RADIO
Chet Holmgren to Miss Second Straight Game
Oklahoma City Thunder forward/center Chet Holmgren (knee) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Dallas Mavericks with right patellar tendinitis. It will be his second straight absence after averaging 12.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks through three games. Isaiah Hartenstein should continue to handle the bulk of the center minutes, while rookie Aday Mara is worth a look after posting 11 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks in 20 minutes against Phoenix. Kenrich Williams should also stay more involved in the frontcourt, but Mara's rebounding and shot-blocking give him the stronger short-term fantasy appeal.
Source: Clemente Almanza
Source: Clemente Almanza
Alperen Sengun Sidelined with Back Soreness Wednesday
Houston Rockets forward/center Alperen Sengun (back) has been ruled out for Wednesday's road game against the Milwaukee Bucks with low back soreness. It will be his first absence of the season after averaging 24.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists on 58.1% shooting during Houston's 4-0 start. With Steven Adams (soleus) also sidelined, Clint Capela is in line for a much larger role at center, while Tari Eason and Jabari Smith Jr. could pick up additional frontcourt work. Sengun's next chance to return comes Friday in Dallas.
Source: Will Guillory
Source: Will Guillory
Yves Missi Remains Sidelined Wednesday
New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi (knee) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Denver Nuggets with a left knee bone bruise. Missi has been sidelined since injuring his knee Friday against Utah and remains without a return timetable. The 22-year-old opened the season with 13 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, three blocks, and two steals against Indiana. Derik Queen has stepped up in his absence, finishing with 17 points and eight rebounds on 6-for-10 shooting Saturday in Denver. DeAndre Jordan should remain part of the center rotation, but Queen offers considerably more fantasy upside while Missi is sidelined.
Source: Rod Walker
Source: Rod Walker
Branden Carlson Available for Season Debut on Tuesday
Portland Trail Blazers center Branden Carlson (concussion) is available for Tuesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers after missing the first two games of the season in concussion protocol. The 27-year-old signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal with Portland this summer after averaging 5.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 11.6 minutes for Oklahoma City last season. Carlson finished that campaign with back-to-back double-doubles, but minutes could be difficult to find behind Portland's established frontcourt options. He may need an injury or rotation change before becoming relevant for fantasy purposes.
Source: Trail Blazers PR
Source: Trail Blazers PR
Scoot Henderson Good to Go Against Lakers
Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson (ankle) is available for Tuesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers after dealing with left ankle soreness. The 22-year-old has come off the bench through Portland's first two games, averaging 9.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 20.0 minutes while shooting 1-for-9 from three. Henderson averaged 14.2 points and 3.7 assists across 30 appearances last season, but a backcourt featuring Damian Lillard, Ja Morant, and Jrue Holiday leaves little room for a major fantasy role unless injuries open up more minutes.
Source: Trail Blazers PR
Source: Trail Blazers PR
Anthony Edwards Sidelined Until December
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (knee) will undergo an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee and miss up to two months, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The news comes one night after Edwards erupted for 47 points in an overtime loss to Cleveland, bringing his season average to 33.3 points through four games. Minnesota reportedly hopes to have the 25-year-old back sometime in December. LaMelo Ball should take on more of the creation burden, while Jaden McDaniels and Jonathan Kuminga could see more shots. Ayo Dosunmu is a strong candidate to enter the starting five after averaging 14.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 24 games with Minnesota last season.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
Red Sox Showed Interest in Zach Neto and CJ Abrams During 2026
The Boston Red Sox "checked in" on Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto and Washington Nationals shortstop/second baseman CJ Abrams during the 2026 season, per Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic. McCaffrey writes that the Red Sox ultimately determined that the asking prices for both players, which included top Boston shortstop prospect Franklin Arias and more, were too high. Still, it's noteworthy that the Red Sox could potentially be in the market for veteran infield help this winter. Boston got highly underwhelming production at shortstop in 2026 from Trevor Story, who has one year and $25 million remaining on his current contract. If the Red Sox feel that Arias is not ready to take over in 2027, they could look to make a move for a more established option. Both Neto and Abrams would likely see their fantasy value improved by a trade to Boston.
