitor going forward.

Josh Allen and Dean Marlowe both in concussion protocol.

Related players: Matt Barkley

The good news is Allen ran from the field to the locker room, trying to pump the crowd on the way. But, the Bills are at Tennessee in Week 5 then have a bye in Week 6. Off to a 3-1 start, it's possible the Bills hold out Allen until after the bye week when they take on Miami. Barkley would get the start if Allen isn't cleared by this week.

Kingsbury said Christian Kirk has an ankle injury. Wouldn’t get more detailed. Said there would be be more information Wednesday.

Related players: Damiere Byrd, KeeSean Johnson

Urban added Kingsbury said the Cardinals will look into signing a wide receiver, which could mean they expect to be without Kirk in Week 5. Without Kirk, Byrd and Johnson could get more snaps in a good matchup against the Bengals.

Christian McCaffrey played every snap for the third time in four games and is playing on 98.3 percent of the snaps this season.

He’s averaging 102.7 yards rushing and 21.5 carries a game. He’s averaging 54.5 yards receiving and 6.25 catches a game. That puts him on pace for a career-best 1,644 yards rushing and a career-best 872 receiving yards. That would leave him short of becoming the third back in NFL history to top 1,000 yards in both categories during the same season, but there are still 12 games left on the schedule.

The Panthers said before the season started they wanted to give McCaffrey less snaps but more touches. So much for that. Perhaps the injury to QB Cam Newton has been a factor in this. McCaffrey's snaps are up from 27.75 per game from last year's 22.6 per game.

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, the Bears put eight or more defenders in the box on five of Dalvin Cook’s 14 carries on Sunday, forcing him to face heavy fronts more frequently than all but six running backs in the league during Week 4.

Cook ran behind a fullback or an extra tight end on 10 of his 14 carries on Sunday. That’s part and parcel to the Vikings’ offense this season, and it’s helped open holes for Cook so far this year. It could, however, invite more defenders into the box, rather than forcing them to defend the run from a wider angle, especially as teams scheme to stop Cook and force the Vikings to throw the ball.

The author thinks if the Vikings don't start making teams pay for stacking the box, they are going to see a lot more of that. The Vikings won't face many fronts like the Bears have, according to the story, but Kirk Cousins and the passing game are going to have to help open things up for Cook - and his fantasy owners.

Jets coach Adam Gase tells reporters that QB Sam Darnold was cleared for non-contact drills.

Related players: Luke Falk

Not quite the all-clear they were hoping for, Rapoport went on to say. Darnold has not lifted or ran or thrown since contracting mono, so he’ll ramp up this week. The hope is he can play in Week 5 in what is a nice matchup against the Eagles, but if he's not cleared, it's Falk who gets the start again.

HC Pete Carroll says again that Rashaad Penny "will be ready to go this week.'' Says he had a hamstring strain.

Related players: C.J. Prosise, Chris Carson

The Seahawks said the same thing last week and then Penny was scratched for Week 4. Carson got back on track this past week with 22 runs for 102 yards and he also added four catches for 41 yards, but it was Prosise who got the TD. Even if Penny is active on a short week against the Rams Thursday, Carson should again get a bulk of the work.

Initial MRI on Bears’ QB Mitchell Trubisky revealed he has a dislocated left shoulder, with a slight labrum tear.

Related players: Chase Daniel

Trubisky does not need surgery and should he back “sooner rather than later,” per source according to Schefter. Trubisky will travel with team to London and is unlikely to play vs. Raiders, Schefter went on to say. The Bears have a bye the following week. Meanwhile, Daniel gets the start in Week 5 vs. the Raiders.

Ron Rivera says he expects Kyle Allen to start Sun vs. Jaguars. No timeline for Cam Newton beyond that.

Allen wasn't a great fantasy option last week against the Texans throwing for 232 yards and no TDs. But the Panthers went on the road and won for the second-straight week under Allen. The Panthers have said Newton won't play until he's 100%.

Despite Lions’ TE T.J. Hockenson landing hard on his right shoulder and head Sunday and then being carted off, Detroit will not be placing its rookie first-round pick on injured reserve, per source.

Related players: Jesse James

Owners can expect Hockenson to miss some time and James to likely take over as the TE1. Hockenson was great in Week 1 before disappearing in Weeks 2 and 3. Before getting hurt, he had three catches for 27 yards and a TD.

