August 2018 4for4 Player News Articles

Eagles wide receiver Alshon Jeffery passed his physical, and has been removed from the physically unable to perform list.

Jeffery is expected to miss the first two games of the regular season, but so far there has been no indication that his absence will last longer than that. The Eagles are playing it safe with their top wide receiver, whom they signed to a four year extension worth $52 million. Expect him to be the primary option for Carson Wentz when the Eagles take on the Colts in Week 3.

The 49ers have released running back Joe Williams.

The running back Kyle Shanahan famously "pounded the table for" in the fourth round of the 2017 draft is already off the roster. The 49ers will move forward with Jerick McKinnon, Matt Breida, and Alfred Morris as their top three running backs.

The Jets fear wide receiver Jermaine Kearse will miss the season opener against the Lions after undergoing a medical procedure on his injured abdomen.

Kearse is not expected to have a major role this season with Robby Anderson expected to be the No. 1 receiver, and the team adding Terrelle Pryor in the off-season. Anderson may see a few more looks in his absence.

According to Gregg Bell, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said running back Rashaad Penny was getting the cast off of his broken finger on Wednesday. This puts him on track to return for Week 1.

It has been a rough summer for the rookie running back, but he could still be in line to receive a bunch of work in this offense after being a first round pick of Seattle's just a few months ago. Penny has fallen all the way down to the No. 28 running back off the board in drafts.

The Seahawks gave wide receiver Tyler Lockett a three year extension worth a maximum of $37.8 million and $20 million guaranteed.

It's good money for the explosive wide receiver, who has overcome a major injury to his leg. He should be the No. 2 receiving option for the Seahawks at worst, and could vault to No. 1 if Doug Baldwin continues to struggle with injury. Lockett caught six touchdowns on just 68 targets in 2017.

The Packers signed Aaron Rodgers to a four year extension worth $134 million. The average annual value of his new deal is $33.5 million.

A new deal was expected for the Packer quarterback after he voiced his displeasure over his deal following Kirk Cousins signing with the Vikings. This isn't a huge fantasy item, but it could make Randall Cobb more expendable if the Packers look to shed some salary. Cobb is set to make $8.6 million this season.

The Jets have traded quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to the Saints, along with a sixth round draft pick, in exchange for a third round pick.

The Saints clearly felt as though their backup quarterback situation was dire enough to warrant a trade for Bridgewater. For fantasy purposes, this puts rookie Sam Darnold squarely in the drivers seat to open the season as the Jets starter. How he performs will directly impact the value of his receiving options. If he can be everything the Jets are looking for right away, Robby Anderson is likely a steal at his current ADP.

Despite worries that Frank Gore will steal half of Kenyan Drake's touches, the Dolphins are aware of Drake's talents and will allow him to be the lead back if he proves he can handle it. Dolphins coach Adam Gase's breakdown of an ideal workload for Drake should be music to the ears of Drake, Dolphins fans and smart fantasy football owners.

“You’d love to get in that 70-75 plays per game [range] as a unit. If that happens, then you’re looking at hopefully anywhere from 15-20 carries and 6-8 targets," Gase said of Drake.

Gase might be a little optimistic on play count. Even with an expected increase of no-huddle under Ryan Tannehill, no team has averaged 70-plus offensive plays per game since Philadelphia in 2014. The Dolphins averaged a little over 62 plays in 2017.

But even looking at numbers just outside of Gase's low-end projection, Drake getting 18-20 touches a game -- which would be a workload similar to what Jay Ajayi had in his breakout 2016 season -- would allow him to expand upon what he flashed last season. Ajayi had 287 touches in 15 games in 2016, a little more than 19 per game, for 1,423 total yards. Plus, Drake is a better receiver than Ajayi ever was.

After the Dolphins traded Jay Ajayi away, Drake split time with Damien Williams, but once Williams was shut down in Week 12, Drake turned 21.6 touches into 119 total yards and 0.40 touchdowns per game in his last five games. The Dolphins signed Frank Gore, who looks best suited for backup duty at this point in his career, though there were reports earlier in camp that the two would split the work. This report directly contradicts the notion that Drake won't be the lead back in 2018.

49ers TE George Kittle (shoulder) was back at practice today.

Fann tweeted Kittle did some individual work, but wasn’t running routes yet. The hope is, at this point, he's ready to go for Week 1 but owners should continue to monitor his progress.

Vikings WR Adam Thielen is "good" after leaving practice today. No cause for long-term concern with his left leg, according to a league source.

Krammer had tweeted that Thielen hobbled off the field after apparently hurting his leg in practice. He did walk off under his own power. Fortunately with Krammer's updated tweet, Thielen appears to be OK.

Eagles WR Alshon Jeffery is expected to miss at least the first two games of the season.

Related players: Dallas Goedert, Zach Ertz, Mike Wallace, Nelson Agholor, Mack Hollins, Kamar Aiken, Shelton Gibson

Per Schefter, the Eagles will activate Jeffery to the 53-man roster this weekend with optimism he could be back by Week 3. It's a bit of good news considering there were reports he would remain on the PUP list and miss the first six games. Agholor and Wallace should see a lot of targets at WR. But the Birds could go to two TE sets with Ertz and their top pick Geodert. RBs Darren Sproles and Corey Clement could also be involved in the passing game. Depending on who makes the cut, Hollins, Gibson or Aiken could see WR3 snaps with Jeffery out.

Labor Day may be the day that LeVeon Bell goes back to work.

The Steelers running back has not signed his franchise tender or reported to the Steelers since the deadline to sign a multi-year deal passed in July. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Bell has told some of his teammates that he will report to the team on Monday.

That's the first day of practice leading up to Week 1. Bell also reported six days ahead of the first game last season. The story added when Bell reports, the team will have a roster exemption for up to two weeks, but Bell played in Week 1 last season.

One position battle appears to be settled. Zane Gonzalez is lone kicker on Browns roster.

The team released Ross Martin as the two were in a competition. For the first time in a while, the Browns kicker may have some fantasy value this season. With a new-look offense and lots of potential talent, the Browns should be able to move the ball this season.

Steelers OC Randy Fichtner sounds pretty comfortable playing LeVeon Bell in Week 1. Asked about potential need to scale him back, Fichtner said, "That’s a hard question because that’s LeVeon Bell...There are things he can do that, quite frankly, most people can't do."

Related players: James Conner

The Steelers may not plan to limit Bell, but he will have to prove he's in game shape after missing camp thus far. Meanwhile Conner has performed well in the passing game during the preseason. Bell got off to a slow start last year after missing most of camp. Reports said Bell will report to camp no later than Friday of this week while others say Labor Day.

Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin did some work at practice on Monday and coach Pete Carroll said he’s on track to play in the regular season opener after dealing with knee issues all summer, but that doesn’t mean that Baldwin’s knee is 100 percent.

It also doesn’t mean that his knee is going to be 100 percent anytime soon. Baldwin spoke to reporters on Tuesday and said it feels good to be running around again, but that he knows he is going to have to manage the knee throughout the season.

Related players: Russell Wilson

Baldwin says right now he's about 80-85-percent and he doesn't figure to get to 100-percent. As the story said, Baldwin may have to miss time at some point this season, be it practice or possibly a game. This is definitely something to keep in mind if you were considering drafting Baldwin.

Frank Reich: Andrew Luck. Not out there today. He's done fine. Will be out there Monday.

What was reported as a minor foot injury will turn into Luck missing a week. Reich said via Chappell's tweet that Luck's feeling strong and good and Reich also doesn't anticipate any regular-season restrictions for practice.

Sounds like Colts RB Marlon Mack's prognosis has improved. Reich said both he and Anthony Castonzo have made good progress over the past two days.

Related players: Jordan Wilkins, Nyheim Hines, Christine Michael.

In last week's story about Mack, it said he wasn't a slam dunk to be ready for Week 1 with his bum hamstring. But this report certainly seems like there could be a chance, so owners will want to continue to monitor. If Mack is unable to suit up, it means more action for Wilkins, Hines and Michael.

Chargers OC Ken Whisenhunt went on to say Mike Williams is not just a receiver you line up wide and throw jump balls to, but that he is evolving into a wideout who can run the complete route tree, which makes him even more of a threat at different areas of the field.

The story said with TE Hunter Henry out and Antonio Gates still unsigned, Williams is expected to step in and fill the void as someone who can be a reliable target in the red zone.

So far, Tyrod Taylor hasn’t disappointed.

When asked what impressed him about training camp, Browns coach Hue Jackson singled out his new starting quarterback.

"I would be remiss if I did not say Tyrod Taylor and what he has done on this football team since the day that he walked in the building at practice, his leadership, how he has conducted himself here and trying to do everything he can to get this organization winning," Jackson said.

Related players: Baker Mayfield

The team seems happy Taylor has brought some stability to the position that has seen the franchise start 28 QBs since 1999. Eventually, Mayfield is expected to take over, but so far the Browns have not strayed from their plan of starting Taylor this season.

If Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz is any closer to being cleared for contact ahead of the Sept. 6 season-opener against the Atlanta Falcons, coach Doug Pederson still isn't letting on.

Though, he admits that he'll know whether the Week 1 starter at quarterback will be Wentz or Nick Foles by Friday, the day after the preseason finale against the Jets.

When will the public know?

"90 minutes before kickoff," a smiling Pederson said on Tuesday before practice at NovaCare Complex.

The Eagles open the season on Thursday, Sept. 6, so it makes sense a decision will have to be made. The story said Pederson has been impressed with Wentz's progress, and Wentz says his knee is healthy, but he'll have to be cleared by doctors to start Week 1. Wentz has said all along it's going to be a close call.

Coach Pederson says WR Alshon Jeffrey is “progressing well.”

The tweet added Jeffery has been catching “75 balls a day” as part of his rehab. There is still no word on his availability for opener and Jeffery remains on PUP. There was talk Jeffery could remain on PUP and miss the first six weeks of the season.

On Tuesday morning Dez Bryant hinted that he might not end up signing until later in the season, rather than before Week 1.

Bryant tweeted the following: "I can I just have to take care of me first....gave to much love and not received at least half back...I will play ball this year just might be a lil bit later in the year.. we will see."

What happened to that running-back-by-committee approach the Packers coach suggested all offseason?

Don't forget, HC Mike McCarthy left himself an out during an interview with ESPN back in June.

"But if one of them would emerge as that full-time guy, then you have to have that ability to adjust to that," he said at the time.

With all but one training camp practice completed and half the preseason schedule in the books, McCarthy might be ready to use that out, thanks to Jamaal Williams.

Related players: Aaron Jones, Ty Montgomery

McCarthy said, "He's really poised to have a big year," according to the story. All along the team has preached it would be a committee at RB. And chances are Montgomery will still be heavily involved in the passing game going forward, but the team has a couple of weeks to see if Williams can continue his hot streak right into the regular season before the suspended Jones comes back. The story said Williams has also improved his pass blocking and receiving skills.

Texans starting wide receiver Will Fuller didn't practice Monday as he continues to recover from a strained hamstring.

He didn't play in the Texans' preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams after tweaking his leg last week in practice.

Fuller is expected to return for the season-opener against the New England Patriots.

Fuller burst on to the scene last year with the emergence of Deshaun Watson at QB before tailing off after Watson's injury. HC Bill O'Brien said Fuller was day-to-day, but otherwise was doing well in his recovery and it looks like he'll be good to go.

Outside of Michael Thomas, the pecking order for the rest of the Saints' wide receiver corps is one of the hardest to pin down in the entire NFL. Their preseason usage has offered little guidance. And Sean Payton said after Saturday's win at the Los Angeles Chargers:

"That depth chart is like written in chalk. It's not permanent ink."

Related players: Cameron Meredith, Ted Ginn, TreQuan Smith, Austin Carr

Meredith is on the mend from surgery and remains a work in progress. The story said he has zero catches in the preseason. Ginn was called out twice for running the wrong route while Smith has been very exciting, but is still working on assignments and alignment. Carr, meanwhile, played ahead of Meredith in the slot and caught three passes for 38 yards.

Donte Moncrief is the most experienced (152 catches in 53 games) and among oldest (25) receivers on the roster. The Jaguars signed him to a one-year, prove-it contract to help provide some veteran leadership along with Marqise Lee after Allen Robinson departed in free agency.

With Lee gone, that responsibility is all on Moncrief. He has to be the player the rest of the receivers -- who have appeared in a combined 45 games -- lean on.

Related players: Keelan Cole, Dede Westbrook, Jaydon Mickens, Rashad Greene

HC Doug Marrone said the group of WRs has to step up, but the writer feels it has to be Moncrief that leads the way. But Moncrief has missed 11 games over his last two seasons because of injuries. The story said there were times when his effort and attitude were also called into question, which caused the Colts to give up on him.

Jay Gruden said TE Jordan Reed is on pace to be ready for the opener.

Related players: Vernon Davis

We all know the drill by now ... when Reed plays he's a TE1 option every week. But staying on the field has been his biggest issue. He's played 18 of a possible 32 games over the past two years and has missed 35 percent of his regular season games in his career.

Seahawks WR Doug Baldwin did some individual work off to the side. Clearly close to coming back fully.

Baldwin suffered a knee injury early in camp and has been sidelined since. Even when he suffered the injury, talk was that he would be ready to go for Week 1. That looks to still be the case.

Jon Gruden said WR Griff Whalen has turf toe, could miss a couple weeks.

Related players: Martavis Bryant, Seth Roberts, Johnny Holton, Dwayne Harris

It doesn't look like Whalen is going to be ready for Week 1 against the Rams. Gehlken added Whalen could be a candidate for injury settlement. The Raiders just traded Ryan Switzer to the Steelers and Whalen was among those battling for the slot receiver job.

Frank Reich says Andrew Luck has a minor foot injury from Saturday’s game.

Bremer went on to tweet the injury is nothing major and that Luck would be able to play if there was a game on Sunday. Luck should be good to go for Week 1.

WR Odell Beckham Jr has now agreed to a 5-year extension.

The deal makes him the highest paid WR in the NFL on a $95 million max deal, $65 million total guaranteed. He comes into this season ranked as our No. 4 WR. He finished No. 7 last year in just 12 games and No. 5 and No. 4 the two seasons before, respectively. As we say in his profile, he's a threat to be the top fantasy receiver as long as he can stay healthy.

After more than a year of talk about a holdout, a trade or a franchise tag: Odell Beckham's future with the Giants is nearly settled.

The uncertainty and negotiating ploys are over as the Giants and their star are close to a five-year contract extension that will make him the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL, according to NFL Network. NJ Advance Media has not confirmed the report.

The story went on to say Beckham will have either the highest annual salary, topping Antonio Brown of the Steelers ($17 million on a four-year deal)—or the most guaranteed money—topping Mike Evans of the Buccaneers ($55 million). Or both.

Wide receiver Ryan Switzer was traded for the second time in less than five months, this time from the Oakland Raiders to the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to multiple reports on Monday.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the trade involved draft picks, but terms of the trade were not immediately released.

The Raiders acquired Switzer from Dallas during the 2018 NFL Draft. In Oakland, Switzer fell behind Griff Whalen and Seth Roberts in the slot receiver competition. Last season in Dallas, Switzer also returned kickoffs and punts. As a wide receiver, he caught six passes for 31 yards.

Titans TE Delanie Walker says he’s “very confident” he’s ready on Sept 9 for opener.

Walker is among our top tight ends this season and it looks like he'll be ready to play Week 1.

Bucs WR Mike Evans is back and practicing today.

Evans sat out Sunday from a shot to the back he took in Friday’s game against the Lions, the tweet went on to say.

Progress on the injury front for the Patriots: Rookie RB Sony Michel makes his first appearance on the practice field since Aug. 1.

Related players: Rex Burkhead, James White

Michel looks like he should be on pace to play in Week 1, but of course RB roles in New England are not easy to predict. Michel will likely need to play some catch-up at this point and Burkhead looks like he'll be a safer play with White remaining the option on passing downs.

Saquon Barkley is back. Blew past LB Ray-Ray Armstrong on a wheel route in 7-on-7.

The Giants are likely taking it very easy with their top pick, but he seems like he'll be a go for Week 1.

