NFL Player News

Justin Fields is still expected to draw the start against the Falcons but the team can now take the decision down to the wire with the release of inactives an hour and a half prior to kickoff. Kyle Allen should serve as the backup to Fields for as long as Wilson remains out.

Williams was in a car that was pulled over by police on October 8th. Two guns were found in the car, one registered to Williams’ brother, the driver of the vehicle, and one to him. Williams did not have a concealed pistol license for his firearm but his brother did. Police eventually decided against making an arrest and the two men were let go. As Pelissero notes, this situation could take a while to resolve, so it shouldn’t affect his ability to return in Week 10. He is scheduled to be reinstated from his suspension on Monday.

Murphy-Bunting was a full participant in practice throughout the week before being cleared from the injury report on Friday. It looks like the issue flared up and he’s now at risk of missing Arizona’s matchup with the Bears. The free agent addition has two pass breakups and one interception this season.

Kendricks missed Week 6 with the shoulder injury plus a calf issue. He returned after Dallas’s Week 7 bye but was listed as questionable versus Atlanta. Kendricks is clearly not fully healthy, but the veteran should continue to gut it out through the shoulder injury. He has two sacks, two TFLs, and an interception in six games this year. Per Rapoport, cornerback Trevon Diggs remains a game-time call.

Rapoport was calling Davis a long-shot to play in comparison to Brian Thomas Jr., who is likely to suit up despite dealing with a chest injury. Davis still has a chance to play, but fantasy managers shouldn’t count on it given Rapoport’s reporting. With Davis seemingly on the wrong side of questionable and Christian Kirk out for the season, Parker Washington will serve as the Jag’s No. 2 receiver versus the Eagles. Washington is worth an add in deeper leagues, but it’s safe to assume that Thomas Jr. and Evan Engram will dominate the Jags’ targets this week.

Thomas was initially believed to be out 2-4 weeks with the chest injury. He was then upgraded to “day to day” status and got in three limited practices before being listed as questionable. It’s a surprising but welcomed turn of events for the breakout rookie. Thomas has 573 yards and five touchdowns to his name through eight games. With Gabe Davis still a game-time call and Christian Kirk done for the year, the Jags will be leaning on Thomas even more this week despite his injury. He sits at the top of the WR2 fantasy rankings for his matchup with Philly.

Bigsby was limited in practice throughout the week before receiving a questionable designation. Coming off 46 touches in two games, his limited sessions were likely maintenance. With Travis Etienne also expected to return, Bigsby will be relegated to a committee role despite excelling as the starter. Bigsby’s lack of a role in the passing game will also be an issue this week as the Jags are significant underdogs to Philly. The second-year back is a high-risk RB3 for his matchup with the Eagles.

The same is true of Tank Bigsby, who is dealing with an ankle issue. Etienne has been out since Week 6 because of the hamstring injury. He has been practicing in a limited capacity for three weeks and is finally ready to make his return. The fact that he has been on the practice field regularly should mean he is ready to see his typical workload in Week 9. The bad news for him is that Bigsby has played well in his absence, likely forcing a committee regardless of Etienne’s health. Etienne will sit in the RB3 ranks for his first game back in the lineup.

The Ravens had a host of cornerbacks on their injury report this week but nearly all of them are expected to play. Humphrey went down with a knee injury in Week 7 against the Bucs. It was reported to not be a major issue, but Humphrey still missed Week 8 while recovering. The veteran corner is good to go for Week 9 against the Broncos.

Johnson was traded to the Ravens on Tuesday afternoon and is still learning the ropes. Amari Cooper and DeAndre Hopkins, both of whom were acquired by contending teams earlier this year, played 19 and 23 snaps in their first games post-trade. Cooper went for 66 yards and a touchdown while Hopkins was held to 29 scoreless yards. Johnson should quickly start to command targets in the Ravens offense, but his first game with the team is a bad spot for fantasy managers to make that bet. He is relegated to the WR4/5 ranks for his Baltimore debut.

Thielen is out for Week 9 with a hamstring issue. With their season already over, the Panthers have no reason to rush him back and are better off getting some draft picks in exchange for the veteran wideout. The Steelers, in turn, are shamelessly trotting out Van Jefferson as their No. 2 receiver. Both Thielen and Mike Williams would be upgrades over Jefferson and neither will cost much to acquire. Thielen topped 1,000 yards for the first time since 2018 last year but has spent most of the 2024 season on injured reserve. He would be a lowly WR4/5 on Pittsburgh’s run-first offense if traded.