October 22, 2025
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver
Jordan Addison has been on a tear to start his 2025 campaign after missing the first three games due to a suspension for violating the NFL's Substances of Abuse Policy. Addison has been highly efficient since returning, hauling in 18 of 26 targets for 283 yards and a touchdown. His 94.3 receiving yards per game ranks third in the NFL, only trailing superstars
Puka Nacua and
Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Veteran quarterback
Carson Wentz honed in on Addison in their Week 7 loss to the Eagles, leading the team with 12 targets. Wentz will make another start in Week 8, where Addison will look to stay hot as the Vikings face the Chargers on Thursday Night Football.
--Kyle McCarthySource: RotoBaller
October 22, 2025
Both ESPN's Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler expect the 0-7 New York Jets to be "active sellers" at this year's trade deadline. The trade deadline is less than two weeks away, so the Jets will consider dealing veteran players to acquire draft capital to build for the future. Running back
Breece Hall, edge rusher Jermaine Johnson, and cornerback
Michael Carter II have been the ones generating the most interest around the league. In addition to Hall potentially being dealt away in the coming weeks, the Jets are considering benching quarterback
Justin Fields for veteran
Tyrod Taylor in Week 8 against the Cincinnati Bengals after another disastrous offensive performance in the 13-6 loss to the Carolina Panthers last Sunday. Hall would surely have more fantasy appeal in a different city, and if he's traded,
Isaiah Davis would become the team's RB1, with
Braelon Allen (knee) currently injured.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler
October 22, 2025
Carolina Panthers quarterback
Bryce Young (ankle) was held out of the first practice of the week on Wednesday due to the high-ankle sprain he suffered in the Week 7 win over the New York Jets on Sunday, according to Darin Gantt of Panthers.com. Head coach Dave Canales said that Young is considered "day-to-day" for this Sunday's contest against the Buffalo Bills. High-ankle sprains typically sideline players for at least several weeks, so fantasy managers should be planning on being without the 24-year-old this weekend. The good news is that the young signal-caller wasn't seen wearing a walking boot on Wednesday. The team isn't ruling Young out yet for Week 8, but the expectation is that veteran QB
Andy Dalton will make his first start of 2025 this Sunday against the visiting Bills. At best, Dalton will be in play as a low-end QB2 streamer in leagues that start two QBs if Young is officially ruled out.
--Keith HernandezSource: Panthers.com - Darin Gantt
October 22, 2025
Green Bay Packers wide receiver
Dontayvion Wicks (calf) was not seen participating in the first practice of the week on Wednesday, according to Weston Hodkiewicz of Packers.com. Wicks still has two more days to try to get back on the practice field, but he's off to a bad start after injuring his calf in Sunday's 27-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals. The good news for the Packers is that if the 24-year-old is unable to go in Week 8 on Sunday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers, they could be getting
Christian Watson (knee) back from the Physically Unable to Perform list for his 2025 debut.
Romeo Doubs has been Green Bay's WR1 with
Jayden Reed (collarbone) on Injured Reserve, and rookie first-rounder
Matthew Golden has seen more involvement as well in recent weeks. Wicks has been off the fantasy radar in 12-team leagues with 13 catches for 134 yards and no scores on 20 targets through six games in 2025.
--Keith HernandezSource: Packers.com - Wes Hodkiewicz
October 22, 2025
Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said that quarterback
Michael Penix Jr. (foot) is still day-to-day and will be limited in practice on Wednesday, according to Marc Raimondi of ESPN. Penix suffered a bone bruise in his foot in the Week 7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night, putting his availability for a Week 8 tilt against the Miami Dolphins this Sunday somewhat in question. The 25-year-old second-year QB's injury doesn't sound too serious, but it's enough to keep him out of a full practice in the first session of the week. Morris is optimistic about Penix playing this weekend, but fantasy managers will want to monitor the left-hander's status the rest of the week. If he can practice in full on Thursday or Friday, he should be just fine to play against Miami, where he'll have clear QB1 upside against the Dolphins' weak defense. If Penix cannot go, veteran
Kirk Cousins would see his first action of the year and would immediately be on the streaming radar in fantasy leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Marc Raimondi
October 22, 2025
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver
Calvin Austin III (shoulder) was back in the mix at practice on Wednesday, according to Brian Batko. It's unclear what Austin's official practice status is, but it's good news as he tries to return for a Week 8 contest this Sunday night versus the Green Bay Packers. For what it's worth, head coach Mike Tomlin said on Tuesday that he was optimistic about Austin's chances of playing this week for the first time since injuring his shoulder in Week 4. In the 26-year-old's absence,
DK Metcalf has continued to serve as the clear WR1 in Pittsburgh, with tight ends
Pat Freiermuth,
Jonnu Smith, and
Darnell Washington picking up more slack in the passing game. When Austin gets back onto the field on game day, he should resume his role as the Steelers' WR2 after catching 10 of 17 targets for 139 yards and two touchdowns in four games. He may need a full practice this week to avoid taking a questionable tag into the Sunday night contest.
