September 17, 2025
New England Patriots star cornerback Christian Gonzalez (hamstring), who has been out since the preseason with a hamstring injury, is set to return to practice on Wednesday, according to head coach Mike Vrabel. Gonzalez will probably be limited in his return to the practice field, but it gives him a chance to make his 2025 debut this Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3 after he missed the first two games of the season. If Gonzalez, a former first-rounder, were to play this weekend, he could have his snaps limited, but it would be bad news for Steelers wideout
D.K. Metcalf and quarterback
Aaron Rodgers. The Patriots' defense/special teams unit would receive a boost and would be a borderline streamer in deeper leagues.
UPDATE: Gonzalez was limited in Wednesday's practice.--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
September 17, 2025
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said he has "not shut the door" on a return this year for quarterback
Joe Burrow (toe), according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. However, Taylor doesn't have any timeline updates and doesn't know yet when Burrow will undergo surgery to fix torn ligaments in his toe. The 28-year-old is also dealing with turf toe after getting hurt in the Week 2 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. While there is no official timeline for his return, Burrow is expected to miss at least three months, making it possible he could return at the tail end of the regular season. Fantasy managers with an IR spot available could stash Burrow, but just know that he may not end up helping you from here on out if you make a run in the playoffs. In the meantime, backup
Jake Browning will run Cincy's offense. The Bengals offense will surely take a hit, but Browning can serve as a high-end QB2 in the right matchups.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Paul Dehner Jr.
September 17, 2025
Washington Commanders wide receiver
Noah Brown (groin) will not practice on Wednesday, although head coach Dan Quinn was more encouraged about Brown than he was on Monday, according to Zach Selby of Commanders.com. On Monday, Quinn said Brown was a long shot to play in Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders. The 29-year-old might still be fighting an uphill battle to play this weekend, but it's clear he's making progress after he injured his groin in Thursday night's loss to the Green Bay Packers. Even if Brown makes a lot of progress the next couple of days and is cleared to play against the Raiders on Sunday, he won't be a realistic starting option for fantasy lineups, with it looking like quarterback
Jayden Daniels (knee) won't play in Week 3. Through the first two weeks of 2025, Brown has caught three of seven targets for just 36 yards.
--Keith HernandezSource: Commanders.com - Zach Selby
September 17, 2025
Kansas City Chiefs wide receivers
Xavier Worthy (shoulder) and
Jalen Royals (knee) will both practice on Wednesday, according to head coach Andy Reid. Worthy suffered a full tear of his right labrum in the season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Chargers when he collided with teammate
Travis Kelce on the opening series of the game. He missed the Week 2 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl rematch, but the fact that he's back at practice gives him a chance to play this Sunday against the New York Giants on Sunday night as KC looks for its first 2025 win. It's good news that the 22-year-old is practicing, but his status could still be in doubt for Week 3, and with the game being on Sunday night this week, Worthy is shaping up as an extremely risky fantasy play. Royals missed the first two games of the season and can remain on the waiver wire in most redraft leagues while being buried on the WR depth chart.
UPDATE: Worthy and Royals were officially limited on Wednesday.--Keith HernandezSource: Chiefs.com - Matt McMullen
September 17, 2025
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receivers
Brian Thomas Jr. and
Travis Hunter had a tough time getting anything going in the Week 2 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, but
Parker Washington and
Dyami Brown stepped up for quarterback
Trevor Lawrence. Washington led the team with 76 receiving yards, but Brown had a team-best 12 targets and also tied Washington with five receptions. The 25-year-old finished with 57 yards and scored for the first time this season. Thomas and Hunter are going to be Lawrence's primary targets most weeks, but it's notable that Brown has topped 50 receiving yards in each of the first two weeks of the 2025 season. In new head coach Liam Coen's pass-happy offense, Brown could have a consistent role all year, and if anything were to happen to Thomas or Hunter, he could be a weekly flex option in fantasy. Put Brown on your watch list.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com
September 17, 2025
Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn confirmed that quarterback
Jayden Daniels (knee) will not practice on Wednesday, according to Tashan Reed of The Washington Post. Quinn said the team will have an update on Daniels after Friday's practice. Daniels sprained his knee in the Week 2 loss to the Green Bay Packers last Thursday night, and his availability for Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders is now up in the air. While we won't know for sure if the 24-year-old second-year signal-caller will play this weekend until Friday, it's looking like veteran backup
Marcus Mariota will get the start. The Commanders had Mariota, and not Daniels, available to reporters on Wednesday. Fantasy managers need a backup plan in case Daniels is unable to practice and play this week. He may be a question mark for Week 4 against the Atlanta Falcons, too.
