Buckner (neck) targeting Week 1 return

Way back in late May, the Athletic’s Daniel Popper suggested Kolar, who signed a three-year, $24.3 million contract with the Bolts this spring, would enter the season as LA’s top tight end “because of his complete skill set.” Week 1 usage will tell us a lot about how offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel will use his tight ends, but for now it seems Kolar will lead the group in Week 1 against the Cardinals. David Njoku and Oronde Gadsden II, however, could see more pass game involvement depending on how many routes they run in a given week, and whether the Chargers go run-heavy against an opponent. None of the Chargers’ tight ends are particularly appealing fantasy plays for Week 1.

The most efficient tight end in the NFL over the past two seasons, Kincaid ran a pass route on a meager 45 percent of Buffalo’s drop backs over 12 games in 2025, finishing the season with 49 targets while being targeted on a hefty 28 percent of his routes. Finally healthy, Kincaid has been talked up by Bills coaches over the past few months. Bills players and beat writers have even complimented Kincaid’s blocking, a point of concern for the fourth-year tight end. Buscaglia said if Kincaid can “be just competent enough in blocking to preserve the threat of play action when he’s on the field and continue to crush receiving efficiency metrics, he’ll become one of the most important pieces to the roster.” Kincaid is a high upside swing late in drafts for those who fade the game’s top tight ends.

Buscaglia called Moore, who was acquired from the Bears this spring, the “crown jewel of the offseason” for the Bills front office. “Moore’s contributions to the offense within training camp were immediate and obvious,” Buscaglia said. “Allen routinely pushed the ball downfield to Moore, making a concerted effort all summer to build on-field chemistry with the Bills’ new No. 1 receiver. ... The days of ‘everybody eats’ seem to be in the rearview mirror.” It’s a bullish report — one that could mean Moore is among the best values in redraft leagues this season even after being among the NFL’s most inefficient wideouts in 2025. Moore should be in all 12-team lineups for Week 1 against the Texans.

Coming back from a 2025 ACL injury, there’s been speculation that Nabers might not be ready for the Giants’ opening game against Dallas on Sunday night. Graziano seems to think the Giants releasing veteran WR Darius Slayton over the weekend is a sign Nabers will be a go for Week 1, and ESPN’s Jordan Raanan said Nabers “seems to be trending in a positive direction” five days ahead of New York’s season opener. The Giants won’t practice Tuesday. Nabers’ Wednesday practice status could tell us whether he’s a full go against the Cowboys.

It’s $102 million guaranteed for the 24-year-old Gonzalez, who is entering his fourth season after being drafted 17th overall in 2023. Gonzalez went without an interception during the regular season last year, but he was a Pro Bowler anyway and he did come up with a huge pick in the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship versus the Broncos. The Patriots had him under control for two more years after exercising his fifth-year option in April.

Asked whether Kittle would play in Week 1, 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said, “We have two more practices, but Kittle looks good.” That was not as explicit as defensive coordinator Raheem Morris’ quote on Nick Bosa’s expected status just minutes earlier, but it certainly seems to confirm mounting reports that Kittle is on track to suit up for Week 1. Kubiak added at the end of his response that Kittle’s “workload will be determined,” also reinforcing earlier reports that the team was likely to monitor his snap rate closely. Fantasy managers are likely better off taking a wait-and-see approach with Kittle until he has proven to be capable of a normal workload.

During a media sessions late Monday, Morris was asked if Bosa would be able to go in Week 1 against the Rams, to which he responded, “Oh, he’s going out there. He’s going.” There’s no room left for interpretation about that quote, meaning Bosa is expected to make his return to the field after tearing his ACL in Week 3 of the 2025 season. Don’t expect a normal allotment of snaps in his first game in almost a calendar year, but the veteran pass-rusher can still make a significant impact when on the field. IDP managers will want to confirm his status on the team’s injury report Tuesday before making plans to insert him into Week 1 lineups.

It was the second straight day with the same level of participation for the second-year receiver, who could be headed for a game-day injury designation for the team’s season opener. We were kept in the dark regarding Horton’s ailment after he missed the final three weeks of camp, with a hamstring injury now labeled as the cause. Although Jake Bobo’s season-ending ACL tear all but guaranteed Horton a spot on game-day rosters, he remains unlikely to contribute meaningful counting stats playing behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed, and Cooper Kupp. Second-year undrafted free agent Montorie Foster Jr would be in line to serve as the team’s fourth receiver on Wednesday should Horton be unable to go.

It’s the second straight missed practice for Okada as he tends to a hamstring injury, while fellow starting safety Nick Emmanwori (ankle) is thought to be doubtful to suit up against the Patriots Wednesday, per those close to the team. The team’s final injury report of their Week 1 preparation will be released Tuesday, upon which we’ll receive final game designations. Keep a close eye on the transaction reports from Seattle to gauge the expected level of health of both players. Considering the Seahawks carried only three safeties on their initial 53-man roster, any practice squad elevations from the secondary could signal expected absences from one, or both, players.

Macdonald wouldn’t reveal what the timetable was for Charbonnet’s return, but said the fourth-year back has looked “dang good” as he continues his rehab. Charbonnet will open this season on the PUP list, meaning he’ll be forced to miss at least the first four games of the season before the team can consider activating him to play. Charbonnet suffered a torn ACL in last year’s NFC Divisional Round game against the 49ers and is less than seven full months removed from the reconstruction surgery that took place on February 20th. The timing of his injury, coupled with the surgery, led many to believe Charbonnet would miss a significant portion of the season, but this talk of an “aggressive” timetable suggests he could be back far earlier than expected.