CJ Donaldson Could see Expanded Role in Backfield 0mLink copied!

Sep 29, 2026, 9:59 PM ET

Free-agent wide receiver Tyreek Hill (knee) recently posted on social media that it's almost time for him to get off the couch. This could mean that the veteran wideout is nearing a return to the field. Hill hasn't played since tearing his ACL during his final season with the Miami Dolphins in 2025. He has been making a quick recovery and could be ready to play sometime in October. It remains to be seen how much the eight-time Pro Bowler still has left in the tank. His landing spot will go a long way to deciding his overall fantasy value, but Hill is a priority stash at the moment with his return to the field looming.--Andy Webb
Source: Pro Football Reference

Sep 29, 2026, 9:51 PM ET

New York Giants running back Najee Harris was effective on the ground during the Week 3 matchup against the Tennessee Titans. Harris made his team debut in Week 2, but he saw more involvement in the offense this past weekend. Harris rushed the ball nine times for 52 yards in the win. The veteran back has quickly pushed his way to being the primary backup behind Cam Skattebo in this offense. His role figures continue to grow as he spends more time with this team. Fantasy managers should consider Harris as the primary handcuff to Skattebo right now. He could be worth stashing in deep leagues, but he probably doesn't have standalone value while Skattebo is healthy.--Andy Webb
Source: Pro Football Reference

Sep 29, 2026, 9:45 PM ET

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Konata Mumpfield is coming off his best game of the season. The 23-year-old recorded four of his eight targets for 93 yards and a touchdown in the loss to the Denver Broncos. The second-year wideout stepped up big time for this offense with Puka Nacua (hip) inactive for the second straight week. He appears to be building good chemistry with quarterback Matthew Stafford. The two of them connected on a 48-yard score late in the fourth quarter. This performance should get Mumpfield more attention moving forward, but his target share should drop once Nacua is back in the mix. Mumpfield could be a dynasty stash, but he's unlikely to have a ton of weekly value once Nacua is back.--Andy Webb
Source: Pro Football Reference

Sep 29, 2026, 9:20 PM ET

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Cody White was signed from the practice squad to the active roster on Tuesday. White began the year on the practice squad, but he has already been elevated for game day a maximum of three times. White could now immediately slide into a starting role with Jack Bech (forearm) heading to the Injured Reserve on Tuesday. Through three games, White has recorded three receptions for 28 yards and three touchdowns. He could be an interesting deep league pickup with the Raiders banged up at wide receiver. He's looking like a touchdown-dependent option against the New Orleans Saints in Week 4.--Andy Webb
Source: Pro Football Reference

Sep 29, 2026, 8:28 PM ET

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Skyy Moore has seen his involvement in the offense grow with each passing week through the first three weeks of the 2026 campaign. Moore played just four offensive snaps in the season-opening loss to the division-rival Minnesota Vikings and failed to catch his lone target. In the Week 2 overtime win over the New York Jets, the 26-year-old played 36% of the offensive snaps and caught two of three targets for six yards. Moore's role expanded even more in Thursday night's loss to the Atlanta Falcons, as he played 52% of the offensive snaps and caught three of his seven targets for 31 yards with fellow wideout Jayden Reed (neck) sidelined. The Packers are still unsure if Reed will even return at all in 2026, so Moore could become an interesting WR3 option for the Packers' passing game behind Christian Watson and Matthew Golden, especially with Green Bay's ground game going nowhere. The former second-rounder by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022 from Western Michigan caught 43 passes for 494 yards in his first two years in KC, but it came with only one touchdown, and he quickly fell out of favor with the Chiefs. Right now, Moore is rostered in only 1% of Yahoo leagues.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Pro Football Reference

Sep 29, 2026, 8:12 PM ET

Seattle Seahawks second-year wide receiver Tory Horton was a healthy scratch in the team's season-opening win over the New England Patriots, and he was not targeted at all in his 2026 debut in the Week 2 win over the division-rival Arizona Cardinals. The 23-year-old former fifth-rounder from Colorado State played 22% of the offensive snaps in the Week 3 loss to the Washington Commanders and finally made his way into the box score, grabbing all three of his targets in the passing game for 48 yards (16.0 yards per reception). Horton remains buried on Seattle's receiver depth chart behind stud Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed, and Cooper Kupp, but fantasy managers in deeper formats should not be ignoring the big-play threat if he is available on the waiver wire. In his first year in the NFL before suffering a season-ending shin injury, Horton caught 13 of his 22 targets for 161 yards and an impressive five touchdowns in only eight games. He is not rostered in any Yahoo leagues, but Horton should have more appeal now that starting quarterback Sam Darnold has returned from his glute injury.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Pro Football Reference

