Cardinals HC Kliff Kingsbury said Monday that WR Marquise Brown is getting close to returning from his foot injury. "I think he's getting to the point where it's going to be day-to-day," Kingsbury said "He's come a long way in a short time and I'm not sure if he'll make it this week, but hopefully sooner rather than later. If not, we'll give him the bye [week] and then I would expect those last five [games] he'll be ready to go." It sounds like Brown's earliest realistic return date in Week 12 -- but after the Cardinals' Week 13 bye might be more likely. This all jibes with Brown's original timetable. If you've held on to him this whole time, keep hanging.
Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster took a hit to the head in the 2nd quarter of Sunday's game vs. the Jaguars. He'll certainly be checked for a concussion and is unlikely to return to this one. We'll update Smith-Schuster's status when we know more. It's worth noting that he's already sustained 3 documented concussions.
Update: Smith-Schuster is in the concussion protocol and has been ruled out.
Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman (abdomen) is out for Sunday's game vs. the Jaguars. He's operated as Kansas City's #3 WR all year, averaging 4.3 targets per game (10% share). Hardman's absence leaves WRs Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore and Justin Watson behind JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. We're expecting a committee to replace Hardman, leaving Toney, Moore and Watson as low-floor fantasy plays. But Toney is our preference if choosing between them. Hardman has played 49% of his snaps in the slot this season. Toney was in the slot for 4 of his 9 snaps last week. Moore has played 39% of his snaps in the slot this season; Watson 40%.
Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman (abdomen) remained sidelined for Thursday's practice. HC Andy Reid described Hardman's issue as "soreness," but it certainly seems like he's in danger of missing this weekend's game vs. the Jaguars. His absence would leave #3 WR duties to some combination of Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore and Justin Watson.
Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman (abdomen) did not practice on Wednesday. HC Andy Reid said Hardman is dealing with "abdominal soreness" and is still being evaluated. We'll see if he's able to get on the practice field tomorrow.
Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins sucked up 13 targets (29.5%) in Arizona’s Week 8 loss at Minnesota. He turned them into 12-159-1 and made a number of acrobatic catches in the process. On the week, Hopkins’ performance was enough to rank as the overall WR2 in PPR. A massive target magnet, Hopkins should continue rolling as a WR1. Note that Marquise Brown (foot) will miss at least a few more weeks.
The Browns are willing to trade RB Kareem Hunt and are looking for a 4th-round pick in return, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Hunt is set to hit free agency in March and seems unlikely to re-sign with Cleveland. We'll see if a trade gets done before Tuesday's deadline. It'd likely be good news for Hunt's fantasy value. It'd also be a boost for RB Nick Chubb, while elevating D'Ernest Johnson to the #2 RB spot in Cleveland.
Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins made his season-debut in Week 7, snagging 10 of 14 targets for 103 yards. Oh yeah, he's back. Hopkins’ 14 targets represented a wild 48.2% team target share. While he faced a Saints secondary minus CB Marshon Lattimore, it’s clear that Hopkins will be leaned on heavily with Marquise Brown (foot) sidelined. The veteran is a fine WR2 for the road ahead.
Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman scored 3 times among just 6 touches in Sunday's win over the 49ers. He found the end zone on both of his carries, from 25 and 13 yards out. Hardman also took a "pop" pass in from 8 yards out. That was 1 of 4 catches for 32 yards on 4 targets. Hardman did lead all Chiefs wideouts in playing time, seeing his 2nd most snaps and 2nd-largest snap share of the season. He still trailed JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling in routes, though. The playing-time boost -- to 62% vs. 40-46% over the previous 3 games -- was likely matchup-driven to some degree. Hardman has seen 4-5 targets in 3 straight games, though, and 4-6 in 5 of 7 games for the season. We'll see whether there's any word from the Chiefs on offensive alterations coming out of the Week 8 bye.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes threw for 423 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT in Sunday's win at San Francisco. WR JuJu Smith-Schuster and TE Travis Kelce tied for the target lead with 8. Smith-Schuster racked up a 7-124-1 receiving line, his 2nd straight game with more than 100 yards and a TD. Kelce supplied 98 yards on 6 catches. WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling caught 3 of 4 targets for 111 yards. Mahomes' other 2 scores went to WR Mecole Hardman (on a shovel pass) and WR Justin Watson. K.C. gets a Week 8 bye and then home dates with the Titans and Jaguars.
