Fri Jun 21 2:40pm ET
Field Level Media
The Pittsburgh Steelers signed wide receiver Jacob Copeland to a one-year contract on Friday.
Copeland, 24, spent time on the Pittsburgh practice squad last season but has yet to make his NFL debut.
He originally signed with the Tennessee Titans after going undrafted in 2023 and also spent time with the Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs.
Copeland was at Florida for four seasons before spending his final collegiate campaign at Maryland in 2022. His career totals included 112 catches for 1,742 yards and 11 touchdowns.
The NFL's Adam Schefter reports that the San Francisco 49ers have opened the 21-day practice window for star running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles). Finally, some good news. McCaffrey has yet to appear in a game this season, but, per Schefter, he is tracking to play this Sunday when the team lines up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Stanford alum would not likely handle a full workload if he suits up. Still, it's excellent news for the 49ers and fantasy managers, as he'll be a boon on the field and in fantasy lineups. Keep an eye on his status over the next few days, but things are looking up for the 28-year-old heading into Week 10. If he plays, he'll get one of the better matchups of the weekend against a Buccaneers squad that's allowed the most yards per carry to their opponents in 2024 (5.2).
From RotoBaller
In a report by ESPN's Ben Baby, he noted that Cincinnati Bengals running back Zack Moss (neck) will be out indefinitely due to his neck injury. Yikes. Per Baby, the team is seeking more information on the 26-year-old's injury this week, but it's not looking good for his availability moving forward. Fellow backfield mate Chase Brown had his best outing of the season in Sunday's 41-24 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, totaling 157 yards and a touchdown on his 32 touches. Brown projects to be the team's lead rusher moving forward, with Trayveon Williams and Kendall Milton mixing in behind him as a change of pace. Brown played on 80% of snaps in the team's Week 9 win and has his outlook on the rise heading into the back half of the season. Cincinnati will square off against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 10.
From RotoBaller
Per the NFL's Tom Pelissero, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott's (hamstring) injury is worse than initially expected. Prescott sustained a hamstring injury in Sunday's 27-21 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, and an MRI revealed that the ailment would keep him out of the lineup for multiple weeks. It's a massive blow to the Cowboys, who fell to 3-5 with their third straight loss in Week 9. A decision has not been made on whether to put him on injured reserve, hinting that it's a possibility for the 31-year-old veteran. Quarterback Cooper Rush took over in relief on Sunday and is presumably the starter moving forward, but this is a downgrade for the entire Cowboys offense. Dallas will line up against their division rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles, at home in Week 10.
From RotoBaller
Las Vegas Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson converted his only field-goal attempt, a 46-yarder, and hit all three of his extra points in the team's 24-41 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9. He moved to 16 for 18 on FG tries on the season, a clip of 88.9%. He also remained perfect on extra points, as he's sank all 14 of those successfully. He's still held back by Las Vegas' general ineffectiveness on offense. He ranks just 10th in the league in total field goal attempts despite not having had his bye week yet, and is 23rd in the NFL in extra points attempted. The "free points" nature of XP's, and his lack of volume on those opportunities, make him a decent start only in deeper leagues. He'll head into a Week 10 bye before facing the brutal Kansas City Chief defense yet again in Week 11.
From RotoBaller
Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker had his second-least productive game of this season in the 24-41 Week 9 blowout loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. He was targeted six times, but came up with just two catches for five yards. He did not have a rush attempt. It wasn't his worst game of the season, as he was blanked in Week 6 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but 2.5 PPR fantasy points isn't a start-worthy stat line in any league. Whether it's the loss of No. 1 wideout Davante Adams, the return of WR Jakobi Meyers or lack of chemistry with the quarterbacks, Tucker now profiles as a bench stash only in the deepest of fantasy leagues. He'll head into a Week 10 bye before another game against the Miami Dolphins.
From RotoBaller
The Las Vegas Raiders defense/special teams managed to pick off opposing quarterback Joe Burrow and return it for a touchdown on Sunday. They also sacked him once. Unfortunately, the team lost the game 24-41, so they had yet another poor fantasy day. They've struggled to prevent opposing offenses from scoring, and now have surrendered 27.9 points per game to opposing offenses. Despite the highlight turnover, they're tied for dead-last in the NFL with just five takeaways through nine games. They're also tied for sixth-worst in sacks, with 17 on the season. This unit has struggled all year, and there's little reason for optimism. They're the 31st ranked fantasy defense on the season and don't belong on rosters in most leagues. They have a bye week in Week 10 before facing the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 11, against whom the D/ST scored just 3 points in Week 8.
