Rams HC Sean McVay hinted that WR Cooper Kupp (hamstring) might not be ready for the season opener. “It’s just tricky,” McVay said. "There’s a difference between ‘return to play’ and ‘return to performance’. We want ‘return to performance’ for Cooper Kupp, and we know how special of a player, how special of a person he is. We want to make sure that we’re smart with that and getting him back to feeling like the Cooper Kupp that we all know — and that he is able to play the way he is capable of, whenever that is. Whether that’s Sept. 10 or not, we’ll continue to monitor that and control what we can control.” Kupp was sidelined for about three weeks with his initial hamstring injury. We don't know how this setback compares in terms of severity, but it wouldn't be surprising if he was out a similar length of time. For now, we've trimmed one game off Kupp's projections. See where he lands in the WR rankings.
Patriots WR Tyquan Thornton (shoulder) has been placed on IR. He'll miss at least the first four weeks of the season. The second-year receiver was sidelined during the spring with a soft-tissue injury and then hurt his shoulder in mid-August. He's not worth rostering in redraft. JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, and Demario Douglas figure to open the season as New England's top four WRs.
On Thursday, ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted that Rams WR Cooper Kupp (hamstring) has suffered a setback in his injury recovery. HC Sean McVay is calling Kupp "day-to-day" with this ailment. The veteran wideout sustained this injury on August 2 and has been working his way back ever since. With a setback so close to the regular season, it's concerning news for those looking to draft Kupp as a high-end WR1. This is not to say his fantasy value has totally cratered, but those drafting soon ought to be wary of this prolonged soft tissue injury. See where Kupp appears in our current WR rankings.
Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill won't be suspended for his altercation at a Miami Beach marina back in June, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports. That's been the assumption since Hill's accuser declined to press charges, but it's nice to have confirmation as we enter another big weekend of fantasy drafts. See where Hill sits in the WR rankings.
Saints RB Kendre Miller is sidelined with a hamstring injury, HC Dennis Allen said Thursday. Allen wouldn't say whether Miller will be available for Week 1. New Orleans could certainly use him with RB Alvin Kamara serving the first game of his three-game suspension. Jamaal Williams will operate as the lead back in the opener vs. the Titans.
The 49ers signed K Matthew Wright. He's insurance for rookie K Jake Moody, who's dealing with a quad injury. Avoid this situation in remaining fantasy drafts and Week 1 lineups.
The Vikings and TE T.J. Hockenson have agreed to a four-year extension that keeps him in Minnesota through the 2027 season. Hockenson is getting $66 million over the four new years with $42.5 million guaranteed, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Hockenson has missed most of training camp with an alleged ear infection and stiff back -- but we're guessing this new contract heals him up. We'll keep an eye on Hockenson's status, but he should be ready to go for Week 1.
Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel said Thursday that RB De'Von Achane (shoulder) should be able to participate in next week's prep work for the opener vs. the Chargers. But McDaniel stopped short of saying that the rookie will be able to play in that game. Achane is back on the practice field but is wearing a non-contact jersey. It at least sounds like he's getting close to a full return. Achane's availability has taken on increased importance with RB Jeff Wilson's trip to IR.
Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel says RB Jeff Wilson Jr. landed on IR with a "midsection injury compounded by some finger issues," according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. We're guessing that means the combo of injuries was enough to make the team think Wilson needed time to heal up. McDaniel didn't seem to give an expected return timeline, but what he did say seems ominous: "I wouldn't be surprised if he would make a return this season. We will let his body tell us." That makes it sound like a return this season is not definite. We'll obviously keep watching this season. It's worth noting that McDaniel is often not the most serious coach in press conferences. But it's tough to advocate drafting Wilson at all right now. RB Raheem Mostert, on the other hand, looks like a high-upside selection in the double-digit rounds. You might be able to start him right away against the Chargers in Week 1.
