NFL Player News

Jaylen Samuels is expected to get the start with Conner sidelined, but Ridley will mix in as well, especially on early downs. “Whether it’s two carries, 20 carries, whatever,” Ridley said, “I’m ready to contribute.” There is too much uncertainty about his workload to call Ridley a trustworthy play this week, but there are worse desperation FLEX options. He is also a solid target in DFS tournaments.

The backup receiver garnered mild fantasy interest from some, given the 49ers’ long list of injuries. Conley appears unlikely to seize the moment, even in a rotational capacity, now dealing with a hamstring injury of his own.

Spears was also limited in practice last Wednesday. He then missed the following two sessions and was ruled out after Friday’s practice. Needless to say, his return to practice today is far from a guarantee that he will suit up this week. Tony Pollard, who was limited with the foot issue that he played through last week, posted a breakout performance in Week 9. He logged a career-high 28 rush attempts and turned that into 128 yards. Pollard did not practice at all last week before dropping that stat line and should see a pretty light workload in practice over the next month. Even if Spears returns for Week 10, he will be a distant No. 2 in his first game back.

Moody has been sidelined since Week 5 but the team released fill-in K Anders Carlson on Tuesday so it appears as though the team expects Moody to return in Week 10. Moody is worth an add for kicker-needy teams.

Levis was limited in all three practices last week before being listed as questionable. He was ultimately made inactive prior to kickoff. With Mason Rudolph making fewer catastrophic mistakes than Levis and getting a win on the board in Week 9, the Titans may give Levis another week off as he continues to work his way back from this shoulder injury. Neither quarterback is on the streaming radar for Week 10, but Rudolph is doing enough to keep Calvin Ridley’s WR2 hopes afloat.

Jennings is on track to return following the 49ers’ Week 9 bye. He is playable as a WR3/4 with explosive upside against the Buccaneers’ secondary. It would be ideal if Jennings could begin practicing in full tomorrow but even a Friday upgrade would be fine.

Mitchell remains on the PUP list while recovering from the gruesome knee injury he suffered last year. Even if activated for Week 10, Mitchell would likely be eased in with just a few snaps while playing behind Derrick Henry and Justice Hill. Mitchell is only worth stashing in relatively deep fantasy formats.

Likely did not practice once this week before being ruled out. The good news is that he gets the mini-bye following Baltimore’s Thursday Night Football matchup with Cincinnati. Mark Andrews will approach a full-time role tomorrow after spending most of this season in a rotation with Likely and Charlie Kolar. A decrease in 12-personnel sets should also get Diontae Johnson on the field more.

While full participation would have been ideal, coming off a bye week, Samuel’s Limited Participant designation is an overall positive sign. Fantasy managers should expect Samuel to suit up for what is expected to be a high-scoring game against the Buccaneers. He is a WR2 for the occasion.

Jackson missed two practices with a back injury last week. John Harbaugh called it rest and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport later reported that rest days would be built into his practice regimen going forward. His DNP yesterday was no different. Eying up a potential shootout with the Bengals, Jackson will continue his MVP campaign as Week 10’s QB1 overall.

Johnson has quietly seen an uptick in his usage, catching at least three balls in four of his past five games. He is coming off a career-high in receiving yards at 51 and his first touchdown. His limited designation is likely maintenance as the Giants prepare to take on Carolina in Germany. Johnson has worked his way into the TE2 ranks for Week 10.