play0:54Lamar Jackson returns, slings 4 TDs in Ravens’ winLamar Jackson returns from a three-game absence to lead the Ravens to a 28-6 win over the Dolphins.
Lamar Jackson returns, slings 4 TDs in Ravens’ winLamar Jackson returns from a three-game absence to lead the Ravens to a 28-6 win over the Dolphins.
What to expect from Puka Nacua in his return against the Saints
Beyond the numbers: What’s in store for McCaffrey, Chase down the stretch?
What does Saints’ move to Shough mean for Olave, Kamara?
Rice, Hunt rack up the points on “Monday Night Football”
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 league.
Key links: Fantasy depth charts | Weekly rankings Scoring leaders | Projections | Strength of schedule
Nacua has missed only one game (with an additional week of recovery thanks to a well-timed bye) but it feels like forever to his fantasy managers. Aside from the Week 6 contest where he left early as a result of injury, Nacua’s least amount of yards from scrimmage this season was 85 in Week 5. Every week prior he amassed over 100 total yards, including 170 in Week 2.
“You want him to feel as good as possible because of all the different things we ask of him for his game to fully come to life,” McVay said. He went on to note Nacua has looked “really good” in practice and will be ready to play Sunday.
Coming off an ankle sprain, the key for Nacua has been functionality all along. If the ankle has healed to the point of feeling stable, then functional performance is high. He should return without limitation.
Travis Hunter (knee) has been placed on injured reserve and will miss at least four games, a major blow to both the Jacksonville Jaguars and fantasy managers. The rookie had been breaking out before the injury, setting season highs in targets (14), receptions (8) and yards (104), and he scored his first touchdown in Week 8. With Hunter sidelined, Parker Washington (rostered in just 1.9% of leagues) is the top beneficiary, as he’s likely to see more slot snaps.
Brian Thomas Jr. remains the Jaguars’ No. 1 receiver despite battling a shoulder injury, though his reliability will depend on his health heading into Sunday. Dyami Brown and Tim Patrick could also see increased roles if healthy, while the Jaguars’ banged-up receiver corps further limits Trevor Lawrence’s fantasy outlook. Jacksonville’s Week 9 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders is favorable, as Las Vegas’ defense has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers.
Washington is my preferred player to stash and can be viewed as a low-end flex in deeper leagues while we see how the Jaguars’ receiver room shakes out against the Raiders.
Lamar Jackson returns from a three-game absence to lead the Ravens to a 28-6 win over the Dolphins.
All three of the Ravens tight ends had success against the Dolphins. Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar combined for 35.9 fantasy points, with Andrews leading the way with 16.6 points thanks to two receiving touchdowns. It was his 12th career game with multiple receiving touchdowns, the most by any tight end since he entered the league in 2018 and tied for the fourth most among all players in that span.
Derrick Henry led the Ravens’ backfield in snaps played, routes run, touches (20), and fantasy points (13.1), which shouldn’t come as a surprise. However, there’s one detail managers should be aware of. Justice Hill’s role continues to shrink as Keaton Mitchell has started to siphon early-down snaps. If Henry misses time, Mitchell is the insurance back fantasy managers will want on their watch list.
Jaylen Waddle led all Dolphins pass catchers in snaps played, routes run, targets (9), and fantasy points (14.2). He’s the only Miami receiver managers can truly rely on. Waddle has topped 80 receiving yards in four of his last five games and has seen at least six targets in four of them. Despite Tua Tagovailoa’s up-and-down play, Waddle belongs in lineups every week as a high-end WR2, and Miami’s rest-of-season schedule for receivers is very favorable.
Don’t underestimate the Ravens’ defense. Over the past three games, Baltimore’s defense has allowed just 13.0 points per game after giving up a league-worst 35.4 per game through Week 5.
It’s never too soon to prepare your fantasy football team for those stretch run weeks — particularly the Week 14 regular-season finale in which four NFL teams (Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers) are on bye — and the fantasy playoffs.
Beginning this week, we’ve got a new tool to help you make those critical trade and pickup decisions: The Fantasy Football Strength-of-Schedule Cheat Sheet, which breaks down each team’s past and remaining schedule at each of the six traditional fantasy football positions (QB, RB, WR, TE, K and D/ST). Before completing any trades, always make sure to check the cheat sheet to see where your players rank.
