NFL

The 28-year-old wide receiver’s best days are likely behind him. Slayton could spring back to life as a FLEX, if new QB Jaxson Dart can elevate the passing offense as a whole. For now, fantasy managers in 12-team leagues can leave Slayton in the free agent pool. Hopefully, he heals up quickly.

Fellow Chicago tight end Colston Loveland did not practice because of a groin injury. He looks unlikely to play this week. Even with Loveland out of the picture, Kmet will barely crack the TE2 ranks. Loveland left Week 3 early and Kmet managed just one target, though he did cash in on the look for a 10-yard score.

Swift played through a quad issue last week after being listed as questionable. He is no longer listed with the quad injury but now has a hip issue to deal with. A limited practice is typically standard fare for a veteran, especially at a position as physical as a running back. Barring a setback, Swift should be able to suit up on Sunday. Backup Kyle Monangai could be more involved this week if the Bears want to keep Swift fresh, though he isn’t a threat to overtake the veteran runner anytime soon.

Johnson has failed to make good on his offseason hype, catching just 6-of-9 targets for 49 yards through three games. He is now dealing with a toe injury. Fantasy managers do not need to keep Johnson rostered. At best, he is likely to be the team’s fourth receiving option when healthy.

Loveland is trending toward missing Week 4 after suffering a hip injury on Sunday. He was listed as questionable to return versus the Cowboys but never did. ESPN’s Adam Schefter said he has a chance to play as of Monday. Loveland was playing a limited role already. Even if he’s active, it’s hard to imagine his involvement growing while he deals with the hip issue. Fantasy managers now have to make hard decisions with bye weeks on the horizon. Cutting Loveland loose is looking like one of those crossroads.

Leggete was limited in all three practices last week before being ruled out 90 minutes before kickoff. Head coach Dave Canales called him day to day on Wednesday, but being downgraded to a DNP after practicing in some capacity for all three sessions last week is a red flag. Legette is highly questionable for Week 4.

This is unfortunate. Coker will be eligible to return from injured reserve in Week 5, but it sounds like his return to play timeline extends past his earliest activation date. For fantasy managers with an injured reserve spot or ample bench space, he can be speculatively stashed at this time. He cannot be counted on to return value in Week 5, though.

Head coach Dave Canales called McMillan day to day with the calf issue. This is McMillan’s first appearance on the injury report, meaning he sustained the injury sometime during Carolina’s week 3 destruction of the Falcons. A DNP to open the week is worrying, but Canales didn’t sound overly concerned when talking about McMillan. As long as he returns to practice at some point this week, we expect the first-round rookie to suit up on Sunday. With at least eight targets in every game this year, McMillan should be treated as a WR2 for his Week 4 date with the Patriots.

Gadsden caught 5 passes for 46 yards against the Broncos last week. It was his first time taking snaps in a game. The fifth-round rookie took snaps in the slot (10), in-line (nine) and out wide (three). Gadsden is worth adding to fantasy benches at this point, to see how things shake out in Week 4. Chargers TE Will Dissly is battling a knee injury and TE Tyler Conklin failed to catch either of his two targets last week.

Hunter is currently stuck in the F receiver role on offense, putting him in the slot for 63 percent of his routes this year. For reference, Hunter ran six percent of his routes from the slot in his final season of college ball. He played more out of the slot in previous seasons, but it was never his primary position. The note on injuries is especially relevant right now. Dyami Brown went down with a shoulder injury on Sunday and is not practicing as of Wednesday. Parker Washington took over his role in Week 3 and Coen mentioned him as the next man up when talking about Hunter’s fixed role. Hunter has 10 catches for 76 yards through three games. Between his limited role and the tax of playing both ways, he appears to be stuck in the WR4 fantasy ranks for now.