Fantasy Football News

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (heel) was back on the practice field on Monday, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer's Kelsey Conway. In addition to Higgins, star wideout Ja'Marr Chase (knee) was also participating in the portion of practice open to the media. Both wideouts could be limited, but the fact that they are both practicing early in the week bodes well for their availability in the Week 1 season opener on Sunday, Sept. 13, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Head coach Zac Taylor said early last week that Higgins was dealing with a minor bruised heel, so the 27-year-old has never really been in danger of missing the start of the 2026 campaign this weekend. The former second-rounder was a first-time Pro Bowler in 2025, catching 59 of his 98 targets for 846 yards and a career-high 11 touchdowns in only 15 games played. Higgins also had 10 TDs the year prior, and he will be a must-start in all fantasy football formats this Sunday against the Bucs if he is active, as is expected. Fantasy managers will want to check back in on Cincy's first official practice report of the year on Wednesday for a better idea of Higgins' status.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (knee) was back at practice on Monday as the team prepares for its regular-season opener on Sunday, Sept. 13, versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer. Fellow wideout Tee Higgins (heel) was also seen practicing on Monday, so quarterback Joe Burrow figures to have both of his top pass-catchers available to kick off the 2026 campaign. The 26-year-old Chase, who is the consensus top overall fantasy receiver, hyperextended his left knee in practice on Aug. 25 while trying to come down with a pass and was held out of action last week as a precaution. Thankfully, the star wideout avoided a serious injury that would sideline him for the start of the upcoming season, and he should be active as a must-start in all fantasy football leagues against the Bucs. The Bengals will release their first official practice report of the year on Wednesday, at which point we should have a clearer picture of Chase's Week 1 status. For now, though, fantasy managers should have him locked into starting lineups until further notice.

New England Patriots second-year running back TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) was not at practice again on Monday and has not practiced since Aug. 24, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN on The Pat McAfee Show. Schefter adds that "it's hard to imagine" that Henderson will be active for Wednesday's regular-season opener against the Seattle Seahawks in a Super Bowl rematch. The 23-year-old also did not take part in practice over the weekend as the Patriots get set for their Week 1 clash on Wednesday. We will continue to keep a close eye on New England's official practice report over the next couple of days, but if you have Henderson rostered, you should already be preparing to have him on your bench as he starts his sophomore season in the NFL. The 23-year-old former second-rounder from Ohio State had a successful first year in the league in 2025, carrying the ball 180 times for 911 yards and nine touchdowns during the regular season while adding 35 catches for 221 yards and a touchdown as a receiver. Henderson's fantasy ceiling is limited, though, as long as he continues to share the backfield in a near-even split with Rhamondre Stevenson, especially since he does not figure to be a major weapon in the passing game.

Miami Dolphins tight end Greg Dulcich is the lone veteran in the room after the team drafted Will Kacmarek and Seydou Traore in the 2026 NFL Draft and claimed rookie Justin Joly off waivers following his release from the Denver Broncos. In breaking down the position group in a recent appearance on NFL Spotlight with Ari Meirov, Dolphins reporter Kyle Crabbs highlighted the early buzz already surrounding Kacmarek as one of the best blocking tight ends in the league, while pointing out that Dulcich should work as the primary pass-catcher of the group. With Miami profiling as a run-first offense, Kacmarek has the potential to lead the team in tight end snaps. However, the prevalence of 12- and 13-personnel in today's NFL should still help Dulcich find the field regularly, and at RotoBaller's TE29, he has the chance to enter the streaming conversation early in the year as a reliable option in an offense looking for contributors outside of Pro Bowl running back De'Von Achane.

Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane touched the ball 305 times in 2025, and team beat reporter Kyle Crabbs believes another 300-plus touches are on the table again in Miami's new-look offense. Appearing on NFL Spotlight with Ari Meirov on Monday, Crabbs acknowledged that the mobility of quarterback Malik Willis could cap Achane's targets after seeing 170 opportunities in the passing game over the past two seasons, but he believes the quality of targets could improve with more potential use out of the slot. Crabbs also profiles Miami as a run-heavy team, with Achane standing significantly above the rest of the team's runners, which include Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon II. Achane is RotoBaller's RB11 and should be viewed as a locked-in RB1 option when the Dolphins travel to Vegas to face the Raiders in Week 1.

Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (soreness) continues to deal with general soreness, and after he was seen working with trainers during the media accessible portion of Monday's practice, head coach Dave Canales declined to offer an update on his status. Canales told reporters on Thursday that he was "very optimistic" about Brooks' availability for Week 1, and when asked on Monday if that remained the case, he said he "hopes so." The Panthers host the Bears to open the 2026 season, and with the first official injury report to be released on Wednesday, Brooks' status will need to be monitored, as he has become a popular breakout candidate in what had looked to be the first fully healthy season of his professional career.