None of the Packers injured on Thursday practiced on Monday: Davante Adams (toe), Kevin King (groin), Jamaal Williams (head/neck), Bryan Bulaga (shoulder), Will Redmond (head), Tony Brown (hamstring) all were out. So was Montravius Adams (shoulder), who has missed the last two games.

Related players: Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Geronimo Allison, Aaron Jones

Adams' status is still in question as we head into Week 5. The Packers travel to Dallas in a late afternoon game so the hope is we have a better idea of Adams' status before the early games so owners can adjust. If Adams can't go, it's a big bump for Valdes-Scantling and Allison, although it will be a tough matchup against a good Dallas defense.

In addition, Williams is also not practicing after getting carted off the field last Thursday night. Jones would likely suck up a lot of the touches if Williams can't play in Week 5.

The Bears played almost the entire game without starting quarterback Mitchell Trubisky today after a shoulder injury on the first possession, but they don’t think they’ll have to play the season without him.

Bears coach Matt Nagy said today that he does not believe Trubisky’s injury is season ending. Otherwise, Nagy said, there’s not a lot of information until Trubisky undergoes more medical testing.

Related players: Chase Daniel

As the story said, Daniel played pretty well replacing Trubisky early in the game and helping to lead the Bears to a win over the Vikings. The injury is to Trubisky's non-throwing shoulder, but it looks like Daniel is going to be the starter perhaps at least for the next couple of weeks.

Case Keenum was benched against the Giants in Week 4. Ian Rapoport said it doesn't necessarily mean Dwayne Haskins will be the starter, and Colt McCoy is also in the picture.

Rapoport said Gruden likes McCoy a lot, and McCoy is now fully healthy after a leg injury. Rapoport added the team will not just hand the job to Haskins because he was a first round pick. This week, the Skins take on the Patriots, so it's perhaps not an ideal situation for Haskins to make his first NFL start.

Cincinnati Bengals Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Green will not play Monday night against the Steelers and could be out a while as he continues to recover from preseason ankle surgery, sources told ESPN.

Green, 31, got out of a protective boot a few weeks ago and has been running and doing workouts. He is not expected to be ready, however, for the games against Arizona at home and at Baltimore, sources said.

No timetable has been given for Green but this story makes it seem like he won't play the team's next three games, including tonight on Monday night. The story added the Bengals then have games against the Jaguars in Week 7 and then the Rams in London in Week 8 before a bye Week 9. If the 0-3 Bengals haven't turned around their season by then, it might not make sense for Green to rush his return when free agency awaits this offseason.

Tyreek Hill is out here running routes and looks really good.

Adam Schefter reported Hill isn't expected to be ready for Week 5 either, and could be about two weeks away from playing - meaning possibly a Week 6 return. Palmer, the source of the tweet, said he was told Hill will be evaluated this week and they’ll see where he is heading into next week. Sitting at 4-0, don't expect the Chiefs to rush Hill back at this point.

According to this USA today, Drew Brees told insider Jay Glazer:

“'My problem is next week, when I’m expecting not to have any pain, and actually be able to grip the ball, I have to hold myself back form thinking I’m good to go,' Glazer said via Brees.

Glazer then went on to say, "But [Brees is] really looking at five weeks."

If he misses five weeks, Brees would be back for the team's Oct. 27 game at home against Arizona. It very well could come down to how the Saints are doing through the next few games. The team has a bye in Week 8, and the target return seemed to make sense it would be after the bye week, essentially giving Brees and extra week.

Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky has been ruled out of the remainder of Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings with a left shoulder injury.

Related players: Chase Daniel

On the play, Trubisky's body twisted and his left shoulder hit the ground violently as Hunter pulled him down, causing the quarterback to fumble. Tribisky was coming off his best game after win against the Redskins on Monday night and owners were hoping it would carry over to Week 4. Now his status is in doubt for Week 5 and perhaps beyond.

A brutal helmet-to-helmet hit delivered by Patriots defensive back Jonathan Jones knocked Bills quarterback Josh Allen out for most of the final quarter of Buffalo's 16-10 loss to New England.

The good news is Allen jogged to the locker room after leaving the medical tent and even tried to pump up the crowd. It was an ugly hit that looked like it could have ended a lot worse for Allen.

Jarvis Landry has a concussion.

He went into the medical tent at the end of the third quarter.

