July 2023 4for4 Player News Articles

RB Ronald Jones has been suspended the first two games of the regular season for violating the NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances, per a statement from an NFL spokesperson. Jones is eligible to participate in all preseason practices and games. He will be allowed to return to the Cowboys' active roster on Monday, Sept. 18, following the team’s Week 2 game against the New York Jets.

Related Players: Malik Davis, Deuce Vaughn

An already-thin Cowboys backfield becomes thinner. Per beat reporters, Jones was likely in the lead for backup duties behind Tony Pollard, but this puts a wrench in that. While Davis or Vaughn could now have an increased workload, the team also might start kicking the tires on Dalvin Cook or Leonard Fournette as well. A FA signing may help lower the draft cost for Pollard, which would make him even more valuable.

Zack Moss broke his forearm, putting his Week 1 availability into question.

Jonathan Taylor is already on the PUP list, which shines an even bigger light on the depth of the team's RB room. Fifth-round rookie Evan Hull has suddenly become interesting.

It’s feared to be an Achilles injury for Broncos WR Tim Patrick, per Sean Payton

Related Players: Marvin Mims, K.J. Hamler

This likely means the end of the season for Tim Patrick. Mims will be the most intriguing name to be following throughout the rest of camp, and should be the favorite to find himself in 3WR sets.

After a conversation in his owner's bus, Jonathan Taylor is looking to motor out of Indy. The All-Pro running back requested a trade following a meeting with Jim Irsay on the team bus during Saturday's training camp session, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. Taylor, who is currently on the physically unable to perform list, wants a contract extension that puts him in line with the league's highest-paid running backs, but the Colts have not yet made a contract offer, according to Rapoport.

Related Players: Zack Moss, Evan Hull

"We're not trading Jonathan ... end of discussion," Jim Irsay texted Albert Breer. "Not now and not in October!"

It doesn't seem like a trade would pick up steam without another team absolutely overpaying for the services of the running back. Taylor is set up as a top-10 fantasy RB but his upside might be capped in an offense that may not be great.

Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams continues his beat-the-clock return from the knee injury that finished his 2022 season after four games. Williams, a second-round draft pick by the Broncos in 2021 and an All-Rookie team member that season, suffered a torn ACL and LCL in his right knee in the Broncos' Oct. 2 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. He said he was initially given a timetable of 12-to-18 months to return to the field.

Related Players: Samaje Perine

The article goes on to mention that Williams participating in any preseason games is still up in the air, while Sean Payton mentioned that the team is taking a "wait and see" approach.

Even with all the optimism, it still seems like veteran RB Samaje Perine could have a hefty workload to start the year.

The Patriots are hosting free agent RB Ezekiel Elliott on a visit today. The team has also had Dalvin Cook on its radar as it examines backfield additions behind starter Rhamondre Stevenson.

Related Players: Rhamondre Stevenson, Pierre Strong Jr, Ty Montgomery

This would be a gigantic damper on Stevenson's early down role, but it looks like the team is determined to find a FA veteran RB in the mix. Hopefully a prospective signing will continue to put a damper on his ADP, as he should still have a majority role in the offense.

Bengals coach Zac Taylor on Joe Burrow: Calf strain. It’ll take several weeks.

Related Players: Trevor Siemian, Jake Browning

Burrow suffered the injury yesterday while rolling to his right with no one around him when he pulled up. He went directly to the ground and didn't get up until the cart approached. Calf strain is the best possible scenario, but this timeline also puts him up against a Week 1 start. There's a chance we see a free-agent signing to compete in a camp battle, which isn't the greatest news for the Bengals' offense as a whole. We'll keep an eye on the situation for further developments.

On the second day of camp Thursday, Kupp was busy, catching passes all over the field, including one he tipped to himself in traffic for a long touchdown from Matthew Stafford.

“This is my second day running full speed, like competitive stuff,” Kupp said after practice at the University of California, Irvine. “Being camp, things feel fast, like they're just moving a little faster than you're used to. But man, even just from the first day to second day, things definitely [starting to feel] like, OK, now we're back into the groove.

Related Players: Van Jefferson, Ben Skowronek, Puka Nacua

In eight full games last season, Cooper Kupp scored the second-most fantasy points and the first-most fantasy points per game (20.3). Kupp was the WR21 despite missing nine games in 2022, and with Matthew Stafford back on the field, his unworldly target% should return.

Joe Burrow pulled up with a non-contact lower leg injury during today's Bengals practice and was carted off the field.

Related Players: Trevor Siemian, Jake Browning

Burrow suffered the injury while rolling to his right with no one around him when he pulled up. He went directly to the ground and didn't get up until the cart approached. It's unknown the severity of the injury but the quarterback tore his left ACL and MCL during the 2020 season that put him on IR from Week 11-on.

