September 2022 4for4 Player News Articles

Chargers WR Keenan Allen (hamstring) is out again for Sunday vs. the Texans.

Related Players: Mike Williams, Gerald Everett

In a barren tight end landscape, it's been nice to see Everett accrue 16 targets over the last two weeks, and he is ranked as a TE1 with Allen missing another game. Mike Williams is a high-upside WR2 for Week 4, with Josh Palmer becoming a desperation Flex play.

Patriots ruled out QB Mac Jones for Sunday’s game in Green Bay.

Related Players: Brian Hoyer

To be frank, Brian Hoyer has been very bad in his most recent starts, including a 15-of-24, 130 yard, one interception performance in Week 4 of the 2020 season. Practically the entire passing offense for that Patriots is unusable at the moment.

The Bears have ruled out RB David Montgomery for Sunday’s game at the Giants.

Related Players: Khalil Herbert

Khalil Herbert has proved that he can handle the load with Montgomery sidelined, including his 169 scrimmage yards he accrued in Week 3. Herbert can safely be played as a fringe RB1 option against the Giants.

Cardinals ruled out WR AJ Green for Sunday’s game versus the Panthers due to a hamstring injury and are listing WRs Marquise Brown (foot) and Rondale Moore (hamstring) as questionable.

Related Players: Greg Dortch

Greg Dortch has become a surprising name to emerge in fantasy circles as Arizona deals with injuries and the DeAndre Hopkins suspension. The 24-year-old has racked up 23 targets through three weeks and can still be considered a WR3 regardless of Randale Moore's status.

Saints WR Michael Thomas is out, and QB Jameis Winston is doubtful for Sunday, per coach Dennis Allen. Andy Dalton is in line to start against the Vikings in London.

Dalton gets the start, but it's fair to wonder how much run Taysom Hill will also get. Dalton makes for a desperation start in 2QB leagues.

Vikings RB Dalvin Cook (shoulder) is off the injury report and will play against the Saints on Sunday in London.

Related Players: Alexander Mattison

Cook immediately plugs back in as an RB1 option for Sunday morning's game now that he's off the injury report. It's a good idea to make sure Alexander Mattison is not on the waiver wire in your league.

#Jets coach Robert Saleh says Zac Wilson fully participated in practice again and is off the injury report. He'll make his 2022 debut Sunday vs. the Steelers.

It remains to be seen if the offense will run differently through Wilson than it did with Joe Flacco, but the former has yet to show hints that he has the tools to be viable in typical QB1 leagues.

Lions’ WR Amon-Ra St. Brown has been ruled out for Sunday’s game vs. Seattle.

Related Players: D.J. Chark, T.J. Hockenson

The Lions are now missing their two biggest offensive pieces in St. Brown and D'Andre Swift. The passing game could very well run through tight end T.J. Hockenson but things don't look positive for Detroit's offense as a whole for Week 4.

For a second straight day, Lions’ WR Amon-Ra St. Brown did not practice due to an ankle injury.

Related Players: D.J. Chark, T.J. Hockenson

Although St. Brown's absence would theoretically open up opportunities for other pass catchers, he has solidified himself as a true WR1 and it would be a detriment to the offense as a whole if he were to miss Week 4. If Amon-Ra is on the field, he is a top-10 fantasy option.

Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey did not practice Thursday for a second day straight due to a quad injury.

Related Players: Chuba Hubbard, D'Onta Foreman

One week ago, McCaffrey was listed on the injury report as a limited participant due to stiffness in his ankle, which appeared to be more of a precautionary measure. Hubbard and Foreman would split the workload against the Cardinals 11th-ranked rush defense. CMC has basically be the lone bright spot on a Panthers offense that has been difficult to watch at times

Colts RB Jonathan Taylor was a full participant at practice today after he missed Wednesday with a toe injury.

Related Players: Nyheim Hines

Wednesday was Taylor's first missed practice since high school, but he was back to normal Thursday ahead of Week 4's bout against the Titans 29th-ranked rush defense.

There's been yet another delay in Alvin Kamara's court case. Per Triplett, "each delay makes it more possible that he won't be suspended during the 2022 season.

The court case stems from an incident in Las Vegas before the Pro Bowl, and initial thoughts were that he could open the season suspended, but here we are. Kamara remains the Saints' RB1 for the 2022 season unless the court proceedings wrap up earlier in the calendar year than expected.

Jameis Winston isn't trending favorably to start their Week 4 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. While Andy Dalton would assuredly get the start in Winston's absence, one would think that Taysom Hill could see the field more often.

Dalton was "once again" taking his reps with the first team while Hill was with the second team. Michael Thomas was also missing from practice, so this could be a rough week for the Saints offense.

Despite being listed as questionable with leg and back injuries, Tua Tagovailoa is expected to play against the Bengals amidst questions about a possible concussion.

Related Players: Teddy Bridgewater

It looks like it will not be Teddy time in Cincinnati for Thursday Night Football, as Tagovailoa looks to continue his hot start. He ranks second in the league in passer rating (117.8) with 925 passing yards, eight touchdown passes, two interceptions and a 71.3 completion percentage. His advanced metrics are even more impressive. Via TruMedia, he ranks second in Expected Points Added per dropback (0.32), only behind Patrick Mahomes (0.33). He ranks No. 1 among passers in Offensive Expected Points Added per play (0.30).

The most realistic time for Dak Prescott's return is Week 6 against the Eagles.

Rapoport said the stiches are out for Prescott and it's typically another two or three weeks after that before a player can play. Rapoport added things are going "really well" as far as the overall recovery goes, so that's the good news. Dak would like to play Week 5 against Rams, but Rapoport called that a "slim" chance.

Christ Godwin took part in Wednesday’s practice on a limited basis. Godwin has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury and did not practice at all last week.

Wide receiver Julio Jones (knee) was also a limited participant. He was also limited last Friday before landing on the inactive list for Tampa’s 14-12 loss to the Packers.

It's a good sign for both as the Bucs are hopefully starting to get healthier at wide receiver. The Bucs are scheduled to play a Sunday night game but the location may change because of Hurricane Ian. Those counting on Godwin or Jones should probably have another option in place as waiting on either player is risky until we know more, hopefully later this week.

Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa (back/ankle) officially questionable to play vs. Bengals.

Related players: Teddy Bridgewater

Tua was limited on Tuesday as well. Reports say Tagovailoa is doing everything he can to be able to play on Thursday night at the Bengals, and the team is optimistic he'll be able to do so. Bridgewater would get the start if Tua can't go.

RB A.J. Dillon added to report with a knee and is limited.

Related players: Aaron Jones, Patrick Taylor

It's at least a good sign he was limited, but it's worth monitoring heading into Week 4. The Packers host the Patriots in a later afternoon game on Sunday.

Bears running back David Montgomery didn’t practice Wednesday, as expected, three days after suffering an injury in the Bears’ 23-20 win against the Texans.

Montgomery hurt his right ankle Sunday when, in the first quarter, he was pushed by Texans safety Jalen Pitre back onto defensive tackle Michael Dwumfour, who rolled up on his leg. The Bears first said that Montgomery had both a knee and ankle injury, and repeated as much on the injury report Wednesday. Eberflus said Monday that the concern was with his ankle, not his knee.

Related players: Khalil Herbert

Monty will need to log some practice time this week, but it's looking more likely that Herbert could have another big role in Week 4, even if Montgomery plays.

Colts RB Jonathan Taylor (toe) didn't practice today.

Pelissero went on to tweet some less scary news for owners, saying it's his understanding it's precautionary after Taylor had some soreness coming out of the Chiefs game. Indy hosts the Titans on Sunday. "He'll be ready to roll," source said.

Raiders WR Hunter Renfrow (concussion) still isn't practicing.

Related players: Mack Hollins, Tyron Johnson

He's been out since the Cardinals game and Week 2, missing Week 3 so it's not a great sign for Renfrow and his status for Week 4. If he can't go, Hollins and Johnson slide up the depth chart behind Davante Adams. Hollins had a huge game in Week 3, going for 8-158-1.

Matt Rhule said it's a quad injury for Christian McCaffrey. Didn't know about it until after Saints' game. Wouldn't speculate on his status for this week.

Related players: Chuba Hubbard, D'Onta Foreman

McCaffrey did finish the game in Week 3 but given McCaffrey's recent past and injuries, owners may want to take note. For what it's worth, Person did tweet Hubbard said he thinks McCaffrey will be good to go and added Hubbard prepares to play every game. If he can't go, look for Hubbard and Foreman to see some kind of split in the workload.

It’s “safe to assume” that tailback Dalvin Cook (shoulder) won’t practice today, Kevin O’Connell said.

Related players: Alexander Mattison

Cook is still considered day to day for Sunday, the tweet went on to say. It added they’ll try to get him some work at least in walk-throughs this week before making a decision on whether he will play vs. Saints. Mattison would get the start and be a potential RB1 candidate against the Saints in a game that will be played in London.

Frank Ragnow, Jonah Jackson, T.J. Hockenson, Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle), D'Andre Swift (shoulder) among the long list of players who won't practice today.

Related players: Jamaal Williams

St. Brown and Swift are "day to day" the tweet went on say. But reports have said Swift is likely going to miss time, possibly two weeks leading up to the team's Week 6 bye. Williams would be a solid fantasy option at running back with Swift possibly out. St. Brown doesn't appear to have a serious injury but isn't a lock for Week 4 yet, but seems to have a better chance to go than Swift. Both players would probably need to log practice time to have a chance in Week 4.

Bears RB David Montgomery is still considered day-to-day per head coach Matt Eberflus.

Related players: Khalil Herbert

Herbert went off in Week 3 after Montgomery left the game early against the Texans. Herbert would be a must-start and possible RB1 against the Giants if Monty has to sit out Week 4. We just reported today Herbert should get a consistent workload even when Monty is active and would at least be a flex play. But this is a situation to monitor for owners of both players.

Physically [Michael Gallup] is fine and ready to go.

Gallup said he didn't play against the Giants because he wasn't ready mentally after just two days of practice in pads since last season. He wants to be fully confident in his leg so he can be here for the entire season, the tweet went on to say. With more practice time under his belt this week, Gallup has a chance to go in Week 4.

Wide receiver Rondale Moore could be back in the lineup for the Cardinals this week.

Moore has missed the first three games of the year after hurting his hamstring days before the season opener, but he has taken a big step toward returning to action. Moore took part in practice on Wednesday for the first time since his injury.

Related players: Greg Dortch

Word from the team on his participation level will come later in the day, the story said, but any work is obviously a move in the right direction for a Cardinals team that has struggled to put points on the board outside of a strong finish against the Raiders in Week 2. Owners will need to monitor the situation as Moore could end up on a pitch count if he does play in Week 4. His return could affect Dortch's usage.

Robert Saleh says Zach Wilson is back.

Related players: Joe Flacco

The Jets say Wilson's knee is 100% and he's expected to practice fully this week. Assuming all continues to go well, Wilson will start in Week 4.

Saints WRs Michael Thomas (foot) and Jarvis Landry (ankle) both officially did not practice on Wednesday.

Related players: Chris Olave

Olave went off for 9 catches and 147 yards when the two got banged up last week against the Panthers. The Saints are flying to London for a Sunday morning game against the Vikings so owners will have plenty of time for adjusting lineups if both are out.

Belichick says Mac Jones has made a lot of progress in last 24-48 hours. Says they’re taking it day-to-day.

Related players: Brian Hoyer

Ian Rapoport tweeted Hoyer would start in the "likely" event Jones can't go. Jones is said to be dealing with a pretty serious high ankle sprain.

Dennis Allen anticipates Jameis Winston practicing tomorrow.

Related players: Andy Dalton, Taysom Hill

Good news for owners as reports say Winston wasn't spotted today at practice and the team was preparing Dalton and Hill. The Saints play in London on Sunday morning so this is a situation to continue to monitor if you need to play Winston.

Offensive coordinator Todd Downing wants to get Treylon Burks more opportunities with the ball in his hands to take advantage of his yards after the catch ability.

Burks had just two targets in Week 3, while RB Derrick Henry had five. The good news is the story added Downing said Burks has been growing every week and generating confidence with the coaching staff because of how he's taken advantage of the opportunities that have come his way. The play-action pass across the middle that used to result in touchdowns for A.J. Brown are now earmarked for Burks. Ryan Tannehill called Burks a big, strong, physical receiver with great hands and good body control.

Look for the Vikings to continue tinkering with their scheme to spring Justin Jefferson in the coming weeks. "I have to do a better job," O'Connell said, "of giving Justin different aspects of lining up in different spots, different personnel groupings, whatever I need to do to help him."

Jefferson's fantasy production has taken a hit the past two weeks as the Eagles and Lions made sure to take him out of the game with double teams. The good news is the Vikings are working on ways to counter what defenses have been doing to Jefferson.

The Chiefs still don't seem comfortable using Clyde Edwards-Helaire in most third-down situations, and until they do, the backfield is going to be more of a committee thing. But don't ignore that Edwards-Helaire has three touchdowns in three games.

Related players: Jerick McKinnon, Isiah Pacheco

The Chiefs seeming don't trust CEH in certain situations, and that was also clear last season in the playoffs when McKinnon stood out. McKinnon could very well still be on your waiver wire and is worth a pickup and a stash on your bench. CEH does seem to get the goal line carries, but the story said you can't count on him to keep up his current TD pace.

Khalil Herbert will have ample opportunity for a consistent workload no matter how much time Montgomery may have to miss.

Related players: David Montgomery

Herbert went off when Monty left the game in Week 3, but seems like he'll get a safe workload to at least make him a flex play most weeks when Montgomery is healthy. The Bears are going to have to lean on their run game as they work out the passing game, the story said.

Jameis Winston was not at practice today. Andy Dalton took first team reps at QB, with Taysom Hill receiving reps as a reserve QB. This is different than past weeks.

