Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Jordan Whittington (shoulder) got in a limited session on Wednesday for the team's first practice of the week. The 22-year-old played just nine snaps in LA's Week 7 win over the Las Vegas Raiders before he exited the contest with a shoulder injury. Whittington logged two DNPs ahead of Week 8 before being ruled inactive, so it's nice to see him start the week off as a limited participant. It's undoubtedly a boon for his status this Sunday when the Rams hit the road to face off against the Seattle Seahawks in a divisional clash. However, he's likely more of a depth piece now with the return of star wideouts Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, who should continue to see their snap share increase the further out they are from injury. Whittington will have two more opportunities to elevate his practice participation ahead of Week 9. If he can't play, wide receivers Tyler Johnson and Tutu Atwell project to rotate in behind Demarcus Robinson in three-wide sets.

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New England Patriots wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk (concussion) was listed as limited for Wednesday's practice. The rookie wideout was unavailable for this past Sunday's win over the New York Jets after picking up a concussion the week prior, but he's started on the right foot this week. He'll have a few more days to ramp up his activity ahead of Week 9's road tilt against the Tennessee Titans. However, Polk will still need to be cleared by an independent neurologist before he's eligible to suit up. Despite it not showing up in the 22-year-old's on-field production, he's the second-leading receiver on the roster regarding snap share, behind only DeMario Douglas. Still, it is worth noting that second-year WR Kayshon Boutte has led all Pats pass-catchers in that regard over the last three weeks.

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Las Vegas Raiders running back Alexander Mattison will remain the starter over Zamir White (quadriceps). Mattison has taken on a large role in the offense over the last four weeks. Head coach Antonio Pierce would like him to remain in that role for the time being. Mattison has been a solid flex play in fantasy. He has even climbed into the RB2 ranks at times. Since Week 5, Mattison has scored between 9.4 and 17.5 fantasy points every week. He has been inefficient as a runner, but he has received at least three targets in each of those games. The Raiders are flailing this season amidst a 2-6 record so Mattison is never going to be a high-end producer. However, for now, you can continue to deploy him with the confidence that he will have a solid floor in fantasy.

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New England Patriots running back Antonio Gibson (toe) was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday. Gibson has played in every game thus far this season so his limited participation may be precautionary. Gibson has been primarily irrelevant in fantasy football in 2024. He has yet to clear 48% of the snaps and has played 17% and 19% of the snaps over the last two weeks respectively. The Patriots have clearly turned back to Rhamondre Stevenson as a true feature back. Given how bad the offense is, Gibson is not even worth a roster spot in fantasy. As such, this news is relatively inconsequential to the status of any relevant Patriots players for fantasy in Week 9.

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New Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Diontae Johnson practiced on Wednesday after being acquired in a trade with the Carolina Panthers on Tuesday. His participation suggests that he could be on track to playing in Week 9 when the Ravens host the Denver Broncos. According to recent reports, Johnson will slot in as the Ravens' No. 3 wide receiver behind Rashod Bateman and Zay Flowers. After being traded to the Panthers this past offseason, Johnson now finds himself back on a contender. He has recorded 357 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 2024 despite playing with subpar quarterback play. However, Johnson has excelled with quarterback Andy Dalton under center. Now that Johnson enters a situation with several quality weapons, his volume is sure to decrease. For fantasy purposes, the days of a relevant Johnson in 2024 may be behind us, at least in the short term. Johnson's talent may demand the Ravens to ensure he gets touches. However, the team seems to view Johnson as a missing chess piece for a potential Super Bowl run rather than a foundational player. Fantasy managers should monitor Johnson's snap share and targets over the next couple of weeks to determine how this trade will impact his outlook for the rest of the season.

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Indianapolis Colts wide receivers Josh Downs (toe) and Michael Pittman Jr. (back) did not practice on Wednesday. Both players have been battling their respective injuries for several weeks and have missed several consecutive Wednesday practices. Neither player was restricted in Week 8 so their lack of activity appears to be related to rest rather than a setback in their injuries. The Colts will need a full complement of wide receivers as they turn to Joe Flacco as their starting quarterback after benching Anthony Richardson this week. Both players have put up solid numbers with Joe Flacco under center for parts of three games in 2024. Downs has especially been a target hog since he first took the field in Week 3. He has earned nine or more targets in four of six games. In three games with Flacco playing a significant amount of snaps, Pittman saw a total of 23 targets. Both players are in a great position to see serious volume as the Colts will likely start to complete a significant amount of passes with Flacco. Fantasy managers should monitor the status of both leading up to the weekend, but for now, there is no cause for concern.

