RADIO
Rashod Bateman Back on the Waiver Radar
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman finally got something going Sunday, catching seven of nine targets for 88 yards and a touchdown against New Orleans. Zay Flowers (hamstring) being out obviously helped, but Bateman did more than just fall into a few extra looks. He played 54 of Baltimore's 58 offensive snaps and led the team in both targets and receiving yards after being held without a catch in Week 1. Flowers is expected back against Dallas, so fantasy managers should not count on another nine-target game right away. That is what keeps Bateman out of the priority-add group this week. Ja'Kobi Lane (wrist) is still on injured reserve, though, and Bateman should continue to have a regular role in the offense. He is worth picking up in 12-team leagues if receiver depth is needed, but for now he makes more sense as a bench stash than someone who needs to go directly into the lineup.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
MacKenzie Gore Scheduled to Start on Tuesday
The Texas Rangers announced on Monday that left-hander MacKenzie Gore (shoulder, back) is scheduled to make his next start on Tuesday against the New York Mets. Gore has checked out fine over the last few days and will be good to take the hill this week against the Mets after he dealt with some spasms in his upper back/shoulder area in his last start last Wednesday against the Boston Red Sox, when he went just four innings and threw 69 pitches. The matchup against New York is a good one as the Rangers seek to hold off the Houston Astros for the American League West title in the final week of the regular season, but Gore also carries significant risk coming off his injury last week. If the Rangers are still battling for a playoff spot this weekend, Gore could pitch in the final game of the regular season on Sunday against the Minnesota Twins, too. The 27-year-old southpaw has gone 8-11 this year with a career-high 4.67 ERA (3.89 FIP) and 1.35 WHIP with 172 strikeouts and 69 walks in 165 2/3 innings across 32 starts. Gore has allowed at least three earned runs with nine walks and only three strikeouts in his last three starts against the Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Tampa Bay Rays.
Source: Texas Rangers PR
Source: Texas Rangers PR
Tyler Badie Could Matter If Denver Stays Short-Handed
Denver Broncos running back Tyler Badie could have some short-term PPR appeal if the team's backfield remains shorthanded. Badie had only one carry for one yard in Sunday's win over Jacksonville, but he caught two of three targets for 28 yards after J.K. Dobbins left with a hamstring injury. RJ Harvey was already inactive with a hamstring issue, leaving Jonah Coleman to handle most of the early-down work while Badie worked more in passing situations. The problem for fantasy managers is that the injury outlook has already improved. Dobbins was reported to be "good" Monday, while Harvey is also trending in the right direction. If either returns for Week 3, Badie's path to useful volume becomes much thinner. RotoBaller currently recommends him only in 14-team PPR leagues and deeper. Badie is worth monitoring, but for now he is more of a deep-league stash than a player fantasy managers need to prioritize.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Kelvin Banks Jr. to Have Ankle Surgery, Out Indefinitely
New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. (ankle) suffered a severe high-ankle sprain in the Week 2 upset win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday and is expected to have surgery to fix it, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Banks is out indefinitely for the Saints going forward, and he could eventually be placed on Injured Reserve if the Saints think he will miss at least four games. It is a major blow for New Orleans' offensive line, as Banks is one of the team's top young offensive tackles. The good news is that, barring a setback after surgery, Banks will have a chance to return later this season. Banks has been operating as the team's starting left tackle and blind-side protector for young quarterback Tyler Shough. With the 22-year-old now out for the foreseeable future, Asim Richards is expected to make the start at left tackle, beginning in Week 3 for a matchup at home against the 2-0 Las Vegas Raiders.
