Fantasy Football News

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray (concussion) exited Sunday's win over the Packers with a scary concussion, and his timeline to return remains unclear. In his absence, backup Carson Wentz led the Vikings to victory, throwing three touchdowns in the come-from-behind win, but NFL Insider Ian Rapoport believes the starting job still belongs to Murray. When asked if Wentz has a chance to take the QB1 role with another strong performance against the Bears in Week 2, Rapoport told Pat McAfee, "Kyler is going to come back, and I would expect it to be him." Murray signed a one-year veteran minimum deal with the Vikings this offseason and beat out both Wentz and 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy to earn the starting job, and although he managed only 11 snaps in Week 1, Rapoport believes the team is still excited about what he can bring to the offense.

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey will be evaluated this week after leaving Sunday's loss to the Cardinals with a rib injury, according to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport. McConkey was originally listed with a chest injury, but further reporting has indicated an acute rib issue, and Rapoport notes it is not believed to be significant, adding that the third-year wideout is considered "day-to-day" and noting that it's an injury that can be played through. McConkey caught five of seven targets for 82 yards and a touchdown before exiting in the third quarter, and he appears to be a focal point of Mike McDaniel's offense. Los Angeles hosts the Raiders in Week 2, and fantasy managers will need to monitor McConkey's status throughout the week, as he boasts low-end WR1 upside if he's able to suit up.

Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver Brenen Thompson saw only 10 snaps and was held off the stat sheet in his first career game, but with Ladd McConkey (rib) day-to-day with a rib injury, he is a player to at least consider on waivers in deeper leagues. As an undersized field-stretcher, Thompson is unlikely to command an every-down role even if McConkey is unable to suit up against the Raiders. Still, his big-play potential could be leaned on, and he has the opportunity to work his way into three-receiver sets alongside Quentin Johnston and Tre' Harris. At RotoBaller's WR103, Thompson is not a player that needs to be actively targeted on waivers, but he is deserving of flier consideration in leagues with big-play bonuses.

Despite running the most routes of all Los Angeles Rams tight ends in Week 1, second-year player Terrance Ferguson was targeted only once and held without a catch in the team's season-opening loss to the 49ers. While the results weren't encouraging after an offseason of hype, fantasy managers should stay patient and avoid dropping him unless necessary. Week 1 brings extra challenges in parsing what will be predictive from a season-long perspective, and that is especially true in a game where the Rams arrived in Australia roughly 28 hours ahead of kickoff. With four trustworthy tight ends on the roster, Ferguson's usage may see issues of predictability, but he earned a healthy route share to begin the year, and the Rams are still in need of a third pass-catcher behind Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, who saw more than 55% of the team's targets in Week 1. At RotoBaller's TE28, Ferguson is a difficult play against the Giants on Monday night, but he should still be held wherever it makes sense to keep a second tight end.

The Athletic's Josh Kendall reports that the Atlanta Falcons updated their media advisory for the week on Tuesday, with the old one listed as "starting QB press conference" on Wednesday. The new one reads: "QB Cooper Rush press conference." The NFL Network's Steve Wyche checked in on this and was told that the Falcons listed Rush "based on no new information." Head coach Kevin Stefanski will announce who the Week starting QB is "whenever he decides to make his decision public." So for lack of a better term, Rush is the team's starting QB placeholder for now, with both Michael Penix Jr. (knee) and Tua Tagovailoa (oblique) dealing with injuries. Penix is still recovering from a partially torn ACL late last year, and while he is progressing, he might not be ready for the Week 2 contest against the division-rival Carolina Panthers. Tagovailoa was set to start in the Week 1 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, but an oblique injury in practice last Thursday forced him out, and he might be trending towards missing a second straight game. If Rush makes a second straight start for Atlanta this weekend, fantasy managers will need to downgrade all of the team's offensive weapons again. The 32-year-old Rush threw for 143 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in the 20-13 loss to Pittsburgh.

