James Conner Could "Potentially" Play This Year 0mLink copied!

Oct 26, 2026, 8:31 PM ET

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Monday that veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (hamstring) will have a chance to return in Week 9 against the Las Vegas Raiders after the team's Week 8 bye, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports. The same can be said for Mike Evans (Achilles, rib) and Demarcus Robinson (ankle). Samuel injured his hamstring in the Week 5 win over the division-rival Seattle Seahawks and has missed the last two games going into the bye. With Evans and Samuel inactive on Sunday in the Week 7 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, tight end George Kittle led the team in receiving, with Jordan Watkins leading the receiving corps. Reinforcements appear to be on their way following the Week 8 bye, which will be great news for quarterback Brock Purdy. The 30-year-old Samuel has caught 16 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns in five games so far in 2026, but with San Francisco getting healthier at the position, the veteran could find targets and touches harder to come by as the season progresses. He has also seen nine rushing attempts for 78 yards.--Keith Hernandez
Source: NBC Sports - Matt Maiocco

Oct 26, 2026, 8:10 PM ET

The Cleveland Browns announced on Monday that they activated quarterback Dillon Gabriel (back) from Injured Reserve. In a corresponding move, the Browns released tight end Carsen Ryan. Gabriel, a third-rounder in 2025, has appeared in 10 games (six starts) and has thrown for 937 yards with seven touchdowns and two interceptions. Now that the 25-year-old is healthy, he will slot in as Cleveland's No. 3 signal-caller behind veteran Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders. The Browns also have rookie Taylen Green on the roster. Barring injuries to Watson and Sanders, Gabriel will be fighting an uphill battle for playing time in 2026 in his second season in the NFL. Gabriel did some good things as a rookie in 2025 before getting hurt and opening the job up for Sanders, but he was mostly a game manager and refused to take shots deep down the field.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ClevelandBrowns.com

Oct 26, 2026, 7:59 PM ET

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Joe Milton III was promoted to the active roster and will back up Tanner McKee under center for the team's Monday night game against the division-rival Dallas Cowboys, according to Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Cole Payton is serving as the emergency third quarterback. The 26-year-old Milton should continue to serve as McKee's backup moving forward with Jalen Hurts (blood clots) officially out for the year, and he could have a chance to start games eventually, depending on how McKee fares running the offense. Milton was a sixth-round draft pick by the New England Patriots in 2024 from Tennessee. He played in just one game as a rookie in New England before mopping up in four games for the Cowboys last year. Milton has completed 69.8% of his 53 pass attempts in his five NFL appearances, throwing for 424 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. He would be in play in deep two-QB superflex leagues if he starts any games for the Eagles for the remainder of the season.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer - Jeff McLane

Oct 26, 2026, 7:53 PM ET

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Monday that rookie second-round wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling (ankle) is still on track to return from Injured Reserve in December, according to The San Francisco Standard's David Lombardi. After creating buzz in 49ers training camp all summer and through the preseason, the 23-year-old Stribling injured his ankle in his regular-season NFL debut in the Week 1 win over the division-rival Los Angeles Rams in Australia and has been out ever since. The 49ers' receiving corps is one of the most banged-up units in all of football, so getting Stribling back towards the end of the season will be a welcome addition, but fantasy managers still stashing the rookie must remain patient. Stribling is currently rostered in only 25% of Yahoo leagues and probably will not have much time to contribute in single-year fantasy leagues when/if he returns in December. With both Mike Evans (Achilles, rib) and Deebo Samuel Sr. (hamstring) out in the Week 7 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, tight end George Kittle had a team-high 88 receiving yards on eight catches, with Jordan Watkins leading the receiving corps with three catches on six targets for 56 yards.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The San Francisco Standard - David Lombardi

