Lions QB Jared Goff completed 26 of 37 passes for 272 yards with 1 TD and INT apiece in Week 8’s victory over the Raiders. The veteran didn’t bring much value to fantasy lineups on Monday night, though a lot of that can be attributed to the fact that the Lions’ rushing attack was extremely potent. He’s still the QB12 in fantasy points per game (17.3) after a pair of less-than-stellar performances. The Lions will go on bye next week and return to face the Chargers on November 12.
Raiders RB Josh Jacobs recorded 15 carries for 61 rushing yards and a TD in Week 8’s loss vs. the Lions. He also secured 2 of 4 targets for a team-leading 27 receiving yards in the contest. Unfortunately, Jacobs is the only Raider who eclipsed 20 receiving yards and one of only three players to catch more than one pass on Monday night. In fact, QB Jimmy Garoppolo didn’t complete a pass to a WR until the second half of the game. Both WR Jakobi Meyers and Davante Adams were held to one reception apiece, unable to bring anything to the table for fantasy managers. Next week’s matchup vs. the Giants should yield better results, though the current state of the Raiders' offense is deeply concerning.
Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo struggled on Monday night, completing 10 of 21 passes for 126 yards with 1 INT vs. the Lions. Week 8 was the third instance this season in which the veteran was unable to clear 200 passing yards or reach double-digit fantasy points. Garoppolo shouldn’t be considered a starter outside of deeper superflex leagues next week vs. the Giants, even in an easier matchup.
Bears HC Matt Eberflus said in a Monday radio appearance that QB Tyson Bagent will start this weekend's game vs. the Saints. QB Justin Fields remains "week-to-week" with his thumb injury, Eberflus said. The fact that Fields is being ruled out on a Monday doesn't bode particularly well for his chances of returning in Week 10. We'll continue to track his recovery.
Rams HC Sean McVay said Monday that QB Matt Stafford is considered "day-to-day" with a UCL sprain in his right thumb. Stafford has some “swelling and some bruising,” which will continue to be evaluated, McVay added. “It’s really about, let’s see what happens over the next 24-48 hours in regards to just all of those things that we’ve previously mentioned. We were encouraged that it was a sprain. I think there was some potential concern that it could be worse. ... That’s what the scans revealed. And then we’ll see how quickly some of that stuff that is key and critical — to being able to grip and throw a football — some of those symptoms subside with Matthew, and how quickly that makes him able to return for us.” It sounds like Stafford avoided a worst-case scenario here, but we'd still consider him unlikely to play vs. the Packers this weekend -- especially considering the Rams then get a Week 10 bye. McVay also said Monday that the Rams will sign QB John Wolford off the Buccaneers' practice squad. Wolford spent the past three seasons with the Rams, making four total starts. We'll see if Wolford or QB Brett Rypien gets the start against Green Bay.
Raiders CB Nate Hobbs (ankle) is active for tonight's game against the Lions. It'll be his first action since suffering his injury back in Week 3. Hobbs remained limited throughout the practice week, so there's likely some risk both of a reduced initial role and re-injury. We'll watch both areas in projecting him for Week 9 and beyond.
Raiders K Daniel Carlson (groin) is active for tonight's game vs. the Lions. He only got in a limited practice on Saturday and was listed as questionable. But Carlson is available if you were waiting on him.
Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (illness) is active for tonight's game vs. the Raiders. He was added to the injury report on Sunday, but there's been nothing to suggest that he'll be impacted tonight.
On Monday, Cardinals HC Jonathan Gannon announced that the team has decided to reverse course and name rookie QB Clayton Tune as the starter for Week 9 vs. the Browns. This is in contrast to a statement made by Gannon yesterday that Joshua Dobbs would be the QB1 next weekend. Either way, this news still delays Kyler Murray's return from ACL until Week 10 at the earliest. As for Tune, he shouldn't be considered a starter in fantasy lineups outside deeper 2QB/superflex formats.
The Giants are trading DL Leonard Williams to the Seahawks for a second-round pick in 2024 and a fifth-rounder in 2025. Williams certainly helps a Seattle D-line that recently lost Uchenna Nwosu for the season. There's probably not much fantasy impact here, though. Williams sits outside the top 80 D-linemen in fantasy points so far and ranks 19th among interior D-linemen in Pro Football Focus pass-rushing grade.
Giants QB Tyrod Taylor is considered "week-to-week" with the rib injury he suffered in Sunday's loss to the Jets, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Taylor spent Sunday night in a hospital but has been released. QB Daniel Jones (neck) is expected back for Week 9. We'll see if the Giants add a QB or roll with Tommy Devito as Jones' backup for now.
