RADIO
Caleb Williams Out 3-4 Weeks With Grade 2 Hamstring Strain
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (hamstring) has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 hamstring injury, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Schefter also reports that the former No. 1 overall pick is expected to miss three to four weeks. Williams exited early last Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, and it turns out the injury will sideline him through mid-October, at the earliest. That's tough news for fantasy managers to swallow, but at least it sounds like he'll be able to avoid a stint on injured reserve. Williams is a mid-range fantasy QB1 when healthy, as evidenced by an electric Week 1 performance in which he racked up 269 passing yards, 65 rushing yards, and four total touchdowns. As long as Williams remains sidelined, we'd expect to see the Bears start Tyson Bagent (concussion) at quarterback if healthy, or Case Keenum, either of which will lower the fantasy ceiling and floor for players like Luther Burden III, Rome Odunze, and Colston Loveland.
Source: Adam Schefter
Source: Adam Schefter
Jaylen Warren Expected to Play Against Bengals in Week 3
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (shoulder) is expected to be active for Sunday's Week 3 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Warren had been listed as questionable after logging a limited practice on Friday. The 27-year-old has a chance to take on a substantially larger role Sunday after teammate Rico Dowdle (toe) was ruled out. Warren has handled modest volume this year, but his pass-catching contributions have allowed him to score at least 9.7 fantasy points (PPR) per game despite failing to find the end zone so far. His ceiling is substantially higher with the backfield essentially all to himself, and he's the overall RB16 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for Week 3.
Source: Adam Schefter
Source: Adam Schefter
Zay Flowers a Game-Time Decision for Week 3 at Dallas
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (hamstring) is a game-time decision for Week 3 and will participate in a pregame workout to determine if he's able to play, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Schefter noted that "the team doesn't sound as if it is counting on him playing." Flowers has been sidelined ever since injuring his hamstring during the middle of an explosive Week 1 performance in which he caught five passes for 150 yards and one touchdown. Rashod Bateman stepped in as Lamar Jackson's No. 1 receiver last week, and it sounds like there's a very real chance he might have an expanded role again in Week 3. If Flowers does manage to suit up, there's a chance his role could be limited, but he'd still be worth starting as a high-end WR2 with WR1 upside.
Source: Adam Schefter
Source: Adam Schefter
Brock Bowers Expected to be Active for Season Debut on Sunday
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (knee) is expected to be active for Sunday's Week 3 contest against the New Orleans Saints, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Bowers had been listed as questionable but is on track to make his season debut this weekend, barring a setback. The 23-year-old has struggled to stay healthy since his rookie campaign in 2024, when he ranked as the overall TE1 with 112 catches, 1,194 yards, and five touchdowns. There's no question that Bowers is capable of returning to his rookie form, but he just needs to stay healthy. He'll look to get his season started on a positive note Sunday, presumably without many limitations in terms of total snaps. The 23-year-old ranks as the overall TE4 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for Week 3.
Source: Jeremy Fowler
Source: Jeremy Fowler
Mike Evans Plans to Play on Sunday Afternoon
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Mike Evans (hip) "plans to play" in Sunday's Week 3 contest against the Arizona Cardinals, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Evans opened the practice week with a pair of absences, but he returned in a limited capacity on Friday, which was seemingly enough to get him ready for Sunday's game. He will continue to operate as the 49ers' No. 1 wide receiver and one of Brock Purdy's favorite targets in the passing game. Evans will look to replicate his performance from his last fully healthy game in Week 1, when he caught six passes for 49 yards and one touchdown. There are plenty of mouths to feed in this Niners offense, but he actually doesn't have too much competition at the wide receiver position after De'Zhaun Stribling (ankle), Demarcus Robinson (ankle), and Christian Kirk (calf) were all placed on injured reserve.
Source: Jeremy Fowler
Source: Jeremy Fowler
Arizona QB Noah Fifita Has Second Straight Four-TD Game
Arizona senior quarterback Noah Fifita threw four touchdown passes for the second consecutive game in Arizona's 34-24 win over Washington State. Arizona's offense has focused more on the passing game in 2026 behind their senior leader. Fifita has 11 touchdown passes and two rushing touchdowns in four games. He is also averaging 282.8 passing yards per game. Fifita is 12th in fantasy points in Yahoo! leagues, but is still available in 93% of leagues. Chances are that he is outperforming your fantasy QB, and he likely has an easier schedule.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Jeffrey Overton Jr. Runs Wild On Boston College
Virginia Tech sophomore running back Jeffrey Overton Jr. had a career game in Tech's 21-14 win over Boston College. Overton had 25 carries for 209 yards and a touchdown. Overton had 200 rushing yards in three games coming into this game. Overton started the season behind Marcellous Hawkins Jr. on the Virginia Tech depth chart, but Overton was the workhorse in this one. Hawkins only carried 10 times for 19 yards. Overton is only rostered in 21% of Yahoo! leagues. He appears to be the RB1 for Virginia Tech and should be added in all leagues.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Jackson Harris Has Breakout Game In Win Over Texas A&M
LSU's offense has had no trouble moving the ball this season, but it has been different players who have had big games every week. This week, it was Hawaii transfer Jackson Harris who wowed the Tiger Stadium crowd. Harris caught six passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns in LSU's 35-6 blowout win over Texas A&M. Harris only had five receptions for 117 yards in three games coming into this one. LSU lost star TE Trey'Dez Green against Mississippi last week, and he is still without a timetable for his return. Harris is worth adding for the duration of Green's injury, especially ahead of a Week 5 matchup against McNeese State.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Keelon Russell Breaks Out vs. South Carolina
Alabama sophomore quarterback Keelon Russell had the best game of his career in Alabama's 49-18 blowout win over South Carolina. Russell completed 21-of-27 passes for 365 yards and four touchdowns. Russell also ran eight times for 35 yards and a touchdown. Russell has scored a rushing touchdown in three of four games this season. The first-time starter has improved in every game this season. Russell is still available in 59% of Yahoo! fantasy leagues. He is worth a look if you need help at quarterback. Alabama's schedule is entering the tougher part, but if you can hold out, his last three games are very favorable at a critical point in your fantasy season.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Can Chase Elliott Get Back on Track at Kansas?