Winston is dealing with broken bones in his back and the offense has struggled over the first three weeks. Keep in mind the Saints will fly to London to take on the Vikings this week in what will be a Sunday morning game. As the tweet said, it looks like the Saints are preparing in case they have to make a change at quarterback. Hill is dealing with a rib injury, but if he's good to go, and with Dalton under center, he could see increased time at QB - while being listed as a TE in a lot of leagues.

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, “I do not have a timeline for when Dak Prescott will start throwing.”

McCarthy said Prescott, “still has some swelling he has to deal with” now that stitching is removed. Once swelling goes down, it becomes about strength, and then throwing. Reports yesterday Prescott wasn't ruling out a return in Week 4, but that doesn't seem likely at this point. Other reports said a Week 5 return was also possible.

The Chiefs selected Skyy Moore in the second round of this year’s draft and it seemed like he could be a significant early contributor to the team’s offense.

But instead, Moore has mostly been a punt returner — and even that is a job where he could use some improvement. Moore muffed the first punt of Sunday’s loss to the Colts, which set up an Indianapolis touchdown.

Moore has made only one catch so far — a 30-yard grab against the Cardinals in Week 1. He played only two offensive snaps in the Week 2 victory over the Chargers and eight offensive snaps in Sunday’s loss to the Colts. HC Andy Reid was quoted in the story as saying Moore's "time will come."

The Dolphins put the franchise tag on tight end Mike Gesicki this offseason despite questions about whether he’d fit in new head coach Mike McDaniel’s offense. Through three games, it’s looking like the answer to those questions is “No.”

Related players: Durham Smythe

This isn't breaking news to fantasy owners. Gesicki played just 17 snaps in Sunday’s win over the Bills and caught just one pass for six yards. For the season, Gesicki has just six catches for 48 yards. He hasn’t been in the starting lineup for any of the Dolphins’ three games and has played less than half of the Dolphins’ offensive snaps. The story said a trade may be hard because of his salary. Smythe, whose salary this season is just $2 million, has started all three games at tight end this season and moved ahead of Gesicki on the Dolphins’ depth chart, the story said.

The league can make a decision as late as Friday whether to move it to another location. NFL is monitoring the storm and is in touch with the Bucs, the Chiefs and local officials

Bruce Arians' ring of honor induction was scheduled to take place at halftime of the game in Tampa, but will be rescheduled for a later home game this year. The Tampa Bay area is looking to be in a direct path of Hurricane Ian.

Brian Daboll: Kadarius Toney and Wan'Dale Robinson are "getting closer."

Related players: Richie James, David Sills

The tweet went on to say it sounds like more progress is needed for both to be ready for Sunday vs. Bears. With Sterling Shepard lost for the season, the Giants need help at WR. James and Sills continue to lead the way but someone will need to step up.

Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel said if the team had a full practice today, Tua Tagovailoa would be limited and questionable for the Bengals game.

Related players: Teddy Bridgewater

The Dolphins are holding a walkthrough today leading up to their game on Tuesday night at Cincy. McDaniel added, via the tweet, that Tua is doing everything he can to be ready to play and he’s optimistic he'll be able to go on a short week. If Tua can't go, Bridgewater would get the start.

Giants coach Brian Daboll tells reporters that WR Sterling Shepard has a torn ACL. His season is over.

Related players: Wan'Dale Robinson, Kadarius Toney, Richie James, David Sills, Kenny Golladay, Darius Slayton

With Toney and Robinson hurt, and Golladay seemingly in the doghouse, it only leaves James and Sills as the team's top targets. If the G-men don't look elsewhere, the Giants may have to put more trust in Toney and Golladay going forward. Robinson should return from a knee injury soon and he actually started in Week 1 before getting hurt. It's a situation to watch as one of these WRs will likely have to step up into a bigger fantasy role.

For the second game in a row, the Steelers found success when they went to their tempo offense. On four of seven plays in the Steelers’ first scoring drive against the Browns, the team used no huddle and moved the ball 75 yards in three minutes. On the second scoring drive, the Steelers went no-huddle on just three of 10 plays, but two of those plays picked up first downs.

“We did pretty good with the tempo,” Chase Claypool said. “We might be able to go back to that if, uh, our offense is stalling a little bit, maybe we add some tempo to switch up the momentum or the flow of the game.”

Related players: Diontae Johnson, Mitch Trubisky, Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren

The story was about signs of progress for the Steelers offense. The team did find some success using an up-tempo offense. Last year, the story pointed out, the team had similar issues and mainly went no-huddle only in the second half with Ben Roethlisberger as the QB, but pointed out the team did go up-tempo in the first half of last week's game with Cleveland. That's perhaps a good sign. The story also mentioned Warren has developed into a nice compliment to Harris, and if you're a Harris owner, Warren should probably be on your roster.

The Detroit Lions are going to be without Tracy Walker and (probably) D’Andre Swift. Now they’re hoping for the best with Amon-Ra St. Brown.

The budding star injured his right ankle in the 28-24 loss on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. St. Brown underwent testing on the ankle this week, and received “encouraging” news according to NFL Network.

The story sent on to say the report said: “They’ll be cautious, but if St. Brown misses time, it shouldn’t be anything long term.” To say St. Brown has been stud could be an understatement. As the story added, St. Brown injured the ankle in the first half of the game and hobbled to the sidelined, where he was evaluated by trainers for a few minutes before getting another tape job and then returning to the game. He played 57 of a possible 78 offensive snaps, and finished with a team-high six catches for 73 yards. That snapped an NFL-record streak of eight straight games with eight catches, plus a club-record streak of six straight games with a touchdown catch.

Some good injury news for the Chargers: WR Keenan Allen is expected to return to practice this week.

Allen got some limited practices in last week with the hope of playing in Week 3. But with the game on a short week, Allen just ran out of time. The outlook for Week 4 seems to be better so keep an eye on his practice activity leading up to Week 4's game, which is an early game at Houston.

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott tells me Cowboys/Rams Week 5 is a game that he could possibly start.

Related players: Cooper Rush

Prescott wasn't put on IR because the team believed he could return sooner than later after thumb surgery went well. Slater said Prescott showed her his thumb post stitch removal and there was no swelling and it's healing. The broadcast on Monday night said Prescott could return as early as Week 4. Slater went on to tweet she gets the sense he would go Sunday vs. Washington if he could, but this will be a "team/Dak decision to be smart."

New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard suffered what is believed to be a serious left knee injury, multiple sources told ESPN, after Shepard had initial tests following Monday night's game against the Dallas Cowboys.

The noncontact injury happened in the final minutes of New York's 23-16 loss to Dallas. A final diagnosis will come Tuesday morning, when Shepard undergoes more tests, but the fear is that his season is over.

Related players: Wan'Dale Robinson, Kadarius Toney, Richie James, David Sills, Darius Slayton, Kenny Golladay

With Robinson still out and Toney, Slayton and Golladay on the outside looking in, James and Sills look to be the team's top-two targets right now. Robinson is expected to return soon and could very well slide into a key role. He started for the G-men in Week 1. Unless the Giants look somewhere outside the team, it appears they may be forced to increase the roles of Toney, Slayton and/or Golladay.

Head coach Kevin O'Connell says that Dalvin Cook is day-to-day after leaving Week 3 with a shoulder injury.

Related Players: Alexander Mattison

Mattison has proved over and over again that he is a legitimate fantasy asset when Cook is forced to miss games, including his 44-yard, two-touchdown performance in Week 3. He currently stands as the RB20 (before MNF) on the week, despite only logging 39% of the offensive snaps.

Head coach Zac Taylor says Joe Mixon is ready to go for Thursday after the running back missed much of the second half of Week 3 with an ankle issue.

Related Players: Samaje Perine

Mixon was still in on 66% of the Bengals' offensive snaps, but his last touch came on the very last play of the third quarter. The rest could very well have been precautionary, as Cincinnati took over with 10:00 left in the fourth quarter and proceeded to run the ball 11 times in a row in order to use up the clock, up by 15 points. Mixon's Week 4 opponents, the Miami Dolphins, have been relatively stout against the run but also just allowed a 14-121-1 receiving line to Bills running backs in Week 3.

Pelissero continued, "this means ligament damage in his ankle. By and large, these are multiple week types of injuries." The hope is that he will not need surgery, but it is highly unlikely he will suit up for Week 4.

Related Players: Brian Hoyer

The Patriots' fantasy options were already nothing to get excited about with Mac Jones at the helm, so sticking 36-year-old Brian Hoyer back there isn't going to move the needle. In Hoyer's last full start, he went 15-of-24 for 130 yards and an interception and a fumble in Week 4 of the 2020 season.

K.J. Osborn racked up 56 of his 73 receiving yards in the Vikings' game-winning drive, taking advantage of the Lions' consistent double-teaming of Justin Jefferson.

Related Players: Irv Smith Jr.

Osborn more than doubled his season total of receiving yards on the last drive, but as the article mentions, this was not a fluke. Kirk Cousins was quoted after the game, “In the two-minute (drill), you sort of have guys in their spots. And you don’t really move people around. It ends up being a more organic way of getting people the football. It just kind of happens. Whoever’s open. And that’s what happened last year with K.J. a lot in two-minute. He was now in primary spots, where during the normal game he was in secondary and tertiary spots, if you will.”

It's not often Jefferson will be held to a 3-14-0 stat line, but Osborn is emerging as the team's third receiving option, and if Cousins continues to attempt 40+ passes, there is fantasy value in that.

D'Andre Swift suffered a shoulder sprain during Sunday's game against the Vikings but is not expected to require surgery.

Related Players: Jamaal Williams, Craig Reynolds

Considering how the Lions choose to divvy the workload between the backfield (Swift 32 snaps, Williams 35, Reynolds 13), it appears that they were heading into the game with their RB1 on a snap count due to an ankle issue. Instead of simply resting him and allowing Williams more run, they now have an even bigger issue on their hands. With the offensive scheme and an above-average offensive line, Jamaal Williams can instantly be considered a borderline RB1 option in fantasy.

The Patriots fear QB Mac Jones suffered ligament and/or tendon damage to his ankle during Sunday's loss to the Ravens.

Jones was seen screaming in pain after injuring his ankle. X-rays were negative, but X-rays of course won't show ligament damage. He'll undergo further testing on Monday, but the thought is that the injury is serious. Brian Hoyer and rookie Bailey Zappe are the other quarterbacks on the Patriots roster. Jones went 22/32 for 321 yards but threw three interceptions against the Ravens, who dropped to 1-2 on the year.

Update: Adam Schefter reports it is a high-ankle sprain for Jones.

Vikings RB Dalvin Cook is out for the rest of Sunday's game against the Lions with a shoulder injury.

Cook was having a strong day, rushing for 96 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries but now the question is how serious is the shoulder injury. Alexander Mattison is now in at running back with the Vikings trailing the Lions.

Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa left Sunday's game against the Bills and is questionable to return with a head injury.

Tagovailoa took a hard hit from Bills LB Matt Milano and is being checked for a possible concussion. Tagovailoa was 8/10 for 76 yards and a touchdown. Teddy Bridgewater is now in at quarterback.

Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins is expected to make his regular season debut Sunday against the Patriots.

Dobbins has been recovering from his multiple injuries including an ACL from last season and did not play in the first two games of the season but is expected to be available against the Patriots. He is listed as questionable but practiced in full all week. Other than Lamar Jackson, the Ravens have gotten nothing from their running game through two weeks. Their leading rusher not named Lamar Jackson is Kenyan Drake with a whopping 39 yards on 17 carries. Dobbins may be limited, but he may at least add a little boost to the ground game.

The Packers placed WR Sammy Watkins (hamstring) on injured reserve.

Watkins had already been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers but now will miss at least the next four games. He can return October 23 against the Commanders. The Packers are dealing with a ton of injuries at the wide receiver position. The only “healthy” receiver at the moment is Allen Lazard. He is a bit banged up but is expected to play Sunday. Christian Watson and Randall Cobb both missed practice Thursday and Friday. Aaron Rodgers sits as our No. 12 quarterback this week.

Hunter Renfrow is officially out for Week 3 with a concussion while teammate Josh Jacobs is questionable with an illness.

Renfrow has far and away led the team in slot routes through two weeks and is one of only three WRs who have received a target thus far in the season. Mack Hollins is the best bet to fill much of the Renfrow role with a semi-promotion possibly going to Tyron Johnson.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan says George Kittle is good to go for Week 3.

Kittle is immediately back in the top-3 tight end radar and is an immense boost to the 49ers in general.

Justin Herbert gutted out a Week 2 performance after taking a brutal hit to the ribs but he may not be ready to go for Week 3 against the Jaguars.

Related Players: Chase Daniel

Chase Daniel has been seen practicing with the ones this week, so he would fill in if Herbert does not suit up on Sunday. The Jaguars make for an intriguing matchup despite their decimation of the Colts in Week 2, and makes Daniel an option for opportunistic streamers in 2QB leagues.

Hayden Hurst (groin) had a setback on Friday after having a full practice on Thursday and is now questionable.

Related Players: Devin Asiasi

Hurst has had a nice role in the offense through two weeks, currently ranking eighth in targets (15), ninth in receptions (10), and 14th in fantasy points (17.0) amongst the league's tight ends. Recently signed Devin Asiasi would be the favorite to take the receiving tight end role if Hurst would forced to miss time, as Drew Sample is currently on the IR.

Head coach John Harbaugh has said that Devin Duvernay has been cleared to play after missing a practice earlier in the week because of a concussion.

Duvernay has had a bit of a surprise start to the season, ranking second in the league with his three receiving touchdowns. There were earlier reports of teammate Rashod Bateman missing Friday's practice, so there could be some extra usage available for Duvernay on Sunday.

Rashod Bateman —who was not on Thursday's injury report— did not participate in the Ravens' final practice of the week.

Related Players: Tylan Wallace, Demarcus Robinson, Devin Duvernay, Lamar Jackson

If Bateman's sudden appearance on the DNP injury report keeps him out or limited during Week 3's romp with the Patriots, Lamar Jackson will have exactly one reliable pass-catcher, Mark Andrews. Despite the team's lackluster receiver corps, Jackson ranks second in the league with 9.0 yards per attempt, though Bateman's 27.8 yards/reception is assuredly helping the quarterback's numbers.

