NFL Player News

Lions head coach Dan Campbell told us earlier this week that Ragnow was expected to play on Sunday, so this isn’t much of a surprise. Ragnow missed Week 4 with the pec injury but got a Week 5 bye to recover. Pro Football Focus has Ragnow graded as a top-10 center through a month of football.

Rapoport confirmed Nacua injured the same knee that sidelined him in Weeks 2-7 but declined to clarify whether this was a re-injury of the same issue. Rapoport also crucially mentioned that while Nacua is questionable for Week 9, “he doesn’t really need to practice” in order to play because of his familiarity with the offense. Nacua still has a chance to suit up as a high-upside WR2 against the Seahawks in Week 9.

Evidently feeling loose on-air on Friday afternoon, Rapoport also said that “barring falling down the stairs or something horrible on Saturday, [Love] does expect to play on Sunday.” While fantasy managers were busy knocking on wood, Rapoport also referred to Love as being “mostly healthy.” We expect Love to suit up and play effectively on Sunday. He is a mid-tier QB1.

Jackson was sidelined by back and knee injuries on Wednesday and Thursday this week but returned to practice as a full participant on Friday. The early-week happenings were surely stressful for fantasy managers but what was once viewed as a negative could actually be viewed positively; the Ravens are prioritizing Jackson’s season-long health. Fantasy managers should be sure to note Jackson’s weekly participation statuses but ought not to fear if and when he shows up as a Wednesday or Thursday DNP.

Macdonald hedged though, saying, “but again, with these things, we said week-to-week from the get-go. I think that’s where we’re at at this point, so I think it’s fair to say we’re taking it week-by-week at this point. I think that’s kind of a fair assessment.” Macdonald’s qualifying language is concerning. It appears as though Metcalf is not guaranteed to suit up in Week 11 despite having Weeks 8-10 off. Fantasy managers may want to test the trade market to see if they can get true WR1 value in return for him.

The report comes from ESPN’s Brady Henderson, who reports Fant’s “availability after the bye is uncertain, but that they don’t anticipate putting the tight end on” injured reserve.” Fantasy managers could be without him for two-plus weeks at this point, making Fant droppable in 12-team leagues.

Bland was removed from injured reserve earlier this week but did not return to practice. He appears to have suffered a setback after being designated to return from injured reserve, forcing the Cowboys to activate him regardless of his Week 9 availability. Bland is currently considered week-to-week, as is EDGE Micah Parsons.

Winfield was sidelined by a foot injury in Weeks 2-5. His reappearance on Friday’s report could indicate he re-injured it. The Buccaneers’ defense has dealt with significant injuries all year. This is one to watch ahead of the Buccaneers’ Monday Night Football Showdown against the Chiefs. LB Lavonte David (chest/ankle) has been unable to practice through two days this week.

The veteran wideout is unlikely to suit up this week as he continues to deal with a hamstring injury. DeAndre Hopkins’ role should grow in his second game as a Chiefs while Xavier Worthy will look to contribute as a splash-play artist. Justin Watson rounds out the team’s three-receiver look but is not on the fantasy radar for Week 9.

Hunt has routinely been getting light practice workloads since joining the Chiefs. He has never been at risk of missing a game and isn’t this week either. Coming off his third game in a row with at least 20 carries and a touchdown, Hunt will sit at the top of the RB2 ranks for his Week 9 matchup with Tampa Bay.

Williams will have to wait at least one more week to suit up. First-round rookie DT Darius Robinson (calf) will also miss out on Week 9 action and has yet to make his NFL debut. Both players failed to practice all week. Starting nose tackle Roy Lopez (ankle) is questionable to play.