ESPN: Eagles preparing to play sans Smith (hammy)

Rapoport did note that the Lions could make another push to sign LaPorta later this year, so the door isn’t entirely closed. LaPorta is set to become a free agent next offseason. The team could, however, place the franchise tag on him. He has gotten off to a quiet start with 14 catches for 144 yards and one score. LaPorta is currently on pace for a career-low in yards per game. He would still have plenty of suitors in free agency, even if the counting stats don’t improve this year.

Previous reports put the timeline at 2-4 weeks, so it’s possible the injury is worse than initially expected. The good news is that testing revealed no ligament or tendon damage in Mayfield’s thumb. Per Schefter, Mayfield’s return will depend on how quickly he can grip the ball. That is typically the first step in throwing a football. For now, UDFA rookie Jalon Daniels will draw the start. He is worth a look in Superflex leagues but can’t be played in one-quarterback formats.

McConkey was limited in Wednesday’s practice, downgraded to a DNP on Thursday, and returned for another limited session on Friday. It looks like the team was just heavily managing his workload during the week, but that could continue into today’s game. McConkey has been the only modestly successful part of the offense this year, and the Chargers would be wise to keep him healthy, even if that means limiting his snaps. He remains in the WR2 mix, though the injury makes him a riskier bet than usual.

Looks like we’ve got ourselves an old-fashioned source-off here. Schefter says Nacua won’t be limited, while The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero said over the weekend that Nacua may be on “a stricter snap count than usual.” Even if his snaps are cut back, Nacua is one of the best per-route receivers in the NFL. He will get by for fantasy managers in whatever role the Rams give him. He is, at worst, a low-end WR1 for Week 4.

Coker injured his quad in Week 3. He got in two limited practices this week before being listed as questionable. It doesn’t sound like a long-term injury, but the team is being cautious with a young wideout who has already suffered multiple lower-body injuries this year. With Xavier Legette on IR, Brycen Tremayne is Carolina’s WR2 for Week 4.

Fowler added that Flowers is not expected to be on a “hard pitch count.” The Ravens will presumably keep tabs on his injured hamstring, but as long as he feels good, Flowers will get his normal allotment of snaps. Despite exiting Week 1 early and being on a snap count last week, Flowers is averaging six catches for 117 yards across two appearances this year. He will make the WR1 cut next week if he puts up similar numbers today.

With Keenan Allen ruled out and Alec Pierce on IR, Dulin is now in line to be the Colts’ No. 2 receiver in his season debut. The passing attack will run through Josh Downs, putting him comfortably inside the WR2 ranks. Inactive for the Colts are WR Keenan Allen, WR Darius Slayton, RB DJ Giddens, QB Riley Leonard, EDGE George Gumbs, and OG Dalton Tucker.

McLaurin was a late addition to the injury report after tweaking his hamstring on Friday. He was initially expected to play through the issue, but things took a turn for the worse over the weekend. Stefon Diggs will operate as the team’s clear No. 1 receiver until McLaurin is back. Inactive for the Commanders are QB Jayden Daniels, RB Rachaad White, WR Luke McCaffrey, S Nick Cross, EDGE Javontae Jean-Baptiste, and OG Sam Cosmi.

This is notable considering head coach Dave Canales previously said that the team would only elevated Reed if Coker couldn’t go in Week 4. Coker, listed as questionable, now appears on the worse side of the designation ahead of a Week 4 meeting with the Lions on Sunday Night Football. Fantasy managers are better off making contingent plans now considering the Panthers are the penultimate game of the week.

Legette was already ruled out for Week 4, which marks his second straight absence. He will now be forced to miss the next four games while on injured reserve, making his absence a total of five games, at minimum. John Metchie and Brycen Tremaine will continue to operate as the WR3 in the interim.