The nine catches David Njoku snagged were the most for a Browns tight end since Jordan Cameron in December of 2013.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski would praise Njoku's involvement in the run game, but his proficiency as a receiver is more likely what caused Clevland to sign the tight end to a four-year contract extension worth a maximum of $56.75 million with $28 million guaranteed. His annual average of $13.68 million made him the fifth highest-paid tight end in the league. In an arid tight end landscape, it would be wonderful to have Njoku as a fringe fantasy option for the rest of the season.

Though Christian McCaffrey was limited on Thursday with an ankle injury, he looks fine to handle his typical workload against the Saints on Sunday.

Related Players: D'Onta Foreman

CMC was jostling with reporters about how interested us fans are in his injury status, but, come on, he's a top-three RB when he's on the field and he knows we'll blow all our FAAB on a backup if he misses any time. McCaffrey is a plug-and-play option regardless of the defense he is facing and we should be keeping an eye on D'Onta Foreman if he is available on waiver wires.

Michael Gallup could return slightly sooner than expected but he'll do so with Cooper Rush at the helm, and one would assume they will ease him back into the lineup.

Related Players: CeeDee Lamb, Noah Brown

Noah Brown has actually performed admirably in his chance as the team's WR2, ranking 17th in yards per route run (2.5 YPRR) amongst 60 qualifying wide receivers through two weeks. Regardless of who is behind him, CeeDee Lamb should be the focal point of the offense throughout the year.

Julio Jones joined Chris Godwin on the sideline Thursday afternoon, and now it's possible the team will be without their top-three receiver options on Sunday, with Mike Evans serving a one-game suspension.

Related Players: Russell Gage, Cole Beasley

Tom Brady is going to have an uphill battle in Week 3 with Gage, Beasley, and some rotation of Breshad Perriman, Scotty Miller, and Cameron Brate operating as his receiving options. It's as if he's back in his final years with the Patriots. Brady is ranked as a borderline QB1/2 this week with Russell Gage likely having the highest ceiling in Sunday's matchup against the Packers.

After missing Week 2 due to an ankle injury, it sounds like Gabriel Davis will return to the NFL's highest-scoring offense in time for Sunday's matchup against the Dolphins

Related Players: Jake Kumerow

Former Packers WR Jake Kumerow was the main beneficiary of Davis missing Week 2, tying for the team lead with 34 routes run after not seeing the field in Week 1. Davis should immediately slot back into his WR2 role and is currently ranked as our WR17.

The full quote from head coach Matt LaFleur on rookie Christian Watson went as follows; "“He’s a young player and I think he’s far from a finished product. That’s a credit to him because he’s still a guy who we’re going to try to find ways to get him the football. … I’m really pleased with where he is, but also know that he’s got a long way to go for him to maximize his potential.”

Though Watson's role in the offense is almost guaranteed to grow in a questionable wide receiver room, he has run fewer routes than teammates Sammy Watkins, Randall Cobb, Romeo Doubs, and Aaron Jones through two weeks. The good news is Watson is being utilized both out of the slot and out wide, but is still losing utilization behind veterans Cobb and Watkins in each alignment. The rookie is irrelevant to fantasy until further notice.

Though the team seems to be system-agnostic when running their offense, the Lions have been highly gap-heavy this year and have focused on pushing the ball down the field through their running backs. Detroit is second in the league with their 372 yards on the ground and is eleventh in the league with 84 receiving yards to the RB position. D'Andre Swift (RB3) and Jamaal Williams (RB19) have performed as top-20 options at this point in the season.

Per the article, the Lions are first in yards per carry (7.15), third in explosive runs (seven), and also second in EPA per rush and rushing DVOA, Football Outsiders’ opponent-adjusted efficiency metric. What's scary for opposing defenses; they've accomplished all of this while dealing with a slew of offensive line injuries. They may just be getting started.

Saints coach Dennis Allen said earlier in the day that Jameis Winston was limited in Wednesday’s practice. Winston injured his back in the season opener.

But the practice report revealed Winston also has an ankle injury.

Winston has four fractures in his back, and whether he’s really “feeling good” as he insists or not, the quarterback is making no excuses, the story said. Winston also downplayed his injuries after practice, saying “a lot of guys are playing with something.”

“Zach Wilson’s the future of the organization. We all know that,” Saleh said. “As soon as the doctors clear him, we’ll get him on the field.”

Related players: Joe Flacco

The author played "what if," and imagined Flacco comes out in Week 3 and throws four TDs and knocks off the Bengals - would the team still turn the ball over to Wilson? While the author admitted it isn't likely, he suggested letting Flacco play until his "37-year-old wheels fall off." It makes sense to ride the hot hand, especially if Flacco would again play well. It could be coach-speak, but it seems like the Jets are prepared to go with Wilson once he's ready.

Today’s Bucs-Packers injury report...still no Donovan Smith. Julio Jones and Chris Godwin also still not practicing. Carlton Davis is a new addition to the list. So is Robert Hainsey and Scotty Miller...

Related players: Breshad Perriman, Russell Gage, Scotty Miller

Jones probably has a better chance of playing this week than Godwin according to reports. But, Perriman, Gage and Miller only logged limited practice time Wednesday, too. Mike Evans is suspended and the team recently signed Cole Beasley. The Packers and Bucs are a late afternoon game on Sunday so owners of Tampa Bay WRs will want to be prepared heading into Week 3.

DNP
CB Marlon Humphrey (groin)
WR Devin Duvernay (concussion)

LIMITED
QB Lamar Jackson (right elbow)
OT Ronnie Stanley (ankle)
TE Isaiah Likely (groin)
WR James Proche (groin)
CB Brandon Stephens (quad)
CB Damarion Williams (ankle)

FULL
RB J.K. Dobbins

Reports said Dobbins was close to playing in Week 2 but the Ravens played it safe. He seems to have a great chance to play in Week 3, but he could also be on a pitch count for his first game back. Owners will want to keep an eye on this through the week.

Broncos Injury Report - WR Jerry Jeudy (rib, shoulder) & CB Pat Surtain II (shoulder) DNP.

Don’t rule them out for Sunday just yet though, the tweet went on to say. The Broncos could sure use Jeudy as the offense struggled most of the game against the Texans. Jeudy will likely need to log some practice time this week so continue to monitor.

Patriots WR Jakobi Meyers spent today getting his knee checked out, per me and Mike Giardi.

Meyers didn't practice today, the story said. Tests showed nothing significant was wrong with his knee, and his status will be determined later in the week. Girardi reported Meyers did come out for the start of practice before heading back inside. He made a brief locker room appearance and was moving very stiffly.

The Chiefs may have to go another week without their regular kicker.

Head coach Andy Reid told reporters in his Wednesday press conference that Harrison Butker won’t practice on Wednesday, as Kansas City begins to get ready to play Indianapolis.

Related players: Matt Ammendola

Those who saw Butker hit your waiver wire last week and grabbed him this week may have to stash him or come up with another plan. Reid stopped short of saying it's a high ankle sprain, but did mention there is still some swelling that needs to go down. Ammendola would get the kicking duties again if Butker can't go in Week 3. Owners will at least have some notice as Butker and the Chiefs play an early Sunday game at Indy.

Lovie Smith on rookie RB Dameon Pierce: "We as a football team need to finish (better). I haven't said that an awful lot to Dameon. He finishes plays."

Related players: Rex Burkhead

Lovie went on to say, "(He's) what we want to be. Toughness. Extra effort. All those things you talk about is exactly what we see from him." The Texans were able to stay in the game vs. the Broncos last week and keep things close, so Pierce had a 15-69-0 line and also added a catch for eight yards. Burkhead didn't get a carry in Week 2 so the hope is Pierce's workload continues to trend this way, perhaps with even more work in the passing game.

George Kittle will be limited at 49ers practice today.

As the tweet went on to say, it's a good sign for his return at Denver on Sunday. Unfortunately, it's a Sunday night game so owners counting on Kittle will need a backup plan.

Staley said WR Keenan Allen (hamstring) and TE Donald Parham Jr. (hamstring) will also do some individual work.

Related players: Mike Williams, Josh Palmer, DeAndre Carter, Jalen Guyton

The hope is Allen can go for Week 3 but that remains to be seen. Williams did step up with a nice fantasy game in Week 2 against the Chiefs and would be a solid play again if Allen is out. The Chargers play a late afternoon home game against the Jags so owners probably want to have a plan in place in case he can't go in Week 3.

Chargers coach Brandon Staley says Justin Herbert is feeling more comfortable, participated in some light throwing yesterday, and is day to day.

Herbert finished the game last Thursday but didn't look comfortable at times. The rest of the tweet said Herbert will be wearing a rib protector and Staley said he’ll go in individual drills today.

Gabe Davis improve to limited.

Related players: Isaiah McKenzie, Jamison Crowder, Khalil Shakir, Jake Kumerow

Davis injured his ankle leading up to Week 2 and didn't play on Monday might. It wasn't necessarily great news for McKenzie as there seemed to be a mix of McKenzie, Crowder, Shakir and Kumerow in what ended up being a blowout victory for Buffalo. It's a good sign for Week 3 Davis is at least logging some limited time Wednesday. The Bills do play an early Sunday game at Miami.

Alvin Kamara was participating at practice today. Taysom Hill and Jameis Winston were present but didn't appear to be participating much in the open portion of practice.

Related players: Mark Ingram, Tony Jones, Dwayne Washington

Reports said Kamara was close to playing in Week 2, so this is at least a positive sign Kamara is on the right track toward a return for Week 3. We should know more later in the week and the Saints have an early Sunday game at Carolina.

New York Giants wide receiver Kenny Golladay took just two snaps against the Carolina Panthers in Week 2 and he’s not happy about it.

Following Wednesday’s practice, Golladay met with reporters and expressed his frustration. He also wouldn’t rule out a trade request somewhere down the line should his role not increase.

Related players: Sterling Shepard, Wan'Dale Robinson, Kadarius Toney, Richie James, David Sills, Darius Slayton

As we reported yesterday, the Giants are looking for WR help instead of playing Golladay. Our story on Tuesday said Golladay could even end up as a healthy scratch in the near future. His contract makes him difficult to trade, and cutting him would cost the Giants at least $25 million in dead cap space. Instead, the Giants are playing the likes of James and Sills. Shepard led the way with six catches but just 34 yards. Tony had just two catches for zero yards and also seems to be in the doghouse. It also seems the current Giants brass doesn't want to play the guys they inherited. Robinson, the team's second round pick, could be in store for a lot of playing if can can get back from a knee injury.

Imagine Lamar Jackson will be asked about this during his press availability after practice, but he was wearing a sleeve on his right arm.

On top of that, Zrebiec said Jackson didn't seem to be doing his usual amount of throwing early in practice. He did add the media can only watch a small portion of practice. So, this could be nothing, but it's certainly worth monitoring.

Campbell says they'll give D'Andre Swift a breather today from practice, but he's feeling much better than last week as he was dealing with an ankle injury.

Swift ran five times for 56 yards in Week 2. However 50 of those yards came on one run. He added two catches for 31 yards and a score to salvage your fantasy day. Swift missed a couple of days last week before returning Friday and playing in Week 2. He's at least trending in the right direction as we approach Week 3. Swift and the Lions play an early game on Sunday at the Vikings.

Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce are practicing today as scheduled.

Related players: Parris Campbell, Ashton Dulin, Mike Strachan

The return of both WRs would be a welcome one for the Colts, especially Pittman. PIttman missed Week 2 but reports said he'd have a shot to play in Week 3 so this is encouraging. The Colts had to roll with Campbell, Dulin and Strachan in Week 2 and were blanked by the Jags. Dulin did post a 5-79-0 line in Week 2 and could still be a factor in the offense going forward.

Kingsbury said Hollywood Brown just had a rest day. That was the case for most guys sitting.

James Conner day to day still.

Related players: Eno Benjamin, Darrel Williams

Conner is dealing with an ankle injury. In Week 1, Benjamin was the team's RB2 but in Week 2 Williams and Benjamin essentially split the workload, each getting 8 carries. It was Williams, however, who recorded 59 yards and also scored a TD. Conner looks on track to play in Week 3 but the situation is worth monitoring.

WR Michael Gallup (ACL) will have “every opportunity” to get ready to play Monday vs. Giants, seeing full slate of practice reps this week.

Related players: CeeDee Lamb, Noah Brown

Gallup has been trending toward an early return ever since the team didn't put him on the PUP list. After being inactive the first two weeks, Gallup appears to be heading toward playing in Week 3. He'll be a welcome return to the offense that has Cooper Rush at QB. Gallup should slide in as the team's WR2 behind Lamb, with Brown as the WR3. Gallup could be one some kind of pitch count his first week back, especially with Rush having a nice connection with Brown. Continue to stay updated on Gallup's status as the week goes on. Unfortunately for owners, Gallup and the Cowboys are at the Giants on Monday night.

The NFL upheld Mike Evans’ one-game suspension for hitting Saints’ CB Marshon Lattimore. Evans is now officially out for Sunday’s game vs. the Green Bay Packers.

Related players: Chris Godwin, Julio Jones, Russell Gage, Breshad Perriman, Scott Miller

Evans appealed the suspension but will still have to sit for Week 3. The Bucs could be hurting a bit at WR when they take on the Packers. Goodwin is dealing with a hamstring injury and doesn't look like he'll play. Jones was reportedly close to playing Week 2 and is still dealing with a knee injury. Gage, Perriman and Miller would be up next on the depth chart.

So far this season, on a combined 43 rushing attempts by D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams, the Lions have used five separate run concepts at least six or more times each (numbers via Sports Information Solutions).

The Lions are averaging 7.2 yards per rush so far this season. The concepts talked about in the story feature the usual diet of zone plays, but also man-blocking components like duo and having different players pull on counter (their most heavily used concept), power and trap plays, the story said. The Lions utilize all those personnel groupings and formations, plus shifts and motions, to get the most advantageous looks possible.