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
Mike Washington Jr. Offers Upside Despite Limited Touches
Las Vegas Raiders running back Mike Washington Jr. remains a worthwhile stash even though his Week 2 role stayed small. Washington carried three times for seven yards and drew one target in Sunday's win over the Chargers after rushing seven times for 41 yards in the opener. Ashton Jeanty briefly left with an ankle injury but returned and continues to dominate the backfield, leaving Washington with limited standalone value. The rookie is still listed second on the Raiders' unofficial depth chart and has 10 carries for 48 yards through two games. That makes the appeal fairly straightforward. Washington is not someone fantasy managers need to force into lineups, but he would be positioned for a much larger workload if Jeanty were forced to miss time. RotoBaller recommends adding him in 12-team leagues and deeper. For now, Washington fits best as a bench stash with upside rather than an aggressive waiver claim.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Noah Bennee Still Carries Stash Appeal
Utah tight end Noah Bennee remains an interesting waiver stash despite disappearing from the box score against Utah State. Bennee caught one pass for 35 yards and a touchdown in the opener, then broke out with four receptions for 113 yards and another score against Arkansas before going without a catch Saturday. That leaves him with five receptions for 148 yards and two touchdowns through three games, with the big-play ability obvious whenever the ball comes his way. Utah travels to Iowa State next, and the uneven volume makes Bennee difficult to trust as a weekly starter right now. He is better treated as an upside stash in deeper CFF leagues than a priority waiver claim.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Tua Tagovailoa "Getting Better"
When asked about quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (oblique) on Monday, Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski said that he is "getting better," according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "We'll work through what that means for this week, but definitely is getting better." The 28-year-old former Miami Dolphins QB was on track to start in the Week 1 season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers before injuring his oblique just days before in practice. He has been inactive for the team's first two games of the 2026 season, and with Michael Penix Jr. (knee) potentially making his season debut in Week 3 on Thursday night against the Green Bay Packers, Tagovailoa's time in Atlanta could already be up. Stefanski is not tipping his hand on the QB situation on Monday, even on a short week, but it would be very surprising if Tagovailoa gets the nod over Penix, Cooper Rush, or even undrafted rookie Jack Strand on a short week.
Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - D. Orlando Ledbetter
Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - D. Orlando Ledbetter
Cardinals Still Not Worried About Slow Start for Marvin Harrison Jr.?
When asked about wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. only seeing two targets in the passing game despite being on the field around two-thirds of the time in the Week 2 loss to the division-rival Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur told reporters that he "wouldn't look into too much... because we didn't throw the ball for crap anyway." "Schematically, it wasn't good." Harrison has been on the field for over 70% of the offensive snaps in the first two games of the 2026 season, but the 24-year-old former fourth overall pick has caught just one pass on four targets for 33 yards. He failed to come down with a catch on Sunday to give fantasy managers who started him a big donut for the week. LaFleur continues to tell reporters not to read too much into Harrison's lack of involvement, but we are going to anyway. At best, Harrison has become quarterback Jacoby Brissett's third-favorite target in the passing game behind tight end Trey McBride and receiver Michael Wilson. Going into a Week 3 divisional clash against the San Francisco 49ers, fantasy managers should be keeping Harrison on benches until further notice.
Source: The Arizona Republic - Theo Mackie
Source: The Arizona Republic - Theo Mackie
Sam Darnold on Track to Practice on Wednesday
The Tacoma News Tribune's Gregg Bell is hearing that Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (glute) is on track to return to practice on Wednesday. Head coach Mike Macdonald said after Sunday's Week 2 win over the division-rival Arizona Cardinals that Darnold is ahead of schedule and has a chance to practice this week after suffering a unique injury to his glute in the season-opening win over the New England Patriots. If the 29-year-old returns to practice this week and looks good, he could be in line to be cleared to return under center for the Week 3 game this weekend in Washington against the Commanders. That would make Darnold a strong streaming option for fantasy managers after Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott just dropped four touchdown passes on the Commanders in a Week 2 win. With that said, Seattle will likely err on the side of caution with Darnold after backup Drew Lock has looked very adequate in leading the team to a 2-0 record in the first two weeks of the 2026 season. Lock threw three touchdowns to star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba on Sunday.
Source: The Tacoma News Tribune - Gregg Bell
Source: The Tacoma News Tribune - Gregg Bell
Terry Bussey Out for the Season
Texas A&M wide receiver Terry Bussey (lower body) will miss the remainder of the 2026 season, head coach Mike Elko announced Monday. Bussey suffered the injury on the opening kickoff of Saturday's loss to Kentucky and had to be carted off before the Aggies' offense took the field. He had seven catches for 92 yards through two games while adding four carries for 10 yards and a touchdown. Bussey also held a significant role on special teams as both a kick and punt return option. He had been listed alongside Ashton Bethel-Roman at one receiver spot entering the season, so his absence removes a versatile piece from both the offensive rotation and return game for the rest of the year.
