Things change quickly in fantasy football, and ESPN is here to help. Each Monday, before the current NFL week ends, we will identify players available in at least 50% of ESPN standard leagues worthy of your attention, from standard formats to deeper options. The NFL is a weekly league, and player valuation and roles seldom remain stagnant, for positive and negative. It does not matter how you acquire players for your championship fantasy rosters, just that you get them.

Quarterback

Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons (rostered in 20% of ESPN leagues): The Falcons probably don’t want Penix to routinely throw 42 times a week, but he was up to the task in Sunday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. RB Bijan Robinson saw a mere 12 rushing attempts and Penix wasn’t known as a runner, either in college or during his rookie season. He rushed only seven times over his three starts last season. On Sunday, he rushed six times for 21 yards, including an impressive 4-yard, desperation scramble for a score in the fourth quarter. Let’s see if he continues showing this aggressive mentality in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings.

Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts (4.9%): Speaking of running, Jones was a top-10 fantasy QB for the 2022 New York Giants because of his legs (708 rushing yards, 7 TDs). Two rough seasons followed, but on Sunday, in his first start for the Colts, Jones bulldozed his way for a pair of 1-yard scores. Jones also looked strong throwing the football (272 passing yards), and he was sacked only once by what sure looks like a brutal Miami Dolphins defense. We shouldn’t be so dismissive of Jones returning to fantasy relevance, because he sure was relevant in Week 1.

Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (39.5%): Lawrence didn’t have to do much to topple the Carolina Panthers, but chances are he will need to deliver more points in a Week 2 road tilt at the Cincinnati Bengals, who aren’t exactly a top defensive unit. As we have seen before, Lawrence is certainly capable of more and he remains far too available for someone who has borderline QB1 upside.

Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers (8.7%): Give Rodgers credit for four touchdown passes and mistake-free football in a revenge win over the New York Jets. However, the Steelers must do a better job protecting the immobile Rodgers, as he was sacked four times and knocked down on six other occasions. Let’s remember that Rodgers finished last season as the No. 15 fantasy QB, averaging 15.1 PPR points per game. He certainly can do that again.

Deep-league options/streamers

• Perhaps few would consider Cleveland Browns starter Joe Flacco (2.5%) for a Week 2 road game against the Baltimore Ravens, but he did throw 45 times for 290 yards on Sunday against the Bengals. That is volume, and while Flacco is no Josh Allen, the Ravens did permit 41 points on Sunday night. Don’t count Flacco out.

• It wasn’t a good Week 1 outing for Miami Dolphins starter Tua Tagovailoa (31.7%), but he has produced solid numbers against his Week 2 opponent (New England Patriots) in the past, and the game is at home. It seems early to call this his “last chance” in fantasy, but things often change quickly.

• Russell Wilson scored 11.12 PPR points and, all things considered, it could have been worse. A full 10 starting QBs had scored fewer points entering Monday. Still, now is already the time to add rookie Jaxson Dart in deeper formats, where every starting QB matters. Dart’s opportunity looms — and perhaps soon.

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Eric Karabell: Michael Penix Jr. definitely a top-20 fantasy QB

Eric Karabell breaks down his positive fantasy takeaways from Michael Penix Jr. in Week 1.

Running back

Dylan Sampson, Cleveland Browns (32.8%): Sampson scored 17.3 PPR points against the Bengals, mainly due to eight receptions for 64 yards. He turned his 12 rushing attempts into a mere 29 yards, though the Browns struggled to run, averaging just 2.0 yards per carry. Sampson, selected in the fourth round out of Tennessee, was hardly as celebrated as fellow rookie Quinshon Judkins, the second-round pick, but we still don’t know if the recently signed Judkins suits up in Week 2. Perhaps Judkins simply takes over when he is active, but that seems unlikely. Add Sampson in case he is the lead back and it makes sense, even after one week, to move on from veteran Jerome Ford.

