NFL Player News

Saints head coach Kellen Moore informed Shough that he will replace Spencer Rattler as the team's starting quarterback beginning with Sunday's game against the Rams, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

A change at quarterback seemed inevitable after Rattler was benched for Shough midway through this past Sunday's 23-3 loss to the Buccaneers. After falling short in his bid for the starting job during training camp and the preseason, Shough, a second-round pick in April's draft, had come on in relief of Rattler in two games through the first eight weeks of the season, completing 17 of 32 passes for 128 yards, no touchdowns and one interception while adding 12 yards on three carries. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 219 pounds, Shough brings ideal size and a strong throwing arm, but he offers less rushing upside than Rattler and wasn't especially accurate in passer-friendly offenses at Texas Tech and Louisville during his collegiate career. The Saints could look to lean heavily on an Alvin Kamara-led ground attack to help ease the 26-year-old rookie in during his first NFL start.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that Miller recently had his broken finger repaired, but how "functional" the wideout is during practice this week will determine whether he plays Sunday against the Colts, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

Miller appeared to sustain the injury during practice last week, as he was a limited participant Thursday before sitting out Friday's session and then getting ruled out ahead of Sunday's loss to the Packers. The 28-year-old had suited up in each of the Steelers' first six games but had seen only light snaps on offense, totaling just one reception for nine yards on two targets.

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.