August 2022 4for4 Player News Articles

John Harbaugh continues to say that RB J.K. Dobbins looks better every day. His quickness stood out to Harbaugh today.

Related players: Gus Edwards, Kenyan Drake, Mike Davis, Justice Hill

With Edwards out, the Ravens are hoping Dobbins can be ready for Week 1, but they've taken some precautions in case he's not. Davis would likely see a bulk of the early down work with perhaps the newly signed Drake mixing right in. If not, Hill could see some passing down action as well.

Vikings Irv Smith Jr, expected to be ready for Week 1.

Smith hurt his thumb Aug. 1. The tweet said he's returned to catching balls over past several days. It added that he said: “It feels good. I’m getting back in the groove of things. I’ve been out a few weeks now, so just getting back into football conditioning.” The Vikings can use another option with some of their WR injuries.

The 49ers have waived RB Trey Sermon.

Related players: Elijah Mitchell, Jeff Wilson, Tyrion Davis-Price, Kyle Juszczyk

David Lombardi reports if Sermon clears waivers it's possible he'll be back. Following the 9ers RB situation probably made you dizzy this summer. Sermon, at one point, was called the clear RB2 by some who follow the team, but that's no longer is the case. Mitchell will be the lead back and after that a combination of Wilson and the rookie Davis-Price.

Texans currently have a running back room of Dameon Pierce, Rex Burkhead, and Dare Ogunbowale.

Related players: Royce Freeman, Marlon Mack

The team will have to make at least one more move for a back, one would think. Those who follow the team said Freeman outplayed Mack in camp and they just signed Mack back to the practice squad today. Ogunbowale could be a sneaky RB on the Texans should he survive and remain the team's RB3. Pierce, the rookie, looks to have a clear path as the RB1 this season.

Miles Sanders remains out.

Related players: Boston Scott, Kenneth Gainwell

As the tweet went on to say, he’s been sidelined since Aug. 14. There’s been optimism he’ll be back Week 1, but next week’s practices will be important, Berman went on to say. Scott and Gainwell would likely split the workload if Sanders isn't ready for Week 1.

Cowboys WR James Washington (foot fracture, fifth metatarsal) going on injured reserve. Washington are eligible for in-season return.

Related players: CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup, Jalen Tolbert, Noah Brown

Washington can return for Week 5 and other reports say he should at least be close at that point. Washington should battle for WR3 snaps, but by Week 5 could also be behind Tolbert and/or Brown.

Darren Waller is good to go today for Raiders as they get back to work - via Josh McDaniels.

Waller is dealing with a hamstring injury, but is also trying to get a new contract from the Raiders with new agent Drew Rosenhaus. Some are now speculating the two were related and a deal could be announced soon.

Rondale Moore and Zach Ertz will also “be close,” per Kingsbury.

Moore's injury hasn't been announced, while Ertz is dealing with a calf injury. It's at least a good sign for both as we're still over a week away from Week 1.

The Los Angeles Chargers plan to sign running back Sony Michel, who was released by the Miami Dolphins earlier this week, sources told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Related players: Austin Ekeler, Joshua Kelley, Isaiah Spiller, Larry Roundtree

As part of the transaction, the team is releasing Roundtree. Michel should slide right into the RB2 role ahead of Kelly and Spiller. Spiller is battling an injury and while Kelley had a good camp and was winning the RB2 battle, Michel can be considered an upgrade and should form a nice compliment to Ekeler.

The Philadelphia Eagles are trading former first-round receiver Jalen Reagor to the Minnesota Vikings for a 2023 seventh-round pick and a 2024 conditional fourth-round selection, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday, per sources.

Reagor was taken with the No. 21 overall pick in the 2020 draft.

Related players: Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, K.J. Osborn, Ihmir Smith-Marsette

Reagor needed a fresh start as he never was able to take off in Philly as a first round pick. Ironically, the Eagles passed on Jefferson that year and drafted Reagor instead, and now the two are teammates. Reagor could battle for a WR3 or WR4 spot with the Vikings but will have a way to go before being fantasy relevant.

The Philadelphia Eagles have claimed quarterback Ian Book, according to Field Yates of ESPN. Book was a New Orleans Saints fourth-round draft pick out of Notre Dame in 2021. He appeared in one game in 2021 as a rookie, a 20-3 loss to the Miami Dolphins in which he completed 12 of 20 pass attempts for 135 yards, with 2 INTs.

Related players: Jalen Hurts, Gardner Minshew

The Eagles recently released Reid Sinnett and Carson Strong, so Book will slide in as the team's third QB behind Hurts and Minshew.

The Jaguars have claimed RB JaMycal Hasty.

Related players: James Robinson, Travis Etienne, Snoop Conner

Hasty mostly handled receiving duties when with the 49ers, so the move could make some sense for the Jags. If Robinson isn't ready to go or isn't 100% at Week 1, Etienne could handle a majority of the work with Hasty serving as a change of pace and receiving back. He looks to be more of an insurance policy for the Jags as this point.

Tyler Johnson was claimed by the Houston Texans on Wednesday, one day after being cut by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Related players: Brandin Cooks, Nico Collins, Chris Moore, Phillip Dorsett

Johnson lands in an interesting spot in Houston. The WRs are led by Cooks and Collins, but Johnson could easily slip right into the WR3 role once he's acclimated.

Daboll said Kadarius Toney is “improving.” He had a good practice yesterday. They’ve ramped him up the last few weeks. “Hopefully he’ll be ready” for Week 1.

Related players: Wan'Dale Robinson, Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton

Toney can't seem to stay on the field so far through his young career. When he has been healthy, he's certainly flashed potential. As we point out in his bio, he's actually targeted pretty frequently whenever he was on the field. In fact, he was fifth in targets per route run among the 105 receivers with at least 38 targets and was 11th in yards per route run in that same sample. With Golladay, Shepard and Slayton having their own issues, Toney has a chance to emerge as the team's WR1, perhaps along with the rookie Robinson. The Giants WR situation is a fluid one at the moment.

RB Isaiah Spiller back at practice

Related players: Austin Ekeler, Joshua Kelley, Larry Rountree

With Ekeler the lead back, right now Kelley is the team's RB2. However Spiller could be ready to go for Week 1, and if not, it should only be a matter of time before Spiller moves up the depth chart. It was also reported Sony Michel, recently released by the Dolphins, was in town to meet with the Bolts, so this is something to monitor.

Running back Marlon Mack, released Tuesday, is planning to re-sign with the Texans’ practice squad.

Related players: Dameon Pierce, Rex Burkhead, Dare Ogunbowale, Royce Freeman

Pierce is poised to take over the lead role for the Texans with Burkhead the likely compliment. Those who follow the team said Freeman just had a better camp than Mack, so Mack appears buried on the depth chart for now.

Those close to Justin Fields are optimistic he will take the next step in his development. They've seen him persevere through struggles in high school and college, and they've seen the work he has put in this offseason.

Out of 31 qualifiers, he ranked last in QBR at 26.4, and he was sacked 36 times in 11 games, the highest rate in the NFL, the story pointed out. We rank Fields 18th this year, so there is certainly some potential for improvement from a fantasy perspective. His last six starts were a little better than the start of his career with the Bears: 222 yards passing, 1.0 touchdowns, 1.3 interceptions, 56 yards rushing, and 0.17 rush touchdowns. That equates to 15.5 fantasy points per game, roughly the 17th-highest last season. Fields has the sort of rushing upside that we’re looking for in our fantasy quarterbacks but is lacking a good supporting cast.

“Oh, yeah, definitely,” Elijah Mitchell said, via Matt Maiocco of NBCSportsBayArea.com. “This year I am focused on trying to make people miss more instead of just running into everybody. So that’s one thing.”

Related players: Jeff Wilson, Trey Sermon, Tyrion Davis-Price

As the story said, Mitchell posted 963 rushing yards despite missing six games due to a variety of injuries that could be attributed to his running style. Mitchell was not shy about contact while he was piling up those yards and he said that one of his goals for the coming season is to do a better job of avoiding the collisions that contributed to his absences last season. Handcuffing Mitchell may not be a bad idea if you own him. Wilson seems to be the logical choice, but both youngsters Sermon and Davis-Price have had nice camps and made the 53-man roster.

The Lions have their new backup quarterback: Nate Sudfeld.

Sudfeld signed with the Lions today, after he was cut by the 49ers. The Lions also officially waived quarterback David Blough, who made the initial 53-man roster yesterday.

Related players: Jared Goff

The team released Tim Boyle on Tuesday and now go a completely different direction for a backup to Goff. Goff did miss time with an injury last year and Boyle got the start. Obviously Goff and Sudfeld aren't getting a lot of love in typical redraft leagues, so deeper league and dynasty owners, take note.

That was fast: The Bengals are hosting FA TE O.J. Howard on a visit today, and assuming all goes well with the physical, he’s expected to sign, the source said. The former first-rounder was a surprising cut yesterday, and this should come together today.

Related players: Hayden Hurst, Drew Sample, Mitchell Wilcox

Howard didn't have a great camp with the Bills, which caused his release. He had one standout game with the Bucs last year against the Eagles on a Thursday night, but other than that, it's been a while since Howard has been fantasy relevant. He could carve out a role on the Bengals, but the team has plenty of other targets for Joe Burrow. However, C.J. Uzomah - now with the Jets - was a red zone target for Burrow last season.

Ken Walker III's chances of returning for Week 1 from his hernia procedure still sound up in the air. Rashaad Penny (COVID) was back today.

Carroll said of Walker: "He feels way better. He’s moving around. He was throwing the football around today. It’s just going to be one day at a time." Per Henderson in the past, Penny is “in the driver’s seat” to be the team’s starting back, but Penny has missed 28 of a possible 65 games in his four-year career, so durability just hasn’t been there. He led the league in yards after contact per attempt and was 15th in broken tackles per attempt. He will probably begin the season as the starter, but Walker is waiting in the wings.

A reminder that Packers only keeping two RBs doesn’t mean Amari Rodgers will be RB3 Week 1.

Related players: Aaron Jones, A.J. Dillon, Patrick Taylor, Tyler Goodson, Dexter Williams

The Packers currently have just Jones and Dillon on the roster. But the tweet went on to say, if Goodson and/or Taylor clear waivers, Packers can elevate each to game day roster three times before they have to stay on the 53. Team must be confident one or both will be back on the practice squad. We've seen several teams do this today, including the Cowboys with both of their backup QBs.

The Broncos will put Greg Dulcich and Michael Ojemudia on IR and will "100%" be available by Week 5, per GM George Paton.

Related players: Albert Okwuegbunam, Andrew Beck, Eric Tomlinson

With Tim Patrick out for the season, some who followed the team thought Dulcich could be a player who attempts to fill the void. He was described as a "big-bodied guy with the speed and athleticism to split out away from the line of scrimmage," and was becoming more involved at practice before the hamstring injury. Albert O is expected to be the top target at TE with Beck and Thomlinson up next on the depth chart.

Ravens cuts: QB Anthony Brown, RB Tyler Badie, FB Ben Mason, NT Isaiah Mack, LB Zakoby McClain, RB Nate McCrary, OLB Jeremiah Moon, DT Rayshad Nichols, TE Tony Poljan, WR Makai Polk, CB David Vereen, WR Binjimen Victor, DB Ar'Darius Washington, WR Raleigh Webb, OLB Chuck Wiley.

Related players: J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, Mike Davis, Justice Hill, Kenyan Drake

The team signed Drake with a lot of uncertainty surrounding Dobbins and Edwards for at least the early part of the season. It looks like Hill beats out Badie for the final RB spot. With Edwards out for Week 1 and Dobbins a big question mark, it's possibly going to be Davis, Hill and Drake getting the work if Dobbins can't go in Week 1.

Marlon Mack getting cut doesn't change Dameon Pierce's outlook at all.

Related players: Royce Freeman, Rex Burkhead, Dare Ogunbowale

The point was it doesn't change Pierce possible RB1 status because Mack got out-played by Royce Freeman this preseason. The tweet went on to say what remains to be seen is how much Burkhead plays on passing downs when the Texans are trailing.

The Patriots are waiving rookie sixth-round pick RB Kevin Harris, per source.

Related players: Damien Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson, Ty Montgomery, Pierre Strong Jr.

The Pats are pretty deep at RB but those in dynasty leagues were hoping Harris had a path to more work in the near future. With Strong getting picked a couple of round earlier, he makes the cut with the injured Montgomery, and of course the two at the top of the depth chart - Damien Harris and Stevenson.

The Rams are releasing WR/TE Jacob Harris, per source.

Rodrigue called the move a surprise. Harris was a fourth-rounder with athletic potential and ability. He was injured most of 2021 (rookie season) but was back healthy this year. If he's not claimed he can return to PS.

49ers are waiving RB JaMycal Hasty, per source.

Related players: Elijah Mitchell, Tyrion Davis-Price, Jeff Wilson, Trey Sermon

Hasty last year served as the team's primary third-down back. It speaks volumes for how good of camps backs like Davis-Price and even Sermon have had. Reports are saying Sermon could even be the team's RB2 behind Mitchell.

The Cowboys are keeping one QB on the 53-man roster for the time being: Dak Prescott. Cooper Rush and Will Grier have been released, according to sources. Rush does not go through waivers; Grier does. Likely both will be back in some form – PS or active - to serve as backup.

Archer went on to say this is nothing to be alarmed about for Cowboy fans or maybe even for those who backed up Prescott on dynasty rosters. Archer added, "it's roster manipulation at the moment to be prepared for moves to come over the next few days. They can have a wink-wink deal with Rush since he's a vested vet. Grier would be back if unclaimed as well."

As expected, Kenyan Drake is signing with the Ravens.

Related players: J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, Mike Davis, Tyler Badie, Justice Hill

Those who have fantasy stock in the Ravens backfield were likely pretty worried when word got out Drake was visiting the Ravens. Now that he's signed, the backfield has got a little more crowded to say the least. Drake's role will likely be mostly pass catching, especially when the backfield is healthy. We know Edwards won't be ready for Week 1, and Dobbins remains a big question mark. That means a backfield of Davis and Drake for Week 1 is a possibility.

Kellen Mond won't get a second season in Minnesota.

The Vikings are waiving the 2021 third-round pick, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday, per a source informed of the situation.

Related players: Kirk Cousins, Nick Mullens

As the story put it, we often see new regimes move on from young players they weren't as high on, and this is a good example. The Vikings front office signaled the likely end of Mond's time in Minnesota when it traded for backup Mullens last week.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on 1053 The Fan on Michael Gallup (knee), who will not be playing Week 1: “If (Week 1) was the Super Bowl, he’d be lining up and playing. He’s that ready.”

As the tweet said, we know Gallup isn't going to play Week 1. Gallup isn't on the PUP list so it looks like he's at least going to be ready before Week 5 of the season. But, if you want to believe Jones, it sounds like he could be a lot closer to getting back.

