Team news: Pittsburgh Steelers | Page 5

Rams’ WR Puka Nacua did not practice today due to an oblique injury.

Related Players: Van Jefferson, Tutu Atwell, Ben Skowronek, Demarcus Robinson

It is clear the Rams are not allowed to have nice things in the Year 2023. Nacua had an incredible debut, accounting for 40.5% of the team's targets in Week 1. Atwell notched 8 targets for 119 yards and would presumably get similar usage if Nacua were to miss this game. It's a shot in the dark, but Demarcus Robinson could get some extra run along the perimeter like he had with the Ravens in '22, as well.

Falcons CB Jeff Okudah (foot) and Cordarrelle Patterson (thigh) both will practice today.

Related Players: Tyler Allgeier, Bijan Robinson

We will soon learn what type of role a "Joker" takes in the modern-day NFL, but it's hard to assume it will be good news for Drake London or Kyle Pitts, who remain bystanders in the Falcons offense. Bijan Robinson should still be considered an RB1 no matter who is on the field, while Allgeier may miss out on some snaps if Patterson finds his way into the backfield.

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

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

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

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

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

Related players: Cooper Kupp, Matthew Stafford

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

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

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

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

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

Related Players: Van Jefferson, Puka Nacua, Tutu Atwell

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

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

Rookie running back Bijan Robinson was listed as the team’s third-string running back despite being the eighth overall pick in this year’s draft and the subject of much praise from those around the team over the course of the summer. It’s now time for the regular season to begin and the Falcons have adjusted the chart to better reflect Robinson’s actual role on the team.

Robinson is listed as the starter in the backfield with Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson behind him in the pecking order.

We touched a little bit on the Falcons RB situation recently. There is expected to be a lot of carries for Allgeier with Patterson's role in question. And as the story added, all three players should see time in the offense when healthy — Patterson has been dealing with a soft tissue injury — but Robinson is expected to be one of the focal points in Atlanta’s attack. Tuesday’s change to the depth chart acknowledges that. Allgeier would be a great handcuff for Robinson owners.

In the last 10 years, five running backs have been taken in the top 10. Four of the five (Saquon Barkley, Ezekiel Elliott, Leonard Fournette and Todd Gurley) had 229 carries or more in their rookie season. The fifth (Christian McCaffrey) had only 117 carries but added 80 catches. When teams draft backs in the top 10, like Bijan Robinson, they use them a lot.

Related players: Tyler Allgeier, Cordarrelle Patterson

The author went on to say Allgeier will still get plenty of use because the Falcons ran the ball an NFL-high 559 times last year. So even if Robinson carries the ball 250 times, there are still plenty of carries to go around. Patterson’s role is a little bit more of a mystery, the story added. He'll be third on the team in carries, according to the author, but how far back he’s going to be is a question mark. The prediction is Patterson's 144 carries from a year ago could get cut in half this season.

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

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

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

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

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

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