Fantasy buzz: Lamar Jackson set to return Thursday night

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 | The Playbook

Lamar Jackson set to return Thursday night

By Stephania Bell

Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens (right hamstring): Tonight the Ravens get their star quarterback back under center, but what to expect? Judging from the fact Jackson was a full participant each day this week (with Monday and Wednesday practices being walk-through sessions) and is off the game status injury report, there is every expectation that he won't have any limitations in this game.

On Tuesday when speaking to reporters Jackson declared himself fully healthy and eager to return to action. The Ravens' decision to hold him out of the Week 8 game so as to not have two games within a four-day period was perhaps in the best interests of mitigating early risk of reinjury. With hamstring strains having the highest rate of recurrence of all lower extremity soft tissue injuries -- and no foolproof objective measure of readiness to return to play -- there is a fine line between returning an athlete to competition in a timely fashion and risking a secondary, longer-term injury.

Jackson's style of play -- when eluding the pass rush and when running by design -- requires frequent acceleration/deceleration bursts that place high demand on the hamstrings, making even a lower-grade strain problematic. As is often said in sports medicine, the only real way to know one is past a hamstring strain is to get through a full max-effort game without suffering a setback. Assuming Jackson does make it through this game fully healthy, he will benefit from 10 days of recovery before the team's next matchup.

Beyond the numbers: What's in store for McCaffrey, Chase down the stretch?

By Tristan H. Cockcroft

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.

Here's a look through some of Week 9's notable statistical takeaways, using the SOS Cheat Sheet as well as other tools available on ESPN's fantasy football pages:

• Here's a remarkable truth: Christian McCaffrey, the second-highest scoring player for the season (196.9 fantasy points), has scored 3.1 fewer touchdowns than expected, the largest such differential, and rushed for a league-worst 92 fewer yards than expected (per Next Gen Stats). McCaffrey's league-leading 214 expected fantasy points are 64 more than the actual leader, Jonathan Taylor, has. It's in stark contrast to McCaffrey's last fully healthy season, when he scored a running back-leading 68 more fantasy points than expected in 2023. He has faced the second-toughest running back schedule, however, meaning a narrowing of that margin should be in order over the season's second half.

• Ja'Marr Chase has a wide-receiver-leading five games among the top five scorers at his position, four of which have come in the past four weeks. To illustrate how much Joe Flacco's arrival has improved Chase's fantasy outlook, Chase has finished fifth, first and fourth in scoring among wide receivers in Flacco's three starts for the Cincinnati Bengals. Chase's 45.3% target share in that time is also second best, behind only Jaxon Smith-Njigba's 51.9%.

• Speaking of Smith-Njigba, he's one of five players, and the only non-running back, to have warranted your fantasy start in every game thus far. For the season, his 38.8% target share leads Chase's 36.8%, with both players more than 5% ahead of the next-closest player. Smith-Njigba's massive role in the Seattle Seahawks offense tempers some of the concerns that he has scored 36 more fantasy points than expected, the second-largest differential among wide receivers (Amon-Ra St. Brown, plus-41).

• Drake Maye's breakthrough this season has been fueled by a bit of good fortune, as he has scored a quarterback-high 38 more fantasy points than expected, but his 26.28-point performance against an elite Cleveland Browns defense in Week 8 reflects that he can rise to the occasion even in tough matchups. He has enjoyed a top-10 finish in six of eight weeks, second best among quarterbacks, and has scored within 10 points of his 21.7 seasonal average in every game. That's a level of consistency most managers aren't getting from their quarterbacks this season.

• With Breece Hall finally filling the touchdown column in Week 8, Jerry Jeudy has taken over as the most unlucky of the zero-TD players on the board. Jeudy has seen 54 total targets, an 18.3% target share and seven red zone targets, a role that was expected to result in 2.3 touchdowns. He's coming off his worst performance of 2025, a two-target, zero-point game in New England, and is now in his bye week, so it'd be understandable if fantasy managers facing a roster crunch let him go.