Isaac Guerendo, San Francisco 49ers (7.7%): What? 49ers star Christian McCaffrey (calf) not only suited up on Sunday, but he garnered an awesome, NFL-leading 31 touches and turned them into 23.2 PPR points. All true, but the mere fact that McCaffrey entered the weekend hampered yet again (and it is yet again) by some ailment must concern both the 49ers and fantasy managers alike. McCaffrey played, but we may never be 100% confident about him again after last season.

Guerendo (shoulder) suited up on Sunday and handled a kickoff return, but nothing on offense. Former Washington Commanders starter Brian Robinson Jr. (53.1%, but falling) earned 10 touches, with little impact. Still, while Guerendo may be just as brittle as McCaffrey, he is so talented, and we cannot ignore possibility. Stash him away just in case.

Deep-league options/streamers

• Colts rookie DJ Giddens may not earn 12 rushing attempts in games that aren’t blowouts, but he did run effectively. If we continue to attack McCaffrey’s physical liabilities, it seems only fair to point out Colts starter Jonathan Taylor has missed 16 games over the past three seasons.

• The New Orleans Saints rushed 22 times on Sunday. Starter Alvin Kamara had only half of them. That doesn’t mean you must add Kendre Miller, but he ran well. He is next in line and, even in a rough offense, he may matter in fantasy.

• Steelers rookie Kaleb Johnson appears headed for the sad town of “dropsville” in so many fantasy leagues, though perhaps he lands on the good side at some point this season. Former Eagles backup Kenneth Gainwell (1.9%) handled 10 touches — only three short of starter Jaylen Warren. That’s far closer than most expected.

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How impressive was Dylan Sampson’s fantasy performance?

Field Yates and Daniel Dopp discuss Dylan Sampson’s impressive Week 1 fantasy performance.

Wide receiver

Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers (3.6%): Johnston’s 24.9 PPR points from Friday’s win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Brazil reminded us of the upside, though we saw his inconsistency last season (albeit with eight touchdowns). Johnston may be third in line for targets behind star Ladd McConkey and the still-excellent Keenan Allen … and don’t the Chargers want to run more? They probably do, so don’t drop a top-50 player to get Johnston.

JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kansas City Chiefs (1%): Someone must catch Patrick Mahomes‘ passes in the short-term, but it won’t be the suspended Rashee Rice for another five games, and it may not be the injured Xavier Worthy (shoulder) for a while, too. Smith-Schuster hasn’t been a fantasy factor since 2022, but he and Hollywood Brown (just at the threshold at 50%) may be valuable for the rest of September. The Chiefs will host the Eagles in a Week 2 Super Bowl revenge game and the Eagles lacked a meaningful pass rush (and a second viable cornerback) in their opener.

Calvin Austin III, Steelers (2.3%): Do you know who the other Steelers starting WR is after DK Metcalf? This fellow caught one of the four Rodgers TD passes, scored 17 PPR points (more than Metcalf) and sure seems safe for targets. It is premature to call Austin a WR3 option, but we should add him first and then find out later.

Kayshon Boutte, New England Patriots (0.5%): Speaking of volume, QB Drake Maye threw 46 passes. Boutte was his top option — not newcomer Stefon Diggs. If Maye throws this much in Week 2 against the Dolphins, who defended so poorly on Sunday, Boutte may continue his success.

Cedric Tillman, Browns (42.7%): Tillman reeled in Cleveland’s lone receiving touchdown and he saw just as many targets as the much-ballyhooed Jerry Jeudy. With Flacco at QB, Tillman may have some sneaky WR3 upside on occasion.

Deep-league options/streamers

Tight end

Harold Fannin Jr., Browns (0.8%): Fannin, a third-round pick this year, sure wasn’t eased into action. He and starter David Njoku were on the field together quite a bit, and Fannin caught seven of nine targets for 63 yards and 13.6 PPR points. Don’t drop Njoku, of course, but — again — with Flacco throwing a ton, fellows like Fannin have value.

Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints (1.2%): Johnson, 28, has been a popular streamer in past seasons, even finishing among the top-10 tight ends in PPR scoring in 2022. Remember, Taysom Hill (knee) is out until at least Week 5.

