It looks like Marcus Mariota’s latest stint as a stopgap superflex quarterback is done. The reporting on Daniels returning for Week 9 has been encouraging so far. We expect to do plenty of Daniels blurbs leading up to Seahawks-Commanders on Sunday night, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Daniels is limited in practice at times this week. But the Commanders need this game badly to avoid falling in a 3-6 hole and it would be surprising if it weren’t all hands on deck to take it.

Things were trending the right way before this, but Jackson actually meeting the media all but confirms he’ll be back for Thursday night’s game against the Dolphins. He raises all boats on the Baltimore offense and is an easy QB1, even against a Dolphins defense coming off a surprising Week 8 win over the Falcons.

Schefter listed the Bills, Steelers, and Broncos as main suitors looking for a wideout, and added that the Saints would be open to this if “the compensation was fair and right.” We’d bet the remaining 10 weeks of Shaheed’s contract could fetch at least a swap up to a fourth-rounder, maybe more. Schefter noted that he thinks there will be a flurry of moves at the actual deadline, after Week 9’s games.

Kareem Hunt and Brashad Smith could find themselves in bigger roles in Week 9 against the Bills, but with the Chiefs holding a Week 10 bye, this feels like something that may only cost Pacheco a week of action. We’d be extremely surprised if Pacheco made a real attempt to play on a short week after suffering the injury with the bye as extra incentive.

Saints head coach Kellen Moore made the QB switch official on Tuesday, two days after he benched Spencer Rattler in favor of Shough, who was selected in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Shough last week against the Bucs completed 17 of his 30 attempts 128 yards and one interception. He was the most inaccurate quarterback of Week 8 and had a far lower QB rating than Rattler. Shough starting for the Saints makes the Rams defense an elite fantasy play in Week 9. Chris Olave and the rest of the team’s pass catchers get a significant downgrade with Rattler’s benching. Rattler will likely be back under center in the coming weeks.

McCarthy, almost two months after sustaining an ankle injury, is reportedly set to start in Week 9 against the Lions. This comes after the team essentially sacrificed Carson Wentz to the Chargers in Week 8 as the veteran dealt with a severe arm injury and appeared to be in agony from start to finish. “A person with knowledge of the Vikings’ thinking half-joked that O’Connell left Wentz in last Thursday’s game because Brosmer — who had a strong training camp and preseason — might prove a better short-term option than McCarthy.” If McCarthy’s struggles continue in the coming weeks, the Vikings could see what they have in Brosmer, a rookie who last year at the University of Minnesota threw for 2,828 yards, 18 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Brosmer should be rostered in deeper superflex formats in case McCarthy once again flames out as the Vikings’ starter.

Rice now has consecutive games of leading the team in targets and has notched three scores in two games since returning from suspension. His fantasy day could have been even bigger had he not been tackled twice inside the two, the first on a run from wildcat inside the 10 and the second on a reception in the flat. Both of those plays resulted in short touchdowns by Kareem Hunt. Rice’s role appears to be one of the most valuable in the league considering the hefty volume and elite red zone role, all while playing for an offense that has now scored 28 points or more in five straight. He is likely to remain busy when the Chiefs take on the Bills in Week 9, keeping him firmly entrenched as a fantasy WR1 moving forward.

Although Kelce returned a vintage performance in the box scores, he had yet another drop that turned into a Patrick Mahomes interception that hit him in the hands - the second such occurrence of the season. Kelce did most of his damage in the YAC department in this one, breaking free for gains of 38 and 31 yards against the beleaguered Washington defense. The offense remains centered on Rashee Rice, but Kelce brings an established red zone role to an offense that has now scored 28 points or more in five straight. That sets the veteran up well to return TE1 numbers against in Week 9 when the Chiefs face off against the Bills.

Mahomes threw interceptions on consecutive drives for the first time in his career on the Chiefs’ first two possessions of the game, the first an undercut back shoulder through by Washington corner Marcus Lattimore and the second a ball off veteran tight end Travis Kelce’s hands over the middle of the field. The Chiefs would shut out the Commanders after the break, during which time Mahomes would lead three straight touchdown drives that culminated receiving touchdowns by Kareem Hunt, Travis Kelce, and Rashee Rice. The defense would do the rest as the Chiefs coasted to a comfortable win after the early miscues. Up next for the 5-3 Chiefs is a gauntlet of opponents that begins with the Bills on the road in Week 9 before facing the Broncos and Colts.

Samuel’s drop occurred in the red zone on the team’s first possession, with the pass going through his hands, off his face mask, and into the waiting arms of Kansas City defensive end Mike Danna. It was a forgettable performance from the veteran slot man, who also saw his usage cut into with the return of Terry McLaurin. That said, McLaurin failed to finish the game after tweaking his quad injury, something fantasy managers will want to track closely as the team prepares to host the Seahawks in Week 9. Another missed contest from McLaurin could leave Samuel as the team’s top pass-catcher yet again, a situation that could warrant WR2 potential in fantasy circles.