Jaguars WR Zay Jones (knee) got in a limited practice on Wednesday. It's a pleasant surprise after HC Doug Pederson did not rule out the possibility of Jones landing on IR earlier this week. Fantasy owners still can't be banking on Jones playing vs. the 49ers this weekend, but we'll monitor his status over the next few days.
Bengals WR Tee Higgins (hamstring) was limited in Wednesday's practice. He seemed to make it out of Sunday night's win over the Bills fine, but Higgins' status can never be taken for granted. Check back tomorrow for another update on his status for this weekend's game vs. the Texans.
Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase (back) did not practice on Wednesday. Chase fell hard on his back in last week's win over the Bills but was able to play through it. We're tentatively expecting him to play vs. the Texans this weekend but will get another update on his status tomorrow.
Texans WR Nico Collins (calf) did not practice on Wednesday. No word yet on the severity of the injury or whether Collins is in danger of missing this weekend's game vs. the Bengals. His absence would be a boost for WRs Tank Dell and Noah Brown and TE Dalton Schultz. Check back tomorrow for another update on Collins.
Texans WR Robert Woods (foot) remained sidelined on Wednesday. His absence vs. the Bengals this weekend would keep Nico Collins, Tank Dell, and Noah Brown locked in as Houston's top three WRs.
Texans RB Dameon Pierce (ankle) did not practice on Wednesday. That's not a good start for his chances of returning for this weekend's game vs. the Bengals. With Pierce out last week, RB Devin Singletary played 75% of the offensive snaps but totaled just 28 yards on 15 touches.
Browns RB Pierre Strong (hamstring) did not practice on Wednesday. He tallied just three carries and one target last week, so Strong's absence vs. the Ravens on Sunday would be just a slight boost to RBs Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt.
Colts WR Josh Downs (knee) did not practice on Wednesday. He seems unlikely to play vs. the Patriots this weekend after aggravating that knee injury last Sunday. Isaiah McKenzie will step in as Indianapolis' slot receiver if Downs is out. McKenzie would be a desperation fantasy play.
Patriots WR DeVante Parker (concussion) returned to a limited practice on Wednesday. We'll see if he can get cleared for Sunday morning's game vs. the Colts. Parker isn't a fantasy option, but his return would mean a bit more target competition for WR Demario Douglas.
Panthers WR D.J. Chark (elbow) missed practice all week and is listed as doubtful for Thursday night's game vs. the Bears. His absence should elevate WR Terrace Marshall into a top-3 role. When Chark missed Week 1, Marshall ran a route on 96% of Carolina's pass plays and drew six targets for a 15.8% share. He turned that action into just two catches for 23 yards, though, and is really only in play in one-game DFS contests. Chark's absence could mean an extra target or two for WRs Adam Thielen and Jonathan Mingo.
Bears RB Khalil Herbert (ankle) is listed as questionable for Thursday night's game vs. the Panthers. He was a full participant in practice all week, so he seems likely to play. But the questionable tag is an indication that Herbert still isn't at 100%. Don't be surprised if he falls short of the 10.2 carries per game he averaged before going down -- especially considering how well RB D'Onta Foreman played over the past few weeks. Herbert is still worth considering as a RB3 or flex play vs. Carolina's 31st-ranked RB defense.
Bears QB Justin Fields is doubtful for Thursday night's game against the Panthers with his right thumb injury. He continued limited practice participation this week after returning to that level last Friday. We'll see whether he can take the next step and return to game action in Week 11. QB Tyson Bagent will get his fourth straight start against Carolina. His presence has meant shorter passing than what the Bears have done with Fields this year. But the rookie has also completed passes at a higher rate (67.3% vs. 61.7%). The switch has lowered the fantasy ceiling for WR D.J. Moore and produced a lower passing-TD rate. But it otherwise doesn't seem to be negatively impacting the Chicago passing game.
