The ebb and flow of injuries in the NFL keeps fantasy football owners on edge. Cam Newton has returned to full strength from his mid-foot sprain and should be good to go for Week 1, but we also learned yesterday that Stefon Diggs is dealing with a hamstring problem that kept him out of practice. That's to say nothing about the running back splits for the Dolphins, Chargers and Eagles, which have fantasy players wondering whether they should start or sit any of Austin Ekeler, Justin Jackson, Kenyan Drake, Miles Sanders, or Jordan Howard. We have the latest up on all of those situations below to help you make your start 'em, sit 'em decisions for Week 1.
Watch every NFL regular-season game and RedZone on DAZN (start your free trial)
For more updates and the latest fantasy news, follow us on Twitter @SN_Fantasy.
LISTEN TO THE SN FANTASY WEEK 1 PREVIEW PODCAST BELOW
Week 1 Non-PPR Rankings:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Is Cam Newton playing Week 1?
Newton practiced fully on Wednesday ahead of the Panthers' Week 1 hosting of the Rams. He had some concern surrounding him after suffering a mid-foot sprain in the preseason, but he looks fully recovered from that and offseason right shoulder surgery to quarterback Carolina in its opener.
We have Newton outside our top-20 quarterbacks for Week 1. There's a chance Carolina runs him less to limit his exposure to injury, and the Rams have one of the league's best defenses across the board. He's also one of our bust candidates, so you might want to take a wait-and-see approach for Week 1, though it's undeniable that Newton has big upside every time he steps on the field.
Week 1 DFS Lineups:
FD Cash | DK Cash | FD GPP | DK GPP | Y! GPP | Y! Cash
Stefon Diggs misses practice
Diggs, seemingly out of the blue, missed Minnesota's practice Wednesday with what's listed as a hamstring injury. He did participate in stretching and light individual drills, but he wasn't in uniform for the portion of the Vikings' practice open to the media.
This is a situation to monitor in the next few days. Diggs is a must-start receiver in a juicy matchup at home against Atlanta to open the season, but his absence could have an effect across the board. It would hurt Kirk Cousins, who would end up force feeding Adam Thielen all game in a paper-thin Vikings receiving corps after the top two. Minnesota would probably run more with Dalvin Cook to compensate.
WEEK 1 DFS: Values | Stacks | Lineup Builder
Is Miles Sanders starting in Week 1?
Eagles coach Doug Pederson told reporters Wednesday that Philadelphia won't be straying from a committee approach at running back. He referenced that a committee system has worked on past Eagles teams, and so he's not planning on changing.
The most interesting stat out of this discussion came from NJ.com's Mike Kaye: Only one Eagles' RB -- Darren Sproles in 2016 -- has played even 40 percent of the offensive snaps under Pederson. Sanders is as complete a back as Pederson's had in Philly, but to expect him to be the only guy taking the field when Jordan Howard and Darren Sproles are also there would be silly. Sanders is more of a wait-and-see player to open the season.
WEEK 1 PPR RANKINGS: Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end
Chargers RB depth chart
Anthony Lynn told reporters Wednesday, speaking about Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson, "I've always used those guys as a tandem. That's not going to change." As Melvin Gordon's holdout extends into the regular season, Ekeler and Jackson will both be in line for Chargers backfield touches.
Ekeler is the better receiver among the pairing, making him the obvious preference in PPR leagues and also likely to see the field for a few more snaps than Jackson. You should feel comfortable with Ekeler in your FLEX spot to open the season, while Jackson might constitute more of a stash to see when and how often L.A. uses him.
Kenyan Drake injury update
Dolphins head coach Brian Flores told reporters Wednesday that Drake "will get a lot of touches," then went on to say, "This is a guy who has as much talent as we have on our team." Drake was working his way back from injury, but it looks like Miami is ready to throw him out there full throttle on Sunday.
Drake fits as a FLEX play this week (and probably most weeks). His touchdown upside could be limited in a weak offense, but he'll add value as a receiver when Miami frequently trails. Kalen Ballage could be worth a bench stash to see how his workload plays out, but we're pretty much out on Ballage, a big running back who can't even break tackles.