October 2018 4for4 Player News Articles

John Elway said the Broncos “were not hell bent" on trading Demaryius Thomas, but the bottom line is they simply want Courtland Sutton to play more. And sitting at 3-5 at the season’s halfway point, Elway said the time is now.

Sutton leads the Broncos wide receivers with a 19.1 yards-per-catch average and has already proven himself to be a difficult matchup for opposing defensive backs, especially in contested-pass situations. Recently Broncos coach Vance Joseph summed up the reason to throw the ball Sutton’s way with “it’s either a big play down the field or a penalty on the guy who’s covering him."

Related players: DaeSean Hamilton, Tim Patrick

While all the hype is obviously around Sutton, and with good reason, he should get a huge boost in fantasy value with the departure of Thomas, but, guys like Hamilton and Patrick also have a chance to see increased playing time.

Mike Tomlin was wrapping up his news conference Tuesday afternoon when he was asked the obligatory weekly question about LeVeon Bell’s delayed return to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“Anyyy other questions?” Tomlin said, raising his voice into a high pitch while elongating the first word.

Tomlin smiled and walked away as laughter filled the room.

Nothing had changed. It was another day without Bell at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, although, like most others, this one had extra significance.

Related players: James Conner

It was NFL trading deadline day, the final chance for the Steelers to ship their star running back to another team if Bell reported and signed his franchise-tag tender first. Since that didn’t happen by 4 p.m., Bell is free to report to the team without fear of being traded once he puts his name on the $14.55 million contract that has been reduced by $6.84 million because of his eight-week absence.

I'm told WR Terrelle Pryor is traveling back to Buffalo with current intentions to sign with the Bills, at this time, per source.

Pryor has a chance to step right into a struggling Bills offense. Only problem is the team is expected to start Nathan Peterman at QB, so at least for now his fantasy value will be pretty low.

49ers Kyle Shanahan on C.J. Beathard: His wrist hurts, struggling today to hold the ball, we'll see how he is tomorrow.

Related players: Nick Mullens, Tom Savage

The tweet went on to say Beathard would be good if playing on Sunday. It's going to be a test for Thursday and the short week and the team probably won't know until then. Mullens and Savage are next up on the depth chart.

With Derek Anderson suffering a concussion, Bills QB Nathan Peterman is expected to start Sunday vs the Chicago Bears, per sources.

Unfortunately for Peterman he jumps right into a tough matchup against the Bears in Week 9. He obviously won't be at the top of our QB list this week as he enters the season completing 13 passes for 108 yards, a TD but four INTs.

Seahawks released veteran WR Brandon Marshall, per source.

Related players: David Moore

Marshall played only two snaps in Week 8. Meanwhile, Moore's snaps went from just under 50% this season as an average to 71% in Week 8 where he put up a 4-97-1 line. Moore actually has four TDs in his last three games.

The Baltimore Ravens made a low-risk move to help the NFL's No. 24 rushing attack, trading a draft pick to the Green Bay Packers for running back Ty Montgomery, a source told ESPN's Josina Anderson.

The Packers will receive a 2020 seventh-round draft pick in return, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Related players: Javorius Allen, Aaron Jones, Jamaal Williams

The move comes after Monty had a costly fumble on a late kickoff against the Rams last week. Montgomery could be an improvement over Allen in Baltimore, and will give the Ravens some more versatility at RB. We think Alex Collins keeps his role as the primary ball carrier. Meanwhile in Green Bay, it means Jones and Williams will continue a share of the workload, but it likely means more of a fantasy boost for Jones. Williams should still see passing down snaps because of his blocking. The Pack will have to add anther RB, and the story said Darius Jackson was on the team early in the season and could be an option.

Golden Tate as been traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, reportedly for a third round draft pick according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The Eagles are adding another weapon for Carson Wentz. Tate will likely play most of his snaps in the slot, though Nelson Agholor has been running about 61% of his routes out of the slot this season, so that role will need
to be sorted out. Tate’s arrival likely pushes Jordan Matthews to the bench, though he had a productive Week 8 in London and could stay involved as the team’s WR4.

Given that he was seeing 9.9 targets in Detroit and had a long-standing rapport with Matthew Stafford, it’s difficult to see a move to Philly as an upgrade for Tate. Alshon Jeffery, Agholor and Ertz all should be downgraded
slightly to accommodate for Tate’s usage in the offense.

In Detroit, this is a downgrade for Matthew Stafford, but both Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones should see extra work as the team tries to replace Tate’s production. T.J. Jones seems to be the most likely candidate to replace Tate’s snaps in the slot. Detroit wants to run the ball more
than they have in recent years, so the Lions’ offense may not be able to support three fantasy receivers. Jones is nothing but a PPR flier/WR5-type.

Mike Tomlin said Ben Roethlisberger has a fractured index finger on his left hand, sustained in win against Cleveland.

The good news for owners is Tomlin doesn't expect injury to keep Big Ben from playing in Baltimore or performing, however it still could be an issue when it comes to snaps and overall production.

The Denver Broncos have traded Demaryius Thomas to the Houston Texans.

The Texans are trading for Thomas due to Will Fuller’s season-ending knee injury. Thomas won’t replace Fuller’s deep speed, but he’s a capable receiver that can work short and intermediate routes and occasionally go deep. His arrival hurts Keke Coutee’s outlook, since he was likely to see most of Fuller’s targets once he returns from his hamstring injury. Coutee has been playing in the slot but he can play outside as well. It’s an upgrade for Deshaun Watson since he’ll have another solid weapon to throw to. We view this as a downgrade for Thomas since he’s changing teams midseason and joining a receiving corps that is dominated by DeAndre Hopkins.

In Denver, Thomas’s departure opens up a boatload of snaps and targets for Courtland Sutton, who is immediately upgraded to a WR3 with WR2 upside. He’s the big winner in this trade. Emmanuel Sanders may see a slight target bump, and this is a downgrade for Case Keenum. Tim Patrick (1-24-1 on one target in Week 8) likely serves as the Broncos’ WR3 while DaeSean Hamilton recovers from his sprained MCL. Rest-of-season rankings will be updated today.

