TNF Recap, Injury Updates + Week 3 Preview

Bijan Robinson had an excellent Thursday night performance. Matthew Berry stated you are not allowed to complain if you have Bijan Robinson after last night's game, indicating strong fantasy production.

Brian Robinson has hit his rushing prop in three straight weeks with approximately 10 touches per game. Matthew Berry suggests taking the over on his rushing prop as an easy money play, noting the Seahawks keep his prop low but he consistently hits it.

Caleb Williams' availability for Monday night's Bears game is considered far-fetched by Dan Graziano, though he notes that offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has not ruled out the possibility; the expectation is that Case Keenum will start instead.

Matthew Berry describes Caleb Williams returning for Monday night as 'far-fetched,' though he notes Ben Johnson hasn't ruled it out. With Bajant in concussion protocol and Keenum as backup, Williams appears unlikely to play. Berry emphasizes that regardless of which backup QB starts, expectations should be lowered across the Bears offense.

Case Keenum is the most likely starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears on Monday night against the Texans; Dan Graziano cites limited practice time due to the Monday night game and Tyson Bajant's concussion protocol status as reasons for the likely Keenum start.

Case Keenum is the most likely backup quarterback for the Bears Monday night if Tyson Bajant doesn't clear concussion protocol. Matthew Berry describes Keenum as a veteran who 'will be all right' and notes there's 'a little bit of YOLO to Case Keenum,' suggesting some upside potential. However, Berry prefers Bajant and expects lowered offensive expectations regardless of which backup starts.

Christian Watson continues to put up numbers and is one of the few Packers players Stefania Bell trusts right now. She noted they will look for him deep and he has been fantastic. Matthew Berry agrees, stating Christian Watson is legit.

Christian Watson was a standout performer in Thursday night's game; Matthew Berry expresses enthusiasm for Watson's play and role in the Packers offense, contrasting favorably with other tight end options.

Matthew Berry mentioned Colston Loveland as one of his draft picks that he is hoping turns around this season, grouping him with other early season disappointments like Ken Walker and Devante Smith.

Matthew Berry expresses hope that Colston Loveland can rebound against the Eagles on Monday night, drawing a parallel to Drake London's Week 3 bounce-back after two weeks of poor production. However, this optimism is tempered by the Bears' implied team total of 18.5 points, the fourth-lowest in Week 3, which suggests limited offensive opportunity.

AC joint injury; came out of Wednesday practice saying he felt great. Did not practice Thursday, which Matthew Berry suspects was deliberate rest rather than setback. With AC sprains, the main concern is not whether he plays but whether landing on it again causes him to exit the game. Sounds like he could be ready to play this week, though that's the risk if he does play. Berry ranks him as wide receiver 25.

The Colts signed Darius Slayton to help establish a deep-field threat after Alec Pierce's injury. Dan Graziano believes Slayton can do some of that work, though not to the extent Pierce does, but potentially enough to get defensive attention off Josh Downs.

Drake London commanded 43.5% target share in Thursday night game and was the only Falcons player with a target share above 13%. Matthew Berry emphasized Penix's strong connection to London, noting he looked at him the way fantasy owners want their players to be targeted.

Matthew Berry references Drake London as an example of a player who was rewarded in Week 3 after two weeks of tough production, using him as a comparison point for potential bounce-back opportunities for Bears receivers like Luther Burden and Colston Loveland.

Drew Locke is the Seahawks' backup quarterback if Sam Darnold cannot play Sunday. Matthew Berry notes the Seahawks 'feel very, very good about what Drew Locke has done and what he can do this week, if need be,' indicating confidence in Locke as a contingency option.

Emmanuel Wilson is part of a shared Seahawks backfield with Jadarian Price and Helani. Matthew Berry has Wilson ranked at running back 47, well below Price at 27, indicating Price carries more value despite the shared workload situation.

Matthew Berry drafted Jamar Chase in most of his 27 teams this year, preferring him over Puka Nakua in third or fourth pick scenarios. He felt there was more risk with Puka than with Jamar Chase, citing off-field concerns and injury history as reasons for the preference.

Jadarian Price suffered a chest and shoulder injury (technically inside the shoulder) when he landed hard and had a defensive lineman fall on him. Stefania Bell expects him to play but notes everything is intact. However, the backfield is shared with Emmanuel Wilson and Helani, making workload uncertain. Price is the first and second down back who can catch passes, carrying the most value of the three backs.

Matthew Berry ranks Jalen Warren as his running back 21 this week. Warren would be the primary beneficiary if Rico Dowdle can't go; he has a shoulder issue but has been able to practice on a limited basis the last two days, so he should be okay to go unless there's a setback.

Jonathan Taylor is a no-brainer start wherever he might be drafted or rostered, according to Matthew Berry. He remains a core part of the Colts offense alongside Josh Downs and Tyler Warren.

Jordan Love had a good fantasy day in Thursday night game against Falcons. He threw 53 pass attempts, indicating heavy volume for fantasy purposes.

After Alec Pierce left the game with injury, Josh Downs had a 36% target share and ran over 40% of his routes from the perimeter. Dan Graziano expects Downs to be targeted heavily in the passing game with Pierce out, as he's a do-everything guy the team is extremely high on. Matthew Berry ranks him as wide receiver 27 this week with wide receiver two upside, calling him a rock-solid wide receiver three.

Dan Graziano does not believe Keenan Allen is in a position to be a consistent producer on fantasy teams despite being on the Colts roster. Matthew Berry ranks him as wide receiver 57, suggesting he's only a play in super deep leagues if you're truly desperate.