Oct 26, 2026, 7:47 PM ET

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Monday that the team has a chance to get veteran wide receiver Mike Evans (Achilles, rib) back in Week 9 against the Las Vegas Raiders following their Week 8 bye, according to David Lombardi of The San Francisco Standard. Evans has seemingly played banged up since training camp this summer, and he was forced to sit out of Sunday's first loss of the year against the Atlanta Falcons after aggravating his Achilles injury in last Monday night's victory over the Washington Commanders. The 33-year-old future Hall of Famer has also been playing through several broken ribs. The six-time Pro Bowler has been productive through it all, catching 27 of his 39 targets for 420 yards and three touchdowns in his first six games in San Francisco after spending the first 12 years of his NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If Evans returns after the bye, he will be back on the WR2 radar in fantasy as the team's top wideout for quarterback Brock Purdy. Fantasy managers will need to watch Evans' practice status closely next week to determine if he will be ready to play versus the Raiders.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The San Francisco Standard - David Lombardi

Oct 26, 2026, 7:41 PM ET

San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey (hamstring) ended up having a mild hamstring strain in Sunday's Week 7 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, not a quadriceps injury, according to David Lombardi of The San Francisco Standard. The 49ers think McCaffrey will be ready to go after their Week 8 bye in Week 9 against the Las Vegas Raiders. CMC left the game and was seen running to the locker room with a trainer before eventually returning to the contest for the 49ers. The 30-year-old four-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro handled a season-low seven carries against Atlanta while missing valuable time, but he managed to find the end zone for the sixth straight game on 39 rushing yards while adding six catches for 61 yards through the air. We will be keeping a close eye on McCaffrey's practice status next week as the team prepares for the Raiders, but as long as CMC is on track to play, he will be a must-start in all fantasy formats. Through seven weeks, he has 84 carries for 389 yards (4.6 yards per carry) with a league-high eight rushing touchdowns. McCaffrey has added 34 receptions on 42 targets for 251 yards through the air.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The San Francisco Standard - David Lombardi

Oct 26, 2026, 7:28 PM ET

As expected, Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (hamstring) is officially active for the Monday night game against the division-rival Dallas Cowboys. After returning to the practice field late last week, Barkley will put an end to his two-game absence due to a hamstring injury he suffered in the Week 4 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. It is great news for a banged-up Eagles offense that has lost quarterback Jalen Hurts (blood clots) for the rest of the season. The Eagles will also be without their top two receivers, DeVonta Smith (hamstring) and Dontayvion Wicks (ankle), against Dallas. While Barkley is back, he is not quite 100% and could be on a snap count, which could limit his fantasy ceiling in his return for those who rolled the dice on the 29-year-old and left him in your lineups. Dameon Pierce, who was Philly's RB1 in last week's loss to the Carolina Panthers, will serve in a change-of-pace role behind Barkley. Barkley does not have a single touchdown through four games in 2026, but he is averaging a robust 5.1 yards per carry. His rest-of-season outlook should be tempered with backup QB Tanner McKee leading the Eagles' offense for the foreseeable future.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Philadelphia Eagles

Oct 26, 2026, 6:08 PM ET

The NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says that Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn has an uncertain future with the organization as the team comes out of their Week 7 bye. Quinn went into the team's Week 6 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night with some heat, but the Commanders had a strong showing and made things interesting in the loss. Rapoport says that Quinn seems to have bought himself some more time with the way the Commanders played in Week 6, but if the team's performance does not improve going forward, he could be in danger of being fired before the end of the 2026 season. It will not be easy for Quinn and the Commanders from an offensive perspective with top receiver Terry McLaurin (knee) out for the rest of the season, and second-year running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt (groin) remains on Injured Reserve. It all came to a head for Quinn in the Week 5 tie against the division-rival New York Giants, when the offense botched the end of the game and failed to attempt a potential game-winning field goal in overtime.--Keith Hernandez
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport

Oct 26, 2026, 5:58 PM ET

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden (shoulder, foot) was listed as a non-participant on the team's estimated participation report on Monday, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. Golden is now dealing with multiple injuries, and his status for Thursday night's game against the Carolina Panthers is now in question. The 23-year-old second-year wideout was listed with a shoulder injury last week and was limited in some practices, but he got the green light to play on Sunday in the loss to the division-rival Detroit Lions. Golden had a disappointing showing for his fantasy managers in Week 7 after two straight 100-yard performances, including a six-catch, 104-yard, one-touchdown performance in the Week 6 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night. He should have a good chance of playing in Week 8 despite being on a short week, but fantasy managers will want to keep a close eye on his practice status on Tuesday and Wednesday. If Golden plays this week, he will be in a nice bounce-back spot on Thursday against a Panthers defense that just gave up 40-plus points to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Athletic - Matt Schneidman

Oct 26, 2026, 5:47 PM ET

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker (shoulder) was listed as a limited participant in practice on Monday, according to Joe Person of The Athletic. Coker continues to deal with injuries in 2026, having previously battled through ankle and quad injuries. His shoulder injury is new, so fantasy managers will want to keep a close eye on the pass-catcher on a short week while he is set to face the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football. In Sunday's 43-13 blowout loss to the division-rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7, Coker had his worst game of the season, catching just one of his four targets for nine yards as Carolina's offense could get nothing going against the Bucs. The 24-year-old former undrafted free agent out of Holy Cross will be looking to bounce back on a short week against the Packers on Thursday night if he is active. The third-year player has caught 25 of his 39 targets for 328 yards and two touchdowns through five games played in 2026. Coker has bounce-back potential this week (if he plays) as Carolina's clear WR2 behind Tetairoa McMillan. In the Week 6 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, Coker caught six of a season-high 13 targets for 97 yards.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Athletic - Joe Person

Oct 26, 2026, 5:40 PM ET

Arizona Cardinals rookie first-round running back Jeremiyah Love (ankle) will return to practice on Wednesday, head coach Mike LaFleur told Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic. It is good news for Love, who has missed the team's last two games, but it does not guarantee that he will be active for Arizona's Week 8 contest this Sunday on the road against the Dallas Cowboys. With the 21-year-old Notre Dame product sidelined for the last two weeks, Bam Knight and Tyler Allgeier have split the backfield duties, with Knight out-touching and outproducing Allgeier as the Cardinals' preferred early-down back. The 25-year-old Knight has handled 22 carries for 128 yards and no touchdowns on the ground with Love out, but he could be immediately sent back to the waiver wire in a lot of fantasy football leagues in Week 8 if Love makes his return against Dallas. Love, the third overall pick in April, has 67 rushing attempts for 245 yards (3.7 yards per carry) and one rushing touchdown in his first five NFL games, adding 11 receptions on 14 targets for 36 yards and another TD. He will likely continue to be involved in a timeshare when he returns, but he still offers the highest fantasy ceiling of any Cardinals RB and will have RB2 upside if he is active this weekend.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Arizona Republic - Theo Mackie

Oct 26, 2026, 5:25 PM ET

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey (concussion) returned to the team's unofficial practice on Monday as they come out of their bye week, according to Noah Furtado of The Athletic. McConkey was in a non-contact jersey and was likely limited, but it is a good sign as he works his way through the league's concussion protocol after he suffered a head injury in the team's Week 6 loss to the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs. We will not have a clearer picture of McConkey's status for a Week 8 contest against the Los Angeles Rams until the Chargers release their first official injury report of the week on Wednesday. The Bolts certainly need the 24-year-old former second-rounder back this weekend as they look to win their first game of the 2026 season. Because of the Chargers' struggles in Mike McDaniel's offense this year, McConkey has become a hard-to-trust flex play in fantasy lineups, especially while dealing with injuries. He has recorded only 13 receptions on 18 targets for 200 yards and one touchdown in his first five games, with 82 of those yards and his only TD coming in the Week 1 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. In his last two contests, McConkey has left fantasy managers out to dry, catching one of his three targets for 17 yards.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Athletic - Noah Furtado

