The Patriots replaced QB Mac Jones with Bailey Zappe early in the 2nd quarter of Monday night's game against the Bears. The New England offense had started slowly but drove for TDs on each of the 1st 2 Zappe-led possessions. Jones' hadn't been showing ill effects from the high-ankle sprain that cost him the previous 3 games. He even ran for 24 yards before leaving. We'll see how this situation plays out.
Broncos HC Nathaniel Hackett said Monday that QB Russell Wilson is "trending" toward playing against the Jaguars in London on Sunday. Wilson missed Sunday's loss to the Jets with a partial hamstring tear. "He did everything he could to try to be there, but it was just a little early with that short week," Hackett added. "So hopefully, we’ll see him out there and if not, we’ll be smart with him too.” Denver does have a Week 9 bye following this game. We'll see if that factors into the starting-QB decision.
The Jaguars are trading RB James Robinson to the Jets for a conditional 6th-round pick (which could become a 5th-rounder), according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Robinson heads to a backfield that just lost Breece Hall for the season. His inside style should complement Michael Carter and keep the incumbent from taking on too heavy a workload -- and keep the team from needing to give too much to Ty Johnson. We'd still favor Carter as the better bet for PPR scoring in the Jets' backfield. He opened the season working ahead of Hall and still ranks 6th in the team in targets. Robinson's departure from Jacksonville clears the path for Travis Etienne to lead the Jags backfield the rest of the way. JaMycal Hasty should be the RB2 there going forward.
Chargers CB J.C. Jackson ruptured the patellar tendon in his right knee in Sunday's loss to the Seahawks and will miss the rest of the season. We'll see about his status as the 2023 season approaches. Jackson had been performing disappointingly early in the year, so his departure from the lineup doesn't meaningfully alter the fantasy football matchup going forward.
Jaguars RB James Robinson finished without a touch on a season-low 17% snap rate in Sunday's loss to the Giants. HC Doug Pederson said Monday that was at least in part to knee trouble. “He has been dealing with some lower body issues, mostly in his knees right now, but he is a big part of what we’re doing," Pederson said. "Just soreness, and he was dealing with it a little bit in the game." Robinson was not listed on the Week 7 injury report. We imagine that he'll be at least a bit more involved going forward, but Travis Etienne has clearly emerged as Jacksonville's lead back. Robinson looks like just a handcuff at this point.
Jets WR Elijah Moore re-joined the team on Monday. HC Robert Saleh expects him to play vs. the Patriots this weekend. "We love him," Saleh said. "We know how much he can help us and we just want to help him ... he's still part of this family." We wouldn't be surprised to see the Jets make an effort to get Moore going on Sunday, especially if WR Corey Davis (knee) is out. That said, Moore would still be a shaky Week 8 fantasy play.
Rams WR Van Jefferson (knee) has been designated to return from IR. He'll practice on Wednesday and is eligible to play vs. the 49ers this weekend. We'll see if Jefferson is ready after early-August knee surgery. A struggling Rams passing game could certainly use his field-stretching ability. Jefferson is worth stashing in deeper fantasy leagues.
49ers WR Deebo Samuel is "day to day" with a hamstring injury, HC Kyle Shanahan said Monday. This sounds like a relatively minor issue, but hamstrings can be tricky. We'll keep a close eye on Samuel's status throughout the week, leading up to Sunday's game vs. the Rams.
Patriots DT Christian Barmore (knee) is inactive for tonight's game against the Bears. DE Lawrence Guy (shoulder), CB Jonathan Jones (ankle) and DB Jalen Mills (illness) are active.
Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne (toe) is inactive for tonight's game with the Bears. This doesn't have much fantasy impact but does, at least, leave a few WR snaps on the field for others.
Patriots QB Mac Jones (ankle) is active and expected to start tonight's game against the Bears, though the team website says "several reports indicate that rookie Bailey Zappe could also take snaps." If you're using Jones in a season-long lineup, then that shouldn't change anything. But have that in mind as you weigh DFS showdown options. Even if Zappe doesn't play, any concern for Jones' recovering ankle could motivate more rushing lean for the New England offense.
Patriots WR Nelson Agholor (hamstring) is active for tonight's game against the Bears. WR Kendrick Bourne (toe) is inactive. We're expecting Agholor to serve as the #4 WR behind Jakobi Meyers, DeVante Parker and Tyquan Thornton.
Browns WR Amari Cooper snagged 3 of 4 targets for 74 yards in Week 7. He seemed to be on his way to a big day after hauling in a 55-yard deep ball in the 1st quarter. Yet in total, he saw just a 14.8% target share. Cooper's still racked up 70+ yards in 4 of his past 6 matchups. And Cleveland’s game script could force more passing than desired this week against the surging Bengals.
The Broncos placed RB Mike Boone (ankle) on IR. As a result, the team signed veteran RB Marlon Mack to the practice squad. For now, they’ll move forward with a 1-2 punch of Melvin Gordon and Latavius Murray. Gordon out-carried Murray 11-8 in Week 7.
Chargers WR Mike Williams has been diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Williams is now looking at a multi-week absence. If there's a silver-lining here, it's that L.A. enters a Week 8 bye.
Browns RB Nick Chubb rebounded from an ugly Week 6 to post 16 carries, 91 yards and 1 score at Baltimore. He even added 2 grabs for 16 yards, out-targeting Kareem Hunt (3-2) in the process. This was vintage Chubb, who was charted with 5 missed tackles forced (per PFF) and 4.25 yards after contact per attempt. He’s now reached 15 fantasy points in all but 1 game this season. And with 8 TDs, he's already matched his season-long total from 2021. Week 8 turns up a meeting with Cincinnati.
Lions HC Dan Campbell said Monday that WR Amon-Ra St. Brown has not been diagnosed with a concussion. He was pulled from the loss to Dallas because of the league's new protocol that requires players who show signs of ataxia to be removed. It's a tough break for St. Brown fantasy owners, but the good news is that he should be cleared to play vs. the Dolphins this weekend.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow uncorked 42 passes for 481 yards and 3 scores in a Week 7 win over Atlanta. He added a 1-yard rushing score. Cincy led by double-digits for most of this game, but HC Zac Taylor kept the petal down, and Burrow delivered. His scores went to Tyler Boyd (60 yards) and Ja’Marr Chase (32 and 41 yards). Atlanta lost top CB A.J. Terrell early in this one, but Burrow simply wasn’t going to be stopped. He’s now hit 275+ yards and 2+ scores in 4 of his past 5 matchups. Next week, he gets a Browns pass D that might remain without CB Denzel Ward (concussion).
Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase torched Atlanta for 8 grabs, 130 yards and 2 scores. So much for the hip injury that landed him on the injury report. Chase made several sweet catches in this one, including a deep ball in tight coverage that went for 6. He’s now posted a staggering line of 12-244-4 over his past 6 quarters. Sure, the matchup was favorable on Sunday -- Atlanta even lost top CB A.J. Terrell in the 1st quarter. Still, it’s clear he’s trending up alongside a red hot Joe Burrow. He'll look to keep rolling against Cleveland.
Giants TE Daniel Bellinger will undergo surgery this week to repair a fractured eye socket and septum, according to the New York Post's Paul Schwartz. It's not believed to be a season-ending injury, per Schwartz, but expect Bellinger to miss multiple games. The rookie had emerged as a significant part of New York's passing game, drawing 16 targets over his last 4 healthy games. His absence will leave New York with TEs Chris Myarick and Tanner Hudson -- and free up a few more targets for RB Saquon Barkley and WR Wan'Dale Robinson.
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