The Dolphins surprisingly put RB Jeff Wilson Jr. on IR Thursday. That means he'll miss at least the first four games. We had seen no indication of a significant injury to Wilson. He missed Wednesday's practice with an undisclosed issue but had otherwise only missed scant early-August time with a minor left-leg injury. This designation leaves Raheem Mostert and Chris Brooks as the only healthy RBs on the roster, and Mostert likely the clear backfield leader for Week 1 against the Chargers. De'Von Achane (shoulder) and Salvon Ahmed (concussion) worked on the side Wednesday, which could mean they have a chance to be ready for Week 1. We'll look for more on Wilson's situation and outlook. He remains stashable, though he's probably more of an early-season waiver option in most leagues now than a draft target.
The Rams signed K Brett Maher. They'd been without a kicker after releasing Tanner Brown at final cuts on Tuesday. Maher sports a career 81% FG conversion rate and could be a fantasy spot-start option this season if the Rams offense bounces back.
Commanders TE Logan Thomas (calf) said Wednesday that he has "no more restrictions" and "feels really good." Thomas missed most of August with a calf injury but is on track to be ready for Week 1. TE Cole Turner had a nice training camp and preseason in Thomas' absence, but Thomas still figures to open the season as Washington's lead TE.
Discussing the decision to put RB Jonathan Taylor on the PUP list, Colts GM Chris Ballard said that Taylor is still "complaining of pain in the ankle." Taylor underwent surgery way back in January. It's impossible to know whether that ankle is actually still giving him trouble, or if it's just being used as an excuse to keep him off the field amid the contract squabble. Regardless, we know that Taylor will miss at least the first four games of the 2023 campaign. We're guessing that the ankle issue will be behind him by Week 5.
The Colts placed TE Jelani Woods (hamstring) on IR, knocking him out for at least the first four games of the season. Woods missed most of the offseason with hamstring trouble. He flashed as a rookie and is a nice stash on dynasty rosters. But Woods is not worth rostering in redraft right now.
Vikings RB Kene Nwangwu has been placed on IR. That knocks him out for at least the first four games of the season. Minnesota signed RB Myles Gaskin, who figures to serve as the No. 3 RB behind Alexander Mattison and Ty Chandler.
Cardinals TE Zach Ertz (ACL rehab) said he’s unsure about playing Week 1. “Still some things I need to go through ... I need to see how I recover and practice consistent days in a row,” the 32-year-old said. “I gotta earn the trust of my teammates, the coaches, I don't expect them to just plug me in there and say 'this is Zach, for the past 10 years, he's gonna be the same in year 11,'" Ertz said. "I look forward to proving myself each and every day. And whether that's game one, game three, whenever I'm out there, I expect to be a difference maker.” Visit the TE rankings, and you'll see Ertz is currently projected for 13 games.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow was on the practice field on Wednesday for the first time since hurting his calf on July 27. Burrow has been expected to be ready for Week 1 all along, and all reports on his recovery has been positive. Burrow has about a week-and-a-half to get ready for Cincinnati's opener vs. the Browns. We're projecting him to be a full-go for that one.
The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt believes WR Randall Cobb will "likely start in Week 1." The scenario would have Cobb in the slot between Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard -- and leave Mecole Hardman as the No. 4 WR. We'd still rather take a shot on Hardman than Cobb at the end of fantasy drafts, but neither guy is an appealing pick.
Jets WR Allen Lazard (shoulder) returned to practice on Tuesday. He ended up missing about a week but will be good to go for the season opener. Lazard should be New York's No. 2 WR this season, behind Garrett Wilson.
Jets HC Robert Saleh says the team has to "be smart" with RB Breece Hall as he comes back from last year's torn ACL. "I think in his mind, he probably feels like he can take 30 touches, but we just have to be smart with him, make sure we're constantly communicating with him and just being diligent." We're currently projecting about 10 total touches for Hall in Week 1 but will continue to keep an eye on the Jets' plans. Hall's volume figures to grow throughout the season, perhaps quickly and significantly.
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