Patriots LB Ja'Whaun Bentley (pec) out for season

Mon Sep 16 8:34pm ET
Field Level Media

New England Patriots linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley will miss the remainder of the season due to a torn pectoral muscle, multiple media outlets reported Monday night.

Bentley sustained what was originally called a shoulder injury in the first quarter of Sunday's 23-20 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Earlier Monday, ESPN initially reported that the ailment wasn't believed to be serious.

The Patriots (1-1) are on a short week, and Bentley was reportedly expected to play Thursday vs. the New York Jets.

Now the 28-year-old will be an observer for the rest of the season. Bentley had 12 tackles and a half-sack through the first two games of the campaign.

In seven NFL seasons, all with New England, Bentley has racked up 509 tackles, 10.5 sacks and four forced fumbles in 83 career games (68 starts).

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Hot Plays, Fades and Sleepers: Week 5

Player Notes
Cole Kmet Oct 4 2:40pm ET
Cole Kmet

Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet (knee) has been removed from the injury report ahead of the Week 5 matchup against the Carolina Panthers. Kmet popped up on the injury report on Wednesday as a limited participant. However, Kmet has been removed now after getting in back-to-back full practice sessions. Kmet has 18 receptions for 162 yards and one touchdown through four games. A bulk of his stats came from one game, which makes him a shaky weekly option. He should be on the TE2 radar for this Week 5 contest.

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Romeo Doubs Oct 4 2:30pm ET
Romeo Doubs

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs (personal) was absent for the second straight practice on Friday. Doubs remains away from the team due to a personal matter. Head coach Matt LaFleur said the organization is hopeful to get Doubs back in time for Sunday's game. If not, Bo Melton could be asked to take on a bigger role with the Packers already shorthanded at wideout. Melton hauled in one of his three targets for 28 yards last week. Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks figure to benefit the most in the receiving game.

From RotoBaller

David Njoku Oct 4 2:20pm ET
David Njoku

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (ankle) is considered questionable for the Week 5 matchup against the Washington Commanders. Njoku has been sidelined since suffering an ankle injury during the season opener. He returned to practice last week, but was ultimately ruled out for Week 4. Njoku practiced on Wednesday and appears to be headed in the right direction. If active, Njoku should be considered a low-end TE1 for Week 5. Otherwise, Jordan Akins figures to make another start, but he was held to one reception on two targets last week. Akins doesn't offer much upside right now, so fantasy managers should look elsewhere for help if Njoku is sidelined again.

From RotoBaller

Aaron Rodgers Oct 4 2:20pm ET
Aaron Rodgers

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (knee) has been removed from the injury report ahead of the Week 5 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. The veteran signal-caller sat out of Wednesday's practice, but returned to the field on Thursday and Friday. That being said, Rodgers will be fine heading into their matchup in London. This isn't an ideal matchup for the Jets against a tough Vikings defense that is allowing less than 15 points per game. Rodgers will be on the lower end of the QB2 radar for this weekend.

From RotoBaller

Deshaun Watson Oct 4 2:13pm ET
Deshaun Watson

Dynasty | Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield completed 19-of-24 passes for 180 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in a loss against Atlanta. Dynasty Analysis: With 11 touchdowns, two interceptions, and 1,164 passing yards through four weeks, it's clear Mayfield's resurgence last year was no fluke. He's in complete control of the offense and is a QB1 option moving forward. While his age (29) dampens his dynasty value, he's turning into more than just a streaming option. You simply have to wonder just how much the Browns regret moving on from Mayfield in favor of an expensive and ineffective Deshaun Watson.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Rachaad White Oct 4 2:13pm ET
Rachaad White

Dynasty | Bucs running back Bucky Irving had 44 rushing yards, two catches and 12 receiving yards in a loss against Atlanta. Dynasty Analysis: #timeshare. With Rachaad White (66 yards on 13 touches), this has officially turned into a 50/50 timeshare with the two running backs. Irving clearly has more juice, but White has also been effective at times this season. This looks like great news for the Bucs, but a frustrating development in dynasty leagues. At this point, each of these runners is a Flex play at best unless the other misses time. Irving is a solid dynasty hold at the moment.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Mike Evans Oct 4 2:13pm ET
Mike Evans

Dynasty | Bucs receiver Mike Evans had five catches for 62 yards and two touchdowns in a loss against Atlanta. Dynasty Analysis: Yep. Just another day, week, month, and season at the office forming for Evans, who is clearly warming up and on pace for his 11th straight 1,000 yard season. While his career is on the back-end of the slope, he remains a prime trade target for contending teams and his consistency continues to be undervalued.

