Falcons HC Arthur Smith announced Wednesday that QB Taylor Heinicke will start Sunday against the Vikings. It's not a shocking move after the team pulled QB Desmond Ridder from the Week 8 loss to the Titans. Ridder has largely struggled outside of a 329-yard passing effort in the Week 5 win over Houston. Since that game, he has tossed just 2 TD passes vs. 3 INTs across three contests, while also taking a sack on nearly 10% of dropbacks and losing 4 fumbles. Heinicke went an OK 12-of-21 (57.1%) for 175 yards (8.3 per attempt) after taking over against Tennessee. His 9.7 average target depth in that contest -- according to Pro Football Refernce -- was about 2 yards deeper than Ridder's season rate of 7.8. Pro Football Focus credits Heinicke with a career 8.8-yard average depth of target and 9.2-yard aDOT with the Commanders last season. Heinicke's career 63.7% completion rate comes in short of Ridder's (64.8%), and we've seen enough to know he won't bring consistent efficiency. But a daring downfield thrower could boost the fantasy production of Falcons WR Drake London and TE Kyle Pitts ... if Arthur Smith will allow the offense to exploit those skills. (And assuming London's groin injury doesn't linger, of course.) We're not significantly upgrading our outlooks for any Falcons offensive pieces on this switch. But a move away from Ridder at least allows for some optimism. We'll see whether London's able to play this week -- and then how Heinicke fares in his first Atlanta start. The Minnesota matchup looks fairly neutral for Falcons passing.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal's Vincent Bonsignore tweets that the Raiders are "leaning toward" starting QB Aidan O'Connell vs. the Giants this weekend. QB Jimmy Garoppolo was a disaster in Monday night's loss to the Lions, throwing for just 126 yards, 0 TDs, and one INT on 21 attempts. O'Connell wasn't great in his Week 4 start vs. the Chargers, averaging 6.1 yards per pass attempt with 0 TDs and one INT. But the 3-5 Raiders under interim HC Antonio Pierce are looking beyond 2023 at this point. We'll look for further updates on the Raiders' QB plans. We certainly wouldn't consider O'Connell an upgrade for Raiders pass catchers.
Update: NFL Network reports the Raiders are expected to start O'Connell "this week and going forward." We'll see how this trial goes.
Bears S Jaquan Brisker officially missed Sunday night's loss to the Chargers with an illness. But HC Matt Eberflus this week called it a "unique" situation he had never encountered before. Brisker initially got cleared via concussion checks coming off the Week 7 game. He then got sick, missed the week's practices and was eventually ruled out for Week 8. Brisker's symptoms by Monday landed him another concussion check, and he has entered the league protocol. We'll see how his Week 9 progresses, but it seems like we should bet on Brisker missing a second straight game. With S Eddie Jackson (foot) also out, Chicago started Elijah Hicks and Duron Harmon against the Chargers. Jackson finished the practice week with a full Friday, so we're assuming he's trending toward a Week 9 return unless there was a setback. We'll see about the whole situation later this week.
Early on Wednesday morning, the Raiders announced via Twitter/X that the team has fired HC Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler. The official statement from owner Mark Davis reads, "After much thought about what the Raiders need to move forward, I have decided to part ways with Josh and Dave. I want to thank them both for their hard work and wish their families nothing but the best." While the timing of this news is a bit of a surprise, the motivation behind it is understandable. The Raiders' offense ranks 30th in points per game (15.8) and 31st in total yards per game (268.3) in 2023 and held a 9-16 record over the past season and a half under McDaniels' tutelage. Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Raiders are expected to name LB coach Antonio Pierce as their interim head coach. Stay tuned for more updates regarding the fantasy fallout from this situation.
The Bills are acquiring CB Rasul Douglas from the Packers. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Buffalo is sending a third-round pick to Green Bay for Douglas and a fifth-rounder. Expect Douglas to quickly (perhaps immediately) take over the outside spot opposite Christian Benford. That has been Dane Jackson's spot since CB Tre'Davious White went down. According to Pro Football Focus, Jackson sits tied for 56th among all CBs in coverage grade, 100th in passer rating in coverage among 129 CBs who have played at least 100 snaps. Douglas has had trouble sticking, spending time with the Eagles and Panthers before landing with the Packers the past three seasons. He has been a playmaker when on the field, though, including 10 INTs since the start of 2021. Douglas will be intriguing in a Bills offense that has faced the sixth-most pass attempts so far.
The Commanders are trading Edge Chase Young to the 49ers for a third-round pick. The move comes on the same day Washington sent Edge Montez Sweat to the Bears for a second-rounder. The Commanders had clearly decided they either wouldn't or couldn't re-sign either contract-year player. In Young's case, the team had already declined the fifth-year option on his rookie contract. Young joins a San Francisco defense that likely won't need him to be an every-down player, especially right away. But the 49ers clearly believe their pass rush needs an upgrade. They previously added former Broncos Edge Randy Gregory. We'll see about Young's early role with his new team, as well as whether San Francisco plans to try to keep him around beyond this season.
