NFL Player News

Not much has been said about Sheard’s status heading into Week 1, but the fact remains he hasn’t had full participation since initially undergoing a knee operation during the first week of August. Even a limited showing would shed positive light on his pending availability for Sunday.

London will undergo additional testing to confirm, but we’ll go ahead and assume the second-year receiver/return man is done for this season. Lane’s leg got twisted up under his body while he was returning a kick and he had to be carted from the field after the play. Lane has 18 career receptions for 250 scoreless yards but returned two punts for touchdowns as a rookie last season and has returned 12 kicks for 295 yards this season. Luke McCaffrey, who has been a healthy scratch for most of the season, will likely be active going forward given his abilities as a receiver/returner.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Rosenhaus will begin negotiating a deal for Hill with multiple teams. Among these teams is the Chiefs, who lost both Rashee Rice (hamstring) and Tyquan Thornton (ankle) in Week 4’s win over the Raiders. It was reported on Sunday night that the Chiefs have been in contact with Hill about a potential return. Now, it’s safe to say the Chiefs have a real need at the position that Hill could fill should the two reunite. It’s hard to know how soon Hill can contribute on the field, as he’s still working his way back from a brutal knee injury he suffered last season, but he’s posted videos of himself working out to his social media accounts to show he’s close to being ready to go. While other teams could emerge as suitors for Hill, the Chiefs feel like the most obvious landing spot right now.

This would be very good news for Juszczyk, as the injury appeared far worse in real time. According to Rap, the team believes Juszczyk’s ACL is believed to be intact, but he will undergo an MRI to confirm. The veteran fullback is still likely looking at a multi-week absence, which could impact Christian McCaffrey’s effectiveness in the running game, but it sounds like he avoided the worst here.

According to Rapoport, there are no longer any concerns that this is an Achilles injury for Surtain, who left Week 4’s game against the 49ers with a non-contact injury. Surtain could be looking at a multi-week absence and will undergo an MRI soon to confirm the severity of his injury, but it sounds like he avoided anything too serious. In addition to Surtain, the Broncos are also evaluating the status of CB Riley Moss, who is dealing with a rib injury.

The Saints’ offense has managed just fine without Tyson, but it doesn’t sound like it will get a boost from the rookie first-rounder any time soon. According to Schefter, Tyson is “making progress and feeling good,” but the earliest we may see him is Week 7. That said, due to the Saints playing Week 7 in Paris, Schefter also notes that “the most logical” return date for Tyson could be Week 9 after the team’s bye week. Fantasy managers stashing Tyson will need to continue doing so for the next several weeks, and even when he’s active, it could take a few games for him to see a full assortment of snaps. We can expect Devaughn Vele to continue operating as the Saints’ WR2 behind Chris Olave until Tyson returns.

In the first week without Jadarian Price, Holani operated as a lightly used backup behind Emanuel Wilson, who rushed for 21-81-1, and added another 3-39-1 through the air on four targets. Any hope that Holani could see an increased workload sans Price needs to be put on hold for now. He can be left on fantasy benches in Week 5 when the Seahawks host the 49ers.

Denver’s defense focused on slowing down McCaffrey and the Niners’ run game. That forced Brock Purdy and the offense into a more pass-heavy approach. CMC surprisingly was not all that involved in the passing attack against a Broncos defense that has been generous to pass catchers out of the backfield this season. He saved his fantasy day with a goal line plunge in the second half. Kaelon Black, meanwhile, saw six carries on the day. McCaffrey will be a top-5 option in Week 5 against the Seahawks.

It was reported after Sunday’s win over the Titans that Jackson was “believed to be day-to-day” after he left the game with what appeared to be a relatively minor ankle injury. Jackson was spotted in a walking boot, which has raised a bit more concern for his Week 5 availability, but hopefully the MRI doesn’t reveal anything too severe. Jackson and the Ravens are set to take on the Falcons on Sunday night, which could make for a difficult situation for fantasy managers. We’ll surely receive countless updates on his status throughout the week, but fantasy managers should have a backup plan in place in the event he enters the weekend with a questionable designation. If he’s unable to play, Tyler Huntley would draw his first start of the season.

Metchie operated as the WR2 in the absence of both Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette but was unable to return any fantasy utility on a night second-year receiver Tetairoa McMillan set new career highs in both receptions and yardage. Fantasy managers that were coaxed into adding Metchie through the injuries in Carolina can safely return him to the waiver from whence he came.

Waller saw minimal involvement as quarterback Bryce Young leaned into his top option through the air, feeding Tetairoa McMillan 16 targets on 41 pass attempts in the absence of both Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette. Fantasy managers that scooped Waller off of waivers following his two-touchdown game in Week 2 are surely left disappointed in the recent returns, making Waller a potential drop candidate as the Panthers head to their bye.