Browns Hue Jackson said Josh Gordon will not start the opener against the Steelers even if he’s 100%. Play yes, start no.

Gordon may be on some kind of pitch count to start the season, at least for Week 1. Owners will have a better idea of where to play Gordon in lineups once our Week 1 rankings are released. For now, it looks like Gordon will have some limits for the first game.

Adam Gase said DeVante Parker doesn't know yet if he can play Week 1 vs. Tennessee. We're two weeks away from the opener.

Related players: Kenny Stills, Danny Amendola, Albert Wilson

The tweet said Parker still can't catch balls because of his finger injury. Parker seems like a huge question mark heading into Week 1. We have Stills as the team's top WR but Amendola and Wilson will get a bump up if Parker can't go.

Giants TE Evan Engram won’t practice today.

Duggan went on to say in the tweet Engram is on the field wearing a helmet and playing catch.

Jaguars WR Marqise Lee is being placed on injured reserve today.

Related players: Keelan Cole, Dede Westbrook, Donte Moncrief

Lee suffered knee ligament damage Saturday night versus Atlanta on a hit some believe is related to the NFL’s rules changes, Schefter went on to say. Cole, Westbrook and Moncrief get a bump up the depth chart with Lee finished for the season.

Ben Roethlisberger let James Conner know that if he got winded during the no-huddle attack, the Steelers quarterback would get him a breather by calling a play or two for someone else.

Six receptions for 52 yards later, Conner never asked for that breather in extended action against the Tennessee Titans on Saturday.

"He never said anything to me, so I like the shape he's in," Roethlisberger said after the 16-6 victory. "I'm excited with what James can do and has been doing."

Related players: LeVeon Bell

Conner didn't excel in the run game in this contest, but did record a 57-yard run this summer against Green Bay. The story said that as a rookie, Conner struggled with pass protection and conditioning but those are no longer areas of concern. He could see more use especially early in the season if Bell is trying to catch up to speed upon his return.

Phillip Lindsay has accounted for at least one of Denver’s top-10 yardage plays in each of its three preseason games—a 19-yard touchdown reception and 16-yard catch against Chicago, a 15-yard run against Minnesota and that deep tear-drop at Washington. He totaled 65 plays in those games (41 on offense and 24 on special teams).

Lindsay featured prominently with the first-team against the Redskins, appeared in 14 plays at running back—a clear sign as the 53-man roster cut looms Friday that he will indeed be a Bronco.

Related players: Royce Freeman, Devontae Booker

HC Vance Joseph said Lindsay is earning the right to be on the team. We have him down low on our depth chart at the moment, but if he makes the team he'll obviously jump up. Freeman and Booker seem to be a lock to earn a majority of the work, but Lindsay is a name to keep in mind.

NBC Sports' Peter King has a theory—Carson Wentz will not only miss Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons, but also Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

King went on the "Dan Patrick Show" and predicted that Wentz would sit out until the Eagles' Week 3 home game against the Indianapolis Colts. Earlier on Monday, King wrote in his weekly column that he believed Wentz was "doubtful" for Week 1, too.

Related players: Nick Foles

Keep in mind this is just a theory and one opinion, however, if you read our news post Sunday about Wentz, there is growing speculation from those who follow the team that the Eagles may be cautious with Wentz and hold him out multiple weeks to start the season. As we stated Sunday, the Eagles' schedule gets tougher after Week 4, so the team may believe it can get away with playing Foles until they feel much better about Wentz.

Not practicing today for Bucs: WR Mike Evans, CB M.J. Stewart, LB Devante Bond, S Keith Tandy, DT Vita Vea, DT Mitch Unrein, OT Donovan Smith, OT Cole Gardner.

Evans took a hit in the team's most recent preseason game. It was reported he watched practice, which can hopefully be taken as a good sign his Week 1 status is safe. But, be sure to monitor reports of his status, just in case.

Two weeks ago, coach Hue Jackson said he'd have a "heck of a decision'' to make at backup quarterback if Tyrod Taylor went down early on in the season.

Would he turn the team over to Baker Mayfield, who's the future of the franchise but still learning the pro game? Or 12th-year pro Drew Stanton, who has an 11-6 record as a starter?

The answer came Thursday night against the Eagles when Taylor left the game in the first quarter with a left hand injury. Jackson didn't even hesitate to send Mayfield into the game.

As the story went on to say, HC Hue Jackson backed off a little because he has yet to make it official to the team he said. Mayfield is expected to play in the team's final preseason game.

Titans remove WR Rishard Matthews from PUP and place WR Michael Campanaro on Injured Reserve.

Related players: Corey Davis, Taywan Taylor

As we recently posted, Matthews had surgery to repair a torn meniscus during the first week of August. Signs point to him playing Week 1, and he is still likely to start in 2-WR sets with Davis. If you already bought low on him, this is great news.

RB Elijah McGuire (foot) will not be ready for the season-opener, Todd Bowles said.

Related players: Bilal Powell, Isaiah Crowell

Bowles also wouldn't rule out putting McGuire on short-term IR to start the season. The Jets said they are going to use the hot hand between Powell and Crowell, but as of late, Powell has looked like the better of the two.

There’s a rumor making the rounds that a deal between the Giants and receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is done. But it’s not quite done yet.

Word is that Beckham is privately claiming that a new contract is in place. Per a league source with knowledge of the situation, the deal is close but not done.

The Giants and Beckham seem to be targeting Week 1 for a new contract. Several weeks ago, competing reports emerged regarding whether the Giants are willing to make Beckham the highest-paid receiver in the league, with characterizations of the team’s offer hinging on the “new money” fiction.

The Eagles’ offense got a huge boost Sunday when Nelson Agholor and Corey Clement returned to practice after lengthy injury absences.

With Alshon Jeffery (shoulder) a question mark at WR for Week 1, Agholor could see a lot of targets should Jeffery miss time. Clement is expected to get some carries as well as continue to have a role in the passing game.

Veteran wide receiver Eric Decker, who had signed a one-year contract with the New England Patriots on Aug. 3, announced his retirement on Instagram Sunday afternoon.

The story said Decker was probably on the roster bubble despite the Patriot's need at WR. Decker didn't play in the first half of Friday's game, which was the only time Tom Brady was in the game. Decker also struggled with drops during camp.

WR Justin Hunter is trying to become that deep threat for the Steelers, embracing a golden opportunity after they traded Martavis Bryant to the Oakland Raiders at the NFL Draft.

At 6-foot-4, Hunter is the type of tall target that Ben Roethlisberger loves. Hunter received an endorsement from the quarterback after the game, despite the miscommunication that cost them a second scoring play.

The issue with Hunter has been inconsistency. The story pointed out a great play Hunter made for a TD against the Titans, but also added there were two mistakes before that easily could have led to more big plays. Roethlisberger has shown confidence in Hunter which the receiver appreciates, the story said, and the hope is it leads to chemistry between the two during the season.

Browns TE David Njoku (ankle) and DT Larry Ogunjobi (shoulder) both back in practice today after missing Saturday.

Njoku should be ready for Week 1 against the Steelers. He is our No. 12 ranked tight end heading into drafts this season, so he's shaping up to be a low-end TE1 option.

Doug Pederson said that Carson Wentz has not been cleared for contact.

Related players: Nick Foles

There continues to be different opinions around the league as to whether or not Wentz will play Week 1. Wentz has said all along "it's going to be close" as far as him being ready to go. He also added it will be up to the doctors. There are those who said the team's schedule gets harder after Week 4, so it's possible the Birds try to ride out the first few games with Foles under center. One thing is for sure, the Eagles will use caution when it comes to their franchise QB.

Hakeem Valles has [been put in tough positions] the last couple weeks at tight end. And he's handled the assignment so well, you have to wonder whether he's on the roster bubble at all heading into Saturday's cut down to 53 players.

Related players: Luke Willson, Michael Roberts, Levine Toilolo

Valles played with the starters in Detroit's 33-30 win Friday night against Tampa, finishing with three catches for 38 yards—which led the position group. Now he has seven catches for 69 yards in the preseason. That's more than Luke Willson, Michael Roberts and Levine Toilolo—the three favorites at the position—combined. And then Willson left the Bucs game with a knee injury. The story said Valles has seen a lot of practice time with the ones as well.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon was activated from the non-football injury list and cleared to participate in practice on Saturday, but a minor hamstring injury will limit what he can do as he tries to get ready for the season-opener.

Gordon, who missed training camp while away from the team addressing his health at a University of Florida treatment facility, suffered the injury two days before, according to head coach Hue Jackson. Jackson added that he has “no doubt” Gordon will be ready for the Week 1 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and didn’t rule the receiver out for this week’s final preseason game, the story went on to say.

Quincy Enunwa had not been on a football field in a game situation since Jan. 1, 2017, when he walked into MetLife Stadium on Friday night.

The Jets wide receiver missed last season after neck surgery and missed the first two preseason games this year with a thumb injury. But Enunwa returned to action against the Giants and caught two passes for 28 yards. He moved around fine and showed no signs of rust.

Enunwa said it was exhausting, but other than that seemed quick according to HC Todd Bowles. In 2016, Enunwa had 58 catches for 857 yards and 4 TDs.

Jesse James has a back contusion after going high for a Ben Roethlisberger pass and taking a hard fall. Coach Mike Tomlin doesn't know the severity.

Related players: Vance McDonald, Xavier Grimble

McDonald has missed the entire preseason with a foot issue and Grimble underwent surgery to repair a ligament in his right thumb/wrist area. The Steelers could have all three—or none—for Week 1, the story said.

Jaguars WR Marqise Lee was carted off the field during Saturday night's Week 3 preseason matchup between Jacksonville and Atlanta with what appeared to be a serious leg injury. We'll update the situation once we know more.

Keelan Cole has been running alongside Lee as a starter, so he’s the de facto No. 1 WR with Dede Westbrook likely moving into the No. 2 role. Donte Moncrief and D.J. Chark will battle for real-world WR3 targets. Consider Cole a fantasy WR4 and Westbrook a fantasy WR5. Both players have some upside from there, but Jacksonville’s receiving pecking order has been tough to pin down all summer. It’s possible (but doubtful) that the Jaguars move Moncrief or Chark into a starting role, leaving Westbrook as the No. 3 WR. Chark is 6-foot-3 with 4.34 speed. For what it’s worth, ESPN beat writer Michael DiRocco said that Chark has been the “most impressive receiver” at camp.

The Browns have officially moved Gordon to the active list off the non-football injury list.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement that Gordon has been cleared for all activities, including games.

Gordon has played 10 games since his monstrous 87-catch, 1,646-yard, 9-touchdown season in 2013. That in itself is reason for caution: Since 2014, of a possible 64 games, Gordon has played in only 10, so owners taking a chance on Gordon need to be prepared for another suspension. In those 10 games, Gordon has played at a 67-catch, 1,020-yard pace, which is pretty good production. (However, he only caught one touchdown, and that’s a bit worrisome.) Volume may be an issue with the arrival of Jarvis Landry (who saw 160 targets last year, albeit for a different team). In the aforementioned 10 games, Gordon saw 28.6 percent of the team’s targets. He’ll be hard-pressed to see that sort of market share with Landry in the fold. Either his efficiency will have to increase or the Browns will have to throw the ball much more—neither scenario seems super likely.

Last night, #Packers RB Ty Montgomery left early with a foot injury. But post-game, coach Mike McCarthy said, “I'm told it's nothing of a serious nature."

Related players: Jamaal Williams, Aaron Jones

This is good news, as Montgomery is slated to potentially be the third-down/no-huddle back in the Packers offense behind Jamaal Williams, with Aaron Jones suspended for two games. It appears though that Williams, who the coaching staff has praised all offseason and preseason, will get the first crack at being the starter.

Bears head coach Matt Nagy said that running back Jordan Howard will play on third down.

“We’ll do different things with (Howard) and we’ll keep him on the field on third down” was Nagy’s exact quote.

If this is true, it is fairly significant, as many have considered Howard a first- and second-down player only with Tarik Cohen in town. After scoring nine touchdowns on one of the league’s worst offenses in 2017, Howard looks like he could reach the next level of fantasy goodness if he can add more receptions to his bottom line.

Giants tight end Evan Engram left the team’s third preseason game with a concussion.

Engram will have two weeks to get ready to play in Week 1—his status should not be in doubt for the opener. Still, it is something to keep in mind going forward, as we have seen head injuries pile up for other players in the league.

The Jets have signed running back Charcandrick West, formerly of the Chiefs.

This is likely a depth signing by the Jets, with both Isaiah Crowell and Elijah McGuire nursing injuries. Even if he makes the final roster, he will likely not be a fantasy option.

Ravens tight end Hayden Hurst has a stress fracture in his foot, and will undergo a procedure today to insert a screw in his foot. He is likely out three to four weeks.

Hurst looked good in the preseason, but this injury will likely cost him at least the first two weeks of the regular season. Any targets that would have gone his way will likely be divided up between fellow rookie Mark Andrews, Willie Snead and the Ravens' cast of running backs. Hurst is not a fantasy option at this point in time.

Browns quarterback Tyrod Taylor left the Browns' third preseason game with an injury to his left wrist.

UPDATE: Taylor later returned to the game.

It was a gruesome looking play, with Taylor falling on his left wrist and it bent in a way it isn't supposed to. We will wait for further updates before jumping to any conclusions. If Taylor is forced to miss any time, rookie Baker Mayfield will start in his place.

According to Paul Kuharsky, Titans wide receiver Rishard Matthews had surgery to repair a torn meniscus during the first week of August. He could come off the PUP list as soon as next week.

Matthews' undisclosed injury has been one of the more under-reported stories of the summer, but it appears we finally have an answer. If Matthews can get on the field for practice, he is still likely to start in 2-WR sets come the start of the season. His draft stock has fallen mightily throughout the offseason and this could be a buying opportunity now that we know why he has been missing time.

According to ESPN's Rob Demovsky, "everything [Mike McCarthy] has done and everything he has said indicates that the second-year pro will be the No. 1 back when the Green Bay Packers open the regular season on Sept. 9 against the Chicago Bears". Jamaal Williams has been previously mentioned by McCarthy as someone who could be "the guy".

With Aaron Jones suspended, it isn't a shock to hear this, but it is possible that Williams' tenure as the lead runner extends past the first couple of weeks of the season. The coaching staff was clearly impressed with Williams last year, and if he performs well early, he could have a stranglehold on the position for all of 2018. Williams is the No. 37 running back off the board right now in drafts. And he is our No. 25 ranked RB in PPR formats.

According to Colts head coach Frank Reich, running back Marlon Mack is "not a slam dunk" to be ready for the start of the regular season.

Reich mentions next week's practices as critical in making a determination. If Mack is unable to suit up, it means more action for Jordan Wilkins, Nyheim Hines and Christine Michael. Robert Turbin in suspended and will not be able to play.

The Buccaneers have placed RB Charles Sims on injured reserve.

Sims was expected to play a role in the passing game for Tampa Bay. His absence will free up opportunities for the rest of the backfield to catch passes. Given the struggles for rookie Ronald Jones in that area, it is likely that much of that work will go to Peyton Barber. Barber is coming off the board outside of the top 40 running backs in drafts, making him an appetizing later round target.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger indicated that the team will run more no-huddle out of the shotgun in 2018.

Roethlisberger's career splits out of the huddle are about the same as his no-huddle numbers, but a faster tempo means more plays and more fantasy points for the Steelers' offense. Roethlisberger is the No. 12 quarterback off the board in fantasy drafts and seems like a strong buy candidate.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Bears tight end Adam Shaheen is dealing with foot and ankle injuries, and there is no timetable set on his return. The exact nature of the injuries are unknown.

Shaheen is a second-year player expected to see a lot of snaps as the Bears' in-line tight end. Not necessarily a fantasy option himself, the absence of Shaheen will open up even more snaps for Trey Burton, who is the No. 10 tight end off the board right now in drafts.

The New England Patriots released WR Kenny Britt.

The notable names left on the Patriots' WR depth chart includes Julian Edelman, Chris Hogan, Eric Decker, Phillip Dorsett, Cordarrelle Patterson and Matthew Slater. With the latter two more special teams players and Edelman out the first four games of the season due to suspension. Hogan is the clear target among the group and is our No. 24 ranked WR in PPR leagues.