Jets are releasing RB Tevin Coleman, per sources.

Related players: Breece Hall, Michael Carter, Ty Johnson, La'Mical Perine

While Hall is expected to be the team's RB1, and Carter a change of pace and third down back, we had Coleman listed as the team's RB3, which is at least notable in deeper leagues. That role could go to Johnson or Perine going forward. It could be something to watch if you're fantasy-invested in the Jets running game.

Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson was released from the hospital Monday, one day after being shot twice in an armed robbery attempt.

Robinson will meet with Washington's doctors Tuesday at the team's facility to determine the extent of his rehabilitation, according to a source. Washington remains optimistic about his chances of playing this season, but coach Ron Rivera said Monday they're uncertain when he'd be able to return.

Related players: Antonio Gibson, J.D. McKissic

Robinson was shot in Washington, D.C., early Sunday evening. He underwent surgery and posted an Instagram story that his "surgery went well." Depending on what doctors determine Tuesday, Robinson could be placed on the non-football injury list, which would require him to miss the first four games, the story said. While the news about Robinson is positive overall, there is no timetable for a return. Gibson and McKissic will lead the way until the promising rookie makes it back onto the field.

RB Ronald Jones made the initial 53-player roster, according to a source.

Related players: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Isiah Pacheco, Jerick McKinnon

Jones played his way onto the roster with a strong Week 3 of preseason, the tweet went on to say. He ran 8 times for 43 yards and caught a four-yard pass. He's at least behind CEH and McKinnon on the depth chart, and he could even fall behind seventh-round rookie Pacheco.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Dolphins are set to waive Lynn Bowden off their roster on Tuesday.

The team was trying to trade Bowden, who is a former third-round pick of the Raiders. Many will remember Bowden as a target monster during the final weeks of 2020 at both running back and wide receiver before he missed all of 2021.

Bills releasing TE O.J. Howard.

Related palyers: Dawson Knox, Tommy Sweeney, Quintin Morris

Word has been coming out of Bills camp as of late that Howard was a cut candidate after not impressing this summer. He could find a home somewhere else based on name, but he seems to have a while to go before being fantasy relevant again.

The Chiefs are releasing WR Josh Gordon, per source.

Even with a shakeup at WR for Chiefs, Gordon was buried pretty far down the depth chart. As Pelissero went on to say: Gordon has shown great character on the field and in the community since he got to Kansas City and the team is open to him returning. But it’s a numbers game right now and he’s the odd man out.

The Lions are releasing QB Tim Boyle, per source.

Related players: David Blough, Jared Goff

If you're looking to back up Goff, it appears like that job will go to Blough, at least for now.

A Florida native, Michel signed with the team in May of this year but was eventually considered a redundant asset in the Dolphins' running back room.

Related Players: Chase Edmonds, Raheem Mostert, Myles Gaskin

Michel was given nine rush attempts through three preseason games and managed 13 yards combined. All signs point toward this being a split backfield with Raheem Mostert being utilized as a change-of-pace back behind Chase Edmonds, who could end up as the fantasy steal of the summer, particularly for those of whom were drafting him when his ADP was at the end of the 9th Round.

After two seasons in Jacksonville, Laviska Shenault has been shipped over to the Panthers. Exact trade details have not been released yet.

Related Players: Zay Jones, Jamal Agnew, Travis Etienne, Robbie Anderson, Terrace Marshall

The 2021 season would prove to be more productive than Shenault's rookie season, but most of his usage came close to the line of scrimmage, as his 5.5 average depth of target will attest to. He may be more of a threat to Christian McCaffrey's pass game usage than a significant threat to any of the wide receivers. If anything, this provides another weapon for Baker Mayfield, who is currently ranked as 4for4's QB24.

Anthony Schwartz has had the opportunity to carve out a role in a thin Browns wide receiver room but finds himself on the outside looking in at 3-WR sets.

Related Players: Donovan Peoples-Jones, David Bell

Rookie David Bell looks like the current third wide receiver option behind Peoples-Jones and Amari Cooper. Schwartz ran 42 routes over Cleveland's three preseason games, catching three of his twelve targets, dropping an incredible five of them, and averaging 0.67 yards per route run.

Kadarius Toney's hamstring has kept him out of team periods over the last two-plus weeks and it would seem possible that it leaks into the regular season.

With Kenny Golladay on the verge of being cut if it weren't for the millions of dollars of dead cap space it would create, the Giants receiving group has question marks abound. Toney is currently 4for4's highest ranked wide receiver, clocking in as the WR59. Daniel Jones once again has his work cut out for him, albeit with a much more inspiring coaching staff behind him for year number four.

Coach Matt LaFleur was quoted, "It's a little early to say that right now. That was his first action in team periods. We'll see how he responds."

Related Players: Marcedes Lewis

This would be a bummer for anyone looking to stream Robert Tonyan against the Vikings to kick off the season, but it sounds like this wouldn't last deep into the season as the tight end continues his recovery from a torn ACL. When on the field, Tonyan provides incredible touchdown equity on an offense that is sorely going to miss Davante Adams.

Commanders RB Brian Robinson was shot multiple times as a victim during an attempted robbery but is in stable condition.

Certainly a scary situation here, but the good news is that Robinson is in stable condition. JP Finlay of NBC Washington reports the injuries are not life-threatening. Obviously, in a situation like this, fantasy comes second, but Robinson had a strong preseason. For the time being, Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic should be the top guys in the Washington backfield. Hopefully, Robinson gets well soon. Thank goodness the injuries are non-life threatening.

Giants TE Daniel Bellinger is being evaluated for a possible concussion.

Bellinger has been having a solid first preseason and looks to be the starting tight end for the Giants. We'll hope there is nothing serious here, ideally no concussion at all. Chris Myarick, Jordan Akins and Austin Allen are the other tight ends for the Giants.

Giants QB Tyrod Taylor is questionable to return to Sunday's preseason game against the Jets.

Taylor took a hard hit from Jets DE Michael Clemons and landed down hard. He was able to walk off the field and was checked out in the medical tent before being carted to the locker room. Chances are Taylor's day is done. It will be Davis Webb the rest of the way. The Giants played few starters. Daniel Jones did not start. But as of now, Jones is the only other available quarterback for the Giants.

Panthers QB Sam Darnold is expected to be out for 4-6 weeks with a high ankle sprain.

Darnold suffered the injury during Friday’s preseason game against the Bills. At the time, the injury looked much worse than it turned out to be. The cart came out for Darnold. So this is a fortunate event for the Panthers, who have already lost rookie Matt Corral for the season to injury. This leaves P.J. Walker as Baker Mayfield’s backup.

During a Twitter Q&A, Joe Caporoso of Turn on the Jets believes the split in carries between running backs Breece Hall and Michael Carter will start out 50/50 but “quickly moves to 65/35 Hall”.

Carter is still the RB1 for the Jets, for now, but these early depth charts also typically have rookies down on the list as they work their way up. Hall eventually should take over as the lead back for the Jets, as the team did invest a second round pick in him, so they obviously want to use him. Hall is the still the first Jet being taken in drafts over at Underdog and being drafted as a top 20 running back. A 65/35 split would absolutely give him RB2 potential with some weekly RB1 upside.

Ronald Jones didn't touch the ball during the team's second preseason game, logging nine snaps, two of which he was asked to stay in to pass block.

Related Players: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Jerick McKinnon, Isiah Pacheco

This should help continue Pachecho's recent streak up draft boards, but it feels like this writing has been on the wall throughout most of the summer. While this may clear some breathing room for the rest of the Kansas City running back room, there's always a chance Jones signs with someone and clogs up their depth chart, say, the Philadelphia Eagles.

Heading into their final preseason game, the Chicago Bears' wide receiver depth chart is clear for their top-four options; Darnell Mooney, Byron Pringle, Equanimeous St. Brown, and Velus Jones.

An uninspiring group, to say the least. Pringle may technically be operating as the WR2, but all signs point to TE Cole Kmet benefitting from being the second option in the passing game. Pringle does make for an interesting late-round addition in best ball formats.

Denzel Mims played with Matt Rhule at Baylor, including a pair of 1,000-yard seasons.

Related Players: Garrett Wilson, Terrace Marshall, Rashard Higgins

This comes on the tail of Mims requesting a trade yesterday, finding him buried on the Jets depth chart. The former second-round pick could use a change of scenery after accruing 68 targets over his first two seasons in New York. It will be interesting if we see a sort of career revival with his former college coach.

John Lynch is quoted in the article, "He worked really hard, and he’s had a tremendous offseason. It hasn’t shown up in the games...”

Related Players: Jeff Wilson, Tyrion Davis-Price

There were rumors that the team may be trying to feature him for a possible trade, but he has produced 39 yards on 19 carries so far through two preseason games, a streak of performances that are unlikely to catch another team's eye. As it stands, Tyrion Davis-Price seems like the candidate to work as Elijah Mitchell's main backup by season's end.

JuJu Smith-Schuster is out on the field catching passes from Patrick Mahomes.

The Chiefs are hosting the Packers on Thursday night. As the tweet went on to say, it's the first we've seen of JuJu since early last week. He's not expected to play but it's a good sign.

One player who has stood out in Cardinals preseason this year: Andy Isabella.

Related players: Marquise Brown, DeAndre Hopkins, Rondale Moore, A.J. Green, Antoine Wesley, Greg Dortch

It's not the first positive press for Isabella, who has had a very good camp despite being buried on the depth chart. The tweet went on to say the team feels he's had as good a camp as just about anyone. He's been the subject of trade rumors in the past but he's making himself tough to remove from the roster right now, the tweet added. Given the players in front of him, he'll likely have a tough time making any kind of fantasy impact on the Cards, but he's a player to keep an eye on if he's moved.

Denzel Mims has requested a trade from the Jets, per his agent.

Related players: Elijah Moore, Garrett Wilson, Corey Davis, Braxton Berrios

We have Mims buried on the depth chart behind Moore, Wilson, Davis and Berrios. Mims has likely just fallen out of favor with a coaching staff that didn't draft him and his ceiling with the Jets seems to be a WR3 if he can pass Davis and Berrios. He'll likely have some interested teams but his landing spot will go a long way in determining his new fantasy value.

Interestingly, Saleh said he feels the Jets can wait until the week of the Sept. 11 season opener with the Ravens to make a decision on whether Zach Wilson will start that week.

Related players: Joe Flacco

Wilson was watching most of practice driving around on a cart again, though he did get some time rehabbing off to the side with trainers. He gingerly walked onto the field at the end of practice to chat with wide receiver Braxton Berrios. Saleh said Wilson will only be able to watch practice from a distance for now, the story all said. Ironically, it was The Athletic that reported Wilson's timetable could be a long as 4-6 weeks, when most others were reporting 2-4 weeks. The author said he expects Flacco to start Week 1.

Either way, the Steelers are happy with Kenny Pickett’s development over the past month in just about every way possible. But regardless of what they’ve seen from him and his meteoric rise — from the first week of camp to being nearly perfect in two preseason games — means little to nothing when it comes to the regular season.

Related players: Mitch Trubisky

While it says PIckett is making a late push to pass Trubisky and start Week 1, the story mentions the team is taking it slow with Pickett, so it may not be quite enough. He took only third-team reps throughout the summer and halfway through training camp. Those have been bumped up to second-team now, and he’s even seeing more first-team reps, the story went on to say. As the story also pointed out, Pickett may not start Week 1, but the odds are pretty favorable he's going to play at some point this season.

Pete Carroll on Geno Smith vs Drew Lock: “Geno has been the number-one guy the whole time. He’s held onto it.”

Smith will start again tomorrow night at Dallas, the tweet went on to say. Carroll says that’s important that he starts again in the preseason finale. Unless you're in a deep superflex dynasty league, there obviously isn't a ton to be excited about with the Seattle QB situation, and the offense should end up being run-heavy.

Falcons players I don’t see in early part of practice (perhaps they show up later):

WR Drake London
DL Marlon Davidson
TE John FitzPatrick
OL Jalen Mayfield
RB Cordarrelle Patterson (rest)

This is the 11th straight day London has missed, which is obviously important time as we get closer to the season. London is still 33rd on our WR rankings making him a lower-end WR3 option. It’s generally a good idea to be careful with rookie receivers, but London is shaping up to be an exception since his ADP is in the seventh round, as long as he can get healthy and ready to play. With Calvin Ridley suspended for the year, it’s going to be the Drake London/Kyle Pitts show in Atlanta. London should soak up 120-140 targets with ease. (Remember, Ridley saw 52 targets in five games last season.) The quarterback situation is unsettled, but Marcus Mariota should be able to hold down the fort while Desmond Ridder figures things out.

Ron Rivera on if RB Antonio Gibson will be the team's top kick returner this season: "You still need to see some more stuff, but you know, I think he is. I do. I think he's done a nice job.”

Related players: Brian Robinson, J.D. McKissic

Rivera added he's seen Gibson get "more and more comfortable" on KRs. Fortier's tweets went on to quote Rivera: “When you watch it on tape, you see him circling the ball, getting under it, making a good catch. It's something he did well in college, and we're pretty excited having him do it.”

We first got wind of Gibson returning kicks as what some who follow the team deemed a punishment for a key fumble in a preseason game. He was also working with the third team but did get first team reps eventually. There is always a fear of additional injury when returning kicks, but it seems like the Commanders feel comfortable with rookie running back Brian Robinson's development this summer and he could be in store for a significant workload.

During an appearance on KNBR this week, 49ers General Manager John Lynch said that he doesn’t think anyone has worked harder than Brandon Aiyuk this offseason. He also noted that Aiyuk’s “chemistry is incredible” with quarterback Trey Lance because of the work they did together before training camp and predicted that those things will translate to big things on the field.

Aiyuk has had a great camp and continues his trend of positive press nearly every day. The story said Aiyuk commented in May that he was working to “really maximize my spot” in the team’s offense this year and it sounds like he’s done a good job of doing that over the last few months. Aiyuk could give you nice fantasy value with his current ADP of the late eighth round in 12 team leagues.

Doug Pederson also said he thinks James Robinson will be ready for the opener and Robinson certainly sounds like he feels set to take the next step on his path back to the lineup.

“Yeah, I mean, I’m just — I’m so close. And I know I can do more and they know I can do more, but it just, it is I mean, we’re just [gonna] keep taking it slow like I said before,” Robinson said, via John Shipley of SI.com. “I mean, it’s just, I’m just itching to get out there. I mean, seeing everybody running around and knowing I’m there but not yet. I mean, I’m not allowed to right now, but it is just itching at me a little bit.”

