Fantasy Football News

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden (shoulder, foot) was listed as a non-participant on the team's estimated participation report on Monday, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. Golden is now dealing with multiple injuries, and his status for Thursday night's game against the Carolina Panthers is now in question. The 23-year-old second-year wideout was listed with a shoulder injury last week and was limited in some practices, but he got the green light to play on Sunday in the loss to the division-rival Detroit Lions. Golden had a disappointing showing for his fantasy managers in Week 7 after two straight 100-yard performances, including a six-catch, 104-yard, one-touchdown performance in the Week 6 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night. He should have a good chance of playing in Week 8 despite being on a short week, but fantasy managers will want to keep a close eye on his practice status on Tuesday and Wednesday. If Golden plays this week, he will be in a nice bounce-back spot on Thursday against a Panthers defense that just gave up 40-plus points to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker (shoulder) was listed as a limited participant in practice on Monday, according to Joe Person of The Athletic. Coker continues to deal with injuries in 2026, having previously battled through ankle and quad injuries. His shoulder injury is new, so fantasy managers will want to keep a close eye on the pass-catcher on a short week while he is set to face the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football. In Sunday's 43-13 blowout loss to the division-rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7, Coker had his worst game of the season, catching just one of his four targets for nine yards as Carolina's offense could get nothing going against the Bucs. The 24-year-old former undrafted free agent out of Holy Cross will be looking to bounce back on a short week against the Packers on Thursday night if he is active. The third-year player has caught 25 of his 39 targets for 328 yards and two touchdowns through five games played in 2026. Coker has bounce-back potential this week (if he plays) as Carolina's clear WR2 behind Tetairoa McMillan. In the Week 6 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, Coker caught six of a season-high 13 targets for 97 yards.

Arizona Cardinals rookie first-round running back Jeremiyah Love (ankle) will return to practice on Wednesday, head coach Mike LaFleur told Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic. It is good news for Love, who has missed the team's last two games, but it does not guarantee that he will be active for Arizona's Week 8 contest this Sunday on the road against the Dallas Cowboys. With the 21-year-old Notre Dame product sidelined for the last two weeks, Bam Knight and Tyler Allgeier have split the backfield duties, with Knight out-touching and outproducing Allgeier as the Cardinals' preferred early-down back. The 25-year-old Knight has handled 22 carries for 128 yards and no touchdowns on the ground with Love out, but he could be immediately sent back to the waiver wire in a lot of fantasy football leagues in Week 8 if Love makes his return against Dallas. Love, the third overall pick in April, has 67 rushing attempts for 245 yards (3.7 yards per carry) and one rushing touchdown in his first five NFL games, adding 11 receptions on 14 targets for 36 yards and another TD. He will likely continue to be involved in a timeshare when he returns, but he still offers the highest fantasy ceiling of any Cardinals RB and will have RB2 upside if he is active this weekend.

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey (concussion) returned to the team's unofficial practice on Monday as they come out of their bye week, according to Noah Furtado of The Athletic. McConkey was in a non-contact jersey and was likely limited, but it is a good sign as he works his way through the league's concussion protocol after he suffered a head injury in the team's Week 6 loss to the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs. We will not have a clearer picture of McConkey's status for a Week 8 contest against the Los Angeles Rams until the Chargers release their first official injury report of the week on Wednesday. The Bolts certainly need the 24-year-old former second-rounder back this weekend as they look to win their first game of the 2026 season. Because of the Chargers' struggles in Mike McDaniel's offense this year, McConkey has become a hard-to-trust flex play in fantasy lineups, especially while dealing with injuries. He has recorded only 13 receptions on 18 targets for 200 yards and one touchdown in his first five games, with 82 of those yards and his only TD coming in the Week 1 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. In his last two contests, McConkey has left fantasy managers out to dry, catching one of his three targets for 17 yards.

