We Have Injury Updates

Eli Sters notes that Alec Pierce just suffered an injury, which further limits the team's ability to trade depth wide receivers and impacts the team's overall wide receiver depth.

Bijan Robinson is being acquired in a trade for Justin Herbert, DeAndre Swift, and George Pickens; Eli Sters strongly recommends the deal because Robinson is in a completely different tier above Swift and Pickens, and Herbert is no better than a waiver-wire quarterback. Sters states: 'he is still in a completely different tier than Swift, completely different tier than Pickins. So, I would go ahead and I would make this deal.'

Eli Sters suggests down-tiering from Justin Jefferson to Breece Hall and Tedo McMillan as a potential trade option to address running back depth; however, in a separate trade evaluation, Sters views Hall as a downgrade when traded for Cam Satterfield and Malik Neighbors, though he notes the overall trade is fair.

Eli Sters expresses strong reluctance to start Brian Thomas in the given format, viewing him as essentially a zero in fantasy value, which influences his recommendation to trade away Mike Evans in a deal that includes Thomas.

Eli Sters strongly endorses acquiring Brock Bowers in multiple trade scenarios. He says 'very easily I make this move' when trading ETN and Godwin for Bowers even with possible return this week; he would also sell Christian Watson and Colson Loveland to acquire Bowers in a 2-receiver, 1-flex format; he rates London-to-Bowers as a 'lateral move' in another trade proposal. Bowers suffered an injury but remains an elite tight end target.

Eli Sters highlights Brock Purdy as the top quarterback in a team's starting lineup, positioning him as a strong foundation piece for weekly output in a two-receiver, one-flex format. Sters also recommends trading Kale Black for Purdy on a team that just lost Jaden Daniels at quarterback, calling it a no-brainer move to upgrade at the position. Additionally, Flock Fantasy has Brock Purdy ranked as a mid QB1 for the rest of season, reflecting strong quarterback performance and projection.

Eli Sters holds mixed views on Bryce Young's trade value. While noting Young is still incredibly young and contenders are not super excited about trading for him (making him a poor sell candidate in rebuilding), Sters prefers two future first-round picks and Bryce Young over Drake London in dynasty, stating 'Probably give me the two future first and Bryce Young.' He also recommends Young as a waiver-wire quarterback option for teams that lost Jaden Daniels, suggesting short-term pickups from waivers are preferable to trading for established starters until injury timelines clarify.

Bucky Irving is a big-time riser through the first two weeks with strong usage; Eli Sters prefers him over Parker Washington in a trade scenario, noting both players look very good but Irving has the edge. Irving's usage profile has elevated him above Washington in Sters' rankings.

Eli Sters evaluates a trade offer of London and Buck Irving for CeeDee Lamb, calling it a very fair deal that will depend on league format and team construction rather than providing a clear recommendation.

Bears QB Caleb Williams is expected to miss time per Ben Johnson; not a season-ending injury but should lead to him missing weeks three and four at minimum. Eli Sters notes that any game in which Caleb misses means benching every pass catcher in Chicago except DeAndre Swift, making his absence a significant roster constraint.

Eli Sters projects Cardell Tate, a rookie wide receiver with a year-2 quarterback and new coaching staff, to improve as the season progresses. While Tate would rank behind Debo Samuel in week three, Sters expects Tate to outperform Debo for the rest of the season, making him a trade target over established veterans.

Eli Sters evaluates a trade offer of London and Buck Irving for CeeDee Lamb, calling it a very fair deal that will depend on league format and team construction rather than providing a clear directional recommendation.

Eli Sters identifies Chase Brown as one of three viable running back options on a team, expressing approval of the depth at the position alongside Jonathan Taylor and DeAndre Swift.

Eli Sters recommends Chris Godwin as a free waiver wire pickup in a 10-team, 2-receiver, 1-flex format, calling it a 'no-brainer' acquisition. This reflects confidence in Godwin's availability and value as depth WR in the format.