Related players: Travis Etienne

Etienne has been playing in the preseason without any concerns about the foot injury that kept him out last year, but Robinson has not been active in any of the team’s games, the story said. The story added Robinson's still working in a non-contact jersey after tearing his Achilles late last season. Pederson has stressed slowly working Robinson back into the mix. If Robinson can't go, Etienne would likely get the bulk of the work. While a split seems likely when both backs are healthy, other reports have said Robinson would remain the lead beck with Etienne the passing down back. A lot remains to be seen here.

By being on 53-man roster next Tuesday, Cowboys WR Michael Gallup will be able to play sometime during season’s first four games.

As Gehlken went on to say, this doesn’t mean he will be ready Week 1. In fact, he added Gallup has even said he won’t be ready. But, he’ll be available to Dallas before Week 5, Gehlken added. Encouraging news for Gallup and the Cowboys offense.

Michael Carter is still RB1.

Related players: Breece Hall

Cimini noted Carter had a good day catching and running the ball on Wednesday. This is possibly heading more toward a split. Hall is ranked 19th on our RB list with Carter way down in the 40s. If this does turn into a split workload, Carter could hold the edge in the passing game so this is a situation to keep an eye on.

Josh Palmer has cleared concussion protocol and will be out doing individual drills today according to Staley.

Palmer seemed to be ahead of the pack for the Chargers WR3 job so it's good for him he's back. He's still behind Mike Williams and Keenan Allen in the pecking order but should be fantasy relevant at times this season.

WR Kadarius Toney hasn’t participated in any team periods. Hamstring seemed to be bothering him during individual drills.

Related players: Kenny Golladay, Wan'Dale Robinson, Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton, Collin Johnson, David Sills

It always seems to be something with Toney. The Giants are deep at WR but they all seem to have their issues. It could be the reason why the team is singing the praises of guys like Johnson and Sills, saying they could not only make the team but also play. Reports say Toney's hamstring isn't serious so the team is maybe just being cautious here.

Jaylen Waddle has missed most of the last 2 weeks with what Mike McDaniel said was being cautious after Waddle came in tight.

Wolfe tweeted a video of Waddle walking off the field with what one could argue was a bit of a limp, and his right leg wrapped. He's obviously missing key time in camp but the good news is McDaniel said Waddle has had the biggest jump within the scheme from OTAs to now.

Josh McDaniels said he didn't feel comfortable making a prediction about Darren Waller's status for the Raiders regular-season opener against the Chargers.

The tweet also said McDaniels isn't concerned about the absence of Waller overall, but there appears to be some doubt about Week 1. Waller returned to practice recently but is now dealing with a hamstring. Hopefully it's all precautionary but it's something owners will need to watch.

Breer calls Rachaad White the best passing-game running back Tom Brady has had since he arrived in Tampa Bay.

Related Players: Leonard Fournette, Ke'Shawn Vaughn, Giovani Bernard

This comes on the back of Greg Auman of the Athletic, labeling Gio Bernard as a likely cut candidate ahead of the season's start. Two completely unrelated sources are projecting Rachaad White with a significant —mostly third-down— role, and where there is smoke, there is often fire. If White has a firm grasp of the role, there's not a very good chance Fournette duplicates his 84 target performance from 2021.

With WRs Tyquan Thornton and Kendrick Bourne either hurt or sliding down the depth chart, Nelson Agholor has ascended throughout the summer.

Agholor's first season with New England ended with him accruing under 500 yards but he has built chemistry with quarterback Mac Jones while other pieces of the depth chart have moved backwards. Graff concludes his blurb claiming that Agholor could end up as Jones' number one receiver.

It would seem that rookie Hassan Haskins didn't do enough through camp to supplant the veteran behind Derrick Henry.

Rexrode says that Dontrell Hilliard has looked tremendous on these downs, adding "He is clearly the second-best running back on the roster, a guy I believe would get the bulk of the work if Derrick Henry were to miss any time. Hilliard, over rookie Hassan Haskins, should be the handcuff choice for fantasy owners at this point."

This means the running back will miss at least the first four games of the season as he continues to rehab from his knee injury.

Related Players: J.K. Dobbins, Mike Davis, Tyler Badie

We were already certain that Gus Edwards would be missing Week 1, but this puts a bigger damper on Edwards' fantasy prospects. This would presumably raise the ceiling on J.K. Dobbins as veteran RB Mike Davis shouldn't pose much of a threat outside usurping some goal-line work.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan seems confident that Mitchell —who had a litany of ailments throughout his rookie season— will be in line to serve as the RB1 when the season kicks off.

Related Players: Jeff Wilson, Trey Sermon, Tyrion Davis-Price

Elijah Mitchell missed five games in 2021 due to shoulder, ribs, finger, knee, and concussion issues but continually returned to the lineup to lead the team in backfield touches, finishing the year as the RB12 in half-PPR points per game. As with any team's RB1, we can assume that Mitchell will miss a couple of games throughout the grueling season, but his role in this often-explosive offense is one to take a gamble on in the 6th-or-7th round.

Mike Gesicki is having issues adapting to new head coach Mike McDaniel's offense, particularly in outside-zone run concepts.

Related Players: Hunter Long

If you can't stay on the field, you can't be targeted, and if you can't be targeted, you can't score fantasy points. There's a possibility that Gesicki can become a better blocker, but only two weeks out from the kickoff of regular season, he'd better hurry. When asked about the change, Gesicki remarked, "It’s definitely a whole different offense, a whole different scheme. I’m learning a new position, honestly. I played receiver last year. I played receiver the last three, four years. I’m playing tight end now."

The Bucs are strongly considering a bare-bones, three-RB depth chart heading into the season; Leonard Fournette, rookie Rachaad White, and Ke'Shawn Vaughn.

While Bernard likely didn't offer any intrinsic fantasy value himself, this does open up the door for more playing time behind Fournette for the rookie and the former 2020 3rd-round pick. Rachaad White will likely be the biggest winner, rotating with Fournette, who finished 12th in backfield touch% last season. If Fournette were to suffer an injury, the team would assuredly make a move in free agency with such a thin depth chart.

Todd Bowles was asked whether Brady got in a lot of work on his first day back.

“He did,” Bowles said. “He’s very familiar with the offense, so him coming back in and us getting back to work is kind of normal. Just getting used to the heat and getting used to the guys, but he ran the offense well.”

Brady was absent for 11 days from camp but it sounds like he picked up right where he left off. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are trending up so the hope for Brady is he has all he weapons for Week 1.

Aaron Rodgers has said many times that expectations need to be “reasonable” for the rookie WRs.

Romeo Doubs, based on how well he’s played during camp, raised those expectations.

“The standard for him is not going to be the standard for a normal rookie we’ve had here in the past.”

Related players: Christian Watson

Doubs continues to earn high praise from Rodgers, something that's been going on for a while. While Doubs has had a bad drop or two, Rodgers seems willing to live with it based on the rest of his performance in camp, as well as his skillset. Now that Watson is back from injury, he should continue to climb our rankings as well. But for now, Doubs looks like the Packers rookie WR to own heading into the season.

The Raiders plan to release veteran RB Kenyan Drake, per source.

Related players: Josh Jacobs, Zamir White, Ameer Abdullah, Brandon Bolden

Raiders beat writer Maurice Morton added to Pelissero's tweet that he's "not surprised about this." He said Abdullah hasn’t played the last 2 preseason games and he clearly surpassed Drake on the Raiders RB depth chart. In his eyes, the depth chart goes: Jacobs, White, Abdullah and Bolden. Drake could catch on somewhere else but his role may not be as significant as it once was.

WR Josh Palmer is in the concussion protocol, Brandon Staley said.

Related players: Jalen Guyton, Jason Moore, DeAndre Carter

Reports last week said Palmer was pretty much locked into the teams WR3 role behind Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, but this shouldn't change anything going forward unless Palmer has to miss significant time. Guyton, Moore and Carter are up next on the depth chart.

RB Isaiah Spiller (ankle) will miss the final preseason game and there is “a chance” he’ll miss the season opener Week 1 against the Raiders, Brandon Staley said.

Related players: Austin Ekeler, Joshua Kelley, Larry Rountree

Kelley, according to several reports, is ahead of everyone in terms of the RB2 role, so this will likely solidify that situation. Ekeler will get a bulk of the work and Rountree could see some snaps as well until Spiller gets back. Spiller could climb into the RB2 role eventually, but for now that will be Kelley.

Thought this comment from Brian Daboll definitely stood out.

“Collin Johnson, David Sills, they’ve stepped their game up. I mean they’re right in the mix. Not just to make a team but to play.”

Related players: Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney, Wan'Dale Robinson, Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton

You'll have to search pretty far down the depth chart at WR to find Johnson and Sills. This very well could be coach-speak and a wake-up call for those bigger names ahead of them. The Giants are deep in terms of names at WR, but you can certainly find fault with most of the names too.

Christian Watson made it through first-team drills well.

Related players: Romeo Doubs

Head coach Matt LaFleur said: “You could definitely feel his speed and size out there.” It's a good sign for Watson who is finally back and getting reps after missing valuable time. Right now, it's the rookie Doubs who we have higher in the rankings, but as long as Watson stays healthy and continues to run with the first team, keep a look out for him to possibly make a run up the rankings.

Chris Godwin is also in a non-contact jersey today. The most he’s done so far in camp have been 7-on-7s. This may be the sign he’s ready for 11-on-11s.

Godwin has progressed quickly but there are still some questions about his availability for Week 1. However, he certainly seems to be on the fast track. Mike Evans also returned today so the Bucs look to be getting healthy right before Week 1. We have Godwin as the WR31 but at this pace he's potentially a huge value if he's ready by the start of the season.

Mike Evans is back practicing today.

Laine said Evans did do some jogging and the hamstring looked to be holding up. Evans has been out about two weeks so the hope is he starts to really progress from here.

The Chiefs say TE Blake Bell (hip), DE Carlos Dunlap, CB Rashad Fenton (groin), RB Derrick Gore (thumb), OL Lucas Niang (knee) and WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee) will not practice today.

That means WR Mecole Hardman and DT Chris Jones should be back to work.

Related players: Skyy Moore, Justin Watson, Josh Gordon

We already have Moore listed third on the depth chart in terms of fantasy. Hardman is expected to open as the team's WR3 but it's likely only a matter of time before Moore passes him and is the more fantasy-relevant option.

Matt LaFleur calls Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon running backs “1A and 1A.”

“They’re two of the premier backs in our league, in my opinion. They can do anything.”

Many are predicting this is the year of Dillon and it's possible this is more of a 50-50 split this season. Both backs are more than capable in the passing game as well. For what it's worth, we rank Jones as RB8 and Dillon as RB21. With the loss of Devante Adams, we think Jones gets the edge in the receiving game and we don't think it would be a big surprise for Jones to approach 70 receptions.

Trade! The Raiders are sending QB Nick Mullens to the Vikings for a conditional seventh-round pick in 2024, per sources.

Related players: Sean Mannion, Kellen Mond

Mullens will likely make the roster meaning the possible end for Mannion or Mond. Neither has been impressive in the preseason according to reports, so it's possible Mullens slides in as Cousins backup this season. This is a battle to watch for those owning Cousins in superflex dynasty leagues.

Panthers officially announced Baker Mayfield as their opening-day starting quarterback vs. the Cleveland Browns.

Related players: Sam Darnold, D.J. Moore, Christian McCaffrey

Mayfield gets a fresh start in Carolina. We expect him to post serviceable numbers for the Panthers. He was the QB18 in 2020 prior to a QB23 finish last season, though he dealt with some injuries. The weapons in Carolina are pretty solid. Moore is a solid WR1 and McCaffrey is arguably the best receiving back in the league.

Washington activated TE Logan Thomas from the Active/Physically Unable to Perform List.

Related players: John Bates

Now it will be a race to get ready for Week 1. Thomas had a nice year in 2020 before getting hurt in 2021. He caught 72 balls for 670 yards and six TDs. A lot of that production came over the final five weeks, including catches of 9, 6, 13 and 7 from Weeks 12-15. He also collected 44 of his 110 targets during that four-week span. Obviously he was poised for a huge year in 2021 before tearing his ACL. The potential is still there for 2022, assuming he can get back up to speed. He'll have some late-round value as a TE2 with TE1 potential if things go right. If he's not ready, Bates would be next up.

Jameis Winston sprained his right foot during the Saints' practice on August 8th, causing him to miss the team's first two preseason games. Returning to practice is a significant step towards a full return.

Related Players: Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry, Alvin Kamara, Andy Dalton

The article mentions that he had both of his feet "heavily taped" but could still move around normally. Winston isn't known for his wheels, so as long as his lower body is structurally sound, it shouldn't affect his game too much. If he is forced to miss time, we would presumably see veteran Andy Dalton man the quarterback position, but Winston will offer a higher upside for the Saints pass-catchers.

HC Matt Rhule seems to be getting frustrated with Terrace Marshall, a second-round pick in 2021 whose injury issues at LSU have followed him to the NFL. Marshall, who had just 17 catches for 138 yards in 13 games as a rookie, has been battling a hamstring injury that kept him out of both preseason games.

Marshall left Tuesday’s practice with New England after aggravating his hamstring on a deep post. He sat out Wednesday’s session as well as the exhibition.

As Marshall has missed time, other receivers have filled the void, most notably Shi Smith and former Browns wideout Rashard Higgins. But with Brandon Zylstra also battling a hamstring issue, Rhule emphasized that Marshall is needed in the receivers rotation.

The story said Smith has really stepped up with Marshall out and his stock is on the rise. So far, Marshall's career has been a disappointment for fantasy owners. The story said Rhule was hoping Marshall could play in the Week 2 preseason game and stressed the team needs him back practicing. The team is looking for someone to step into the WR3 behind Robbie Anderson and D.J. Moore, and Marshall seems to be missing his opportunity.

The Eagles did have lead backs under Doug Peterson -- Ryan Mathews, LeGarrette Blount, Josh Adams and Miles Sanders -- but no one carried the ball more than 179 times in a season (Sanders in 2019). Twice Pederson had three backs with 70 or more carries in a season (2016 and 2017) and twice he had running backs finished third on the team in receptions (2016 and 2019).

Sanders is the only back he had that topped 800 yards rushing in a season, which he did in 2019 and 2020.

So if that’s the philosophy Pederson is bringing to Jacksonville, it’s probably safe to assume that James Robinson won’t match the 240 carries he had as a rookie, and Travis Etienne’s potential workload could look something like Darren Sproles’ output in 2016: 94 rushes and 52 catches.

Robinson is still on his way back from injury and the story said until he's 100 % the team won't push him. So it's safe to assume Etienne will see a majority of the workload early on. But once Robinson is fully back, the story believes Peterson will use the backs much like he has in the past when with the Eagles. However, other reports last week said Robinson will take over as the lead back when healthy with Etienne the change of pace. It seems like Etienne's value will come in PPR leagues if he does land the passing down role, which at least seems to be a common assumption.

