RADIO
Rams D/ST Still a Top Fantasy Option Despite Veteran's Absence
The Los Angeles Rams D/ST enters Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers as a high-end fantasy football unit. A divisional matchup against the 49ers is never easy, but the Rams have so much talent on defense that they should deliver spectacular fantasy contributions regardless of the matchup. This unit finished eighth in fantasy points last year, and that was before they traded for future Hall of Fame defender Myles Garrett. Garrett is presumably the early favorite to lead the NFL in sacks, and he could help the Rams finish the 2026 season as the top-scoring defense in fantasy football. The rich got even richer this offseason as Los Angeles also lured Aaron Donald out of retirement, but he'll be inactive for the season opener. Even with Donald sidelined, this Garrett-led defense is locked and loaded as a top-three fantasy option for Week 1.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Matthew Stafford Begins Quest to Defend MVP Title in Australia
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford won the league MVP award last season, and he continues to play at an elite level despite being 38 years old. Of course, he has certainly had some help from one of the best wide receiver duos in recent NFL history. Puka Nacua and Davante Adams combined for 2,504 yards and 24 touchdowns last year, as both receivers finished as the WR9 or higher. This strong supporting cast will help Stafford produce in a divisional contest against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia. The 49ers represent a modest matchup, as they allowed the 13th-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks last year. The unit did get some upgrades in the form of Dre Greenlaw and Osa Odighizuwa, but that's probably not enough to slow down Stafford in fantasy football. Thanks to his strong supporting cast and the projected competitive nature of Thursday's divisional battle, Stafford remains firmly in the mix to be a top-10 fantasy quarterback for Week 1.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Rhamondre Stevenson Impressive as Receiver
New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 51 yards on 18 carries during Wednesday's Week 1 loss against the Seattle Seahawks. He also caught five of his six targets for an additional 44 receiving yards. Stevenson took over as the Patriots' lead back with TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) sidelined, and while he averaged a woeful 2.8 yards per carry, he salvaged his fantasy performance with large volume and very admirable contributions in the receiving game. Ideally, Stevenson and Henderson can form a solid one-two punch when the latter is healthy, with Henderson fighting for yardage on early downs and Stevenson offering an outlet for Drake Maye in the passing game on third down. There doesn't appear to be a whole lot of rushing upside with Stevenson, so he'll need to continue producing as a receiver to stay on the radar in fantasy football leagues. If Henderson has to miss another week, Stevenson will likely remain in the high-end RB3 range, especially in PPR formats.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Hunter Henry Relatively Quiet in Week 1 Loss
New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry caught all three of his targets for 26 receiving yards during Wednesday's Week 1 loss against the Seattle Seahawks. Henry produced every time the ball was thrown his way, but he didn't have a very encouraging target share, and his average of 8.7 yards per catch was significantly lower than last year's mark of 12.8 yards. Similarly, Henry averaged 10.5 fantasy points per game in PPR leagues last year, as opposed to just 5.6 points on Wednesday night. It didn't help that the Patriots' lone touchdown went to a tight end other than Henry; it was a two-yard touchdown pass from Drake Maye to rookie Eli Raridon. Presumably, Henry will still be more of a threat around the goal line than Raridon going forward, but the rookie's presence and the somewhat frustrating state of the offense could reduce the veteran's fantasy upside. The only encouraging news for his fantasy outlook is that A.J. Brown (ankle) could miss extended time, leaving Henry as Maye's favorite physical, big-bodied target.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Romeo Doubs Incredibly Underwhelming in Patriots Debut
New England Patriots wide receiver Romeo Doubs was unable to haul in any of his three targets during Wednesday's Week 1 loss against the Seattle Seahawks. One of Drake Maye's passes to Doubs was intercepted, and the veteran receiver dropped another in the fourth quarter despite being uncovered. After the game, he took accountability for his woes, saying, "I just wasn't locked in enough." He reportedly sat at his locker for a long time as the locker room cleared out, feeling the weight of several costly plays after the Patriots blew a late lead and lost 13-10 in this Super Bowl rematch. Although Doubs turned in a very ugly fantasy performance, he might have another opportunity to bounce back very soon. Teammate A.J. Brown (ankle) suffered a potentially serious injury in the loss, leaving his status in doubt for Week 2. If Brown needs more than 11 days to recover, Doubs would jump to the No. 1 spot on the depth chart for the Patriots' next contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers. In that scenario, he'd remain in the WR3/flex tier for fantasy purposes.