Christian McCaffrey is being traded away for Bijan Robinson. Eli Sters still prefers Robinson, citing hope that he will perform as a top-two running back as drafted, especially with Michael Pennix arriving to potentially improve the Falcons offense.

With Jaden Reed sidelined by back injury, Christian Watson will see even more targets in the Packers offense. Eli Sters prefers Watson over Garrett Wilson in a trade scenario, citing more upside with the Packers offense compared to the Jets offense; he owns Watson in his own league and would not sell him for Wilson. However, Sters also identifies Watson as the easiest to sell in a trade to upgrade at tight end, QB, or RB in a 2-receiver, 1-flex format with depth at WR, suggesting selling Watson (potentially with Colston Loveland) to acquire an elite tight end like Brock Bowers or Trey McBride.

Eli Sters will bench all Bears pass catchers including Kmet when Caleb Williams is out; Kmet becomes unplayable in any game Caleb misses (weeks 3–4 minimum). In trade evaluation, Sters characterizes moving Bowers and Michael Mayer for Kmet as probably a downgrade, with the two tight ends together valued higher than the single Kmet return. Sters ranks Kmet and Mark Andrews in the same tier with Kmet ranked slightly higher; if an owner has both, Sters recommends selling one of them.

Eli Sters will bench all Bears pass catchers including Loveland when Caleb Williams is out; Loveland becomes unplayable in any game Caleb misses (weeks 3–4 minimum). Sters nuked Loveland in his rankings, noting he was already unusable before the Caleb injury, and post-Caleb injury with lowered expectations for the entire Chicago offense, Loveland is considered even worse. Loveland cannot be sold to contenders in a rebuilding scenario and has minimal trade value; Sters suggests selling him in a package deal with Christian Watson to acquire an elite tight end like Brock Bowers, or pairing him with DeVonta Smith to target Trey McBride.

Eli Sters strongly advises against trading DJ Moore for Patrick Mahomes, stating 'I definitely would not trade DJ Moore for Patrick Mahomes.' He emphasizes there is 'no world in which you want to be going through and selling one of those wide receivers for Mahomes. At least not in 99% of leagues with 99% of teams,' reflecting conviction that Moore's WR value significantly exceeds Mahomes' QB value. This applies despite Moore's injury concerns.

Eli Sters identifies DeAndre Swift as the only startable Chicago player when Caleb Williams is out; all other pass catchers should be benched. Swift is also mentioned as a viable waiver wire pickup option for running back depth and one of three viable running back options on a team alongside Jonathan Taylor and Chase Brown. However, Swift is in a completely different tier below Bijan Robinson in trade value.

Eli Sters suggests selling Dak Prescott in a package deal, pairing him with a depth wide receiver to acquire Lamar Jackson and an upside running back like Kyle Manungai. This reflects a strategy to downgrade at QB while upgrading at RB.

Eagles TE Dallas Goedert suffered a sprained MCL on Sunday versus Tennessee and is likely to miss a few weeks. Eli Sters characterizes the Eagles signing Zach Ertz to the practice squad as a negative signal regarding the severity and duration of Goedert's absence.

David Montgomery is identified as a valuable bench asset and a potential waiver wire pickup option to address running back depth when trading down from top-tier receivers like Justin Jefferson; Eli Sters suggests acquiring Montgomery as part of a down-tier trade package.

Eli Sters would trade Deebo Samuel for Cardell Tate despite ranking Debo ahead of Tate in week three, because he expects Cardell Tate (rookie wide receiver with year 2 quarterback and new coaching staff) to improve as time goes on, while he cannot say the same about Debo Samuel's trajectory for the rest of the season. The trade accepts short-term loss for long-term possibility of winning.

DeMarcus Robinson suffered a high ankle sprain, adding to San Francisco's receiver injury woes.

Eli Sters evaluates trades where Derrick Henry is acquired as clear upgrades, indicating he has more value than the players being traded away (ETN). However, Henry is also noted as a league member's primary running back with a significant depth problem at running back two due to injuries to Jordan Mason and JK Dobbins.

