NFL Player News

Singletary continued to split carries with Dameon Pierce, and while he was less successful on the ground, he was far more involved in the passing game. Singletary was also on the field more on the Texans’ final drive of the fourth quarter, which might suggest some trust from the coaching staff. Yet, as if it wasn’t enough that we waited to see if the Texans came out of the bye featuring Singletary or Pierce, it seems that the team was also determined to get Mike Boone more work. While Boone primarily operated as the third-down back, he missed in with some red zone snaps as well. This situation was tricky enough to figure out when there were just two backs; now with three involved, it might be time to avoid the Texans backfield for now.

Steichen said Taylor will see a full workload despite being the subject of trade rumors for a Colts team that will clearly be sellers at the deadline. Taylor is healthy and not on the injury report, so this is strictly an update to inform fantasy managers they can start him with confidence this week. Taylor remains a high-end RB1 as long as his normal workload remains intact.

Warren was limited in practice on Thursday and Wednesday and will return to a rough receiver corps against a Jaguars defense coming off bye. Warren remains a startable TE1, but it’s hard to forge much of a ceiling case for him at this point.

Steichen confirmed that Downs did indeed request a trade, but that won’t stop him from being on the field this week against the Jaguars. The Colts appear to be in full sell mode after trading away OG Quenton Nelson and DT DeForest Buckner earlier this week. Downs has been on the practice field this week and profiles as a fringe WR3/WR4 after a string of tough outings.

Winfield has missed the last three games due to fractured ribs he suffered in Week 4. Winfield has earned a 76.8 defensive grade per PFF this season while racking up 24 tackles. The Panthers’ secondary held up fairly well during his three-game absence, allowing only 235.0 passing yards per game, but his return will be a welcomed one for Bowles and his defense.

Bowles said Egbuka did clear concussion protocol, but the foot injury he has been dealing with for the last two weeks will officially sideline him for this week’s game against the Falcons. Hopefully this isn’t any kind of a major setback for Egbuka, who shed his non-contact jersey in Thursday’s practice and was limited in the first two practices to start the week. Ted Hurst will again operate as the Buccaneers’ primary outside target but shouldn’t be trusted as anything more than a risky WR4.

After being a DNP in each of the Eagles’ first two practices of the week, it’s far too early to be confident that Barkley will suit up on Sunday night against the Commanders. That said, his return to the field is still an encouraging sign for the Eagles, whose backfield is suddenly among the most banged up in the league. We will check back in when the Eagles announce Barkley’s Week 8 status, but it wouldn’t be surprising if this ends up being a game-time decision, which could prove frustrating for fantasy managers. We should know more on his availability in the next few hours.

Brown has now missed back-to-back practices and is at serious risk of missing Week 8’s game against the Dolphins. Brown’s knee injury was reported as a “flare-up” from a previous knee injury, which is never a good sign for a player. Brown has been dealing with injuries like this for a few years but has always found a way to play through them. While it’s possible he ends up doing so again this week, fantasy managers should begin considering other options in the event he is held out.

Tate was a DNP all week and is at risk of missing Week 8’s game against the Bengals. The team will announce his official status shortly, but if he is unable to go, Wan’Dale Robinson and Elic Ayomanor would be the early favorites to see an uptick in targets against a Bengals secondary that ranks 18th in points allowed to opposing receivers this season.

After being limited in back-to-back practices to start the week, and shedding his non-contact jersey on Thursday, Egbuka being a DNP on Friday is a notable setback. Buccaneers beat writer Greg Auman speculated that Egbuka will “be ruled out again” for Week 8’s game against the Falcons, but we’ll wait for official word from the team before drawing conclusions. That said, the Bucs could again have Ted Hurst operating as their primary outside threat.

Mayfield wore the protective glove during last week’s game to avoid further damage to the thumb he injured in Week 3. Mayfield attempted only 11 passes in his return against the Panthers last week, but that was all he needed in a game where the Buccaneers totaled over 250 yards on the ground. Hopefully the shedding of his protective glove is a sign that he’s no longer at risk of re-injury heading into Week 8’s game against the Falcons.