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Cowboys hopeful TE Jake Ferguson (knee) avoided serious injury

Mon Sep 9 1:46am ET
Field Level Media

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson is expected to be OK after exiting Sunday's 33-17 victory over the Cleveland Browns in the third quarter due to a knee injury.

Ferguson left the game after hauling in a 2-yard reception with 6:11 remaining in the third. He tried to leap out of a tackle but landed awkwardly on his left leg and then needed trainers to help him walk off the field.

After the game, NFL Network reported that initial tests did not reveal a torn ACL, and X-rays came back negative. Ferguson will get an MRI exam on Monday.

"I think we dodged a big one," Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott said, referring to the severity of Ferguson's injury.

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said that Ferguson was optimistic and still able to move around after the win.

Ferguson, 25, had three catches for 15 yards on Sunday.

In 17 games (16 starts) last season, Ferguson had 71 receptions for 761 yards and five touchdowns.

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Starts/Sits: Week 1

Player Notes
Haason Reddick Sep 9 9:33am CT
Haason Reddick

New York Jets EDGE Haason Reddick will forfeit $800,000 for missing Week 1 and will forfeit $800,000 more for every other game he misses. This is on top of $5 million of NFL-mandated fines.

From TheHuddle

Puka Nacua Sep 9 9:30am CT
Puka Nacua

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (knee) will undergo testing on his knee Monday afternoon after leaving Sunday night's game against the Detroit Lions. According to Ian Rapoport, the star receiver is scheduled to get some testing done after injuring the same knee that he tweaked during the preseason. Nacua was able to come back for one play in Sunday night's game, but ultimately left again and did not return. There still hasn't been any word or speculation on what's wrong with his knee, so these tests should provide a clear picture of the extent of the injury. If he'll need to miss some time, Tyler Johnson did a good job filling in against the Lions, while Tutu Atwell and Jordan Whittington may also see some more snaps.

From RotoBaller

Tony Pollard Sep 9 9:30am CT
Tony Pollard

Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard rushed 16 times for 82 yards and a score, adding three receptions for 12 yards in the loss to Chicago. Pollard started the game as the Titans top back and out-carried Tyjae Spears by a surprisingly large margin, 16-4, right after the Titans coaching staff made a point that the backfield would be split evenly. The actual snap counts were a bit closer with Pollard taking 65% and Spears with 45%, but Pollard getting twice as many touches as Spears was definitely unexpected. Game script could have been part of the story here, with Tennessee attempting to grind the clock with a 17-0 lead going into the second half and utilizing the more punishing runner in Pollard to do so. The former Cowboy looked every bit of the dynamic player he was in Dallas a couple of years ago, highlighted by his 26-yard TD scamper where outraced the second level of the defense and cruised into the end zone untouched. Up next is a tough matchup with the New York Jets coming to town. .

From RotoBaller

Will Levis Sep 9 9:20am CT
Will Levis

Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis went 19/32 for 127 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions in a 24-17 loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Levis also rushed nine times for 36 yards and lost a fumble. It was a forgettable start to Year 2 for the quarterback, who was constantly under pressure and indecisive with the football, which led to mostly stalled drives and turnovers on the afternoon. Levis also had one of the worst interceptions in recent memory, tossing the ball sideways while getting hit, which led to the game clinching pick-six in the fourth quarter. While Chicago has a great defense, it was an all-around poor performance from the sophomore quarterback who had all three of his turnovers in the last period, essentially giving the game away to the Bears who were held to zero offensive touchdowns in the game. Levis will really need to turn things around in Week 2, though the NFL's best pass defense is up next in the New York Jets.

From RotoBaller

Calvin Ridley Sep 9 9:20am CT
Calvin Ridley

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley caught three of seven targets for 50 yards in a 24-17 loss at Chicago. On a day where the Titans struggled to move the ball through the air, Ridley was still able to have a decent afternoon with a 22% target share and over 50% of the Titans passing yards. It's promising for Ridley managers that he was the clear #1 target for this offense, but if quarterback Will Levis struggles to move the ball downfield like he did on Sunday, it will be hard to trust the former Jaguar. Ridley will look to build on this effort in Week 2 against a very stingy New York Jets secondary.

From RotoBaller

Adonai Mitchell Sep 9 9:20am CT
Adonai Mitchell

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell didn't find much success in his first NFL regular season game but the potential remains high after seeing the second-most targets in their 29-27 loss to the Houston Texans. The rookie wideout received five targets but only caught one of them for two yards. The silver lining is that Anthony Richardson was looking for him at various depths down the field, and the accuracy of the throws was more to blame. Mitchell was able to get some separation from his defender and he'll likely grow into a bigger part of the offense as Richardson grows as well. He's a risky fantasy start at the moment but will look to get on the board in Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers.

