News

1. 21h ago
   Fantasy football: McMillan, Lamb, Walker III among leading scorers through Sunday Night Football

   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. 4: Leading scorers through Sunday's 4 p.m. ET games Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Carolina Panthers – 45.2 CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys – 41.3 Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams – 36.7 Javonte Williams, RB, Dallas Cowboys – 31.3 Kenneth Walker III, RB, Kansas City Chiefs – 30.9 Nico Collins, WR, Houston Texans – 30.8 Tyquan Thornton, WR, Kansas City Chiefs – 28.1 Kyle Monangai, RB, Chicago Bears – 28.0 Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams – 27.7 Emanuel Wilson, RB, Seattle Seahawks – 27.0 Click here for a full list of all the week's scoring leaders. 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 looki

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2. Oct 4
   Fantasy football last-minute pickups for Week 4: Raymond, Waller among top options

   At various points during the fantasy football season, injuries, bye weeks and breaking news can cause you to need reinforcements for your fantasy lineup. Every Friday throughout the 2026 NFL season, Matt Bowen will offer some late-week pickup options at each of the primary fantasy positions to help fill those holes, with an emphasis on deeper leagues. Because of that, this column will focus mostly on players rostered in fewer than 50% of ESPN leagues, with occasional exceptions. Looking at the Week 4 NFL slate — and the available players — I'll start with the wide receiver position. I have two veteran pass catchers who are seeing consistent volume and producing solid fantasy numbers. There are options at quarterback, too, and one signal-caller could be getting his top target back. We'll also hit on the running backs in line to see an increased role due to injury, plus I have a tight end and a defense to get into lineups. Wide receivers Kalif Raymond, Chicago Bears (48.4% rostered; vs. Jets) The Bears haven't announced whether Case Keenum or Tyson Bagent will start at QB for the Week 4 home game versus the Jets, but either way I'm still pushing for Raymond based on his route deployment in Ben Johnson's offense. Raymond scored 21 points in the Week 3 win over the Eagles, and he has at least five receptions in all three games played this season. Raymond will see the ball as an outlet on crossers, sit routes and unders, plus he has the speed to create big plays (deep over routes and verticals). Raymond fits as a WR3 this week. Dontayvion Wicks (44.7% rostered) and Makai Lemon, Philadelphia Eagles (47.6% rostered; vs. Rams) DeVonta Smith (hamstring) has been downgraded to doubtful for Sunday's home game versus the Rams, so managers can pivot to Wicks or Lemon, as both should see a bump in target volume. Wicks scored 12 or more points in each of his first two games, with at least four targets in all three this season, while Lemon caught three of four targets for 29 yards in the Week 3 loss to the Bears. I'm really interested in seeing how Lemon performs with an expanded role. The rookie out of USC has the traits to win at the top of the route and he accelerates through the ball. Mack Hollins, New England Patriots (11.2% rostered; at Bills) The Bills have been zone-heavy under new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, and they play from a two-deep safety look on 49.2% of opponent dropbacks. That works for Hollins, as he has the coverage awareness to find open voids on short-to-intermediate throws. Hollins caught six of nine targets for 87 yards in the Week 3 loss to the Jaguars (14.7 points), and he has seen at least five targets in two of three games played. He's a deeper-league option this week. Malik Washington, Miami Dolphins (23.3% rostered; at Vikings) You can take a shot on Washington because of his versatility and expanding role. Washington caught five of a season-high 10 targets for 56 yards in the Week 3 loss to the Chiefs, plus he had two carries for five yards from backfield alignments. Washington has seen five or more targets in all three games this season, with at least one rushing attempt in the past two. The Vikings' pressure defense will create conflict for quarterback Malik Willis and Miami's protection schemes, but that unit is giving up the 10th-most points per game to opposing wide receivers. Quarterbacks Marcus Mariota, Washington Commanders (18.4% rostered; at Colts) I didn't see Mariota scoring 20.42 points on the Seahawks defense in Week 3. The veteran quarterback delivered the ball with timing and location, finishing with 183 yards and three touchdown passes. While I would like to see Mariota deployed more on designed carries, there is a clear connection here with Terry McLaurin (six receptions, 77 yards, one touchdown in Week 3), and we can't pass on this matchup versus Indianapolis. The Colts are allowing 276 yards passing per game (third most). Mariota is a solid QB2 in Week 4, while Jayden Daniels (elbow