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Kirk Cousins Oct 4 2:13pm ET
Kirk Cousins

Dynasty | Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins completed 42-of-58 passes for 509 yards with four touchdowns and one interception in a win against Tampa Bay. Dynasty Analysis: With the Falcons seemingly playing catch-up most of the night, Cousins just started dealing. His first month was sub-par at best as he threw for around 800 yards and four touchdowns in his first four games. Thursday night was different as he nearly doubled his fantasy output in one night. We can hope this is a sign of things to come as he comes back from a season-ending injury, but we'll need to see a few more weeks before trusting him as a true QB1.

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Kirk Cousins Oct 4 2:13pm ET
Kirk Cousins

Dynasty | Falcons receiver Drake London had 12 catches for 154 yards and a touchdown in the Falcons come-from-behind overtime win against Tampa Bay. Dynasty Analysis: Kirk Cousins struggled mightily the first month of the season, but London was somehow able to salvage some decent value in the short-term. Tonight was different as Cousins unleashed 58 pass attempts and targeted London 13 times on the night. While we need to see more before locking in London as a true WR1, he's certainly good enough to be a solid weekly starter moving forward.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Darnell Mooney Oct 4 2:13pm ET
Darnell Mooney

Dynasty | Falcons receiver Darnell Mooney had nine catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns in Atlanta's win against Tampa Bay. Dynasty Analysis: Mooney was targeted a whopping 16 times in this one and has quickly emerged as a focal point of Atlanta's offense. With a surprising 40 targets over the first five weeks, Mooney looks nothing like the anemic 2023 version of himself who posted a 31/414/1 line for the Bears. At this point, he deserves weekly consideration in dynasty leagues and his value is very much on the rise yet again.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Tyler Allgeier Oct 4 2:13pm ET
Tyler Allgeier

Dynasty | Falcons running back Bijan Robinson had 61 rushing yards, three catches and 16 receiving yards in a win against Tampa Bay. Dynasty Analysis: The line itself isn't horrible. However, when you consider the Falcons scored 36 points and Tyler Allgeier had another nine touches (Robinson had 15), anger starts to set in for dynasty managers. It's clear at this point Robinson is just not going to be used as the engine of the Falcons offense and simply one of many options. With just 285 rushing yards (on 4.3 yards per carry), 18 catches, 151 receiving yards and one lone touchdown on the year, this is shaping up to be another pedestrian year for a player many hoped would become a truly elite RB1 this season. Robinson's dynasty star is going to start fading soon.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Kirk Cousins Oct 4 2:13pm ET
Kirk Cousins

Dynasty | Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts had seven catches for 88 yards in a win against Tampa Bay. Dynasty Analysis: It only took Kirk Cousins throwing the ball 58 times (and posting the 15th highest single-game passing yardage total in league history) to unlock the potential of Pitts. Even with all that, Drake London and Darnell Mooney still had 29 targets combined to lead the way, compared to the eight for Pitts. While this was a good bounce-back, he still seems to be a secondary option in an offense seemingly determined to fail to get two of their best players (Pitts and Bijan Robinson) the football. Pitts is still a TE1 in dynasty leagues, but that's more because of the inconsistency of the position than his own usage rate.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Jaylen Warren Oct 4 2:00pm ET
Jaylen Warren

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (knee) has been ruled out for the second week in a row for Sunday night's contest against the visiting Dallas Cowboys, according to sources. With Warren out again, the Steelers will look to Aaron Shampklin and Jonathan Ward as RB depth behind starter Najee Harris. Even while working in tandem with Harris, Warren was a weekly RB3/flex option for fantasy managers last year. That hasn't been the case so far in 2024 with dual-threat quarterback Justin Fields running the offense. In the three games that Warren has played, he has only 14 carries for 54 yards (career-low 3.9 yards per tote) while catching all five of his targets for only 28 yards. Warren is still rostered in just over 50% of Yahoo leagues, but he obviously belongs on benches yet again in Week 5. With Warren out for the second week in a row, Harris should see plenty of volume in a good matchup, making him a solid RB2 in fantasy.

From RotoBaller

Anthony Richardson Oct 4 1:40pm ET
Anthony Richardson

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (abdomen, oblique) is in pads and practicing for the third time this week on Friday. However, The Athletic's James Boyd reports that veteran Joe Flacco is taking most, if not all, of the first-team repetitions in practice as Richardson stands behind Flacco to watch him throw. Richardson was relieved by Flacco in the Week 4 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers and was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday. The 22-year-old's injury isn't believed to be serious, but perhaps they let Flacco make the Week 5 start against the division-rival Jacksonville Jaguars this Sunday. Either way, Richardson has fallen to low-end QB1/high-end QB2 territory after a disappointing start to his sophomore season in which he leads the league with six interceptions thrown. Check back for Richardson's final Week 5 status going into Sunday's game. The Colts will also be without star running back Jonathan Taylor (ankle) this week.