Matt Bowen: With New Orleans Saints rookie Tyler Shough expected to make his first pro start this Sunday on the road versus the Los Angeles Rams, let’s discuss the quarterback change for Kellen Moore’s team and the fantasy implications.
Shough has the arm talent to attack down the field, and I would expect Moore to scheme some vertical throws for the rookie on Sunday. Think max protection/two-man routes here that give Shough a clear picture down the field. Plus, Moore can define the reads for Shough underneath, while using the quick passing game to get him into a rhythm.
However, with a rookie making his first start versus a Rams defense that can rush the passer and ranks in the top-10 versus opposing quarterbacks, we should expect to see some teachable moments on the field. Shough will not warrant enough fantasy value to be played in 2QB Superflex formats this Sunday. However, his ability to throw down the field could open the door for both Olave and Shaheed to make some splash plays.
I’ll have Olave in the mid-to-low tier WR2 range for this matchup, with Shaheed sticking as a boom/bust WR3. Plus Alvin Kamara will remain a fringe RB2 due to his receiving ability, which can be utilized on outlet throws from Shough.
Kansas City Chiefs WR Rashee Rice picked up right where he left off in 2024. He’s led the Chiefs in targets in back-to-back games and scored at least 23 fantasy points in each of them. What really stands out is that he played 85% of offensive snaps against the Washington Commanders.
Chiefs RB Kareem Hunt finished with 10 touches and 17.2 fantasy points, but context matters. Fellow RB Isiah Pacheco had 12 touches and just 5.8 fantasy points, yet he played significantly more snaps and ran more routes than Hunt. Two of Hunt’s short touchdowns came after Rice was tackled inside the two-yard line.
The Commanders were nearly at full strength at wide receiver with Deebo Samuel and Terry McLaurin back in action. Samuel led Washington’s receivers in snaps, routes run and targets. McLaurin, however, led the group with 14.4 fantasy points thanks to a touchdown, despite playing just 47% of snaps and running fewer routes than Samuel. He still saw action in key passing situations.
With more severe ankle injuries, it is not uncommon to suffer a fracture of one or both of the lower leg bones simultaneously. If bone breaks through the skin, the injury — termed an open dislocation — immediately becomes more complex due to risk of infection. In addition to fixing the fracture and other urgent soft tissue repairs, the wound is cleaned out to minimize infection risk.
Skattebo’s rookie season will come to an unfortunate early conclusion as a result of this injury, but a timeline should become more clear as details of the surgery emerge.
Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles (groin): On the day Barkley finally got his groove back to the tune of 150 rushing yards and a trip to the end zone, he also picked up a groin injury. Although he exited the game early, Barkley downplayed the injury when talking to reporters in the locker room post-game, calling it “nothing crazy.” The Eagles have a bye in Week 9, so he will get some additional rest days to recover.
Likely finished with 60 receiving yards after accumulating just 24 yards over the last four games. The Ravens’ tight end rotation in this game mirrored last week’s usage and was consistent with last season when everyone was healthy. Andrews was preferred over Likely in 11 personnel; the two were on the field together in 12 personnel; Kolar handled 21 personnel; and Likely and Kolar split snaps in 22 personnel. Andrews and Likely are the tight ends fantasy managers should have on their radar, and according to our strength of schedule cheat sheet, the Ravens have the easiest remaining schedule for tight ends this season.
As expected, De’Von Achane led the Dolphins’ backfield in snaps played, routes run, touches (20), and fantasy points (16.6). Monitor Ollie Gordon II’s health after he left with an ankle injury and didn’t return. He has served as Achane’s insurance back all season, while Jaylen Wright has played very few snaps and has often been a healthy inactive. It’s also worth noting that the Dolphins have the second-easiest rest-of-season schedule for fantasy running backs. If you have Achane, hold him. If you don’t, consider trading for him.
The Commanders’ backfield operated as a two-man committee. Jacory Croskey-Merritt started, but struggled in an unfavorable game script against the Chiefs, finishing with nine carries and just 2.5 fantasy points. He handled most of the early-down work, while Jeremy McNichols produced 11.8 fantasy points thanks to five receptions for 64 yards. Croskey-Merritt remained a nonfactor in the passing game, limiting his fantasy upside when rushing lanes close. Washington’s outlook doesn’t improve in Week 9 against a tough Seahawks defensive front that ranks fifth in run stop win rate.