NFL Player News

Glenn added that Zappe took the second-team reps behind Geno Smith in practice on Wednesday. Zappe has the most NFL experience of the bunch, so that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. It also doesn’t mean he will hold the QB2 job into Week 1. Since entering the NFL, Zappe ranks 78th out of 84 qualified quarterbacks in EPA per play (min. 150 plays). The good news for him is that Cook holds spot No. 84. As a fourth-round pick, Klubnik does have some potential, and his competition for the QB2 job is exceptionally weak. No matter who earns the backup gig, the hope for Jets fans will be that we never see them in 2026.

Commanders coach Dan Quinn said he is hopeful Diggs will get some practice reps in later this week. Diggs missed Week 5 with the hamstring issue, and a DNP today puts him on the wrong side of questionable for Week 6, even if Quinn remains optimistic. Terry McLaurin and Chig Okonkwo led the team in receiving last week. McLaurin should pull away from Okonkwo as he puts more time between himself and the hamstring injury that previously knocked him out for a week.

Mayfield will be ruled out for Week 6 tomorrow. Having not thrown a football since his Week 3 thumb injury, he’s also unlikely to suit up for next week’s game against the Panthers. Jalon Daniels will draw at least one more start versus the Steelers this week. His rushing production will keep him in the QB2 ranks for Sunday’s game, but a lack of passing numbers makes him a weak fantasy option.

Tucker missed Wednesday’s session with a quad issue. He previously missed one game due to a hamstring injury. Tucker should be good to go for Week 6, though we don’t expect much fantasy production from the Bucs’ RB3. He has eight carries and zero catches over the past two weeks.

Who is asking for this? McCarthy was on the field for three plays in Week 5. They gained three yards, two of which came from McCarthy on a pair of rush attempts. After flaming out as a traditional quarterback in Minnesota, McCarthy is working his way toward becoming the next Taysom Hill. Jameis Winston remains the starter, but Harbaugh will use McCarthy as a change-of-pace option a few times each week. He could also take over as the starter if Winston struggles for an extended period of time, though we appear to be at least a few weeks away from that being a consideration.

Boyd said he “didn’t get the sense” that Pierce is close to a return. Pierce went on injured reserve with a heel injury after Week 2 and wore a cast on his left ankle/heel while rehabbing. It’s a sign of progress for Pierce, who will have his first chance to come back in the Colts’ Week 7 game against the Vikings.

Allen is dealing with a foot injury and is listed as a DNP on the Rams’ estimated practice report. Fellow tight end Colby Parkinson (shoulder) was listed as limited, though he has been dealing with the shoulder injury for a few weeks now and the Rams are likely managing his workload. Parkinson is trending to play. Allen’s potential absence may lead to the Rams activating rookie Max Klare to play alongside Parkinson and fantasy streaming option Tyler Higbee in Week 6.

Jeanty’s previous ankle designation was removed from the injury report and he was a full practice participant on Wednesday. His practice participation lines up with Raiders coach Klint Kubiak saying the 22-year-old running back was starting to “feel a lot better.” Though there were rumors of the Raiders resting Jeanty for a week, he is trending to play in Week 6 against the Bills.

Nailor suffered a concussion in the Raiders’ Week 4 loss to the Chiefs, missing Week 5 against the Patriots while still in the protocol. He starts out the week not practicing, indicating he is not close to clearing protocol. Though he still has a chance to play this week, Nailor does not need to be stashed for fantasy purposes amid a murky wide receiver corps.

Bowers continues his trend of practicing limited to open the week before upgrading to a full practice later in the week and getting cleared off the injury report. Fantasy managers can again expect to see Bowers return top-five fantasy tight end value in Week 6 against the Bills.

Oliver was listed as a non-participant in the Bills’ Wednesday walk-through report. He suffered a knee injury in the Bills’ Week 4 loss to the Patriots and avoided long-term injury, though he has yet to see the practice field. Bills fans should stay tuned to his practice status the rest of the week; Oliver will need some level of participation before the Bills can consider making him active for Week 6.