The Chiefs released running back Charcandrick West.

West is a trusted veteran in Andy Reid's system, so it speaks volumes that he was cut. This is a vote of confidence in the health of Spencer Ware, who tore his PCL before the 2017 season. The Chiefs will save $1.7 million against the cap.

Mike Triplett of ESPN reports that "the Saints' decision to release veteran Terrance West on Tuesday further cemented Jonathan Williams as the leading candidate to be paired with Alvin Kamara during Mark Ingram's four-game suspension to start the season".

Ingram averaged 14.4 carries and 4.4 targets in 2017. Even if Kamara takes some of that work, it is likely Williams would have a sizable role should he be the true complement to him to start the year. He is worth taking a flier on late in drafts and can likely be selected with your final pick. Williams currently is going undrafted.

Seahawks running back J.D. McKissic suffered a Jones’ fracture in his foot and is expected to miss four-to-six weeks.

McKissic was a candidate to see some third-down work this season but was probably never going to be a fantasy option without an injury. This opens up a slight window for C.J. Prosise to establish himself in a third-down type of role. That is, until Prosise also gets hurt.

Pittsburgh Steelers WR Eli Rogers has been suspended one game as part of the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse. He will miss the first week of the NFL regular season.

It's a crowded receiver room in Pittsburgh, where Rogers was likely competing with James Washington and Darrius Heyward-Bey for significant snaps and playing time behind Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Prior to the suspension news, Rogers was our No. 168 ranked WR in PPR leagues—trailing both Heyward-Bey (No. 144) and Washington (No. 79).

The Titans and wide receiver Rishard Matthews have agreed to a one-year extension through 2019. It is a team option with a base value of $7.75 million for the 2019 season.

Matthews has been out with what has been described as a "minor injury", but it turns out he was just holding out. Matthews has 118 receptions in 30 career games as a Titan and will be in a position to lead the team in receiving in 2018 if Corey Davis continues to struggle with nagging injuries. The Titans' passing game should be in a position to break out under new offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur.

The Saints have released running back Terrance West.

Once Mark Ingram returns from his suspension, he and Alvin Kamara should dominate the backfield touches in New Orleans, making it hard for West to be a consistent contributor. The Saints also have Shane Vereen and the much-buzzed-about Jonathan Williams on the RB depth chart.

Colts rookie running back Nyheim Hines fumbled in the team's second preseason game Monday night. It was his fourth fumble in two games.

This is a big problem with respect to Hines' ability to earn playing time as a rookie. We know that coaches do not like to put players on the field who put the ball on the ground. While it does seem like Hines probably just has a case of the yips, it is worth noting that he fumbled seven times in his final two seasons at N.C. State on just 343 combined all-purpose touches. This may be an ongoing issue.

Bills QB AJ McCarron is expected to return to practice soon, per source. So another twist to the Bills’ QB competition.

Related players: Josh Allen, Nathan Peterman

Apparently McCarron does not have a broken collarbone as reports said following last week's game. The Bills did say recently McCarron was getting a second opinion and that tests were inconclusive. It has been a strange and complicated QB competition and rotation, according to those who follow the team. Allen will start this week's game for the Bills and was looking to be the favorite to be the team's starter for Week 1 when McCarron was going to miss time.

Hue Jackson has ruled Josh Gordon out of Thursday night's dress rehearsal game against the Eagles at FirstEnergy Stadium.

"No, Josh is not playing this Thursday night. No,'' Jackson said. "That's for sure."

Gordon returned from his treatment program at the University of Florida, but hasn't yet been cleared to practice. His return to the field will be a collaborative decision on the part of his medical team, the NFL, the Browns and Gordon. He's currently on the active/non-football injury list, which permits him to attend meetings and conditioning sessions, but not practice.

The Panthers are beginning to feel like they have hit on something big with fourth-round draft pick Ian Thomas.

The rookie tight end has carried over an outstanding performance in training camp to the preseason, where he showed an impressive burst of speed on a 27-yard catch-and-run touchdown reception from Cam Newton, and delivered a powerful seal block that helped spring Christian McCaffrey for a 71-yard touchdown in Friday night’s preseason win over the Miami Dolphins.

Related players: Greg Olsen

After not getting a ton of receptions at Indiana, Carolina’s scouts became convinced Thomas has what it takes to be a playmaker and general manager Marty Hurney was sold on him as he studied more film. Olsen is still the guy in Carolina but after missing time last year the Panthers acquired a young player at the position who looks like he could eventually make an impact.

Sebastian Janikowski has won the Seahawks’ kicking competition.

Related players: Jason Myers

The story said the team cut Myers, leaving Janikowski as the only kicker on the roster.

Hue Jackson emphatically re-iterated Monday that Baker Mayfield won't get any first-team reps this preseason.

"No, no, no, no, no,'' he said. "Everybody's asked me that a ton of times. Why? I'm going to tell you the reason why. We are learning a new system, and I think Tyrod Taylor needs every rep that he can get with the ones."

Jackson say he thinks Mayfield is doing an outstanding job with the twos so far in camp, but right now it continues to be Taylor's job.

Teddy Bridgewater’s days with the Jets might be coming to end.

The Daily News has learned that at least two teams have expressed interest in trading for Bridgewater. The News reported two weeks ago that Gang Green has made it clear to teams across the league that they’re amenable to dealing the quarterback for the right price.

Related players: Sam Darnold, Josh McCown

There have been no concrete offers as of yet but "many teams have inquired," the story said. The piece added Bridgewater has been impressive his first two preseason games, but it appears the Jets are going with Darnold to begin the season. The Jets see this as win-win: A chance to get something in return and a way to give Bridgwater a better opportunity. The story speculated the Broncos, Patriots and Dolphins could have interest in improving their backup QB position.

Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas practicing Monday.

Thomas injured his wrist last week and was a bit of surprise inactive on Saturday in the team's preseason game. The injury didn't seem too concerning and his return is good news for potential owners. We have Thomas ranked as our No. 17 WR.

Redskins are signing RB Adrian Peterson, sources tell me.

Related players: Chris Thompson, Rob Kelley, Byron Marshall, Samaje Perine

Once he arrived in Arizona, Peterson carried the ball 129 times for 448 yards and 2 touchdowns. That works out to 3.5 yards per carry (YPC), which was well off his career 4.8 YPC average. He did get a major workload, garnering an average of 23.0 touches in six games with the Cardinals. Washington’s interest in signing a running back was obviously prompted by the injury to Derrius Guice, but it’s unclear where Peterson will fit on the team’s depth chart, at least initially. Will a 33-year-old Peterson be a better option than a 25-year-old Rob Kelly or a soon-to-be 23-year-old Samaje Perine? Time will tell, but at first glance, neither of the younger players impressed in 2017 and Peterson proved during his stint with the Cardinals that he could still carry the load, albeit inefficiently. He’s not much of a threat in the receiving game, so this signing should only impact Chris Thompson’s carries, not his catches. Thompson’s role should be relatively secure heading into the regular season.

Our rankings have been updated but Kelley, Peterson and Perine are all just speculative picks at this point until a frontrunner emerges.

Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz returned to 11-on-11 drills for the first time since July 28, and just the second time overall since he suffered a torn ACL in December.

Monday, Wentz spoke to the media for the first time since his return.

"Really same as last week, it’s gonna be close. Nothing’s really changed from last week other than the 11 on 11 practice. The final hurdle, which won’t be my decision, will be being cleared for contact," Wentz said.

Wentz said he won't play in Week 3 of the preseason and didn't commit to Week 4, which also seems unlikely. It does seem the team is pretty happy with what they have seen from Wentz so far in camp. The writer did say Wentz looks to be on track for Week 1, but he wouldn't be shocked if he's delayed until Week 2.

New York Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan offered his take Monday on the team's quarterback competition, gushing about rookie Sam Darnold and all but confirming he's open to trading Teddy Bridgewater.

Maccagnan, in an interview with New York radio station WFAN, said he's "exceptionally impressed" with Darnold, describing the former USC star as "unflappable."

Related players: Josh McCown

These were the GM's first public comments on the three-way quarterback battle involving Darnold, Bridgewater and McCown, the story said. It's been speculated Jets higher-ups want to roll with Darnold while HC Todd Bowles may have been leaning toward one of the veteran QBs to win games and potentially save his job. Maccagnan pretty much confirmed in the story the team is open to trading one of the veteran QBs. It sure seems like Darnold is going to open the season as the Jets' starting QB.

The Vikings made a handful of roster moves on Monday, including the release of kicker Kai Forbath.

Forbath, who had been with the Vikings since November of 2016, made 47 of his 53 career field goals with Minnesota. He was 45 on 53 extra points during that time.

Related players: Daniel Carlson

Forbath had been battling the rookie Carlson for the starting job. Forbath made one of two field goal attempts against the Jaguars, making a 44-yard try but hitting the right upright on a 41-yard try. Carlson was a fifth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Auburn.

When the Bucs used a second-round draft pick in April on flash-and-dash Southern Cal running back Ronald Jones, it was reasonable to think the third-year pro from Auburn, Peyton Barber, would let him go to the front of the line.

Instead, Barber announced that if somebody wanted the ball, they would have to take it from him.

It's not boasting if you can back it up, and Barber is backing it up.

One guy who doesn't sound like he needs any more convincing is coach Dirk Koetter. When asked if Barber is performing like the starting running back, Koetter said yes.

"That's exactly what he should be doing. He only had (six) carries (Saturday) night, but he averaged over five yards a carry (5.3). He had an explosive run," Koetter said.

This is at least the second story we've seen that Barber is out-performing Jones through camp. The writer said if Barber keeps it up, he'll be starting at New Orleans on Sept. 9. Barber did say he and Jones are a potential one-two punch with Barber likely taking on the role as the strong, inside runner. The story said expect Barber to shoulder more of the load early on, perhaps until Jones gets up to speed, especially in the passing game.

Through Denver's two preseason games, Royce Freeman is the team's leading rusher, with 58 yards in limited duty. He also has the team's only two rushing touchdowns of the preseason.

He has shown vision, power and speed, but on two separate occasions in recent days, Broncos coach Vance Joseph finished a sentence about Freeman with “but we’ll see how he does in protections."

“I know that, too," Freeman said. “ ... It’s all technique, and I feel like it's just repetitions, repetitions. You can always polish things up. You can always be a little bit better at something. I feel like maybe you don’t get it right on the first time, but you keep doing it and doing it. It’s a big thing."

Related players: Devontae Booker

As Case Keenum put it in the story, the back is often the last line of defense, so any RB needs to be able to pass protect to remain on the field. It sounds like Freeman is picking things up according to another quote from Keenum in the story. We certainly see Freeman having the fantasy edge over Booker but it seems like Booker will get his share of work this season as well. We rank Freeman as our No. 29 RB.

The Arizona Cardinals' search for a No. 2 wide receiver opposite Larry Fitzgerald is getting interesting.

Rookie Christian Kirk has turned heads. His four catches for 49 yards and a touchdown performance in Friday night's 20-15 preseason win over the New Orleans Saints coincides with Kirk's objective to make an immediate impact.

Kirk is a second-round pick and is noted for his route-running skills. The Cards are looking for a No. 2 WR option to pair with Larry Fitzgerald, but as the story noted, Kirk did his damage out of the slot on Friday, catching a 13-yard TD.

Bills RB LeSean McCoy has a sore groin and is not practicing today.

We're going to assume this isn't a big deal but certainly something to keep an eye on going forward. McCoy has fallen down our RB list to 26th because of the July 10 accusations of domestic violence. We continue to recommend a hands-off approach, at least until the middle rounds.

Bills HC Sean McDermott said Josh Allen will work with the first-team offense in Monday’s practice and Nathan Peterman will run the second-team offense.

Related players: AJ McCarron

On Sunday, Peterman led the first team and Allen the second team. McDermott said it’s a rotation, Rodak continued in his tweet. The injury to McCarron (shoulder) seems more likely to open the door for Allen at this point, but the Bills QB rotation so far in camp has been a strange one, according to those who follow the team.

Patriots RB Rex Burkhead is back at practice.

Reports last week said Burkhead had a tear in his knee but it looks like he's going to be able to play through the injury. Burkhead is our No. 20 ranked RB in PPR leagues. His ADP is two-to-three rounds after guys like Joe Mixon and Lamar Miller, who are ranked close to Burkhead, so he's a potentially great value in drafts.

Ingram will serve a four-game suspension to start the season for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy. From watching training camp and the first two preseason games, it seems the Saints are preparing Ingram just as they would if he were available for the start of the season.

Ingram had seven carries in each of the first two preseason games, a stark contrast to 2017 when he had four total in the entire preseason with all coming in the third exhibition.

Related players: Alvin Kamara, Terrance West, Jonathan Williams, Shane Vereen

While Kamara should get a heavy workload with Ingram out, the story said HC Sean Payton always likes to use multiple backs, so chances are someone else could emerge and have fantasy value while Ingram is suspended.

Buffalo Bills quarterback AJ McCarron is getting a second opinion to determine the severity of an injury to his throwing shoulder.

Related players: Josh Allen, Nathan Peterman

HC Sean McDermott said he could not provide an update on McCarron because tests on his right shoulder were not “totally conclusive.” Other reports say it was a broken collarbone. The injury opens the door for Allen to perhaps win the starting job.

The Redskins are hosting veteran RB Adrian Peterson, sources tell me and Mike Garafolo. The Pro Bowler is an intriguing option for Washington.

Related players: Rob Kelley, Samaje Perine, Byron Marshall, Jamaal Charles, Orleans Darkwa

The Skins hosted Jamaal Charles and Orleans Darkwa on Sunday and are looking to add running backs with all the injuries they are suffering, including to Perine and Marshall, who are dealing with ankle issues.

Though Carson Wentz has not yet been cleared for full contact, he'll "jump back into some team drills" Sunday, according to HC Doug Pederson. In doing so, he'll split first-team reps with Nick Foles, who will practice despite suffering a shoulder strain Thursday. Wentz recently acknowledged that his Week 1 availability will be a close call, but the franchise signal-caller continues to progress well and his status for the Eagles' opener ultimately figures to be determined by the team's medical staff.

It's looking like both QBs will be good to go for Week 1 at this point, and if that's the case, Wentz will get the nod. Wentz isn't expected to play in the preseason. Foles' preseason shoulder injury obviously wasn't all that serious

Jets QB Sam Darnold got the bulk of the reps. Again. He’s trending toward Week 1 starting job.

Related players: Teddy Bridgewater, Josh McCown

Cimini said it seems obvious Darnold will start this week's preseason game based on all of his reps. He thinks the only way things change is if Darnold regresses against the Giants.

NFL teams have no obligation to disclose injury information during the preseason. The Broncos opted to do so on Saturday night, in connection with the fact that veteran receiver Demaryius Thomas did not play.

“He’s got a sore wrist,” coach Vance Joseph told reporters after the game. “It happened in practice I think on Thursday and he couldn’t go tonight.”

Related players: Courtland Sutton, DaeSean Hamilton, Carlos Henderson

The story went on to speculate Thomas could end up being the subject of trade talks, mostly because the team has a group of very young receivers in Sutton, Hamilton and Henderson they seem to feel pretty good about. The injury doesn't appear to be serious.

The Browns are hoping Josh Gordon will be ready to roll when the Steelers come to town for the opener Sept. 9.

"There's a chance,'' coach Hue Jackson said on a conference call Saturday. "Obviously, we're just going to take it one step at a time. His focus is going to be on meetings and conditioning, and then we'll just kind of go from there. Hopefully, we can get him up and running by the first game."

The story said Gordon returned to the Browns on Saturday from a treatment program at the University of Florida. He was subsequently placed on the active/non-football injury list. It means he can start practicing as soon as his medical team gives him the green light. In the meantime, he can attend meetings and conditioning sessions. The story went on to say an NFL spokesman said there is no timetable for the next steps.

It looked nasty, but the ankle injury for Bears TE Adam Shaheen wasn’t nearly as bad as it appeared. Source said Shaheen suffered a low-ankle sprain based on initial tests.