Tom Brady is back in the building and is expected to practice today.

Laine's story from Sunday went on to say Brady has been away from the team since Aug. 11 to tend to what has been described as "personal things." HC Todd Bowles said it was something agreed upon weeks ago and that the team supported Brady, who has kept in touch with the coaching staff during his absence. Bowles said a decision has not yet been made on whether Brady will see action in this week's third and final preseason game at the Indianapolis Colts.

Carroll: RB Ken Walker is still tender after hernia surgery and there's no timetable for his return.

Related players: Rashaad Penny, Travis Homer, DeeJay Dallas

As the tweet went on to say, and as we reported after the surgery, Carroll previously said he expected Walker back for Week 1, so that seems like a potentially significant update that doesn't sound great for fantasy owners. Walker is missing valuable time with the team and so it looks like Penny will have much of the lead back work with Homer and Dallas serving as change of pace or passing down backs.

Ravens rookie TE Isaiah Likely has been breaking through this preseason, including 12 catches to date in the preseason.

At the time of this writing, through about three quarters against the Cardinals, Likely recorded eight catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. Likely is a wide receiver in a tight end's body and already looks like he'll be a key cog for Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense. Likely is currently TE32 in Undergog drafts and could be an extreme value and absolutely worth a gamble late in drafts, though after tonight, that might move higher.

Saints WR Michael Thomas missed Sunday's practice with a hamstring injury.

HC Dennis Allen called it "a little bit of a hamstring issue", but it's still a little concerning any time we hear about an injury with Thomas, who missed all of 2021 with an ankle injury. He has been able to practice but has not played in a game at all yet this preseason and you probably can assume he will not play in the final preseason game against the Chargers. We are three weeks away from the Saints' regular-season opener against the Falcons. Thomas has holding an ADP of about 55, going off as WR27 on Underdog. Jarvis Landry and rookie Chris Olave would take on more work if Thomas misses any time.

Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne traveled with the Patriots to Las Vegas for their joint practices and preseason game this week against the Raiders.

It was a weird week for Bourne, who was removed from practice due to an apparent uniform issue on Tuesday and then ejected for fighting on Wednesday. He then didn’t play Friday against the Panthers, helping to lead to some trade speculation. But he will be in Vegas with the team; certainly needed now that the Patriots don’t have Tyquan Thornton, so they are in need of depth at receiver.

Buccaneers QB Tom Brady is expected to return to the team early this week.

Brady stepped away from the team earlier this preseason, but HC Todd Bowles confirmed he should be back early this week, which was always the original timeframe, after the team's preseason game Saturday. It is unknown as of yet whether Brady will play in the team's final preseason game Saturday against the Colts. Brady is currently going off draft boards as QB10 on Underdog with an ADP of 88.

Panthers rookie quarterback Matt Corral suffered a Lisfranc injury during Friday’s game against the Patriots.

It is likely a season-ending injury for Corral, as head coach Matt Rhule described the injury as “significant”. The Panthers traded into the third round of the 2022 draft to select the former Ole Miss quarterback, who shared playing time with P.J. Walker on Friday, as neither Baker Mayfield nor Sam Darnold played against the Patriots. Very unfortunate for Corral, but he should at least be in a competition for the starting quarterback job in 2023. Of course, that could also depend on who the head coach is in 2023.

The Rams waived TE Kendall Blanton.

A little surprising of a move, but the Rams clearly like what they see in Brycen Hopkins, as he now becomes the backup to Tyler Higbee. Hopkins caught six passes for 41 yards in Saturday’s game against the Texans. So if something were to happen to Higbee, Hopkins will be the guy in L.A.

Patriots rookie WR Tyquan Thornton suffered a collarbone injury during Friday’s preseason game against the Panthers.

The injury is not expected to be season-ending, but it does put a damper on what was a strong start to his NFL career. Thornton scored a touchdown in his first preseason game against the Giants. He had one catch for 13 yards before exiting the game.

Per the article, "At this point, Kmet is the No. 2 pass-catching option in the Bears offense behind No. 1 receiver Darnell Mooney. Fields trusts him, but so does [offensive coordinator Luke] Getsy."

Related Players: Equanimeous St. Brown, Byron Pringle, Velus Jones

It's not as if the team has many other options, but regardless, finding a tight end with a legitimate target floor is difficult to find in fantasy. Cole Kmet was involved in the screen game during the Bears' second preseason game, an area of the field that he was not utilized in during the last coaching regime; his four targets on screens in 2021 ranked 25th amongst NFL tight ends.

Standig remarks that Carson Wentz has displayed more chemistry with Jahan Dotson than any other wide receiver in camp.

Related Players: Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, Dyami Brown

This isn't to say that Terry McLaurin isn't the unquestioned number one on this team, but it's a good sign that the 16th-overall pick would seem to be the for sure second option in the Washington passing game. Dotson also seems to be the favorite to be the primary punt returner, if you're looking for a tiebreaker and another option late in drafts.

Miles Sanders was one of seven Eagles to not participate in join practice with the Browns yesterday, and in his steed, Kenneth Gainwell performed well as the team's RB1.

Related Players: Boston Scott

Gainwell was involved in the passing game during team drills, catching balls, and maybe more notably, picking up a blitz that was "one of the highlights of that period." This comes on the heels of SI.com's John McMullen remarking, "[Gainwell] seems to be penciled in for high-leverage situations like third downs, hurry-up offense, and goal-line work." The Philadelphia sophomore is rounding into a terrific late-round fantasy pick.

Pickens has been "making play after play" throughout camp, running an expansive route tree, and showing no ill effects from his college ACL tear.

Related Players: Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool

George Pickens was presumed to come in and take over the Juju Smith-Schuster role in the offense, but if he is showing out this well in camp, he may be taking a bigger piece of the pie than first expected. The sourced article would finish with, "He is a polished route runner, he high points the ball with ease, his feet are quick and he shows late hands. He looked like a five-year veteran out there on Chuck Noll Field, and not even the most optimistic coach, player, fan, or media member could’ve predicted that."

It would seem as if Benny Snell Jr. has been supplanted as the first option after Najee Harris in Pittsburgh.

Najee led the league in backfield touch% last season, so it's unlikely that UDFA Jaylen Warren gets much run in 2022 as long as Harris is healthy, but this is at least an interesting development in Dynasty circles.

The suspension also includes a $5 million donation to charity. DeShaun Watson is scheduled to return to action in Week 13 against the Houston Texans.

Related Players: Jacoby Brissett, Amari Cooper, David Njoku, Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt

Watson remains borderline-undraftable in all but the deepest redraft leagues, and the entire skill position group should receive a downgrade with Jacoby Brissett in as quarterback. It's very possible that the team leans more run-heavy, which would benefit Nick Chubb, but if the offense as a whole is less efficient, that would presumably level out over the course of three-quarters of the season.

James Robinson's timeline for recovery has long had him pegged for mid-August and, that's exactly when the team has him back.

Related Players: Travis Etienne, Snoop Conner

The intriguing running back room is becoming more intriguing as both Robinson and Travis Etienne could be back to full health by the time the regular season kicks off in September. It's difficult to believe that Etienne wouldn't handle nearly all of the passing-game work, but beat writers have been reporting for a while now that Robinson is the team's "true" RB1. We'll see how that designation translates into the fantasy world, but as of now, Robinson is a fringe RB3 option, going in the 10th round.

Smith underwent surgery on his thumb earlier this offseason, but head coach Kevin O'Connell told reporters today that he may avoid missing any time during the regular season.

Related Players: Johnny Mundt, K.J. Osborn

This comes as a relief for fantasy players who miss out on the top-tier of tight ends. All we need is one less option at our disposal in the double-digit rounds. If Irv Smith Jr. is healthy from the start, he makes for an interesting post-hype breakout candidate after he was forced to miss most of the 2021 season due to a torn meniscus. Former Viking Tyler Conklin was able to turn in a TE16 finish on what we presume was a much more run-heavy offense than what the 2022 Minnesota Vikings offense will look like.

Colts TE Andrew Ogletree suffered a torn ACL, per source.

Related players: Mo Alie-Cox, Jelani Woods, Kylen Granson

Ogletree was having a nice camp before the injury but we still considered him fourth on the depth chart and more of a commodity in dynasty leagues. Alie-Cox should remain the top TE target and we rank him 23rd on our list, making him a low-end TE2 option.

For the preseason opener against the Saints, the Texans’ depth chart at running back went like this: Marlon Mack, Rex Burkhead, Dameon Pierce.

On Wednesday, coach Lovie Smith was asked to identify what he’s looking for when determining the regular-season starter.

“I think you let guys play,” Smith told reporters. “They kind of tell you who should start, who should be on the roster, how many plays they should get. We’ve been going through training camp, practice, we’ve seen a lot, but to see guys finish, I thought that was a big game."

Reports this week have said it's only a matter of time before the rookie Pierce takes over the starting role. Of course, the team could utilize all three backs and split carries. For what it's worth, we rank Pierce 42nd overall, but tops among the Texan RBs. We think it's only a matter of time before he takes over the top spot, too.

By all accounts from Chiefs camp, Isiah Pacheco has been impressive out of the backfield — displaying a strong ability to both run it and catch it. Perhaps as a signal of how important he could be to the offense, he played only eight snaps in Kansas City’s preseason opener. He took a pair of carries for 6 yards and caught a 5-yard pass.

Related players: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Jerick McKinnon, Ronald Jones

According to the story, offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy called Pacheco “a very confident young man.” He added Pacheco plays hard and he's doing a great job and has a great work ethic. He also said one of the toughest things is allowing the game to come to him and learning to be patient. Keep in mind Pacheco is a seventh round pick and is still battling veterans like CEH, McKinnon and Jones. However at this point, nothing seems set in stone when it comes to this backfield. The team clearly went away from CEH in the playoffs last year and McKinnon seemed to be more trusted. Snaps and touches could be up for grabs here.

Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh is still in a wait-and-see mode on whether starting running back J.K. Dobbins will be ready for the regular-season opener.

"He's made some good progress this week," Harbaugh said after Wednesday's practice. "We measure times of how fast he runs, how fast he decelerates, how fast he changes direction. You can see the improvement is tangible. So, we'll see."

Related players: Gus Edwards, Tyler Badie, Mike Davis, Justice Hill

Dobbins, who tore his left ACL last August, has been participating in individual drills for five days since being activated off the physically unable to perform list. The Ravens remain non-committal on if Dobbins will be recovered enough to play Sept. 11 at the New York Jets, the story went on to say. The story added Dobbins is ahead of schedule compared to Edwards who is still on the PUP list. Badie, Davis and Hill would be up next assuming neither Dobbins nor Edwards would be ready for Week 1.

Talked to CeeDee Lamb. Has a cut on his foot that required stitches.

We learned earlier Lamb was dealing with a foot injury but reports said he was being held out of a joint practice with the Chargers as a precaution. The tweet went on to say Lamb wouldn't say how it happened and he just begrudgingly said clown stuff. He could miss some more time but it shouldn't affect his status for Week 1.

Pete Carroll says Ken Walker III had a procedure done.

Related players: Rashaad Penny

There wasn't any other details other than it wasn't a sports hernia surgery, as reports yesterday indicated he had a hernia issue. The good news is Carroll would add, "we've got a chance to get him back quickly." Walker is missing key time in camp, however, so Penny will likely take a bulk of the work with the first team.

One star player for the Saints over the two days was Chris Olave.

This is coming from a Packer report so it perhaps has some extra meaning to it. The tidbit went on to say: "He plays well beyond his years and even beat Jaire Alexander for an easy completion along the sidelines which basically never happens. Olave had a big completion against Douglas as well."

A day after going through a full workload in the Los Angeles Rams' intersquad scrimmage, quarterback Matthew Stafford said his right elbow feels "good" and he feels "right on track to be doing what I want to be doing."

Stafford, who dealt with an elbow injury last season, received an injection in his right elbow during the offseason and did not throw during the Rams' spring workouts. He entered training camp on a throwing schedule that head coach Sean McVay said was just to make sure the team is being smart with the quarterback's arm leading up to Week 1, the story said. As we reported Monday, Stafford, got "60-plus plays" during the scrimmage on Tuesday, and also according to HC Sean McVay, "had great energy" and "great command all day."

Foot injury for Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb. He is walking and not wearing a protective boot.

David Helman tweeted about Lamb: "considered 'nothing serious at all.' Sounds like it’s just rest." The Cowboys are taking on the Chargers in practice sessions, so the assumption is there is no need to push him, especially against what's expected to be a tough LA defense.

Raiders star tight end Darren Waller said recently that he would be back on the field this week.

Multiple reporters on the Raiders beat note that Waller is one of several players who have returned to practice on Wednesday.

The story said Waller is seeking a new contract. The story added he was reportedly sidelined by a hamstring injury — not staging a “hold in.”

Melvin Gordon on Javonte Williams getting the first snaps at practice: “They want ‘Vonte to be the guy”

This shouldn't come as a surprise. Gordon signed late in the game likely already knowing Williams may lead the way in snaps and touches out of the backfield. Still, Gordon should likely be involved and possibly a lot. Those who cover the team have said the split is around 60-40 in favor of Williams this summer. Finding a way to have both backs on your fantasy roster would be ideal - Williams is going in the late 2nd while Gordon is getting picked in the early 9th round.

Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman, who was carted off the practice field today, is being evaluated for a possible groin injury, according to a source.

Related players: JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore, Josh Gordon

Hardman is likely behind JuJu, MVS and the rookie Moore, but anyone in this offense who sees regular time can be fantasy-worthy. If Hardman were to miss time, it likely means Moore benefits the most as the two seemed to be battling for the team's WR3 spot.

Joshua Kelley started Saturday’s preseason game against the Rams and had a really efficient game, totaling 44 yards from scrimmage on six touches. In Tuesday’s practice, Kelley continued to get the most first-team work of the three running backs vying for the second running back spot behind Austin Ekeler — Larry Rountree III, rookie Isaiah Spiller and Kelley.

Seems like a bit of an upset fi Kelley comes away with the job, especially with the rookie Spiller garnering a lot of post-NFL Draft hype. Ekeler is ranked fourth on our RB list so he'll get a bulk of the work out of the backfield, especially in the passing game. But the team will have a need for a between-the-tackles-type runner. For Ekeler owners, this is a battle to keep an eye on throughout camp. For the record, the story said the team is happy with Spiller's development to this point.

Brandon Aiyuk's rise has been more impressive because the leap has been so substantial. He was poised to take a step in Year 3 after a strong finish to 2021, but he’s been pretty easily San Francisco’s best player in camp behind Nick Bosa. The third-year WR is dominating in one-on-one drills and became the favorite target of quarterback Trey Lance in team drills. There’s a tenacity Aiyuk entered camp with that also stands out. He went toe-to-toe with linebacker Fred Warner during the first week pads were on after Warner leveled Aiyuk’s fellow WR Marcus Johnson and sent him to concussion protocol.

