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James Cook To Play For Bills In 2025
Despite a contract impasse with the Buffalo Bills and the fact that he put his house up for sale in Buffalo, running back James Cook "will play for the Bills next season," according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Things are "not great" between Cook and the Bills. The 25-year-old has a $5.3 million salary for the 2025 season, which is the last year of his rookie deal, and he's made it known he's looking for at least $15 million per year. Buffalo would like to sign him to a long-term extension, but at the moment the two sides aren't remotely close in negotiations. The former second-rounder (63rd overall) in 2022 out of Georgia has back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons and led the NFL with 16 rushing touchdowns in 16 regular-season games in 2024. Cook will be Buffalo's RB1 again in 2025, but fantasy managers must plan for TD regression, and the Bills could be looking to split the workload more with Ty Johnson and Ray Davis.
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
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Gunnar Helm Comes Alive in Unexpected Slugfest
Tennessee Titans tight end Gunnar Helm hauled in five of nine targets for 76 yards in the team's 43-36 overtime loss to the hosting Cincinnati Bengals. Helm led the team in receiving yards on Sunday and set career highs with his yardage and target total. In fact, the former Texas Longhorn fell just three yards shy of matching his receiving total for the season in this game alone. It was a nice effort on a day that the team was short a receiving option in wideout Carnell Tate (shoulder). Unfortunately, Helm has been too spotty for fantasy managers to trust consistently, and he's likely to lose considerable volume when Tate returns. That said, he's worth watching in deeper formats, as the Titans rank in the bottom half of the NFL in run rate and Helm is out there for most snaps. Tennessee's options will be out of play in Week 9 with the team on bye.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Jordan Mason Struggles to Make an Impact Vs. Lions
Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Mason rushed eight times for 20 yards in his team's 19-15 loss to the Detroit Lions. Mason couldn't get anything going in Week 8 against one of the league's better run defenses. For what it's worth, backfield mate Aaron Jones Sr. didn't find much room to work either, but he was still far more effective than Mason with his touches and commanded the duo's only two targets in the receiving game. It was an uncharacteristic outing for Minnesota, as their run/pass split leaned heavier toward the latter for just the third time under quarterback Kyler Murray's direction in the campaign. As it stands, Mason fits well in the RB3 range most weeks, but doesn't possess week-winning upside while sharing a backfield with Jones. They'll get another stiff test in Week 9 against a formidable Buffalo Bills rush defense.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
T.J. Hockenson Provides Steady Production in Vikings' Loss
Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson collected four of five targets for 58 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 19-15 road loss to the division-rival Detroit Lions. Hockenson picked up his third outing of four catches and a receiving score on five targets in Week 8, and has been a decent play over the last month or so, sans a win over New Orleans, when he left with a concussion after just two snaps. Even with the suboptimal effort, the eighth-year pro is the PPR TE5 in points per game (14) since Week 4. Furthermore, he's handily led the team in receiving over that stretch, and sits atop the Vikings' pass-catchers with eight red zone looks on the season as a whole. Hockenson may not boast the upside he did earlier in his career, but he still holds some value as a fringy back-end TE1 play with steady opportunity as an outlet for Kyler Murray. He'll look to keep it rolling next Monday night against the visiting Buffalo Bills in what projects to be a favorable outing.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Jaylen Warren Remains Effective Despite Heavier Backfield Split
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren rushed for 143 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries in his team's 27-6 rout of the Cleveland Browns. He failed to gain a yard on his lone catch (two targets). Warren was electric again on Sunday, carving up a porous Browns defense to tie a career-high in rushing yards. It was the fourth time this season that he surpassed 100 yards on the ground, while the rushing score was his second. In an encouraging turn of events, the Oklahoma State product was still uber-effective despite teammate Rico Dowdle's increased involvement. The latter was clearly out-touched through his first two games back from a toe injury, but brought the backfield carry split considerably closer. Either way, Warren was more efficient with his work and wasn't hampered in terms of fantasy. The 28-year-old continues to rip off long, chunk gains and is an enticing weekly play. He and the Steelers will get some time off before returning for a road matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 10.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Kirk Cousins Continues Resurgent Campaign in Road Win
