NFL Player News

An UDFA out of UCLA, Steele ended up a fullback who wasn’t, primarily playing traditional running back. Limited to 63 uninspiring touches despite Isiah Pacheco’s nine-game absence with a broken leg, Steele seemed to lose the coaching staff’s trust on offense after losing two fumbles across his first four appearances. Although he remains eight months shy of his 23rd birthday, Steele did not demonstrate enough rookie upside to guarantee his 53-man roster spot for 2025.

This should be a non-issue for Black by the time Sunday comes around. Black cut into Christian McCaffrey’s role again last week with six carries, though he only turned that into 13 yards. He doesn’t have much standalone fantasy value but remains one of the better contingency options headed into Week 5.

Swift nursed this knee injury last week, but was active on game day, as usual. Bears RB2 Kyle Monangai took on 30 carries, functioning as the team’s offensive centerpiece after Swift lost a fumble in the second half. Perhaps Swift’s hip injury, which he apparently picked up in-game, contributed to Monangai’s increased involvement. Monangai ended up breaking his right thumb and suffering a toe injury, though he is expected to play in Week 5 against the Packers. Swift’s participation level is worth watching closely this week.

Evans played through his rib injury last week and was surprisingly productive, posting five catches for 76 yards. He led the 49ers in targets and yards. A limited session today is a good sign that the rib injury didn’t get any worse on Sunday. He should be good to go as a fantasy WR2 for his Week 5 matchup with the Seahawks.

Derwin James was also held out because of a hamstring injury. He is considered week-to-week. We don’t anticipate him suiting up on Sunday. A DNP for Jackson puts him on the wrong side of questionable as well. LA’s secondary will be an easy target for Bo Nix as he looks to bounce back from a lackluster Week 4.

In true Chargers fashion, their once-promising offensive line has been scattered to the winds by injuries. Left tackle Rashawn Slater won’t play this week because of an ankle injury. Now their right tackle could also be put on ice. Already one of the most disappointing offenses of the year, there’s almost no hope for the Bolts to turn things around this week.

Thompson is unlikely to be FLEX-viable, but the Chargers need all the help they can get, and he at least took a few first-team reps during preseason play. At worst, his speed will help keep safeties honest whenever he retakes the field on game day.

Initially, it looked like Flowers might not practice today. He was not present during the portion of practice open to the media, but apparently joined his teammates later on. He will likely be catching passes from backup QB Tyler Huntley against the Falcons this weekend, but he remains WR2-viable at worst.

Smith was designated to return from injured reserve earlier this week. He went on IR at the end of training camp after undergoing surgery on his thumb. The Cowboys still need to officially activate him from injured reserve before tomorrow night, so we will get a definitive answer on his status ahead of kickoff.

The phrasing is slightly ambiguous, but we believe he is saying McConkey will be present and participating in some capacity — likely as a limited participant. Harbaugh told reporters yesterday that McConkey was considered day-to-day after aggravating his foot injury in Week 4 against the Seahawks. Getting in a limited session to begin the week gives him a chance to play in Week 5 against the Broncos.