Team news: Buffalo Bills | Page 8

Andy Reid says WR JuJu Smith Schuster (hamstring) and DE Mike Danna (pectoral) won’t play Sunday vs Raiders. Deandre Hopkins likely will play.

Related Players: Xavier Worthy, Mecole Hardman, Justin Watson

We would put the odds quite high that Hopkins suits up, but it's fair to question how much he'll be involved right out of the gate. He's an interesting desperation play in Week 8, but with no byes, your team would really be banking on a high-risk, moderate-reward outcome. Worthy projects as a fringe WR2/3.

Bills HC Sean McDermott said he doesn't think WR Curtis Samuel will need to go on IR, but he could miss more than just this week's game.

Related Players: Amari Cooper, Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Dalton Kincaid

Samuel has been a non-factor on a team- and fantasy-level this season. It's possible his missing slot usage adds a small boost to Shakir and/or Kincaid.

Sources: Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins is being traded to the Chiefs in exchange for a 5th rounder that can get to a fourth rounder. Deal is being finalized.

A key veteran who could be the final piece, Hopkins name has been hot in the trade market. Now, he lands with the champs.

Related Players: Xavier Worthy, Justin Watson, Mecole Hardman, Juju Smith-Schuster, Calvin Ridley, Tyler Boyd

Even with the un-serious looking Chiefs wide receiver room over the last few weeks, they have remained undefeated. Though Patrick Mahomes has been trending toward the worst statistical performance of his career, it's hard to see why the fans/team would care if they just glide to the Super Bowl again.

This is an obvious boost for Mahomes' fantasy aspirations and puts Hopkins back on the WR2 radar in good matchups. This is also a boost to Calvin Ridley, but his ceiling is still extremely capped with poor quarterback play in a terrible offensive environment.

JuJu Smith-Schuster is the latest Chiefs wide receiver to suffer an injury.

Smith-Schuster was ruled out of Sunday’s win over the 49ers after he hurt his hamstring and head coach Andy Reid told reporters at a Monday press conference that he will not play against the Raiders in Week Eight.

Related players: Xavier Worthy, Mecole Hardman, Skyy Moore, Travis Kelce

The Chiefs will go with Worthy, Hardman and Moore as their top WRs heading into Week 8, which is a game at the Raiders. The Chiefs are winning games without a dangerous passing attack from Patrick Homes, instead controlling the ball with the run game and relying on their defense. That formula should work against a struggling Raiders team as well.

Arizona announced on Tuesday that defensive lineman Bilal Nichols and kicker Matt Prater on IR.

Related players: Chad Ryland

Prater has been dealing with a knee injury, missing the last two games. With Prater out, Chad Ryland has been signed to the 53-man roster from the club’s practice squad. He’s connected on 5-of-6 field goal attempts and 2-of-2 extra points this season, the story said.

Bills HC Sean McDermott said he thinks RB James Cook and DT Ed Oliver "have a chance" to play against the Titans on Sunday. He says his hope is that both play.

Related players: Ray Davis

Cook was ultimately was ruled out on Monday night in what many felt was a bit of a surprise. Those in the dynasty community have been well aware of Davis and his potential. Davis is considered "old" for a rookie, already 25, but many felt he was NFL-ready, and he showed that on MNF: rushing for 97 and leading the Bills in receiving with a 3-55-0 line. Twice, once after a penalty, Davis was denied a chance for a TD on the 1-yard line and Josh Allen took it in or Davis' fantasy production would have been a few points higher. Still, Davis could have earned himself more work going for forward, but at the very least has fantasy value as a handcuff to Cook owners.

According to multiple reports, the Bills are acquiring Amari Cooper from the Browns.

Buffalo will receive Cooper and a 2025 sixth-round pick while Cleveland will receive a 2025 third-round pick along with a 2026 seventh-round pick.

Related players: Josh Allen, Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Curtis Samuel, Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox, Jerry Jeudy, Elijah Moore, Cedric Tillman, David Njoku

Cooper, 30, has caught 24 passes for 250 yards with two touchdowns this season. His fantasy production has been inconsistent so far, but that can probably be blamed on the poor play of quarterback Deshaun Watson. Last year Cooper finished with a line of 72-1,250-5, mostly without Watson under center. Cooper will eventually be locked in as the Bills WR1 and push players like Shakir, Coleman Kincaid and Knox further down the fantasy depth chart. It's easy to see Cooper having a chance to thrive with Allen as his QB. Meanwhile in Cleveland, Jeudy, Moore and Tillman will battle it out at the WR position with Njoku becoming more of a target at TE.

Another Monday night inactive surprise at RB: James Cook is out tonight due to his toe injury, per source. It’s the first NFL game in three seasons that Cook has missed.

Related players: Ray Davis, Ty Johnson, Frank Gore, Jr.

Cook is unable to go tonight. The Bills added to that speculation a few hours ago when they announced rookie RB Gore would suit up. Davis could be in line for the early down work with Johnson getting passing downs. Gore could also mix in as well. It will be a tough matchup against the Jets on the road.

RB James Cook (foot/toe) remained sidelined at Thursday’s Bills practice. Cook’s second straight absence. Looking less likely that he will play against the Jets, but the longer week gives him a better chance.

Related Players: Ray Davis, Ty Johnson

If Cook were to miss Week 6, it's hard to say how the backfield load would get divvied up. Obviously Ty Johnson has more experience than rookie Ray Davis, but it's the latter who leads in the carry department, 26-10. Davis feels like the better pick-up, but neither one would carry a full bellcow load regardless, which makes them iffy spot-starts.

Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice will have surgery on Tuesday to determine the extent of the knee injury that he suffered eight days ago. Via multiple reports, he got some good news on Monday.

Via Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Rice might have avoided a torn ACL. He nevertheless needs to have an LCL repair.

As Rapoport characterizes it, Rice’s season “is expected to be over.” Separately, Rapoport says that Rice could miss “potentially three months” due to the LCL repair. That timeline would not end his season.

Related players: Xavier Worthy, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Justin Watson, Mecole Hardman, Skyy Moore, Travis Kelco

The news is starting to get a little more clear for Rice. Best case seems to be a return for the playoffs in three months. As the story said, Rice has eight felony accounts lurking. Florio went on to say that now that Rice will be sidelined due to injury, it makes sense to resolve the charges and take the suspension this year. While he would still lose his game checks, he would not lose the ability to play any more games than the injury will cause him to miss, the story pointed out.