Oct 26, 2026, 5:17 PM ET

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said on Monday that the team is undecided on whether second-year tight end Terrance Ferguson (ankle) will practice this week, according to Adam Grosbard of the Los Angeles Daily News. Ferguson is eligible to be reinstated from Injured Reserve this week, but it is not a lock that it will happen in time for him to return to play this weekend in Week 8 against the winless Los Angeles Chargers. If the 23-year-old former second-rounder from Oregon does not practice this week or play against the Bolts, his next chance to return will come in a Week 9 matchup on the road against the Washington Commanders. Despite his extended absence due to an ankle injury, Ferguson is a worthwhile stash at the TE position because of his upside as the best Rams pass-catching tight end. Ferguson came on strong at the end of his rookie campaign and caught seven of 12 targets for 63 yards and a touchdown in his first three games in 2026 before injuring his ankle. Fantasy managers looking for more upside at the position should definitely consider picking Ferguson up off the waiver wire this week. He is rostered in only 15% of Yahoo leagues currently.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Los Angeles Daily News - Adam Grosbard

Oct 26, 2026, 5:10 PM ET

ESPN's Lisa Salters reports that Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (hamstring) said he "feels good enough" to give it a go in Monday night's contest against the division-rival Dallas Cowboys after missing the last two games with a hamstring injury that he suffered in the Week 4 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. With that said, Barkley also said he "will try to be smart about his return" on Monday. The 29-year-old three-time Pro Bowler said that he tested his hamstring out last week in practice and that every day, it felt better and better. Fantasy managers who rolled the dice this week with Barkley should be happy, but the caveat is that he is not expected to be 100% against the Cowboys and could be on a snap count, with Dameon Pierce mixing in more often to make sure that he does not overextend himself. Barkley admitted that there will "probably be a testing out period" with his hamstring early on in Monday's game. The Eagles' offense could really use Barkley back with quarterback Jalen Hurts (blood clots) out for the year and receivers DeVonta Smith (hamstring) and Dontayvion Wicks (ankle) both out against Dallas. He has averaged a healthy 5.1 yards per carry on 36 rushing attempts in his four games, but he will be looking for his first touchdown of the year on Monday night.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN - Lisa Salters

Oct 26, 2026, 5:03 PM ET

New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh said on Monday that the team will not be working out other kickers during their bye in Week 8, despite rookie Dominic Zvada's struggles this year, according to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News. Harbaugh expressed confidence in Zvada after the team's overtime win on Sunday over the Houston Texans. In his first year in the NFL, the 23-year-old undrafted free agent out of Michigan has missed five of his first 18 field-goal attempts in seven games, including going 5-for-8 from 50-plus yards out. The good news is that he has not missed any of his 12 extra-point attempts. Zvada really struggled in the Week 7 win in Houston, missing both of his field-goal attempts and making all three of his extra points. Zvada will come out of the team's Week 8 bye as their starting placekicker for a Week 9 divisional clash against the Philadelphia Eagles, but if he continues to struggle, New York will likely go in another direction. Fantasy managers should continue to avoid the young kicker for the foreseeable future.--Keith Hernandez
Source: New York Daily News - Pat Leonard

Oct 26, 2026, 4:59 PM ET

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jack Bech (forearm) is expected to return to practice this week, per ESPN's Ryan McFadden. Bech has been on Injured Reserve since suffering a broken forearm in Week 3, but he appears to be nearing a return to at least the practice field. Across three games before the injury, Bech recorded five catches for 48 yards and a touchdown on six targets. A second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Bech has played a limited role as a pass-catcher to this point in his career with the Raiders. Still, his presence could take a few targets away from fellow Raiders wideout Tre Tucker. Tucker has played extremely well lately, recording 10 catches for 200 yards and three touchdowns on 19 targets over the last two weeks. Fantasy managers relying on Tucker may want to monitor Bech's status heading into the Raiders' Week 8 matchup against the New York Jets.--Will Brady
Source: ESPN - Ryan McFadden