UPDATE: Quinn said Daniels won't practice until Friday, at the earliest.--Keith HernandezSource: The Washington Post - Tashan Reed
September 17, 2025
San Francisco 49ers running back
Isaac Guerendo entered the 2025 season as a prime handcuff for fantasy managers who were looking to score
Christian McCaffrey at a discount early in drafts. However, Guerendo's fantasy value took a massive hit when the Niners acquired
Brian Robinson Jr. from the Washington Commanders. B-Rob has been McCaffrey's backup through two weeks, relegating Guerendo to a distant RB3 role. In the Week 2 win over the New Orleans Saints, the 25-year-old didn't play a single snap on offense, with all 17 of his snaps coming on special teams. Guerendo averaged a healthy 5.0 yards per carry on 84 rushing attempts for 420 yards and four touchdowns in 16 games (three starts) as a rookie in 2024 when CMC was bothered by injuries, but currently, he's well off the fantasy radar in single-year leagues going into Week 3 against the division-rival Arizona Cardinals.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com
September 17, 2025
The Houston Texans placed wide receiver
Justin Watson (Achilles, calf) on Injured Reserve on Wednesday, according to the team's official website. Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports is reporting that Watson is dealing with an Achilles/calf injury, but it's not a tear, so he could potentially return later this season. The good news for Houston is that both receivers
Christian Kirk (hamstring) and
Braxton Berrios (hamstring) are expected to play in Week 3 against the division-rival Jacksonville Jaguars. For now, the 29-year-old Watson will have to miss at least the next four games. Watson wasn't on the fantasy radar anywhere to begin with, even with Kirk and Berrios missing the first two weeks of the season. Watson had three catches on four targets for 30 yards in the first two contests of 2025 before getting injured.
--Keith HernandezSource: HoustonTexans.com
September 17, 2025
Carolina Panthers rookie running back
Trevor Etienne has played only four offensive snaps through the first two games of his first year in the NFL and is the clear RB2 in Carolina's backfield behind
Chuba Hubbard and
Rico Dowdle heading into a Week 3 divisional clash against the Atlanta Falcons. In the Week 2 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, the 21-year-old didn't have a carry and caught his only target for a two-yard gain while playing two snaps. Currently, the Georgia product is primarily being utilized as the team's kickoff-return specialist. He has returned five kicks for 101 yards through two weeks. Etienne is only worth rostering as RB depth in dynasty/keeper leagues right now, and he probably won't be worth a look on the waiver wire unless Hubbard or Dowdle miss time with an injury.
