Green Bay

Packers

Watson got in a pair of limited practices after leaving in Week 8 against the Panthers with a rib injury that required a trip to the hospital. The 6-foot-4 wideout is a WR1 for the upcoming battle against New England.

Parsons was cleared to resume individual activities but was never likely to play against the Pats this week. The next chance for Parsons to play will be Week 10 against the Vikings, and there’s at least a smidgen of optimism he could be back for that contest.

Lloyd popped up on Thursday’s injury report with the knee issue, and now appears to be a game-time decision. Chris Brooks (ankle) is also questionable for the Week 9 tilt, so there could be depth issues for the Pack behind Josh Jacobs, who has struggled in his return to action as well.

Lloyd was good to go for Wednesday’s session, so this appears to be a new issue. Chris Brooks was also limited by his ankle injury for a second-straight practice. Lloyd and Brooks — if healthy — will be the backups to Josh Jacobs for Week 9, and don’t offer much fantasy upside, if any.

It’s back-to-back limited sessions for Watson. It’ll likely be a pain-tolerance issue for the wideout, but assuming he doesn’t suffer a setback in practice, he appears to be good for Week 9 against the Patriots and deserves WR1 consideration.

Jacobs is facing additional allegations of verbal and physical abuse that could jeopardize his playing status moving forward. He told Demovsky that he is “operating under the assumption that he won’t have to sit out any more games than the six he already missed while on the NFL commissioner exempt list.” Jacobs has defended himself against the allegations after his attorneys also dismissed the claims. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said earlier this week he expects Jacobs to remain on the roster as the league reviews this round of allegations. Jacobs has missed six games on the Commissioner’s Exempt List and will continue to play while the NFL looks into the new claims.

Watson famously left for the hospital in the middle of Week 8’s win over the Panthers, only to return after halftime like a WWE performer. The fact that they’re letting him practice in any capacity today means he should be able to play through the issue in Week 9. We’d expect him to wear a flak jacket for at least a few weeks. Barring a setback in practice, Watson will be a high-variance WR1 for his matchup with the Patriots.

Brooks is back at practice and could be officially activated from IR ahead of the Packers’ Week 9 matchup with the Patriots. He would likely take Pierre Strong’s spot in the lineup as Green Bay’s RB3.

That doesn’t mean Parsons is a “full go” for Week 9 against the Patriots, however, as the pass rusher comes back from a season-ending knee injury in 2025. Parsons could return soon for a Green Bay defense that ranks 12th in pressure rate and 16th in quick pressure rate on the season. Look for the team to ease Parsons into action to make sure he’s OK for the final stretch of the regular season.

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.