What does Saints' move to Shough mean for Olave, Kamara?

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 did see work in relief of former starter Spencer Rattler last week in the home loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, completing 17-of-30 passes for 128 yards and an interception while adding 12 yards rushing on three carries. Shough did operate mostly underneath in this game (4.3 YPA). However, he did take some shots (which fell incomplete) to Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed on boundary throws, plus he targeted tight end Juwan Johnson on a deep seam ball.

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.

Rice, Hunt rack up the points on "Monday Night Football"

By Eric Moody

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.

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.

Injuries to monitor coming out of Week 8

By Stephania Bell

Cam Skattebo, RB, New York Giants (right ankle): Skattebo's right leg got twisted underneath him (and an Eagles defender) as he was tackled in the second quarter and, in what has become an all too familiar sight this year among player injuries, his foot ended up pointing the wrong direction. The medical staff immediately placed him in an air splint and carted him off the field. The Giants later reported that Skattebo had suffered a right ankle dislocation and had been transported to a hospital in Philadelphia where he underwent surgery Sunday night. According to ESPN's Jordan Raanan, sources say it was an open dislocation and Skattebo is doing well despite the circumstances of an emergency situation.

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.

Sunday shares: Who got the ball

By Eric Moody

play

1:16

Will Saquon Barkley be a top-10 fantasy RB this season?

Eric Karabell breaks down Saquon Barkley's big fantasy game vs. the Giants.

Running backs

The Panthers maintained their frustrating running back rotation as Rico Dowdle once again outperformed Chuba Hubbard, averaging more than double Hubbard's yards per attempt. Carolina continued alternating drives between the two backs. Dowdle has now been the more efficient runner in consecutive games since Hubbard's return and looks like the more dynamic option. If the rotation continues, Dowdle should still see around 50% of snaps and remain on the flex radar.

De'Von Achane led the Dolphins backfield with 23 touches and 20.1 fantasy points, while Ollie Gordon II accumulated 11 touches for 13.1 fantasy points. Both backs found the end zone through the air. Jaylen Wright finished with 10 touches, though most of his work came on Miami's final drive.

RJ Harvey finished with a season-high 24.1 fantasy points while playing just 27% of the offensive snaps against the Cowboys. His role in the Broncos' backfield was nearly identical to the previous three games in terms of snaps played, but the key difference this week was his goal-line usage, which led to three touchdowns.

D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai finished with a similar number of snaps and routes run, but Swift recorded 13 touches to Monangai's seven. Swift (15.1 fantasy points) continues to be more productive and involved when on the field compared to Monangai (2.4).

Samaje Perine led the Bengals in rushing with nine carries for 94 yards and a touchdown, finishing with 17 fantasy points. His early-down snap share increased significantly, signaling an expanded role alongside Chase Brown, who still led the backfield with 12 carries for 73 yards and two touchdowns, finishing with 25.5 fantasy points. While Perine isn't expected to overtake Brown, his increased usage and strong efficiency make him a valuable insurance back, especially with the Bengals' favorable upcoming schedule.

Isaiah Davis finished with 12 touches and 17.9 fantasy points against the Bengals while playing nearly 46% of the offensive snaps. The Jets enter their bye week with trade rumors surrounding Breece Hall, making this a great time to preemptively stash Davis if you have roster space. Braelon Allen remains on injured reserve with a knee injury, and his estimated recovery timeline is still in the eight to 12 week range.

Tyjae Spears finished with 12 touches and a season-high 17.2 fantasy points, while Tony Pollard matched him with 12 touches but managed just 6.3 points. Spears played 52% of the offensive snaps and led the Titans in rushing yards for the second straight week.

Wide receivers

play

0:42

Is Rico Dowdle still worth a fantasy start?

Matt Bowen breaks down why the return of Chuba Hubbard makes Rico Dowdle a low-end flex play for Week 9.

