Vikings HC Mike Zimmer confirms that DE Danielle Hunter suffered a pectoral tear Sunday night and will miss the rest of the season. That's a big loss for the Minnesota defense. Hunter's absence leaves Everson Griffen and D.J. Wonnum as the top 2 at the position.
The Packers have designated WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling to return from IR. He seemed on track to return from his hamstring injury in time to play Arizona last Thursday night but ultimately didn't. We'd guess that MVS will be back on the active roster for this Sunday's upside matchup with Kansas City, but we'll watch to make sure he's actually activated. Designating him to return merely opens the window for Valdes-Scantling to return to practice. The team could still wait up to 3 weeks before moving him to the active roster.
Packers WR Allen Lazard has been activated from the COVID list and will be back for Sunday's game vs. the Chiefs. WR Davante Adams remains on the COVID list as of Monday afternoon but should be cleared by this weekend.
Dolphins WR Will Fuller (finger) won't be available for Sunday's game vs. the Texans, HC Brian Flores said. It'll be Fuller's 5th missed game with a broken finger. We'll see if he's able to make it back for Week 10, but Fuller is only worth stashing in deep fantasy leagues right now.
The Titans are signing RB Adrian Peterson, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Peterson will start on the practice squad but figures to be elevated quickly, likely before Sunday night's game vs. the Rams. Peterson is 36 now and managed just 3.9 yards per carry on 156 attempts for the Lions last year. He ranked 43rd in Pro Football Focus' rushing grades among 47 RBs with 100+ carries. That said, Peterson might be the favorite to lead the Titans in carries the rest of the way. His primary competition will come from RB Jeremy McNichols, who's listed at 205 lbs. and has yet to top 11 carries in an NFL game. We'll see exactly how the split shakes out. McNichols does figure to handle most of the passing-down work, though, which caps Peterson's fantasy ceiling.
Titans RB Derrick Henry will undergo foot surgery on Tuesday morning, HC Mike Vrabel said. Vrabel gave no timeline for Henry's return or any other details. Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reports that Henry broke the 5th metatarsal in his foot, commonly referred to as a Jones Fracture. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, meanwhile, reports that Henry is expected to miss 6-10 weeks. "Six would be quite fast, eight is more likely," Rapoport says. That 8-week mark would have Henry back for Week 17 -- or championship week in most fantasy leagues. You can hang on to Henry if you have an IR spot or a very deep bench. But he's also cuttable if you need to free up a roster spot.
Browns S John Johnson III left in the 1st half of Sunday's loss to the Steelers with a neck injury. S Grant Delpit filled in the rest of the way and should start if Johnson misses further time. Johnson has been a disappointment on the fantasy-scoring front in his 1st Cleveland season, spending far less time "in the box."
The Vikings fear that DE Danielle Hunter tore a pectoral muscle in Sunday night's loss to the Cowboys, according to multiple reports. If that proves to be the case, it would end Hunter's season. That would leave Everson Griffen and D.J. Wonnum as the team's top 2 at the position, barring a trade ahead of Tuesday's deadline. We'll watch for confirmation on Hunter's status.
The Athletic's Dan Duggan reports that Giants WRs Sterling Shepard (hamstring) and Kadarius Toney (ankle) are expected to play vs. the Chiefs tonight. Shepard got in 3 limited practices this week, while Toney got in 2. Both guys are risk/reward fantasy plays coming off injuries.
Panthers HC Matt Rhule expects to get RB Christian McCaffrey (hamstring) back on the practice field on Wednesday. "Hopefully we can get Christian back soon. If it's not this week, hopefully it will be next week," Rhule said. We'll keep a close eye on McCaffrey's practice participation level this week. Don't go dropping RB Chuba Hubbard just yet, though.
An MRI on Saints QB Jameis Winston's left knee revealed a torn ACL and damage to his MCL, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Winston will miss the rest of the 2021 season. Set to hit free agency in March, Winston will probably struggle to find a starting job while rehabbing that knee.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Broncos are trading OLB Von Miller to the Rams for a pair fo 2nd-day draft picks. Miller missed Sunday's game against Washington with an ankle injury, but this move clearly indicates that the Rams aren't too worried about that issue going forward. With the Rams, Miller should immediately take over the starting job opposite Leonard Floyd, which had been manned by a committee. Denver started Malik Reed and Jonathon Cooper at the EDGE spots vs. Washington on Sunday and figure to roll with that duo until Bradley Chubb returns from IR. It's an obvious upgrade for a Rams team D that has already been strong in fantasy, and a downgrade for a Broncos unit that has fallen way off vs. its positive start to the year.
Colts WR T.Y. Hilton sustained a concussion in Sunday's loss to the Titans and will miss Thursday night's game vs. the Jets, according to The Athletic's Zak Keefer. We'll see if Hilton can get cleared for Week 10. Michael Pittman and Zach Pascal will again operate as Indy's top 2 WRs on Thursday night.
Jaguars RB James Robinson "escaped serious injury" and is considered "day to day" with a foot injury, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Robinson's status for Sunday's game vs. the Bills is "in question," per Schefter, but it at least sounds like he avoided a long-term injury. We'll monitor his practice participation this week. Carlos Hyde will operate as Jacksonville's lead back if Robinson misses time.
Saints QB Jameis Winston is believed to have a "torn ACL with MCL damage," according to NFL Network's Jane Slater and Ian Rapoport. If confirmed, Winston will miss the rest of the season. New Orleans is expected to get QB Taysom Hill back from his concussion this week, putting him in line to start vs. the Falcons on Sunday. We'll see if the team makes any other moves at QB.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport confirms that Cowboys QB Dak Prescott (calf) was "really, really close to playing" vs. the Vikings on Sunday night. It's "looking good" for Prescott to return for Week 9 vs. the Broncos, Rapoport adds. We'll track Prescott's practice participation this week.
Titans RB Derrick Henry suffered a "potentially" season-ending foot injury in yesterday's win over the Colts, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. "Henry is undergoing an MRI today to determine the full extent of the damage," Schefter adds. We'll update Henry's status as soon as we know more, but this injury obviously has major fantasy implications. Tennessee only has RBs Jeremy McNichols and Dontrell Hilliard behind Henry on the depth chart right now. RB Mekhi Sargent is on the practice squad. None of those guys are fit to handle anywhere close to Henry's volume. The Titans could add a RB before Tuesday's trade deadline. But we'll likely see them shift significantly toward the pass for as long as Henry is sidelined. It's good news for QB Ryan Tannehill and WR A.J. Brown.
Bears S Eddie Jackson left Sunday's game against the 49ers with a hamstring injury. DeAndre Houston-Carson replaced him and led the defense in tackles. He'll be worth a look at the DB2 level for Week 9 if Jackson isn't ready for the Monday night trip to Pittsburgh.
Vikings DE Danielle Hunter left Sunday night's game against the Cowboys with a shoulder injury. After initially calling him questionable to return, Minnesota ruled him out for the game near the start of the 2nd half. That doesn't bode well for his immediate outlook. We'll see about the specific diagnosis.
Saints HC Sean Payton called QB Jameis Winston's knee injury "significant" after Sunday's win over the Bucs. Per Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, Winston was taken to a local hospital during the game to get an MRI. We should get a more concrete diagnosis tomorrow. Florio also reports that QB Taysom Hill is expected to be cleared from his concussion this week. He figures to step in as New Orleans' starter -- and a fantasy factor -- in that case.
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