The Jersey Journal reports that Kyle Lauletta was arrested Tuesday morning while driving to the team’s practice facility after he failed to obey a police officer’s directions and came close to striking the officer with his vehicle.

Although Lauletta has been the third-string quarterback behind both Manning and Alex Tanney, the Giants liked him enough coming out of Richmond that they chose him in the fourth round of the draft, and there’s increasing talk that he should be given a shot to show what he can do before the season is over.

Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green caught an 11-yard pass from Andy Dalton to move the team into field goal range at the end of last Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers, so the team didn’t have to push for more yards before Randy Bullock put the game-winner through the uprights.

If there had been more football to play, it’s unclear whether Green would have been able to take part as he hurt his toe while making the catch. Green said he was OK after the game, but multiple reporters shared that he was in a protective boot at the team’s facility Tuesday.

The story went on to say, with a bye week in Week 9, the Bengals may just be taking every precaution in order to ensure Green is ready to go when they return to action against the Saints on November 11. The team won’t have to release an injury report until after next Wednesday’s practice, so it may be some time before there’s official word about the severity of the injury.

Per Rams Sean McVay good chance Cooper Kupp will play Sunday against Saints.

Related players: Josh Reynolds

Kupp has been out with a knee injury since Week 6 against Denver. A Kupp return should give QB Jared Goff a bit of a boost but will obviously hurt the value of Reynolds who stepped up with two TDs last week against the Packers.

Bucs second-round RB Ronald Jones suffered a hamstring strain and is expected to miss a few weeks, source said.

Related players: Peyton Barber Jacquizz Rodgers

Jones was at least trending up over the past few weeks but this will really hurt his re-draft league value. It's good news for Barber owners as he's been producing fantasy numbers as of late. Rodgers will continue to work on the passing downs.

The Patriots are disciplining WR Josh Gordon during tonight’s game vs. the Bills because of tardiness. He’s expected to be kept off the field for several series — about a quarter — as they continue to work with & manage him.

It’ll be regular playing time after that, according to Rapoport. Reports say Gordon missed a meeting last week and was late for the team bus on Sunday. After what seemed like a great start to his time in New England, this is something to keep an eye on. Other reports say the Patriots are interested in adding WRs Demaryius Thomas and Golden Tate before the trade deadline.

Bills Inactives
QB Josh Allen
RB Taiwan Jones
CB Dontae Johnson
OL Ike Boettger
OL Conor McDermott
OL Wyatt Teller
DE Trent Murphy

Related players: LeSean McCoy

McCoy (concussion) cleared protocol and will play on Monday. The good news is he should be a focal point of the offense, but the bad news is it's been a struggle overall on O for Buffalo.

Patriots Inactives
LB Dont’a Hightower
DE Geneo Grisson
RB Sony Michel
C Brian Schwenke
OT Marcus Cannon
CB Eric Rowe
TE Jacob Hollister

Related players: Rob Gronkowski, James White, Kenjon Barner

Michel (knee) is out tonight despite returning to practice on Saturday. Meanwhile, Gronk will play - as reports all day indicated. With Michel out, White and Barner will split up the workload with White being a strong starting fantasy option.

The Philadelphia Eagles were missing a LeGarrette Blount type back in their running back-by-committee since Jay Ajayi was placed on injured reserve with a torn ACL. Blount was the back that can handle the workload in the fourth quarter that can get the tough yards, similar to the role Ryan Mathews played in 2016.

Pederson found that player in Sunday's win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Josh Adams, who finished with nine carries for 61 yards. Averaging 6.8 yards per carry to lead the Eagles rushing attack, Adams had runs of 21 yards and 17 yards en route to the Eagles third-highest individual rushing performance of the season.

The Eagles head coach declared Adams will play the "Blount role" going forward.

"I think we have that guy. If you go back and watch the game, I called a few more third-and-2, third-and-3 runs that we converted, and of course Josh was in the game at the time," Pederson said. "Wendell [Smallwood] had some tough runs. He had a tough run at the end of the game to ice the game, basically.

Related players: Corey Clement

Adams saw a bump in snaps in London and certainly made the most of them. With a bye week in Week 9, Adams could see a much bigger workload starting in Week 10 against Dallas. As we reported earlier today, Smallwood led the way in snaps while Clement seems to be the odd man out right now in the Eagles backfield. Clement could be battling injuries.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill is throwing footballs again as he continues to recover from a right shoulder injury that has caused him to miss the past three games.

The issues for Tannehill now are whether he has enough power in his throws and if he is sore the day after throwing, Dolphins coach Adam Gase said on Monday.

Related players: Brock Osweiler

Gase has not yet ruled Tannehill out the Dolphins’ next game, against the New York Jets (3-5) on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium. But Gase hopes to have an idea of who his starting quarterback will be before the Dolphins (4-4) begin their practice week on Wednesday. If Tannehill is unable to play, Osweiler will start his fourth consecutive game.

Receiver DeVante Parker reportedly has drawn interest from other teams, but the Dolphins’ injuries at the position make it unlikely the team would trade him.

Parker had a career-high 134 receiving yards Thursday night against the Texans, days after his agent criticized HC Adam Gase. Gase said he expects Parker to be with the team after Tuesday's trade deadline.

The Browns made sweeping changes in the coaching staff on Monday by firing head coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley.

With eight games still left in the season, they promoted defensive coordinator Gregg Williams to interim head coach.

Williams has had quite the coaching tenure, including spending the last 28 years in the NFL. Williams knows what it's like to be a head coach. He coached the Buffalo Bills from 2001-03 and was 17-31 in those seasons. His best year came in 2002 when the Bills were 8-8, led by Drew Bledsoe at quarterback.

Dirk Koetter says Ryan Fitzpatrick will start at QB vs. Carolina.