Sep 29, 2026, 7:49 PM ET

Pittsburgh Steelers veteran cornerback Jalen Ramsey (wrist) suffered a broken right wrist in the Week 3 win over the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, and it happened on the very first series of the game, according to Nick Farabaugh of Penn Live. Ramsey said it "was hurting" throughout the game, but he is still hoping to play this Thursday night against the division-rival Cleveland Browns. "I'm going to give everything to try to (play). I have to be able to protect it. It's a real injury, a broken wrist. I can't really do anything about it. It's just going to be about seeing if I'm able to protect it and also still be myself in a good enough capacity where I feel like if I go out there, I won't be letting any of my teammates down," Ramsey said when asked if he will play this week. The 31-year-old eight-time Pro Bowler somehow managed to play every defensive snap on Sunday and is trying to see if he can play with a cast over his hand going forward. The 11-year veteran has 17 tackles (nine solo), one pass breakup, and a forced fumble in the first three games of his second year with the Steelers in 2026.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Penn Live - Nick Farabaugh

Sep 29, 2026, 7:41 PM ET

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (elbow) is making the trip with the team to London for the Week 4 contest in England on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Daniels dislocated his left (non-throwing) elbow for the third time in less than a year in the Week 2 loss to the division-rival Dallas Cowboys, and he missed the Week 3 upset win over the Seattle Seahawks as a result. The 25-year-old is going to put off surgery on his elbow until the offseason, and he is even expected to return to the practice field this week. However, fantasy managers should not assume that a return to practice for the former second overall pick from LSU will mean that he will start under center in the international game this weekend. If he does not get the green light in Week 4, veteran Marcus Mariota will make a second straight start. Daniels still has high-end QB1 potential for his rushing and passing abilities, but durability has become a major question mark. We will have a better idea about Daniels' Week 4 status after the team's three practices this week from Wednesday through Friday.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter

Sep 29, 2026, 7:25 PM ET

Denver Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle is "fine," a source told Sam Jane of The Denver Post. There was some speculation on social media about Waddle's health status after the team's Sunday night victory over the Los Angeles Rams. The 27-year-old was apparently seen wearing a walking boot in the clubhouse after Sunday night's game, but he should be just fine to play in Week 4 on the road against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Waddle played 73% of the offensive snaps against the Rams, but he had another disappointing performance for his fantasy managers, catching only two of his seven targets for 10 yards while adding a 14-yard run on an end-around. The former first-rounder by the Miami Dolphins from Alabama entered his first year in Denver with massive expectations after the Broncos sent a first-rounder to Miami for him in the offseason. It did not start well with a one-catch, two-yard performance in the Week 1 loss to the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs, but Waddle came back to catch eight passes for 138 yards in the Week 2 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Despite the frustration early on in 2026, fantasy managers need to keep the faith in the speedy receiver and leave him locked into starting lineups against the 49ers.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Denver Post - Sam Jane

Sep 29, 2026, 7:14 PM ET

The San Francisco 49ers are signing veteran free-agent wide receiver Dante Pettis on Tuesday, eight years after they took him in the second round in the 2018 NFL Draft out of the University of Washington, sources told Jordan Schultz. The 49ers' wide receiver room has been decimated by injuries through three weeks, with Ricky Pearsall (knee) out for the year and rookie De'Zhaun Stribling (ankle), Christian Kirk (calf), and Demarcus Robinson (ankle) all on Injured Reserve. Veteran Mike Evans suffered a painful rib sprain in the Week 3 win over the division-rival Arizona Cardinals and could also miss some time going forward, so Pettis will give the team some familiar depth. The 30-year-old appeared in only 16 games (zero starts) with the New Orleans Saints in the last two years, catching 21 of 39 targets for 247 yards and a touchdown. Pettis' best year in his seven NFL seasons was as a rookie in 2018 with San Francisco, when he posted a 27-467-5 line in 12 games played. Because of his experience and familiarity with the organization, Pettis could quickly become involved in the offense alongside Evans and Deebo Samuel Sr., making him a deep-league waiver-wire consideration at WR this week.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Jordan Schultz

Sep 29, 2026, 7:04 PM ET

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Brycen Tremayne came out of nowhere on Sunday in the team's Week 3 loss to the Cleveland Browns, catching four of his six targets for 83 yards after not commanding a single target through the first two weeks of the 2026 season. The reason for the 26-year-old's increased involvement in Cleveland primarily had to do with Xavier Legette being inactive due to a shoulder injury. On top of that, WR2 Jalen Coker suffered a quadriceps injury in the 21-18 loss and ended up playing only 36% of the offensive snaps. Tremayne, a former undrafted free agent from Stanford, played 81% of the offensive snaps, second only to Tetairoa McMillan. It was a nice game for Tremayne, but Coker's quad injury is deemed minor, so both he and Legette could return to action for the Week 4 tilt on Sunday night at home against the Detroit Lions. In his first two years in the NFL with Carolina and the Washington Commanders, Tremayne had only 15 catches on 19 targets for 158 yards and zero touchdowns in 18 games played. At best, he is a speculative stash in the deepest of leagues in case Coker or Legette are forced to miss time.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Pro Football Reference

