Fantasy Football News

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie running back Bucky Irving (toe) remains on the Week 10 injury report and was listed as limited in the first practice of the week on Wednesday. Irving played in the Week 9 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday but will most likely be battling a toe injury for the rest of the season, according to head coach Todd Bowles. The 22-year-old saw 10 touches for 34 yards on Monday, with Rachaad White scoring the only rushing TD for the team. The Bucs will continue to split backfield touches between Irving, White and Sean Tucker moving forwards, which severely limits Irving's weekly upside as an RB3/flex. Irving has been Tampa's best ball-carrier in 2024, though, averaging 5.0 yards per carry for 419 yards and three TDs on 83 carries while also catching 23 passes for 174 additional yards in nine games in his first NFL season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (toe) is dealing with an injury and was listed as a non-participant in Wednesday's practice, the first of the week. It's something worth monitoring, but Mayfield has two days left to return to practice and should be able to do so. The 29-year-old played all of the Week 9 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday and went 23-for-31 for 200 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Receiver Mike Evans (hamstring) won't be returning in Week 10 against the San Francisco 49ers, and Chris Godwin (ankle) is out for the rest of the year. Receivers Jalen McMillan (hamstring) and Sterling Shepard (hamstring, hip) are also banged up, so Mayfield has been using tight end Cade Otton as his top target through the air. With a very thin receiving corps, Mayfield will be a shakier QB1 streaming option in Week 10 against San Fran.

San Francisco 49ers kicker Jake Moody (ankle) was listed as limited in the team's first practice of the week on Wednesday coming out of their bye. A high-ankle sprain that Moody suffered in Week 5 has kept him out for the last three games, but he's now on track to make his return to kick against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday. The Niners already cut fill-in kicker Anders Carlson on Tuesday, signaling that they are confident that Moody can play this weekend. He had the benefit of getting extra rest during the team's Week 9 bye. Fantasy managers not happy with their current kicking situation should scoop Moody up immediately if he's somehow on the waiver wire. Before getting hurt, Moody had made 13 of his 14 field-goal tries (2-for-3 from 50-plus yards) and all 12 of his extra points in five games. He's a high-end fantasy kicker when healthy.

San Francisco 49ers wide receivers Deebo Samuel Sr. (oblique, rib) and Jauan Jennings (hip) were both listed as limited in the first practice of the week on Wednesday coming out of their bye. Chris Conley (hamstring) was a DNP. Samuel was injured in the Week 8 win over the San Francisco 49ers but was able to rest up last week. Although he's not a lock to play this Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 28-year-old pass-catcher is trending in the right direction. Jennings has missed the team's last two games due to a hip injury and is now hoping to return in Week 10. Brandon Aiyuk (knee) is out for the season and Samuel is also banged up, so when Jennings returns, he should see enough volume in San Fran's passing attack to be worth a look as a WR4/flex in fantasy lineups. Samuel is a must-start if he's active.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Gabe Davis (shoulder) was listed as limited in the first practice of the week on Wednesday. Fellow wideout Brian Thomas Jr. (chest) was also limited on Wednesday. Davis was also limited last week before being ruled out in the Week 9 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. The 25-year-old might need to get in a full practice on either Thursday or Friday to avoid a questionable tag going into the Week 10 contest versus the visiting Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. He's been banged up pretty much all year but was only inactive for last weekend. Davis has mostly been a fantasy bust outside of a two-TD performance in Week 6, but he could have a safer floor and higher ceiling when he returns now that Christian Kirk (collarbone) is done for the year. He doesn't have more than five catches in a game in 2024 and has gone over 45 receiving yards once in eight games.

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby (ankle) remains on the injury report for Week 10 and was listed as limited in the first practice of the week on Wednesday with an ankle injury. Bigsby may not be 100 percent for the rest of the year, but he should be fine to play in Week 10 versus the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. With Travis Etienne Jr. (hamstring) returning in the Week 9 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Bigsby saw only eight carries and rushed for 22 yards while not seeing a single target. The 23-year-old has been Jacksonville's most productive ball-carrier on the ground in 2024, but D'Ernest Johnson is also used in passing situations, and the return of Etienne will hurt Bigsby's overall fantasy upside. It doesn't get any easier this Sunday against the Vikings, either, who have defended the run well. Bigsby is lining up as a touchdown-dependent RB3/flex in Week 10.

