Friday News Drop

Fantasy’s biggest stories of the week … in two minutes or less.

Austin Ekeler Suffers Torn Achilles

Big blow for Washington fans last night. The Commanders fear Austin Ekeler tore his Achilles late in their loss to Green Bay. He went down on a route in the fourth quarter, had to be helped off, and left the stadium on crutches with a boot. Imaging is scheduled for Friday to confirm, but this could be season-ending. If this injury is as serious as it looks, it opens the door for a major shake-up in Washington’s backfield and will have a huge impact on fantasy drafts moving forward.

No Discipline for Lamar for Fan Altercation

Lamar Jackson will not face any discipline from the NFL for shoving a Bills fan in Week 1. The league said the matter was handled by the Ravens, and the fan has been banned from NFL stadiums. For fantasy owners, this is a relief. Lamar stays on the field, no suspensions to worry about, and we move on to focusing on his Week 2 matchup with the Browns.

Grant Delpit Puts Up Bulletin Board Material

Speaking of the Browns, their safety Grant Delpit said it’s “not hard” to tackle Derrick Henry, which is not a statement many living men would dare to make. Henry has already responded with a “we’ll see on Sunday,” setting up a physical matchup between Cleveland and Baltimore. This is exactly the type of game script that could fuel a monster Henry performance… fantasy managers might see him run angrier than usual.

Brock Purdy a Long Shot

The hits keep coming in San Francisco… Ian Rapoport says Brock Purdy probably will be out 2-5 weeks with a shoulder injury as well as turf toe. That leaves Mac Jones in line to start against New Orleans, and for the next month or so. Purdy managers in 1QB leagues can move on, but in Superflex, Jones is worth a speculative add.

Miami Trying to Right the Ship

The Dolphins held a players-only meeting after their 33-8 loss to the Colts. Tua Tagovailoa said he was happy to see the offense show up to watch film and reset for Week 2. That’s the kind of bounce-back spot fantasy managers love. Expect sharper execution and a potential rebound game for Miami’s playmakers.

Justin Fields showing out in New York

The Jets may have lost in Week 1, but they’re still pumped after Fields’ debut where he ran for two touchdowns, threw for another, and completed 16 of 22 passes. Garrett Wilson says “we’re not done yet,” hinting at more fireworks to come. If you drafted Fields, this is exactly what you wanted to see. And the Jets’ weapons look ready to make noise in fantasy.

Tyreek Hill Under Review

More unfortunate off-the-field news. The NFL is investigating new domestic violence allegations against Tyreek Hill. Any suspension would completely shake up the top of the WR board, so this one matters. Hill wasn’t a first-round fantasy pick this season, but he was still going in the early rounds, so any suspension would hurt his owners, at least in the short-term.

So keep your eye on the news as we head into the weekend… as promised, in 2 minutes or less.

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See you tomorrow,

-Joe