Bills WR Gabe Davis said he felt like he “lost a step” when he suffered a high ankle sprain early in the 2022 season, and that impacted his whole year. Said it messes with your head. He added he feels fully back to normal and healthy now.

Related Players: Trent Sherfield, Justin Shorter, Khalil Shakir

Davis certainly had some off-weeks last season, much to the chagrin of those of us who were certain he would produce opposite Stefon Diggs. In 10 of his 16 games last year, he had three-or-fewer receptions and only bested 100 yards once (a monster 3-171-2 game in Week 5). Davis was more of a focal point in the Bills two playoff games (8-147-1 on 13 targets) and is back in the mix as a WR3 for fantasy purposes.

Gabe Davis projects as a very reasonable 2023 post-hype sleeper.

Running back Dalvin Cook is flying to New York today for a visit with the Jets this weekend, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Thursday, per sources informed of the situation.

Since Cook's release from Minnesota, the Jets have been one club rumored to be interested in the four-time Pro Bowl running back. It's a logical pairing, given that Gang Green's top back, Breece Hall, is coming off an ACL tear and on the physically unable to perform list, and the team's all in following the Rodgers trade.

Related Players: Breece Hall, Michael Carter

This signing would be a huge hit to Hall's fantasy outlook for 2023, even if he remains the clear "1" in the 1-2 punch. Michael Carter was once an interesting late-round dart, but those days would also be numbered. This visit is also on the heels of Aaron Rodgers restructuring his deal with the Jets to allow them more room to bolster the roster around him, further strengthening the odds that the team can make the signing work.

Bears and TE Cole Kmet reached an agreement on a four-year, $50 million extension, including $32.8 million guaranteed and $20 million in new first-year cash.

Related Players: Robert Tonyan

Chicago locks in Kmet, who has become a favorite target of QB Justin Fields. This quells any consternation about veteran TE Tonyan taking a ton of snaps away from him in 2023, but that still doesn't make Kmet a reliable fantasy option, as he had three or fewer receptions in 10/17 games last season despite having a career year with a 50-544-7 line. Kmet was among the most "over-performing" touchdown scorer last season, and we're projecting him for much less this season. He will be a streaming option in plus matchups yet he is going off boards as an overpay at the TE10.

Texans GM Nick Caserior says John Metchie "had a little bit of a setback in Spring" but is cleared for training camp. Metchie missed his rookie season with leukemia but is trending in the right direction.

Related Players: Robert Woods, Xavier Hutchinson, Tank Dell, Noah Brown

The current wide receiver room in Houston leaves a lot to be desired, so it would be nice to see Metchie at training camp for more than one reason. There's no reason to believe that Metchie doesn't have "leading the team in targets" in his range of outcomes but we really haven't seen him on an NFL field yet, so that optimism is best saved for the eye test.

The Los Angeles Chargers and quarterback Justin Herbert have agreed to terms on a five-year, $262.5 million contract extension, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. The deal comes a day before the Bolts open training camp and keeps Herbert, 25, under contract in L.A. through the 2029 season.

A huge deal for a fantastic fantasy and real life quarterback. This eradicates the headache from a possible problem in the future before it gets that far. Herbert is currently ranked as a top-7 fantasy QB heading into the 2023 season.

49ers GM John Lynch says Brock Purdy (elbow) has been cleared to practice. "The great news is Brock has worked his tail off and he's ready to go."

Kyle Shanahan says Purdy will throw two out of every three days initially, and he'll take the first rep the days he's out there.

Related Players: Trey Lance, Sam Darnold

This is incredible news, as a full-year QB option will be a giant positive to both himself and the skill position players in fantasy. This doesn't ensure that he is the Week 1 starter but it's clearly a step in the right direction.

Including the postseason, Purdy played 82% of the snaps in eight games. In those games, he averaged 232 yards, 8.43 yards per attempt, 2.0 touchdowns, and 0.38 interceptions. He added 0.25 rushing touchdown per game. The resulting 18.8 fantasy points per game would have been the seventh-highest last season.

Per head coach Dennis Allen, "Our expectation is that Michael Thomas will be a full participant."

Related Players: Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, Tre'Quan Smith

We've been down this road before, but if Thomas is truly fully healthy and expecting to be a full participant throughout camp, he will really be completely back on the fantasy radar. He is currently ranked as a fringe WR3/4 but makes for an interesting pick with how late (9th/10th round) he is currently going.

According to a league source, the Chiefs are concerned that Toney could miss all of the practices at Missouri Western State, as the final day of camp is Aug. 17. The athletic training staff plans to be cautious with Toney, who has had numerous lower-body injuries throughout his three-year career. But the Chiefs are optimistic Toney will be available for the season opener Sept. 7 against the Detroit Lions.

