Fantasy Football News

Rams WR Puka Nacua (hip) was listed as a non-participant on Wednesday's injury report. HC Sean McVay said that the team isn't concerned that Nacua is dealing with a long-term injury but will continue to play it safe with its star wideout. "Usually time is the best thing that allows that thing to heal," McVay said. "And then once you get to a certain point, then I think you feel pretty good moving forward." It sure sounds like Nacua is more likely than not to miss Sunday night's game against the Broncos. We'll continue to track his status, but fantasy managers should not plan on having him in Week 3 lineups.

Seahawks HC Mike Macdonald said Wednesday that the team won't open RB Zach Charbonnet's 21-day practice window this week. Charbonnet is on the PUP list for at least 2 more games but is eligible to start practicing now. That's at least another week away, though, which presumably means that he won't be ready to play come Week 5. While the reporting on Charbonnet's rehab has been positive, we still don't have a timetable for his return. He's now a little over 8 months removed from his ACL year. Charbonnet is worth keeping stashed in deeper fantasy leagues but is a long shot to be a fantasy factor before the second half of the season.

Steelers RB Rico Dowdle (toe) did not practice on Wednesday, and his right foot was in a walking boot, according to The Athletic's Mike DeFabo. Dowdle is a long shot to play against the Bengals this weekend. RB Jaylen Warren (shoulder) was limited on Wednesday but should be available to serve as Pittsburgh's clear lead back against Cincinnati.

ESPN's Dan Graziano confirms that Raiders TE Brock Bowers (knee) is likely to make his 2026 debut vs. the Saints this weekend. More importantly, Graziano doesn't expect "too many limitations" on Bowers' snaps in that game. "This honestly seems like a situation where the team wanted to be 100% certain about Bowers' health before they put him on the field, and it sounded like they were getting pretty close to that level of certainty even heading into last week's game," Graziano writes. We probably won't be getting a completely 100% Bowers on Sunday, but he'll be close enough to be a strong fantasy starter.

Add Jonah Coleman to the list of injured Broncos RBs. Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Coleman sprained an ankle in the Week 2 win over the Jaguars. His status for Sunday's game vs. the Rams is uncertain. Meanwhile, RB R.J. Harvey is "making progress" with his hamstring injury, and the Broncos "received good news" on RB J.K. Dobbins' hamstring, according to Schefter. Dobbins is expected to practice this week, which seemingly puts him in line to play against the Rams. We'll see if this muddy backfield clears up at all over the next few days.

Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell said Wednesday that RB Aaron Jones won't practice on Wednesday and is uncertain for this weekend's game vs. the Buccaneers. Jones told the media that he injured his knee in the Week 2 win over the Bears and finished the game with a brace on that knee. We'll keep a close eye on his status over the next few days. With RB Jordan Mason on IR, Jones' absence would leave Minnesota's backfield to DeeJay Dallas and Demond Claiborne. Dallas out-snapped Claiborne 8 to 2 against Chicago. Six of Dallas' snaps came on passing plays, while both of Claiborn's snaps were pass routes. Dallas finished with 2 carries and 1 catch; Claiborne 0 carries and 1 catch. Neither guy is an exciting waiver add.

Bengals WR Andrei Iosivas is heading to IR due to a torn ligament in his thumb, HC Zac Taylor said. Iosivas is out at least the next 4 games but is expected back this season, Taylor added. Iosivas had remained Cincinnati's No. 3 WR through 2 weeks. His absence opens up those snaps for WRs Dohnte Meyers and Colbie Young. We'll see how playing time shakes out between those guys in Week 3 and beyond. Neither is a fantasy option right now, but an injury to Ja'Marr Chase or Tee Higgins could change that.

Giants QB Jaxson Dart is expected to undergo knee surgery and miss the entire 2026 season. He solicited multiple opinions and surgery should allow his MCL and meniscus to make a full recovery. It was noted that Dart’s ACL was intact and not injured. QB Jameis Winston will start for the Giants for the foreseeable future.

The 49ers are signing WR Brandin Cooks to their practice squad, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Cooks appeared in 10 games for the Saints and 5 for the Bills last year, totaling 24 catches for 279 scoreless yards. He caught another 5 balls for 78 yards in 2 playoff outings for Buffalo.

