Fantasy Football News

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers saw his fantasy stock hit a brief skid early in the season when he was recovering from an injury and still adapting to the quarterback play of Jameis Winston. However, over the last four weeks, Nabers has elevated his production to the next level with Winston and J.J. McCarthy as his quarterbacks. The 23-year-old has been New York's alpha receiver on offense, totaling 44 targets, 30 catches, 397 yards, and one touchdown over his last three games. He ranks as the overall WR2 in half-PPR leagues during that span, and he should continue to operate as a must-start receiver going forward. The jury is still out on whether McCarthy, who is gearing up for his second start with the Giants, can lead this team to the playoffs. However, at the very least, he will continue to support top-five finishes from his No. 1 wide receiver. Nabers is coming off his bye week and will look to feast against a struggling Eagles squad in Week 9.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (heel) is unlikely to return "anytime soon," according to Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan. Pierce hasn't played since Week 2, and for what it's worth, he hasn't been 100% healthy for a game since last season. It doesn't sound like the 26-year-old will be back on the field within the next couple of weeks, even though he is currently eligible to be activated from injured reserve. It's too early to tell whether Pierce is at risk of being shut down for the whole season, but it's something for the Colts to consider as they undergo a partial teardown of their roster. Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner have already been traded, and it seems like offensive staples Jonathan Taylor and Josh Downs could be next. If Indianapolis does wave the white flag on their season, we wouldn't be totally shocked to see Pierce remain on IR and focus on getting healthy for 2027. The idea has gained some traction among local media in Indianapolis, as head coach Shane Steichen was asked if Pierce might not play again this year. "He's rehabbing; can't put a timetable on it right now," Steichen answered. The idea of Pierce being shut down is purely speculation at this point, of course, and we'd still advise managers to stash him in leagues with at least 10-12 teams. If he does return, he'd rank as a fringe WR2 in most leagues, especially if he no longer has to compete with Downs for targets.

Miami Dolphins running back Jaylen Wright (quad) did not participate in Wednesday's practice, according to David Furones of the Sun Sentinel. The 23-year-old will still have two more days to improve his practice status, but for now, he's trending in the wrong direction. Miami already lost De'Von Achane to a serious knee injury early in the season, so an injury to Wright would weaken their running back depth even further. Ollie Gordon II remains the lead back in Miami, while Kaytron Allen would step into the No. 2 role if Wright doesn't end up playing this week. With that being said, we wouldn't expect to see Allen get on the fantasy radar if he's merely filling Wright's role. Through six games this year, Wright has taken a backseat behind Gordon with just 22 carries, 41 rushing yards, and zero receptions.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Treylon Burks (foot) did not practice on Wednesday ahead of Week 9. Although it's never ideal to see a player miss practice entirely, the good news is that Burks was on the injury report last week with a foot injury and was able to play on Sunday night without any clear limitations. There were no known setbacks with the ailment, so presumably, his absence on Wednesday was more precautionary. Managers will certainly feel better if he upgrades to a limited status on Thursday, and ideally, he'd enter the weekend without any sort of injury designation. The Commanders are short-staffed at receiver with Terry McLaurin (knee) done for the year, so they can't afford to lose Burks, too. The former first-round pick has been operating as the No. 3 receiver behind Stefon Diggs and Antonio Williams. He played 67% of the snaps in Week 8, and he has 12 catches for 233 yards and two touchdowns over his last five games. If he does play against the Rams in Week 9, he would have some low-end WR3/flex appeal in 14+ team leagues, especially with the Commanders projected for a negative game script.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Denzel Boston (calf) was listed as a limited participant in practice on Wednesday, according to Scott Petrak of the Chronicle-Telegram. This injury wasn't previously reported, so it could be something that he picked up during the game on Sunday, but it wasn't enough to force him out of the contest. With that being said, it's also possible that he suffered the injury in practice on Wednesday. Either way, managers will definitely want to check back after the Browns practice again. His status on Thursday will provide a strong indication of whether he's trending toward playing in Week 9 against the New Orleans Saints. If active, Boston would rank as a WR3 with a high ceiling. He generated some Offensive Rookie of the Year buzz at the start of the season, but he has since cooled off significantly with just 10 catches, 79 yards, and zero touchdowns over his last three games. Further complicating his outlook is the Browns' quarterback situation, as Shedeur Sanders is expected to draw the start with Deshaun Watson in concussion protocol.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (knee) did not practice on Wednesday due to a knee injury, according to the team's official injury report. Shaheed's status is an estimate, as the Seahawks had a walk-through practice on Wednesday after falling to the Chicago Bears 34-17 on Monday Night Football in Week 8. The knee issue forced Shaheed to miss the game against the Bears. He has played in seven games this season and recorded 16 receptions for 163 yards (10.2 yards per reception), but he is yet to score a receiving touchdown. However, Shaheed has scored one rushing touchdown and amassed 39 rushing yards on four carries (9.8 yards per carry) this season. His practice activity will need to be watched closely ahead of a Week 9 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (chest) was a full participant in practice on Wednesday, according to Zac Stevens of DNVR Sports. Denver's official injury report for Wednesday confirms his status. Quarterback Bo Nix noted on Wednesday that Waddle is getting "more and more comfortable" in Denver's offense and that he is playing with "confidence." Waddle has played in all eight of Denver's games in 2026 thus far and has recorded 29 receptions for 315 yards and two touchdowns.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock (elbow) logged a limited practice session on Wednesday, according to the team's official injury report. Brady Henderson of ESPN notes that the Seahawks had a walk-through practice on Wednesday following a 34-17 loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football and that the players' statuses are estimated. Lock is expected to start in Week 9 against the Arizona Cardinals, with Sam Darnold (quadricep/ribs) expected to miss the contest. However, Lock's status will need to be monitored leading up to Sunday. Lock has appeared in two games in 2026, including one start. He has completed 35 out of 48 passes (72.9%) for 422 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Kenny Gainwell (hip) was limited during Wednesday's practice with a hip injury, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. The official injury report for the Buccaneers confirms Gainwell's status. Gainwell is coming off a breakout game in a 16-0 win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 8, in which he recorded career highs in rushing attempts with 25 and rushing yards with 140, while averaging 5.6 yards per carry. Earlier on Wednesday, Stroud reported that Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles noted that Gainwell is becoming the "1B" to Bucky Irving's "1A" that the Buccaneers envisioned for Gainwell when they signed him. Gainwell's status for a Week 9 matchup with the Chicago Bears will need to continue to be monitored throughout the week, but a limited session on Wednesday shouldn't be of too much concern as things currently stand.

Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai (thumb, toe) did not practice on Wednesday due to thumb and toe injuries, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Following a 34-17 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football, the Bears had a walk-through practice on Wednesday, but Monangai was an estimated "DNP" on the team's official injury report. Monangai has not played since Week 4. He was off to a strong start in 2026 with 60 carries for 324 yards (5.3 yards per carry) and three touchdowns. Monangai's status for the rest of the week needs to be watched closely ahead of a Week 9 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In his absence, regular starter D'Andre Swift will continue to lead Chicago's backfield, while Roschon Johnson will mix in.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (hamstring, knee) was a limited participant during Wednesday's practice session. Rice made his return to the field last week after missing two straight games due to a hamstring injury. He looked good on the field, hauling in seven of his eight targets for 53 yards in the loss to the Denver Broncos. Rice is dealing with a pair of injuries right now, so his limited session could be the Chiefs being cautious with him. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status, but they shouldn't be too worried right now. It doesn't sound like Rice is in real jeopardy of missing the Week 9 matchup against the New York Jets. If he does miss time, Xavier Worthy would likely benefit the most out of all the wideouts.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (ankle) was a limited participant during Wednesday's practice session. Kelce was limited during part of practice last week as well, but he still suited up for the Week 8 loss to the Denver Broncos. The veteran tight end being limited to begin the week could just be for rest purposes. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status throughout the week ahead of the Week 9 matchup against the New York Jets. The 37-year-old has been a consistent option lately with four receptions or more in each of his last three games. If he gets downgraded, Noah Gray would likely see an expanded role this weekend.

Arizona Cardinals running back Bam Knight (concussion) didn't practice on Wednesday and is still going through the league's concussion protocol. Knight is banged up right now, but he's expected to have a significant role once he's available to play. Head coach Mike LaFleur said on Wednesday that the plan was for Knight to be one of their two top backs. Sadly, both Knight and Jeremiyah Love (ankle) suffered injuries during the Week 8 win over the Dallas Cowboys. Love was placed on the Injured Reserve and will now miss the next four games. Now, Knight has a chance to be a legitimate threat in this backfield with Love out of the picture for a handful of games. Tyler Allgeier will likely be the lead back, but it sounds like the Cardinals trust Knight to handle a significant workload.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson (ribs) was seen wearing a yellow non-contact jersey during Wednesday's practice session, Bo Brack of GoPHNX.com reports. Wilson was also wearing a non-contact jersey last week and was limited during all three days of practice. Ultimately, Wilson did suit up during the Week 8 win over the Dallas Cowboys. It was revealed after that game that Wilson is dealing with two broken ribs. Despite the injury, Wilson hauled in eight of his 15 targets for 111 receiving yards and a touchdown in the win. We'll see if the rib injury plays a factor this week ahead of the Week 9 matchup versus the Seattle Seahawks.

