LAC
Wide Receiver
#15
Player Stats
Ladd McConkey (ribs) is working off to the side of the practice with a trainer on Thursday. In other words: He’s not actually practicing.
More Read
It’s generally good news that McConkey has been spotted near the team, but we’re going to need to see a major turnaround on Friday to do better than a questionable tag for the 2024 second-round pick. How will Kamara and Etienne split backfield reps?
With Alvin Kamara likely to return in Week 2, Patrick Daugherty and Denny Carter evaluate how the Saints legend and Travis Etienne Jr. will affect each other’s fantasy outlooks. Related Player News
Personalize your Rotoworld feed by favoriting players
Sitting out on a Wednesday is not the end of the world for established starters.
However, this does push McConkey further into the questionable column. The Chargers signed WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling yesterday. Although Valdes-Scantling is unlikely to meaningfully contribute, the fact that the team felt they needed to bring in an extra wide receiver is slightly concerning. McConkey still has two days to get right. If he returns tomorrow, that would be great news. Harbaugh also declined to say whether he expected McConkey to play in Week 2 against the Raiders, instead saying the team wants to see how he feels over the course of the week.
The Chargers will release their first injury report of the week on Wednesday, but if McConkey can log a few limited practices before the weekend, he should have a shot to suit up on game day. McConkey may miss a little time, but that will be determined in the coming days. The third-year receiver suffered a rib injury in Sunday’s Week 1 loss to the Cardinals and finished the day with 5-82-1 on seven targets. If he’s unable to play in Week 2 against the Raiders, Derius Davis could be in line to take over his role in the slot. Davis ran all nine of his routes from the slot on Sunday against the Cardinals.
McConkey collided with an Arizona defender on an over-the-middle target in the third quarter and stayed down for a while before limping to the blue medical tent. A few minutes later he was being helped to the Chargers locker room.
It would seem his day is over after catching five passes for 82 yards and a touchdown in his first regular season game under OC Mike McDaniel. Hopefully the oft-injured McConkey doesn’t miss extended time. It looks like Ladd McConkey could avoid the late-summer Keenan Allen rug pull. It’s good news for McConkey as new Chargers OC Mike McDaniel plans to get the wideout more short-area looks in 2026 — targets Allen might have soaked up if he had returned to LA. As recently as late May, Chargers GM Joe Hortiz said he had not “closed the door” on bringing Allen back for the 2026 season. McConkey, who by many measures was unlucky in 2025 , has WR1 upside in McDaniel’s offense. Popper believes McConkey’s “versatile skill set” will allow him to function as new OC Mike McDaniel’s passing game “focal point.” McDaniel antagonized defensive coordinators during his time as the Dolphins’ head coach by moving WRs Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle around via pre-snap motion.
Popper believes McConkey’s 4.39-second 40 speed, shiftiness, hands, route running and post-catch abilities qualify him to serve as McDaniel’s “move piece.” McConkey’s Year 2 flop lurks in the background, but if his mid-tier WR2 best ball ADP carries over to re-draft leagues later this month — or even drops — that could end up looking like quite a bargain at the end of the year. McConkey suffered a hamstring sprain in offseason team activities but the expectation all along was the he’d be ready for camp. Elevating near the WR2/WR3 borderline in ADP, fantasy managers are anticipating a breakthrough year three after last season’s disappointment. A full camp with Mike McDaniel and Justin Herbert should help. Harris, a 2025 second-round pick, largely contributed as a dirty-work player last season, blocking in the run game and playing on special teams.
More Read
That said, Harris led the wide receiver corps with 4.7 yards after the catch per reception via 46 targets. He fits new OC Mike McDaniel’s run-after-catch scheme. It sounds like Harris is penciled in as the Bolts’ WR3 right now, warranting late-round consideration in best ball formats. We’ve had blurbs about a bounceback season for McConkey, but given how McConkey was behind Keenan Allen in targets last year and only 18 targets ahead of Quentin Johnston, this quote jumped off the page. McConkey managed 884 yards in the final 10 games of his rookie season, along with 197 more yards in the playoffs — the offense may be too deep to get him that level of production again, but he’s certainly shown he’s capable of great things as the No.
1 option. The offseason hype has already priced him right around WR20, so fantasy managers are already expecting a big year from McConkey despite last year’s dud. McConkey echoed Jim Harbaugh’s message that he doesn’t view it as a significant concern. It is at least a mild one considering it’s costing McConkey reps in a new offense, and could grow into a bigger one if he’s sidelined longer than the internal estimate. That said, most players recover from hamstring strains in weeks instead of months and there’s no reason to believe McConkey won’t be ready for camp. Rotoworld
BUF
Running Back
#4
Player Stats
Personalize your Rotoworld feed by favoriting players
James Cook rushed 21 times for 135 yards and a touchdown in the Bills’ Week 2 win over the Lions, adding four yards on one reception. Cook jumped out to a scorching start on the ground, reaching the century mark in rushing before the half.
Still, fantasy managers were left scratching their head as they watched Josh Allen account for three touchdowns from inside the five, two on the ground and one through the air. It wasn’t until a 22-yard carry that was down at the one late in the fourth quarter that the team rewarded Cook with a short-yardage touchdown, finally allowing fantasy managers their first taste of sweet touchdown copium from their first-round draft pick on the young season. Cook is likely to remain busy when the Bills host the Jets in Week 3, where he will remain a locked-in RB1. BUF
Quarterback
#17
Player Stats
Josh Allen completed 20-of-31 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns in the Bills’ 41-31, Week 2 win over the Lions, adding 69 yard and two touchdowns on 14 carries. Was it ever a doubt that Super Josh would make an appearance in the franchise’s first game in their new stadium? To the utter dismay of James Cook fantasy managers, Allen accounted for three touchdowns from inside the five against the Lions, two with his legs and one with his arm, extending his NFL-record for games with multiple rushing touchdowns and multiple passing touchdowns to 10 in the process.
