Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford (hamstring) returned to practice on Friday according to Scott Petrak of The Chronicle Telegram. This is a great sign for the 25-year-old as he was unable to participate in any team practice sessions earlier in the week. Fantasy managers should monitor the injury report later on Friday as Ford could have a chance of suiting up over the weekend. Ford missed last week's game due to this same hamstring injury. If Ford does return, fantasy managers should expect him to operate as a change-of-pace option behind primary running back Nick Chubb. Ford should be viewed as a low-end flex option facing the Baltimore Ravens who have allowed the 12th-fewest PPR points to opposing RBs.

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Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (foot) was not seen at Friday's practice according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. However, Jackson further reported that head coach Mike McDaniel remains "very optimistic" that his start wideout will be able to suit up on Sunday. Fantasy managers should monitor Friday's injury report in case Hill carries an injury designation into the weekend. The 30-year-old has been unproductive over the past few weeks but should be poised to bounce back with his quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) returning on Sunday. If Hill is able to play, he should be locked into all lineups as a high-end WR1 facing the Arizona Cardinals.

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Tampa Buccaneers rookie running back Bucky Irving (toe) is in play to suit up on Sunday according to Brianna Dix. The 22-year-old was also spotted at practice on Friday after sitting out on Wednesday and Thursday. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status during the weekend as he will likely carry an injury designation into their tilt against the Atlanta Falcons. If Irving is able to suit up, the Buccaneers will likely operate in a three-man backfield situation which would make both him and Rachaad White low-end RB2s with Sean Tucker serving as an RB3. White would have the higher floor given his ability to succeed as a pass catcher. If Irving is unable to play, then both White and Tucker will share the backfield with White seeing the majority of the work.

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Carolina Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (ribs) was ruled out for Week 8 according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. The 28-year-old was unable to participate in any practices this week and will now set his sights on returning in Week 9 to face the New Orleans Saints. In addition, starting quarterback Andy Dalton (thumb) is considered doubtful which would leave presumed starter Bryce Young without his top wideout. Fantasy managers should expect rookie Xavier Legette to lead the air attack with Jonathan Mingo and Jalen Coker behind him. Legette is worth a look as a high-end WR3 from a volume perspective but faces a tough challenge against the Denver Broncos who have allowed the third-fewest PPR points to opposing wideouts.

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Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (ankle) returned to practice on Friday according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN. This is a great sign for the 24-year-old as he did not participate in any practice sessions earlier in the week. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as he may carry an injury designation into the weekend, depending on his participation level during Friday's practice. If Flowers were to sit out on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, Rashod Bateman should be expected to operate as the top wideout. He would become a viable WR3 option facing a Cleveland secondary who has allowed the 24th-most PPR points to opposing wideouts this season.

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Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels (ribs) was able to practice on Friday and remains in uncertain status for Sunday's tilt against the Chicago Bears. Head coach Dan Quinn expressed, "We will assess how he responds to the work that we did over the next 48 hours. But we really pushed it today" when discussing Daniels' participation during Friday's practice. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status heading into the weekend as he will likely carry an injury designation and be a game-time decision. If Daniels is able to play, he should be locked into all lineups as a high-end QB1. If not, Marcus Mariota will get the nod and be viewed as a high-end QB2.

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Buffalo Bills wide receiver Curtis Samuel (pectoral) will not play on Sunday according to Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN. The 28-year-old has yet to participate in any practices this week and will now set his sights on returning in Week 9 to face the Miami Dolphins. Samuel has had a disappointing campaign in Buffalo so far as he has caught just 12 total passes for 92 yards and no scores. As a result, fantasy managers should expect newly acquired Amari Copper to lead the wide receiver room with rookie Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir behind him. They will be facing a tough Seattle secondary who has allowed the 12th-fewest PPR points to opposing wide receivers.

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Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (hamstring) will likely be a game-time decision on Sunday according to Kainani Stevens. Etienne was sidelined last weekend due to a hamstring injury but has been able to participate during Wednesday's and Thursday's practice in a limited capacity which is a promising sign. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his availability during Friday's practice as it may provide clarity heading into the weekend. In his absence last week, Tank Bigsby tallied an impressive 118 yards and two scores off 26 carries. If Etienne is able to suit up, both running backs will likely share the backfield facing the Green Bay Packers who have allowed the 19th-most PPR points to opposing RBs this season.

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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (hip) is considered doubtful for Sunday's game according to David Lombardi of the San Francisco Standard. Jennings has yet to participate in any team practices this week which is not a promising sign for his status. Fantasy managers should monitor Friday's injury report in case he is able to participate in a limited capacity. No. 1 wideout Deebo Samuel Sr. (wrist/illness) was able to return to practice in a limited capacity on Thursday after sitting out on Wednesday which is a good sign for his potential status as he will likely lead the passing attack. If Jennings cannot play, fantasy managers should expect rookie wideout Ricky Pearsall to see a significant uptick in opportunities. In his NFL debut last weekend he caught three of his five targets for 21 yards.

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Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) has cleared concussion protocol and will get the starting nod on Sunday when the Dolphins face the Arizona Cardinals. Tagovailoa has been sidelined since suffering a concussion during the second week of the season. In his absence, the Miami offense has struggled as they never eclipsed 20 total points in a game without him. Fantasy managers in deeper 1QB formats should feel comfortable starting the Alabama product as he scored 22.0 points in the season opener and 13.0 before leaving Week 2 early. The Cardinals have allowed the 28th-most PPR points to opposing QBs. In addition, Tagovailoa's return also gives a significant boost to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle who should be viewed as must-start options going forward.