This could be notable in the fantasy world as there are certainly other storylines in San Francisco, like Lance, Deebo Samuel or the run game. The story said Aiyuk has carried his aggression into his pass-catching by affecting the defense at every level. He’s consistently either getting wide open or making contested catches down the field and in the red zone. Expectations were high for Aiyuk when the 49ers took him in the first round of the 2020 draft, and this year’s camp indicates he’s ready to perhaps surpass those already lofty projections, the story went on to say.

One pleasant surprise thus far in camp has TE Tyler Conklin. Coming off his best season of his career last season with the Minnesota Vikings, Conklin has quickly built a strong connection in camp with QB Zach Wilson.

Related players: C.J. Uzomah, Jeremy Ruckert

The story went on to say the early look is that Conklin will be a favorite red-zone target for the Jets’ offense. He may quietly have yet another career year in his first season with the Jets. The Jets also have former Bengal Uzomah who is a red zone target himself, along with the rookie Ruckert. Conklin is well down our TE list at 29th, so right now he's only a consideration in deeper leagues, or those that utilize multiple TE slots.

Josh Palmer is making a strong case to be the third wide receiver behind Keenan Allen and Mike Williams and make a big jump in Year 2. Palmer is shining in practices and building a solid rapport with Justin Herbert, creating separation with great routes and catching everything thrown in his direction. Palmer has has an all-rounded skill set to thrive as the Z receiver, with his impressive route running, reliability, and ball skills.

As the story said, the Chargers did not make any significant additions to their wide receiver room this offseason, and a big part of that was their belief in Palmer. The 2021 third-round pick did not start to see the field until the midway part of the season, but he flashed every time he was on. Palmer ended up catching 33 passes for 353 yards with four touchdowns in 2021. It may be tough for Palmer to earn targets with Allen and Williams in the lineup, however.

After an injury-riddled 2021 NFL season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, JuJu Smith-Schuster is starting anew with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. His consistency has made him the most impressive player at training camp, boasting an unprecedented level of chemistry with his new quarterback after working together for just a few short months.

Many are wondering how the loss of WR Tyreek Hill will impact the Chiefs offense this season, but it sounds like JuJu is stepping up. The story went on to say Smith-Schuster has also given a young secondary an extremely hard time, getting open practically on command whether it’s during one-on-one drills or team drills. On the plays when the coverage has been good, Smith-Schuster has used his size and physicality to muscle the ball away from defenders. While he'll have to battle TE Travis Kelce for targets, we have Smith-Schuster ranked highest among the KC WRs heading into drafts and consider him a WR3.

The speedy free agent acquisition, D.J. Chark, has emerged as a dynamic force on the outside of the Lions offense. Chark is consistently getting open down the field and has developed a quick chemistry with QB Jared Goff.

Related players: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Josh Reynolds

Chark’s ability to make catches away from his body and adjust to the ball in the air have proven special throughout camp, the story said. The Lions desperately needed upgrades at wide receiver and Chark has proven to be a shrewd investment so far. Even when first-round rookie Williams gets onto the field later this year, Chark has proven he deserves a big role in the more aggressive Lions offense, the story went on to say.

With the likes of WR Stefon Diggs and QB Josh Allen continually having their relationship at center stage, the contributions Cole Beasley made over the past few years were overlooked. However, the slot WR was consistently a safety valve for Allen in Buffalo and with his release this spring that job is up for grabs. Isaiah McKenzie has taken an early stranglehold on that position battle.

Related players: Jamison Crowder

The story said McKenzie flashed a time or two in the past, but few expected McKenzie to become the clear favorite to take over Beasley’s role before a preseason game was even played. He's been one of the darlings of all the NFL camps this year and seems to collect positive press almost every day. The team signed Crowder to possibly fill that role but it's been McKenzie who is standing out.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson or tight end Mark Andrews certainly could have qualified for this spot, but Rashod Bateman has flashed throughout training camp, showing off the skill set that Baltimore was so intrigued by when they selected him at No. 27 overall in the 2021 NFL draft.

According to the story, Bateman has shown off a strong connection with Jackson, catching almost everything that’s been thrown his way. He’s expected to take a massive jump in Year 2 with the departure of Marquise Brown, and early on at training camp he’s showing why. The Ravens are expected to be run-heavy, but outside of Andrews, Bateman should see his share of targets.

Kyle Pitts has been nearly unguardable during the first weeks of training camp. Not only is the second-year TE a mismatch due to his freakish size, he can run right past opposing linebackers and defensive backs with ease.

While this shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, it's at least good to hear. As the story added, following an outstanding rookie season, Pitts appears ready to take his game to another level in Year 2. The Falcons lack experience at the wide receiver position so expect QB Marcus Mariota to target Pitts frequently this season, especially in the red zone. Pitts should be drafted as a top TE option and we rank him third on our list with an ADP of the late third in 12-team leagues.

Seahawks’ QB Drew Lock has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss Thursday’s game vs. the Chicago Bears on ESPN.

Related players: Geno Smith

Smith already had a leg up and now Lock looks like he'll miss a big chance to try and make a claim to the job in live game action starting with the ones.

At pretty much every step along the way, Tyquan Thornton’s stock has continued to rise. That trend continued on Tuesday.

Related players: Jakobi Meyers, DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, Nelson Agholor

The story said this week is a big chance for Thornton to prove he can reach the next stage in his development. It went on to say Thornton started practice off with a bang. He won both one-on-one reps, with the second ending with a diving catch in the end zone. In team drills, Thornton continued to pop. He repeatedly got open for Mac Jones, including one rep where he beat 2020 first-round pick C.J. Henderson. Thornton seems buried down the depth chart, though. There have been rumors the team will move Agholor which could bump up Thornton, but for now he should be considered a deeper league stash and a player to keep an eye on.

The soft-tissue injury for Rams RB Cam Akers is not considered serious, I’m told. Rams taking preventative measures by holding him out of preseason practices but that’s the extent of it.

Related players: Darrell Henderson

We reported Henderson is also dealing with a soft tissue injury and that both weren't considered serious. While Fowler mentioned nothing about Henderson, it's good news to reaffirm Akers' injury isn't considered anything that would cause him to miss games.

The message on Monday was that a settlement remained viable. At this point, every minute that Peter Harvey doesn’t issue a ruling means that a settlement can still happen in the DeShaun Watson case. And because the NFL, as a practical matter, controls Harvey, he’ll wait until the NFL tells him that settlement talks have hit a brick wall.

That’s the bottom line. No ruling until no settlement.

The story went on to say the league surely wants at least 12 games and Watson is willing to take 8. The obvious middle ground is 10 games, plus a fine that converts all or part of 2021 into an unpaid suspension by taking up to the full $10 million in salary that he received last year. As previously mentioned, both sides need to be committed to selling to the public that last year was, as a practical matter, a paid suspension, since he didn’t play in 2021 due to the off-field issue.

Ty Montgomery looks like the early favorite to take over James White's passing-down role, but that might just be the jumping off point with the veteran. His diverse skillset could open up even more options for the coaching staff to experiment with.

Related players: Damien Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson

If you've been following the news here today, this isn't a surprise. Monty has been getting the snaps in the two-minute drills and was also playing a big part in the offense during that time. Montgomery has played in the NFL as a receiver and a running back so the fit seems to be a pretty good one. Stevenson had also been getting some time in the James White role, so those snaps going to Montgomery will put a bit of a damper on Stevenson's fantasy value. This could be one of those typical Patriot running back situations where no one really knows how it will pan out week-to-week.

Carroll says Ken Walker III dealing with a hernia issue. Says he doesn’t know yet what that means.

Related players: Rashaad Penny

The hope is Walker will be ready to go for Week 1 the team said via other reports. But, Walker will miss valuable time in camp going forward. Penny is back to full strength so at this point he looks like the leader in the backfield, at least until Walker is up to speed.

Pete Carroll on who’s leading the Seahawks QB competition: “I don’t even have to say that. Geno Smith’s still the number 1 guy. He’s holding that spot at this point.”

Related players: Drew Lock

We have Lock slightly ahead of Smith at this point in our rankings but neither is a highly-desired fantasy option either. Still, in deeper superflex leagues, this is worth following.

Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin has taken another significant step in his recovery from last year’s torn ACL.

Godwin did seven-on-seven work for the first time in training camp today. Reporters on the scene said Godwin looked good running and cutting.

The story went on to say: Godwin tore his ACL on December 19, so he’s not yet eight months removed from the injury, and his recovery seems to be on schedule, perhaps ahead of schedule. The Bucs haven’t put a timeline on Godwin’s return, but it appears likely that he’ll be on the field when the Bucs take on the Cowboys in Week 1.

Then added: "When the ball kicks off for real, Michael Thomas is going to be ready to go, and we're excited about that."

The now 29-year-old Thomas continues to rehab the injured ankle that forced him to miss the entire 2021 season and most of the previous season. Beat writer Nick Underhill says that in camp Thomas looks like he did in 2019. Drafting Thomas requires a leap of faith, but he’s going off the board as the WR29 in the sixth round, which seems like a steal for a player who racked up 149 catches for 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns as recently as 2019. However, he also carries a lot of risk since he hasn’t played football since December of 2020 and is getting a little long in the tooth.

The start of the regular season could be in jeopardy for Zach Wilson.

The New York Jets quarterback, who underwent knee surgery Tuesday, could return in four to six weeks, a source told The Athletic.

Related players: Joe Flacco

Most of the timetables have said 2-4 weeks so this certainly puts in question Wilson's Week 1 status. If Wilson is closer to six weeks, he wouldn't return until Week 4. Missing four weeks would cause Wilson to miss Week 1 and return Week 2.

BREAKING: Zach Wilson's arthroscopic knee surgery was deemed a success, source tells ESPN.

Related players: Joe Flacco

The tweet went on to say there were no surprises from the original diagnosis. Cimini added they won't put him on the field until he's 100%, but good news for the Jets. Wilson remains a question mark for Week 1. For what it's worth, Flacco has been good in camp thus far.

Romeo Doubs has seemingly passed every test the Packers have thrown at him.

Related players: Allen Lazard, Christian Watson, Randall Cobb, Sammy Watkins, Amari Rodgers

Demovsky said Doubs has passed tests in practice, the preseason opener and now joint practice vs. the Saints where he scored on a toe-tapping TD on an out from QB Aaron Rodgers. Given Doubs’ play in camp, he’s now the favorite to start in two- and three-receiver sets alongside Lazard. He is creeping up the rankings and is now worthy of a pick in the 12th or 13th round given the constant drumbeat of positive news.

One other note: when the Patriots starting offense went into hurry up mode, Ty Montgomery was once again the RB on the field.

Related players: Damien Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson

Stevenson was also getting time in the "James White role" we reported today, but since then the team seems like it's giving Montgomery his chance to take the role. The tweet said Monty was left open down the right sideline for a big gain and also caught a check down on the drive. Lazar added his versatility to line up at WR is an added bonus. Keep in mind, Montgomery used to play WR before making the switch to RB. He was really last fantasy relevant back in 2016 and 2017 with the Packers but the Patriots seem to be able to revive players and Montgomery is a nature fit for the passing down and hurry-up role.

OC Scott Turner on RB Antonio Gibson's fumbles: "You can't waste a possession; if you fumble the ball that's a waste of a possession. The first job is to protect the ball. It's something that has to be fixed."

Related players: J.D. McKissic, Brian Robinson

Gibson had a big fumble in preseason Week 1. Reports Tuesday said Gibson was working with the punt return and third teams - seemingly as punishment. Other reports said Gibson eventually returned to first team work. However the rookie Robinson has had a good camp, and with McKissic back in the fold, there is some pressure for Gibson to show some improvement sooner than later this summer.

Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster didn’t practice Tuesday due to a sore knee.

We rank Smith-Schuster tops among KC WRs, as a high-end WR3. There’s potential here, as he’s still just 25 and has a 1,426-yard season on his resume. He only played in five games last season.

The Eagles said that Miles Sanders would miss Tuesday’s practice because of a hamstring injury.

Related players: Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott

The story pointed out Sanders has wanted more chances, despite missing nine games over the last two years. Sanders has been mostly unimpressive even when in action. The Eagles lack depth at the position, especially a banger who can go between the tackles, so Sanders is expected to have a big role in the backfield this year. Gainwell and Scott will pick up the slack for now.

Panthers QB Baker Mayfield received most of the work with the first-team offense.

Related players: Sam Darnold

The Panthers are having joint practices with the Patriots this week. Kyed went on to say in his tweet he wouldn’t say Mayfield or Darnold stood out today. Both QBs made some good throws near the end of practice while Darnold was picked late. We're expecting Mayfield to win this job and would have some talent around him. He was the QB18 in 2020 and QB23 in 2021.

Coach Sean McVay said Matthew Stafford was a full participant in Monday’s workout, which was closed to reporters after 20 minutes. Stafford will be a full participant Tuesday when the first-team offense runs more than 60 plays, McVay said.

Stafford has had an elbow issue that has plagued him since last season and will be tested again Tuesday when the Rams scrimmage for the first time. Stafford will not play in preseason games, so the scrimmage should provide the Rams with another marker as Stafford plays through tendinitis while preparing for the Sept. 8 opener against the Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium, the story said.

George Pickens’ fellow wideout Diontae Johnson added his voice to those singing Pickens’ praises on Monday. Johnson called Pickens “a freak” who is getting better every day that he takes the field.

Related players: Chase Claypool, Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett

Pickens has generated a lot of buzz in his first months as an NFL player and it doesn’t show any sign of slowing down with the regular season drawing closer by the day, the story said. We rank Johnson 17th among our WRs but we give Pickens a slight edge over Claypool at this point.

The Ravens also were boosted by running back J.K. Dobbins’ return to the practice field. Dobbins was activated off the PUP list last week and was on the field early for two practices. He was then held out of the practices over the weekend and Harbaugh said he was in the “evaluation” period. For what it’s worth, he looked more comfortable Monday running and going through drills than he did last week.

Related players: Gus Edwards

Harbaugh said Dobbins “looked good,” according to the story. Harbaugh went on to say Dobbins is "kind of back on track, and I thought he looked a little better than he did before." Harbaugh added Dobbins continues to improve. Having Dobbins back for Week 1 would be a big deal. There's a lot of hype around his return and the run-first offense the Ravens look like they are planning to run. Assuming Edwards is healthy, he will have a role as well, which could cap Dobbins' fantasy value.

Both Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson are dealing with what Sean McVay describes as “soft tissue” injuries.

Related players: Kyren Williams, Jake Funk

Both are being held out of practice until both are at full speed in a team setting, according to the rest of the tweet. Williams and Funk practiced and took the main workload, the tweet went on to say. The good news here, according to other reports, the injuries don't appear to be serious. However these are the type of injuries that can linger so it's worth monitoring.

