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A couple of quick reminders: the Bears, Broncos, Buccaneers, and Eagles are on bye. That removes several important fantasy contributors, including D'Andre Swift, Jonah Coleman, Bucky Irving, and Saquon Barkley, to name a few.
There's also a scheduling wrinkle: Detroit and New England play in Germany on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. ET. You'll need to get up early to set lineups, especially with A.J. Brown's return a possibility.
Will Nacua's Absence Create Opportunities or Disaster?
Rams HC Sean McVay told reporters Wednesday that the team won’t place Puka Nacua on injured reserve due to roster mechanics, but the WR will still be out for a “significant period of time” with an MCL and PCL sprain in his right leg, as well as turf toe.
Nacua was hurt on the Rams’ final offensive snap of Sunday’s victory over the Washington Commanders, a third-down play meant to end the game. McVay said Monday he’s “kicking himself” for exposing Nacua to a big hit on a late run play with a 20-13 lead.
We all share in that frustration.
Nacua had 14 catches for 150 yards and a touchdown on 19 targets in the win. His 25 receptions over the last two games are the second most by a Rams player in the Super Bowl era.
Replacing that production will be as difficult for fantasy managers as for the Rams, at least until Davante Adams returns around Week 13.
With Jordan Whittington on IR since Tuesday and tight end Terrance Ferguson still out with a hamstring injury, Konata Mumpfield is a priority waiver consideration. Kyren Williams could see more touches and receiving work, but Matthew Stafford and the passing game face significant uncertainty.
Cousins Returns to Minnesota with Jefferson's Fantasy Value at Stake
After a disastrous Monday night performance by Carson Wentz, the Vikings traded for Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell hasn’t committed to starting him this week, but Cousins’ familiarity with the offense, Wentz’s poor showing against the Bills, and Kyler Murray’s hamstring injury make it hard to envision a different outcome.
In nine games for the Raiders this year, Cousins completed 64.1 percent of his passes for 2,340 yards with 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
The real winner here should be Justin Jefferson.
Cousins and Jefferson played together from 2020 through 2023. According to SumerSports, Jefferson averaged 108.2 receiving yards and 0.5 touchdowns per game with Cousins. Without Cousins, those dropped to 75.6 receiving yards and 0.39 touchdowns per game, a difference of more than 32 receiving yards.
What has that meant for us?
Jefferson was WR7 with 16.9 points per game in 2020, WR4 at 19.6 in 2021, and WR1 overall at 21.6 in 2022. In 2023, he was WR5 on a points-per-game basis despite injuries limiting him to 10 games (and Cousins to eight).
Of course, Cousins will have an impact beyond Jefferson. It’s reasonable to expect higher ceilings for Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson, with a more effective passing game also creating additional running room for Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones Sr.
Trade Deadline Winners, Losers, and the Deals That Never Happened
Indianapolis traded Josh Downs and Keenan Allen but retained Jonathan Taylor. Meanwhile, Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson, Tony Pollard, Derrick Henry, and Brian Thomas Jr. stayed put.
Now in Kansas City, Downs will help open things up for Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, and Travis Kelce, and working with Patrick Mahomes II might finally unlock his upside. Playing him this week? Ideally, no. But I suspect Andy Reid will find ways to get Downs involved, perhaps more if Worthy’s hamstring sidelines him.
In San Francisco, injuries have sidelined Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel Sr. in recent weeks. Christian Kirk and Ricky Pearsall (PCL) are out for the season. Rookie De'Zhaun Stribling could return from IR, but likely not until December. Enter Allen, a productive veteran capable of solid numbers. The Week 10 matchup against the Cowboys is appealing, but his involvement is unclear.
Indianapolis reportedly wanted a first-round pick for Taylor. His workload is secure, but losing Downs and Allen raises efficiency questions.
The Jets held onto Hall and Wilson, though Braelon Allen remains a threat to Hall’s touches. Wilson’s role is intact, with quarterback play and health the concerns.
Pollard has been RB5 over his last three games in Tennessee. Henry remains Baltimore’s featured runner, with Jacoby Brissett’s arrival possibly helping sustain drives.
Thomas avoids adjusting to a new offense in Jacksonville, but also avoids fantasy relevance.
Running Back Injuries Create New Week 10 Opportunities
Injuries in Green Bay and New England will create targets of opportunity for fantasy managers this week.
Josh Jacobs is out against the Vikings. He's having surgery on his broken ring finger and could return in two to three weeks (a Week 11 bye helps); a decision on whether he can avoid IR will come on Saturday.
Kaleb Johnson handled the bulk of the work after Jacobs was hurt last week and coaches praised him for running "hard" and "angry" against New England.
Chris Brooks' possible return from IR and MarShawn Lloyd's potential return from a knee injury cloud Johnson's outlook.
The Patriots' backfield is wide open in Munich. TreVeyon Henderson is ruled out against the Lions with an illness; Rhamondre Stevenson didn't practice Wednesday and is expected to miss multiple games with a knee injury. That could leave Corey Kiner leading the backfield, making him a solid RB2 candidate this week.
The Saints opened the practice window for RB Travis Etienne Jr. and the Panthers did the same for Jonathon Brooks. The Saints-Panthers game is a fantastic matchup for running backs, with New Orleans giving up the most fantasy points to opposing running backs and Carolina the second most.
Audric Estimé will be a popular target of opportunity for fantasy managers if Etienne is ruled out. Chuba Hubbard is good to go either way.
Rookie Quarterbacks Bring New Uncertainty to Arizona and Las Vegas
Cardinals rookie Carson Beck is officially starting against the Rams after Gardner Minshew II's likely season-ending UCL tear, and Michael Wilson is out for the year with a neck fracture. No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza takes over in Vegas after the Cousins trade and opens against Seattle.
These developments matter for the top two fantasy tight ends, Arizona's Trey McBride and the Raiders' Brock Bowers. Both are still must-start players, but we should probably lower expectations slightly.
Talent doesn't disappear when a quarterback changes, but weekly reliability can.
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