Bengals acquiring QB Joe Flacco from Browns

Tue Oct 7 1:48pm ET
Field Level Media

The Cincinnati Bengals are acquiring quarterback Joe Flacco from the Cleveland Browns, multiple media outlets reported on Tuesday.

Per reports, the Bengals also are picking up a sixth-round pick from the Browns in exchange for a fifth-round pick.

The reported trade comes one day after Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor told reporters that the team would evaluate its options at quarterback given Jake Browning's considerable troubles since replacing the injured Joe Burrow.

Browning, 29, completed 64.5 percent of his throws for 757 yards with six touchdowns and eight interceptions in four games (three starts) this season for the Bengals (2-3), who have lost three in a row.

The Browns (1-4) turned from Flacco to rookie Dillion Gabriel ahead of last weekend's game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Flacco, 40, completed 93 of 160 passes (58.1 percent) for 815 yards and two touchdowns. He has eight turnovers, including six interceptions.

He spent the 2024 season with the Indianapolis Colts after earning NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors with the Browns in 2023.

A Super Bowl XLVII MVP with Baltimore in the 2012 season, Flacco played his first 11 seasons with the Ravens (2008-18) before moving on to the Denver Broncos (2019), New York Jets (2020-22), Browns (2023, 2025) and Colts (2024).

Flacco ranks 12th in NFL history in pass completions (4,259), 13th in attempts (6,911), 16th in yards (46,512) and tied for 22nd in passing touchdowns (259).

Earlier on Tuesday, the Bengals released quarterback Mike White from the practice squad.

White, 30, was signed the Bengals' practice squad on Sept. 16.

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Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 6

Player Notes
Hassan Haskins Oct 7 5:00pm ET
Hassan Haskins

With both running backs Omarion Hampton (ankle) and Najee Harris (Achilles) on Injured Reserve, Los Angeles Chargers RB Hassan Haskins is the "next man up," writes Daniel Popper of The Athletic. For his career, Haskins has 195 rushing yards with a 3.0 yards-per-carry average. Behind him, the Bolts have Kimani Vidal and Amar Johnson on the practice squad. Vidal has been elevated from the practice squad for the last two games and had an equal amount of offensive snaps as Haskins on Sunday in the loss to the Washington Commanders. In addition to the team's RB depth being thinned out, the Chargers have also dealt with injuries to key players along their offensive line. It could be tough sledding on the ground for L.A. moving forward, with Haskins and Vidal potentially splitting the workload down the middle. Both RBs are worth picking up off the waiver wire if you have Hampton or need a bye-week replacement.

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Odell Beckham Jr. Oct 7 4:50pm ET
Odell Beckham Jr.

Free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. said he has decided to accept a six-game suspension from the league for a violation of the performance-enhancing drug policy last season, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Beckham said he never knowingly took any PED and that he still wants to play in 2025. The 32-year-old veteran may still want to continue his career, but his accepted six-game suspension makes it more unlikely that a team will take a chance on him this year. OBJ wasn't attracting much interest at all around the NFL before the announcement of his six-game suspension. If he does latch on with a team, Beckham will not be eligible to make his 2025 debut until Week 12. The three-time Pro Bowler and former first-round pick played in nine games last year with the Miami Dolphins and had a 9-55-0 line on 18 targets before being cut in mid-December.

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Marvin Harrison Jr. Oct 7 4:50pm ET
Marvin Harrison Jr.

After rewatching the tape of the Week 5 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing said he felt like he didn't do enough to get wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. the ball down the stretch, according to Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic. "Going back and looking at it, I think there's maybe a couple of things I could've done differently," Petzing said. Harrison had only five targets on the day, which tied for a season low, but he caught four of them to finish two yards shy of the century mark for the first time in 2025. He caught a season-high six passes on 10 targets in Week 4 for 66 yards and his second touchdown of the year. The 23-year-old former first-rounder nearly had a 44-yard TD early in the game on Sunday and did most of his damage in the first half before Arizona's offense sat on their lead after halftime. Look for Arizona to feature Harrison early and often in Week 6 on the road against the Indianapolis Colts.

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Tyrone Tracy Jr. Oct 7 4:40pm ET
Tyrone Tracy Jr.

