Suspensions, Comebacks, and Fertility Meds: Your Fantasy Waiver Wire Chaos Decoder
Titans cornerback Nazeeh Johnson is out six games for a performance-enhancing substances violation tied to fertility medication, Jets rookie QB Cade Klubnik impressed in Friday's preseason opener and should lock down the backup job, and Falcons sack leader James Pearce Jr. faces an eight-game suspension.
Your waiver wire just got messier. Here's what you need to know.
The Suspension Shuffle
Titans cornerback Nazeeh Johnson is suspended for the first six games of the season for violating the NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances. Johnson says his violation came from his and his wife's efforts to conceive a child. That's a real one, folks, mark him out until Week 7 if you're holding him in deeper leagues.
The Falcons are losing their reigning sack leader James Pearce Jr. to an eight-game suspension. Atlanta coach Kevin Stefanski addressed the matter Friday night. That's a massive hit to Atlanta's pass rush, and it opens snaps for depth guys you might want to monitor.
The Backup QB Breakout
Jets rookie QB Cade Klubnik started Friday's preseason opener against the Bucs and showed enough poise and control with the offense that the Jets' backup QB job should be his. He led two scoring drives and converted most of his passes. If you're streaming backup QBs or need emergency depth, Klubnik just made himself relevant in a way that matters for your bench.