Related Players: Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore, Rashee Rice, Richie James

As Taylor would continue, "One of the issues for the Chiefs is that they were expecting Toney to continue building his chemistry, timing and connection with Patrick Mahomes during camp."

This clearly sets Toney back, and he may not be back until early in the season. The injury could lock in roles for rookie Rashee Rice and veteran Richie James inside this explosive offense.

The Giants and star RB Saquon Barkley agreed to terms on a new 1-year deal worth up to $11M, as Barkley gives himself a chance to beat the franchise tag. He gets a $2M signing bonus. Bottom line: Barkley is coming in & will be at training camp.

Related Players: Matt Breida, Eric Gray

With no holdout looming, this locks Barkley into a top-10 fantasy RB. He still remains a little questionable as a mid-first-round option but should be targeted if he's dropping much further than that.

Raiders RB Josh Jacobs, who hasn’t signed his franchise tender, was spotted this morning boarding a flight leaving Las Vegas. Jacobs won’t report for training camp Tuesday and has told people close to him that he doesn’t plan to return anytime soon.

Related Players: Ameer Abdullah, Zamir White, Brandon Bolden,

The possibility of a holdout seems to be increasing by the week for Jacobs. Any of the above three can be concerned as late-round sprinkles at this point, with 2022 fourth-rounder Zamir White the most intriguing.

Bills RB Nyheim Hines suffered a significant knee injury off-site and is expected to miss the entire 2023 season. A tough break for Buffalo and the versatile Hines, who was acquired at the trade deadline last fall.

Related Players: Damien Harris, Latavius Murray

The Bills have been looking for a pass-catching back and missed out on nabbing J.D. McKissic, which led to their eventual trade for Hines last season. It looks like his role(s) will be filled in with what they currently have on their roster, but keep in mind that Josh Allen has been near the bottom of the league in running back target shares since coming into the NFL.
This makes James Cook slightly more compelling, but now is likely not the time to load up on him, seeing as he was going in the 8th and 9th rounds before this news. If his ADP sneaks up into the 6th on what is likely inconsequential news, stay away.

We knew it was only a matter of time before he emerged as TE1. The question was whether that would occur during the season or at some point before then. But at this rate, LaPorta looks like TE1. He’s quite obviously the most talented player at the position, and he received plenty of first-team reps Sunday. He might’ve already passed Brock Wright. The only thing holding him back would be the Lions trying to ease him into NFL action. But he looks ready to roll.

It's perfectly natural to be trepidatious about rookie tight ends performing in fantasy right away, but we've been proven wrong more in recent years, with specialized tight ends coming in and taking a much larger workload than they historically do. With no Jameson Williams for much of the year, it's very possible that LaPorta can carve out a role in the offense right away.

As of now, he's a back-end TE2 option, but streaming weeks are certainly in the cards if he's taking a majority of the tight end snaps.

Broncos RB Javonte Williams will not start training camp on PUP I’m told. It had been pointing in that direction all off season, and the team officially has decided he won’t start on PUP. A great sign for his chances Week 1.

Related Players: Samaje Perine, Tyler Badie

This matches up with an earlier report that Williams thought he would be "ready to go" by Week 1. This doesn't necessarily mean that he is back to full health but this is good news nonetheless. With a slight bit of pessimism about him being all the way back to 100%, Javonte should be considered a low-end RB2 for now.

Ravens have reinstated WR Rashod Bateman and activated him from the reserve/did not report list.

Related Players: Odell Beckham, Zay Flowers

This is great news as Ravens will hopefully go through all of training camp with their new-look wide receiver group. Beckham likely still offers the most upside of the trio but his floor is scary considering his recent injury history.

Multiple sources are optimistic that quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will pass today’s physical and be ready for #Raiders training camp barring a surprise. Garoppolo has progressed well from off-season foot surgery. Las Vegas quarterbacks report today.

Related Players: Brian Hoyer, Aidan O'Connell

This is great news not only for Garoppolo but also for the rest of the fantasy pieces in Las Vegas, as the Raiders' depth at the position is lacking. Garoppolo's standalone value is shaky as best and he should be ignored in most fantasy draft formats, but may be viewed as a possible streamer in certain matchups.

The Giants are signing WR Cole Beasley. He reunites with Brian Daboll, his former offensive coordinator with the #Bills, and adds another veteran target for Daniel Jones.

Year 12 in the NFL for Beasley back in the NFC East.

Related Players: Parris Campbell, Wan'Dale Robinson, Jamison Crowder

It isn't likely that Beasley carries any fantasy value himself but if he makes the team, he could eat into some snaps for the plethora of other slot receivers the team has. At the least, this at least brings a little more veteran presence for Daniel Jones.