Panthers RB Jonathon Brooks is undergoing core-muscle surgery on Wednesday and will be out "at least" 6 weeks, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. It's the latest setback for a guy who's played just 5 games since arriving in 2024.

Update: Brooks has been placed on IR, knocking him out for the next 4 games. HC Dave Canales said Wednesday that he expects Brooks to miss 6-8 weeks.

Packers HC Matt LaFleur conceded Tuesday that WR Jayden Reed's neck injury could cost him the rest of the season. Reed is still undergoing medical tests in Green Bay and has no timetable for return. “It’s way too early for that right now," LaFleur said. "He’s got a lot going on."

Jets TE Mason Taylor is "week to week" with a thumb injury suffered in last week's loss to the Packers, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Taylor is expected to miss Sunday's game against the Lions and could miss more time beyond that. Taylor (52%) and Sadiq (45%) have split routes so far, with Sadiq leading 6 to 3 in targets. Taylor's absence should mean a boost in playing time for the first-round rookie, just ahead of an excellent matchup against a struggling Detroit defense. Sadiq falls short of reliable Week 3 fantasy play, but he's at least an intriguing play in daily contests.

Bears QB Tyson Bagent is dealing with a concussion and in the NFL’s concussion protocol. Caleb Williams will likely miss this week after his hamstring injury in Week 2, and now Bagent himself is in danger of missing Monday Night Football against the Eagles. That would put 38-year-old Case Keenum in line to start if Bagent does not clear the protocol.

Giants QB Jaxson Dart's knee injury is worse than initially thought, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. "He’s out an extended period of time, possibly the season," Rapoport adds.

Rams HC Sean McVay was non-committal on WR Puka Nacua's status for Week 3 on Tuesday, saying only that he's "hopeful" Nacua will be available. "When you have soft tissue injuries with guys like that that are skill players, you're going to err on the side of caution," McVay added. We'll keep a close eye on Nacua's status throughout this week, but fantasy managers might again be in a tough spot with the Rams playing the Broncos on Sunday night. WR Davante Adams (8-195-2 on 10 targets) and TE Terrance Ferguson (6-54-1 on 9 targets) were the big winners of Nacua's absence in Monday night's win over the Giants.

Giants WR Malik Nabers returned to Monday night's game vs. the Rams after injuring his right shoulder at the end of the first quarter. But he went catchless on 2 targets the rest of the way and said afterward that his shoulder popped out and back in, per The Athletic's Dan Duggan. Nabers is scheduled for additional testing on the shoulder. This is notably the same shoulder that Nabers injured at LSU in 2023. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that it was a partially torn labrum that he elected to let heal with rest, rather than surgery. We'll keep you updated on Nabers' status for Week 3 and beyond.

Chargers S Derwin James says he fractured his left pinky in Sunday's loss to the Raiders and will play with a cast on that hand until it's healed. ESPN's Kris Rhim initially reported that James would play with the cast for the rest of the year but recanted that. The typical recovery window for this injury appears to be 3-6 weeks.

Giants QB Jaxson Dart is believed to have sprained his left MCL in Monday night's loss to the Rams, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Dart is scheduled for additional testing on Tuesday to get a better look at the damage. He reportedly wanted to re-enter the Rams game, though, and remained on the sidelines for the second half. It looks like Dart dodged a long-term injury here, although he could still end up missing multiple weeks. We should get a timeline for his return within the next 24 hours. QB Jameis Winston struggled in relief of Dart on Monday night, completing just 11 of 27 passes for 111 yards, 0 TDs, and 1 INT. But he's proven capable of sustaining, and even lifting, passing games in the past.

Commanders S Nick Cross stayed in a Dallas hospital overnight Sunday to be evaluated for an internal injury after his team's loss to the Cowboys, HC Dan Quinn revealed Monday. Cross was discharged Monday morning and traveled home, which would seem to indicate that all checked out OK. No further details on Cross' status seem to be available yet, so we'll keep an eye this week on his availability for Sunday's home date with the Seahawks. Quan Martin looks like the next guy up at safety if Cross needs to miss any time.

Despite not having top WR Puka Nacua available because of a back injury, Matthew Stafford still produced 27.0 fantasy points in a Monday Night Football win to finish as the QB6 for Week 2. The veteran QB completed 22 of 31 attempts for 327 yards and 4 TDs, along with 1 INT, to get back on track after a rough Week 1 loss.