Sep 29, 2026, 6:55 PM ET

Minnesota Vikings rookie running back Demond Claiborne was thrust into a bigger role when the team put Jordan Mason (thumb) on Injured Reserve last week. However, the Vikings have been hesitant to put too much on the sixth-rounder out of Wake Forest's plate early in his first season in the NFL, and that showed in the Vikings' Week 3 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 22-year-old only played three offensive snaps and had three rushing attempts for just one yard, while both Max Bredson and DeeJay Dallas out-snapped him behind starter Aaron Jones Sr. Claiborne's role could grow over the next couple of weeks, though, and Mason will miss at least three more games while on IR. In Claiborne's NFL debut in the Week 2 victory over the division-rival Chicago Bears, he had just one reception for a gain of two yards. At best, Claiborne is a short-term handcuff option for fantasy managers who have Jones rostered, but once Mason returns from his thumb injury, Claiborne will be buried on Minnesota's RB depth chart again. He is currently rostered in only 2% of Yahoo leagues.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Pro Football Reference

Sep 29, 2026, 6:42 PM ET

Through three weeks of the 2026 regular season, New York Jets running back Isaiah Davis has yet to play a snap on offense. Davis was a little banged up during the first two weeks of the season, but he got involved on special teams and played 16 snaps during the team's Week 3 loss on the road to the Detroit Lions. The 24-year-old former fifth-rounder in the 2024 NFL Draft from South Dakota State might finally get his first touches on offense in Week 4 against the Bears in Chicago after starting RB Breece Hall left Sunday's loss late with a thigh injury. The Jets are considering Hall week-to-week. If Hall does not play this weekend, Davis would have a complementary role behind Braelon Allen, who has been the clear RB2 behind Hall early on this year. Davis probably will not have a huge role on offense if Hall misses some time, but he deserves some attention from fantasy managers in deeper leagues for more short-term RB depth. In his first two NFL seasons in New York, Davis has averaged a healthy 5.6 yards per carry for 410 yards and two touchdowns on 73 rushing attempts. He has also caught 30 of 40 targets for 261 yards and another TD in 33 games (zero starts).--Keith Hernandez
Source: Pro Football Reference

Sep 29, 2026, 6:34 PM ET

Dallas Cowboys running back Tyler Goodson made his 2026 debut on Sunday in the Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with Emari Demercado being a healthy scratch. Goodson only played 11 offensive snaps (15%) behind starter Javonte Williams, and he had six carries for 22 yards while catching his only target in the passing game for a loss of five yards. The 25-year-old former undrafted free agent from Iowa spent his first three seasons in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts, carrying the ball only 54 times for 264 yards (4.9 yards per carry) and one touchdown in 33 games (one start). Goodson added 19 receptions on 27 targets for 103 yards and another score as a receiver. The Cowboys have one of the thinnest RB rooms behind their starter, so Goodson is worth a look off the waiver wire this week as a deep-league handcuff for fantasy managers who have Williams rostered. His experience as a return man on special teams should also help his case to be active on game days over Demercado going forward.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Pro Football Reference

Sep 29, 2026, 6:25 PM ET

The Philadelphia Eagles reunited with veteran tight end Zach Ertz when they signed him to their practice squad early last week. The move was made after starting TE Dallas Goedert suffered a knee injury in the Week 2 win over the Tennessee Titans that is expected to keep him out for multiple weeks. Despite being with the team for less than a week, the 35-year-old Ertz was elevated to the active roster for Monday Night Football against the Chicago Bears. In the 27-7 upset loss, Ertz only played 38% of the offensive snaps and caught one of his two targets for nine yards. It obviously was not much to look at, but Ertz should have an even bigger role in his second game back with the team going into a Week 4 showdown at home against the Philadelphia Eagles. Before tearing his ACL in 2025, Ertz had 50 catches for 504 yards and four touchdowns on 72 targets in 13 games with the Washington Commanders, and he has over 8,000 receiving yards and 57 touchdowns in his 14-year NFL career. Until Goedert is cleared to return, Ertz could be in play as a TE2 streamer in deeper leagues. He is rostered in only 3% of Yahoo leagues right now.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN.com