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New England Patriots kicker Joey Slye has endured a tough stretch of games and drops off the fantasy radar heading into a Week 8 clash with the New York Jets. Slye has gone 5-for-5 on extra points and just 2-for-3 on field goals over his last three games, seeing reduced volume as the Patriots limp to another losing record. Points have been hard to come by in New England, and that trend should continue on Sunday against a strong Jets defense. Even though New York has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to kickers this season, Slye's recent track record keeps him off the fantasy radar.

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The New England Patriots defense remains off the fantasy radar heading into Week 8 against the New York Jets. While the unit has shown promise with impressive performances from players like Jahlani Tavai, Kyle Dugger, and Christian Gonzalez, New England's defense still ranks 26th in fantasy points, forcing just four turnovers through seven games. They're also allowing an average of 359.6 yards and 24.1 points per game. It's been a particularly rough couple of weeks for the Patriots with tough matchups against the Texans and a very beatable Jaguars team. Over those two games, New England allowed 63 points while registering just one turnover and two sacks. This week, the Patriots face the Jets. Even though New York's offense has allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing defenses, they're trending upward with Aaron Rodgers, Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson, and Davante Adams. Even a modest offensive output from the Jets should be enough to overpower the Patriots' struggling defense in Massachusetts on Sunday. Avoid this unit in fantasy football going forward.

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Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson is coming off of his worst performance of the season after recording just three receptions for 11 yards in the Week 6 blowout loss to Detroit. Ferguson has yet to score a touchdown in 2024, but has generally seen strong volume and yardage totals which make him a top option at tight end. San Francisco's pass defense is in the upper half of the league, but with the Cowboys leaning heavily on the passing game this season Ferguson remains a TE1 option and should be started in all formats.

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New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry has returned to the fantasy radar heading into Week 8 against the New York Jets. Henry only had one fantasy-relevant game with Jacoby Brissett as his quarterback, so he didn't appear to have a whole lot of upside when Drake Maye took over the offense. However, he quickly proved to form a strong rapport with the rookie as the duo has combined for 11 completions, 133 yards, and one touchdown over Maye's two weeks as the starter. Henry has finished as a top-eight fantasy tight end in each of those two contests, so he's back on the fantasy radar ahead of Week 8. Fantasy managers should view him as a solid streamer, at the very least, and he'll become a more trustworthy week-over-week fantasy play if he turns in one more good showing on Sunday.

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Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb has seen consistent target volume throughout the 2024 season but has only produced two touchdowns and no 100-yard games through the first six games. Last year's overall WR1 should see heavy volume again in Week 8 on Sunday night against the San Francisco 49ers. The matchup isn't ideal, as the 49ers have allowed the 11th-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing receivers on the season, but Lamb remains a WR1 due to his safe floor and boom potential. Do not hesitate to start him again in Week 8.

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New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye makes his first start against a divisional opponent in Week 8 when he takes on the New York Jets at home. The 22-year-old has been impressive through his first two career starts, completing 65.7 percent of his passes for 519 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions. He also has 56 rushing yards, six sacks, and a lost fumble. In those two games, Maye has been the QB10 and QB7, respectively. It's certainly possible he keeps up this top-12 production against the Jets, but it should also be noted that he's had easier matchups in a negatively-scripted, blowout loss to the Houston Texans and a clash with the Jacksonville Jaguars' subpar defense across the pond. Maye gets a more true test this week against the Jets, who have allowed the seventh-fewest passing yards, seventh-fewest fantasy points, and eight-fewest rushing yards to opposing quarterbacks this year. This tougher matchup knocks Maye out of the top-12 tier, but he still ranks a solid mid-to-high QB2 play for fantasy football in Week 8.

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Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert remains a deep league flex option heading into Week 8's Sunday night matchup with the San Francisco 49ers. Dallas looks to continue to lean on the passing game, making Tolbert the second or third option for quarterback Dak Prescott. San Francisco boasts the 11th-ranked defense against opposing receivers, creating a tough matchup for Tolbert. He can be started in desperation, but there are better options for WR3 and flex spots.

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Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle is in flex consideration heading into Week 8's Sunday night matchup against San Francisco. The fifth-year back saw a season-low five rush attempts in his last outing against Detroit, but made up for it with five receptions due to game script. San Francisco has been middle-of-the-road against opposing running backs this season, but Dallas has hesitated to lean into their run game. Dowdle should see enough of a workload to warrant flex usability, but is more of an RB3 option this week.

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Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott should not be considered for fantasy lineups going into Week 8's matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. Elliott saw 41% of snaps in Week 6 against Detroit, but was mostly in the game due to his pass-blocking utility. The veteran has been highly inefficient on the ground this season, and San Francisco's run defense poses enough of a threat for Dallas to continue to lean on the air attack offensively. Elliott can remain on waivers in most formats.

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New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte has led the position group in snaps over the last two weeks, but his low target share as a deep threat in the offense has kept him off the fantasy radar for the time being. The second-year receiver emerged out of nowhere in Drake Maye's first start in Week 6, catching his first career touchdown pass. Despite that big play and increase in snaps, Boutte has been held to just four catches over the last two games. This week, he faces the New York Jets, who have been impressive against non-slot receivers this year. Still, they did get ripped apart by George Pickens last week, showing susceptibility to surrendering big plays. Boutte has big-play upside, so it's just a matter of him shaking a defender and creating an opportunity for himself. Until he can do that on a more consistent basis, though, he'll remain off the fantasy radar.

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