Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown Sit Out Wednesday

Posted November 5, 2026 at 8:15 AM ET

It’s a Wednesday-practice-report kind of morning rather than a blockbuster one. Saquon Barkley and A.J. Brown both sat out Wednesday’s session with new issues, Jets receiver Garrett Wilson landed in concussion protocol, and a handful of other skill players picked up DNPs ahead of Sunday’s Week 9 slate. Deshaun Watson remains in the concussion protocol we flagged earlier this week, and tonight’s Jaguars-Ravens opener still has Joe Fagnano under center with Tyler Huntley out — see our full injury report for the latest on that situation.

Status At a Glance

Player	Team / Pos	Status	Fantasy Move
Saquon Barkley	PHI RB	🟡 DNP Wed, hamstring/back	Have Jaydon Blue ready as the direct handcuff
Christian McCaffrey	SF RB	🟡 DNP Wed, hamstring	Hold; check Friday’s report before the 4:05 PM lock
Breece Hall	NYJ RB	🟢 Limited Wed, quad	Trending toward return; flex-level start, likely shared work
A.J. Brown	NE WR	🟡 DNP Wed, missed Wk 8	Risky WR2; have a flex replacement ready
Garrett Wilson	NYJ WR	🟡 Concussion protocol	Must clear protocol by Friday; have a backup plan
DeVonta Smith	PHI WR	🟡 DNP Wed, hamstring	Watch Friday’s practice before locking him in
Amon-Ra St. Brown	DET WR	🟢 Limited Wed, ribs	Trending toward playing; safe WR1 start
Emeka Egbuka	TB WR	🟡 DNP Wed, foot	Have Chris Godwin Jr. ready in case he sits
George Pickens	DAL WR	🟢 Limited Wed, hamstring	Start as a WR2 if he practices again Friday
Rashee Rice	KC WR	🟢 Limited Wed, hamstring/knee	Start if he logs a full session by Friday
Jake Ferguson	DAL TE	🟡 DNP Wed, ankle sprain	Streaming option only if he returns to practice
Deshaun Watson	CLE QB	🟡 DNP Tue–Wed, concussion	Needs protocol clearance by Friday to start

Our editorial availability-risk tiers, not NFL designations: 🟢 trending toward playing · 🟡 availability uncertain · 🔴 elevated risk of missing, or confirmed out · ⚪ bye. Questionable/Doubtful/Out appear only where a team’s final injury report has been released; other labels reflect Wednesday’s practice reports and our injury feed.

Running Backs

🟡 DNP Wed — Saquon Barkley (PHI): Barkley did not practice Wednesday with a hamstring/back issue, per the Eagles’ injury report, after playing through it in each of Philadelphia’s first eight games. He’s the unquestioned Eagles lead back when healthy, which makes this one worth watching closely — a hamstring strain that lingers into Friday would be a real concern for a Sunday home date with the Giants. Fantasy Action: Treat him as a hold for now, but have Jaydon Blue, Philadelphia’s RB2, rostered or on your radar as the direct replacement if Barkley is downgraded.

🟡 DNP Wed — Christian McCaffrey (SF): McCaffrey did not practice Wednesday with a hamstring issue, per NBC Sports and CBS Sports, ahead of San Francisco’s 4:05 PM ET home game against Las Vegas on Sunday. One missed session to open the week isn’t alarming on its own, but Thursday’s and Friday’s reports will show whether it’s maintenance or something that threatens his availability. Fantasy Action: Keep him in your lineup plans for now and line up a fallback RB, since his late kickoff leaves little room to pivot if he’s ruled out.

🟢 Limited Wed — Breece Hall (NYJ): Hall was a limited participant Wednesday with the quad injury that has kept him out of recent games, and multiple reports have him trending toward a Week 9 return at Kansas City. The Jets are expected to ease him back in a shared backfield rather than hand him a full workload right away. Fantasy Action: If he practices again Friday, he’s a reasonable RB2/flex start, with a lower ceiling than usual in his first game back.

Wide Receivers

🟡 DNP Wed — A.J. Brown (NE): Brown did not practice Wednesday with a knee issue — separate from the ankle sprain that cost him time earlier this season — and already missed New England’s Week 8 game with that same knee. The Patriots host Green Bay Sunday, and a second straight DNP on Thursday would make him a tough play even if he’s eventually given a questionable tag. Fantasy Action: Hold if you can afford to, but line up a flex replacement in case Thursday or Friday’s report doesn’t show progress.

🟡 Concussion protocol — Garrett Wilson (NYJ): Wilson did not practice Wednesday after entering the concussion protocol. The Jets travel to Kansas City Sunday, and players need to clear the protocol’s steps before being cleared to play, so his practice status over the next two days will tell the story. Fantasy Action: Treat him as a coin flip until he’s a full participant; Omar Cooper Jr. is the next man up in New York’s receiver room if Wilson sits.

🟡 DNP Wed — DeVonta Smith (PHI): Smith sat out Wednesday alongside Barkley with a hamstring issue of his own ahead of Philadelphia’s home game against the Giants. Fantasy Action: No need to bench him yet, but check Friday’s report — a limited practice would be the encouraging sign fantasy managers want to see.

🟢 Limited Wed — Amon-Ra St. Brown (DET): St. Brown was a limited participant Wednesday with a ribs issue, which is a notably better sign than an outright DNP, ahead of Detroit’s trip to Miami. Fantasy Action: Fine to start as your WR1; just check that he logs another limited or full session Thursday.

🟡 DNP Wed — Emeka Egbuka (TB): Egbuka did not practice Wednesday with a foot injury, per the Buccaneers’ own injury report, ahead of Tampa Bay’s Sunday night trip to Chicago. Fantasy Action: Keep him as a bench stash for now and have Chris Godwin Jr. ready to soak up extra targets if Egbuka can’t go.

🟢 Limited Wed — George Pickens (DAL): Pickens was limited Wednesday with a hamstring issue, per NBC Sports and RotoWire, ahead of Dallas’s trip to Indianapolis. He played through limited practices in Week 8, so a capped session to open the week fits the pattern. Fantasy Action: Plan to start him as a WR2 as long as he’s on the practice field again Thursday or Friday.

🟢 Limited Wed — Rashee Rice (KC): Rice was a limited participant Wednesday with hamstring and knee issues, per NBC Sports and CBS Sports, a week after returning from a two-game absence. The Chiefs host the Jets at 1:00 PM ET Sunday. Fantasy Action: Start him if he gets to a full practice by Friday; otherwise treat him as a boom-or-bust WR3.

Tight Ends

🟡 DNP Wed — Jake Ferguson (DAL): Ferguson did not practice Wednesday with an ankle sprain ahead of Dallas’s trip to Indianapolis. Fantasy Action: Streaming-only until he shows up at practice; if he’s out, Dallas’s tight end snaps aren’t appealing enough to chase.

Quarterbacks

🟡 DNP Tue–Wed — Deshaun Watson (CLE): Watson remains in the concussion protocol we covered earlier this week and has not practiced since entering it, ahead of Cleveland’s Sunday trip to New Orleans. Fantasy Action: He’ll need to clear each step of the questionable/doubtful/out process by Friday to have a shot at starting; have a one-week replacement ready either way given Cleveland’s offense.

For tonight’s Jaguars-Ravens Thursday opener and the rest of the Week 9 board, see the full Week 9 injury report.