Sadiq practiced in full throughout the week. Even at full strength health-wise, Sadiq will likely open the year as a pass-catching specialist, with Mason Taylor taking on the traditional inline role. Offensive coordinator Frank Reich even said the team would “scale back” his workload early in the year. Sadiq is worth stashing in deeper leagues but isn’t on the fantasy radar for his NFL debut.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the deal includes $27.5M guaranteed. Swift’s 1,087 rushing yards and nine touchdowns last year were both career highs. Swift is locked in as the Bears’ starting running back again this season, playing in an expectedly high-scoring offense. He is a high-end RB2 with a favorable matchup against the Panthers in Week 1.
Two ESPN reports over the last 24 hours have indicated Love will likely play, though no one has actually confirmed this. LaFleur also said that Love is “trending well” while speaking to media members before Friday’s practice. If he practices fully, he should be good to go. He still has a chance to play even if he remains limited, but RB Tyler Allgeier might take on a few extra touches in that scenario. Stay tuned.
Johnson returned to practice on Friday after missing the first two sessions of the week with the hamstring issue. One practice might not be enough to get him on the field for Week 1, but it means he shouldn’t miss much more than Buffalo’s opening game. If he is ruled out, James Cook would likely pick up some extra work on passing downs.
Kamara logged two limited sessions to begin the week, and New Orleans Football’s Nick Underhill said he thinks Kamara will play, barring a setback. We do not yet know Kamara’s practice participation level on Friday, but he is traveling with the team, which is a good sign. Kamara would be a PPR FLEX if active. He is expected to play on passing downs while starting RB Travis Etienne leads the team in carries. Etienne is the best bet to handle the primary red zone role, but Kamara has been a prolific touchdown scorer over his career and could factor in. The Saints ruled out RB Audric Estime (thigh).
The mid-round dynasty darling will have to wait at least a week before making his NFL debut. Delp’s absence helps starting TE Juwan Johnson consolidate positional targets, but Delp does not need to be rostered in 12-team leagues.
The Shanahan victory lap continues after his well-slept squad easily toppled Sean McVay’s jet-lagged Rams in Australia last night. Per Pelissero, he was previously signed through 2027. Coaching contracts are not made public, so we don’t know exactly when his new deal is up. Still, it’s safe to assume he will remain in San Francisco for a very long time. One game into his 10th season as the 49ers’ head coach, Shanahan’s record stands at 83-67. He has two Super Bowl appearances to his name, though he’s still looking for his first win.
Schefter was exploring extension possibilities across the NFL with colleague Pat McAfee and noted that the Lions have a propensity for signing players to extensions in-season. The stud tight end spent the offseason rehabbing after undergoing back surgery. Perhaps the front office just wants to make sure LaPorta returns to his pre-injury form this month before signing him to a lucrative deal. He is scheduled to enter free agency next offseason. Signing him to a long-term deal makes sense. He is a locked-in TE1 this season.
The former seventh-round pick never managed to carve out a reliable role for himself in Green Bay. Melton posted a career-best 16/218/1 stat line in 2023. The Packers eventually tried him out at cornerback in 2025. Shortly after ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the release, his colleague Rob Demovsky reported that the Packers will likely re-sign him soon.
Hill added that it doesn’t look good for Sunday, but the Cowboys are still determining the severity of the injury. Dallas cut Phil Mafah and Jaydon Blue at the end of camp, briefly leaving Davis as the only backup running back on their roster. They eventually signed Emari Demercado after he was released by Kansas City. If the injury is serious, the Cowboys could bring either Mafah or Davis back, given their familiarity with the system.
The Commanders will also have Daron Payne (knee) and K’Lavon Chaisson (knee) on the field for Sunday when they travel to Philly to take on the Eagles. Washington made several defensive additions this offseason in hopes of improving a unit that ranked among the league’s worst last season in its second year under Dan Quinn.
The oblique injury Tua suffered on Thursday will be enough to sideline him for the season opener. Head coach Kevin Stefanski said Tagovailoa will be week-to-week with the injury, so his status will be one to monitor when next week’s injury report is released. An up-and-down offseason for the 28-year-old quarterback that started with a back injury and an underwhelming training camp has now snowballed into him missing Week 1 after he was handed the start in large because Michael Penix (knee) wasn’t deemed ready to go just yet. Given the circumstances that led to him being named the starter, it’s safe to say Tua was already on a short leash entering the season. If Penix is able to go in Week 2 against the Panthers, it’s possible Tua’s 2026 debut will be further delayed regardless of his health.
Brooks missed time late in camp with “general soreness” that was later revealed to be a minor groin issue. He was limited in practice this week, but that seems like nothing more than maintenance for a player who has barely played football over the past two seasons. Dave Canales is understandably keeping his workload light, even in practice. Brooks is expected to split carries with Chuba Hubbard in Week 1. He will be a high-risk FLEX play before we know what his role looks like.
