RADIO
Melkart Abou Jaoude Out Against Clemson
North Carolina defensive end Melkart Abou Jaoude is out for North Carolina's Week 3 matchup with Clemson, according to the ACC availability report. Abou Jaoude was initially listed as questionable due to a hand/wrist injury he sustained during the Tar Heels' Week 0 win over TCU, but he will not play against the Tigers on Saturday. Abou Jaoude is considered North Carolina's top defender after he led the ACC in sacks a season ago with 10.5. During the win over the Horned Frogs, he recorded four tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. North Carolina is the No. 40-ranked defense in RotoBaller's Week 3 rankings.
Source: ACC availability report
Source: ACC availability report
Sam Leavitt Off the Injury Report
LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt (undisclosed) has gone from doubtful to questionable to off the injury report entirely as the Tigers prepare for a heated rivalry matchup with Ole Miss on Saturday night. Leavitt did not practice on Wednesday, but followed that up by participating in a Thursday walkthrough before he was removed from the SEC Availability Report on Friday, clearing him for action against Ole Miss. Leavitt is RotoBaller's 3rd-ranked quarterback and is projected to score 30.6 points against the Rebels. Through two games, the Arizona State transfer has completed 62.1% of his passes for 574 yards and two touchdowns. He has also carried the ball 23 times for 135 yards rushing and five touchdowns. Ole Miss has allowed 243 yards passing per game through two weeks.
Source: SEC availability report
Source: SEC availability report
Justin Verlander Throws Live Batting Practice
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Justin Verlander (hamstring/hip) threw a one-inning, 20-pitch live batting practice session on Friday. The 43-year-old said that he felt great after this successful outing. This was yet another step in the right direction, as it was his first time throwing against live batters. What lies ahead in his progress remains to be seen, as the plan is for him to pitch one final time in his illustrious career on Saturday, September 26, against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Whether or not he is able to throw one inning or more remains questionable, but with him retiring after this season, chances are he will be healthy enough to make that appearance and cap off one of baseball's greatest careers. With 266 wins and 3,554 strikeouts over 21 seasons, the surefire Hall of Famer will be looking to finish his career where it started: in Detroit.
Source: Chris McCosky
Source: Chris McCosky
Malik Willis Brings QB2 Upside Due to Rushing Potential
Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis brings unique potential in Week 2, when he will start against the 49ers. In Week 1, he led his team in rushing with 39 rushing yards on six carries while also completing 15-of-27 passes for 220 passing yards. He ran for a touchdown but didn't throw any scores, while also throwing an interception. He took five sacks and sustained a toe injury, but he was a full participant in practice all week and is going to focus on taking fewer sacks in Week 2. Willis and the Dolphins' offense are still very much a work in progress, but his rushing production is enough to keep him on the radar in dual-QB leagues. In Week 2, Willis is the No. 21 QB in RotoBaller's rankings, leaving him well outside the starting level in most leagues but on the fringes of QB2 status, even in a difficult matchup by the Bay.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Michael Pittman Jr. Facing Difficult Matchup, Injury Concerns in Week 2
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (foot) is officially questionable to play in his team's Week 2 matchup against the New England Patriots. Pittman Jr. was held out of practice on both Thursday and Friday due to a foot injury, so he may be a true game-time decision on Sunday. The 28-year-old had an underwhelming game in Pittsburgh's Week 1 win over the Atlanta Falcons, recording three catches for 58 yards on three targets. While Pittman Jr. profiles as the WR2 in Pittsburgh alongside DK Metcalf, he was sixth on the team in targets in Week 1. Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has a penchant for throwing the ball to his running backs, which could hurt Pittman Jr.'s ability to make a consistent fantasy impact. New England also fielded a stingy pass defense in 2025, ranking as a top-10 unit in terms of both total passing yards and yards per pass attempt allowed. Even if Pittman Jr. is active, he profiles as a borderline deep-league flex option for fantasy managers in Week 2.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Trent Grisham Could Return This Season
New York Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham (hamstring) is pretty far into his recovery, two weeks after being placed on the 10-Day Injured List with a Grade 2 hamstring strain. Manager Aaron Boone reiterated that a return for him "could be in play" for the latter part of the season. It was also mentioned that when he does return, the Yankees would need to decide between him and Spencer Jones to play center field. This could complicate things for both players, as there could be some sort of platoon involving the two, diminishing their fantasy value down the stretch. Either way, the Yankees will be looking to solidify their lineup for the playoffs, and Grisham's fantasy value is very limited down the stretch, with or without a return before the playoffs.
