NFL Player News

O’Connell has reportedly spent the bye week working with McCarthy on improving his mechanics, especially his footwork, an area of concern over the season’s first two games before McCarthy apparently sustained a serious ankle injury that has kept him sidelined for more than a month. Concerns about McCarthy’s unrefined mechanics stretch back to the offseason, when the second-year QB would miss easy throws and held the ball long enough for the pass rush to get home in practices. O’Connell and the Vikings might have no choice but to turn back to McCarthy in Week 7 against the Eagles with Carson Wentz “managing a serious left shoulder injury,” according to The Athletic’s Alec Lewis. McCarthy would be a significant downgrade for all of Minnesota’s pass catchers.

Gabriel was activated off of injured reserve at the beginning of the week and will serve as the team’s emergency third quarterback ahead of rookie Taylen Green. The Browns enter Week 8 with a relatively healthy depth chart, making their inactives healthy scratches against the Steelers.

Starting linebacker Divine Deablo is out with a forearm injury. Terrell, the No. 48 overall pick, made his first start in Week 6 before missing the following game with a groin issue. Also inactive for the Falcons are S Billy Bowman, QB Andy Dalton, LB Drake Jackson, CB Robert Longerbeam, RB Brian Robinson, QB Jack Strand.

The biggest news for fantasy purposes with the Colts inactives is simply that Jonathan Taylor and Josh Downs are up, but that isn’t exactly surprising. Gould practiced in full the last two days of the week before being ruled out and stands a chance at being ready for Week 8. Inactive for the Colts are: LB Bryce Boettcher (groin), TE Pharaoh Brown, DT Kevin Givens, T Charlie Heck, QB Riley Leonard (third quarterback) and CB Justin Walley (knee).

Steelers declared WR Ben Skowronek, QB Drew Allar, QB Will Howard, CB Brandin Echols, RB Eli Heidenreich, and CB Doneiko Slaughter inactive for Week 8 against the Browns. Skowronek will miss this game with a calf injury while Echols and Slaughter deal with hamstring injuries. Howard will serve as the emergency third quarterback.

It was reported shortly before inactives were announced that Kincaid was expected to play. Now that he’s officially active, he will join DJ Moore, who is returning from a shoulder injury, to face a stingy Ravens defense. Despite some highly volatile performances this season, Kincaid will be in the TE1 mix this week.

As expected based on the morning reporting. Meyers can be trusted as a WR4/FLEX mix against the Colts. Inactive for the Jaguars are S Antonio Johnson (knee), WR CJ Williams, CB Alijah Huzzie, LB Jamal Hill, DE Wesley Williams and DT Albert Regis.

Zaccheus and Zachariah Branch will split the WR3 duties for Atlanta today. Neither player is on the fantasy radar for Week 8.

Dugger is ruled out after not practicing all week due to a quad injury. The rest of the Bengals’ inactives consist of healthy scratches and they enter Week 8 against the Titans with a relatively clean bill of health.

Moore and TE Dalton Kincaid are both officially active, giving the Bills two of their top playmakers in what projects as one of the best matchups of the Week 8 slate against the Ravens. Moore returns for his first game since Week 4 and has caught 12 passes for 178 yards and one touchdown on 19 targets. He’ll profile as a fringe WR1/WR2 at home. The Bills declared WR Skyler Bell, CB Dee Alford, S Jalon Kilgore, LB Mike Danna, OG Ar’maj Reed-Adams, OT Spencer Brown, and DL Greg Gaines inactive for Week 8.