Those formations (two true running backs and no fullback) are commonly referred to as “Pony” personnel — a nod to the 1980s SMU Mustangs’ “Pony Express” RB pairing of Eric Dickerson and Craig James. And the Packers’ version with Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon has been incredibly effective in 2022. Jones has earned a first down on half of his 20 carries so far; Dillon is third in the NFL at a first-downs-per-rush rate of 32.1 percent.

With the loss of WR Davante Adams, the Packers just want to get their best players on the field at the same time, and that means more of Jones and Dillon together. While Jones is a must-play for fantasy owners every week, Dillon is making a case to be one as well. Getting on the field more will only help make that case. Dillon wasn't a huge fantasy factor in Week 2, but he was in Week 1 when the Packers played from behind. We reported yesterday that QB Aaron Rodgers said on a podcast the team wants to get Jones and Dillon at least 15 touches each per game.

The NFL is not anticipating a ruling on Mike Evans’ appeal of a one-game suspension Tuesday, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Former NFL receiver James Thrash heard Evans’ appeal Tuesday.

It seems likely a decision will come Wednesday as the Bucs begin their on-field work for Sunday’s game against the Packers.

Evans got a running start and shoved Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore to the ground after Lattimore chirped at Tom Brady and bowed up on running back Leonard Fournette. It set off a brawl. The decision was supposed to be made Tuesday. The Bucs could be without Evans and Christ Godwin (hamstring) in Week 3.

Damien Harris doesn't seem to be worried about whatever had him limping off the field late in the game.

"I'm fine dog *chuckles* look at me, I'm fine!"

Related players: Rhamondre Stevenson, Ty Montgomery, Pierre Strong Jr.

It's something to keep an eye on for owners as Harris appeared to have a somewhat serious injury against the Steelers in Week 2. While what he said is good news, if he's unable to go it could mean a huge, potential workload for Stevenson. We'll hopefully know more Wednesday.

"The goal is to always get Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon the ball ... the flows of different games don't allow it sometimes," Aaron Rodgers.

Jones stood out last week, but in Week 1 it was Dillon who out-carried Jones and also had more receptions. While both players are worthy starting in fantasy lineups their workload may not be guaranteed every week. But it sounds like Rodgers and the Packers want to include the running backs as a major part of the game plan.

Now, head coach Kyle Shanahan is expressing optimism that George Kittle will return for Week 3 when the 49ers face the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football.

Hopefully the news will continue to trend in a positive direction for Kittle and his owners. The 49ers playing on Sunday night will be a challenge for owners who are counting on him in Week 3, though. Now is the time to get a backup plan in case he comes down to a game-time decision.

Cowboys owner and General Manager Jerry Jones thinks Dak Prescott may surprise people with how quickly he returns from the injury to his throwing hand.

Jones said on 105.3 The Fan that it’s still too soon to say when Prescott will be back on the field, but it’s possible that he’ll miss only one more game and play in Week 4 against the Commanders.

Related players: Cooper Rush

Jones has been beating this drum all along, and right after Dak's surgery said the team wouldn't put him on IR, thinking he could be back sooner than later. Obviously there is a lot that can happen between now and Week 4 and we're likely to get a bunch of updates on Prescott and his progress.

The Jets made an effort to get Garrett Wilson the ball right away after he barely played early in Week 1 against the Ravens.

Wilson drew comparisons to Justin Jefferson in the story, which is obviously high praise. But the author said Wilson was that good against the Browns. Wilson finished with eight catches (on a game-high 14 targets) for 102 yards and two touchdowns. Through two weeks, when Wilson is on the field, Joe Flacco has a 102.5 passer rating, per TruMedia. It’s 63.8 when Wilson is off the field, the story said.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Monday that third-round pick Tyrion Davis-Price is going to miss “a few weeks” after suffering a high-ankle sprain in Sunday’s win over the Seahawks.

Related players: Elijah Mitchell, Jeff Wilson, Kyle Juszczyk, Jordan Mason, Marlon Mack

The Niner RBs are falling fast as this comes after the team lost Mitchell for about 8 weeks, according to reports. With Wilson the lead back, Mason now becomes an injury away from possibly seeing a significant fantasy role. Juszczyk could continue to steal goal line TDs.

Hard to say if Julio Jones (knee) is back Sunday for Packers -- he was close enough to be a game-time decision this weekend.

Auman speculated another week of rest and recovery should put Jones in at least a similar position this week. The author added Jones gets Wednesdays off now, so we'll have to see if he goes Thursday. The Bucs just signed Cole Beasley for possible help. Chris Godwin is a question mark with his hamstring injury and Mike Evans could have to serve a suspension this week.

Jerry Jones is not sure if Dalton Schultz will be available this week vs. NY Giants. “The issue is whether he goes this week or not," the owner said on 105.3 The Fan. "I don’t look for this to be, my assessment is, it’s not long term.”

This is great news for owners as it looked like Schultz suffered a serious knee injury in Week 2. Owners may not be able to count on him this week, however, so a backup plan is probably necessary.

Because Kenny Golladay has a $21.2 million salary cap figure, a trade would be extremely difficult to pull off unless the Giants pay a major portion of his salary to unload him. If the Giants cut him, they would have $25 million in dead money. So, this awkward relationship is expected to continue.

A healthy scratch could be in the offing next for Golladay.

Related players: Sterling Shepard, Wan'Dale Robinson, Kadarius Toney, Richie James, David Sills, Darius Slayton

The story said the Giants are looking for WR help. Slayton, who recently accepted a pay cut, played one snap against Carolina. Shepard was the leading receiver with six receptions for 34 yards on 10 targets. Golladay played two snaps in Week 2. But, the Giants averaged just 5.1 yards per pass attempt by quarterback Daniel Jones, the story went on to say. Robinson, who is currently hurt, could be a factor if he can get back in the lineup. The Giants brass seems to be playing their guys right now, and not forcing a high-priced, inherited contract like Golladay's into the lineup just because he's making money.

The Falcons are trying to scheme for Kyle Pitts – a source told ESPN that 13 of Atlanta’s passing plays Sunday had Pitts as the primary target – the production just hasn’t come yet.

The story went on to say Pitts has to win his matchups better. He openly admitted that Sunday, and according to NFL Next Gen Stats, his average yards of separation when the ball arrives is 2.11 yards – No. 27 among qualifying tight ends and No. 138 among all pass-catchers, between Baltimore wide receiver Devin Duvernay and Jacksonville receiver Zay Jones. Sometimes the quarterback, Marcus Mariota, sees something else. Defenses are paying attention to Pitts, too, it went on to say.

I can confirm Bucs are signing veteran receiver Cole Beasley, pending a physical.

Auman went on to say Beasley is 33, but his career catch rate is 71 percent, and Bucs struggled to catch Tom Brady's passes Sunday. It seems like a decent fit, but it remains to be seen how quickly Beasley can get up to speed and on the same page with Brady. The Bucs are looking to be without Mike Evans (suspension) and Chris Godwin (hamstring) in Week 3, so Beasley could get thrown right into the fire.

Rookie running back Tyrion Davis-Price is expected to miss "at least" a few weeks, according to 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.

Related Players: Jeff Wilson, Jordan Mason, Marlon Mack

TE Tyler Kroft also has an MCL sprain, to add insult to injury. Jeff Wilson had the majority control of the backfield in Week 2, turning his 20 touches into 103 yards from scrimmage, while Davis-Price and Deebo Samuel had their fair share of work in a lopsided 27-7 victory over the Seahawks. We will keep an eye on the situation as the week(s) progresses, but expect Deebo to continue working as a hybrid back while San Francisco continues to deal with a never-ending barrage of injuries at the position.

Gabriel Davis is officially inactive due to an ankle injury. The team was holding out hope, but it was considered an "uphill" battle throughout the weekend.

John Paulsen's take;
Gabe Davis has been removed from the rankings since it was reported that he will not play. Isaiah McKenzie is very startable, while Jamison Crowder and Dawson Knox also get a bump in the projections.

Dalton Schultz' PCL problem is apparently the same one that bothered Ezekiel Elliot in 2021. It is unknown if the tight end will be forced to miss time at the moment.

The injury popped up near the very end of the win against the Bengals, so it's hard to gauge the usage of the tight ends behind him. It would likely be a committee approach between Peyton Hendershot and blocking TE Jake Ferguson, neither of which would make much difference in the fantasy-sphere.

Head coach Dennis Allen says the Saints were "holding out hope all the way" for Alvin Kamara to go on Sunday per another snippet from Jeff Nowak.

Related Players: Mark Ingram, Dwayne Washington, Tony Jones

The backfield behind Kamara was split into oblivion between the running back room and Taysom Hill on Sunday, resulting in an utter headache. It sounds like a solid possibility that the RB1 could be back in time for Week 3's contest versus the Panthers.

Mike Evans ragdolled longtime foe Marshon Lattimore en route to being thrown out of Sunday's game, and now his actions are under review from league officials.

"It gets spicy when you come to New Orleans," Evans was later quoted as saying. The wide receiver was previously suspended for one game in the 2017 season for getting in an altercation with —you guessed it— Marshon Lattimore, and it would come as no surprise if that were the same outcome this time around. There's no guarantee that the suspension would take place immediately, but Evans being off the field would impact Russell Gage, Chris Godwin, Julio Jones, and anyone else healthy enough to play in the receiver room.

49ers QB Trey Lance will undergo surgery on his injured ankle and his season is likely over.

Lance suffered the injury early against the Seahawks and the injury looked bad initially, especially after Lance was carted off the field. Now, he will undergo surgery and his season is likely over. It's a shame because he was finally getting his chance to show the 49ers were right in trading up for him and he was starting to feel his way through. Now, the 49ers go back to their old friend, Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo is a free agent after the season, so Lance should be the man again in 2023 and there shouldn't be any more quarterback controversy, but you never know with the NFL.

49ers QB Trey Lance was carted off the field during Sunday's game against the Seahawks.

Lance suffered an apparent left injury early against the Seahawks and the early thought is it doesn't look good but we'll see what details come out. This means Jimmy Garoppolo is back in the saddle for the 49ers and he may be there for quite a while again. Very unfortunate for Lance, who was started to bring it all together. We wish him the best.

Buccaneers WR Mike Evans and Saints CB Marshon Lattimore were ejected from Sunday's game for fighting.

The scuffle began after Leonard Fournette went after Lattimore who jarred a bit with Tom Brady. Evans came sprinting from the sideline and shoved Lattimore to the ground and the teams all met in the middle of the field as the refs tried to take control. Both Evans and Lattimore were sent to the locker room and given offsetting penalties. The Bucs will now rely heavily on Scotty Miller and Russell Gage, who have both stepped up very well thus far today, though the Bucs only have three points on the board.

The Falcons placed RB Damien Williams on injured reserve Saturday with a rib injury.

Williams suffered the injury early in Week 1 against the Saints. Williams was expected to be an early veteran presence in the Atlanta backfield and share time with Cordarrelle Patterson. He is now out for at least four games. The Falcons elevated Caleb Huntley from the practice squad, so for now, it’s Huntley, Tyler Allgeier and Avery Williams behind Patterson. This could mean plenty of work coming for Patterson, if Week 1 is any indication. He’s a top 20 running back this week.

Bills WR Gabriel Davis is listed as questionable for Monday night against the Titans with an ankle injury.

Davis was a late add to the injury report Saturday after being a limited participant in practice. If Davis, who had 88 yards and a touchdown in the season opener against the Rams, can’t go, it would open up more opportunities Isaiah McKenzie and Jamison Crowder behind Stefon Diggs. Being a Monday game makes him a bit of a risky play in case he is ruled inactive and you have no replacement. But if he does go, he’s still the unquestioned WR2 in Buffalo. Before the injury, Davis ranked at No. 11 among receivers.

Colts WR Michael Pittman (quad) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Jaguars.

Pittman had a fantasic start to the season, catching nine passes (on 13 targets) for 121 yards and a touchdown and was set for another strong matchup against the Jaguars. But a quad injury suffered Wednesday caused him to miss practice Thursday and Friday. The Colts were holding out hope he would play Sunday, but they are going to play it safe with their top receiver. The Colts will also be without Alec Pierce. Their current receivers are Parris Campbell, Ashton Dulin, Mike Strachan, Dezmon Patman and Keke Coutee, whom the Colts just elevated from the practice squad. This hurts the value of Matt Ryan, who now sits as QB22 in this week's rankings. Jonathan Taylor remains our RB1 for the week and he could see a heavy workload Sunday.

Rookie Ken Walker will receive the first NFL snaps of his career on Sunday against the 49ers.

Related Players: Rashaad Penny

Rashaad Penny received almost all of the backfield usage in Week 1 with Walker sidelined but still finished as the RB36 with his 7.7 half-PPR points. Things are going to get murky quickly in Seattle, and it's going to be challenging to start either option with any sort of confidence in San Fransico in Week 2. Penny will be designated as more of a Flex play than an RB2 play, with the rookie set to share a piece of the pie.

The X-Ray was taken immediately after the game, but the results have just come back Friday evening. Just Herbert will be day-to-day with an assessment to follow on Wednesday.

Related Players: Chase Daniel

Herbert had a gutsy performance Thursday night, operating through the final drive or two in obvious extreme pain. The team came up short, but in fantasy terms, the QB had a great game, finishing with 27.46 points on 300+ yards passing and three touchdowns. Journeyman quarterback Chase Daniel will be the next man up if Herbert is forced to miss time.

Due to Alvin Kamara missing Thursday and Friday's practices, Mike Triplett considers him doubtful for Sunday but believes Jameis Winston and Mark Ingram are probable.

Related Players: Mark Ingram, Tony Jones

Behind Kamara in Week 1, Mark Ingram logged four rushing attempts and ran ten routes, while Tony Jones saw exactly one offensive snap. We've seen Mark Ingram usurp the entirety of Kamara's role in the past when the latter has been forced out of action, and although the coaching staff has been jumbled up since then, Pete Carmichael is still the team's offensive coordinator. Ingram would be a decent enough RB2/3 if Kamara is forced to miss Week 2.

