| | | | Thursday, October 1, 2020 | | This week's scheduled Steelers-Titans game won't be played after two more positive tests in the Titans COVID-19 outbreak, according to reports Thursday morning. The game will be made up later in the season, but these two teams are out for Week 4. | | Here's what you need to know: | | The Titans have had five players and five non-player personnel test positive for COVID since Tuesday, the league's first team outbreak. The Vikings, Tennessee's Week 3 opponent, shut down their facilities earlier in the week, but as of yet have not had an outbreak and seem likely to play as scheduled Sunday against the Texans. The Titans are on bye in Week 7, while the Steelers are in Week 8, so there will be some schedule juggling required. We don't know what this will look like as of now. Week 4 will serve as each team's bye, so they will have to play 13 straight games to close the season. This isn't expected to impact Tennessee's Week 5 game against Buffalo as of now. For Fantasy, this will be treated like a typical bye week, so get your Titans and Steelers out of your lineups. Whenever the game is rescheduled, it will count towards that week's points, obviously. | | All told, this is the most straightforward outcome from this situation, though it surely leaves plenty of Fantasy players in the lurch for this week with two teams with star power unexpectedly off the board. Last night, I sent you Jamey Eisenberg's Start 'Em & Sit 'Em picks for quarterback, running back, and wide receiver, and today we're focusing on Dave Richard's Starts and Sits, Sleepers and Risks column, both of which can help you find some low-end options to start in place of your Titans and Steelers, Plus, we've got the latest on injuries from around the NFL and a preview of Thursday Night Football with some interesting player props to consider and some Fantasy sleepers. | | If you have any questions about your lineup for Week 4, send them to Chris.Towers@CBSInteractive.com with the subject line "#AskFFT" and I may include them in Friday or Sunday's newsletters. | | And here's what else you need to win in Week 4: | | Start 'Em & Sit 'Em: QB | RB | WR Starts and Sits, Sleepers and Risks Position previews: QB | RB | WR | TE Week 4 Trade Values | | | Dave Richard's Starts and Sits
| | | | Three guys Dave likes for Week 4: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jerick McKinnon, T.J. Hockenson | | McKinnon was a full participant in practice Wednesday, which means his absence from Sunday's game late was largely just a precaution. And that's great news, because McKinnon looked awesome in his first taste of full snaps in three years. He has run the ball 20 times for 139 yards and has six catches for 59 yards, and his Week 3 could have been even better because he had a touchdown catch called back for a holding penalty. The Eagles aren't necessarily an easy matchup, but McKinnon should get 15-plus touches and is a must-start running back for at least one more week. | | Three guys Dave doesn't like: Terry McLaurin, Evan Engram, Mark Ingram | | When you think of what Terry McLaurin has done with the quarterbacking he's been given, it just makes you hope he gets something better soon. However, he's still stuck in Washington, and unfortunately that means he has to play the Ravens in Week 4. It's not to say he can't succeed, but McLaurin is a risky start in this one, especially if Baltimore can dominate time of possession as it often does. | | | | Wednesday Injury Updates | | | | There's a lot to keep track of this week. Here's what we know so far: | | QB Injuries | | Jimmy Garoppolo (Ankle) — Did not practice Wednesday. Seems like a long shot for Week 4 against the Eagles. | | RB Injuries | | Chris Carson (Knee) — Limited at practice. This one is a legitimate surprise, because it seemed like Carson would miss at least one week. That may not be the case, so keep a close eye on this one, they may not need much from Carlos Hyde after all. Leonard Fournette (Ankle) — This one here was a surprise because Fournette did not practice Wednesday. It's not clear how serious the injury is, and it could simply be a situation where he sits out one day and gets back at it. But maybe this explains why Fournette played just three fourth-quarter snaps in Week 3. Ronald Jones would obviously be a better option if Fournette is limited or out, and Lesean McCoy enters the desperation play discussion in PPR. Kareem Hunt (Groin) — Another surprise, Hunt also missed practice. This is the first time we've seen him on the injury report this season, so we'll have to keep an eye on this one. For what it's worth, the Browns promoted Dontrelle Hilliard from the practice squad Wednesday. Raheem Mostert (Knee) — Did not practice Wednesday. He has a shot for Week 4, but it seems like a long one. Zack Moss (Toe) — Returned to practice. He was in pretty close to an even split with Devin Singletary before the injury — Moss played 45% and 46% of the snaps in the first two games — so Singletary will be more like a low-end No. 2 back if Moss plays, while Moss is in the flex conversation. Jerick McKinnon (Ribs) — Full practice. Seems like he'll play, with Jeff Wilson likely to back him up. McKinnon is a solid starting option for Week 4, while Wilson is a viable flex. Damien Harris (Hand) — Activated off IR. Harris was having a good camp and seemed poised to take on a significant role before his injury, but now he returns to a crowded backfield. He's worth adding as a stash, but Harris will probably struggle to get on the field early on. Nyheim Hines (Shoulder) — A new addition to the injury report, the severity of this injury isn't known yet, though it seems like a good sign that he was able to practice at least somewhat. | | | | WR Injuries | | Michael Thomas (Ankle) — Limited practice. Thomas has reportedly been aiming to return in Week 4, and it looks like he's on his way back. Chris Godwin (Hamstring) — Did not practice. Highly unlikely to play in Week 4, and it could extend beyond that. Scott Miller was also out of practice Wednesday, so the Bucs could be down two of their top three receivers. Consider Justin Watson if both are out. DeAndre Hopkins (Ankle) — This is a new one, but we don't have any reason to be concerned right now. Hopkins has shown he doesn't really need to practice to play, but we'll obviously watch this one. D.J. Chark (Chest) — Returned to practice on a limited basis Wednesday and seems on track to play in Week 4 against the Bengals. The Jags really missed him in Week 3, and he should be a solid starting Fantasy option in all formats. Deebo Samuel (Foot) — Samuel was back at practice Wednesday, his first time out there since suffering a broken foot over the summer. He probably won't play in Week 4 against the Eagles, but could be back for Week 5, and it will be fascinating to see how they opt to use him and Brandon Aiyuk now that the rookie has established himself. Alshon Jeffery (Foot) — Limited at practice. Jeffery is nearing a return, and the Eagles sure could use the vintage version of him right about now. Jeffery may not play in Week 4, but if he's on the wire in your league, it may not be a bad idea to add him; he was on an 86-catch, 980-yard, eight-touchdown pace in the eight healthy game he played last season Henry Ruggs (Hamstring)/Bryan Edwards (Ankle) — Did not practice, and NFL Network reported Edwards is already out for Week 4 against the Bills, while Ruggs is a long shot. Hunter Renfrow had a solid game in Week 3, and is in the flex conversation for Week 4. John Brown (Calf) — Did not practice. Would expect he won't play in this one, opening up a role for Gabriel Davis and Cole Beasley to make an impact against the Raiders. Beasley might be worth starting in PPR leagues, while Davis has shown some real upside and is playing a surprising amount. DeSean Jackson (hamstring) — Did not practice Wednesday. The injury isn't considered a serious one, but at this point, it seems more likely than not Jackson will sit. Christian Kirk (Groin) — Limited at practice, a good sign as he tries to work his way back. | | TE Injuries | | George Kittle (knee) — Cleared for full participation in practice and should make his return against the Eagles. Jared Cook (Groin) — Did not practice. He left Sunday's game against the Packers as a result of this injury, and you'll have to start looking for potential replacement options now. | | Thursday Night Football Preview: Broncos at Jets | | All lines from William Hill Sportsbook | | Line: Pick; 39.5 over/under Implied totals: Broncos 19.75-Jets 19.75 | | What to expect: A slap fight. A healthy Broncos team would roll over these Jets, but with so much of their pass rush out with injuries, it might not be as ugly for Sam Darnold as the past few weeks have been. On the other hand, the Jets very well could just make life a lot easier for the Broncos defense. Either way, you don't want much exposure to this Darnold-Brett Rypien matchup if you can help it, but Braxton Berrios, KJ Hamler, and maybe even Kalen Ballage — don't laugh, he had 10 PPR points last week and played 30% of the snaps — could be options to help fill your Titans/Steelers-shaped holes. | | Key injuries | | Phillip Lindsay (Toe) — Questionable: Lindsay has been out since Week 1 with this injury, and if he does play, I wouldn't expect a full role yet. He should be back to splitting time with Melvin Gordon by Week 5, especially with the extra time off. Drew Lock (Shoulder) — Out: Lock could miss as many as five weeks with this injury, and this is just Week 2 of his absence. There might be a few more coming, although there is a chance he returns in Week 5. Jamison Crowder (Hamstring) — Questionable: If you were going to start someone from this Jets offense, it would be Crowder, assuming he's healthy. Of course, he's no guarantee, and the injury is obviously a risk, so he's just a low-end option. Le'Veon Bell (Hamstring) — Out: Bell is still on IR, but he is eligible to return in Week 5, and ESPN reports that is the plan. Given the Jets injuries at wide receiver, Bell could play there quite frequently when healthy. | | What to watch for | | If Lindsay plays, it will be the split between him and Gordon. The expectation after training camp was it was going to be something like an even split between them. If Lindsay gets that in his first game back, that would be significant. Otherwise, we'll want to see if Rypien can develop a rapport with the Broncos young receivers against what should be one of the easiest matchups he'll face. If he can't get KJ Hamler and Jerry Jeudy going, it might be time to just ignore this offense until Lock is back. I'll also just throw this one out there: Maybe Adam Gase will stop leaning on Frank Gore so much. The other options here aren't exactly inspiring, but you'd sure rather see LaMical Perine get a shot over Gore, who we know is nothing special at this point, especially with Bell targeting a Week 5 return. | | Notable player props | | Melvin Gordon: 61.5 rushing yards — Try to grab this one now before we know if Lindsay plays, because I like Gordon for the over either way. Gordon should continue to lead the running game, and he topped this mark in the first two games before the Broncos had to abandon the run last week. That isn't going to happen against this hapless Jets offense, so he'll get there even if he doesn't have a great game. Gordon looks like close to a must start in this matchup. KJ Hamler: 2.5 receptions — Even without a breakout game so far, Hamler has topped this one in each of his first two games. None came with Rypien in the game last week, but that was probably more of a fluke than anything. The Broncos should find success against this defense, and Hamler could have his first Fantasy relevant game as a result. He'll get to the over with room to spare, and Hamler might be a prime "Beat the waiver wire" guy if you can stash him before kickoff. Sam Darnold: 0.5 interceptions — Maybe they're trying to play us for suckers, but the over seems like the only bet you could possibly make. Darnold tossed three picks, including two returned for touchdowns in Week 3, and has at least one in two of three games so far. For his career, Darnold has at least one pick in 18 of 29 games, or 62%. Given the lack of receivers who can win one on one, Darnold has to be perfect while forcing balls into inopportune spaces. It would be rather stunning if he didn't throw an interception this week. | | | | | | | | UEFA UCL Draw | | 24/7 Sports News | 32 clubs will split up into eight groups of four, as the UEFA Champions League group stage draw takes place in Athens, Greece. Coverage starts at 10:00 AM ET on CBS Sports HQ and CBS All Access.
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