Chiefs rookie RB Isiah Pacheco led the team with 8 carries in Sunday's win over the 49ers, gaining 43 yards on his 8 rushes. He didn't get the call on any of K.C.'s 3 rushing scores for the game, however. Clyde Edwards-Helaire scored from 16 yards out. Mecole Hardman logged rushing scores from 25 and 3 yards away, plus an 8-yard score on a shovel pass. Pacheco played 2 more snaps than CEH for the game but 9 fewer than Jerick McKinnon. His 9-snap edge came entirely in receiving situations. McKinnon caught 2 of 3 targets for 36 yards and carried twice for 12 yards. Edwards-Helaire combined a 6-32-1 rushing line with 0 catches on 1 target. The Chiefs get a Week 8 bye and then home dates with the Titans and Jaguars.
The Chiefs gave 1st-team reps to RB Isiah Pacheco in practice this week and plan to start him over Clyde Edwards-Helaire against the 49ers, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. CEH "will still have a key role on offense," and we assume Jerick McKinnon will continue to be heavily involved. But this is the latest signal of dissatisfaction with Edwards-Helaire, who played fewer snaps than McKinnon in 3 of the past 4 games. Pick up Pacheco where available ahead of today's game.
The Commanders have placed QB Carson Wentz on IR for his recovery from finger surgery. That means he’ll miss at least the next 4 games. We already knew Taylor Heinicke would start this week against the Packers. Now the job is likely his for at least the next month. We’ll see whether Heinicke can command time beyond that with his play — or whether rookie QB Sam Howell gets into the mix
Cardinals WR Marquise Brown (foot) has been placed on IR. That means he's out for at least the next 4 games. Brown is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with his injury, so this doesn't change his rest-of-season outlook.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero hears that Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins is expected to be a "full-go" vs. the Saints tonight. Hopkins just returned from his 6-game suspension but has 2 seasons' worth of experience in HC Kliff Kingsbury's offense. He gets a plus matchup against a New Orleans secondary missing top CB Marshon Lattimore.
CBS Sports' Josina Anderson hears that Cardinals WR Marquise Brown (foot) is now expected to miss 4-6 weeks after getting a 2nd opinion from foot specialist Dr. Robert Anderson. Brown has a chipped bone around the arch area of his left foot. The short end of that new timetable would have Brown back for Week 11. The long end would keep him out through Arizona's Week 13 bye. We'd try to keep Brown stash if you have the bench room or an IR spot.
The foot injury for Cardinals WR Marquise Brown isn't as bad as feared, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Brown suffered a small, "non-surgical" fracture to his left foot. It's expected to need 6 weeks' healing time. Brown is reportedly headed to Dr. Robert Anderson for a 2nd opinion. With Arizona's Week 13 bye 7 weeks from now, it seems like Week 14 against the Patriots is the earliest we're likely to see him. That timeline would make Brown cuttable in many fantasy leagues that don't have IR slots. We'd wait for official confirmation on his prognosis before making any move, though.
Commanders QB Carson Wentz is expected to miss "roughly" 4-6 weeks with the fractured ring finger on his right hand, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. We'll see if Wentz lands on IR, but he can be dropped from all rosters in 1-QB fantasy leagues. Wentz hasn't been great through 6 weeks, completing 62% of his passes for just 6.4 yards per attempt. He sits 24th among 32 qualifiers in Pro Football Focus' passing grades. Washington will now turn QB Taylor Heinicke, which might just be a lateral move. We'll see if Heinicke can get more out of WR Terry McLaurin, who's seen just 16% of Commanders targets so far. 5th-round rookie QB Sam Howell is also on this roster and might hit the field at some point if Heinicke struggles.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the foot injury for Cardinals WR Marquise Brown is "potentially season-ending." Brown is undergoing further testing today to determine the extent. The trade for WR Robbie Anderson also seemed to point to concern on the team's part. We'll watch for the official diagnosis on Brown.
The Cardinals "hope" WR DeAndre Hopkins will be able to play vs. the Saints on Thursday night, according to insider Jordan Schultz. Hopkins' 6-game suspension is up, and he's in "phenomenal shape," per Schultz. But the short week complicates the situation. Of course, Arizona could really use Hopkins -- especially with WR Marquise Brown dealing with a foot injury. We'll keep you updated on this. If Hopkins does suit up on Thursday, he's best treated as a risk/reward WR3.
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