NFL Player News

Texans DC Matt Burke is reportedly pushing for Vasso to get the promotion. It’s unclear if Vasso would actually get to call plays under defensive-minded head coach Robert Saleh, but it would inarguably be a promotion. 38-year-old Vasso has been bouncing around NFL coaching staffs since 2013, starting under Andy Reid in Kansas City.

The 25-year-old rookie UDFA will make the starting lineup on Thursday night against the Jaguars’ top-flight defense under the lights. Fagnano predictably struggled in the two-and-a-half quarters he played against the Bills last week, throwing for just 91 yards on 10-of-21 passes while also throwing a pick and taking three sacks. While it’s possible a short week of prep as the team’s QB1 could yield marginally better results, this projects to be a tough matchup for Fagnano and the rest of the Ravens’ offensive players. Fagnano will not be on the fantasy radar this week, and Derrick Henry and Zay Flowers will both be docked a few spots in fantasy rankings due to the downgrade at QB.

Rapoport added that “as of right now, there’s nothing there,” as far as a potential trade is concerned. Pickens, who is playing out the season on the franchise tag, hasn’t produced at the level he did in 2025 when he broke out for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns, but he remains a focal point in the offense despite his underwhelming production. Pickens still ranks 14th in the league among all receivers in targets and is 12th in total air yards. Despite the Cowboys’ disappointing 3-5 record, they remain in the race to win what has been an underwhelming NFC East. With team owner Jerry Jones saying earlier that Pickens needs to be targeted more, it’s safe to assume he will remain with the Cowboys for the season.

The new injury Love picked up in Week 8’s win over the Cowboys has been diagnosed as a high-ankle sprain and will sideline Love for a minimum of four weeks. Love, who has been dealing with multiple ankle injuries this season, has had a tough start to his NFL career. In six career games he’s rushed for 268 yards and one touchdown on 76 carries, while adding 11 receptions for 36 yards and another score. His injury comes as Bam Knight is in the league’s concussion protocol, leaving Tyler Allgeier and Evan Hull as the only two healthy backs on the Cardinals’ 53-man roster. Allgeier could be in line for a significant role in Week 9 against the Seahawks if Knight is unable to clear protocol, and veteran Jerome Ford could also be promoted from the practice squad in the coming days. Love will not be eligible to return until Week 13 against the Eagles.

Head coach Jesse Minter said on Monday that Fagnano was “dealing with some things physically,” but the rookie UDFA is still expected to make his first career start on Thursday against the Jaguars. Fagnano was wearing the guard/brace on his right ankle, but was on the field practicing with the team. The Ravens recently signed Austin Reed and Kedon Slovis to the practice squad, with Reed looking like the most likely backup to Fagnano on Thursday night. Hopefully the Ravens aren’t forced to go to fourth QB in less than a week, but Fagnano clearly isn’t operating at 100 percent.

After being an estimated DNP on Monday, Tuten was not spotted at Tuesday’s practice. With the Jaguars playing Thursday, this is a bit concerning for his Week 9 availability, as he will likely need to get in a limited practice on Wednesday if he hopes to suit up. In the event he can’t go, Chris Rodriguez, who ran for 41 yards and a touchdown on six carries last week, would be in line to handle a significant workload against the Ravens.

Nguyen studied Murray’s film in the Minnesota offense and noted the veteran is often late to recognize an open pass catcher. That could be related to Murray’s clear discomfort in Kevin O’Connell’s offense, as Nguyen noted. “When his first read doesn’t open up, he holds the ball and runs backward,” leading to drive-killing sacks. That’s exactly what unfolded a few times in high-leverage situations against the Lions in Week 8. Justin Jefferson on Sunday appeared frustrated by Kyler’s inability to make the proper reads on critical downs. All of this has an outsized impact on Murray’s fantasy prospects. He now ranks 31st among QBs in expected fantasy points per game, below Bo Nix and Daniel Jones.

Martinez, who played four seasons at Nebraska and one at Kansas State in college, was the the UFL MVP in 2024. He’s had stints with the Jets and 49ers, appearing in one NFL game. The Ravens are shoring up their QB room after Lamar Jackson (thumb) and Tyler Huntley (toe) went down in Week 8. The Ravens on Tuesday signed journeyman QB Kedon Slovis.

Jones apparently isn’t happy with Pickens’ usage through Week 8. Pickens has been targeted on 22 percent of his pass routes on the season, well below CeeDee Lamb’s 34 percent rate. He’s accounted for 31 percent of the team’s air yards, nearly the same rate he saw in 2025. In the Cowboys’ humiliating Week 8 loss to the Cardinals, Pickens had nine targets, one short of Lamb’s ten. Perhaps Jerry has not adequately studied the spreadsheets. Either way, Pickens remains an upside WR2 headed into Week 9.

Slovis could, unbelievably, get the start Thursday night against the Jaguars with Lamar Jackson (thumb) and Tyler Huntley (toe) out, and Joe Fagnano (ankle) iffy to suit up. If Fagnano can play, Slovis would presumably serve as Baltimore’s backup. Fagnano completed 48 percent of his passes for 91 yards and a pick last week against the Bills. Look for the Ravens to be ultra run-heavy against Jacksonville, one of the league’s best run defenses. It will be tough to trust anyone in the Ravens offense as a viable fantasy option for now.

Mike Washington, Jr. in Week 8 against the Jets took over as the team’s lead rusher, logging 25 carries to just two carries for Ashton Jeanty. While Kubiak said after the game that Jeanty would remain a part of the offense, it’s clear the Raiders are willing to experiment with backfield touches. “You see where your team is at and who’s playing the best ball at the time. It’s a 17-game regular season where things change every week. They’ve been changing at guard, they change up front defensively, they change at corner,” Kubiak said. “That’s the NFL. We have a young roster and we’re going to give guys opportunities and see what fits us best. But your 11, whether you’re playing really well or not playing well at all, it’s always going to change a little bit.” The Raiders through Week 8 rank dead last in EPA per rush and second to last in rushing success rate. Jeanty should remain viable as long as he’s the team’s primary pass catcher out of the backfield. Jeanty ranks fifth among all RBs in expected fantasy points per game.