News

1. 9h ago
   Keenum is expected to remain in a backup role for Sunday's game against the Packers after head coach Ben Johnson said that Tyson Bagent will start at quarterback Week 5, Sean Hammond of the Chicago Tribune reports.

   Chicago's emergency No. 3 quarterback through the first two games of the season, Keenum stepped into the starting role Week 3 against the Eagles after Caleb Williams sustained a Grade 2 hamstring strain in the previous game and after Bagent missing two practices leading up to contest while he was in concussion protocol. Despite guiding the Bears to a 27-7 win over Philadelphia while passing for 247 yards and accounting for three touchdowns, Keenum shifted to the No. 2 role in Week 4 while a healthy Bagent guided the Bears to a 23-12 win over the Jets. Keenum was still rewarded with a ceremonial start against the Jets, as he took a shotgun snap and handed off to D'Andre Swift on the opening play before giving way to Bagent under center for the rest of the game.

   RotoWire via ESPN
2. Oct 3
   Keenum is expected to serve as the Bears' No. 2 quarterback behind Tyson Bagent in Sunday's game against the Jets, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

   While Caleb Williams (hamstring) was out and while Bagent was limited to the backup role in Week 3 after missing two practices due to a concussion, Keenum drew the start in the Bears' 27-7 win over the Eagles on Monday, when he threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns to go along with a rushing score. Though Williams (hamstring) will miss a second straight game Sunday, Keenum has ceded most of the first-team reps to Bagent during the week of practice. Head coach Ben Johnson has yet to officially announce a Week 4 starter, but all signs point to Keenum serving as Bagent's backup.

   RotoWire via ESPN
3. Oct 2
   Fantasy football buzz: How will absence of DeVonta Smith affect other Eagles?

   Everything that happens in the NFL has 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. Oct. 2: What to expect from Eagles without DeVonta Smith By Matt Bowen With reports that a hamstring injury will keep Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith out of the lineup this Sunday in the home matchup against the Rams, let's discuss the fantasy implications for Philadelphia. If you're a Smith manager, you can pivot to Dontayvion Wicks or Makai Lemon as streaming options, as both are available in slightly more than 50% of ESPN leagues. You can also check out the last-minute pickups column for a handful of other viable options at wide receiver. Wicks scored 12 or more points in each of his first two games, catching a touchdown in Week 1. He has a big-play element to his game (19.9 YPC), so he will see more vertical opportunities Sunday against a Rams defense that will mix man and zone coverages. He can be played as a WR3/flex with more upside due to the third-level targets (seven targets of 15 or more air yards this season). Lemon has seen only nine targets on the season, catching seven of them for 38 yards. However, the rookie has run 28 routes per game and his role should expand versus L.A. Going back to Lemon's college tape at USC, he can manipulate coverage at the top of the route, plus he accelerates thorough the ball. Those are good traits to have in this league. He should be viewed as a lower-tier WR3 for this matchup. Expect the Eagles to be more run-heavy in this game without Smith, which should put Saquon Barkley at 15-20 carries. Meanwhile, Jalen Hurts — who was already outside of the top 10 QBs in our consensus ranks — will have an even lower ceiling heading into Sunday. Yes, Hurts can provide a boost to the lineup due to his running ability, as he averages 29 yards per game, but he has scored only one rushing touchdown on the season. Oct. 2: You should be paying attention to Aaron Rodgers By Adam Rank At least for one night in Cleveland, Aaron Rodgers turned back the clock. Was it the 299 passing yards? The three touchdowns? Or the fact that I really believed that his desperation heave in the waning seconds of the game was going to find its way into the mitts of a Steelers receiver who would carry it into the end zone for a walk-off touchdown? Sure, all of it. Look, I make no apologies for being the supporter of a team that was on the losing side of "Rodgers magic" way too many times. However, I'm not going to lie when I tell you I was seriously nervous on that final throw. I've seen it too many times. The point is, Rodgers was very impressive for the second consecutive week. Although, the interception at the end, we could have done without. Still, another huge performance which raises the question: What do we do with Rodgers moving forward? Patrick Mahomes and Bryce Young are on a bye next week. (Oh yeah, the bye weeks are getting ready to start!) A number of quarterbacks are missing this week and possibly next. But it goes a little bit beyond that. Like, what if some of the guys we believed in back in August continue to struggle? I'm looking at you, Justin Herbert and Drake Maye. Rodgers has a plus matchup next week against the Colts. Do you have the nerve to put him into your starting lineup? Something to think about. Of course, most people have to wait until Tuesday to put in a waiver claim. And so many things can happen between now and then. But for the moment, Rodgers is looking like a borderline QB1 in fantasy circles, which is not something that I would have thought about six weeks ago. Heck, even two weeks ago.  While we're reassessing our preseason preconceptions … my edito