Related players: Jameis Winston

Winston's status as the team's QB of the future could be in doubt after this decision, reports say. Meanwhile the team is considering the starting QB situation a week-by-week issue, which is a potential nightmare for those looking to ride one of these guys as their fantasy QB for the rest of the season. At least for this week, it looks like Fitz will get the nod.

Chris Thompson Injured a rib.

Now about pain tolerance, Keim went on to say about Thompson's chances in Week 9. After two very good fantasy weeks to start the season, Thompson's role has seemingly changed as of late. He had just five touches last week.

Bill O'Brien said it's too early in the week to know if WR Keke Coutee (hamstring) will be able to play against Denver on Sunday.

Coutee did not play on Thursday night, but with Will Fuller lost for the season the Texans could certainly use Coutee's services for Week 9.

Coming into Sunday’s game in London, Eagles rookie running back Josh Adams had 18 snaps this season. He doubled that at Wembley Stadium.

Adams got 18 snaps (29 percent) and he made the most of them. He carried the nine times for 61 yards. Both were highs for the team on Sunday and career highs.

Related players: Wendell Smallwood, Corey Clement

Smallwood led the way with 31 snaps while Clement got just 13. In his last two games, Clement has just 12 carries for 12 yards. The Eagles may not be afraid to give the free agent rookie Adams more work going forward as just a year ago it was Clement, who was also a rookie free agent, who excelled for the team during its Super Bowl run. The Eagles have a bye in Week 9, but starting Week 10 Adams could continue to see more work.

The Browns have fired Hue Jackson, who went 3-36-1 in two and a half seasons.

Jackson was fired after a day after the Browns lost 33-18 to the Steelers.

He had a 2-5-1 record this season, including a 1-2-1 mark in overtime games.

Jackson was fired after a power struggle over the offense with coordinator Todd Haley. A report surfaced before the Bucs game last week that Haley might be fired over the dysfunction that had been occurring on offense, the story said. The Haslams brought Jackson back this season after his 1-31 record the first two years. They believed he deserved a chance to coach a better roster of players.

In Ed Dickson’s first game as a Seahawk, he responded with two catches for 54 yards. The first of those two receptions was a 12-yard touchdown that keyed Seattle’s 28-14 win over Detroit.

Dickson didn’t play until the third series, with the Seahawks wanting to ease him in. He hadn’t practiced with the team all season until this week. The story said It proved that Dickson can make the kind of big plays the Seahawks hoped for when he was signed to a three-year, $10.7 million contract in March to replace the departed Jimmy Graham and Luke Willson. Those in need of a fantasy TE option should keep an eye on Dickson.

In the moments after Sunday’s 30-23 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, a plainly frustrated Demaryius Thomas put the odds at "50-50" that he will be traded in the coming days.

“How would you feel at your job [if] your boss, whoever, said they wanted you someplace else?" Thomas said. “And you come into work every day and have to think about it? How would you feel? But I had to do it for my team, like it was normal, act like it was normal. It just kept coming up, from left and right … I had to think about it … It’ll be interesting to see what happens in next couple days."

Related players: Courtland Sutton

Thomas is second on the team in receptions (36) and receiving yards (402) and tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns (three) this season. But his hefty salary-cap figure for 2019 -- $17.533 million in what is the last year of his deal -- and the emergence of the rookie Sutton as a big-play threat have raised the possibility of Thomas being shipped elsewhere. The story mentioned the Patriots and Eagles as possible destinations. If Thomas is moved, Sutton would become a must-own, and it's probably worth stashing him as soon as possible if he's still on your wire.

For tonight’s game against the Bills, the expectation is that Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski plays, source said.

He is listed as questionable. Barring a setback with his back, he should be good, Rapoport went on to say, adding the week off likely helped his ankle, too. Now, one fear for owners could be a lopsided game against the Bills and perhaps an early exit, but it looks like he's at least going to suit up.

After being evaluated for a concussion in the locker room just before the final drive started, Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson returned to the game with about 1:24 remaining.

He was displaying concussion-like symptoms as the Cardinals attempted to come back from a 15-10 deficit againt the San Francisco 49ers.

Prior to the injury, Johnson had 16 carries for 59 yards and three receptions for 42 yards. Johnson and the Cards have a bye this coming week before returning to play the Chiefs in Week 10.

Tyreek Hill suffered a groin injury late in Sunday's game against the Broncos.

Prior to his exit from the game, Hill caught three of his four targets for 70 yards.

Owners will need to keep an eye on Hill's status for next week's game against the Browns.

Ronald Jones has been ruled out of Sunday's game at Cincinnati due to a hamstring injury, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

Jones was trending up, of course, and had been incorporated into the Buccaneers offense the past four games, acting as a change-of-pace option to starter Peyton Barber. After earning 22 touches in the first three, Jones turned three touches into one yard before departing this contest.

Jameis Winston's regrettable day against the Cincinnati Bengals ended early.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers benched starting quarterback in the third quarter after he threw four interceptions against the Bengals.

Related players: Ryan Fitzpatrick

Fitzpatrick replaced him in the game with the Buccaneers trailing 34-16. After his first drive yielded a field goal, Fitzpatrick found wide receiver Mike Evans downfield for a 72-yard touchdown strike. He rallied the team to tie the Bengals before they fell in the final seconds. This now opens the door for a Week 9 QB change for the Bucs.

LeSean McCoy officially has cleared concussion protocol and is expected to play tomorrow night vs. New England.

McCoy was back at practice on Thursday so this was expected to be the case. We ranked McCoy 24th this week, it's a good matchup against the Pats but the Bills offense is a struggle right now.

Packers Inactives
QB Tim Boyle
OL Alex Light
OL Justin McCray
CB Tony Brown
CB Bashaud Breeland
LB Korey Toomer
WR J'Mon Moore

Related players: Geronimo Allison, Randall Cobb

Allison is set to return as a borderline WR2 after missing three games. Prior to going down, he was averaging 15 PPR PPG through the first month of the season. We see no reason for him to take a significant step back and have him as a mid-range WR3 for the rest of the season. It's been a month since Cobb last played, but even before getting hurt, he had been largely ineffective outside of a fantastic Week 1.

