Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said that safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (knee) is on track to play in the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams, according to the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan M. Alexander. Gardner-Johnson suffered a knee injury in early August in training camp, but thankfully he avoided anything serious and should be ready to go this weekend to kick off the 2025 campaign. The 27-year-old defensive back is in his first year in Houston and is expected to be a starter in the defensive backfield right away. Gardner-Johnson helped the Eagles win last year's Super Bowl and had 59 tackles (35 solo), a career-high-tying six interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), 12 pass breakups and a forced fumble in 16 regular-season starts. He will be looking to slow down Matthew Stafford and Company if he's active on Sunday.

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Los Angeles Rams left tackle Alaric Jackson (tailbone) took part in practice on Monday, according to Adam Grosbard of the Los Angeles Daily News. The Rams will monitor Jackson throughout the week, and head coach Sean McVay said the plan is for him to start in the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday against the Houston Texans. Jackson's blood clots will still be something that need to be monitored, but the Rams feel good about their plan. The 27-year-old left tackle was diagnosed with blood clots in June, but it sounds like he's doing well now and should be on the field to start the regular season. It's great news for the Rams offense and quarterback Matthew Stafford (back), who missed most of training camp and all of the preseason due to an aggravated disc in his back.

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Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs (knee) said that there is a 75-80 percent chance of him playing in the Week 1 regular-season opener on Thursday night versus the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles, per Jon Machota of The Athletic. Diggs had surgery on his left knee back in January, but he was a full participant in the team's first official practice of the regular season on Monday, which would seem to indicate that he'll be active on Thursday evening. The primary reason that the 26-year-old defensive back was up in the air for the regular-season opener was due to conditioning issues. The Cowboys woud love to have Diggs available to try and slow down Eagles receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, but there's a good chance he won't play a full allottment of snaps in the season opener if he's active. With pass-rusher Micah Parsons now in Green Bay, Dallas will be leaning on their secondary more in 2025.

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Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said that rookie first-round linebacker Jalon Walker (groin) is on track to play in Week 1 against the division-rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday. Walker injured his groin in training camp practice in the middle of August but has recovered and should be out on the field for his first NFL contest this weekend. It's good news for Atlanta's defense as they look to slow down Baker Mayfield and Company to kick things off in 2025. Despite being a rookie, the Falcons are hoping that Walker can immediately be one of their most productive pass-rushers as a rotational outside linebacker, but fantasy managers in IDP fantasy formats can likely leave him on the waiver wire to start. In his final year at Georgia, the 21-year-old had 60 total tackles and 6.5 sacks in 14 games played.

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Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston (head) has been cleared from the concussion protocol, according to head coach Jim Harbaugh. Johnston suffered a concussion in the team's third preseason game on Aug. 16 against the Los Angeles Rams but apparently is out of the league's protocol and should be available to play in the Week 1 regular-season opener on Friday in Brazil against the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs. The 23-year-old could be limited in practice this week, but all indications are that he'll be available to kick off the 2025 season. The former first-rounder has been plagued by crucial drops early in his NFL career, and he'll go undrafted in most 12-team leagues, especially after the Chargers reunited with Keenan Allen in free agency. We wouldn't recommend starting Johnston in leagues where he's owned in Week 1 against a strong Chiefs defense.

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Both Dallas Cowboys running backs Jaydon Blue (ankle) and Miles Sanders (knee) are absent from the team's first official injury report on Monday in advance of the team's Week 1 regular-season opener on Thursday night against the division-rival and Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles. Blue, a rookie, was the one that was most in danger of missing Week 1 after dealing with an ankle/heel injury over the final couple weeks of training camp. He's practicing in full now, though, and will be ready to go in the season opener as the RB3 behind Sanders and Javonte Williams to kick things off. Blue impressed the coaching staff this summer and could eventually evolve into the team's preferred passing-down back, but for now, he's merely a bench stash in fantasy for RB depth. Going into Week 1, Williams is the only one realistically worth a look as an RB3/flex play in fantasy lineups in Dallas' backfield.

