Sep 8, 2026, 2:11 PM ET

Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano has named AJ Surace the starting quarterback for the team's Week 2 game against Boston College. Week 1 starter Dylan Lonergan left the team's surprising loss to Massachusetts with an undisclosed injury, which led to the change for this coming week. Lonergan completed 16-of-29 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns, but was picked off three times in Week 1; he also lost a fumble. Surace was 6-of-9 passing for 77 yards and a touchdown, while failing to produce anything on the ground. Rutgers' offense produced 349 total yards of offense, but four turnovers allowed UMass to pull the upset. Boston College will provide a tougher challenge for the Scarlet Knights, and now with a new starting quarterback, all of Rutgers' fantasy players get a slight downgrade. Wide receiver KJ Duff was the only bright spot offensively for the Scarlet Knights last week; he caught nine passes for 196 yards and three touchdowns.--Morgan Rode
Source: Pete Thamel - ESPN

Sep 8, 2026, 2:04 PM ET

The New York Jets have already acknowledged that they will likely be easing rookie first-round tight end Kenyon Sadiq (hernia) into the offense early on after he missed all of training camp and the preseason this summer following hernia surgery and a setback along the way. However, Sadiq is trending in the right direction to be active for Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans this Sunday, Sept. 13, after participating in positional drills on Tuesday, according to Brian Costello of The New York Post. The extremely athletic tight end from Oregon has tons of long-term upside, but the Jets do not need to rush him back in his first NFL campaign when they have second-year TE Mason Taylor capable of handling the pass-catching duties as Sadiq gets up to speed. Sadiq went undrafted in the majority of 12- and 14-team leagues this summer, but he is not a bad waiver-wire stash if you have room on your bench and want more depth at the position. If Sadiq is active in Week 1 on Sunday, fantasy managers should have him on their benches for his NFL debut.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The New York Post - Brian Costello

Sep 8, 2026, 2:02 PM ET

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (lower body) was seen leading positional drills during the media accessible portion of Tuesday's practice, and beat reporter Jamison Hensley points out that he looks to be operating at full strength after missing two weeks of practice with a lower body ailment. Flowers caught a career-high 86 passes for 1,211 yards on his way to a WR7 finish in 2025, and he returns as a focal point of a Ravens offense looking to get more explosive under new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. Having never topped five touchdowns in a season, it's possible he has yet to approach his true fantasy ceiling, making Flowers a legitimate WR1 candidate for the second year in a row and a potential value as RotoBaller's WR14.--Patrick McGrath
Source: Jamison Hensley

Sep 8, 2026, 1:57 PM ET

South Carolina offensive lineman Jacarrius Peak (knee) and edge rusher Dylan Stewart (back) both returned to practice on Tuesday. However, neither is likely to play in Week 2 against Towson. A return for both players in Week 3 against Mississippi State is more realistic. Peak was a big transfer addition for the Gamecocks after making 32 starts over 38 career games with NC State. Stewart has 56 total tackles over the past two seasons with South Carolina, including 11 sacks and six forced fumbles. Without Peak and Stewart in Week 1 against Kent State, South Carolina rolled to a 57-0 victory. The Gamecocks had 645 total yards of offense, while limiting Kent State to 179 yards. Another favorable matchup gives Peak and Stewart another week to recover before the schedule toughens for the Gamecocks.--Morgan Rode
Source: Pete Nakos - On3

Sep 8, 2026, 1:54 PM ET

The Boston Globe's Tim Healey reports that Boston Red Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet (shoulder) is tracking towards being ready for the wild-card round of the postseason in early October. Although Crochet threw a 16-pitch bullpen session last Friday, he is unlikely to pitch in either the majors or minors before the playoffs begin. The 27-year-old southpaw has been sidelined for over three months due to left-shoulder and lat issues, with his shoulder being the more troublesome injury in 2026. Crochet should begin facing live hitters soon, but the BoSox are not going to rush him back and hope to have him available as a reliever out of the bullpen if they make the postseason. After finishing second in the American League Cy Young voting in 2025 in his first year in Beantown, Crochet only managed to make six starts for fantasy managers in 2026 while recording a 6.30 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, and 37 strikeouts across his 30 innings pitched. It is a disappointing end to an injury-plagued season, with fantasy managers now in the clear to drop Crochet in redraft leagues.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Boston Globe - Tim Healey