From RotoBaller
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers didn't score his touchdown until the fourth quarter in garbage time during a blowout loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, but that still counts for fantasy scoring. The Raiders were eviscerated 24-41 by the Bengals, who showed that there are levels to this game. Fortunately, Bowers seems destined to be involved heavily in all games the Raiders play this season, and backup quarterback Desmond Ridder threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to him after the starter, Gardner Minshew II, was benched. It doesn't matter who starts as signal-caller. The rookie tight end will always get his fair share of targets. The freshman TE finished with five catches on eight targets for 45 yards and the touchdown grab. He has an opportunity to rest up heading into his Week 10 bye before a Week 11 showdown with the rival Kansas City Chiefs yet again.
From RotoBaller
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton said he expects to use rookie running back Audric Estime more down the stretch in 2024. Estime played only 10 percent of the offensive snaps in the Week 9 blowout loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday but had as many carries (five) as Jaleel McLaughlin and was more efficient with 35 rushing yards. The 35 yards on the ground was a season-high for the 21-year-old fifth-round selection out of Notre Dame, and he's been quite efficient with 6.3 yards per carry on his 15 rushing attempts through the first five games of his career. Estime probably still won't be worth adding in 12-team fantasy leagues, but this statement from Payton is surely bad news for McLaughlin, who has averaged 3.9 yards per tote in 2024 after averaging 5.4 yards per carry in his rookie campaign in 2023.
From RotoBaller
Las Vegas Raiders running back Zamir White carried the ball six times for 10 yards and a touchdown and wasn't targeted in the team's 41-21 beatdown loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. He averaged just 1.67 yards per carry and didn't see double-digit carries. This comes despite head coach Antonio Pierce indicating before the game that he wanted to get the third-year pro more involved in the offense. It's starting to look like touchdowns are White's only chance to be fantasy relevant this season. Without the starting job or receiving upside, he's not a player that should be started in fantasy leagues. Moving forward, his backfield mate Alexander Mattison will remain the starter, leaving the former Georgia Bulldog best thought of as a handcuff option. He'll face the tough Kansas City Chiefs in Week 11 after his upcoming bye week in Week 10.
From RotoBaller
New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll said that quarterback Daniel Jones remains the team's starting QB heading into the team's Week 10 battle against the Carolina Panthers in Germany this Sunday. Daboll also said that he won't change anything with the practice repetitions at the position this week. While Jones didn't do anything special in the Week 9 loss to the division-rival Washington Commanders on Sunday, going 20-for-26 for 174 yards, he did throw two touchdowns to end a 672-day TD drought at MetLife Stadium. The 27-year-old former first-rounder also ran for his first touchdown of the year in the 27-22 loss but added a lost fumble. Drew Lock will remain the backup to Jones in Germany, where Jones will be an upside QB2 in fantasy in an excellent matchup against Carolina's defense.
From RotoBaller
Las Vegas Raiders running back Alexander Mattison retained his starting job and carried the ball nine times for 36 yards in a massive 21-41 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9. The game got out of hand quickly, leading to few rushing opportunities for the team's RBs overall. He wasn't targeted in the passing game, though, and had a rushing touchdown snagged by his backup, Zamir White. Should White continue to handle the goal-line opportunities, Mattison could see his already shaky fantasy value fall even further. The lack of involvement in the passing game is also concerning. Moving forward, he's best viewed as a RB3/FLEX option in deep PPR leagues. He'll have a bye week in Week 10 before facing the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 11.
From RotoBaller
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew II was benched for the third time in the Raiders' Week 9 blowout loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Las Vegas lost the game 21-41, and it was never close. Minshew completed 10 of 17 passes for 124 yards and lost a fumble in another dreadful outing. With former starter Aidan O'Connell (thumb) not eligible to return until a Week 13 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs, it's possible we could see current backup Desmond Ridder, who replaced Minshew in the loss, start in Week 11, after the bye. Ridder completed 11 of 16 pass attempts for 74 yards, a touchdown, and lost a fumble as well. Things are looking bleak in LV's quarterback room. Minshew may not play at all in Week 11, but head coach Antonio Pierce hasn't confirmed next game's starting QB yet.
From RotoBaller
Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers was the clear No. 1 receiver for the team in Week 9 against the Cincinnati Bengals. He hauled in eight of 11 targets for 105 yards on the day, and was the most targeted Raiders offensive player. He consistently won on his routes and has earned 54 targets over his seven games played this season, making him a reliable fantasy option and a solid WR2 in PPR fantasy leagues. It's unlikely he'll cede many targets moving forward, considering that he's now the top dog in the wideout room. He'll have time to rest whatever remains of his previous ankle injury, as he has a bye week coming up. In Week 11, he'll continue his leading role against the Miami Dolphins with an extra week of rest under his belt.