The Vikings on Wednesday designated WR Justin Jefferson (hamstring) to return from IR. That means he can return to practice any time, though it doesn't necessarily mean we'll see him on the field in any way this week. Minnesota has three weeks to either activate the wideout or rule him out for the season. Reports have already said we shouldn't expect Jefferson to play in Week 10. But this designation should mean that return is approaching. We'll continue updating whenever there's news on one of fantasy's (and the NFL's) biggest stars.
Giants HC Brian Daboll announced Wednesday that QB Tommy DeVito will start Sunday at Dallas. It's the announcement we all expected and yet no one was waiting for. The Giants' offense has been terrible even with experienced NFL QBs. The only player worth any fantasy consideration there is RB Saquon Barkley, and we have him projected to disappoint vs. expected production this week. QB Matt Barkley will back up DeVito.
The Cardinals have officially designated RB James Conner to return from IR. That allows Conner to practice with the team this week. Arizona now has three weeks to decide whether to return him to the active roster. Signs have pointed to Conner returning to game action this week against the Falcons. We'll watch the RB's status throughout the week.
The Panthers are adding LB Blake Martinez to their practice squad. You should expect this move to go like Julio Jones' addition in Philadelphia and Darrell Henderson's with the Rams, in that the veteran should move quickly to the active roster. Martinez retired from the Raiders last year. We'll guess he didn't end that retirement to play practice dummy for a 1-7 Carolina squad. The Panthers, of course, sport a significant need at LB. Despite multiple minor injuries, LB Frankie Luvu has led all Carolina defenders at 89.4% snap share for the season. The nearest non-edge LB to him is Kamu Grugier-Hill (45.2%). He got starter-level time the two games after LB Shaq Thompson went down before Panthers coaches realized/remembered he's not very good. Don't be surprised if Martinez steps into the No. 2 LB role over the next few weeks. How much playing time that could mean remains to be seen. Martinez isn't worth a waiver pickup in most IDP formats.
Titans HC Mike Vrabel has announced that QB Will Levis will start the rest of the season. "Going forward, Will is going to be our quarterback," he said Tuesday. "We think that's the best opportunity for our football team right now, and see where he's at." The move makes sense, of course, Tennessee sits just 3-5 and needs to know what it has in Levis before the 2024 draft. Fantasy wise, it's also too early to know what we have. Levis opened with a QB6 finish in Week 8 against a soft Atlanta D. then he went QB20 in a tougher spot against Pittsburgh. Over the past two weeks, Levis ranks 24th in Pro Football Focus passing grade among 37 QBs with at least 20 dropbacks. He also carries the 10th-highest percentage of turnover-worthy throws. Combine that with a thin crew of Tennesssee pass catchers and it's tough to like Levis in 1-QB leagues at the 10- or 12-team level. He carries some upside in deeper formats, however, and can be intriguing for multi-QB formats. A Week 10 matchup with the Bucs -- who just allowed C.J. Stroud to break the rookie record for passing yards is intriguing. Levis will also get the league's third-best QB schedule from Week 13 on, according to our adjusted fantasy points allowed.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that the Vikings don't expect to get WR Justin Jefferson back from his hamstring injury this week. Jefferson is eligible to return for Sunday's game against the Saints after missing the past four contests. But it sounds like he'll need at least one more week of recovery time. That obviously leaves targets available for the other Minnesota pass catchers, albeit in a more difficult matchup than last week's vs. Atlanta.
The Bears listed RB Khalil Herbert (ankle) as a full practice participant both Monday and Tuesday after designating him to return from IR at the beginning of the week. They'll still need to officially activate him to make Herbert eligible to play Thursday night against the Panthers, but things seem to be trending in that direction. If Herbert does return after four games down with the ankle sprain, it'll set up a crowded backfield situation -- with D'Onta Foreman and Roschon Johnson -- for a high-ceiling RB matchup. That would lower the floor for every player involved. We'll keep an eye out for hints at Chicago's RB usage ahead of Thursday night's game.
The Panthers have ruled Edge Brian Burns (concussion) out for Thursday night's game against the Bears. That leaves Carolina with DJ Johnson and Amare Barno as basically the only two true edge players for the matchup. This isn't a situation to mine for Week 10 IDP options or a team defense.
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