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Los Angeles Rams running back Jarquez Hunter (coach's decision) is a healthy scratch for Week 1 against the Houston Texans. Although the rookie has fourth-round draft capital, it appears that the coaching staff wasn't ready to include him as a member of their gameday backfield. Hunter's absence is not necessarily a surprise, though. Yesterday, we noted that Hunter's position on the depth chart may be falling after the Rams elevated Cody Schrader from the practice squad. Indeed, Schrader will operate behind Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, while Hunter watches from the sideline. He's a fine dynasty stash but should be dropped in all redraft leagues.

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San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan James (finger) is officially inactive for Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks. He had been listed as doubtful after logging three consecutive limited practices. James will have to wait at least one more week before making his NFL debut. The Oregon product was an effective runner in college, totaling 1,476 yards and 15 touchdowns during his final collegiate season. For now, San Francisco will operate with Brian Robinson Jr. and Isaac Guerendo in depth roles behind Christian McCaffrey.

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Green Bay Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons (back) is officially active for his team's Week 1 contest against the Detroit Lions, per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. Parsons is dealing with a back injury and may be on a limited snap count in his first game with Green Bay, but he will be on the field in some capacity. The All-Pro edge rusher could make things difficult for Lions quarterback Jared Goff and Detroit's passing game in Week 1.

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Green Bay Packers wide receivers Jayden Reed (foot) and Dontayvion Wicks (calf) are both officially active for Sunday's Week 1 contest against the Detroit Lions. They had been listed as questionable after logging limited practice sessions on Friday. Reed is coming off a decent 2024 season in which he caught 55 passes for 857 yards and seven total touchdowns, plus an additional 163 rushing yards. He's expected to operate as the Packers' No. 2 receiver alongside Matthew Golden. His versatility allows him to rank as a modest WR3/FLEX option, and he should benefit from a potentially high-scoring game against the Lions. Wicks had 39 catches, 415 yards, and five touchdowns last season, but with a decent amount of competition in the passing game, he's tough to trust in fantasy football. Reed can be left on waivers in most leagues for now.

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The Houston Texans have declared QB Graham Mertz, WR Braxton Berrios, RB British Brooks, DT Tommy Togiai, OG Ed Ingram and WR Christian Kirk inactive for Week 1.

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Atlanta Falcons WR Jamal Agnew (groin) suffered a groin injury in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he is considered questionable to return.

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San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (calf) is not listed among the team's inactives for Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks, per David Lombardi of The San Francisco Standard. McCaffrey popped up on the team's injury report earlier this week with a calf injury, but it does not appear that the injury will keep him out of the lineup for the 49ers. McCaffrey battled through multiple injuries in 2024 that caused him to miss most of the season. As long as he's active and on the field, he's a must-start fantasy running back.

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Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin will be a healthy scratch for his team's Week 1 matchup against the Tennessee Titans, per Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Without McLaughlin, Denver's running back trio in the season opener will likely be J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, and Tyler Badie. McLaughlin has played in 33 games for the Broncos over the past two seasons. Without him in the lineup, Badie may see a bit more work as the change of pace back to Dobbins and Harvey.

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Miami Dolphins cornerback Storm Duck (ankle) is questionable to return to Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts with an ankle injury, per ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques. Miami entered the game already very thin at cornerback. Louis-Jacques reports that Rasul Douglas and JuJu Brents are the only reserve cornerbacks that the team has active for Week 1, and neither player has been with the team for more than a couple of weeks.

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Pittsburgh Steelers safety DeShon Elliott (knee) is doubtful to return to Sunday's game against the New York Jets with a knee injury, per Mike DeFabo of The Athletic. Veteran Chuck Clark is next up on Pittsburgh's depth chart at strong safety. Elliott recorded 72 tackles and forced two fumbles in 15 games for the Steelers last season, so losing him would be a tough blow for the Pittsburgh defense.

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Las Vegas Raiders LB Elandon Roberts (elbow) left the Week 1 game against the New England Patriots in the first quarter due to an elbow injury. He is questionable to return.

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The New York Jets announced that running back Kene Nwangwu (hamstring) is questionable to return to the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The veteran's primary job is to be the kick returner, so the Jets placed receiver Xavier Gipson in that role in the meantime. From a fantasy perspective, Nwangwu, who has four career kick return touchdowns, is only a roster option in leagues that score return yards.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin (ankle) is targeting a Week 5 return as he continues to recover from surgery, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Godwin opens the season on the PUP list, but he hopes to return to game action after he misses the minimum four games. With that said, Rapoport noted that Week 6 or Week 7 could also be in play for Godwin's season debut. Whenever he does return, he'll add another weapon to a phenomenal receiving corps that also includes Mike Evans and Emeka Egbuka. He'll rank as a high-end fantasy WR3 with top-15 upside.