Oct 26, 2026, 4:57 PM ET

The Philadelphia Eagles announced that rookie tight end Eli Stowers (quadriceps) has been activated from Injured Reserve, and he will be active for the Monday night game to close out Week 7 action against the division-rival Dallas Cowboys. Fellow tight end Grant Calcaterra (back) is also returning from IR, so the Eagles are getting some reinforcements back to give them more depth at the position behind veteran Dallas Goedert. With both receivers DeVonta Smith (hamstring) and Dontayvion Wicks (ankle) ruled out for Monday's contest, quarterback Tanner McKee could lean heavily on the TE position against a shaky Cowboys defense, but that does not make Stowers or Calcaterra immediately attractive for fantasy purposes in a banged-up Eagles offense. Stowers, a second-rounder from Vanderbilt in April, will be making his NFL debut against Dallas as well, so his snap count could be limited. Still, Stowers has the most long-term fantasy upside at the TE position in Philadelphia behind Goedert. For now, he is only a realistic stash option in dynasty/keeper formats.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Philadelphia Eagles

Oct 26, 2026, 4:51 PM ET

After saying that the team would consider all options after their Week 7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, including at the quarterback position, Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak said on Monday that "Kirk Cousins is our starting quarterback. There is no controversy. He is playing at a very high level," according to Paul Gutierrez of ESPN. After a surprising 3-0 start to the season, the Raiders have now lost four in a row as they head into a Week 8 battle on the road against the New York Jets. The 38-year-old Cousins, a four-time Pro Bowler, has so far held off first overall pick Fernando Mendoza by completing 62.6% of his pass attempts for 1,877 yards, a league-high 16 touchdown passes, and only five interceptions in seven starts. His 1,877 passing yards are third in the league. Vegas' ground game has done nothing to help Cousins, who does not exactly have a great cast of receivers to work with outside of tight end Brock Bowers. The Raiders expect Mendoza to "play at some point" in his rookie season, but Cousins will get at least one more start this weekend in a smash spot against the Jets. Cousins threw for 295 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's loss to the Rams, and he has gone over 300 yards passing twice. He has multiple passing TDs in all but one of his seven games to this point.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN.com - Paul Gutierrez

Oct 26, 2026, 4:47 PM ET

Indianapolis Colts rookie running back Seth McGowan has played a limited role in his team's offense so far in 2026, recording 146 yards from scrimmage on 36 touches across seven games. The 25-year-old had his usage scaled up in Week 7, logging 11 carries for 46 yards against the Minnesota Vikings. McGowan's growing role could be a sign of things to come. The Colts still have superstar running back Jonathan Taylor firmly ahead of McGowan on the depth chart, which will not change as long as Taylor remains healthy and on the roster. However, with the Colts currently sitting at 2-5 and riding a three-game losing streak, trade speculation around Taylor has begun to heat up. If Taylor were to get moved, McGowan could be in line to assume a workhorse role in the Indianapolis backfield. In leagues where he is available on the waiver wire, McGowan profiles as a priority stash candidate as the trade deadline approaches.--Will Brady
Source: RotoBaller

Oct 26, 2026, 4:43 PM ET

Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle) tweaked his ankle in Sunday's Week 7 victory over the division-rival Green Bay Packers, according to Richard Silva of The Detroit News. The plan is for the Lions to let St. Brown sit out of practice on Wednesday before he returns on Thursday. St. Brown was not really slowed down by his ankle in the 20-17 win on Sunday, as he caught nine of his 11 targets for a season-high 153 yards against Green Bay. As long as he returns to Thursday's practice, St. Brown should be just fine to play in Week 8 against the division-rival Minnesota Vikings, where he would be a must-start WR1 in fantasy leagues despite the tough matchup against one of the best defenses in the NFL. St. Brown played only 78% of the Lions' offensive snaps on Sunday, but the slightly reduced playing time did not hurt his production at all. The 27-year-old four-time Pro Bowler has had exactly 11 targets in each of the last three games and has not seen double-digit targets in just one of his six games so far in 2026. After his big game against Green Bay, St. Brown is the WR3 overall in half-PPR scoring with 46 catches on 68 targets for 525 yards and five touchdowns so far this year.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Detroit News - Richard Silva