September 15, 2025
The Minnesota Vikings' injury issues at running back could see former undrafted rookie
Zavier Scott thrust into Minnesota's RB2 role for the team's Week 3 game against Cincinnati. Starting running back Aaron Jones (hamstring) left the Vikings' loss to Atlanta on Sunday, and reserve running back
Ty Chandler (knee) is on injured reserve after being hurt on a kickoff in Week 1. That would leave Scott as the next man up to get carries behind
Jordan Mason, who figures to be the clear lead back in the event Jones misses any time. Even so, Scott would be a desperation play in deeper leagues for the Vikings, who have been a mess for most of this season.
--Nick PiotrowiczSource: Minnesota Star-Tribune
September 15, 2025
With Minnesota Vikings starting running back
Aaron Jones Sr. (hamstring) facing an injury, fellow running back
Jordan Mason could be in line for more work with Minnesota set to face Cincinnati in Week 3. Already operating with a committee, the Vikings have seen significantly more rushing success with their new acquisition, whom the team extended after the trade that brought him from San Francisco to Minnesota. Even with a mostly awful offensive showing so far this season by the Vikings, Mason has 98 yards on 22 carries and three catches in two games. Should Jones miss any time, Mason is likely to get a feature-back workload for a team that desperately needs its running game to get going.
--Nick PiotrowiczSource: Minnesota Star-Tribune
September 15, 2025
Things may be going from bad to worse for Minnesota Vikings quarterback
J.J. McCarthy, whose struggling offensive line is now facing additional injuries headed into Week 3. Already playing without star left tackle Christian Darrisaw (knee), who is working his way back from ACL surgery last year, backup left tackle Justin Skule (concussion) departed Sunday's game against Atlanta, as did starting center Ryan Kelly (concussion). The Vikings' offense has been brutal for most of the season, and McCarthy was pressured a whopping 16 times in the humbling defeat to the Falcons. Starting running back Aaron Jones (hamstring) also left the game, so Minnesota's injury report will be worth watching prior to their Week 3 game against Cincinnati.
--Nick PiotrowiczSource: Minnesota Star-Tribune
September 15, 2025
Washington Commanders tight end
Zach Ertz hauled in six of eight targets for 64 yards and a touchdown in his team's Week 2 loss to the Green Bay Packers. The 34-year-old now has nine catches on 13 targets for 90 yards and two scores across his first two games of the season. Dating back to Week 11 of 2024, Ertz has caught eight touchdown passes in his last nine regular-season games, establishing himself as a favorite end-zone target of Commanders quarterback
Jayden Daniels. The veteran tight end lacks big-play ability, but he's a fairly consistent target-earner and should have a chance to score most weeks while playing with Daniels. Ertz is worth adding in fantasy leagues where he's available as a low-end TE1/high-end TE2.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
September 15, 2025
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback
Jake Browning could see an extended run as his team's starting quarterback with the news that
Joe Burrow (toe) will require surgery on his injured toe and may miss three months. Browning replaced Burrow in the second quarter of Cincinnati's Week 2 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars and finished the game by completing 21 of 32 pass attempts for 241 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. He also logged a one-yard rushing touchdown. Browning had an extended run as the injury replacement for Burrow in 2023 and performed adequately from a fantasy perspective. In seven starts, Browning completed 70.4% of his 243 pass attempts for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also showed a little bit of juice with his legs, rushing for 127 yards and three touchdowns. Browning has an explosive supporting cast of pass-catchers to work with in Cincinnati and could be a startable fantasy quarterback going forward as a streamer or injury replacement, particularly in Superflex formats.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
September 15, 2025
Las Vegas Raiders tight end
Michael Mayer could be worth adding ahead of his team's Week 2 Monday night matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, particularly for fantasy managers with
Brock Bowers (knee) on their roster. Bowers is officially questionable to play on Monday after leaving Week 1 early due to a knee injury, although Raiders head coach Pete Carroll has said he expects his star tight end to suit up. Mayer logged four catches for 38 yards in Week 1 while sharing the field with Bowers for most of the game. If Bowers is unable to play in Week 2, Mayer could be in line for a significant target increase in a Raiders' offense that logged 34 pass attempts in its first game of the season.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
September 15, 2025
Seattle Seahawks running back
Kenneth Walker III bounced back from a disappointing Week 1 performance by leading his team in rushing in Seattle's 31-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Walker III recorded 105 rushing yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, adding one catch for 13 yards as a receiver. On a negative note, Walker III earned fewer carries than Seahawks running back
Zach Charbonnet for the second straight game, although Charbonnet recorded just 10 rushing yards on his 15 attempts in Week 2. It appears Seattle intends to heavily feature both backs, which may make the Seattle backfield tough to evaluate on a week-to-week basis. Walker III profiles as a low-end RB2/high-end flex with explosive upside due to his big-play ability going into a Week 3 matchup with the New Orleans Saints.
--Will BradySource: ESPN.com
September 15, 2025
Atlanta Falcons running back
Bijan Robinson dominated the Minnesota Vikings defense in Week 2, rushing for 143 yards on 22 carries in his team's 22-6 victory. Robinson also added three catches for 25 yards on five targets. If there was a negative from Robinson's performance, it was that Falcons RB2
Tyler Allgeier scored the game's only touchdown in a goal-to-go situation. Still, Robinson has now logged 292 yards from scrimmage over the first two games of the season on 43 total touches. He's a must-start fantasy running back with overall RB1 upside.