Deep-league options/streamers

• Two of the top three tight ends in most fantasy drafts left Sunday games prematurely. Raiders star Brock Bowers (knee) claims that he is fine and will play in Week 2’s second Monday night game. 49ers star George Kittle (hamstring) seems more likely to miss time. Veteran Jake Tonges (0.0%) caught the first three passes of his career, including one for a touchdown. He becomes more popular in Week 2 against the Saints if Kittle sits.

• Pittsburgh’s Jonnu Smith (22.6%) caught a Rodgers TD and Pat Freiermuth (11.2%) didn’t, but you’re just guessing if you assume the same thing happens next week, or the week after.

Defense

Green Bay Packers (37.5%): It’s probably fair to say that the Packers would have been one of the top-drafted units in ESPN leagues had the stunning Micah Parsons trade occurred a month ago. The Packers held the Detroit Lions to two field goals until the final minute of a dominating 27-13 win. The Lions averaged 33 PPG last season. The Packers host Washington on Thursday, which is not a great fantasy matchup and on a short week. It shouldn’t stop fantasy managers from adding this D/ST.

Indianapolis Colts (32.2%): Fantasy managers were already down on numerous Dolphins (Tagovailoa, RB De’Von Achane, WR Tyreek Hill), but still, holding Miami sans a point until late in the game is impressive. The Colts host Bo Nix and the Broncos in Week 2 and that’s also a positive matchup.

Deep-league options/streamers

• The 49ers D/ST (19%) scored 10 fantasy points at Seattle. They can probably score more in Week 2 against the Saints. San Francisco has a favorable schedule this season.

• The Dallas Cowboys, sans Parsons, lost in Philadelphia to open the season and their D/ST forced nary a turnover, scoring only a solitary fantasy point. Still, next up are the lowly Giants. They aren’t the Eagles. Assume there will be some turnovers.

Athletic Club player Yeray Álvarez was handed a 10-month ban by UEFA on Monday for failing a banned substance test due to taking a medicine to prevent hair loss caused by cancer treatment.

The Spanish defender failed a drug test after Athletic lost to Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League semifinals in May and accepted a voluntary provisional suspension in early June, UEFA said.

Following an investigation by two inspectors from UEFA’s ethics and disciplinary department, the governing body has suspended Álvarez for a period of 10 months. The ban will end on April 2 next year and applies to all competitions. UEFA confirmed he can train and use club facilities from Feb. 2.

Álvarez, a 30-year-old center-back, had to step away from football in 2017 for several months to treat testicular cancer. After his return to playing, he took medication to fight alopecia. He argued that the cause of his positive result on the doping test was because he “involuntarily took a medicine to prevent hair loss that contained a banned substance.”

UEFA confirmed that substance to be Canrenone.

Athletic will play in the Champions League this season after finishing fourth in the LaLiga.

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Álvarez confirmed his provisional suspension in July in a social media post, where he said a hair loss prevention medicine had contained a banned substance.

“After studying the case, we have established that I tested positive because I unintentionally took a hair loss prevention medicine containing a banned substance,” Álvarez said.

“The disciplinary procedure is currently under investigation and subject to confidentiality so I am provisionally suspended and [I] am not authorised to make any further public statements.

“I very much regret this situation but, with the support of the club, I am working on my defence in the belief that I will be able to return to the field of play as soon as possible.”

EAGAN, Minn. — In the minutes before kickoff Monday night, J.J. McCarthy and the rest of the Minnesota Vikings will retreat to their locker room for their final preparations to face the Chicago Bears (8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN). McCarthy will spend part of the time in front of a mirror, painting his cheeks with eye black to create an alter ego that has been nearly unbeatable since his days as a teenage quarterback at Nazareth Academy in Illinois.

“I kind of make this switch when game day happens,” McCarthy said. “That’s when the war paint comes on. It’s like I’m ready to die on that field, and I’m ready to do anything possible to get that win. It’s not going to look pretty, and it’s not going to look like someone just did my makeup for Halloween. It’s war paint.”

