Marquise Brown (shoulder) is not expected to return at any point in the 2024 regular season. (Source: Adam Schefter on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Brown recently underwent surgery for a shoulder injury that he suffered earlier this offseason. The team placed him on injured reserve as he recovers, and now, it is being reported that he is not expected to return at any point during the 2024 regular season. This is a tough blow for Kansas City's offense, but it locks in Rashee Rice as a quality WR2 for the rest of the season and presents rookie Xavier Worthy with an opportunity to break out and see a lot of work over the course of the season.
De'Von Achane (ankle) will be a game-time decision for Thursday night's game against the Buffalo Bills. (Source: Marcel Louis-Jacques on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Achane suffered an ankle injury on Sunday that will leave him questionable prior to Thursday night's game. It's unclear if he's trending in one direction or the other, and the team expects a decision about his availability to come closer to kickoff. The Dolphins will already be missing Raheem Mostert (chest), so we could see a lot of Jeff Wilson Jr. and rookie Jaylen Wright in the team's divisional matchup.
The Steelers are expected to have Justin Fields start at quarterback in Week 2. (Source: Missi Matthews on Twitter )
Fantasy Impact: Fields will likely draw the start against Denver as Russell Wilson continues to deal with a calf injury. Head coach Mike Tomlin stated Tuesday the team will see where Wilson is at with his progress when returns to practice, which is expected to be Thursday at the earliest. The 25-year-old performed well in his first start against the Falcons, completing 17-of-23 passes for 156 yards and adding 57 yards on the ground.
Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson was not seen at practice on Monday following their Week 1, Thursday night loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. (Source: Jamison Hensley on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Jackson led the Ravens against the Chiefs and put on his superhero cape en route to 273 passing yards and 122 rushing yards on 16 attempts. Head coach Jim Harbaugh is expected to talk to the media later about the nature of his absence, but it could be an early-season rest after a tiring game. Baltimore hosts Las Vegas in Week 2 on Sunday.
Sun, Sep 8th 2:34pm EDT
By Chris Schommer
Tyler Lockett (thigh) is officially active for Week 1 for the Seattle Seahawks against the Denver Broncos Sunday. (Source: Tom Pelissero on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Lockett was able to make enough progress late in the practice week to be cleared to play in Week 1 for first-year head coach Mike Macdonald. Fantasy managers can expect Lockett to operate mostly in the slot for quarterback Geno Smith against a solid Denver secondary.
Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase is officially active for Week 1.
Fantasy Impact: Chase is expected to participate in Sunday's game against New England in a limited role. The expectation is that he could be used primarily on third down and in the redzone.
Fri, Sep 6th 1:46pm EDT
By Emily Maingi
Pat Freiermuth has signed a four-year $48.4 contract extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Source: Tom Pelissero on X)
Fantasy Impact: After an injury-filled 2023 season, Freiermuth is locked in with the Steelers long-term. The former second-round tight end out of Penn State will look to have an increased role on the revamped Steelers offense in 2024 with the departure of Diontae Johnson. Freiermuth is the speculated number two pass catcher in the Steelers offense behind wide receiver George Pickens, and if his role does increase, he could have a breakout year and finish in the mid-TE1 range.
Fri, Sep 6th 10:54am EDT
By Leo Sells
Jalen Ramsey has agreed to terms on a 3-year, $72.3M contract extension with the Dolphins that makes him the highest paid cornerback in football. (Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Ramsey has been injured this offseason and was only able to play ten games for the Dolphins last season, but the team is still locking him down with a three-year contract extension that makes him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. He is going to be turning 30-years old during the 2024 NFL season, so this new contract will likely take him to the end of his NFL career. This adds a lot of security to Miami's long-term defensive outlook.
Kyle Pitts is dealing with a hamstring injury and will be limited at Atlanta's practice on Wednesday. (Source: Ari Meirov on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: According to HC Raheem Morris, Pitts is dealing with a hamstring injury that will leave him limited at practice on Wednesday. It's unclear when he suffered this injury or just how serious it is, but this is concerning with the Falcons just days away from their season opener against the Steelers. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to his status throughout the week and any updates coming out about his health prior to Week 1.
49ers WR Ricky Pearsall has reportedly been shot in an attempted robbery incident in Union Square Saturday, according to reporter Deion Lim of KGO-TV San Francisco. Gia Vang of NBC Bay Area adds that Pearsall is in stable condition and the suspect is in custody. Pearsall was drafted by the 49ers in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. (Source: Dion Lim on X)
Fantasy Impact: Pearsall missed the entire preseason due to a shoulder injury but had returned to practice in a limited fashion recently. When the 49ers drafted him in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, many thought he could contribute right away, especially with the futures of both Deebo Samuel Sr. and Brandon Aiyuk questionable. But Samuel and Aiyuk are both still with the team, and Pearsall has been sidelined for most of the summer. Now, there are much bigger concerns for the young wideout, and football is secondary to his health and well-being. The early reports are that he is in stable condition, but we don't know much about the severity of his injuries or how much time he will miss at this time. Monitor his status in the coming days and weeks for updates.
