Don’t be surprised if … Marvin Harrison Jr. reverts to ordinary WR3/4 status in Week 10 and beyond
What does Kyler Murray on IR mean for Cardinals? (0:45)Adam Schefter reports on Jacoby Brissett being named the Cardinals’ starting quarterback with Kyler Murray placed on injured reserve. (0:45)
Injury updates: Puka Nacua, Brock Purdy, Aaron Jones Sr.
Beyond the numbers: Why now is the time to trade Dak Prescott
WR Jakobi Meyers traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars
Colts, Cowboys and Jets’ trades have fantasy-relevant impact on defense
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
Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams (chest): Nacua left last Sunday’s game halfway through the third quarter with what was described as a chest injury after going to the ground hard on top of the football. Although he didn’t return to the game, he remained on the sideline and appeared to be in good spirits. McVay later said Nacua “got his ribs” and said he could have potentially returned to the game but the team opted to be cautious.
Follow-up imaging confirmed the injury wasn’t serious and Nacua practiced throughout the week. He began with a limited session Wednesday but was a full participant Thursday and Friday and is off the game status injury report. No limitations for Nacua heading into Sunday’s divisional matchup against the 49ers.
As with any ligament injury, as long as it is not healed, there is potential discomfort and the sense of instability, and with the toe, it makes it virtually impossible for a quarterback to do anything. The 49ers have too much invested in Purdy to risk bringing him back too soon and suffering either further injury to the toe or another injury as a consequence of his limitations due to the toe.
Closer? Yes. Close? Nothing indicates that Purdy is on the verge of retaking the reins, especially when he has only been a limited participant in practice thus far.
Bo Nix finished with a season-low 5.8 fantasy points against the Raiders as he continues to struggle to consistently make plays downfield. Nix completed just 39.2% of his passes on throws of 10-plus yards, one of the lowest marks in the league this season. The good news is that the Broncos have one of the easiest remaining schedules for fantasy quarterbacks, and managers are counting on Nix to capitalize as we get closer to the fantasy playoffs.
J.K. Dobbins continues to lead the Broncos’ backfield in snaps played and touches. This trend continued on Thursday night against the Raiders. Dobbins just hasn’t scored a touchdown since Week 5 against the Eagles. He has had at least 15 touches in four consecutive games.
Nov. 5: The Arizona Cardinals announced Wednesday that QB Kyler Murray (foot) would be placed on injured reserve, ensuring that Jacoby Brissett will start at least four more games. With Brissett set to stick around under center, how does that affect wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.? Eric Karabell has his thoughts below:
C.J. Stroud, QB, Texans (concussion): Stroud remains in the concussion protocol after suffering the injury Sunday, and he didn’t practice Wednesday. None of this comes as a surprise, as players coming off a concussion have to move through a multi-phase progression before being eligible to return to action. The progression is criterion dependent, not time dependent, but it still takes multiple days to move through the phases.
Kyler Murray, QB, Cardinals (foot): Murray being placed on IR on Wednesday was an interesting development. All indications up to Monday night were that Murray was making steady progress from the midfoot sprain he suffered in Week 5. Prior to the team’s Week 8 bye, there was a sense that Murray was headed for a potential return in Week 9. Even though he began practice sessions after the bye as a limited participant, coach Jonathan Gannon suggested to reporters that he was still in line to play.
My suggestion: Use Prescott’s bye-week time to shop him around, as it’s likely a good number of his fantasy managers selected him as their No. 2 or combo option, based upon his No. 12 ADP among quarterbacks. Given the choice, I’d rather have Baker Mayfield and Matthew Stafford for the rest of 2025.
A final, relevant benefit for Shaheed: By being traded specifically between these two teams, he escapes what would’ve been an upcoming bye to join a team that has already had its week off, meaning he could be a rare 18-game player.
The Las Vegas Raiders sent Meyers to Jacksonville for 2026 fourth- and sixth-round picks, finally granting his trade request before the deadline. A pending free agent, Meyers made it clear he wanted out, and the Jaguars were willing to take on his remaining $5.25 million salary.
In Jacksonville, Meyers will fill the slot role vacated by Travis Hunter (IR, knee) and could see steady volume while Brian Thomas Jr. deals with an ankle injury. Like in Las Vegas, he’ll still face target competition, but Trevor Lawrence and the team’s up-tempo offense could boost his consistency in fantasy leagues.
