NFL Player News

Coker (quadriceps) is listed as questionable for Sunday night's game against the Lions, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

After returning to practice activity late in the week, the Panthers wide receiver at least appears to have a chance to suit up Sunday, but head coach Dave Canales said Coker will go through a Saturday workout before a decision is made. The Panthers and Lions kick off at 8:20 pm ET on Sunday night, so fantasy managers will prefer to have a better idea of Coker's availability sometime in the next 24 hours. If Coker is unable to play, Bryce Tremayne would likely handle a full complement of snaps alongside Tetairoa McMillan.

Smith (hamstring) remained sidelined for Friday's practice, Zach Berman of The Athletic reports.

Smith is fully expected to miss Sunday's game against the Rams, as he's been idle for practice all week. His absence will open up a ton of opportunities for Dontayvion Wicks and Makai Lemon in the passing game, making both worthwhile WR3 plays in fantasy.

The Rams waived Smith on Friday.

Smith played 38 offensive snaps and ran 32 routes last Sunday night against the Broncos but wasn't targeted by Matthew Stafford and has drawn just one target on 60 routes through three weeks. He's also returned seven punts for 69 yards and seven kicks for 144 yards.

Head coach Dan Campbell said Friday that Branch (Achilles) is close to returning, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

"Close" is a relative term, so it's unclear how close Branch actually is, considering he remains on the reserve/PUP list and has yet to begin practicing. It sounds like that could change next week. The Lions have been relying on Roger McCreary at slot cornerback in Branch's absence.

Head coach Robert Saleh said Friday that Spears (ankle) is trending in the right direction to play Sunday against the Ravens, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com reports.

Spears got in a limited practice Thursday after being held out Wednesday, and while he "still has some hurdles to clear," according to Saleh, there's a good chance he's available Sunday. Spears has handled just 13 carries for 58 yards through three appearances this season, and he's caught four of six targets for an additional 41 yards.

Collins (hamstring) was on the field for Friday's practice, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Collins has practiced in limited fashion this week after missing Weeks 2 and 3, and it appears he has a good chance to return this Sunday against the Cowboys. The Houston offense has looked slow and devoid of playmakers with Collins on the shelf. He'll immediately resume WR1/2 valuation in fantasy upon his return.

Head coach Jeff Hafley said Friday that Grant (leg) could begin practicing next week, C. Isaiah Smalls II of the Miami Herald reports.

Grant opened the season on injured reserve and can return at any point after Sunday's Week 4 date with the Vikings, but his 21-day practice window has yet to open. The 2025 first-rounder was injured late in the summer during the preseason. He appeared in all 17 regular-season games last season, recording 33 tackles (15 solo), including 2.0 sacks, and one pass breakup.

Mitchell (finger) is out for Sunday's game against the Bears, Zack Rosenblatt reports.

With Mitchell out last week, fellow wideout Isaiah Williams played 90 percent of snaps but drew just two targets on 39 routes. Sterling Shepard saw just one target on 22 routes as the No. 3 receiver, while WR Garrett Wilson got 13 targets and the tight ends combined for 14. Williams and Shepard could see a bit more volume this week, but the offense still figures to run through Wilson, the RBs and the TEs. As for Mitchell, his next chance to play will be Week 5 against Cleveland (Oct. 11).

Coker (quadriceps) is present for Friday's practice, Mike Kaye of ESPN.com reports.

After a DNP on Wednesday, Coker returned to practice Thursday to get in a limited session. His presence at Friday's session would suggest he's trending in the right direction for Sunday night's showdown with the Lions. He could be headed for a questionable tag, so fantasy managers need to have a backup plan in place in the event Coker isn't cleared to play.

Mauigoa (quadriceps) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Bears, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports.

Mauigoa will miss a second straight game after he was injured in the Jets' Week 2 loss to the Packers. Mauigoa has played just 24 snaps on special teams this season.