Source: On3
Source: On3
Jadarian Price Dealing With Shoulder Injury That Isn't Serious
Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald told reporters on Monday that rookie first-round running back Jadarian Price (shoulder) is actually dealing with a shoulder injury that knocked him out of the Week 2 win on Sunday against the division-rival Arizona Cardinals, according to Brady Henderson of ESPN. Macdonald added that Price's shoulder is "intact and nothing serious, it seems like." X-rays came back negative on Price after Sunday's game, so fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day as the team prepares for a Week 3 tilt on the road this Sunday against the Washington Commanders. Through his first two NFL games, the 22-year-old Notre Dame product has rushed 23 times for 104 yards (4.5 yards per carry) while catching three of four targets for 14 yards. With Price banged up on Sunday, it was Emanuel Wilson, not George Holani, who took over Seattle's backfield against Arizona. Wilson had a team-high 21 rushing attempts for 92 yards and failed to catch his only target. With Price's injury potentially not sidelining him for any games, fantasy managers may want to temper their waiver-wire bids for Wilson this week.
Source: ESPN.com - Brady Henderson
Source: ESPN.com - Brady Henderson
Mark Bowman's Role Makes Him Worth Rostering
USC tight end Mark Bowman has not repeated his two-touchdown performance against Louisiana, but his role remains strong enough to keep him firmly on the fantasy radar. The true freshman caught three passes for 32 yards at Rutgers and now has 15 receptions for 160 yards and two scores through four games. Bowman is also listed first at tight end on USC's current depth chart, giving him a meaningful role in one of the country's more productive passing offenses. Oregon visits Los Angeles next, but Bowman's value is more about the season-long opportunity than chasing one matchup. He should be viewed as a strong waiver addition and long-term hold rather than a touchdown-dependent one-week play.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
J.K. Dobbins is "Good" Following Hamstring Injury
Updating a previous report, Denver Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins (hamstring), who left Sunday's Week 2 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars with a hamstring injury, is "good," a source told The Ringer's Tom Pelissero. The Broncos face the Los Angeles Rams in Denver on Sunday Night Football in Week 3, and it looks like Dobbins will have a chance to suit up without missing a game. We will have a better idea of Dobbins' status for Week 3 once the Broncos begin to release their official injury reports on Wednesday, but as of now, it appears that he should be considered day-to-day with a chance to suit up on Sunday night in a tough matchup against the Rams' defense. The 27-year-old oft-injured back has 18 carries for 72 yards (4.0 yards per carry) through two games in 2026. He was on pace for a career year in 2025 through 10 games in his first year in Denver before suffering a season-ending foot injury. With Dobbins and RJ Harvey (hamstring) banged up, rookie fourth-rounder Jonah Coleman will be a popular waiver-wire pickup as a handcuff this week.
Source: The Ringer - Tom Pelissero
Source: The Ringer - Tom Pelissero
Jaleel Skinner Keeps Strengthening His Fantasy Case
Louisville tight end Jaleel Skinner followed his breakout against Villanova with another touchdown Saturday, catching three passes for 29 yards in the Cardinals' win over SMU. He now has eight receptions for 166 yards and two scores through three games, with both touchdowns coming over the last two weeks. The catch volume is not overwhelming, but Skinner has established himself as a vertical and red-zone threat in Louisville's passing game. Wake Forest visits next, giving him another opportunity to keep the run going. Skinner has shown enough over consecutive weeks to move beyond speculative stash territory and should be treated as a priority tight end pickup in leagues where he remains available.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Kyler Murray Clears Concussion Protocol, Will Return in Week 3
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray (concussion) has cleared the NFL's concussion protocol and will return to the starting lineup for the team's Week 3 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday, sources told Tom Pelissero of The Ringer. Murray suffered a scary concussion in the season-opening win over the division-rival Green Bay Packers early in the first quarter and was quickly ruled out, but he was in good spirits after that game and returned to practice last week before ultimately being ruled out for the Week 2 win over the division-rival Chicago Bears. Veteran Carson Wentz did a commendable job in helping the Vikings start the year 2-0, but now that Murray has been cleared, he will return to the starting role, making him worth a waiver-wire pickup in two-QB fantasy leagues. The 29-year-old former first overall pick back in 2019 showed good chemistry with top receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison in training camp this summer and has a great opportunity to bounce back in 2026 going forward if he can stay on the field.
Source: The Ringer - Tom Pelissero
Source: The Ringer - Tom Pelissero
