NFL Player News

Tyus (6'1/215) opted in with the Wildcats over the likes of Iowa State, Cincinnati and Central Michigan. The Portage, Michigan, native already has a college-ready body, but there’s a little more to his game than just three yards and a cloud of dust. He possesses a trustworthy pair of hands in the receiving game and a sneaky burst, with 247Sports’ Allen Trieu noting that Tyus “shows good play-speed on film and breaks away quite a bit for a back of his size.” On the 247Sports composite board, Tyus lands as the No. 20 prospect in the state of Michigan for the 2021 cycle.

Whelp, that reversed course quickly. It was reported earlier Saturday that the team was not planning on placing their franchise quarterback on injured reserve, with the team going back on those comments less than seven hours later. Although not yet fully evident, it appears as if additional information was ascertained during the day. There is no telling how long Hurts will be away from the team, with most recent reporting simply labeling it an “indefinite” absence. Tanner McKee steps into the starting role and could be worthy of deep league consideration as a QB2, for the foreseeable future.

Mariota will miss his second straight contest and third of the season when the Commanders face the 49ers on Monday Night Football. Athan Kaliakmanis will continue to serve as the primary backup.

Wilson suffered a dislocated finger in the team’s Week 5 game against the Colts and will now miss four games, at minimum, while on injured reserve. His absence paves the way for rookie Germie Bernard to continue to see increased opportunities. Fantasy managers can start Bernard as a viable FLEX option in Week 6 against the pass-funnel Buccaneers.

Diggs returned to the practice field Friday as a limited participant, following it with another practice with the same status a day later. The listed his as questionable for Monday Night Football against the 49ers as he attempts to return from a one-game absence due to a hamstring injury. Fantasy managers might be better off playing it safe considering the timing of the game.

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.