With Dallas Goedert sidelined by MCL sprain and Eli Sters already on injured reserve, DeVonta Smith becomes the primary receiving option for the Eagles offense.

Eli Sters includes DeVont Smith as part of an alternative trade package (with Colston Loveland) to target Trey McBride as an elite tight end upgrade, reflecting a strategy to consolidate WR depth into premium TE production.

Drake London's fantasy outlook improved with Michael Penix Jr. arriving as the Falcons' new QB; there is now a light at the end of the tunnel with hope that the offense improves from the worst in the league to slightly below average. Eli Sters moves London up the rankings and makes him startable, though he evaluates London as less desirable than two future firsts and Bryce Young in a dynasty trade scenario. London's upside depends heavily on whether Penix can elevate him; current projections for the Falcons are poor heading into the next week.

Eli Sters strongly recommends acquiring Elijah Moore in a trade where he is received alongside Tedo McMillan for AJ Brown, emphasizing the value gap with 'No question' conviction; Moore's value improves in roster construction scenarios that allow reduced reliance on other receivers like Terry McLaurin.

In a two-receiver, one-flex league format, Eli Sters emphasizes that having an elite tight end is a strategic priority; the format rewards concentrated talent at the position rather than depth, making elite tight ends like Engram particularly valuable.

Fernando Mendoza is being acquired in a trade for Cam Ward in superflex reddraft format; the two quarterbacks are close in value at this stage, though neither is currently a starting quarterback.

Eli Sters prefers Christian Watson over Garrett Wilson in a trade scenario, citing more upside with the Packers offense compared to the Jets offense; he owns Watson in his own league and would not sell him for Wilson. Wilson is also characterized as a downgrade when traded for Saquon Barkley in a multi-player deal (Barkley to Wilson and DeVonta Adams). However, Sters views Wilson as a fair acquisition target in a 14-team league trade for Jaylen Ward and Matthew Golden, and as a clear upgrade over ETN when acquired alongside Asher Genty for Puka Nacua and Travis ETN.

George Kittle is being acquired in a trade for Isaiah Likely in a lateral move, indicating the two tight ends are roughly equivalent in fantasy value.

George Pickens is being traded away as part of a package for Bijan Robinson; Eli Sters notes that Robinson is in a completely different tier above Pickens, making the trade favorable for the Robinson side. Sters also includes Pickens in a phenomenal starting lineup assessment for a two-receiver, one-flex league, indicating strong weekly output potential.

JK Dobbins is now injured, compounding running back depth issues alongside Jordan Mason's injury. He is also identified as a running back three on a team that may need additional running back depth.

Eli Sters evaluates a trade of Jamar Chase and Saquon Barkley for Jalen Gibbs, Garrett Wilson, and Devonte Adams. Chase moving to Gibbs is characterized as an upgrade; Gibbs is identified as the best player in the deal overall, making the trade acceptable despite the downgrade at WR. Sters also includes Chase in a phenomenal starting lineup assessment for a two-receiver, one-flex league, indicating strong weekly output potential.

Eli Sters ranked Jaylen Coker as a wide receiver three rest of season and faced backlash for the ranking, but still views him as a top-24 wide receiver rest of season. Among the options DJ Moore, DeVonta Smith, Parker Washington, Jaylen Coker, and Nico Collins to trade away for an upgrade at running back with ETN, Coker is the name Sters would look to move, suggesting he's the most expendable despite his WR3 ranking. Coker is also being acquired alongside Bijan Robinson in a trade for Justin Herbert, DeAndre Swift, and George Pickens.

Eli Sters notes that coming into the season, James Cook would have been strongly preferred over Kenneth Walker, but after seeing Kenneth Walker's strong performance in Kansas City, the trade calculus has shifted dramatically. Kenneth Walker is now averaging almost 30 fantasy points per game, making him the more desirable asset; Cook is now the less valuable player in any potential trade between the two.

Eli Sters advises against trading Jameson Williams despite poor performance through the first two weeks, arguing that he is currently at a low point and will be significantly better going forward; selling him now would be selling at a low point rather than capitalizing on his eventual improvement.

