It sure seems to be trending in the direction of Jaleel McLaughlin, Lead Back in Week 6 against the Ravens. We’ll see if Judkins can get back on the field or generate any kind of positive momentum on Friday, but we’d be surprised if he did better than a questionable listing.
Jackson still has a chance to face the Browns this week, albeit a very small one. Backup Tyler Huntley will likely be under center for the second week in a row, although coach Jesse Minter said last week that Jackson doesn’t have to practice “much” before being cleared to play. Huntley is a viable QB2 if he gets the start.
Of the (many) Browns in real danger of missing this week’s game against the Ravens, Boston seems to be in the best shape of actually playing. Still, it is two limited sessions in two tries and we wouldn’t be surprised if he wound up with a questionable tag on Friday.
He’s still in concussion protocol, but it looks like he’ll have at least some chance of clearing before Sunday’s game against the Ravens. Concepcion would struggle to be more than a FLEX option here even if healthy, so fantasy managers should probably look at alternatives this week.
This is at least some positive momentum towards being activated and helping the Browns out on Sunday, though even if Sampson was activated he’d likely be in a committee. We’ll see what Friday brings, but unless it’s a full session, we’d be surprised if Sampson was more than a sketchy questionable for Week 6.
Flowers played through a foot injury last week, catching 8-of-9 targets for 53 yards and rushing once for 13 yards. This injury could be related, but we really don’t know. Flowers’ productivity took a hit with Tyler Huntley running the offense last week. Huntley is currently in line to start again, though Lamar Jackson’s (ankle) status is still up in the air. If the toe injury limits Flowers, that further complicates things, but he still must be started if active. Hopefully, he practices tomorrow.
It’s good progress after he had a Wednesday DNP. Howard should have a real chance at playing on Sunday as long as his Friday status stays neutral or trends positively.
Bateman played through the shoulder injury last week. He was limited yesterday, but coach Jesse Minter said he wasn’t worried. Downgrading to a DNP is not a good sign. Meanwhile, Ja’Kobi Lane (wrist) is practicing fully this week and could hop right into WR2 duties for the Ravens.
Rice strained his hamstring in Week 4. Although Chiefs coach Andy Reid initially said Rice only “tweaked” it, The Athletic’s Mike Silver reported a few hours later that Rice could be out for several weeks. The fact that Rice remains sidelined for the first two practices following his team’s Week 5 bye is a bad sign. He is firmly on the wrong side of questionable for Week 6 against the Chargers. If he can get in a limited session tomorrow, that could put him on track to play in Week 7 against the Seahawks.
Jurgens still has a chance to play, but we had hoped to see him upgrade to full participation. Ravens EDGE Mike Green (hamstring) was added to the injury report today as a limited participant. Ravens OG Andrew Vorhees (foot) joins him in the limited column. Ravens RT Roger Rosengarten (knee), LT Ronnie Stanley (rest/toe/ankle) and CB Marlon Humphrey (hamstring/calf) upgraded to full participation. Ravens OG John Simpson (groin) downgraded to a DNP.
Nailor will likely end up being listed as a limited participant today. He has a chance to play in Week 6 against the Bills, but his odds would be better if he had returned yesterday. If active, Nailor would only be a boom-bust WR5/FLEX.
Brown was a limited participant on Wednesday. He is reportedly taking a “one step at a time” approach to his return. The next step is to see how his ankle responds to Thursday’s practice “with full shoulder pads.” The phrasing suggests Brown could be listed as a full participant today, though even if he ends up being listed as limited, the implication is that he upped his workload regardless. Per Brown, the team is not rushing him back and will keep the long haul in mind when deciding whether to activate him. The Patriots (3-2) are in second in the AFC East.
His 21-day window to practice before being activated begins today and he’ll be limited in practice. It would be surprising if Kirk was activated this week given the timing, but perhaps Week 7 will be a realistic target assuming practice goes smoothly and there are no setbacks.
Exactly one week ago, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Monangai’s turf toe injury jeopardized his availability over the next 1-2 weeks. Unfortunately, he is on the wrong side of questionable at this time. Roschon Johnson could contribute on passing downs if Monangai cannot play, but D’Andre Swift will handle the majority of the backfield touches this week.
