NFL Player News

Iosivas failed to secure any of his three targets in Sunday's 39-38 loss to the Jets.

Iosivas was held without a catch for the third time this season despite playing a solid 80 percent of the Bengals' offensive snaps Sunday. The 26-year-old continued to operate as Cincinnati's No. 3 wide receiver behind both Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, though that role has not led to much fantasy production this season. With Chase and Higgins commanding such a large target share in the Bengals' offense, Iosivas will continue to struggle to make much noise in the stat sheet on a weekly basis. Barring injuries, the third-year wideout is best ignored for fantasy purposes. Next up for the Bengals is a Week 9 matchup against the Bears.

Head coach Dave Canales hinted Monday that Hubbard is likely to cede more carries to Rico Dowdle, Steve Reed of the Associated Press reports. "Chuba has meant a lot to this organization and certainly to the identity that we want to build and we wanted to give him the opportunity to go out there and to continue to impact our team in a positive way," Canales said. "But we cannot ignore the fact that Rico has been exceptional. ... We love tempo and violence that he is running with. These are things we are looking back on the last four games and really taking a snapshot of what has been successful for us."

Carolina has more of a financial commitment to Hubbard after inking him to a four-year, $33.2 million extension last November, but Dowdle's stellar results over the past four weeks have made it difficult for Canales to justify a two-pronged approach in the backfield. While Hubbard was sidelined in Weeks 5 and 6 with a calf injury, Dowdle racked up 473 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns in wins over the Dolphins and Cowboys. The offseason signing has continued to thrive while being used in a timeshare with Hubbard over the past two games, averaging 5.3 yards on his 25 carries, more than doubling up the incumbent's average of 2.5 yards on 26 totes. Hubbard isn't expected to disappear from Carolina's game plan completely and could even continue to make what amount to ceremonial starts, but Canales' comments indicate that Dowdle is viewed as the team's clear top option on the ground heading into Sunday's game in Green Bay.

Head coach Dave Canales hinted Monday that he's inclined to give Dowdle the bulk of the Panthers' carries rather than having him split work evenly with Chuba Hubbard, Steve Reed of the Associated Press reports. "Chuba has meant a lot to this organization and certainly to the identity that we want to build and we wanted to give him the opportunity to go out there and to continue to impact our team in a positive way," Canales said. "But we cannot ignore the fact that Rico has been exceptional... We love tempo and violence that he is running with. These are things we are looking back on the last four games and really taking a snapshot of what has been successful for us."

While Hubbard was sidelined with a calf injury in Weeks 5 and 6, Dowdle took full advantage of his opportunity to serve as Carolina's lead back, amassing 473 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns in wins over the Dolphins and Cowboys. In the two games since Hubbard returned, he alternated series with the offseason signing, but Dowdle has handily been the more productive back, averaging 5.3 yards on 25 carries compared to the incumbent's 2.5 yards on 26 carries. Though Hubbard may be on the field for the first snap Sunday in Green Bay, Canales' comments point to the touches tilting more dramatically in Dowdle's favor.

Njoku is a candidate to be moved ahead of the Nov. 4 trade deadline, Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

The Browns are on bye in Week 9, giving the organization a chance to reassess, evaluate and potentially make changes after a 2-6 start to the season. Njoku, 29, stands out as a possible trade chip for the Browns, given that he's in the final year of his contract in addition to the fact that Cleveland has a promising rookie tight end on its roster in Harold Fannin. Njoku is coming off a productive outing in the Browns' Week 8 loss to the Patriots on Sunday, when he caught four of five targets for 37 yards and a touchdown. He notably played eight fewer snaps than Fannin, though the blowout nature of the contest may have been a factor in the Browns' decision to scale back Njoku's playing time.

Miller did not log a target over 20 snaps in the Buccaneers' 23-3 win over the Saints on Sunday.

Despite the absences of Mike Evans (IR, collarbone/concussion) and Chris Godwin (fibula), Miller wasn't able to draw a single target from Baker Mayfield, who attempted only 24 passes on the afternoon. Miller has just a 2-34-1 receiving line on four targets across eight games this season, and with Godwin likely able to return following the Week 9 bye, the former has virtually no fantasy value for the foreseeable future.

Johnson didn't draw a target but returned one punt for eight yards in the Buccaneers' 23-3 win over the Saints on Sunday.

Johnson logged six snaps on offense but didn't garner Baker Mayfield's attention despite the Buccaneers' multiple absences at receiver. The second-year wideout's most reliable week-to-week role is as a returner, and even that took a hit Sunday when Sean Tucker handled both of Tampa Bay's kickoff returns.

Johnson secured five of six targets for 43 yards in the Buccaneers' 23-3 win over the Saints on Sunday.

Johnson's catch and yardage totals were both team highs on an afternoon when Baker Mayfield threw for just 152 yards. The rookie's reception tally also qualified as a new career high, as Johnson benefited considerably from the absences of Mike Evans (IR, collarbone/concussion) and Chris Godwin (fibula). While Godwin is likely to get healthy over Tampa Bay's Week 9 bye, Evans will be out until late in the season in a best-case scenario, ensuring Johnson should continue enjoying an elevated role for the foreseeable future.

Hunt (ankle/knee) rushed nine times for 40 yards and a touchdown while taking his only reception for a two-yard score in Monday's 28-7 win over Washington.

Hunt overcame a pair of minor injuries and a limited practice week in order to suit up for Monday's primetime tilt. The 29-year-old rewarded steadfast managers with his second multi-score performance this season. Isiah Pacheco (12-58-0) led the team in rushing yards, but Hunt's pair of scores lifted the veteran to the superior fantasy line. With five total touchdowns to Pacheco's one, Hunt should continue being the favored back near the opponent's goal line for Sunday's road tilt against Buffalo.

Pacheco rushed 12 times for 58 yards and was not targeted in Monday's 28-7 win over Washington.

Pacheco finished as the Chiefs' leading rusher a week after scoring his first touchdown of the season. His 58 rushing yards also represented a new high-water mark through eight appearances, which also highlights his capped production as part of a backfield committee. Teammate Kareem Hunt still finished with the superior fantasy score after cashing in a pair of touchdowns in the lopsided win. Pacheco did absorb a hard shot to his right knee late in the contest, but he was seen moving freely on the sidelines after being checked out by the medical staff. Fantasy managers will want to monitor the rotation piece's status during the practice week ahead of a potential shootout against the Bills in Week 9.

Rice corralled all nine of his targets for 93 yards and a touchdown while adding two carries for 12 rushing yards in Monday's 28-7 win over Washington.

Rice stayed red-hot following his two-score debut in Week 7 with another trip to the end zone against the Commanders on Monday Night Football. In addition to his stellar receiving totals, the 25-year-old chipped in a pair of rare rushing attempts, matching the combined number of attempts from his first two seasons as a pro. Rice has accumulated 147 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns on 21 touches while reclaiming the No. 1 receiver role for Kansas City in two starts since returning from a six-game suspension. Fantasy managers have to feel great about Rice's role and production heading into a potential shootout against Buffalo on Sunday.