September 16, 2025
Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Calijah Kancey (pectoral) will miss the rest of the season after suffering a pectoral injury in Monday night's one-point win over the Houston Texans, sources told Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. Losing the former first-rounder will be a big blow to a stingy Bucs run defense the rest of the way in 2025. The 24-year-old is most likely dealing with a torn pec muscle that will require surgery. Tampa's interior defensive line is still formidable with Vita Vea filling up gaps, but Kancey's loss cannot be overstated. With Kancey out the rest of the way, both Elijah Roberts and Greg Gaines will be asked to do more next to Vea and Logan Hall. Since entering the league in 2023, Kancey has 11.5 sacks and 55 tackles (42 solo) for the Bucs in 28 starts.
--Keith HernandezSource: FOX Sports - Jordan Schultz
September 16, 2025
Dallas Cowboys tight end
Jake Ferguson had a big performance on Sunday in the team's thrilling back-and-forth overtime win over the New York Giants in Week 2. Ferguson ended up leading the team with 12 targets on the day and tied for the team lead in receptions with nine, while racking up 78 receiving yards. The 26-year-old finished second in yards, behind only top wideout
CeeDee Lamb. It was a nice Week 2 performance after he had a modest day in the Week 1 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, when he went for five catches on six targets for 23 yards. Despite not scoring a touchdown through two weeks, Ferguson ranks as the TE10 in half-PPR scoring with 14 catches on 18 targets for 101 yards. He's unlikely to be available in your league, as he's currently rostered in 82% of Yahoo leagues. Ferguson will have a good shot at scoring his first 2025 TD in Week 3 against a Bears defense that just gave up over 50 points in Week 2 to Detroit.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com
September 16, 2025
Las Vegas Raiders tight end
Michael Mayer was a savvy waiver-wire pickup heading into Week 2 because star tight end
Brock Bowers was questionable to play on Monday night against the Los Angeles Chargers due to a knee injury he picked up in the Week 1 win over the New England Patriots. However, Bowers was inactive in Monday's 20-9 loss and caught five of his eight targets for 38 yards. Meanwhile, Mayer once again took a back seat to Bowers in a Raiders offense that failed to find the end zone all night. The 24-year-old hauled in both of his targets for just nine yards against a stingy and stick Chargers D. The Raiders will continue to use Mayer alongside Bowers, but he's a distant No. 2 in Chip Kelly's offense and should only be rostered in TE-premium leagues. Mayer will not be a realistic fantasy starter going into Week 3 against the Washington Commanders.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com
September 16, 2025
Pittsburgh Steelers safety DeShon Elliott (knee), defensive tackle Derrick Harmon (knee), and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (hamstring) are "improving," but head coach Mike Tomlin said they are "questionable, at best" for Week 3 against the New England Patriots. All three defensive players were ruled out for the Week 2 loss to the Seattle Seahawks and could be in danger of missing more time. Porter injured his hamstring in the Week 1 win over the New York Jets. If the 25-year-old is out again, Brandin Echols will be elevated once again as depth behind Darius Slay and Jalen Ramsey. Harmon is recovering from an MCL sprain that he suffered at the end of training camp and has yet to play in 2025. Elliott suffered an MCL sprain in his left knee in Week 1, so he's most likely looking at a multi-week absence. Pittsburgh's defense is banged up and hasn't played at a high level through two weeks.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Brooke Pryor
September 16, 2025
Green Bay Packers running back
Josh Jacobs has been a beacon of consistency for the Packers, as he's been a touchdown-scoring machine since Week 10 of last season. Jacobs is currently on a 10-game streak in which he has scored a rushing touchdown in the regular season. Jacobs' efficiency has waned a little bit this season, as he's averaged just 3.6 yards per carry, but he has had at least 20 opportunities in both games, so we can hardly argue with the volume Jacobs is getting in the first two games of 2025. The Browns have been very stout against opposing rushers this season, holding
Chase Brown to 2.0 YPC in Week 1 and holding
Derrick Henry to just 23 yards on 11 carries in Week 2. Still, Jacobs is a locked-in RB1 for fantasy managers against Cleveland in Week 3.