49ers Inactives
C Weston Richburg
WR Pierre Garcon
OT Shon Coleman
DT Jullian Taylor
CB Greg Mabin
DT D.J. Jones
QB Tom Savage

Garcon (shoulder, knee) missed practice all week and is out for this week.

Colts Inactives
T/G Denzelle Good
WR Ryan Grant
S Malik Hooker
WR Steve Ishmael
DT Hassan Ridgeway
TE Erik Swoope
RB Robert Turbin

Related players: Marlon Mack

Mack (ankle) returned to take full practice reps Friday after missing practice Thursday.

Rob Gronkowski says he expects to travel to Orchard Park, N.Y. for Monday night's game against the Buffalo Bills.

He is officially questionable to play.

This is a good sign for those in a pinch with the Monday night kickoff, as Gronk did not make the trip last week for a road game. Indications are pointing to it just being a one-game absence for Gronk.

After suffering a knee injury last week that was reportedly a week-to-week injury, which usually means out for at least one game, Sony Michel, surprisingly returned to practice Saturday, giving him an outside chance to play Monday night in Buffalo.

However, he is officially listed as doubtful to play.

Relayed players: James White, Kenjon Barner, Kenneth Farrow

A Monday night kick doesn't help Michel owners with making a decision on him this week. It's likely he won't play this week, given the news leading up to today, but this is definitely a good long term sign for those with Michel on their fantasy teams. Keep an eye out to see if the Patriots promote Kenneth Farrow from the practice squad, who was seen receiving hand-offs from Tom Brady earlier this week. If Farrow is promoted to the active roster, it's likely a sign Michel will be inactive Monday night. Regardless, this does not change James White's status as a strong Week 8 start.

Bills head coach Sean McDermott says Bills will continue to “take it one day at a time” with LeSean McCoy as he remains in concussion protocol. No status yet for Monday’s game.

He was limited in practice all week and officially questionable for Week 8.

Related player: Chris Ivory

Chris Ivory would be in line for a heavy workload Monday night if McCoy is ruled out. Ivory received 19 touches in Week 7 and 23 when McCoy missed Week 3 against the Vikings. If McCoy is out, Ivory would be a volume-based RB2.

Head coach Dirk Koetter said Peyton Barber (ankle) and DE Jason Pierre-Paul are “good to go” for Sunday’s game.

Looking back at Week 7, the Buccos used a nearly even snap split between Barber, Ronald Jones and old friend Jacquizz Rodgers (37%, 31%, 32% respectively). As usual, none of the options were effective, as all three failed to manage even 3.0 yards-per-carry and only caught two total passes in a game Jameis Winston threw the ball 32 times. On the season, the Bucs rank 29th in total touchdowns, 31st in rushing attempts and yards per carry and dead last in rushing yards, receiving yards, receptions and rushing touchdowns. We'd suggest avoiding the situation unless you are utterly desperate.

Christ Thompson (knee, ribs) was listed as questionable on the Redskins official injury report.

It sounds like Thompson should be good to go for the first time since Week 5. In the four games he's played, Thompson scored 15.5 PPR PPG, which is low-end RB1 level production. That number matches the 15.1 PPG he scored in 2017, giving us ample evidence the pass-receiving back is a legit fantasy threat. The biggest issue he's had to deal with is injuries. Including the two missed games this year, he is up to eight since the start of last season. Don't let that discourage you from firing him up as a top-15 option against the Giants this week.

Head Coach Vance Joseph announced that Jared Veldheer, Darian Stewart, DaeSean Hamilton and Royce Freeman (ankle) are all out.

Freeman hasn't been startable in fantasy leagues for a while now, as he's taken a back seat to fellow rookie Phillip Lindsey. With Devontae Booker set to fill in, Freeman's absence likely won't affect Lindsey too much, perhaps leading to a couple extra touches at most. We have Lindsey projected as a back-end RB1 in a great matchup against the Chiefs. Booker is an interesting flier as a player who could see significant pass game work in a game with an over/under of 53.5. Start him as a fringe RB3 who could surprise if you are in a deep league or desperate for help during the bye-weeks.

Geronimo Allison (hamstring) is good to go Sunday against the Rams. Randall Cobb (hamstring) remains questionable.

Allison is set to return as a borderline WR2 after missing three games. Prior to going down, he was averaging 15 PPR PPG through the first month of the season. We see no reason for him to take a significant step back and have him as a mid-range WR3 for the rest of the season. Cobb is listed as questionable, and, at least as of now, seems like a real question mark for Sunday. It's been a month since he last played, but even before getting hurt, he had been largely ineffective outside of a fantastic Week 1. We are less bullish on his season-long prospects, but Aaron Rodgers is so special, Cobb is a guy who should be owned in most leagues just in case.

Despite getting in a limited practice both Thursday and Friday, LeSean McCoy is still in the league's concussion protocol. He'll need to clear it to play Monday night against the Patriots. His teammate Chris Ivory injured his hamstring Thursday at practice but also got in a limited session Friday. With all the uncertainty around both injuries and the game not kicking off until Monday, we'd suggest staying away from both backs if at all possible. There is too much potential for the situation to end in tears for owners who take a leap of faith in an already awful matchup.

The Bears listed Khalil Mack and Allen Robinson as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Jets after both returned to practice Friday.

It’s an encouraging sign that the Bears at least will have their top pass rusher and top receiver for a game in which they’re favored by more than a touchdown. Whether Mack (right ankle) and Robinson (groin) would be effective if they play, though, remains to be seen.

Robinson wasn't himself last Sunday, which led to a one-reception, four-yard dud of a game. His snap percentage backs up our personal observations, as Robinson played only 73 percent of snaps, a season-low by more than 10 percent. There is some thought he won't play this week, which may be for the best, but if he does, don't be surprised if he plays a lower number of plays than usual and isn't as effective as a healthy ARob could be.

The Colts injury report no longer has Jack Doyle (hip) listed. He is expected to be good to go Week 8.

