Vikings TE Irv Smith played just 31% of the offensive snaps and ran a route on 45% of pass plays in Sunday's opener vs. the Packers. He finished catch-less on 2 targets. Smith wasn't listed on the Week 1 injury report, but we're assuming he was limited because he missed 3 weeks in August after thumb surgery. Smith's role figures to grow -- and he's worth keeping on fantasy rosters. But he can't be trusted in fantasy lineups until we see the route rate climb.

Playing all 81 snaps in Week 1, Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase racked up 16 targets, 10 catches, 129 yards and 1 score. The monster line came against Pittsburgh in a game that lasted until the end of overtime. Tee Higgins also departed in the 1st half with a concussion. As we saw last year, Chase was electric with the ball in his hands, dodging several tacklers and showing top-end burst. He also had 2 near TDs that didn’t count: One where he likely crossed the goal line but HC Zac Taylor decided not to challenge, the other on a sweet one-handed grab where he couldn’t quite get his 2nd foot down. Chase will look to keep rolling next week against Dallas.

Bengals RB Joe Mixon was fed 27 carries and 9 targets in Sunday’s loss to Pittsburgh. He turned the heavy workload into 145 total yards and 7 catches, the latter mark matching a career high. Sure, Joe Burrow tossed 53 passes in a game that lasted all 70 minutes. But it was still encouraging to see Mixon deliver as a pass-catcher following spotty production there last season. His 9 targets accounted for 17% of Burrow's total pass attempts, a rate in line with Mixon's increased passing game usage through last year's playoffs. Samaje Perine mixed in for only 1 carry and 3 catches (5 targets). Look for Mixon to remain busy this week at Dallas — especially if Tee Higgins (concussion) is sidelined.

In a game that lasted all of regulation and overtime, Bengals QB Joe Burrow tallied 338 yards and 2 TDs on 33 of 53 passing. Burrow added 4 INTs and took 7 sacks despite facing pressure on only 14.1% of his dropbacks, per TruMediaSports. Adding 47 rushing yards, Burrow really delivered for fantasy owners. His decision-making must get cleaned up, though. One particularly late throw to the outside was returned for 6 by S Minkah Fitzpatrick. Note that Burrow lost WR Tee Higgins to a concussion in the 1st half, making him questionable for a Week 2 matchup at Dallas.

Bengals WR Tee Higgins went to the locker room in the 1st half to be evaluated for a concussion. We'll watch for results of that testing.

Update: Higgins has been ruled out. We'll watch his progress through the concussion protocol this week.

Vikings TE Irv Smith is not listed on the Week 1 injury report. He missed about 3 weeks in August after undergoing thumb surgery but has been practicing for about 2-and-a-half weeks now. He'll be out there for Sunday's opener vs. the Packers.

Vikings TE Irv Smith practiced Monday for the 1st time since thumb surgery 3 weeks ago. That aligns with previous reports that he was on track to be ready for Week 1. Smith has remained high in TE2 territory in our fantasy football rankings.

Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell said Thursday that TE Irv Smith is "on track" for Week 1. Smith is recovering from August 2 thumb surgery. It sounds like rehab has gone well, but it's still concerning that Smith will miss most of August -- after missing the entire 2021 season with a knee injury. He'll be tough to trust in fantasy lineups early in the season, although there's still top-12 upside here.

Bengals QB Joe Burrow spoke to the media on Wednesday about his recovery from his appendectomy. He said he's eating "everything" to gain back 20 pounds, per insider Mike Petraglia. Burrow added that he'll return to 11-on-11 work in Wednesday's practice. And, while he won't play in the preseason, he feels confident that he'll be ready to go for Week 1. We'll continue to monitor Burrow's progress, but we haven't altered his 2022 projections.

Bengals QB Joe Burrow practiced Sunday for the first time since his late-July appendectomy. Per The Athletic’s Paul Dehner, the Bengals will gradually increase Burrow’s practice load over the next few days. Based on some highlights from today, though, Burrow certainly looks close to 100%. We’re not concerned about his effectiveness for Week 1.