The Falcons were forced to adjust without Drake London, who was inactive with a hip injury, and after releasing Ray-Ray McCloud III earlier in the week. Darnell Mooney moved to the top of the depth chart despite battling a hamstring issue. David Sills V played every down in the slot, while KhaDarel Hodge filled the third wide receiver role. Hodge led the group with eight targets and three receptions for 31 yards, despite playing fewer snaps and running fewer routes than Mooney and Sills. If London misses additional time, Hodge could emerge as Atlanta's top waiver wire option at wide receiver.

Christian Watson returned from injury with four receptions for 85 yards, but the Packers wide receiver room is about to get crowded. Dontayvion Wicks and Jayden Reed are both nearing returns, which could cut into snaps for Watson, Matthew Golden and even Romeo Doubs. The rotation remains fluid and risky for fantasy managers.

DJ Moore set season highs in targets (7) and receiving yards (73) after Luther Burden III left early in the third quarter with a concussion and was ruled out in the fourth. Burden's status will be important to monitor for Week 9, as it could determine Moore's fantasy viability against the Bengals.

The Texans played without Nico Collins (concussion) and Christian Kirk (hamstring), forcing a reshuffled receiver rotation. Jaylin Noel and Braxton Berrios split slot snaps, while Jared Wayne joined Jayden Higgins and Xavier Hutchinson on the outside. All four wideouts recorded at least eight fantasy points, and Noel may be carving out a larger role that lasts even after his veteran teammates return.

Stefon Diggs played less than 50% of the Patriots' offensive snaps for the first time this season, likely due to the positive game script as the Patriots pulled away from the Browns in the second half. He finished with five targets and 10.4 fantasy points.

Troy Franklin led the Broncos' wide receivers with eight targets and 26.9 fantasy points, fueled by two touchdowns. His snap share has steadily risen alongside Pat Bryant's, while Marvin Mims Jr.'s has declined. It's an encouraging sign for Franklin's fantasy outlook in a red-hot Broncos offense.

Chimere Dike's role continues to expand for the Titans. He played 88% of Tennessee's offensive snaps against the Colts, seeing action in both two- and three-receiver sets. Dike finished with eight targets and 16.4 fantasy points and has now had at least 16 points in back-to-back games. There's a good chance he continues to see meaningful snaps even when Calvin Ridley returns.

Tight ends

George Kittle celebrated National Tight Ends Day in style, playing nearly 90% of the 49ers' offensive snaps and finished with five targets and 14.3 fantasy points. That performance should put his fantasy managers at ease.

Colston Loveland started for the Bears and played 81% of the offensive snaps with Cole Kmet ruled out due to a back injury. This was encouraging, but his five targets and 6.8 fantasy points were disappointing considering Caleb Williams had 38 pass attempts in this game. Moore, Rome Odunze and Olamide Zaccheaus combined for 24 targets. It's difficult to trust Loveland in lineups due to his lack of target volume and the inconsistent play of Williams.

Dalton Kincaid played just 14 snaps in the Bills' blowout win, as Buffalo leaned heavily on Dawson Knox and rookie Jackson Hawes when prioritizing run blocking over receiving options. Kincaid's snap share in two-TE sets dropped significantly, though he still led the group in routes run. Kincaid remains difficult to trust in fantasy lineups, despite his big-play ability, especially when the Bills shift to game control.

Mason Taylor finished with eight targets and 14.4 fantasy points. It was his second straight game playing 75% or more of the offensive snaps.

David Njoku returned from a knee injury but played a reduced role, sharing snaps evenly with rookie Harold Fannin Jr. Fannin led the Browns with six receptions for 62 yards and a touchdown, while Njoku added four catches for 37 yards and a score. With trade rumors swirling and the Browns on bye, Njoku's fantasy outlook is uncertain and could decline if he lands with a team that has more target competition. Meanwhile, Fannin continues to trend upward.