--Will BradySource: ESPN.com
September 15, 2025
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver
Jauan Jennings looked like his team's clear-cut WR1 in Week 2, hauling in five catches for 89 yards and a touchdown in a win over the New Orleans Saints. Jennings was targeted 10 times by 49ers quarterback
Mac Jones, four more targets than any other San Francisco wideout. The 28-year-old has now logged seven catches for 105 yards and a score on the season, and that's with leaving Week 1 early due to a shoulder injury. As long as Jennings can stay on the field, he profiles as a solid fantasy WR3.
--Will BradySource: ESPN.com
September 15, 2025
Zack Rosenblatt, senior writer at The Athletic, reports that New York Jets quarterback
Justin Fields is in the concussion protocol, according to head coach Aaron Glenn. Fields exited the game in the fourth quarter with a concussion, and the Jets ended up losing to the Buffalo Bills 30-10 on Sunday. Fields struggled mightily before his departure, completing an abysmal three of 11 passes for 27 yards. He provided fantasy managers with a boost on the ground, rushing for 49 yards on five attempts, but the Jets' offense struggled against a Bills defense that had just allowed 40 points to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1. Fields will have to progress through the NFL's protocol for head injuries to play in Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If Fields isn't cleared for Week 3 action,
Tyrod Taylor would be in line to start in his place and would be a QB2. If Fields can suit up, he will remain a low-end QB1 due to his rushing upside.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: Zack Rosenblatt
September 15, 2025
Detroit Lions star running back
Jahmyr Gibbs had no problem carving through the Chicago Bears' defense on Sunday, as he rushed 12 times for 94 yards (7.85 YPC) and hauled in all three of his targets for an additional 10 yards through the air. His touchdown run came from six yards out in the first quarter to put the Lions up 7-0. The Lions never looked back and ended up winning 52-21 on the afternoon. Most importantly, the Lions offense looked the part on Sunday, proving that their Week 1 stinker was an outlier in what is still an offense with an extremely high ceiling. Gibbs remains the X-factor in this offense and remains a must-start at the running back position moving forward. Next up for Gibbs and the Lions is a tough matchup at Baltimore in Week 3.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: ESPN
September 15, 2025
Denver Broncos quarterback
Bo Nix was solid against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday in their 29-28 defeat. He completed 22 of 30 passes for 206 yards, three touchdown passes, one interception, and added 20 yards on the ground on three carries. Although he played well, the interception he threw in the fourth quarter proved costly, as the Broncos were up 28-23 and on the verge of field goal range, looking to go up two scores, or at least extend the game from a five-point to an eight-point lead. Nix now has three interceptions and a fumble on the season, but Sunday's performance was a step in the right direction for this Broncos offense. Nix did a good job of spreading the ball around, finding 10 different Broncos receivers, mostly leaning on
Troy Franklin, who hauled in eight of his 22 completions. Next up for Nix is a tougher matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, where he will remain a low-end QB1.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: ESPN
September 15, 2025
Carolina Panthers wide receiver
Hunter Renfrow was active on Sunday, hauling in seven of his nine targets for 48 receiving yards and two touchdowns. With the Panthers being down 27-9 heading into the fourth quarter, the game flow was undoubtedly in favor of the Panthers' playmakers and quarterback
Bryce Young, and they made the most of it, scoring three touchdowns in the second half. Both of Renfrow's scores were in the red zone, one from four yards out and the other from one yard out. With the departure of
Adam Thielen to the Minnesota Vikings, Renfrow has stepped in to be the primary slot receiver for the Panthers. As long as the Panthers remain in a game script that forces them to throw 35-plus times a game, it should allow Renfrow to slide into the weekly WR3 conversation in PPR leagues. Next up for the Renfrow and the Panthers is a home game against the Atlanta Falcons.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: ESPN
September 15, 2025
The Cincinnati Bengals have been calling around to other free-agent quarterbacks since
Joe Burrow's (toe) injury, knowing they will have to add at least one more QB to their roster, Adam Schefter reports. This came moments after Schefter had also reported that Burrow will need toe surgery that will sideline him a minimum of three months.
Jake Browning stepped in for the injured Burrow and led the Bengals to a victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, 31-27, throwing for 241 yards with a touchdown through the air and two on the ground to go with three interceptions. While Browning figures to be the Bengals' QB1 heading into Week 3, at this time, it's unclear if the Bengals will want to stick with Browning long term or not. Browning stepped in for Burrow in 2023 and started nine games, completing 70.4% of his passes for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Following the news of Burrow's injury, fantasy managers should lower the ceiling for some Bengals playmakers, including
Ja'Marr Chase,
Tee Higgins, and
Chase Brown.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: Adam Schefter
September 15, 2025
New York Giants running back
Cam Skattebo rushed for 45 yards on 11 rushing attempts and a touchdown while catching two of three targets for 14 yards in Sunday's 40-37 overtime loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Skattebo broke off a 24-year run in the fourth quarter, which was the longest run of the day for the Giants. He later punched it in for his first career touchdown. Skattebo outpaced
Tyrone Tracy Jr. 11 to five in rushing attempts on Sunday and could have earned more touches with his great performance against Dallas. Skattebo will look to build on Sunday's performance in Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Giants' rookie RB is only rostered in 58% of leagues and is worth picking up for fantasy teams needing help at running back.
--Brad Camara - RotoBallerSource: NFL
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