play0:49Is Jake Ferguson the hottest TE in fantasy?Matt Bowen assesses Jake Ferguson’s increased fantasy production over his last two games with CeeDee Lamb injured.
play0:53Eric Karabell: J.K. Dobbins at least a top-20 fantasy RB if he’s healthyEric Karabell breaks down his fantasy optimism for J.K. Dobbins the rest of the season.
play0:39Why fantasy managers can’t sit A.J. Brown yetDespite A.J. Brown’s tough fantasy season, Liz Loza points to a favorable matchup vs. the Giants as a reason to stick with the wide receiver.
play0:35Is Darren Waller a good fantasy play in Week 6?Liz Loza breaks down her fantasy outlook for Darren Waller in Week 6 after a nice game vs. the Panthers.
Is Jake Ferguson the hottest TE in fantasy?Matt Bowen assesses Jake Ferguson’s increased fantasy production over his last two games with CeeDee Lamb injured.
Matt Bowen assesses Jake Ferguson’s increased fantasy production over his last two games with CeeDee Lamb injured.
Eric Karabell: J.K. Dobbins at least a top-20 fantasy RB if he’s healthyEric Karabell breaks down his fantasy optimism for J.K. Dobbins the rest of the season.
Why fantasy managers can’t sit A.J. Brown yetDespite A.J. Brown’s tough fantasy season, Liz Loza points to a favorable matchup vs. the Giants as a reason to stick with the wide receiver.
Despite A.J. Brown’s tough fantasy season, Liz Loza points to a favorable matchup vs. the Giants as a reason to stick with the wide receiver.
Is Darren Waller a good fantasy play in Week 6?Liz Loza breaks down her fantasy outlook for Darren Waller in Week 6 after a nice game vs. the Panthers.
Liz Loza breaks down her fantasy outlook for Darren Waller in Week 6 after a nice game vs. the Panthers.
Week 5 injury fallout: Hampton headed to IR, plus more on Antonio Gibson, Darius Slayton
Both Browns TEs score and more notes from Sunday’s games
Oct. 5: Early Week 5 takeaways: Jones, Colts roll on; Waller’s comeback tour continues
Everything that happens in the NFL has some additional context when viewed from a fantasy football perspective. From position battles to injuries and so much more, the news cycle will constantly affect player values in fantasy football.
Our Fantasy Football Buzz file, with contributions from our ESPN fantasy writers and our NFL Nation reporters, aims to provide fantasy managers with the intel they need as news breaks around the NFL.
Key links: Fantasy depth charts | Cheat Sheet Central Rankings | Projections | Join a fantasy league today
Omarion Hampton, RB, Chargers (ankle): Hampton injured his left ankle late in Sunday’s game against the Commanders and is now headed to injured reserve, per coach Jim Harbaugh. Hampton’s lower leg appeared to collide with a defender’s as he was running out of the backfield, and he walked into the tunnel with a member of the medical staff shortly afterward. He was spotted in a walking boot after the game.
Antonio Gibson, RB, Patriots (knee): Gibson suffered a season-ending knee injury when he was upended on a tackle during a kickoff return in the second quarter. He was clearly emotional as he was escorted off the field by the medical staff, an indication he already knew the severity of the injury. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Gibson tore his ACL, an injury that typically requires nine to 12 months for recovery.
Eric Karabell: J.K. Dobbins at least a top-20 fantasy RB if he’s healthy
Eric Karabell breaks down his fantasy optimism for J.K. Dobbins the rest of the season.
Indiana Jones strikes again: The former New York Giants QB led the Indianapolis Colts to a decisive victory over an embattled Las Vegas Raiders squad, cruising to a 40-6 win. Daniel Jones registered 16.68 fantasy points, completing 20 of 29 passes for 212 yards and two TDs. Jones, 28, has now gone over 15 fantasy points in four of five games. He figures to remain a top-12 fantasy option at quarterback versus the Arizona Cardinals in Week 6.
Darius Slayton, WR, Giants (hamstring): Slayton pulled up in the fourth quarter with what was reported by the team to be a hamstring injury. Although listed as questionable to return, Slayton remained out of the game. The Giants face a short week with a Thursday night matchup against Philadelphia, and even the mildest of hamstring strains are challenging to resolve within three days. With Malik Nabers already lost for the season to a torn ACL, it would seem the Giants will be inclined to be protective of Slayton. He was listed as a nonparticipant in Monday’s practice report.
Darren Waller’s comeback campaign continues: In his second game back from retirement, Waller continued to lift a middling Miami Dolphins offense, scoring his third TD in two outings. With Tyreek Hill out of the lineup, Waller stayed busy, converting all five of his targets for 78 receiving yards and the aforementioned spike. The matchup stiffens significantly in Week 6 as Miami hosts a Los Angeles Chargers squad that entered Week 5 allowing just three receiving scores on the season. Luckily for Waller investors, two of those three were to the TE position (Travis Kelce in Week 1 and Theo Johnson in Week 4).