New Orleans Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi said on Wednesday that wide receiver Chris Olave (concussion) will go "thoroughly" through the league's concussion protocol. "We're more worried about Chris Olave the person at the moment," Rizzi said. The former first-rounder is visiting with head specialists this week, and no decision has been made yet on whether he'll be placed on Injured Reserve, which would require him to miss at least four games. The 24-year-old suffered his second concussion of the year and the fourth of his career in the Week 9 loss to the Dallas Cowboys and was quickly ruled out after being carted off. It didn't look good. With the Saints considering putting him on IR, fantasy managers should expect Olave to miss multiple weeks, including Week 10 versus the division-rival Atlanta Falcons. With Olave hurt, rookie Mason Tipton should continue playing heavy snaps.

Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert (hamstring) put in a full practice on Wednesday. Goedert injured his hamstring in Week 6 and hasn't played since, and Wednesday was his first practice session as well. It's an indication that he'll be ready to go to play in this Sunday's divisional clash against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 10. We'll have to see if Goedert can get through the rest of the practice week without suffering a setback, but if he does, he'll be on the low-end TE1/high-end TE2 map for fantasy managers, and he'll have even more upside if receiver A.J. Brown (knee) is unable to play. Grant Calcaterra has had a bigger role the last three weeks with Goedert on the sideline, but he'll lose all of his TE2 streaming intrigue if Goedert is back against Dallas. In the two games before his injury, Goedert had 17 catches on 19 targets for 232 yards and no touchdowns.

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts (hamstring) was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday. The injury does not seem to be severe and Pitts' participation in any capacity is encouraging. Still, fantasy managers should monitor Pitts' participation throughout the week. Pitts is finally experiencing a breakout season with a quarterback in Kirk Cousins who can get him the ball. He currently sits as the TE7 in PPR formats and has displayed his big play ability all season. Pitts has caught 30 passes for 430 yards and three touchdowns. He is on pace for his most receiving yards since his rookie season and he has already matched his previous career high in touchdown receptions. Pitts should be able to keep his momentum rolling in Week 10 against the New Orleans Saints. He could be in line for even more targets with wide receiver Drake London (hip) battling his own injury.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles, calf) did not experience any pain issues or setbacks in his return to practice this week in a limited session on Wednesday. The 49ers opened McCaffrey's 21-day practice window this week. It appears that the star running back is on track to make his season debut after suffering his injury during training camp. With McCaffrey likely back in Week 10, fantasy managers will be ecstatic to have the consensus No. 1 overall pick back in their lineups. The 49ers backup running backs stepped up admirably in McCaffrey's absence. However, neither Jordan Mason nor Isaac Guerendo has delivered much in the way of fantasy value since week four with the exception of Guerendo's 19.2-point Week 8. With McCaffrey likely to return in Week 10 in Tampa Bay, both players should be relegated to benches. However, McCaffrey is unlikely to play a full allotment of snaps in his first week back and is at risk of reinjury. As such, hold on to Mason and Guerendo for the time being.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (hamstring) has been initially diagnosed with a torn hamstring partially off the bone. NFL Network has reported that the timeline for an injury of that severity is longer than the four week stint on injured reserve. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones announced on Tuesday that Prescott was a candidate for injured reserve. If this diagnosis rings true, then the Cowboys will almost certainly place Prescott on injured reserve. Prescott is currently seeking additional opinions to determine the next steps. For now, quarterback Cooper Rush is in line to start this Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. Prescott's injury will impact the fantasy outlook of wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (shoulder). It will also affect running back Rico Dowdle who had started to emerge as a viable weekly fantasy option. Fantasy managers should observe closely to see how the offense fares with Rush under center in Week 10.

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (hamstring) was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday. Etienne's limited participation is likely to ensure that he stays fresh ahead of the weekend. Etienne was able to return from the injury in Week 9. He only played 31% of the snaps en route to three carries for 24 yards and two receptions for six yards. Etienne has battled an injury bug all season. He could not shake a shoulder injury early in the season and has been battling this recent hamstring injury in recent weeks. He has been a disappointment in fantasy in 2024 but he has a chance to bounce back as he gets healthier. The emergence of running back Tank Bigsby (ankle) has cut into Etienne's workload but it is hard to believe that he will stick around a 31% snap share each week. If Etienne is able to log a full practice or two this week then fantasy managers should start to feel better about his prospects moving forward. Even so, his Week 10 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings is not ideal. As such, fantasy managers may want to wait and see how Etienne fares on the field before deploying him in starting lineups once again.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (chest) was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday. Thomas picked up his injury in Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers. After being initially given a timetable to return of two to four weeks, Thomas was able to take the field in Week 9 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Thomas had a modest game with just two receptions for 22 yards against an Eagles defense that has come around in recent weeks. He has a chance for a much larger statistical output in Week 10 against the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings are allowing the most points to opposing wide receivers in fantasy. With another week to get healthy, Thomas should have a solid week. His limited participation on Wednesday is little cause for concern. As long as there are no setbacks throughout the week, Thomas should be confidently started in Week 10.