Related players: Trey Burton, Dion Sims

Shaheen had to be carted off but seems fortunate it's not a more serious injury. Rapoport added more tests are coming, but if everything holds, he wouldn’t be ruled out to play Week 1.

Josh Gordon issued a statement on Twitter, saying in part:

"As I humbly return to being a member of this team with an opportunity to get back to playing this game I love, I realize in order for me to reach my full potential my primary focus must remain on my sobriety and mental well-being. Let's get to work!"

UPDATE via Tom Pelissero: "Since #Brown WR Josh Gordon is still in jointly negotiated substance abuse program, he’s subject to certain conditions. Per @NFLprguy: “This part of the process. Can attend meetings, do conditioning. Can go to practice but not participate. No timetable on next step.”

Related players: Jarvis Landry, Tyrod Taylor

Josh Gordon has faced a long road to get back. He played five games last season but then was not present to this point for the start of Browns camp and the preseason. In his return last season after about three years away from the NFL, Gordon played the final five weeks of the regular season. He averaged 11.5 PPR points per game, WR26 over that span (Week 13-17) on a per game basis. Jarvis Landry will eat into his target share undoubtedly, and Gordon's ADP remains in the fourth-to-fifth-round range. You're paying for closer to his ceiling at that price with a low floor.

Bills QB AJ McCarron suffered a hairline fracture of the collarbone in the first quarter of Friday's preseason game versus the Browns, The Buffalo News has learned.

First-round pick Josh Allen and Nathan Peterman will now compete to start at quarterback in Buffalo in what appears to be an underwhelming passing attack for fantasy purposes.

Patriots rookie offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn tore his Achilles on Thursday against the Eagles and will miss the 2018 season.

This is a big blow to a Patriots offensive line that also lost Nate Solder in free agency. With Tom Brady entering his age 41 season, protecting him will be more important than ever. A slow start to 2018 is possible for New England's offense with so many moving pieces both up front and at the skill positions.

Jeff Howe reports that running back Rex Burkhead is dealing with a "slight tear" in his knee. The injury was described as minor and Howe stated Burkhead likely would have played in the team's second preseason game against the Eagles had it been a regular season game.

This is not a huge red flag right now, but serves as a reminder of Burkhead's knee issues from last season. With Sony Michel dealing with some knee issues of his own, we could see a higher early-season workload for James White. One of Mike Gillislee or Jeremy Hill could also be in the mix on early downs.

49ers general manager John Lynch said that Jerick McKinnon will be out until Week 1 against the Vikings.

McKinnon suffered a calf injury last weekend, and while it is not considered to be serious, the 49ers are taking no chances with their free-agent acquisition at running back. McKinnon is likely fine, but will be setting career-highs in touches this season. This may not be the last time we see him pop up on the injury report.

Packers running back Jamaal Williams left Green Bay's second preseason game with an ankle injury.

The severity of the injury is unknown, but with Aaron Jones already suspended for the first two games of the season, the Packers could find themselves thin at running back to open the year if this is serious. Ty Montgomery figures to handle most of the workload if both Williams and Jones are out.

Redskins running back Samaje Perine sprained his ankle in Washington's second preseason game.

With Derrius Guice out for the season, Perine was in line to pick up a bigger load carrying the football. That may already be out the window depending on the severity of this injury. Rob Kelley will likely be the Redskins' early-down running back until further notice.

Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News expects Sam Darnold to be the Week 1 starter at quarterback. He stated it would "be an upset" for him to not start.

Josh McCown has been great for fantasy purposes, so this may not necessarily be a good thing for Jets skill players from that perspective. Still, it is likely the best long-term move for the Jets, who need to spark their franchise. No Jets quarterback is draftable right now in single-quarterback formats, but hopefully no matter who the starter is, they can continue to get the most out of wide receiver Robby Anderson.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is out of the concussion protocol and is "fine".

There was some holding of breathe after Roethlisberger took a shot to the head in practice this week, but it appears that all is well with the veteran passer. You may continue to draft Steeler receivers as normal.

Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said tight end Delanie Walker is being evaluated after suffering an injury in practice.

Vrabel said he will likely not update the media regarding the extent of the injury, so we will have to do some waiting to find out exactly what is going on. Walker paced the Titans with 111 targets in 2017. It would be a big blow to the offense if he were out for any length of time. Second-year player Jonnu Smith would stand to benefit most from his absence.

Broncos wide receiver Carlos Henderson has been suspended without pay for the first game of the 2018 regular season for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse.

Henderson was a third-round pick of the Broncos last season, but may already be looking like a cut candidate as we approach September. Denver drafted both Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton in the 2018 NFL Draft, and each rookie wideout has impressed. Henderson is likely no higher than fifth on the depth chart.

The Athletic's Matt Barrows reports that "Jeremy McNichols has been the first 49ers running back on the field for every drill today".

This is particularly notable with the recent injuries to Jerick McKinnon and Matt Breida. It is also notable that McNichols appears to be ahead of 2017 table-banger Joe Williams. The 49ers' recent signing of Alfred Morris leaves some cloudiness in this backfield going forward, but the former Boise State star is someone worth keeping on watch lists for the time being.

Seahawks rookie running back Rashaad Penny is having surgery Wednesday morning to repair a broken finger. The expected recovery time is three to four weeks.

UPDATE: Adam Schefter reported that Penny "should be ready" by Week 1

This makes Penny questionable for the start of the season. If the rookie is unable to play in Week 1, the lead running back duties will likely fall upon Chris Carson, though someone like C.J. Prosise or J.D. McKissic could have a role on third down. Ultimately, this news could just make Penny a value in fantasy drafts.

Despite missing nine training camp practices with a nagging knee injury, Denver listed Jeff Heuerman as the No. 1 option. It appeared either a serious vote of confidence for a fourth-year pro with only 18 career receptions, or, an indictment of the remaining inexperience within the position group.

“If we can get (Heuerman’s) knee right,” OC Bill Musgrave said, “he could really be a weapon for us.”

Related players: Jake Butt

Heuerman practiced exclusively with the starters in team periods and seven-on-seven drills, the story went on to say. He run blocked off tackle against Von Miller. He cleared a path for tailback Devontae Booker on a sweep. He lined up in the backfield, on the edge, out wide at receiver and caught several passes from quarterback Case Keenum. The story added that Butt is more of a pass-catcher and route runner while Heuerman is more of an in-line blocker. But as the story said, Musgrave feels Heuerman can be a big weapon.

Raiders receiver Martavis Bryant missed a second day of practice with “really bad migraines,” Vic Tafur of The Athletic reports.

The condition has plagued Bryant for years, per Tafur.

Related players: Amari Cooper, Jordy Nelson

The story went on to say coach Jon Gruden confirmed Monday that Bryant missed that day’s practice with “a headache.” Bryant made one catch for 18 yards on four targets in the Raiders’ preseason opener. He is on the second team behind Cooper and Nelson.

Wide receiver Phillip Dorsett suffered a leg injury during an 11-on-11 drill and spent about a minute on the ground before he walked to the blue medical tent alongside two trainers.

Dorsett isn't expected to miss time, according to a source.

"Just a little scare," one source said.

The story went on to say Dorsett emerged from the tent and watched the remainder of practice. He played catch, from a stationary position, with a staffer afterward. Dorsett walked off the field with his teammates, and came back out to retrieve his pads. Dorsett indicated that he was “all right” as he exited.

Quarterbacks are supposed to be off-limits in training camp, but Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger took a hit today that left him being evaluated for a concussion.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said after Tuesday’s practice that Roethlisberger was currently under evaluation.

“Ben Roethlisberger sustained a hit today in practice. He is being evaluated by team doctors as part of the concussion protocol,” Tomlin said.

The story said Big Ben has at least three documented concussions. In a previously posted story from the Tribune Review, it said Ben wasn't scheduled to play in the team's second preseason game.

The coaching staff had backed off from Carson Wentz in full-team drills because they were happy with what they saw from him during those early 11-on-11s and wanted to minimize any extra risk that having him out there in those situations would create as he recovers from ACL and LCL surgery.

According to the plan — as secretive as the Eagles have kept it — Wentz expects to be back in 11-on-11s next week, an obvious good sign as he continues to keep his goal of being ready to play in Week 1.

HC Doug Pederson said that he would ideally get to see Wentz in 11-on-11s for a week before he plays in a game. This new revelation would give Wentz three weeks in full-team drills before the opener on Sept. 6. Wentz said today "it's going to be close" as far as him being ready to play in the opener.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger left practice early Tuesday afternoon after falling on his final pass of the opening team drill.

Roethlisberger left practice at Latrobe Memorial Stadium and was followed toward the team buses by members of the training staff.

Roethlisberger’s injury and the extent of it were not immediately known and he's not scheduled to play in the team's second preseason game.

The Patriots’ final training camp practice didn’t end without a scare as Phillip Dorsett needed medical attention. Dorsett slipped on a crossing route in 11-on-11 drills, according to multiple reports.

He walked off the field on his own and returned from the medical tent to catch passes on the side from a staffer.

The Patriots, of course, were sharing no information on Dorsett’s condition, the story said.

Two carries for 28 yards may not be anything to get too excited about. But a pair of 14-yard runs in Saturday's preseason game were a good sign that David Johnson is all the way back.

"The biggest thing is I was really pumped up about was how easy it was for me get through those holes. The guys up front blocked for me really well," Johnson said. "I think the team and the Cardinals fan base knows, but I think the biggest thing is letting everyone else know that not just I'm back, but our offense is stacked."

Johnson, who blew up for 2,118 total yards and 20 touchdowns in 2016 before a fractured left wrist ended his season in Week 1 last season, smiled wide as he recalled his first touches of the preseason and first game action in almost a year, the story said. It also added Johnson is motivated and primed to be the focus of the attack. Johnson said his wrist his fine and it's already taken some hits.

Second-year wide receiver Dede Westbrook may be playing his way into a spot among the top three receivers. Despite being a key player during the last half of last season and postseason, Westbrook entering training camp seemed in a position of needing to earn his way into significant repetitions.

Donte Moncrief and Marqise Lee were running with the first team at receiver, and second-year veteran Keelan Cole was getting extensive first-team repetitions.

The story said as of late, Westbrook is standing out nearly every day and QB Blake Bortles seems to be going his way more as well. The piece added Westbrook feels he's improved as a route runner, while Bortles said Westbrook has grasped the offense better.

The future looks inviting for Jaguars RB Corey Grant, who signed a one-year, $2.9-million contract this past offseason and who was a featured performer in the preseason opener. Grant’s speed has wowed observers since he arrived as an undrafted rookie in 2015 and he steadily has grown into a role. His 122-yard performance as the feature back in the 2016 regular-season finale in Indianapolis gave us a glimpse of what he could do with the ball on the ground, and the role expanded. OC Nate Hackett is too smart to leave a weapon like Grant on the sidelines again. Expect to see more of Grant this season, maybe a lot more.

Related players: Leonard Fournette

Fournette is likely going to prevent Grant from seeing a fantasy-worthy workload this season. The story said Grant had some explosive special teams plays and also pointed to his three-catch, 59-yard effort against the Patriots in the playoffs, so it's easy to see why the Jags may want to get him more touches.

The Eagles were without both RBs Corey Clement and undrafted rookie Josh Adams on Tuesday, but Clement is the greater concern.

He suffered a "lower body injury" in the preseason game against the Steelers and has missed all four practices since then. He seems unlikely to play on Thursday against the Patriots, either.

HC Doug Pederson said Clement is day-to-day and downplayed the severity. Like he said about Nelson Agholor's lower body injury, Pederson said Clement needs some much-needed rest.

Eagles WR Agholor has missed the last five Eagles practices, plus the Week 1 preseason game against the Steelers, with an undisclosed "lower body injury." Neither Agholor or coach Doug Pederson would elaborate much, though it seems unlikely he plays on Thursday night against the Patriots.

The story said Agholor initially laughed when asked if he'd be ready for Week 1, but then pulled back and said it would be the coach's call. Pederson was quoted as saying "he needs some rest on it." Before the injury, the story said Agholor was the team's most consistent WR in camp.

Through nearly four weeks of training camp practice, all indications are that Odell Beckham has been the same dynamic player in practice that he's ever been. On Monday, Detroit Lions All-Pro cornerback Darius Slay gave his recovery a ringing endorsement following the first of three joint practices between the Lions and Giants.

"He looks like he's going," Slay said, when asked how Beckham looks at this stage of his recovery. "He's catching the rock, and running the rock."

"He's always been explosive. He's never going to lose that, except when he turns 50, I suppose. But, he's always been explosive. Other than that, he's Odell. That's just it."

The story said there was concern Beckham wouldn't take part in joint practices with the Lions after not playing against the BrownS in the team's first preseason game, but on Monday he took part in nearly every period.

Bills writer Mike Rodak notes receiver Jeremy Kerley seems to have solidified a role as the slot receiver in new coordinator Brian Daboll's offense.

Rodak went on to say the Bills are using the Patriots system and that spot has produced guys like Wes Welker and Julian Edelman. Keep in mind the Bills QB situation is a bit of a mess right now so this may take some time.

Packers reporter Rob Demovsky has consistently predicted that RB Aaron Jones could eventually emerge as the most dynamic back in the trio once he returns from a two-game suspension.

Related players: Jamaal Williams, Ty Montgomery

Williams should start the year as Green Bay's workhorse, with the more versatile Montgomery as the no-huddle/two-minute back, the story said. If you can get him later in drafts, Jones should certainly have some stash value until his suspension is over.

"WR Marquise Goodwin is clearly Jimmy Garoppolo's favorite target" and should have more touchdowns and more yards per catch, according to 49ers reporter Nick Wagoner.

Related players: Pierre Garcon

Garcon will still be a factor, the story said, especially on third down. We have Goodwin ranked as our No. 30 WR, but his ADP is slightly later than Garcon's (9.04 vs. 9.01), who is our No. 43 ranked WR.

ESPN Seattle Seahawks reporter Brady Henderson said Rashaad Penny has looked impressive, so he'll play. But second-year pro Chris Carson has remained the first-string running back all offseason and looks like he's back to the pre-injury form that helped him win the starting job heading into last season.

Henderson also pointed out that Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said during most of his years with the New York Jets when they were running the ball well, "there was always at least two guys. There's a Thomas Jones and a Shonn Greene and there was a LaDainian Tomlinson and a Leon Washington. It takes more than one, for sure." So, it seems like Penny will certainly have some chances but perhaps at least early on, Carson is going to have some value.

The guy who looks most likely to emerge as a true No. 1 RB the earliest is the Denver Broncos' Royce Freeman.

Not only did the third-round draft pick look more impressive than veteran Devontae Booker in the preseason opener with four carries for 38 yards (including a 23-yard touchdown), but ESPN Broncos reporter Jeff Legwold has continued to stress that, "He's just too big, too fast not to play, and he runs with vision."

We do think Booker could emerge in the passing game and turn into more of a third-down, change-of-pace back, perhaps once Freeman gets more established. As the story also said, rookie backs tend to be stuck in timeshares, at least early in the year.

ESPN Redskins reporter John Keim wrote that coaches say both Rob Kelley and Samaje Perine are quicker and running with more confidence this summer, owing to their familiarity with the offense and perhaps shedding some weight (Kelley in particular). So Keim writes there is reason to believe both could be better.

Related players: Chris Thompson

The story also added that it's hard to know if the Skins will commit to either one as the lead back. Thompson is going to get plenty of work in the passing game, but as John Paulsen noted, in games when Thompson was healthy, other Redskins backs averaged about 16 touches per game.

The Miami Dolphins could be without DeVante Parker for some time after the receiver suffered a broken middle finger on his right hand in Sunday's practice, a source confirmed to ESPN.

Dolphins coach Adam Gase said Parker is "week-to-week" with a hand injury and noted that he couldn't catch a ball right now. He won't play in the Dolphins' preseason game against the Carolina Panthers on Friday, the story said. Gase wouldn't commit to Parker being ready for Week 1.

