Get injury alerts and waiver tips before anyone else. Free, straight to your inbox.

Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins Trending Toward Week 1 as Ravens Turn to Rasheen Ali After Adam Randall’s IR Move

Fantasy Injury News branded featured image: Breaking, Injury Watch, Game-Time Call, Ready or Not.

Posted September 1, 2026 at 8:41 PM EDT

Tuesday’s practice fields brought good news and bad news for a handful of Week 1 storylines: the Bengals sat two star wideouts but sound unconcerned, a pair of Rams and Colts receivers are trending in better directions, and Baltimore’s backfield picture shifted again with a corresponding IR move.

Week 1 Status At a Glance

PlayerTeam / PosStatusFantasy Move
Ja’Marr ChaseCIN / WR🟢 LikelyNo action needed
Tee HigginsCIN / WR🟢 LikelyNo action needed
Puka NacuaLAR / WR🟢 LikelyHold as WR1, no longer a Week 1 concern
Alec PierceIND / WR🟡 QuestionableSpeculative flex stash only; watch Wed/Thu reports
Adam RandallBAL / RB🔴 OutDrop in all standard formats
Rasheen AliBAL / RB🟢 Likely (role)Speculative deep-league add as Ravens’ clear RB3

🟢 Likely to play · 🟡 Questionable / trending unclear · 🔴 Out or unlikely to play next week.

Wide Receivers

Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals badge

🟢 Likely — Ja’Marr Chase (CIN): Chase sat out Tuesday’s practice with a hyperextended knee suffered last week, but head coach Zac Taylor said there’s no concern about his availability for Sunday’s opener against the Buccaneers, with Chase expected to be limited in practice the rest of the week before playing Week 1. Fantasy Action: No action needed — Chase remains a locked-in WR1 start; just keep an eye on Wednesday and Thursday’s practice designations as a formality.

Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals badge

🟢 Likely — Tee Higgins (CIN): Higgins also sat out Tuesday with a heel contusion, but like Chase he’s considered day-to-day and expected to be ready for Week 1 per Taylor, who is managing both wideouts cautiously through the final days of camp rather than out of any real doubt about their openers. Fantasy Action: No action needed — hold Higgins as a weekly starter; a limited practice designation later this week would be procedural, not a red flag.

Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams badge

🟢 Likely — Puka Nacua (LAR): Nacua returned to full practice this week for the first time in several weeks as he works back from a psoas injury, with the Rams organization never particularly concerned about the severity and now saying he’s “certainly on track” for the Week 1 opener against the 49ers in Australia. This is an upgrade from earlier in the week, when he was only working off to the side. Fantasy Action: Hold Nacua as a locked-in WR1 — this is no longer a lineup question, though it’s still worth a final Wednesday/Thursday check before kickoff.

Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts badge

🟡 Questionable — Alec Pierce (IND): Pierce, the Colts’ co-starting WR3 behind an ankle injury that kept him off the field for most of the offseason program, was activated off PUP a few days ago and practiced again Tuesday, “knocking the rust off” as he works toward a Week 1 return. The team has called it his goal rather than a certainty. Fantasy Action: Speculative bench stash only in deeper leagues — don’t rely on him in lineups yet, and watch Wednesday/Thursday practice reports for a firmer read before Indy’s opener.

Running Backs

Adam Randall, Baltimore Ravens badge

🔴 Out — Adam Randall (BAL): The Ravens placed Randall on injured reserve with a designation to return, meaning he’ll miss a minimum of four games with an earliest possible return of October 11 against Atlanta. He was buried on the depth chart behind Derrick Henry and Justice Hill even before the move. Fantasy Action: Drop in all standard formats — his roster spot was marginal even healthy, and the move mainly matters for who it elevates below.

Rasheen Ali, Baltimore Ravens badge

🟢 Likely (role) — Rasheen Ali (BAL): With Randall now on IR, Ali is set to operate as the Ravens’ clear No. 3 running back behind Derrick Henry and Justice Hill to start the season, giving him direct standing as Baltimore’s primary handcuff/insurance option in a run-heavy offense. Fantasy Action: Speculative add only in deep leagues or best-ball formats banking on Henry’s workload — not required in standard-sized leagues, but worth knowing the pecking order if either back ahead of him is banged up.

Nothing here moves the needle much for Week 1 lineups on its own, but it’s worth tracking the Bengals’ final practice designations before Sunday and keeping an eye on whether Pierce logs a full practice by Thursday. We’ll have more as final injury reports firm up later this week.

Sources

  • NBC Sports/ProFootballTalk: Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins out of practice Tuesday, but Bengals expect them for Week 1
  • Fox19: Ja’Marr Chase will be limited at practice after injury
  • Yahoo Sports: Puka Nacua returns to Rams practice
  • Rams.com: Sean McVay update on Puka Nacua’s psoas injury
  • NBC Sports/Rotoworld: Alec Pierce (ankle) practicing Tuesday
  • ESPN: Source — Colts activating No. 1 WR Alec Pierce off PUP list
  • RotoWire: Adam Randall placed on IR, designated to return
  • Baltimore Ravens: Training Camp Competition Preview — Running Back (Henry, Hill, Randall, Ali)
Share0Shares

Leave a Reply