The Bengals called up Josh Johnson from the practice squad over the weekend, raising some eyebrows regarding Burrow’s health. The move, however, was purely a precaution. Burrow has already said he is playing this week. He remains near the top of the QB1 ranks despite a tough matchup with the Houston defense.
Atlanta is also going to have AJ Terrell (shoulder) available for Week 2. Both players were listed as questionable on Friday. It’s a good start for Atlanta, but what the team really needs is a healthy quarterback. Even third-stringer Cooper Rush is playing through a back injury, and the results were downright pitiful in Week 1.
Young experienced some soreness in his calf during the week and left Thursday’s practice early. His departure was considered precautionary, though the team ultimately listed him as questionable for Week 2 on Friday. Having Young available is a good start for a Saints defense trying to slow down Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry.
Jones was limited in practice throughout the week, though it was likely little more than maintenance for the NFL veteran. The Chiefs are also expected to have first-round rookie Mansoor Delane available for Sunday Night Football.
Rapoport notes that Hendruckson broke his finger “into several pieces this week.” Ouch. He will play with a cast on his hand for Week 2 and likely much longer. With Hendrickson available, the Ravens’ defense is one of the better fantasy options versus a pass-happy Saints offense this week.
Per Schefter and Ian Rapoport, Penix is the team’s preferred starter and is nearing a return. Once he is finally ready to suit up, the job is his. They also note that the Falcons won’t cut Tua Tagovailoa, even once the team has four healthy quarterbacks. There is a possibility that a team wants to trade for Tua ahead of the midseason deadline, though we’re skeptical that there’s much of a market for him after this disastrous start to the season.
Olave left Thursday’s practice as a precaution and was limited again on Friday. The team listed him as questionable heading into the weekend. It seems like the Thursday departure truly was a precaution, and Olave is good to go for a potential shootout with Baltimore. With plenty of passing volume to go around in the Saints’ offense, Olave sits at the end of the WR1 mix for Week 2.
Black picked up 14 carries while Christian McCaffrey dealt with cramps in Week 1. Now it’s Black who is banged up, meaning we might get more CMC versus Miami this week. Black was added to the injury report midweek and logged two limited practices before receiving the questionable designation. He is in the RB4 range for Week 2, making him a middling FLEX play.
The Bucs are going to ease McMillan back into the lineup after he missed Week 1 with the knee injury. McMillan will take rookie Ted Hurst’s spot in the lineup once healthy, but that might not happen until Week 3. Until we see what their split looks like, neither Hurst nor McMillan should be in fantasy lineups.
Harvey was listed as limited on Wednesday, though the team didn’t actually hold a practice. They were back on the field for the next two days and listed him as limited. The fact that he practiced in any capacity should mean this isn’t a long-term issue, but the Broncos are playing it safe this week. J.K. Dobbins will see the bulk of the carries and rookie Jonah Coleman could be in line for some of Harvey’s designed touches. Dobbins is locked in as an RB3 for Week 2, while Coleman is more of a deep-cut FLEX play.
Also listed questionable is LB Micah McFadden, while CB Greg Newsome, T Andrew Thomas, DL Chauncey Golston, and OL Francis Mauigoa were removed from the injury report and will play. While Banks’ status is of particular concern against the high-flying Rams aerial attack, their opponent could be without All-Pro wide receiver Puka Nacua, who is listed as questionable with a groin injury.
The Texans received relatively good news from initial testing, which revealed a Grade 1 hamstring injury. Even so, word around the team is that they are preparing to be without their star receiver for two games, which makes sense considering his lengthy soft tissue injury history. Fantasy managers will want to make alternate plans after losing one of their top selections off the board.
The team pulled the plug on Flowers’ potential to play in Week 2 after the veteran receiver departed the team’s Week 1 win with a hamstring injury. No word yet on how long the injury is expected to sideline Flowers, who appears to have a good shot at suiting up when the team faces off against the Cowboys on the road in Week 3. Tight end Mark Andrews could see a slight uptick in volume in the interim.
