NFL Player News

Carlies was a three-star wide receiver entering college and Missouri moved him to cornerback and then safety but now the Colts will move him to linebacker. His 6'3" 230-pound frame with long 34 1/2-inch arms reminded the Colts of linebacker E.J. Speed, who was initially a wide receiver at Tarleton State. The Colts believe in their coaching staff to teach guys “to play the run... to be physical,” said defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. “The tougher part is the change in direction, understanding pass concepts. With knowing that for years now, we have looked at safeties (to play linebacker)” and Carlies will be another in the line. The Colts also moved rookie safety Jaylin Simpson back to cornerback and are trying former Kansas quarterback Jason Bean at wide receiver.

Reddick recently agreed to a reworked deal and reported to the team after a protracted absence. While Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich said Monday that it was too early to say if Reddick could play this week against the Patriots, Rapoport suggested “if all goes well,” Reddick will suit up. He would join a Jets front seven with the NFL’s eighth highest QB pressure rate.

Humphrey exited the Ravens’ Week 7 game against the Bucs following his second interception of the night. Rapoport said Humphrey’s “status is up in the air this week, and time will tell how quickly he can recover.” It wouldn’t be surprising if the Ravens rested Humphrey in Week 8 against a severely overmatched Browns team.

This is the second well-sourced reporter to say Winston will take over as Cleveland’s starter after Deshaun Watson tore his Achilles in Week 7. It could be that the Browns are only starting Winston because Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who served as Watson’s backup in Week 7, is dealing with a finger injury. Winston last week targeted David Njoku heavily and pushed the ball downfield more often than Watson did as the Browns’ starter. He represents a significant upgrade for Njoku, Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, and the rest of the team’s pass catchers.

“They’ll know how much is possible by the end of the week,” Palmer said of Hopkins’ playing time, adding that a source told me Hopkins is “perfect” for Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs on Tuesday acquired Hopkins, 32, from the Titans in exchange of a conditional fourth round draft pick. He’ll likely slide into the role once held by Rashee Rice (knee) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (hamstring), and should quickly become KC’s top wideout. Xavier Worthy could also see more involvement as a deep threat and a gadget player.

It’s a move the Chiefs were almost forced to make ahead of the NFL’s trade deadline after losing JuJu Smith-Schuster to a hamstring injury in Week 7. Kansas City had already lost Rashee Rice (knee) and Marquise Brown (shoulder) for the season and obviously did not want to rely on rookie Xavier Worthy as the team’s top wideout option. Hopkins should instantly soak up short-area and intermediate looks from Patrick Mahomes — the kind that made Rice and, briefly, Smith-Schuster, so valuable for fantasy purposes. Look for the KC target distribution to narrow in the coming weeks, with Travis Kelce and Hopkins, 32, dominating opportunities in a Chiefs offense that is uncharacteristically 4 percent below its expected drop back rate over the past month. Calvin Ridley should see a target bump in the Tennessee offense with Hopkins out of the picture.

With Deshaun Watson (Achilles) out for the season, the Browns are turning to Winston for Week 8. Winston was the team’s third quarterback in Week 7, though Schultz reports Dorian Thompson-Robinson was the backup “strictly from a gameplan standpoint” for Week 7. Coming in for the final Browns offensive possession against the Bengals, Winston completed 5-of-11 passes for 67 yards and a touchdown. He is a career 61.1 percent passer, with 142 touchdowns and 99 interceptions. The Browns offense has struggled this season, and Winston starting could boost pass-catchers like David Njoku, Cedric Tillman, and Jerry Jeudy. However, fantasy managers should wait before inserting anyone but Njoku or Nick Chubb into fantasy lineups from the Cleveland offense. Meanwhile, Thompson-Robinson is the likely backup for now.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said Tagovailoa will practice Wednesday, for the first time since exiting Week 2 with a concussion. Though he is electing to not use the guardian cap helmet, he is on pace to clear concussion protocol this week and will likely play the Dolphins’ Week 8 game against the Cardinals, barring any setbacks. Tagovailoa’s return will boost the Dolphins’ offense for fantasy purposes across the board.

Kittle is the team’s top remaining pass-catcher with Brandon Aiyuk (ACL) out for the season and Deebo Samuel missing time with pneumonia. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said Kittle will be considered day to day while he deals with a foot sprain. The 49ers’ passing game is severely banged-up and will need Kittle healthy to help Brock Purdy out. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on Kittle’s practice status throughout the week heading into a Week 8 matchup against the Cowboys.

Kamara is now locked up through 2026 with the Saints. The 29-year-old has spent his entire career in New Orleans and technically had a year left on the five-year, $75 million contract he signed in 2020, but a high $25 million cap hit meant the Saints were highly motivated to get a deal done to keep Kamara and lower his cap hit for next season. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo adds that he gets $22 million effectively fully guaranteed. Kamara has been a lone bright spot in a heavily injured offense this season, rushing 111 times for 438 yards and six touchdowns, adding 34 receptions for 252 yards. He will continue to be the constant amidst the Saints’ struggles moving forward.