NFL Player News

McLaughlin appeared to be the choice to attack the Bills’ weakness on the outside of their run defense. He gained over five yards per carry, but Sean Payton went away from him almost entirely in the second half. It remains to be seen how Payton will split the carries between McLaughlin and RJ Harvey next week, but McLaughlin appeared to be the more dynamic runner tonight.

Rapoport then named Josh Downs and Brian Thomas Jr. as players to keep an eye on. Both wideouts are in the midst of down years and their teams have already leaked that they are on the trade block. Thomas Jr. would hopefully unlock the once-vaunted Patrick Mahomes deep ball. Downs, on the other hand, would be another underneath weapon for a passing attack that his simply asking too much of Rashee Rice right now. Both players’ fantasy stock would skyrocket via a trade.

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.