Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (ankle) returned to practice Wednesday after missing Week 8 due to a high-ankle sprain. Young was seen practicing on a wet field, which bodes well for his availability this week. The Panthers have emerged as a playoff contender behind the 24-year-old signal caller. The team will face the Green Bay Packers on the road this week, in a pivotal NFC matchup. If Young can play, it will set up a matchup of rising signal callers as he takes on Jordan Love. Rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan could also benefit from a full-strength offense.

From RotoBaller

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (knee) will not be on the practice field on Wednesday, according to head coach Andy Reid. Pacheco suffered an MCL sprain late in the Monday night win over the Washington Commanders in Week 8 and is considered week-to-week, so it shouldn't be a surprise that he's not practicing. The 26-year-old is unlikely to be active for a Week 9 showdown against the Buffalo Bills, but the good news is that KC will head into their bye in Week 10, so it's possible Pacheco will only end up missing one game. With Pacheco unlikely to be able to play this weekend, veteran Kareem Hunt should take over lead-back duties, with rookie Brashard Smith also having an expanded role and being in play as a flex option for fantasy managers. Pacheco has been a big disappointment in fantasy leagues in 2025, running for 329 yards and just one touchdown on 78 carries over his first eight games.

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According to a source, there's "no chance" that Cleveland Browns All-Pro pass-rusher Myles Garrett gets dealt ahead of next Tuesday's trade deadline, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. "People have a better chance of winning the lottery," the source said. The Browns surely would be asking for much more than any team is willing to offer for Garrett, so he will remain with Cleveland for at least one more season. The 29-year-old defensive end is having another fantastic season and is coming off an absolute dominant performance in the Week 8 loss to the New England Patriots, in which he had five sacks, six tackles, and a forced fumble. Garrett and the Browns will be on bye in Week 9, but he should be right back in starting fantasy lineups in IDP leagues in Week 10 against the New York Jets. He is already at 10 sacks through eight games in 2025.

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Tennessee Titans interim head coach Mike McCoy said that wide receiver Calvin Ridley (hamstring) will not practice on Wednesday, per Jim Wyatt of TennesseeTitans.com. Ridley was injured in Week 6 and hasn't practiced or played since, and he's trending in the wrong direction early in the week to make his return this Sunday to face the visiting Los Angeles Chargers. Even if the 30-year-old returns to practice in the next couple of days and suits up in Week 9, fantasy managers won't be in a rush to throw him back into their starting lineups. Ridley just hasn't shown much chemistry with rookie first-round quarterback Cameron Ward this year when he's been on the field, catching 16 of his 35 targets for 290 yards and no touchdowns in six games. If Ridley misses another game, rookies Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike will have elevated roles for the third straight contest.

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Free-agent WR Robbie Chosen (Commanders) was signed to Washington's practice squad on Wednesday, Oct. 29. He was released from their practice squad on Monday, Oct. 27.

From TheHuddle

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. benefitted from receiver Drake London's (hip) absence in the Week 8 upset loss to the Miami Dolphins, catching all nine of his targets from quarterback Kirk Cousins for 59 yards. "He's going out there and executing at a very high level," head coach Raheem Morris said. Although Pitts has scored just once so far in 2025, the 25-year-old former fourth overall pick has been more involved this year under offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, catching 39 of his 47 targets for 344 yards through seven games. Those numbers have made him the TE13 in half-PPR scoring through eight weeks. London's potential return in Week 9 against the New England Patriots could put a damper on Pitts' overall fantasy upside this weekend, but he has proven to be a low-end TE1/high-end TE2 every week so far in 2025.

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The Buffalo Bills activated wide receiver Gabe Davis (knee) from Injured Reserve on Wednesday, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. Davis has been on the IR since early September with a knee issue, but he's back now and will practice with the team on Wednesday as they begin preparing for a showdown this Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. The 26-year-old returned to Buffalo this offseason after spending the first four years of his NFL career with the Bills. In 2024, he played in a career-low 10 games with the Jacksonville Jaguars and caught 20 of 42 targets for 239 yards and two touchdowns before suffering a season-ending injury. Davis will be looking to earn his way onto Buffalo's active 53-man roster in the second half of the season, but if he does, he'll be an unpredictable deep threat who probably won't be on the field all that often.