While Doyle was out, Eric Ebron asserted himself as a major cog in the Colts offense. How that affects Doyle's outlook remains uncertain, as Indy lacks for great options behind the two tight ends and T.Y. Hilton. Chester Rogers, who has averaged a 6-65-.25 line over the last month, has emerged as a viable threat, but we aren't sure it will be enough to keep the Colts from feeding both Doyle and Ebron.

Looking back to Weeks 1 and 2 before Doyle went down, he played 94 percent and 97 percent of snaps, respectively. Ebron's snap rate was 45 percent and 28 percent over those same games. We doubt that split resumes, so we are comfortable keeping Ebron as a TE1 with Doyle as a TE2 until we have reason to do otherwise.

Marlon Mack (ankle) was listed as questionable for Week 8 after getting in a full practice on Friday.

The full practice is all we needed to know the Colts plan to have Mack on Sunday. And thank goodness, too, as they face the Raiders, giving us a great chance at a positive game script for the running back. In case you missed it, Mack's return to the lineup last week was a resounding success to the tune of 159 total yards and 29.9 PPR points. He figures to see 15+ touches again this week, helping to make him an RB1/2.

The Patriots official injury report listed Rob Gronkowski (back) as questionable.

Most seem to think Gronk will play Monday night. If so, he is an obvious TE1. The problem is, if he doesn't and you held a spot in your lineup, you are sunk, as no Patriots backup or Charles Clay, the tight end for their opponent, is startable. Maybe we will get lucky and get more news on Saturday that gives a better idea what the Patriots have planned.

According to the 49ers official injury report, Matt Breida (ankle, everything) got in a limited practice Friday and is questionable for Week 8.

We've read reports and speculation that are all over the place on Breida, but the general consensus is he is more likely to sit than play. We don't buy that necessarily, especially after the same was expected back in Week 6, a game he not only played, but managed 14 touches for 61 yards and a score. That said, if Breida goes, don't expect a full workload, as the recent emergence of Raheem Mostert gives them a little more cushion than they had with the one-dimensional Alfred Morris. If Breida can't play, we'd expect Mostert to get the bulk of the work, making him an RB2 in a fantastic matchup against the Cardinals 32nd ranked rush defense in our Adjusted Fantasy Points Allowed metric.

Theo Riddick (knee) was listed as out for this week on the Lions official injury report.

This news should mean another busy day for rookie Kerryon Johnson, who set a season-high in snap percentage, touches and yards last week. We have him ranked as an RB1 this week with backfield-mate LeGarrette Blount a touchdown dependant RB4.

Houston’s fifth-straight win included the loss of receiver Will Fuller for the year with a torn ACL. Coach Bill O’Brien was asked by reporters on Friday whether the team will look internally or externally to replace Fuller. “I think it’s both,” O’Brien said. “I know there are guys in the locker room that can do certain things. Obviously, if they could do them like Will, they would’ve been out there like Will, but there are definitely guys that can do some things. We’ve got a lot of good players in that locker room. Then, we’re always — G.M. Brian [Gaine] and his crew — we’re always trying to do what we think is best for the team.”

Keke Coutee, who is currently nursing a hamstring, is the next man up for the Texans. While he has been quiet of late, Weeks 4 and 5 hinted at his upside as he totaled 17 receptions for 160 yards and a touchdown. If he can finally shake the hammy problem, we'd consider him a WR3 the rest of the way.

Outside of Coutee, the Texans lack for options. The last time another receiver outside of Fuller, Coutee or DeAndre Hopkins caught a pass was Sammie Coates all the way back in Week 4. For the year, outside of the Texans' top-three, the rest of the receiving corps has totaled 18 targets, 10 receptions, 132 yards and one score.

After being limited in yesterday’s practice with an ankle injury, Marlon Mack was not at practice today.

Coming off the best game of his career, this is an incredibly disappointing development. Penciled in as an RB2 if he is able to go, Mack promised to offer consistent touches and major upside for his owners. If he misses another game with the latest in 2018's string of injuries, Nyheim Hines would see additional early-down work and could be an RB2 himself.

Christ Thompson (knee, ribs) practiced for the second straight day Thursday.

Despite playing only four games this season, Thompson leads the Redskins in yards after the catch, targets and receptions and is third in receiving yards, only 52 off team leader Paul Richardson. Thompson is trending towards playing this week, and if he does, he slots right back into high-end RB2 territory as the best pass-catching option on the whole of the Redskins roster.

Quincy Enunwa (ankle) will not play Week 8.

The Jets receiving corps is in total disarray due to injury as Robby Anderson is looking doubtful himself. Jermaine Kearse and newly signed Rishard Matthews. Until Matthews gets his sea legs and we see what sort of role he has, neither of the two is anything more than a WR4 or worse.

Multiple league sources have indicated a belief that Dalvin Cook (hamstring) will miss the Vikings' next two games against the Saints and Lions and remain sidelined through Minnesota's bye week.

Looking at the short-term impact of this news, Latavius Murray will be an RB2 against the Saints this week. Their defense ranks second in the league against the run in our Adjusted Fantasy Points Allowed (aFPA) metric, making for a tough matchup indeed. The Lions, who Minnesota plays Week 9, fall on the far opposite end of the spectrum, as they rank 29th against the run in aFPA. Murray should slot in as a top-15 play next week.

Colts tight end Jack Doyle, out since Week 3 with a hip injury, practiced Wednesday and Frank Reich didn't rule him out from playing at Oakland this weekend.

The phrase "cautious optimism" applies here. If Doyle comes out of practice OK and can play this week, it wouldn't be surprising to see him take a back seat to Eric Ebron, who has been effective in his absence. Let's see how the rest of the week goes and hope Mr. Doyle is really on the comeback.

49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Matt Beida (everything) was being held out of practice today.

Breida has spent more time in the trainer's room than at home this season. It's too bad, too, because when healthy, he has been dynamic and productive, looking the part of an offensive centerpiece all the while. Be sure Raheem Mostert is owned in your league and keep an eye on practice reports the rest of the week.

