September 17, 2025
Washington Commanders rookie running back
Jacory Croskey-Merritt is listed as the team's starting running back, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic. Throughout the first two weeks of the season, Croskey-Merritt has had a sizeable role in the offense, but he has typically been deployed as the No. 2 option, behind
Austin Ekeler. However, with Ekeler suffering a torn Achilles during their Week 2 loss to the Green Bay Packers, it appears the rookie will see an uptick in workload. In Week 1, the first-round rookie made an immediate impact, totaling 82 yards and a score on 10 attempts. However, in the second week, he took a step back, earning just four attempts for 17 yards. However, fantasy managers should expect the Arizona product to see double-digit attempts weekly, given his new placement on the depth chart. Croskey-Merritt carries low-end RB2 value heading into a Week 3 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.
--Andy SmithSource: Nicki Jhabvala
September 17, 2025
Washington Commanders tight end
Ben Sinnott looks primed for more playing time in Week 3 against the Raiders with
John Bates (groin) unlikely to play, according to head coach Dan Quinn. Bates is Washington's primary blocking tight end and is pivotal to what they do in the run game. Sinnott played only three snaps in the Thursday night loss against Green Bay, but did catch one ball for seven yards. Sinnott has played some in three tight end sets as a move blocker and isn't quite a direct replacement for Bates. Bates is an incredibly stout point of attack blocker for a tight end and is roughly 15 pounds heavier than Sinnott. The 2024 second-round pick is an elite athlete with some intriguing upside as a receiver, but has mostly been used as a move blocker with Washington. We will learn a good bit about how the coaching staff views Sinnott after this week's game.
--Kyle McCarthySource: RotoBaller
September 17, 2025
Washington Commanders running back
Jacory Croskey-Merritt could be set for plenty of work in Week 3 after
Austin Ekeler's unfortunate injury. Croskey-Merritt received only four carries and one target in Week 2's loss at Green Bay after a really strong NFL debut. He was effective on his limited touches, gaining over four yards per carry. With how often the Packers' pass rush was winning up front and hitting
Jayden Daniels, it would have benefited them to run the ball more. Head coach Dan Quinn touched on this in his press conference on Monday, saying that he wanted more of a balance in terms of play calling. Washington dropped back to pass 52 times compared to 12 running back carries against the Packers. The rookie seventh-rounder should see an uptick in snaps with Ekeler out for the season, and the expectation is that he will be the starter. His role on passing downs is to be determined, as
Jeremy McNichols is highly trusted in pass protection, and
Chris Rodriguez Jr. will be back in the mix for touches. But he should get the opportunity to handle a career high in carries against the Raiders.
--Kyle McCarthySource: RotoBaller
September 17, 2025
Washington Commanders wide receiver
Jaylin Lane is likely set for an increased number of routes against the Raiders with
Noah Brown (groin) injured and likely to miss Week 3, according to head coach Dan Quinn. Brown got banged up in Thursday night's 27-18 loss at Green Bay, where Lane caught just one of four targets for two yards. The fourth-round rookie ran the fourth most routes on the team behind
Terry McLaurin,
Deebo Samuel Sr., and
Zach Ertz in that game. The team is thin at wide receiver, and Lane will have a chance to emerge in Brown's absence. He is likely best suited in the slot, which is also Samuel's best position. How offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury sorts that out, along with potentially managing the offense without quarterback
Jayden Daniels, will be huge. There's a chance we see Kingsbury get Lane involved with some designed touches or use his speed to take a deep shot in an offense that needs more explosive plays. Lane is a name to watch on the waiver wire for the upcoming weeks.
--Kyle McCarthySource: RotoBaller
September 16, 2025
Atlanta Falcons tight end
Kyle Pitts Sr. reeled in four of his five targets in Sunday's 22-6 victory over the Vikings. Those catches produced just 37 yards, however, his involvement is encouraging thus far after underwhelming from 2022 through 2024. The former fourth-overall draft pick owns a 20.6 percent target share through the team's first two contests, a stark contrast to his 13.7 percent share from 2024. There was some thought that his seven-catch performance in Week 1 should be at least partly attributed to the absence of
Darnell Mooney, but with Mooney back on the field in Week 2, the 24-year-old garnered 23.8 percent target share, which was more than Mooney and even more than No. 1 receiver
Drake London. We've seen this movie before, though, where the 6-foot-6 tight end looks good for a couple of weeks and then fades into obscurity for a few weeks, so we'll see if it lasts. Week 3 brings a favorable matchup with Carolina, who just allowed eight catches for 123 yards to the Arizona TEs, so it should be a good test to see if Pitts' uptick in target share is for real or not.
