Putting Mark Andrews on something of a milk carton, Likely was surprisingly the Ravens’ most-targeted pass catcher. Both his nine receptions and 111 yards were new career highs. He entered the evening with just one previous 100-yard effort. Astoundingly, his night was almost much bigger, but an inaccurate Lamar Jackson missed him on a back-corner touchdown throw with time running out. Likely did corral the game-tying or winning score moments later only to be ruled out of bounds by a shoe tip. For the TD the duo connected on, Jackson escaped the pocket and found a freelancing Likely, who provided a winding 49-yard YAC job. There will be much hand-wringing and consternation over Likely and Andrews’ usage vis a vis each other, but the one thing we know for sure is that Likely needs to be 100 percent rostered ahead of Week 2 against the Raiders. There’s a chance this goes down his best game of the season, but you don’t need us to tell you Likely is looking like a critical part of this offense.

Jackson also lost a fumble inside his own 20-yard line. This one contained multitudes, as Jackson — who was looking noticeably svelte, as promised — was continually thwarted by poor offensive line play and some “what might have been throws” from himself. That includes multiple missed connections on what was agonizingly close to being the game-tying or winning drive with time running out in the fourth quarter. The story of the game, beyond LT Ronnie Stanley’s constant illegal formation penalties, was Jackson’s 9/111/1 connection with Isaiah Likely and comparative struggle to connect with Mark Andrews and Zay Flowers. Jackson missed Flowers on what should have been a layup score on the aforementioned final drive, and also missed Likely on several critical throws. On the other hand, Jackson employed his skinnier frame as expected with his 122 yards rushing being the third most of his increasingly illustrious career. There is so much to clean up here, but the Ravens and Jackson were still ultimately a Likely shoe tip away from potentially pulling off a stunning road upset (the Ravens had planned to go for two). Jackson now has 10 days to rest up for what should be an easier matchup with the Raiders.

Wilson was added to Thursday’s injury report as “limited” after practicing in full with no designation on Wednesday. Coach Mike Tomlin named Wilson the starter over Justin Fields near the end of training camp, but Wilson’s calf issue has evidently continued to linger even after he played through it during the preseason. What a mess. Whereas Wilson has zero fantasy value, Fields’ dual-threat skill set would immediately put him in the low-end QB1 mix in fantasy. We should have a much better read on the situation 24 hours from now.

It means that, barring a setback, Warren will officially be active for Sunday’s opener against the Falcons. We don’t love a committeeman coming off missing a big chunk of the summer with a soft-tissue injury, but Warren still offers upside FLEX appeal. There will just be a little more downside than usual. Provided he escapes Sunday unscathed, Warren should rise up the Week 2 ranks.

Addison also claimed he was “100 percent.” He also confirmed his Aug. 14 injury was a high-ankle sprain. 22 days isn’t that much of a remove from a high-ankle sprain. We are not doctors, but hopefully Addison isn’t putting himself at needless risk of a setback. The Vikes’ receiver room would be frightfully thin behind Justin Jefferson were Addison to sit. Since it sounds like he won’t, we’ll consider Addison a risk/reward WR4/5 for the opener.

This is the first practice of the week for the 49ers, who face the Jets on Monday night. McCaffrey didn’t take a preseason snap due to a calf strain he suffered in early August and is clearly still working through things. Playing through calf and/or Achilles injuries always seems risky, so we’ll see how things go for CMC throughout the week. That he can log a limited session with five days until kick-off is a good sign he’ll be ready for Week 1, but we’ll see how things progress. In the unlikely scenario McCaffrey sits, Jordan Mason would have high-end RB2 upside against the Jets.

The team will further evaluate Wilson on Friday. The veteran quarterback was plagued by a calf injury through most of training camp but showed enough to secure the starting job over Justin Fields to open the season. Wilson and the Steelers will take on the Falcons in Week 1 in Atlanta. Assuming he plays, he and the offense could be in for a tough week against a revamped Falcons defense that features several new starters. Far from the player he once was, Wilson can’t be counted on as anything more than a mid-QB2 who is best used in 2QB/superflex leagues.

This makes two straight days that Chase has taken to the practice field without a new contract. The Bengals’ star receiver pushed his holdout to the brink but appears ready to play even without a new contract in place. Whether or not Chase plays, and how much he plays if active remains to be seen, but it’d be surprising if the Bengals sidelined him for Week 1 against the Patriots if he logs a full week of practice — which he’s on track to do. If he is active and plays a full assortment of snaps, Chase would be locked in as a top-12 fantasy receiver. However, any kind of a snap count could limit him to more of a WR2 in the season opener. There’s still a lot we are waiting to learn here.

The Buccaneers added Bucky Irving in this year’s draft, giving Rachaad White more backfield competition. Irving had 186 carries for 1,180 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Oregon Ducks last season, adding 56 receptions for 413 yards and two touchdowns. He was an efficient rusher, but his receiving skillset adds the most for the Bucs in 2024. White had 70 targets last season, adding a large boost to his fantasy value. It seems White will continue his workload heading into the season, but a “hot hand” approach could lead to Irving seeing a larger role. White is a high-end RB2 while Irving is a valuable handcuff and could see his own FLEX value.

Nacua looks to have mostly recovered from a knee injury he suffered in camp. The Rams were expecting to have him ready for Week 1 and he returned to practice last week. While still on the injury report, Nacua logged a full practice for the first official practice of the week, indicating he will be clear for Week 1 against the Lions. Though competing for targets with Cooper Kupp, Nacua profiles as a low-end WR1 heading into the season.