Landry had a huge game before leaving, catching eight balls for 167 yards but we'll have to watch how he progresses heading into Week 5.

Marlon Mack was forced out of Sunday's game against the Raiders with an ankle injury, Zak Keefer of The Athletic reports.

Related players: Jordan Wilkins, Nyheim Hines

Mack's injury will need to be monitored as we head into Week 5. Wilkins and Hines will be popular pickups if Mack's ankle is an issue going forward.

On the last play of the first quarter, following a third-and-1 at the Houston 48-yard line, receiver Kenny Stills caught a 14-yard pass. Even though he could have made it even more of a chunk play, Stills pulled up and ducked out of bounds on the Panthers’ sideline holding his hamstring.

Stills never returned to the game so his status will need to be monitored heading into Week 5. For a while, Stills was leading the team with two catches for 24 despite leaving in the first quarter, as the Houston offense struggled.

Rookie tight end T.J. Hockenson was carted to the locker room after taking a scary fall on his right shoulder in the third quarter of the Detroit Lions' game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Hockenson was injured with 2:10 to play in the quarter when he caught a 9-yard pass from Matthew Stafford and tried to hurdle Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu.

Linebacker Damien Wilson caught Hockenson's left leg while Hockenson was in the air and spun the tight end to the ground.

Hockenson's body went limp after he hit the ground, but he sat up on his own and eventually walked to a waiting medical cart, where he was taken up the Ford Field tunnel, evaluated for a concussion and ruled out for the rest of the game.

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Steelers TE Vance McDonald is doubtful for Monday night against the Bengals with a hamstring injury.

McDonald did not practice all week and while he was not officially ruled out, it's a long shot that he actually will. The Steelers just acquired Nick Vannett from the Seahawks and looks like he'll be thrown right into action for the Steelers. Get another option ready if you own McDonald, who was ranked No. 17 in PPR scoring for this upcoming week. Vannett will see looks, but he likely still needs time to get acclimated to his new team.

Redskins WR Terry McLaurin is not practicing Friday after injuring his hamstring Thursday.

This is an unfortunate setback for one of the best rookies of the first three weeks of the season. He is the first player in NFL history to record at least five catches and a touchdown in each of his first three games. He has quickly become a dynamic playmaker in what is otherwise a bland Redskins' offense. If McLaurin cannot go on Sunday, Paul Richardson, who saw eight targets and scored a touchdown Monday against the Bears, stands to become more of a focal point of the offense and a former Mr. Irrelevant, Trey Quinn, will also be in line for more work.

Bills RB Devin Singletary is practicing Friday, per Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic.

Singletary returned to practice Thursday on a limited basis, so him practicing again Friday is a good sign he will be ready to go for Buffalo's big game Sunday against the Patriots. Last week against the Bengals, Frank Gore received 14 carries and T.J. Yeldon rushed eight times. If Singletary returns, he'll at least cut into the work of Yeldon and has already established himself in the passing game as well, putting him back in the flex conversation.

Jay Gruden said Case Keenum was a full participant in practice. He said the plan remains for him to start Sunday.

Washington fans want to see what Dwayne Haskins can do, but it looks like Case Keenum is set for another start. This week Keenum's even on the fantasy radar against a weak Giants pass defense.

Vance McDonald was a "Did Not Practice" on Thursday's injury report.

McDonald has longer to get ready this week due to playing on Monday Night Football, but if you have him rostered, be prepared to replace him in your lineup.

Ito Smith (concussion) is practicing and returning kicks in a black non-contact jersey.

It appears that Ito Smith is still in the concussion protocol but practicing on Thursday is a good sign that he will be cleared soon. His presence would lower Devonta Freeman's upside against the Titans this week.

Colts receiver T.Y. Hilton (quad) and linebacker Darius Leonard (concussion) are not practicing for the second straight day.

T.Y. Hilton has played without practicing before and done well, but that was also with Andrew Luck throwing him the ball. Right now Hilton looks iffy to be healthy against the Raiders.

Jason Garrett said MRI on Amari Cooper is negative. He’s taking his situation day by day.

Amari Cooper is dealing with ankle and foot injuries but is at least clear of structural damage. He'll likely continue to see rest and be able to go on game days, but his status is worth keeping an eye on.

Bills RB Devin Singletary is going through warmups at practice today. Progress.