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring) did not practice on Wednesday. Since Smith showed no signs of the injury during the Eagles' Week 9 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, the severity of the injury is currently unknown. Smith has started to heat up over the last couple of weeks. He has scored a touchdown and reached at least 85 receiving yards in each of the last two weeks. With fellow wide receiver A.J. Brown (knee) also limited on Wednesday, the Eagles will have to hope that they will have both of their star wide receivers available in Week 10. Smith checks into Week 10 as the WR17 in PPR formats. He has reached that number despite missing a game due to injury, recording one catch in another, and already having his bye. As such, he has been an excellent fantasy asset in 2024. This is a situation worth monitoring as soft tissue injuries tend to linger.

Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker bounced back in a big way from Week 8 to Week 9. He finished as the K4 after he knocked through a 34 and 37-yarder while making all five of his extra-point attempts. While the Ravens' offense continues to be elite, it only raises the value of Tucker in all fantasy formats. In Week 10, he'll go up against the Cincinnati Bengals and he finished as the K6 the last time these teams met in Week 5. Fantasy managers can continue to rely on Tucker as he's looked more consistent after his shaky start to the year.

Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews, unfortunately, ended his string of solid fantasy outings in Week 9 as he finished in TE3 territory. Heading into a Week 10 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals gives him some new hope to return to TE1 though. Isaiah Likely (hamstring) has been ruled out so Andrews should see more than 50% of the snaps on Thursday night. During the first time these two teams matched up this year, Andrews received five targets and ended up with four receptions for 55 yards. The Bengals give up the seventh-most fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends, so the added opportunities against a weaker defense should mean TE1 potential for the veteran.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields (hamstring) did not practice on Wednesday, according to Brian Batko of PGSportsNow. Fields was inactive last weekend with a hamstring injury and could be in danger of sitting out in Week 10. Fields was moved to the backup spot on the depth chart in Week 7 in favor of Russell Wilson. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Fields' status throughout the week, as he could once again serve as the emergency option while Kyle Allen moves up to the backup position. During the first six weeks of the season, Fields averaged a solid 21.4 PPR points with 10 total scores. Fields remains a high-upside handcuff option in deeper superflex formats for the time being.

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Diontae Johnson played in 30% of the team's offensive snaps during their Week 9 win over the Denver Broncos. Head coach John Harbaugh even said that they planned to ease him into the offense for his first game. Now, with a game under his belt, the Ravens take on the Cincinnati Bengals in a short week. Without the full week of practice, it's unlikely that Johnson has that much bigger of a grasp on the offense, but he's also no stranger to AFC North matchups from his time in Pittsburgh. Zay Flowers remains the number-one option, but Johnson could get some opportunities if it turns into another shootout.

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers has gained some momentum over the past couple of weeks and now has three weeks with finishes in WR1 territory. He also has two more finishes as a WR2, but now has more competition for targets with Diontae Johnson getting integrated into the offense a bit further. While Johnson only played in 30% of the snaps in Week 9, that will likely increase in Week 10 against the Bengals. Flowers surpassed the 100-yard mark against the Bengals in Week 5 and this game has the makings of another shootout just like their 41-38 contest. So, he should still have WR2 potential.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (fibula) is "getting close" to a return to practice, according to Adam Teicher of ESPN. Teicher further noted that his return is unlikely to happen this week. The former seventh-round selection is still recovering from a fractured fibula he suffered during Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status, as he could be quickly approaching a return. In his limited play this season, the Rutgers product averaged an impressive 16.0 PPR points per game across the first two weeks. For now, fantasy managers should continue to expect Kareem Hunt to operate as the lead back but to eventually cede those duties to Pacheco when he returns to action.