From RotoBaller
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce refused to name a starting quarterback as the team gets ready to head into their Week 10 bye. In addition, Pierce said on Monday that he hasn't decided on an offensive play-caller after firing offensive coordinator Luke Getsy following Sunday's blowout loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. The team's decision to part ways with Getsy was "100% my decision," Pierce said. Gardner Minshew II got the start under center on Sunday against Cincy and was eventually benched for the third time in his seven starts this year after going 10-for-17 for 124 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions and a lost fumble. Former Falcons QB Desmond Ridder replaced Minshew and went 11-for-16 for 74 yards, a touchdown and a fumble. Aidan O'Connell (thumb) is on Injured Reserve, so it will be either Minshew or Ridder starting in Week 11 against the Miami Dolphins.
From RotoBaller
The belief is that Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London (hip) suffered a right hip-pointer injury on Sunday in the Week 9 win over the Dallas Cowboys, although he's going for additional tests on Monday, according to a source. Hip-pointer injuries can be frustrating for players, but they usually aren't long-term issues, which is great news for the Falcons and London's fantasy managers. The 23-year-old suffered the injury while making a nine-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter and he was eventually ruled out for the rest of the game. It sounds like he won't have to miss additional time, but it doesn't mean he won't be ruled out for Week 10 against the division-rival New Orleans Saints. If London misses any time, it will mean added targets and opportunities for receivers Darnell Mooney and Ray-Ray McCloud III and tight end Kyle Pitts.
From RotoBaller
FOX Sports' Greg Auman reports that Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie running back Bucky Irving (toe) is expected to play on Monday night against the Kansas City Chiefs and could play well despite dealing with a toe injury that he's been playing through. The Buccaneers will continue to manage the injury, and apparently nothing has changed since last week. Tampa listed Irving as questionable to play on Saturday for Week 9 against the Chiefs, though. The 22-year-old will have to manage his toe issue for the rest of the season. In the Week 8 loss to the division-rival Atlanta Falcons, Irving had nine carries for the second straight week and produced 44 rushing yards while adding a season-high seven catches for 40 yards. Irving has been the team's most impressive ball-carrier in 2024, but his injury and the presence of Rachaad White will keep him as an upside RB3/flex play on a weekly basis in fantasy.
From RotoBaller
Although Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown's knee injury that he suffered in the Week 9 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday isn't considered serious, he will undergo an MRI exam later on Monday to determine the full extent of the injury. Brown could miss some practice time later this week as the Eagles play it safe with their star receiver, but it sounds as though he may not have to miss any time. As long as the 27-year-old is cleared later this week, he'll be a must-start for fantasy managers in Week 10 for a divisional showdown against the fading Dallas Cowboys. Brown had two receptions for 36 yards on his four targets on Sunday against Jacksonville before leaving the contest and never returning, but he should bounce back against Dallas this Sunday as long as he's cleared. Check back later for the results of his MRI exam.
From RotoBaller
Free-agent running back Boston Scott (knee) is reportedly fully healthy and ready to return to the NFL after suffering a partially torn meniscus in his knee before the start of the regular season, according to sources. The former Philadelphia Eagles RB has been rehabbing the injury the last two months but it now prepared to join a team soon. The 29-year-old was with the Pittsburgh Steelers during training camp but was cut with an injury settlement after injuring his knee. The former sixth-round pick by the New Orleans Saints in 2018 out of Louisiana Tech should latch on somewhere as a change-of-pace option, but he won't necessarily be worth a waiver-wire pickup for RB-needy fantasy managers once he finds a new team. Scott's fantasy value for the rest of 2024 will depend on where he lands. Stay tuned. In 15 games with Philly last year, he had 20 carries for 86 yards and caught four passes for 52 yards.
From RotoBaller
After firing head coach Dennis Allen on Monday following the team's seventh straight loss in Week 9 to the division-rival Carolina Panthers, the New Orleans Saints have named assistant head coach/special teams coach Darren Rizzi as their interim head coach. The 54-year-old Rizzi has been with the team since 2019, when he was hired as special teams coordinator. He was promoted to assistant head coach in 2022 when Allen became the head coach. Rizzi previously worked as the Miami Dolphins' special teams coordinator from 2010-18 and he was also the associate head coach in 2017. He was the head coach in college at New Haven from 1999-01 and at Rhode Island in 2008. The 2-7 Saints will move forward with Rizzi as the man in charge, beginning with a Week 10 tilt against the division-rival Atlanta Falcons.
From RotoBaller
Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts was limited to one catch for 11 yards in Sunday's 27-21 victory over the Cowboys. Even with Drake London exiting with an injury early on in the game, it was surprising to see Pitts get targeted just one time all game. After four straight weeks of 65 or more yards receiving and at least three receptions, the 24-year-old reverted to his status of non-factor in the offense. If Drake London were to miss time, his targets could be up for grabs which could be good for Pitts, but he'll face the Saints in Week 10, the same team that held him without a catch in Week 4 despite allowing the seventh-most fantasy points to TEs so far this year. It appears he'll return to the back-end, volatile TE1 range next week.
From RotoBaller