Arizona Cardinals running back Michael Carter has "been the first RB working with the starters both days this week," according to Theo Mackie of azcentral.com. Arizona re-signed Carter to a practice squad contract earlier this week after releasing him on Monday in a procedural move. With presumed RB1 Trey Benson (knee) sidelined for at least one more week due to a knee injury, Carter and Bam Knight should see the team's carries in Week 9 against the Dallas Cowboys. Emari Demercado (ankle) could factor into the backfield mix as well. In Arizona's final two games before its Week 8 bye, Knight earned 29 touches compared to 20 for Carter. Still, it appears Carter will remain a part of Arizona's offensive game plan. He profiles as a low-end flex option for fantasy managers in a favorable Week 9 matchup against Dallas.

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Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III (concussion) has officially been ruled out for his team's Week 9 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals due to a concussion. Burden III suffered the injury during Chicago's Week 8 loss to the Baltimore Ravens and was a non-participant in practice this week. The 21-year-old has recorded 13 catches for 171 yards and a touchdown on 15 targets across seven games so far this season. Without Burden III, top Bears wideouts Rome Odunze and DJ Moore should still command the majority of the team's wide receiver targets. Additionally, WR3 Olamide Zaccheaus could see a slight uptick in playing time and target share.

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Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift (groin) has been ruled out for his team's Week 9 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals due to a nagging groin issue, per Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic. The 26-year-old has recorded 656 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns on 118 total touches through seven games so far this season. It's unclear how long Swift will be sidelined, but Bears head coach Ben Johnson said that the groin issue is something Swift has been dealing with for multiple weeks. Without Swift in Week 9, the Bears will likely rely heavily on rookie running back Kyle Monangai. Monangai has been efficient on a limited workload so far this season, recording 247 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 48 total touches. He profiles as a must-start fantasy running back in a highly favorable matchup against Cincinnati in Week 9.

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Carolina Panthers beat writer Joe Person reports that running back Rico Dowdle will "start and get the bulk of the carries" in his team's Week 9 matchup against the Green Bay Packers. Dowdle posted a dominant two-week stretch in early October when Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard was sidelined by a calf injury. Across two games against the Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys, Dowdle recorded 473 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on 50 touches. In the two games since Hubbard has returned to the field, the two backs have split touches. However, it appears that will change in Week 9. It's unlikely that Hubbard's role in Carolina's offense will completely disappear. Still, Dowdle has a chance to see the majority of backfield snaps, which puts him on track to be a fantasy RB2 in Week 9 against Green Bay.

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Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett "got the majority of snaps during the individual portion of drills" during the team's practice on Friday, per ESPN's Josh Weinfuss. Weinfuss also reports that Brissett was throwing to wide receivers at the top of Arizona's depth chart, while quarterback Kyler Murray (foot) was working with the reserves. Brissett started in place of Murray in each of the Cardinals' last two games before their Week 8 bye while Murray was sidelined by a foot sprain. Earlier reporting indicated that Murray was being prepped to return in Week 9 against the Dallas Cowboys, but it appears Arizona's QB situation remains up in the air. Brissett has played well in his two starts this season, completing 64.2% of his 80 pass attempts for 599 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. If he's pressed into action again in Week 9, he profiles as a mid-tier fantasy QB2 in a favorable matchup against Dallas.

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Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift (groin) has been on the team's injury report since Week 7, and head coach Ben Johnson believes the lingering groin issue dates back even earlier than that. To Swift's credit, he has played in every game this year and has not seen fewer than 13 opportunities in any of them. With the Bears currently sitting one spot outside the playoff picture, Johnson understands the importance of balancing the short and long-term health of his team. Rookie Kyle Monangai was a popular Week 8 waiver wire add after seeing a season-high in snaps, carries, and yards in the team's Week 7 win over the Saints. And while he didn't see that type of usage in last week's loss to the Ravens, he was still on the field for 29 offensive snaps, compared to Swift's 31. In positive game scripts moving forward, the Bears might be more inclined to rest Swift, making the rookie a hold with a stretch of winnable games coming up for Chicago.

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Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (knee) has officially been ruled out of Sunday's marquee matchup with the Bills. The team described Pacheco as week-to-week after an MCL sprain knocked him out of Monday night's win over the Commanders, so the designation comes as no surprise. Kansas City is on a Week 10 bye, so there is a hope that Pacheco could miss only one game, but for as long as he's out, veteran Kareem Hunt is expected to handle the bulk of the team's carries, especially near the goal line. Rookie Brashard Smith is also likely to see an uptick in usage, primarily in third-down and two-minute situations, making him a viable flex option in deeper leagues and PPR formats.