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll is optimistic that running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (shoulder) will be able to make his return in Week 6 on Thursday night against the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. Tracy suffered a dislocated right shoulder in the Week 3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and has missed the last two games as a result. However, the 25-year-old has made good progress and was listed as a limited practice participant for the second straight day this week on Tuesday. It's good news for the Giants' offense as they take on a tough divisional opponent on a short week, but even if Tracy makes his return, fantasy managers will probably want to stay away. Rookie Cam Skattebo has taken over lead-back duties in the Big Apple. Tracy will still be involved when he's back, but he's likely to take on more of a secondary role, especially in his return.

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Michael Badgley Oct 7 4:40pm ET
Michael Badgley

The Indianapolis Colts are signing free-agent kicker Michael Badgley to their 53-man active roster on Tuesday, sources told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Badgley will get the first crack for the Colts at replacing Spencer Shrader (knee), who suffered a torn ACL and MCL in the Week 5 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. The 30-year-old kicked for Indianapolis back in 2021 and is fully healthy now after missing 2024 due to injury. He went 18-for-21 on field-goal attempts and 39-for-39 on his extra-point tries in his 12 games with the Colts in 2021. Badgley has a career 82.4% success rate on his 119 field-goal attempts in his six years in the NFL with five different teams. Badgley will probably have a short leash his second time around in Indy if he struggles, but he'll be kicking half his games indoors at Lucas Oil Stadium for what has been a surprisingly explosive offense.

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Tucker Kraft Oct 7 4:20pm ET
Tucker Kraft

Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft has had a solid start to his second season as the full-time starting tight end for the Packers, but is he a bit overrated for fantasy football? In Week 4, when Jordan Love had 43 pass attempts, Kraft could only manage five targets with five receptions for 56 yards. Kraft has been fine this season and perhaps has been propped up by his monster 6-124-1 game in Week 2. Besides that game, Kraft has averaged just four targets, three receptions, 34 yards outside of Week 2. What's additionally concerning is that his per-route metrics are starting to slide. In Week 1, Kraft earned a target on 22.2 percent of his routes run, but that percentage has slipped to 21 percent, 17 percent, and in Week 4, 13 percent. Kraft is what he is: a volatile boom-or-bust option with an inconsistent target-earning profile. You can start Kraft in good fantasy matchups and hope he gets into the end zone in bad matchups. This week is a good matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, so Kraft is a fine start. Just know that while the ceiling is very high, Kraft's fantasy points floor is shockingly low.

From RotoBaller

Jordan Love Oct 7 4:00pm ET
Jordan Love

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love had an awesome game for fantasy managers who started him in Week 4 against Dallas, tossing three touchdown passes to wide receiver Romeo Doubs and piling up 337 passing yards. Love finished as QB6 in Week 4, his first weekly finish as a top-ten quarterback since Week 6 of last season. It was also Love's first game with over 40 passing attempts since Week 4 of 2024. Passing volume isn't a regular thing for the Packers; it's an anomaly. The Packers would rather play tough defense and run the ball to set up the pass than the opposite. Another excellent matchup looms as the Cincinnati Bengals head into Lambeau Field to take on the Packers in Week 6. Love is a fringe starting quarterback for fantasy managers, but history has shown us that the game he had in Week 4 is more the exception rather than the rule.

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Matthew Golden Oct 7 3:50pm ET
Matthew Golden

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden has seen an incremental upward trajectory over the past several weeks for the Packers and for fantasy managers. Golden is coming off his best week yet, with a season-high six targets, plus five receptions for 58 yards. He's also starting to see the field regularly with route shares of 82 percent and 72 percent in his last two games. In addition, Golden's first-read target shares have increased substantially, going from three total first-read targets in the first two weeks of the season to nine in the next two contests. Interestingly, Golden was used much more in the slot in Week 4, flipping his role with Dontayvion Wicks, who had been used in the slot more since Jayden Reed (clavicle, foot) was injured. That could prove to be a launching point to get Golden in more jet motion and use him in space for YAC opportunities. After the Packers' bye in Week 5, Green Bay hosts the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 6. With the continued upward climb of Golden, he's a big-time upside flex play for fantasy managers this week.

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Romeo Doubs Oct 7 3:40pm ET
Romeo Doubs

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs is coming off by far his best game of the season in Week 4, with an awesome three-touchdown performance against the Dallas Cowboys. Is that performance something we can bank on in future weeks? Besides the three touchdowns in Week 4, Doubs earned eight targets and caught six balls for 58 yards. Entering the team's Week 5 bye, Doubs is tied with tight end Tucker Kraft with 19 targets and is second to Kraft in receptions and yards on the Packers this season. Despite that, Doubs averages less than five targets, just over three receptions, and 45 yards in per-game statistics. Simply put, that's not good enough to put into your fantasy lineups in most weeks, even with bye weeks here. Against the Bengals in Week 6, Doubs is merely a dart-throw flex option for fantasy managers, as the Packers' target distribution is so spread out that any number of Packers could be in line to lead their receiving production in a given week.