A Monday MRI confirmed that Vikings QB Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles in the Week 8 win over the Packers, NFL Network reports. Cousins will miss the rest of the 2023 season. His contract is set to void in March, and Cousins will turn 36 in August, leaving his football future very uncertain. The Vikings, meanwhile, are left with QBs Jaren Hall and Sean Mannion for now. QB Nick Mullens, who at least has 655 NFL pass attempts under his belt, is eligible to come off IR next week. We'll see if Minnesota makes a move for a free-agent QB or swings a trade before tomorrow's trade deadline. Regardless, Cousins' absence is bad news for all of the team's skill-position players.
Falcons HC Arthur Smith said Monday that the groin WR Drake London suffered in Sunday's loss to the Titans "wasn't as bad as we thought," according to Tori McElhaney of the team website. Smith added that they'll watch London through the week, indicating he has at least a chance to play Sunday against the Vikings. We'll also keep an eye on London's status throughout the week ... and another on what Atlanta plans to do at QB.
Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz reports that RB Leonard Fournette is planning to sign with the Bills, pending a physical. The move would add Fournette to a backfield currently led by James Cook, who ranks just 26th among RBs in PPR points per game. Adding Fournette would seem to indicate the team hopes he can at least be an upgrade over Latavius Murray and Damien Harris -- and perhaps that the Bills would like to siphon a bit more work away from Cook. The crowd will make it tough for any Buffalo RB to consistently help your fantasy lineup. We'll watch for more details on how quickly the Bills plan to bring Fournette along and how the work might be split.
Update: Fournette has passed his physical and is signing with the team's practice squad, his agents have said. Don't be surprised if the Bills elevate him as soon as this weekend.
The Steelers have already ruled S Minkah Fitzpatrick out for Thursday night's game against the Titans, in the wake of his Sunday hamstring injury. Safeties Keanu Neal (97%) and Damontae Kazee (94%) each played season-high snap shares against the Jaguars and figure to be the top two against Tennessee. Neal -- who logged 7 solo tackles in the game -- is the better fantasy bet between them. Neither approaches Fitzpatrick's upside.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Steelers are "keeping an open mind" about QB Kenny Pickett potentially rebounding from Sunday's rib injury to play Thursday night against the Titans. There's obviously nothing wrong with the team refusing to rule out its starting QB three days ahead of kickoff. We'd be surprised if Pickett is ready for the game, though. We're expecting Mitchell Trubisky to line up behind center against Tennessee. Of course, this situation doesn't matter a whole lot for fantasy purposes, because neither QB is very good.
Rams QB Matt Stafford is still undergoing tests on his injured right thumb, according to The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue. The current plan is to evaluate his grip strength throughout the week to determine whether he can play against the Packers on Sunday. "Chillier conditions in GB combined with a bye after are some details in consideration for the short term, but Rams also are not ruling out injured reserve at this point as they are still gathering information that helps discern a larger timeline for Stafford," Rodrigue adds. We should learn more about Stafford's status by the end of Monday. For now, we're assuming that he does not play vs. Green Bay this weekend. That'd leave QB Brett Rypien under center for Los Angeles.
Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne suffered a torn right ACL in Sunday's loss to the Dolphins, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reports. That obviously ends the veteran WR's season. Bourne's also in the final year of his contract. The seventh-year vet has averaged just 2.7 receptions per game for his career, including this season's high of 4.6. Throw in the challenge of the knee recovery, and it's tough to envision a strong landing in free agency or much fantasy relevance going forward. Rookie WR Demario Douglas should find more opportunities available -- especially with WR DeVante Parker also sustaining a concussion in Sunday's game -- but temper your expectations. This has been a low-floor and low-ceiling passing offense for most of the season.
Patriots LB Ja'Whaun Bentley left Sunday's loss to the Dolphins with a hamstring injury and was ruled out before the end. That doesn't bode well for his Week 9 status against Washington, but we'll watch for further updates. Bentley has been operating as the clear leader among non-edge New England LBs. In his absence, Jahlani Tavai led the way at 94% playing time, followed by Mack Wilson (58%) and rookie Marte Mapu (23%).
The Titans are expected to start QB Will Levis on Thursday night against the Steelers, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. QB Ryan Tannehill reportedly needs more time to work past his high-ankle sprain. And Levis, of course, just finished throwing 4 TD passes in his NFL debut. So this report comes as no surprise. Check back Tuesday afternoon to see where Levis lands in our Week 9 QB rankings.
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