NFL Player News

Njoku would appear to be a long shot to suit up this week against the Dolphins. He left Week 6’s loss to the Steelers with the knee issue, and head coach Kevin Stefanski on Monday did not provide an update on his status. Harold Fannin would likely see an increase in routes and targets if Njoku is sidelined against Miami. The Browns have targeted the tight end position at a 33 percent rate this season, the second highest mark in the NFL. Fannin in Week 6 had seven receptions for 81 yards on ten targets. He’s an intriguing fantasy option against a Dolphins defense allowing 7.5 targets per game to opposing tight ends.

He has not practiced or played since Week 3. Nothing we’ve seen has suggested he’ll be a Saturday IR candidate, but it also wouldn’t necessarily be surprising if that happened. The Pats also ruled out fellow starting CB Carlton Davis (neck) for Week 5, leaving non-existent Raiders receivers with matchup upgrades. (Cody White is about to touch the end zone paint again.)

It sounds like Efton Chism, Kyle Williams, and Demario Douglas will all work more than usual next to Romeo Doubs in Week 5. Chism might be the most interesting FLEX play of the three after putting up 2/42/1 in relief of Hollins against the Patriots, though all of them have cases.

He did practice again, this time in full, so he’s likely trending in the right direction of keeping his games started streak alive.

The Vikings play the Saints this week, then go on bye in Week 6, so Aaron Jones has one more massive workload week ahead of him against New Orleans before the backfield heads back to a split. Mason looked good in the early going and, if he was cut loose in a shallow league, makes a worthwhile pickup.

In addition to White, the Commanders will also get RG Sam Cosmi back after missing the last two games with a concussion. White will likely return to his role as the team’s third-down/pass-catching back, but could be at risk of having Austin Ekeler eat into some of his workload. Fantasy managers hoping for White to return to the 10.3 touches/gm he was averaging before his injury may want to temper expectations and leave him on the bench while we wait to see how Ekeler is factored into the game plan.

Monangai is currently in a walking boot and is considered week-to-week, per head coach Ben Johnson. Monangai reportedly consulted a specialist for his turf toe after the injury was revealed to be worse than initially expected, but he is not considered a candidate for injured reserve at this time. Backup Roschon Johnson will be elevated to RB2 duties for the foreseeable future, but we wouldn’t expect him to see the same volume as Monangai, who has averaged 15 carries/gm through the Bears’ first four games.

Diggs did not practice this week and was ruled out by the team shortly after Friday’s practice concluded. His absence will give rookie Antonio Williams, who ran 30 routes last week, a chance to take on a bigger role. Williams tied for the team lead with eight targets in Week 4’s game against the Colts and could be treated as a desperation WR4/FLEX play. Fantasy managers considering Williams for their lineups may want to check the weather, as rain and wind are currently forecasted for the area, which could create a suboptimal environment for Washington’s passing game.

Daniels appeared to be close to playing in Week 4 against the Colts before ultimately being ruled out. His being upgraded to a full participant in Thursday’s practice suggested he was a virtual lock to start in Week 5, barring any unexpected setbacks. Daniels will wear a brace on his left arm for the rest of the season in hopes of avoiding a three-peat of his dislocated elbow. Daniels will be without Stefon Diggs (hamstring) for Sunday’s game, and rainy/windy conditions are currently in the forecast. We’ll conservatively project him as a mid-to-low-end QB1 in what could be less-than-ideal conditions on Sunday.

Higgins missed the first two practices of the week but was able to get on the field in some capacity on Friday. We would consider him to be truly questionable given his one day of practice, meaning fantasy managers will want to check his official game status when the team announces inactives 90 minutes before kickoff. If he can’t go, Dohnte Meyers, who saw nine targets last week, could be on the fantasy radar as a WR4 in deeper leagues.

Jeanty has been dealing with the ankle injury throughout the week, but the foot injury was added after Thursday’s practice. Jeanty was officially listed as limited on Thursday, but the Raiders’ RB1 was absent from the media portion of Friday’s practice. We will receive final word on his Week 5 availability soon, but rookie Mike Washington could be in line for a busy day against the Patriots if Jeanty is unable to go.