NFL Player News

McCaffrey was limited in practice throughout the week but reportedly avoided any setbacks from his strained calf. While it doesn’t appear he is any danger of missing Monday Night Football’s game against the Jets, fantasy managers would be wise to expect a slight dip in volume after McCaffrey sat out the final two weeks of preseason and was limited all week leading up to the game. That could mean additional snaps and opportunities for Jordan Mason with Elijah Mitchell done for the season.

Per Wolfson, the Broncos are looking to get more out of their ground game this week. Javonte Williams has had an uninspiring 2024 season so far. He is averaging 3.8 yards per carry and hasn’t hit 90 rushing yards in a game. Estime, a fifth-round rookie, could give the team a spark, though injuries and ball security have prevented him from seeing the field much this year. Estime is an RB5 at best this week while a potential increase in his role should keep fantasy managers away from Williams.

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.