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Cincinnati Bengals All-Pro pass-rusher and the NFL's reigning sack king, Trey Hendrickson (hip), is doubtful for the team's Week 9 matchup with the Bears. Hendrickson missed one game with a hip injury before returning for the Bengals' surprise loss to the Jets in Week 8. Having missed practice all week, he is unlikely to play in Cincinnati's final game before the NFL trade deadline. While trade rumors have followed Hendrickson since training camp, the team has maintained that he will not be moved. The Bengals enter Week 9 with a 3-5 record that is good enough for second place in the AFC North, so how they fare on Sunday could affect how willing they are to become buyers or sellers at Tuesday's deadline.

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Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz (knee/shoulder) was spotted during the stretching portion of Friday's practice after logging two straight DNPs. Schultz has provided a consistent fantasy floor for managers streaming the position, putting together a string of four consecutive games with at least five receptions before being held to only two catches for 24 yards in a Week 8 win over the 49ers. The Texans face a stingy Broncos defense in Week 9, and with Nico Collins (concussion) and Christian Kirk (hamstring) both appearing set to return, along with the recent emergence of rookies Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins, streamers would do best to look elsewhere this week.

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Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette (illness) was a full participant at Friday's practice. Legette had been held out of the week's first two practices with an illness, but he appears to have recovered, and he carries no injury designation heading into the team's Week 9 matchup with the Packers. With quarterback Bryce Young (ankle) also carrying no injury designation after missing one week with an ankle sprain, the Panthers' offense will look to get back on track after putting up fewer than 250 total yards and scoring only nine points in that Week 8 loss to the Bills. Fantasy managers should look elsewhere, though, as Legette's Week 7 explosion against the Jets is looking more like an outlier than a breakout, and Jalen Coker continues to see his usage increase since returning from the quad injury that caused him to miss the first six games of the year.

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Tennessee Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo (foot) was able to return to the practice field on Friday, giving him a chance to play this Sunday when the team takes on the visiting Los Angeles Chargers in Week 9, according to Turron Davenport of ESPN. Okonkwo was limited in Wednesday's practice with his foot injury, but he was then downgraded to out on Thursday, raising questions about his availability this weekend. It's unclear what the 26-year-old's official status is for Week 9, but he's likely to be questionable to play. If Okonkwo is out or limited at all against the Bolts, it would open the door for rookie Gunnar Helm to be a legitimate streaming option for fantasy managers at the tight end position. Okonkwo has 27 catches on the year for 271 yards and no touchdowns, which has made him a low-end TE2 option, at best.

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Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley (hamstring) was not spotted at the team's practice on Friday, according to Jim Wyatt of TennesseeTitans.com. Ridley has not practiced or played since injuring his hamstring in Week 6, and it seems like only a matter of time before the Titans officially rule him out for a third straight game for the Week 9 battle against the visiting Los Angeles Chargers this Sunday. With Ridley likely to miss another game this weekend, fantasy managers can look to rookies Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike as flex options in another contest that should feature plenty of positive game script for the Titans. The 30-year-old Ridley has been a huge disappointment for his fantasy managers in 2025, and at this point, a trade out of town might be the only thing to salvage his season. He has yet to find the end zone in six games and has only 16 receptions for 290 yards.

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Updating a previous report, the Tennessee Titans have officially ruled out wide receiver Calvin Ridley (hamstring) for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 9, per Jim Wyatt of TennesseeTitans.com. This was the way things were headed after Ridley did not practice at all again this week. The 30-year-old veteran pass-catcher has not practiced or played since he hurt his hamstring back in Week 6, and he will be missing his third straight game against the Bolts. Ridley's continued absence will make rookie receivers Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike intriguing again in Week 9 as WR4/flex plays in a game in which the Titans will likely be forced to pass often. Ridley, who has been rumored as a trade option at this year's deadline, is still searching for his first touchdown of the year and just hasn't developed any chemistry with rookie quarterback Cameron Ward.

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New England Patriots rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson is "in line for a bigger workload" in the Week 9 game on Sunday against the visiting Atlanta Falcons with backfield mate Rhamondre Stevenson (toe) officially ruled out, according to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. If Henderson is for some reason available on your league's waiver wire, you should be picking him up immediately and inserting him into your starting fantasy lineup this weekend with Stevenson out. The 23-year-old Henderson, who was a second-round pick this year out of Ohio State, hasn't really impressed all that much in his first eight NFL games and has had ball-security issues, but increased volume in a strong offense warrants attention. He comes into this weekend with 228 rushing yards and a touchdown on 53 carries while adding 16 catches for 99 yards through the air. Atlanta's defense has allowed the 11th-most half-PPR fantasy points per game to opposing RBs, too.