--Kevin TompkinsSource: RotoBaller
September 16, 2025
The Athletic's Alec Lewis writes that "there is still no guarantee" that elite left tackle Christian Darrisaw (knee) will return to take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3 this Sunday. If Darrisaw is inactive, the Vikings will start either Justin Skule or third-string left tackle Walter Rouse against Bengals star pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson. It would not set up well for backup quarterback
Carson Wentz in his Vikings debut with
J.J. McCarthy (ankle) out two to four weeks with a high-ankle sprain. Skule has the worst pass-rush efficiency among tackles through two weeks, according to Pro Football Focus. Rookie left guard Donovan Jackson and right guard Will Fries have also struggled. It's a big part of the reason why McCarthy has looked pretty bad in seven of eight quarters in his first two NFL games. Wentz might not have much of a chance, either, if the O-line continues to struggle.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Alec Lewis
September 16, 2025
Green Bay Packers tight end
Tucker Kraft has been impressive to start the 2025 season, scoring touchdowns in both games and playing a significant role in the Packers' offense. While his two-catch, 16-yard line with a touchdown in Week 1 wet fantasy managers' appetites, his Week 2 certainly got the attention of everybody. Kraft led all tight ends in Week 2 in receiving yards (124) and yards after the catch (74), while inarguably being the Packers' most productive pass-catcher through two weeks with the most targets, receptions, yards, and touchdowns amongst Green Bay pass-catchers. With quarterback
Jordan Love on a very efficient run, coupled with
Jayden Reed (clavicle) being out for several weeks, that opens up a little more opportunity to get Kraft in space in the middle of the field. In Week 3, the Packers visit the Cleveland Browns, who have not faced a tight end like Kraft, but he's entered must-start territory for fantasy managers going forward.
--Kevin TompkinsSource: RotoBaller
September 16, 2025
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver
DK Metcalf found the end zone in Week 2 against his former team, the Seattle Seahawks, but was otherwise quiet, finishing with three receptions for 20 yards. While Metcalf leads Pittsburgh in targets, he currently ranks second in both receptions and receiving yards. It's clear he is the team's top wideout, but his 6.5 opportunities per game fall short of true WR1 usage. The silver lining is that the Steelers' defensive struggles are forcing quarterback
Aaron Rodgers to pass on over 63% of plays. With so much turnover on offense this season, it may just take time for Metcalf and the rest of the unit to fully click, but the upside is tangible. The 27-year-old is a strong buy-low candidate in fantasy football and should be in starting lineups this week against the New England Patriots, who have surrendered the second-most fantasy points to receivers through two games.
--Jorden HillSource: ESPN
September 16, 2025
Green Bay Packers wide receiver
Matthew Golden came into the 2025 season with a lot of hype, being the first wide receiver drafted by the team in the first round since Javon Walker in 2002. Through two games, Golden hasn't done much to satisfy the hype of fantasy managers, with just two receptions for 16 yards combined in his first two NFL games. That said, Golden has been the recipient of several deep throws from quarterback
Jordan Love that have just missed being huge plays. We'd be talking about Golden much favorably if those plays had gone the other way. Still, fantasy managers won't get points for almost scoring or almost catching the ball. One good sign for Golden is that his routes per dropback have risen from 57 percent in Week 1 to 68 percent in Week 2, so the Packers are getting him on the field a bit more. In Week 3, the Packers head east to play the Cleveland Browns, where Golden could get on track to deliver some fantasy value. However, until we see it, he's got to be left on fantasy benches in the majority of fantasy formats.
--Kevin TompkinsSource: RotoBaller
September 16, 2025
San Francisco 49ers tight end
Luke Farrell drew the start in
George Kittle's (hamstring) absence in Week 2. He caught two of his three targets for 15 yards and a touchdown in the team's 26-21 over the New Orleans Saints. Farrell may have had the start and the score on Sunday, but his 59% snap share paled compared to Tonges' 78% and was on par with his 58% share from Week 1. With Kittle on injured reserve for at least another three games, there is an opportunity for one of his stand-ins to step up. However, with an apparent timeshare in the works, it's anyone's guess as to who might stand out in Week 3, limiting the fantasy value of both Farrell and Tonges.