Source: Andrew Callahan
Source: Andrew Callahan
Eli Raridon Converts Lone Target Into First Career Touchdown
New England Patriots tight end Eli Raridon converted his lone target into a two-yard touchdown reception against the Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday night. Raridon's trip to the end zone initially gave the Patriots a 7-0 lead, but they eventually blew the lead and lost 13-10 in this Super Bowl matchup. Fantasy managers should feel encouraged that Raridon was not only used around the goal line, but also managed to get open in the end zone. However, it was somewhat concerning to see him targeted on just one of Drake Maye's 33 pass attempts. Raridon won't score a touchdown every week, so he'll need to carve out a much larger target share if he wants to stay on the fantasy radar in redraft leagues. For now, managers can leave him on the waiver wire heading into Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jaxon Smith-Njigba Scores the Decisive Touchdown in Week 1 Win
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught eight of his 11 targets for 122 yards and one touchdown during Wednesday's Week 1 victory over the New England Patriots. His touchdown came on a massive 45-yard reception and briefly tied the game before Seattle eventually pulled away late in the fourth quarter. The Seahawks ran into some early adversity on Thursday night as quarterback Sam Darnold suffered a hip injury during the opening drive and was subsequently ruled out. However, Drew Lock played well after taking over for Darnold, helping to fuel the big game from Smith-Njigba, who was the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year last season. The 24-year-old receiver showed that he is capable of producing high-end fantasy results despite catching passes from a backup quarterback and being covered by a superstar cornerback like Christian Gonzalez. Even if Lock remains the starter going forward, Smith-Njigba should continue to rank as a high-end WR1 in all fantasy leagues. Seattle now has 11 days off before returning to action in Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Eli Stowers Limited in Practice on Wednesday
Philadelphia Eagles tight end Eli Stowers (hamstring) was listed as a limited participant on Wednesday, according to the team's official injury report. The second-round rookie initially suffered the injury during training camp, and now it's lingering into the start of the regular season. At this point, there is a chance that Stowers will be sidelined for Week 1 against the Washington Commanders, delaying his NFL debut. On the other hand, if he upgrades to a full participant in either of the next two days, he should be cleared to play. Fantasy managers should stay tuned to the Eagles' next two injury reports for additional updates. Regardless of whether he plays, Stowers will remain off the redraft radar in his role as the No. 2 tight end behind Dallas Goedert.
Source: Philadelphia Eagles
Source: Philadelphia Eagles
Keaton Mitchell Limited with a Hamstring Injury on Wednesday
Los Angeles Chargers running back Keaton Mitchell (hamstring) was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday, according to the team's official injury report. Mitchell has been dealing with the hamstring injury for a little while, so it's actually somewhat encouraging that he was able to practice even in a limited capacity. With that being said, his status for Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals remains up in the air. Fantasy managers should monitor the Chargers' injury reports over the next two days to see if Mitchell's status improves at all. If he doesn't end up playing on Sunday, Kimani Vidal would step up as the Chargers' No. 2 running back behind Omarion Hampton.
Source: Los Angeles Chargers
Source: Los Angeles Chargers
Jacory Croskey-Merritt Limited with a Groin Issue
Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt (groin) was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday. For the most part, the Commanders have a healthy roster heading into Week 1, but Croskey-Merritt is one of the few exceptions. Given that he wasn't able to log a full practice to kick off the week, there's a chance that the 25-year-old could miss Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Fantasy managers should monitor his status in practice over the next two days. If he upgrades to a full practice, he should be cleared to play in the season opener. Otherwise, he'll likely carry an injury designation into the weekend. If he can't play in this divisional battle, Rachaad White would step up as the lead back, likely ranking as a low-end RB2 in fantasy football.