Coach Dirk Koetter said with Peyton Barber (ankle) not practicing, Ronald Jones "got the majority of everything today."

We don't yet know Barber's Week 8 status, but he didn't practice Wednesday. If Jones gets the gig to himself this week, he would be a volume-based RB2 against the Bengals 31st ranked rush defense (in aFPA). More importantly, if Jones were to play well, he'd ensure himself of more work going forward.

The Texans have listed seven players as out for their Thursday night matchup with the Dolphins, including Keke Coutee (hamstring).

Coutee's absence is good news for Will Fuller who is a WR2 in our rankings this week. According to Evan Silva of Rotoworld, Fuller has finished below 70 yards in games where Coutee has played but has totaled 13 receptions, 214 yards and two scores in the two games Coutee has missed.

The Bears official practice report listed Allen Robinson (groin) as a DNP.

This could just be Chicago giving Robinson some rest, but it's worth noting, especially considering how ineffective he was on Sunday. It's clear ARob isn't fully healthy, so rest can't hurt, but this could also be a bad sign for his Week 9 availability. We will obviously know more as the week goes on.

The Jets announced today via Twitter that Bilal Powell (neck) was put on injured reserve.

As you would expect, Isaiah Crowell will be the biggest beneficiary of Powell's neck injury. He is a borderline RB1 this week against the Bears and a volume-based RB2 for the rest of the season. Rookie Trenton Cannon will also pick up some work, especially in the passing game. For the uninitiated, he is a thin (185 pounds) speedster with explosive athleticism (91st percentile 40-yard dash, 91st percentile burst score, 84% percentile agility score and a 78th percentile SPARQ score). In 29 snaps last Sunday, he reeled in four receptions for 69 yards, showing breakaway speed at multiple points. He's a sleeper RB4 who is dripping with upside, but seems unlikely to see more than 8-10 touches in any single game.

The Rams official Twitter quote coach Sean McVay as saying, "Cooper Kupp is doubtful for Sunday but is making good progress."

We knew he'd be out a couple weeks, so this shouldn't catch anybody off-guard. In a fantastic matchup against the Packers Week 8, his teammates Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods are both WR1 options. Josh Reynolds will continue to see an increased role, but his 84% snap rate last week translated into but a single target. Reynolds is well off the fantasy radar.

The Miami Dolphins will be without their most explosive offensive weapon for the rest of the 2018 season.

Dolphins receiver Albert Wilson will be placed on injured reserve prior to Thursday’s game, according to a league source, effectively ending his first season with the team.

Wilson will not require surgery for a hip injury he suffered in Miami’s loss to the Detroit Lions last Sunday, but the move to injured reserve will give him time to recover.

The Raiders' new kicker is rookie Daniel Carlson, per source.

The Vikings drafted him in fifth round before waiving him earlier in season.

Cowboys TE Geoff Swaim and RG Zack Martin have sprained MCLs.

The Cowboys are on a bye this week. Swaim took a hit to the knee with his foot planted on the turf against the Redskins. He was able to get off the field under his own power but he is no sure thing to return after the bye.

Broncos backup QB Chad Kelly was charged with first-degree criminal trespassing, the PIO of the Englewood, CO PD tells me.

This happened at 1:17 am this morning, according to Rapoport's tweet. ESPN said a man and a woman reported a man came into their home and sat down on the couch "mumbling incoherently" and was eventually chased out of the home. Kelly is a fan-favorite in Denver. He was the final pick in the 2017 draft because of off the field issues.

[Albert Wilson] has a hip injury that will force him to miss Thursday’s game against the Houston Texans.

The rest of the season is also very much in doubt according to the story. Wilson was set to see a specialist Tuesday and the team is expecting the worst.

Bengals WR John Ross is expected to miss a few weeks with a groin injury he aggravated on Sunday, source says.

The hope is Ross only misses this game vs. the Bucs as the team then has a bye the following week.

Former Titans’ WR Rishard Matthews is signing with the NY Jets, per source.

Quincy Enunwa is out with an ankle injury so the Jets are short at the position. Matthews will likely need some time to get up to speed however.

But as Bill Belichick said Monday, the Patriots need to be careful when managing James White's work load. It's a long season and the last thing they can afford is to pile too much work onto their top remaining back.

"We have confidence in James," Belichick said. "He does everything well for us but we don't want to overload him but at the same time he's certainly capable of doing a significant amount for out football team in a lot of different ways. So, try to find a way for him to be productive without putting it all on his shoulders."

Related players: Sony Michel

How they use White will depend on the gameplan the story said. Michel could miss some time the piece seemed to indicate. It went on to say the Patriots will probably be best served by not trading for a running back. Instead, they're likely best off going after a guy like Mike Gillislee or Ralph Webb. They've also got practice squad running back Kenneth Farrow as an option.

If the bye week doesn't yield more touches for Aaron Jones, then perhaps nothing will.

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He's the Green Bay Packers' most productive running back, yet you'll find him nowhere on the NFL's list of leading rushers -- not with just 32 attempts, or 8.0 per game since he returned from suspension in Week 3.

His 5.9 yards per carry average ranks fifth in the league among all backs with at least 32 carries.

Much of that, according to the NFL's Next Gen Stats, has come on his own, the story said. Among all backs with at least 30 rushes this season heading into the Packers' bye last week, no one had the blocking advantage -- defined as how many blockers versus defenders in the box -- less often than Jones. According to those numbers, only 41 percent of his runs have come with a blocking advantage, while teammate Jamaal Williams has had the blocking advantage 64 percent of the time but averages just 3.8 yards per carry. The story also added that with Aaron Rodgers at QB, a balance of run and pass isn't likely, hurting Jones' fantasy value.

Miami Dolphins coach Adam Gase said Monday that Brock Osweiler will start at quarterback Thursday at Houston, and Ryan Tannehill will miss his third game. Tannehill is dealing with a shoulder injury that has prevented him from throwing.