Najee Harris was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice but was a full-go the following two days.

Related Players: Jaylen Warren

This put a major damper on anyone who went out and spent FAAB on Jaylen Warren during waiver runs this week, but it would be a good idea to hold him on your roster as we continue to keep an eye on Najee Harris' foot. Given the Steelers' historic running back usage, if Harris is healthy heading into a game, we should expect him to handle a vast majority of the workload.

D'Andre Swift practiced on Friday after missing the previous two days' activities with an ankle issue. He is officially listed as questionable per head coach Dan Campbell.

Related Players: Jamaal Williams

The Lions came out in Week 1 splitting touches heavily between Swift and Jamaal Williams, with the former leading the latter 18-13. Williams would shoot way, way up the rankings if Swift happened to miss this, or any other, week.

Rookie WR Alec Pierce is one of a handful of players who have already been ruled out for Sunday's contest against the Jaguars.

Related Players: Parris Campbell, Ashton Dulin

Matt Ryan's debut performance as the Colts' quarterback was middle-of-the-road at best, though he did rack up 352 yards passing in the Week 1 overtime tie. Ashton Dulin is the most likely scenario to be the 1v1 replacement for Pierce, with Parris Campbell continuing to operate out of the slot on the majority of his snaps. Meanwhile, there's no signs pointing towards a drop in Michael Pittman's 28% target share.

Sophomore WR Rondale Moore is one of a handful of players who have already been ruled out for Sunday's contest.

Related Players: Greg Dortch, A.J. Green

Kyler Murray's skill position group will be limited once again, as the 3-WR set appears to be Marquise Brown, Greg Dortch, and A.J. Green. Though Greg Dortch was a pleasant surprise in Week 1, Green's 0.42 yards per route run ranked 84th out of 89 qualifying wide receivers.

Things aren't looking good for George Kittle to return for the 49ers in Week 2, stemming from a groin injury suffered ahead of the team's opening game in Chicago.

Related Players: Ross Dwelley, Tyler Kroft

Unlike other situations around the league (the Raiders, for example) there is no plug-and-play option for the 49ers in regards to the tight end position. The team schemes plays for George Kittle himself, not necessarily the position. Trey Lance can run himself into fantasy relevance regardless, but his ceiling is lowered without one of the best play-making TEs in the league, if Kittle were to miss another week of action.

D'Andre Swift continues to nurse an ankle injury but claims he'll "most definitely" be ready for the Week 2 game against the Commanders.

Related Players: Jamaal Williams

The Lions came out in Week 1 splitting touches heavily between Swift and Jamaal Williams, with the former leading the latter 18-13. Williams would shoot way, way up the rankings if Swift happened to miss this, or any other, week.

Kadarius Toney has landed on the injury report, limited with a hamstring issue.

Related Players: Sterling Shepard, Kenny Golladay, Richie James, Wan'Dale Robinson

Wan'Dale Robinson was a DNP for Thursday's practice, so if Toney finds himself with an injury designation or generally residing in the Giants doghouse, the starting 3WR set will once again be Sterling Shepard, Kenny Golladay, and Richie James. Daniel Jones is receiving no favors from New York's skill position group outside of Saquon Barkley and, as such, is currently ranked as 4for4's QB23.

WRs Chris Godwin and Julio Jones were not at practice, along with OT Donovan Smith. While Jones may simply be receiving a veteran day off, Godwin will likely miss at least one more week, opening the door for more Russell Gage opportunities.

Gage only ran 18 routes in Week 1, but Godwin was heavily involved in the rotation before suffering another injury. The pecking order behind Mike Evans is still up in the air, but the ceiling outcome is there for Gage against the Saints on Sunday, making him an interesting Flex play.

Davis Mills peppered WR Brandin Cooks with 12 targets in Week 1 but is looking to involve other pass catchers, namely Nico Collins

Collins only accounted for two catches on Sunday but reiterated, "it's early in the season, we just started...Definitely, the confidence is high." When asked about the sophomore's lack of touches, Davis Mills remarked “Game-plan stuff, he has route. He has individual routes on the backside as the X receiver, where we see him matched up with somebody one-on-one we trust that he’s going to win." Until further notice, Nico Collins should remain on fantasy benches until he is actually tasked with winning some of those one-on-ones.

Sean McVay said he "loved the way" Cam Akers responded this week.

"I like the way that he went through the first walkthrough of the week. I liked his focus and concentration in the meetings and I expect that to translate to practice."

Related players: Darrell Henderson

McVay went on to say "...I have true confidence that he and Darrell [Henderson] are both going to do a very good job for us and I’m excited about that coming to life this week." Seems like this could become a muddy fantasy RB situation for the Rams going forward, but it's hard to believe if Akers is healthy and eventually comes out of the doghouse, he won't be the team's RB1. It's a nice matchup against the Falcons this week and for now at least, Henderson seems like the safer play. After last week, it would be hard to insert Akers back into lineups this week for Week 2.

D'Andre Swift's career-best rushing performance came on a day he played through a sprained ankle.

Swift told the Free Press on Wednesday he rolled his ankle in the second quarter of the Detroit Lions' season opening 38-35 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Swift stayed in the game and finished with 15 carries for 144 yards, the third most in the NFL in Week 1.

Swift didn't practice on Wednesday. We'll monitor Swift's practice status as the week goes on, because we can't always trust when a player gives an update about his status. It will be nice to see him log at least limited sessions the rest of the week.

Lions RB D'Andre Swift didn't practice today with an ankle injury, according to the team practice report.

Related players: Jamaal Williams, Craig Reynolds, Justin Jackson

This will be something to monitor. Swift did play right up to the end of the game. The team did sign Jackson off the practice squad today so there could be some concern here. Williams would be next up if Swift can't go.

Leonard Fournette was at practice, seemed fine. A lot of you asked about him, but I think Rachaad White playing at the end of the game was more about the score and getting him more NFL snaps.

Fournette is on the injury report as being limited with a hamstring and many said they saw him pull up a little on his last carry before White came into the game for good. We'll have to see how this pans out for the rest of the week. If anything, it's perhaps a good reminder to pickup White, especially if you're a Fournette owner.

I asked Todd Bowles today if he had any injury concerns at receiver other than Chris Godwin, and he said he did not. Keep that in mind when reading Bucs’ injury report.

Related players: Mike Evans, Julio Jones, Russell Gage, Tom Brady

Godwin is of course dealing with a hamstring issue and doesn't seem likely to play. But now Jones is dealing with a knee issue and Gage a hamstring as well. Evans, we reported today, had his calf wrapped. This is a situation to watch heading into Week 2.

Ty Davis-Price or Jordan Mason? Kyle Shanahan said the two will compete in practice this week to see who will be the No. 2 runner behind Jeff Wilson on Sunday. "We'll go with the hot hand in the game."

Wilson might have to earn his playing time, despite being the starter and a popular waiver pick up this week. If one of Davis-Price or Mason steps up, it wouldn't be a shock to see Shanahan give them more work. Deebo Samuel will likely factor in the running game as well. Wilson is at least the guy this week but there may be some reason to worry about his long term fantasy value.

49ers TE George Kittle (groin) will not return to practice today, per Kyle Shanahan.

Related players: Tyler Kroft, Ross Dwelley

Kittle didn't play in Week 1 after being listed as questionable. However he didn't practice all last week and this week now isn't off to a good start. It was a sloppy Week 1 game but the Niners didn't get much out of their TE position as Kroft and Dwelley each had one catch.

Zach Wilson participated in practice on Wednesday for the first time since he hurt his knee in August. Wilson had meniscus surgery four weeks ago to address the injury and has been rehabbing away from the field until this week.

Related players: Joe Flacco, Mike White

Flacco was already announced as the starter for Week 2. Saleh said before the opener that Wilson won’t be available until at least Week 4. Sticking to that plan would give Wilson three weeks of practice before he would make his 2022 debut against the Steelers, the story concluded. Flacco was nearly pulled in Week 1 and the crowd was chanting for White to replace him. Flacco may not make it to Wilson's return.

Washington Commanders rookie running back Brian Robinson Jr. was shot multiple times during an attempted robbery in August, and two and a half weeks later, he's making some pretty incredible progress as he attempts to return to the practice field.

On Wednesday, multiple Washington beat reporters noted that Robinson was doing work on the side at practice. ESPN said the rookie was completing some agility work, and several reporters observed Robinson on the stationary bike. Per The Athletic, Robinson was wearing a wrap over his right knee/lower leg -- the area where he was shot.

Related players: Antonio Gibson

Washington placed Robinson on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list, which makes him unavailable for at least the first four weeks of the regular season. Head coach Ron Rivera has not laid out an official recovery timeline for his running back, but Robinson may not miss an extended amount of time. Last week, he ditched his crutches as the swelling in his knee went down, the story went on to say.

Following up on this...it’s a calf injury for Mike Evans.

Laine went on to tweet it sounds relatively minor for Evans. The Bucs are already expected to be without Chris Godwin so Julio Jones and Russell Gage could be factors in Week 2 if Evans is limited in any way.

Thought J.K. Dobbins looked really good in early portion of practice. Was moving around and cutting well.

Related players: Kenyan Drake, Mike Davis, Justice Hill

Ian Rapoport reported Dobbins practiced fully today. The Ravens didn't have much of a ground game in Week 1 so a Dobbins return would be a welcome sight. Davis carried just two times for 11 yards and Drake added 11 runs but for just 31 yards.

Chiefs ruled out kicker Harrison Butker for Thursday night's game vs. the Chargers.

Related players: Matt Ammendola

The kicking duties will fall on Ammendola on Thursday night. He was recently called up from the team's practice squad. Those in a bind should find Ammendola to be a nice fill-in at kicker if needed.

Mac Jones was at practice.

Reports said Jones looked like his normal self at practice on Wednesday. This followed back X-rays after Week 1's game. Jones looks like he's good to go for Week 2 but the Patriots offense wasn't impressive in Week 1 and could be one to say away from in fantasy.

Packers HC Matt LaFleur told reporters that WR Allen Lazard (ankle) will return to practice today.

Lazard missed all of practice last week and did not play Sunday, as the tweet reminded us. The Packers play this week on Sunday Night vs. the Bears so Lazard owners may need to have a plan in place if his status takes us right up to game time.

The Chargers have ruled out WR Keenan Allen (hamstring) and TE Donald Parham (hamstring) vs. the #Chiefs, while CB JC Jackson (ankle) is questionable.

Related players: Mike Williams, Josh Palmer, DeAndre Carter, Jalen Guyton

With Allen out and Williams an uneventful Week 1, players like Palmer, Carter and even Guyton could have to step up in Week 2 in what could be a high scoring game against the Chiefs.

Zac Taylor says Tee Higgins has cleared the hurdles he needs too at this point as he's in the concussion protocol.

Tee will be limited today.

Related players: Tyler Boyd

Higgins left Week 1's game catching two balls for 27 yards. With Higgins out, Boyd hauled in four catches for 33 yards and a TD. He would likely see an uptick in targets if Higgins isn't ready to go in Week 2. The Bengals do play a later game on Sunday at Dallas, so owners should have a plan in place if counting on Higgins.

Mike McCarthy said the hope is Michael Gallup (knee) can go from doing individual drills last week to some “group stuff,” this week. He wasn’t ready to say Gallup could play Sunday.

Related players: CeeDee Lamb, Noah Brown, Jalen Tolbert

In all likelihood, Gallup will need at least another week before he gets into a game, the tweet went on to say. Brown should see an increased role again, but with Dak Prescott out and Cooper Rush in, the Cowboys offense likely takes a big step back in terms of fantasy production.

Frank Reich: Alec Pierce developed concussion symptoms after the game and is now in the concussion protocol.

Related players: Ashton Dulin, Dezmon Patmon, Mike Strachan

The tweet said Pierce took a huge hit in the game that bent his facemask. Piece had a nice camp and was thought to have a shot at the WR2 role for the Colts but didn't record a catch in Week 1. Dulin went for 3-46-0 in Week 1 and could have an increased role again if Pierce can't play.

No WR Chris Godwin or LT Donovan Smith at practice today.

Related players: Mike Evans, Julio Jones, Russell Gage

The Bucs said Godwin's hamstring injury wasn't as serious as first thought, but the team never put a specific timetable on his return. Reports say he's likely going to be out for Week 2, but the good news he didn't reinjure his ACL. The Bucs will go with Evans, Jones and Gage as their top-three WRs for Week 2.

Jeff Wilson appeared in nine games last season after recovering from a torn meniscus in a knee. When he did play, he didn't look much like the player who led the team in rushing in 2020. Another year removed from that injury, Wilson appeared to be closer to his former self in training camp, though he managed just 22 yards on nine carries after replacing Mitchell at rain-soaked Soldier Field on Sunday.

"We've always been comfortable with Jeff, just because of his experience and what he has done here," Kyle Shanahan said. "We know what we're going to get."

Related players: Elijah Mitchell, Tyrion Davis-Price, Kyle Juszczyk, Jordan Mason, Marlon Mack, Deebo Samuel

What the Niners may not be comfortable with is what's behind Wilson at this point, though. Davis-Price is a rookie who was inactive in Week 1 behind undrafted rookie Mason. Mason played on special teams, however. The team signed Mack but he couldn't make the Texans roster. It's possible Samuel sees an uptick in rushes. The team seems like a Wilson injury away from a big problem at RB.

New York fans chanted Mike White's name during Sunday's season-opening loss to the Ravens, but the Jets aren't planning a quarterback change for Week 2.

Veteran Joe Flacco, who replaced injured Zach Wilson, will start Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, a source told ESPN.

Wilson could be out for at least one more week with a possible Week 4 return. As the story pointed out, Flacco struggled in Week 1 against the Ravens and his lack of mobility stood out. Those wanting to back up Wilson in deeper leagues or dynasty leagues may want to keep an eye on White.