We won't know if he'll be limited or not just yet, but this is a great sign to even get a limited practice in on Thursday and maybe more on Friday. Frank Gore will remain the lead back, but if Singletary is a full go, his ability on limited touches is still worthy of flex consideration.

Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin didn't practice on Wednesday. He is dealing with a hip injury that coach Bruce Arians called "day-to-day."

It looks like Chris Godwin could come down to a game-time decision, but we still have Friday's practice to monitor. If Godwin can't go, Mike Evans would see another big target load and we could see Justin Watson step up for Godwin in a tough matchup with the Rams on the road.

The Chiefs likely will be without starting running back Damien Williams for the second straight week after he missed Wednesday's practice because of a sore knee.

Kansas City won't need to push Damien Williams back to the field faster than he needs after LeSean McCoy and Darrel Williams put up big numbers against a good Ravens rush defense last week.

This is the third straight week that tight end Mark Andrews has dealt with a foot injury. He was very limited in last Sunday's game in Kansas City, where he caught three passes for 15 yards (after two 100-yard games to open the season). The Ravens are going to give Andrews as much rest as necessary to get him ready for Sunday's game against the Browns. But Andrews won't be at full strength, and it will be a challenge for him to stretch the field.

Mark Andrews didn't look 100 percent in warmups last week but still played. We may have the same scenario this week if he plays. Unless he can get a full practice in and get good reports from beat writers, fantasy players should be wary.

The holdout is ending. Chargers RB Melvin Gordon is, in fact, reporting to the team tomorrow. He won’t play this week, but he is planning to be back in the fold with his teammates.

Melvin Gordon won't play this week against the Dolphins, so Austin Ekeler remains a strong play and even Justin Jackson should have fantasy value. The team will likely ease Gordon back into the offense but he should return to his lead back role with Ekeler remaining a viable fantasy play with receiving work while Justin Jackson loses his fantasy value while both are healthy.

Washington QB Case Keenum did not practice today due to a foot injury.

Case Keenum's foot injury comes a couple of days after throwing three interceptions at home against the Bears. Dwayne Haskins and Colt McCoy are both healthy and either could be next in line for the starting job, but Haskins is the crowd favorite.

Cowboys WR Amari Cooper had an MRI on his ankle today. The source said it’s more precautionary and that he’s fine.

It's good that Amari Cooper's MRI on his ankle is precautionary, but it's also an MRI based on something, so is worth keeping an eye on this week. Randall Cobb and Devin Smith would both see big upticks in usage if Cooper were to miss any playing time while Michael Gallup is out.

DeSean Jackson is on the Eagles injury report as out for Thursday's game against the Packers, but they will get Alshon Jeffery back, who isn't on the report.

With DeSean Jackson not suiting up for Thursday Night Football, Mack Hollins will again take his place.

Julian Edelman (chest/ribs) was present for the media access portion of practice today.

All signs point toward Julian Edelman suiting up against Buffalo this week. He will remain a high-target receiver with good upside.

No practice again today for Damien William's, Tyreek Hill and Eric Fisher.

If Damien Williams can't play on Sunday, Darrel Williams and LeSean McCoy would likely split work in Detroit, with both having fantasy value.

Coach Tomlin said he is "optimistic" about having Vance McDonald in the game on Monday night.

If McDonald can get some practice time in and play, he should remain a startable tight end in most leagues, especially against an overall weak Bengals defense.

Colts receiver T.Y. Hilton (quad) will not practice Wednesday.

If T.Y. Hilton can't go this week Deon Cain could see an uptick in work, but after Hilton Jacoby Brissett usually spreads his targets out widely.

Bills HC Sean McDermott says RB Devin Singletary and TE Tyler Kroft will not practice today.

It is still early in the week, so Singletary could practice Thursday or Friday and play. If he can't, Frank Gore and T.J. Yeldon would again be the 1 and 2 backs against the New England Patriots.

Chargers’ RB Melvin Gordon’s holdout could soon be coming to an end, though no final decisions have made when to report, per league sources. He had planned to return at some point in October, but could soon be moving up his reporting date.

A Melvin Gordon return could happen sooner than we first thought. Austin Ekeler has proven to be more than capable in Gordon's absence, but he hasn't been used as a true early-down running back and Gordon would likely take back that work while Ekeler could stay heavily involved as a receiver, giving both plenty of fantasy relevancy.

