Fantasy Football News

Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis (groin) is expected to go on injured reserve, according to Tom Pelissero, who reported that an MRI showed his groin injury had developed into a core muscle injury. Willis needs rest and could still return this season, Pelissero reported. If Miami makes the move this week, Willis would miss at least four games and first be eligible to return against Chicago in Week 14. Willis practiced in full Friday before completing 13 of 25 passes for 128 yards with an interception in Sunday's loss to Detroit. Head coach Jeff Hafley said Monday that Willis lacked his usual speed when escaping pressure. Willis has run for nine yards on three carries over his past two games after rushing for 37 yards and a touchdown against the Jets in Week 7. Kyle McCord is Miami's only other quarterback on the active roster and would be in line to start Sunday at Indianapolis. McCord has yet to attempt a regular-season pass this year, and Brady Cook is on the practice squad.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray (hamstring) is currently dealing with a Grade 2 hamstring strain that is week-to-week, and he is expected to miss more time past the Monday night loss to the Buffalo Bills, according to James Palmer. The Vikings pulled off a blockbuster trade on Tuesday to acquire veteran QB Kirk Cousins from the Las Vegas Raiders, and with Cousins coming in on a Tuesday, he could possibly make his return to the Vikings this Sunday to take on the division-rival Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. The 29-year-old Murray has missed time with injuries in his first year in Minnesota, and when he has been active, he has struggled to pick up head coach Kevin O'Connell's offense, completing 64.9% of his pass attempts for 1,022 yards (6.6 yards per attempt), five touchdowns, and three interceptions in six starts. With Cousins now back in Minnesota, Murray will now be the Vikings' QB2 in a backup role, which kills what little superflex fantasy value he had left. The Vikings do not want to have to turn back to Carson Wentz this Sunday against Green Bay, so they will do everything in their power to get Cousins up to speed to play in Week 10.

The Atlanta Falcons did background work on a potential contract extension for defensive back Jessie Bates III and pondered how it may fit into a rough outline of 2027 free-agent plans, according to Daniel Flick of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. However, the Falcons felt that the Jacksonville Jaguars' offer made them better in the long run. Atlanta ended up sending Bates to the Jaguars on Monday for a second-rounder in 2027 and a fifth-rounder in 2028, which is a quality return for a 29-year-old safety who was on an expiring deal. Bates will be a nice addition for Jacksonville, which recently lost defensive back Eric Murray to a season-ending elbow injury. Bates, a former second-rounder by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2018 from Wake Forest, heads to Duval after recording 60 tackles (35 solo), one interception, four pass breakups, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown in nine games in 2026 in his fourth year with the Falcons.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs is set to join the Kansas City Chiefs in a deadline trade, according to Tom Pelissero. Indianapolis would send a 2027 seventh-round pick with Downs and receive fourth- and fifth-round picks in the same draft. Downs requested a trade in October and caught 33 passes for 354 yards and a touchdown in nine games this season. His season-high seven catches came against Kansas City in Week 2, when he finished with 72 yards. Downs has primarily played in the slot, and Kansas City has been rotating its third receiver behind Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy. Andrew Armstrong, Jalen Royals and Cyrus Allen played between 19 and 22 offensive snaps apiece in Sunday's win over the Jets. They drew three targets combined, while Rice and Worthy drew 13. Downs saw 23 targets in his last four games with the Colts. In deeper PPR leagues, he's worth stashing until his first games in Kansas City show whether he can earn regular routes alongside Rice and Worthy in three-receiver sets.

Agent Drew Rosenhaus said on The Pat McAfee Show that Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jauan Jennings (calf) is dealing with a calf strain but is hopeful to return in Week 10 against the division-rival Green Bay Packers. Rosenhaus added that Jennings seems very happy in Minnesota and that it is his belief that he will stay with the Vikings beyond Tuesday's NFL trade deadline. Jennings reportedly turned down a potential trade that was being worked out for the 49ers to reacquire him. Instead, the Niners pivoted and acquired veteran pass-catcher Keenan Allen from the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday. The 29-year-old has been a non-factor in the Vikings' offense through his six games played so far in 2026, catching only six passes for 54 yards and no touchdowns. However, the addition of veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins should be good news for Jennings, Justin Jefferson, and Jordan Addison in the second half of the season. Target volume is still going to be an issue when Jennings returns in Minnesota, though, and he will probably continue to be a hard-to-trust WR4/5 in fantasy.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver David Moore was released Tuesday after appearing in six games this season. His only catch was a 27-yard gain against Philadelphia in Week 6. Moore played 13 offensive snaps against Tampa Bay the following week, but his only snap in Sunday's loss to Denver came on a 17-yard punt return, his longest of the season. Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker each played at least 80% of Carolina's offensive snaps against the Broncos, with Brycen Tremayne getting 21 snaps and John Metchie III getting 19. Carolina signed Moore from the practice squad on Sept. 30 and listed him as its lead punt and kickoff returner in October. Anthony Tyus III handled all four of Carolina's kickoff returns against Denver for 110 yards and leads the team with 18 kickoff returns for 451 yards. Trevor Etienne gained nine yards on Carolina's other punt return Sunday. The Panthers have been looking to expand his role on special teams, and Etienne already leads the team with seven punt returns to Moore's four.

Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter expects wide receiver Josh Downs to bounce back this year, according to James Boyd of The Athletic. "He's had good energy around here. He's getting ready for each game the right way. You're gonna have some peaks and valleys in the career. The story's not written yet on Josh Downs' season. I anticipate him bouncing back," Cooter said. Downs was a popular breakout candidate during the preseason after the Colts traded Michael Pittman Jr. to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the offseason, but the 25-year-old has not lived up to expectations with a bigger role, and he has been an even bigger disappointment considering that Alec Pierce (heel) has missed most of the year due to injury. In nine games played, Downs has 33 receptions for 354 yards (10.7 yards per catch) and just one touchdown. In a great matchup against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9, Downs fell flat, catching three of his six targets for 24 yards. The Colts traded Keenan Allen to the San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday, so Downs will have an even higher target share going forward, although he will also see more attention from opposing defenses in the second half of the year.

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor is expected to stay with the team through Tuesday's trade deadline, according to Tom Pelissero. Pelissero reported that multiple teams offered a second-round pick plus additional compensation, but the Colts were seeking a much bigger return. Indianapolis signed Taylor to a two-year extension in August that runs through 2028, then traded left guard Quenton Nelson to Seattle in October. Taylor has averaged 3.3 yards per carry in the two games since that trade, down from 4.2 over his first seven games. He scored eight rushing touchdowns before the trade and has rushed for 69 yards on 21 carries without a score since. Taylor still handled 18 touches in Sunday's loss to Dallas, including a season-high five catches. Seth McGowan had six carries for 45 yards and scored from two yards out. Taylor has nine catches over the past two games, one more than in the previous four combined. That receiving work helps offset his rushing slump in PPR leagues heading into Sunday's Week 10 matchup with Miami.

The Tennessee Titans traded standout safety Amani Hooker and a fifth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills at Tuesday's trade deadline, sources told Tom Pelissero of The Ringer. Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Bills are giving up a second-round pick in exchange for Hooker. The 28-year-old defensive back spent his entire eight-year career with the Titans and had emerged in the best form of his career under head coach Robert Saleh this year. Hooker currently leads the league with five interceptions, 52 tackles, and six pass breakups through the first nine weeks in 2026. He will bring versatility to Buffalo's secondary, as Hooker has the ability to move between strong and free safety. After the trades of Hooker and defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons, the Titans have two first-round picks and two second-round picks in the 2027 NFL Draft. Hooker is under contract through the 2028 season, and his contract comes with a salary cap hit of around $12 million this year. The Bills were in need of safety help after their experiment with veteran C.J. Gardner-Johnson did not work out.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones took the final three kneel-downs in Sunday's win over the Las Vegas Raiders and has yet to attempt a pass this season. Dianna Russini reported that the Minnesota Vikings checked in on Jones before Tuesday's trade deadline and found San Francisco's asking price too high. Minnesota is set to send a 2027 third-round pick to Las Vegas for Kirk Cousins, according to NFL Network. Brock Purdy has started all eight games this season and thrown 17 touchdown passes heading into Sunday's visit to the Dallas Cowboys. Jones is worth a bench spot in deep Superflex leagues where most starting quarterbacks are already rostered, especially for managers who start Purdy. When Purdy missed time with a toe injury in 2025, Jones threw for 2,151 yards and 13 touchdowns in eight starts. He attempted at least 39 passes in five of those starts and topped 300 yards three times. His quietest start came against the Atlanta Falcons, when he threw for 152 yards without a touchdown on 26 attempts.

