🗞️ Week 9 Saturday News Drop

Fantasy-relevant stories from this week

Saturday News Drop

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

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Raiders Get Major Offensive Boosts

Big news out of Vegas… both Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers are officially good to go for Week 9 against the Jaguars. Bowers hasn’t played since Week 4 but practiced fully this week after healing up from a PCL sprain and bone bruise. Meyers also returns from a minor knee issue just in time for the trade deadline, and he’s quietly been solid when healthy. For fantasy, this means Bowers goes right back into lineups as a top-tier TE1, and Meyers is a flex-worthy WR3 with upside in what could be a high-scoring game.

Broncos Without Star Corner in Week 9

The Broncos will be without Pat Surtain II this week after ruling him out with a pectoral injury. He wasn’t close to playing, but the team chose not to place him on IR, meaning they expect him back within a few weeks. Denver faces the Raiders and Chiefs before their Week 12 bye, so the target window for his return looks like Week 13. For fantasy, opposing WRs get a slight upgrade… Houston’s wideouts should have a much easier path to production.

49ers Stick With Mac Jones, But Purdy Nears Return

Kyle Shanahan confirmed Mac Jones will start again this week against the Giants, but there’s finally some optimism for Brock Purdy’s return. He’s listed as questionable for the first time since Week 4 and took limited first-team reps in practice, a big step forward after his toe injury setback. Shanahan made it clear they’re easing him back in to avoid re-injury. For fantasy players, this likely means one more week of lower passing volume for San Francisco, but a healthy Purdy could restore their full offensive upside soon.

Ravens Fined for Injury Report Violation

The NFL fined the Ravens $100,000 for incorrectly listing Lamar Jackson’s practice participation last week. The league determined it was a careless mistake, not an attempt to gain an edge, so Baltimore avoided losing a draft pick. They’ve since admitted the error and promised to tighten procedures going forward. No fantasy fallout here (Jackson’s availability wasn’t affected), but it’s a reminder of how much clarity on injury reports matters when setting lineups.

Travis Hunter Injury Update Offers Hope

Initial testing on Travis Hunter’s knee came back encouraging. His ACL is intact. He’s still on injured reserve and will miss at least four weeks, with more testing to come over the weekend to gauge the full extent of the injury. It’s too early to know when he’ll return, but avoiding a torn ACL is huge news. For fantasy players, this keeps hope alive that he could make a late-season impact once healthy.

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

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See you tomorrow,

-Joe

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