At 22, McCarthy is closer to his trick-or-treating days than any of the NFL’s 31 other starting quarterbacks. He is largely a mystery to the NFL audience after missing his rookie season because of a meniscus tear in his right knee. He has played 42 snaps and made 24 throws in two preseason games since the Vikings made him the No. 10 pick of the 2024 draft.

But the one fact on his résumé is that his teams almost always win. In two seasons at Nazareth (2018-19), one at IMG Academy (2020) and three at the University of Michigan (2021-23), McCarthy is 63-3 as a starter. He won an Illinois state 7A championship in high school and a national title in college.

McCarthy is only part of that team-wide success, but those who know him speak in reverential tones about his in-game moxie and competitiveness. Greg Holcomb, a Chicago-area quarterback trainer who first met McCarthy when the QB was in seventh grade, invoked one of the greatest basketball players during a recent discussion.

“There are so many things that take no skill whatsoever that can make you a really high-level football player,” Holcomb said. “You better have skill attached to it, but it’s the ones that have both of those things. It’s the Kobe Bryants of the world that are not only ultra-talented but are also so disciplined that they’re in the gym at 4:30 in the morning when they don’t have to be.

“J.J. has so many things in his toolbox that have nothing to do with his skill. He’s got both, so you’re looking at somebody who has the potential to be very elite. It’s almost like he’s got this eerie kind of aura about him that is just connected to success and winning.”

No one who watched the Vikings training camp this summer, or in 2024 before he suffered his injury, was reminded of Bryant. As often occurs with young quarterbacks, McCarthy produced his share of inaccurate passes, miscommunications and faulty decisions. Even so, many Vikings players acknowledged moments when they recognized the attributes that have helped McCarthy elevate teams on game day — and, in theory, can help him bridge the gaps while he continues his development.

“He definitely has the winning attitude, the dog mentality, just that killer mode,” receiver Justin Jefferson said.

Right tackle Brian O’Neill thought McCarthy’s best practices came on days when coaches inserted competitive elements, such as when the New England Patriots arrived for two days of workouts.

“I would not discount the fact that a lot of the times J.J — with whatever team he’s been on — tends to be a good version of himself on game day,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. “There’s a lot of guys that are talented. There’s a lot of guys that can light up the practice field every day, but the guys that can either take it to the game or maybe even be a better version of themselves in the game have the ‘gamer,’ or whatever tag you want to put on it. I think he’s got that trait.”

But, O’Connell added: “I think it’s important that he doesn’t just solely rely on that trait showing up to Soldier Field. I think he [needs to] pair that with the work that he puts in throughout the week.”

Face paint is one of several game-day rituals McCarthy says helps him prepare to compete. He knows that war analogies in sports can be excessive, and he doesn’t mean them literally. But during a conversation last week with ESPN, he used a proverb attributed to 17th-century Japanese writer Miyamoto Musashi to explain his game-day mindset: “It is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war.”

McCARTHY HAS SPOKEN openly about his life with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), calling it his “superpower” and describing it as a condition that brings him “calm in the chaos and chaos in the calm.” Along the way, he has followed a game-day routine designed to amplify the productive elements of the condition.

The day begins with an extended version of his morning meditation. In trying to “stay as present as possible, grounded and centered,” he said he’ll rely on a variety of external stimulants. Sometimes, he’ll listen to a collection of audio tones called “963Hz.” Other times, he’ll listen to reggae icon Bob Marley. His favorite Marley tune is “Jamming.”

McCarthy also frequently uses a Shiftwave chair, a device he was first introduced to during his final season at Michigan and believes in so much that he invests in the company. Developed by former Discovery Channel host Mike North, a mechanical engineer who was searching for ways to heal a broken leg and balance his mental health, the chair is designed to apply vibrations as part of a biofeedback loop that responds to the body’s physical and mental state.

“The goal is very much putting a person into this kind of internal flow state,” North said, “where they’re able to freely flow between activate and go, and then relax, recover, reset. And so for someone like J.J., the ball snaps and you have to go. You want to be going a hundred miles an hour. But then the play’s over. You want to come down as fast as possible, think clearly, recharge, recover, and then prepare for the next play.”