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Jacksonville Jaguars wide receivers Brian Thomas Jr. (chest) and Gabe Davis (shoulder) were both limited in practice on Wednesday. Both players left the Jaguars' Week 8 loss to the Green Bay Packers early with their respective injuries. With wide receiver Christian Kirk (collarbone) already out for the season, the Jaguars are thin at the position. Head coach Doug Pederson inspired confidence in the fact that Davis "should be fine" which suggests that he may be back on the field in Week 9. However, Thomas was originally given a 2-4 week timeframe before receiving a second opinion that revealed that he could also be ready for Week 9. Given that many players dealing with any kind of injury are often held out of Wednesday's practice, it is a relief to see that Thomas is back on the field in some capacity so soon. While Davis has been primarily irrelevant in fantasy football, Thomas has been anything but. He currently sits as the WR7 and is sixth in the league in receiving yards with 573. He has also hauled in five touchdowns. Fantasy managers would be elated to see Thomas take the field in Week 9 against the Philadelphia Eagles. However, if Thomas is unable to suit up and Davis is, then Davis would step into the No. 1 wide receiver role for the Jaguars. Davis is a worthy bench stash with Kirk out for the year regardless of Thomas' Week 9 status.

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Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (back/knee) was a DNP in practice on Wednesday due to back and knee injuries. Wednesday is often a rest day for veterans so Jackson's lack of participation is not concerning at this point. Providing further confidence in Jackson's ability to bounce back is the fact that he played so well in Week 8 against the Cleveland Browns while showing no sign of a significant injury. Jackson threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns and added 46 yards on the ground. He posted a QBR of 80.3. Jackson has had an MVP-caliber season in 2024. He has thrown for 2,099 yards and 17 touchdowns with only two interceptions. He has added 501 rushing yards and two touchdowns. His QBR of 74.9 is the second-highest of his career. Fantasy managers who have been relying on that kind of production should monitor the Ravens' practice report on Thursday and Friday to ensure that Jackson logs some level of activity. As long as he retakes the field before the weekend, then his DNP on Wednesday should be a null point.

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Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (knee) is expected to play a full allotment of snaps in Week 9 in his first game back from a torn ACL and MCL. Hockenson has been practicing with the team for a couple of weeks and will finally make his long-anticipated season debut when the Vikings host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday Night Football. Hockenson logged a full practice on Wednesday. His practice activity over the last couple of weeks should put him in a good position to succeed immediately. Hockenson's return will be a welcome one for fantasy managers who have stashed him all year. He was a stud in 2023 when he racked up 960 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 15 games. Hockenson has been an excellent vertical threat throughout his career and will look to step right back into that role. His presence will undoubtedly help wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison in the passing game because Hockenson will give defenses one more weapon to cover. Expect Hockenson to take a couple of weeks to get back into the swing of a regular season game. However, he should begin to produce TE1 numbers before long.

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New York Giants rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (concussion) was seen on the field working with the training staff during Wednesday's practice according to Art Stapleton of USA Today. Stapleton further reported that if the rookie running back responds well he could progress to a non-contact participant on Thursday. Tracy sustained a concussion during the final quarter in Monday's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progression during the week as he could have an outside chance of suiting up to face Washington if he progresses through the concussion protocol. If not, veteran Devin Singletary should be expected to take the lead in Week 9.

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Las Vegas Raiders rookie tight end Brock Bowers is considered "fine" according to Vic Tafur. This is a great sign as the rookie standout had to be checked out during last weekend's game against the Kansas City Chiefs. In this game, Bowers continued his excellent rookie campaign as he scored double-digit PPR points for the fourth-straight game. Throughout his first eight NFL games, the Georgia product has averaged 14.1 PPR points per game and tallied 66.9 yards and 6.5 receptions per game. Fantasy managers should view Bowers as a high-end TE1 going forward and he should be locked into all lineups this weekend as he faces the Cincinnati Bengals who have allowed the 26th-most PPR points to opposing tight ends this season.

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Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young will start in Week 9 according to Steve Reed of the Associated Press. Reed noted that head coach Dave Canales was impressed with how the sophomore QB performed last weekend and that he "wants to continue to find the things that he is confident in." Last Sunday against a tough Denver Broncos defense, Young turned in his best start of the season as he threw for 224 yards and two scores and two interceptions. This was his first time this season he eclipsed the 200-yard mark and tallied multiple scores in a game. He has a much more favorable matchup this weekend facing the New Orleans Saints who have allowed the 17th-most points to opposing QBs.

