Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette (illness) was a full participant at Friday's practice. Legette had been held out of the week's first two practices with an illness, but he appears to have recovered, and he carries no injury designation heading into the team's Week 9 matchup with the Packers. With quarterback Bryce Young (ankle) also carrying no injury designation after missing one week with an ankle sprain, the Panthers' offense will look to get back on track after putting up fewer than 250 total yards and scoring only nine points in that Week 8 loss to the Bills. Fantasy managers should look elsewhere, though, as Legette's Week 7 explosion against the Jets is looking more like an outlier than a breakout, and Jalen Coker continues to see his usage increase since returning from the quad injury that caused him to miss the first six games of the year.

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Tennessee Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo (foot) was able to return to the practice field on Friday, giving him a chance to play this Sunday when the team takes on the visiting Los Angeles Chargers in Week 9, according to Turron Davenport of ESPN. Okonkwo was limited in Wednesday's practice with his foot injury, but he was then downgraded to out on Thursday, raising questions about his availability this weekend. It's unclear what the 26-year-old's official status is for Week 9, but he's likely to be questionable to play. If Okonkwo is out or limited at all against the Bolts, it would open the door for rookie Gunnar Helm to be a legitimate streaming option for fantasy managers at the tight end position. Okonkwo has 27 catches on the year for 271 yards and no touchdowns, which has made him a low-end TE2 option, at best.

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Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley (hamstring) was not spotted at the team's practice on Friday, according to Jim Wyatt of TennesseeTitans.com. Ridley has not practiced or played since injuring his hamstring in Week 6, and it seems like only a matter of time before the Titans officially rule him out for a third straight game for the Week 9 battle against the visiting Los Angeles Chargers this Sunday. With Ridley likely to miss another game this weekend, fantasy managers can look to rookies Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike as flex options in another contest that should feature plenty of positive game script for the Titans. The 30-year-old Ridley has been a huge disappointment for his fantasy managers in 2025, and at this point, a trade out of town might be the only thing to salvage his season. He has yet to find the end zone in six games and has only 16 receptions for 290 yards.

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Updating a previous report, the Tennessee Titans have officially ruled out wide receiver Calvin Ridley (hamstring) for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 9, per Jim Wyatt of TennesseeTitans.com. This was the way things were headed after Ridley did not practice at all again this week. The 30-year-old veteran pass-catcher has not practiced or played since he hurt his hamstring back in Week 6, and he will be missing his third straight game against the Bolts. Ridley's continued absence will make rookie receivers Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike intriguing again in Week 9 as WR4/flex plays in a game in which the Titans will likely be forced to pass often. Ridley, who has been rumored as a trade option at this year's deadline, is still searching for his first touchdown of the year and just hasn't developed any chemistry with rookie quarterback Cameron Ward.

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New England Patriots rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson is "in line for a bigger workload" in the Week 9 game on Sunday against the visiting Atlanta Falcons with backfield mate Rhamondre Stevenson (toe) officially ruled out, according to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. If Henderson is for some reason available on your league's waiver wire, you should be picking him up immediately and inserting him into your starting fantasy lineup this weekend with Stevenson out. The 23-year-old Henderson, who was a second-round pick this year out of Ohio State, hasn't really impressed all that much in his first eight NFL games and has had ball-security issues, but increased volume in a strong offense warrants attention. He comes into this weekend with 228 rushing yards and a touchdown on 53 carries while adding 16 catches for 99 yards through the air. Atlanta's defense has allowed the 11th-most half-PPR fantasy points per game to opposing RBs, too.

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New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson (toe) will not play on Sunday against the visiting Atlanta Falcons in Week 9, according to head coach Mike Vrabel. This was the likely result after Stevenson failed to practice all week after picking up a toe injury in the Week 8 win over the Cleveland Browns. Rookie TreVeyon Henderson had another fumble last week, but he also broke out with 75 rushing yards against a good Cleveland defense, and he'll be firmly in play as an RB2 for fantasy managers this weekend against Atlanta with Stevenson officially out. It's unclear if Stevenson will be on track to return for a Week 10 date against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road, but he will definitely need to get back on the practice field first. Henderson will serve as New England's clear-cut RB1 for the first time this weekend, with Terrell Jennings expected to back him up.

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Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is calling veteran quarterback Joe Flacco (shoulder) questionable to play in Week 9 against the visiting Chicago Bears on Sunday, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. Taylor also said that Flacco looked good while being limited in Thursday's practice, a day after he was a non-participant due to an AC joint sprain in his right shoulder that he suffered in the Week 8 loss to the New York Jets. The 40-year-old said he was feeling good on Friday, but it's still unclear if he'll be given the green light to play this weekend. The good news is that fantasy managers will know whether Flacco is active before the first games kick off on Sunday. If he's active, he'll be a midrange QB2 option for fantasy managers as he continues to relentlessly target star wideout Ja'Marr Chase. If Flacco is inactive, it will be Jake Browning back in the starting role, which would be bad news for Chase.