The Saints are signing RB Latavius Murray to their practice squad.

Related players: Alvin Kamara, Mark Ingram, Tony Jones, Dwayne Washington

Worth noting that Alvin Kamara is currently dealing with a rib issue, Yates' tweet went on to say.

49ers are signing former Texans’ RB Marlon Mack to their practice squad, per source.

Related players: Jeff Wilson, Tyrion Davis-Price, Kyle Juszczyk, Jordan Mason

Wilson is expected to be the starter but Mack gives a little more security on the depth chart should he be needed as Davis-Price is a rookie.

The Patriots are placing RB Ty Montgomery on IR. WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey will be signed to the 53-man roster.

Related players: Damien Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson

Montgomery, who injured his right knee Aug. 26 and surprisingly was active for the season opener Sept. 11, will miss at least four games by going on IR. Montgomery actually scored the team’s lone TD on Sunday as part of their three man RB rotation and played 21 snaps. More passing down snaps should now go to Stevenson and he should continue to be the back to own in an always-muddled Patriot running game.

Rams rookie running back Kyren Williams is set to miss a chunk of time after having surgery to repair a high-ankle sprain he suffered in the season opener and the team announced on Tuesday that he’ll be going on injured reserve as he recovers.

Williams will miss at least four games as a result of going on the list and word last Friday was that he should miss 6-8 weeks. Williams was injured covering a kickoff on the only snap he played in his first NFL regular season game.

Related players: Cam Akers, Darrell Williams, Jake Funk

After Akers disappeared in Week 1, many thought Williams could eventually get some work out of the backfield for the Rams. That will at least be put on hold until he's back. With Akers seemingly in the doghouse, it looks like Henderson should be the team's RB1 at least for now.

The Colts are waiving kicker Rodrigo Blankenship, per source.

Blankenship missed a kick in OT that would have given the Colts a win over Houston in Week 1. There were reports Josh Lambo was brought in for a workout Tuesday, however there was no word yet about Blankenship's replacement.

Going forward the Texans want to increase Dameon Pierce’s workload following an impressive preseason from the fourth-round draft pick from Florida.

“Some of the other things we did in the game, looking on the offensive side of the football, I understand how many plays Dameon Pierce played,” Texans coach Lovie Smith said Monday. “The plan of course was for him to get more. You get into the game and situations make you go a little bit different direction. You learn from those mistakes like that, mistakes of those situations that you look at the day after.”

Related players: Rex Burkhead

As the story said, Pierce wound up playing just 29% of the 70 offensive snaps, 20 plays overall, during a 20-20 tie. He rushed for just 33 yards on 11 carries with one catch for six yards and didn’t play in overtime as veteran backup Burkhead got stuffed for a loss of two yards on a pivotal 3rd-and-1 leading up to a punt decision that led to the tie. Burkhead played 71 percent of the snaps, 50 plays overall, and he rushed for 40 yards on 14 carries with five catches for 30 yards.

Pete Carroll says on radio show Seattle Sports that Ken Walker III will return this week. Says, "Kenny Walker is going to be out there this week for us to add to that.''

Related players: Rashaad Penny

The return of Walker will likely cut into Penny's workload at least to some extent in Week 2. Penny rushed 12 times for 60 yards in Week 1 and Travis Homer was the only other back to get a rushing attempt. Penny caught two balls for seven yards as well. Walker may not jump right into the fire in Week 2, but his workload should at least slowly start to build.

Chargers WR Keenan Allen is unlikely to play Thursday night against the Chiefs.

Related players: Mike Williams, Josh Palmer, DeAndre Carter, Jalen Guyton, Gerald Everett, Austin Ekeler

The tweet went on to say there is optimism after tests that his hamstring injury isn’t anything long-term, per sources. The Bolts Week 3 game is Sept. 25 against the Jaguars, two full weeks after the injury and the hope is there is a chance Allen will be ready to go for that contest. Allen led the way with a 4-66-0 line but Williams was pretty much a no-show. Carter posted a 3-64-1 line and Everett a 3-54-1 line. Palmer had three catches for just five years.

Najee Harris told Adam Schein of SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio that the injury is “nothing too crazy” and that he’ll use Tuesday’s off day to continue healing before he gets back on the field to prepare for the Steelers’ Week Two home game against the Patriots.

“I’ll be back at practice this week. And then I will be playing this weekend,” Harris said.

Related players: Jaylen Warren, Benny Snell Jr.

It's certainly great news at this point. But we know by now we can't always trust players when it comes to talking about their health and their playing status. We'll continue to keep an eye on it because Harris wasn't able to return to the game. For Harris owners, it may be a good time to try to pick up Warren just in case things change with Harris.

Jerry Jones on 105.3 The Fan said Dak Prescott (thumb) won’t be going on injured reserve. He thinks Prescott could play within the next four games.

Related players: Cooper Rush

Apparently the timetable is becoming more optimistic for Prescott following his thumb surgery on Monday. This likely means the team will ride with Rush at QB and won't make any kind of drastic move for another QB. Not going on IR should at least be an indication it will be closer to four weeks instead of the high end of eight weeks.

In regard to his reduced usage on third down, I think the Titans just love Dontrell Hilliard as a pass-catching option out of the backfield. The trust in him has only grown since he played a critical role filling the Derrick Henry void last season.

The author pointed out Henry had 21 carries, a little below the number of 25 the story mentioned as what the team likes to give him. Henry was also ineffective and only ran nine times in the second half. Henry is still expected to get his share of the work, but it seems like Hilliard has carved out a role for himself as well. He led the team in receiving yards and could certainly be at least a flex option in typical fantasy leagues if this workload continues.

HC Todd Bowles also said he does not believe Pro Bowl wide receiver Chris Godwin's hamstring injury -- which he suffered in the second quarter -- is "as serious as we thought it was."

Bowles added the team will see how things go with some treatment this week. It was Godwin's first game back since recovering from a torn ACL and MCL, which he suffered Dec. 19 last season, and undergoing surgery Jan. 3. He was originally expected to miss time, with indications suggesting multiple weeks. It may still be unfair to expect Godwin to play in Week 2, especially given the scare and coming off an ACL injury, but it sounds like he could be back sooner than later at this point.

Due to the sprained MCL that Elijah Mitchell suffered Sunday at Chicago, the sophomore running back is expected to miss about two months.

Related Players: Jeff Wilson, Tyrion Davis-Price, Jordan Mason

The 49ers' yearly injury woes continue right out of the gate, with Mitchell unlikely to return until at least the middle of the season. Behind him in Week 1, Jeff Wilson logged nine rush attempts and ran 17 routes, the fourth most on the team behind Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and Jauan Jennings. It would appear he is most likely to fill in as the team's RB1.

Scans on Mac Jones' back came back "normal," meaning the injury sustained on Sunday is not thought to be serious. The team will monitor how the sophomore quarterback feels ahead of Week 2.

Related Players: Brian Hoyer

As expected, the Patriots' offense lacked explosiveness outside of a bomb to Kendrick Bourne in Week 1 and isn't likely to look much different if veteran Brian Hoyer is forced to start. The Steelers' defense forced Joe Burrow into four interceptions and held Joe Mixon to 3.0 yards per carry to open up their regular season.

Chris Godwin suffered a hamstring strain during Sunday Night Football, but it would seem that his reconstructed knee came out of the game fine.

Related Players: Mike Evans, Julio Jones, Russell Gage

Those willing to play Godwin in Week 1 were stuck with a 3-35-0 line while both teammates Mike Evans and Julio Jones had at least 69 yards, with the former finding the end zone. The Buccaneers were able to cruise to a win on SNF as the Cowboys only scored three points, but matchups in the next few weeks —namely, the Packers in Week 3 and Chiefs in Week 4— could provide some firepower for the ancillary pieces of Godwin is still sidelined.

The article mentions there was a sense of urgency to Saleh's voice when discussing rookies Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson. "We're young at the skill spots, we're young at critical positions, and we have to grow up quick."

Related Players: Michael Carter

Hall had a fumble and a dropped pass across his 16 opportunities (six carries, ten targets) and ceded a majority of work to sophomore Michael Carter, 38 snaps to 50 snaps. The rookie has the entire season to look forward to so there's no reason to panic from a fantasy perspective, but the backfield is sure to be led by Carter in the short term.

Dak Prescott is set to have surgery on his fractured right thumb today, which could keep him out until their Bye Week, which takes place in mid-November.

Related Players: Cooper Rush

It would seem that the shortest possible timetable would have him returning on October 24th, which is right before the team's bye week. Cooper Rush will take over at quarterback and extend his five career starts this weekend against the Bengals. The Cowboys scored three points in their Week 1 loss against the Buccaneers, with Prescott at the helm for most of the game.

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott will undergo hand surgery and miss several weeks.

Jerry Jones made the announcement after Sunday’s loss to the Buccaneers. Prescott left the game in the fourth quarter and was replaced by Cooper Rush. The offense as whole struggled against Tampa and that was with Dak Prescott. So you have to believe the offensive value takes a good hit with Rush at quarterback. The offensive line also didn’t help. It may be tough sledding going forward for the Cowboys, who host the Bengals next week.

Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin is out for the remainder of Sunday’s game against the Cowboys with a hamstring injury.

Godwin was able to play after being questionable as still wasn’t 100 percent from his ACL injury. Now he has a hamstring injury on top of that that he suffered in the first half. Godwin had 35 yards on three catches.

Patriots QB Mac Jones suffered a back injury during Sunday’s loss to the Dolphins.

Jones went for X-rays after the game and the team canceled his media availability after the game but he will meet with the media virtually on Monday. The severity of the injury is not yet known. Jones went 21/30 for 213 yards, one touchdown and an interception in the loss. For now, Jones should probably be considered questionable leading up to next week against the Steelers. If Jones is out, Brian Hoyer would likely take over with Bailey Zappe as his backup.

Chargers WR Keenan Allen is questionable to return to Sunday’s game against the Raiders with a hamstring injury. Allen already had 66 yards on four catches, so he was rolling. This is certainly a tough break for Allen but we’ll monitor if he is able to get back into the game. The Chargers are messing at the time of this writing, 10-3

Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins (knee) will be inactive Sunday against the Jets.

Dobbins was testing out his knee in pre-game and was listed as questionable for Week 1, but the Ravens are going to sit him this week to give him more rest. He told ESPN's Dianna Russini he'll be back "soon". This means it will be Mike Davis and Kenyan Drake leading the charge. Both sit outside our top 40 running backs in half-PPR, as it will be hard to decide which veteran will see more work or if this will be a true committee against the Jets. Being that it's Week 1, you likely have better options anyway, so go with those options.

Saints WR Michael Thomas (hamstring) and Falcons WR Drake London (knee) are both expected to play in Sunday's game in Atlanta.

Both were listed as questionable as both were limited all week. But both seem ready to roll in Sunday's early NFC South matchup. Thomas will be playing his first game since the Saints' playoff loss against the Buccaneers after the 2020 season. With Chris Olave and Jarvis Landry in the mix, the Saints can take it easy if they need to with Thomas, but you know Thomas is eager to get out on the field for a regular-season game. Thomas is currently our No. 30 WR this week.

As for London, he can be a tricky start. Between the injury and his first NFL start against a strong Saints defense, he's a bit of a risky start. Kyle Pitts will likely see a chunk of the targets. The Falcons can also mix in Olamide Zaccheaus and KhaDarel Hodge. London checks in at No. 48 on the half-PPR WR rankings.

49ers TE George Kittle (groin) is not expected to play Sunday against the Bears.

Kittle was listed as questionable for Week 1 but did not practice all week after suffering the injury on Monday. The 49ers are erring on the side of caution here with it only being Week 1. The 49ers are playing the long game here and playing it safe with Kittle. Charlie Woerner, Ross Dwelley and Tyler Kroft are the other tight ends on the San Francisco roster.

Seahawks RB Ken Walker is questionable for Monday night against the Broncos with a hernia.

Walker did not practice at all this week but Pete Carroll is still perhaps holding out some hope that Walker can suit up on Monday. Even if he does, he'll be extremely limited and behind Rashaad Penny in the pecking order. Your best bet is to keep Walker on the bench for now, especially being that the game is Monday.

The Raiders and TE Darren Waller reached agreement on a 3-year extension worth $51 million.

Waller is now tied to the Raiders for five years. He still had two years left on his desk but wanted more financial and long-term security at 30 years old. He now has that. Walker checks in as our No. 4 tight end for Week 1 against the Chargers.

George Kittle has missed the last three days of practice due to a groin injury but was quoted as saying, “Feeling significantly better than where we were at Monday, even better than Wednesday, even better than Thursday. Taking great steps forward. Definitely doing everything I can to be on the field Sunday. I’ve had games in the past where I haven’t practiced all week and played. Hopefully, getting off the plane, I feel better tomorrow and Saturday, and then I have an actual opportunity to be out there and play.”

Related Players: Charlie Woerner

Judging by his comments, a betting person would likely put money down that Kittle plays on Sunday, but to what extent may be a question. In the first game of the season against the lowly Bears, the 49ers could be conservative with one of the, if not the, best all-around tight ends in the league. Charlie Woerner is listed as the TE2 on the depth chart, and the overall offensive explosiveness would take a hit if Kittle has to spend some or all of Sunday on the sideline.

Interior offensive lineman joins Rondale Moore in the Out category, while veteran Zach Ertz is questionable heading into Sunday.

Related Players: A.J. Green, Trey McBride

This doesn't look good for Kyler Murray coming out of the gate, going against an explosive Chiefs offense on the other sideline. Marquise Brown and A.J. Green may join James Conner as being the focal point of the Cardinals offense.

Diontae Johnson told reporters that he was a full participant in practice today and will be good to go for Sunday's game against the Bengals.

Related Players: Chase Claypool, George Pickens

It looks like Johnson's shoulder injury is clearing up at just the right time. Still, he'll be welcomed back into a questionable offensive situation with Mitch Trubisky manning the helm at quarterback. Johnson figures to be a WR2 option this year, with far fewer double-digit target games than he had last season.