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins completed 19 of 26 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns in Sunday's 38-33 road win over the New York Jets. He added a fourth touchdown and three rushing yards on five carries. Cousins continued his torrid pace to finish out the unofficial first half of the campaign, notching his seventh multi-touchdown effort and his fourth hat trick. It marked his first four-touchdown performance since Week 8 of the 2024 season. The veteran has been excellent thus far, leading the league with 19 passing scores and ranking third in yards (2,124) through eight contests. Cousins has rebounded nicely from a poor showing to end 2025, as he's now eclipsed his touchdown total from the previous three seasons. For at least one more week, the 38-year-old will stave off talks of a transition to rookie signal caller Fernando Mendoza. Up next for Cousins and the Falcons is a road date with the San Francisco 49ers next Sunday.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Saquon Barkley Wants to Stay with the Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley spoke with members of the media (including Brooks Kubena of The Athletic) regarding a recent report that indicated he would not be dealt ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline. When asked about his future with the Eagles, Barkley said, "I would love to be here. I don't like the way the season's going. I'm not one of those guys that's like, 'Oh, the season's not going the way we (want). Let's just jump ship.'" Barkley also mentioned that he wants to be one of the reasons why the Eagles turn things around after their 2-6 start. The 29-year-old has dealt with a couple of different injury scares this season, playing in parts of six games so far. He has a modest 56 carries, 274 rushing yards, seven catches, 41 receiving yards, and two touchdowns to this point. A healthy Barkley ranks as a low-end RB1 in PPR leagues, so assuming he has shaken the injury bug, he should continue to be started in all leagues going forward.
Source: Brooks Kubena
Source: Brooks Kubena
Seahawks Could Make Another Move Before the Trade Deadline
The Seattle Seahawks acquired guard Quenton Nelson from the Indianapolis Colts last week, and they might not be done making moves ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline. According to Corbin K. Smith of Emerald City Spectrum, the Seahawks "have been linked to several other potential deals." Smith noted that while the Seahawks could make another move, he doesn't expect them to swing a deal for Colts star running back Jonathan Taylor. A source told Smith that Seahawks general manager John Schneider actually called the Colts about Taylor last week, but when those talks stalled, the two sides quickly pivoted to striking a deal involving Nelson. If Taylor isn't an option for Seattle, we could see them pivoting to defensive upgrades, specifically in the trenches.
Source: Corbin K. Smith
Source: Corbin K. Smith
Brian Thomas Jr. Drawing Interest From Three Teams
The Jacksonville Jaguars "haven't shown much inclination" to trade wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The Chiefs, Steelers, and Commanders have reportedly all shown interest in trading for Thomas, and Florio notes that the former first-round pick may also be looking for a fresh start. However, it doesn't sound like the Jaguars have much motivation to move on from him ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline. Thomas has been underwhelming this season, catching just four passes over his last five games. However, he does have two touchdowns during that span, including a trip to the end zone in Sunday's Week 8 win over the Colts. For now, it looks like Thomas will remain a Jaguar, leaving him in the No. 3 receiver role and keeping him off the fantasy radar in most leagues.
Source: Mike Florio
Source: Mike Florio
Harold Fannin Jr. Does Most of the Heavy Lifting in Week 8 Loss
On a day in which the Cleveland Browns only scored six points and quarterback Deshaun Watson threw for 324 yards in a Week 8 loss to the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers, tight end Harold Fannin Jr. was the only offensive skill player for the Browns to thrive. Fannin led the team in receptions (10), targets (12), and receiving yards (154) for a career-best day while averaging a healthy 15.4 yards per catch. With the strong performance, Fannin is now quietly the overall TE5 in half-PPR scoring with 35 receptions on 51 targets for 411 yards and three touchdowns. Only Trey McBride, Brock Bowers, Isaiah Likely, and George Kittle have been more productive so far in 2026 at the tight end position in fantasy. The only negative aspect of the 22-year-old's game on Sunday in Pittsburgh was his lost fumble, but fantasy managers were not complaining at all. The game script in the Steel City definitely helped Fannin's cause this weekend, but he will remain a strong TE1 option for fantasy managers in Cleveland's Week 9 road outing against the New Orleans Saints, who will be coming off their bye.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Adonai Mitchell Makes a Statement With Career-Best Performance
New York Jets wide receiver Adonai Mitchell was dropped in most leagues where he was rostered after he failed to catch any of his three targets in a Week 7 loss to the division-rival Miami Dolphins in his first game back from Injured Reserve, especially with rookie first-round wideout Omar Cooper Jr. posting his second straight 100-yard game. The 24-year-old Mitchell flipped the script in Sunday's 38-33 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, though, catching seven of his nine targets for a career-high 142 receiving yards and his first touchdown of the 2026 season. Garrett Wilson had more targets (12), but Mitchell led the Jets in catches and receiving yards, while Cooper did not have a single target. Cooper is not going to suddenly disappear like he did in Week 8 for the rest of the season, but Sunday's game proved that Mitchell is a big part of the Jets' passing attack, and he has plenty of chemistry with veteran quarterback Geno Smith. After he was dropped in a lot of fantasy leagues, Mitchell will now be one of the most coveted waiver-wire pickups ahead of the Jets' Week 9 game on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs. He is only rostered in 11% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Trey McBride has Another Big Game, Still the Overall TE1 in Fantasy
Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride did not lead the team in receiving in their 33-30 comeback win in overtime over the hosting Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in Week 8, but he still had a big game for his fantasy managers and remains the overall TE1 in half-PPR scoring through eight weeks. McBride finished the game in Dallas with seven catches on eight targets for 72 yards (10.3 yards per reception) and another touchdown. The 26-year-old former second-rounder out of Colorado State now leads all tight ends in receptions (66) and targets (86) for 544 receiving yards and five touchdowns. His 544 yards are only three behind Brock Bowers, and his five touchdowns have him tied for first at the position. Fantasy managers might have been a bit worried when the Cardinals benched Jacoby Brissett at quarterback in favor of Gardner Minshew II, but McBride did not miss a beat. He could lose a little fantasy upside moving forward if Arizona sticks with Minshew under center, but McBride is still an elite TE in fantasy and is on pace to improve on his career-best numbers from a season ago, when he caught 126 passes for 1,239 yards and 11 touchdowns on 169 targets.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Tyler Higbee Underperforms with Two Tight Ends Sidelined
Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee caught just one of his two targets for a 14-yard gain during Sunday's Week 8 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. The Rams had a solid showing on offense, but Higbee was quite disappointing. Entering Sunday afternoon, it seemed like the veteran pass-catcher was headed for a fantasy-relevant role with Colby Parkinson (rib) inactive and Terrance Ferguson (ankle) on injured reserve. Higbee did play 83% of the snaps in the victory, but he had fewer catches than Davis Allen and was generally pushed out of the spotlight due to the enormous presence of wide receiver Puka Nacua in the passing game. Los Angeles also ran the ball 27 times, leading to fewer pass attempts all around. The 33-year-old is a low-end TE2 if he remains atop the depth chart in Week 9, and he would fall off the fantasy radar entirely if Ferguson or Parkinson returns.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Kenny Gainwell Handles an Enormous Workload in Bucs' Historic Win
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Kenny Gainwell rushed for 140 yards on 25 carries during Sunday's Week 8 win over the Atlanta Falcons. It was a historic day for the Buccaneers, who won 16-0 despite completing zero pass attempts. This is the first time an NFL team has won a game without completing a pass since 1974. Instead, Tampa Bay ran the ball a whopping 56 times for 324 yards. Both Gainwell and Bucky Irving had 25+ carries and 140+ rushing yards in the victory, representing an enormous accomplishment from the backfield. While Irving remains the undisputed No. 1 running back in Tampa Bay, we can't ignore the fact that Gainwell has carved out a sizable role in the last two weeks. Between his last two games, the veteran running back has a total of 39 carries and 228 rushing yards, although he's still looking for his first rushing touchdown of the season. The game script and weather conditions may prompt the Bucs to run the ball less in Week 9 against the Bears, but Gainwell has still done enough to put his name on the fantasy radar as a volume-based RB3/flex.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Josh Allen Turns in Another Terrific Performance After the Bye Week
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen completed 21 of his 34 pass attempts for 289 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and one interception during Sunday's Week 8 win over the Baltimore Ravens. He also boosted his fantasy output with seven rushing attempts, 30 rushing yards, and one rushing touchdown. The 30-year-old has consistently been a high-end QB1 throughout his career, but he has a particularly strong track record in the week immediately after the Bills' bye (including Sunday's Week 8 contest). Allen now has 2+ total touchdowns in the game immediately following the Bills' bye week in each of his nine seasons since being drafted. That's an impressive pattern, but not necessarily a surprise for a superstar quarterback who has repeatedly demonstrated his versatility on offense. He should continue to be started in all leagues during Week 9, despite facing off against a strong Vikings defense.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Broncos Want to Acquire Jonathan Taylor
The Denver Broncos are reportedly interested in acquiring superstar running back Jonathan Taylor from the Indianapolis Colts, per Zac Stevens. The Indianapolis Colts are reportedly looking to move Taylor ahead of the upcoming trade deadline. The Broncos recently placed RJ Harvey (knee) on Injured Reserve and are now looking to make an upgrade to their running back room. Taylor would no doubt be an immediate upgrade over J.K. Dobbins and rookie Jonah Coleman, who are the current featured backs in Denver. It's unclear what the asking price is for Taylor or if the Broncos would need to give up one of their backs in order to acquire him. There are likely going to be plenty of suitors for Taylor, but it sounds like the Broncos are making it known that they want him in Denver.