Miami Dolphins rookie wide receiver Chris Bell saw five targets in roughly 10 minutes of game time in his lone preseason appearance, and team beat reporter Kyle Crabbs believes the team's concerted effort to get him involved could be a precursor of things to come in the regular season. Appearing on NFL Spotlight with Ari Meirov on Monday, Crabbs noted that he saw Bell as a top 50 talent in the 2026 NFL draft, describing him as a "run-after-catch monster". Bell is still playing catch-up after spending most of the spring and summer rehabbing from the torn ACL that ended his collegiate career, but Crabbs believes his versatility could lead to designed targets early in the year with the potential for significant growth. With an injury-depressed ADP causing him to go undrafted in a number of leagues throughout the summer, Bell has a path to becoming the Dolphins' top wide receiver and should be viewed as a top waiver priority wherever he's still available.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Sean Tucker (undisclosed), who missed time last week with what head coach Todd Bowles described as a minor injury, was not spotted during Monday's practice, according to beat writer Rick Stroud. Following rumors of a potential split from the team, Tucker recently agreed to a pay cut and is again a candidate to see significant goal-line usage after leading the Buccaneers with seven rushing touchdowns in 2025. The Buccaneers open the 2026 season with a road game against the Bengals, and with the first official injury report of the season set for release on Wednesday, Tucker's status will need to be monitored, as, to this point, the nature of his injury has not been disclosed.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan (knee) was seen practicing on Monday, according to the Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud. In addition to McMillan, fellow wideout Emeka Egbuka (toe) was on the field, which means the team's top three wideouts -- Egbuka, Chris Godwin Jr., and McMillan -- could all be active for Week 1 this Sunday, Sept. 13, against the Cincinnati Bengals. That would be great news for quarterback Baker Mayfield in a potential shootout as he looks to get out of the gate strong following a disappointing 2025 campaign. McMillan did not play at all in the preseason due to his knee injury, but there is optimism that he will be available this weekend in the regular-season opener. The 24-year-old played in only four games last year due to a serious neck injury that he suffered in the preseason, but he had an impressive 37-461-8 line in 13 games played as a rookie in 2024, and he should have a bigger role this year with Mike Evans no longer around. Still, McMillan will need to hold off rising young receiver Ted Hurst III in a new offense in 2026. McMillan is currently rostered in only 16% of Yahoo leagues and is shaping up as a deep-league sleeper for his Week 1 matchup against the Bengals if he plays this weekend.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, there is a "real possibility" Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua does not face any suspension during the 2026 season. This news comes after the star wideout was not placed on the Commissioner Exempt List the past week. The 25-year-old is facing a civil lawsuit and was subject to potential discipline from the league. However, it appears Nacua will avoid any missed time due to legal issues ahead of the new season. Schefter also noted that Nacua is progressing well from the psoas soreness that sidelined him at times during the later stages of camp. Last season, Nacua turned in a dominant effort, catching 129 passes for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns, and should carry this momentum into his season opener on Thursday against the 49ers. When active, Nacua carries elite WR1 upside and has a clear path to finishing the season as the top fantasy asset.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (toe) is practicing on Monday, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. Pewter Report reports that Egbuka is "participating in warmups and running routes." It is a good sign to see Egbuka doing something on the field on Monday after he was limited to side work last week. However, the 23-year-old could just be limited and may need to upgrade to a full practice before the end of the week before the Bucs clear him to play in the Week 1 season opener on Sunday, Sept. 13, against the Cincinnati Bengals. Jalen McMillan (knee) was also practicing on Monday, so Tampa could have all three of their top wideouts available against Cincy this weekend, in addition to veteran Chris Godwin Jr. That would be good news for quarterback Baker Mayfield in a game in which the Bucs may need to open up the passing playbook in order to keep pace with the Bengals' explosive offense. If Egbuka is cleared to play later this week, fantasy managers should consider him a low-end WR2 option to kick off the season. The Bucs will release their first official practice report of 2026 on Wednesday.

San Francisco 49ers veteran wide receiver Mike Evans (groin) said that none of the injuries that he dealt with this summer during training camp were significant, according to Christopher Mathis of The Drive. "I know I'm an older player. I've had probably over a thousand football practices in my life now, so I know what I'm doing out there. They know what they're doing. They did a good job taking care of me. None of my injuries were significant, so if it was a game week, I wouldn't have missed any time," Evans said. The 33-year-old was spotted on the field on Monday in Melbourne, Australia, in the portion of practice open to the media, but he could have been limited with a groin injury that he has been dealing with since the end of camp. While the Niners have been careful with Evans after he played in a career-low eight games in 2025 in his final season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he is expected to suit up on Thursday against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams in his 49ers debut. Evans is a future Hall of Famer and the unquestioned WR1 in San Fran in 2026, but durability concerns as he nears the end of his career should not be ignored. Fantasy managers should treat Evans as a WR3/flex for his debut with his new squad in Week 1.

New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) was not spotted during the media-access portion of Monday's practice, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN. Henderson has not practiced since injuring his ankle Aug. 24 and was officially listed as a non-participant Sunday. With New England opening Wednesday night in Seattle, there is very little time left for him to get back on the field. Rhamondre Stevenson and Corey Kiner were both practicing Monday, along with practice-squad running backs Lan Larison and Hassan Haskins. Neither practice-squad back has been elevated yet, but both would give New England another option if Henderson cannot play. Monday's official practice designation is still pending, but his Week 1 availability is firmly in question.

Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks is still dealing with general soreness and worked off to the side with a trainer during Monday's practice, according to Mike Kaye. Brooks was also held out of Carolina's Sept. 1 and Sept. 2 practices before the team took a few days off. Head coach Dave Canales said last week that he was "very optimistic" Brooks would be available for Week 1, but the third-year back has yet to get back into regular team work. Brooks missed all of 2025 following his second right ACL tear before returning this summer and appearing in two preseason games. Carolina doesn't open against Chicago until Sept. 13, so there is still time. For now, Brooks' practice participation over the next few days will be worth watching.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed is becoming one of the more interesting players still available in a lot of leagues. He didn't do much through the air after arriving in Seattle last season, catching 15 passes for 188 yards in nine games, but the Seahawks appear ready to give him more this time around. Shaheed had a strong offseason, and the latest expectation is that he'll be used as more of a complete receiver rather than mostly being sent downfield. Seattle also wants to spread the targets around more after leaning so heavily on Jaxon Smith-Njigba last year. That doesn't make Shaheed an automatic Week 1 starter, and RotoBaller currently has him at WR59 for the opener. The waiver case is stronger. He's sixth among the site's wide receiver pickups and carries an add recommendation for leagues with 10 or more teams. If Shaheed is still available, he's worth grabbing now before the expanded role gets a chance to show up on Sundays.

New England Patriots wide receiver Romeo Doubs shouldn't be sitting on many waiver wires heading into Week 1. RotoBaller has him fifth among its pre-Week 1 wide receiver pickups and recommends adding him in leagues with 10 or more teams. The role is there, too. New England's unofficial depth chart has Doubs with the first-team offense after he came over from Green Bay, where he caught 55 passes for a career-high 724 yards and six touchdowns last season. He followed that with eight catches for 124 yards and another score in the playoffs. A.J. Brown will command plenty of targets, and DeMario Douglas and Hunter Henry aren't going away, so Doubs doesn't need to be forced into fantasy lineups immediately. RotoBaller has him at WR48 for the opener in Seattle. That ranking shouldn't stop managers from adding him, though. Doubs has enough of a role and enough production behind him to be more than a speculative stash, making him a priority pickup in 10-team leagues and deeper.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) will be inactive for Sunday's season opener against Pittsburgh, head coach Kevin Stefanski said, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter. Tua Tagovailoa will start, with Cooper Rush serving as Atlanta's No. 2 quarterback. Penix spent most of the offseason and training camp working his way back from ACL surgery before finally being cleared for full-team work in late August. He did not play in any of Atlanta's three preseason games. Stefanski declined to put a timeline on what comes next for Penix, but said he is "very, very confident" in the team's plan for him and feels good about where he is right now. Penix started nine games last season, throwing for 1,982 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Pat Bryant turned plenty of heads during training camp and could be in line for more work in Year 2. According to Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post, Sean Payton keeps coming back to one fairly simple trait when talking about Bryant: he rarely has to leave his feet to make a clean catch. That allows him to stay in stride and create more after the catch. Payton has also praised Bryant's strong hands, intelligence, size and consistency after what he called a "heck of a camp." Bryant caught 31 passes for 378 yards and one touchdown across 15 games as a rookie, starting seven of them. Denver still has Courtland Sutton, Jaylen Waddle and Marvin Mims Jr. ahead of him on the current depth chart, but Bryant can work outside or from the slot. After the summer he just put together, finding him more snaps shouldn't be difficult.

New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) remains uncertain for Wednesday night's opener against Seattle. Asked Monday about Henderson's status, head coach Mike Vrabel said the team will see how he feels and whether he can do anything at practice, according to Alex Barth. Vrabel added that Henderson has been working "extremely hard" to get back. Henderson was officially listed as a non-participant Sunday and has not practiced since injuring his ankle Aug. 24. The second-year back ran for 911 yards and nine touchdowns on 180 carries as a rookie while adding 35 catches for 221 yards and another score. New England has not yet issued Monday's official practice designation, so Henderson's status remains up in the air with the opener only two days away.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Jakobi Meyers had a very productive second half of his 2026 season after being traded from Vegas to Jacksonville. Meyers finished last year as the WR32 in PPR leagues, but he jumped to the overall WR17 spot after joining the Jaguars' offense. Additionally, he scored zero touchdowns with the Raiders, then went on to score three with the Jags. Meyers benefitted significantly from playing in an improved offense with Trevor Lawrence as his quarterback, and he was able to maintain WR2 value despite competing for targets with Parker Washington, Brian Thomas Jr., and Brenton Strange. Those three players will continue to push for volume this year, but Meyers has already established that he's going to get the ball and produce regardless of the players around him. Plus, there should be enough targets to go around. This was already a high-volume passing offense last year, and now, we would expect to see even more emphasis on throwing the ball after running back Travis Etienne Jr. departed in free agency. Right now, managers are drafting Meyers as the 50th receiver off the board. There's a massive discrepancy between his price tag and his outlook, which creates a great opportunity for managers to pick up Meyers off the waiver wire after drafts end. He should be a priority waiver wire target in 10+ team leagues.