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Bad luck and bad timing make Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud tough to start in one-QB formats on Thursday against the New York Jets. Despite the Jets being dysfunctional, even for them, they rank second in the NFL in yards after catch allowed and tied for third with six passing touchdowns surrendered in eight games. New York boasts two excellent coverage corners in Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed, and Houston will face them when top wide receivers Nico Collins (hamstring) and Stefon Diggs (knee) are on injured reserve. Backup wide receivers, a short week, and a bad matchup is a lot to dislike, so fantasy managers should strongly consider their other options in Week 9.

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Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen (hamstring) was a limited participant during Wednesday's practice session according to David Newton of ESPN. Thielen has been on the injured reserve since the third week of the season after sustaining an injury against the Las Vegas Raiders. However, the veteran wideout was able to practice in a limited capacity last week and seeing him continue to participate is promising sign. Fantasy managers should monitor his status throughout the week as he could return as early as this weekend to face the New Orleans Saints. With Diontae Johnson being shipped to the Baltimore Ravens, Thielen could eventually serve as the top pass catching option in Carolina down the stretch.

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Carolina Panthers rookie running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) turned in a full practice on Wednesday according to David Newton of ESPN. The former second-round selection has been sidelined throughout his entire rookie career due to a torn ACL he suffered last November. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status going forward but a full practice could suggest he may be nearing his NFL debut. However, the Panthers may opt to exercise extreme caution with their young running back given their position in the standings. For now, Brooks remains a high-end stash option. Chuba Hubbard should be expected to remain as the lead back for the time being,

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Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz's role as a receiver took a major hit in the offseason, but injuries could change that in Week 9 against the New York Jets. Houston will be without their first and second options on Thursday, as wide receiver Nico Collins (hamstring) will be out at least another week and Stefon Diggs (knee) will miss the rest of the season. More targets might be on the way for the big tight end, who is a disappointing 25th among fantasy tight ends so far. The Jets are a tough matchup, ranking ninth against tight ends, though Schultz is coming off his best receiving yardage total of the season (52) last week. He's still a TE2 option, albeit with some upside under the circumstances.

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Injuries have rearranged the Houston Texans' offense, leaving wide receiver Tank Dell as the team's top pass-catching option heading into a Thursday Night Football showdown at the New York Jets. The 25-year-old figures to see a significant, if temporary, role increase with fellow receiver Nico Collins (hamstring) set to miss a minimum of one more game and Stefon Diggs (knee) out for the season. Unfortunately for Houston, the Jets boast arguably the best cornerback tandem in football with Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed. Dell caught a touchdown last week and should see more targets, though this matchup isn't ideal, making him a low-end WR2 or flex option in Week 9.

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Despite the Houston Texans' numerous offensive changes, running back Joe Mixon remains a RB1 option against the New York Jets on Thursday. The 28-year-old has one of the best fantasy situations in the league as a legitimate feature back who gets targets and red-zone work on a good offense, and he's delivered three straight top-10 finishes among running backs. Now, Houston could lean on its running game even more with top receivers Nico Collins (hamstring) and Stefon Diggs (knee) on injured reserve. The Jets are allowing just under 126 rushing yards per game, which ranks 17th in the NFL, and their 10 rushing touchdowns allowed is more than all but three teams. Mixon is a clear starter in Week 9.

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Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert (hamstring) was not seen at Wednesday's practice according to Jeff McLane of the Inquirer. The 29-year-old has been sidelined since suffering a hamstring injury in the opening quarter of their Week 6 game against the Cleveland Browns. If Goedert is unable to return to practice he could be in danger of missing his third-straight game. While Goedert has been sidelined, No.2 tight end Grant Calcaterra has taken the lead and enjoyed a productive game last weekend as he brought in all three of his targets for 58 yards. Calcaterra should be viewed as a high-end TE2 this weekend if he gets the start facing the Jaguars who have allowed the 23rd-most PPR points to opposing tight ends this season.

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New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (oblique) was on a pitch count during Wednesday's practice but is still expected to start on Sunday according to Matthew Paras of The Times-Picayune. Carr has been sidelined since suffering the oblique injury in their Week 5 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. In his absence, the Saints turned to rookie Spencer Rattler who averaged 190.3 passing yards and per game and was pulled in his most recent start. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Carr's status throughout the week. If he is able to return to action, he should be viewed as a QB2 with upside facing the Carolina Panthers who have allowed the 28th-most points to opposing QBs this season.

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