Sadiq is not yet ready for fantasy football TE1 duties, but he appears to have recovered from the setback he suffered in his rehab related to a hernia back in August. The Jets published their Week 1 depth chart earlier today with Sadiq listed as the backup behind TE Mason Taylor.
Pierce is recovering from offseason surgery that caused him to miss the entirety of training camp and the preseason. The lack of reps could leave him a little rusty heading into Week 1, but the good news is that a limited practice today means he should be active versus the Ravens. Pierce will be a high-risk WR4 for the first slate of the season. Josh Downs and Tyler Warren were not on the injury report.
Mayer, 25, immediately vaults into the TE1 tier, especially with a matchup against the Dolphins’ defense upcoming in Week 1. Mayer banked two top-five finishes last season, notably catching 9-of-10 targets for 89 yards in Week 17 with Bowers on injured reserve.
For the record, Flowers told reporters that he is feeling “great” earlier today, but opted not to disclose his injury details. Now we know he is dealing with a soft tissue issue. Flowers is on track to play, but as is always the case with hamstrings, his practice participation is worth tracking. Ideally, he is practicing fully by Friday and can be treated as a WR2 on game day.
Delp has been out for multiple weeks with the hamstring issue. A DNP to open the season likely puts him on the wrong side of questionable. His absence will lock in Juwan Johnson as an every-down player, though that was barely a question even before this injury.
Madubuike joined team drills last week, and is technically on track to play in Week 1 against the Colts. If active, the stud defensive tackle will likely be on a snap count, though the team could opt for a conservative approach and hold him out for this week.
Jordan has been dealing with a hamstring issue for nearly a month. The fact that Kellen Moore was able to rule him out so early in the week suggests this issue could linger for much longer than just Sunday’s game. Jordan signed a one-year deal with stay in New Orleans for a 16th season in June. He totaled 10.5 sacks in 2025.
Johnson was seen practicing in a non-contact jersey last week, so today’s full session is positive. Unfortunately, Johnson’s path to fantasy football TE1 status is likely blocked by TE Isaiah Likely, so Johnson is not on the radar for most leagues.
Branch ran behind Olamide Zaccheaus for most of training camp. A light workload in practice heading into Week 1 all but guarantees he won’t threaten the veteran receiver for a starting role to open the year. Branch isn’t on the fantasy radar for his NFL debut versus the Steelers.
Chase’s participation actually exceeds expectations. Beginning the week with a limited session would have been unsurprising. The Bengals’ star wide receiver hyperextended his knee on August 25th, but he is now good to go. Treat Chase as an elite WR1, per usual.
The Bengals will have their top two wide receivers on the field for what should be a high-scoring game against the Buccaneers. Higgins is a high-end WR2 with WR1 upside, playing alongside WR1 Ja’Marr Chase this weekend.
Kamara suffered an MCL injury during a scrimmage three weeks ago. The issue was initially expected to sideline him for at least a month, but it looks like he has a shot at significantly beating that timeline. Even if he doesn’t play this week, there’s a good chance Kamara is back by Week 2 or 3. He will be a low-end FLEX play in PPR leagues once he is healthy.
Flowers was asked how he was feeling today while meeting with the press, with a beat reporter specifically asking Flowers about his quad. Flowers suffered a quad bruise early in training camp and missed time last week with an undisclosed injury. Now feeling “better than ever,” Flowers is seemingly on track to play in Week 1 against the Colts without issue.
Reporters first asked whether Young had received an offer from the team. Tepper passed on answering. A reporter then asked what would prompt the team to offer Young an extension. Tepper initially declined to answer once again, before adding, “but look, success is success. And you know it when you see it.” Anything is possible, but given those remarks, it seems plausible that no offer was made. The Panthers picked up Young’s fifth-year team option in April, keeping the 25-year-old quarterback under contract through 2027. This could be a make-or-break year for him as the starter, though.
Giants coach John Harbaugh told reporters he thinks Nabers is ready to go. Harbaugh didn’t fully commit to him playing in Week 1, but we would be stunned if Nabers isn’t out there on Sunday. Even if Nabers takes a few weeks to get back to form, he should be in fantasy lineups out of the gate. Nabers is, at worst, a high-end WR2 for his first game since suffering a torn ACL in Week 4 of the 2025 season.
Now we know what Brooks has been dealing with for the past week or so. Beginning the week with a limited session is a good sign regarding his Week 1 availability, but obviously we hope to see him practice fully as soon as possible, given his extensive injury history. He could end up rotating in behind RB Chuba Hubbard if active.
Eagles DC Vic Fangio said during training camp that Greenard could miss Week 1, so even a limited practice today is a good sign for the veteran EDGE. Philly traded for Greenard during the offseason and immediately signed him to a four-year, $100 million extension. The team will see how he responds to a week of practices before making a decision on his status before Sunday.
Van Lanen suffered a serious knee injury in Week 18 last year and missed most of the offseason program. He practiced on Wednesday, though the team is still going to use the rest of the week to figure out if he’s ready for Week 1. Walker Little would likely take his spot in the lineup if he can’t go.
Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said earlier this week that Tucker will be a game-time decision for Week 1 against the Bengals. His continued absence from practice is discouraging, but it bodes well for RB Bucky Irving and RB Kenneth Gainwell. Tucker is not expected to be a high-volume offensive contributor at this point, but adding even a couple of touches to each player’s workload is helpful
Meyers missed some time late in camp with a thumb injury. He wore a brace on his right hand late in training camp, causing some concern that the issue was more serious than initially expected. The brace was likely a precaution, as Meyers returned to practice a week ago. He will be in the FLEX mix versus the Browns this week.
We expect this to be a limited session for the Raiders’ second-year running back. Jeanty has been sidelined since injuring his ankle on August 23rd. Returning for the week’s first official practice puts him on track to play, though the coaching staff could ease him into action in Week 1 against the Dolphins by giving rookie RB Mike Washington a little extra work this week. Hopefully, Jeanty is practicing fully by Friday, if not sooner.
Jags GM James Gladstone said last week that the team was open to an in-season extension with Washington, who is set to hit free agency next offseaosn. Both sides want to get a deal done, but they are clearly still at odds over the details of the contract. Even if it takes longer than expected, it does look like Washington will sign an extension before he gets to test the waters of free agency. Coming off an outstanding training camp, Washington should be treated as a fantasy WR2 for the Jags’ Week 1 date with the Browns.
This is good news. Shakir has been sidelined for multiple weeks, rehabbing an undisclosed injury. His return today puts him on track to play in Week 1 against the Texans’ top-tier defense. Whether Shakir can be a reliable FLEX with WR DJ Moore now in Buffalo and TE Dalton Kincaid reportedly set to take on a larger role remains to be seen. Getting back on the field is the first step, though.
KOC didn’t mince words, saying, “This gives us the best chance to win this Sunday.” O’Connell did note that the backup quarterback decisions will be made on a week-to-week basis. Still, this serves as another indictment of J.J. McCarthy, who will presumably be inactive for Week 1. The former first-round pick is unlikely to play at all this year and will likely be looking for a new team after the season ends.
Johnson went down while running a route on August 9th. He resumed running roughly two weeks ago, but has not yet rejoined his teammates in drills. Although Johnson is not on the fantasy radar himself, he has hogged passing down snaps in recent seasons. Starting RB James Cook has been expected to take on a larger receiving role this season, and Johnson’s potential absence adds credence to that idea.