October 20, 2025
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver
Mike Evans (concussion, shoulder) returned on Monday night to face the Detroit Lions in Week 7 for the first time since straining his left hamstring in Week 3, but it didn't take long for him to get hurt again in the first half at Ford Field. Evans went down in the second quarter deep down the field and was visibly in a lot of pain before being helped to the sideline. The Bucs have since ruled him out for the rest of the game with a concussion and shoulder injury, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The 32-year-old veteran wideout was carted into the locker room, where he will most likely undergo more tests on his shoulder.
Chris Godwin (leg) is inactive on Monday night, so rookie first-rounder
Emeka Egbuka and
Sterling Shepard will be quarterback
Baker Mayfield's top targets the rest of the night. It's a tough blow for Evans' fantasy managers who started him in Week 7. He was unable to catch any of his four targets before leaving with his two injuries.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
October 20, 2025
New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore said that quarterback
Spencer Rattler will keep starting for the team, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. Rattler had a rough game in the Week 7 loss on the road to the Chicago Bears, turning the ball over four times. Moore noted that the Bears have been forcing turnovers all year, so he's not too worried, and that the 25-year-old signal-caller needs to learn from it and move on. Rattler will head into Week 8 as the starter, but he's going to need to play better to hold off rookie
Tyler Shough before the end of the season. He'll get a little bit of leash despite throwing three interceptions and losing a fumble, mainly because he had just one pick and no fumbles before the Week 7 loss to Chicago. From a fantasy perspective, managers should keep ignoring New Orleans' quarterback situation.
--Keith HernandezSource: NewOrleans.Football - Nick Underhill
October 20, 2025
Former Philadelphia Eagles standout linebacker Brandon Graham, who is the longest-tenured player in franchise history, is finalizing a deal on Monday to rejoin the team this week, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Graham played 15 seasons for the Eagles and will now come out of retirement to return for his 16th season in the NFL. The 37-year-old hung up his cleats back in March, but the itch to return has gotten the better of him, and he will return this week to try and help the Eagles win back-to-back Super Bowl championships. The former first-rounder will give the Eagles some more pass-rushing depth with Nolan Smith (triceps) and Ogbo Okoronkwo (triceps) on Injured Reserve. Graham will most likely be more of a rotational pass-rusher in his return to the league in 2025 after he had only 3.5 sacks and 20 tackles (15 solo) in 11 regular-season games (one start) a year ago.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
October 20, 2025
Cleveland Browns tight end
David Njoku (knee) remains day-to-day on Monday, according to head coach Kevin Stefanski. Njoku injured his knee in the Week 6 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and was unable to practice all of last week before being ruled out of the blowout win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. The 29-year-old's knee injury isn't all that serious, so he could have a chance to play in Week 8 against the New England Patriots if he's able to return to practice this week. If Njoku makes it back to face New England on Sunday, he'll be in play as a low-end TE1/high-end TE2 for fantasy purposes. Impressive rookie tight end
Harold Fannin Jr. had the best game of his career against Pittsburgh with a 7-81-0 line, but disappointed with four catches for 36 yards against Miami with Njoku sidelined. Njoku's upside as a TE1 in fantasy has been capped in 2025 with Fannin involved.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Daniel Oyefusi
October 20, 2025
Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon reiterated on Monday that quarterback
Kyler Murray (foot) will be the team's starting QB when he is healthy, but it's "too early to say" whether he'll be ready to return coming out of the bye to face the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. A mid-foot sprain has kept Murray out of the Cardinals' last two games, and although backup
Jacoby Brissett has played well in his two spot starts, the team isn't ready to bench the struggling Murray. The 28-year-old Murray gives the Cardinals' offense more options because of his rushing abilities, but he has mostly underwhelmed in his five starts in 2025, failing to go over 220 yards passing in any game while tossing only six touchdowns and three interceptions. Meanwhile, Brissett has thrown for 599 yards, four TDs, and one pick the last two weeks with Murray inactive.
--Keith HernandezSource: AZCardinals.com - Darren Urban
October 20, 2025
The San Francisco 49ers will continue to monitor wide receiver
Ricky Pearsall (knee) this week, and there is no certainty that he will return to face the Houston Texans on Sunday in Week 8, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. Pearsall sprained his knee in the Week 4 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars and has missed the last two games as a result. It sounds like the former first-rounder is in danger of missing a third straight game in Week 8, too, depending on how much he can do at practice this week. The 25-year-old didn't practice at all last week, so he'll just be trying to get on the practice field this week as the team begins preparations for the Texans. With Pearsall out,
Jauan Jennings and
Kendrick Bourne have been the team's top two wideouts, but most of quarterback
Mac Jones' passes have been going to do-it-all running back
Christian McCaffrey.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Nick Wagoner
October 20, 2025
The San Francisco 49ers will continue to monitor quarterback
Brock Purdy (toe) this week, and there is no certainty that he will return for the Week 8 contest on Sunday against the Houston Texans, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. Purdy has been sidelined since aggravating his turf-toe injury in Week 4, and he has only played in two games through the first seven weeks due to the injury. According to head coach Kyle Shanahan, it could be a stretch for the 25-year-old to return this weekend, but it will all depend on how much he can do in practice leading up to Sunday's contest. Purdy was limited in three practices last week, and he will probably need to put in a full practice this week to have a realistic shot at returning. Fantasy managers should consider him on the wrong side of questionable as of right now.