Sep 29, 2026, 5:59 PM ET

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said the team has not lost faith in rookie first-round running back Jadarian Price after he lost a fumble for the second week in a row on Sunday in the Week 3 upset loss to the Washington Commanders, according to Brady Henderson of ESPN. "We're going to continue to give him the ball. We trust him, and we know he's going to work really hard to do his part as well," Macdonald said. Seattle went right back to Price after he fumbled in the Week 2 win over the division-rival Arizona Cardinals, but this past Sunday, they did not show the same patience with the young back. Price fumbled at the 11:06 mark of the first quarter, and his next carry did not come until the 12:49 mark of the third quarter, although he was targeted twice as a receiver. The Notre Dame product finished with only five carries for 15 yards and had one catch for seven yards. Price played 19 of the team's 67 offensive snaps, with Emanuel Wilson and George Holani each playing 24 snaps. He has 119 yards on 38 rushing attempts (4.3 yards per attempt) over his first three NFL games, catching four passes for 21 yards. The Seahawks will keep Price involved, but the presence of both Wilson and Holani will continue to limit his fantasy upside as a touchdown-dependent RB3/flex going into Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN.com - Brady Henderson

Sep 29, 2026, 5:31 PM ET

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson made the most of a smaller role Sunday, catching three of six targets for 60 yards and his first touchdown of the season in a win over Cincinnati. His 38-yard score came on Pittsburgh's opening drive, but the six targets may be the more useful number for fantasy managers. Wilson has now seen exactly six in each of the Steelers' first three games, turning them into 11 catches for 114 yards overall. His playing time dipped with Michael Pittman Jr. back in the lineup, as Wilson handled just 38.7% of the offensive snaps, so there is still some risk attached to the role. Even so, RotoBaller recommends him as an add in 14-team leagues for Week 4. Wilson does not need to be forced onto rosters in shallow formats, but three straight games with the same target volume gives him a better foundation than most speculative wide receiver stashes.--Bruno Mulé
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 29, 2026, 5:25 PM ET

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. caught his only target for eight yards in the team's 35-6 blowout win over the New England Patriots on Sunday in Week 3, and Sports Illustrated's John Shipley writes that the Jaguars and Thomas "are going in different directions." Sunday was only the second game in Thomas' career where he recorded only one catch, and the first since Week 1 of last season. After averaging around 6.85 targets per game in the first seven games of 2025, which was before the Jakobi Meyers trade and the ascension of Parker Washington, Thomas averaged 5.14 targets over his final seven games of last year. Thomas is averaging just 4.33 targets per game through three weeks in 2026, a number that has been inflated by his nine-target game in the Week 2 loss to the Denver Broncos. He only played 23 snaps and ran 13 routes against New England in Week 3. Meanwhile, sixth-round rookie Josh Cameron played the same number of snaps and saw more targets despite running five fewer routes. Head coach Liam Coen explained that Thomas saw the field less due to the Jags going with more 12-personnel looks. It all amounts to Thomas' fantasy football value hitting rock bottom heading into the team's Week 4 contest on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Sports Illustrated - John Shipley

Sep 29, 2026, 5:13 PM ET

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rico Dowdle (toe) was present, but he was not participating in the period of practice open to the media on Tuesday, according to Nick Farabaugh of Penn Live. Dowdle did not play in the Week 3 win over the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday due to a right-toe injury that he suffered in the Week 2 loss to the New England Patriots, which led to Jaylen Warren being used in a workhorse role. Travis Homer and Lew Nichols III combined for just six offensive snaps. Warren handled a season-high 17 rushing attempts for 127 yards and also caught three of his four targets for 49 yards as a receiver. The 27-year-old jump-started the Steelers' offense on the day after they looked very sluggish in the first two weeks of the 2026 season. Dowdle is not trending in the right direction to make his return on a short week on Thursday Night Football against the division-rival Cleveland Browns. If Dowdle is held out for a second straight week, Warren will be a must-start in all traditional fantasy football lineups as the Steelers' workhorse. After back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons the last two years with the Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers, Dowdle is off to a slow start in the Steel City.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Penn Live - Nick Farabaugh

Sep 29, 2026, 4:57 PM ET

Across three games so far in 2026, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks has recorded nine catches for 179 yards and a touchdown on 15 targets. Like the rest of the Eagles offense, Wicks had a frustrating game in his team's Week 3 loss to the Chicago Bears, recording just two catches for 30 yards. However, he topped 70 receiving yards in each of the Eagles' first two games and is averaging five targets per contest. Perhaps most importantly for fantasy managers, Wicks has been on the field for 78% of Philadelphia's offensive snaps this season and profiles as the team's WR2 alongside DeVonta Smith. With Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert (knee) currently sidelined by a knee injury, Wicks could be the number two option in the Philly passing game for the next several weeks. In leagues where he's not already rostered, Wicks profiles as a priority waiver wire target for fantasy managers.--Will Brady
Source: RotoBaller