Ian Rapoport reports that even if Gordon were to show up this week, he would not play against the Dolphins in Week 5, so your Ekeler and Jackson shares are safe against a weak Dolphins defense.

Alshon Jeffery will not only play but will have close to his normal workload on Thursday night vs. Green Bay according to head coach Doug Pederson.

He'll be questionable, but Jeffery looks on track to play a normal workload. He'll have a tough matchup against a good Green Bay defense, but his presence is a boom for QB Carson Wentz's fantasy outlook. Nelson Agholor should see a drop in targets with Jeffery back as well.

Steelers TE Vance McDonald is battling a shoulder sprain, and while he won’t have an extended absence, depth is an issue.

The Steelers traded for TE Nick Vannett to add some depth to their TE group but right now it sounds like McDonald won't be out long. We'll need to see if he practices at all this week for his availability Monday night against the Bengals.

The Pittsburgh Steelers traded a 2020 fifth-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks for TE Nick Vannett.

The Steelers are weak at the tight end position and Vance McDonald has a hurt shoulder to go along with plenty of other ailments in his past that make getting 16 games out of him a challenge. Even if McDonald can't play, Vannett would likely split work and we've yet to see this Steelers offense without Ben Roethlisberger show much fight.

David Njoku has elected not to have surgery on his broken wrist, a league source told cleveland.com.

Njoku broke the wrist against the Jets when cornerback Nate Hairston upended him in the first quarter on a high pass from Baker Mayfield. He also suffered a concussion on the play.

Related players: Demetrius Harris

Njoku was placed on injured reserve last week and must miss a minimum of eight games. But not having surgery increases his chance of returning this season. With Njoku out, Harris caught a two-yard TD pass that put the Browns up 13-10 in the third quarter.

The Packers released their second estimated practice report of the week on Tuesday and it brought better news for some players dealing with injuries.

Running backs Aaron Jones (shoulder) and Jamaal Williams (neck) both made the jump from limited participants to full participants on Tuesday’s report.

Williams got 12 carries in last Sunday’s win over the Broncos while Jones had 10 carries after getting 36 chances on the ground in the first two games of the season. The Packers host the Eagles on Thursday night.

Washington tight end Jordan Reed has not played since being diagnosed with a concussion in the third preseason game Aug. 22. Will he ever play again?

Coach Jay Gruden said Tuesday he expects Reed to return at some point.

“I’m not worried about that, no,” Gruden said when asked if Reed’s career might be finished. “He has seen specialists, and we are just trying to get to the bottom of it and figuring out the best way to make him more comfortable, get him back in the lineup."

Related players: Vernon Davis

The story added that Reed's return appears "weeks" away at best. Until then, Davis will be the team's TE1. Davis had a nice Week 1 vs. Philly with a 4-59-1 line, including a 48-yard TD catch. But since then, Davis has 5 catches for 59 yards over the last two games.

Vance McDonald’s (shoulder) arm in a sling today at Steelers facility.

This comes from our very own Dale Lolley who covers the Steelers. McDonald owners will need to have a backup plan because Pittsburgh plays on Monday night against the Bengals. It may be better to go another direction at TE for Week 4.

Colts WR T.Y. Hilton (quad) isn't ready to say if he'll play able against Oakland on Sunday.

Related players: Parris Campbell

Hilton missed the second half of Sunday's victory over Atlanta after injuring his quad late in the first half. "If I can play, I'll play," he said, according to the rest of the tweet. Owners will need to have a backup plan in place. It helps the Raiders are coming east and play an early game in Indy, giving owners time to adjust if needed. Campbell could get a big uptick if Hilton can't go.

Doug Pederson said he expects Alston Jeffery and Dallas Goedert to play Thursday against the Packers.

Related players: DeSean Jackson

It's about as must-win as you can have in Week 4 as the Eagles look to avoid a 1-3 start, so, having Goedert and Jeffery will certainly help Carson Wentz and the offense.

The Eagles also think Jackson will miss Week 4's game. Word in Philly is Jackson is deal with a core issue and he's hoping to rehab the injury and return to the lineup without surgery.

With Panthers QB Cam Newton out indefinitely with a Lisfranc injury, per sources, the job could be Kyle Allen's for a while.

The Athletic story said HC Ron Rivera still declined to give a firm timeline for Newton’s return. The story added a timeline that would make the most sense is keeping Newton out through the Oct. 20 bye. Granted it was against the Cardinals, but Allen's play clearly opened up the Panther offense, something Newton couldn't seem do while injured.

