morning wood - daily NFL report - 09/25/26
MORNING FANTASY REPORT — FRIDAY, SEPT. 25
WEEK 3 | NFL FANTASY FOOTBALL
HEADLINE
Week 3 is a monitor-and-adjust slate. Several key fantasy starters carry injuries or missed practices, so hold off on close start/sit decisions until final inactive lists on Sunday. Philadelphia at Chicago is Monday night.
INJURY ALERTS
Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington
OUT — Elbow injury. Remove from all Week 3 lineups. Washington’s passing game takes a major downgrade.
Caleb Williams, QB, Chicago
DNP — Hamstring. Do not assume he will play Monday night. Have a contingency plan if he is your starter.
Jaxson Dart, QB, NY Giants
OUT FOR SEASON — Knee injury. Expect a major change to the Giants’ offense and reevaluate the outlook for New York pass catchers. Malik Nabers practiced fully with a shoulder issue.
Nico Collins, WR, Houston
DNP — Hamstring. Major Sunday-morning decision. Houston plays at Indianapolis at 1 p.m. ET, so have an early-window replacement ready.
Puka Nacua, WR, LA Rams
DNP — Hip injury. Risky Sunday-night lineup decision until more clarity arrives.
Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore
DNP — Hamstring. Monitor final reports before starting him against Dallas.
Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia
EXPECTED TO PLAY — Stinger. Start if active, but monitor Sunday reports. Philadelphia plays Monday night, so keep a late-game backup option available.
Jayden Reed, WR, Green Bay
OUT — Neck injury. Downgrade Green Bay’s receiving depth and look for target redistribution.
Dallas Goedert, TE, Philadelphia
OUT FOR SEVERAL WEEKS — Knee injury. Philadelphia has a meaningful opening for additional targets among secondary receivers and tight ends.
Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas
LIMITED — Knee injury. Still startable if active, but he is no longer an automatic set-and-forget play.
TOP WAIVER TARGETS
Jonah Coleman, RB, Denver
Top overall Week 3 waiver target, but he missed practice with an ankle issue. Add for upside, but do not immediately force him into your starting lineup.Denzel Boston, WR, Cleveland
High-upside bench addition for teams needing receiver depth or breakout potential.Tank Bigsby, RB, Philadelphia
Priority contingent-value add while Barkley deals with a stinger. He is an add-first player, not a must-start unless Barkley’s status worsens.Emanuel Wilson, RB, Seattle
Worth adding for running-back depth as Seattle’s backfield carries injury uncertainty.Oronde Gadsden II, TE, LA Chargers
Best tight-end add of the week. David Njoku and Mason Kolar are on IR, creating a potential TE1 opportunity for Gadsden.Bryce Young, QB, Carolina
Useful QB streamer for teams replacing Jayden Daniels or dealing with quarterback injuries.Tre Tucker, WR, Las Vegas
Solid receiver-depth add with upside in deeper leagues.Rashod Bateman, WR, Baltimore
Worth adding for receiver depth, but his hamstring designation must be monitored before starting him.
QB STREAMERS
Bryce Young at Cleveland
A viable replacement for Jayden Daniels. He is a Week 3 waiver target and ranks as a usable streaming option.
Tyler Shough vs. Las Vegas
Strong upside streamer. Projection systems are more optimistic than consensus rankings, making him a boom-or-bust play with a worthwhile ceiling.
TOP QB PLAYS
Josh Allen vs. LA Chargers
Lamar Jackson at Dallas
Brock Purdy vs. Arizona
Patrick Mahomes at Miami
RB/FLEX NOTES
Top half-PPR flex options:
Jahmyr Gibbs
Kenneth Walker III
Bijan Robinson
Christian McCaffrey
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Chuba Hubbard
Hubbard’s workload outlook improves after Jonathon Brooks was placed on IR. Treat Hubbard as a stronger RB1/RB2 option rather than a matchup-only flex.
Tank Bigsby
Add and stash. Start only if Barkley is limited or ruled out.
Jonah Coleman
Add for talent and upside, but bench until the ankle situation is clearer.
TIGHT END NOTES
Oronde Gadsden II
Top TE waiver target. Chargers injuries have created a clearer path to starter-level opportunities.
Dallas Goedert
Out for multiple weeks. Managers should make a replacement plan now rather than waiting for next week’s waiver run.
SUNDAY CHECKLIST
Check final injury reports before the 1 p.m. ET games.
Prioritize updates on Nico Collins, Zay Flowers, Puka Nacua, Saquon Barkley, Brock Bowers, and Jonah Coleman.
Do not use early-game players in your FLEX spot. Keep FLEX open for Sunday night or Monday night players whenever possible.
If starting Saquon Barkley or Caleb Williams, identify a Philadelphia or Chicago replacement option before Sunday waivers clear.
Prioritize injury-contingent RB value—Tank Bigsby, Emanuel Wilson, and direct backups—over low-ceiling receiver depth.