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Kendre Miller Oct 7 3:00pm ET
Kendre Miller

New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller has seen his snap share increase every game this season, and in Week 5, he was on the field for 26 of the Saints' 66 offensive plays. He saw double-digit carries for the second straight week and out-touched Alvin Kamara on the ground for the first time this year. In a relatively unremarkable waiver week, he becomes a priority add wherever he's still available, but fantasy managers should be leery of his almost non-existent usage in the passing game. He's seen only four targets through five weeks, and in the Saints' first win of the season, some of his increased workload can be explained away by a game script New Orleans is unlikely to repeat with regularity.

From RotoBaller

Gunnar Helm Oct 7 2:50pm ET
Gunnar Helm

Tennessee Titans tight end Gunnar Helm caught four of five targets on Sunday for 34 yards, all of which represented the highest totals of his young career. According to Titans OC Nick Holz, Helm catches the ball easily and "could see his targets going up moving forward." The rookie tight end out of Texas was one of three pass catchers selected by the Titans in the fourth round of the 2025 draft. While receiver Elic Ayomanor was the quickest to make an impact, Helm could see his role expand and is someone for fantasy managers to at least keep an eye on for now. Despite the Titans' improbable win on Sunday, Cam Ward has thrown only two touchdowns on the year and is averaging 175.8 passing yards per game, making it difficult to rely on any of the team's pass catchers for fantasy.

From RotoBaller

Darius Slayton Oct 7 2:40pm ET
Darius Slayton

While all practice participation is merely projected as the New York Giants prepare to play the Eagles on Thursday night, receiver Darius Slayton (hamstring) would not be able to participate in Tuesday's walkthrough, according to head coach Brian Daboll. With superstar wide receiver Malik Nabers (knee) out for the year, Slayton had an opportunity to step up on Sunday against the Saints, but he caught only three passes for 31 yards and added a costly fumble in the loss. Now looking unlikely to play on Thursday night, Wan'Dale Robinson should see the bulk of the Giants' wide receiver targets against a Philadelphia defense that has been unkind to fantasy receivers through five weeks.

From RotoBaller

Carson Wentz Oct 7 2:30pm ET
Carson Wentz

The Minnesota Vikings hope to have starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy (ankle) back in time to play in Week 7 against the Philadelphia Eagles, which would mean backup Carson Wentz is likely headed back to a reserve role once again. With McCarthy yet to practice, however, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported it's possible the second-year quarterback could be out longer, but cited a league source saying there was "nothing to see here" regarding a change in McCarthy's timeline. The Vikings are on a bye in Week 6, which will give McCarthy another full week of rest before tentatively returning to practice next week. Managers in Superflex leagues with stakes in the Vikings' QB room should be ready to keep up with the injury reports in the lead-up to Week 7.

From RotoBaller

Jaxson Dart Oct 7 2:30pm ET
Jaxson Dart

With the New York Giants preparing to play on Thursday night against the Eagles, quarterback Jaxson Dart (hamstring) would have been projected as limited in Tuesday's walkthrough. With the short week of preparation, there are no official reports of his participation, but head coach Brian Daboll believes he will be fine for Thursday night. Dart has been a usable fantasy piece since taking over for Russell Wilson and now starting two games. While the rookie signal caller has fumbled twice and thrown two interceptions, while averaging only 5.2 yards per attempt, he's run for over 50 yards in each of his starts, adding one touchdown on the ground. With a built-in floor provided by his legs, Dart will continue to see streamable opportunities throughout the year, but this week against the Eagles is not one of them.

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Justin Jefferson Oct 7 2:20pm ET
Justin Jefferson

The Minnesota Vikings are on a bye in Week 6, but their return to the field could have fantasy implications for wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy (ankle) has not played since Week 2, but the team is targeting Week 7 against the Philadelphia Eagles as his projected return. Jefferson drew 6.5 targets in two games with McCarthy compared to 9.7 with backup Carson Wentz, though Minnesota has been much more intentional about getting their star wideout the ball in the past two weeks, throwing his way a robust 22 times. Despite Minnesota facing tons of injury issues on the offensive line and both opponents surely game-planning for Jefferson to be heavily featured, he still put up 100-yard efforts in both games. Among fantasy receivers, Jefferson is about as QB-proof as there is, but McCarthy's return still will be a variable worth monitoring.