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3. Oct 2
   What to know before setting your lineup for Week 4: Mariota, Tuten in store for breakout week

   The NFL returns to London this week when the Washington Commanders and Indianapolis Colts square off at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Commanders and Colts are middle of the pack in terms of offensive scoring, but being "mid" is a welcome relief in Tottenham, a club that didn't score their first goals of the English Premier League season until Week 4 against Liverpool. And it didn't score at home until the following week before the international break. As we head into October, Tottenham is also still winless … wait a minute, this is supposed to be a fantasy football column. I will say this about Commanders QB Marcus Mariota, he finds a way to make Terry McLaurin more efficient. McLaurin has notched nine targets in back-to-back weeks, and he has a great matchup against the Colts, who have struggled against the pass this season. And isn't this what Sauce Gardner was supposed to prevent? McLaurin is a great WR2 start this week. On the other side, Josh Downs should have a good opportunity against the Commanders who have given up a league-leading six touchdown receptions to the position this season. I know it's tough to get up early for these games (though U.S. fans of the EPL are veterans at this), but you're going to want to see this show. And if you're a Tottenham supporter, you're going to want to see people actually scoring in your stadium. Let's look at some other notes you need to know heading into Week 4. Quarterback notes What are we doing with our Los Angeles Chargers? Sorry, don't mean "our" like a team we support. But "our" as in players we (mistakenly) drafted. Justin Herbert might still be a start for you because most of the good quarterbacks have already been streamed off waiver. Herbert has yet to top 250 passing yards in a game this season. He has gone four consecutive games with one or no touchdowns dating back to last season. I've made the decision to move on from Herbert and will start Mariota this week, which will probably mean that Herbert will have the week of his life against the Seattle Seahawks in what will be Mike Macdonald's first time facing his former head coach at Michigan. I just can't stand the thought of playing Herbert again. C.J. Stroud was another streaming option, considering the matchup against the Dallas Cowboys who just recently traded for Joey Porter Jr. The Cowboys have given up more than 27 points per game this season (25th). They have allowed a third-down conversion rate of 59%, which is the worst in the NFL. The matchup is there for Stroud, but there is just something about the Houston Texans' offense that doesn't sit right with me. The return of Nico Collins would help, but I'd rather stick with Mariota or Sam Darnold in desperate times. Kyler Murray is a top-10 quarterback this week for me, with or without Justin Jefferson. And you can almost reason that the Minnesota Vikings would be better served to just keep Jefferson on the bench because it's the Miami Dolphins. Still, Murray has a 70.6 Total QBR against AFC teams in his career, the second-highest Total QBR against AFC teams since he entered the league in 2019. I'll give you one guess who is first … and you're right, it's Patrick Mahomes. Running back notes The Dolphins' running back situation makes me sad. Ollie Gordon II was a top waiver-wire add this week, but I don't know how you can get him into your lineup. I'd start him over Isaiah Davis, Blake Corum and Woody Marks, for instance, but that's not exactly what you call a glowing recommendation. It's sort of like trying to pick out the best sushi roll at the gas station. Did the Pittsburgh Steelers expose the Cincinnati Bengals defense last week, or was that a one-week thing? I don't know, I'm kind of worried that the Bengals' defense (that looked great the first two weeks of the season) is regressing. Aaron Rodgers threw for three touchdowns and the Bengals also gave up 138 rushing yards. This feels as if we could have the Bhayshul Tuten breakout game a lot of fantasy ana

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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

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5. Sep 29
   Raymond caught six of seven targets for 90 yards and a touchdown and recorded two punt returns for 15 yards in the Bears' 27-7 win over the Eagles on Monday.

   Despite having three quarterbacks throwing him the ball in as many weeks, Raymond continues to be a top option for the Bears' receiving offense. The wide receiver was second in targets Monday night to only Luther Burden (11), who did not manage to exceed Raymond in yards. The returner's additional value on special teams just further adds to his offensive allure as the season continues.

   RotoWire via ESPN

Injury reports

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