Happy Week 8, fantasy footballers! Redskins TE Jordan Reed (concussion) was cleared to travel with the team to London for its Sunday morning game against the Bengals. Reed hasn't officially been cleared to play, but you might hear good news about him as early as today. Plan to start him if you've got him.
Reed's teammate Josh Norman (concussion) is in basically the same situation as Reed, but RB Matt Jones (knee) hasn't practiced this week and looks unlikely to play. Change-of-pace back Chris Thompson (owned in 39.1 percent of FOXSports.com leagues) got much of Jones' post-fumble work last week, but Rob Kelley (3.3 percent owned) should get enough carries to be flex-worthy if Jones can't go.
In other news ...
The Lions had RB Theo Riddick, RB Dwayne Washington and TE Eric Ebron back as full practice participants on Thursday. I've got Riddick at RB21 and Washington at RB34 in the weekly rankings. Washington's rank is a bit more guesswork, as his status as the short-yardage back is based more on promise than evidence.
Remember your byes: The Ravens, Rams, Dolphins, Giants, Steelers and 49ers are all off this weekend.
The Denver Post reports that Devontae Booker and Kapri Bibbs "will take on bigger workloads" in C.J. Anderson's extended absence. Look for Bibbs (1 percent owned) to be more sidekick than co-owner in the Bronco backfield, but if you're into stashing and/or handcuffing players, you could do worse.
Blake Bortles cemented his status as a first-ballot inductee into the Garbage Time Hall of Fame (which really should be located in Katie Nolan's studio) thanks to Thursday night's performance. Bortles looked horrendous in the Jags' loss to Tennessee, but finished with 337 passing yards and three touchdowns. Allen Robinson was targeted 15 times, and caught only six passes for 70 yards. It's amazing he caught that many, considering how he had to lunge for Bortles' errant deliveries. To help Robinson's fantasy owners, I'll petition the FOXSports.com fantasy overlords to add degree of difficulty to our scoring system for receivers.
Bills RB LeSean McCoy (hamstring) figures to be a gametime decision, just like last week. Hopefully they'll be smart enough to hold him out this time. I've got Mike Gillislee at RB23 in anticipation of McCoy's absence.
Falcons RB Tevin Coleman (hamstring) looks shaky for Sunday, meaning that Devonta Freeman could be very busy against a tough Packers' run D.
When asked about RB Jamaal Charles on Thursday, Chiefs' co-offensive coordinator Brad Childress said that "it's about his knee being right" and "it's important that he gets himself all the way back." Not too positive, right?
Colts WR Donte Moncrief (shoulder) thinks he'll be ready to return Sunday after a five-week absence. Even if Moncrief suits up, he'd be difficult to trust right away.
Vikings RB Jerick McKinnon (ankle) was seen in a walking boot on Thursday, and should be considered risky for Monday night. Matt Asiata would be the lead back in McKinnon's absence, possibly complemented by Ronnie Hillman. In other Vikings' news, WR Cordarrelle Patterson is in the concussion protocol.
Chargers WRs Tyrell Williams (knee) and Travis Benjamin (knee) were both limited in Thursday's practice, while TE Hunter Henry (concussion symptoms) was back to full participation. Williams and Benjamin might have been just resting on Wednesday, but you don't want to start them in Denver, anyway.
Cardinals WR John Brown is expected to play after missing last week's game due to leg pain caused by his sickle-cell trait, but Michael Floyd (hamstring) looks shaky after missing Thursday's practice. The way the Panthers have been playing defense, all wideouts can be considered against them. J.J. Nelson, anyone?
It looks like Josh McCown will start at QB for the Browns on Sunday against the Jets. When considering DFS lineups, remember that the Jets rank 26th in pass defense and have allowed a 104.1 QB rating. McCown's salary on DraftKings is $5,200. He'll be an interesting, low-owned option for tournaments.
Packers WR Randall Cobb (hamstring) was limited in Thursday's practice. Keep an eye on his status as Sunday approaches, as the Packers aren't saying much.
The Bears will get RB Jeremy Langford back on Monday. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that the team will "limit Langford's snaps," which is good since their backfield is muddled enough already.
Harry Potter fans should know that Richard Sherman named which teammates he'd pick for a Quidditch team. Sherman didn't pick Russell Wilson, who will play Sunday despite knee and pectoral muscle injuries. Wilson has a great matchup at New Orleans, but his lack of usual mobility has him at QB10 in my rankings (that's lower than most).
Patriots RB Dion Lewis (knee) practiced Thursday, starting a 21-day clock for his activation. The Pats have a bye next week, so maybe we'll see Lewis after that. If healthy, he's better than James White, but the health part is a big question (see: Charles, Jamaal). It's OK to stash and hope with Lewis (32.6 percent owned) as long as you don't count on him for much, if that makes sense. If you have specific "Should I cut Player X for Lewis?" questions, tweet me (@jhalpin37).
Good luck in Week 8!
