NFL Player News

Stafford (back) completed 21 of 29 pass attempts for 245 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 14-9 victory over the Texans.

Stafford missed the entire preseason dealing with a minor back injury, getting cleared just in time to start the regular-season opener. The veteran signal-caller showed no ill effects under center, producing a 109.1 passer rating with no turnovers in a tight victory. With Davante Adams (4-51-0) replacing Cooper Kupp across from star wideout Puka Nacua (10-130-0) this season, Stafford has one of the best WR duos at his disposal heading into next Sunday's road game against the Titans.

Gay did not attempt a field goal and made a three of his extra-point tries in Sunday's 21-6 win over the Giants.

Gay signed with the Commanders in the offseason, taking over as the starting kicker in Washington after spending the last two seasons with the Colts. Gay had a rather uneventful debut with the team, but he'll have another shot at making a bigger impact in Thursday's matchup with the Packers in Green Bay.

Stroud completed 19 of 27 pass attempts for 188 yards, no touchdowns and one interception while taking five carries for 32 yards in Sunday's 14-9 loss to the Rams.

Stroud struggled to finish drives Sunday, leading three lengthy possessions that ended in field-goal attempts. A second-half interception cemented the signal-caller's poor outing and a loss to begin the 2025 campaign. Stroud and his fantasy managers were hoping for a better start after the offense petered out down the stretch last season. Houston will have an extra day to figure things out offensively before hosting the Buccaneers on Monday Night Football in Week 2.

Fitzgerald made his only field-goal attempt and a PAT in Sunday's 26-10 loss to the Jaguars.

Fitzgerald connected on a 48-yard field goal in the first quarter, tying the game at 3-3 in the early going. The kicker beat out Matthew Wright for the starting role in Carolina this season, and he has now opened the year with a spotless performance.

Ford rushed the ball six times for eight yards in Sunday's 17-16 loss to the Bengals. He added one reception on one target for minus-3 yards.

Ford was expected to serve as Cleveland's lead back, but he was instead out-touched 20-7 by Dylan Sampson. Ford didn't help himself with his opportunity, as he averaged only 1.3 yards per attempt, with his longest gain on the ground going for only two yards. Things aren't likely to get better for Ford moving forward, as Quinshon Judkins is expected to join the backfield as soon as Week 2 against Baltimore.

Sampson rushed the ball 12 times for 29 yards in Sunday's 17-16 loss to the Bengals. He added eight receptions on eight targets for 64 yards.

Sampson was expected to serve as the change-of-pace back in Cleveland, but he took the first carry for the Browns and out-touched Jerome Ford 20-7. Sampson wasn't particularly impressive on the ground, but he was still more efficient than Ford. He ultimately made his mark as a pass catcher, however, as he led the Browns in receptions (eight) and was second in yards (64). While it was an encouraging debut for Sampson, the backfield is likely to grow more crowded with the addition of Quinshon Judkins in Week 2 against Baltimore.

McPherson made his lone field-goal attempt and both of his extra-point tries in Sunday's 17-16 win over the Browns.

The kickers were the difference in this contest, as McPherson made all three of his kicks, while Browns kicker Andre Szmyt made just one of his two field goals and also missed an extra point. McPherson's 35-yard field goal in the third quarter to put the Bengals up 17-16 proved to be the difference. In Cincinnati's high-powered offense, McPherson should be busy this season.

McLaughlin went 1-for-2 on field-goal attempts and 2-for-3 on his extra-point tries in Sunday's 23-20 win over the Falcons.

McLaughlin missed a 44-yard attempt wide left in the third quarter and then doinked an extra point off the left upright near the end of the fourth quarter that would have put the Bucs up by four points. Instead, it left the door open for the Falcons to potentially tie the game late, though Younghoe Koo missed a 44-yard field goal with six seconds left. McLaughlin figures to be busy this season in the Bucs' high-powered offense. He made 30 of 32 field-goal tries last season and 54 of 56 extra-point attempts.

Purdy completed 26 of 35 pass attempts for 277 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions while taking five carries for 17 yards in Sunday's 17-13 win over the Seahawks.

Purdy really had to earn this victory after losing star tight end George Kittle (hamstring) early in this contest, followed by a second-half departure of WR Jauan Jennings (shoulder). The lack of a supporting cast was highlighted on Purdy's game-winning touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, when he dialed up third-string TE Jake Tonges in the back corner of the end zone. The 49ers' signal-caller had his share of struggles with a pair of untimely interceptions, the second of which he threw directly into triple coverage. The overall results were a net positive from a fantasy perspective, leaving Purdy as a mid-tier fantasy option heading into a Week 2 matchup the Saints next Sunday.

Fannin caught seven of nine targets for 63 yards in Sunday's 17-16 loss to Cincinnati in Week 1. He also had one carry for three yards.

Fannin had a drop in the fourth quarter that factored into a drive that stalled on the Bengals' side of the field, but other than that, the rookie tight end built off a strong preseason. The 2025 third-round draft pick had one catch for more than 20 yards and led all Cleveland pass-catchers in targets, including the player starting ahead of him at tight end, David Njoku (six targets). The Browns lack quality target depth, which may prompt defenses to focus on Njoku and Jerry Jeudy. That could lead to Fannin producing more games like Sunday's and becoming a relevant fantasy option.