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Houston Texans RB Nick Chubb will start Week 1's game versus the Los Angeles Rams and is expected to be the club's bell cow running back, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Fantasy Spin: RB Joe Mixon (foot) is currently on injured reserve and will miss at least the first four games of the NFL season, although there is no guarantee that he will be able to return immediately after that. At worst, Chubb should be viewed as a midrange RB2 in fantasy leagues for now. RB Dameon Pierce is likely to receive most of the carries Chubb doesn't get but he should not be deployed as anything more than a flex option in deeper fantasy leagues.

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Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed (foot) is expected to play in Week 1 despite being listed as questionable. The 25-year-old had been limited in each of his last two practice sessions. He's coming off a decent 2024 season in which he caught 55 passes for 857 yards and seven total touchdowns, plus an additional 163 rushing yards. He's expected to operate as the Packers' No. 2 receiver alongside Matthew Golden. His versatility allows him to rank as a modest WR3/FLEX option, and he should benefit from a potentially high-scoring game against the Detroit Lions.

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Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Nick Herbig (hamstring) has been ruled inactive for the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday versus the New York Jets. Herbig was listed as questionable for the season opener on Friday after putting in three limited practices during the week. The 23-year-old isn't quite ready to take the field after injuring his hamstring on Aug. 16 in a preseason game, but his involvement in practices this week is a good sign that he will be able to make his 2025 debut in Week 2 versus the Seattle Seahawks. Herbig's absence is not good news for the Steelers defense, but their defense/special teams unit should still be started in Week 1 against the new-look Jets offense. With Herbig out, expect Jack Sawyer to see the field more often as a rotational linebacker for Pittsburgh.

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New York Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard is a healthy scratch for the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. With Davante Adams departing for the Los Angeles Rams in the offseason, Lazard was expected to be a starter behind Garrett Wilson in 2025, but that doesn't appear to be the case early on. The 29-year-old was a major disappointment in 2023 after signing a four-year, $44 million deal but bounced back slightly last year by catching 37 passes for 530 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games. Josh Reynolds has secured WR2 duties in New York with a strong training camp and preseason, and with Lazard being a healthy scratch in Week 1, it looks like Tyler Johnson will get first crack at WR3 duties in what is expected to be a run-heavy offense under first-year head coach Aaron Glenn.

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Per ESPN's Mike Reiss, New England Patriots rookie second-round running back TreVeyon Henderson is expected to be "very involved" in the Week 1 season opener on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders. "While Henderson is almost guaranteed to be on the field on third down in a pass-catching role that has been a staple in Josh McDaniels' offense, he is also expected to be given a chance on early downs as well," Reiss writes. Fifth-year back Rhamondre Stevenson is going to get the "start," but Henderson could very well lead the Pats' backfield in touches and scrimmage yards. McDaniels said Henderson's skill set is "unlike anything the Patriots have had at the position since at least the turn of the century." Henderson is a lethal threat to score anytime he touches the ball and should be in starting fantasy lineups in Week 1 for those that drafted him.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin (ankle) recently underwent a second surgery on his ankle to tighten up hardware, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Judy Battista. He is expected to resume practicing soon and is targeting a return to action in Week 5, although a Week 6 or 7 return would not be out of the question, according to multiple sources.

Fantasy Spin: Buccaneers WRs Mike Evans and Emeka Egbuka should be the primary targets in the Tampa Bay passing game for as long as Godwin remains sidelined and can be viewed as WR2 or WR3 options in fantasy leagues.

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Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet is expected to get more work on Sunday than he has in previous seasons, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. After plenty of speculation about the roles that Kenneth Walker III and Charbonnet would have this season, it appears that we have some additional clarity heading into the season opener. The Seahawks will likely adopt a run-heavy offensive approach this season, leaving both Walker and Charbonnet with standalone fantasy value in any given week. Not only is Charbonnet going to have a larger role than in previous years, but Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times recently reported that he could even start over Walker in Week 1. The increase in touches is well-deserved for Charbonnet, who averaged 72.2 rushing yards, 28.2 receiving yards, and one touchdown during his six games as a starter last year. As Week 1 gets underway, he is worth inserting into lineups as a strong RB3/FLEX option with RB2 upside.

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