NFL Player News

Cochran (6'7"/306) started 32 games for Vanderbilt before graduate transferring to Georgia Tech and playing well enough to earn an All-ACC honorable mention in 2021. Cochran has the necessary size and athleticism to cut it in the NFL, which isn’t that common in the later parts of the draft. Cochran can dominate, but it is very inconsistently, enough that some scouts have questioned his desire and effort. In 2021, he had two games with 79+ PFF grades, but also had two games below 50. The lapses in attention and the subsequent missed assignments are the biggest weaknesses of his game, as he otherwise shows the power, speed, lateral movement, footwork, and (when locked in) awareness to be an NFL player. His issues and strengths have been similar since his Vanderbilt days, but perhaps a jump to the next level will be sufficient motivation.

Prescott will miss at least four games after tweaking his hamstring in Week 9 against the Falcons. His absence should all but end another disappointing season for the Cowboys, as Cooper Rush takes over a listless Dallas offense. In 30 NFL appearances since 2017, Rush has completed 60 percent of his attempts for nine touchdowns and six interceptions with a low adjusted yards per attempt of 6.6. Jake Ferguson and CeeDee Lamb are the only fantasy-relevant Dallas players with Rush under center.

The Bengals make the move for Herbert after losing Zack Moss (neck) for what seems like an extended period, perhaps the rest of the regular season. Chase Brown, who had 32 touches in Week 9 against the Raiders, will continue operating as the Bengals’ No. 1 back, though Herbert could mix in for a few touches a game. The efficient Herbert could find himself in the RB1 role if Brown misses time in the short term.

Detroit also gets a 2026 seventh round pick from Cleveland in the transaction. The move comes on the morning of the NFL’s trade deadline after weeks of rumors following the Lions’ loss of standout pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson (leg). Pro Football Focus grades Smith as the NFL’s 28th best pass rushing EDGE. He has five sacks and 20 QB hurries on the season, and will join a Lions defense with the league’s ninth highest pressure rate through Week 9.

Worthy was far from emphasized against the Buccaneers after an early mistake cost the team seven points. Worthy appeared to score on the team’s opening possession from 33 yards out but he was ultimately ruled out of bounds after failing to get both feet down in the field of play, something that appeared to come with some level of nonchalance. Instead of ensuring both feet were inbounds, Worthy caught the ball while backpedaling towards the left pylon, both heels clipping the white paint along the sideline. Head coach Andy Reid was clearly aggravated with the rookie wide receiver during his halftime interview as the team departed the field of play, something that could have influenced his usage in the second half. Cementing his fantasy dud was a failed end around in the third quarter, on which he lost 10 yards. Worthy’s next opportunity to return fantasy utility comes in Week 10 against the stout Denver secondary.

Hardman departed in the first quarter following a hard fall on the sidelines on a punt return, initially listed as questionable to return. He would start the second half with the team and eventually secure all three targets for a modest 17 yards. He also saw a red zone carry that was called back for offensive holding. Even so, Hardman’s fantasy utility in an offense now with DeAndre Hopkins is fleeting, at best.

Watson continues to play the most snaps at wide receiver for the Chiefs but took a backseat to both Travis Kelce and DeAndre Hopkins, the former of whom set a career-high with 14 receptions and the latter of whom scored twice in the overtime victory. Even so, Watson should continue to see elevated snap rates based on the currently available personnel on the roster, albeit still unlikely to return fantasy utility in the process.

Hopkins scored the first and last touchdown for the Chiefs in regulation in his second game with the team, clearly operating in a more robust role after playing a modest 23 offensive snaps in Week 8. His nine targets finished second on the team behind tight end Travis Kelce’s 16 but the two scores were more than enough to propel him to his best fantasy finish of the season. Hopkins could find the sledding tougher against the suffocating Broncos secondary in Week 10.

Kelce served as the primary target in another game played without both Rashee Rice and JuJu Smith-Schuster, although it was recent acquisition DeAndre Hopkins that scored twice on the evening. Even so, the fantasy returns for the veteran tight end were more than adequate even though he was tackled at the one in overtime. Kareem Hunt would score two plays later to walk it off for the Chiefs and send the team to a perfect 8-0 record as they now turn their sights to the Broncos in Week 10.

Perine found the end zone for the first time this season on a Patrick Mahomes scramble drill touchdown in early in the fourth quarter, a play in which Mahomes aggravated an ankle injury he suffered a week prior and had Chiefs’ nation holding their collective breath. Mahomes would return and lead two more scoring drives, most of the yardage of which was accounted for by backfield mate Kareem Hunt at the end of the fourth quarter and in overtime. Perine is unlikely to return fantasy value with Hunt seeing workhorse usage, in addition to the eventual return of lead back Isiah Pacheco.