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Fantasy football Week 9 inactives: Status for Amari Cooper, Puka Nacua and others

Puka Nacua is clearly not at 100 percent, but may still play on Sunday. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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 before 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

Jordan Love, QB, GB: Groin -- Active
Impact: As expected, Love is starting today.

Josh Jacobs, RB, GB: Ankle -- Active
Impact: He did miss practice early in the week, but he will not miss this game.

Tank Bigsby, RB, JAX: Ankle -- Active
Impact: He's still likely to get a lot of touches, even with Etienne suiting up.

Travis Etienne Jr., RB, JAX: Hamstring -- Active
Impact: Etienne will give it a try today, but he might not get his usual workload.

Gabe Davis, WR, JAX: Shoulder -- Inactive
Impact: Even after participating in practice all week, he's clearly not ready to get back in the huddle.

Christian Kirk, WR, JAX: Collarbone -- OUT
Impact: Besides Thomas, Parker Washington and Tim Jones could be the only other WR options for Trevor Lawrence this week.

Brian Thomas Jr., WR, JAX: Chest -- Active
Impact: He might not play a full 60 minutes, but he will attempt to play in this one.

Jordan Whittington, WR, LAR: Shoulder -- Inactive
Impact: He's only ever going to have fantasy value if one of the Rams' WR starters return to the sidelines due to injury.

Puka Nacua, WR, LAR: Knee -- Active
Impact: The fact that Nacua was on the injury report was in itself a bit scary, but he will be on the field today.

Dallas Goedert, TE, PHI: Hamstring -- OUT
Impact: Grant Calcaterra will start, but he is no Dallas Goedert.

Noah Fant, TE, SEA: Groin -- OUT
Impact: A trip to the IR is not currently planned, but it still might be Week 12 before we see Fant again.

DK Metcalf, WR, SEA: Knee -- OUT
Impact: It's looking as if Metcalf might be on track to return to the field following next week's bye.


Sunday night game

T.J. Hockenson, TE, MIN: Knee -- Activated from IR
Impact: Hockenson will make his 2024 debut, but he might still need a week or two to get back to full speed.


1 p.m. ET games

Keaton Mitchell, RB, BAL: Knee -- OUT
Impact: He'll have to wait yet another week before getting a chance to spell Derrick Henry.

Amari Cooper, WR, BUF: Wrist -- Inactive
Impact: Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir should get the majority of WR targets.

Curtis Samuel, WR, BUF: Pectoral -- Active
Impact: He may get a few looks, especially with Cooper out. Don't expect too much, though.

Jonathon Brooks, RB, CAR: Knee -- Inactive
Impact: Next week would be the last chance the Panthers have to activate the rookie if he sits this one out. Chuba Hubbard is expected to start again.

Tommy Tremble, TE, CAR: Back -- Inactive
Impact: He was looking likely to play, but will apparently sit. Ja'Tavion Sanders should get the TE targets.

Adam Thielen, WR, CAR: Hamstring -- OUT
Impact: Why risk reinjuring him? Diontae Johnson is gone and Thielen might also be heading elsewhere with the trade deadline looming.

Xavier Legette, WR, CAR: Toe -- Active
Impact: He should be able to suit up and start opposite WR Jalen Coker.

Zack Moss, RB, CIN: Neck -- OUT
Impact: We knew his late-Friday add to the injury report spelled trouble. We will see a lot of Chase Brown.

Tee Higgins, WR, CIN: Quad -- Inactive
Impact: Andrei Iosivas will most likely start alongside Ja'Marr Chase.

Charlie Jones, WR, CIN: Groin -- Inactive
Impact: His absence might put Trenton Irwin on the deep-league flex radar -- especially with Jermaine Burton being a somewhat surprising healthy inactive.

D'Onta Foreman, RB, CLE: Team decision -- Inactive
Impact: He's apparently not needed with both Nick Chubb and Jerome Ford back in action.

Ezekiel Elliott, RB, DAL: Team decision -- OUT
Impact: The Cowboys are getting Rico Dowdle back and have elevated Dalvin Cook to take the place of Elliott, who did not travel with the team.

Stone Smartt, TE, LAC: Ankle -- Inactive
Impact: We're only talking about him so that we can report that fellow TEs Hayden Hurst and Will Dissly are not on this week's injury report.

DJ Chark Jr., WR, LAC: Groin -- Inactive
Impact: He was activated from IR but will apparently need more time. Quentin Johnston, who was removed from the injury report on Friday, will play.

Zamir White, RB, LV: Quad -- Active
Impact: While he seems ready to play, Alexander Mattison is still expected to be the lead back here.

Drake Maye, QB, NE: Concussion -- Active
Impact: He has cleared the league's concussion policy and will start Sunday. WRs K.J. Osborn and Tyquan Thornton are both out.

Kendre Miller, RB, NO: Hamstring -- OUT/IR
Impact: Alvin Kamara is pretty much the only healthy running back on the Saints' roster.

Jamaal Williams, RB, NO: Groin -- Inactive
Impact: Fullback Adam Prentice might get some touches along with the practice-squad-elevated Jordan Mims.

Bub Means, WR, NO: Ankle -- OUT/IR
Impact: Returning QB Derek Carr may have to throw some to Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

Cedrick Wilson Jr., WR, NO: Hip -- Active
Impact: Even so, don't be surprised to see Mason Tipton starting alongside Chris Olave.

Greg Joseph, K, NYG: Abdomen -- OUT/IR
Impact: Welcome Jude McAtamney to the NFL.

Will Levis, QB, TEN: Shoulder -- Inactive
Impact: Mason Rudolph will start again as Levis is not at 100 percent.

Tyjae Spears, RB, TEN: Hamstring -- OUT
Impact: This is where we would normally say that Julius Chestnut will be the team's No. 2 RB ...

Tony Pollard, RB, TEN: Foot -- Active
Impact: ... but Chestnut might get a few extra touches if Pollard, who did not practice all week, can't play a full game.

Tyler Boyd, WR, TEN: Shoulder -- Active
Impact: He'll give it a go, as will Calvin Ridley (shoulder), who was removed from the injury report on Friday.

Brian Robinson Jr., RB, WAS: Hamstring -- Inactive
Impact: He had been limited all week in practice. Austin Ekeler gets a big boost in fantasy value.