--Dan StephensSource: NFL.com
September 16, 2025
The Cincinnati Bengals are signing quarterback
Brett Rypien from the practice squad to the active 53-man roster on Tuesday, a source told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. With starter
Joe Burrow (toe) out around three months after having surgery on his injured toe, Rypien is now in line to serve as the backup to
Jake Browning, starting in Week 3 against the Minnesota Vikings. For more QB depth, Cincinnati added signal-callers
Mike White and
Sean Clifford to their practice squad on Tuesday. The 29-year-old Rypien will be trying to hold off both White and Clifford in the coming weeks for the backup gig in Cincy. Rypien went undrafted out of Boise State before making his NFL debut in 2020 with the Denver Broncos. He played three years in Denver before joining the Los Angeles Rams as a backup in 2023. Rypien has appeared in only 10 games in four seasons and has made four starts in the NFL.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
September 16, 2025
New York Jets quarterback
Justin Fields (head) is in the league's concussion protocol after his head slammed to the turf in Sunday's Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills, and he's unlikely to play in Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers if he is unable to practice on Wednesday and Thursday, according to head coach Aaron Glenn. The head coach said it would be "hard for me as a coach" to start Field if he didn't get any practice reps on Wednesday and Thursday. With Fields in the NFL's concussion protocol this week, the Jets are preparing for the possibility of starting backup
Tyrod Taylor on Sunday. Fields finished the Week 2 loss to Buffalo with a career-low 1.1 QBR after an impressive Week 1 showing. Taylor, 36, missed the entire preseason due to arthroscopic knee surgery, which raised questions about his readiness for the start of the season. He also hasn't started a game since 2023 with the Giants.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN New York - Rich Cimini
September 16, 2025
San Francisco 49ers tight end
Jake Tonges had four receptions for 31 yards in Sunday's 26-21 win over the New Orleans Saints. While Tonges was the hero of Week 1, catching the go-ahead touchdown near the end of the game,
Luke Farrell was San Francisco's starting tight end in Week 2. Farrell ended up with a short touchdown, but Tonges had the edge in targets (five to Farrell's three), receptions (four to two), and snap share (78% to 59%).
George Kittle's (hamstring) absence opens the door for another tight end to produce for the 49ers, but the timeshare exhibited in Week 2 limits Tonges' appeal going into Week 3.
--Dan StephensSource: NFL.com
September 16, 2025
New York Giants wide receiver
Wan'Dale Robinson had a monster game in Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys, catching eight of 10 targets for 142 yards and a touchdown. Robinson has always been a consistent target-earner, but he's typically struggled to be efficient from a yardage perspective (career 8.7 yards per reception). It's been a different story so far in 2025, with Robinson averaging 14.1 yards per reception for a total of 197 yards and a touchdown on 14 catches. It could be a one-game blip, but Robinson is a potential breakout player to monitor who still offers a relatively stable floor in PPR-scoring even if he regresses to career norms. Where available, Robinson should be added in all PPR leagues with 10 or more teams.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
September 16, 2025
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver
Ricky Pearsall caught four passes for 56 receiving yards in the team's 26-21 win over the Saints on Sunday. His Week 2 yardage was just shy of half his total from Week 1, but he was readily involved in the passing attack, with his six targets ranking third on the team. Even with
Mac Jones standing in for
Brock Purdy (toe/shoulder) for the next few weeks, Pearsall will still be a solid fantasy producer. Fellow wideout
Jauan Jennings (ankle) is nursing an ankle injury sustained against the Saints and is considered day-to-day. If he is out or limited in Week 3, Pearsall would operate as Jones' top target against the Arizona Cardinals.
--Dan StephensSource: NFL.com
RADIO