Week 8 winners and losers: Taylor, Barkley and Cook deliver; McCaffrey and Robinson fall flat

Giants lose Skattebo, backup QBs stumble for Falcons, Panthers

By Tristan H. Cockcroft

Over a 31-day span, the New York Giants have been struck with disaster.

On Sunday of Week 4, star wide receiver Malik Nabers tore the ACL and meniscus in his right knee, an injury that required season-ending reconstructive surgery. This Sunday, the Giants lost rookie running back Cam Skattebo, the No. 5 running back in fantasy points from Weeks 3 to 7 (100.9), to what might be a season-ending ankle injury. Skattebo was injured when his ankle was caught under a defender in the second quarter, and he was carted off the field in an air cast.

Skattebo was quickly ruled out and diagnosed with a dislocated ankle, and it seems likely that his season is done. The Giants managed only 13 points and 149 total yards across six offensive drives after the running back's departure; surrendered three touchdowns to the rival Philadelphia Eagles on their five offensive drives during that same time span; and will be in much tougher circumstances going forward should Skattebo's season indeed be done.

Tyrone Tracy Jr., dropped in nearly 29% of ESPN leagues over the past four weeks, stepped in as the Giants' three-down back following Skattebo's injury and will occupy that role ahead of Devin Singletary moving forward. Tracy is a top Week 9 pickup in all formats, though he doesn't bring as much of a dynamic skill set to the table as Skattebo. Tracy did, however, manage five games of 15-plus fantasy points in his final 12 contests in 2024, and he'll see enough volume to be a matchups-oriented RB2/flex.

The injuries are a real shame for rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, who now loses two of his best playmakers in the passing game. Dart's mobility should still keep him in the superflex/2QB radar, or make him a matchups play in standard formats, but he's less likely to accomplish much as a passer going forward.

More Sunday takeaways

• On the Eagles' side of the field, Saquon Barkley left the same game at the conclusion of the third quarter after injuring his hamstring on a 28-yard run. Fortunately, he had scored a season-best 33.4 fantasy points for his managers by that point. It seems likely the Eagles were merely holding Barkley out with a big lead, and they do also have a Week 9 bye to afford him time to heal, but his departure keeps him on the list of injuries to monitor. Tank Bigsby stepped in as the clear lead back following Barkley's departure, turning nine carries into 104 yards thanks to five of them going for double-digit yardage. If you're a Barkley manager, it's something to bear in mind as you consider when to invest in an insurance policy ahead of the fantasy playoffs. That's a tough sell now, with a bye week ahead of us, but any question about Barkley's health going forward will make Bigsby a must-stash.

• A pair of offenses ran by fill-in quarterbacks delivered miserable performances, as the Kirk Cousins-led Atlanta Falcons lost 34-10 to a bad Miami Dolphins team, while Andy Dalton and the Carolina Panthers were hammered 40-9 by the Buffalo Bills. Cousins was stepping in for the injured Michael Penix Jr. (knee), and while it's fair to point out that he was also missing top wide receiver Drake London (hip), he couldn't find chemistry with almost anyone but tight end Kyle Pitts Sr., whom he targeted almost entirely near or behind the line of scrimmage. The Falcons' struggles led to an especially poor fantasy output from Bijan Robinson, despite the running back facing one of his softest matchups, and fantasy managers can only hope that Penix is ready to return in time for Week 9. Dalton, meanwhile, started in place of Bryce Young (ankle) and targeted Tetairoa McMillan 10 times for 16.9 fantasy points for the rookie receiver but otherwise couldn't get much of anything done through the air. Similarly to Penix, fantasy managers can only hope Young is healthy for Week 9.

• Speaking of quarterback fill-ins, Joe Flacco's installation as the Cincinnati Bengals' starter continues to pay teamwide fantasy dividends, even if the team lost a heartbreaker to the previously winless New York Jets. Flacco scored 24.32 fantasy points and has averaged 23.0 in his three starts for his new team, emerging as a viable superflex/2QB quarterback. Running back Chase Brown scored a season-best 25.5 points and has now averaged more than 6 yards per carry in back-to-back weeks. Ja'Marr Chase has scored at least 21 points in four straight games, and Tee Higgins has scored 11-plus in four straight after averaging only 7.4 across his first four games. With the Bengals' defense as shoddy as it is, this high-octane offense should continue to rack up fantasy points on offense behind the much more sound arm of Flacco going forward.

