Commanders TE Logan Thomas told reporters Monday that he's not yet sure whether he'll play in the regular-season opener. He said he expects to be cleared "this week or next" for a full return from his knee repair and that he's playing without limitations. "Still feel things here and there, but not anything that affects the way I play," he said, according to ESPN's John Keim. Don't plan on using Thomas in Week 1 fantasy lineups. But it seems like he'll be available soon. We'll most likely want to see at least a game out of Thomas before considering him as a fantasy starter.
Rams WR Van Jefferson (knee) did not practice on Monday. He's looking like a long shot for Thursday night's opener vs. the Bills after undergoing knee surgery at the beginning of August. Jefferson's absence will leave Tutu Atwell and Ben Skowronek at the Rams' #3 and #4 WRs -- and leave extra targets for WR Cooper Kupp, WR Allen Robinson and TE Tyler Higbee.
Bills WR Isaiah McKenzie (groin) put in a full practice on Monday. It's confirmation that he'll be ready to go for Thursday night's opener vs. the Rams. Check out where McKenzie sits in the Week 1 WR Rankings.
The Steelers' Week 1 QB depth chart reads: Mitchell Trubisky, Mason Rudolph, Kenny Pickett. HC Mike Tomlin hasn't announced his Week 1 starter, but it sure looks like it'll be Trubisky under center vs. Cincinnati. We're still expecting to see Pickett make multiple starts this season.
The Steelers list RB Jaylen Warren as the #2 RB on their Week 1 depth chart. It's confirmation that the undrafted rookie beat out RB Benny Snell for that job. Warren won't be a fantasy factor as long as RB Najee Harris is healthy. But he'd be the pickup if Harris misses time this year.
Seahawks HC Pete Carroll said RB Kenneth Walker (hernia) "worked some" in Monday's practice and that his status for next Monday night's opener vs. the Broncos is uncertain. We'll track Walker's status this week but would be a little surprised if he's able to play 3.5 weeks after surgery. It at least sounds like the rookie is making progress and should debut at some point in September.
Cardinals HC Kliff Kingsbury labeled TE Zach Ertz (calf) "day to day" on Monday. Ertz remains sidelined after injuring his calf way back on August 4. He seems genuinely questionable for this weekend's opener vs. the Chiefs. We'll get Arizona's first official injury report of the year on Wednesday.
Cardinals WR Rondale Moore (undisclosed) returned to practice on Monday. We don't know exactly what he hurt or when -- but he's now on track to play in Sunday's opener vs. the Chiefs. Moore has a chance to play a big role during WR DeAndre Hopkins' 6-game suspension to open the season.
Bears WRs Byron Pringle (quad) and Velus Jones (undisclosed) returned to practice on Monday. That gives both guys a shot to play in Sunday's opener vs. the 49ers. Neither guy should be in Week 1 fantasy lineups, but we'll be keeping an eye on how snaps and targets are distributed behind WR Darnell Mooney.
Jaguars RB James Robinson will play in Sunday's opener vs. the Commanders, HC Doug Pederson said Monday. It's been an impressive recovery for Robinson from his December 26 Achilles tear. Now we'll see whether he can regain pre-injury form from an injury that tends to sap RBs' explosiveness. Robinson isn't a viable Week 1 fantasy play, but we'll see how much he eats into RB Travis Etienne's workload.
Packers HC Matt LaFleur was non-committal on WR Allen Lazard's status for Sunday's opener vs. the Vikings. "We'll see as the week progresses," LaFleur said Monday. Lazard was reportedly sidelined last week with an undisclosed injury and was working off to the side of Monday's practice. We'll get Green Bay's first official injury report of the season on Wednesday.
Falcons WR Drake London (knee) was on the field for the start of Monday's practice, according to Ashton Edmunds of the team's official website. London has been sidelined since his hurting his knee in the preseason opener on August 12. Insider Scott Bair wrote earlier today that he'd be "surprised" if London didn't play in Sunday's opener vs. the Saints -- and practicing today puts him on track. We'll continue to keep an eye on the rookie throughout the rest of the week.
Bucs insider Greg Auman believes the team would prefer RB Leonard Fournette in the 60-70% snap range. Fournette climbed into the 80s in Weeks 12 through 14 last year before hurting his hamstring. But he was hovering around 60-65% in the 7 games before that. Fournette averaged 14 carries and 5.7 targets in those 7 games, scoring as the RB7 in PPR points. So 60-70% of the snaps is more than enough for him to produce as a RB1 in 2022 -- and it might even lower his injury risk a bit.
Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle practiced on Monday, according to The Miami Herald's Barry Jackson. Waddle missed most of August with a lower-body injury, but Miami never seemed very concerned about his Week 1 availability. We'll track his status on this week's injury report, but Waddle can be penciled into fantasy lineups for now.
Jets HC Robert Salah said Monday it’s “possible” QB Zach Wilson will start Week 1. Wilson went through a workout today, and the team will see how his knee responds by Wednesday. Odds remain against Wilson suiting up for the opener vs. Baltimore, but this will be a storyline to track. Joe Flacco will draw the start if Wilson's not ready.
Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News reports that Cowboys WR Michael Gallup won't practice this week or play in the regular-season opener. This doesn't come as a surprise and doesn't signal a setback for the WR coming off an end-of-season ACL tear. "He's hit every target to date," HC Mike McCarthy says, per Gehlken. "He looks really good." Noah Brown looks like the best bet to run as Dallas' #2 WR in the opener.
Bucs WR Chris Godwin practiced without a brace on his surgically repaired knee on Monday. It's another positive step in his recovery from last year's torn ACL. Godwin's status for the season opener remains uncertain, but we're definitely expecting to see him out there by the end of September.
The Texans released RB Marlon Mack from their practice squad. He remains well off the redraft radar and certainly isn't a must-hold in dynasty. Houston added WR Chris Conley to the practice squad in a corresponding move.
The Athletic's Matt Barrows believes the 49ers are looking for TE George Kittle to block less and be in pass routes more in 2022. "They want to free him to be a pass catcher more often and they want to keep him healthier/fresher than he’s been the last two seasons," Barrows writes, pointing to the addition of TE Tyler Kroft as a key to the plan. "Kittle certainly will have a sizeable blocking role, but with Kroft in the fold that role might not be as consuming as it was last season," says Barrows. More pass-catching work would obviously be good news for Kittle, who remains 1 of the league's most efficient TEs on a per-route basis.
Asked about the health of his elbow, Rams QB Matthew Stafford said Sunday, "I feel good, no limitations ... I feel great," according to NFL Network's Omar Ruiz. Stafford added, though, that he'll go week to week in determining what he'll need to do for it. HC Sean McVay reportedly added that he would have "no hesitation" with having Stafford throw 50-55 passes in a game, if needed. It's clear that Stafford's elbow isn't all the way back to 100%. But it also seems like he's good enough at least for early-season fantasy football purposes.
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