NFL Player News

A true speed-merchant who struck fear in the hearts of SEC left tackles with his 1.62 10-yard split acceleration, Young (6’2/250) is a hypersonic edge who rang up 42 pressures, 12 TFL and 7.0 sacks en route to an All-SEC First Team nod. The JUCO transfer was out of football for a year and a half after high school before getting a shot at Georgia Military College and parlaying that opportunity into a scholarship at UT. Young is verifiably athletic and versatile, dropping into coverage when called upon and chasing down plays thanks to his hot running motor. Though his expeditious first step is a core weapon that all his counters stem from, he sometimes gets knocked off his rush line and can be handled by physical tight ends. He struggles to disengage from blockers in run defense and will be 25 years old during the season, which in theory limits upside since he has to be more proficient in his pass rush mechanics. However when it comes to running the loop and stressing tackles with topflight acceleration, Young has rare, native athleticism that he used to torture 2023 NFL Draft caliber offensive linemen at the Senior Bowl. His blinding speed was backed up by a ridiculous 4.40 40-yard dash (99th percentile), 9.23 RAS and high-end SEC production. Young reminds us of former USC edge defender Drake Jackson.

Head coach Brian Callahan told reporters earlier today that Spears will test things out Sunday morning before getting the final go-ahead. The fact that he was removed from the injury report entirely suggests his pre-game workout is mostly a formality. Barring a setback, Spears will take the field for the first time since Week 6. Tony Pollard has cemented himself as the team’s top back in Pollard’s absence and that isn’t likely to change this week. Fantasy managers should treat Spears as an RB4 until we get more info on how the touches will shake out.

Conner (147 touches) is tied for the position’s seventh-highest touch count entering Week 10 and fantasy managers can safely expect him to handle his typical high-volume workload. He is an RB1 against the Jets.

Vera-Tucker, RG John Simpson (groin) and RT Morgan Moses (knee) all practiced in full on Friday. While Vera-Tucker and Moses are technically questionable, they have good odds of suiting up.

Hill was not listed on the Dolphins’ injury report yesterday, so the wrist issue appears to have popped up during practice. Hill regularly gets days off, so fantasy managers shouldn’t panic just yet. Hill was a surprise DNP on Friday two weeks ago and got a questionable tag heading into the weekend. He was unbothered by the foot injury that has yet to reappear on his practice report and went for 72 yards. The Dolphins play on Monday, meaning we will get a better idea of his status when they release their final injury report of the week tomorrow.

Pollard was held out of Thursday’s practice but bookended the week with a pair of limited sessions. He didn’t practice at all last week before running 28 times for 128 yards, so there are no real concerns about his foot injury at this point. Tyjae Spears is also off the injury report and will take the field for the first time since Week 6. Even with Spears likely to take some work off his plate this week, Pollard remains in the middle of the RB2 ranks for his matchup with the Chargers.

Conklin’s status is perplexing. He was added to Friday’s injury report and is now listed as questionable despite practicing in full. We will try to find clarifying information on the matter because Conklin is a potential streaming option this week, with so many starting tight ends sidelined by bye weeks.

Thomas played through the chest injury last week but only caught two passes for 22 yards on four targets. He ran all of the routes but posted his worst fantasy finish of the year. The Jags offense struggled as a whole, so the chest injury wasn’t solely to blame. Healthy or not, the odds of Jaconsville’s offense turning things around this week are slim with Trevor Lawrence expected to be held out with a shoulder injury. With Mac Jones presumably under center, Thomas will slip deeper into the WR2 ranks for Week 10.

Etienne played behind Tank Bigsby in all phases last week. Bigsby out-carried him 8-3, earned more snaps, and even ran more routes. Etienne did manage to catch two passes while Bigsby was held without a reception. With D’Ernest Johnson also getting some run, the Jacksonville backfield is in disarray and it won’t get any better with Trevor Lawrence likely out of the lineup. Etienne is on the RB3/4 border for Week 10.

Bigsby played through the ankle issue last week and will do so again versus the Vikings. He led the Jags with eight carries but did not catch a pass or find the end zone, leaving him with a measly 22 rushing yards to his name. The Jags are considerable underdogs with Mac Jones expected to start versus Minnesota. The negative game script alone will be enough to send Bigsby into the depths of the RB3 ranks this week.

The Texans will be without their primary backup running back, who remains sidelined by a nagging groin injury. Fantasy managers can drop Pierce at this point. He holds no standalone value.