No Darnold? No problem. JSN goes 8-122-1 in Week 1

No surprise here. Croskey-Merritt has been dealing with a groin injury since the start of the season. This week he couldn’t practice and has since been officially ruled out for the Commanders’ Monday Night Football matchup against the 49ers. Croskey-Merritt will get a two-week break with Washington on bye in Week 7. Rachaad White and Austin Ekeler figure to handle the majority of the backfield touches in his absence with White being the preferred fantasy option between the two.

Freiermuth popped up on the injury report Saturday afternoon with a calf injury. He’s questionable for this weekend against the Buccaneers. Freiermuth would’ve been in line for a sizable workload with the Steelers down multiple wide receivers. Coming off a two touchdown performance in Week 5, fantasy managers need a backup plan in case Freiermuth is ultimately ruled out against Tampa Bay.

Good news. Metcalf missed practice Friday and was listed as questionable, but has since been removed from the injury report and is expected to play this week. With the Steelers missing Michael Pittman Jr., Roman Wilson and Ben Skowronek, Metcalf could see even more targets than usual against Tampa Bay.

While nothing is official yet, Lane practiced in full all week, which is another good sign for his availability against the Browns this weekend. Lane was one of the most impressive rookies this offseason and preseason. Rashod Bateman isn’t on the injury report, but missed practice during the week with a shoulder. Lane could conceivably operate as the second option in the Ravens passing game behind Zay Flowers as early as this week.

Croskey-Merritt has dealt with a groin injury all season despite playing in the Commanders’ first five games. He missed multiple practices this week and will now get two weeks off with missing the game against the 49ers ahead of Washington’s bye week. For now, expect Rachaad White and Austin Ekeler to handle the majority of the backfield touches for the Commanders.

According to Pelissero, teams have called Chargers GM Joe Hortiz, but he’s not interested in potential trade offers despite Los Angeles’ 0-5 record. The Chargers have one game left before their bye week and if they lose to the 4-0 Chiefs, falling to 0-6, this could all change. For now, the Chargers GM doesn’t want to deal, but trade calls on veteran players aren’t going to stop without a massive turnaround. Pelissero mentions Khalil Mack, Bud Dupree, Daiyan Henley, Donte Jackson, Denzel Perryman, Dalvin Tomlinson, and Tuli Tuipulotu as potential trade candidates in the final year of their contracts with the Chargers. He adds that he wouldn’t be surprised if teams that need running back or receiver help call about Keaton Mitchell, Kimani Vidal, and Quentin Johnston.

The Packers play the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football on NBC and Peacock in Week 6, but Parsons still isn’t practicing. According to Pelissero, it’s unlikely the 27-year-old defensive end plays before Green Bay’s matchup with the Patriots in Week 9 at the earliest. The Packers’ defense has certainly struggled without Parsons, but they have enough offensive firepower to win shootouts, which only adds to the fantasy floor for Jordan Love and Green Bay’s skill players.

No surprise here. Pierce shed his cast earlier this week, but there was also a report from the Athletic’s James Boyd that he “didn’t get the sense” Pierce was close to a return. Pelissero reports that Pierce isn’t expected to return to practice next week when he’s eligible. It’s difficult to justify holding Pierce in leagues without IR spots given the circumstances.

Mayfield didn’t practice this week, but according to Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles he threw on Monday and was pushing to play before his “thumb swelled up on him.” It seems like Mayfield is trending in the right direction and that he could return against the Panthers in Week 7 if the swelling is no longer an issue. Jalon Daniels is starting for Tampa Bay again in Week 6 against the Steelers.

While Hurts still has no timetable to return, the Eagles haven’t even discussed the possibility of placing him on injured reserve, according to Schefter. That could change as there’s still a possibility Hurts could wind up on injured reserve if that’s where the medical information leads them. Most blood clots are treated with anticoagulants (blood thinners), which would sideline Hurts for a minimum of six weeks, according to Schefter’s sources. The best-case scenario, according to Schefter, seems to be if the blood clot is minor enough that doctors could begin treatment with anti-inflammatories. Two team doctors that Schefter polled also speculated that the 28-year-old quarterback could miss six weeks. Tanner McKee is in line to start at least a few games while Hurts is out.