Eagles head coach Doug Pederson was asked about that report on Tuesday [that WR Alshon Jeffery could start the season on the PUP list]. Pederson didn’t say if that was a possibility, but did say that the team likes where Jeffery is at this point.

“You know what, I’m not going to comment on that because we’re monitoring his progress, it’s day-to-day, we’re happy where he’s at, and we’ll continue to do that,” Pederson said, via Jimmy Kempski of Philly Voice. “But I’m not sure where that came from.”

Related players: Mike Wallace, Nelson Agholor

As we reported yesterday, Wallace and Agholor would see increased work should Jeffery start the season on the PUP list and miss the first six weeks. However, in the story, Pederson seemed to downplay that as a possibility.

The subject of David Johnson's contract was broached, and the running back reiterated he was going to let his agent handle things. He did say he was "encouraged" that the two sides continue to talk about a potential extension.

Johnson is going into the final year of his rookie deal. He acknowledged missing last year with his broken wrist has probably hurt his situation because the NFL is more about what have you done for me lately.

Much of the attention in this camp has centered on the Packers' new receivers—three rookies drafted this spring and free-agent signing Jake Kumerow—but Geronimo Allison has quietly established himself as the team’s No. 3 receiver.

Even if his name doesn’t generate the same consistent buzz, there are no shortage of examples on the practice field for why the former undrafted receiver has ascended the depth chart.

Allison got banged up a little on a play in the red zone, but said afterward he was fine. The story went on to say Allison is always in the right place, and his combination of size (6-foot-3) and sure hands make him a reliable target. In the Packers' offense, he'll have a little boost in fantasy value as a WR3 with Aaron Rodgers throwing him the ball.

Tom Brady said he expects New England to remain his home for a while longer as well. Brady’s said many times that he plans to continue playing for several more years and reiterated that he expects “be here next year and hopefully beyond” on Tuesday.

Seeing that through will take further contract tweaks as Brady’s current deal is up after the 2019 season, but that shouldn’t prove too difficult if everyone remains on the same page.

The Pats added $5 million in incentives to his deal.

Speaking Tuesday morning on SportsRadio 94WIP, Eagles QB Carson Wentz offered this update on the chances he is cleared by the doctors to play in Week 1 just under nine months from tearing his ACL.

"I obviously would love to be out there. That has been my goal all offseason, ever since the injury. It is going to be close. It is going to be close," Wentz said. "I am still eyeing that date. But at the end of the day it is not just my decision. There is coaches and doctors that really have the final say, but I really like where I am at and time will tell."

Related players: Nick Foles

Wentz is encouraged about where he's at in his rehab. But as the story said, it's been a rollercoaster in terms of predicting if he'll play Week 1. Over the last two weeks, Wentz has been kept out of 11-on-11 drills. Obviously, Foles would start if Wentz can't go.

To start training camp, Donnel Pumphrey was flashing the elusiveness that caught the Eagles' eye in the first place. Then, when they took the field for the preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pumphrey wasn't dressed. Earlier in the week, he suffered a "lower-body injury" and the timetable for his return is unclear.

Pumphrey was far from a lock for the Eagles' No. 4 running back job, but it'll be awfully hard to beat out Wendell Smallwood and/or Josh Adams for a roster spot.

It wasn't that long ago that Pumphrey seemed like a lock to make the team. He was even being told he'd see time out of the slot. But according to the story, Smallwood has excelled on special teams and Adams has been turning heads as an undrafted rookie.

Vance Joseph: “Chad Kelly is our backup now.” Said things can always change, but Kelly is No. 2 now.

Related players: Paxton Lynch, Case Keenum

This updates a story we had earlier today that Kelly was trying to move up the depth chart...looks like it's official now. Kelly threw two TDs and an interception, outplaying Lynch, who again seemed to struggle.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown did not re-aggravate his injury during Monday's practice and was scheduled to sit out team drills, coach Mike Tomlin said.

Brown finished individual work on his injured quad and was sidelined for the rest of practice. He was walking around with no limp and no trainers around him both during the practice session and as the team broke for the day.

Barkley suffered what Giants coach Pat Shurmur called a mild hamstring strain during Monday's practice, when he hauled in a long pass from quarterback Kyle Lauletta after getting steps behind cornerback Janoris Jenkins and linebacker Alec Ogletree of the first-team defense.

Barkley did not return to action and had his leg wrapped on the sideline. He walked off with teammates (not trainers) and without the wrap.

Shurmur was quoted in the story as saying "We'll be smart with him as we move along here." That could mean Barkley won't see much, if any, action in joint practices against the Lions and may not play in the Week 2 preseason game.

Two days after Steelers receiver Antonio Brown returned to practice after missing 10 days with a quadriceps strain, Brown may be injured again.

Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Brown limped off the practice field after doing some early individual work.

Brown had just returned to practice on Saturday, taking part in team drills.

Sam Bradford will get more work in this week’s preseason game, but the Cardinals want to see rookie Josh Rosen with the first unit, too, coach Steve Wilks said Monday.

The Cardinals play the Saints on Friday night.

Rosen finished his first preseason game 6-of-13 for 41 yards with zero touchdowns and zero interceptions, but he got no help from the Cardinals’ second-team offensive line. Backup center Daniel Munyer‘s shotgun snaps to Rosen were low, including one that that rolled to him. Munyer estimated he had “five or six bad ones,” the story said.

Four days ago, Colts quarterback Andrew Luck played in his first game in 585 days, against the Seahawks in Seattle. The day after, he was feeling the effects of it.

“I was tired, I was exhausted,” Luck told reporters on Monday, according to the team. “I think emotionally I was worn out, and honestly it was probably the redeye home after the game. You know it makes you feel things a little extra, turns the volume up, but I felt physically OK, just energy-wise very low.”

Luck added that he’s comfortable again with short and intermediate routes, and that he’ll now work on improving his accuracy and effectiveness with deeper throws. We had a story earlier this offseason that said Luck expected to be tired, but obviously the key is having no pain in his arm.

Rashaad Penny, the Seahawks’ first-round pick didn’t take part in the final team session, and with Chris Carson getting the day off as well and C.J. Prosise out, that left all the carries for Mike Davis, J.D. McKissic and recently-signed Gerald Holmes.

It was unclear if anything was wrong with Penny.

Coach Pete Carroll didn’t speak to the media afterward but offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer did. Asked if Penny was okay, Schottenheimer said “I think so’’ without elaborating.

The story went on to say Carson was on the sidelines and in pads and did some conditioning work. It’s unclear if there was anything wrong with him or if he was just getting a day off. Prosise was also on the sidelines but was not in pads. As noted, the Seahawks are off until Wednesday so any official word on if anything is up with Penny may not come for a few days.

Bears second-round pick Anthony Miller is forging his place as the first-string slot receiver. He has been everything he was advertised to be coming out of Memphis: A quality route runner, strong hands catching the ball, competitive at the catch point, and, yes, overflowing with flair and confidence.

The story said Bear coaches continue to push him to master the many details of playing receiver in the scheme, including option routes and pre-snap alignments.

It’s not accurate to list the Bears' Tarik Cohen as a running back anymore. He requires a slash, as in running back/wide receiver.

The story said the Bears have Cohen lining up everywhere to maximize his speed, agility and explosiveness with the ball in his hands. Cohen has welcomed the challenge of learning multiple positions and has done well retaining the details required of each. He’s the Bears’ most dynamic player, the story said.

The ball at Chiefs training camp has gone more to one starting wide receiver, Tyreek Hill, than the other, Sammy Watkins. In the preseason opener last week, Hill caught two passes and Watkins none, even though Watkins was in the game for nine snaps, compared to eight for Hill. But offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy said these weren’t necessarily signs that Hill would catch more passes than Watkins during the regular season. It’s more an indication, he said, that QB Patrick Mahomes and Watkins are still getting comfortable with one another.

OC Eric Bieniemy said Watkins is doing a good job in camp—and camp is all about finding rhythm. But for now, it looks like Mahomes is more comfortable throwing to Hill. But there are plenty of mouths to feed in the Chiefs' offense.

It's still too early in the preseason to declare a starter at some positions, but Bucs coach Dirk Koetter took a step in that that direction Monday at running back.

After an underwhelming performance by rookie Ronald Jones in the preseason opener at Miami on Thursday in which Koetter said the second-round pick from Southern Cal was "average," it appears as though Peyton Barber has a good grip on the position.

"Peyton is our starter," Koetter said Monday. "We're definitely going to use Ronald Jones and take advantage of what he's going to do. We do have the two veteran backs behind him. Again, we've got three more preseason games. Let's just let it sort out a little more."

Related players: Jacquizz Rodgers, Charles Sims, rookie Shaun Wilson

As the story said, most NFL teams use a committee approach to the running back position and the Bucs will be no exception. In addition to Barber and Jones, they also have Rogers, Sims and Wilson fighting for the role of third-down back. Keep in mind, we think Jones ends up the better fantasy back and have him ranked as our No. 34 RB.

An MRI performed after 49ers running back Jerick McKinnon was injured in Sunday’s practice showed a calf strain that will keep him out of action for a while.

As a result of that development and Matt Breida‘s shoulder injury, the Niners have decided to bring in some outside help. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Monday that the team plans to sign Alfred Morris pending a physical.

Morris played for Shanahan in Washington during his first two NFL seasons and ran 611 times for 2,888 yards and 20 touchdowns over those years.

Due to the timing of his shoulder surgery following Super Bowl LII, Alshon Jeffery is no lock to be ready for the NFL Kickoff Game versus the Falcons on Sept. 6, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, via a source informed of the situation.

In fact, there's a chance that Jeffery will remain on the physically unable to perform list to start the season, Rapoport added. In which case, the seventh-year veteran would miss at least the first six weeks of 2018.

Related players: Mike Wallace, Nelson Agholor, Zach Ertz, Dallas Goedert

As the story nicely pointed out, should Jeffery miss the start of the season, the Eagles' wide-receiver depth will be tested beyond deep threat Wallace and slot weapon Agholor. QB Carson Wentz would likely lean heavily on his tight-end tandem of Zach Ertz and promising second-round rookie Dallas Goedert. Jeffery played through a shoulder injury all of last season after suffering it in camp in 2017.

Another week, another absence for Jets wide receiver Terrelle Pryor, who remains a wildcard and something of a mystery in his first season with the organization.

Pryor could be a valuable, big-bodied red zone target for the Jets. But he has worked his way back slowly from offseason ankle surgery. He didn't play in the preseason opener against the Falcons, though he has received action in team periods at practice.

Pryor said Monday—after the Jets' second of three training camp practices with Washington, his former team— that he won't play Thursday at Washington, the second preseason game.

According to the story, Pryor also said he broke his ankle during spring workouts—before organized team activities—and that's why he needed surgery early in his time with the Jets. He didn't practice in the spring at all.

Giants running back Saquon Barkley showed off his knack for making big plays in Monday’s practice, but the team got a scare in the process.

Barkley reeled in a long Kyle Lauletta pass down the sideline with his fingertips before going to get checked out by members of the team’s medical staff. Barkley had a wrap and ice pack put on his left leg for a short time, but it was off by the time he and the rest of the team walked off the field.

Giants head coach Pat Shurmur said he didn’t see what happened to Barkley, but that he thinks all is well, according to the story.

WR Eric Decker is still having a pretty hard time in Patriots camp. He pushed off on Patrick Chung to make a catch in 1-on-1s and dropped his second target.

Kyed went on to tweet that Decker dropped two more passes during a side session with QBs, but rebounded to catch three straight passes. Either way, the point was made that for Decker, drops have been a major issue so far in camp.

In what has become the signature play of this year's Baltimore Ravens training camp, quarterback Joe Flacco flung a tight spiral 30 yards downfield and wide receiver John Brown made a diving catch.

The deep pass -- which has been rare in Baltimore's offense in recent years—suddenly has become routine. Flacco is enjoying perhaps the best training camp of his 11-year career, and Brown is producing what might be the best summer any Ravens wide receiver has ever had.

As the story said, the big-play connection has been the biggest missing element to the Ravens' offense. The piece went on to say that over the past five seasons, Flacco is the worst-rated, deep-ball QB, but the trend could reverse if camp is any indication.

Chad Kelly’s first act in Denver: A five-play, 75-yard drive capped with a long touchdown toss to tight end Matt LaCosse. Then it happened. A growing chant rained down from the stands: “KEL-LY, KEL-LY, KEL-LY!” The third-string quarterback jumped up and down with his teammates in the end zone.

Related players: Paxton Lynch, Case Keenum

Kelly entered the game for Denver’s second series after halftime following another forgettable night from Lynch, with the Broncos trailing 27-14. Kelly threw another TD before a bad misread and an interception. Overall, he completed 14-of-21 passes for 177 yards. He is opening eyes to at least be the team's No. 2 QB behind Keenum.

The injuries suffered by Bills quarterbacks Nathan Peterman and AJ McCarron at Sunday’s practice were not serious.

Both Peterman and McCarron are back on the field Monday morning, according to reporters on the scene.

Related players: Josh Allen

Peterman was the starter for the Bills’ preseason opener. McCarron seems likely to start this week, given that he and Peterman have split time with the starters throughout training camp, although head coach Sean McDermott has not announced a starter.

Wide receiver Allen Robinson has done a lot since tearing his ACL early in the 2017 season opener, including leave the Jaguars to sign with the Bears as a free agent, but he has not played in a game.

That is set to change this week. Robinson will participate in Chicago’s joint practices with the Broncos and the plan is for him to play in Saturday’s game in Denver.

Robinson says he's ready and excited, but the greatest benefit will be facing defenders in live action in the joint practices, he said in the story.

The Jets have already called their starting quarterback job a “tough decision,” but coach Todd Bowles denied that a decision for the week has already been made after rookie quarterback Sam Darnold got more work with the starting offense in practice Sunday.

According to Brian Costello of the New York Post, Darnold got his most extensive work with the starters of the offseason, taking more reps with the ones than either Josh McCown or Teddy Bridgewater.

Darnold was also the first quarterback out during what was supposed to be a live scrimmage period, the story said, before rain cut the practice short. Bowles did say all of that was "no indication" of a decision.

James Conner finished practice Sunday as an onlooker because of a groin injury. Stevan Ridley also was not used in team drills. While they were out, Fitzgerald Toussaint and fifth-round pick Jaylen Samuels got the work ahead of undrafted free agents Jarvion Franklin and James Summers.

Related players: LeVeon Bell

The story said HC Mike Tomlin didn’t seem concerned and chalked up Conner’s absence to a desire to see other running backs get work with the first team. Of course, the Steelers hope Bell returns to camp sooner than later and this battle is for his backup.

Seahawks TE Nick Vannett had an obvious highlight with the third-down catch and then the touchdown on the first drive.

But HC Pete Carroll also raved about the play of Will Dissly, the fourth-round pick from Washington, who had two catches for 19 yards but more importantly has shown the team what it hoped he would in the blocking department.

Tyrone Swoopes has also had some nice moments in camp and the combination of those three playing well may mean the Seahawks won’t look to rush back Ed Dickson.

Dickson is our highest-rated Seattle TE (No. 27 TE), but as the story said, there is no planned return at this point for him. Vannett is next up and is our No. 49 ranked TE, but the TE position for the Seahawks isn't expected to be anything more than a TE2 value when Dickson takes over.

49ers running back Jerick McKinnon said he was OK after hurting his knee in Sunday’s practice, but he went for an MRI to make sure that was the case.

It appears the test reinforced McKinnon’s initial feeling. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the test showed McKinnon suffered a muscle strain.

As the story said, there’s no word on any time that McKinnon might miss, but the 49ers will likely be on the cautious side with a player that’s set to fill a major role for them during the 2018 season.

Kenny Stills is being put on ice.

The Miami Dolphins held Stills out of Sunday’s practice because of a left ankle injury the starting receiver apparently suffered in Thursday’s 26-24 preseason loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Coach Adam Gase said the team will be “smart about this,” referring to the injury.

“He tried to go out there today. I want to make sure that he’s healthy before we put [him on the field],” Gase said. “I don’t want this to be a thing that’s going into the season, or we’re four weeks in and he’s still hurt.”

