RADIO
Chargers likely to open return window for David Njoku this week
Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said on Monday that the team will likely open the return window for tight end David Njoku (leg) this week, according to Alex Insdorf. Njoku injured his fibula in the Week 2 loss to the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders and has been on Injured Reserve since, but the 30-year-old veteran could have a chance to return this weekend to face the Houston Texans if he returns to practice this week. It does not make him an attractive waiver-wire pickup going into Week 9, though, as Njoku will be battling for playing time and targets with tight ends Oronde Gadsden and Charlie Kolar when he returns, and he is not guaranteed to be back this Sunday against the Texans. Before injuring his leg and landing on IR, Njoku caught six of eight targets for 67 yards and no touchdowns. He has the most experience (nine-plus years) in the NFL among L.A.'s tight end options, but given how poorly the Chargers' offense has played this year, Njoku is not a recommended TE target as he nears his return from injury.
Source: Alex Insdorf
Source: Alex Insdorf
Hawks Forward Jalen Johnson Is Out Vs. Pacers
Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (left ankle sprain) has been ruled out for Monday night's game against the Indiana Pacers, per the Hawks. Johnson is averaging 18.1 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game so far this season while shooting 42.1 percent from the field. Johnson played 28 minutes against the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night and scored 13 points with seven rebounds and four assists, with one blocked shot and four turnovers. Johnson will try to recover and return for Wednesday night's game against the Washington Wizards.
Source: Atlanta Hawks
Source: Atlanta Hawks
Jake Ferguson has a chance to play Sunday despite ankle injury
Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said on Monday that tight end Jake Ferguson (ankle) has a chance to play on Sunday on the road against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9 despite suffering a low-ankle sprain in the Week 8 overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. The 27-year-old was not targeted at all in Sunday's game against Arizona before injuring his ankle, and he failed to catch his only target the week prior in the win over the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles. Two straight donuts and an ankle injury are not going to endear him to fantasy managers, even if he is cleared to play this weekend against the flailing Colts. Ferguson has yet to go over 50 yards receiving through eight weeks in 2026, and he has not found the end zone since Sept. 27 against the Baltimore Ravens. The two-time Pro Bowler has fallen off the TE1 radar and will be no more than a touchdown-dependent TE2 option for fantasy managers in Week 9 if he is active. Fantasy managers will want to watch his practice status closely this week. If Ferguson is out or limited against the Colts, Brevyn Spann-Ford and Luke Schoonmaker would split TE duties for Dallas.
Source: The Athletic - Jon Machota
Source: The Athletic - Jon Machota
Braden Smith Gets Start For Pacers
Former Purdue Boilermaker point guard Braden Smith will get his first career start for the Indiana Pacers when the team faces the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night, according to the team. Smith is averaging 4.5 minutes played in four games this season but will fill in for the extremely shorthanded Pacers team on Monday night. The Pacers are without Tyrese Haliburton, T.J. McConnell, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, among others, as they will take on the Hawks with Smith getting his first NBA starting nod.
Source: Indiana Pacers
Source: Indiana Pacers
Matthew Stafford Dealing With Some Elbow Soreness
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (elbow) left the locker room after Sunday's 24-9 win over the Los Angeles Chargers with a bag of ice wrapped around his right elbow, according to Adam Grosbard of the Los Angeles Daily News. Head coach Sean McVay said that Stafford has dealt with some soreness in the arm, but he deferred to Stafford on how he is feeling. It is something that RotoBaller will be keeping tabs on throughout the week, but we doubt that it is an injury that will keep the 38-year-old future Hall of Famer from suiting up this Sunday against the Washington Commanders in Week 9. Do not be surprised if Stafford is rested during the practice week. After a strong start to the 2026 campaign, which included four straight games with over 300 passing yards, Stafford has now gone three straight games without reaching that mark. He threw for just 157 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the Week 8 win over the Chargers, and he now has back-to-back games with under 200 passing yards, although he did throw three TD passes in Week 7 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Stafford will have a great opportunity against Washington to bounce back as a QB1 as long as his arm cooperates.