Mac Jones would make his third straight start in a tough matchup against Houston if Purdy misses a fifth game.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Nick Wagoner
October 20, 2025
Baltimore Ravens quarterback
Lamar Jackson (hamstring) remained sidelined at Monday's practice, the team's first practice since coming off their Week 7 bye, according to Jamison Hensley of The Baltimore Sun. The two-time MVP hasn't suited up since injuring his hamstring in the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs back on Sept. 28. The Ravens have expressed optimism that Jackson will return for the Week 9 game against the Chicago Bears, but the 28-year-old is going to need to return to practice at some point this week to be cleared by the weekend. For now, fantasy managers should consider Jackson to be questionable this week. Check back on Wednesday when the Ravens hold their first official practice of the week. Jackson is a must-start, high-end QB1 in fantasy if he returns to action this Sunday. But if he misses another game,
Cooper Rush will be forced to make another start.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jamison Hensley
October 20, 2025
Los Angeles Chargers running back
Kimani Vidal couldn't capitalize on last week's breakout, rushing nine times for only 20 yards and adding four catches for 15 yards in Sunday's 38-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. A negative game script forced the Chargers to abandon the run early, giving Vidal little room to operate. With a short week ahead against the Minnesota Vikings, the Bolts may need to rely more on the ground game to balance their offense. The Vikings are much more vulnerable against the run than the pass, providing Vidal a potential opportunity for rebound, but only if the Chargers can keep the game close. He remains the clear RB1 until
Omarion Hampton (ankle) returns from IR.
--Don FanelliSource: NFL
October 20, 2025
Veteran wide receiver
Tyler Lockett asked for and received his release on Monday from the Tennessee Titans, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Lockett is expected to be on the open market and free to sign with another team after 4 pm ET on Wednesday. The 33-year-old veteran won't even make it a full season in Tennessee after joining them via free agency back in March. In his seven games with Tennessee, he had a small role in a struggling offense led by rookie quarterback
Cameron Ward, catching only 10 of his 21 targets for 70 yards and no touchdowns. Lockett is clearly nearing the end of his NFL career, but another NFL team will likely take a chance on him as a veteran voice for their locker room after he caught 49 passes for 600 yards and two touchdowns in 17 games in 2024 in his final year with the Seattle Seahawks. It's unlikely he'll suddenly resurface on the fantasy radar in 12-team leagues, though.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
October 20, 2025
Minnesota Vikings quarterbacks
J.J. McCarthy (ankle) and
Carson Wentz (shoulder) were both listed as limited on Monday's estimated injury report ahead of the Week 8 game this Thursday night against the Los Angeles Chargers, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. McCarthy has been sidelined since suffering a high right-ankle sprain in the Week 2 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, but the 22-year-old former first-rounder resumed practicing last week and put in three limited showings. If he can upgrade to a full participant over the next couple of days, the Vikings could consider starting him under center again this week. Meanwhile, Wentz has been dealing with a left (non-throwing) shoulder injury since before the Week 6 bye, although it's probably not serious enough to keep him sidelined this Thursday if Minnesota elects to sit McCarthy for one more week.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
October 20, 2025
Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver
Ladd McConkey saw a heavy workload in Week 7, catching nine of 15 targets for 67 yards in the team's 38-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. He led the team in targets for the second straight week, continuing to earn Herbert's trust on short and intermediate routes, although he didn't score after back-to-back games with a touchdown. In Week 8, the Bolts face a tough Minnesota Vikings secondary allowing just 26.9 PPR points per game to wide receivers. With a short week and tired legs, McConkey's ceiling might be limited, but his growing role and target share keep him in the FLEX/WR3 consideration for most leagues.
--Don FanelliSource: NFL
October 20, 2025
Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alim McNeill (knee) and left tackle Taylor Decker (shoulder) are both active for the Monday night showdown in Week 7 against the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. McNeill is making his 2025 debut after recovering from a torn right ACL that he suffered in December of last year. Although the 25-year-old could be eased back into the rotation on the interior of Detroit's defensive line on Monday night, he is fully expected to reprise his starting role. It's a boost for Detroit's run defense against a Tampa team that will be missing running back
Bucky Irving (foot, shoulder) for a third straight game. Decker will make his return after missing the last two games. The 31-year-old veteran will take over starting left-tackle duties while protecting quarterback
Jared Goff's blind side.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
October 20, 2025
Tampa Bay Buccaneers veteran wide receiver
Mike Evans (hamstring) is officially active for the Monday night contest against the Detroit Lions in Week 7, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Evans came into Monday's contest with a questionable tag, but he will officially return after straining his left hamstring back in Week 3. Additionally, Tampa will have impressive rookie first-round wideout
Emeka Egbuka on the field after he strained his hamstring in the Week 6 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
Chris Godwin (leg) and running back
Bucky Irving (foot, shoulder) will be out. Evans and Egbuka should be quarterback
Baker Mayfield's top target in the passing game in what could easily be a shootout under the lights. Still, there's also a chance that Evans doesn't play his usual number of offensive snaps, given his long layoff. Still, Evans should be in starting fantasy lineups in redraft leagues now that he's cleared.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
October 20, 2025
Tampa Bay Buccaneers first-round rookie wide receiver
Emeka Egbuka (hamstring) came out of pre-game warmups feeling good and is officially active for the Monday night showdown against the Detroit Lions in Week 7, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The Bucs won't have receiver
Chris Godwin (leg) and running back
Bucky Irving (foot, shoulder), but they will have Egbuka and
Mike Evans (hamstring), who will be active for the first time since straining his hamstring back in Week 3. The 23-year-old Egbuka strained his hamstring in the Week 6 win over the San Francisco 49ers, but despite a questionable tag, he will not miss a game. Evans could be on a limited snap count in his first game back, so Egbuka could very well lead Tampa's receiving corps in targets in a game that has shootout written all over it. Get Egbuka back into your starting lineups against Detroit.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
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