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Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford is expected to be in a workhorse role out of the backfield for the team's Week 1 divisional matchup on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Rookie Dylan Sampson should operate in a change-of-pace role behind him with second-round rookie Quinshon Judkins still unsigned following a domestic-violence incident in the offseason. The 25-year-old Ford led Cleveland's backfield in 2024 with only 565 yards in 14 games, and he'll open this year as their primary back, which counts for something in fantasy. However, in a game in which the Browns could be forced to throw often to keep up with Cincy's high-powered offense, Ford may have limited opportunities. He figures to be a low-upside RB3/flex, at best, in Week 1 fantasy lineups.

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Philadelphia Eagles wide receivers A.J. Brown (hamstring) and DeVonta Smith (groin) do not appear on the team's first official injury report on Wednesday. Brown was really the one that fantasy managers were monitoring entering Week 1 on Thursday night against the division-rival Dallas Cowboys after he missed a good portion of training camp with a hamstring injury. The Eagles were just being extra cautious with their star receiver, though, and he's on track to play in the season opener on Thursday Night Football. Quarterback Jalen Hurts will have his top two wideouts ready to roll to open the season, and fantasy managers in all leagues should have both Brown and Smith locked into their starting lineups this week.

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Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (back) is expected to start in Week 1 this Sunday against the Houston Texans, according to head coach Sean McVay. An aggravated disc in Stafford's back caused him to miss most of training camp this summer, but he practiced in full last week and has been on track to play in the regular-season opener for a few weeks now. With that said, the 37-year-old veteran signal-caller may not be 100 percent early on and could be on the injury report during the week more often than not this year as the Rams try to keep him healthy for a full season. Stafford proved at the end of last year that he still has what it takes to lead the team deep into the postseason, but for fantasy purposes, he's a risky, low-end QB2 target because of injury concerns. In single-QB, 12-team leagues, Stafford will likely begin on the waiver wire.

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Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford (back) is expected to play in the Week 1 game, according to head coach Sean McVay.

Fantasy Spin: Stafford has been practicing over the last few weeks and will be ready as long as he does not suffer any setbacks. He will be facing a good Houston Texans defense and will probably be only a starting option in two-quarterback leagues.

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Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely (foot) was not seen at Monday's practice, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. It's not a suprise, as Likely had foot surgery on Aug. 1 and is expected to miss the start of the 2025 regular season. While the 25-year-old will not be ready to play in Sunday night's Week 1 showdown against the Buffalo Bills, the Ravens do expect him to return in the early part of the season. The fact that Baltimore didn't put Likely on Injured Reserve to begin the year means he should be back before Week 5. Likely saw an increased role alongside Mark Andrews in 2024, catching 42 passes for 477 yards and six touchdowns in 16 regular-season games (nine starts), and he has 11 TDs the last two seasons. However, the presence of Andrews limits his fantasy upside as a touchdown-dependent TE2 heading into his fourth NFL season.

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Free-agent QB Jeff Driskel (Commanders) was signed to the Las Vegas Raiders practice squad Monday, Sept. 1, according to a source.

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Los Angeles Chargers running back Najee Harris (eye) has been cleared for contact and could play in the Week 1 regular-season opener on Friday in Brazil against the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs, according to head coach Jim Harbaugh. This isn't what Omarion Hampton's fantasy managers want to hear, but even if Harris is active this week, there's a good chance he'll be eased into the Chargers' backfield as the second fiddle to the impressive rookie from North Carolina. Harris suffered an eye injury in a fireworks accident on the Fourth of July that kept him out for all of the preseason. The 27-year-old former Steelers RB has returned to practice, though, and might be able to help the Chargers against KC at the end of this week. Harris should be rostered in all fantasy leagues, but it would be wise to keep him on your bench in Week 1 if he plays.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton (leg) was back on the practice field on Monday, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. While Otton was likely limited in Monday's practice, it at least gives him a chance to suit up for the Week 1 regular-season opener this Sunday against the division-rival Atlanta Falcons. Fantasy managers will have a better idea of whether Otton will be able to play this weekend when they start to release their official practice reports on Wednesday. In addition to a leg injury, Otton also missed time during training camp and the preseason with a hamstring injury, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him held out to open the year. When fully healthy, he'll be in play as a TE2 in fantasy as the team's top pass-catching TE. If Otton is out in Week 1, expect a committee approach that involves Payne Durham, Devin Culp and Ko Kieft.

