Week 2 Sunday: Flowers and Jennings Inactive, Bowers Sits

Ruled out this morning

Zay Flowers is inactive with the hamstring. Baltimore expects him back next week, but for today he's a hole in your lineup. Jauan Jennings is also officially inactive, personal reasons, also expected back next week.

Nico Collins is out with a hamstring and may miss next week too — Aaron Wilson's report suggests a two-game absence, so the Texans' passing game runs through everyone but him today. Michael Pittman is listed Out with an ankle for the Pittsburgh trip to New England; the reporting on him is genuinely thin, but the designation is what it is.

Brock Bowers is doubtful and per Rapoport is expected to sit, with Week 3 in New Orleans the real target. Don't wait on him. RJ Harvey is technically Questionable but Schefter says unlikely to play — treat him as a scratch. Kyler Murray is out in concussion protocol, Sam Darnold is out with the glute. A.J. Brown (IR, high ankle), Josh Jacobs (Exempt List), Jordan Mason, Isiah Pacheco, Dylan Sampson, Jordyn Tyson, Zach Charbonnet and De'Zhaun Stribling are all unusable.

Active — go ahead

Joe Burrow is officially active. Back cleared, full practice Friday, no limitations. Start him and start Ja'Marr Chase, who said Thursday the knee feels great and carries no designation — he's the full-time X with a target share in the high-20s and Collins' absence doesn't change a thing about Cincinnati's side of it.

George Kittle practiced fully Friday with no designation on the Achilles. He's the only real tight end San Francisco has and a top-two target — no hesitation. Alec Pierce is a full participant with no tag; the heel absence was maintenance. Jakobi Meyers was limited with the thumb but carries no designation, same thumb he played through in Week 1. D'Andre Swift went full Friday with no designation — normal lead-back workload.

Ladd McConkey is Questionable with ribs but Pelissero reports rapid progress and every intention of playing. Start him and confirm at inactives. TreVeyon Henderson says he's ready after the ankle — he's the passing-down half of the committee, not the early-down one. Kaelon Black is on track per Schefter, relevant only if McCaffrey news breaks. Eddy Pineiro's illness won't keep him from kicking.

The pivot by position

QB: lost Murray or Darnold? Drake Maye and Lamar Jackson are the healthy plug-ins; Jayden Daniels and Dak Prescott if those are gone. Matthew Stafford is the Monday-night option if you need to stall.

RB: Harvey out means Dobbins absorbs the backfield in Denver. If you need a body, Chase Brown and Derrick Henry are the best healthy names on the board; James Cook and De'Von Achane sit above them if somehow free.

WR: without Flowers, Collins, Jennings or Pittman, go Chris Olave — listed with a hamstring but no designation, and he's the Saints' clear perimeter alpha, though a hamstring always risks snap limits. Otherwise Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Drake London and Rashee Rice are clean.

TE: Bowers out, so Trey McBride is the ceiling play, then Tyler Warren, Colston Loveland, Harold Fannin or Tucker Kraft. Sam LaPorta already delivered his six-catch touchdown Thursday.

The late games

Inactives for the 4:05 and 4:25 kickoffs aren't final yet. That covers McConkey and Bowers at LAC-LV, Meyers and Harvey in Denver, and the Kittle/Black/Pineiro trio in San Francisco. All are trending the direction described, but confirm 90 minutes out rather than assuming.

Puka Nacua is Monday night and the Rams are calling him a pre-game decision on the hip. He missed both practices. That is a real risk of inactivity or a reduced role, so line up a backup now — do not carry a Monday-night zero into a decided week.

Alec Pierce plays Sunday night at Kansas City; no designation, no concern.