From RotoBaller

Nick Chubb Oct 4 1:40pm ET
Nick Chubb

Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (knee) has officially been ruled out for the Week 5 contest versus the Washington Commanders as he continues to work his way back from a devastating left-knee injury he suffered in Week 2 of 2023. Chubb returned to practice for the first time this year on Wednesday and is being eased back into action. There really isn't a firm timetable for when the 28-year-old might make his 2024 debut, and the Browns could use the full 21-day window to make sure Chubb is fully up to speed before working him back into the backfield on game days. Fantasy managers should have Chubb stashed in all formats, but there's no guarantee he'll return for a Week 6 tilt against the Philadelphia Eagles. In the meantime, Jerome Ford will continue to operate as Cleveland's lead back, with D'Onta Foreman being sprinkled in as a change-of-pace option.

From RotoBaller

Tyler Lockett Oct 4 1:30pm ET
Tyler Lockett

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett (thigh) finds himself in the flex conversation once again in Week 5. Lockett has earned at least seven targets in three of four games this season and that volume will keep him fantasy relevant. Unfortunately, Lockett has only cleared 61 yards in one game. He also has yet to score a touchdown after scoring at an incredibly high clip earlier in his career. However, Lockett is still a trusted safety valve for quarterback Geno Smith and will see his fair share of targets even with the emergence of second-year wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Lockett enters a matchup with a New York Giants team that has lost several playmakers in the defensive backfield in recent years. The Seahawks should have no trouble moving up and down the field against this team which could give Lockett his first chance to score this season.

From RotoBaller

Noah Fant Oct 4 1:30pm ET
Noah Fant

Seattle Seahawks tight end Noah Fant (toe) continues to stay off the fantasy radar. After a big Week 3 in which Fant caught six passes for 60 yards, he was back to his usual two catches per game in Week 4. Fant is far from his days in Denver when he was a high-end fantasy starter. He is far more necessary to the Seahawks offense than he is to fantasy teams. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb focuses more on his talented group of wide receivers than Fant, and rightfully so. If you have an extra roster spot than Fant may be worth a stash, but you should not even think about starting him until he proves any kind of fantasy worth.

From RotoBaller

Geno Smith Oct 4 1:30pm ET
Geno Smith

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith is a solid play at quarterback in Week 5. He is coming off a game in which he threw for 395 yards and a touchdown. A late interception dampened the day, but the output was huge. Smith has thrown for exactly one touchdown in all four games this season. This Seahawks offense feels like it is on the cusp of an explosion which could come in Week 5. Smith should have a chance to finally break through with a multiple-touchdown game. He should also push for 250 or more passing yards. Smith has been serviceable all year which is evidenced by his current standing as the QB9 in fantasy. If you need a bye-week fill-in for Jalen Hurts or Jared Goff, or you have an underperforming starter such as Patrick Mahomes, then Smith is a fine option to deploy.

From RotoBaller

T.J. Hockenson Oct 4 1:30pm ET
T.J. Hockenson

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said that tight end T.J. Hockenson (knee) was limited in his return to practice on Friday, but he has been ruled out for Week 5 against the New York Jets and will not come off the Physically Unable to Perform list just yet. The Vikings opened Hockenson's 21-day practice window on Friday, but he'll have to wait until at least Week 7 against the Detroit Lions -- the Vikings have their bye in Week 6 -- before potentially making his 2024 debut. We'll have a better idea in a few weeks of whether the 27-year-old will be able to return in Week 7 by his practice participation. Hockenson deserves to be stashed in all fantasy formats and should have TE1 utility when he's back in a Vikings offense that has looked great under quarterback Sam Darnold so far in 2024. Until Hockenson returns, fantasy managers can continue to ignore Johnny Mundt.

From RotoBaller

Jason Myers Oct 4 1:30pm ET
Jason Myers

Seattle Seahawks kicker Jason Myers had a tough day in Week 4 against the Detroit Lions. Myers missed a long field of 62 yards at the end of the first half and only kicked three extra points to make up for it. It is not every day that kickers attempt career long field goals at the end of the half, so Myers' dud is unlikely to be a trend. Myers should continue his accurate kicking spree in Week 5. Additionally, the Seahawks D/ST should be in plenty of scoring positions all day. Do not be surprised if Myers delivers two to three field goals and two to three extra points. That should be enough for another double-digit fantasy day.

From RotoBaller