Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy said WR Michael Gallup (knee) will take team reps in Wednesday's practice for the 1st time since last January's ACL tear. It's unclear if Gallup will play against the Bengals this weekend, but he looks close to a return. Of course, Gallup will be tough to get excited about in fantasy lineups until Dallas gets QB Dak Prescott back.
Seahawks HC Pete Carroll said Tuesday that RB Kenneth Walker (hernia) will play in this weekend's game vs. the 49ers. We'll wait to see if Walker gets on the practice field this week before adding him to the Week 2 Rankings. If Walker plays, he figures to debut as the clear #2 RB behind Rashaad Penny.
The Colts released K Rodrigo Blankenship. He missed a 42-yard FG to win the game in overtime last week. The Colts haven't signed a replacement yet.
The 49ers signed RB Marlon Mack to their practice squad. San Francisco, of course, will be without RB Elijah Mitchell (knee) for the next couple of months. Mack couldn't make the Texans' roster, though, and is unlikely to be a factor with the 'Niners.
Chiefs K Harrison Butker (ankle) missed his 2nd straight practice on Tuesday. He was able to battle through this injury in the opener, but Butker shouldn't be considered a lock to play vs. the Chargers on Thursday night. We'll update his status again tomorrow.
The Patriots placed RB Ty Montgomery on IR. No word yet on the specific injury, but he's out for at least the next 4 games. Montgomery finished 2nd among Patriots RBs in snaps (36%) and tied Damien Harris for the RB lead in routes (31%) in Sunday's loss to the Dolphins, finishing with 2 carries and 4 targets. His absence opens up considerable opportunity in the passing game. It's uncertain whether Harris, RB Rhamondre Stevenson or possibly even RB Pierre Strong will capture it.
Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett mustered only 3 catches for 28 yards in Week 1. He saw 4 targets — tied with TE Noah Fant for 2nd most on the team — but didn’t see any downfield opportunities. In fact, while QB Geno Smith played efficient ball, his average depth of target (aDOT) was a week-low 5.0 yards. At least in the short term, Lockett’s best treated as a WR4.
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 Chargers WR Keenan Allen's hamstring injury is not expected to be a "long-term" deal. But Pelissero confirms that Allen is "unlikely" to be ready for Thursday night's showdown with the Chiefs. That's obviously a big loss for the Chargers but frees up targets for Austin Ekeler, Mike Williams, Josh Palmer and Gerald Everett. See where all those guys sit in the Week 2 Rankings.
Seahawks RB Rashaad Penny handled 12 of 13 team RB carries and all 3 RB targets in a Week 1 win over Denver. Note that rookie Kenneth Walker sat this one out with a hernia. Penny, meanwhile, proved efficient with 5.0 yards per carry, but he did fumble after getting stripped at the end of a 26-yard gain. (Wisely, he wasn't benched.) All in all, it was an encouraging showing from a guy that took the league by storm late last year. We'll see if Walker’s able to return to practice this week.
Seahawks WR D.K. Metcalf ended Week 1 with 7 grabs for 36 yards on a team-high 7 targets. Not exactly the type of line you’d expect from Metcalf, right? The burner didn’t see any downfield targets from Geno Smith, but he did show his strong hands with a few catches in tight coverage. Monday also presented a tough matchup with rising star Patrick Surtain Jr. Sunday turns up a road matchup with the 49ers.
Broncos RB Javonte Williams totaled 108 yards in Monday’s road loss to Seattle. He played 38 snaps (vs. 27 for Melvin Gordon) but was out-carried by the veteran, 7-12. Williams delivered in fantasy on the strength of 11 catches for 65 yards. But his night should have been better, as he fumbled right at the goal line. Gordon actually fumbled in the same spot — so neither guy was benched for the miscue. At bottom, we’re likely headed for more games with heavy rotations going forward. Williams at least looks in peak tackle-breaking shape. Look for his efficient ways to continue Sunday vs. Houston.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday morning that QB Dak Prescott isn't going on IR for his thumb injury because he believes the QB has a chance to return within the next 4 games. We'll assume this is based on more than just optimism or gut feeling for Jones. But we also wouldn't plan on using Prescott in fantasy football lineups anytime within that range.
Broncos WR Courtland Sutton tallied 4 catches for 72 yards in Monday’s loss at Seattle. Sutton tallied 30 yards on a scramble-drill play, then drew an overthrown end zone target on the very next snap. Later, he drew a pass interference call on another deep pass. On the day, Sutton matched Jerry Jeudy in targets (7). It’s only a matter of time before the deep balls hit here, especially as the entire offense settles into a new system. Next up is a home date with Houston and top draft pick (CB) Derek Stingley.
Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy finished Week 1 with 4 grabs, 102 yards and 1 score. His first target didn’t come until late in the 2nd quarter, but Jeudy made it count on a 67-yard deep ball on 3rd and 2. He roasted the CB on that one and dodged 2 tacklers en route to the end zone. Jeudy added a late drop on a short-range pass, but the takeaway here remains overwhelmingly positive. He matched Courtland Sutton in targets (7) and led the team in yardage. Next up is a home game with Houston.
Cowboys S Jayron Kearse sprained his left MCL in Sunday night's loss to the Buccaneers. Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reports that the team expects him to miss 2-4 games. That will put Donovan Wilson into the starting lineup while Kearse is out. Wilson supplied 5 tackles, 1 QB hit and an INT against Tampa Bay and has delivered starter-level fantasy numbers in the past (before Kearse claimed his gig).
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.
Seahawks S Jamal Adams left in the 2nd quarter of Monday night's game against the Broncos after injuring his left knee. Adams went from the sideline to the locker room on the cart, and ESPN reported that he was clearly upset. The team called him doubtful to return. We'll see about the diagnosis.
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.
WR CeeDee Lamb, TE Dalton Schultz and WR Noah Brown easily led Cowboys pass-catchers in playing time in Sunday night's loss to the Buccaneers. Schultz played the most snaps of any offensive skill players for the game (100%). Lamb trailed him by just 2 snaps while leading the team in routes (97.8%). Brown played just 7 fewer snaps than Lamb and trailed him by a mere 6 routes. Dennis Houston checked in 3rd among Dallas WRs at 40 snaps (58%) and 30 routes run (65.2%). Of course, the whole offense will be challenged to produce worthwhile fantasy numbers while Dak Prescott is out.
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