injuryPatriots WR/RB injury wave
A.J. Brown (ankle) is eligible to practice this week for the first time since landing on IR after a high-ankle sprain in New England's Week 1 loss to Seattle; coach Mike Vrabel said Monday Brown has "a chance" to return to practice, and he was seen walking without a limp last week. TreVeyon Henderson left Sunday's win over the Raiders with his own ankle injury and did not return — left tackle Will Campbell also suffered a knee sprain on the same drive, two plays earlier. Rhamondre Stevenson is considered the lead back if Henderson sits out.
Fantasy take
Brown's practice window opens with Henderson now banged up behind him, thinning New England's offensive skill group at the same time rather than easing it. Stevenson absorbs the early-down load if Henderson sits, with Doubs, Douglas, Chism, Williams, and Henry still the healthy pass-catching mix until Brown actually gets back on the field.
Eagles injury wave — Barkley, Smith
Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith (both hamstring) did not practice Wednesday, the first Eagles session of Week 6 prep. Head coach Nick Sirianni said Monday he's "hopeful" both will be cleared to play Sunday vs. the Panthers, and NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reports both have "a real chance" to play, though nothing is set in stone.
Fantasy take
Both are near-full-workload backbones of this offense when healthy — Barkley handled roughly 80% of offensive snaps last season on 280 carries, and Smith has already sat out once this year with the same hamstring, with Dontayvion Wicks and Makai Lemon stepping into the vacated WR snaps. A dual absence Sunday would mean Will Shipley or Dameon Pierce taking the early-down load behind Jalen Hurts while Wicks and Lemon again fill the perimeter spots. Wednesday's non-participation is standard early-week injury management; Sirianni's and Garafolo's comments both point to a game-day decision rather than a locked-out week.
Deebo Samuel hamstring — MRI confirms multi-week absence
Samuel exited Sunday's win over Seattle with a hamstring injury, tripped up and landing awkwardly in the third quarter. An MRI confirmed an injury serious enough to require a multi-week absence; the 49ers say he'll miss "at least a few weeks." San Francisco is on its bye in Week 8, so Nov. 8 vs. the Raiders (Week 9) is the earliest realistic return point.
Fantasy take
Samuel's receiving role this season came through a rotating four-man 11-personnel group with Mike Evans, DeMarcus Robinson, and De'Zhaun Stribling rather than a fixed snap share, so there's no clean target-share number to redistribute now that he's out. San Francisco's early-season answer to receiver injuries has been to promote bodies (Brandin Cooks off the practice squad, Jacob Cowing getting preseason reps) rather than hand one player a set role, which argues for more rotation among the healthy group over a single clear beneficiary. Evans remains the one established outside target in the room; everything else is open competition until Samuel is back.
Baker Mayfield's thumb — stitches out, testing his grip this week
Mayfield has missed the last two games with a dislocated thumb; stitches were removed Monday. Coach Todd Bowles said Mayfield now has a smaller splint and the team will see this week if he can grip a football. The Buccaneers plan to start rookie Jalon Daniels again against the Steelers regardless, pending that medical evaluation. Mayfield was originally expected to miss three to six weeks.
Fantasy take
Daniels threw for 189 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions in his second start last week, an improvement on his 148-yard, two-interception first outing. Egbuka drew a 36 percent target share in that game, his highest of the season, and Irving posted a season-high 21 carries for 165 yards. Both marks came with Daniels under center, the same arrangement Tampa Bay plans to use again Sunday regardless of what Mayfield's grip test shows.
Michael Penix Jr.'s rib injury — Falcons grow more optimistic for Week 6
Penix left Sunday's overtime loss to Baltimore with a rib injury late in the fourth quarter, with Tua Tagovailoa finishing the game in overtime. Penix underwent an MRI Monday. ESPN's Adam Schefter says it's a relatively minor rib injury and Penix may be able to start Week 6; The Athletic's Jonathan Jones says Atlanta is optimistic he'll suit up against the Bears.
Fantasy take
Tagovailoa's relief stint was brief and unproductive: 2-for-3 for 34 yards with an interception on the lone series he ran before overtime ended. Penix has started all five games for Atlanta this season, completing between 60-75% of his throws with multiple touchdown passes each of the last two weeks. If he's cleared for Chicago, the Falcons' passing offense reverts to its established weekly form rather than needing a backup to carry a full game plan.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba's ankle — limited again ahead of Thursday night
Smith-Njigba got hurt on a 16-yard run early in the second quarter of Sunday's loss to San Francisco, playing through it with his ankle taped and finishing with 102 receiving yards and a touchdown. He was a limited practice participant for a second straight day Tuesday, ahead of Thursday night's home game against Denver.
Fantasy take
Smith-Njigba has led Seattle in target share in every game this season, drawing between 31 and 42 percent of the team's targets each week. A short week cuts into the practice reps a receiver that central to the passing game would normally get before a Thursday road trip for the opponent. The ankle held up enough to play through Sunday's game and produce, but two straight limited sessions on a four-day turnaround is a different test than the usual Wednesday-to-Sunday progression.
NFL trade deadline (Nov. 10) — Pollard, Jeudy, Mack, Dickerson named as candidates
The NFL trade deadline is Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. ET. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the 0-4 Titans are candidates to sell, with RB Tony Pollard — in the final year of his contract — drawing interest. Browns WR Jerry Jeudy has just two starts this season despite a $52.5 million contract signed in 2024, and could be shopped for receiving-needy teams. Schefter also reported teams around the league wouldn't be surprised if the Eagles make OL Landon Dickerson available, and Chargers LB Khalil Mack, in a contract year, is viewed as a trade chip for a pass-rush-needy contender.
Fantasy take
Pollard has outsnapped and out-touched Tyjae Spears in most games this season, including 17 carries to Spears' 3 in Week 3. He's still the one getting early-down work in Tennessee. Jeudy's role is different: he played just 37% of Cleveland's snaps in Week 4, third on the depth chart behind rookies Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion. A trade would change each situation in opposite directions, with Pollard leaving a backfield he leads and Jeudy leaving one he's already lost. Mack and Dickerson are both still starters; what puts them in trade talk is an expiring contract, not a change in their play.
Tyreek Hill — jury finds him liable for battery, $500K awarded
A Miami jury found Hill liable Tuesday for two of ten battery counts brought by his estranged wife, Lakeeta Vaccaro, in a civil trial; jurors awarded her $500,000 in compensatory damages and rejected the other eight claims and her request for punitive damages. Hill remains an unsigned free agent recovering from the knee injury that ended his 2025 season; the NFL is still reviewing the allegations under its Personal Conduct Policy. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said Hill's situation is "fluid" and that "a deal could happen any time."
Fantasy take
The verdict splits the case rather than resolving it outright: jurors found Hill liable on two of ten counts while clearing him on the other eight and denying punitive damages. That outcome leaves the Personal Conduct Policy review as the open variable for any team weighing a deal, layered on top of the health question — the last time Hill played a full season, in 2023, he posted 119 catches for 1,799 yards and 13 touchdowns on a 31% target share, the WR1 finish by yardage that year. Nothing about Tuesday's verdict changes the football calculus; it adds a second, separate process teams have to watch alongside his recovery timeline.
Week 6 is shaping up around who clears the practice field this week, not who's already ruled out.
yac.football