The Baltimore Ravens are apparently having a wide receiver workout on Tuesday, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Zrebiec does not think the Ravens are desperate, even with rookie Ja'Kobi Lane (wrist) expected to miss extended time and Zay Flowers (hamstring) potentially missing a game or two after they were both injured in the Week 1 season-opening win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Devontez Walker (groin), who was inactive in the season opener, and rookie Elijah Surratt, who was a healthy scratch, could both get an opportunity for big roles in Week 2 on Sunday in the team's home opener against the New Orleans Saints. The 26-year-old Flowers' hamstring injury is not considered serious, but the fact that he did not return to Sunday's win over Indy is a bit concerning for fantasy managers in terms of his availability going into Week 2. Before injuring his hamstring, Flowers caught five passes for a career-high 150 yards and a touchdown to make his fantasy managers happy. However, quarterback Lamar Jackson's top target could miss a game or two. Keep a close eye on Flowers' practice status from Wednesday through Friday.

New York Jets safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (groin), who suffered a groin injury in the Week 1 season-opening win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, is expected to miss two to three weeks, according to Jordan Schultz. Fitzpatrick ended up playing only six snaps in the season opener after he was a major offseason addition to the Jets' defense. The 29-year-old five-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro did not record a single tackle in the Week 1 game before departing with his groin injury. In Fitzpatrick's absence over the next couple of weeks, both Malachi Moore and Andre Cisco should see more playing time in New York's secondary, which will be more vulnerable, starting in Week 2 at home against the Green Bay Packers. Last year in 14 starts for the Miami Dolphins, Fitzpatrick recorded 82 tackles (59 solo), his first career sack, an interception, six pass breakups, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries in his ninth year in the NFL.

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix called the team's offensive performance "pitiful" in their season-opening loss to the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night, according to Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post. Head coach Sean Payton and new offensive coordinator Davis Webb planned to invigorate the team's ground game in 2026 after re-signing J.K. Dobbins and adding rookie Jonah Coleman in the fourth round of this year's draft, but that went out the window quickly in the first half of Week 1. Nix attempted 19 passes in the first half, compared to only six rushes for the Broncos. They ran the ball four times on 12 first-down snaps. Dobbins had just two carries in the first half. Nix was sacked four times, just the third time he has been sacked that many times in 35 NFL starts, and he also turned the ball over twice. It was not the start that Nix and the Broncos offense wanted, but the good news for Broncos fans is that there is plenty of time to turn it around, starting in the team's Week 2 home opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Pittsburgh Steelers did not make any changes to their official depth chart as they head into a Week 2 battle on the road against the New England Patriots on Sunday, according to Alan Saunders of PGH Steelers Now. Running back Jaylen Warren had a team-high 10 carries for 46 yards in the Week 1 season-opening win over the Atlanta Falcons and added five catches on six targets for another 27 yards, and he is still listed as the team's RB1 on the depth chart over Rico Dowdle. In his Steelers debut on Sunday, Dowdle had two fewer carries (eight) than Warren, running for just 15 yards (1.9 yards per carry). He caught two of his five targets for six yards. The 27-year-old Warren also lost a fumble, and although the distribution of touches between him and Dowdle was pretty even, Warren was much more efficient with the ball in his hands. Going into the Week 2 matchup this weekend against the Pats, Warren should be the slight fantasy favorite at RB for the Steelers, especially in PPR leagues.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams caught only four of his nine targets for 45 yards in the Week 1 season-opening win in overtime over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, adding three dropped passes. One of Williams' drops likely would have gone for a long touchdown against New Orleans. The Detroit Free Press' Dave Birkett reports that head coach Dan Campbell said he is not concerned about Williams' drops to begin the 2026 season. The good news is that Williams led the Lions with 128 air yards and was second with a 23% target share, running a route on 37 of the team's 40 dropbacks during the game. The 25-year-old former first-rounder in 2022 from Ohio State does have a tendency to drop passes, but he is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in Detroit with 14 combined touchdowns in 2024 and 2025 during the regular season. In a game that could easily turn into a shootout on Thursday night to kick off Week 2 action, Williams should be locked into all starting fantasy lineups as he looks for his first touchdown of the year.