Bengals WR Tee Higgins continues to be eased into practice after offseason shoulder surgery. But HC Zac Taylor has no concerns about his readiness for the start of the season. “On the physical part of things, he’s ready. I know he feels great. I know he’s ready to go, and trust me, he tells me every day," Taylor said. "But it’s good to slowly integrate him in there, so he’s been doing the one-on-ones. He’ll do seven-on-sevens going forward. I think that he feels really good, and man, he’s really attacked that rehab the right way and looks really good.” Higgins is safe to draft in the late 2nd or early 3rd round of fantasy drafts.

Bengals HC Zac Taylor said Monday that he's "not going to make any predictions" on when QB Joe Burrow returns to the field following his July appendix surgery, according to The Athletic. The team is reportedly optimistic, though, and doesn't expect him to miss the regular-season opener. We'll keep an eye on Burrow's progress.

Bengals TE Drew Sample left Thursday's practice on a cart after hurting his left knee. HC Zac Taylor told reporters Friday that he's only expected to miss a couple of weeks, though, with a mild sprain. That should put Sample on track to begin the season on time. Sample played in every game last year but tallied only 15 targets. Sample has performed well as a pass-blocker, though. So any regular-season absence could hamper that area. The Bengals have also been without new RT La'el Collins, as he works through a back issue.

Bengals HC Zac Taylor said Friday that QB Joe Burrow is "day to day" after his late-July appendectomy. Burrow still isn't practicing but has been leading meetings, Taylor said. It doesn't sound like Burrow is in any danger of missing the start of the season, but it'd be nice to see him get in a few weeks of practice before the opener.

Paul Dehner of The Athletic writes that WR Ja’Marr Chase “has picked up right where he left off” last season. You know, because All-Pro talents don’t just decline in their 2nd season. “It’s not a surprise, and it’s hard to imagine his stock soaring any higher, but Chase looks like he’s playing a different game,” Dehner shares. Good to know. The LSU product is currently coming off the board 3rd among WRs — and rightfully so.

Vikings TE Irv Smith underwent thumb surgery on Tuesday, HC Kevin O'Connell said. O'Connell expects Smith to be ready for the start of the season, but we'll track his rehab. The missed practice time isn't ideal for a young player who missed all of 2021 with a knee injury and is now learning a new offense. There's no viable pass-catching TE behind Smith on Minnesota's roster.

Bengals QB Joe Burrow will miss "some practice time" after undergoing surgery to remove his appendix, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. We'll see how long Burrow is sidelined, but the missed practice reps aren't a huge deal considering he's returning to the same offense with the same top 3 WRs. Consider Burrow's fantasy stock unaffected.

Per the Bengals’ official website, WR coach Troy Walters “envisions” WR Ja’Marr Chase playing in the slot more this season. "I'm cool in the slot,” Chase said. “I just need more reps in it. It doesn't really matter to me. It's just another way for me to get the ball.” According to Pro Football Focus, Chase spent 15.8% of his snaps in the slot as a rookie. Unsurprisingly, he posted an elite 2.49 yards per route run from the inside alignment. The 22-year-old remains a top-5 fantasy WR.

The Athletic's Paul Dehner believes the Bengals are no longer interested in making RB Joe Mixon a 3-down back. Dehner notes that Mixon's usage on 3rd downs fell off precipitously late in the season and through the playoffs. Over his final 9 games, Mixon played just 17 3rd-down snaps compared to RB Samaje Perine's 83. But, Mixon averaged 4.3 targets over those 9 games vs. just 2.7 over his first 11. Losing 3rd-down snaps obviously isn't ideal and will probably keep Mixon from joining the top tier of fantasy RBs. But he's still capable of RB1 production as the clear lead back in a strong Bengals offense.

Vikings TE Irv Smith "looked like a full participant" in last week's minicamp, according to The Athletic's Chad Graff. Smith was limited in OTAs coming off last August's meniscus tear, but it doesn't look like that injury will be an issue as we roll into training camp. Smith has some breakout potential in new HC Kevin O'Connell's offense.