NFL Player News

According to Yates, the Chargers lowered Linsley’s base salary from $11.5 million to the minimum for next season, creating $10.29 million in cap space. If Linsley were to retire after June 1st, the Chargers can spread out his dead cap hit over the next two years. This is significant because Linsley said at the end of the season that he was “99 percent” sure he’d retire this offseason. The veteran center was placed on injured reserve with a “non-emergent” heart issue last season and was limited to just three games as a result. While it’s still early in the offseason, this restructuring hints at Linsley walking away at a time that will be convenient for both him and the Chargers.

Barner also had a tush push attempt that was called back by a penalty. With Jaxon Smith-Njigba soaking up 11 targets on just 24 team pass attempts, there wasn’t much volume to go around for the rest of the Seattle pass-catchers. Barner only topped four catches in 20 combined regular and postseason appearances last year. If Week 1 is any indication, he won’t be putting up big box scores very often this season either. He will barely crack the TE2 ranks when Seattle takes on Arizona next week.

Shaheed caught multiple passes in 4-of-12 games as a Seahawk last year. He stayed the course in Week 1 with another single-catch outing. Shaheed simply can’t earn targets in an offense that revolves around getting Jaxon Smith-Njigba the ball at all levels. His versatility and elite skills on both punt and kick returns are valuable for the Seahawks in real life, but they don’t put fantasy points on the table. He is not on the FLEX menu headed into Week 2.

Kupp had one of the highlights of the night with a leaping, one-handed snag late in the third quarter. The 24-yard catch eventually resulted in a field goal and Seattle’s first points of the night. Kupp can still come up with the occasional clutch play, but his ability to earn targets is all but gone. With Drew Lock likely filling in for an injured Sam Darnold next week, Kupp is not on the fantasy radar ahead of Week 2.

Holani forced a true committee with first-round rookie Jadarian Price, only seeing two fewer carries than him. Emanuel Wilson also mixed in for a pair of rushes. Holani served as the team’s primary back on third and fourth downs, but he was only targeted once and ultimately ran fewer routes than Price. With a much more favorable matchup versus Arizona on tap, Holani will have some low-end FLEX appeal next week.

Price looked the part of a first-round running back, turning his first career carry into a 13-yard gain. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry compared to just 3.6 for George Holani. The bad news is that Holani saw eight carries and was the team’s trusted option in several key situations. Price did not play on a single third or fourth down. He saw just one of the Seahawks’ three short-yardage carries. Price is going to struggle to put up solid fantasy numbers if he can’t earn high-value touches. There’s plenty of time for that to change over the course of his rookie season, but he will be stuck in the RB3 ranks for his Week 2 date with the Cardinals.

Raridon caught the first touchdown of the 2026 season on a goal line toss from Drake Maye. The Pats showed a lot of 12-personnel looks early in the game, but that faded in the second half, especially once A.J. Brown left the game with an ankle injury. Raridon isn’t on the fantasy radar yet, but his minor role could prove costly for Hunter Henry, who was held to three targets today.

Henry was quiet in this contest, though the same can be said of basically every member of New England’s passing attack. Despite losing A.J. Brown to an ankle injury, Henry’s role didn’t change. He earned a measly nine percent target share and ceded a handful of routes to rookie tight end Eli Raridon, who scored on his only target of the day. Henry will remain in the TE2 ranks for Week 2, but another quiet day will raise red flags for fantasy managers.

Seattle shut down the Patriots’ deep passing game, forcing Drake Maye to pepper Douglas with low-value check-downs. Douglas wound up leading the Pats in targets and catches. He finished fifth in receiving yards. With A.J. Brown banged up, Douglas could be in line for another smattering of targets next week versus the Steelers. Even with Brown out, Douglas would barely register as a PPR WR5.

Doubs was blanketed in coverage all night. He failed to climb the ladder and win a jump ball early in the fourth quarter, resulting in a deflected ball turning into an interception. Later in the quarter, Doubs turned his eyes upfield before securing the pass and let the ball slip out of his hands for a drop. Drake Maye was intercepted on the next play. By any measure, this was a catastrophic debut for a player who signed a four-year, $68 million contract in the offseason. The good news for Doubs is that the team will likely be counting on him to step up next week. A.J. Brown left this game with an ankle injury and did not return. If he isn’t available for Week 2 versus the Steelers, Doubs will get one more chance at a WR3 fantasy ranking.

Darnold will undergo more testing tomorrow to gain more info on the hip injury he suffered in the first quarter of Seattle’s Week 1 win over New England. The good news is that a season-ending hip fracture has been ruled out, though there are still other serious injuries on the table. Drew Lock will start for the Seahawks until Darnold is able to return. Lock threw for 187 yards and a score in the team’s win over the Pats.