Source: Brendan Kuty - The Athletic
Source: Brendan Kuty - The Athletic
Jaylen Wright Is In a Very Limited Role
Miami Dolphins running back Jaylen Wright earned the team's backup spot in the backfield, but in Week 1, he was a non-factor. While even starting RB De'Von Achane didn't get much going against the Raiders, Wright only played four snaps (7%) and lost a yard on his only carry. Wright has shown enough upside to be more than just a handcuff, but he can't be a fantasy factor unless he gets a much bigger workload. The Dolphins are expected to have a run-heavy attack, but most of the work looks like it will go to Achane and QB Malik Willis. In Week 2's matchup against the 49ers, Wright is only the RB68 in RotoBaller's rankings, indicating that he's best left on the bench or the waiver wire until his workload shifts significantly.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jets D/ST Has a Much Tougher Assignment in Week 2
The Jets defense had a strong opener, holding Tennessee to 195 total yards and 10 points while getting to the quarterback three times. Week 2 is a different test. Green Bay produced 419 yards against Minnesota, and Jordan Love threw for 387 yards and two touchdowns. There is at least one opening for New York: the Packers gave up four sacks, so the pass rush could still create a few fantasy plays. The Jets will also be without Minkah Fitzpatrick and Joseph Ossai, while Will McDonald IV is questionable with an ankle injury. RotoBaller has New York at D/ST21 for the week. There is some sack upside, but this is not nearly as comfortable a streaming spot as the Tennessee matchup was.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jason Sanders Better Left Outside the Top Streaming Tier
New York Jets kicker Jason Sanders gave the Jets plenty in Week 1, hitting from 33, 51, and 52 yards out while missing only a 54-yard try. He also made both extra points and finished with 11 points. That kind of range is useful, but there is still a roster wrinkle heading into Sunday. Sanders was elevated from the practice squad for the opener and, as of Saturday morning, New York had not announced another elevation for Week 2. Assuming he gets the call again, he is still only K24 in RotoBaller's rankings. Last week's line was nice, but it is not enough to push Sanders into the group of kickers fantasy managers should be actively targeting.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Kenyon Sadiq Needs More Than his Week 1 Touchdown
New York Jets rookie first-round tight end Kenyon Sadiq found a fun way to score his first NFL touchdown, taking an end-around three yards into the end zone on the Jets' opening drive. He also caught all three of his targets for 21 yards. The bigger issue is how crowded the position remains. New York used plenty of heavy tight-end personnel against Tennessee, and Sadiq was sharing the field and opportunities with Mason Taylor, Jeremy Ruckert and Jelani Woods. That can keep him involved without necessarily turning into a useful weekly target total. Green Bay allowed T.J. Hockenson to score last week, but Sadiq is still only TE35 in RotoBaller's Week 2 rankings. The touchdown was encouraging. Three targets are not enough yet to make him a standard-league starter.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Joe Burrow a Borderline Fantasy QB1 in Difficult Week 2 Matchup
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (back) is officially listed as questionable but is expected to play in his team's Week 2 matchup against the Houston Texans. Burrow had a relatively quiet game from a fantasy perspective in Week 1, throwing for 254 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While a fully healthy Burrow can put up points against any defense, he faces a difficult matchup against Houston. The Texans were beat up by the Buffalo Bills offense in Week 1, but Houston was a top-seven unit in terms of both total passing yards and passing touchdowns allowed in 2025. Burrow battled back tightness throughout this week in practice, which could limit his mobility against the Texans. Between possible lingering effects from the back issue and the difficult matchup, Burrow profiles as a borderline fantasy QB1 in Week 2.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Braelon Allen Still Has a Secondary Role
New York Jets running back Braelon Allen was not buried behind Breece Hall in Week 1. He carried the ball 10 times for 40 yards and had a touchdown wiped out by a holding penalty, so the Jets clearly plan to use him. Hall still handled 22 carries and two targets, which tells us just as much. This is Hall's backfield, with Allen working behind him rather than alongside him. Green Bay allowed rushing touchdowns to both Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones Sr. last week, so the matchup itself is fine. Allen checks in at RB52 in RotoBaller's Week 2 rankings. There is enough work here to keep him relevant in deeper formats, but it is hard to start him while Hall is getting this much of the offense.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Adonai Mitchell Has Some Deep-League Appeal
New York Jets wide receiver Adonai Mitchell only saw three targets in the opener, but he caught all three for 60 yards and gave the Jets their biggest play of the day with a 40-yard reception. That is probably the fantasy case with Mitchell right now. Garrett Wilson is going to dominate targets, and New York showed it is comfortable playing with multiple tight ends on the field, so volume may come and go. Still, Omar Cooper Jr. has been ruled out, which should help keep Mitchell on the field against Green Bay. He is WR61 in RotoBaller's Week 2 rankings and does not need to be forced into normal starting lineups. In deeper leagues, though, the downfield role gives him enough of a ceiling to be interesting.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Garrett Wilson Remains the Clear No. 1 Target
New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson did not score in Week 1, but there was no question about where quarterback Geno Smith looked first. Wilson caught six of seven targets for 79 yards, including a 31-yard grab, and no other Jets player saw more than three targets. Omar Cooper Jr. is also out this week with an ankle injury, which does nothing to hurt Wilson's grip on the passing game. Green Bay gave up eight catches, 92 yards, and two touchdowns to Justin Jefferson in the opener, even though Minnesota did not pile up much passing yardage overall. Wilson sits at WR12 in RotoBaller's Week 2 rankings. The Jets may still prefer to run when they can, but Wilson's share is big enough that he does not need a huge passing day from Smith to return solid fantasy value.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Breece Hall Should Stay Busy in Week 2
New York Jets running back Breece Hall came out of Week 1 with exactly the kind of workload fantasy managers wanted. The Jets gave him 22 carries; he turned them into 102 yards and a touchdown, and he caught both of his targets for another 16 yards. Braelon Allen was involved, but not enough to blur the pecking order. Hall had 24 opportunities while New York leaned on the run all afternoon. Green Bay gave up two rushing touchdowns to the Vikings last week, one to Jordan Mason and one to Aaron Jones Sr., and the matchup is not enough to scare anyone away from Hall. RotoBaller has him at RB17 for Week 2. Allen may continue to take a handful of touches, but Hall is still the back this offense is built around.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