Eli Sters views Javonte Williams as a clear downgrade compared to Zay Flowers and Bo Nicks in a trade scenario where you give up Brock Purty and Javonte Williams for Zay Flowers and Bo Nicks. He would rather have Zay Flowers and Bo Nicks over Brock Purty.

Eli Sters characterizes Javante Williams to Trevian Henderson as a clear downgrade in a trade scenario, indicating Williams has diminished value relative to Henderson.

Commanders QB Jaden Daniels suffered a dislocated left elbow and is expected to miss time; Eli Sters believes Daniels is likely cooked for the season or will miss at least a month with a brace, though the exact extent is still unknown. Sters notes that Daniels cannot be sold to contenders immediately due to the injury, making him a poor sell candidate in a rebuilding scenario. Daniels has an elbow injury that requires surgery, making him unavailable for the current week. Sters recommends hitting the waiver wire for short-term replacements like Tyler Shuck or Bryce Young rather than trading for Lamar Jackson until there is clarity on Daniels' injury timeline and whether he will return this season.

Eli Sters references Jaylen Daniels' injury status as a key factor in determining whether to overpay for Lamar Jackson on the waiver wire. If Jaylen Daniels is ruled out for the season, then overpaying for Lamar becomes justified; otherwise, evaluate matchups first before making a move.

Packers wide receiver Jaden Reed injured his back on Sunday and is being evaluated for recovery timeline. Eli Sters expects Reed to be a zero and recommends cutting him, with no expectation he plays Thursday.

Eli Sters strongly advises against trading Jaylen Waddle for Patrick Mahomes, stating 'I definitely would not trade Jaylen Wadd for Patrick Mahomes either' and 'there's no world in which you want to be going through and selling one of those wide receivers for Mahomes. At least not in 99% of leagues with 99% of teams.' Sters also recommends holding Waddle, stating 'I would hold waddle,' indicating no compelling reason to sell at this time.

Eli Sters identifies Jaylen Warren (Jadarian Price) as one of several 'valuable players you have on your bench,' indicating the running back has significant fantasy value and could be leveraged in a trade to upgrade the starting lineup.

Eli Sters groups Jeremiah Love among a tier of young players (alongside Quinchon Judkins, Mai Lemon, Roma Coulson, and Colston Loveland) that a rebuilding team should hold onto rather than trade away, indicating he cannot be sold to contenders. This grouping suggests meaningful long-term dynasty value and that Love should not be given up lightly in trades.

Eli Sters identifies Joe Burrow as a downgrade option from Josh Allen, only viable in niche formats (double flex, 3-WR start) with severe skill position depth issues. Downgrading to Burrow would free up a low-end WR, but is not recommended in standard 2-receiver, 1-flex formats. In a separate trade scenario, Sters rates Mahomes-to-Burrow as a 'slight upgrade,' indicating modest positive value in acquiring Burrow at quarterback.

Eli Sters identifies Jonathan Taylor as one of three viable running back options on a team, expressing approval of the depth at the position alongside Chase Brown and DeAndre Swift.

Jordan Mason went down with an injury, creating a running back depth problem for a league member alongside JK Dobbins' injury, leaving Kenneth Gainwell as an unusable running back two option.

Eli Sters advises against trading Josh Allen in most formats, particularly in 2-receiver, 1-flex leagues. He notes that Allen's recent performance wins weeks outright regardless of other roster production, making him a hold. Trading down to Joe Burrow is only viable in niche formats (double flex, 3-WR start) with severe skill position depth issues.

Eli Sters identifies Justin Herbert as a key weakness in a 0-2 team's roster, stating 'The quarterback position has sucked. You have the combination of Drake May and Justin Herbert,' indicating both quarterbacks have underperformed and are dragging down the team's scoring. Herbert does not look much better than a waiver-wire quarterback right now, making him a prime candidate to trade away.