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers told NFL insider Josina Anderson that he did not think he was going to be cleared by the team to play in the Week 1 season-opening win over the division-rival Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night. "I canceled the trip for my family to be here just because I thought I wasn't playing. So, I came out here all alone. I had to do it myself. I had to lock myself up in the room and fight that 1-on-1 battle," Nabers said. The 23-year-old was active in the 28-20 win over Dallas, but he played just over half (52%) of the offensive snaps, which came in third among the team's WRs, behind rookie Malachi Fields (72%) and Darnell Mooney (57%). Nabers finished second on the team in receiving, though, catching a healthy six passes on a team-high nine targets for 69 yards, which has to be considered a successful debut after the Giants were tight-lipped about his status right up until kickoff on Sunday night. It was his first game action since tearing his ACL early in 2025, and although he had his snaps monitored, he looked good when he was on the field and drew the attention of quarterback Jaxson Dart often. Going into Week 2 against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football, Nabers should see more action and should be a must-start in fantasy lineups.

Kansas City Chiefs rookie running back Emmett Johnson made a strong first impression Monday night, turning eight carries into 24 yards and catching both of his targets for another 44 yards in a 31-10 win over Denver. Kenneth Walker was the clear lead back, piling up 173 rushing yards on 23 carries, but Johnson still played 25 snaps and ran 10 routes in his NFL debut. That is the part worth chasing. The fifth-round rookie is now listed second on Kansas City's depth chart, and his two receptions included gains of 19 and 25 yards. Some of Johnson's work came after the Chiefs had taken control, so fantasy managers should not treat 10 touches as a guaranteed weekly floor. He does not need to be in Week 2 lineups against Indianapolis, either. Johnson has already shown enough as both a runner and receiver to offer more than ordinary handcuff appeal, though. He should be one of the priority running back additions in 12-team leagues, with even more value for managers rostering Walker.

Atlanta Falcons running back Brian Robinson handled nine carries for 31 yards in Sunday's 20-13 loss to Pittsburgh, giving fantasy managers a clear look at his role behind starter Bijan Robinson. He played 15 offensive snaps and was not targeted, so there is not enough standalone work here to trust him in Week 2 lineups. The handcuff case is much stronger. Atlanta lists Robinson second on the depth chart, and the Falcons kept only two running backs on their initial 53-man roster. He also brings far more lead-back experience than most reserves, topping 700 rushing yards in each of his first three NFL seasons. Sunday's nine carries were already a slight step up from the workload he handled as San Francisco's RB2 last year. Robinson is not going to carry much weekly value while the backfield is intact, but he would be in line for a major increase in touches if that changes. He belongs on benches in deeper leagues and remains one of the stronger contingency backs available.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins completed 21-of-30 passes for 160 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions in the team's Week 1 victory over the Miami Dolphins. Cousins did not light up the scoreboard with his passing yardage but he did find Jack Bech on a touchdown pass and found Ashton Jeanty on two touchdown strikes. The two interceptions are worrisome for fantasy managers as you never like to see that from your quarterback. Cousins should continue to get better as the season progresses and the team welcomes back tight end Brock Bowers to the lineup. He will have to continue to hold off backup Fernando Mendoza as the season progresses, but he could nonetheless be a help to fantasy teams early in the season.