Source: Nicki Jhabvala
Source: Nicki Jhabvala
Drake Maye Throws Three Costly Interceptions in Seattle
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye completed 23 of his 33 pass attempts for 178 passing yards, one passing touchdown, and three interceptions. He also rushed for 57 yards and took three sacks. Maye did show occasional flashes, but for the most part, he demonstrated poor decision-making and cost the Patriots the game. On the final drive of the game, Maye committed an intentional grounding play, and then one play later, he took a sack when he could have thrown the ball away. He made up for these bad plays by using his arm and legs to get the Patriots into the red zone, but then everything backfired as Maye threw an ill-advised pass that was picked off with 26 seconds left. The interception sealed the loss for New England, who had been in range to tie the game with a field goal. The only good news for Maye is that he got one of his toughest matchups out of the way. Things should get a little easier next week as Maye and the Patriots host the Steelers on 11 days' rest.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Seahawks Rule Out Fracture for Sam Darnold
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (hip) did not suffer a bone fracture during Wednesday's Week 1 contest against the New England Patriots, according to Tom Pelissero of The Ringer. Darnold exited at the end of the Seahawks' opening drive, and he was eventually ruled out for the remainder of the game. The Seahawks transported the veteran quarterback to Harborview Medical Center, since they didn't have the capability to run a CT scan in their own stadium. Darnold is still undergoing additional testing to confirm his diagnosis, but the fact that he avoided a fracture is good news. Furthermore, Pelissero pointed out that head coach Mike Macdonald "sounded upbeat about the initial prognosis" after the game. It sounds like Darnold avoided a season-ending injury, but we'd be surprised to see him play in Week 2. Drew Lock will step in as the Seahawks' starter for the duration of Darnold's absence.
Source: Tom Pelissero
Source: Tom Pelissero
Emeka Egbuka Logs Full Practice on Wednesday
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (toe) was able to log in a full practice session on Wednesday. Barring any setbacks, it sounds like Egbuka is going to be ready to go for the Week 1 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. Egbuka has been dealing with a lingering toe injury for several weeks. Finally, it sounds like Egbuka is fully healthy and ready to go ahead of the season opener. He'll likely be a focal point in the Bucs passing offense with Mike Evans no longer on the team. Egbuka is a high-end WR2 heading into a favorable matchup versus the Bengals shaky defense.
Source: Paul Dehner Jr.
Source: Paul Dehner Jr.
A.J. Brown Ruled Out for Remainder of Week 1 with Ankle Injury
According to Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald, New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle) has been ruled out for the remainder of Wednesday's contest. Brown exited the game in the third quarter due to an ankle injury. After suffering the injury, the star wideout was seen limping off the field. Prior to exiting, Brown brought in three of his four targets for 26 yards. For the remainder of the game, managers should expect Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas, and Kyle Williams to lead the passing game. Managers should pay close attention to his status leading up to their Week 2 tilt against the Steelers.
Source: Andrew Callahan
Source: Andrew Callahan
Alvin Kamara is Back at Practice
New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (knee) returned to practice as a limited participant on Wednesday, according to Mike Garafolo. Kamara is finally back in the mix after being sidelined most of camp due to a sprained MCL. It sounds like there is a chance that Kamara is cleared to play in Sunday's Week 1 contest against the Detroit Lions. Once healthy, Kamara is expected to be the co-starter alongside Travis Etienne Jr. this season. The veteran back can still make an impact on the field, but the presence of Etienne does hurt his overall value. Etienne would be a borderline RB1 if Kamara is out, so fantasy managers should stay tuned for more information.
Source: Mike Garafolo
Source: Mike Garafolo
