Week 3 NFL Picks, Predictions & Best Bets | NFL Picks Against the Spread | NFL Props | Survivor
Chris Meaney
Training camps provide our first look into NFL players and teams as we prepare for the upcoming fantasy football season. Information will now begin to flood our social media timelines, leaving us to determine the subsequent fantasy impact. It’s a matter of knowing which information matters, and which should be ignored.
So each day in this space, we’ll take a trip through the top news and takeaways around the league’s training camps to offer up what fantasy managers need to know as we head through draft season and into the 2024 NFL regular season.
Today, let’s review the major news as we start from Tuesday into Wednesday.
Your Daily Brandon Aiyuk Update
According to Ian Rapoport, the 49ers and Steelers have agreed upon the framework of a potential Brandon Aiyuk trade, and Pittsburgh is willing to meet his contract demands. The potential blockbuster simply needs San Francisco to say yes before going through. However, the deal is being held up due to San Francisco and Aiyuk’s continued contract talks. The two are reportedly “one hurdle” away from coming to an agreement that would keep him in a 49ers jersey for the foreseeable future.
Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy to Have Meniscus Surgery
After an impressive preseason debut, Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy is set to undergo knee surgery to repair a meniscus tear and is out indefinitely. McCarthy threw for 188 yards, two touchdowns and an interception Saturday but developed knee soreness that held him out of practice to start the week.
According to Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, McCarthy’s return timetable “…will be something determined during the procedure, based upon whether it can just be a cleanup or potentially a repair.”
Sam Darnold is expected to be Minnesota’s Week 1 starter.
Marquise Brown’s Status for Week 1 in Doubt
After suffering a sternoclavicular injury on the first play of the Chiefs’ preseason opener, Marquise Brown is expected to miss 4-6 weeks, according to Jordan Schultz. Brown was able to avoid surgery.
The Chiefs hope he heals fast enough to play in the season opener versus Baltimore, which is just three weeks away. When asked about potential changes to the offense, Chiefs OC Matt Nagy revealed that WR Justin Watson will step in for Brown.
Giants Get Good News on Pair of Rookie Injuries
The New York Giants dodged multiple bullets over the past few days after two members of their 2024 draft class — wide receiver Malik Nabers and running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. — went down with injuries.
Nabers reportedly has a “low ankle sprain” after leaving practice early Sunday, but the injury isn’t considered long-term. He’s yet to practice this week but was on the field for stretching Tuesday. According to Nabers, there is “no doubt” he’ll be ready for Week 1.
As for Tracy, the Giants feared for the worst when he went down with a non-contact injury during a kickoff drill Tuesday.
Despite being carted off the field in an aircast, the promising rookie was diagnosed with a low-ankle sprain. After what looked like a potential season-ending injury, Tracy is considered week-to-week.
Ja’Marr Chase’s “Hold In” Now a “Hold Out”
Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase had been attending practice but not participating amid contract negotiations with the Bengals, but that changed Tuesday. Chase missed practice for the first time this training camp, and Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor considers the situation “day-to-day.”