Related players: Albert Wilson, Jakeem Grant

HC Adam Gase isn't in a rush to get Stills back and thinks it's important for all the receivers to develop some chemistry with QB Ryan Tannehill. Gase said he plans to use Stills' absence to work on different personnel groups and packages that cater to Wilson, a physical receiver who excels in the run-after-catch department, and Grant, whose sub 4.3-second 40-time speed threatens cornerbacks.

Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott continues to get plenty of work in practice, including as a pass-catcher. He's lined up in various spots, including split out wide. He's being asked to run more complex routes, he said.

"I think it's just opportunities to elevate my game, opportunities to show that I can do more," Elliott said. "I'm excited. I'm just here to do what the coaches ask me. Whatever they put on my plate, I'll do the best I can do go out there and execute."

The story was mostly about how you shouldn't expect to see much of Elliott in the preseason. He's only carried a total of 13 times in preseason games over his first two years and didn't play this past Thursday. Of course, it's interesting to read how Elliott looks like he could be used more in the passing game, which makes sense considering the loss of Dez Bryant and Jason Witten.

Buffalo Bills quarterbacks AJ McCarron and Nathan Peterman both appeared to be banged up late in Sunday's practice.

McCarron was seen limping after a play during an 11-on-11 drill ended in what would have been a sack. The play was whistled dead because defenders are not allowed to make contact with quarterbacks during practice.

Peterman appeared to be hurt on his final play during a live-action drill at the goal line to end practice. After being tripped while attempting a handoff and falling on his right arm, Peterman spoke to trainers and later was seen testing his throwing arm.

Related players: Josh Allen

The Bills return to practice Monday in advance of their next preseason game on Friday against the Cleveland Browns. Coach Sean McDermott declined Sunday to name a starting quarterback for that game. Allen saw time with both the first- and second-team units, the story said.

The 49ers gave running back Jerick McKinnon a four-year, $30 million contract in free agency to be their multidimensional weapon coming out of the backfield. So, expect the 49ers to be more than a bit anxious for the results of an MRI that McKinnon will undergo after he suffered a right knee injury during practice on Sunday.

Related players: Matt Breida, Kyle Juszczyk

According to reporters in attendance, McKinnon went down clutching his knee during team drills. But after the training staff tended to him, he appeared to be OK considering he remained present at practice and stuck around afterwards to sign autographs.

Browns quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese made it clear Sunday that nothing's changed in the aftermath of Baker Mayfield's sensational rookie debut agains the Giants and that Tyrod Taylor is still the man.

"We're sticking with our plan,'' said Zampese. "Let's get on with Tyrod as our starter. He's our guy.''

As for Mayfield's debut, he said, "He's had 22 preseason NFL snaps. He has a long way to go and we're encouraged with where he's at right now.''

The Browns think Taylor can be very successful with the Browns this year ... which is the only year they are concerned with right now, according to QB coach Ken Zampese. Taylor is our No. 28 ranked QB, so he should be around later in drafts.

Lance Lenoir is likely fighting for one of the final available roster spots at receiver. The Cowboys signed Lenoir as an undrafted free agent out of Western Illinois in 2017. He spent last season on the practice squad, but was promoted to the active roster before the final game.

Lenoir made an impressive catch against the 49ers in preseason Week 1, but the story also added he has a rapport with Dak Prescott, so he's getting time with the first team offense in practice. Given the Cowboys are going with a committee at WR, Lenoir could be a name to keep an eye on.

Dallas Goedert walked along the sideline, heading for the locker room with an Eagles trainer alongside him on Saturday. On his way into the tunnel, he offered up a high five to a nearby fan, smiled and seemed to be in good spirits.

All good, right?

By sundown, Eagles fans on Twitter had taken to speculation — created in the social media verse — that the injury was far more severe than it seemed, that Goedert might've broken his arm.

(Spoiler alert: He didn't.)

Goedert joked he had the inside scoop and said people can think what they want about his injury. The story went on to say he'll be back in a day or two and it's just a minor bump on his elbow.

The Giants have been coy about the plan for the other running backs, declining to discuss even the possibility of roles such as third-down back or short-yardage back. If Barkley is going to join the ranks of workhorses LeVeon Bell, Melvin Gordon, Todd Gurley and LeSean McCoy, it won't leave much opportunity for anyone else.

But Jonathan Stewart has been the clear No. 2 running back all training camp, not just filling in for short-yardage but spelling Barkley as needed. Shurmur didn't care much about resumes last year, when he played rookie Dalvin Cook and Jerick McKinnon over Latavius Murray with the Vikings.

Related players: Wayne Gallman, Jalen Simmons, Robert Martin

A few weeks ago, a beat reporter noted that Stewart hasn't looked great in the offseason, while Gallman has improved and seems like the better choice for the team's No. 2 RB. Looks like Simmons could also be battling for playing time, as the story said. However, this beat writer feels like Stewart may be able to negate some of Barkley's negative runs, a knock on the rookie to this point, especially around the end zone. Obviously, taking the ball out of Barkley's hands near the goal line will hurt his fantasy value if things do pan out that way.

Jesse James is the only returning tight end who has remained healthy the entire camp. Vance McDonald has missed nine practices in a row and Xavier Grimble had his thumb and wrist wrapped Saturday when he exited early with an injury.

Related players: Pharoah McKever, Bucky Hodges, Christian Scotland-Williamson

The story said if the injured TEs are unable to go during practices, James will be backed up by McKever, Hodges and Scotland-Williamson of the United Kingdom.

When the Eagles went into full-team drills in the red zone, Zach Ertz took over. He first caught a beautifully floated ball from Nick Foles with his left hand as he dove toward the ground. Malcolm Jenkins was so frustrated, he picked up the pylon and tossed it. (There probably would have been a sack on the play in a real game.)

Then, Ertz caught a ball in heavy traffic. No idea how it wasn’t picked or how Ertz kept his focus through the bodies. Then, with the twos, he caught another slant for a touchdown. Somehow, with his arms tied up, Ertz was able to use his fingertips to hold onto this one.

Three touchdowns in one red zone period. Ertz is a Pro Bowler and still getting better.

Related players: Dallas Goedert

The Eagles look to be in a great spot with their TE situation as the rookie Goedert had a real nice preseason debut with a 4-66-1 line against the Steelers Thursday night. But based on this news post, you can't forget Ertz is a looking like a top fantasy TE this year.

Denver’s 2017 third-round NFL Draft pick Carlos Henderson has missed the entirety of training camp while on the “Did Not Report” list with a personal family issue. Henderson, who tallied 1,535 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior at Louisiana Tech, was already on thin ice after missing part of the offseason program with a hamstring injury.

“He’s got to get back on the field if he wants to make this football team,” Broncos coach Vance Joseph said at the time.

Then, after training camp practice Thursday, Joseph was asked if he had an update on Henderson.

“None,” Joseph said. That was it.

Related players: Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton, Corey Brown, Bryce Bobo, Mark Chapman, John Diarse, River Cracraft, Isaiah McKenzie, Tim Patrick, Jordan Leslie

Of course Thomas, Sanders, Sutton and Hamilton are locks to make the roster, the story said. It's one of the more talented, crowded positions on the team, the story added. Henderson could still make the practice squad even if he doesn't report back in time to make the 53-man roster, especially considering a third-round pick is a valuable asset to spend.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott tucked the ball under his arm and picked up a 12-yard run in this week’s preseason opener against the 49ers, and coach Jason Garrett liked what he saw.

Asked if he tells Prescott to take fewer risks of getting hit during the preseason, Garrett said Prescott is under no such orders.

“No, we don’t tell him that,” Garrett said. “We tell him to go play.”

The story said that's risky to do in a meaningless game, especially with guys like Derrius Guice and Deon Cain already lost for the season. But Prescott's fantasy value could get a boost—as long as it doesn't result in injury—if he ends up taking off running a lot this year.

Alshon Jeffery suffered a significant shoulder injury during training camp last year, but played through it anyway and never missed a game. He paid the price this offseason with surgery and hasn't practiced yet. It'll still be a bit before that happens.

HC Doug Pederson said Jeffery is "doing a great job with his rehab" and currently is in the "strength phase" of his recovery, focusing on lifting weights while continuing to work on conditioning and cardio, the story said.

With Donnel Pumphrey out — plus Matt Jones on Thursday night, though he's since returned — it's given undrafted free agent running back Josh Adams a chance to receive more touches than he might've if everyone was healthy.

Against the Steelers, his first carry went for 15 yards and he finished with eight touches overall.

Saturday, he even received a couple reps with the first-team.

Related players: Corey Clement, Jay Ajayi, Darren Sproles

Adams is part of a crowded backfield that also contains Ajayi and Sproles. Clement went undrafted last year and ended up catching a TD pass in the Super Bowl, so the Eagles aren't afraid to keep guys like Adams around. However, at this point, he's—at best—the team's No. 4 RB.

Nick Foles was a full-go for practice, which was in pads and he took all of the first-team reps for both 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills.

Related players: Carson Wentz

Foles was supposed to be limited after missing several practices and Thursday's preseason game. Wentz remains limited, the story said.

Jets RB Isaiah Crowell heading to the locker room after apparent head injury.

Related players: Bilal Powell

Crowell also caught a TD pass in the contest before getting hurt on a TD run. With no other information available, we obviously could be looking at a possible concussion for Crowell.

The running game showed some badly needed and long-awaited signs of life, mostly in the form of Kerryon Johnson. He had a team-high 67 yards from scrimmage, 34 of which came on seven carries. That's a fine debut, yet some of his best moments aren't reflected in the box score.

In the third quarter, Johnson stiff-armed one defender, then crossed-over another in the open field for a 57-yard run. It didn't count because of a Tyrell Crosby penalty, and that doesn't matter. This team is just trying to accumulate some talent in the backfield, and Johnson already looks the part.

Related players: Ameer Abdullah, LeGarrette Blount

The story said all three backs averaged at least 4.0 yards per carry. Abdullah continues to look good and is having a nice camp, we've reported over the last week. Some who follow the team feel Abdullah will make the squad as a fourth back, but Johnson is expected to be the star of the backfield as the season goes on with Theo Riddick the pass-catcher and Blount the change-of-pace and short-yardage back.

Leonard Fournette lost almost 20 pounds, committed to getting stronger, and gained a fuller understanding of OC Nathaniel Hackett's offense. The first is the most noticeable difference about the fourth overall pick in 2017. Fournette is listed at 228 pounds, but said he's 223, which was his weight when he ran for 1,953 yards and 22 touchdowns as a sophomore at LSU in 2015.

It's 17 pounds lighter than when he reported to training camp last year. He ran for 1,040 yards and nine touchdowns during the regular season and 242 yards and four touchdowns in the postseason as a rookie, so it's not like he didn't produce. However, he averaged 3.9 yards per carry in the regular season, dealt with a lingering ankle injury that cost him one game, and missed another game with a quad injury.

The Jags have also boosted their offensive line and signed WR Donte Moncrief and Austin Seferian-Jenkins at TE to perhaps open things up for the running game. All that equals a possible breakout campaign for Fournette this season.

The Bengals also saw some sparks from Josh Malone, who had three catches for 41 yards, and Auden Tate, a 6-foot-5, 253-pound seventh-round draft pick whose big frame has impressed in camp.

Tate's night included a leaping grab that was negated by an offensive pass-interference penalty. But it was his contested reception for a 33-yard touchdown, caught right above the arms of the defender, that got his teammates talking.

Related players: John Ross, A.J. Green

Ross also did some nice things, the story said. The piece was mainly about how Green is a much happy guy in camp than he was last year when the Bengals offense was one of the worst in the league. The team seems very high and confident in these young WRs that they released Brandon LaFell early in camp.

The 49ers lost six players to injury in the preseason opener. There’s a good chance each will be back by the time the regular season begins.

“Yes, it looks like, we’re hoping they’ll all be available Week One to start the season,” coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Friday. “I know [linebacker] Malcolm [Smith], he has a hamstring, I do not think he will be available this week in Houston but I think he’ll be week-to-week and I think he’ll have a chance after this week. As far as our shoulder guys, running back Matt Breida and tight end George Kittle, they both separated their shoulders and we won’t have either of them until Week One. [Offensive lineman Garry] Gilliam and [defensive lineman] Solomon [Thomas] are both in the concussion protocol so we’ll see how that plays out here over the next few days. [Linebacker] Eli [Harold], he’s day-to-day with a knee contusion, but he should be day-to-day. . . . Did I miss anyone?”

Of course Breida and Kittle are the offensive fantasy options most of us are worried about. But it looks like the injuries aren't that significant and they should be at full strength for Week 1 in a tough matchup against the Vikings.

Promising Colts rookie WR Deon Cain tore his ACL and will miss the 2018 season.

Related Players: Ryan Grant, Chester Rogers, Daurice Fountain

The story noted how Cain "had been a standout performer throughout training camp." The Colts' WR depth chart is pretty bare after No. 1 WR T.Y. Hilton. Ryan Grant and Chester Rogers will likely lock up the next two WR spots after Hilton, with rookie Daurice Fountain getting an opportunity for more playing time.

Updating a previous item, Redskins RB Derrius Guice tore his ACL in Thursday night's preseason game.

It was originally thought to be a MCL sprain, but if it’s his ACL, it’s terrible news for Guice, who was slated for at least a two-down role for the Redskins. Chris Thompson was already one of our favorite values, especially in PPR formats, but now he should see a few more carries as well. According to beat writer John Keim, Samaje Perine is the “odd man out” meaning that Rob Kelley, Byron Marshall and Kapri Bibbs are all ahead of him in the Washington backfield. The coaching staff has praised Kelley this offseason, so it seems likely that he’ll assume the two-down role now that Guice is out.

49ers running back Matt Breida left the first preseason game with a shoulder injury and did not return.

This would be a fairly significant injury, fantasy-wise, as Breida is expected to be closer to a 1B than a true No. 2 back to Jerick McKinnon this year. If he misses any time, it could leave McKinnon in a true workhorse role, or open up some touches for 2017 draft pick Joe Williams.

49ers tight end George Kittle left the first preseason game with a right shoulder injury and did not return.

Kittle has been a hot name as a tight end sleeper in fantasy drafts, so we will want to keep an eye on how this plays out. He is the No. 11 tight end in our season-long PPR rankings.

Colts running back Marlon Mack exited the first preseason game with a hamstring injury. The severity is unknown.

These are the kinds of injuries that can linger throughout the year, or lead to other issues for running backs. Monitor this closely. Rookie Jordan Wilkins is likely the next in line for early-down carries, while Nyheim Hines is expected to have a sizable receiving load.

Redskins running back Derrius Guice will have an MRI on his knee Friday after leaving Thursday's preseason game with an injury.

Fantasy owners must hold their breathe anytime a running back suffers a knee injury, but early indications are that it is not serious, and that the MRI is precautionary. If Guice was to be out for an extended period of time, Rob Kelley and Samaje Perine would be in line for sizable workloads. Chris Thompson is not expected to be full strength until November.

James Jones said on NFL Network that he talked to Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson, and Olson told him that Martavis Bryant has not picked up the playbook.

“I just had a chance to speak with Coach Olson and he said talent-wise, there’s probably nobody that can compete with [Bryant] talent-wise,” Jones said. “But they said he’s not picking up the playbook, and that’s the reason of a little frustration right now because they want to get him on the field but he’s not able to grasp the playbook yet.”

Oakland traded a third-round pick for Bryant during the NFL Draft, and it is imperative they get him on the field so as not to have wasted that asset. Jon Gruden's offense projects to be balanced, so there are not as many pass attempts to go around as one would like. Bryant is not on the fantasy radar right now.

Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay times reports that running back Ronald Jones has struggled in pass protection.

"Jones has had some good days and bad days in training camp. He's struggled in pass protection. Having only caught 32 passes in three years at USC, his hands need to become softer."

This was one of the knocks on Jones coming out of USC, so it shouldn't be a surprise to hear this report. If Jones cannot stay on the field in passing situations, it will be an obvious hit to his PPR value. Right now he is being drafted as the No. 26 running back.

When Adam Gase met with Albert Wilson in March, Gase presented a plan of how he would be used.

