According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, defensive tackle Ed Oliver agreed to a four-year, $68 million ($45 million guaranteed) extension with the Bills. The 2019 No. 9 overall pick totaled 151 tackles (96 solo), 14.5 sacks, 11 passes defensed, and four forced fumbles in his first four seasons as a professional (62 games). He would have been playing on the fifth year of his rookie deal. However, Oliver will stay in Buffalo, where he's expected to remain a vital component of a potent Bills defense.
The Buffalo Bills defense looked like a stronger Week 3 play against the Washington Commanders before quarterback Sam Howell engineered a furious 299-yard, two-touchdown display for a successful comeback against the Broncos in Denver last Sunday. Sean McDermott's unit is already down Von Miller (knee), but they're difficult to ignore while opposing a mostly unproven signal-caller in this one. Washington's offensive line, while not the most dominant group, remains stable, having not yet succumbed to significant injuries like several units across the gridiron. Buffalo's D has forced four turnovers through two outings, cementing them as a top-10 play at worst on Sunday.
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (ankle) has officially been ruled out for the Week 3 matchup against the Colts. Originally, the team believed that this injury wasn't going to cause the veteran wideout to miss any time. He was unable to practice at all this week which led up to ruling him out altogether. Beckham has yet to make his presence felt with this receiving corps as he only has five catches for 66 yards through two games. While he's on the sidelines, Nelson Agholor, who posted a solid game in Week 2, will see more opportunities. Agholor is still just a deeper league, low-end flex option as Mark Andrews and Zay Flowers will likely see their value increase even more.
Buffalo Bills running back Latavius Murray seems to have usurped Damien Harris as the team's No. 2 tailback behind James Cook through the opening two weeks of play. The 33-year-old has surprisingly out-snapped Harris in consecutive outings, and he was even seen participating in two-minute drills in Week 2's romping of the Las Vegas Raiders. Murray has also unexpectedly led the backfield in red-zone touches (five), putting a frustrating damper on Cook's ceiling potential in the early goings. As it appears, Buffalo exhibits more trust in the power backs, Murray and Harris, on the goal line than Cook at this interval of the year, so Murray's usage is worth monitoring moving ahead. As far as Week 3 against the Washington Commanders goes, the veteran journeyman is a last-gasp RB4 at best with extreme touchdown dependency.
Baltimore Ravens running back Justice Hill (toe) didn't practice all week and has been officially ruled out for Week 3 against the Indianapolis Colts. Hill picked up turf toe in the Week 2 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in his first game with a bigger role due to J.K. Dobbins' season-ending Achilles injury. Turf-toe injuries can be pretty painful, so there's no guarantee Hill will be ready to roll for a Week 4 contest on the road against the Cleveland Browns next Sunday, Oct. 1. With Hill out, Gus Edwards should handle an even heavier workload and now has clear RB2 upside in a nice matchup against Indy. Melvin Gordon III will serve as Edwards' clear backup. The Ravens also signed Kenyan Drake this week for more RB insurance.
Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid saw his role expand just a bit in Week 2's trouncing of the Las Vegas Raiders. After catching five out of six balls for 43 yards last Sunday, the 23-year-old is now up to nine receptions on 10 targets for 69 yards over the first two games of his career. Dawson Knox, on the other hand, has generated nine targets for a less impressive six receptions and 35 yards, but he did manage a short touchdown catch in his last time out. On tap for the duo in Week 3 are the Washington Commanders, who have restricted Zach Ertz and Adam Trautman to 21 scoreless yards on 11 combined targets across two games. Kincaid loses a bit of appeal as a fringe TE1/2 after Knox returned to a full practice on Friday, but the first-round rookie should be stashed wherever possible. It will be hard to grade Kincaid as a confident fantasy starter until he pulls away in the even opportunity split with Knox.
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson (hamstring) has drawn a questionable tag for the Week 3 game on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. Watson has been held out of the first two games of the year, but he practiced on Wednesday and Friday this week while being rested on Thursday. The 24-year-old second-year pass-catcher could end up being a game-time decision, so fantasy managers will need to check back on Sunday morning before deciding whether to plug him into their lineups. Watson is expected to be quarterback Jordan Love's top target this year when healthy, but he'll be a risky flex play for fantasy managers if he makes his debut on Sunday because of the fact that he could be eased into the offense with a hamstring injury that has been bothering him since late in training camp.
Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones (hamstring) is being listed as questionable to play in Week 3 on Sunday at home against the visiting New Orleans Saints. Jones didn't practice all of last week and was inactive in the Week 2 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. He missed practice on Wednesday but was able to return to a limited session on Thursday, which gives him a chance to play this weekend. The 28-year-old could be a true game-time decision, so fantasy managers will need to check back Sunday morning before finalizing their weekly lineups. Jones is trending as a shaky RB3/flex in Week 3 because of his hammy injury, but if he's active, it's hard to recommend sitting him after he went for 41 yards and a touchdown on nine carries on the ground while adding two catches for 86 yards and another score through the air in the season opener. If he sits again, AJ Dillon will get another crack as the lead back.
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said it's too soon for running back Cam Akers to make his team debut in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers this Sunday after the team just acquired him in a trade from the Los Angeles Rams earlier this week. Akers will likely be inactive with an eye toward playing in Week 3 against the Carolina Panthers. Akers' fantasy value could be salvaged this year as a complement to Alexander Mattison after wearing out his welcome with the Rams, but fantasy managers must remember that the 24-year-old now has to learn a completely new offense in short order. Mattison will continue to operate as Minnesota's clear lead back this Sunday, with Ty Chandler serving as a change-of-pace option in the backfield.
Minnesota Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw (ankle) returned to practice this week and was removed from the final injury report on Friday, meaning he will return to play against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3 on Sunday. Darrisaw suffered an ankle injury in the season-opening loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was forced to sit out in the loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on a short week last Thursday night. The 24-year-old wasn't officially inactive last Thursday, but the Vikings chose not to put him in the game, even after fill-in left tackle Olisaemeka Udoh was injured in the game. Darrisaw's return will be great news for quarterback Kirk Cousins and the Vikings offense as they seek their first win of 2023.
Miami Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders is on the lower end of the top-12 kicking options heading into Week 3 against the Denver Broncos. He posted a great game in Week 1 during the shootout against the Chargers but only made one of his three field goal attempts in Week 2 against the Patriots. Sanders seems to be more relevant in streaming situations when the Dolphins are in for a high-scoring affair. The Broncos don't have a great defense but kickers have only averaged seven fantasy points per game against them so far. There are better options out there, but Sanders isn't the worst play this week.
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