AJ Brown (hamstring) was noticeably absent at the start of Eagles practice on Saturday. He appeared on the practice report yesterday as a limited participant with a hamstring issue. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni mentioned that Brown experienced "a little tightness" in his hamstring during Friday's session, prompting the team to proceed cautiously on Saturday. Since joining the Eagles in 2022, Brown has missed only one game (last season's playoff clash with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers). If active, Brown will hold a significant physical advantage over defensive backs Mike Hughes and Dee Alford, making him a must-start for fantasy managers. Should Brown be ruled out, it will boost the fantasy value of DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and Saquon Barkley, who will likely see increased usage. While Jalen Hurts may be slightly downgraded without his top target, he remains a strong quarterback option due to a favorable matchup. Keep an eye on the final injury report released by Philadelphia on Monday night before the game.

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The San Francisco 49ers are placing running back Christian McCaffrey (calf/Achilles tendinitis) on Injured Reserve today, aiming for him to fully recover from his Achilles tendinitis over the next four games. McCaffrey missed most of training camp and did not play in the preseason due to a calf strain, which head coach Kyle Shanahan disclosed on August 6. The reigning AP Offensive Player of the Year, McCaffrey led the league last season in touches (339), rushing yards (1,459), yards from scrimmage (2,032), and scrimmage touchdowns (21). The earliest he can return is October 10th against Seattle on Thursday Night Football. In his absence, Jordan Mason stepped up as the 49ers' RB1, delivering a standout performance with 152 yards and a touchdown on 29 touches. While Mason's impressive showing provides some reassurance, it's important to note that McCaffrey's unique skill set and versatility are irreplaceable. Mason will serve as an RB1 until McCaffrey's return, and this situation underscores the importance of rostering your running back's handcuffs to prepare for potential injuries.

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San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle heads to Minnesota this week as the team takes on the Vikings. In last week's home victory over the New York Jets, Kittle caught four of five targets for 40 yards and no touchdowns. The Vikings defense held the New York Giants tight ends Theo Johnson and Daniel Bellinger to two catches for 21 yards last week. In 2023, Minnesota's defense was 13th-best in the NFL at suppressing tight end fantasy production in half-PPR. Kittle's output has been notoriously volatile over the past few years, but his duds have been more than evened out by his monster games. Last season, he finished as the overall TE5 in half-PPR scoring. He's a no-brainer high/mid TE1 start in Week 2.

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Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton had a team-high 12 targets and played 91% of the offensive snaps in the Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, but that led to only four receptions for 38 yards in rookie quarterback Bo Nix's wobbly debut. Sutton is fully expected to lead Denver's wideouts in targets by a wide margin in 2024, and volume shouldn't be an issue this weekend against the Pittsburgh Steelers, especially with rookie Devaughn Vele (ribs), who had eight targets in the season opener, ruled out. However, Sutton is going to need to be more efficient with Nix to be a worthwhile WR4/flex play on a weekly basis for fantasy managers. The Steelers held Falcons WR1 Drake London to only two catches for 15 yards last week and present another difficult matchup for Nix and this new-look Broncos offense. Don't be surprised if Sutton struggles with efficiency again in the team's home opener.

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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (ankle) was removed from the final Week 2 injury report on Friday and is good to go for Sunday's contest on the road against the Minnesota Vikings. Jennings briefly exited the Week 1 win over the New York Jets with an ankle issue but returned to the contest and finished out the game with five receptions for a team-high 64 yards on Monday night. The 27-year-old was third among the team's wideouts while playing 49% of the offensive snaps, but he was more involved in the passing game as the Niners eased Brandon Aiyuk back after his lengthy training camp hold-in this summer. Jennings should continue to work as the WR3 in San Fran behind Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel Sr. with rookie Ricky Pearsall (chest) out, but he's unlikely to see enough weekly targets to be considered a realistic flex play in most fantasy leagues.

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Denver Broncos rookie wide receiver Troy Franklin said he will be active for his NFL debut in the Week 2 home opener against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers with fellow rookie Devaughn Vele (ribs) ruled out this weekend. Franklin was inactive in the season-opening loss on the road to the Seattle Seahawks but will now get his chance to provide receiver depth for the Broncos behind Courtland Sutton, Josh Reynolds and Marvin Mims Jr. The 21-year-old out of Oregon was paired with rookie quarterback Bo Nix in April's draft in the fourth round, but it's unlikely that he'll have much of a role in his first regular-season NFL contest against a tough Steelers defense. Franklin is a stash candidate in dynasty/keeper leagues but is unlikely to make an impact in single-year fantasy formats in a Broncos offense that will be inconsistent under a rookie signal-caller.

