Fantasy Sports

Head coach Todd Monken said Watson will be questionable for Sunday’s game, but has already said Shedeur Sanders will make his first start of the season. Watson missed Wednesday’s and Thursday’s practices but was upgraded to a limited participant on Friday, although he has yet to clear concussion protocol. The decision to start Sanders likely stems from him working with the first-team offense during the week and the unlikelihood of Watson clearing protocol in time for Sunday’s game.

Sanders will draw the start as Deshaun Watson (concussion) has yet to clear protocol in time to be ready for Sunday’s game. Interestingly, Watson is still expected to be listed as questionable, per Monken, but Sanders will draw the start. We are assuming this decision is based on Sanders taking first-team reps after Watson missed each of the first two days of practice, but this is a nice opportunity for Sanders to show whatever growth he has made since a tough rookie season in which he threw for 1,440 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in eight games played. He’ll be on the low-end QB2 radar on the road against the Saints, who rank 16th in fantasy points allowed to opposing QBs this season.

Young never really felt like he was at risk of missing this week. Despite dealing with an ankle injury, the Panthers’ QB1 was listed as a full participant in practice throughout the week and will be good to go despite what appears to be a minor ankle injury. Young draws a tough Week 9 matchup at home against the Broncos and has thrown two touchdowns and three interceptions in his last two games, and has completed below 60 percent of his passes in his last three outings. He’ll be a risky QB2 this week.

Brown was unable to practice again Friday, and the 29-year-old will not be able to roll against the Green Bay secondary. It’s a second-consecutive missed game for Brown, who has played in just three games since his blockbuster deal to the Patriots prior to the season. DeMario Douglas, Efton Chism and Kyle Williams will be Drake Maye’s top wideout targets for the game against Green Bay. Not ideal.

LaFleur also ruled out OL Jon Gaines II (ankle) and OT Jayden Williams (knee). Knight has been a DNP all week after suffering a concussion in Week 8’s win over the Cowboys and will officially be sidelined for Week 9. His absence, along with Jeremiyah Love’s (ankle) could create a bell cow role for Tyler Allgeier, who totaled 191 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns in last week’s win, while fourth-year vet Evan Hull could also work into the mix. Allgeier’s volume alone will put him in the RB2 conversation this week despite the tough matchup.

Garrett has practiced all week and will likely be activated in the next 24 to 48 hours. The star pass-rusher who was acquired by the Rams in a blockbuster trade this offseason played in just one game for the Rams this season and did not record a tackle. Now, after undergoing knee surgery to correct a nagging injury, Garrett is all but set to return against the Commanders after missing seven straight games. His return will provide a much-needed boost to a Rams defense that ranks near the bottom of the league in sacks (12) through the first half of the season.

Nabers was a surprise DNP with a knee injury on Thursday, but said after practice that he expected to play. His return to the field on Friday suggests he will be good to go for Sunday’s game against the Eagles, but we will still check in with a final status when the Giants announce player designations for the weekend. Assuming he is good to go, Nabers should be treated as a normal must-start receiver against a down-bad Eagles team.

This comes a day after Hall said he expects to play, so this news isn’t all too surprising. Hall’s return could somewhat complicate the Jets’ backfield situation on Sunday, however, as Braelon Allen has played well in Hall’s absence, making a strong case for more touches even when Hall is healthy. Glenn declined to get into how he plans to divvy up his running backs’ touches next week, saying “both guys will play,” when asked about his plans. This was already shaping up to be a tough fantasy matchup on the road against the Chiefs, but a potential backfield split would only further complicate matters. Until we see how things shake out, both Hall and Allen should be viewed as mid-to-low-end RB2s.

We already knew this deal would be done, but the two sides made things official on Friday. The Ravens will receive Brissett, along with a 2027 fifth-round pick from the Cardinals in exchange for a 2027 4th-round pick and a 2028 7th-round pick. Brissett will immediately step into a starting role for the Ravens when they face the Chargers in Week 10 and should provide an immediate upgrade over Joe Fagnano, who struggled mightily in his first career start against the Jaguars.

Wilson has not practiced this week and has now been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Chiefs. Wilson has caught 43 passes for 527 yards and three touchdowns this season and saw 12 targets in last week’s loss to the Raiders. His absence means both Adonai Mitchell and Omar Cooper should see expanded roles, but both players will be hard to trust as anything more than WR3s against a stout Chiefs defense. In addition to Wilson, the Jets also ruled out LB Trevin Wallace (groin) for Week 9.