Nacua did not practice for the second consecutive day Saturday, prompting the questionable designation for Monday Night Football. The issue is now being called a groin ailment and is reportedly unrelated to the psoas injury he dealt with during the offseason. Fantasy managers will want to start making alternate plans for their first-round pick considering the Rams don’t play until the final game of the week. Jordan Whittington is listed as doubtful with a quad injury.
Davis was unable to practice all week with a neck injury and will ultimately be held out of the team’s Week 2 game against the Steelers. Pittsburgh will be without starting wide receiver Michael Pittman, so it will be interesting how the Patriots choose to deploy Christian Gonzalez. Gonzalez could find himself in shadow coverage of opposing alpha DK Metcalf.
Pittman was unable to get on the practice field this week and will now miss Week 2 as a result of a foot injury. DK Metcalf enters the WR2 discussion in a difficult matchup on paper after ranking in the top five in expected fantasy points in Week 1, for an offense near the top of the league in pass rate over expectation in their first game. Third-year receiver Roman Wilson and rookie Germie Bernard see an uptick in value, although both are difficult starts outside the deepest of leagues. Tight end pat Freiermuth can be started as a back-end TE1 in a pinch.
Appearing on the Rich Eisen Show Friday, Breer was quick to point out the Lions’ defensive struggles. Detroit has allowed 917 yards and 71 points in two games. Breer noted that while the Lions are dealing with injuries in the secondary, that doesn’t excuse their problems in the running game. Detroit has allowed 294 rushing yards, 4.8 yards per carry and four rushing touchdowns this year. While it’s still early in the season, Breer says the Lions defensive performance isn’t a “one-off” and that it’s been “messy” for a while. It was a stark contrast from NFL Insider Ian Rapoport’s take on the Pat McAfee show earlier this week where he said, “My guess is the Lions are going to be fine.” Lions HC Dan Campbell has pulled the plug on his offensive coordinator midseason twice in five years, but has afforded his defensive coordinators a longer leash. Sheppard was promoted from linebackers coach to defensive coordinator after Aaron Glenn was hired by the Jets prior to the 2025 season.
The news was first reported by NFL Insider Ian Rapoport. Cooper is going on injured reserve for an ankle sprain. He’ll be sidelined for at least four games with a designation to return. Rapoport mentions that Cooper should be back “shortly.” Cooper could still make an impact in the second half of his rookie season, but he isn’t worth holding in most fantasy formats at this point.
Rapoport’s full quote is winding and hyperbolic, but it sounds like Boutte will be a featured receiver if the Texans believe he is ready to handle that role with WR Nico Collins (hamstring) sidelined. Rapoport notes that Boutte played in “the same” offensive scheme during his time with the Patriots, so adjusting to his new team’s playbook theoretically should have been easy. That said, Boutte caught just one pass last week. He can be treated as a volatile but viable FLEX starter in Week 2.
Rapoport adds that Noel is “really talented.” We agree, but the Texans have consistently played WR Xavier Hutchinson ahead of him. Noel, 24, is an explosive player, and the Texans will be looking for playmakers to contribute with WR Nico Collins (hamstring) sidelined this week. Noel is officially on the boom-bust FLEX radar in Week 2 against the Bengals.
Whittington is WR1 Puka Nacua’s direct backup, and Nacua appeared on the injury report today with a hip injury. Neither player practiced. This situation is worth monitoring closely.
Giants RG Francis Mauigoa (shoulder) was limited as well. Both offensive linemen are on track to face the Rams in Week 2’s Monday Night Football game, which is good news for QB Jaxson Dart.
Kittle will likely remain on a snap count in Week 2, though his usage should continue steadily ticking upward. He can be started as a TE1 against the Dolphins’ fantasy-friendly defense this week.
Willis practiced in full all week, so his toe injury should not be an issue against the 49ers. The Dolphins’ quarterback told reporters this week that he is focused on taking fewer sacks moving forward. As his team fell farther behind on the scoreboard last week, Willis began holding onto the ball for far too long. Getting the ball out quickly or throwing on the run could help.
Earlier today, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Donald “hopes” to play on Monday night. A few hours later, Rams coach Sean McVay said he hoped Donald would play this week, but that they need to listen to how Donald was feeling after going through team drills. Donald is evidently feeling good following Friday’s practice and should apparently be expected to face the Giants.