Rams coach Sean McVay says they’re not keeping running back Todd Gurley on a pitch count.

Via Lindsey Thiry of ESPN, McVay disputed the notion that they were managing Gurley’s workload because of knee problems.

“We’re not doing anything like that,” McVay said. “It’s more along the lines of each week presents a different approach. It’s kind of the feel the flow of the game.”

Related players: Malcolm Brown

Gurley had 14 carries for 43 yards in Sunday’s win over the Browns, and through three games, he has 44 carries for 203 yards, and just four catches for eight yards. He's averaging about 14 carries a game. Meanwhile Brown only has 20 carries over three games, including just three carries against the Browns.

"No really, no," Jay Gruden said. "I think the most important thing is we have to have some continuity. You know, I can't be changing people every five minutes here. I've gotta give Case Keenum an ample opportunity to play with these new guys."

Related players: Dwayne Haskins

At some point, this will probably have to change over to Haskins unless he's really not close to be ready for the NFL. The team may very well be waiting for a better opportunity in the schedule before making the switch, but at least for Week 4 it looks like Keenum will get another shot.

A revamped rushing attack featuring a healthy Dalvin Cook and coordinator Kevin Stefanski pulling the strings has been dominant, especially in the red zone. That’s where the Vikings have run for six touchdowns in nine drives, and Cousins has only completed one pass on five attempts for 11 yards and an interception.

The Vikings called 11 runs vs. 1 pass in the red zone against the Raiders last week. While it's been great news for Cook owners, the Vikings feel Cousins will eventually need to step up in the red zone and become more involved. For example, next up are the Bears, who have the fifth ranked run defense and is allowing 68.7 yards per game according to the story.

Pete Carroll on Chris Carson, who has lost three fumbles in as many games: "Because we do believe in him, we're going to continue to show him that."

Related players: Rashard Penny

Penny didn't play in Week 3 because of a hamstring, but was pretty good in Week 2. It's possible he becomes more of a factor, but for now it looks like Carson will get his work. There was a ton of hype regarding Carson leading up to the season but his stock seems to be slipping a bit.

Kyle Shanahan said he thinks Tevin Coleman (ankle) could return to practice next week.

Related players: Jeff Wilson, Raheem Mostert, Matt Breida

The RB situation in San Fran could get even more crowded. We just posted as story about Wilson seemingly being the goal line back. The return of Coleman likely means Mostert or Breida sees less work, assuming Wilson remains the power runner.

LeSean McCoy was questionable for Sunday's game with an ankle injury, but he ended up suiting up and scoring two touchdowns. He exited the game in the fourth quarter after he "re-tweaked his injury,"Chiefs coach Andy Reid said after the game. "I think he will be back and fine as we go here," Reid added on McCoy.

Related players: Damien Williams, Darrell Williams, Darwin Thompson

It was Darrel Williams who led the KC backfield in touches after McCoy left the game, the story said. Meanwhile, Thompson had just five snaps in the contest. While McCoy could be fine, and Damien Williams could be back, it's possible both may not play too, and Darrel Williams could again get a lot of snaps. He may be worth adding as a stash to see how things play out this week.

Jeff Wilson Jr. might be just 6 feet tall and weigh under 200 pounds, but he has turned into the 49ers' unofficial goal line running back. He has scored four touchdowns in the last two games alone, including two during the 49ers' 24-20 victory over the Steelers on Sunday at Levi's Stadium.

Related players: Tevin Coleman, Matt Breida, Raheem Mostert.

The story said the team hasn't had a power back since Frank Gore. Wilson had 30 TDs in his final two seasons while at North Texas and he describes his running style as very simple and straight ahead. Wilson's value is TD dependent as he only had eight carries for 18 yards, but, at the same time he will take away from Coleman, Mostert and Breida's fantasy value.

Source: the Cardinals have cut WR Michael Crabtree.

This was a signing that didn't make a ton of sense from the start as the Cards have a bunch of young talent behind Larry Fitzgerald at the position. With Fitz and Christian Kirk locked in, it should mean bigger things for Damiere Byrd, Trent Sherfield, KeeSean Johnson and Andy Isabella going forward.

Reich says T.Y. Hilton "re-aggravated the quad."

