Fantasy Football News

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales expects wide receiver Jalen Coker (ankle) to play on Sunday in the team's Week 3 matchup on the road against the Cleveland Browns, according to Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer. Meanwhile, fellow wideout Xavier Legette (knee) will be a game-time decision. Coker, who played through an ankle injury in the Week 1 loss to the Chicago Bears on his way to eight catches, 138 yards, and two touchdowns, was limited in practice on Wednesday and did not practice on Thursday of this week. The 24-year-old returned to practice on Friday, though, and should be active this weekend against Cleveland. Coker caught eight of nine targets for the second straight week in the Week 2 blowout win over the division-rival Atlanta Falcons, going for 66 receiving yards. His ankle injury has not slowed him down yet, although it will be something to keep an eye on as the season progresses, especially given Coker's inability to stay healthy through his first two NFL seasons. As long as he is active on Sunday, Coker should be considered at least a low-end WR2 option this weekend. UPDATE: Coker is officially listed as questionable on Friday's final injury report.

Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard (ankle) will be a full participant in the team's practice on Friday, according to Turron Davenport of ESPN. Pollard did not practice on Wednesday due to ankle soreness, but he was limited on Thursday. Now that he is a full-go on Friday, he should be ready to suit up this Sunday for the team's Week 3 tilt against the New York Giants on the road. Pollard could have an even bigger role in Tennessee's backfield as the Titans seek their first victory of the season, with backfield mate Tyjae Spears also nursing an ankle injury. The difference is that Spears missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday before returning to a limited session on Friday. The 29-year-old Pollard has been decent on the ground through two games this year, averaging 4.7 yards per carry on his 21 rushing attempts for 99 yards, but he has not found the end zone yet and has only two receptions for zero yards as a receiver. If Spears is unable to play this weekend, Pollard will be more attractive as a potential RB2 for the week in fantasy.

Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears (ankle) will be limited in practice on Friday, according to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com. Spears missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday, so his return to the field on Friday should give him at least a chance to suit up this Sunday against the New York Giants. However, he is definitely more questionable to play this weekend than backfield mate Tony Pollard (ankle), who is also dealing with ankle soreness this week. Pollard missed practice on Wednesday, but he was limited on Thursday and upgraded to a full session on Friday. Fantasy managers should expect the 25-year-old Spears to take a questionable tag into the weekend, potentially making him a game-time decision for Week 3 in the Big Apple. Through two weeks in the change-of-pace role behind Pollard, Spears has 10 carries for 53 yards (5.3 yards per carry) and four catches on six targets for 41 yards. If both he and Pollard are active this weekend, Spears will once again be in play as a flex option for fantasy managers in PPR formats.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rico Dowdle (toe) appears to be trending toward missing Sunday's game against Cincinnati, according to Nick Farabaugh. Dowdle did not practice Wednesday or Thursday and still was not seen during the open portion of Friday's session. Pittsburgh had not released his final Week 3 designation at the time of this update. Dowdle suffered the toe injury in last week's loss to New England, finishing with seven carries for 22 yards and two catches for another 22 yards. Jaylen Warren has been limited this week with a shoulder injury but has continued practicing. If Dowdle sits, Warren would be positioned for more of the backfield work.

Miami Dolphins running back Jaylen Wright (foot) is doubtful to play in Week 3 on Sunday against the visiting Kansas City Chiefs, according to Travis Wingfield of the team's official website. Wright suffered a foot injury in last week's loss to the San Francisco 49ers and will most likely be ruled out for the weekend. The 23-year-old was the primary handcuff option in fantasy for Dolphins starter De'Von Achane, but he has seen only three rushing attempts for 10 yards and has not been targeted in the passing attack. With Wright most likely inactive on Sunday against the Chiefs, it will be Ollie Gordon II who will serve in the change-of-pace role behind Achane in a Dolphins offense that is trying to find its footing heading into Week 3. Gordon, who has just three carries for seven yards on offense through two weeks, will not have any standalone fantasy appeal against KC.