Sep 8, 2026, 1:52 PM ET

The Green Bay Packers will be without running back Josh Jacobs (personal) to begin the season, as the three-time Pro Bowler was put on the Commissioner's Exempt List in late August, and on Tuesday, offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich told reporters the team would use a committee approach to open the year. "It's gonna be running back by committee for a little bit to see where everyone is at." MarShawn Lloyd, Chris Brooks, and Kaleb Johnson are the three backs on the team's 53-man roster, and while Lloyd has arguably the highest ceiling of the bunch, he has struggled to stay healthy since the team spent a third-round pick on him in the 2024 NFL Draft. Speaking on his skill set, Stenavich told the assembled media, "[Lloyd] definitely has explosive ability, playmaking ability." The Packers open the season in a divisional matchup with the Vikings, and while a committee approach is the last thing fantasy managers were hoping to hear about days before the start of the season, Lloyd's talent should be on display early, keeping him in the Week 1 flex conversation.--Patrick McGrath
Source: Weston Hodkiewicz

Sep 8, 2026, 1:37 PM ET

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) has led the team from Day 1 of training camp, reportedly looking as sharp as he has in years, and NFL Insider Ian Rapoport reports that he is on track to start Week 1 in a Monday Night divisional matchup with the Broncos. The two-time MVP tore his ACL in Week 15 of the 2025 season, but head coach Andy Reid told reporters on Tuesday that there is a "pretty good chance" he'll be under center to begin his tenth season. Mahomes was the fantasy QB2 at the time of his injury, having run for a career-high 422 yards and five rushing scores to that point, but with him less than nine months removed from knee surgery, there are lingering questions about how he'll be used in 2026, and he enters the season as RotoBaller's QB13.--Patrick McGrath
Source: Ian Rapoport

Sep 8, 2026, 1:25 PM ET

Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze (leg) will not practice on Tuesday, and head coach Ben Johnson told reporters he is considered "day-to-day." Johnson clarified that the 2024 first-round pick did not aggravate the foot injury that he dealt with last season but is instead dealing with "something different," and the team remains hopeful he'll be able to suit up for a Week 1 matchup with the Panthers. Odunze led the Bears with 87 targets in 2025 despite missing five games, and following the departure of veteran DJ Moore, there is an expectation of a further consolidation of opportunities between Odunze and second-year pass-catchers Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland. Fantasy managers will now need to monitor Odunze's status when the team releases its first official practice report on Wednesday.--Patrick McGrath
Source: Courtney Cronin

Sep 8, 2026, 1:12 PM ET

After rushing for 382 yards and three touchdowns on a 4.5-yard-per-carry average a year ago, Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine appears poised to enter his 10th season as the primary backup to Chase Brown. With little in-game information to go off of, proactive fantasy managers with the luxury of deep benches should be looking to churn through the backs of their rosters, targeting players whose waiver value would see the greatest jump as the result of a Week 1 injury ahead of them, and Perine fits that bill. 2025 sixth-round pick Tahj Brooks, who carried the ball 16 times for only 45 yards as a rookie, is the only other running back on the Bengals' 53-man roster, making Perine a potentially valuable handcuff to roster who can easily be moved on from as more obvious waiver candidates emerge after Week 1.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 8, 2026, 1:07 PM ET

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan (knee) is listed as a starting wideout for the team on their unofficial depth chart entering their Week 1 contest this Sunday versus the Cincinnati Bengals, according to Jenna Laine of ESPN. McMillan missed the entire preseason due to a knee injury, but he was back on the practice field on Monday and is trending in the right direction to play in the season opener this weekend in a favorable matchup against Cincy. At least to begin the 2026 campaign, McMillan will be in three-wide sets alongside Chris Godwin Jr. and Emeka Egbuka (toe), with Ted Hurst III checking in as the WR4. While McMillan rested during the summer, Hurst was turning heads and impressing the coaching staff, so McMillan will need to stay healthy and produce to hold off the impressive young pass-catcher. McMillan played in only four games in 2025 due to a serious neck injury he suffered in the preseason, but he caught 37 passes for 461 yards and eight touchdowns in 13 games as a rookie in 2024 after being selected in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft. The 24-year-old is only rostered in 15% of Yahoo leagues and is tough to recommend as a Week 1 starter in deeper leagues after he missed most of camp and the preseason.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN.com - Jenna Laine

