Week 1 inactives: Who's in and who's out?
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AJ Mass, ESPN Staff Writer
Whom should you start? Whom should you sit? To help you set your fantasy football lineups and avoid starting an offensive player who won’t be in the lineup, we’ll post fantasy-relevant updates and analysis here as NFL teams release their official inactives lists. Any rankings cited in this column come from our ESPN Fantasy staff ranks.
Official Sunday inactives should begin coming in approximately 90 minutes prior to the scheduled kickoff times: around 11:30 a.m. ET for the early games and 2:30 p.m. ET for the late afternoon games.
Refresh often for the latest information.
4 p.m. ET games
Robert Tonyan, TE, CHI — Questionable
Impact: If he sits, it only increases the fantasy value of Cole Kmet for Week 1.
Jerry Jeudy, WR, DEN — Questionable
Impact: As Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Phillip Dorsett were both promoted from the practice squad, expect Jeudy to sit this one out.
Romeo Doubs, WR, GB — Questionable
Impact: This could go either way, but the Packers could well choose to go even more run-heavy, given all of the uncertainty in the WR room.
Christian Watson, WR, GB — OUT
Impact: Expect Jayden Reed to step into Watson’s shoes in the starting lineup.
Stetson Bennett, QB, LAR — OUT
Impact: With a move to IR likely, we only note this to give you Brett Rypien as the name of Matthew Stafford‘s backup for future reference.
Cooper Kupp, WR, LAR — OUT/IR
Impact: This unfortunate news gives the duo of Tutu Atwell and Puka Nacua a chance to make some sort of name for themselves over the next month.
Hunter Long, TE, LAR — OUT/IR
Impact: With Long and Kupp going on IR, TE Tyler Higbee is likely locked in as the Rams’ most-targeted receiver in Week 1.
DeAndre Carter, WR, LV — Questionable
Impact: Nothing much to see here from a fantasy perspective either way, but this injury does as least put rookie Tre Tucker into the WR mix for Week 1.
De’Von Achane, RB, MIA — Not on injury report, but may sit
Impact: Achane will reportedly not play in Week 1 due to lingering concerns regarding his shoulder. Bump up both Raheem Mostert and Salvon Ahmed a bit.
DeVante Parker, WR, NE — Questionable
Impact: We expect him to sit due to his knee issue and not be there for QB Mac Jones in Week 1. Kendrick Bourne and JuJu Smith-Schuster will have to step up.
Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, NE — Questionable
Impact: Stevenson, who’s dealing with an illness, is expected to play. However, don’t be stunned if Ezekiel Elliott ends up getting more carries in this one.
Sunday night game
Darren Waller, TE, NYG — Questionable
Impact: All signs currently point to Waller playing Sunday night, but given the late kickoff, have the name Daniel Bellinger in your waiver-wire search bar.
Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, NYG — Doubtful
Impact: To paraphrase a line from “Casablanca,” “We’ll always have Parris Campbell.”
1 p.m. ET games
Zach Ertz, TE, ARI — Active
Impact: Although he was limited in practice as he continues to recover from a torn ACL, Ertz will play. Trey McBride might still see extra touches, but he is not worth the fantasy risk.
Marquise Brown, WR, ARI — Active
Impact: Hamstring woes raise a few concerns about 100% participation today, but it appears he’ll be the team’s top WR option this season, albeit in a very shaky offense.
KhaDarel Hodge, WR, ATL — Active
Impact: Drake London and Mack Hollins are still the top WR options in Atlanta this season.
Cordarrelle Patterson, RB, ATL — Inactive
Impact: Bijan Robinson‘s arrival already kind of relegated Patterson to fantasy football’s “dart-throw club” for 2023.
Mark Andrews, TE, BAL — Inactive
Impact: It’s a surprise sit for Andrews. Isaiah Likely becomes your last-minute waiver-wire safety net in Baltimore.
Adam Thielen, WR, CAR — Active
Impact: The fact that he made the trip with the team to Atlanta made it clear that Thielen would be playing.
DJ Chark Jr., WR, CAR — OUT
Impact: Terrace Marshall Jr. was removed from the injury report, so he’s looking good as the Panthers’ No. 3 WR for Sunday (behind rookie Jonathan Mingo) as Chark sits.
Dare Ogunbowale, RB, HOU — Inactive
Impact: Devin Singletary and Dameon Pierce already should eat up the majority of RB touches.
John Metchie III, WR, HOU — OUT
Impact: This pretty much locks in the trio of Noah Brown, Nico Collins and Robert Woods as Houston’s starting WR corps.
Zack Moss, RB, IND — Inactive
Impact: Week 2 seems like a possible return date for Moss, who will then compete with Deon Jackson and rookie Evan Hull for RB touches.
Jonathan Taylor, RB, IND — OUT/IR
Impact: He’s on the PUP list, so he can’t play until Week 5 — and there’s no guarantee he won’t be traded before that return date arrives.
Kendre Miller, RB, NO — Inactive
Impact: Miller didn’t practice Friday. His absence means Jamaal Williams could see nearly all of the Saints’ RB touches.
Tre’Quan Smith, WR, NO — OUT/IR
Impact: Michael Thomas, Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed will be the primary WR options in New Orleans for the first month of the season.
George Kittle, TE, SF — Active
Impact: While this was a question entering the day, he’s going to suit up. Charlie Woerner and Ross Dwelley will have to wait for their chance to shine.