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Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said that wide receiver A.J. Brown (hamstring) "felt a little tightness" in his hamstring during practice on Friday. Sirianni said the team will likely be cautious with Brown in practice on Saturday. The Eagles put Brown on their injury report on Friday, putting his availability in question for the Monday night contest against the visiting Atlanta Falcons. With the game being on Monday, it could potentially put fantasy managers in a tough situation if Brown ends up being questionable on Saturday's final injury report. If Brown is limited or out entirely for Week 2, DeVonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert would see a boost in their fantasy ceilings, while Jahan Dotson and rookie Johnny Wilson would also have bigger roles in the passing game. Brown is a must-start in fantasy when he's active after going over 100 yards with a score in the Week 1 win over the Packers.

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New England Patriots running back Antonio Gibson (hip) was removed from Friday's final injury report and will suit up in Week 2 to face the Seattle Seahawks. Gibson was limited in practices on Wednesday and Thursday before being removed from the report on Friday. Fantasy managers will want to stay away from the 26-year-old in starting lineups as the clear backup to starter Rhamondre Stevenson in a low-volume offense led by veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett. Gibson saw just seven carries for 18 rushing yards in the surprising Week 1 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals and wasn't targeted at all in the passing game. He played only 22% of the offensive snaps, with Stevenson playing 78% of the snaps. Gibson could have a slightly elevated role if JaMycal Hasty (knee) isn't cleared to play, but it still probably wouldn't be enough to make him attractive as a fantasy starter against Seattle.

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The Atlanta Falcons and quarterback Kirk Cousins (Achilles) said all offseason and throughout training camp that he didn't have any restrictions coming off an Achilles tear last year. But after Cousins and the Falcons' offense struggled in the Week 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, it was hard to tell if Cousins was 100%. Based on conversations, Cousins' leg feels good and doesn't have lingering issues from his surgery. However, there appears to be a rust factor while working with first-time play-caller Zac Robinson. "Just as we afford rookie QBs some leeway, let's extend the same understanding to first-time play callers," a source said. Cousins didn't play in any preseason games and was facing a swarming Steelers defense in Week 1. Fantasy managers that have Cousins rostered as their No. 2 signal-caller will be hoping he can knock off the rust for a Monday night showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles.

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Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has kept the door open for quarterback Jordan Love (knee) to play in Week 2 against the Indianapolis Colts, listing him as questionable for Sunday's game, but a source said, "That's not happening." Love suffered an MCL sprain in the Week 1 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil and has not been medically cleared to play. The Packers hope Love is week-to-week with his knee injury, but the reality is that the Week 3 contest against the Tennessee Titans is considered by those in the know to be "a long shot." The most optimistic timeline would have Love back in Week 4 to face the Minnesota Vikings. He's expected to wear a knee brace when he does return. For now, the Packers are planning to roll with former Titans QB Malik Willis under center. Fantasy managers should expect a run-heavy approach with a lot of Josh Jacobs this weekend against the Colts.

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Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson not only had a rough season opener in the blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys, but he's facing a new civil lawsuit alleging he sexually assaulted a woman in 2020. Despite Watson's struggles in Week 1, there is a belief in the building that Watson can rediscover his on-field magic and there have been no talks about benching him in favor of Jameis Winston or Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Watson's contract has been the subject of media scrutiny the last several days, but there are too many unknowns to say anything definitively. However, there appears to be a chance the Browns could void guarantees in Watson's contract if he didn't alert the team about the new civil suit and an NFL investigation reveals the lawsuit to be credible. On the field, Watson is quickly falling in the QB2 ranks as he heads into a Week 2 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff had a mediocre start to the 2024 season. Goff passed for 217 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Goff faced off against one of the easiest passing defenses in the league in Week 1, now he has to go against a better defense in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Goff has done well against them in the past, throwing for 353 yards and two touchdowns last season in Week 6. Tampa Bay will also be without star defensive back Antoine Winfield Jr. With week one behind them, the Detroit Lions should only be getting better, making Goff a high mid-level fantasy QB going into Week 2.