The Bears’ QB1 is on track to make his return this week, when his team takes on the Falcons. Williams could end up running a little less frequently than he did early in the year, perhaps playing cautiously in his first game back. Regardless, Williams is a low-end QB1 for the occasion, assuming he is indeed active.
He appears to be trending towards playing, though Waller is old enough that we probably shouldn’t count it as a sure thing that he’ll get off the questionable line. Waller would be a reasonable TE2 if he plays against the Eagles on Sunday.
It’s an upgrade from a Wednesday DNP. Freeling played 64 percent of the snaps in Week 4 and looks to be trending in the right direction for Week 6 after the Week 5 bye.
It’s tough to get a read on this. The 49ers like to describe injuries with things like “tightness” and “soreness” rather than just calling it an injury. That said, the team labeled Christian McCaffrey with “tightness” while he was in late August and it has not impacted him in the slightest, so speculating here is inappropriate. What we do know is that Evans plays through injuries that would sideline others. The 49ers face the Commanders on Monday night, giving Evans an extra day to get right. If active, he is a locked-in WR2. Stay tuned.
The 49ers have a Week 8 bye and thus Samuel would stay on injured reserve an extra week. Reading between the lines, it sounds like Samuel has a chance to play in Week 9 if things go well. Shanahan added that Demarcus Robinson (ankle) could return for Week 9 as well.
The good news is that it looks like Downs is trending towards getting off the injury report on Friday. The bad news is that it’s hard to make much more than a WR3 case for the receiver given how bogged down Indianapolis’ passing offense looks at the moment.
Hurts’ blood clot was initially a superficial issue in his calf. Unfortunately, the clot has moved and the situation now appears to be quite serious and, per Rapoport, “scary.” Rapoport said Hurts will now undergo treatment, “which, a lot of times, is blood thinners.” If that treatment option is deemed necessary, Hurts would not be allowed to play. Rapoport believes Hurts will be sidelined in Week 6 “and likely beyond.” Tanner McKee is his replacement.
The Eagles released an official statement announcing the news. Per their statement, Hurts took a cleat to the calf in Week 4. He went in for treatment the following Thursday and an ultrasound revealed the blood clot. Doctors ultimately cleared him to play in Week 5. He continued to receive treatment over the next two days. After practice on Wednesday (yesterday), a follow-up ultrasound revealed movement in the small blood clot. The team has now ruled him out for Week 6 as they determine the next course of action. They didn’t comment on how long Hurts will be out, but it’s possible this is a long-term issue for the veteran quarterback. Tanner McKee will draw the start versus Carolina.
This is a small but positive update. Hall typically works on his quad rehab program elsewhere or simply observes practice. Today’s return to the side field will still result in him being listed as a non-participant, but as Cimini says, this is measurable “progress” for the Jets’ top running back. Braelon Allen will undoubtedly get the start this week, but perhaps Hall has a chance to return in Week 7 against the Dolphins. Stay tuned.
Dalton is “an option” for the Eagles, who are down to two available quarterbacks this week, Tanner McKee and rookie Cole Payton, with Jalen Hurts having been ruled out preemptively due to a superficial blood clot in his calf. The Eagles released Dalton last week. A few teams have reportedly checked in with Dalton since his release, “though there’s familiarity and a clear role in Philly for him if he decides to return.”
McKee, 26, is a towering pocket passer (6'6/231) with 97 career dropbacks. He has two career starts and has made appearances in two other contests, averaging 6.8 yards per attempt and a 73.8 percent adjusted completion rate. McKee was the subject of trade rumors last offseason, but luckily, the Eagles kept him. He faces a Panthers secondary missing its two starting perimeter cornerbacks, though he has almost exactly 72 hours to get himself ready and the Eagles’ pass-catching corps is banged up. He is a viable QB2 in superflex formats, but he offers a wide range of potential outcomes. McKee is backed up by rookie Cole Payton. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo thinks the team could reunite with Andy Dalton, whom they released last week.