Related players: Parris Campbell

Reich added, "We'll see how he progresses this week," according to the rest of the tweet. Obviously Hilton's status is in question for Week 4. Campbell could benefit the most of Hilton can't go in Week 4.

Kenjon Barner and Ito Smith are both in the concussion protocol.

Related players: Devonte Freeman, Brian Hill, Qadree Ollison

If both are unable to go in Week 4, Freeman will be backed up by a combo of Hill and Ollison it looks like. Freeman played in 90% of the offensive snaps for the Falcons against the Colts in Week 3 and did have his most productive fantasy game of the season with a 16-88-0 line, while adding three catches for seven yards.

Zac Taylor said he doesn't want to make a timeline on A.J. Green's return.

Taylor confirmed Green won't play against Pittsburgh in Week 4 and he also won't practice this week, so it's very possible owners may not have him in Week 5 either. The Bengals bye week is Week 9.

Source on Julian Edelman: “He’ll be good” … Another indication that the injury isn’t major and he hasn’t been ruled out for this week.

Edelman left this past week's game holding his rib area and didn't return. The hope was it was just precautionary since the team was well in control against the Jets, and X-rays turned out negative. Edelman was supposed to have a bunch of tests done Monday as well. Keep an eye on the situation as Edelman may miss practice time or be held out, but the hope is he plays Week 4 vs. Buffalo.

Gase says "everything looks like it's trending in the direction" for Sam Darnold (mono) to play Week 5.

The Jets play the Eagles in Week 5 after a bye in Week 4. Darnold has been back in the building for over a week now so the news continues to be positive for the starter and it looks like he'll be able to go in a couple of weeks.

MRI revealed Giants’ RB Saquon Barkley suffered a high ankle sprain that could sideline him anywhere from 4-8 weeks, per source.

Related players: Wayne Gallman, Elijhaa Penny

Schefter did say the longer timeframe is considered more likely. He went on to say the Giants bye is week 11, so it's possible if Barkley needs 8 weeks, he'll be able to play in the final six games of the season. We'll have to see how the RB split works out between Gallman and Penny, but the team is also likely to bring in another back.

Doug Peterson said he's optimistic about Alshon Jeffery being available Thursday night.

The Eagles had seven drops with Jeffery and DeSean Jackson missing from Week 3. The Birds play on a short week in Week 4 as they travel to Green Bay on Thursday night.

Quarterback Cam Newton, who sat out Sunday’s win at Arizona, will also miss this week’s game at Houston with a foot injury.

Related players: Kyle Allen

Allen will get the nod again in Week 4 against the Texans. Allen threw for four TDs while also opening things up for RB Christian McCaffrey. After Allen's Week 3 performance, the Panthers certainly won't rush back Newton, and HC Ron Rivera added they want Newton to be 100% when he's ready.

The Giants are expecting to be without star RB Saquon Barkley for the next several weeks because of his high-ankle sprain, source said.

Related players: Wayne Gallman

We reported Sunday owners will need to be prepared to be without Barkley for Week 4 and likely longer. High ankle sprains tend to take a few weeks and Barkley was already in a boot and crutches by the end of the game. Gallman will likely be a popular pickup this week and looks to be in store for a bigger workload with Barkley out.

Coach Doug Marrone made it pretty clear that the blame for the Jacksonville Jaguars' inability to effectively run the ball has nothing to do with Leonard Fournette.

It’s pretty much all on the offensive line.

“I feel like we aren’t giving Leonard a chance,” Marrone said. “Things are happening too close to the line of scrimmage or even on our side of the line of scrimmage. I think the first thing we have to emphasize is creating that push or being able to get into the line of scrimmage before something happens."

Fournette finished with 66 yards rushing on Thursday night, but that was thanks to a 69-yard run late in the game that got him back in the positive numbers. The story said he only had six carries for gained yards against the Titans. ESPN says Fournette is averaging just 1.8 yards before contact which means he's getting hit as soon as he gets to the line of scrimmage.

Told that Julian Edelman will have more tests today.

The good news was X-rays were negative on Sunday, but Edelman never returned to the game. The tweet added that one of the tests will possibly be an MRI to see if there is any damage to the rib cartilage.

ESPN NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler is reporting Vance McDonald is questionable to return with a shoulder injury. Without McDonald in the game the only Steelers tight end is Xavier Grimble.