The Browns traded WR Donovan Peoples-Jones to the Lions in exchange for a sixth-round pick. Peoples-Jones turned in a promising 2022 season, catching 61 of 96 targets for 839 yards and three TDs. But he's been mostly invisible so far this year, totaling just eight receptions on 18 targets. He joins a Lions offense still searching for a consistent No. 2 WR behind Amon-Ra St. Brown. WR Josh Reynolds has been good in spurts this year, but WR Jameson Williams has continued to disappoint. We'll see what kind of role Peoples-Jones can carve out, but he's unlikely to emerge as a reliable fantasy option this season. The 24-year-old is set to hit free agency in March. The Browns, meanwhile, are left with WRs Marquise Goodwin, Cedric Tillman, and David Bell behind Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore.
Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell said Tuesday that QB Jaren Hall will start this weekend's game vs. the Falcons. QB Josh Dobbs will need at least a week to get up to speed in the offense. Hall replaced QB Kirk Cousins last week, completing three of four passes for 23 yards on 11 snaps. The fifth-round rookie started for BYU the past two years, completing 65% of his passes at 8.6 yards per attempt with 51 TDs vs. 11 INTs. Hall also ran for 657 yards and six TDs across those two seasons and then clocked a 4.64-second 40 time at his Pro Day. There's some rushing potential here, but Hall is just a desperation QB2 play this week. He adds obvious risk to Minnesota's pass catchers.
Steelers QB Kenny Pickett told reporters Tuesday that he's "playing for sure" Thursday night against the Titans. We had been expecting that Pickett would sit with the rib injury that knocked him out of the loss to the Jaguars. But you can now find Pickett in the Week 9 QB rankings. We don't see much difference between the QBs in terms of their impact on Steelers WR production against Tennessee.
The Vikings are trading for QB Joshua Dobbs, according to NFL Network. No word yet on what's heading back to Arizona. Dobbs got off to a nice start in Arizona this year but bottomed out the last four weeks, completing 56% of his passes at 5.3 yards per attempt with four TDs and five INTs. Dobbs should take over as Minnesota's starter soon and is likely an upgrade over the rest of their QBs. But he's still a huge step down from QB Kirk Cousins. Dobbs is only worth rostering in 2-QB and superflex leagues.
Update: The Vikings are sending a sixth-round pick to Arizona in exchange for Dobbs and a conditional seventh-rounder.
Giants QB Daniel Jones (neck) confirmed on Tuesday that's he's been medically cleared and plans to play vs. the Raiders this weekend. "Barring any setbacks this week, I'll be ready to go," Jones said. His return is well-timed with QB Tyrod Taylor sidelined with his rib injury. Jones is still only in play in 2-QB and superflex leagues.
Multiple reports say the Bears are sending a second-round pick to the Commanders for Edge Montez Sweat. The 27-year-old is working on potentially his best season yet, including 6.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss and 11 QB hits through eight games. Sweat is also in the fifth and final year of his rookie contract. So this level of investment by the 2-6 Bears suggests they're hoping to extend Sweat before he'd hit free agency in March. It's obviously a strong addition for what has been the league's worst pass rush, as well as a big blow to a Washington defense that has stunk against the pass. For IDP purposes, Sweat faces some downside risk. He leaves one of the league's most talented D-lines to join a group that badly needs him. We'll see how quickly Sweat can assume his normal playing time and whether there's any drop-off in pass-rushing production. He'll get a neutral matchup with the Saints (18th in adjusted sack rate) this week before a better spot against Carolina in Week 10 (25th in adjusted sack rate).
Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown hauled 6 of 9 targets for a team-high 109 receiving yards in Week 8’s win vs. the Raiders. Monday night’s effort marks the third game in a row that St. Brown has exceeded 100 receiving yards and the fifth time overall this season. As dominant as he was, it was rookie TE Sam LaPorta who led the Lions with 10 targets in the contest. The first-year pass-catcher concluded the game with 8 catches for 57 yards and a TD. Unfortunately, fantasy managers will be without these superstars next week. The Lions will return from their bye in Week 10 to take on the Chargers.
Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs erupted on Monday night, tallying 152 rushing yards and a TD on 26 carries in Week 8 vs. the Raiders. The rookie also hauled all 5 targets for 37 yards as a pass-catcher in the contest. Fantasy managers who were frustrated by Gibbs early in the season ought to be thrilled with back-to-back performances of over 27 PPR points. Still, it’s important to remember that his teammate David Montgomery (ribs) has a solid chance to return for Week 10 vs. the Chargers following Detriot’s bye. It’ll be fascinating to see how HC Dan Campbell will distribute the RB touch opportunities when the time comes.
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.
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