Meyers is one of just three players in the league with 30-plus receptions and zero receiving touchdowns this season, along with Kendrick Bourne and Dalton Schultz. Through seven games, he has 33 receptions for 352 yards on 49 targets. Expect a small fantasy bump in Jacksonville, while Tre Tucker (rostered in 39.7% of ESPN leagues) and Brock Bowers headline the Raiders’ receiving options moving forward.
Trade deadline moves don’t only shuffle things up at the skill positions. Swaps including significant defensive names can influence both our team D/ST, as well as future matchups, analysis.
This is no longer a slam-dunk matchup to target with opposing wide receivers, which is relevant when evaluating players like Nico Collins, Brian Thomas Jr., Rashid Shaheed and Jauan Jennings from Weeks 13-17. That said, the Colts’ D/ST is a difficult sell, being that they face the third-toughest schedule the rest of the way.
As for the Jets, who dealt Gardner and Williams, upgrade them as a matchup to exploit with your skill position players. Though the Jets are the eighth-toughest schedule adjusted wide receiver matchup for the season, despite Gardner’s so-so performance to date, it’s unlikely that the installation of either Azareye’h Thomas or Quan’tez Stiggers into their starting lineup will afford them the chance to maintain that lofty ranking.
Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers (toe): It has now been six weeks since Purdy last saw the field (which was after missing the two games prior) and while he is listed as questionable, coach Kyle Shanahan has already named Mac Jones the starter. If Purdy is available, it would be as a backup, but even that status remains murky. If anything, this situation is proving just how problematic turf toe type injuries can be, even when nonsurgical. It is a variant of turf toe that Purdy is dealing with, in essence a ligament sprain of the big toe but not involving the exact same structure as a more classic turf toe.
Aaron Jones Sr., RB, Minnesota Vikings (shoulder): Jones is listed as questionable for Sunday’s matchup against the Baltimore Ravens with shoulder and toe injuries, although the shoulder injury is reportedly the more significant of the two. He suffered an AC (acromio-clavicular) sprain — an injury to the point of the shoulder where ligaments connect the collarbone (clavicle) and the edge of the shoulderblade (the acromion). Jones had soreness Monday but coach Kevin O’Connell indicated the early test results were “positive,” suggesting only a minor sprain and little to no actual structural damage. After sitting out Wednesday, Jones was a limited participant both Thursday and Friday and is trending towards playing, telling reporters Friday he thought he would be in a “good spot” by Sunday. O’Connell has expressed on multiple occasions that the veteran does not require full practices to be able to play.
Tre Tucker led all Raiders pass catchers in snaps and routes run, but it was Tyler Lockett who paced the team with six targets against a tough Broncos defense. Tucker finished with just 5.5 fantasy points and Lockett with 9.4, though it’s worth noting Tucker had a touchdown called back due to an offensive pass interference penalty on Dont’e Thornton Jr. The bottom line is that Tucker and tight end Brock Bowers remain the most fantasy-relevant pass-catchers in this offense, while Lockett is more of an option in deeper leagues. Managers hoping for a Jack Bech breakout following the Jakobi Meyers trade to Jacksonville should move on.
Marvin Mims Jr. missed his second straight game with a concussion, allowing Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant to operate as the Broncos’ top two wideouts in three-receiver sets. Franklin continues to lead the team in targets (73) and scored Denver’s lone receiving touchdown. Mims is expected back in Week 11, but the question is whether the Broncos revert to their earlier rotation. Franklin looks locked in opposite Sutton as their No. 2 and remains available in nearly 40% of fantasy leagues. With a favorable schedule ahead, he’s a strong pickup if you need receiver help.
Harrison enjoyed his finest game Monday night against the meager Dallas Cowboys defense (Sure, it is so much better after the trade deadline! Don’t buy it!), and some believe this happened because Murray was not the QB. Harrison made all the highlight shows on his touchdown grab because he embarrassed a Cowboys defender with a move, and Dallas WR CeeDee Lamb looked mighty impressed on the sideline. Hey, it was impressive. It was, however, also the Cowboys. Harrison caught seven passes in the game. This is now his career high, in his 25th game. Seven receptions! Ja’Marr Chase does this by halftime!