Everything that happens in the NFL has some 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 NFL.
Key links: Fantasy depth charts
Oct. 15: Browns trade Amari Cooper to Bills
The Buffalo Bills acquired wide receiver Amari Cooper from the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday. We asked Mike Clay for a preview of this week's playbook on both teams, and here's what he had to say. For more on every game every week, don't miss Mike Clay's full playbook, publishing every Thursday.
Browns: With Cooper on his way to Buffalo, there are no Browns' WRs near lineup-lock status. Cooper had been struggling with efficiency as is, and the Browns' quarterback play doesn't figure to be any better for Jerry Jeudy (yet to clear 13.2 fantasy points in a game), Elijah Moore (yet to clear 10.4) or Cedric Tillman (four targets on the season). Jeudy is the best bench option of the bunch, but he'll be a risky Week 7 start, even against a struggling Bengals' CB room.
Bills: It won't take Cooper long to establish himself as Buffalo's top wide receiver. It's possible he's limited a bit in his team debut, and the matchup is brutal against a Titans defense that has allowed the fewest yards, second-fewest fantasy points and a league-low 5.7 yards per target to WRs this season. In fact, only one WR (slot man Josh Downs) has cleared 12.5 fantasy points against the Titans. Cooper has WR2 upside moving forward, but he's best valued as a flex in his team debut.
No other Buffalo WR absolutely needs to be rostered, though Khalil Shakir (zero games with more than six targets even before Cooper's arrival) and rookie Keon Coleman (zero games over five targets) are acceptable bench stashes. Note that the target shares for James Cook and Dalton Kincaid shouldn't be affected more than slightly here, and both remain solid fantasy starts.
See also: Seth Walder's trade grades.
Oct. 14: Ray Davis, Ty Johnson will fill in for the injured Cook
Eric Moody: James Cook (toe) has been ruled out for Monday night's game between the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets. With Cook unavailable, fantasy managers can look to Bills rookie Ray Davis (8.8% rostered) and veteran Ty Johnson (5.8%) to split the work in Cook's absence. Davis, the fourth-rounder out of Kentucky, is my preferred option out of the two. He has 26 carries for 75 yards and one rushing score so far this season.
The Jets, meanwhile, are expected to lean heavily on the run game against a struggling Bills run defense, so Braelon Allen (37.8% rostered) is also a viable option, albeit not as not widely available.
If you have Cook in a flex spot, you could also fill the void with Allen Lazard (38.7% rostered), who has 4 TD catches this season and has scored at least 10.8 PPR fantasy points in all but one game thus far. A riskier play would be Mike Williams (32.9%). For the Bills, Keon Coleman (52.7% rostered) is a boom/bust option who has just nine catches in five games, but has found the end zone in two of the past three games.
Oct. 14: Injury recap from Week 6 by Stephania Bell
Aidan Hutchinson suffers leg injury
Rarely do we lead this section with a defensive edge rusher but that should tell you just how much of an impact player Hutchinson is. On pace to win Defensive Player of the Year, Hutchinson's season came to an abrupt halt on Sunday when his left lower leg snapped, the result of an apparent collision with another player's shin. Hutchinson was removed from the field on a stretcher with an aircast on his leg and taken in an ambulance to Baylor White Medical Center where he underwent surgery to repair his fractured tibia and fibula (the two lower leg bones). On Monday, the Lions posted a statement saying Hutchinson will return to Detroit this week and is expected to make a full recovery but also noted there is no timeline for his return to play at this time.
Without knowing the extent of any associated soft tissue injury or other details, it is hard to offer a specific timeline and given the lengthy recovery window, there can be changes that occur along the way. That said, there have been other instances in the NFL of tib-fib fractures and players have been able to fully recover and return to play. Presuming no complications, the average recovery window is six to nine months which includes not only time for the bones to heal but also the associated rehabilitation that comes with working an athlete back to form. Then there's the seasonal calendar to consider and conditioning for football. The takeaway for the time being is that barring complications there is an excellent outlook for recovery but the timeline, for now, is undetermined.