Source: Los Angeles Daily News - Adam Grosbard
Source: Los Angeles Daily News - Adam Grosbard
Jacoby Brissett Demoted to Third-String QB Role
Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur said on Monday that veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett is being demoted to the third-string role behind Gardner Minshew II and rookie Carson Beck, according to Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic. Brissett started the team's first eight games of the season and went 10-for-23 passing for 119 yards and an interception on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys before being benched for Minshew. Minshew went on to lead the Cardinals to an improbable comeback win in Dallas in overtime, so he will be elevated to the starting role, starting in Week 9 on the road against the division-rival Seattle Seahawks. The 33-year-old Brissett had a career year in 2025 after taking over the starting role for an injured Kyler Murray, throwing for 3,366 yards, 23 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 14 games played. He has not been quite as good in 2026, throwing for 1,719 yards, 10 touchdowns, and seven picks in his eight starts, and now he could be on the verge of being traded before the Nov. 10 deadline.
Source: The Arizona Republic - Theo Mackie
Source: The Arizona Republic - Theo Mackie
Evan Rodrigues Sits Out Practice Due to Illness
New Jersey Devils forward Evan Rodrigues (illness) didn't practice on Monday, Amanda Stein of the Devils' official site reports. He was feeling under the weather, and it's unclear whether Rodrigues will recover quickly enough to play in Tuesday's game against Edmonton. Rodrigues has recorded five points (two goals, three assists) and 20 hits through his first 14 outings with the Devils. For a third-line player, these are decent numbers, though it must be noted that Rodrigues has been on the score sheet just three times.
Source: Amanda Stein
Source: Amanda Stein
Dawson Mercer Dealing With Upper-Body Injury
Winnipeg Jets forward Dawson Mercer (upper body) sat out Monday's practice, leaving his status uncertain for Tuesday's contest against Montreal. Mercer made his fifth appearance for his new team on Sunday against Carolina. He is still seeking his first goal but has two assists. The former Devil could be replaced on Tuesday by Cole Koepke (undisclosed), who sat out Sunday's game. Meanwhile, Nino Niederreiter and Isak Rosen are candidates for more prominent roles. However, with the Jets on a nine-game losing streak, many players lack fantasy appeal.
Source: TSN
Source: TSN
Xavier Legette Could Return to Practice This Week
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales said on Monday that the team could "potentially" open the 21-day window for wide receiver Xavier Legette (knee) to return to practice this week, according to Joe Person of The Athletic. However, Canales also said that Legette has some things he still needs to clear recovery-wise. The 25-year-old is now eligible to come off Injured Reserve after landing on the list on Oct. 3 due to a knee injury. If he rejoins the rest of the team at practice this week, it will not guarantee that he plays on Sunday against the Denver Broncos in Week 9. The former first-rounder from South Carolina has been a bust for the Panthers so far in his career and was working as the WR3 behind Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker before his injury, leaving him with very little fantasy football appeal. Legette caught just two of six targets for 64 yards without a touchdown in two games before getting injured. He will most likely remain off the fantasy radar in 12-team leagues as long as McMillan and Coker remain healthy.