Free-agent WR Michael Thomas has been suspended for Week 1 of the 2024 season. The suspension comes as a result of a violation of the league’s personal conduct policy. (Source: Tom Pelissero on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: As long as Thomas remains an NFL free agent, there is no need to roster him in any leagues. This suspension gives teams a reason not to sign the 31-year-old receiver at least until after Week 1 of the season.
The Patriots have officially named Jacoby Brissett as their starting quarterback. (Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter )
Fantasy Impact: Brissett was the favorite to open the season as the starter for New England, but Drake Maye made the decision difficult with his play during the preseason. Fantasy managers should be aware there is a possibility that he has a short leash and Maye enters in after a few weeks. The 31-year-old will have to work behind a weaker offensive line and with a young group of wide receivers in a rebuilt offense for the 2024 season.
Samaje Perine has signed with the Chiefs' active roster after just being released by the Broncos. (Source: Mike Garafolo on X)
Fantasy Impact: Perine's signing with the Chiefs brings a sigh of relief to any Chase Brown or Zack Moss owners, as there was speculation he could take over the pass-catching role in the Bengals' backfield. Perine will look to be a third-down, pass-catching back with the back-to-back Super Bowl champs. While he may not be a reliable fantasy asset in most formats, he will likely eat into Isiah Pacheco's workload and lower Pacheco's ceiling as a pass catcher out of the Chiefs' backfield.
The Cowboys are signing RB Dalvin Cook, according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero. (Source: Tom Pelissero on X)
Fantasy Impact: The Cowboys entered the offseason with an obvious need at running back, but they didn't select one in the 2024 NFL Draft and didn't sign anyone in free agency other than the aging Ezekiel Elliott. Throughout training camp and the preseason, RB remained a question mark for Dallas, and it seemed like some kind of committee involving Rico Dowdle, Elliott, and Deuce Vaughn was the plan. Now, the addition of Cook creates only more questions, at least for fantasy managers. Cook could realistically come in and take over the RB1 role for the Cowboys, but he recently turned 29 and did not impress with the Jets last year, rushing 67 times for just 214 yards (3.2 YPA). This still feels like Dowdle's job to lose, but the fantasy value of everyone in this backfield is murky at best, especially with someone like Elliott lurking to vulture opportunities in the red zone.
Rams coach Sean McVay said Kyren Williams will be the Rams’ punt returner. (Source: Jourdan Rodrigue on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: This comes as a bit of a surprise. McVay said this is “another way” for Williams to get touches and “impact the game." It is possible this means Blake Corum will play a legitimate role behind him in the backfield.
AJ Dillon has been placed on injured reserve, ending his season. (Source: Ari Meirov on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Dillon will not return for the entirety of the 2024 season after being placed on injured reserve on Tuesday. He has been dealing with a stinger lately, and while that usually isn't a serious issue, there seems to be some kind of complication that will leave him sidelined for a while. With rookie MarShawn Lloyd (hamstring) expected to miss some time at the beginning of the season, Josh Jacobs is primed to get the bulk of the work in Green Bay's backfield for the foreseeable future.
Veteran WR Odell Beckham Jr. will start the season on the Miami Dolphins' physically unable to perform (PUP) list, meaning he will be unavailable for the first four weeks of the season. (Source: Tom Pelissero on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Beckham landing on the PUP to start the year seemed like the likely direction given that he was still unavailable. He had an offseason procedure and has worked to get back on the field but isn't there yet. He will be eligible to return in Week 5 vs. the New England Patriots, but until then, a thin and injured Miami WR room will have to perform the best they can.
Kadarius Toney has been released by the Chiefs after spending one and a half years with the back-to back champs. (Source: Ari Meirov on X)
Fantasy Impact: Toney had a disappointing 2023 campaign with the Chiefs, totaling just 27 receptions for 169 yards in his only full year with Kansas City. Toney's explosiveness makes him an intriguing option as a gadget player. Still, he will likely continue to be fantasy-irrelevant unless find a way to better capitalize on his raw talent.
Jaylen Warren (hamstring) told reporters that he is going to play in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons. (Source: Ray Fittipaldo on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Warren suffered a hamstring injury in the preseason that put his status for Week 1 in jeopardy. However, he told reporters on Monday that he is going to be ready to go for the season opener, which is on September 8th against the Atlanta Falcons. It remains to be seen if that is true or not, but either way, this is an extremely positive sign that his injury is minor and that he won't miss any real time because of it.
The Chiefs are expected to sign WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, according to multiple reports. Smith-Schuster previously played for Kansas City in 2022. (Source: Jordan Schultz on X)
Fantasy Impact: In 2022, Smith-Schuster appeared in 16 games for the Chiefs, catching 78 of his 101 targets for 933 yards and three touchdowns. As a late-summer addition to an already crowded WR room, it's unlikely he'll see that kind of volume in 2024. However, stranger things have happened. The Chiefs appear to have depth at the WR position: Rashee Rice, Marquise Brown, Xavier Worthy, Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney, Mecole Hardman. But every name on that list comes with a question mark, and the Chiefs wouldn't be making this move if they were happy about their depth. Monitor the reports in the coming days and weeks, and add Smith-Schuster to your watch list. If he can carve out a role in this offense, he could become an intriguing target to add in deeper leagues.
