Steelers RB Najee Harris (foot) said in a Tuesday radio appearance that he'll play vs. the Patriots this weekend. Players, of course, are always optimistic about their status. But we've heard independent reports that Harris' injury isn't serious and that he's likely to play Week 2. He can stay penciled into fantasy lineups for now.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt "is still gathering additional opinions" but that his pectoral tear is not currently believed to require surgery. That would mean Watt has a chance to heal up and return before the end of October, according to Pelissero. We'll see about the final word here and then will certainly need to keep an eye on his progress. But this is obviously great news after initial fears that Watt would miss the rest of the year.
Chargers WR Mike Williams mustered only 2 catches for 10 yards in Sunday’s win over Vegas. He garnered only 4 targets on 34 Justin Herbert attempts. It’s a surprising result considering the plus matchup — and the early departure from Keenan Allen (hamstring). Of course, we’re looking at just a 1-game sample. And Williams has been historically prone to some hot and cold play. With Allen looking iffy for a Thursday night game at Kansas City, though, Williams will rank right back in fantasy starter range. The veteran saw 9 targets in both matchups with the Chiefs last season.
Insider Jordan Schultz confirms that Steelers RB Najee Harris' injury is not serious. Schultz calls it a foot injury, rather than an ankle. But he reports that the Steelers believe there's a "good chance" Harris will be available for Sunday's game vs. the Patriots. We'll track his practice participation this week.
Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth racked up 10 targets in Sunday's OT win over the Bengals, accounting for 26.3% of QB Mitchell Trubisky's total attempts. Freiermuth caught half of those for 75 yards. That kind of inclusion puts Freiermuth in weekly starter consideration for fantasy football lineups.
The Bears didn't need QB Justin Fields to do much in a rain-soaked victory over the 49ers Sunday. He completed 8 of just 17 pass attempts for 121 yards and 2 TDs, plus an INT. Fields found WR Dante Pettis for a 51-yard score in the 3rd quarter and Equanimeous St. Brown from 18 yards out in the 4th. The QB added just 28 yards on 11 carries. The weather definitely dampened the Week 1 production. We'll see whether a Week 2 visit to Green Bay can help make Fields a true fantasy starting option for a Week 3 home date with Houston.
Falcons Swiss Army knife Cordarrelle Patterson racked up 22-120-1 on the ground in Sunday's narrow loss to the Saints, adding 3-16 receiving on 5 targets. Damien Williams' rib injury certainly didn't hurt. Rookie Tyler Allgeier was a healthy scratch, and Avery Williams claimed the only 2 other RB carries (beyond the 2 for Damien Williams). Atlanta would probably like to limit Patterson's touches more than that going forward -- especially on the ground. But the team might not have a choice until someone else in the backfield steps up.
Steelers RB Najee Harris suffered an ankle injury in the 4th quarter of Sunday’s game vs. the Bengals and did not return. He was in a walking boot afterward, but NFL Network’s Mike Giardi hears that the injury “is not considered a big deal.” Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio also said on the Sunday Night Football pregame show that Harris’ injury isn’t believed to be serious. We should learn more tomorrow.
The Steelers believe EDGE T.J. Watt tore a pectoral muscle in Sunday's win over the Bengals. Watt will have an MRI Monday to confirm the diagnosis. That injury would almost certainly end Watt's season and dramatically alter the quality of the Pittsburgh defense -- both in real life and fantasy football terms.
Steelers RB Najee Harris injured his knee and/or ankle late in Sunday's game vs. the Bengals and hasn't returned for overtime. We'll update his status when we know more. RB Jaylen Warren is in for Pittsburgh.
Rams WR Van Jefferson (knee) is out for Thursday night's opener vs. the Bills. He didn't practice all week, so a Week 2 return doesn't look particularly likely. Jefferson's snaps are expected to be picked up by a committee of WRs Tutu Atwell, Ben Skowronek and Brandon Powell. None is a viable fantasy play outside of DFS showdown contests. WR Cooper Kupp, WR Allen Robinson and TE Tyler Higbee should be the clear focal points of the Rams' passing game against Buffalo.
Pro Football Network's Aaron Wilson confirms that Rams WR Van Jefferson (knee) won't play in Thursday night's opener vs. the Bills. But Wilson hears that Jefferson is expected back "within the first few games" of the season. We'll see if he's able to get on the practice field next week.
Rams WR Van Jefferson (knee) did not practice on Monday. He's looking like a long shot for Thursday night's opener vs. the Bills after undergoing knee surgery at the beginning of August. Jefferson's absence will leave Tutu Atwell and Ben Skowronek at the Rams' #3 and #4 WRs -- and leave extra targets for WR Cooper Kupp, WR Allen Robinson and TE Tyler Higbee.
The Steelers list RB Jaylen Warren as the #2 RB on their Week 1 depth chart. It's confirmation that the undrafted rookie beat out RB Benny Snell for that job. Warren won't be a fantasy factor as long as RB Najee Harris is healthy. But he'd be the pickup if Harris misses time this year.
The Broncos and QB Russell Wilson agreed to a 5-year, $245 million contract extension with $165 million guaranteed, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Wilson is now the league's 2nd-highest-paid QB, behind only Aaron Rodgers. More interestingly, he's now signed for the next 7 seasons. Wilson will have just turned 40 when his current contract is up. We'll see if he's able to play through the life of it.
Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt left Sunday's preseason finale with a left knee injury. CBS Sports' Evan Washburn reported in the 2nd half that HC Mike Tomlin called the injury minor and said Watt could have returned if it was a regular-season game. We won't worry about this issue unless a further update turns more negative.
Steelers RB Najee Harris told reporters that he sprained the Lisfranc in his left foot early in camp. It's worth filing away, but Harris hit the field for Sunday's preseason finale vs. the Lions, so it looks like a non-issue going forward. Harris remains a volume-based floor play in the late 1st round of fantasy drafts.
Steelers RB Benny Snell started Saturday's 2nd preseason game against Jacksonville, working ahead of rookie Jaylen Warren. That's noteworthy because Warren has generated plenty of training-camp buzz. That included at least 1 Steelers writer positing this week that he believed Warren has already earned the #2 job. Saturday's usage, of course, doesn't necessarily mean that Snell remains the backup to Najee Harris. But it does mean we'll need to continue watching before anointing the new guy. Anthony McFarland is also in the mix for roles behind Harris. We'll see whether all 3 backup candidates make the regular-season roster.
Eagles RB Boston Scott returned to practice on Friday. He ended up missing a little over a week with a concussion. Scott is slated to open the season as Philly's #3 RB, although #1 Miles Sanders is dealing with a hamstring injury.
DK Pittsburgh Sports' Dale Lolley believes Jaylen Warren has supplanted Benny Snell as the Steelers' #2 RB. Warren, a 5'8, 215-pound undrafted rookie out of Oklahoma State, has been the surprise of Steelers camp. He also looked good in the preseason opener, posting a 6-34-0 rushing line and 4-30-1 receiving. We'll continue to keep an eye on this depth chart. Of course, neither Warren nor Snell is a fantasy option without an injury to RB Najee Harris.
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