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Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said on Wednesday that he expects wide receiver Darnell Mooney (hamstring, shoulder) to take "major steps forward" in his play going forward after dealing with hamstring and shoulder injuries this year, according to Tori McElhaney of AtlantaFalcons.com. It certainly didn't happen in last week's upset loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 8, when Mooney caught only one of his four targets for 11 yards. It was especially disappointing, with Drake London (hip) out due to injury, but it also came with veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins making his first start of the year, with Michael Penix Jr. (knee) sidelined. If London is back this weekend against the New England Patriots, fantasy managers will most likely be avoiding Mooney as a WR4/flex option after he has put up two one-catch performances in his last three games.

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Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales strongly suggested on Monday that Week 9 against the Green Bay Packers "will be the week he ditches the shared carries approach and rides the hot hand and feet of Rico Dowdle," according to Joseph Person of The Athletic. Chuba Hubbard missed some time earlier this year with a calf injury, which coincided with Dowdle having the best two-game stretch by a Panthers running back in team history. Carolina leaned on Hubbard in Canales' first season in 2024. They gave him a four-year, $33.2 million extension last year, and the Panthers don't want to trade him at this year's deadline. Hubbard will still be involved in the backfield if he's not traded, but Dowdle's production this year -- 5.7 yards per carry, 605 rushing yards, and two touchdowns -- makes him deserving of lead-back duties. Dowdle has earned more work over Hubbard and will be the one with RB2 upside this Sunday against Green Bay.

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Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London (hip) is day-to-day coming out of the team's Week 8 upset loss to the Miami Dolphins, in which he was ruled out, according to AtlantaFalcons.com's Terrin Waack. "Drake is in the building, feels good, planning on practicing. Get a chance to look at him moving around a little bit today. Those guys are both feeling day-to-day but a lot better than we felt last week," head coach Raheem Morris said. London popped up on Atlanta's injury report late last week and was a surprise inactive on Sunday, but the fact that he'll be back on the practice field on Wednesday (even if he's limited) is a sign that he could return this weekend to face the New England Patriots. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) is also day-to-day after missing Week 8, so the Falcons could be getting both London and Penix back. The 24-year-old London is a must-start in fantasy lineups if he's active against New England.

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For most of the season, it was looking like a slam dunk that New York Jets running back Breece Hall would be traded, but ESPN's Dan Graziano's sense now is that "it's no longer a sure thing." Hall is in the final year of his deal with the Jets, and the team has a pair of RBs they like behind him in Braelon Allen (knee) and Isaiah Davis. However, Allen is already out for the rest of this season, and there are people in the Jets building who are "leery of the idea of trading Hall." The 24-year-old showed in the Week 8 upset win over the Cincinnati Bengals that he's still explosive, going for 133 rushing yards and two touchdowns, and throwing a touchdown. If the Jets receive a really strong offer for Hall, they will probably take it, but he's no longer a slam dunk to be traded. Ahead of next Tuesday's trade deadline, Hall's chances of being dealt could be 50-50.

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The New Orleans Saints announced on Tuesday that rookie Tyler Shough will start at quarterback in Week 9 against the Los Angeles Rams. Spencer Rattler was benched during last week's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Shough went 17-for-30 for 128 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception in the 23-3 loss. The 26-year-old former second-rounder out of Louisville is on the rise in fantasy football in deeper two-QB leagues now that he has been named the starter moving forward, but he'll have a difficult first test as a starter in Week 9 against a potent Rams defense that is fresh while coming off their bye week. The Rams' defense has allowed the ninth-fewest fantasy points per game to the QB position so far through eight weeks. Shough could remain the Saints' starting QB for the rest of the year, but we certainly wouldn't recommend him as a streamer at the position this week in his first NFL start.

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ESPN's Jeremy Fowler writes that teams he's talked to think that Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers possibly has the best chance of being dealt among available wide receivers at this year's trade deadline. The Raiders continue to receive interest in the seven-year veteran, and Fowler believes that the Raiders want a strong draft pick in return. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos, and Buffalo Bills are believed to be in the receiver market. Fowler predicts that if Meyers is moved before Tuesday's deadline, he will end up with the Steelers, who are seeking an upgrade behind WR1 DK Metcalf. The Raiders are clearly in a transitional phase, and Meyers has made it clear he wants out of Sin City. The Raiders just signed veteran Tyler Lockett, too, which would soften the blow of trading away Meyers. The 28-year-old has struggled with quarterback Geno Smith running the offense, catching only 29 passes for 329 yards and no touchdowns in 2025, so perhaps a change of scenery can get him going.