New Orleans Saints running back Travis Etienne Jr. (hamstring) will not have his practice window opened yet, Jeff Nowak of WWL Louisiana reports. Head coach Kellen Moore confirmed Etienne won't have his practice window opened on Wednesday, but he's hopeful that Etienne can practice this week. The 27-year-old has missed the required four games after being placed on the Injured Reserve due to a strained left hamstring. He's not on the field to begin the week, so it seems unlikely that Etienne will be ready for the Week 9 matchup against the Cleveland Browns. Fantasy managers should aim for Etienne to be ready for the Week 10 matchup versus the Carolina Panthers.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (ribs) was estimated as a limited practice participant in Wednesday's walkthrough, according to Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News. St. Brown apparently injured his ribs in Sunday's Week 8 win over the division-rival Minnesota Vikings, but he returned to the contest and finished with seven catches on eight targets for 46 yards, although the 27-year-old All-Pro wideout just missed a long touchdown that was overturned on video review. Week 8 was the first time since Sept. 27 that the Sun God did not see double-digit targets, and it was a disappointing showing for his fantasy managers after he had nine grabs on 11 targets for a season-high 153 yards in the Week 8 victory over the division-rival Green Bay Packers. St. Brown is expected to be fine to play this weekend on the road in an excellent matchup against the Miami Dolphins, but we will closely monitor his practice status for the rest of the week. If he is active on Sunday in South Beach, he should remain locked into all starting fantasy football lineups. St. Brown heads into Week 9 action as the WR5 in half-PPR scoring with 53 catches on 76 targets for 571 yards and five touchdowns in seven games played.

Los Angeles Rams veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford (elbow) was listed as a full participant in practice on Wednesday after he was seen with an ice pack on his right elbow following Sunday's Week 8 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, according to Pro Football Talk. "I'm 38 years old, trying to keep up with these young bucks. Little bit of soreness and stuff that is not uncommon this time of year," Stafford said, via Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times. "Haven't missed a rep. Feel good. So I'm not too worried about it." It is worth noting after Stafford had surgery on the same elbow during the 2022 offseason. The reigning MVP only attempted 25 passes and threw for just 157 yards with one touchdown and an interception in the 24-9 win over the Chargers, and he has now thrown for under 200 yards in each of the last two games after throwing for 300-plus yards for a three-game stretch earlier this year. Stafford should be just fine to start this Sunday on the road in Washington against the Commanders, where he could easily bounce back for fantasy managers as a strong QB1 against a shaky secondary. He could be getting tight end Terrance Ferguson (ankle) back from Injured Reserve as well.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Kenny Gainwell has looked like what the team envisioned him to be when they added him in the offseason over the last couple of weeks as the 1B to Bucky Irving's 1A, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. Through the first six games, Irving was doing his thing while Gainwell mostly watched and waited, never seeing more than five carries in a game. Gainwell had 14 carries for 88 yards in the Week 7 win over the Carolina Panthers and then saw a season-high 25 carries for 140 rushing yards in a rain-soaked 16-0 win over the division-rival Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Irving also had a career-best 170 yards on 27 carries on the ground. Tampa had a club-record 324 rushing yards in Week 8. "I think we finally got to where we're utilizing Kenny more and more, and that's kind of the 1A, 1B we were talking about when we first signed him," head coach Todd Bowles said. Irving is on pace for 312 rushing attempts, and the Bucs do not want to run him into the ground. Fantasy managers should not expect another ground domination like the Bucs had on Sunday against Atlanta, but Gainwell's stock is back up after he was dropped in a lot of fantasy leagues after his slow start. He is still rostered in under 50% of Yahoo leagues and is worth adding again with Tampa potentially riding their two RBs as much as possible going forward.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said that wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (foot) did not practice on Wednesday but ran on the side, according to Scott Smith of the team's official website. The Buccaneers will see how Egbuka feels on Thursday after his running session on Wednesday. The 24-year-old has missed two straight games, but he cleared the concussion protocol late last week, and he appears to be making progress with his foot injury this week. Still, Egbuka will likely need to upgrade to a full practice in the next two days to avoid a questionable tag or being ruled out entirely for a third straight game. In the two games that Egbuka has missed, the Bucs have leaned heavily on their rushing attack, with quarterback Baker Mayfield going 7-for-14 passing for 64 yards with one touchdown. He went 0-for-3 passing in the Week 8 win over the division-rival Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Egbuka has been Tampa's top wideout when healthy, catching 28 of his 49 targets for 240 yards and two touchdowns, but with the team's passing game doing next to nothing of late, he will be a volatile starting fantasy WR if he returns to the field in Week 9 to take on the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football.

New Orleans Saints rookie first-round wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) had his 21-day practice window to return from Injured Reserve opened on Wednesday, and he was listed as a limited participant in practice. Ongoing hamstring issues landed the 22-year-old on IR before the start of his rookie season in the NFL, but he has a chance to be officially activated later this week and make his debut in Week 9 at home against the visiting Cleveland Browns this Sunday. When fully healthy, Tyson was drafted to serve as the team's No. 2 pass-catcher across from Chris Olave. Tyson's return will be bad news for those who have Devaughn Vele rostered, but the rookie is not guaranteed to return this weekend. The Saints will likely ease Tyson into the offense when he returns, which will make him a risky play initially, but the young pass-catcher's upside makes him worth stashing in all fantasy leagues with his return on the horizon. Tyson is currently rostered in just over half of Yahoo leagues, but that number will rise drastically once he is officially activated off IR, which could come as soon as this Saturday.