Melvin Gordon appears to be a full participant in practice.

Related players: Javonte Williams

Before Gordon went down there was a lot of talk about the workload split in practice with Williams. Some said it was 70-30 in favor of Williams but others argued it was more like 60-40. Gordon and Williams are poised to have similar roles, much like last year, we think. That's obviously going to cap Williams potential, especially after the team brought back Gordon, who was a free agent.

Patriots starters finished practice with some 2 minute work.

Rhamondre Stevenson was repping in the James White role.

Related players: Damien Harris, Ty Montgomery Pierre Strong Jr., J.J. Taylor, Kevin Harris

Stevenson has been in the role from the start of camp, according to reports. One can concluded it's looking more and more like he could split the work with Harris, much like he did last year, but also earn the targets. That would make him a better fantasy value than Harris.

During a conversation with Yates, Adam Schefter said that Kamara is "more and more unlikely" that Kamara misses time due to a suspension this season.

Related Players: Mark Ingram

Kamara will no doubt handle a massive backfield touch% if he were to play all 17 games, making him an incredible value for those that were able to grab him while he slipped down draft boards over the summer. Kamara regains the top-five upside he has had for years if he does genuinely dodge a suspension.

The Packers got a number of important players back at practice, including; Christian Watson, Elgton Jenkins, and Tonyan.

Related Players: Josiah Deguara

This was the tight end's first time on a practice field since tearing his ACL in Week 8 last season. Tonyan is set to return for the beginning of the regular season and remains an interesting late-round target at a week position. He was tied for the lead league with his 10 touchdowns in 2020.

After missing the preseason opener, Toney does not look to be on path for Week 2 due to a leg injury.

Related Players: Wan'Dale Robinson, Daniel Jones

Toney played in only 10 games last season, dealing with issues pertaining to his hamstring, ankle, thumb, quad, oblique and shoulder. That was followed by an off-season filled with trade rumors and the selection of a similar type of receiver in the draft. It's difficult to buy in with all the negativity surrounding him.

Zach Wilson went down during the Jets first preseason with an apparent ACL injury

Related Players: Joe Flacco, Mike White

This is clearly a detriment to Zach Wilson's sophomore season if the tests come back positive. If the baton gets passed to Mike White, we could see some extreme short-yardage usage for the running back tandem of Breece Hall and Michael Carter

This coincides with a recent report from The Athletic that Waller has missed "five practices in a row."

Related Players: Foster Moreau

Schefter continues to say that it is "not considered serious." Tashan Reed of The Athletic reported that the time away for Waller has meant more looks for Foster Moreau, who has "looked to be more well-rounded as a receiver and blocker." Darren Waller can't take another seismic hit to his value and still remain a fourth-round fantasy pick; he's already being squeezed out of target share from newly-acquired Davante Adams.

Rodrigue would continue, "His hands are sharp, his speed is there, and he got more reps, especially with WR3 Van Jefferson recovering from knee surgery."

Related Players: Van Jefferson, Ben Skowronek

Tutu Atwell —all 165 pounds of him— is incredibly unlikely ever to become an every-down player, but the Rams presumably took him with the 57th-overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft for a reason. The article mentions that if the season started tomorrow, with Van Jefferson still sidelined, that there would be a committee approach behind Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson. It's a long shot, but if Atwell can squeeze into a WR3 role for the Rams he would become an interesting late-round addition to best ball, "non-managed" leagues.

The same hip injury that recently forced Ryan Fitzpatrick into retirement has sadly done the same to pass-catching specialist James White.

Related Players: Rhamondre Stevenson, Ty Montgomery, Pierre Strong

One of —if not the— best pass-catching running backs of his generation, White will hang up the cleats at 30 years old. In his steed, it clears the way for Stevenson to continue working on third downs, while dark horse veteran Ty Montgomery could find himself with a bigger workload than we would have imagined when he signed with the team.

The former first-round pick was hoping for a jump-start to his career in his first year with the Bears, but things aren't starting well.

Related Players: Equanimeous St. Brown, Velus Jones

The 24-year-old sustained the high-ankle sprain during Saturday's practice and now will miss all of the preseason and around a month of regular season action. This leaves the already barren Bears WR depth chart even thinner, offering QB Justin Fields a steep hill to climb during his sophomore year.

Rookie Davis-Price has time to work his way into that number two slot, but he has some work to do to create separation behind starter Elijah Mitchell.

Related Players: Tyrion Davis-Price, Trey Sermon

The article goes on to say, "the 225-pounder (Davis-Price) has managed to look like a violent runner even in non-padded practices, and the 49ers are eager to see whether that plays out in the...offseason." Jeff Wilson has shown flashes of production with the San Francisco offense in the past but has had a long history with injuries. If Davis-Price can't wrest the RB2 slot away before Week 1, I would expect the switch to come soon after.

Per the article, "Edwards, by the way, is not expected to be ready for the start of the season."

Related Players: J.K. Dobbins, Tyler Badie, Mike Davis

While Dobbins isn't likely to be seen much before the season-opener, expect to see a lot out of Badie, Justice Hill, and Corey Clement in the preseason while the Ravens get a better read on Dobbins' health. Clement seems be the special teams specialist while Hill is reportedly on the right side of the roster bubble.

Unsurprisingly after Sam Darnold's lackluster 2021 and the trade for Mayfield, it looks like the latter is in the driver seat as the team's QB1.

Related Players: D.J. Moore, Robbie Anderson

Per the article, “He’s definitely improving,” Panthers coach Matt Rhule said of Mayfield. “He gets more and more of a feel of what he can do at the line of scrimmage. What he’s done in 10 days is pretty impressive — or 10, 11 practices. He’s making really good jumps.” Mayfield would add stability to the skill position group like Darnold would not. This is good news for the WR group.

Jenna Laine (@JennaLaineESPN) also confirmed the injury, saying that he "pulled up during one-on-ones and is grabbing his leg." There are no further updates at the time.

Related Players: Julio Jones

Russell Gage has had some knocks against his fantasy value in the last couple of weeks, most notably the signing of free agent Julio Jones. Gage was at least walking off the field, so one would assume this isn't a long-term injury, but we'll have to wait and see. If he misses some time, and should Chris Godwin also miss time to begin the season, Jones may be in for WR2 treatment.

Smith has taken all of the first-team reps with the starters outside of the mock game.

Related Players: Drew Lock

The article would go on to mention that Lock had "appeared to be the better quarterback in the scrimmage." Neither option is genuinely going to affect the skill positions in Seattle positively, but it would be nice to know the starter for late-round 3-QB builds on Underdog and deep Superflex leagues. Lock is the better option to potentially offer DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett a little more upside.

Palmer has been hounding Keenan Allen —who he may replace in 2023— about route running heading into his sophomore season.

Related Players: Mike Williams, Jalen Guyton

It looks like a lock that Palmer will have the WR3 role in Los Angeles and could play a massive role if Keenan Allen were to miss any time. Palmer filled in for Allen during Week 15 of last season, securing a 5-66-1 line during his rookie season. The article would go on to mention that the team could save almost $15 million in cap space if they were to move on from Allen after this season.

Arizona Cardinals running back Eno Benjamin has had an impressive offseason and is considered the favorite for number two duties behind starter James Conner.

Benjamin was a trendy breakout pick prior to NFL free agency and the 2022 NFL Draft, but the additions of Darrell Williams and Keontay Ingram all but evaporated the high hopes many had for the former Arizona State Sun Devil. Now, just days away from the first preseason game, it has become clear that Benjamin has improved enough in the passing game (particularly in pass protection) that he has the leg up in the battle to be James Conner's 'tag-teammate'. Benjamin could carve out flex value if he distances himself from Williams and Ingram during the preseason. More of a deep league target, Eno is currently our 79th-ranked running back.

The Houston Texans have listed Marlon Mack and Rex Burkhead as co-starters on their unofficial depth chart.

Marlon Mack and Rex Burkhead have been listed as co-starters for the Houston Texans, confirming the committee many have expected. Rookie Dameon Pierce should factor into the committee but will have to battle for snaps with strong showings in practice and the preseason. The initial depth chart suggests that Mack should lead the team in carries to open the season with Burkhead pacing them in targets. Pierce has the talent to make the committee a difficult one for fantasy managers to handicap, as he can emerge the starter at some point early in the season or remain third on the depth chart until 2023. Mack is our 56th ranked running back, Burkhead is our 60th ranked running back, and Pierce is ranked 49th.

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Treylon Burks has impressed in camp.

Burks has had an impressive camp thus far, though it has not been without some rookie mistakes. He is currently splitting time with the first, second, and third team offenses. This strategy should allow him to learn the different wide receiver positions and build chemistry with potential QB-of-the-future in Malik Willis and incumbent Ryan Tannehill. Fellow rookie Kyle Phillips has generated more buzz this offseason for his near-immediate ascension into three-wide sets, but that does not mean Burks has not been impressive in his own right. Outside of an outright disastrous preseason, Burks should supplant Nick Westbrook-Ikhine in two wide sets by Week 1. Burks is currently our 49th-ranked receiver.

San Francisco 49ers running back Tyrion Davis-Price is listed as the fourth-string running back on the team's initial unofficial depth chart.

There have been some high hopes for the rookie's potential role this season, and this initial depth chart listing should not discourage deep leaguers from keeping him on their cheat sheet. Team's often list rookies low on the initial depth charts in an effort to make them 'earn' their roles. The most recent example is the Atlanta Falcons listing Drake London as fifth string on their initial depth chart. Davis-Price has an excellent opportunity to carve out a consistent role in a committee with Elijah Mitchell and Jeff Wilson but will need to show more in the passing game. The early reports out of camp suggest that undrafted rookie Jordan Mason has been more impressive as a receiver out of the backfield. Davis-Price will need to impress during the preseason to avoid being stuck behind Wilson and Hasty in the battle for touches not given to Mitchell. The rookie remains an upside bye-week filler type who could come on strong as the season progresses. The depth chart listing, coupled with the reports out of camp, is a reminder that he does indeed have some depth chart climbing to do, despite his third-round draft capital. Davis-Price is currently our 69th-ranked running back.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justin Watson has been impressing in camp and looks to be in the lead for the fifth wide receiver spot.

Watson has been impressing the Chiefs with his precise route running and could push for a weekly role if he can continue to make an impact during the preseason. Watson is currently the favorite to land the fifth wide receiver spot behind JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Mecole Hardman, and rookie Skyy Moore. Justyn Ross landing on season-ending injured reserve leaves an opportunity for Watson to emerge as a favorite of Patrick Mahomes. At this point, he is nothing more than an end-of-bench, deep league flier but is someone who could provide massive dividends relative to average draft position. Watson is someone to keep an eye on during the preseason.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Rondale Moore is set to see an expanded role for the team this season.

Moore flashed as a rookie but should see a more consistent role this season, especially with DeAndre Hopkins suspended for the first six games of the season. The second-year receiver is expected to see an expanded route tree and a larger weekly target share. Currently going off the board as the WR64 based on composite ADP, Moore could prove to be a major value. Expected to be utilized all over the formation and to attack opposing defenses at all levels *including out of the backfield), Moore is a popular pick to be the Cardinals' breakout player of 2022. Moore should see his ADP climb as we draw closer to the start of the regular season. Currently ranked as our WR73, Moore should boast upside flex value for the first few weeks of the season.

Josh McDaniels reiterated today that he is not exploring a trade to ship Jacobs out of Las Vegas.

Related Players: Kenyan Drake, Zamir White, Brandon Bolden

This is probably worse in fantasy land than if they simply found him a new home. It certainly raised some eyebrows when veteran Jacobs got some run in the Hall of Fame Game last week, a contest typically reserved for backups and players fighting for a spot on the roster, not RB1s. The Raiders already had Kenyan Drake in Jacobs' RB room before the team added Ameer Abdullah, Brandon Bolden, and fourth-round pick Zamir White. Jacobs is getting squeezed in every direction, but most discouraging, in the receiving game, where he doubled his career reception total in 2021 en route to his RB16 finish.

The presumptive new WR3 after Tim Patrick's season-ending torn ACL was Hamler's first padded reps with Russell Wilson and the gang today.

Related Players: Kendall Hinton, Jerry Jeudy, Greg Dulcich, Albert Okwuegbunam

There are a fair amount of mouths to feed within the Denver Broncos offense, but nonetheless, Hamler will have an opportunity to cut out a portion of the offense for himself as he returns from his own torn ACL that he suffered last season. A second-round pick in 2020, he has only seen the field in 17 career games, accruing a 35-455-3 stat line in the process.

Barring any setbacks, this means Dobbins is on course to play Week 1 against the Jets.

Related Players: Gus Edwards, Mike Davis

Lamar Jackson will always cap the ceiling of any running back associated with his offense, but the RB1 in Baltimore still has plenty of upside. It would seem that the Ravens are more than likely to return to their extreme run-heavy rate in 2022 after finishing 32nd and 27th in neutral pass rate over the 2019 and 2020 seasons. If Dobbins has a full, healthy season, he will be a steal in the fifth round of fantasy drafts.

The article purports that Gainwell will take a lot of the duties on third downs, hurry-up offense, and goal-line work.

Related Players: Miles Sanders, Boston Scott, Jalen Hurts

There have been reports all summer about Miles Sanders taking a multitude of reps with the 2nd team offense, and although coach Nick Sirianni is claiming that "everybody rotates," the Gainwell drumbeat has been sounding for months now. If Gainwell is the lead back in these high-leverage situations, he could sneak into FLEX territory by building on his 33-reception, six-touchdown rookie season.

Former Packers and Saints hybrid player Montgomery on the right side of the roster bubble with James White beginning the season on the PUP list.

Related Players: Damien Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson, Pierre Strong

The article would go on to mention, "He’s listed as a wide receiver but has seen just as many reps in the backfield this summer, if not more, looking like a strong candidate to handle third-down back duties if White can’t recover from hip surgery in time for the season." It may be time to cool the hype train on Rhamondre Stevenson, as this would severely hinder his fantasy upside as it was believed he may be the one operating as the receiving back on the New England carousel.

Browns RB Kareem Hunt requested a trade from the team but was told no by Cleveland.

Hunt is entering the final year of his contract and has been looking for a new deal. Hunt is set to make over $6 million this season between his base salary and roster bonus. Hunt has been sitting out drills. Hunt is coming off a season in which he missed nine games due to injuries and Covid-19. As a result, D’Ernest Johnson broke out and became a very solid RB2 behind Nick Chubb. Hunt is currently just inside the top 100 of Underdog ADP and the No. 31 RB. But his absence has meant more opportunities for Johnson. It’s shaping up to be a true committee behind Chubb.