From RotoBaller

J.J. McCarthy Oct 7 2:20pm ET
J.J. McCarthy

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (ankle) has not practiced in the weeks after his injury, but the Vikings still appear to be targeting Week 7 as the quarterback's return after their Week 6 bye. Diana Russini of The Athletic reported McCarthy could be out longer, but cited a league source saying there was "nothing to see here" on the injury front. Carson Wentz went 2-1 as a starter in McCarthy's absence, including leading a game-winning touchdown drive in the final minute in Week 5 against Cleveland, though Minnesota is likely to go back to the 2024 first-rounder. The bigger issue for any Vikings quarterback is the amount of injuries up front. The team will be without starting center Ryan Kelly (concussion) for at least another month, right tackle Brian O'Neill (knee) and left guard Donovan Jackson (wrist) are both question marks for Week 7, and left tackle Christian Darrisaw (knee) has been on a snap count as he returns from ACL surgery last year.

From RotoBaller

Will Reichard Oct 7 2:10pm ET
Will Reichard

In one of the more bizarre plays of the season, Minnesota Vikings kicker Will Reichard's attempt to tie last week's game against Cleveland with a 51-yard field goal abruptly sliced and missed wide right -- but with good reason. The Athletic reported and video appears to confirm the Vikings' belief that the ball actually struck one of the overhead wires, at which point the down should have been replayed. Minnesota came back to win anyway, but fantasy managers who started Reichard had some awful luck, as a high-scoring field goal that initially looked good ended up as a miss, and the officiating crew missed the reason why. From a fantasy perspective, Reichard has been a nice surprise in spite of a Vikings offense ravaged by injuries, going for 11-for-11 on PATs and 8-for-8 on field goals that were not blocked by objects in the field of play.

From RotoBaller

Jaylen Warren Oct 7 2:10pm ET
Jaylen Warren

In addressing the media on Wednesday, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach included running back Jaylen Warren (knee) in a group of players for which he said the "arrow [was] pointed up". Warren was off to an excellent start to the season, due in large part to his heavy usage in the passing game, but a knee injury caused him to miss the Steelers' Week 4 game against the Vikings in Ireland. Warren has now had a bye week to recover, and he has been participating in individual drills this week. The Steelers face a stout Cleveland defense in Week 6, so Warren is by no means a must-start if he's available, but his pass-catching should provide a safe floor, particularly in PPR formats.

From RotoBaller

Joe Flacco Oct 7 1:50pm ET
Joe Flacco

The Cincinnati Bengals are acquiring veteran quarterback Joe Flacco from the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. In exchange for Flacco, the Bengals will send a fifth-round pick to Cleveland and will also receive a sixth-rounder. Flacco was benched for rookie QB Dillon Gabriel in Week 5, but now he'll have another shot to start in 2025 as a replacement for the struggling Jake Browning, who has thrown six touchdowns and eight interceptions in four games (three starts) with Joe Burrow (toe) on Injured Reserve. Flacco, 40, is no stranger to turnovers himself, though, and he wasn't exactly looking great in four starts for the Browns before being benched. Flacco had gone 93-for-160 for 815 yards, two touchdowns, and six picks. He'll bring a more veteran presence that will look to feed receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins down the field, but it's not much of an upgrade over Browning, if at all.

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Jalen Ramsey Oct 7 12:50pm ET
Jalen Ramsey

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said that cornerback Jalen Ramsey (hamstring) will be limited in practice at the start of the week on Wednesday, but he could do more later in the week, according to ESPN's Brooke Pryor. Tomlin also said that Ramsey has been aggressive in his recovery during the Week 5 bye, and he's encouraged by his status leading into the Week 6 game this Sunday versus the division-rival Cleveland Browns. The 30-year-old veteran defensive back was apparently injured in the Week 4 win in Ireland over the Minnesota Vikings. The team's bye came at a good time, though, and it sounds as though Ramsey has a good chance of playing this Sunday against Cleveland. Through four games so far in 2025, Ramsey has 14 tackles (eight solo), an interception, and four pass breakups.

From RotoBaller