It has been a while since Chase Elliott has been a contender on race day. In fact, since his win at Texas back in May, Chase has mustered just two top-10 finishes over the last 18 races, and over the last five he has ended up 23rd or worse four times. Not great for an elite driver like Elliott at an elite organization like Hendrick Motorsports. But can the No. 9 team turn it around at Kansas Speedway this weekend? Chase is the defending winner of this race at Kansas, as he won the fall event last year after starting fourth and leading 24 laps. He has some more work to do to get to the front this weekend, though, as the No. 9 Chevrolet will roll off the starting grid from 18th-place for Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400. There's hope, though, as Elliott ranks fourth-fastest in Average Speed Index at Kansas and similar tracks as of late. As far as DFS goes, Chase Elliott ($9.0K on DraftKings) is a solid Place Differential pick on Sunday who could surprise some people with a good run--something we haven't seen out of him in a while.
Source: Hendrick Motorsports
Source: Hendrick Motorsports
Is Alex Bowman a Must-Play in DFS at Kansas?
Qualifying got rained out at Kansas Speedway this weekend, which means the starting lineup was set by the metric. That also means that Alex Bowman will roll off the grid from 33rd-place for Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400. That's obviously not a great start for the No. 48 team this race weekend, but it is great news for DFS players. The intermediate tracks (like Kansas) are where Bowman has excelled this season, and his 33rd-place starting spot gives him massive Place Differential upside on Sunday. Additionally, he's pretty affordable on DraftKings at his $7.3K salary. Bowman struggled here at Kansas in the spring (18th-place finish) but he wound up fifth at Chicagoland, third at Texas, and seventh at Las Vegas this season. On 1.5-mile tracks specifically, Bowman sports an average finish of 10.8, which is fourth-best among active drivers. He's not a must-play in DFS this weekend, but he's one of the best values on slate for sure.
Source: Speedway Media
Source: Speedway Media
Odell Beckham Jr. Dealing with Low Volume and Quarterback Downgrade
New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is trending down in fantasy football as a result of his low volume and an unfavorable outlook at the quarterback position. Over the past two weeks, Beckham has played less than 15% of the offensive snaps, and he has yet to command a target on offense. To make matters worse, he and the rest of his Giants teammates will have to deal with a quarterback downgrade as Jameis Winston takes over for Jaxson Dart (knee), who is done for the season. For what it's worth, Beckham wouldn't have been on the fantasy radar even if Dart stayed healthy, but the installation of Winston into the offense is sure to hurt the fantasy outlooks of all Giants receivers. Beckham's comeback story was nice, but just because he made the 53-man roster didn't mean that he was going to have any fantasy relevance. He can continue to be left on waivers in all fantasy leagues.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
LeQuint Allen Jr. Remains a Non-Factor on Offense
Jacksonville Jaguars running back LeQuint Allen Jr. has yet to log an offensive touch through two games this season, and he remains off the fantasy radar heading into Week 3 against the New England Patriots. Allen played 2% of the snaps in Week 1, and although that snap share jumped to 15% last Sunday, his only statistic in the final box score was one target that fell incomplete. The second-year Syracuse product continues to occupy the No. 3 spot on the depth chart behind Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez Jr. Allen may have some long-term appeal in dynasty leagues, but this is clearly Tuten's backfield. He belongs on waivers in all redraft leagues as long as Tuten and Rodriguez are healthy.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Roman Wilson Falls Back Down the Depth Chart with Teammate Returning
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson handled a 79% snap share with five catches in Week 2, but his role is expected to decrease heading into this Sunday's Week 3 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals. Wilson's high volume last weekend was a product of Michael Pittman Jr.'s absence, and now that Pittman is back from injury, the 25-year-old will return to the No. 3 role on the depth chart. Pittsburgh's passing game isn't strong enough to support three fantasy-relevant receivers, leaving DK Metcalf and Pittman as the only Steelers wide receivers worth possibly starting on Sunday. The fact that Wilson has six targets in back-to-back games is encouraging for his long-term dynasty outlook, but for now, he can be avoided in most redraft formats.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Dyami Brown Losing Fantasy Value After Fumble and QB Downgrade
Washington Commanders wide receiver Dyami Brown briefly flashed fantasy upside with six targets in the passing game last week, but all signs point to the 26-year-old remaining off the fantasy radar going forward. Outside of the six-target performance, Brown has delivered an underwhelming season. He was held without a catch in Week 1, he lost a fumble last week, and he's heading for a quarterback downgrade as Marcus Mariota steps in for the injured Jayden Daniels (elbow). Plus, he's somewhere around third or fourth on the depth chart, competing for snaps with Antonio Williams as the two operate behind Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs. A Mariota-led offense doesn't have the ability to support more than two fantasy-relevant receivers, so McLaurin and Diggs are the only players worth starting right now. Brown can be left on waivers in most leagues.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