Source: The Athletic - Jen McCaffrey
Source: The Athletic - Jen McCaffrey
Michael Pittman Jr. Could be Long-Term Stash Option
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (foot) won't suit up for the Week 8 matchup against the Cleveland Browns. Pittman will remain on the Injured Reserve, but he has a chance to return in Week 10. He won't play this weekend, and the Steelers have a bye during the following week. Fantasy managers willing to wait two weeks should consider stashing Pittman. Before going down, Pittman hauled in seven receptions for 89 yards in three games. He figures to be a significant part of the passing attack once he's back in the mix. Fantasy managers who are willing to be patient might get a nice payoff down the road once Pittman is back in the mix.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Tanner McKee Could Offer Deep League Streaming Value
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee made his second straight start during Monday's game against the Dallas Cowboys. McKee delivered a lackluster performance, completing 23-of-35 passing attempts for 211 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the loss. Despite some mixed results, the Eagles are expected to stick with McKee, given they don't really have any better options right now. Fantasy managers in a pinch due to bye weeks could snag McKee as a desperation streaming option. McKee has thrown for over 200 yards with at least one touchdown over his last two starts. He could offer superflex value for the Week 8 matchup against the Washington Commanders.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Triston Casas Could Open 2027 in Triple-A
Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas (wrist) could be a candidate to start the 2027 season in Triple-A, per Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic. Casas did not play at all in 2026 due to wrist, knee, and intercostal injuries. It's been a while since the 26-year-old was able to string together an extended stretch of health, as injuries limited him to just 112 plate appearances in 2025 and 243 plate appearances in 2024. However, Casas was productive in his lone healthy big league season, hitting .263 with 24 home runs across 502 plate appearances in 2023. If he can get back to full health, Casas could be a useful power bat for Boston. Still, the Red Sox currently have a logjam at first base/designated hitter between Willson Contreras, Roman Anthony, Masataka Yoshida, and Curtis Mead. Casas is a name for deeper-league fantasy managers to monitor, but he could be forced to prove he can still be productive at the lower levels before he gets another shot in the big leagues.
Source: The Athletic - Jen McCaffrey
Source: The Athletic - Jen McCaffrey
Rachaad White is a Decent Streaming Option for Week 8
Washington Commanders running back Rachaad White is expected to remain the lead back ahead of the Week 8 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. Fellow back Jacory Croskey-Merritt (groin) is still on the Injured Reserve, so White should continue seeing a larger role in the backfield. In Week 6, White carried the ball seven times for 27 yards, but he did most of his damage in the receiving game. White hauled in four of his five targets for 30 yards and a touchdown in the loss to the San Francisco 49ers. The 27-year-old is a dual-threat back who could help needy fantasy managers in Week 8. There's probably not a ton of long-term value here with White, but he'll be a decent flex option for this weekend.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Red Sox Looking to Extend Adley Rutschman?
Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic writes that the Boston Red Sox failing to come to a long-term extension with catcher Adley Rutschman after giving up a prospect haul to acquire him at the 2026 trade deadline would be "pretty rough." McCaffrey also speculates that Rutschman would likely ask for somewhere around five years and $100 million from Boston. The 28-year-old is set to hit free agency after 2027. Across 410 plate appearances split between the Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles in 2026, Rutschman hit .242/.315/.426 with 13 home runs, 60 RBI, and 44 runs scored. Rutschman could significantly improve his market if he can stay healthy for a full season and get his offensive numbers up closer to where they were in his peak season in 2023, when he posted an .809 OPS and 20 home runs across 687 plate appearances. Still, he may want the security of a long-term extension, and Boston could be looking to secure its catcher of the future.
Source: The Athletic - Jen McCaffrey
Source: The Athletic - Jen McCaffrey
Brevyn Spann-Ford is Seeing a Larger Role
Dallas Cowboys tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford has been seeing his snap count grow in recent weeks. The third-year tight end has been consistently getting more reps than Luke Schoonmaker throughout most of the season. Jake Ferguson remains the top option at tight end, but Spann-Ford has been getting the ball thrown his way more frequently. In Week 6, Spann-Ford hauled in four of his five targets for 35 yards. He saw his most playing time of the season this past week when he played 53 percent of the offensive snaps during the win over the Philadelphia Eagles. He hauled in both of his targets for 11 yards in the victory. The 26-year-old could be a dynasty stash for managers willing to be patient with him.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Darius Cooper Offers Deep League Stash Value
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Darius Cooper saw an increased snap count during Monday's Week 7 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Cooper was asked to play more with DeVonta Smith (hamstring) and Dontayvion Wicks (ankle) both sidelined for Monday's contest. Despite seeing a lot of the field, Cooper only hauled in one of his three targets for 17 yards. The second-year wideout has seen more time on the field lately, but he hasn't been able to make much of an impact. Cooper has two receptions or fewer in three straight games. Cooper is worth considering as a deep league or dynasty stash with the Eagles banged up at wide receiver right now.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Nelson Velazquez Released by Astros, Plans to Pursue Opportunity in Asia
The Houston Astros have released outfielder Nelson Velazquez, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. McTaggart reports that Velazquez will pursue an "opportunity with a club in Asia" upon his release. Across 113 plate appearances split between the Astros and the St. Louis Cardinals in 2026, Velazquez hit .188/.257/.406 with six home runs, 18 RBI, and 12 runs scored. The 27-year-old has flashed high-end power, logging a 14% barrel rate and a 45% hard-hit rate across 728 career big-league plate appearances. However, Velazquez has also consistently graded out as a poor defender in the outfield, and he struck out in 29.5% of his trips to the plate. He may get another chance to prove himself at the MLB level, but it sounds as though he will be playing somewhere in Asia in 2027.
Source: MLB.com - Brian McTaggart
Source: MLB.com - Brian McTaggart
