NFL Player News

At this point, we just need Thursday night’s game to get here. Multiple reports on Lawrence’s knee, his game status, and what he needs to do to show he’s ready to play have surfaced over the last several hours. All reports are indicating Lawrence has a good chance of playing, but the pregame workout will be what ultimately determines where or not he will play. The fact his reportedly mild knee strain is already improving is another good sign for him heading into Thursday night.

Hubbard has yet to be listed with a hamstring injury this season so the announcement comes as a surprise. Hubbard is evidently expected to play through the issue but the injury-riddled defensive line is now unequivocally a defensive weak point.

Bosa’s absence is a brutal loss for the Chargers’ defense. He ranks second on the team in both quarterback pressure (four) and NFL sacks (4.0).

Chargers RT Joe Alt (knee) is also listed as questionable, leaving the Chargers’ offensive line in a tough position heading into this divisional game. Backup T Trey Pipkins III (foot) will play through his injury after practicing in full Friday.

Head coach Doug Pederson called Engram doubtful this morning. He was officially listed as out on the injury report later in the day. Brenton Strange will take his spot in the lineup once again. Strange has five grabs for 77 yards and a score in two starts this year. He is a low-end TE2 option for fantasy purposes.

Alexander is off to a hot start this year with two interceptions, one of which he took to the house, and four pass breakups so far. He has also held his own against Justin Jefferson in the past, making his status for Week 4 all the more concerning for Packers fans. Jefferson has topped 60 yards once in six career games versus Green Bay.

Kraft has been having his practice reps managed because of the shoulder injury, but it’s not something that will prevent him from suiting up unless things worsen. With Jordan Love potentially returning, Kraft could be on the menu as a TE2 streaming this week. Fantasy managers will want to make sure Love is active before putting Kraft in their lineups. Luke Musgrave (quad) is also good to go.

Reed has been a mainstay on the Packers’ injury report this year but has yet to miss any time. He was never at risk of doing so this week. With Jordan Love likely to return, Reed will jump back into the WR2 ranks for his matchup with Minnesota.

Love was limited in practice throughout the week. He was also listed as questionable last week, though he obviously did not end up playing. A Week 4 return looks probable after a trio of limited practices. The Packers understandably took the air out of the ball with Malik Willis under center. They will likely stick with a run-first approach in Love’s first game back, but his return will still boost the fantasy outlooks of Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, and Christian Watson. Love himself will sit on the QB1/2 border if he gets cleared for action.

The results of McCaffrey’s treatment remain to be determined but Wagoner adds, “Kyle Shanahan today said that with McCaffrey ‘we’d like to start hitting his rehab here harder on Monday.’” The rehab ramp-up seems positive but no updates were given on McCaffrey’s expected return-to-play date.

Garrett missed Wednesday’s practice but returned on Thursday and was upgraded to a full session to close the week. With Cleveland’s offense struggling once again. they have been forced to rely on their defense in an effort to grind out low-scoring wins. Even versus a beleaguered Raiders squad, they will need a strong effort from their superstar defender to come away victorious.