The unquestioned overall QB1 in fantasy circles continues to prove the doubters wrong as the Bills surge to 2-0 atop the AFC ahead of a home meeting with the Chargers in Week 3. Allen remains a top-tier fantasy asset until pigs fly. DET
Wide Receiver
#1
Player Stats
Jameson Williams caught 2-of-4 targets for 33 yards in the Lions’ Week 2 loss to the Bills. Williams continues to be primarily utilized as a deep threat in the Detroit offense, which is not the development fantasy managers were expecting following offseason reports that his route tree would be expanded in the new year. The mounting injuries along the offensive line have limited Goff’s time in the pocket to the point where Williams rarely has enough time for his routes to develop, leading to the down production through two weeks.
Whether either of those two variables changes in the immediate future remains to be seen, leaving us to treat Williams as nothing more than an upside WR3 in the interim. He will be a difficult start in Week 3 when the Lions host the Jets. DET
Tight End
#87
Player Stats
Sam LaPorta caught 6-of-7 targets for 52 yards and a touchdown in the Lions’ Week 2 loss to the Bills. LaPorta combined with Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs to be the primary targets for quarterback Jared Goff on a night where relentless pressure from the Bills forced the offense to primarily attack the intermediate areas of the field. That could be the norm for this offense moving forward considering the mounting injuries along their offensive line, which are likely to be felt the most against opponents with a legitimate pass rush. That may not be the case in Week 3 when the Lions host the Jets, a team that is likely to also utilize elevated rates of zone coverage.
LaPorta has had stark man-zone splits throughout his career and could see less volume due to matchup. He’ll be a low-end TE1 against the Jets. DET
Wide Receiver
#14
Player Stats
Amon-Ra St.
Brown caught 9-of-13 targets for 142 yards and two touchdowns in the Lions’ Week 2 loss to the Bills. St. Brown did not catch his first pass until six minutes left in the second quarter but was the primary cog of the offense after the break as the Lions worked to overcome multiple 17-point deficits. He found paint for the first time on the team’s first possession after the break before adding a second in the two-minute drill from 27 yards out. St.
Brown now has 209 yards and four touchdowns on 19 receptions through two games an looks every bit of the elite WR1 fantasy managers invested a first-round pick into this offseason. Although volume through the air might be more difficult to come by in Week 3, St.
Brown remains a top-tier WR1 when the Lions host the Jets in Detroit. DET
Running Back
#0
Player Stats
Jahmyr Gibbs rushed 16 times for 52 yards in the Lions’ Week 2 loss to the Bills, adding 61 yards and a touchdown on six receptions. Gibbs was effectively the entire game plan out of the gates, scoring the team’s only first-half touchdown from 11 yards out in the second quarter. He would be used far less after the break as the Lions attempted to come back from multiple 17-point deficits, although the six receptions on eight targets and a touchdown through the air helped push his counting stats into clear RB1 territory for the second consecutive week to start the season. Fantasy managers that were lucky enough to secure the 1.01 in drafts this offseason are sure to be content with the early returns. Gibbs will once again be an elite fantasy option when the Lions host the Jets in Week 3.
DET
Quarterback
#16
Player Stats
Jared Goff completed 26-of-38 passes for 327 yards and four touchdowns in the Lions’ 41-31, Week 2 loss to the Bills, adding seven yards on three carries. The Lions staked the Bills to a 21-point lead early in the second quarter, eventually taking a 27-10 deficit into the break. The closest they would get the rest of the game was a 10-point deficit, but the offense finally came alive in the final two frames. Goff tossed a pair of touchdowns to alpha wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and one each to Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs, salvaging the poor team performance with an elite fantasy score for managers brave enough to start him on the road in the elements. The Lions fall to 1-1 ahead of a much more forgiving home matchup against the Jets in Week 3, where Goff will look to return another QB1 performance.
BUF
Wide Receiver
#2
Player Stats
Bills WR DJ Moore (shoulder) went to the locker room early ahead of the half in Week 2 against the Lions. Moore departed with just over three minutes remaining in the second quarter after appearing to injure his shoulder on a diving attempt in the end zone.
He remained on the field for multiple minutes before being helped to the sideline with trainers. He went straight to the locker room under his own power, presumably for testing.
The team has yet to release an official designation, although it appears unlikely he will return to the game. Moore was not targeted before departing as the play he was injured on was called back for an offensive hold. DET
Defensive Back
#29
Player Stats
Lions DB Avonte Maddox (undisclosed) was carted to the locker room in the second quarter of Week 2 against the Bills.
Maddox was injured on a play in the red zone at the beginning of the second quarter. He was helped to the sideline by trainers before being taken by cart to the locker room. Expect an update from the team in short order. His departure is another blow to a secondary already down multiple starters.
NYG
Tackle
#78
Player Stats
Giants LT Andrew Thomas (ankle) was limited on Thursday. Thomas and RG Francis Mauigoa (shoulder) are both practicing in a limited capacity, putting them on track to play on Monday night against the Rams. There are no concerns here.