NFL on Prime reporter James Palmer does not get any sense that the Dallas Cowboys are interested in moving wide receiver George Pickens before Tuesday's trade deadline. Teams have been curious, and a big offer could still come, but it seems like Dallas will hold on to Pickens, who is slated to become a free agent after the 2026 season. Owner Jerry Jones seems to prefer to hold onto Pickens, who could depart next March in free agency if the franchise does not work out a long-term extension with him. It was a bit of a surprise that Dallas did not work harder with the 25-year-old to lock him up on an extension after he had a career year in 2025 with 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns in 17 games played. Pickens has not been nearly as good so far in 2026 through nine weeks, catching 39 of 62 targets for 533 yards and two touchdowns while taking a clear back seat to CeeDee Lamb. Still, the former second-rounder from Georgia is a must-start fantasy receiver in a pass-happy Cowboys offense if he stays put at this year's deadline, which looks to be the case. After failing to find the end zone in the first four games, Pickens has scored twice in the last four games for Dallas.

With Kirk Cousins headed to the Minnesota Vikings, Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in April's NFL Draft, now takes over as the starter in Vegas, according to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. There is a lot of optimism in Vegas that Mendoza is very much ready for the opportunity to start. "He's been tearing it up in practice," one source said. The 23-year-old had nine weeks to sit and learn behind Cousins, who played extremely well and threw the second-most touchdown passes (20) in the league. The Raiders did not want to rush their No. 1 overall pick into a starting role too soon, especially as Mendoza transitioned from playing out of the shotgun to under center in the NFL, and the move could pay off handsomely for them if he looks the part sooner rather than later. Mendoza's first test will come in a Week 10 matchup at home against a very tough Seattle Seahawks defense this Sunday. Now that Cousins is out of town, Mendoza will be a top waiver-wire pickup in two-QB superflex leagues and some deep single-QB formats as depth at the position with all kinds of upside.

The Las Vegas Raiders are trading four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Kirk Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday for their 2027 third-round pick, sources told Tom Pelissero of The Ringer. Cousins will now return to Minnesota for their playoff push, while the Raiders will now turn to No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza for the rest of the 2026 season and beyond. Kyler Murray (hamstring) is sidelined with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, and veteran Carson Wentz looked awful in Monday night's loss to the Buffalo Bills, so the Vikings are turning to a man they know very well to help their offense turn things around. The 38-year-old Cousins was performing admirably for the Raiders up until his three-interception performance in the loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Going into Week 10, Cousins ranks as the overall QB5 with 2,340 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in nine starts. Only Joe Burrow has thrown more TD passes than him. In Minnesota, Cousins will have QB1 upside in the right matchups, with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison as his top two receivers in a familiar environment. The acquisition of Cousins should also be great news for Jefferson, whose value had tanked with Murray and Wentz under center in Minnesota.

The Green Bay Packers are happy with what they saw from running back Kaleb Johnson in Sunday's Week 9 win over the New England Patriots after offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said they challenged Johnson to "run hard, run angry," according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN. Stenavich also mentioned that Johnson showed improvement in pass protection. With Josh Jacobs fracturing his finger and MarShawn Lloyd (knee) being inactive on Sunday, Johnson played a season-high 39% of the offensive snaps and had a season-high 14 carries for 68 yards while scoring his first NFL touchdown in the 45-27 blowout win in New England. Jacobs is expected to miss multiple weeks and could land on Injured Reserve, so if Lloyd misses another game with his knee injury, the 23-year-old Johnson could lead Green Bay's backfield again in Week 10 against the division-rival Minnesota Vikings. Johnson should certainly be a waiver-wire consideration this week with both Jacobs and Lloyd banged up, but even if he is the lead back this Sunday, he probably should not be considered much more than an RB3/flex in Week 10 against a stout Vikings defense.

New York Giants quarterback J.J. McCarthy (hip) was participating in the portion of practice open to the media on Tuesday, per The North Jersey Bergen Record's Art Stapleton. McCarthy is back on the field after the Giants listed him as a limited participant during their walkthrough practice on Monday. The 23-year-old former 10th overall pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2024 from Michigan is trending in the right direction for the Thursday night contest against the division-rival Washington Commanders after injuring his hip in the third quarter of Sunday's win over the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles. McCarthy looked to be in a lot of pain on the sideline, but he eventually checked back into the game and finished out the contest. In his four games (two starts) so far in 2026 after being traded to the Giants, he has thrown for 622 yards, one touchdown, and one pick on 68 pass attempts. In a great matchup against Washington, McCarthy will have high-end QB2 upside for fantasy managers if he is cleared to play on a short week. The Giants offense could be getting RB1 Cam Skattebo (hamstring) back, too, which would be a boost for McCarthy. The New York Daily News' Pat Leonard reports that McCarthy had a slight limp in his gait at practice on Tuesday, but he was throwing the football normally.