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According to Hays Carlyon, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen is making it sound like rookie first-rounder Travis Hunter (knee) "might not be able to return this season." Coen said Hunter's knee injury suffered in Thursday's practice was of the non-contact variety, which typically is not a good sign. The Jaguars are still evaluating the two-way star to determine the extent of the damage to his knee. But at the very least, he will not be able to return until Week 13 against the division-rival Tennessee Titans after the team placed him on Injured Reserve on Friday. A season-ending injury would obviously be a huge blow for the Jaguars on both sides of the ball. The Heisman Trophy winner was just starting to become more of a threat on offense and had his first career 100-yard game and first touchdown in Week 7 in London. In redraft leagues, fantasy managers need to hang onto Hunter until we know more about the severity of his knee injury.

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Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (ankle) has been cleared to return to face the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in Week 9 on Sunday. Young suffered a high-ankle sprain in the Week 7 win over the New York Jets and was unable to play in last week's blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills. However, the 24-year-old has healed quickly and returned to full practice this week. The former first overall pick will play this weekend, but there's a good chance his mobility will be limited, making him slightly less attractive in fantasy as more of a QB3 option in superflex formats. In addition to his ankle potentially limiting his scrambling ability, the matchup on the road against a stout defense in the Packers is not ideal for fantasy purposes. Green Bay's defense has allowed the 20th-most fantasy points per game this year to opposing QBs.

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Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington should be considered a waiver-wire pickup heading into the weekend after the Jaguars announced on Friday that they placed rookie first-rounder Travis Hunter (knee) on Injured Reserve due to a knee injury that he suffered in practice on Thursday. Hunter will not be eligible to play again until Week 13 against the division-rival Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Nov. 30. In the meantime, Washington will see his role in the passing game increase dramatically next to Brian Thomas Jr. (shoulder) and Dyami Brown. Washington, 23, enters the team's Week 9 meeting with the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday with 17 catches on 35 targets for 207 yards and one touchdown in 2025. He has seen double-digit targets in two games this year and could very well be on his way to a third this weekend in Vegas, where he'll suddenly be on the WR4/flex radar in fantasy leagues.

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Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Dyami Brown is firmly in the mix as a waiver-wire pickup before the team's Week 9 contest on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders after the Jaguars placed rookie first-rounder Travis Hunter (knee) on Injured Reserve on Friday due to a knee injury that he suffered in Thursday's practice. Brown and Parker Washington are both worthy waiver-wire pickups with expanded roles coming in Jacksonville's passing game alongside Brian Thomas Jr. (shoulder). The 25-year-old Brown is only rostered in 2% of Yahoo leagues currently, but he should be seeing a drastic bump in volume and added targets in the coming weeks. He enters this weekend's action with 16 catches on 27 targets for 194 yards and one touchdown in six games so far this season. Washington should probably be the priority off waivers for fantasy managers in need of WR help.

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The Washington Commanders announced on Friday that quarterback Jayden Daniels (hamstring) will return from his hamstring injury to start on Sunday Night Football against the Seattle Seahawks. This was the expectation after head coach Dan Quinn announced at the start of the week that Daniels was in line to practice in full all week. The 24-year-old second-year signal-caller tweaked his right hamstring in the Week 7 loss to the Dallas Cowboys and missed the Week 8 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night, but he's now ready to go after just one missed contest. Daniels will not have top wideout Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) at his disposal, though, after McLaurin aggravated a quad injury that had already caused him to miss four games this year. Against a stiff Seahawks defense in his first game back, fantasy managers should consider Daniels a low-end QB1/high-end QB2 this week.

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Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said that wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (heel), who has been dealing with a heel injury, "looked like he was back to himself this week," according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post. Samuel did not have any limitations on him in practice this week and is good to go for the Week 9 primetime game on Sunday night versus the visiting Seattle Seahawks. The 29-year-old didn't play in Week 7 due to his heel injury, and he's been disappointing in his last two games, catching seven of his 11 targets for only 26 yards and no touchdowns. Samuel had back-to-back weeks with touchdowns before that stretch, and he could be back to those levels this weekend at closer to 100% health, with Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) missing his fifth game of the year. On volume alone, Samuel should be considered a low-end WR2/high-end WR3 in fantasy in Week 9.