   ESPN
4. Sep 29
   Rest-of-season rankings: Purdy joins top five QBs, Sadiq impresses among TEs

   Each week, Eric Karabell ranks players by position based on their fantasy football value for the rest of the 2026 season. Use the information to optimize the players for their future potential and/or to gauge their value in trade. Eric's top 100 can be found below the positions in this column.  Quarterback Rankings changes: It was an odd Week 3 for quarterbacks, as stalwarts Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson were not among the top 10 fantasy scorers, but Case Keenum was. Four of the top five scorers (Sam Darnold, Geno Smith, Jacoby Brissett, Keenum) did not enter the week among our top 20 in these rankings. Darnold and Brissett force their way in. The top 10 sees minimal change, although Brock Purdy rises to fourth and Matthew Stafford is thriving. Drake Maye and Justin Herbert continue to slide. Baker Mayfield (thumb) slides due to injury, though he will return soon. Now with the New York Giants, J.J. McCarthy enters the rankings, barely. Running back Rankings changes: The season is over for Dolphins star De'Von Achane (knee), so Ollie Gordon II and Jaylen Wright (though barely) enter the rankings. Achane leaving the top 10 is the major rankings adjustment, though Jeremiyah Love and Kyren Williams pass Chase Brown to move into RB1 status, and Jaylen Warren and Quinshon Judkins look like potential RB2 options. Patriots TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson, and disappointing David Montgomery, do not. Wide receiver Rankings changes: Seahawks star Jaxon Smith-Njigba, averaging better than 34 points per game, takes the No. 1 overall spot. The top 10 at wide receiver sees minor adjustment, with injured Puka Nacua (hip) and Nico Collins (hamstring) falling a bit, though perhaps each will play in Week 4. Drake London looks like a WR1 again, and top Packers Christian Watson and Matthew Golden feel reliable. Tre' Harris, Kalif Raymond and Keenan Allen join the rankings. Tight end Rankings changes: Welcome back, Brock Bowers! The Las Vegas star led the position with 27.6 points, followed by George Kittle and Harold Fannin Jr. Jets rookie Kenyon Sadiq is a big riser, closing in on TE1 status. Tucker Kraft and Kyle Pitts Sr. continue to slide. Defense/special teams Overall top 100

   ESPN
5. Sep 29
   Keenum completed 24 of 34 passes for 247 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions while rushing four times for six yards and another score in the Bears' 27-7 win over the Eagles on Monday night. He also fumbled once but recovered.

   Keenum's final numbers underscore how effective he was running Ben Johnson's aggressive offense against a quality defense. The 38-year-old signal-caller, who got the starting nod over Tyson Bagent in Caleb Williams' (hamstring) stead, connected with seven different targets overall, facilitating multi-reception tallies for four of his pass catchers. Keenum completed an eight-yard shovel pass to Luther Burden for his first touchdown toss of the night, and he followed it up with an impressive 41-yard scoring strike to Kalif Raymond in the latter portion of the third quarter. He then closed out the scoring with a one-yard run just past the midway point of the final period, rounding out a rewarding fantasy night. Given Monday night's results, Keenum appears well in line to be under center for a Week 4 home matchup against the Jets on Sunday.

   RotoWire via ESPN

Injury reports

No injury reports this season.

League history

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