From RotoBaller

Quentin Johnston Sep 9 9:00am CT
Quentin Johnston

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston didn't put together a standout performance in the opening win against the Las Vegas Raiders but established himself in the receiving order. The second-year wideout finished with three receptions for 38 yards on five targets. He had the second-most targets on the team, right after Ladd McConkey who received seven. The Chargers were in the lead for most of the second half while J.K. Dobbins had a huge day on the ground, so the passing game did take a backseat as seen by Justin Herbert's 26 attempts compared to 27 total carries. Johnston seems to be in line for more targets this year as the offense grows under the new coaching regime, but he would be more viable in deeper fantasy leagues.

From RotoBaller

Joshua Karty Sep 9 8:50am CT
Joshua Karty

Los Angeles Rams rookie kicker Joshua Karty did not appear intimidated by a large crowd and raucous road atmosphere in his first NFL game at the Lions on Sunday night. The Stanford rookie made both of his field goals, including a 41-yarder, and buried both of his extra-point attempts. It was a good sign that Karty could be a viable fantasy kicker this season. He looked smooth and unfazed in both of his field goal attempts, albeit in a controlled indoor environment at Ford Field. There could be some growing pains along the way for Karty but he looks like an NFL-ready kicker as the Rams probably expected after selecting him with a sixth-round pick in this year's draft. With other solid kicker options out there, fantasy managers can take a bit of a wait-and-see approach with Karty, but he could end up being a useful fantasy option this season.

From RotoBaller

Tyler Johnson Sep 9 8:46am CT
Tyler Johnson

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Tyler Johnson took advantage of Puka Nacua (knee) leaving the game early with some big catches against the Lions on Sunday night. Johnson caught five of his seven targets for 79 yards, including a 63-yard catch and run when he stopped on a dime and turned a short pass into a long gain. The Minnesota Golden Gophers product stepped into the void opposite star receiver Cooper Kupp when Nacua left the contest. With Nacua set to undergo testing Monday on his right knee, Johnson could be a popular waiver-wire addition should Nacua be forced to miss any time. Demarcus Robinson also saw seven targets in the game but Johnson looked like the greater big-play threat.

Diontae Johnson Sep 9 8:45am CT
Diontae Johnson

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson caught just two his six targets for 19 yards in the team's loss to the New Orleans Saints. Johnson was the second most targeted pass-catcher, but was unable to connect with quarterback Bryce Young as the team struggled to move the ball on offense. Johnson was brought in to be a WR1 for Young, and did see encouraging enough usage to be a viable fantasy option moving forward. While it was a lackluster performance, Johnson can be considered a WR3 option in Week 2 when the Panthers take on the Los Angeles Chargers.

Javonte Williams Sep 9 8:45am CT
Javonte Williams

Dynasty | Broncos running back Javonte Williams had 23 rushing yards on eight carries, while catching one pass for no gain in Denver's opening day loss at Seattle. Dynasty Analysis: Yuck. Williams was out-carried by Jaleel McLaughlin 10-8, though neither of them looked particularly effective on the day. It's way too early to throw in the towel on Williams but this is a red flag after his disastrous 2023 season. Williams belongs on fantasy benches until Bo Nix can do enough to keep defenses honest as this Denver offense looks anemic at the moment.

Austin Ekeler Sep 9 8:44am CT
Austin Ekeler

Dynasty | Commanders running back Austin Ekeler had ten rushing yards, four catches, and 52 receiving yards in Washington's season-opening loss to Tampa Bay. Dynasty Analysis: The concerning part here is the fact Ekeler had just six touches on the day and many of them came with the game far out of reach. Brian Robinson had 15 touches and seemed like the clear RB1 on this team today. If that continues, it's going to be very difficult for the former fantasy MVP to return to form or even provide any kind of value this season. At this point, Ekeler is looking the part of a roster clogger but we need to see this pattern to continue before putting that in stone.

Rico Dowdle Sep 9 8:44am CT
Rico Dowdle

Dynasty | Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle had 26 rushing yards, adding one catch for another six yards in a Dallas road victory against Cleveland on opening day. Dynasty Analysis: The Dallas offense looked good today but that was really because of Dak Prescott and the receiving corps more than Dowdle, Ezekiel Elliott or anyone in the running game. Elliott out-touched Dowdle 12-9, but neither was particularly good on the day. This has the looks of a frustrating committee, at least at the beginning of the season.

Cooper Kupp Sep 9 8:40am CT
Cooper Kupp

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp turned back the clock a bit with a dominant game in the team's overtime loss at the Lions on Sunday night. With Puka Nacua (knee) forced to exit the game, Kupp was targeted early and often by Matthew Stafford. He saw a ridiculous 21 targets and caught 14 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown. Kupp worked the short field relentlessly using pre-snap motion to perfection on a nine-yard touchdown catch. A healthy Kupp is still one of the most dangerous receivers in the NFL and his connection with Stafford along with the way Sean McVay and the Rams' coaching staff schemes him up, is a thing of beauty at times. Nacua came back for one play after being injured but was forced to leave the game and will undergo testing on his right knee on Monday. With his health in question, Kupp's status elevates even more. Kupp is a no-doubt WR1 while healthy and could be one of the best values of this year's fantasy drafts if his target share keeps up at this pace.