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There was no sign of New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson (toe) at Friday's practice, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN. Stevenson has yet to practice this week and is now unlikely to play on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9. He has yet to officially be ruled out, but that's likely coming later on Friday, so fantasy managers should be moving Stevenson to their benches for the week, if they haven't already done so. With Stevenson likely sidelined this weekend, rookie TreVeyon Henderson should get his first real opportunity to be the Patriots' RB1, with Terrell Jennings expected to be elevated into the backup/change-of-pace role in the backfield. Henderson, the team's second-rounder in April out of Ohio State, has had ball-security issues through his first eight NFL games. However, with the boost in volume coming this Sunday, he will be in play as an RB2 in fantasy lineups.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers placed safety DeShon Elliott (knee) on Injured Reserve on Friday, according to Teresa Varley of Steelers.com. Elliott suffered his knee injury in the Sunday night loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 8 and will now be forced to miss at least the next four games. The former sixth-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2018 started five games for the Steelers this year and had recorded 38 tackles (20 solo), one tackle for loss, an interception, and two passes defended. The 28-year-old defensive back was a big part of Pittsburgh's secondary and was also in play as a starting DB in IDP fantasy leagues before his injury. Now that he's on IR, Elliott won't be eligible to play again until Week 13 on Sunday, Nov. 30, versus the Buffalo Bills. The Steelers made the move this week to acquire defensive back Kyle Dugger from the New England Patriots to help make up for the loss of Elliott.

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Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said that wide receiver Joshua Palmer (ankle, knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's Week 9 contest against the Kansas City Chiefs, according to Maddy Glab of BuffaloBills.com. Palmer returned to practice on Thursday, but he was moving around gingerly and will now end up missing a second straight game. Struggling second-year wideout Keon Coleman wasn't able to take advantage of Palmer sitting out in last week's blowout win over the Carolina Panthers, catching three of four targets for 30 yards. With the 26-year-old Palmer missing another game, Elijah Moore, Tyrell Shavers, and Curtis Samuel should battle for WR3 snaps again behind Coleman and Khalil Shakir, but it's really hard to trust anyone outside of Shakir in starting fantasy football lineups at the moment, especially in a tough matchup against KC's defense.

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According to ESPN Radio's Mia O'Brien, when referencing wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (shoulder), Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen noted he's "truly practiced the best I've seen him practice," ahead of Sunday's road clash with the Las Vegas Raiders. Thomas Jr. entered Jacksonville's bye week nursing a shoulder injury. While he's yet to log a full session in two opportunities, the glowing praise from his head coach is encouraging. After a standout rookie campaign, the 23-year-old had gotten off to a slow start in 2025, but he'll get a chance to turn it around in the back half of the season. With rookie hybrid teammate Travis Hunter (knee) suddenly heading to IR, Thomas Jr. figures to shoulder a heavier workload when available. Fantasy managers should keep tabs on his official game-time designation for Week 9.

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The Athletic's Josh Kendall reports that the Atlanta Falcons have yet to have "any serious trade discussions with another team," regarding quarterback Kirk Cousins ahead of next Tuesday's trade deadline. Cousins has been the speculation of quarterback-needy teams, although his recent performance in a blowout loss to the Miami Dolphins likely didn't help his case. As it stands, Atlanta is likely to hold both the veteran and second-year pro Michael Penix Jr. (knee). However, Kendall notes that doesn't mean Cousins is a long-term fit for the team. He figures to resume backup duties behind Penix Jr. once the latter is fully recovered from his knee injury. That's likely to change following the 2025 season.

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Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy has not had the season owners expected in 2025, and it may be some time before he turns it around. When fantasy managers selected the former Alabama Crimson Tide, it was with a top 75 pick, and with the hopes that he would build off his stellar run to close out 2024. However, that hasn't been the case, as Jeudy has already been through two quarterbacks while Cleveland is scoring a paltry 15.8 points per game -- the third-lowest mark in the league. Unfortunately for the sixth-year pro, rookie QB Dillon Gabriel has had a rough go, meaning it may not be long before we see fellow first-year signal-caller Shedeur Sanders manning the helm. Cleveland's shuffling at the quarterback position has lowered both Jeudy's floor and ceiling. He's currently the PPR WR66, and not worth consideration for fantasy.

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell has been all but an afterthought in the team's rushing attack since the return of backfield mate Jaylen Warren in Week 6. Warren missed a game earlier in the season with a knee injury, in which Gainwell erupted for 134 total yards and two rushing scores. However, following Pittsburgh's Week 5 bye, the latter has taken a backseat in terms of playing time and touch share. With the way things have been, fantasy managers can't trust the University of Memphis product to provide standalone value. While Gainwell would handle a majority of the work in the event Warren were to miss more time, he's presently better relegated to handcuff duties.

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