| |  | | Sunday, October 29, 2023 | We've gotten so used to bad injury luck this season that it's a genuine surprise when we get some good news, as we did over the course of the weekend with Jerome Ford and Brock Purdy. Earlier in the week, it looked like both players were going to sit out this week's games; Purdy with a concussion, Ford with what was described as a "low-grade, high-ankle" sprain. | But, both got work in Friday during practice, and Purdy has already cleared the concussion protocol and will start Sunday against the Bengals. Ford, meanwhile, still needs to get through pre-game warm-ups, but is apparently trending toward playing without even missing a single game. | You'll get my thoughts on how to handle those two situations along with every other injury you need to know about in today's newsletter, along with my updated rankings for each position. And, if you need more specific help with some of your decisions, the FFT team is here for you in multiple places. Head to Twitter and use the hashtag "#AskFFT", where our whole team will be answering questions all morning; and go to the FFT YouTube channel to chat with Adam Aizer, myself, and the rest of the FFT team starting at 11:30 a.m. ET. We'll be there right up until kickoff answering as many questions as we can, so make sure you're in the chat early to get your questions in. | | Now, here's everything you need to set your Week 8 lineup, plus the latest on injuries and more: | | | | | | Here's what we know – or what we think we know – as of around 11 am: | | Out or probably out | - Justin Fields, QB, Bears (thumb)
- Daniel Jones, QB, Giants (neck)
- Kyler Murray, QB, Cardinals (knee)
- Deshaun Watson, QB, Browns (shoulder)
- Ryan Tannehill, QB, Titans (ankle)
- David Montgomery, RB, Lions (ribs)
- Gary Brightwell, RB, Giants (hamstring)
- Deebo Samuel, WR, 49ers (shoulder)
- Zay Jones, WR, Jaguars (knee)
- Robert Woods, WR, Texans (foot)
- Laviska Shenault, WR, Panthers (ankle)
- Zach Ertz, TE, Cardinals (quadriceps)
- Kyle Granson, TE, Colts (concussion)
| | There shouldn't really be any surprises here, but I do want to highlight Robert Woods, whose absence probably shouldn't directly impact too many Fantasy players. But it does potentially open a path for Tank Dell to be a very good Fantasy option for the next few weeks, with Woods given a 2-to-3 week timetable for his injury. We've gotten some big games from Dell, but he hasn't been consistent enough to trust; that could change with Woods out. | The one other unknown? Who will start for the Titans at QB. Ian Rapoport reported Sunday morning that Will Levis is expected to start in Tannehill's absence and should see "most of the snaps," which still leaves room for Malik Willis to play a role. That'll likely only be for a few option plays to keep the defense honest, but it's enough to make it impossible to trust Levis in his first NFL start, even in a 2QB league. There's some upside here, but my expectations are pretty low. Expect a lot of Derrick Henry this week. | | Still questionable | - Jerome Ford, RB, Browns (ankle)
- Zack Moss, RB, Colts (elbow/heel)
- Tyler Lockett, WR, Seahawks (hamstring)
- Michael Thomas, WR, Saints (illness)
- Joshua Palmer, WR, Chargers (knee)
- Curtis Samuel, WR, Commanders (foot)
- Darren Waller, TE, Giants (hamstring)
| Ford was assumed to be out due to his high-ankle sprain, but apparently was impressive in practice Friday and has a real chance to play this week. I would be wary of trusting him given the injury -- high-ankle sprains have a tendency to limit production even when a player is cleared -- but he's in the RB3 range of the rankings if he plays. That's the same range Moss will occupy assuming he plays, which is expected. I think he'll take on more of a clear-cut No. 2 role behind Jonathan Taylor, and I might have expected it even if Moss was fully healthy. | | Sunday morning reports indicate Lockett is expected to play, Samuel and Waller are all leaning that way too, apparently. The biggest question mark right now is Thomas, who was added to the injury report Saturday with his illness. That late addition to the report is always a concern, so keep an eye on the inactive reports at 11:30 to determine whether to roll him out there; Thomas is in the WR3/4 range. | Palmer looks like a legitimate game-time call after only getting up to a limited practice Thursday. The hope is he'll be able to play, and Palmer has been pretty impressive since Mike Williams' injury, with four straight games of at least 60 yards. He would be in the WR3 discussion if he plays, however with the Chargers not playing until tonight, it might be best to just avoid him if you have other comparable options in the early games. | | On track to play | - Brock Purdy, QB, 49ers (concussion)
- Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jaguars (knee)
- Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, Raiders (back)
- Raheem Mostert, RB, Dolphins (ankle)
- Roschon Johnson, RB, Bears (concussion)
- DK Metcalf, WR, Seahawks (hip/rib)
- JuJu Smith-Schuster , WR, Patriots (concussion)
- Juwan Johnson, TE, Saints (calf)
- Taysom Hill , TE, Saints (chest)
- Gerald Everett, TE, Chargers (hip)
| | Purdy, Lawrence, and Garoppolo all seem good to go barring any unforeseen setbacks, which is good news for their respective offenses. Purdy is a top-15 QB for me in Week 8, while Lawrence is a top-10 option; Garoppolo is more like a QB2. | Mostert figures to remain the lead back for the Dolphins, and it doesn't really seem like there's much risk to his role until De'Von Achane is able to play again; Jeff Wilson was cleared last week and made his season debut, but played just seven offensive snaps. I do expect his role will grow, but not into more than a No. 2 option behind Mostert. | One of the most interesting situations to watch this week will be the Bears backfield. Back when Khalil Herbert got hurt, the initial reaction was that Johnson's Fantasy value was about to take off like a rocket ship, except he suffered a concussion that same week that ultimately cost him two games. With D'Onta Foreman stepping up for a three-touchdown game last week, I'm expecting Johnson to be the No. 2 option here, handling a few carries and most of the passing snaps; more like a replacement for Darrynton Evans than Herbert, in other words. If that's right, Johnson still has some value as an RB3/4, but if it's wrong and he is the lead RB here, there could be a few huge opportunities for him before Herbert is able to come back. He's an interesting DFS play for that upside alone. | | Week 8 rankings updates | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Flex top 125 rankings | | | | |  | |  | | | | | CBS Sports Golazo Network, the first-of-its-kind, free, 24/7 channel dedicated exclusively to global soccer coverage is NOW STREAMING on the CBS Sports App, Pluto TV and Paramount+! Watch Live
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