Gase said Tannehill is in a "good spot" and the Dolphins (4-3) plan for him to throw this week; he added that there's no guarantee it would be a real football, and it could be a Nerf football.

The team doesn't think Tannehill will need surgery, the story said, and will return as the starter when he's ready. For this week, Osweiler will be without the services of WRs Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson, which are two huge losses.

The Oakland Raiders announced Monday that they have placed running back Marshawn Lynch on injured reserve with a groin injury.

He would be eligible to return for the Christmas Eve game against Denver in Week 16.

Related players: Doug Martin, Jalen Richard

Lynch suffered the injury during the Raiders' Week 6 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in London. We reported earlier today from an ESPN article that it seems like Martin takes over the lead back role while Lynch is out. It's very possible Lynch has played his final game for the Raiders, and possibly his career.

Carroll said TE Ed Dickson had been working really hard in lead up to this week.

The tweet went on to say that Dickson should have a chance to play quite a bit this week if he makes it through the practice work. Owners struggling to find TE help this year may want to pay attention to Dickson's progress this week.

Giants Inactives
G Patrick Omameh
WR Jawill Davis
QB Kyle Lauletta
S Kamrin Moore
WR Russell Shepard
CB Mike Jordan
DT John Jenkins

Related players: Evan Engram

Engram (knee) didn't have an injury designation on the Giants final injury report ahead of Monday Night Football against the Falcons. He is set to make his return after turning in a full week of practice.

Falcons Inactives
K Matt Bryant
RB Brian Hill
CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson
DE Steven Means
G Zac Kerin
OT Matt Gono
DT Michael Bennett

Related players: Calvin Ridley, Mohamed Sanu

Ridley (ankle) and Sanu (hip) are both active in Week 7 for MNF.

This is not what ESPN executives had in mind when they scheduled the Patriots and Bills for a midseason meeting on Monday Night Football.

Actually, it’s not exactly clear what those executives had in mind when they booked the Bills for this game. Regardless, the matchup has somehow gotten even worse as it approaches, as the Bills announced Monday that Derek Anderson will start at quarterback against the Patriots.

Anderson just signed on Oct. 9 and will start for the second-straight week. Anderson threw three interceptions and lost a fumble in a 37-5 loss to the Colts this past week.

Wide receiver Kenny Stills injured his groin in the second half of Sunday’s game against the Lions. He will miss the Dolphins’ Thursday night game against the Texans.

Related players: DeVante Parker, Danny Amendola, Jakeem Grant

The Dolphins are at Houston on Thursday night and the turnaround would have been too quick to get Stills back in the lineup. According to other reports, it looks like Parker will get to play on the short week with all the injuries in Miami.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are sticking with quarterback Blake Bortles as the starter, the team announced Monday evening.

Coach Doug Marrone benched Bortles early in the second half of Sunday's 20-7 home loss to Houston following his second lost fumble for backup Cody Kessler.

"I believe he gives us the best opportunity to win," Marrone said Monday. The Jaguars face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday morning in London.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Monday that Kessler will see reps this week in practice with the starting offense, and Bortles will be on "a short leash" for Sunday's game.

MRI on Patriots’ RB Sony Michel revealed no structural damage, per source.

Related players: James White, Kenjon Barner

This falls in line with a report we had earlier today. Michel will be considered week to week, per source. Best-case scenario for Michel and Patriots. White and Barner could see a bump in work, but the Pats could add another back this week, especially if Michel can't go in Week 8.

Jon Gruden is shipping another young talent out of town.

The Dallas Cowboys are acquiring receiver Amari Cooper in a trade with the Oakland Raiders, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. Oakland will receive a first-round pick from Dallas in the deal, Rapoport added.

Cooper will have the Week 8 bye to get acclimated and will likely slide in as the team's No. 1 option in the passing game. He has been an enigma over the past season-plus, but he's still just 24-years-old and has two, 1,000-yard seasons on his resume. From a rest-of-season standpoint, there is some upside here, though he's joining a new (typically run-heavy) offense in the middle of the season, so there's some downside as well. Consider him a WR4 with WR3 upside if things break his way. If Dak Prescott peppers him with nine-plus targets per game, which is unlikely, he could achieve WR2 value by season's end.

The New England Patriots have some good news on the injury front. Rob Gronkowski's back injury that kept him out of Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears is not considered serious according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Gronkowski, who was already dealing with an ankle issue, was a surprise addition to the injury report this week when he was listed with a back issue late in the week, the story said. It went on to say during an appearance on Good Morning Football, Rapoport said that Gronkowski's back locked up during Friday's practice and that the Patriots "didn't want to take any chances" with their star tight end.
Rapoport added that "this is not a long-term injury" and that Gronkowski is not expected to miss any more time.

The Chargers didn’t have any major concerns about running back Melvin Gordon‘s health when he didn’t practice on Friday as he wasn’t given an injury designation for their game against the Titans.

The hamstring issue that cause him to skip their only practice in London got worse on Saturday, however, and the team announced he’d been downgraded to questionable. The trend continued on Sunday morning and Gordon was left out of the lineup.

Related players: Austin Ekeler

The story said the Bolts wanted to 'protect' Gordon so the hamstring doesn't become a lingering thing. The Chargers are on a bye this week after the London game. According to reports, the field was slippery as well which could have been a factor.

Based off Sunday, when Michael Roberts became more of a receiving option in the Lions' passing game than any other tight end this season, there is something to work with.

Coming out of Toledo, the potential always existed. He was a 6-foot-4 reliable red zone target with a knack for the end zone – 16 touchdowns on 45 receptions his final year with the Rockets – but as a rookie he did little. He often played behind the since-departed Eric Ebron and Darren Fells, so the opportunity didn’t exist.

Roberts caught two TDs in the game. The story said Roberts' bright future was a big part of why the Lions cut Ebron. The story added Roberts is agile, relatively fast and he has the body and hands to become a potential difference-maker.