--Keith HernandezSource: Brian Batko
October 22, 2025
Buffalo Bills wide receiver
Joshua Palmer (ankle) did not participate in Wednesday's practice as the team returned from its bye, and head coach Sean McDermott confirmed that Palmer is considered week-to-week. The veteran receiver has quietly carved out a role in Buffalo's revamped passing attack, appearing in every game this season and posting 14 receptions for 234 yards while operating as a reliable secondary option for
Josh Allen. However, his recovery timeline remains uncertain, and the Bills may choose to be cautious to avoid a longer-term setback. With
Dalton Kincaid,
Keon Coleman, and
Khalil Shakir firmly established as the top three targets in the offense, Palmer offers limited fantasy upside even when healthy. For now, he should remain on the waiver wire in standard formats, though he may warrant monitoring in deeper leagues if his role expands later in the season.
--Shaun AlbinSource: Maddy Glab
October 22, 2025
Buffalo Bills tight end
Dalton Kincaid (oblique) was limited in practice on Wednesday, raising some concern about his status for Week 8 despite the benefit of extra rest over the team's bye week. Kincaid has quickly emerged as one of the most reliable tight ends in fantasy football, scoring three touchdowns in five games and catching 83.3% of his targets while operating as a featured weapon for
Josh Allen. Even after missing one contest, his 287 receiving yards lead the team, and he also holds a team-high three scores through the air. The Bills will travel to face the 4-3 Carolina Panthers in what has quietly become a tougher-than-expected matchup, making Kincaid's health even more critical for Buffalo's passing attack. Fantasy managers should monitor his practice progression closely, as another limited session or downgrade could put his Week 8 availability in jeopardy.
--Shaun AlbinSource: Maddy Glab
October 22, 2025
Washington Commanders quarterback
Marcus Mariota will make his third start of the season on Monday night against the Kansas City Chiefs, but fantasy managers shouldn't expect much production in a difficult matchup. Mariota has been serviceable in his limited action, completing 64.6% of his passes with a 3:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio, while adding some mobility outside the pocket. However, he now faces a Chiefs defense that ranks among the league's best, allowing the fifth-fewest yards per game and just 17.7 points per contest, good for third in the NFL. To make matters worse, Mariota could once again be operating without two of his top pass-catchers as Deebo Samuel (heel) and
Terry McLaurin (quad) both remain questionable. With limited weapons and a brutal defensive matchup, Mariota lacks fantasy upside and should remain on the waiver wire in all formats outside of deep superflex leagues.
--Shaun AlbinSource: Nicki Jhabvala
October 22, 2025
Houston Texans wide receiver
Christian Kirk (hamstring) did not participate in Wednesday's practice and remains questionable for Week 8 as he works his way back from a lingering soft-tissue injury. Kirk has not appeared in a game since October 5 and was unavailable for Monday night's loss to the Seahawks, marking yet another setback in what has been a frustrating stretch for the veteran receiver. Dating back to last season, Kirk has struggled to stay on the field, playing in just eight games in 2024, and durability has become a growing concern. When healthy, however, Kirk has proven to be a reliable playmaker. His last full season came in 2022, when he delivered 84 receptions for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns. With
Nico Collins (concussion) also uncertain for Week 8, Houston could desperately use Kirk's return, but fantasy managers should monitor practice reports closely before trusting him in lineups.