McCarthy later reached out to North in hopes of learning more about how the chair works. It has multiple settings based on the circumstances, with programs that can last from five minutes to an hour.

“He told me his regimen and I wouldn’t have advised anything different for him,” North said. “It was perfect. And I was like, ‘Wow, you really understand this. You really intuitively figured out how to use this at its best.’ And I think J.J. is just an absolute superuser. He’s very tuned in. He is smart, aware, open. He’s just got this humble awareness that’s really remarkable. He’s a very enjoyable person to be around.”

The chair folds on top of itself, making it portable, and McCarthy carries it with him into the pregame locker room, even if it’s for only a few minutes of use during halftime. One way or another, however, he gets a final 10 or 15 minutes of meditation before the game begins.

JJ McCarthy reporting for work 🫡 @jjmccarthy09

📺: #LVvsMIN — 4pm ET on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/O751MZUoSm

— NFL (@NFL) August 10, 2024

During his time at Michigan, McCarthy often conducted that meditation session in uniform while sitting under a goal post — a sight that reliably drew the attention of television cameras and photographers. In the NFL, however, he meditates in private.

“I felt like it got to be a distraction,” McCarthy said. “And that’s the last thing I want it to be. I don’t do it for a show. Obviously, I would love every kid in the world to learn how to meditate, but at the end of the day, I feel like it’s about getting the effects of that practice, not showing off the practice.”

WHAT TO MAKE of a 22-year-old quarterback who quotes 17th-century Japanese proverbs, carries a meditation chair and paints his face like a warrior? For one thing, it becomes easy to overlook how inexperienced he is in some of the basic elements of playing in the NFL.

Last Wednesday, for example, was McCarthy’s first regular-season practice as a professional. Because he was on injured reserve before the 2024 season began, he was ineligible to participate in practice — a fact that quarterback Carson Wentz learned in a hurry after signing as the team’s new backup Aug. 24. McCarthy immediately began peppering him with a series of first-day-of-class questions and later referred to him as “Coach Wentz.”

“He hasn’t even prepped for a game week in the NFL yet,” Wentz said upon his arrival. “So, he was talking about, ‘OK, what’s a normal routine? What time are we going to get there?’ All the things.”

Holcomb, the private quarterback trainer, compared McCarthy’s personality to P.J. Fleck, the University of Minnesota’s high-energy football coach.

“I had a chance to meet P.J. years ago,” Holcomb said, “and at first I was like, ‘There’s no way this dude is like this 24-7. It has to be an act.’ But all these years later, P.J. is still the same guy. J.J. has those same qualities. He’s almost, like, too happy sometimes. It can almost look obnoxious.”

Ultimately, a football locker room is an unforgiving place. Players can see through a performative façade if nothing exists behind it. In the NFL, the level of play is too high to count on good vibes and competitive spirit alone.

“It can’t be the only thing,” O’Neill said. “You can’t just show up with your eyes closed and then be like, ‘Well, I’m going to go out and ball on Sunday.’ This is the NFL and it doesn’t work like that. But I’ve felt that urgency from him [in practice] in terms of getting ready to go.”

O’Neill compared McCarthy to former Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tyler Boyd, O’Neill’s college teammate at Pitt. Boyd’s high school teams were 63-1 with four state championships.

“There was a pingpong table in the locker room, and Tyler was winning every damn time,” O’Neill said. “He just kind of reminds me of J.J. We have a basketball hoop here. J.J.’s winning every game of P-I-G that we play. There’s just something about true-live competition that I see a lot in both of those guys. His best stuff comes when there’s a big stage.”

That’s when the face paint comes out and the warrior arrives in the garden, so to speak. There have been two exceptions, however, when the moment required something different — and provided an intense example of McCarthy’s inner competitor.

McCarthy grew up a fan of Ohio State football and was crushed when coach Ryan Day did not offer him a scholarship. So, when he started for Michigan against the Buckeyes in 2022 and 2023, McCarthy played without face paint.

He later explained why to Holcomb, his private trainer.

“On game day,” Holcomb said, “he wanted Ryan Day to see his entire face when he beat him.”

And beat him he did, both times, by a combined score of 75-46.