Kyle Pitts was not a factor in Thursday night game despite Penix's return; the offense focused on Drake London and Bijan Robinson. Matthew Berry stated he is not dropping Pitts but is definitely not starting him until he sees production, calling him unstartable until further notice. Berry expects to see Penix again in 10 days and hopes the offense can find a rhythm with Pitts.

Kyle Pitts was not the preferred tight end option in Thursday night's game; Matthew Berry contrasts Pitts unfavorably with Christian Watson, suggesting Watson outperformed or was preferred in the Falcons-Packers matchup.

Matthew Berry expresses hope that Case Keenum can get the ball to Luther Burden against the Eagles on Monday night. Berry draws a parallel to Drake London's Week 3 rebound after two weeks of tough production, suggesting Burden could similarly bounce back. However, this optimism is tempered by the Bears' implied team total of 18.5 points, the fourth-lowest in Week 3.

Marvin Harrison Jr. is tied for fifth on the Cardinals in targets through the first two games, tied with Tyler Algier. Matthew Berry notes that Harrison came to the league with extremely high expectations that have not yet been met. Dan Graziano reports he's not playing well, not getting open to the extent the team wants, and it's not clicking in Arizona right now. Berry ranks him as not startable and says he doesn't mind dropping him in very shallow leagues.

Matthew Golden continues to put up numbers alongside Christian Watson. Stefania Bell is in on Golden, calling him legit. A commenter noted Golden looked crispy and sharp in the game.

Penix looked better than anticipated in his first game back in nearly a year after ACL reconstruction using a quad tendon graft (due to prior patellar tendon grafts on opposite knee) plus reinforcement procedure for rotational stability. Stefania Bell noted he continued to gain confidence under center throughout the game and is expected to improve further as he gets healthier.

Michael Pittman has a shoulder issue but has been in limited practice both days this week, which is an improvement over last week. He has historically played through injuries and hasn't missed too many games throughout his career in Indianapolis, so the team feels good about his availability.

Michael Wilson is a player the Cardinals like a lot and have paid accordingly. Dan Graziano notes that right now, Wilson is probably the better player than Marvin Harrison Jr., so the team is going to him more frequently in the offense.

Matthew Berry has no concerns on Mike Evans for the 49ers matchup this week; ranked as wide receiver 17 in his rankings. Berry expects this to be a great game for the Niners, making Evans a top-20 play this week.

Puka Nakua is trending towards not playing again this week after missing last week. Stefania Bell drafted him first overall in her Scott Fishbowl league and it has not been good. She noted his injury history dates back to college and training camp (joint practice August 11 with Cowboys), with three weeks of rest before returning August 30. Despite his amazing productivity when healthy, he has a pattern of getting banged up. Matthew Berry was not surprised by the injury given Puka's history, noting he had very little Puka in his 27 teams this year due to injury risk concerns.

Psoas/groin injury that began at joint practice with Cowboys on August 11th; missed three weeks of football activity until August 30th. Matthew Berry trusts Rams medical staff to modulate activity and return him when ready, aiming to prevent compensatory injuries that could cost bulk of season. Berry is not looking to trade him despite the risk, believing payoff will be there when he returns, though acknowledges it's a risk for 0-2 teams.

Sam Darnold has made significant progress from his injury and was elevated to full practice yesterday. The Seahawks want to give him a chance to play Sunday against Washington if he hits their benchmarks. Darnold said yesterday he is 'striving to play Sunday.' Matthew Berry expects clarity today on whether Darnold will play, noting the recovery has been quicker than initially expected. If Darnold clears, Berry believes the Seahawks will play him rather than hold him out for extra caution.

Saquon Barkley left last week's game with a stinger (nerve stretch/compression in neck) but is expected to play Monday night. Stefania Bell noted he had positive imaging and wore a cowboy collar for protection. She explained stinger symptoms typically resolve within minutes to hours, and the team is not worried about significant risk. Matthew Berry ranks him at running back 10 and expects him to play well.

Tank Bigsby needs to be rostered in 100% of leagues as a handcuff to Saquon Barkley, who is rostered in 100% of leagues. Matthew Berry emphasizes this as essential insurance given Barkley's injury history and the stinger concern.

Trey McBride is the Cardinals' best offensive player and the offense is going to run through him as the tight end. Even if Marvin Harrison starts playing better, the offense will continue to center on McBride as the number one producer.

Tucker Kraft received 8 targets in Thursday night game but did not show up in the box score despite Packers throwing 53 times. Stefania Bell attributes this to where the ball went rather than injury concerns, noting he may have been used more for blocking given offensive line issues. She deliberately did not play him in daily fantasy due to concerns about the Packers offense overall, but believes he has had a smooth recovery from ACL injury.

Tyler Warren is positioned as a key target in the Colts passing game with Alec Pierce out. He's been used as the team's short-yardage and goal-line player (tush-push guy), and Matthew Berry ranks him as a top six tight end play this week.

Zay Flowers has yet to practice this week despite traveling with the Ravens to Brazil; he's been doing some work on the side with progress being made, but Matthew Berry and Stefania Bell believe he is not ready to return to football. Berry is leaning towards him not being active for the road game out of the country and expects another week before Flowers returns. This impacts his current ranking at wide receiver eight, which will need adjustment.

Has yet to practice this week despite traveling with team to Brazil. Matthew Berry notes that players sometimes travel because the medical staff they're working with are also traveling, which doesn't necessarily indicate a setback.