Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said Emmett Johnson will continue to get more and more snaps. (Source: James Palmer on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Reid added that Johnson will see more snaps and take some of the workload off of Kenneth Walker. The rookie has flashed in a limited role over the first two weeks of the season. He remains a solid stash for fantasy managers in his current role.
J.J. McCarthy will serve as Minnesota's backup quarterback against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. (Source: Minnesota Vikings on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: The young quarterback has moved a slot up on the depth chart for Week 2 with Kyler Murray (concussion) being ruled out for Minnesota's matchup against the Bears. He isn't likely to see the field with Carson Wentz set to start, but if anything happens to the veteran, McCarthy will step in and take over for the Vikings, which would be bad news for the fantasy value of Justin Jefferson, Aaron Jones Sr., and their entire offense on Sunday.
Carson Wentz is set to be Minnesota's starting quarterback in their matchup against the Chicago Bears in Week 2. (Source: Minnesota Vikings on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: The Vikings have ruled out Kyler Murray (concussion) ahead of Sunday's game and announced that Wentz would be the starter in his absence. That's good news for the fantasy outlook of Justin Jefferson and Aaron Jones Sr. this week, as Minnesota's offense has been able to produce ample fantasy points in the few occasions that Wentz has been at the helm for the team.
Brandin Cooks worked out with the Ravens on Thursday. (Source: Mike Garafolo on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: The Ravens brought in the 32-year old for an official workout on Thursday. This comes in light of the fact that they may be without their top wideout for a short period of time, with Zay Flowers (hamstring) likely to be sidelined for a week or two at least. The workout ended without a deal for Cooks, but we could possibly see him join the team sometime within the next few weeks if they continue to need help at the wide receiver position.
Drew Lock is set to be Seattle's starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals. (Source: Gregg Bell on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: The Seahawks announced that Sam Darnold (glute) is going to miss Sunday's game and that Lock would be the starter in his absence. He played okay when he filled in as the starter in the season opener, but he isn't likely to be productive enough to support anyone pass catchers outside of Jaxon Smith-Njigba this week.
Rams head coach Sean McVay said the team is undecided on whether or not Aaron Donald will play in Week 2 against the Giants. (Source: Stu Jackson on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Donald did not play in the season opener against the 49ers last week. The Rams will already be without Myles Garrett after placing him on IR. The status of Donald will need to be monitored ahead of next Monday's game.
Stetson Bennett IV has been named the primary backup for the Rams Week 1 game against the 49ers, with Ty Simpson as the emergency QB3. (Source: Ari Meirov on X)
Fantasy Impact: Simpson still needs development so this doesn’t come as much surprise. Bennett is a fine QB2, but hopefully he won’t see the field unless it’s a blowout.
Caleb Douglas is set to be a starter for the Dolphins in their Week 1 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. (Source: Marcel Louis-Jacques on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: The Dolphins selected Douglas in the third round of this year's draft, but he had an impressive offseason for them and is set to be a starter for the team in their season opener. That's a great sign for his season outlook, as it means he will have ample opportunities to prove himself and break out from the very start of the season.
Shedeur Sanders is expected to be active as Cleveland's backup quarterback in Week 1. (Source: Scott Petrak on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Deshaun Watson won the starting QB job for the Browns, and now the team has confirmed the Sanders is going to be active on gamedays and serve as their backup quarterback in Week 1. He won't seen the field in any large capacity for the foreseeable future, barring any injury to Watson.
Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs had his initial court appearance moved up to Sept. 10 from Nov. 17 regarding Jacobs' misdemeanor charges. (Source: Adam Schefter on Twtter)
Fantasy Impact: Jacobs was charged with battery and criminal destruction of property and is scheduled to appear at the Brown County courthouse on Sept. 10, multiple days before Green Bay's season opener against Minnesota. It is unclear how this will affect his return timeline; Jacobs is currently on the commissioner's exempt list, with a potential suspension looming.