Giants HC Brian Daboll said he anticipates all his players playing in their preseason opener Thursday against the Patriots.

Being a first-year head coach, perhaps Daboll wants to get a sense of game action with his players, though our guess is he’ll only play them for maybe a series or two, just to get his feet wet. By some early accounts, particularly from their recent scrimmage, the offense, including the line, need some work, so any reps they can get can only help. So we should also get a chance to see rookie TE Daniel Bellinger, who has been having a very nice camp so far.

Jets WR Denzel Mims has not, and has no plans to request a trade from the team.

There has been speculation surrounding the third-year wide receiver about a trade, but Hughes took to Twitter to squash a rumor that Mims’ agent was visiting the team to request a trade for his client. Mims is having a strong camp after two forgetful seasons to begin his career. Perhaps a trade does happen, as this is still a fluid situation, so it’s worth monitoring.

The Carolina Panthers will wait until after their August 19 preseason game against the Patriots to make a starting quarterback.

While many expected Baker Mayfield to simply be handed the starting job after the Panthers traded for the former Cleveland quarterback, the Panthers still seem to be giving Sam Darnold every opportunity to beat out Mayfield.

The timing for the decision comes in part because the Panthers will also have two joint practices with the Patriots before their preseason game. "The Patriots week is a true litmus test for us,” HC Matt Rhule said. “That will really show us where guys are."

Mayfield is currently our No. 26 quarterback and should still be the favorite to start against his former team in Week 1, but anything can happen.

Saints WR Michael Thomas took part in team drills Saturday for the first time this year.

It's been a long time coming for the Saints wide receiver, who didn't play at all in 2021 and a good portion of 2020 with an ankle injury. But Thomas finally looks like he's ready to get back into action and had a catch on his first play of 11-on-11. The Saints have been gradually increasing Thomas' workload and there are still about four weeks until New Orleans' opener September 11 against the Falcons. Thomas is WR31 on Underdog with an ADP of 65. If healthy, Thomas could get back to his old ways. It already seems like Jameis Winston will trust Thomas quite a bit this season, so keep an eye on Thomas the rest of the preseason.

Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles told reporters Saturday that WR Mike Evans, who left Friday's practice early with a hamstring injury, "is fine" and is day-to-day.

Certainly good news for Evans. He'll have plenty of time to rest. We're still a month away from the Buccaneers' first game on September 11 against the Cowboys and it was always very unlikely Evans, or many other Buccaneers starters, would play much, if at all, in the preseason. Evans is being selected, on average, in the top 20 picks overall as a top-8 wide receiver in what should be another Super-Bowl-or-bust season and what could be Tom Brady's final season.

The Athletic's Ravens beat writer Jeff Zrebiec believes WR James Proche should see "significant opportunities" this season.

"If he’s healthy, there is no reason why he won’t get significant opportunities this year, as he’s emerged as a leader of a young and unproven receiving group that believes it’s ready to make an impact," said Zrebiec. The Ravens certainly need someone to step up after trading Marquise Brown to the Arizona Cardinals and Proche has had a strong camp thus far. Proche was also stuck behind Sammy Watkins and Rashod Bateman. While Bateman is still around, Watkins is now in Green Bay, opening up targets and chances for Proche, who was a nice receiver at SMU.

Proche is going very late, if at all, in Underdog drafts. But Lamar Jackson will need players to throw to and if Baltimore is going to give Proche opportunities, he's worth considering as a flyer late.

Rapoport reiterated that he looks "aweseome" which coincides with what Saints reporter Nick Underhill has been repeating through camp thus far.

Related Players: Jameis Winston, Jarvis Landry

So much for getting Michael Thomas in the 7th/8th round anymore. Thomas has likely been a steal throughout all of spring and summer, and if he truly is back to his old self, he will help buoy this entire offense. The last time Jameis Winston had two reliable wide receivers and the offense all to himself (2019) he threw for 5,000+ yards on his way to finishing as the overall QB2.

49ers passing game coordinator Bobby Slowik noted that Lance’s rapport with receiver Brandon Aiyuk, with whom he trained this offseason, is better now than it is with other 49ers’ targets like Deebo Samuel and George Kittle, per The Athletic article.

Related Players: Deebo Samuel, George Kittle

An unrelated note from Rohan Chakravarthi (@RohanChakrav) said that Trey Lance is mainly operating less than 10 yards down the field, so maybe a dink-and-dunk, run-centric offense is going to benefit Brandon Aiyuk. At this time last year, Aiyuk was coming off of fantasy draft boards much before Deebo Samuel, possibly a year too early.

Joe Burrow is still day-to-day following his appendectomy.

He is currently leading team meetings, but that doesn't tell us much about his Week 1 availability. At this point, he's still expected to make a quick recovery, but we probably won't see much, or any, of him in the preseason.

This was Godwin's first practice since his ACL tear.

Related Players: Mike Evans, Julio Jones, Russell Gage

If Godwin is truly ready to go by Week 1, we have a bonafide wide receiver logjam in Tampa Bay, which will be a great problem to have for Tom Brady. There for a brief moment, it was looking like Russell Gage was going to operate as the team's WR2 for at least a small portion of the 2022 season, but with the return of Godwin and the addition of Julio Jones, he may be relegated back to a rotational role.

Osborn's continual playmaking in Vikings training camp may see him earn an even bigger role ahead of the 2022 season.

Related Players: Olabisi Johnson, Albert Wilson, Ihmir Smith-Marsette

With the names behind him on the depth chart, I don't think Osborn has anything to worry about as long as he keeps performing; the WR3 spot is all his. New head coach Kevin O'Connell is sure to increase the team's passing rates, and he had warming praise for the receiver here in camp, remarking, "He's been really, really good...There's no other way to describe it early on in camp." With TE Irv Smith still dealing with a thumb issue, Osborn could end up as a consistent third option for Kirk Cousins.

Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay said quarterback Matthew Stafford's right elbow pain is "a little bit abnormal for a quarterback," comparing it instead to what pitchers deal with.

The article goes on to say that he threw during individual and 7-on-7 drills as recently as yesterday, but we can't construe quarterback elbow pain in a positive light. Apparently, Stafford has been working with the pain throughout the offseason, attempting different things with the athletic training staff to alleviate the issue. This is something to keep an eye on leading into the regular season.

ESPN's Eagles reporter Tim McManus cites a trend of heavily-targeted practices for A.J. Brown, "especially with DeVonta Smith sidelined with a groin injury."

Related Players: Dallas Goedert

For how understandably worried fantasy managers are about a potential lack of a passing game, it's encouraging that we may still get WR1 usage for Brown. Where that leaves DeVonta Smith, or even Dallas Goedert is yet to be determined. We currently have Brown ranked right on the WR1/WR2 fringe due to volume concerns.

Jakobi Meyers, the team's leading receiver in each of the past two seasons, caught three of Mac Jones' first seven passes in team drills and "impressed during opening 1-on-1s".

Related Players: DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne

The New England skill position group remains one of, if not the most, frustrating corps to pin down, but one would think that one of their receivers will have to ascend if Mac Jones is going to continue to grow as a quarterback. Meyers seems like a safe bet to handle the majority of the underneath work for fantasy managers looking to accrue a weekly floor for their WR room in the double-digit rounds.

Broncos reporter Benjamin Allbright contests that the split between second-year Javonte Williams and veteran Melvin Gordon has "NOT been 70/30, per rep chart, it's 54/46".

It doesn't get much closer to splitting reps right down the middle than "54/46". Both backs can still be fantasy viable, but clearly, there is a cap to each one's production as long as the other is in the way. It's very possible both could end up nearing RB2 numbers, which would make Melvin Gordon far and away a better value at his current ninth-round ADP.

The Colts have plunged Alec Pierce straight into the deep end, and over the next month, we’ll see how well he can swim. Rarely does a wideout begin his career strictly with the first-team offense; Pierce has been with the starters from Day 1. A lot’s been thrown at him, including the Colts’ voluminous playbook and the demands that come with playing wideout for a Frank Reich team.

Related players: Michael Pittman Jr., Parris Campbell, Ashton Dulin

The story said not only is the playbook among the most extensive in the league, but Reich also mandates that each receiver knows each position (X, Y and Z). There’s plenty to take in. Sometimes too much. Pierce is learning. He’s making mistakes, but he’s also flashing every bit of the ability that drew the Colts in last spring, the story added. We have Pierce as the team's WR2, behind Pittman. Pierce looks to be in a good spot if he can keep things going as Matt Ryan takes over at QB.

Houston head coach Lovie Smith referred to Brown as "our starting tight end" during Tuesday's post-practice news conference.

Related players: Brevin Jordan

The story said Smith feels Brown is the most complete tight end on the team when one considers blocking, but the coach also talked about his catching skills and said he'll have a "big role." The story added Jordan may be the leading TE target in passing situations, however. So it seems like this may be an area that needs more time to figure out from a fantasy perspective.

Throughout the offseason, the Texans have been clear in their support for Davis Mills entering the season as their starting quarterback.

“I think I’ve developed a lot since the end of last season,” Mills said, via Deepi Sidhu of the team’s website. “I think I felt the progression at the end of last year and then really taking it into the offseason, big momentum and stacking on it has allowed me to come out here and start playing really fast at the start of training camp and throughout OTAs. I’m excited to keep progressing.”

Don't forget, Mills ended the season hot last year. As the story said, in his last five starts, Mills led the Texans to a 2-3 record with victories over the Jaguars and Chargers. Houston also gave Tennessee all it could handle in Week 18, with the Titans winning 28-25. In those contests, Mills compiled a 102.4 passer rating, completing 68 percent of his passes for 1,258 yards with nine touchdowns and two picks.

Broncos WR Montrell Washington is standing out at camp.

Washington is opening the coaches eyes, not just as a punt returner, according to Renck. The team acknowledged Washington is making plays as well, according to the video. Even with the loss of Tim Patrick, the Broncos have a somewhat deep WR room so it still might be tough for Washington to hang on, make the team, and also have any kind of fantasy impact.

Hearing WR Van Jefferson’s surgery went great, and my sense is that it’s realistic to believe he can return by the Sept. 8 opener.

Related players: Cooper Kupp, Allen Robinson, Ben Skowronek, Tutu Atwell

Rodrigue went on to tweet that obviously Jefferson's experience in the offense means he can get back on board quickly once cleared. She added the team won’t pressure him, but so far things seem encouraging. The Rams should be just fine at WR with Kupp and Robinson. Next up are Skowronek and Atwell.

Name to watch: Isiah Pacheco. 7th-round RB (216 pound with 4.3 speed) is lighting up camp. Got Kareem Hunt traits, a gear Hunt didn't have.

Related players: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Jerick McKinnon, Ronald Jones

The Chiefs RB duties could be up for grabs this year as it's not a loaded backfield. The team seemed to go away from CEH at the end of last year in favor of McKinnon, although CEH is getting most of the first team work, according to reports. Pacheco is certainly a name to keep an eye on when the dust settles in KC.

The NFL is appealing Watson's six-game suspension, according to a report from Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Goodell will now determine who will hear the appeal, according to a statement from NFL public relations head Brian McCarthy.

The story said earlier this week, Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network suggested the NFL would be appealing the decision and handing down a much stiffer punishment. "Multiple league sources and legal experts predict that the NFL will exercise its right to file an appeal within three days and that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will significantly increase the punishment levied against the three-time Pro Bowl passer that included no fine," Wilson said. According to the story, Wilson also suggested Goodell could add an additional four to six games to the suspension. Wilson also said the commish could seek a season-long suspension and fine in the millions.

Browns WR Amari Cooper (ankle) returned to practice today and is participating in individual drills now.

Cooper suffered the injury on Monday but all reports indicated he would be fine, and so it's great news he's at least back for the individual work.

Arizona Cardinals receiver Marquise Brown was arrested Wednesday morning on criminal speeding charges, the Arizona Department of Public Safety confirmed to KTAR News 92.3 FM and Arizona Sports.

Brown was arrested at 7:05 a.m. heading southbound on Loop 101 driving in an HOV lane, according to DPS spokesman Bart Graves. Brown was not present with the team during the portion of Wednesday morning’s practice that was in sight of reporters but has been working back from a hamstring injury slowly since the start of training camp last week. Many other reports say this shouldn't amount to much other than some missed camp days but it's worth monitoring. The team was hoping Brown would be back to practice by the weekend, the story said.

Andy Reid notes WR Skyy Moore was back at practice today after exiting early yesterday with a hip issue.

It's great news for the Chiefs and Moore owners. Moore's injury Tuesday didn't look good on the video that was tweeted out, but later in the day Moore said he was "okay" after the injury.

Greg Dulcich seems to be doing a bit more at practice each day.

Related players: Tim Patrick, K.J. Hamler, Albert Okwuegbunam

DiLalla wondered in his tweet if Dulcich could help fill the void left by Patrick. He went on to describe Dulcich as a "big-bodied guy with the speed and athleticism to split out away from the line of scrimmage," and he also added Dulcich "could be a sneaky good option to help fill that void." It could make sense, especially with Albert O expected to have a huge role at TE.

Michael Carter (RB) who was limited yesterday, looks like he’s a full participant today.

Hughes added in his tweet that from what he saw, Carter was doing everything on the field and didn't appear to be limited.

If you are gauging Mitch Trubisky’s camp so far based on the Seven Shots drill, then it’s not a pretty camp for the veteran free-agent signee. Trubisky converted 3 of 4 (it should have been 4 of 4) the first day the Steelers ran the popular drill but has struggled since. He came into Tuesday’s practice having missed on 12 consecutive reps in the drill.

Related players: Kenny PIckett, Mason Rudolph

Trubisky is getting all the first-team reps, the story said. He's been followed by Pickett and then Rudolph. But all that really means, according to the story, is Trubisky got two more reps than Pickett and three more than Rudolph. It's a situation to watch at this point, especially if things don't get better for Trubisky.

"I cannot emphasize how strongly we feel about Ashton Dulin," coach Frank Reich said. "He's going to play a role in this offense. He's proven it. He's earned it.

"He's a playmaker. We love him. We're all planning on him making a significant contribution to not only special teams but to the offense this year."

Related players: Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce, Parris Campbell

Dulin's game was originally built on speed but he has added muscle to change his game and his style. Nate Atkins, the author of the story, said each day of Colts training camp so far has produced a “wow” play from Dulin. The Colts certainly aren't loaded at WR so Dulin has a chance to earn snaps going forward.

There's still no clear timetable for RB James White's return from hip surgery, per source.

Related players: Damien Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson, Pierre Strong Jr., J.J. Taylor, Ty Montgomery, Kevin Harris

It's possible he remains on PUP to start the season, but the Patriots still have a few more weeks to evaluate his recovery and decide if he's ready to practice before the end of preseason, the tweet went on to say. Stevenson, at least early on in camp, had been the target of a lot of passes, according to reports, so he could potentially take over White's role. The Patriots, just this week, complimented Montgomery, as a player who can do a little bit of everything.