Week 8 scoring leaders through 1 p.m. ET games
1. James Cook III, RB, Bills -- 33.60 points
2. Saquon Barkley, RB, Eagles -- 33.40
3. Breece Hall, RB, Jets -- 32.86
4. Drake Maye, QB, Patriots -- 26.28
5. Chase Brown, RB, Bengals -- 25.50
6. Jalen Hurts, QB, Eagles -- 25.36
7. Justin Herbert, QB, Chargers -- 25.28
8. Joe Flacco, QB, Bengals -- 24.32
9. Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Dolphins -- 24.20
10. Josh Allen, QB, Bills -- 23.22

Injury updates: McLaurin ready to roll, Watson on the verge of return

By Stephania Bell

Terry McLaurin, WR, Commanders (quad): This finally looks to be the week that McLaurin returns from the quad injury that has sidelined him since Week 4. There was some early optimism last week that he might be active in Week 7 after returning to practice Wednesday, however a post-practice workout didn't yield the desired results and McLaurin was held out of competition another week. He addressed the rationale when speaking with reporters Friday. "I'm an explosive athlete, so a lot of things that are part of my game, I need to feel that are at 100 percent before I can put myself out there because I'm not only hurting the team, but I'm hurting myself," McLaurin said.

The awareness of his limitations at full speed and the wisdom of holding off another week before playing in a game (plus one extra day with this being a Monday night game) should contribute to him looking like his pre-injury self on the field. It also hopefully helps mitigate his re-injury risk, something that accompanies all soft tissue injury recoveries when returning to play. With Jayden Daniels sidelined due to a hamstring injury, the extra week of practice between McLaurin and Marcus Mariota (who will start in place of Daniels) can only help heading into the team's big matchup against the Chiefs.

Christian Watson, WR, Packers (ACL): Somewhat quietly, Watson may be approaching his season debut on Sunday. It was earlier this year when he tore his ACL (January 5, 2025), during Week 18 of the 2024 NFL season. The Packers' decision to open Watson's practice window on Oct. 6 hinted at him being close to returning, but his increase in football activity has been gradual. He is now approaching the end of his 21-day practice window and must either be added to the 53-man roster or be placed on injured reserve. Packers coach Matt LaFleur told reporters Friday that "ultimately that's going to be a medical decision."

There are several possible options:

• The Packers could opt to activate him before the game and have Watson play.

• The Packers could wait until after the game against the Steelers and activate him at that time.

• The Packers could activate him pregame and have him available but opt not to utilize him until the following week, barring an injury situation to other starters.

The hope is that any pregame transaction would come with some clarity as to his role.

It's worth noting that wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks (calf) will be out Sunday, wide receiver Matthew Golden was a late add to the injury report (Friday, hip) and is listed as questionable (although he appears likely to play), and wide receiver Jayden Reed remains on injured reserve as he recovers from surgery to repair a fractured collarbone and a Jones fracture in his foot.

The biggest injury risk for players like Watson coming off an ACL reconstruction is a secondary compensatory injury, most often a lower extremity strain on the same leg (i.e., hamstring, calf, quad), although opposite leg strains are known to happen as well. Given Watson's extensive history of hamstring strains, he presents a greater risk. Watson had sought expert advice related to hamstring injury prevention in the offseason prior to the 2024 season and had shown improvement on that front. Still, coming off an ACL surgery, the hamstrings are often the most challenging muscle group to restore to pre-injury function, especially when it comes to acceleration. There will be a lot to watch when Watson returns, and the best indicator of his return to health will be how he fares after four quarters of football.