NFL Player News

We’d think the Lions are giving him very little money, but you never know with them. Culpepper is weeks away from threatening for playing time, much less fantasy value. But it wouldn’t be a shock to see the team try him out late in the season, depending how Dan Orlovsky and Drew Stanton fare. This moves says a lot about how Detroit views their young quarterbacks.

Tua Tagovailoa suffered another concerning brain injury in the Dolphins’ Week 2 loss to the Bills. He is scheduled to meet with specialists regarding his lengthy concussion history early this week. Skylar Thompson has already been announced as the starter until he returns. With only Tim Boyle on their practice squad and no one else on the active roster, Miami had to add more quarterback depth and Huntley was one of the best options out there. Huntley signed with the Browns in the offseason but lost the backup battle to Jameis Winston and was cut before the season. He then signed in Baltimore, where all nine of his career starts took place. Huntley will hold the clipboard for Thompson this week but could ultimately take over if Thompson underwhelms.

Spears sustained the ankle injury in the third quarter of the Titans’ Week 2 loss to the Jets. He did not return to the game, but Rapoport said the back “should be OK.” If Spears is able to practice this week, he should maintain his RB2 duties behind Tony Pollard, who has 33 rushes for 144 yards and a touchdown through two games. Pollard would be a top-12 option if Spears is sidelined next week.

Buckner was helped off the field Sunday against the Packers after sustaining what appeared to be a serious lower leg injury. X-rays on the ankle came back negative and Buckner will undergo more testing in the coming days. Rapoport said it does not appear to be a long-term injury for Buckner, the Colts’ best defensive player. Without Buckner, the Colts have one of the worst front sevens in the NFL.

Head coach Dan Campbell told reporters after the game that he didn’t think St. Brown’s leg injury was “anything long-term.” Schefter’s report confirms the best-case scenario after St. Brown took a hit to the lower leg from Bucs linebacker Lavonte David in Week 2. St. Brown has a history of gritting it out and playing through injuries, so fantasy managers can be cautiously optimistic that he will take the field in Week 3. The star receiver got back on track versus Tampa Bay with 11 catches for 119 yards. Barring any setbacks with the injury, St. Brown will remain in the WR1 ranks for his upcoming matchup with the Cardinals.

Mixon injured his ankle Sunday night during a hip drop tackle by a Bears defender in the second half. He briefly left the game and returned for one fourth quarter rushing attempt before exiting again. If Mixon can’t practice this week and is sidelined for Week 3 against the Vikings, Cam Akers could function as Houston’s lead back. Dameon Pierce was sidelined in Week 2 with his own ankle ailment.

It means Pacheco, who suffered a gruesome-looking broken fibula in Week 2 against the Bengals, will be sidelined for at least four weeks. Pacheco is set to undergo further testing of the leg injury. Carson Steele and Samaje Perine will likely split backfield duties while Pacheco is out. Perine profiles as the pass catching back while Steele should be the early-down option and goal line runner. Clyde Edwards-Helaire is on the NFI list and can return by Week 5.

Pacheco was bent back awkwardly in the fourth quarter and left the stadium in a walking boot. Rapoport said KC’s lead back is set to miss “real time,” which could mean weeks or months, depending on the severity of the injury. Carson Steele had seven rushes on Sunday, some of which came after Pacheco exited the game. He would likely be the Chiefs’ early down back while Samaje Perine takes on the pass catching duties until Pacheco is back in action. Clyde Edwards-Helaire remains unavailable while he deals with a mental health situation.

After a somewhat even split in Week 1, Moss appears to have taken control of the Bengals backfield. Chase Brown played just 20 percent of the snaps against Kansas City and saw four touches. Moss logged 12 rushes for 34 yards and caught one pass. He had 27 routes to a mere seven routes for Brown. Moss profiles as a solid option for Week 3 against a beatable Washington defense.

Schultz has now seen three targets in consecutive games to start the 2024 season, a far cry from his pace a season ago. A lot of that is likely due to the emergence of alpha Nico Collins in conjunction with the offseason addition of Stefon Diggs. Schultz can likely be returned to the waiver wire with no clear path to consistent volume in a now-crowded Texans offense.

Diggs was targeted six times in the opener as well but managed to score twice, with this one a far different story as Nico Collins scored the only touchdown for the Texans in a narrow win. The defense truly controlled the game throughout, ceding just one touchdown on the night while sacking Caleb Williams seven times in addition to two interceptions. Diggs is unlikely to see consistently high usage playing alongside Nico Collins, but he should continue to provide sporadic spike weeks through his ability to generate space in close, something that is particularly useful in the red zone.