Eli Sters suggests a league member could consider down-tiering from Justin Jefferson to acquire additional depth at running back and receiver, trading Jefferson for players like Achane and Pickins to address roster injuries. In another scenario, Sters recommends down-tiering from Jefferson to acquire multiple startable pieces (Malik Neighbors and David McGomery or DeAndre Swift) as a necessary strategy when waiver wire options are limited and league mates have already secured depth.

Kenneth Gainwell is not usable as a running back two option; Eli Sters notes he cannot be relied upon to fill depth needs for a league member dealing with injuries to Jordan Mason and JK Dobbins.

Kenneth Walker is averaging almost 30 fantasy points per game in Kansas City and has become the more desirable asset compared to James Cook; Eli Sters notes Walker is now ranked above Justin Jefferson and is preferred over Cook in trade scenarios. However, his owner is unlikely to trade him given his obvious breakout value and strong recent performance.

Eli Sters recommends playing Kyler Murray in the short term while Caleb Williams recovers; Murray has rushing upside and faces the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who don't look good at this point.

With the Chargers losing two tight ends to injured reserve, the team will run fewer two tight end sets and more three wide receiver sets, which is good for McConkey's opportunity.

Eli Sters advises against overpaying for Lamar Jackson immediately after Jaden Daniels' injury; recommends waiting for clarity on Daniels' timetable before making a move. Only if Daniels is ruled out for the season should you overpay for Lamar; otherwise, hit the waiver wire first and re-evaluate based on matchups.

Eli Sters rates Luther Burden unfavorably in multiple trade contexts. In a Leaporta/Burden-for-Rice/Goddard deal, he states 'Burden verse Rice. I'd rather have Rice pretty easily,' indicating Burden is underperforming or less valuable than Rice. When comparing Burden to Garrett Wilson in dynasty, Sters chooses Wilson, saying 'give me Garrett Wilson,' further suggesting Burden is the less desirable option.

Eli Sters projects Malik Nabers with a 45% chance of scoring 15 or more fantasy points in week 2. Sters ranks Nabers back-to-back with DeVonta Adams but recommends starting Adams over Nabers due to lowered expectations for the Giants offense following Puka Nakua's injury.

Eli Sters ranks Mark Andrews and Cole Kmet in the same tier, with Kmet ranked slightly higher. Sters recommends selling one of the two if an owner has both.

With Jaden Reed sidelined by back injury, Matthew Golden will see even more targets in the Packers offense. Eli Sters evaluates trading away Golden and Jaylen Ward for Garrett Wilson in a 14-team league as a fair deal, though notes the trade puts the team at risk if one of their top two RBs gets injured, suggesting Golden is expendable but the trade carries risk.

Eli Sters evaluates a trade scenario where Michael Mayer and Jalen Bowers are moved for Cole Kmet, characterizing this as probably a downgrade; the two tight ends together are valued higher than the single Kmet return, indicating Mayer retains solid value.

Michael Penix Jr. has been officially announced as the Falcons starter for Thursday night against Green Bay; however, the market has moved minimally on the Falcons' win probability (26% to 28%) and team total (19.5 points), suggesting limited offensive improvement despite the quarterback change. Before the announcement, the Packers had a 74% chance of winning; after the announcement, the Falcons moved from 26% to 28%—essentially no change.

Shanahan said he did not believe Mike Evans' hip injury was serious and he could have returned in Sunday's fourth quarter if needed. Evans is included in a phenomenal starting lineup assessment for a two-receiver, one-flex league, indicating strong weekly output potential. He is also identified as a clear upgrade in a trade scenario and as one of several valuable players on a bench that could be leveraged in trades.

In a proposed trade of Mahomes, London, and Kelsey for Burrow and Bowers, Eli Sters rates London-to-Bowers as a 'lateral move,' indicating no clear advantage either direction in the swap.

Parker Washington is a big-time riser through the first two weeks with strong usage; Eli Sters notes both he and Bucky Irving look very good, though he prefers Irving in a trade scenario. Washington's usage has improved significantly early in the season.