So only now, with Chris Carson out of the picture following plans to retire due to a neck injury, Rashaad Penny is heading toward the start of the season as the Seahawks' clear-cut RB1, coming off a torrid five-game stretch at the end of last season in which he led the NFL with 671 rushing yards.

Related players: Ken Walker

Seattle re-signed Penny to a one-year deal worth $5.75 million, including $5.07 million guaranteed, the third-most guaranteed money given to a running back this offseason. Penny finished the season on fire, racking up 671 rushing yards and six touchdowns in his final six games. Per ESPN’s Brady Henderson, Penny is “in the driver’s seat” to be the team’s starting back, but Penny has missed 28 of a possible 65 games in his four-year career, so durability just hasn’t been there. He led the league in yards after contact per attempt and was 15th in broken tackles per attempt. He will probably begin the season as the starter, but second-round pick Walker is waiting in the wings.

Lions wide receiver Quintez Cephus needed assistance to leave the field on Tuesday after suffering an injury to his leg, but it should not be long before he’s able to rejoin the team at practice.

Head coach Dan Campbell told reporters on Wednesday that Cephus avoided a major injury and is expected to miss a “short period of time” this summer.

Related players: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, D.J. Chark, Josh Reynolds, Kalif Raymond

It's a potential tough break for Cephus who now faces what looks to be a crowded group of WRs in Detroit.

After the team announced starting tight end Irv Smith Jr. would miss the preseason with a thumb injury, starting running back Dalvin Cook left the practice field with what appeared to be a hand injury. He returned for one team snap and then sat out the rest of Tuesday's practice at TCO Performance Center.

Later, his backup, Alexander Mattison, also appeared to injure a finger on a play. He, too, watched the rest of practice from the sideline.

And a third running back, Kene Nwangwu, suffered what coach Kevin O'Connell called a "soft-tissue, lower-leg injury" on Monday. Nwangwu sat out Monday and Tuesday.

There wasn't any other information but hopefully the injuries aren't serious. Cook, of course, is ranked high among running backs in terms of fantasy value, and we have him sixth on our running back list.

Austin Ekeler, Larry Rountree and Joshua Kelley all got work at running back with the first-team offense. Isaiah Spiller continues to play primarily with the second and third teams.

Related players: Austin Ekeler, Joshua Kelley, Larry Rountree

The story added Spiller is starting to show the physical play. We have Spiller second on the team's depth chart behind Ekeler, and it's the physical, between the tackles runs that should get him to the point where he's a possible one-two punch with Ekeler.

Eight days into camp and quarterback Josh Allen has connected with Isaiah McKenzie on a daily basis; McKenzie has routinely had the ball thrown his way during red zone drills.

Related players: Jamison Crowder

The story went on to say the two have great communication and are continuing to build on the chemistry as the season draws nearer. That development has helped McKenzie understand how to run his routes to get open at the right time. The team brought in Crowder to play the slot but he missed some time early on and reports said McKenzie was taking advantage.

Elijah Moore continues to be one of the Jets’ stars of training camp, no matter who is throwing him the ball. He seems to make at least one big play every practice.

If it was in question, Moore seems to have firmly established himself as this team’s No. 1 receiver. He’s in line for a big year.

The story said on Tuesday, his best catch was on a back shoulder throw from Joe Flacco during 7-on-7 when Moore had to come back to the ball and caught it with one arm. Overall the signs are surely there, he had a great start to camp last year and flashed in the middle of the season before getting hurt. We rank Moore 40th among our WRs, but he could end up being a steal in the middle rounds of drafts.

Deebo Samuel said his “wide back” role was not a factor in offseason discontent.

Related players: Elijah Mitchell

Samuel said at his presser that he's willing to do whatever it takes, and that his use as a running back wasn't an issue. If that's the case, Samuel could see continued use a running back in the team's offense this season. As we pointed out, Samuel started to see a bigger rushing role in Week 10. From Week 1 to Week 9, he averaged 6.1 catches for 110 yards and 0.50 touchdowns (for 17.6 half-PPR PPG) on 10.0 targets per game. Starting in Week 10, he averaged 3.5 catches for 65 yards and 0.25 touchdowns on 5.0 targets per game. However, he averaged 19.9 half-PPR PPG behind 43 yards rushing and 0.88 rushing touchdowns per game. He averaged 6.6 rushes per game in that span compared to just 0.8 rushes per game from Week 1 to Week 9. He finished as the overall WR3, and would once again be ranked inside the top five if we knew for certain that he was going to see a similar rushing role in 2022, though HC Kyle Shanahan did indicate in February that that would be the case.

Source: MRI confirmed Broncos standout WR Tim Patrick suffered season-ending ACL injury Tuesday.

Related players: Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, K.J. Hamler, Kendall Hinton, Albert Okwuegbunam, Javonte Williams, Melvin Gordon

The worst is confirmed for Patrick, and he'll miss the 2022 season. Hamler should see an increased role as the team's WR3, but it could also mean more passing work for the RBs and TE Okwuegbunam.

Before the Steelers took the practice field on Tuesday, new general manager Omar Khan addressed Diontae Johnson's contract situation during a meeting with the media. Khan said that the team has engaged in conversations with Johnson's representatives.

"Conversations we have between Diontae and his representatives will stay between us," Khan said. "We won't discuss it publicly, but we've been in conversations."

Johnson is doing a "hold-in" where he's at camp but not taking part in team drills. Given the recent contract singings for wide receivers that have taken place, the hope is Johnson's is up next.

McVay also lumped Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson together when answering a random question yesterday about players John Wolford has to work with.

Point is, he's lately not mentioning one without the other. Feels like he sees them as a duo.

McVay barely mentioned Akers, and when he did he lumped in Darrell Henderson with him ("Feel really good about those guys"), according to other tweets. But like we said in Akers' profile, in his last 10 games, including the playoffs, Akers averaged 20.5 touches per game, and cleared 18 touches in seven of those 10 games. It’s pretty clear that the Rams want Akers to be their bell cow.

Chiefs Skyy Moore says he’s okay after leaving practice early Tuesday.

A video tweeted earlier in the day saw Moore drop a pass but go down with what was later determined to be a hip injury. It didn't look good but Moore at least says he's okay at this point. We can't always trust players but this seems like good news.

Vikings’ TE Irv Smith underwent thumb surgery today.

HC Kevin O'Connell expects him to be ready for start of the regular season, according to the rest of Schefter's tweet. Smith was a popular breakout candidate heading into last season but a torn meniscus ended his season in early September. In his place, Tyler Conklin was the fantasy TE16, and last year’s offense was likely more run-heavy than the 2022 version will be. In the 11 career games where Smith saw at least four targets, he averaged 3.7 receptions for 39 yards and 0.45 touchdowns (on 5.2 targets per game), which works out to 8.7 PPG. That’s about what Kyle Pitts averaged as last season’s TE5. A top-12 finish is definitely in play for Smith.

Steelers Najee Harris out in normal gear stretching with nothing on his foot. Pat Freiermuth and Chase Claypool are out here. Not in practice uniforms.

This updates a post from earlier today where it was reported Harris hopped off the field on Monday after a possible injury. Obviously good news Harris is reported to be back at practice today.

Tim Patrick is getting carted off the field at Broncos camp after twisting his leg coming down from a crazy leaping catch.

Related players: Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Tim Patrick, K.J. Hamler, Kendall Hinton, Russell Wilson

The tweet said the entire team is huddled around him as he gets loaded onto the cart. We'll have to wait for more information but this doesn't sound good. Patrick was the team's WR3 behind Sutton and Jeudy. It could mean Hamler and Hinton get a chance at that spot if Patrick has to miss extended time.

Najee Harris hopped off practice field yesterday at Steelers camp.

There were no other details other than GM Omar Khan says he doesn’t foresee it to be an issue.

The NFL did not find evidence to support Brian Flores’ tanking allegation. Instead, the league unleashes major discipline for tampering with Tom Brady and Sean Payton.

Miami owner Stephen Ross is suspended through Oct. 17, 2022. The team will lose a first round pick in 2023 and a third round pick in 2024 for tampering with Brady and Payton.

When it comes to running backs with the Chiefs’ first team, it’s been Clyde Edwards-Helaire taking the first rep almost every series.

Related players: Jerick McKinnon, Isiah Pacheco, Ronald Jones, Derrick Gore

The tweet went on to say McKinnon has usually been the next up with Pacheco, Jones and Gore mixing in from time to time. It's obviously not great news for Jones, but we're still early in the game as far as camp goes.

Robert Saleh said RB Michael Carter had a small ankle injury yesterday.

Related players: Breece Hall

Carter isn't practicing Tuesday. However the tweet went on to quote Saleh, who said, "It was precautionary more than anything."

No surprise that K.J. Osborn locked into the No. 3 WR spot for Vikings.

Related players: Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, Olabisi Johnson, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Irv Smith Jr.

Levitan said those who cover the team are expecting a bump in both pass rate and 3-WR sets with Kevin O'Connell in charge. So Osborn could end up having some fantasy value. However he'll have to battle target monsters Jefferson and Thielen, and perhaps also the return of Smith Jr. at tight end. The post also indicated Smith-Marsette is the WR4 right now.

Matt LaFleur still doesn't have a timeline for when rookie WR Christian Watson will return from PUP.

The Packers are almost a week into camp and with a lot of questions at WR coming into the season, Watson needs to get back to work as soon as possible to develop chemistry with QB Aaron Rodgers. According to the tweet, LaFleur went on to say, "I told you, no more expectations." LaFleur added Watson, "is getting better" with his knee.

The Cardinals have activated wide receiver Marquise Brown (hamstring) from the Non-Football Injury list (NFI).

It's good news for Brown who was traded to the Cardinals in the offseason. With DeAndre Hopkins suspension, it's important for Brown to get back to work and develop chemistry with QB Kyler Murray. Brown will likely be the top target, at least until Hopkins returns.

Chiefs Skyy Moore is leaving practice early after coming up gimpy during 1-on-1s.

No other information was available but Moore was limping pretty good in the video after the play. We'll continue to keep you updated.

Jaguars say Travis Etienne is out of practice today with an illness. Not injury related

Related players: James Robinson, Snoop Conner

With Robinson recovering from injury, the rookie Conner is getting first team reps, according to Shipley.

One of the most overlooked questions as the 2022 season approaches is whether and to what extent the elbow of Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford will remain properly functional.

“We’d lessened Matthew’s workload today,” coach Sean McVay told reporters on Monday. “Really when we look at it, we’ve got five weeks until September 8. He’s still feeling a little bit of pain, he could push through it. You guys have been out here, he’s been throwing and competing in team settings. We felt like the smart thing was let’s really just take it a week at a time."

Stafford didn’t throw at all in the offseason due to inflammation in the elbow, the story said. The story added eventually, he needed an injection and it’s been something to watch throughout the early days of camp. As of Saturday, Stafford said it’s all “coming along,” according to the story. On Monday, the Rams acknowledged that Stafford is still feeling some discomfort — and that the team cut back this throwing during Monday’s practice because of it.

The Cowboys will be without WR James Washington for 6-10 weeks because of a fractured right foot suffered Monday, according to multiple sources. He is scheduled to undergo surgery on Tuesday in Dallas.

Related players: Michael Gallup, Jalen Tolbert, Noah Brown, CeeDee Lamb

With Gallup recovering from an ACL injury, it looks like the rookie Tolbert and Brown are next up on the suddenly thin depth chart, behind Lamb.

Rookie running back Zamir White has impressed after missing the first two days of camp with an undisclosed injury.

“He’s tough, has good contact balance, and you can see the growth in a new system,” running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu said.

Related players: Josh Jacobs

Jacobs finished RB16 last season with the 19th-highest per game production. He was RB9/RB13 the previous year. He was 13th in touches per game in 2021, so the workload was there despite so-so efficiency. He’s the RB22 off the board in early drafts, which makes some sense given the arrival of new HC Josh McDaniels, who ran an offense in New England that regularly featured multiple backs in various roles.

For now, at least, [Elijah Mitchell is] the clear RB1.

Related players: Tyrion Davis-Price, Jeff Wilson

Wagoner went on to say in his tweet the 49ers have done a lot of work on the run game, which is often the case early in camp. He said Mitchell is noticeably bulked up a bit from last year to better handle the pounding the job requires and there were no shortage of touches for him early in camp. The knock on Mitchell last year was staying healthy, so don't be surprised if the combo of Davis-Price and Wilson get their chances as well. Still, Mitchell is the team's RB1 and should be a solid RB2 option for your team.

Rams head coach Sean McVay says Jefferson has a "little knee tweak", the timetable for return is a few weeks.

Related Players: Allen Robinson, Cooper Kupp, Tutu Atwell

This puts a bit of a damper on anyone who has already drafted Van Jefferson this summer, but McVay also stated that there is "definitely a chance" that he will be ready for the season-opener against the Bills. This may end up being the landing spot for Will Fuller, who still remains a free agent at this time.

It's feared that veteran wide receiver James Washington may have suffered a Jones fracture.

Related Players: Jalen Tolbert, Michael Gallup

Immediate reports are ranging from a Jones fracture to a right turf toe. Regardless, if Washington is forced to miss time to begin the year, it will open the door for rookie Jalen Tolbert to operate as the WR3 behind CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup, when the latter returns later this Fall.

Isaiah Spiller has been taking reps with the 1st team thus far in training camp, indicating that the RB2 designation is his to lose.

Related Players: Larry Rountree, Joshua Kelley

The Chargers have been unable to find a successful compliment to Austin Ekeler, but that could change in the form of Spiller. The rookie makes for an intriguing late-round pick due to this explosive offense, and his 3,500+ scrimmage yards he accrued throughout college. His current ADP of 13.02 is sure to continue climbing with more positive camp news.

More than two years after the first civil lawsuit was filed against Deshaun Watson, disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson has suspended the Cleveland Browns quarterback for the first six games of the 2022 season, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Robinson, jointly appointed by the NFL and NFL Players Association to rule on the case and administer any punishment, listened to arguments from the league, the union and Watson's attorney during a three-day hearing held in her home state of Delaware in late June. The NFL had been pushing for a suspension of at least a year, while the union and Watson's attorney argued that the quarterback should not be suspended at all. The sides discussed a potential settlement all the way up through the hearing, but they could not agree to a deal.

John Paulsen's take: Projections have been updated to reflect a six-game suspension for Watson, though the league can still appeal the ruling. This is good news for the Browns' skill position players since they'll have a top-10 quarterback for roughly two-thirds of the season, so Amari Cooper, David Njoku and the rest of the offense gets a bump. Watson's draft value will be higher than where he falls in the rankings due to the available replacement value for the first six weeks. Managers could stream the position until Watson's return.