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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) is considered day-to-day with the bone bruise in his knee. Still, head coach Raheem Morris told reporters on Wednesday that he feels "really good" about his QB for Sunday's Week 9 game against the New England Patriots, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Morris also said that the second-year signal-caller is in line to take part in Wednesday's walk-through practice, although it's unclear if he'll be full-go or limited. Either way, it's good news for the 25-year-old southpaw after he missed the Week 8 upset loss to the Miami Dolphins. He was limited in practice all of last week before being ruled out, so Penix may need to upgrade to a full practice at some point this week to be cleared to play on Sunday. If Penix plays this weekend, he'll be a midrange QB2 in fantasy versus the Pats, although he could be without his top wideout in Drake London (hip), who also missed last weekend's loss.

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Green Bay Packers running back Emanuel Wilson saw his largest workload of the season in his team's Week 8 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, recording 87 scrimmage yards on 14 touches. Wilson has been efficient when he's had the ball in his hands this year, averaging 5.1 yards per touch on 43 touches across seven games played. The Packers have a workhorse running back ahead of Wilson on the depth chart in Josh Jacobs. However, Jacobs has been playing through a calf injury and has failed to crack 16 touches in either of his last two games after recording at least 20 touches in each of his first five. Wilson is still the clear RB2 in Green Bay as long as Jacobs is active, but there could be an opportunity for more consistent backfield snaps while the team manages Jacobs' workload.

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Arizona Cardinals running back Bam Knight appears to have a clear runway to be his team's lead back in a favorable Week 9 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. Cardinals running back Trey Benson (knee) will be on Injured Reserve for at least one more game, and the team released veteran back Michael Carter earlier this week. Before Arizona's Week 8 bye, Knight had recorded 118 scrimmage yards and a touchdown on 29 touches across his last two games. He'll likely split backfield snaps to some degree with Emari Demercado in Week 9, but Knight profiles as the early-down and goal-line back. The Cowboys have allowed the third-most rushing yards (1,168) in the NFL this season. Knight should be viewed as a low-end fantasy RB2 heading into Week 9.

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Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (foot) missed his team's last two games before their Week 8 bye due to a mid-foot sprain. However, Murray is reportedly on track to return to the field for Arizona's Week 9 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. Murray was having a down season before getting hurt. Across five games in 2025, the 28-year-old has recorded 961 passing yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions. Still, Murray remains a threat with his legs (173 rushing yards, one touchdown) and gets a very favorable matchup on Monday night against Dallas. The Cowboys currently rank dead last in the NFL in passing yards (2,185) and passing touchdowns (20) allowed. If Murray can return against Dallas, he profiles as a low-end fantasy QB1 in Week 9.

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The Detroit Lions and star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson have agreed to terms on a four-year, "mega-extension," per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The number two overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, Hutchinson is currently playing out the fourth year of his five-year rookie contract. While the exact terms of the extension are unclear, it appears Hutchinson will now be under contract with Detroit for the remainder of the decade. The 25-year-old has bounced back nicely in 2025 from the serious leg injury that ended his 2024 season in Week 6. Across seven games this year, Hutchinson has recorded six sacks, 13 QB hits, and four forced fumbles. Pro Football Focus grades him as the second-best edge defender out of 119 qualified players so far in 2025. As long as he stays healthy, Hutchinson could be on his way to his second Pro-Bowl and first All-Pro selection this season.

From RotoBaller

Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Flacco (shoulder) is up in the air for Week 9 with a sprained right AC joint, according to head coach Zac Taylor.

Fantasy Spin: The good news is an AC joint sprain is a matter of pain tolerance. The bad news is Flacco is 40, and managing that in your throwing shoulder could be a problem. Flacco is the QB8 over the last three weeks. Based on his track record, we'd expect Flacco to be available against the Chicago Bears Sunday. However, he could be hindered by it, which would push him to the midrange QB2 area.

From TheHuddle

Free-agent TE Marcedes Lewis (Bears) signed an undisclosed deal with the Denver Broncos Wednesday, Oct. 29.

From TheHuddle