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Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown had a disappointing Week 1 performance. The Lions star receiver will look to bounce back against the Tampa Buccaneers in Week 2. St. Brown had three catches on six targets for only 13 yards. Most of the air yards went to Jameson Williams, who led the team in targets, catches, yards, and receiving touchdowns. St. Brown is still, without a doubt, the team's first option, but the USC product will see a more challenging matchup in Tampa Bay's defense. He should definitely see improvement from his season opener, as St. Brown has had a better Week 2 than Week 1 in every season of his career. He also had 12 catches for 124 yards and a touchdown in Week 6 last year against the Buccaneers. As always, St. Brown is a must-start in all fantasy leagues.

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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields is in line to start this Sunday against the Denver Broncos, and the team is also preparing for him to start in Week 3, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Fields has been the Steelers' primary quarterback lately with Russell Wilson (calf) nursing an injury. Fields didn't score a touchdown in Week 1, but he was still solid, completing 74 percent of his passes for 156 yards through the air and also rushing 14 times for 57 yards on the ground. Furthermore, he wasn't responsible for any turnovers. The former first-round pick helped lead Pittsburgh to victory over the Falcons and their respectable defense, so he's poised for a strong showing against a less-intimidating Broncos defense in Week 2. Fields' rushing upside puts him in the fringe top-12 quarterbacks range.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers have released running back Boston Scott from their practice squad, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. The veteran running back is now looking for his third team of the year after failed stints with the Steelers and Los Angeles Rams. His veteran presence and previous production in Philadelphia should help him earn a practice squad opportunity. His effectiveness has taken a step back in recent years, but he's still only a few seasons removed from providing the Eagles with 450-plus scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns. Regardless of where Scott's career takes him next, he's off the radar in all fantasy leagues.

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New England Patriots kicker Joey Slye will have his production limited in Week 2 due to the Patriots' reduced scoring impact. For example, DraftKings has the Patriots scoring around 17 points against the Seattle Seahawks, which leaves very few kicking chances for Slye. Given the state of the Patriots' offense, he'd likely need one or two longer field goals in order to even get on the fantasy radar. It's certainly possible Slye exceeds expectations like he did last week when he converted three field goals, but that's true for every kicker. With kickers' fantasy points being so dependent on consistent scoring opportunities, Slye can be left on waivers in most formats.

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New England Patriots wide receiver Demario Douglas should be avoided in most fantasy leagues ahead of the team's home opener against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2. Douglas has been one of the Patriots' most reliable pass-catchers since the middle of the 2023 season, but his volume has taken a hit with New England relying on its rushing attack and defense to keep them competitive. Jacoby Brissett isn't being asked to throw a lot, which means Douglas and his fellow receivers should continue to prepare for minimal value. In last week's season opener, for example, he registered just 12 yards on a pair of receptions. Until we see any sort of higher-level production out of Douglas, he can be left on fantasy waivers.

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New England Patriots wide receiver K.J. Osborn started on offense and led the team's receivers in snaps, targets, and catches last Sunday, but he's still off the fantasy radar heading into Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks. Last week, the Patriots emphasized a reliance on their defense and rushing attack to keep them competitive, and that shouldn't change against Seattle. Therefore, with reduced volume in the passing game, Osborn might not get enough looks to put him even near the fantasy radar. For the time being, it's tough to trust any Patriots receiver in fantasy football, including Osborn.

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New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry has struggled to produce consistent fantasy points during his time with the team, including last week's game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Now, in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks, Henry remains far from a lock to see meaningful volume. The Patriots have placed an emphasis on letting their defense and rushing attack carry them, which leads to fewer looks for all receivers in the passing game. At this point, we can't expect Henry to get more than a few catches every game, especially with Austin Cooper seemingly stealing a decent portion of opportunities. Henry is heavily touchdown-dependent and can be avoided in most fantasy leagues this week, even despite injuries at the position necessitating plenty of lineup adjustments.

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New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson is coming off a dominant season-opening performance and has entered must-start territory ahead of Week 2 versus the Seattle Seahawks. Stevenson rushed 25 times for 120 yards last week, with the vast majority of his yardage coming after contact. He also found the end zone and caught three short passes. Stevenson continues to have a very firm grasp on the lead-back role in New England, and he should continue to see significant volume this week, especially in a somewhat favorable matchup against the Seahawks. Seattle doesn't have a great run defense, and New England has shown a clear commitment to pounding the rock on the ground. Stevenson is a high-end RB2 with RB1 upside.

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