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said on Monday that the team is undecided on whether second-year tight end Terrance Ferguson (ankle) will practice this week, according to Adam Grosbard of the Los Angeles Daily News. Ferguson is eligible to be reinstated from Injured Reserve this week, but it is not a lock that it will happen in time for him to return to play this weekend in Week 8 against the winless Los Angeles Chargers. If the 23-year-old former second-rounder from Oregon does not practice this week or play against the Bolts, his next chance to return will come in a Week 9 matchup on the road against the Washington Commanders. Despite his extended absence due to an ankle injury, Ferguson is a worthwhile stash at the TE position because of his upside as the best Rams pass-catching tight end. Ferguson came on strong at the end of his rookie campaign and caught seven of 12 targets for 63 yards and a touchdown in his first three games in 2026 before injuring his ankle. Fantasy managers looking for more upside at the position should definitely consider picking Ferguson up off the waiver wire this week. He is rostered in only 15% of Yahoo leagues currently.

ESPN's Lisa Salters reports that Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (hamstring) said he "feels good enough" to give it a go in Monday night's contest against the division-rival Dallas Cowboys after missing the last two games with a hamstring injury that he suffered in the Week 4 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. With that said, Barkley also said he "will try to be smart about his return" on Monday. The 29-year-old three-time Pro Bowler said that he tested his hamstring out last week in practice and that every day, it felt better and better. Fantasy managers who rolled the dice this week with Barkley should be happy, but the caveat is that he is not expected to be 100% against the Cowboys and could be on a snap count, with Dameon Pierce mixing in more often to make sure that he does not overextend himself. Barkley admitted that there will "probably be a testing out period" with his hamstring early on in Monday's game. The Eagles' offense could really use Barkley back with quarterback Jalen Hurts (blood clots) out for the year and receivers DeVonta Smith (hamstring) and Dontayvion Wicks (ankle) both out against Dallas. He has averaged a healthy 5.1 yards per carry on 36 rushing attempts in his four games, but he will be looking for his first touchdown of the year on Monday night.

New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh said on Monday that the team will not be working out other kickers during their bye in Week 8, despite rookie Dominic Zvada's struggles this year, according to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News. Harbaugh expressed confidence in Zvada after the team's overtime win on Sunday over the Houston Texans. In his first year in the NFL, the 23-year-old undrafted free agent out of Michigan has missed five of his first 18 field-goal attempts in seven games, including going 5-for-8 from 50-plus yards out. The good news is that he has not missed any of his 12 extra-point attempts. Zvada really struggled in the Week 7 win in Houston, missing both of his field-goal attempts and making all three of his extra points. Zvada will come out of the team's Week 8 bye as their starting placekicker for a Week 9 divisional clash against the Philadelphia Eagles, but if he continues to struggle, New York will likely go in another direction. Fantasy managers should continue to avoid the young kicker for the foreseeable future.

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jack Bech (forearm) is expected to return to practice this week, per ESPN's Ryan McFadden. Bech has been on Injured Reserve since suffering a broken forearm in Week 3, but he appears to be nearing a return to at least the practice field. Across three games before the injury, Bech recorded five catches for 48 yards and a touchdown on six targets. A second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Bech has played a limited role as a pass-catcher to this point in his career with the Raiders. Still, his presence could take a few targets away from fellow Raiders wideout Tre Tucker. Tucker has played extremely well lately, recording 10 catches for 200 yards and three touchdowns on 19 targets over the last two weeks. Fantasy managers relying on Tucker may want to monitor Bech's status heading into the Raiders' Week 8 matchup against the New York Jets.

The Philadelphia Eagles announced that rookie tight end Eli Stowers (quadriceps) has been activated from Injured Reserve, and he will be active for the Monday night game to close out Week 7 action against the division-rival Dallas Cowboys. Fellow tight end Grant Calcaterra (back) is also returning from IR, so the Eagles are getting some reinforcements back to give them more depth at the position behind veteran Dallas Goedert. With both receivers DeVonta Smith (hamstring) and Dontayvion Wicks (ankle) ruled out for Monday's contest, quarterback Tanner McKee could lean heavily on the TE position against a shaky Cowboys defense, but that does not make Stowers or Calcaterra immediately attractive for fantasy purposes in a banged-up Eagles offense. Stowers, a second-rounder from Vanderbilt in April, will be making his NFL debut against Dallas as well, so his snap count could be limited. Still, Stowers has the most long-term fantasy upside at the TE position in Philadelphia behind Goedert. For now, he is only a realistic stash option in dynasty/keeper formats.