Source: The Athletic - Joe Person
Source: The Athletic - Joe Person
Terrance Ferguson has a Good Chance to Practice This Week
Los Angeles Rams tight end Terrance Ferguson (ankle) has a good chance to return to practice this week, according to Nate Atkins of The Athletic. Ferguson is eligible to come off Injured Reserve after missing four games, but it remains unclear if he will be ready to return in Week 9 when the Rams take on the Washington Commanders. It will all depend on how much the 23-year-old is able to do if he returns to the practice field this week. But with the former second-rounder from Oregon nearing a return, fantasy managers should consider adding him off the waiver wire as the TE with the most pass-catching upside in L.A. In Ferguson's absence, tight ends Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, and Davis Allen have been sharing playing time and have been hard to trust for fantasy football purposes. In three games played this year before landing on IR, Ferguson caught seven of his 12 targets for 63 yards and one touchdown after posting an 11-231-3 line on 25 targets in 14 regular-season games as a rookie. Ferguson is widely available on the waiver wire and is rostered in only 16% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: The Athletic - Nate Atkins
Source: The Athletic - Nate Atkins
A.J. Greer Moved to Injured Reserve
Anaheim Ducks left wing A.J. Greer (upper body) was placed on Injured Reserve Monday. He's set to miss at least four games after suffering an upper-body injury in Sunday's loss to Ottawa. Greer ranks third on his team with 36 hits and has notched six points (four goals, two assists) in 13 games. The Ducks recalled Nico Myatovic from the minors to fill the gap in the lineup. Myatovic is awaiting his NHL debut after putting up eight points (five goals, three assists) in 11 AHL appearances this season.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Rui Hachimura Out of Action on Monday
Los Angeles Clippers forward Rui Hachimura (quadriceps) has been ruled out for Monday's matchup against the Toronto Raptors due to quad soreness. The 28-year-old is averaging 13.4 points and 6.0 rebounds in 30.0 minutes per contest while shooting 36.9 percent from the field in his first season with the Clippers. Kobe Sanders will likely be the main beneficiary of Hachimura's absence, while Gradey Dick and Baba Miller could also see additional minutes on the wing.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Titans open to trading Calvin Ridley
Former Tennessee Titans scouting director Blake Beddingfield says he would listen to trade offers for veteran wide receiver Calvin Ridley with the Nov. 10 deadline quickly approaching. In his return to the field in Sunday's overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals after missing one game due to a hip injury, Ridley played 52% of the offensive snaps and caught just one of his three targets for 10 yards. The 31-year-old veteran has unsurprisingly had a limited role in Tennessee's offense in his eighth year in the league (third in Tennessee) in coordinator Brian Daboll's offense, catching six of his 13 targets for just 91 yards without finding the end zone. He has become the clear odd man out with younger wideouts all around him with more long-term upside in the organization. Ridley's low-output performance on Sunday in the shootout against Cincy was even more disappointing when considering that rookie first-round receiver Carnell Tate was out with a shoulder injury. A trade out of town could make Ridley more interesting in fantasy football, but for now, he should be on the waiver wire in 12-team leagues.
Source: PaulKuharsky.com - Blake Beddingfield
Source: PaulKuharsky.com - Blake Beddingfield
Logan O'Connor Available Against Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche right wing Logan O'Connor (personal) will return to action on Monday against Chicago. He missed Saturday's matchup with Calgary to attend his father's memorial service. O'Connor made his season debut just a couple of weeks ago and has no points in three games. The 30-year-old plays an important role on the penalty kill but is limited to fourth-line minutes at even strength, meaning he doesn't offer much to fantasy teams. Gavin Brindley filled O'Connor's spot in the lineup against Calgary, but Colorado sent him back to the AHL on Sunday.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Carson Beck Elevated to Backup QB Role in Arizona
Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur announced on Monday that veteran Gardner Minshew II will take over as the team's starting quarterback, adding that rookie Carson Beck will be the backup, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Veteran Jacoby Brissett, who started the first eight games of the season, will head to the bench as the QB3 and could be on the trade block before the Nov. 10 deadline. The 24-year-old Beck, a third-rounder out of the University of Miami in April, was a healthy scratch for the first eight weeks and will head into the team's Week 9 contest against the division-rival Seahawks as the backup to Minshew. There is now a good chance that Beck will make his NFL debut in 2026 if Minshew struggles or misses time with an injury. If Beck becomes the starter at any point this year, he will be in play only in deep two-QB superflex fantasy leagues. Beck only saw action in one postseason game, going 15-for-19 passing for 188 yards and a touchdown.
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