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New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson (toe) will not play on Sunday against the visiting Atlanta Falcons in Week 9, according to head coach Mike Vrabel. This was the likely result after Stevenson failed to practice all week after picking up a toe injury in the Week 8 win over the Cleveland Browns. Rookie TreVeyon Henderson had another fumble last week, but he also broke out with 75 rushing yards against a good Cleveland defense, and he'll be firmly in play as an RB2 for fantasy managers this weekend against Atlanta with Stevenson officially out. It's unclear if Stevenson will be on track to return for a Week 10 date against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road, but he will definitely need to get back on the practice field first. Henderson will serve as New England's clear-cut RB1 for the first time this weekend, with Terrell Jennings expected to back him up.

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Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is calling veteran quarterback Joe Flacco (shoulder) questionable to play in Week 9 against the visiting Chicago Bears on Sunday, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. Taylor also said that Flacco looked good while being limited in Thursday's practice, a day after he was a non-participant due to an AC joint sprain in his right shoulder that he suffered in the Week 8 loss to the New York Jets. The 40-year-old said he was feeling good on Friday, but it's still unclear if he'll be given the green light to play this weekend. The good news is that fantasy managers will know whether Flacco is active before the first games kick off on Sunday. If he's active, he'll be a midrange QB2 option for fantasy managers as he continues to relentlessly target star wideout Ja'Marr Chase. If Flacco is inactive, it will be Jake Browning back in the starting role, which would be bad news for Chase.

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According to Hays Carlyon, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen is making it sound like rookie first-rounder Travis Hunter (knee) "might not be able to return this season." Coen said Hunter's knee injury suffered in Thursday's practice was of the non-contact variety, which typically is not a good sign. The Jaguars are still evaluating the two-way star to determine the extent of the damage to his knee. But at the very least, he will not be able to return until Week 13 against the division-rival Tennessee Titans after the team placed him on Injured Reserve on Friday. A season-ending injury would obviously be a huge blow for the Jaguars on both sides of the ball. The Heisman Trophy winner was just starting to become more of a threat on offense and had his first career 100-yard game and first touchdown in Week 7 in London. In redraft leagues, fantasy managers need to hang onto Hunter until we know more about the severity of his knee injury.

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Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (ankle) has been cleared to return to face the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in Week 9 on Sunday. Young suffered a high-ankle sprain in the Week 7 win over the New York Jets and was unable to play in last week's blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills. However, the 24-year-old has healed quickly and returned to full practice this week. The former first overall pick will play this weekend, but there's a good chance his mobility will be limited, making him slightly less attractive in fantasy as more of a QB3 option in superflex formats. In addition to his ankle potentially limiting his scrambling ability, the matchup on the road against a stout defense in the Packers is not ideal for fantasy purposes. Green Bay's defense has allowed the 20th-most fantasy points per game this year to opposing QBs.

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Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington should be considered a waiver-wire pickup heading into the weekend after the Jaguars announced on Friday that they placed rookie first-rounder Travis Hunter (knee) on Injured Reserve due to a knee injury that he suffered in practice on Thursday. Hunter will not be eligible to play again until Week 13 against the division-rival Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Nov. 30. In the meantime, Washington will see his role in the passing game increase dramatically next to Brian Thomas Jr. (shoulder) and Dyami Brown. Washington, 23, enters the team's Week 9 meeting with the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday with 17 catches on 35 targets for 207 yards and one touchdown in 2025. He has seen double-digit targets in two games this year and could very well be on his way to a third this weekend in Vegas, where he'll suddenly be on the WR4/flex radar in fantasy leagues.

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Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Dyami Brown is firmly in the mix as a waiver-wire pickup before the team's Week 9 contest on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders after the Jaguars placed rookie first-rounder Travis Hunter (knee) on Injured Reserve on Friday due to a knee injury that he suffered in Thursday's practice. Brown and Parker Washington are both worthy waiver-wire pickups with expanded roles coming in Jacksonville's passing game alongside Brian Thomas Jr. (shoulder). The 25-year-old Brown is only rostered in 2% of Yahoo leagues currently, but he should be seeing a drastic bump in volume and added targets in the coming weeks. He enters this weekend's action with 16 catches on 27 targets for 194 yards and one touchdown in six games so far this season. Washington should probably be the priority off waivers for fantasy managers in need of WR help.

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