NFL Player News

A receiver by trade, Taylor has become a return man in practice. He has caught just eight balls over the past two years in Cincinnati but become a solid punt returner. Taylor does not return kickoffs. We would assume his 53-man roster spot is secure.

Black has seen his role decrease with Christian McCaffrey returning to bell cow usage. The rookie saw four carries and one target, totaling eight offensive snaps. He saw a red zone touch but otherwise did not get close to scoring opportunities. Black is one of the most valuable handcuffs in fantasy football moving forward.

Spears was listed as questionable for this game because of an ankle injury. Tony Pollard was also banged up after Week 2, but he was cleared from the injury report entirely on Friday. The Titans likely had a pitch count in mind for Spears and stuck to it. Pollard saw 17 carries and four targets. Spears wasn’t targeted once, on top of his light rushing workload. He should see more work next week versus Baltimore, but Spears can’t be trusted as anything other than a desperation RB4.

McCaffrey continued to run as the engine of the 49ers’ offense, turning 19 touches into 116 yards. He carried the ball frequently after the 49ers went up big in the first half and was a key receiver when the Cardinals attempted to stage a late-game comeback. McCaffrey scored his touchdown by jumping over a pile for a fourth-quarter goal-line score. He followed that up with a one-handed catch to keep a key drive alive late in the game. Though LT Trent Williams left with injury, McCaffrey is a big enough part of the receiving game to overcome any rushing inefficiency. He continues to be a fantasy RB1 for Week 4 against the Broncos.

Cousins had a few off-target passes in this one, but he certainly loves having TE Brock Bowers in the lineup. The duo linked up 10 times on the day, which opened things up for the rest of the offense as the game progressed. Coach Klint Kubiak sent Bowers in motion inside the green zone on a play-action play seemingly designed for TE Michael Mayer, who got open with ease on a short out route and hauled in the score. Cousins fumbled while being hit late in the game, but a teammate recovered, preserving his turnover-free outing. He warrants borderline QB1/2 treatment against the Chiefs next week.

Brissett and the Cardinals offense had difficulty navigating penalties and finishing drives in the first half, playing catch-up for much of the second half. The offense wore down the 49ers’ banged-up defensive line over time, with Brissett tossing a pair of touchdowns and sneaking in another from the one-yard line to bring the Cardinals close in the fourth quarter. Though he couldn’t complete the comeback, Brissett’s fantasy production with 52 passing attempts is a good sign for Cardinals pass-catchers moving forward. However, they won’t be in as much of a pass-happy game script against the Giants in Week 4; Brissett is a fantasy QB2 for next week.

Jackson and the Ravens leaned on Derrick Henry for much of this one. Through the first three quarters, Jackson attempted just 13 passes. He completed nine of those attempts for 114 yards and one touchdown, with his first coming on a four-yard pass to Chris Moore in the back of the end zone in the third quarter. Jackson would string together multiple completions late in the fourth quarter on his way to throwing a two-yard touchdown to rookie TE Matt Hibner to give the Ravens a 31-28 lead with one minute and 30 seconds left in regulation. After the Cowboys tied the game with 10 seconds still on the clock, Lamar found Zay Flowers on a 27-yard pass, then called a timeout with one second left on the game clock to set up a game-winning 56-yard field goal from Tyler Loop. This was shaping up to be another signature fourth-quarter collapse from the Ravens, but Jackson and the offense were able to come up with enough clutch plays down the stretch to stave off defeat. Jackson will be on the QB1 radar next week when the Ravens take on the winless Titans.

Addison dominated air yards and targets with Justin Jefferson sidelined with an ankle injury he sustained in the second quarter. His 41-yard touchdown grab from Kyler Murray was one of three downfield looks he got on the day; he nearly converted the other two as well. A non-factor in the Vikings’ first two games of the season, Addison should be locked into lineups if Jefferson misses any time with the ankle issue. If Jefferson returns for Week 4 against the Dolphins, Addison would figure to be flex-viable as long as Murray is under center.

Pollard handled all but three of the running back carries in this contest and was the only Titans running back to earn a target. Tyjae Spears was a game-time decision because of an ankle injury and was likely on some sort of pitch count, shifting the bulk of the touches to Pollard. The role was great, but the fantasy production was lacking. That has been a theme for Titans players over the past few years. Pollard is capable of earning an RB2 workload but will ultimately project for RB3 fantasy numbers when the Titans take on the Ravens next week.

An official diagnosis has not yet been given, but Coker does not think his quad injury is “anything too crazy.” He spent time on short-term injured reserve with a quad injury last season, so adding another one to his injury history is a little concerning. We expect updates on the issue in the next 24-48 hours. Stay tuned.