Running back J.K. Dobbins will "for sure" be the Denver Broncos' lead back this season, with three players set to have roles in the backfield, according to Zac Stevens of DNVR Sports. (Source: Ari Meirov on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Dobbins was very successful in 2025 when he was healthy, averaging 5.0 yards per carry and rushing for 772 yards in 10 games. RJ Harvey and rookie Jonah Coleman will have roles, a regular trait for head coach Sean Payton's offenses. Due to injury risk and a congested backfield, Dobbins has a deflated ADP price as the half-PPR RB34, according to FantasyPros.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are "not going to stop talking" to wide receiver Parker Washington as both sides iron out a potential contract extension, says general manager James Gladstone. (Source: Jamal St. Cyr on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Gladstone said the team would not hesitate to carry contract discussions into the regular season as they aim to finalize a deal with their breakout wideout. Washington had 58 receptions for 847 yards and five touchdowns last season and carries an expert consensus ranking of WR29, according to FantasPros, into his fourth NFL season.
New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez and the team "remain apart on several key elements" amid extension discussions ahead of the season opener. (Source: Jeremy Fowler on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Gonzalez was noncommittal on his status for Week 1 amid contract disputes, which could put pressure on the Patriots to finish the deal. Some groundwork has been laid, and Gonzalez is expected to become the league's highest-paid cornerback, but finer details of the contract structure need to be finalized.
The Atlanta Falcons could name their starting quarterback, between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr., as early as Monday, Sept. 7, ahead of Week 1. (Source: Jeremy Fowler on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Nearly every team has named its starter for Week 1, but Atlanta has not formally announced its QB1. According to Ian Rapoport, Tagovailoa could have a "short leash" if named the starter as Atlanta waits for Penix to get healthy. Ideally, the Falcons hoped Tagovailoa would prove himself to be a steady, veteran presence, but Atlanta finds itself in limbo under center.
Kirk Cousins has been named the Raiders Week 1 starter against the Dolphins. (Source: Adam Schefter on X)
Fantasy Impact: It’s long been presumed that the Raiders would start Cousins and give Mendoza at least a half-redshirt year. This just confirms it. He could be an interesting streaming option, but we need to see more from the pass catchers not named Brock Bowers to really feel confident in this passing offense.
Tue, Sep 1st 1:08pm EDT
By Ari Koslow
Steelers GM Omar Khan said the team would not engage in contract negotiations during the regular season. (Source: Mike Garafolo on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: It is possible the two sides can reach agreement on a new deal before the season begins. The Steelers recently activated Porter from the PUP list.
Buccaneers GM Jason Licht said there are no immediate plans to re-open contract talks with Baker Mayfield. (Source: Rick Stroud on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: The expectation was that Mayfield would play this upcoming season on the final year of his contract. This will remain a situation to monitor all year.
Sun, Aug 30th 7:53am EDT
By Garrett Ball
Keenan Allen is facing two DUI charges after being arrested early Sunday morning. (Source: Adam Schefter on X)
Fantasy Impact: The veteran receiver was a badly needed addition to the Colts roster, and now he could find himself suspended for a game or two should the NFL find that action appropriate. It's also possible he will only face fines. Still, it's worth monitoring the vet's situation, as he was an interesting late-round sleeper in drafts.
Justin Herbert and most of Los Angeles' starters will play in Thursday's preseason finale against the Los Angeles Rams. (Source: Alex Insdorf on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: HC Jim Harbaugh told reporters that Herbert and most of the team's starters are going to play in their final preseason game on Thursday night, with the exception of a few veterans. It remains unlikely that the starting unit will see more than a quarter or two of action, however.
Josh Allen won't play in Thursday night's preseason finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Source: Jay Skurski on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Allen saw some action earlier on in the preseason, but he is set to be sidelined for the team's final preseason game on Thursday night. He is fully healthy at this point and looks primed for another huge season from a fantasy perspective.
