Broncos HC Vic Fangio says he's willing to use rookie RB Javonte Williams on all downs and distances. "He's earned that trust, and we're not at all against playing him in any situation, in any time of the game," Fangio said. We'll get our 1st look at how work is divvied between Williams and RB Melvin Gordon on Sunday.
Washington WR Curtis Samuel remained limited in Monday's practice, according to insider Ben Standig. HC Ron Rivera said it's Samuel's conditioning -- not his previously injured groin -- that's the issue at this point. "Maybe, who knows. We'll see," Samuel said when asked if he'll play against the Chargers this weekend. We'll track his status this week, but Samuel shouldn't be in your Week 1 fantasy plans.
Broncos TE Noah Fant returned to practice on Monday. He missed a couple of weeks with a lower-leg injury but was always expected to be ready for Week 1. He can be penciled into fantasy lineups for now.
Rams HC Sean McVay said Monday that RB Sony Michel is on track to play against the Bears this weekend -- although McVay stopped short of guaranteeing that Michel will suit up for that one. The former Patriots has been in Los Angeles for just a couple of weeks, so don't expect an extensive role in the opener. But Michel's presence adds downside for RB Darrell Henderson.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Ravens RB Justice Hill suffered an Achilles' tendon tear in practice "recently" and will miss the season. Hill didn't appear headed for a big role, but he was 1 of just 3 RBs remaining on the Baltimore roster. The Ravens hosted RBs Le'Veon Bell, Devonta Freeman and Elijah Holyfield on Monday, according to SI's Albert Breer. We expect the team to add someone. Whoever that winds up being figures to slot behind Gus Edwards and Ty'Son Williams on the depth chart -- at least initially.
The Jaguars are signing RB Duke Johnson to their practice squad, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus. That means any team could still sign Johnson at any point. Of course, that's also been true throughout this offseason. We'll see if Johnson ever returns to fantasy relevance. Landing on a practice squad at least gets him on the deep-league radar. And he could be a Carlos Hyde or James Robinson injury away from joining the active roster.
Chiefs HC Andy Reid said Monday that RBs Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ankle) and Darrel Williams (concussion) are on track to play in this weekend's opener vs. the Browns. “It looked like they’re moving around pretty good," Reid said. “I think we’ll be okay there.” Edwards-Helaire looked like a 3-down back in limited preseason action. We'll track his practice participation this week, but plan on having him in Week 1 fantasy lineups.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott (shoulder) was listed as a full participant on the 1st official practice report of the season on Monday. His surgically repaired ankle isn't even on the injury report. It's confirmation that Prescott will be under center for Thursday night's opener vs. the Bucs.
Steelers OLB T.J. Watt remained a limited practice participant Monday, just as he was throughout training camp, ESPN's Brooke Pryor reports. Watt took part in individual workouts but worked off to the side during team drills. He has practiced in that fashion all summer as he waits for an extension on the final year of his rookie deal. Neither the team nor Watt has said much about the situation. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler -- a Pittsburgher and former Steelers beat reporter -- believes "Week 1 feels in doubt" if Watt doesn't get a new deal. "Watt stays in excellent shape but Steelers value practice-in-order-to-play with pretty much all players," Fowler tweeted Monday. We'd have a tough time believing Pittsburgh would deactivate Watt if he's willing to play Sunday. But it's a situation we'll have to watch for IDP lineups -- as well as the upside of the Steelers' team defense.
49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk (hamstring) returned to practice on Monday. That seemingly puts him on track to play in this weekend's opener vs. the Lions. We'll get San Francisco's 1st official practice report on Wednesday.
Giants TE Evan Engram is a "long shot" to play against the Broncos on Sunday, a source tells NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Engram has reportedly made progress and avoided short-term IR, so a Week 2 return might be in the cards. But he shouldn't be in your Week 1 fantasy plans. Engram's absence would leave the Giants with TEs Kyle Rudolph and Kaden Smith.
Giants RB Saquon Barkley (ACL) is "close to being fully cleared," according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. "The team needs to watch him through Thursday to gauge how his body responds to the workload. But he’s close," Rapoport adds. Barkley has been trending toward playing in Sunday's opener vs. the Broncos for a while now. We're not expecting a full workload, but Barkley still sits inside the top 20 in our Week 1 RB Rankings.
Browns WR Odell Beckham (ACL) is expected to play a "significant amount" in Sunday's opener vs. the Chiefs, according to insider Mary Kay Cabot. "It’s remarkable that Beckham looks as good as he does only 10 months out, but he’s proving to be quite the freak of nature," Cabot writes. "He’s been running full speed for months, cutting on a dime, and leaping high for receptions." OBJ will still carry a bit more risk than usual in his 1st action since last October's torn ACL. But he'll be worth getting in most fantasy lineups in what should be a shootout vs. Kansas City.
Bucs RB Gio Bernard (ankle) returned to practice on Sunday, according to Pewter Report. It's unclear how much Bernard did, but it clearly gives him a shot to play against the Cowboys on Thursday night. We'll get Tampa's 1st official practice report on Tuesday.
49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk (hamstring) remained sidelined on Sunday. He's been out for over a week now with that HC Kyle Shanahan called a "slight hamstring" injury. We'll continue to keep an eye on Aiyuk this coming week, but he's certainly not a lock to be ready for the opener vs. Detroit.
The Cowboys will be without RG Zack Martin for Thursday night's season opener at Tampa Bay. HC Mike McCarthy announced Sunday that Martin has tested positive for COVID. We'll see whether that also jeopardizes his availability for Week 2. Losing Martin figures to impact RB Ezekiel Elliott the most, from a fantasy standpoint. It's a particularly tough blow against a Bucs defense that has consistently ranked at or near the top of the league in run defense in recent seasons. Don't be surprised if we get a slow statistical start for Elliott. At the same time, we're not going to recommend immediately benching a RB you likely drafted in Round 1 -- unless you're loaded at the position. Check our full Week 1 rankings to see exactly where Elliott lands.
Titans QB Ryan Tannehill has been activated from the COVID list. He should be good to go for next Sunday's opener vs. the Cardinals. RB Jeremy McNichols was also activated from the COVID list and will join Mekhi Sargent behind Derrick Henry on the depth chart.
Giants RB Saquon Barkley is expected to play Week 1, but the Giants will likely limit his workload, per Dan Duggan of The Athletic. “The hope is that he can return to being a workhorse as the year progresses,” Duggan writes. "But he might never return to playing 83 percent of the offensive snaps like he did in his first two seasons.” A slow start is pretty much assumed after Barkley saw limited camp reps. It’s also worth noting that the Giants play on Thursday night in Week 2 (at Washington) after squaring off with Denver in the opener. That tough stretch only adds risk to Barkley’s early-season outlook. Still, we remain optimistic on his RB1 prospects longer-term.
Titans RB Darrynton Evans (knee) has been placed on IR. He'll miss at least the first 3 games of the season. With Evans out and RB Jeremy McNichols on the COVID list, Mekhi Sargent is currently Tennessee's #2 RB.
Jets WR Jamison Crowder tested positive for COVID, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports. Crowder's Week 1 status is "up in the air," Pelissero adds. We'll keep an eye on the situation, but Crowder shouldn't be in your Week 1 plans.
Search