Sep 8, 2026, 12:59 PM ET

Running back Rico Dowdle is listed as the No. 2 RB on the Pittsburgh Steelers' unofficial depth chart ahead of the team's Week 1 season opener against the Atlanta Falcons this Sunday, Sept. 13, according to PGH Steelers Now's Alan Saunders. Fantasy managers should not read too much into this, as Dowdle is fully expected to be head coach Mike McCarthy's preferred option out of the backfield on early downs in 2026, and if he stays healthy, the 28-year-old could have a path to a third straight 1,000-rushing season with his third different team in the last three years. Jaylen Warren is likely listed as the RB1 on the depth chart because he is the incumbent of Pittsburgh's backfield. Dowdle handled a career-high 236 carries for 1,076 yards and a career-high six rushing touchdowns in 17 regular-season games in 2025 with the Carolina Panthers, adding 39 receptions for 297 yards and an additional score through the air. As the Steelers' preferred early-down option, Dowdle will have more fantasy value in standard-scoring leagues as an RB3/flex going into the Week 1 tilt this Sunday against Atlanta.--Keith Hernandez
Source: PGH Steelers Now - Alan Saunders

Sep 8, 2026, 12:50 PM ET

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren is listed as the team's RB1 on their unofficial depth chart heading into a Week 1 meeting against the Atlanta Falcons this Sunday, according to Alan Saunders of PGH Steelers Now. Newcomer Rico Dowdle is expected to be the leader on early downs in Pittsburgh's backfield, but Warren is the incumbent at the position. Fantasy managers should take the Steelers' latest depth chart with a grain of salt, as Dowdle should still have a sizeable role in his first year in the Steel City, with a path to a third straight 1,000-rushing season with his third team in the last three years if he can stay healthy. Warren, meanwhile, could be a sneaky low-end RB2/high-end RB3/flex in point-per-reception fantasy leagues as the Steelers' primary receiving back out of the backfield. The 27-year-old former undrafted free agent from Oklahoma State did have a career-high 61 receptions for 370 yards back in 2023 in his second year in the league, and he could be a staple in PPR leagues with quarterback Aaron Rodgers showing a high tendency for dump-offs and checkdowns in this offense. Last year, Warren had 40 receptions on 45 targets for 333 receiving yards and two touchdowns in 16 regular-season games, and that was with Kenny Gainwell catching a whopping 73 passes for 486 yards and three touchdowns as a receiver.--Keith Hernandez
Source: PGH Steelers Now - Alan Saunders

Sep 8, 2026, 12:42 PM ET

On the Jacksonville Jaguars' unofficial depth chart heading into Week 1 of the 2026 regular season this Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, running backs Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez Jr. are listed as co-starters at the RB position. Tuten, a second-year back who had 307 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns in his rookie campaign last year, is expected to see most of the early-down rushing opportunities for the Jaguars this year, and he has the most fantasy football upside because of his explosive big-play abilities out of the backfield. However, Rodriguez's presence as a pass-catching and goal-line option for head coach Liam Coen's offense will certainly lower Tuten's overall ceiling in Year 2 in Duvall. Fantasy managers should keep in mind that pass-catching specialist LeQuint Allen Jr. (undisclosed) is trending towards missing the season opener, which could give C-Rod more work as a receiver out of the backfield. Going into the Week 1 matchup against Cleveland, Tuten is the preferred fantasy option as a low-end RB2/high-end RB3/flex, while Rodriguez will be more of a touchdown-dependent RB3/flex option in PPR formats.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Mia O'Brien

Sep 8, 2026, 12:32 PM ET

New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said on Tuesday that running back Breece Hall (groin) is trending towards being ready for Week 1 this Sunday, Sept. 13, against the Tennessee Titans, according to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. Hall has been trending this way for a while after initially suffering a minor strain of his right groin during training camp practice on Aug. 17. The Jets held Hall out as a precaution to close out camp and the preseason, but he should be ready to return to practice on Wednesday, and as long as he does not have a setback later this week, he should be ready to take on his role as the bell-cow back for Gang Green on Sunday against Tennessee. If Hall is limited at all, though, look for Braelon Allen to take on a bigger change-of-pace role to get the season started. The 25-year-old Hall had his first 1,000-yard rushing season in 2025 in his fourth year in the league, adding four touchdowns on 243 rushing attempts across 16 starts. The former second-rounder added 36 catches for 350 yards and another score as a receiver. Hall should see enough volume alone to operate as a strong RB2 for fantasy managers in his fifth year in the NFL in a new offense led by veteran quarterback Geno Smith. UPDATE: Hall was seen working in positional drills on Tuesday, per Brian Costello of The New York Post.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Athletic - Zack Rosenblatt