Source: Zac Stevens
Source: Zac Stevens
Jahmyr Gibbs Posts Best Efficiency Numbers of the Season
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs totaled 23 carries, 153 rushing yards, and one rushing touchdown during Sunday's Week 8 win over the Minnesota Vikings. He also caught two of his four targets for an additional 15 receiving yards. Interestingly, this was Gibbs' lowest catch and receiving yard totals of the season. However, that's a testament to just how elite he has been in the passing game this year. Although his receiving workload was scaled back Sunday, Gibbs made a huge impact in the rushing game. Despite facing a top-tier Vikings run defense, the 24-year-old running back averaged 6.7 yards per carry, which is his highest single-game mark of the season. He will remain the undisputed overall RB1 heading into next week's lopsided matchup against the 1-6 Miami Dolphins, who just allowed 120 rushing yards to the duo of Rhamondre Stevenson and Corey Kiner.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jeremy McNichols Questionable to Return with Foot Injury
Washington Commanders running back Jeremy McNichols (foot) is considered questionable to return during Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles. McNichols was forced to exit during the second half of this game due to a foot issue, and it's unclear if he'll be able to finish out this game. Before leaving, McNichols carried the ball five times for 21 yards and also hauled in one pass for seven additional yards through the air. If he's unable to return, Rachaad White and Austin Ekeler will see a slight uptick in workload over the final quarter of this game.
Source: Zach Selby
Source: Zach Selby
Chase Brown Handles Enormous Receiving Volume in Win
Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown rushed for 55 yards on 12 carries during Sunday's Week 8 win over the Tennessee Titans. He also caught eight of his nine targets for an additional 46 receiving yards. Finally, he also lost a fumble. Brown turned in a modest rushing stat line, but he had a terrific performance in the passing game. His eight catches were particularly useful in half-PPR and full-PPR leagues, where he used his receiving volume to post double-digit fantasy points. The 26-year-old has done a good job maintaining a large workload despite the Bengals' offense having plenty of other impactful contributors, including Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and even Mike Gesicki, who has a five-game touchdown streak. Brown should continue to be treated as a high-end RB2 with RB1 upside in Week 9 against the Falcons, who just gave up 324 rushing yards to Tampa Bay.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Patrick Mahomes Bounces Back with Strong Performance in Week 8
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was able to rebound during Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos. Before this game, Mahomes hadn't thrown a touchdown in back-to-back games. The two-time MVP was carving up the Broncos defense through the first three quarters of this game. The Chiefs were unable to finish the job, but this was still a masterful performance by Mahomes. He completed 30-of-41 passing attempts for 321 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions in the loss. This marked the second time this season that Mahomes has thrown for over 300 yards with three touchdowns in a single game. He should continue to succeed against the shaky New York Jets defense in Week 9.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Kyle Pitts Sr. Slowed Down in Week 8 Shutout Loss
Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. was unable to keep his touchdown streak alive during the Week 8 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Coming into this game, Pitts had found the end zone in three straight games, but the Bucs defense held Pitts in check on Sunday. Pitts hauled in two of his five targets for six yards during the Week 8 loss. This was a nightmare game for the entire Falcons offense as they were unable to score on Sunday. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. completed only eight passes and threw four interceptions. Fantasy managers can expect better results from Pitts next weekend, considering it's almost impossible to do worse than six receiving yards. He should rebound against the inconsistent Cincinnati Bengals defense in Week 9.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
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