Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday that WR Brandin Cooks (knee) is expected to be limited in practice on Wednesday, a full-go on Thursday, and then play vs. the Cardinals this weekend. We'll track his progress throughout the week.
The Lions have promoted RB Zonovan Knight to the active roster. It's an indication that the team expects RB David Montgomery (quad) to at least miss this weekend's game vs. the Falcons. His absence would leave Detroit's backfield to Jahmyr Gibbs, Craig Reynolds, and Knight.
Browns WR Amari Cooper hauled in 7 of 10 targets for 90 yards in Monday night’s loss vs. the Steelers. Teammate Elijah Moore saw major involvement again but was only able to turn 9 targets into 3 catches for 36 yards in Week 2. Despite Cooper dealing with a groin injury ahead of the contest, the Cleveland offense was funneled through their pair of top wideouts again for the second week in a row. TE David Njoku, who caught 4 balls on as many targets for 48 yards, was a bit of an odd man out. Both Cooper and Moore will be exciting players to start in lineups in Week 3 vs. the Titans.
Browns RB Jerome Ford ran the ball 16 times for 106 rushing yards in Week 2’s loss vs. the Steelers. The second-year back also added 3 catches on 4 targets for 25 yards and a score as a receiver in the game. Ford performed well in relief of injured teammate Nick Chubb (knee) and will be one of the most popular additions off of the waiver wire this week. HC Kevin Stefanski confirmed after the game that Chubb will be out for the remainder of the 2023 season.
Browns QB Deshaun Watson completed 22 of 40 attempts for 235 yards with 1 TD and INT apiece in Week 2’s loss vs. the Steelers. He also ran for 22 yards in the contest, though a pair of costly lost fumbles ate into his fantasy performance. Through two weeks of the season, Watson has been truly underwhelming. Fantasy managers hoping he would make a return to pre-suspension form are left wondering if that’s going to happen. Is it still possible? Absolutely, but the early returns are giving us little reason to be overly optimistic. We’ll see if he can do any better in Week 3 vs. the Titans.
Steelers WR George Pickens stepped up without teammate Diontae Johnson (hamstring) in the lineup, tallying 4 catches for 127 yards and a TD on a team-leading 10 targets vs. the Browns. No other Steelers’ wideout registered more than a pair of receptions. Given the poor QB play that Kenny Pickett has brought to the table to open 2023, relying on receiving production from anyone on this roster is a challenge. Even so, Pickens displayed his big-play ability with a 71-yard TD tonight and will be worth the gamble again in Week 3 vs. the Raiders.
Steelers RB Najee Harris ended Week 2 with 10 carries for 43 rushing yards vs. the Browns. Teammate Jaylen Warren logged 20 rushing yards on 6 carries in addition to hauling 4 catches on 6 targets for 66 yards as a receiver. Most of Harris' yardage came on two runs in the third quarter. He was otherwise stuffed at the line throughout the contest. The Steelers are still splitting the workshare between Harris and Warren fairly evenly (13 and 12 touch opportunities, respectively). Still, it isn't easy to justify relying on either for fantasy production. Warren presents a modest upside in half or full-PPR formats in Week 3 vs. the Raiders.
Steelers QB Kenny Pickett completed 15 of 30 attempts for 222 passing yards with 1 TD and 1 INT in Week 2 vs. the Browns. The second-year starter had a handful of other errant throws that were lucky not to be intercepted by Cleveland defenders throughout Monday's victory. Aside from a 71-yard TD throw to WR George Pickens, this was not a strong performance from Pickett. He’ll be a shaky fantasy option in Week 3 vs. the Raiders.
Steelers S Minkah Fitzpatrick left Monday night's win over the Browns with a chest injury. He was ruled out before the end. We'll see about the severity, but that doesn't bode well for Week 3 at least.
Insider Jordan Schultz tweets that the Browns "fear" a season-ending knee injury for RB Nick Chubb. That's been the obvious assumption since the injury happened in the second quarter of Monday night's game in Pittsburgh. Schultz adds that Chubb is believed to have a dislocated knee and damage to multiple ligaments. We should get an official diagnosis within the next 24 hours. Chubb's 2023 is over. The question now is whether he can make it back for the start of the 2024 season. He turns 28 in December.
Browns RB Nick Chubb left Monday night's game in Pittsburgh on a cart after taking a shot to his left knee. ESPN declined to show replays of the injury, and Chubb could be seen denying a teammate who wanted to help him up immediately after. We'll watch for details on the injury, but it certainly doesn't look good. RB Jerome Ford entered and caught a TD pass on the ensuing play. (He then also ran in the 1-point conversion.)
Update: Chubb has been ruled out with a knee injury.
Panthers LB Shaq Thompson left Monday night's game against the Saints with an injury to his right shin. He's doubtful to return. We'll see about Thompson's status heading into Week 3.
Update: NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that HC Frank Reich said Thompson suffered a "significant" ankle injury. Thompson is expected to miss the rest of the season, though he'll have further tests Tuesday.
Saints RB Jamaal Williams left Monday night's game against the Panthers with a hamstring injury. He's questionable to return. With RB Kendre Miller inactive once again, New Orleans is left with Tony Jones Jr. as "lead" RB.
The Lions fear S C.J. Gardner-Johnson tore a pectoral muscle in Sunday's loss to the Seahawks, NFL Network reports. If confirmed, that would knock Gardner-Johnson out for at least a while -- and likely the rest of the season. We'll watch for confirmation.
On Monday, ESPN's Sarah Barshop tweeted that Rams HC Sean McVay told reporters that GM Les Snead has spoken with "a handful of teams" regarding a trade for RB Cam Akers and "that's the direction" the Rams are headed. This would seem to indicate that RB Kyren Williams will remain the most fantasy-relevant back in Los Angeles for the time being. Even so, there's nothing stopping the Rams from adding another back to the depth chart at some point down the line. We'll keep an eye on how this situation continues unfolding in the coming days.
On Monday, Chargers HC Brandon Staley shared that there's "no timeline" for RB Austin Ekeler (ankle) to return to play, per The Athletic's Daniel Popper. It's a vague message, though it sounds like fantasy managers shouldn't expect to see Ekeler suit up in Week 3 vs. the Vikings. Backup Joshua Kelley will presumably remain the lead back in Ekeler's absence. We'll keep tabs on this situation as more information becomes available.
Browns WR Amari Cooper (groin) will be active for tonight's Week 2 game vs. the Steelers, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. This is certainly good news for fantasy managers, though a mid-week injury aggravation is never a good sign. We've got him conservatively lowered in our WR rankings.
Panthers WR D.J. Chark (hamstring) is active for tonight's game vs. the Saints. HC Frank Reich said Saturday that Chark could be on a snap count coming off that hamstring injury, so he should only be used as a flier in DFS tournaments.
Saints RB Kendre Miller (hamstring) is inactive for tonight's game vs. the Panthers. That will again leave RB Jamaal Williams in a workhorse role. He handled 18 carries and two targets on a 75% snap rate in Week 1.
On Monday, Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot tweeted that "there's some optimism" around WR Amari Cooper (groin) suiting up for Week 2 vs. the Steelers. Cabot adds that Cooper playing is "not a certainty" but that the Browns will see how the veteran feels in warmups and that "there's a chance" at a minimum. Be sure to check back before kickoff for any official word on his availability. Should Cooper not play, we expect a bump for fellow WR Elijah Moore in this primetime divisional bout.
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