The thought is that Allen Lazard will be listed as questionable for Week 1, which leaves a brief window of opportunity for him to see the field.

Related Players: Sammy Watkins, Romeo Doubs, Randall Cobb, Christian Watson

While Lazard missing time could mean a boost for any of the four wide receivers listed above, it may be even more likely that team veterans Robert Tonyan (TE) and Aaron Jones (RB) will get peppered with targets to kick off the season. Last season, the team ran 24 plays out of 21 personnel, but they may show that look a whole lot more with Tonyan, Jones, and A.J. Dillon if Lazard ends up missing one or more games.

Earlier this week, Lamar Jackson had made today (Friday) a bit of an ultimatum to sign an extension but there is no indication that he will choose to hold out otherwise.

Lamar Jackson, during a contract year, could really be something else to watch. The team could reserve the right to franchise tag him in 2023, but one would assume they come to an agreement if Jackson has an explosive 2019-level season.

By Joe Buscaglia's count, Gabriel Davis missed only two snaps in the regular season kickoff, one of which was the kneel down to end the game. "Expect his snap counts to stay around a similar level all season.

Related Players: Isaiah McKenzie, Jamison Crowder

With Stefon Diggs taking a step back in snaps counts —and still performing admirably with his 8-122-1 line— it left more room in the rotation for Davis, Isaiah McKenzie, and Jamison Crowder, who were utilized in that order. McKenzie and Crowder are likely to continue rotating, while Davis looks like he will be on the field as much, or even more than Diggs.

Even with Kyren Williams leaving the game in the first quarter with a high-ankle sprain, teammate Cam Akers only garnered 12 snaps in the team's opening game.

Related Players: Darrell Henderson, Cam Akers

The only remaining back on the Rams roster is Jake Funk, 2021's seventh-round pick. Darrell Henderson would finish Week 1 out-touching Cam Akers 18-3, controlling a huge portion of the backfield.

Rondale Moore's leg will need further examinations, including an MRI, before judging if and how much time he is likely to miss.

Related Players: AJ Green

If Moore is forced to miss time, the team's wide receiver room will feature Marquise Brown, A.J. Green, and not much else. TE Zach Ertz is also dealing with a calf injury, possibly further limiting Kyler Murray's passing game options for Week 1.

Per the tweet, Ken Walker has "had an excellent camp and exceeded expectations, but there's no reason to rush him."

Related Players: Rashaad Penny

This equals all-wheels-up mode for Rashaad Penny on Monday Night Football, as he will operate as the team's RB1. With a questionable offensive line —and offense in general— it's unlikely that he will match his six-plus yards per carry clip that he hit at the end of last season, but he will garner a vast majority of the team's RB touches to kick off the season.

While Michael Gallup still isn't expected to suit up on Sunday for the Buccaneers facing off against his Cowboys, this is a step in the right direction.

Related Players: Jalen Tolbert, Dak Prescott

Rookie Jalen Tolbert has an opportunity to work as the team's WR2, and third passing-game option behind CeeDee Lamb and TE Dalton Schultz. Owner Jerry Jones said last week that he believes Gallup will be ready to go sometime in the first three weeks of the season.

Aaron Rodgers has called Allen Lazard a WR1 all year. If Lazard (ankle) can't go, then Sammy Watkins could be the No. 1 option.

Related players: Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Randall Cobb

Demovsky said Watkins seems ready and added this quote from him: "I’ve never been this sharp. Just to be this sharp, it feels good to go out there and play freely and play fast." It makes sense Watkins would be a top target with Watson and Doubs rookies and still earning trust.

Full participation: K Mason Crosby (right knee), LB Tipa Galeai (elbow), C Jake Hanson (shoulder), S Dallin Leavitt (shoulder), T Yosh Nijman (knee), WR Christian Watson (knee)

Related players: Allen Lazard, Romeo Doubs, Randall Cobb, Sammy Watkins

It's a good sign Watson will be able to go Week 1, especially with Lazard dealing with an injury and a bit of a question mark at this point. Doubs, Cobb and Watkins should also be involved.

Dennis Allen on whether Saints WR Michael Thomas will play: "We'll see. I don’t want to get into any specifics. We'll see where he's at, but certainly he's progressing."

The tweet went on to say Allen also said Thomas "looked good. We're working him back in. ... But again, another positive step." Triplett went on to quote Thomas as saying he felt great and that he's going to try and top his performance from the 2019 season. Triplett added these are all positive signs for his availability for Week 1 but he was still limited Wednesday in practice.

Rams WR Van Jefferson (knee) is out vs. the Bills.

Related players: Cooper Kupp, Allen Robinson, Ben Skowronek, Tutu Atwell

It was reported the Rams would use a committee approach behind Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson if Jefferson couldn't go so we'll assume that's the plan at this point. That means a likely combo of Skowronek and Atwell.

John Harbaugh on J.K. Dobbins: “He’s really ascending quickly,” Harbaugh said.

Related players: Mike Davis, Kenyan Drake

Harbaugh said he will determine by the end of the week which running backs are active for Week 1. But the tweet added Harbaugh was positive on what he’s seen from Dobbins. With Gus Edwards out, the RB duties would fall on Davis and Drake if Dobbins can't go Week 1.

Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin was listed as a full participant in practice today, two days after shedding his knee brace.

Godwin recently said he'd have to see how he felt, and he also said he wouldn't rush back vs. saving himself for the end of the season. Godwin and HC Todd Bowles have stopped short of declaring him ready to go, but it's another great sign, Garafolo noted. He seems on track to play in Week 1.

49ers injury alert:
Tight end George Kittle has a groin issue and won't practice today.

Related players: Tyler Kroft, Ross Dwelley

The tweet quoted Shanahan as saying he, "Was hoping [Kittle would] be good today, did little Monday, we’ll have to see day by day." Owners will want to monitor this leading up to Sunday. Kroft and Dwelley are up next on the depth chart. The 9ers do have an early game at Chicago in Week 1 so owners will be able to adjust.

Diontae Johnson says he couldn’t have gone back in the preseason game after he injured his shoulder.

He says he feels like he’s on the right trajectory in his healing process but didn’t give a concrete update on his availability vs. Bengals, the tweet went on to say. Johnson said he's doing everything he can to come back but wouldn't yet commit to Week 1.

Falcons rookie WR Drake London (knee) moving around like a guy who will be playing Sunday against the Saints. Atlanta still officially on the fence about his availability.

We just posted a report about how the Falcons don't expect to know about London's status until later in the week. However, Kendall's video looks promising and London appears to be moving smoothly in the drill.

Cowboys WR Michael Gallup (knee) taking the next step in his rehab process, going through individual drills today.

Related players: CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Tolbert, James Washington, Noah Brown

Gallup avoided the PUP list which means the team sees him coming back before Week 4. Owner Jerry Jones said if Week 1 was the Super Bowl, Gallup would probably be able to play. As a result, many speculate he's close to returning, but most reports have him out for Week 1, possibly Week 2 as well. When he's back, he'll be the WR2 behind Lamb, and for now Tolbert and Brown will pick up the slack.

Chiefs list Ronald Jones as RB4.

Related players: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Isiah Pacheco, Jerick McKinnon

McKinnon is listed as the team's RB2 with the rookie Pacheco getting the RB3 nod. Pacheco will also return kickoffs. CEH is the team's RB1, which isn't a surprise. However in the playoffs last year the team seemed to go away from him at times, giving McKinnon more of a workload.

Falcons HC Arthur Smith on Drake London, "We won't know until the end of the week."

Related players: Kyle Pitts, KhaDarel Hodge, Bryan Edwards, Olamide Zaccheaus

London practiced Monday, but beyond that and for Sunday's game the team doesn't expect to know much else until later. Pitts could be in line for a ton of targets if London is out and the WR work falls to Hodge, Edwards and Zaccheaus.

Allen Lazard missed Monday's practice, the Packers' first since returning from the break following the preseason finale. Lazard instead worked off to the side of the field as part of his rehab, the team's typical approach to injured players who have a chance to resume to action in the near future.

As the story said. the Packers haven't disclosed Lazard's issue and don't have to release an official practice report until Wednesday, at which point the nature of his injury will come into focus. Since the NFL eliminated the "probable" injury designation in 2016, the veteran wideout will likely enter the weekend as officially questionable to play unless he can participate fully in practice before then. HC Matt LaFleur was quoted in the story as saying, "I think Allen is doing better, but we'll see as the week progresses where he's at." Lazard is expected to be the team's WR1 and serve as a bit of stability for QB Aaron Rodgers and all the team's young wideouts.

Jets’ HC Robert Saleh said it’s likely that the earliest that QB Zach Wilson will be available is Week 4 at Pittsburgh. So it’s Joe Flacco time.

Just Tuesday, reports said Wilson was close to playing this week, depending on how practice went on Wednesday. That would have put him at the timetable of 2-4 weeks most outlets reported. The Athletic reported several weeks ago after the injury it could be more like 4-6 weeks, and that seems to be coming to fruition. Flacco was said to have had a nice camp so the hope is it won't be too much of a downgrade from Wilson to Flacco for all the Jet skill players.

Nick Sirianni on his level of concern about Miles Sanders’ hamstring injury:

“Not high.”

The Eagles coach said every player will have some level of participation in practice today.

Related players: Boston Scott, Kenneth Gainwell

Sanders was back at practice last week and looks to be good to go in a nice matchup against Detroit in Week 1. Sanders hasn't really taken off as the team's RB1 but should be in store for a decent volume against the Lions. Scott and Gainwell should also factor in. Sirianni said Gainwell will serve as the team's passing down back while Scott is Sanders' backup.

Bills and TE Dawson Knox reached agreement on a four-year contract extension that ties to him Buffalo through 2026 season, per sources.

Schefter went to say the deal is expected to place Knox in the top-five highest-paid tight ends in the league. He will sign it after practice today. Knox broke out in his third season to the tune of 49-587-9 on 71 targets, which was good enough for a TE7 finish in 2021. While I’d like to see him get more targets, the volume is enough given his quarterback (Josh Allen) and Knox’s athleticism. He’s 73rd percentile or higher in all the key metrics at his position at Player Profiler. He’s a threat for 10+ touchdowns which is relatively rare at the position.

"I think we have to get into the football game." -- Doug Pederson on James Robinson's usage. Says they're going to roll with how he's feeling on Sunday.

"I think he's there ... I'm excited to watch him play."

Related players: Travis Etienne

Etienne is expected to get the bulk of the work but Robinson seems to keep trending up. Still, he's probably a risky Week 1 play until we see how he does and how many touches he gets. Shipley went on to tweet: Pederson says Robinson is a different type of runner than Etienne, and each fits different kinds of things they want to do in the run game. Says Robinson runs lower and more so behind his pads, and having two different types of backs gives them flexibility."

The Panthers also changed Christian McCaffrey’s preseason practice routine, never having him suit up three days in a row once they put on the pads. The Panthers have studied the usage of Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith and Marshall Faulk, two heavy-usage backs. They’ve at least considered the idea of using McCaffrey more in the slot.

Related players: D'Onta Foreman

The story didn't specify anything more about McCaffrey in the slot, other than it could help keep him healthy. Sunday’s game against the Browns will be McCaffrey’s first since that Miami game during Thanksgiving weekend last year. Like last preseason, McCaffrey did not play in any of the three exhibitions as the Panthers tried to have him at 100 percent for the start of the regular season, the story said. The team signed Foreman to take some of the workload, but the story said McCaffrey is still expected to have a huge role in the offense.

I'm told Michael Thomas was present at the Saints' closed walk-through on Monday, another positive sign for his playing status on Sunday.

The tweet went on to say Wednesday's practice is the first installation of the game plan for the Falcons game, a critical one for Thomas and the Saints. We should perhaps know a little better later Wednesday.

Standout tight end Darren Waller is planning to play Sunday when the Raiders open the season at the Los Angeles Chargers.

Waller, who returned to practice last week after dealing with a hamstring injury in training camp or perhaps sitting out as a negotiating ploy for a new contract, made that clear Tuesday, the story said. Waller did say the hamstring issues were real so that could be something for fantasy owners to keep an eye on.

Giants and WR Darius Slayton agreed to paycut that will keep him on team source says. Drops his salary from $2.54m to league min ($965k). Saves Giants about $1.6 against cap. Slayton has a chance to earn some back with playtime incentives. He’ll be on the field for practice today.

Related players: Kadarius Toney, Wan'Dale Robinson, Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard

Slayton was excused from practice Tuesday and there was speculation he was getting released. Slayton will have to some work to do to climb the depth chart and earn playing time.

Basically if Zach Wilson practices [Wednesday] he’ll play and if he isn’t ready to practice tomorrow he won’t. It’ll be announced [Wednesday].

HC Robert Saleh said Wilson had another good workout Tuesday and if he feels 100% and is cleared to play tomorrow, than he’ll be the starter Sunday for Week 1, the tweet went on to say. However, the team isn't going to rush him, so if he doesn't feel ready he won't play. It's a good sign he's at least close to a return, however. Reports said he would miss 2-4 weeks and he seems to be right on schedule for that at this point.

The Chargers released their official depth chart and some interesting notes:
-Joshua Kelley and Sony Michel are both listed as RB2
(Isaiah Spiller RB4)

Related players: Austin Ekeler

No surprises here really. The Chargers just signed Michel to at least help compliment Ekeler. While the Dolphins cut Michel, it seems like the Bolts aren't totally sold on going with Kelley as the backup, even though he had a nice camp, according to reports. Spiller was banged up a bit this offseason so he'll likely need more time before he's fantasy relevant and gets to move up the depth chart.

Rachaad White listed as Buccaneers RB2.

Related players: Leonard Fournette, Ke'shawn Vaughn

Fournette owners take note. White, a rookie, is listed as the team's RB2 ahead of Vaughn.

It's Eno Benjamin *or* Darrel Williams taking over No. 2 RB duties behind James Conner.