--Keith HernandezSource: espn.com
September 17, 2025
New York Jets veteran backup quarterback
Tyrod Taylor will make the start in Week 3 on Sunday against the hosting Tampa Bay Buccaneers after the Jets officially ruled out
Justin Fields (concussion) on Wednesday, according to head coach Aaron Glenn. Taylor entered the Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the fourth quarter after Fields slammed his head on the turf and went 7-for-11 passing for 56 yards and a touchdown on two drives to end the 30-10 loss. The 36-year-old also had three carries for 21 yards. Taylor looked better than Fields did, albeit at the end of a blowout. Taylor can use his legs when needed, but he's made only five starts since the start of 2022, and none since 2023 with the New York Giants. Expect the Jets to lean even more on their ground game this weekend against a stout Tampa defensive line. In two-QB superflex leagues, Taylor will be a low-upside, low-end QB2 option for those already in trouble at the position.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
September 17, 2025
New York Jets quarterback
Justin Fields (concussion) has been ruled out for Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero . Fields was forced to leave New York's Week 2 contest early due to a concussion. Given how early in the week Fields has been ruled out, it's possible he could be facing a multi-week absence, but that's pure speculation at this stage. Veteran quarterback
Tyrod Taylor will get the start against Tampa Bay in Fields' absence. Taylor completed seven of 11 pass attempts for 56 yards and a touchdown after taking over mid-game in Week 2. His last stretch of extended NFL action came in 2023 for the New York Giants, when he threw for 1,341 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 197 yards on 38 attempts across 11 games (five starts). The 36-year-old Taylor still offers some dual-threat ability and could be a low-end injury replacement option in two-quarterback fantasy leagues.
--Will BradySource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
September 17, 2025
Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris is calling cornerback A.J. Terrell (hamstring) week-to-week with a hamstring injury that he picked up in the Week 2 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night, according to Terrin Waack of AtlantaFalcons.com. "We'll see how it goes. ... Obviously, those hamstrings are tricky," Morris said. Terrell's status for Week 3 against the division-rival Carolina Panthers will depend on how much he's able to do in practice this week, but right now, it doesn't look good for his availability. If the 26-year-old defensive back is unable to play this Sunday, both Natrone Brooks and Dee Alford would see more action against a Panthers team still searching for their first win of 2025. If Terrell is ruled out for Week 3, his next chance to return would be for a Week 4 meeting against the Washington Commanders on Sunday, Sept. 28.
--Keith HernandezSource: AtlantaFalcons.com - Terrin Waack
September 17, 2025
From Week 1 to Week 2, Cleveland Browns rookie wide receiver
Isaiah Bond saw his snap count increase from 21 to 28, and his target volume jumped from one to three. Bond has recorded just two catches for 11 yards across his first two NFL games, but the team may be slowly ramping him up, given that he was not signed until August. Bond was accused of sexual assault in April, which led to him going undrafted, but he no longer faces criminal charges. The 21-year-old could be establishing himself as Cleveland's WR3 behind
Jerry Jeudy and
Cedric Tillman. Still, he would likely be behind Browns tight ends
David Njoku and
Harold Fannin Jr. in the target pecking order for the Browns. Bond is a player to monitor in dynasty formats, but is unlikely to hold fantasy value in redraft leagues in 2025.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
September 17, 2025
Washington Commanders quarterback
Marcus Mariota is scheduled to meet with the media on Wednesday in place of Commanders quarterback
Jayden Daniels (knee), per ESPN's John Keim. Keim notes that this does not mean that Daniels, who suffered a knee sprain in Week 2, will not be able to suit up in Week 3. Still, it could be an early indication that Washington is preparing for Mariota to make the start this Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders. The 31-year-old Mariota played very well in limited action across three games for Washington in 2024. He completed 34 of 44 pass attempts for 364 yards and four touchdowns, adding 92 yards and a score as a rusher as well. If Mariota gets the start against Las Vegas, he could be a quality streamer/injury replacement option at the quarterback position, particularly in two-quarterback fantasy leagues.
--Will BradySource: ESPN - John Keim
September 17, 2025
Los Angeles Rams rookie running back
Jarquez Hunter has not been a factor in his team's offense through the first two games of the season. After being a healthy scratch in Week 1, Hunter was active for Week 2 but did not record a carry. The 22-year-old appears to be firmly behind
Blake Corum in the Rams backfield pecking order after RB1
Kyren Williams. Corum logged five carries for 44 yards and a score on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, which likely only solidified his hold on the RB2 role. Hunter would have some fantasy relevance if either Williams or Corum were to go down with an injury, but for now, he should be off the radar of managers in redraft leagues.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
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