Nico Collins saves fantasy day with a TD: The Houston Texans rolled 44-10 against a Baltimore Ravens squad littered with injuries, including the absences of star CBs Chidobe Awuzie and Marlon Humphrey. Needless to say, Collins didn’t need to do much in this one. Still, it was surprising to see him draw just five looks, his lowest number of targets since Week 1. The alpha wideout saved his fantasy day with his third score in four weeks. The team takes its bye in Week 6 before traveling to Seattle for “Monday Night Football” in Week 7.
Ashton Jeanty stays upright in Week 5: Jeanty continued to flash an every-down skill set and maintain robust volume in Week 5. Unfortunately, the game script smothered his production. That figures to be an issue all season. Still, the former Boise State standout registered a respectable 4.8 yards per catch while leading the Raiders in looks, converting five of seven targets for 42 receiving yards. Talent and opportunity will keep him a top-15 fantasy contender at the position when he takes on an exploitable Tennessee Titans defense in Week 6.
Jaxson Dart’s legs remain the secret to his fantasy success: Dart, in an upset loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 5, proved to be a better fantasy asset than real-life QB. The rookie completed 65% of his passing attempts (26 of 40) for 202 yards (5.1 YPA), 2 TDs and a pair of INTs. His rushing production continued to buoy his fantasy numbers, as he took off seven times for 55 rushing yards (just 4 yards shy of Cam Skattebo’s total). Dart is likely to struggle again coming off a short week and facing the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense Thursday night. Still, his legs will likely keep him in QB15 fantasy territory.
Dalton Schultz scored a season-high 11.0 fantasy points against the Ravens. He has seen six or more targets in three straight games and continues to lead the Texans’ tight ends in snaps and routes. He’s a player fantasy managers should keep on their radar as a bye week fill-in.
Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely played a similar number of snaps and ran a similar number of routes. However, Andrews finished with three targets compared with just one for Likely. The Ravens were without two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, and even when he returns, it’s tough to have confidence in starting either Andrews or Likely in fantasy lineups.
The Colts’ starting “X” receiver has posted at least 50 receiving yards in four straight games. It was Alec Pierce in Weeks 2 and 3, Adonai Mitchell in Week 4, and Ashton Dulin in Week 5. Pierce has missed the past two games with a concussion but might return in Week 6. Michael Pittman Jr., who leads the team with 29 targets, typically lines up as the Z receiver.
Jake Ferguson played a season-low 55% of the snaps against the Jets but still led the Cowboys with nine targets and led Dallas’ tight end committee in routes run. He posted a season-high 23.9 fantasy points thanks to two receiving touchdowns. Ferguson hasn’t been an every-down tight end this year, but that’s fine. He’s usually on the field in passing situations, has drawn nine or more targets in three of five games and has had at least 16 fantasy points in four of them.
Mason Taylor set career highs in receptions and receiving yards last week against the Dolphins with five catches for 65 yards and 11.5 fantasy points. He surpassed those marks this week against the Cowboys with nine receptions for 67 yards and a season-high 17.7 fantasy points. Seven of those catches came in the final 21 minutes while the Jets were trailing substantially. Even so, Taylor has continued to lead New York’s tight end room in snaps played and routes run in each of the last two games.
Evan Engram finished with a season-high 13.3 fantasy points on six targets, which was encouraging, but even though he led the Broncos’ tight end committee in routes run, Adam Trautman and Nate Adkins still played almost as many snaps. That makes any of them difficult to trust in fantasy lineups.
Ashton Jeanty finished with 19 touches and 15.9 fantasy points in a blowout loss to the Colts. He played a high percentage of snaps in the first half before the game got out of hand, after which the team pivoted to Raheem Mostert.
Cam Skattebo has logged a high percentage of snaps and piled up 21-plus touches in back-to-back games with Tyrone Tracy Jr. sidelined by a shoulder injury. However, he has been inefficient, averaging only 3.5 yards per carry.
Kendre Miller had 11 touches against the Giants while Alvin Kamara had 12. Kamara also recorded his lowest snap share of the season. The Saints’ backfield is operating as a two-man committee.
Saquon Barkley set a season low in snaps played and touches (9) against the Broncos, yet he still finished with 17.8 fantasy points thanks to a 47-yard touchdown reception. Barkley’s usage was concerning because the game script never suggested the Eagles should shift away from the running game. While he has recorded 23 or more touches in four of five games this season, he hasn’t been as explosive as a playmaker. He averaged 6.0 scrimmage yards per touch in 2024 compared to just 3.9 this season.