After saying that the team would consider all options after their Week 7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, including at the quarterback position, Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak said on Monday that "Kirk Cousins is our starting quarterback. There is no controversy. He is playing at a very high level," according to Paul Gutierrez of ESPN. After a surprising 3-0 start to the season, the Raiders have now lost four in a row as they head into a Week 8 battle on the road against the New York Jets. The 38-year-old Cousins, a four-time Pro Bowler, has so far held off first overall pick Fernando Mendoza by completing 62.6% of his pass attempts for 1,877 yards, a league-high 16 touchdown passes, and only five interceptions in seven starts. His 1,877 passing yards are third in the league. Vegas' ground game has done nothing to help Cousins, who does not exactly have a great cast of receivers to work with outside of tight end Brock Bowers. The Raiders expect Mendoza to "play at some point" in his rookie season, but Cousins will get at least one more start this weekend in a smash spot against the Jets. Cousins threw for 295 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's loss to the Rams, and he has gone over 300 yards passing twice. He has multiple passing TDs in all but one of his seven games to this point.

Indianapolis Colts rookie running back Seth McGowan has played a limited role in his team's offense so far in 2026, recording 146 yards from scrimmage on 36 touches across seven games. The 25-year-old had his usage scaled up in Week 7, logging 11 carries for 46 yards against the Minnesota Vikings. McGowan's growing role could be a sign of things to come. The Colts still have superstar running back Jonathan Taylor firmly ahead of McGowan on the depth chart, which will not change as long as Taylor remains healthy and on the roster. However, with the Colts currently sitting at 2-5 and riding a three-game losing streak, trade speculation around Taylor has begun to heat up. If Taylor were to get moved, McGowan could be in line to assume a workhorse role in the Indianapolis backfield. In leagues where he is available on the waiver wire, McGowan profiles as a priority stash candidate as the trade deadline approaches.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle) tweaked his ankle in Sunday's Week 7 victory over the division-rival Green Bay Packers, according to Richard Silva of The Detroit News. The plan is for the Lions to let St. Brown sit out of practice on Wednesday before he returns on Thursday. St. Brown was not really slowed down by his ankle in the 20-17 win on Sunday, as he caught nine of his 11 targets for a season-high 153 yards against Green Bay. As long as he returns to Thursday's practice, St. Brown should be just fine to play in Week 8 against the division-rival Minnesota Vikings, where he would be a must-start WR1 in fantasy leagues despite the tough matchup against one of the best defenses in the NFL. St. Brown played only 78% of the Lions' offensive snaps on Sunday, but the slightly reduced playing time did not hurt his production at all. The 27-year-old four-time Pro Bowler has had exactly 11 targets in each of the last three games and has not seen double-digit targets in just one of his six games so far in 2026. After his big game against Green Bay, St. Brown is the WR3 overall in half-PPR scoring with 46 catches on 68 targets for 525 yards and five touchdowns so far this year.

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson was one of the few players on his team's offense to have a productive game in Week 7, recording four catches for 35 yards and a touchdown on five targets. The 29-year-old's overall numbers in 2026 don't leap off the page, as he's hauled in 27 receptions for 237 yards and two touchdowns on 32 targets across six games. However, Hockenson appears to be emerging as a favorite target of Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray. In the two games where both Hockenson and Murray have started and finished the contest on the field, Hockenson has logged 17 catches for 154 yards and a touchdown on 18 targets. The veteran tight end also has an extremely favorable matchup on paper in Week 8 against the Detroit Lions. For fantasy managers in need of tight end help, Hockenson profiles as a viable waiver wire solution.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Caleb Douglas returned from Injured Reserve with a bang in Week 7, recording two catches for 70 yards and two touchdowns on three targets in his team's victory over the New York Jets. Douglas suffered an ankle injury in Week 2 that caused him to miss three games. However, he's been productive when healthy, logging nine catches for 183 yards and two touchdowns on 13 targets across three games. Even after a productive week against the Jets, the Dolphins' passing game remains highly questionable and should lead fantasy managers to approach Douglas with caution. Still, the 23-year-old has clearly proven an ability to make big plays down the field. In leagues with 12 or more teams, Douglas profiles as a viable waiver wire target.