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Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said that the team will find a place in the Week 1 divisional showdown against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday for rookie wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa, and he'll also see a role on special teams. TeSlaa has really turned heads and looked polished during training camp and the preseason, but it's unclear exactly what his involvement will look like out of the gates in 2025. With that said, the trade of Tim Patrick to the Jacksonville Jaguars definitely opened things up for TeSlaa to have more opportunities in his first NFL season behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. The 23-year-old sixth-rounder will probably have his typical rookie growing pains, but there are worse late-round fliers you can take on a receiver in fantasy drafts. In terms of Week 1, though, TeSlaa will be a pretty risky flex option.

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San Francisco 49ers WR Russell Gage Jr. (knee) is participating during the media-access portion of practice Monday, Sept. 1.

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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (calf) is in uniform and on the field during the early portion of the team's practice on Monday, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. It's a pretty big development for a player that had not practiced with the team since late July after he aggravated a calf injury that he also dealt with earlier in the offseason program. In addition to sitting out with a calf ailment, the 28-year-old has been angling for a new contract during all of training camp and the preseason. He even went as far as to request a trade, but the Niners have said they aren't interested in trading him. Jennings stepped up with a career-best 77-975-6 line in 15 games (10 starts) in 2024, and it helped that Brandon Aiyuk (knee) missed half the season. Jennings should have a key role again in 2025, but his availability for Week 1 this Sunday against Seattle is firmly up in the air.

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Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said that the team is still evaluating what "usage time" will look like for rookie two-way star Travis Hunter in the Week 1 regular-season opener this Sunday versus the Carolina Panthers. Hunter missed the preseason finale due to a minor upper-body injury, but it's not going to keep him from playing in his first real NFL game this weekend. However, it's unclear how many snaps he's going to see on both sides of the ball. The 22-year-old Heisman Trophy winner is as athletic as they come, but the uncertainty around how much he'll be involved on offense in his first year in the NFL makes him more of a boom/bust WR3/flex for fantasy managers heading into the first week of the 2025 campaign. In a best-case scenario, Hunter will play more on offense than on defense and will serve as the WR2 behind Brian Thomas Jr.

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ESPN's Nick Wagoner writes that San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall "dedicated a substantial amound of offseason time to making sure that he and quarterback Brock Purdy are in sync." Pearsall also traveled to Florida to work with Purdy on "timing and nuances of some of the routes in the Niners' playbook." Pearsall missed some time in OTAs with another hamstring injury, but it was evident that Purday and Pearsall "had made tangible improvements in their connection once Pearsall stepped on the field in training camp." "I think the sky's the limit for him," offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said. With Brandon Aiyuk (knee) on the PUP list and Jauan Jennings (calf) injured and holding out for a contract, Pearsall has the opportunity to be Purdy's top target early in 2025. Pearsall is a nice low-cost, WR3/flex target in fantasy drafts this week.

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ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi reports that there has been no update from Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski on unsigned rookie second-round running back Quinshon Judkins on Monday. An earlier report suggestd that Judkins could join the team as early as Monday, apparently the 21-year-old isn't with the team yet as they begin preparations for a Week 1 divisional battle against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. The Ohio State product was expected to take over as Cleveland's lead back when he was taken 36th overall in April, but a domestic-violence charge put a halt to those plans and kept the rookie out of all offseason workouts, training camp and the preseason. Although no formal charges eventually stuck, the NFL could still suspend Judkins in his first year in the NFL. The uncertainty around when Judkins will play and a possible suspension have tanked his fantasy value, but he's still worth a stash in most fantasy formats. Stay tuned.

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