--Shaun AlbinSource: DJ Bien-Aime
October 22, 2025
Houston Texans wide receiver
Nico Collins (concussion) did not practice Wednesday after exiting Monday night's game against the Seahawks when the back of his head hit the turf. Collins remains in the league's concussion protocol and should be considered questionable for Week 8 against the San Francisco 49ers. The fifth-year receiver has seen a modest start to the season, totaling 26 receptions for 339 yards and three touchdowns, but he still leads the team in receiving and remains
C.J. Stroud's most trusted target in a struggling passing attack. With Collins' availability in doubt, Houston may be forced to lean on depth options
Xavier Hutchinson and
Jayden Higgins, while tight end
Dalton Schultz could also see a bump in volume. Fantasy managers should monitor practice reports closely.
--Shaun AlbinSource: DJ Bien-Aime
October 22, 2025
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back
Sean Tucker is expected to see an uptick in opportunities in Week 8 with
Bucky Irving (foot/shoulder) ruled out. Tampa Bay relied heavily on
Rachaad White last week, giving him a massive 90% snap share, but that workload isn't sustainable long term and the team is likely to rotate in a second back more frequently. Tucker has been used sparingly this season with just 11 carries for 34 yards and one touchdown, but he is the clear favorite to slot into the No. 2 role behind White this week. Still, Tucker remains more of a watch-list name than a priority waiver pickup in fantasy leagues, as White continues to dominate both rushing and receiving work in Tampa Bay's offense. Managers in deeper formats may consider adding Tucker as a speculative bench stash.
--Shaun AlbinSource: Pewter Report
October 22, 2025
Baltimore Ravens quarterback
Lamar Jackson (hamstring) was seen on the practice field on Wednesday in the portion of practice open to the media, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. It was Jackson's first appearance at practice since straining his hamstring on Sept. 28 against the Kansas City Chiefs. He "mostly did warmup throws" with the media watch but did also "run around a little bit." The 28-year-old two-time MVP missed Weeks 5 and 6 with his hamstring strain and had last week's bye to heal up. The Ravens have been optimistic that he will return to play in Week 8 against the Chicago Bears, but nothing is set in stone just yet. We'll check back on Jackson's official practice status later on Wednesday, but he might need to practice in full by Friday to be cleared to suit up this Sunday. If Jackson is active against Chicago, he needs to be returned to all starting fantasy lineups.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Jeff Zrebiec
October 22, 2025
Miami Dolphins running back
De'Von Achane has 89 more touches than the next closest Dolphins RB this year. "I am looking to (diversify the offense), but there are a lot of factors that play into that for it to be executed," head coach Mike McDaniel said when asked by ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques whether he was OK with the current RB split or if the team is looking for ways to "diversify the offense." McDaniel pointed to the game against the Buffalo Bills as the ideal touch distribution for their backfield, when Achane had 12 carries and rookie
Ollie Gordon II had nine carries. Through seven games in 2025, Achane has a healthy 212 touches. Fantasy managers are surely happy about that, but the touch distribution could change if the Dolphins can be more competitive in games. It sounds like Miami would like to get Gordon more work, but things just haven't worked out that way. Until further notice, Achane is a set-and-forget RB1 with a high floor given his hefty volume.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Marcel Louis-Jacques
October 22, 2025
New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn has refrained from announcing his starting quarterback for the Week 8 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, citing his desire not to give the opposition a competitive advantage. The Jets benched struggling QB
Justin Fields at halftime last Sunday in their loss to the Carolina Panthers, and reports have suggested early this week that the team is moving toward starting veteran
Tyrod Taylor (knee) against Cincy. Taylor is now day-to-day with a knee injury, though, so it's unclear if that will affect Glenn's decision this week. Either way, New York's passing attack will most likely continue to be below average, especially if top receiver
Garrett Wilson (knee) is forced to miss a second straight game. The Bengals' defense will allow the Jets to get right, but can the Jets take advantage? At best, Taylor will be a desperation low-end QB2 streamer in superflex leagues if he makes his first start of the year this weekend.
--Keith HernandezSource: Josina Anderson
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