Tony Pollard misses two straight practices 😬

Make sure to stay tuned later today for the latest episode of the Upper Hand Fantasy Podcast: WR & TE Matchups! Also, if you haven’t already – make sure to listen to yesterday’s episode as well where Faraz and Zach talk buys and sells, the latest news, plus QB & RB Matchups!

• Titans RB Tony Pollard misses second straight day of practice on Thursday with foot injury

  • The hope after Pollard missed practice Wednesday was that it was just a veteran’s day off, but it appears that there might actually be something here with this foot injury after Pollard was forced to miss his second straight practice of the week. With Tyjae Spears also missing both practices this week, as well, Tennessee suddenly could find itself worn incredibly thin at running back going into Week 9 against the Patriots. The lone healthy back at this point is Julius Chestnut, who has worked in with Pollard on brief intervals to help keep him fresh. Fantasy managers will want to pay close attention to practice reports later today, as anything besides a limited or full participation in practice would be enough to hit the panic button on Pollard. Should Pollard miss, Chestnut would be worth a start as nothing more than a flex on a Titans offense that has struggled mightily in the first half of the season. Could the Titans simply be giving Pollard some time off during the week since he’s handled a full workload since Tyjae Spears has been out? It’s possible, but not likely and would be optimistic speculation at best. The Titans are supremely banged up across the board and are unlikely to boast a top fantasy scorer any time soon without the likes of Pollard in the starting lineup.

• Panthers rookie WR Xavier Legette gets limited session on Thursday with toe injury; rookie RB Jonathon Brooks practices in full

  • Legette was a full participant in practice on Wednesday before being added to the injury report yesterday, which would suggest that Legette picked up an injury at some point during practice. They’re calling it a toe injury for the former first-rounder, and we’ll have a better idea about the extent of the injury when today’s practice report is released. If he’s able to practice in full or even in a limited fashion, fantasy managers will likely be able to roll into the weekend with assurance that he’s set to play. A DNP, on the other hand, would indicate that Legette could be set to miss Carolina’s Week 9 tilt against the Saints. Legette would have been a flex play at best with Bryce Young set to start anyway, so it shouldn’t be too staggering a loss for managers who were set to start him this week. Meanwhile, rookie RB Jonathon Brooks has officially logged to full practices this week, and the goal – per HC Dave Canales –is to get Brooks on the field this weekend. It’s hard to imagine him stepping into any type of fantasy relevant role, let alone bell cow one, with Chuba Hubbard playing as well as he is. Fantasy managers will likely be able to leave Brooks on the bench this week despite a strong matchup on paper against the Saints.

• Ravens QB Lamar Jackson misses both practices to open the week on Wednesday/Thursday, status appears to be up in the air for Week 9

  • A DNP on a Wednesday often isn’t any real reason for concern for a player of Lamar Jackson’s caliber, as they’re often just for load management as Ravens HC John Harbaugh indicated was the case. However, Jackson made it a streak yesterday of days gone by without practice, missing Thursday’s with a combination of knee and back injuries. Given that there was no report following Baltimore’s game last Sunday that Lamar was dealing with any kind of injury, two absences to open the week are certainly out of left field. Friday will prove pivotal in getting a real understanding of whether or not Jackson is in any real jeopardy of missing Week 9, but a touch matchup against the Broncos stout defense awaits as Pat Surtain II and co. come to town. It’ll be next to impossible to replace Jackson in fantasy lineups and in real life (obviously), but fantasy managers should wait until today’s injury report is made available before making any roster moves to address his potential absence. Should Jackson not be able to suit up, the entire Ravens passing attack would receive steep downgrades in an already tough matchup, while Derrick Henry could be leaned on even more heavily with his dynamic backfield running mate potentially sidelined.

Buy RB Jonathan Taylor, IND

• Taylor was a buy last week, and despite a solid game, a buy window is still open. He has a tough matchup against Minnesota this week, but with Joe Flacco behind center, two things happen. One, the offense improves, so more goal line opportunities. Two, he’ll get more targets from a statue QB. The Colts offensive line is playing very well, so I’m not too worried about what seems like a tough schedule on paper.

Sell RB Rhamondre Stevenson, NE

• I can’t trust the Patriots offense, and I can’t trust Stevenson’s role to stay steady throughout the year, so I’m selling high. We’ve seen Antonio Gibson take on a passing down role, we’ve seen Stevenson do it, and we’ve seen Jamycal Hasty in that role, as well. He’s averaged 2.4 yards/carry over the last two weeks, and he now gets two very tough matchups in Tennessee and in Chicago.

Buy RB Christian McCaffrey, SF

• The word is that CMC will be back in Week 10 after the 49ers bye week. There’s also a chance he doesn’t receive the full workload we’re used to. Here’s the thing - even if you cut his workload by 30%, you still have a RB1 with overall RB1 potential given his usage in the receiving game and the quality of his offense. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if CMC came back and ended up winning leagues.

Sell RB Raheem Mostert, MIA

• Sell Mostert to someone who might be desperate for a RB. Miami’s offense is back, and Mostert got all of the goal line work last week. I can see that role moving back and forth behind he and Achane, and Mostert will need perfect situations to come through if he’s only depending on those goal line TDs. Add him in as a throw-in to trade offers this week and see what you can buy up to.