That plan, Wilson said, included playing him all over the field—on the boundary, in the slot, even at running back. And keep in mind that several gimmicky, creative plays involving Wilson (we cannot specify them because NFL teams understandably don’t like reporters to do that) have netted substantial gains in practice.

The story said Wilson carried the ball 10 times for the Chiefs, gaining 82 yards, including a 55-yard TD run. The piece added Wilson was so excited by his potential use, he passed up starting roles with Chicago, Baltimore, and Buffalo.

TE Mike Gesicki might be Miami’s most talented receiving tight end in years. Expect for the Dolphins to line him up in various spots and deploy him in various packages, to catch defenses off guard. He has the skill set to line up outside at receiver if Miami chooses.

Mike Mayock was quoted as saying it will be a tough duty for a safety or linebacker to cover Gesicki in space, while Charles Davis said Gesicki plays "above the rim" on the football field, according to the story. Gesicki is our No. 13 ranked tight end.

David Johnson’s focus in training camp, which he opted to attend after sitting out the mandatory offseason workouts in June because of a contract dispute, is to get in sync with OC Mike McCoy’s playbook.

The new offense is more oriented to the short pass, while former coach Bruce Arians believed in the home run ball.

“It’s been great,” Johnson said. “Mike McCoy really knows how to bring out everyone’s strengths. He knows how to structure the offense to where it brings out what everyone is good at. I feel like it is going to be a great offense.”

Related players: Chase Edmonds, D.J. Foster

Johnson’s emphasis now is on learning the nuances of the new running game, the story said. Although, it is safe to assume his pass-catching ability will be utilized as it was in 2016, when he had 1,239 rushing yards on 293 carries and 879 receiving yards on 80 receptions.

There is a scenario—and a realistic one—in which the Browns line up for their first offensive snap against the Steelers on September 9 with Josh Gordon and Antonio Callaway on the outside and Jarvis Landry in the slot. It could happen. In fact, if Callaway is in the stage of the program he is believed to be in and Gordon really is close to returning to training camp, maybe this is much ado about nothing.

Related players: DaMari Scott, Damion Ratley, Jeff Janis, Rashard Higgins

As the story pointed out, things aren't off to a great start with Gordon not in camp and the recent issues with Callaway, who it seems like the Browns were really counting on. It's possible the above scenario plays out and everything is great for the Browns, but there could be a lot of question marks behind Landry if things don't work out.

A Steelers wide receiver group that was short on bodies the past few workouts in training camp got a boost Tuesday when JuJu Smith-Schuster, Darrius Heyward-Bey, and Marcus Tucker returned to practice Thursday.

Smith-Schuster had been bothered by soreness in his left knee, Heyward-Bey was slowed by back issues, and Tucker had a foot injury.

Related players: Justin Hunter

With Antonio Brown also sidelined for the past week, Hunter was the only veteran getting regular practice reps until Tuesday.

The Josh Doctson watch continued with a bit of confusion Tuesday afternoon.

Redskins Coach Jay Gruden said before practice that the wide receiver would not practice due to lingering heel soreness, but Doctson was on the field going through full team drills Tuesday afternoon. The heel didn’t seem to bother him as he ran routes and played through contact. Gruden had previously denied a report that Doctson had his heel drained, but acknowledged for the first time that it was an issue for the third-year player.

The original announcement was a shoulder injury, but Gruden detailed that it was a bruised shoulder and that his heel was also stepped on. Doctson has done individual work but hasn’t practiced in team drills because the bruised heel has prevented him from “getting his shoe on,” the coach said.

I'm starting to think Ameer Abdullah's chances of making the team are better than originally thought. He was listed as the starting kick returner on the club's first depth chart of the season, and sure enough, took the first reps there against Oakland. Plus, he was the featured back during two-minute drills, and even caught a nice pass out of the backfield to move the chains.

Related players: Theo Riddick

The writer says the Lions could go several different ways at the back end of their RB rotation. But he feels Abdullah is athletic and could be an insurance policy should Riddick get injured at some point. He added at this point in camp, he thinks Abdullah would make the team.

Bears WR Taylor Gabriel’s recent foot injury is “nothing serious,” HC Matt Nagy said Tuesday.

RB Jordan Howard “banged his knee the other day,” Nagy said. “He’s fine.”

Campbell added he'd be surprised if either player suits up on Thursday against the Bengals. The good news is neither injury appears to be serious.

Rookie receiver Antonio Callaway may have already blown his big chance at a starting job with the Browns.

Callaway, the Browns' fourth-round pick out of Florida, was cited for marijuana possession and a suspended license at 2:59 Sunday morning, according to a Strongville police report obtained by cleveland.com.

Related players: Rashard Higgins

Later reports Tuesday said Callaway claims the marijuana was left in the car by someone else. Callaway was already at least in Stage 1 of the NFL's Substance Abuse Program before this incident.

Callaway and Higgins, as we just reported over the last couple of days, were likely in a battle for the Browns' No. 3 WR spot after the trade of Corey Coleman. Callaway practiced Monday and Tuesday and the Browns said they were aware of the situation.

Roles on this Patriots club certainly haven't been set in stone with preseason games still yet to get underway, but Rex Burkhead might be a potential weapon for New England on special teams—with the second-year Patriot spending the last couple of practices catching punts alongside players like Cyrus Jones, Chris Hogan, Patrick Chung, and Julian Edelman.

While Edelman and Chung have had some experience as punt returners, the Patriots' go-to option last season, Danny Amendola, departed for the Dolphins this offseason, while Cyrus Jones is still coming back from an ACL injury that sidelined him for the entire 2017 campaign.

Burkhead said he's willing to do anything to help the team. The story said Burkhead is looking like he's in store for a lot of reps this season as a runner and pass-catcher in the offense.

Deshaun Watson’s recovery from the torn ACL that ended his rookie season has progressed well throughout the offseason and he’s been on the field practicing since the start of training camp, which left head coach Bill O’Brien to answer a question about whether Watson will play against the Chiefs on Thursday night.

O’Brien didn’t commit to an answer, but said, via multiple reporters, that it is “more likely” that Watson will be in the lineup than on the sideline.

He last played in a game on Oct. 29 the story said. It's great news to see Watson could be fully back to form if he does in fact get in the game against the Chiefs on Thursday.

Jake Kumerow, who spent two seasons on Cincinnati’s practice squad and a month on New England’s before joining Green Bay’s on Dec. 26, has been the surprise of Packers training camp.

He has performed so well in the first nine practices that he’s getting snaps with the No. 1 offense and quarterback Aaron Rodgers is actively looking for him. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say he has been the third-best receiver in camp.

The story put it nicely in that there’s still a long way to go before Kumerow can be called NFL-worthy, but GM Brian Gutekunst will look like a genius if Kumerow makes the team. Either that or he’ll be raked over the coals if his three receiver draft picks don't outperform the street free agent.

Eagles QB Carson Wentz spoke on Tuesday for the first time since he has really had his reps cut back in practice. Wentz is no longer taking part in 11-on-11 drills despite doing so earlier on in camp.

"It is frustrating. Obviously getting the chance to be get out there and everything (earlier on in camp), I felt great," Wentz said. "Again, just trust what the doctors are saying and without a doubt it is tough to sit there and watch."

It doesn't sound like Wentz is going to be taking part in any kind of 11-on-11 work in the near future. Wentz almost certainly won't play on Thursday night and it also sounds like he won't be seeing an increase in reps anytime soon either."

"I think for next week it is going to be the same kind of routine," Wentz said, "and then kind of keep talking with the doctors and coaches to make a plan as well go."

One theory is the Eagles saw enough of Wentz when he opened the first two days of camp taking part in 11-on-11 drills. Another theory is Wentz has had a setback. As we reported recently, the team has not mentioned anything about a setback, and in this story, Wentz was quoted as saying the goal is still for him to play Week 1 against Atlanta.

The Seahawks may not have wide receiver Doug Baldwin on the field during the preseason, but they aren’t worried about the regular season.

That was the word from Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll on Tuesday.

Baldwin has been shut down due to a sore knee that was bothering him before camp started, but Carroll said the team is confident he’ll be revved up again in time to face the Broncos on Sept. 9.

Nick Foles said he has muscle spasms. Traps.

Related players: Carson Wentz, Nate Sudfeld

The tweet added that Foles is expected to be fine. We reported yesterday Foles was dealing with upper-body soreness. Wentz, like Foles, isn't expected to play in the team's first preseason game, so Sudfeld is expected to see a bulk of the action Thursday.

Coach Mike Tomlin said WR Antonio Brown won’t practice today but will return to action after Thursday’s preseason game against Philadelphia.

Brown had missed five days of camp but was back for the team walkthrough Tuesday morning, the tweet went on to say.

The Broncos released their first depth chart of the year and it features Devontae Booker in the top slot. Royce Freeman is No. 2 with DeAngelo Henderson, Dave Williams, and Phillip Lindsay making up the rest of the group.

Many think Freeman will pass Booker by the time the season gets underway, but that hasn't happened thus far. As the story said, both backs appear likely for a good amount of work, which obviously isn't ideal for fantasy owners.

Tight end Chris Herndon has the skills to make an important contribution sooner rather than later. Although the rookie fourth-round pick insists that “I’m not looking too far ahead,” it’s tantalizing to envision Sam Darnold and Herndon making sweet music together for the next decade.

The 6-foot-4, 253-pound rookie is competing with four others for the starting tight end job, but know this: The organization believes that Herndon will rise above the pack and produce in 2018.

Related players: Clive Walford, Eric Tomlinson

The story said the team loves Herndon and believes he will be a difference maker moving forward. He was described as having elusiveness, nastiness, and power. Also, as the story pointed out, the TE position "has been a barren wasteland" for most of Todd Bowles' regime, so there are some high expectations.

Tampa Bay Times writer Rick Stroud believes Chris Godwin will be the one opposite Mike Evans on the outside of the starting lineup.

Stroud cites his run blocking edge over Jackson as part of a more complete package and notes that Jackson has been working out of the slot more and more this summer.

Related players: Adam Humphries

HC Dirk Koetter had good things to say about Godwin, including that he's playing well right now. Koetter also feels that the team has four starting-quality receivers, but as the story says, it looks like Godwin has passed Humphries at this point.

In meeting rooms and on the field, Redskins RB Derrius Guice is showing his teammates and coaches what they were hoping to see. The guy who was the seventh running back chosen in the draft—and was considered the second-best one by some scouts—has been what Washington hoped. They understand who he is: A 21-year-old kid with boundless energy that sometimes must be harnessed a bit.

Related players: Chris Thompson, Samaje Perine, Rob Kelley

The story mentioned Guice is picking up protection calls quicker than coaches anticipated, which is a huge factor in keeping Guice on the field to become a full-time back. We already have Guice as the team's No. 1 RB on our depth chart, but keep in mind Thompson will still be a huge factor in the offense, especially the passing game, which will possibly limit Guice's fantasy value. But Guice has shown good hands, and in Thompson's nine healthy games last season, other RBs averaged just over 16 touches a game.

With Corey Coleman gone and Josh Gordon still away from the team, the Browns will look at a number of possibilities at wide receiver to go along with Jarvis Landry.

"The demand is that much higher now for other guys to step up, for other guys to get opportunities to make plays and earn their keep," Landry said. "In the first team meeting, coach Hue [Jackson] said you have to earn what you get. Other guys have opportunities to do that now."

The top two guys who figure to get those opportunities are Antonio Callaway and Rashard Higgins.

The story said Callaway's emergence in camp could be a big reason the Browns shipped off Coleman. Callaway hasn't played since his college sophomore season because of a suspension at Florida. Higgins is also in the mix and played in 15 games with Cleveland last year.

Duke Johnson might want to switch to wide receiver, but his head coach isn't about to make that move.

His head coach, however, was clear after practice that a switch is not in the cards.

"Duke's position won't change," head coach Hue Jackson said. "Will Duke get the opportunity to go out there as a back in our packages and play receiver? Yes, he will."

We just posted a story today about how Johnson would much rather play WR, especially now with Corey Coleman traded to the Bills. Johnson even threw it out there before the start of training camp, according to the story.

One of the final portions of the Ravens’ joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams on Monday pitted their offense against the Rams defense in a two-minute situation. In three possessions, the offense emerged with zero points. The opening series, with quarterback Joe Flacco under center, was the most promising, as the unit drove to Los Angeles’ 40-yard line. But on third down, Flacco overthrew a deep pass along the right sideline to wide receiver Chris Moore, and kicker Justin Tucker’s field-goal attempt from 58 yards missed wide left. The Ravens’ ensuing drives, led by rookie Lamar Jackson and Robert Griffin III, did not get close to crossing midfield.

According to the writer, the Rams defense tipped, batted, and slapped away numerous passes from the Raven QBs and also got a lot of pressure for would-be sacks.

Moving Duke Johnson to wide receiver is intriguing. The fourth-year player from the University of Miami, one of four players left from the 16 drafted by former general manager Ray Farmer in 2014 and 2015, led the Browns with 74 catches last year. Tight end Seth DeValve was second with 33 receptions.

“I think that trade [of Corey Coleman] has nothing to do with me,” Johnson said before practice on Aug. 6. “I guess the organization wanted to go in a different direction. Now, the next guy has to step up, regardless of who that might be.

“I enjoy wideout and have more fun playing wideout than I do running back. When the ball gets there, catching is catching. It depends on how much separation you create between yourself and the defender. It’s the same to me.”

Related players: Antonio Callaway, Rashard Higgins, Josh Gordon, Jarvis Landry

Johnson has lined up at wide receiver more often in this training camp than in any of the previous three. But when it comes to meetings, he reports to the running backs room rather than congregating with the wide receivers, the story said. Given the crowd at WR, even after Coleman was traded, it seems likely the Browns want to keep Johnson at RB, but it looks like his receiving ability is going to be counted on just as much this season.

When the Seahawks ran their first play during team sessions the receivers in the base offense were Brandon Marshall and Jaron Brown. Marshall played little during team sessions today but lining up with the first unit appeared another sign of the impression he has made.

Related players: Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett

As the story went on to say, now the team just needs to get comfortable that he can handle the amount of snaps they’d like for him to make an impact.

Colts WR Ryan Grant is separating himself from the pack for the WR2 spot, according to the Indy Star beat reporters. He's been consistent and the coaches seem to like what they can get from him every day, they said in a video report.

Related players: Chester Rogers

Rodgers is probably listed as the WR2 on a lot of depth charts but it seems like Grant is making a push for this spot. As the video said, it's still early but it's a situation to keep an eye on as camp progresses. It's more about Grant's ability to be consistent and make plays that seems to be putting him in position to earn the WR2 spot.

Eagles TE Zach Ertz missed practice today, the third straight day he’s missed.

Related players: Richard Rodgers, Dallas Goedert

On Friday, Doug Pederson said Ertz was given a veterans day off, but that doesn’t seem like the case now. Ertz has been seen with a compression sleeve on his left leg. Rodgers (shoulder) is also out and Goedert has been getting a lot of reps.

Not long after taking the reins from Bruce Arians, new coach Steve Wilks cited the Cardinals' overhauled offensive line as the strength of the team in 2018.

That assessment has come into question with Wilks' announcement Monday that starting center A.Q. Shipley is out for the season after tearing his ACL in a weekend practice.

Related players: David Johnson, Sam Bradford, Josh Rosen

If there is a silver lining, it's that the front office had the foresight to pull the trigger on Michigan's Mason Cole as a third-round pick and center of the future. Cole's development on the interior will have to be expedited, as he spent three of his four seasons with the Wolverines at left tackle.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the Giants and Odell Beckham’s agent Zeke Sandhu have talked about a deal that would make Beckham the highest-paid receiver in the league.

Rapoport adds that the sides are encouraged a deal could come by the start of the regular season. Earlier today a report surfaced the team offered Beckham a deal that would come in under the $16 million per year the Chiefs will pay Sammy Watkins.

The Patriots are releasing wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell, their 2016 fourth-round pick, reports CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora. The news comes days after the team placed Jordan Matthews on injured reserve and signed veteran Eric Decker to replace him.

