Lions TE T.J. Hockenson (knee) returned to a limited practice on Thursday. That seemingly puts him on track to play vs. the Vikings this weekend, but we'll get another update on his status tomorrow.
Lions TE T.J. Hockenson missed Wednesday's practice and is on the injury report with a knee. We don't have any other details at this point. We'll see if Hockenson is able to get back on the field tomorrow.
Following Wednesday morning reports that the Patriots were releasing CB Stephon Gilmore, the Panthers swooped in to get him for a 2023 third-round pick. The veteran corner must remain on the PUP list through 6 weeks for a quad injury. Beyond that, though, trading for his big contract (about $5.8 million left this year) says that Carolina plans to start Gilmore. That begs the question of whether C.J. Henderson -- acquired from Jacksonville in another recent trade -- will have room to enter the lineup. The Panthers lost CB Jaycee Horn to a foot injury, but Donte Jackson has been holding down the other side. None is likely to be much of an IDP factor, though, so that question doesn't matter too much for fantasy football purposes. Overall, we'd have to say Carolina has enhanced a unit that has started 2021 well.
Packers RB Aaron Jones (ankle) was limited in practice all week but isn’t listed on the final injury report. He should be ready for his usual role against the Steelers this weekend.
Packers RB Aaron Jones has been limited in the first 2 practices of the week and is on the injury report with an ankle. We've heard nothing to suggest that this is a real concern for his Week 4 status, but check back tomorrow for another update.
Cardinals CB Byron Murphy (ankle) is active for today's game against the Jaguars.
Minnesota added LB Eric Kendricks to the injury report Thursday, when he missed practice with a quad issue. We'll see whether he makes it back onto the field Friday. DE Everson Griffen also sat out with a concussion, which doesn't bode well for his Week 2 readiness. OLB Anthony Barr looks poised to miss at least 1 more game with the knee injury that kept him out of the opener. That would mean another start for Nick Vigil, assuming he's healthy enough to play. Vigil was limited Wednesday and Thursday with an ankle issue. We'll see about his game status after Friday's practice.
Lions TE T.J. Hockenson (shoulder) isn’t listed on the final injury report after a full week of practice. The shoulder never seemed like a concern for his Week 1 status. Hockenson is the favorite to lead Detroit in targets on Sunday vs. San Francisco.
Lions TE T.J. Hockenson (shoulder) put in a full practice on Wednesday. He shouldn't have any limitations in Sunday's opener vs. the 49ers.
The Patriots have placed CB Stephon Gilmore on the PUP list to open the regular season, as he continues to work back from quad surgery at the end of 2020. The designation means Gilmore will miss at least the 1st 6 games. That leaves room for Jalen Mills to open the year as a full-time player. A CB-safety hybrid at this point, Mills carries some late intrigue in IDP drafts.
Panthers QB Sam Darnold opened the final preseason game with 6 straight completions against the Steelers en route to a productive night. He finished 19 of 25 for 162 yards and 2 TDs. Darnold found Terrace Marshall and Robby Anderson for 2nd-quarter red-zone scores, while D.J. Moore led all Panthers with 6 catches and 48 yards on a team-high 6 targets. Carolina opens the season with a favorable schedule, including a home date with the Jets in Week 1 and a Week 3 visit to Houston. Keep Darnold in mind as a late-round fantasy football option -- especially if you wait on addressing QB in your draft. As for the WRs, Anderson and Moore operated as the clear leaders, playing 38 snaps apiece among Darnold's 41, according to Pro Football Focus. Marshall worked in for 23. TE Dan Arnold played 30 snaps, with TE Ian Thomas taking the field for 22.
Lions TE T.J. Hockenson has been dealing with an injury to the AC joint in 1 of his shoulders, HC Dan Campbell said Tuesday. Campbell added that he's not worried about Hockenson's Week 1 availability. We'll keep an eye on the situation but aren't adjusting our projections for Hockenson.
Vikings WR Justin Jefferson returned to practice on Monday, just 10 days after spraining the AC joint in his shoulder. It sounds like he was limited, but just the fact that he was out there is confirmation that he'll be good to go come Week 1.
Lions QB Jared Goff and TE T.J. Hockenson have been "dialed in" throughout training camp, Tim Twentyman of the team's official site writes. "Hockenson made plays all over the field Saturday, and that could be an indication of what's to come for the third-year tight end out of Iowa in 2021," Twentyman added. An ascending player on a team with 1 of the weakest WR groups in the NFL, Hockenson is in for big volume this season.
Vikings WR Justin Jefferson is considered "day-to-day" after hurting his left shoulder in Friday's practice, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. "Tests came out as good as possible," Rapoport adds. "All positive news." It sounds like we should fully expect Jefferson to be ready to go come Week 1.
Vikings WR Justin Jefferson suffered a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder in Friday's practice. ESPN’s Adam Schefter cites a source saying the injury is “nothing serious.” Further testing is scheduled for this weekend, though. We'll pass along an update when it's available. For now, we're not moving Jefferson in the WR rankings.
The Lions believe T.J. Hockenson is capable of making another leap forward in his 3rd NFL season. “I think it’s been a fairly consistent message all offseason, from Coach [Dan] Campbell to [OC Anthony] Lynn, that there’s plenty of meat still on that bone for him,” TEs coach Ben Johnson said. “And I think he’s embraced that. He agrees with that. We’re really looking forward to getting more out of him now.” Hockenson turned 101 targets into a 67-723-6 line last year and should be in for a boost in targets in 2021 considering Detroit's crappy WR corps. The stars are aligning for a big fantasy season here.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that Rams RB Cam Akers suffered a torn Achilles' tendon while training. That should obviously mean the end of his season, less than 2 months ahead of the opener. It clears a path for Darrell Henderson to lead a backfield that let Malcolm Brown walk in free agency. Behind Henderson on the current depth chart sit Xavier Jones, Raymond Calais and rookies Jake Funk and Otis Anderson. We'd bet on L.A. adding to that group via a trade or the pool of cut players as teams whittle their rosters this summer. Regardless of upcoming moves, Henderson should be in for a large workload and could remain a nice temporary value in best-ball drafts as fantasy football players digest the news and reset his ADP.
Rams HC Sean McVay believes RB Cam Akers is capable of taking on more in the passing game this season. “He’s obviously a great runner, but he’s got ability as a pass-catcher coming from the backfield, and we can displace him and put him in the slot or the outside receiver location,” McVay said. “There’s not any limitations, but we’ll see how it comes to life.” This jibes with beat writer Jourdan Rodrigue saying last month that Akers is in for a bigger pass-catching role this season. His ultimate upside is what RB Todd Gurley did in McVay's first 2 seasons with the Rams: average 18.4 carries and 5.8 targets per game. A workload in that vicinity would likely make Akers a top-5 fantasy back.
Vikings S Andrew Sendejo (groin) will miss his 4th straight game today. He's inactive for the clash with the Lions. Lead CB Xavier Rhodes, however, will play through a "questionable" tag for a foot issue.
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