San Francisco 49ers rookie running back Kaelon Black had the best game of his young career in Week 7, recording 12 carries for 63 yards and a touchdown in his team's loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Black's fantasy upside is limited by the presence of star 49ers back Christian McCaffrey (thigh). Still, Black has seen relatively consistent work in a secondary role this season, recording 57 carries for 223 yards and a touchdown across seven games. McCaffrey also suffered a thigh injury in Week 7. Both he and the team have downplayed the injury, and the 49ers have their bye in Week 8, so McCaffrey may not miss any time. However, even a small increase in Black's touches coming out of the bye could put him in flex range for fantasy managers in the right matchups. Of course, if McCaffrey were to be sidelined for any reason, Black would be a must-start running back. Black should be rostered across almost all fantasy formats coming out of Week 7.

Kansas City Chiefs rookie running back Emmett Johnson has seen very limited usage in his team's offense to this point in 2026, recording 19 carries for 62 yards and nine catches for 109 yards on 11 targets. The Chiefs have given almost all of their backfield work to superstar RB1 Kenneth Walker, who currently leads the NFL in both yards per rush attempt and rushing yards per game. As long as Walker remains healthy, Johnson is highly unlikely to provide fantasy managers with consistently relevant production. However, Walker is also currently on pace to log nearly 400 touches this season, which may be an unsustainable workload. If Walker were to get injured, Johnson could assume a three-down role in Kansas City and would immediately vault into must-start territory for fantasy managers. In leagues where he remains available, Johnson profiles as a priority waiver wire handcuff stash.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Kendrick Bourne just inherited a bigger role, with Jalen Brooks (wrist) announcing Monday that he will miss the remainder of the season. With Marvin Harrison Jr. traded to the Houston Texans and Brooks requiring season-ending wrist surgery, Bourne is positioned as the Cardinals' No. 2 wide receiver behind Michael Wilson. The production already backs it up: he has drawn 22 targets over Arizona's past three games and turned them into 13 catches for 126 yards, even after three receptions for nine yards Sunday. Brooks played 52 offensive snaps and drew six targets in the 30-16 loss to the Denver Broncos, compared to Bourne's 45 snaps and six targets. Tight end Trey McBride remains the offense's primary receiving option after commanding 13 targets against Denver, but Bourne now faces far less competition for opportunities. Add him in 12-team PPR leagues as a potential flex option heading into Arizona's Week 8 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (ankle) is a coin flip for Sunday's Week 8 matchup against the Buffalo Bills. Head coach Jesse Minter said Monday that Jackson should be "in a decent spot" health-wise heading into Week 8, according to Jonas Shaffer of The Baltimore Banner. Minter declined to explain why Jackson was ruled out Saturday and stressed he will play only if he performs at his usual level. Jackson missed his third consecutive game in Sunday's 35-13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals after suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 4. He returned to limited practice in Week 7 but acknowledged Friday that running remained painful. Plan around Tyler Huntley, who stays Baltimore's starting quarterback if Jackson can't go against Buffalo.

Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine scored again Sunday, but the touchdown hides a role that shrank sharply after the Week 6 bye. His one-yard fourth-quarter punch-in made it two consecutive games with a score in the 35-13 victory over the Baltimore Ravens, yet he finished with 16 rushing yards on four carries and no targets. The snaps tell the story: Perine played 12 offensive snaps to Chase Brown's 40, down from Week 5, when he logged 14 carries for 68 yards and 33 snaps against the Miami Dolphins. Brown reclaimed the backfield with 11 carries for 39 yards and four catches for 19 more. Perine has scored both a rushing and receiving touchdown in his past two appearances, but limited playing time leaves him without a reliable standalone fantasy role. Add him as a handcuff in 12-team leagues, particularly if you roster Brown, ahead of Cincinnati's Week 8 matchup with the Tennessee Titans.

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane has earned a stash in 12-team leagues, with backup quarterback Tyler Huntley throwing to him in both contests. The rookie has drawn five targets in each of his two games since returning from a fractured wrist. The production lags: three catches for 25 yards in Sunday's 35-13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals made his two-game totals seven receptions for 65 yards. That makes him a stash, not an immediate starter. The role is what you're buying. Lane's offensive snap share climbed from 54% in Week 6 to 69% (46 snaps) in Week 7, even as Rashod Bateman's jumped from 30% to 73%, and only Zay Flowers' 11 targets topped Lane's five Sunday. Week 8 is the next test: the Ravens visit the Buffalo Bills and Lamar Jackson (ankle) could return, giving Lane his first full game with the Ravens' starting quarterback.