Related players: James Conner

Some who follow the team have said Williams didn't really stand out in camp and win the job as the RB2. Benjamin was expected to take the next step entering his second season, so it's just confusing for fantasy owners as far as what exactly the situation is for their Conner handcuff. It's perhaps more of a reflection that neither back stood out. For what it's worth, we're listing Benjamin as the team's RB2.

Van Jefferson had the second of two separate offseason knee procedures as training camp opened in late July. While he has stayed on track with his rehab — which initially projected a return right around this time — the Rams have maintained that he’s “day-to-day”, and internally have agreed that they will not rush him back in the hopes that he’s healthy and available for the season as a whole (even if that means missing the opener).

Related players: Ben Skowronek, Tutu Atwell

The story went on to say that since the start of his absence, the Rams have approached the position “by committee,” meaning a couple of different receivers took over Jefferson’s snap allotment in training camp and in joint practices against the Bengals in late August. That would be the most likely case if Jefferson misses games to start the season. As the story went on to say, Skowronek and Atwell have both emerged as options, but, both players’ rookie seasons were tough. Atwell missed the start of training camp while recovering from COVID-19 and then suffered a season-ending shoulder injury, while Skowronek, who initially contributed mostly on special teams, rotated into the offense late in the season and postseason because of injuries to other players — but also worked through consistency issues.

Texans Week 1 Depth Chart vs Colts: Dameon Pierce of course listed as RB1.

No surprise here. Pierce is a downhill runner and has looked good all through camp. Pierce is listed on our rankings at 31st for the season, making him a mid-RB3 option. He should be heavily involved in what isn't expected to be a great offense. And, he may take some time to trust in typical fantasy leagues. Rex Burkhead will likely steal some work as well.

Giants WR Darius Slayton was not at practice. His absence was excused by the team, per source.

Related players: Kadarius Toney, Wan'Dale Robinson, Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard

The tweet went on to say, for the sake of connecting dots, Blake Martinez was excused from practice last week and was released a day later. It's unclear if Slayton's situation will have a similar outcome, the tweet added. The Giants have been rumored to be making changes at WR. The team seems to be stuck with Golladay and his contract and youngsters Toney and Robinson probably aren't going anywhere, which could mean Shepard or Slayton end up on the roster bubble at some point. The Giants WR situation is one to watch once the season starts and roles are sorted out.

Mike Tomlin said at his press conference that “participation will be our guide” to Diontae Johnson’s availability and the team’s first injury report of the season on Wednesday will be the first hint about how things look on that front.

Johnson hurt his shoulder during the team’s final preseason game. Tomlin said at the time that Johnson might have returned had it been a regular season game, but he wasn’t willing to say on Tuesday that Johnson will be able to play in the season opener, the story said.

Chris Godwin, on the In the Moment podcast with David Greene was asked if he would play Week 1. "I don't think any of us know that yet. There's stuff that circulates and half the time I'm like, 'I have no idea where people get this from."

Related players: Russell Gage, Julio Jones, Breshad Perriman, Scott Miller

Stroud tweeted a few posts on the Godwin interview. Godwin said it would come down to feel, but also added while he wants to be there the whole season, he knows it's most important to be there at the end of the season and playoffs. It sounds like Godwin wants to be smart about coming back and make sure it's the right time. If he doesn't go, Gage, Jones, Perriman and Miller should get snaps behind Mike Evans.

Bills HC Sean McDermott said he thinks Isaiah McKenzie is going to be ready to go Thursday.

Related players: Stefon Diggs, Gabriel Davis, Jamison Crowder

McKenzie has been one of the darlings of the summer and appears to have a nice connection with QB Josh Allen. It looks like McKenzie, as of now, has a chance to play Week 1 and serve as the team's WR3. We list McKenzie as a WR4 in our rankings heading into Thursday night. If he can't go, Crowder would fill in that role.

Kenny Pickett now ahead of Mason Rudolph. This was the plan for the Steelers coming in. Nothing changed from yesterday. Sounds like wires got crossed is all.

Related players: Mitch Trubisky

Pickett was apparently listed as the team's QB3 Monday, but it looks like it was just a mixup. With Pickett now the QB2, it makes sense he'll see some starts at some point this season. Trubisky is the starter for now but traditionally QBs taken in the first round eventually get to play as rookies.

Matt LaFleur throws the kitchen sink at running backs, and one thing they must do proficiently is catch the ball. A.J. Dillon rarely did so in college, not because he couldn’t but because he wasn’t asked to. He caught just 21 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns in three seasons at Boston College, and he heard everything people said about his pass-catching inexperience coming into the league.

Related players: Aaron Jones

We've heard all the hype surrounding Aaron Jones and Dillon being 1A and 1A RBs on the Packers, and it's possible both will be asked to make up for the loss of WR Davante Adams in the passing game. The story said Dillon had been asked only to run a flat or swing route in college, but he quickly learned far more was required to grasp an NFL passing game. While Jones is still considered the team's top back, if Dillon is active in the passing game, he could be a great value for those who take him later in fantasy drafts.

From a skill standpoint, Albert Okwuegbunam is the Broncos’ best receiving option at tight end, at least until Greg Dulcich gets more time on the field. Eric Tomlinson and Eric Saubert are blockers/short-area receivers and Andrew Beck is part tight end/part fullback.

“Albert has the ability to run away (from defenders),” Russell Wilson said during camp. “I’ve been pretty hard on him. We’ve been pushing (him) and he’s working his butt off every day.”

The story said the Broncos could prioritize targeting the TE in the red zone this year. It even had a quote from GM George Patton who said Wilson targets the TE "a lot." It added WR Tim Patrick, who is out for the year, was expected to be a key target in the red zone, but now it could be the TEs. When Dulcich is back from injury, both TEs could be on the field together. We've been on this here at 4for4, reporting earlier this summer when a beat writer wondered if Dulcich could be a player to step in for Patrick. For now, it will be Albert O until Dulcich can get back, and there seems to be a lot of hype surrounding Albert O in the fantasy community. But the return of Dulcich could eventually put a dent in Okwuegbunam's fantasy value.

Bill Belichick said this morning on The Greg Hill Show that every Patriots player except Tyquan Thornton, who's on IR, "should have a shot" to play Sunday vs. Miami.

That includes Ty Montgomery and Isaiah Wynn, who are dealing with injuries.

"Hopefully they'll all make it."

Related players: Damien Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson

It's a situation to watch heading into Week 1. If Monty is active and plays, it would most likely cut into Stevenson's fantasy production in the passing game and perhaps two minute drills. Montgomery is a risky play because of his limited role though.

Doug Pederson ended the suspense on Monday. He was asked at his press conference if James Robinson will be playing this weekend and he said that the veteran is set to be in the lineup.

Assuming nothing happens to either player in the next few days, that will set the Jaguars up to have Robinson and Travis Etienne in the lineup at the same time for the first time. Etienne missed all of last season with a foot injury.

This is been the trend for a while, so now the question is what will be the split. One would think Etienne would be the safe play, especially with his expected work in the passing game. But some who follow the team have suggested, eventually, Robinson will have the RB1 role. This will be something to monitor as the week goes on, but be sure to follow our rankings right up to game time.

The former first-round pick was named as one of Pittsburgh’s five co-captains for the 2022 season Monday, along with second-year running back Najee Harris, linebacker T.J. Watt, defensive tackle Cam Heyward and safety Miles Killebrew.

Related Players: Kenny Pickett

The 28-year-old has been competing for the starting job this offseason alongside 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett and last year’s backup quarterback Mason Rudolph. The Steelers are in win-now mode with or without Ben Roethlisberger, so regardless of Pickett's progression the team is going to start whoever gives them the best chance to compete.

Falcons wide receiver Drake London, the eighth overall pick in this year’s NFL draft, returned to practice Monday.

Falcons head coach Arthur Smith on London: "He’s progressing." On if he expects him to be ready to play, "We’ll see what he looks like.” The team may ease the rookie into action, so his fantasy viability could be iffy to kickoff the season. He is currently ranked as a WR3 here at 4for4, but could shape into a main focal point of the offense alongside teammate Kyle Pitts.

New York Jets coach Robert Saleh said “it’s possible” that quarterback Zach Wilson could play in the team’s regular-season opener against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

Related Players: Joe Flacco

Neither Wilson or backup Joe Flacco will be a worthy start in typical start-one QB, but the sophomore could use all the game time he can get as he looks for an improved second season.

ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano believes the lingering elbow injury for Rams QB Matthew Stafford could be an issue all season long.

"My impression of this situation is that it affects Stafford's practice schedule all year and could also, obviously, affect his performance on Sundays," wrote Graziano. "He's tough enough that it's fair to believe it won't affect his availability for Sundays, but this is a guy who already led the league in interceptions last year. We sure an elbow problem isn't going to mess with him at all?"

Stafford has battled through injuries numerous times throughout his career, so we know he'll play. In fact, he even said he has "no limitations" on his arm, per ESPN's Sarah Barshop. Head coach Sean McVay said there are no plans to change up the way the team manages Stafford during the season. The Rams sure sound very confident in the health of Stafford, who is currently QB12 on Underdog draft boards.

The Buccaneers are hopeful and feeling good about the Week 1 availability for WR Russell Gage (hamstring) and RB Giovani Bernard (ankle).

"Bowles said Bernard has been 'moving around well' — with the hope that the team will have him available for the regular-season opener," wrote Crane. Bernard is recovering from an ankle injury suffered in the first preseason game against the Dolphins. He is currently RB101 in Underdog drafts.

As for Gage, he was able to practice a couple of days this week and said he feels good. His hamstring injury came during joint practices with the Dolphins. Gage is currently being drafted on Underdog as WR60, as he, presumably, has Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Julio Jones all ahead of him.

As has been reiterated all offseason long, we hear one last time that the Broncos will be employing s split backfield between Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon

Related Players: Matt Boone

Given how similar the two backs' fantasy floors are, it's incredible that there is a seven-round difference in their ADPs. Starting Javonte Williams as your team's RB1 is sure to deliver headaches throughout the season. Gordon is expected to handle high-leverage situations like goal line and short yardage work.

In the most recent —of many— pieces on Romeo Doubs this preseason, teammates continue to praise the rookie's "blasé" attitude and ability to bounce back quickly from minor mistakes.

Related Players: Allen Lazard, Sammy Watkins, Randall Cobb, Christian Watson

While Sammy Watkins is probably the player who will lose his starting nomenclature with the continued improvement of Doubs, nothing is saying the rookie couldn't be a threat to the entire wide receiver room. The oft-mentioned downfall of rookies within the Packers' structure is how quarterback Aaron Rodgers doesn't trust them, but that doesn't seem to be the case with Doubs. Per the article, “Doubs has done a lot of really nice things, but I think the standard for him is not going to be maybe the standard for a normal rookie we’ve had here in the past — especially in the past four or five years — because he’s going to be expected to play based on his performance so far in camp,” Rodgers explained last week. “So we’ve got to hold him to a standard that I know he’s capable of reaching.”

Lions general manager Brad Holmes said in an interview this week that Jameson Williams is "a long-term investment" and that the team is "going to continue to be smart with him."

Related Players: DJ Chark, Josh Reynolds, Amon-Ra St. Brown

The biggest benefactor —if you want to call it that— of Williams' continued road to health is likely new addition DJ Chark. He has grown comfortable with Jared Goff and could operate as the team's field stretcher while Amon-Ra St. Brown and T.J. Hockenson prowl the middle of the defense.

The former second round pick was the center of trade rumors throughout the preseason, but Trey Sermon would eventually be cut before landing in Philadelphia.

Related Players: Miles Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott

An immediate role may not be available for Sermon, but remember that this same Eagles team just gave Jordan Howard 86 rushing attempts in the year 2021. Eight of those rushing attempts were from within the five-yard line, more than both Miles Sanders and Kenneth Gainwell.

Though his development slowed as the summer moved along, second-round pick Wan'Dale Robinson is slated to start the season in the slot, apparently bumping Sterling Shepard down the pecking order.

Related Players: Kadarius Toney, Darius Slayton

Robinson's -0.2 average depth of target in the preseason portends a Rondale Moore-type rookie season, so let's hope the team was simply being vanilla with his usage to avoid tipping their hat. Regardless of who logs the most snaps from the slot this season, the Giants' receiving group leaves much to be desired.

This is, of course, a bold prediction. But it also comes from a very reliable source and comes with Josh Jacobs trending in the wrong direction.

Related Players: Ameer Abdullah, Brandon Bolden

The Raiders are currently carrying five running backs (plus a fullback), so if Jacobs really loses this much ground game work to rookie Zamir White, the veteran's fantasy season is going to be miserable. Amongst those other running backs resides Brandon Bolden, who has a rich history of catching passes out of the backfield in a Josh McDaniels offense.

Sam Darnold will be forced to miss the first four games, at a minimum. Though Baker Mayfield was likely brought in to operate as the QB1 from the get-go. This will save him from having someone breathing down his neck.

Related Players: P.J. Walker

Person would go on to report that GM Scott Fitterer said the plan is for the Panthers to keep only two quarterbacks on the active roster; Baker Mayfield and P.J. Walker. Walker is worth a roster spot in deep-roster Superflex leagues.

Coach Matt Eberflus was quoted earlier in the week that he was expecting N'Keal Harry back in a month or so. This obviously makes the timeline much longer, stretching now until at least the middle of the season.

Related Players: Byron Pringle, Equanimeous St. Brown

The already-thin wide receiver group becomes even thinner, although the team wasn't likely to be relying on a career resurgence into a number one option by Harry this season. The Bears were unable to claim any wide receivers off the wire this week, and were actually forced to put Tajae Sharpe on IR to clear room for the six players they did claim.

Two days after being cut by the Chiefs, Josh Gordon will land on the Titans' practice squad.

It has been nearly a decade since Gordon was truly fantasy-relevant, but fantasy managers still get a twinkle in their eye when he lands in a new home. Tennessee only has five wide receivers on their active roster at the time of the signing, so it's plausible that Gordon finds his way off the practice squad sooner rather than later.