--Jarod RuppSource: ESPN
September 16, 2025
Denver Broncos rookie wide receiver
Pat Bryant played just four offensive snaps in Week 1, but he logged two catches for 18 yards on three targets in Week 2. 10 different Broncos players recorded a reception in Week 2, so this could be a difficult group of pass-catchers for fantasy managers to evaluate outside of clear WR1
Courtland Sutton. A third-round pick out of Illinois, Bryant earned some preseason buzz for his performance in training camp. The 22-year-old looks like the WR4 in Denver behind Sutton,
Troy Franklin, and
Marvin Mims Jr. for now, and likely isn't worth rostering in redraft leagues in the immediate. However, Bryant is a name to monitor and could be worth stashing in the very deepest of league formats.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
September 16, 2025
Heading into Week 2, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver
Marquise Brown was a popular waiver-wire target following his 16-target, 10-catch performance in Week 1. Even with top Chiefs wideouts
Xavier Worthy (shoulder) and
Rashee Rice (suspension) sidelined in Week 2, Brown was not nearly as prolific against the Philadelphia Eagles, finishing with five receptions for 30 yards. Early indications are that Worthy could return for Kansas City's Week 3 matchup against the New York Giants, which could limit Brown's target volume even further. Still, the 28-year-old looks like the Chiefs' clear WR2 until Rice is eligible to return in Week 7. Brown profiles as a WR4/low-end flex option in Week 3, although his outlook would improve if Worthy misses another game.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
September 16, 2025
Tennessee Titans running back
Tyjae Spears (ankle) suffered a high ankle sprain in preseason action and was placed on Injured Reserve before the start of the regular season. Given the nature of Spears' injury, he may be able to return as soon as he is eligible in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals. The Titans have been a one-man show at running back so far this season, with
Tony Pollard having logged 38 of the team's 40 rush attempts by running backs through the team's first two games. However, this was not the case down the stretch of 2024, when Spears logged double-digit touches in each of the final three games he played. Spears finished the 2024 season with 536 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns across 12 games and should have a consistent role in the Titans' offense once healthy in 2025. In fantasy leagues where he is available, Spears is a worthy stash in an IR spot ahead of his impending return.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
September 16, 2025
San Francisco 49ers tight end
George Kittle (hamstring) suffered a hamstring injury and was placed on Injured Reserve prior to Week 2. As a result, the 31-year-old will not play until at least Week 6, when San Francisco is set to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In the 49ers' first game without Kittle in Week 2, tight ends
Luke Farrell and
Jake Tonges combined for six catches, 45 receiving yards, and a touchdown. Kittle's return timeline could coincide with returns for 49ers quarterback
Brock Purdy (toe) and wide receiver
Brandon Aiyuk (knee). That could mean that San Francisco's offense could be firing on all cylinders when it welcomes Kittle back to the lineup. For fantasy managers with an open IR spot, this could be an interesting time to try and buy low on Kittle.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
September 16, 2025
Houston Texans wide receiver
Tank Dell (knee) suffered a gruesome knee injury in December 2024, dislocating his knee and tearing his ACL, MCL, and LCL. The 25-year-old wideout was placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list in August, meaning he is not eligible to return until Week 5. The most likely scenario remains that Dell will be out far longer than that. Given the timing of his 2024 injury, it would not be surprising if Dell does see any game action in 2025. Dell is worth stashing for future production in dynasty leagues, but he should not be on the radar of redraft fantasy managers unless there is a significant change in his return status.
--Will BradySource: USA Today - Jack McKessy
September 16, 2025
Seattle Seahawks running back
Kenneth Walker III acknowledged that
Zach Charbonnet is expected to continue splitting the backfield with him. Through two games, Charbonnet has outsnapped Walker (56% to 38%) and handled more carries (27 to 23). Head coach Mike MacDonald reinforced that approach, saying, "We're playing the long game. We want both backs to play the whole year." Walker also stated that he's buying into the committee approach to preserve his health. "I believe we have two great backs." Walker's history of injuries is expanding, as he missed six games in 2024 and multiple others earlier in his career. For fantasy purposes, Walker's upside is capped, and he should be valued as a high-end RB3 rather than his typical high-end RB2 profile.
--Nathan HarveySource: Gregg Bell - The News Tribune
September 16, 2025
Carolina Panthers wide receiver
Jalen Coker (quad) is expected to play a significant role in the team's passing attack once he returns from injury. The second-year receiver suffered a notable quad strain prior to the season and was placed on injured reserve. In his absence,
Hunter Renfrow has stepped into a larger role, playing 79% of the snaps through two weeks and catching seven passes on nine targets for 48 yards and two touchdowns in Week 2. While Renfrow has been serviceable, the Panthers view Coker as a core piece moving forward. Fantasy managers should consider stashing him ahead of his potential Week 6 return.
--Nathan HarveySource: Pro Football Reference
September 16, 2025
New England Patriots rookie wide receiver
Kyle Williams has yet to carve out a meaningful role in the offense. Through the first two games of the season, the 2025 third-round pick has been on the field for just 13% of the team's snaps and has only one target to show for it. Williams has been buried on the depth chart behind veterans
Stefon Diggs,
Mack Hollins, and younger receivers
Kayshon Boutte and
DeMario Douglas, all of whom have earned more consistent playing time. Until his role grows, Williams holds little fantasy appeal and is droppable in most formats.
--Nathan HarveySource: Pro Football Reference
September 16, 2025
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver
Jordan Addison will return from suspension in Week 4 when the team faces the Pittsburgh Steelers in London. Addison is serving the final game of his three-game suspension for offseason DUI charges. As a key piece of the Vikings' offense, Addison has posted 133 receptions for 1,786 yards and 19 touchdowns through his first 32 NFL games. However, his fantasy outlook has dipped with rookie quarterback
J.J. McCarthy battling inconsistency and a high-ankle sprain early in the season. Addison should be reinserted into lineups as a low-end FLEX option upon his return, with room for upside if McCarthy improves from under center.
--Nathan HarveySource: Pro Football Reference
September 16, 2025
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver
Rashee Rice is expected to return to a full workload in Week 7 after serving his six-game suspension for reckless driving charges stemming from the 2024 offseason. In his three full games last year, Rice was highly efficient, catching 24 of 29 targets for 288 yards and two touchdowns. The Chiefs' passing attack has struggled in his absence, with
Patrick Mahomes currently sitting outside the top 15 in passing yards through two weeks. Rice's return should immediately boost the offense, making him a high-end WR2 in fantasy and providing Mahomes with a much-needed reliable weapon. His presence will likely cut into the target shares of
Travis Kelce and
Marquise Brown, though both will remain heavily involved.
--Nathan HarveySource: Pro Football Reference
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