Team news: Carolina Panthers | Page 3

Panthers WR Diontae Johnson (ribs) is not practicing again.

Related Players: Xavier Legette, Jalen Coker

Johnson sure has been dealing with a lot of ailments this season. He's borderline unstartable with Bryce Young back at the helm regardless, and even more so if he's limited in any capacity.

Panthers QB Bryce Young will start Sunday vs. the Broncos.

With Andy Dalton sidelined after an auto accident, Young gets another chance at it. Don't start him, and push all the Panthers down your starting priority as well.

Panthers QB Andy Dalton was involved in a automobile accident today in Charlotte, according to a team spokesperson.

Related players: Bryce Young

He was traveling with his wife, three children and dog. No one was transported by emergency medic personnel, but Dalton is being evaluated by team medical personnel, the post went on to say. Obviously we all hope it's not a serious situation, but from a fantasy angle, if Dalton can't play Young would get the start at QB.

Adam Thielen said he thinks the plan is to open his 21-day practice window on Wednesday.

Related players: Diontae Johnson, Xavier Legette, Jonathan Mingo

Thielen has missed the last four games the post went on to say. He's dealing with a hamstring injury. The Panther offense is struggling again, even under Andy Dalton, but Thielen's presence would be a welcome addition and perhaps be a reliable target for Dalton. He could also help to open things up for a frustrated Johnson. It remains to be seen if Thielen would play in Week 8, even if his window is opened this week.

The team has designated rookie running back Jonathon Brooks to return from the non-football injury list and safety Sam Franklin Jr. and defensive tackle Jaden Crumedy to return from injured reserve.

The moves open the three-week window for them to practice before being activated to the 53-man roster. They can be activated at any time.

Related Players: Chuba Hubbard

The Panthers could have a really exciting 1-2 punch on their hands here with Hubbard and Brooks, but we'll have to see how they navigate it, considering they're 1-5 and unlikely to be competing for anything other than a high draft pick in April. Brooks is definitely worth a stash if he's somehow available in your league, even if the team isn't going to give him a workhorse role anytime soon.

San Francisco 49ers are signing former Packers K Anders Carlson to their practice squad, source said.

Related players: Jake Moody, Matthew Wright

The Niners are adding some insurance after Wright injured his shoulder last week, the post went on to say. Moody is also dealing with an ankle injury, so it's possible Carlson is pressed into duty for Week 7.

"He definitely needs to touch the ball more, without a doubt." - Mike McCarthy on Rico Dowdle.

Related players: Ezekiel Elliott

Elliott was the only other RB to touch the ball, running 8 times for 17 yards in Week 6. Dowdle ran just 5 times but gained 25 yards. Dowdle was more involved in the passing game since the Cowboys fell behind early, and he caught 5 balls for 30 yards. Dowdle did touch the ball 22 times in Week 5 against the Steelers to Elliott's 6 rushes, so the Cowboys do seem to be trending away from the committee in favor of Dowdle, which was reported a couple weeks ago. The game script probably played a factor in Week 6. The Cowboys have a bye in Week 7 and come back to a game at San Francisco in Week 8 on Sunday night, so it's possible we see a more obvious use of Dowdle with any adjustments coming off the bye week.

Panthers plan to open the 21-day window for RB Jonathon Brooks to return, per Dave Canales.

Related players: Chuba Hubbard

The Panthers have been pretty careful with Brooks who was supposed to be ready in camp with an ACL injury from college. The open window doesn't mean Brooks is a lock to play this week, and even if he does, he probably wouldn't be a safe fantasy play right out of the gate. There isn't a lot of need to rush him with the play of Hubbard, however the team likely wants to see what they have in Brooks, and at some point this year, Brooks will probably cut into Hubbard's fantasy value.

The 49ers have found a kicker to replace the injured Jake Moody.

Per multiple reports, San Francisco has signed Matthew Wright.

Wright, 28, had a short stint with San Francisco’s practice squad early last year, though he did not appear in a game.

Related players: Jake Moody

Moody is dealing with an ankle injury and there is no word how long Moody could be out. Wright should be a decent kicking option for fantasy lineups given the overall potential of the Niners offense. San Francisco is at Seattle on Thursday night.

The running back situation has been as confounding as it has been disappointing. The Cowboys are starting to drift away from a pure committee approach, in the sense that Rico Dowdle’s snap counts and rush attempts are noticeably greater than Ezekiel Elliott or Deuce Vaughn’s.

Related players: Dalvin Cook

The story said Elliott's value is more leadership and pass protection, and it has not been in the form of purely running the football. The story added injuries on the defense may affect when Cook is able to join the roster, but the story added Cook's time could be coming soon. For now, it looks like Dowdle is at least trending in the right direction despite the team's struggles running the ball.