NFL Player News

Interim coach Steve Wilks said Monday that Walker will remain the Panthers' starting quarterback Week 8 against the Falcons regardless of the health of Baker Mayfield (ankle) or Sam Darnold (ankle), David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

Walker has earned the No. 1 job after a clean two-touchdown performance in Carolina's Week 7 upset win over the Buccaneers. Mayfield had been struggling prior to hurting his ankle, and Darnold was hardly better as the Panthers' starter last season, so another competent performance from Walker come Sunday could be enough to keep him cemented as the starter moving forward.

Tagovailoa (concussion/ankle) completed 21 of 35 pass attempts for 261 yards and a touchdown while adding 15 yards on four carries in Sunday's 16-10 win over the Steelers.

Tagovailoa returned to the field after a two-game layoff due to multiple injuries, leading his team to victory in a nationally televised game in the process. The statistics weren't gaudy from a fantasy perspective, but managers should be pleased he made it through a full game after getting knocked out early the last time he returned from injury this season. With one of the best wide receiver duos at his disposal in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, Tagovailoa is an appealing fantasy option heading into a soft matchup against Detroit next Sunday.

Rypien completed 24 of 46 passes for 225 yards, no touchdowns and one interception in Sunday's 16-9 loss to the Jets.

Rypien earned his second career start in the absence of Russell Wilson (hamstring), though the Broncos showed no signs of curtailing their passing volume. He started the game in promising fashion by leading Denver to a touchdown on its third offensive possession, though that was the majority of the scoring for the team on the day. Despite averaging only 4.9 yards per attempt, Rypien also managed to keep his primary pass catchers involved, as Jerry Jeudy earned 11 targets and Courtland Sutton nine. Wilson is optimistic that he'll return for a Week 8 matchup against the Jaguars, and if that's the case, Rypien will revert to his backup role.

Garoppolo completed 25 of 37 pass attempts for 303 yards with two touchdowns and two turnovers in Sunday's 44-23 loss to Kansas City.

Garoppolo continued his career-long struggles against the Chiefs, falling short here after losing to Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LIV. From a fantasy perspective, the veteran quarterback has produced well while playing from behind in his team's last two blowout losses. Even with the recent increased volume, Garoppolo's limitations as a downfield passer dampens any appeal heading into a matchup against a tough Rams defense next Sunday.

Pickett completed 32 of 44 pass attempts for 257 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions while rushing three times for 20 yards during the Steelers' 16-10 loss to Miami on Sunday.

Pickett sustained a concussion last week against Tampa Bay but was able to suit up after practicing in full all week. The rookie first-rounder kept the Steelers in contention for most of Sunday's primetime matchup on the road, but he threw a pair of interceptions in the closing minutes en route to the team's fifth loss of the season. It seems likely that Pickett will continue to start despite Sunday's lackluster performance, but he'll face a tough matchup against the Eagles next week prior to Pittsburgh's Week 9 bye.

Mariota completed eight of his 13 pass attempts for 124 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in Sunday's 35-17 loss to the Bengals. He added six rushes for 31 yards.

Atlanta remained dedicated to the run despite facing a large deficit for nearly the entire game, and Mariota has now attempted fewer than 20 passes in three of his last four games. Nearly all of his production came on a 75-yard touchdown pass to Damiere Byrd just before halftime. In addition to his limited production as a passer, Mariota was also bottled up as a rusher, as he entered the game having tallied at least 50 yards on the ground in consecutive matchups. The Falcons have shown a commitment to rushing the ball regardless of game script this season, which makes it difficult to trust Mariota or any of the team's pass catchers for consistent production.

Herbert completed 33 of 51 passes for 293 yards and two touchdowns with one interception in Sunday's 37-23 loss to the Seahawks. He added 22 rushing yards on three carries.

For the second straight week, Herbert had to attempt more than 50 passes, but this time the volume didn't result in a win. The quarterback's numbers were still solid, especially considering his depleted wideout group -- Joshua Palmer (concussion) was inactive, Keenan Allen didn't appear to be 100 percent after returning from a hamstring strain, and even Mike Williams limped off with an ankle injury in the fourth quarter. Herbert has tossed multiple TDs in four of seven games to begin the season, and the offense's injury situation may not be so dire coming out of the Chargers' Week 8 bye.

Smith completed 20 of 27 passes for 210 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in Sunday's 37-23 win over the Chargers.

He also gained seven yards on four carries. The quarterback lost one of his main targets in the first quarter after DK Metcalf suffered a knee injury, but Smith didn't skip a beat and instead just hit Marquise Goodwin for the journeyman wideout's first two TDs of the year. Smith has tossed multiple TDs in five of seven games, helping him amass a sharp 11:3 TD:INT heading into a Week 8 clash with the Giants.

Wilson completed 16 of 26 passes for 121 yards and rushed four times for 24 yards in Sunday's 16-9 win over the Broncos.

Wilson was stymied by the elite Broncos secondary but avoided turnovers as the defense and running game led the Jets to a fourth consecutive win. Breece Hall scored New York's only touchdown on a 62-yard run before exiting with what's believed to be a torn ACL. If Hall indeed suffered a season-ending injury, Wilson and the passing game will likely have to shoulder a heavier load moving forward, starting against the Patriots in Week 8.

Carr completed 21 of 27 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 38-20 win over the Texans.

He also lost a yard on three carries. While the Raiders posted a season high in points, most of the damage came from Josh Jacobs (three touchdowns) and the defense (a 73-yard interception return for a TD by Duron Harmon), leaving Carr with little to do other than be a game manager. It's only the second time in six games he hasn't tossed multiple TDs, but Carr might need to be a little more productive in what could be a wild Week 8 clash with the Saints.