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Max Brosmer QB | MIN
Vikings' Max Brosmer: Available as emergency quarterback
Brosmer (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday night's game against the Falcons but is available as the emergency third-string quarerback, Craig Peters of the Vikings' official site reports.
As the emergency third quarterback, Brosmer will be permitted to see the field only if both J.J. McCarthy and Carson Wentz are taken out due to injury, illness or ejection. Brosmer played in all three of the Vikings' preseason games, completing 60.3 percent of his passes for 364 yards, two touchdowns and one interception while adding four carries for seven yards.
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George Pickens WR | DAL
Cowboys' George Pickens: Scores first TD as Cowboy
Pickens caught five of nine targets for 68 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 40-37 overtime win over the Giants.
While he took a back seat to CeeDee Lamb (9-112-0 on 11 targets) and tight end Jake Ferguson (9-78-0 on 12 targets) in terms of volume, Pickens came up big for the Cowboys with a six-yard TD grab from Dak Prescott with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter that gave the team a 34-30 lead -- and which proved to be only the fourth-last score of the afternoon in a wild back-and-forth affair. It was Pickens' first trip to the end zone for Dallas after a fairly quiet debut, but he could be headed for even bigger numbers in Week 3 against a Bears secondary that just got lit up for four receiving touchdowns by the Lions' top WR duo of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams.
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Joe Flacco QB | CIN
Browns' Joe Flacco: Replaced by Gabriel late in loss
Flacco completed 25 of 45 passes for 199 yards with a touchdown and an interception while adding one rush for eight yards in the Browns' 41-17 loss to the Ravens on Sunday. He also lost a fumble.
Flacco's underwhelming line tells the tale of a sluggish afternoon for the Browns' offense, one during which he took two sacks in addition to his two turnovers. Flacco spread the ball around well but was outmanned by an aggressive Ravens defense and an efficient, mistake-free performance by Lamar Jackson. Flacco was replaced by rookie Dillon Gabriel for the final drive -- which did result in a touchdown -- but Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed Flacco would remain the starter for a Week 3 home matchup against the Packers.
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Javonte Williams RB | DAL
Cowboys' Javonte Williams: Finds end zone again
Williams carried the ball 18 times for 97 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 40-37 overtime win over the Giants. He also caught six of seven targets for 33 yards.
After scoring two TDs in a Week 1 loss to the Eagles, Williams churned out another big performance in his second game as a Cowboy, highlighted by a 30-yard run in the third quarter for his third score of the season. The veteran back did benefit from some missed tackles by Giants defenders, but he also showed impressive power, and he continues to solidify his hold on the top job in the Dallas backfield. In Week 3, Williams will take aim at a Bears defense that just got gashed for a combined 151 rushing yards and two touchdowns by the Lions duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.
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DeMarcco Hellams SAF | ATL
Falcons' DeMarcco Hellams: Ready to go for SNF
Hellams (hamstring) is active for Sunday Night Football against the Vikings, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official website reports.
Hellams will make his season debut after being forced to miss the team's Week 1 loss to the Buccaneers due to a hamstring injury. The 25-year-old is set to operate as the top reserve option behind Jessie Bates at strong safety versus Minnesota.
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Jaylen Warren RB | PIT
Steelers' Jaylen Warren: Effective as pass catcher again
Warren rushed the ball 14 times for 48 yards in Sunday's 31-17 loss to the Seahawks. He added four receptions on four targets for 86 yards.
Warren more explicitly accounted for the majority of touches out of Pittsburgh's backfield relative to Week 1, out-touching Kenneth Gainwell 18-8. Warren found very little running room, but he made an impact as a receiver for the second consecutive week. Warren recorded a 65-yard gain, most of which came after the catch, in the middle of the third quarter, during which he bounced off several would-be tacklers before being taken down at the five-yard line. While Warren hasn't had a strong start to the season on the ground, he has six receptions for 108 yards and a touchdown combined across the two contests.
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Dak Prescott QB | DAL
Cowboys' Dak Prescott: Big numbers against Big Blue
Prescott completed 38 of 52 passes for 361 yards and two touchdowns with one interception in Sunday's 40-37 overtime win over the Giants. He added 17 rushing yards on three carries.
It was Prescott's highest yardage total since Week 3 of last season, when he fired up 379 yards in a loss to the Ravens. The veteran QB rebounded in a big way from a quiet Week 1 effort, but the Cowboys' defensive issues may require him to continue putting the ball in the air a lot more often than expected. Prescott could be poised for another big performance in Week 3 against a Bears defense that just got torched for five passing TDs by Jared Goff and the Lions.
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Caleb Williams QB | CHI
Bears' Caleb Williams: Pair of TD passes in loss
Williams completed 19 of 30 passes for 207 yards with two touchdowns and one interception while adding five rushes for 27 yards in the Bears' 52-21 loss to the Lions on Sunday.
Williams' final line was serviceable, but the final score underscores how dominant the Lions were overall. The 2024 first overall pick looked especially impressive in the first half while connecting with Rome Odunze for touchdown passes of 28 and six yards, but he helped lead the Bears to only seven second-half points. Williams connected with seven different targets in his second game in head coach Ben Johnson's offense, and he clearly remains a work in progress in the quarterback-friendly system heading into a Week 3 home matchup against the Cowboys next Sunday.
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Devaughn Vele WR | NO
Saints' Devaughn Vele: Hauls in short TD versus San Fran
Vele caught his only target for three yards and one touchdown during Sunday's 26-21 defeat versus the 49ers.
Vele logged a touchdown on just his second career catch for New Orleans, hauling in a pass on the goal line while running a quick slant out of the slot midway through the fourth quarter. The second-year wideout tied with No. 2 running back Kendre Miller for the team's sixth-most targets Sunday, as quarterback Spencer Rattler tossed at least 34 passes for the second week in a row. Vele has seen pretty limited work during his first two games in New Orleans, and there aren't many opportunities for production behind top wideouts Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed and tight end Juwan Johnson, as those three combined for 24 targets. Vele's limited fantasy value will likely depend on the amount of red-zone and goal-line targets that he sees going forward. His next opportunity will come versus the Seahawks on Sunday, Sept. 21.
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James Pearce Jr. DE | ATL
Falcons' James Pearce: Playing in Week 2
Pearce (groin) is active for Sunday night's contest against the Vikings, Tori McElhany of the Falcons' official website reports.
Pearce will be ready to go for Sunday Night Football after he popped up on the injury report with a groin injury Wednesday, ultimately logging three limited practices. The linebacker failed to record any stats while playing 22 defensive snaps in the team's Week 1 loss to the Buccaneers, so he'll look to make more of an impact versus Minnesota in Week 2.