With two days left to go until the Falcons kick off the 2026 season, head coach Kevin Stefanski already finds himself on his third-string quarterback. With Tua Tagovailoa (oblique) and Michael Penix Jr. (knee) both banged up, Rush will draw the start on the road against the Steelers. This was already shaping up to be a tough matchup for the Falcons’ offense, but with Rush under center, it’s fair to say everybody in that offense will receive a slight downgrade as far as fantasy production is concerned. Rush completed 65.4 percent of his passes while throwing for 303 yards, no touchdowns, and four interceptions last year with the Ravens.
Branch was limited by the hamstring issue for the first two practices of the week. He got up to a full practice on Friday and was cleared for Week 1. Branch will likely see a few designed touches in his NFL debut, but fantasy managers will want to wait until he overtakes Olamide Zaccheaus on the depth chart before getting him into their lineups.
Despite being a limited participant in practice all week, the Ravens will continue to exercise caution with Madubuike, who is attempting to return from what was once believed to be a career-ending neck injury. The 28-year-old lineman has had an encouraging offseason and training camp and could find himself on the field soon, but the Ravens will give him at least one more week to prepare. We’ll see if he’s able to suit up for Week 2 when the Ravens play host to the Saints.
The Cardinals will also be without S Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (ribs) and RG Isaiah Adams (knee). Williams is working his way back from a torn Achilles he suffered in Week 16 of last season. He was able to avoid the PUP list to start the season and has been a limited participant in practice all week, but head coach Mike LaFleur is opting to give him at least one more week of rest before putting him on the field. We’ll see if he’s able to suit up in Week 2 when the Cardinals play host to the Seahawks.
Gray suffered a concussion over the weekend after being involved in an accident while driving an ultra-terrain vehicle. Gray is expected to be back on the field after he clears concussion protocol, but his absence creates a glaring hole in the middle of the Titans’ defense. Gray totaled 164 tackles and one sack last season. His absence could lead to an increased role for rookie Anthony Hill Jr. on Sunday.
Chase was a full participant in each of the Bengals’ first two practices to start the week and is good to go for Week 1, according to head coach Zac Taylor. Chase can be trusted as a high-end WR1 for fantasy players in a matchup against the Buccaneers that should be ripe for fantasy points.
Bengals HC Zac Taylor said Higgins and fellow receiver Ja’Marr Chase (knee) will both be good to go for Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers. Higgins has been dealing with a heel/foot injury in recent weeks but will be on the field for the team’s season-opener. He profiles as a high-end WR2 in what is expected to be a high-scoring game to kick off the Bengals’ 2026 season.
Turner popped up on Thursday’s injury report with the hamstring issue, but head coach Zac Taylor said the fourth-year corner will be good to go for Sunday’s game. Turner posted career highs in pass breakups (18) and interceptions (2) last season while earning a PFF coverage grade of 78.1. The Bengals will rely heavily on him in Week 1 to slow down Baker Mayfield and a revamped Buccaneers passing game. While Turner is healthy and good to go, Taylor said DE Shemar Stewart (knee) is doubtful, making him unlikely to play in Week 1.
Tua wasn’t spotted during the portion of practice open to the media, so it’s possible he takes the field later in the day. That said, his absence from practice on Friday wouldn’t bode well for his Week 1 availability after he popped up on Thursday’s injury report with an oblique issue. Veteran Cooper Rush took all first-team snaps for the Falcons on Thursday and would be in line to start on Sunday if Tua is unable to go. We should have an updated injury report soon, which will lay out Tagovailoa’s availability heading into the weekend.
Croskey-Merritt was a limited participant in practice all week but is good to go for Sunday’s opener against the Eagles. “Bill” is expected to handle the majority of the backfield rush attempts on Sunday, but how he factors into the passing game will be worth monitoring. The second-year back has reportedly worked to improve in the passing game this year and could turn into a decent three-down contributor if the Commanders trust him enough in passing-down situations. Until we see how his usage unfolds, Croskey-Merritt shouldn’t be viewed as anything more than an RB3/FLEX option against the Eagles.
Egbuka has been trending in the right direction all week after logging full practices on both Wednesday and Thursday. The second-year receiver gets a juicy Week 1 matchup against a Bengals team that was among the worst against the pass last season. While Cincinnati hopes some additions they’ve made on the defensive side of the ball should help turn things around this season, Egbuka will be a solid WR2 this week in what should be a high-scoring game.
In addition to McMillan, the Buccaneers are also listing RB Sean Tucker (hamstring) as doubtful, putting both players on the wrong side of being active for Week 1. McMillan was able to log a limited week of practice, so hopefully he’ll have a chance to suit up in Week 2 when the Buccaneers take on the Browns. Rookie WR Ted Hurst should make for an interesting dart throw in DFS as he looks to be in line for more work with McMillan sidelined.