NFL Player News

Anae (6'3/257) led the Pac-12 with eight sacks in 2018 before returning as a consensus All-American and Morris Trophy winner as the conference’s top defensive lineman (as voted on by Pac-12 offensive linemen) in 2019, finishing as the Utes’ all-time sacks (30) leader after four seasons. Anae rarely came off the field for Utah, playing 2,342 career snaps across 38 starts, but he will likely be profiled as a situational pass rusher since he lacks the arm length (32 1/8", 11th-percentile) and athleticism of a typical three-down contributor. Anae’s maturity is also under the microscope, as The Athletic’s Dane Brugler notes Anae showed up after enrollment at nearly 300 pounds. Anae did bowl over early-round prospects USC OT Austin Jackson and Huskies LT Trey Adams at the collegiate level in 2019, offering a glimpse of his NFL upside. He should have a good shot at making the Cowboys’ 53-man roster as a rookie.

Alford went down in the first quarter and was ruled out after the break. The Falcons’ slot man, Alford will at least have 10 days to get cleared for Week 6 against the Panthers.

The Seahawks never play it straight with Metcalf’s practice statuses. He’ll be out there as a WR1 against the Giants.

This would normally be cause for concern, but the Seahawks are clearly just managing Walker’s reps after his successful Week 4 return. He can be fired up as an upside RB1 vs. the Giants.

Love’s Week 5 status was never in doubt, though perhaps this is an indication he will be able to better plant-and-drive after sometimes struggling to do so in his Week 4 return. Despite those physical question marks, Love is a high-end QB1 for a delectable matchup with the Rams’ awful defense.

A lot of notable names, but no surprises. Winfield was originally expected to miss only two weeks upon going down in the opener, but this will be his fourth consecutive absence. Perhaps the “mini bye” will give him enough time to get cleared for Week 6.

This is about as quiet of a list as you will ever see in the modern NFL. The Falcons are getting back RT Kaleb McGary, hopefully boosting the running game and buying Kirk Cousins a little more time with the pass.

Folks... We have obviously heard this one before, but Pitts’ “usage” has plummeted to embarrassing depths in recent weeks, culminating with a zero-catch Week 4. He has exceeded 30 yards one time all season, and has yet to catch more than three passes. We would expect a few early designed looks against the Bucs, but it’s unclear if Pitts is even capable of forcing the issue once the scripted plays are through.

It means that, barring an unexpected regression in the concussion protocol, McBride will be good to go for Sunday’s game against the 49ers after missing Week 4. McBride’s easy targets were sorely missed by Kyler Murray last Sunday, to say nothing of fantasy managers. Despite something of a slow start, McBride immediately rejoins the top five at his struggling position.

The Chiefs opened CEH’s return window this week and can activate him anytime. He’ll return to a crowded backfield that featured Kareem Hunt in Week 4’s win over the Chargers and is unlikely to have any fantasy upside early in his return. Managers needing help at running back can stash CEH as needed, but he’s more likely to be a roster clogger than a weekly contributor as long as the Chiefs’ top options are healthy.

The Chiefs’ new came off the couch in Week 4 to lead the team in touches (16) and was second in total yards (85). A few bumps and bruises for a player who is getting back into game shape on the fly is to be expected. The fact he could log a limited session on Thursday is a good sign for Hunt, who also gets an extra day to heal thanks to this week’s Monday night matchup. Hunt is ranked as RotoPat’s RB19 on the week, meaning he’ll have plenty to offer fantasy managers if active.