Miami Dolphins rookie wide receiver Chris Bell (knee) is likely to play on Sunday in Week 3 against the visiting Kansas City Chiefs, according to Alain Poupart of Sports Illustrated. Meanwhile, fellow rookie Caleb Douglas (ankle) has already been ruled out for the weekend. It means that if Bell suits up, as expected, he should have a much bigger role as the Dolphins seek to pull off a huge upset in Miami. The 22-year-old has experienced some fluid buildup in his surgically repaired left knee, but he has been told it is nothing serious. The Dolphins eased him into practice reps this week as a precaution, but he is expected to be active on Sunday. The third-rounder from Louisville has had a slow start to his NFL career with the Dolphins, catching just one of his three targets for 25 yards without a trip to the end zone. With Douglas out, Jalen Tolbert and Malik Washington might be quarterback Malik Willis' top targets. Bell should see more snaps as well, but he is much too risky to use in most starting fantasy lineups in Week 3.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Jakobi Meyers has been on the field plenty, but the targets have almost vanished. Meyers caught both of his looks for 40 yards and a touchdown in Week 1, then saw only one target against Denver and turned it into a 28-yard catch. He still played 54 snaps and ran a team-high 29 routes in that loss. Trevor Lawrence just kept going elsewhere, with Parker Washington and Brian Thomas Jr. combining for 20 targets. That is a rough change for Meyers after he averaged nearly seven targets per game in nine appearances with Jacksonville last season, catching 42 passes for 483 yards and three touchdowns. The thumb injury is still being managed, but Meyers has not missed a game because of it. RotoBaller has him at WR54 for Week 3 against New England. The routes are keeping him on the fantasy radar for now, but three targets in two games is nowhere near enough to trust in a lineup.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker (ankle) was back on the field Friday after sitting out Thursday's practice, according to Alex Zietlow. Coker was limited Wednesday before being downgraded to a non-participant the following day. Zietlow also saw him fielding punts during Friday's session, a positive sign after the midweek setback. Coker has 16 catches for 204 yards and two touchdowns through the first two games, including eight receptions in each contest. Carolina had not yet released his official Friday participation level or game designation at the time of this update, so his status for Sunday's game at Cleveland remains worth watching.

San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa (calf) is expected to miss a few weeks after pulling his calf during Thursday's practice, according to Adam Schefter. Bosa will not play Sunday against Arizona, and the 49ers are still deciding whether to place him on injured reserve. He was held out Wednesday for rest before missing Thursday after the calf injury surfaced. Bosa has seven tackles through San Francisco's first two games but has yet to record a sack. If the 49ers place him on injured reserve, he would have to miss at least four games before being eligible to return.

New York Jets tight end Mason Taylor (thumb) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against Detroit, according to Rich Cimini. Taylor suffered the injury in last week's loss to Green Bay and was considered week-to-week entering Week 3. He did not practice Wednesday or Thursday before being ruled out Friday. Taylor has two catches for minus-two yards through the first two weeks and did not record a reception against the Packers. His absence leaves rookie Kenyon Sadiq and Jeremy Ruckert as the Jets' primary options at tight end. Sadiq caught two passes for 17 yards last week, while Ruckert finished with two catches for five yards.

New York Jets wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (finger) will be limited in Friday's practice after getting his finger caught in a jersey Thursday, according to Rich Cimini. Mitchell wasn't listed on Wednesday's injury report before being added as a limited participant Thursday. Head coach Aaron Glenn would not comment on whether Mitchell will be available Sunday against Detroit. The third-year receiver has nine catches for 123 yards through two games and drew a team-high 12 targets in last week's loss to Green Bay. Mitchell's final injury designation should give a better indication of where things stand heading into the weekend.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Caleb Douglas (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against Kansas City, according to Alain Poupart. Douglas injured his ankle in last week's loss to San Francisco and did not practice Wednesday or Thursday before being ruled out Friday. The rookie has been one of Miami's most productive pass-catchers through two games, leading the team with 113 receiving yards on seven catches. He opened his NFL career with five receptions for 94 yards against Las Vegas, then added two catches for 19 yards in Week 2. Miami will now be without its leading receiver by yardage as it hosts the Chiefs.

Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt is trending down in fantasy football, largely due to his declining role on offense. Croskey-Merritt went from a 49% snap share and 16 carries in Week 1 to a 37% snap share and 12 carries in Week 2. Meanwhile, versatile teammate Rachaad White has stepped into a larger role and played more than half of the snaps last Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. This could have been a result of game script, but more likely than not, it was fueled by Croskey-Merritt's inefficiency so far (3.8 YPC) and his lack of production in the receiving game. Going forward, Croskey-Merritt's fantasy value will continue to suffer from reduced volume, but he'll also take a further hit due to the state of the offense. The Commanders enter Week 3 without quarterback Jayden Daniels (elbow), which means that Marcus Mariota will take over the offense. It's hard to imagine Mariota keeping the Commanders in a competitive game against the Seahawks, and the resulting negative game script will have an unfavorable impact on Croskey-Merritt's role. He's a fringe RB3/flex in deep leagues against a strong Seattle defense.

