NFL Player News

Hockenson saw his 21-day practice window opened almost two weeks ago but did not do enough this week to warrant activation from the physical unable to perform list. The Vikings are on a short week in Week 8 with a game on Thursday night, which presents the veteran tight end with the next opportunity to make his season debut. In his absence, expect alpha wide receiver Justin Jefferson to continue soaking up a large portion of the pass game usage in a prime matchup with the most pass-funnel defense in the league.

Wilson logged a week of limited sessions but ultimately will suit up for the team’s Week 7 contest against the Chargers. Fellow wide receiver Zay Jones will also make his season debut after being activated from suspension the previous week.

All three players missed significant time this week in practice. Bosa has been out since Week 4 while both Johnston and Hurst suffered injuries during the team’s Week 6 game.

It will be Mason Rudolph under center for the Titans as they prepare to face the Bills in Week 7. Schefter adds that Levis had been playing through a grade 2 AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder and will ultimately be held out due to the injury after playing through it in Week 6 out of their bye week. The injury typically brings a four to five week recovery timeline, leaving Levis’ status uncertain beyond Week 7.

Walker was added to the injury report Saturday with an illness and is listed as questionable for the team’s Week 7 game against the Falcons. Considering how involved Walker has been in the offense when active this season, a potential absence raises alarm bells for fantasy managers counting on his services. A final determination with come 90 minutes prior to kickoff with the release of the team’s inactives.

Campbell will make his long-awaited return to the starting roster after suffering a significant hamstring injury in Week 1 that required a stint on injured reserve. The Jaguars began the season playing the highest rate of man coverage in the league before injuries derailed their plans, with Campbell’s return coming at the perfect time amidst a league-worst 276.7 pass yards allowed per game.

Palmer has missed the previous two games after sustaining a concussion in Week 4 but upgraded to a full participant on both Friday and Saturday, making it likely he makes his return against the Ravens. The fact that he is listed as questionable and not off the team’s injury report entirely likely means he has to clear the final step of the league’s concussion protocol, something that fantasy managers in deep leagues will want to see happen Sunday to feel well enough about inserting him back into starting lineups.

Evans failed to log any practice reps on Thursday or Friday before upgrading to a limited participant Saturday, evidently showing enough to head into the team’s Week 7 showdown with the Ravens off the injury report. The Bucs will have their full compliment of pass-catching weapons for a matchup with a Ravens team allowing the second most pass yards per game while functioning as one of the top pass-funnel defenses in the league.

Vea was added to the team’s injury report Saturday after missing practice with a hamstring injury, placing his status for the team’s Week 7 showdown with the Ravens in question. Vea has struggled through multiple injuries this season but has missed just one game, although a late-week addition to the injury report with a new injury is never a good sign for a player’s chances of suiting up. Considering Vea remains one of the better run-stoppers in the league, his potential absence is meaningful with a matchup against Derrick Henry and the Ravens on tap.

Burks had been splitting time to DeAndre Hopkins through the season’s first six weeks, potentially paving the way for Hopkins to increase his route participation rate. That is, as long as his knee cooperates. Burks will now miss the next four games, at minimum, after injuring his knee in the team’s Week 6 loss to the Colts.

Well then. Evans practiced for the first time on Saturday. Reports this week expected Evans not to practice much, but to ultimately play in the matchup against the Ravens on Monday Night Football. He could still end up playing, but that seems like a riskier proposition now with his coach making him a game-time decision. It’s an especially tricky situation for fantasy managers, who won’t have other options if Evans is ruled out just before the game on Monday. While Chris Godwin could see more targets if Evans were to miss the game, the offense as a whole would suffer without Evans to the point where him missing the game isn’t beneficial for anyone in fantasy.