Eli Sters advises against acquiring Patrick Mahomes by trading elite WR assets like DJ Moore or Jaylen Waddle, stating there is 'no world' in which this trade makes sense in 99% of leagues with 99% of teams. However, in a separate multi-player trade scenario (Mahomes, London, and Kelsey for Burrow and Bowers), Sters rates Mahomes-to-Burrow as a 'slight upgrade,' indicating modest positive value in moving from Mahomes to Burrow at QB.

Eli Sters cautions against trading for Puka Nakua due to his injury status; he was ruled inactive, which reduced the Rams' win probability from 75% to 73%. Sters expresses discomfort with the risk profile of acquiring Nakua in a trade for Bashel Tutin and Amanra St. Brown, stating that if taking a risk on injured players, it should only be when it's a 'no-brainer' win-now scenario.

Eli Sters confirms Puka Nacua is officially out for tonight's game. He was trending toward being out and this was the base expectation. If selling Puka, you must do so at a discount given his current injury status and uncertain return timeline—he is missing tonight's game and could miss next week and the week after, with no clear timeline for his return.

With the Chargers losing two tight ends to injured reserve, the team will run fewer two tight end sets and more three wide receiver sets, which is good for Johnston's opportunity. However, Johnston has minimal trade value and cannot be moved effectively in trades; Sters indicates he should be held rather than traded away. Johnston is available as a backup wide receiver option on the bench but not a preferred starter.

Eli Sters groups Quinchon Judkins among a tier of young players (alongside Jeremiah Love, Mai Lemon, Roma Coulson, and Colston Loveland) that a rebuilding team should hold onto rather than trade away, indicating he cannot be sold to contenders. This grouping suggests meaningful long-term dynasty value and that Judkins should not be given up lightly in trades.

Eli Sters mentions R.J. Arvey as one of the top running backs on a team that might be a trade target for running back depth, suggesting the team has limited RB options and could be a potential trade partner.

Eli Sters evaluates two separate trade scenarios involving Saquon Barkley. In the first, Barkley is traded away for Garrett Wilson and DeVonte Adams, characterized as a downgrade. In the second, Sters advises against trading Achan and ETN for Barkley, stating 'Do not do that, man. No reason to,' indicating Barkley's current trade value does not justify the cost of those two players.

Eli Sters strongly advises against trading for Stefon Diggs in light of Jaden Daniels' injury, stating 'No way in hell I am doing this now that we have the Jaden Daniels injury,' indicating Diggs' value is significantly diminished by his quarterback's injury status.

Eli Sters recommends Tank Bigsby as a waiver-wire running back option to address depth concerns in a single-flex league, suggesting he is an available target for teams needing running back help.

Eli Sters notes that in a trade scenario involving multiple receiver moves, the team would not have to rely as heavily on Terry McLaurin, suggesting his role or target share could be reduced or that his absence from the roster would be manageable given other receiving options.

Eli Sters views Travis Etienne as a clear downgrade compared to Garrett Wilson in a trade scenario. In the proposed trade of Puka Nacua and Travis Etienne for Asher Genty and Garrett Wilson, Sters considers it a fair deal overall despite the Etienne downgrade.

With the Chargers losing two tight ends (David Njoku and Charlie Kolar) to injured reserve, the team will run fewer two tight end sets and more three wide receiver sets, which is good for Harris's opportunity.

Eli Sters identifies Trey McBride as an elite tight end upgrade target in a 2-receiver, 1-flex format. He suggests a trade package of Colston Loveland and DeVont Smith to acquire McBride, positioning him as an alternative to Brock Bowers for consolidating WR depth into premium TE production. McBride is a priority acquisition for teams with WR depth.

Eli Sters identifies Tucker Kraft as one of several 'valuable players you have on your bench,' indicating the tight end has significant fantasy value and could be leveraged in a trade to upgrade the starting lineup.

Eli Sters prefers Zay Flowers and Bo Nicks over Brock Purdy in a trade scenario where you give up Brock Purdy and Javonte Williams for Zay Flowers and Bo Nicks, indicating Flowers has better value or upside relative to the quarterback.