New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo (hamstring) is participating in practice again on Tuesday during the portion open to the media, according to Art Stapleton of The North Jersey Bergen Record. The Giants listed Skattebo as limited in their walkthrough practice on Monday as they get ready to face the division-rival Washington Commanders on Thursday night. The 24-year-old injured his groin in the Week 7 overtime win over the Houston Texans but was not ready to play in Sunday's Week 9 win over the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles despite having the Week 8 bye to heal up. A return to practice this week suggests that Skattebo will return to play on Thursday, but his status is still up in the air. If Skattebo is given the green light to face the Commanders in Week 10, he should take over as the lead back in New York after Devin Singletary disappointed fantasy managers as a waiver-wire pickup against the Eagles. The former fourth-rounder from Arizona State should have RB2 upside this week if he is active against a Washington defense that does not scare anyone. Skattebo has 418 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 98 carries through seven games so far in his sophomore season in the NFL.

Los Angeles Rams second-year tight end Terrance Ferguson (ankle, hamstring) was on the verge of returning from Injured Reserve to play in Week 9 against the Washington Commanders before he pulled his hamstring in practice last Friday. Ferguson will now miss "another couple weeks" with his hamstring injury, and the problem is that he is still on IR, and the Rams already started his 21-day clock to be activated. If Ferguson is not activated by Nov. 25, he must remain on IR for the rest of the season. The Rams expect Ferguson to return this season, but head coach Sean McVay could not say with 100% certainty that he will be back because of the timing of his return clock starting last week, according to Cameron DaSilva of Rams Wire. It is more bad news for a Rams offense that has its two top receivers -- Puka Nacua (knee, toe) and Davante Adams (hamstring) on IR. With all of the team's injuries, the Rams cannot afford to activate a player who might not contribute right away. "He was a guy that we had huge plans for going into this season, and I think he showed some real flashes of why we did, and unfortunately, the injuries have prevented him," McVay said. Ferguson has the upside to be the Rams' top pass-catching TE when healthy again, which still makes him worth stashing in deeper fantasy leagues as he recovers from ankle and hamstring injuries.

The Minnesota Vikings have been calling around on quarterbacks all day on Tuesday with the NFL trade deadline quickly approaching, according to Dianna Russini. They have checked in on Mac Jones in San Francisco, but the price is too high right now. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the name everyone keeps coming back to as the answer for the Vikings is Las Vegas Raiders veteran signal-caller Kirk Cousins, who used to play in Minnesota. It is the deal that league sources think the Vikings are really trying to get done. Kyler Murray missed the Monday night loss to the Buffalo Bills with a hamstring injury, and veteran Carson Wentz was a disaster, so the Vikings' desperation for a QB to improve their offense has never been more apparent. Jones proved his worth to the Niners last year when starter Brock Purdy missed most of the year with a turf-toe injury, leading the team to a 5-3 record while throwing for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions in 11 games (eight starts). The 28-year-old former 15th overall pick by the New England Patriots does not have a high ceiling for fantasy purposes, but he could be an upgrade over both Murray and Wentz in Minnesota, and he could help star receiver Justin Jefferson turn things around in the second half.

The Minnesota Vikings are targeting Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins as a potential trade candidate ahead of Tuesday's 4 pm ET deadline, according to NFL insider Adam Schefter. With starting quarterback Kyler Murray (hamstring) sidelined by a Grade 2 hamstring strain, the Vikings trotted out Carson Wentz for a primetime matchup with the Bills on Monday night, and against a defense that has had its share of struggles in 2026, the 11th-year veteran completed eight of 25 pass attempts for 81 yards and two interceptions. Cousins, whose 20 passing touchdowns through nine weeks rank second in the league, and who has performed admirably in a bridge role ahead of first overall pick Fernando Mendoza, played six seasons for the Vikings, where he earned three of his four Pro Bowl selections. A reunion in Minnesota would help to boost the stock of All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who has been held below 60 receiving yards in five of seven contests in 2026.

The San Francisco 49ers have traded for wide receiver Keenan Allen, sending a 2027 sixth-round pick to the Indianapolis Colts, according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero. Through nine weeks, the 14-year veteran led the Colts with 40 receptions on 59 targets, and in San Francisco he should continue to be featured as part of a wide receiver corps that has been rocked by injury. Despite the adversity surrounding him, quarterback Brock Purdy has played at a near-MVP level, and with Mike Evans (Achilles, ribs) still sidelined by Achilles soreness and broken ribs, Allen could make an immediate impact for a team whose leading receivers have been tight end George Kittle and running back Christian McCaffrey.