From RotoBaller

Jonnu Smith Sep 9 8:40am CT
Jonnu Smith

Miami Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith posted a quiet performance in the first game with his new team. The veteran collected just seven yards after catching one of his two targets. Durham Smythe actually led the tight end group in targets with three while Julian Hill also received a target and caught that for six yards. Smith was only on the field for 20 of the team's 71 total offensive snaps according to Alain Poupart of Sports Illustrated. The general expectation was for Smith to become a key part of the offense after a solid year in Atlanta, but the Dolphins' offense remains built on speed with their star wide receivers and quick backfield. Smith will look to bounce back against the Buffalo Bills in Week 2.

From RotoBaller

Kyren Williams Sep 9 8:30am CT
Kyren Williams

Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams dominated the workload out of the Rams' backfield against the Lions on Sunday night and found the end zone. Overall, Williams recorded 18 carries for 50 yards and a rushing score and caught all three of his targets for four yards. The most important note, however, was that Williams saw 67 snaps in the backfield compared to just seven for Ronnie Rivers and none from Blake Corum. That works out to 91 percent of snaps for the Notre Dame product, who was expected to see some of his workload cut into by Corum, the rookie out of Michigan. Against a tough Lions run defense, Williams struggled to 2.78 yards per carry, but the outlook is rosy for the talented and versatile running back because of the extremely large snap-share. While it is natural to think Corum will become more involved as the weeks go on, if Williams dominates touches like this he should be in line for some huge fantasy weeks.

From RotoBaller

Tank Bigsby Sep 9 8:20am CT
Tank Bigsby

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby started off the season in a big way by getting a 50-50 split in carries with incumbent starter Travis Etienne Jr. The second-year back finished with 12 carries that went for 73 yards, but he didn't see any targets in the passing game. The good news for fantasy managers with stock in Bigsby is that his efficiency was much better than Etienne's with 6.1 yards per carry versus 3.7. Game script, the hot hand, and plenty of other factors will dictate whether or not this 50-50 split continues, so it could be difficult to judge when Bigsby will have his bigger games. As long as they're not playing from behind too often, this ground game is likely to get a lot of work moving forward.

From RotoBaller

Matthew Stafford Sep 9 8:20am CT
Matthew Stafford

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford turned in a gutsy performance in an overtime loss at the Lions in his return to Detroit on Sunday night. However, for fantasy football purposes it was just an average output from the Rams signal caller. Stafford was 34-of-49 passing for 317 yards with one touchdown and one interception doing most of his damage on quick, underneath routes. Stafford did demonstrate an excellent connection with receiver Cooper Kupp (14 catches, 110 yards, 1 TD) as his other favorite target Puka Nacua was forced to leave the game with a knee injury. With 14.68 points in a standard fantasy league, 13 quarterbacks ranked ahead of Stafford in Week 1, so he is still not really an option to start in one-quarterback leagues. He could see better matchups ahead but the health of Nacua is a concern and he will have to start pushing the ball downfield more to see an uptick in fantasy scoring.

From RotoBaller

Brian Thomas Jr. Sep 9 8:10am CT
Brian Thomas Jr.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. put up 47 yards on four receptions, including a 14-yard touchdown, in a 17-14 loss to the Miami Dolphins. The Jaguars passing attack struggled overall, but BTJ was a lone bright spot, catching Trevor Lawrence's only passing touchdown on the day in the second quarter. The rookie wide receiver had four targets, tied for the team lead position with Christian Kirk and Evan Engram, who each mustered only one catch. While rookie WRs tend to be volatile early in the season (see Xavier Worthy and Marvin Harrison Jr.), the LSU product has a chance to step up and become a reliable option in the Jacksonville passing game. In the future, the first-round rookie should be viewed as an upside FLEX option that could easily disappoint. BTJ faces off with the Cleveland Browns secondary in Week 2, who held CeeDee Lamb to just five catches for 61 yards.

From RotoBaller

Christian Kirk Sep 9 8:10am CT
Christian Kirk

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk finished with just one catch for 30 yards in a 17-14 loss to the Miami Dolphins. Kirk was expected, along with Evan Engram (one catch for five yards), to be the offensive skilled players with the best chemistry with Trevor Lawrence to start the season, but that was not the case. Kirk tied for the team lead in targets with Engram and Brian Thomas Jr. with four each. However, the rookie wideout caught all his targets and showed great chemistry with Lawrence. Free agent acquisition Gabe Davis also showed good chemistry with Lawrence, catching all three of his targets for 62 yards to lead the team in receiving. Kirk was merely a flex option/WR3 entering the season, so this Week 1 performance is concerning. Kirk still has the potential to be the top receiving option for the Jaguars, but the only way to know for sure is for the offense to have more success overall. In Week 2, Jacksonville faces the Cleveland Browns and their top secondary, making Kirk a risky flex play.

From RotoBaller