In the days leading up to training camp, the Patriots were reportedly trying to trade Mitchell, though nothing materialized. And now, two weeks later, the team will move on, leaving behind a still-crowded depth chart at the position.

Tight end Jordan Reed feels 100 times better than he did last season, but he’s not all the way back from the toe injuries that ruined his 2017 season.

Reed has been practicing at Washington’s training camp, but didn’t start running until a month before camp so he is still looking for the “burst, quickness, speed” he feels is missing from his game right now.

In the story, Reed said he feels good overall and feels good making cuts. He added he needs to strengthen it more to get back to his full potential. Of course, when healthy, Reed is among the top fantasy TEs, but as the story added, he's missed 30 games over the last five seasons.

Giants rookie running back Saquon Barkley didn't take a single rep on Saturday after individual warmups, and has had his workload decreased significantly over the past several practices, ahead of Thursday night's NFL preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns.

Prior to Monday's practice, Shurmur put to bed any concern that Barkley had suffered an injury that led to a reduction in practice snaps.

"We're managing workloads," Shurmur said. "We take a good look at what they're doing. He's fine, if that's what you're asking, he's physically fine."

Related players: Wayne Gallman, Jonathan Stewart

The story said Saturday's rest was the third day in a row Barkley didn't take a majority of the first-team snaps. HC Pat Shurmur said the team does a lot of behind-the-scenes work and Barkley has looked great and doesn't look like a rookie. Gallman and Stewart took a lot of the first-team reps with Barkley out. Despite the signing of Stewart, Gallman is the favorite to be the backup to Barkley, according to a story we posted a few weeks ago.

Titans wide receiver Corey Davis did not practice Monday after leaving Saturday's practice early.

Davis dealt with a nagging hamstring injury early last season, causing him to miss five games. The story didn't mention if it was the hamstring keeping him out or another issue.

As explained by Peter King of NBC’s Football Morning in America, TE Austin Hooper remained in Atlanta throughout the offseason, working out consistently with quarterback Matt Ryan.

“Hooper’s been like a dog this offseason — over and over, he’d catch everything Matt threw and bring it back,” coach Dan Quinn told King, who explains that, whenever Ryan was looking for a throwing partner this offseason, Hooper answered the call.

The team is possibly looking for more out of the TE position, so any offseason chemistry between Hooper and Ryan can only help to boost Hooper's 49-526-3 numbers from last season.

The Eagles practiced without quarterback Nick Foles for the second straight day on Monday and revealed the reason why he was off the field after the session was over.

Foles is dealing with upper-body soreness, per multiple reports from the Eagles facility, and the team is giving him time for that to improve before he resumes his practice schedule.

Related players: Carson Wentz

The precise nature of his problem isn’t known, but Mike Garafolo of NFL Media reports that this is not related to the sore arm that kept him off the field for part of camp in 2017. He also reports it’s not considered to be an overly serious issue, the story went on to say.

Eagles RB Donnel Pumphrey has had a good training camp overall but had two bad drops over the last two practices.

Pumphrey's first drop was on Sunday night in the corner of the end zone, when he let a ball slide right through his hands despite the fact he was wide open. Pumphrey said after practice that he lost the ball in the lights.

On Monday, however, Pumphrey had another bad drop in the end zone, letting a ball hit off of his hands and fall incomplete.

Pumphrey has done a great job catching the ball so far in camp and his ability to make plays out of the backfield is his best chance at making the roster. These drops are not helping, the story said. There was even talk he would see time in the slot. He's certainly in a battle to make the roster among several other backs.

It wouldn't be an observation post without an update on quarterback Carson Wentz.

As expected, Wentz did not take part in any 11-on-11 team drills on Monday. Wentz did do 11-on-11 drills during a "10/10/10" practice on the first day of training camp but the Eagles' decision to scale back his reps kept him out on Monday.

At this point, Wentz is only taking part in 7-on-7 drills.

Related players: Nick Foles

Some are beginning to think this is a setback for Wentz in his ACL recovery, but the team hasn't come out and said that. There are still those who follow the team who believe Wentz is on track to start the season, while other reports say Wentz has looked hesitant when practicing.

Minnesota is five days away from opening preseason action against Denver, its first chance to test where the team stands and the areas that need honing in. While still early in the process with a new quarterback and offensive coordinator, elements of the install that once felt foreign are now starting to click.

“As far as learning the concepts we’ve been learning since minicamp and OTAs and going into training camp, it was a lot smoother because ... we have learned the concepts,” Stefon Diggs said. “So now we’re kind of like – you have a subject in class that you’ve been studying for a little while, you’re starting to get it and you’re starting to find the small nuances of it that you want (to make) little tweaks here and there and that kind of thing.”

Related players: Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook

There have been more good days lately, despite a hiccup now and then, which is to be expected with all the injuries on the offensive line, and including a new QB in Cousins. Diggs added the unit continues to work on timing.

There’s been a change in Josh Doctson.

His teammates say they can see the growth, the uptick in confidence and his maturation into more of a complete player. And according to Redskins tight end Jordan Reed, Doctson is on the verge of a breakout season.

“He’s going to dominate this year. He’s going to ball out for sure, ” Reed said of the 2016 first-round pick.

Reed went on to say this is the best Doctson has looked in the three years the two have been together. Of course, expectations are always high in the preseason, but Doctson, now entering his third year, is looking to make his mark in the offense.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Darnold has a “very fair shot” at nailing down the starting job before the start of the regular season as he is “further along than they thought” he’d be at this point. HC Todd Bowles has installed Josh McCown as the team’s No. 1 with Teddy Bridgewater running as the No. 2 in training camp.

Keep an eye on Darnold in Thursday's preseason game as he gets a chance to go against the Falcons defense. It's been reported Bowles may prefer to start a veteran to try and win games to keep his job while ownership may be leaning to throwing Darnold in the fire immediately.

The Cowboys have chosen to go with a committee approach at wide receiver and tight end, hoping quantity can make up for the quality of the work Dez Bryant and Jason Witten put together for so long. Somehow the group has to make up for the 132 receptions, 1,398 yards, and 11 touchdowns Bryant and Witten combined for in 2017.

Related players: Allen Hurns, Deonte Thompson, Terrance Williams, Tavon Austin, Blake Jarwin, Geoff Swaim, Dak Prescott

The story said seven padded practices into training camp is hardly enough time to make a conclusion, but the passing game so far has not had the juice it has had in the past with Bryant and Witten on the field. OC Scott Linehan admitted in the story it's a work in progress and the team is not where they want to be. Prescott was quoted as saying they are still trying to gain chemistry.

New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.'s agent has left the New York area with no deal in place after face-to-face meetings with the team last week, a source told ESPN's Josina Anderson.

According to the story, a team source told Anderson that agent Zeke Sandhu and the Giants worked diligently to consummate a deal but could not agree on Beckham's market value. The Giants are valuing Beckham at a total average annual value below Chiefs WR Sammy Watkins, who has an average annual value of $16 million in his current deal, a source told Anderson.

The Browns have traded wide receiver Corey Coleman to the Bills for a draft pick.

UPDATE: Browns received a 2020 seventh-round pick in exchange for Coleman.

Related Players: Kelvin Benjamin, Zay Jones

Coleman has just 718 yards receiving in two seasons since being a first-round pick of the Browns in 2016. In particular, he has struggled to stay healthy, missing 13 games in that time frame. This trade should present him with an opportunity to prove himself, though. Buffalo does not figure to be a high-volume passing offense, but boast very little at wide receiver. Jordan Matthews and Deonte Thompson vacated 87 targets in this offense from a year ago. If Coleman can beat out Zay Jones, there should be a quality role waiting for him. This is also an opportunity for Buffalo to find their wide receiver of the future for quarterback Josh Allen on the cheap. Kelvin Benjamin will be a free agent at the end of 2018.

The Saints have released wide receiver Brandon Coleman.

The writing was on the wall for this move once the Saints signed Cameron Meredith and drafted TreQuan Smith. Still, it's a confirmation of Meredith's health, and perhaps Smith's ability to play right away. The team also still has veteran Ted Ginn behind star receiver Michael Thomas. A Saints bounce back in the passing game should create value with one of these three wideouts.

The Bills have activated wide receiver Zay Jones from the non-football injury list.

It has been a tumultuous offseason for Jones, but he is still in great position for playing time on a Buffalo team starving for offensive playmakers. He isn't a fantasy option right now due to the quarterback situation in Buffalo, but that could change quickly if he can show why he was a second-round draft choice in 2017.

In the Dolphins' first official depth chart of the summer, there was no distinction between Kenyan Drake and Frank Gore as the starting running back.

This would make a lot more sense if Gore was still in Indy, but as a member of a new team with an established running back, it is quite perplexing that he would be listed as a co-starter. This backfield is shaping up to be more of a committee, though Drake would almost certainly receive the passing-down work in that kind of split. Gore seems like a screaming value as the No. 55 running back in drafts.

Randall Cobb said he's not overly concerned about his ankle. "We're just managing the soreness right now but it's not a big (concern)," he said walking out of the locker room following the Packers' night practice.

Related players: Davante Adams, Geronimo Allison, JMon Moore

Our injury expert and certified sports physical therapist Russell Manalastas notes this about Cobb's ankle: "Cobb was seen wearing a boot in the early parts of camp with reports stating that he had ankle surgery to remove some cartilage that may have been impeding on the ankle. Cobb remains in good position to take on a larger target share with Jordy Nelson gone, but his health is the big question when deciding whether or not you want to take a chance on him in the middle rounds." An ankle issue has popped up again and needs to be monitored moving forward to make a sound fantasy decision on him in redraft leagues. The upside is huge if healthy.

On Friday, Browns GM John Dorsey told 92.3 The Fan that he still believes Gordon will rejoin the Browns, despite the NFL saying before the start of the camp that "there's no timetable for his return."

He reiterated that he admires what Gordon is doing "because he's taking care of the long-term interest of his person, and what I'm going to do is concentrate on the guys who are here in the 2018 training camp. And when Josh gets here, I'll be excited to see him."

It appears the Browns are united in holding a place for Josh Gordon in this offense. The surprise timing of Gordon's announcement to miss the start of training camp was less than ideal, but he is getting votes of confidence from all the major players in the organization. That's promising for when he returns, but it's important to remember we're still talking about a player who will be suspended for the season with one slip up with his sobriety.

Further details with more clarity on Sony Miche's knee injury have emerged. Michel’s knee injury requires a procedure that’s expected to keep him out of preseason, and perhaps even into the start of the reg season, per two sources. So not a major sigh of relief, but the expectation is Michel should contribute this season.

This is major news for the rookie out of Georgia, who was expected to take over the Dion Lewis role in this offense. It gives a major bump to start the season, potentially, to Rex Burkhead, who was already in line to get red zone and goal-line work. Michel is a very risky selection at his current fourth/fifth-round ADP.

John Ross is getting more first-team reps in 2-WR formations. It seems like Ross will get every opportunity to be the outside WR on the opposite side of A.J. Green.

This comes days after the Bengals released Brandon LaFell. Ross was a first-round pick out of Washington last season, who broke the NFL Combine 40-yard-dash official record. His blazing speed potentially makes him worth a flier at the end of redraft leagues and certainly in best-ball.

Colts owner Jim Irsay is very high on the ‘young explosive playmakers’ for the Colts. That includes Marlon Mack, who Irsay thinks could rush for 1,500 yards, if the second-year runner gets 16–20 carries a game. “I think Mack has a chance to be a special guy this year,” Irsay said. “He’s just better than you think he is every time you watch him play.”

In Frank Reich's last three seasons as an offensive coordinator, the lead RB received less than 16 touches per game, let alone carries. This is likely owner hyperbole, as evidenced by Irsay also calling Jacoby Brissett the best back-up QB in the league (didn't watch the Super Bowl, apparently). However, Mack doesn't need 16-20 carries to return on investment with an ADP near the round 7-8 turn. Frank Gore vacated 290 touches from a year ago. What may be more notable is that Irsay seems to believe Mack is the starting RB. The second-year back is one to monitor this preseason in what could be a potent offense with Andrew Luck's return.

According to Florida Football Insiders, rookie tight end Mike Gesicki is "emerging as an athletic big target for quarterback Ryan Tannehill, especially in the red zone".

Gesicki is an elite athlete at his position with basketball and volleyball in his background. He has a great shot at emerging right away as a fantasy presence after the Dolphins traded Jarvis Landry this offseason. Gesicki is the No. 23 tight end off the board in fantasy drafts.

The San Francisco Chronicle's Eric Branch said that Marquise Goodwin is still the 49ers' top wide receiver, despite the return of Pierre Garcon

Goodwin had an excellent finish to the 2017 season playing with Jimmy Garoppolo. He averaged 14.5 PPR points in the six games Garoppolo appeared in, which would have been the No. 13 wide receiver finish on the season. He is being drafted as the No. 40 wide receiver right now in fantasy drafts.

NFL.com's James Palmer reports that the number three wide receiver job for the Broncos appears to belong to rookie Courtland Sutton. Denver's veteran cornerbacks told Palmer, "He is the third receiver. It's not even a competition. Everyone on this team knows it."

This is to be expected after the Broncos spent a second-round draft selection on Sutton this spring, but it is good to see him showing out enough early in camp to receive such praise from members of the defense. While Denver has implied that they would like to run the ball this season, they have the personnel for a surprisingly good spread attack. Sutton may have more value than fantasy owners think, being drafted outside of the top 75 wideouts in redraft leagues.

The Benals have released wide receiver Brandon LaFell.

It's a bit of a surprising move, but one that will ultimately free up playing time for young wideouts John Ross and Tyler Boyd. Both players have a shot to break out as the second option in the passing game after A.J. Green.

The Patriots have signed wide receiver Eric Decker.

Decker saw a huge dropoff in per-target efficiency last season, but was part of a horrid Titans offense. Getting to play with Tom Brady and company cures a lot of ills, and Decker is one of the more prolific red-zone wideouts of this generation. He has a shot to see playing time right away with Julian Edelman suspended for the first four games of the season, and Jordan Matthews on injured reserve.

According to Joe Buscaglia of WKBW, AJ McCarron is taking first-team quarterback reps for the second day in a row. It is the first time either he or Nathan Peterman has done so.

This indicates that McCarron is ahead of both Peterman and rookie Josh Allen to be the Bills starter. The Bills have no incentive to rush their rookie quarterback, but he will likely get into the mix before Peterman does. We project both McCarron and Allen for over 200 pass attempts this season.

Redskins running back Chris Thompson said that he doesn't expect to be fully recovered until November after breaking his fibula last season.

After avoiding the PUP list, many assumed Thompson would be in good shape for Week 1 of the NFL season. That does not appear to be the case, and it could pave the way for rookie Derrius Guice to earn a larger-than-expected receiving share. Guice is the No. 18 running back off the board in current fantasy drafts.

Adam Schefter reports that Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin's knee injury "could force him to miss most, if not all, of the preseason". He is still expected to be ready for Week 1.

Baldwin was a late-blooming wide receiver, so it is easy to forget that he will turn 30 in September. With Paul Richardson and Jimmy Graham gone, Baldwin could be in line for his biggest target load ever. Seattle absolutely needs him healthy. He is currently the No. 10 wide receiver off the board in fantasy drafts.

The Patriots have released wideout Jordan Matthews. It was previously reported that he had suffered a serious hamstring injury.

The Matthews era is over in Foxboro before even began, and it is unlikely he ever makes a significant fantasy contribution again. Injuries have unfortunately been his undoing.

According to Ian Rapoport, Patriots wide receiver Jordan Matthews suffered a hamstring injury that is "deemed to be significant".

After a stellar first two years of his career, injuries have quickly become Matthews' undoing. He appeared to be in line for significant role with New England, but if this injury is really serious, it could end all of that rather quickly. Kenny Britt may end up the last man standing very quickly.

Panthers wide receiver Curtis Samuel passed his physical, and has been activated from the physically unable to perform list. He was recovering from a broken ankle suffered last season.

Since Samuel suffered his injury, the Panthers drafted D.J. Moore in the first round. It is difficult to see Samuel making a fantasy impact without the Panthers drastically changing their offensive philosophy. Carolina ranked No. 27 in pass attempts in 2017.