NFL Player News

A team captain at Pittsburgh, Bartholomew (6’5/246) was a starter in all four of his college seasons. He tallied 326 receiving yards and four touchdowns as a freshman, but was not able to exceed either total the rest of his college career. Bartholomew possesses speed with the ability to chew up yards over the middle of the field, but lacks explosive production. He is more likely to be a short-area target rather than a downfield pass-catcher. As a blocker, Bartholomew has size but will need to improve his strength to sustain blocks against bigger defenders. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler says Bartholomew’s “intangibles will make it tough for a coaching staff to cut him,” noting he had a “positive influence in the program” as team captain. Though he will need to demonstrate his skill set for an NFL team to keep him on the roster, Bartholomew’s intangibles will at least earn him a chance.

Coleman missed the minimum four games as he tended to an ankle injury suffered in Week 2. He led the team in snaps in that contest and could return to the primary rushing role considering the inefficient play of J.K. Dobbins in his absence, making him worthy of a start in fantasy circles in a plus matchup against the Cardinals in his first game back.

Mason came into the season as the presumed lead back in a timeshare with Aaron Jones, the latter of whom has performed as a true workhorse in Mason’s absence. Although it could take a week or two for Mason to fully regain the lead back role, his presence significantly mutes the potential of Jones. Expect a near-even split when the Vikings take on the Colts in Week 7.

Sampson was limited in practice throughout the week and listed as questionable for Week 7 against the Titans. Now that he’s officially been activated from injured reserve, he’s likely to be Cleveland’s change-of-pace back behind Quinshon Judkins this week. Sampson is worth stashing on fantasy benches, but is truly just a desperation FLEX play coming off a knee injury that’s sidelined him since Week 1.

Appearing on ESPN Saturday morning, Fowler, citing Thomas’ zero catches over the last two weeks, said something has to give in this situation. According to several teams the NFL Insider talked to, Thomas could be traded over the next few weeks. Fowler listed the Chiefs and Steelers as potentially interested teams and was emphatic that there will be suitors for Thomas. If you have Thomas in fantasy, it’s hard to imagine his value getting worse with a change of scenery. The Jaguars would appear content to roll with Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers and Travis Hunter as their top receivers in the event of a Thomas trade.

According to one of Jones’ sources, Lions GM Brad Holmes “does not like losing his draft picks, especially high ones.” A second-rounder in 2023, LaPorta made waves earlier this week when he expressed frustration with his lack of a contract extension on the Pardon My Take podcast. While those frustrations persist, the 25-year-old tight end clarified some of his comments to local Detroit media Friday, reiterating his desire to stay with the Lions long-term. Jones notes that other extensions the Lions have handed out have taken some time to get done. He also cautions that the team shouldn’t wait too long to sign LaPorta as the Raiders are unlikely to waste time making Brock Bowers the highest-paid tight end in football when he becomes extension-eligible after the season.

Jones writes that his understanding is the Colts will wait a few weeks before deciding what to do with their star running back. Indianapolis decided to move on from GM Chris Ballard after a 2-4 start. The way things are trending, it’s easy to imagine the Colts still on the outside of the playoff race in a few weeks. At that point interim GM Ed Dodds could look to recoup draft assets the team lost in previous trades. According to Jones, moving Taylor “would be the most expedient route” to acquiring a high draft pick. Citing sources, Jones lists the Giants and Vikings as potential suitors if Taylor is made available on the trade market. Taylor signed a two-year extension with the Colts in August that hasn’t even kicked in yet.