Patriots running back Sony Michel will have an MRI on his left knee Monday, but New England does not expect the results to be "overly serious," per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Related players: James White, Kenjon Barner

It didn't look good as Michel went down in a heap to start the second quarter of the Patriots' 38-31 win at Chicago on Sunday. The rookie finished with four carries for 22 yards and a fumble he let go upon having his knee twisted on his final play of the day. Michel was later carted to the locker room.

Dolphins WR Kenny Stills suffered a groin strain toward the end of the game yesterday, and he’s getting an MRI today.

Related players: DeVante Parker, Danny Amendola, Jakeem Grant

We'll likely have an update later today and Rapoport went on to say there's no word yet on his availability. But, it would be an incredibly fast turnaround for him to be able to play in Thursday's game at Houston. Parker could get his chance after all, his tweet continued.

After the 49ers' close 33-30 loss to the Packers last week, Matt Breida said he would have to be “in a wheelchair to not go.” He ended the evening in Green Bay with 14 carries for 61 yards.

It was a different story Sunday in the lopsided 39-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. On the first play, Breida aggravated his ankle injury and had to come out of the game. The team’s medical staff taped both of his ankles, and he returned. On his first carry after re-entering, Breida lost a fumble.

He finished the day with a modest five carries for 15 yards -- his lowest output of the season.

Related players: Raheem Mostert, Alfred Morris

As the story led with, Breida might have to get healthier before returning to the field. HC Kyle Shanahan said Breida has done a good job recovering during the week but may have to consider letting him heal before playing again. Mostert and Morris would see an increase if Breida misses time. Mostert rushed for 59 yards and had four catches for 19 yards.

With Marshawn Lynch out, veteran Doug Martin figures to become Oakland's No. 1 back.

But Martin has not been nearly as effective as the Raiders had hoped as a change-of-pace back. Lynch has avoided 25 tackles this season through Week 6, ranking fourth among all NFL running backs. Martin, though, was averaging just 0.07 forced missed tackles per touch after averaging a league-low 0.06 forced missed tackles per touch last year.

Related players: Jalen Richard, DeAndre Washington

Richard and Washington could see work too, but according to the story is sounds like Martin is the back to pick up for those looking for help. The story also said Lynch could go on IR and may have at least played his last game as a Raider.

Dolphins WR Albert Wilson suffered a hip injury that could sideline him for the season, agent Drew Rosenhaus said on Sports Xtra with WSVN-Fox 7’s Steve Shapiro.

Rosenhaus said the best-case is Wilson misses a few weeks. Tests care coming Monday.

Steelers players are in the building in Pittsburgh, back from their bye week, but I’m told RB LeVeon Bell is not among them. The wait continues…

Related players: James Conner

A story also broke on Sunday that the team doesn't plan to trade Bell, and they expect Bell to return at some point and remain on the roster through 2019 and then become a free agent. Other reports say Bell will return ahead of Week 9 while others think he could remain away through Week 10, because at that point he has to return to the team in order to become a free agent next year. Until he is back, Conner remains the team's RB1.

The already banged-up New York Jets were dealt two major blows in the second quarter of their Week 7 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings, as running back Bilal Powell and Doug Middleton sustained injuries that will keep them out for the remainder of the afternoon.

Powell will not return due to a neck injury, while Middleton is out with a shoulder injury.

Related players: Isaiah Crowell

With Powell out, Crowell, who is playing through an injury of his own, will shoulder the load out of the backfield.

Rams Inactives
C Brian Allen
RB Justin Davis
DT Sebastian Joseph-Day
RB John Kelly
WR Cooper Kupp
DT Tanzel Smart
DB Darious Williams

Related players: Josh Reynolds

Kupp (knee, out) missed practice all week and is out for Week 7. Reynolds (hand) took full practice reps again Friday and will play. Reynolds should get most of Kupp’s snaps, but the Rams will probably kick Robert Woods to the slot and “sacrifice” Reynolds on Richard Sherman’s side of the field. Woods and Brandin Cooks look like WR1 plays this week.

Redskins Inactives
Paul Richardson WR
Quinton Dunbar CB
Chris Thompson RB
Troy Apke S
Casey Dunn C
Geron Christian SR OL
Jamison Crowder WR

Related players: Josh Doctson

Maurice Harris, Brian Quick and Michael Floyd are next up on the depth chart. Doctson seems like the best play, but he’s been so unproductive that it’s very tough to trust him. He did have six touchdowns last season, but has only caught 45 of 102 career targets.

The Houston Texans have found a rhythm with their three wide receiver set. Now, they might have to find another option in the slot.

Rookie wide receiver Keke Coutee exited the Texans game in the second quarter. He is now listed as out with a hamstring injury per Texans PR Staff.

Related players: Vyncint Smith

Coutee missed all of the Texans preseason and a majority of the start of the regular season with the same injury. If unable to return next week, the Texans will likely turn to Smith to help pick up the slack. Smith has one catch this season for 28 yards.

Albert Wilson, who has been the Dolphins’ best and most dynamic offensive player of the season, left the game Sunday early in the second quarter with a leg injury.

Wilson limped to the locker room, slowly, with a towel wrapped around his head. Some of the towel was in his mouth, and he bit down to help with the pain, the story said. Wilson has since been ruled out.

Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy left in the first quarter of Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts after suffering a head injury, the team announced. He was ruled out from returning.

Chris Ivory was also hurt after McCoy went down but his status is still up in the air. It left Marcus Murphy as the team's RB.

McCoy was injured after he was hit out of bounds on a 1-yard run on Buffalo's opening drive. He was on the ground briefly before walking into the sideline medical tent under his own power. He was then accompanied by a trainer to the Bills' locker room.

Rookie running back Sony Michel suffered a nasty-looking knee injury on the first play of the second quarter Sunday in the Patriots’ game against the Chicago Bears.

Related players: James White, Kenjon Barner

Michel’s right knee twisted awkwardly underneath him as Bears defensive tackle Bilal Nichols wrapped him up. He also fumbled on the play, and Chicago recovered. Michel was quickly carted to the Patriots’ locker room following the injury, which leaves New England with White and Barner at running back. He was listed as questionable to return.