NFL Player News

Jackson was suspended for four games after a hit on Vikings QB Joshua Dobbs in the Broncos’ Week 11 victory. Jackson wasn’t flagged on the hit, but it was put under review by the league, who swiftly suspended him. His first suspension was also a result of his illegal hits, serving a reduced two games after initially getting sentenced to four. Hearing office Derrick Brooks upheld the four games this time, and Jackson will serve his second suspension of the season.

This stems from Allen’s pair of misdemeanor charges related to a drunk driving arrest that occurred in August. A three-game suspension is the minimum allowed for a DUI or similar arrest under the current collective bargaining agreement. As Schefter notes, the league can make the suspension longer, and Allen’s blood-alcohol content was three times the legal limit. The NFL will wait for the legal process to play out before stepping in with a suspension of its own. That could take several months depending on how things unfold in court.

Nacua was added to the injury report on Friday as a DNP. He failed to get in any reps on Saturday but still received the questionable designation. Given that the game is on Monday, fantasy managers won’t have many contingency options left. With Jordan Whittington also expected to miss Week 2, the Rams’ No. 2 receiver will be either Konata Mumpfield or Xavier Smith if Nacua doesn’t suit up. Both players would be WR5/6 options in the event of a Nacua absence.

McConkey suffered a cracked rib in the Chargers’ Week 1 loss to the Cardinals. He logged one limited practice this week before being listed as questionable. According to Rapoport, McConkey has “improved more steadily than anticipated.” He notes that the team did not elevate a receiver from the practice squad over the weekend, indicating some optimism that McConkey will play. Fantasy managers will want to check inactives 90 minutes before kickoff, but all signs point to McConkey suiting up today. He will be a high-risk WR2.

Harvey was listed as limited on Wednesday, though the team didn’t actually hold a practice. They were back on the field for the next two days and listed him as limited. The fact that he practiced in any capacity should mean this isn’t a long-term issue, but the Broncos are playing it safe this week. J.K. Dobbins will see the bulk of the carries and rookie Jonah Coleman could be in line for some of Harvey’s designed touches. Dobbins is locked in as an RB3 for Week 2, while Coleman is more of a deep-cut FLEX play.

The Bucs are going to ease McMillan back into the lineup after he missed Week 1 with the knee injury. McMillan will take rookie Ted Hurst’s spot in the lineup once healthy, but that might not happen until Week 3. Until we see what their split looks like, neither Hurst nor McMillan should be in fantasy lineups.

Black picked up 14 carries while Christian McCaffrey dealt with cramps in Week 1. Now it’s Black who is banged up, meaning we might get more CMC versus Miami this week. Black was added to the injury report midweek and logged two limited practices before receiving the questionable designation. He is in the RB4 range for Week 2, making him a middling FLEX play.

Olave left Thursday’s practice as a precaution and was limited again on Friday. The team listed him as questionable heading into the weekend. It seems like the Thursday departure truly was a precaution, and Olave is good to go for a potential shootout with Baltimore. With plenty of passing volume to go around in the Saints’ offense, Olave sits at the end of the WR1 mix for Week 2.

The team pulled the plug on Flowers’ potential to play in Week 2 after the veteran receiver departed the team’s Week 1 win with a hamstring injury. No word yet on how long the injury is expected to sideline Flowers, who appears to have a good shot at suiting up when the team faces off against the Cowboys on the road in Week 3. Tight end Mark Andrews could see a slight uptick in volume in the interim.

The Texans received relatively good news from initial testing, which revealed a Grade 1 hamstring injury. Even so, word around the team is that they are preparing to be without their star receiver for two games, which makes sense considering his lengthy soft tissue injury history. Fantasy managers will want to make alternate plans after losing one of their top selections off the board.

Also listed questionable is LB Micah McFadden, while CB Greg Newsome, T Andrew Thomas, DL Chauncey Golston, and OL Francis Mauigoa were removed from the injury report and will play. While Banks’ status is of particular concern against the high-flying Rams aerial attack, their opponent could be without All-Pro wide receiver Puka Nacua, who is listed as questionable with a groin injury.