McDonald never came back to the game, and we'll have to monitor the injury as far as Week 4 goes. The Steelers offense did not look good against the 49ers so even if McDonald plays, Mason Rudolph will need to improve at QB. Gimble is next up on the depth chart, and the team will have to make a move if McDonald is out for any time.

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reports that Saquon Barkley will undergo an MRI exam on Monday to determine the severity of his ankle injury. Giants coach Pat Shumur did not have an update on Barkley's status after the game except to say he should have more information Monday.

Rapoport later reported that initial tests show that Barkley has a high-ankle sprain, according to sources informed.

Related players: Wayne Gallman, Elijaa Penny

Barkley was already in a boot by the second half of the game. Barkley said the injury was not season-ending and he'd back as soon as he could. But fantasy owners can likely expect to be without Barkley at least for Week 4, and possibly longer. Gallman and Penny look like they will take over in the backfield if Barkley is out.

Green (groin) won't return to Sunday's game against the Texans.

Related players: Lance Kendricks, Sean Culkin.

Recently signed Kendricks could have a clearer path to regular work at the position as the team waits for Hunter Henry to come back.

Julian Edelman was noticeably in pain and then retreated to the locker room with about 30 seconds to play in the half. He was later ruled out for the rest of the game with what the team called a chest injury.

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Edelman suffered a rib injury and that X-rays had come back negative.

Edelman's status for Week 4 may still be in question however so we'll be sure to monitor this throughout the week. The Pats are normally tight-lipped about injuries so we may not know anymore until Wednesday, and Edelman may miss practice time as well.

Saquon Barkley's afternoon has been sidetracked by injury.

The New York Giants will not return to their game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after suffering an ankle injury in the second quarter. The team ruled him out before the start of the second half.

Barkley was seen wearing a boot on his right foot on the sideline during the second half.

Related players: Wayne Gallman, Elijhaa Penny

After falling awkwardly on a six-yard reception near New York's sideline, Barkley was helped into the locker room supported by two team trainers. Gallman is next up on the depth chart with Penny behind him.

Miami Dolphins receiver Allen Hurns has been ruled out of Sunday's game against the Dallas Cowboys with a concussion.

Related players: Josh Rosen

Hurns suffered the concussion after taking an extremely hard hit from safety Jeff Heath over the middle trying to catch a Josh Rosen pass.

Rosen was also checked for a concussion after hitting his head on the turf after a scramble. He missed six plays -- Ryan Fitzpatrick entered for him -- before being cleared to return and immediately re-entering the game.

The Colts announced that wideout T.Y. Hilton is out the rest of the game with a quad injury.

As soon as Hilton caught a scoring pass, he motioned to the sideline and walked straight to the locker room, the story said. Reports say Hilton was limping badly after the play.

New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman departed the team’s Week 3 matchup against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. The Patriots ruled him questionable to return with a chest injury.

Edelman left for the locker room after making a 3-yard reception in the second quarter. Two Jets defenders landed on Edelman as he went to the ground, and he came up holding his ribs. He did not return to the sideline when the team took the field for the second half. This is worth watching. The Pats could just be playing it safe with Edelman but owners will have monitor because a rib injury could be serious.

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See “Important Last Minute News” from 11:00 AM to 12:50PM (EST) for all the latest Game Day Inactives, Lineup Changes and other insights. LeSean McCoy, Alshon Jeffery and more...

The Eagles promoted WR Greg Ward to their active roster from the practice squad, placing OT Jordan Mailata on injured reserve in a corresponding move.

While Ward isn’t a fantasy option right now and Mailata was always a backup tackle and more of an experiment, the impact here has to do with Alshon Jeffery. The move to promote Ward likely means the Eagles feel the chances of Jeffery playing Sunday are not good and the Eagles would have otherwise only carried three active wide receivers on Sunday against the Lions with DeSean Jackson having already been ruled out. Keep a close eye on the inactives Sunday morning. The Eagles play at 1:00, so a decision will be made by 11:30, allowing Jeffery owners a viable chance to swap out Jeffery for another option if he indeed ruled out Sunday. Nelson Agholor will likely lead the Eagles receivers in targets with Mack Hollins and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside also in the mix.

The Redskins have ruled TE Jordan Reed out for Monday against the Bears.

Reed is still, unfortunately, in the concussion protocol. There doesn’t seem to be any set timetable for his return. In the meantime, Vernon Davis will continue to get the start with Jeremy Sprinkle as the backup.