Multiple players suffer concussions in Week 6
There were a few players who left contests in Week 6 early due to concussions; New Orleans Saints WR Chris Olave, Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr. and Denver Broncos CB Pat Surtain II. Then there is Giants WR Malik Nabers, who missed his second-straight game because of a concussion. In the case of Nabers, it serves as a reminder that every head injury has its own timeline. In the case of Olave and Surtain, the Saints play the Broncos on Thursday night and while recovery from a concussion is not time dependent (it is criterion-dependent), it is rare for a player to return to game play four days later.
Hamstring injuries hamper offensive stars
The hamstring issue is front and center again this week as several players exited their respective games early with an injury. Cleveland Browns RB Jerome Ford was injured in the first quarter of Sunday's game after carrying the ball just twice and was ruled out at halftime. Jacksonville Jaguars RB Travis Etienne Jr. exited the game in London early because a hamstring injury (the Jaguars remain in London for Week 7 against the Patriots). Philadelphia Eagles TE Dallas Goedert was injured on the third play of the game and was officially ruled out by halftime and Tennessee Titans RB Tyjae Spears left the game in the third quarter with a hamstring ailment.
While hamstring strains result in varying amounts of missed time depending on the severity, it is notable that both Eagles WR A.J. Brown and Jaguars TE Evan Engram returned in Week 6 with strong performances after missing multiple games. Both players were injured outside of games -- Brown in practice and Engram in pregame warmups -- and they each took the time to fully recover before returning to game action (or so it appears based on their respective performances on Sunday). Perhaps the takeaway then is it that the high rate of recurrence of hamstring injuries over the years has led to teams being more cautious about returning players too early.
Jordan Mason dealing with shoulder injury
Mason went to the ground hard on Thursday night landing on the point of his shoulder, an impact that typically results in either a clavicle (collarbone) break (fracture) or a sprain of the acromioclavicular (AC) joint (with an occasional SC injury thrown in the mix). Mason exited the game to get X-rays but returned after halftime and carried the ball one time. He then exited for good. The fact that he returned would suggest no obvious break but his inability to stay in the game indicates just how painful the injury was, making it difficult to carry the ball and absorb contact from either another player or the ground.
Even just the arm swinging when running can be painful with an acute injury. The injury is reportedly minor and given the 49ers have 10 days between games, it's possible Mason could return in Week 7. Practice reports this week should give clues to his progression. If he requires more recovery time, the 49ers have to feel comfortable with their 2024 fourth round draft pick, Isaac Guerendo, who stepped in ably when Mason went down. Coach Kyle Shanahan has already indicated that the practice window for Christian McCaffrey, still recovering from Achilles tendinitis, will not open this week.
Other things to watch
Ricky Pearsall, WR, San Francisco 49ers: Pearsall was placed on injured reserve after suffering a gunshot wound to the chest on Aug. 31 but has made remarkable progression since the injury. The 49ers are expected to open his practice window this week.
Jonathon Brooks, RB, Carolina Panthers: Panthers head coach Dave Canales told reporters that the rookie running back has "checked all the boxes" and they now plan to open his practice window to return. Brooks has been getting close to his practice window opening for some time but he recently sounded optimistic that this could be the week. He acknowledges that the play of Chuba Hubbard has been so strong there was no need to rush his return. Given his value to the club long-term, the Panthers would be expected to continue to proceed with caution when it comes to his status before inserting him into an NFL game. The window before activation is required is 21 days so they have time to observe his integration into football practice before making that decision.
T.J. Hockenson, TE, Minnesota Vikings: Hockenson has looked so good in individual work and early practice sessions since his ACL-reconstruction surgery that the Vikings can't contain their excitement. It always felt like the week after their Week 6 bye might be the time we would see him return to NFL action. The Vikings face the Lions at home this Sunday and something about a return then just feels right. It's worth noting however that if the Vikings would prefer a few more practice sessions before turning him loose, they can opt to wait until their Week 8 game which comes on a Thursday night. Either way, the return of Hockenson is fast approaching.
Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns: Chubb has been back in practice the last two weeks and is expected to make his season debut in Week 7. There can only be admiration for his progression back from what seemed like a potentially insurmountable injury but until he takes the field it will be hard to assess where he is from a performance standpoint relative to his pre-injury level.