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (knee) will undergo surgery on Friday, according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic. The primary goal of the operation is to fully repair his meniscus, but he also has MCL and PCL damage that may need to be addressed during surgery. Duggan reports that Dart's timeline for recovery is four to six months, which would sideline him through mid-January at the earliest. Head coach John Harbaugh didn't rule out the possibility of Dart returning for the playoffs, but the Giants would need to qualify first. Going forward, they'll be led by quarterback Jameis Winston, who put together a discouraging stat line on Monday night with a 40.1% completion rate, 111 passing yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf has been disappointing in fantasy football through the first two weeks of the 2026 NFL season. Despite being an extremely talented athlete and the alpha receiver in Pittsburgh's offense, he has been held to single-digit fantasy points in each of his two games so far. It hasn't been for a lack of targets, though, as Aaron Rodgers threw the ball in Metcalf's direction 10 times in Week 1 and nine times in Week 2. However, his 19 total targets have resulted in just eight catches for 67 yards, indicating some sort of disconnect between the veteran quarterback and his No. 1 receiver. The Steelers' offense looked pretty weak last Sunday against the Patriots, so we wouldn't be surprised if Metcalf's underwhelming start could be an indicator of more struggles to follow. He has dropped to the WR3/flex tier for Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals, and managers must be wary of his low floor.

Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland has arguably been the biggest disappointment in fantasy football through the first two weeks of the 2026 NFL season. Widely viewed as a Year 2 breakout candidate, Loveland has opened the year with just one catch for three yards through his first two games. The Bears dropped 59 points back in Week 1, and Loveland finished that contest with zero receptions. It hasn't been for a lack of playing time, as the 22-year-old has played at least 86% of the snaps in each of his two games so far. Unfortunately for Loveland's fantasy managers, there may be no resolution in sight. Starting quarterback Caleb Williams (hamstring) and backup quarterback Tyson Bagent (concussion) are both expected to miss Week 3, leaving third-stringer Case Keenum in line to start. If Loveland couldn't carve out a role with Williams as his quarterback, we're not very optimistic about his outlook with Keenum under center. He will continue to rank outside the top 12 fantasy tight ends until he can string together a couple of strong outings.

New York Jets wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (finger) practiced in a limited capacity on Thursday. According to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, it "sounds like there's some concern" from the team regarding the 23-year-old's injury and his availability for Week 3 against the Detroit Lions. Although we don't know the severity of his injury yet, it's worth noting that practicing in a limited capacity is a relatively vague classification; it could mean he just sat out a couple of drills, or it could mean he injured his finger in the middle of practice and didn't return. Friday's injury report will be a good indicator of the exact severity, because if he doesn't practice today, it's unlikely that he'll play against the Lions on Sunday. That would be a brutal loss for the Jets, as Mitchell has been an impact receiver with 60+ yards in each of his two games so far. He also exploded for six catches on 12 targets against the Packers last weekend. If he can't play in Week 3, Isaiah Williams would step up as the Jets' No. 2 receiver behind Garrett Wilson.

Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (hamstring) has not practiced this week, and his availability for Week 3 against the Indianapolis Colts is "very much in doubt," according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Collins missed Week 2 due to the injury, which also sidelined him for back-to-back practices on Wednesday and Thursday this week. While there's still a chance he could progress to a limited or full status on Friday, it doesn't sound like he's trending in the right direction. That's brutal news for the Texans, who are off to a 0-2 start and would love to get their alpha receiver back for a crucial divisional battle against the Indianapolis Colts. Jaylin Noel, Xavier Hutchinson, and Kayshon Boutte should step up as the Texans' top receivers on Sunday, but none of them are absolute must-starts in fantasy football.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens is coming off a WR5 finish in PPR leagues last year, but his start to the 2026 season has been relatively underwhelming. The 25-year-old has just nine catches for 68 yards through the first two games, and he's still searching for his first touchdown of the year. It's not like the Cowboys' entire passing offense took a step back; CeeDee Lamb has at least 15.4 PPR points in each of his first two games, and Dak Prescott has six passing touchdowns. Pickens has been the outlier of the group, and while he has still been able to maintain WR3/flex level production in fantasy football, managers would certainly like to see him return to his WR1 form. A potential shootout Sunday against the Ravens could help him get back on track, but until we see it happen, he should be treated as a WR3/flex in fantasy football.

Green Bay Packers running back MarShawn Lloyd rushed for 11 yards on four carries during Thursday's Week 3 loss against the Atlanta Falcons. He also caught two of his three targets for a modest seven receiving yards. Somehow, Lloyd's 11 rushing yards led the team, and his four carries tied with Chris Brooks for the team-high mark. Green Bay's entire rushing attack was essentially nonexistent Thursday, which has become a similar theme for the Packers ever since Josh Jacobs was placed on the commissioner's exempt list. Lloyd has finished with single-digit fantasy points in all three games this year, including fewer than four points in two of those three. Any optimism that he might occupy a lead-back role in this backfield has faded away, as neither Lloyd nor Brooks is even worth starting in fantasy football. The 25-year-old can be left on the bench heading into Week 4 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.