NFL Player News

Jefferson (hamstring) is expected to practice this week but won't necessarily play Sunday against the Saints, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The Vikings appear poised to designate Jefferson for a return from injured reserve --possibly as soon as later Wednesday -- a transaction that would open a 21-day window in which he can be evaluated before being reinstated to the active roster. His fantasy value has taken a hit with quarterback Kirk Cousins (Achilles) out for the season, but any thought of shutting Jefferson down or resting him longer than necessary seems to have gone out the window with Minnesota winnings four straight games and currently in position for the No. 7 seed in the NFC. His talent and dominant target share should allow Jefferson to remain a high-end fantasy starter with Joshua Dobbs (or Jaren Hall) at quarterback, though he probably won't be quite as efficient as he was with Cousins under center.

Chark (elbow) is listed as doubtful for Thursday's game against the Bears.

Chark has missed three straight practices leading up to Thursday's road contest, despite getting in some limited practice sessions the week prior and even managing to suit up versus the Colts this past Sunday. At this point, Chark looks to be trending toward an absence for the Week 10 matchup. His status will be made official when the Panthers release their inactive list 90 minutes prior to Thursday's 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff.

Burks (concussion) won't practice Wednesday, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Per Wyatt, head coach Mike Vrabel previously relayed that Burks remains in the NFL's concussion protocol and isn't expected to be available Sunday against the Buccaneers. If Burks is in fact sidelined this weekend, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Chris Moore and Kyle Philips would be in line to fill snaps at receiver behind No. 1 wideout DeAndre Hopkins.

Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said that London (knee) will be back on the practice field Wednesday, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

London wasn't able to practice in any capacity last week en route to being listed as inactive ahead of the Falcons' loss to the Vikings, but Smith says the wideout is now "trending in the right direction." If London is indeed able to practice in even a limited capacity Wednesday, it will represent a notable step toward him being available to play this Sunday in Arizona.

Jones (thumb) was designated to return from IR on Wednesday.

Jones will now have a 21-day window to practice with the team before he needs to be added to the 53-man roster. However, the 2023 fourth-round selection could return as soon as Sunday against the Texans. Although he only played three snaps on offense in three contests before he suffered the thumb injury, the 25-year-old was operating as the team's punt returner, a role he'll work to get back once he retakes the field.

Thompkins was not targeted over nine snaps but returned three kickoffs for 54 yards and ran back three punts for 22 yards in the Buccaneers' 39-37 loss to the Texans on Sunday.

Thompkins was once again way behind No. 3 wideout Trey Palmer (48 snaps) in terms of playing time and logged just one more snap than fellow reserve Rakim Jarrett, although the latter joined Thompkins in going without a target. The diminutive Thompkins does have 13 receptions on the campaign, but he's now gone without a target in back-to-back games and only carries fantasy value in deep formats that count return yards.

Davis failed to reel in either of his two targets in Sunday's 24-18 loss to the Bengals.

A week after recording season highs in both targets (12) and receptions (nine), Davis was held without a catch for the first time in 2023. His low volume on a night when Josh Allen attempted 38 passes is concerning, but Davis has seen five targets or fewer in six of nine games this year. With that said, he's always a threat to find the end zone, as he has amassed five touchdowns through those nine games. The 24-year-old's inconsistency makes him difficult to trust in fantasy, but he's proven that he can be a difference maker in Buffalo's high-powered offense. Davis will look to have a bounce-back performance when the Bills host the Broncos in Week 10.

Taylor reverted to the Jets' practice squad Tuesday, per the NFL's transaction log.

In his second appearance this season Monday, Taylor turned two targets into one catch for seven yards. Zach Wilson and the Jets' passing offense have been dreadful through eight games this season, so any Jets pass catcher not named Garrett Wilson has essentially been radioactive for the purposes of fantasy.

Dallas signed Bryant to its practice squad Tuesday, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Just three days after being reinstated from his indefinite suspension, Bryant has already found an opportunity with a new team. The Cowboys' receivers behind CeeDee Lamb have proven mostly unreliable so far this season, so it wouldn't be too surprising to see Bryant called up sooner rather than later.

The Seahawks released Lindsey from the practice squad Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

The undrafted rookie out of Oregon State spent the offseason with the Seahawks and much of the first two months of the season on the team's practice squad. He's yet to appear in a regular-season game.