New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith completed 19-of-24 passes for 215 yards with no touchdowns and rushed six times for seven yards in the team's Week 1 win over the Tennessee Titans. He showed good accuracy to begin the season but was not able to find a touchdown. Moving forward, Smith has some weapons in Garrett Wilson and Adonai Mitchell and once Omar Cooper, Jr. gets healthy. Smith is worth monitoring on the waiver wire as someone who can be a backup fantasy quarterback with some upside. He didn't have a huge game in Week 1, but he is capable in the Jets offense of producing fantasy relevant stats. Look for him to build off the accuracy he showed in the season opener and produce some more fruitful fantasy lines with more touchdowns up coming.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis didn't throw a touchdown in Sunday's 27-13 loss to Las Vegas, but he still gave fantasy managers something to work with. Willis completed 15 of 27 passes for 220 yards with one interception, then added 39 yards and a touchdown on six carries. That rushing production is the reason he belongs on the Week 2 waiver radar. Miami committed to Willis as its starter with a three-year deal in March, so there is no short-term job security question hanging over him. The passing side still needs work after a 55.6% completion rate and five sacks in the opener, which keeps Willis from joining the top tier of quarterback pickups this week. His legs give him a different path to fantasy points, though, and that matters in leagues where managers are already questioning their QB1. Willis is worth adding in deeper 12-team formats and 14-team leagues ahead of Sunday's trip to San Francisco, especially as a bench option with rushing upside.

Seattle Seahawks backup quarterback Drew Lock led the team to a Week 1 win over the New England Patriots while filling in for starter Sam Darnold, who suffered a glute injury. Lock was 16-for-22 passing for 187 yards and a touchdown in relief of Darnold. He also rushed two times for 13 yards. Darnold could be looking at a four-to-six week recovery period and Lock looks like a more than capable backup quarterback during that time. Expect the Seahawks to be a run-heavy team while Darnold is out, but with receivers like Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Lock has some potential to put up some decent stat lines. However for fantasy purposes, Lock is more of a backup quarterback and should not put up QB1 numbers during Darnold's time out.

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson opened 2026 with four catches for 36 yards and a touchdown on five targets in Sunday's 39-22 win over Green Bay. The score came on a 16-yard pass from Carson Wentz, who took over after Kyler Murray left in the first quarter with a concussion. It was a better fantasy line than Hockenson gave managers most weeks last season, when he finished with 51 catches for 438 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games. Five targets still do not suddenly make him an every-week starter, especially in an offense with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings. Murray also remains in the concussion protocol, leaving Minnesota's Week 2 quarterback situation unsettled for now. Hockenson is back in the streaming conversation after finding the end zone, but this is still a deeper-league play rather than a priority claim. Managers looking for help at tight end can consider him for Sunday's trip to Chicago, particularly in 14-team formats.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward is coming off of a disappointing performance in the team's Week 1 loss to the New York Jets. Ward was 19-for-32 passing for 140 yards and a touchdown. On a positive note, Ward didn't turn the ball over, but his passing stats were just not good enough to be useful for fantasy managers. He also rushed four times for 21 yards. Ward could still improve on his passing numbers but the Week 1 start does not give much hope to fantasy managers. He is certainly not in QB1 territory and it seems as if he isn't really in the territory to be a backup quarterback on a fantasy roster at the moment. Give Ward some time to improve but right now it is best to just leave him be on the waiver wire.

Philadelphia Eagles running back Tank Bigsby barely touched the ball in Sunday's 24-22 win over Washington, carrying once for three yards on six offensive snaps. Will Shipley actually saw more work, logging 10 snaps and two carries, but Philadelphia's current depth chart still lists Bigsby directly behind Saquon Barkley. That is where the fantasy case starts. Bigsby showed last season that he can produce when the workload expands, rushing for 104 yards on nine carries against the Giants before finishing the year with 75 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries in Week 18. He added a 31-yard catch in that finale. None of that gives him standalone value while Barkley is healthy, and Week 1 made that clear. Bigsby is still the back positioned to benefit most if Philadelphia suddenly needs someone else to handle meaningful carries. He belongs on benches in deeper leagues and remains one of the stronger pure handcuffs available, but managers in ordinary 10- and 12-team formats do not need to treat him as a priority waiver claim.