NFL Player News

Mustipher (6'4/326) injured his knee during the first quarter, and spent a considerable amount of time in the medical tent as a result. The redshirt junior now has a brace on his knee, but he’s also standing on the sideline without his helmet. We’ll have to wait and see if Mustipher is allowed to return at some point in Saturday’s showdown, but his lack of a helmet is certainly a concern.

Johnson actually led the Packers in rushing attempts and rushing yards in this one. He played on just 13 of the team’s 53 snaps, so we’re not going to get ahead of ourselves here, but he was also clearly the team’s best running back on the day, and he took the first carries in overtime after Marshawn Lloyd fumbled in the second half. There’s a real chance that Johnson steps into a bigger role in Week 3 against Atlanta. He deserves to be added in deeper formats just in case that comes to fruition.

Hubbard operated as the Panthers’ unquestioned RB1, out-carrying Jonathon Brooks 12-5. He got on the board early with a touchdown catch near the goal line. It was his second touchdown grab of the year and his third time finding the end zone in total. Brook also left the game early with a groin injury and his status for Week 3 is up in the air. Hubbard was already going to project for RB2 numbers with Brooks in the middle. He will push to the middle of the RB2 pack if Brooks is out versus the Browns.

An incredible PPR scam as the Texans had him as the main checkdown receiver while trailing for much of the game. Eight of the 12 catches came in the fourth quarter as C.J. Stroud tried in vain to push the rest of this offense anywhere. Don’t expect this much next week with Collins apparently questionable again, but Schultz clearly elevates in the pecking order and has TE1 appeal.

He added one catch for 15 yards. While those stats are not impressive, Brooks also played on 24 of the team’s 53 snaps, which was the most of any Green Bay running back. After Marshawn Lloyd fumbled in the second half, it was Brooks who saw the next red zone carries and also Brooks who caught a crucial pass in overtime to set up the game-winning field goal. This has all the makings of a confusing committee, but Brooks needs to be on radars in deeper formats until Josh Jacobs returns.

This would qualify as Loveland “heating up” after his Week 1 doughnut against the Panthers, which also came on three targets. Alibis abounded this afternoon, as rainy conditions and a blitzing Brian Flores defense frazzled Caleb Williams before he departed late with a hamstring injury, but there’s no real way to sugarcoat one catch for three yards through two games. That’s especially true since one game was a Bears romp and the other a three-point disaster. We assume coach Ben Johnson will make it a point of emphasis to get Loveland going in Week 3 against the Eagles, but: 1. We were hoping Loveland’s production would take care of itself, and: 2. It will likely be Tyson Bagent under center vs. Philly. We are not going to drop Loveland out of the top 12 in fantasy, but a third straight no-show would make it difficult to soldier on in the TE1 ranks.

Hollins quietly led Patriots wide receivers in snaps in the first game without A.J. Brown. He saw just two targets on the day, catching both for a total of 18 yards in a subpar offensive day. The Pats pass-catchers are a mix of low-ceiling fantasy viability as Maye spreads the wealth around the different receivers. Better offensive days are ahead for the Patriots but Hollins is a WR5 play at best for Week 3 against the Jaguars.

Perhaps more importantly, Lloyd lost a key fumble in the second half and then was barely on the field after that. The 25-year-old had plenty of trouble earning yards in the running game, but he was wide open on a well-designed screen pass in the first half for a touchdown catch. Lloyd played on just 16 of the Packers’ 53 snaps and handled seven of their 19 carries. This is a confusing committee that isn’t giving any running back real value, and Josh Jacobs could return at some point near the middle of the season. Fantasy managers in shallow leagues don’t need to hold onto Lloyd, and others could look to trade him away on the back of his receiving touchdown.

At least he found a PPR scam role here, but this was ugly stuff as far as production. Marks has battled David Montgomery to a near 50/50 split through two weeks. All that’s really done for fantasy purposes is make neither of them all that interesting. Marks will be on the FLEX radar against the Colts in Week 3.

Etienne tallied just two carries in the first half of this one while Alvin Kamara led the Saints backfield with 10 total touches through the first two quarters. Things would shift more in Etienne’s favor in the second half, as he out-snapped Kamara 21-to-7 while out-touching him 8-to-4. It was a disappointing outing overall, however, for the 27-year-old back, who has yet to find the end zone in his first two games and has managed just 109 yards from scrimmage on 26 touches. He’ll be hard to trust as anything more than an RB2/RB3 in next week’s game against the Raiders.