Veteran free-agent Melvin Gordon reached agreement today on a one-year deal worth up to $3.1 million with the Baltimore Ravens.

Related Players: J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, Justice Hill

Keeping true to their typical backfield deployment, the Baltimore Ravens once again have a loaded running back depth chart, much to the detriment of anyone's fantasy ceiling. A $3.1M contract is certainly not just a camp body, so we should expect Melvin Gordon to have some sort of role on the team by Week 1, though it's certainly not going to harken back to early career levels. J.K. Dobbins was already a back-end RB2 for fantasy purposes, so this may put him more on the RB3 fringe.

Running back Isiah Pacheco, who missed all of offseason practice after having surgeries for shoulder and hand injuries, said he would "absolutely'' be at full strength on Sept. 7 when the Kansas City Chiefs begin defense of their Super Bowl championship against the Detroit Lions.

Related Players: Jerick McKinnon, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Deneric Prince

The current favorite to lead the Chiefs backfield in touches, Pacheco started gaining some consistency by the end of last season and delivered as an RB2 in fantasy down the final stretch of the regular season. As stated in a previous news story, starting training camp on the PUP list doesn't necessarily mean he'll remain there throughout camp, so we'll keep an eye on the situation over the next few weeks. Pacheco is currently slightly ahead of Jerick McKinnon in our half-PPR ranks, where they both are floating around the RB30 mark.

Vikings rookie WR Jordan Addison was cited just after 3 a.m. today for speed and reckless driving in St. Paul. He was driving 140 MPH in a 55, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.

Related Players: K.J. Osborn, Jalen Reagor, Jalen Nailor

This is a *very* tough look for the rookie, particularly with the sort of outcome that happened with a young former NFL player just a couple of years ago. As of now, it looks like maybe no one was hurt but that doesn't rule out league discipline. For fantasy purposes, Osborn has proven to be a reliable target when given the opportunity. We will watch for more news updates.

The New York Jets are trading Mims and a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Detroit Lions for a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported on Wednesday night. The condition on the pick swap is that Mims makes Detroit's 53-man roster, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported on Thursday.

Related Players: Corey Davis, Randall Cobb, Mecole Hardman, Marvin Jones, Kalif Raymond

The impact in the fantasy world is likely slight, if at all, but Mims can be on Dyntasy radars for those looking to get a cheap former second-rounder. This trade could very well lock Corey Davis into a roster spot which makes him similarly watchable.

The Jets are planning to release WR Denzel Mims if a trade partner can’t be found. Mims will have a chance for a fresh start soon.

Related Players: Corey Davis, Randall Cobb, Mecole Hardman

An inevitable trade or release would likely lock Corey Davis on the roster though he had been involved in plenty of release/trade rumors earlier in the offseason. A former 2020 second-round pick, Mims has yet to hit 50 receptions or 700 receiving yards on his career.

Veteran RB Leonard Fournette is working out today for the Patriots, per sources. Lombardi Lenny won a Super Bowl with Tom Brady in Tampa. Now Brady’s old team is taking a look.

Related Players: Rhamondre Steveson, Ty Montgomery, Pierre Strong, Kevin Harris

No matter who the Patriots inevitably bring in, Rhamondre Stevenson will still hold a three-down role, but that probably exists on a sliding scale. Fournette would probably not be fantasy viable with a signing, but it certainly wouldn't be great news for Stevenson, who would like be closer to a fringe RB1 than a top-ten option.

Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco could start training camp on the active/PUP list, head coach Andy Reid said in Tuesday's press conference. Pacheco underwent hand and shoulder surgeries during the offseason.

Related Players: Jerick McKinnon, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Deneric Prince

The current favorite to lead the Chiefs backfield in touches, Pacheco started gaining some consistency by the end of last season and was delivering as an RB2 in fantasy down the final stretch of the regular season. "Starting" training camp on the PUP list doesn't necessarily mean he'll remain there throughout camp, so we'll keep an eye on the situation over the next few weeks. Pacheco is currently slightly ahead of Jerick McKinnon in our half-PPR ranks, where they both are floating around the RB30 mark.

The New Orleans Saints announced that they have placed WR Shaquan Davis, RB Kendre Miller, and WR A.T. Perry on Non-Football Injury.

Related Players: Alvin Kamara, Jamaal Williams

With the initial excitement of the NFL Draft now months behind us, Kendre Miller's fantasy football stock has been slowly fading out of relevance in non-Dynasty leagues. This came to a head before this NFI designation on July 11th when Alvin Kamara pleaded no contest to his breach of the peach charges in a Las Vegas nightclub incident. This will likely deal an even bigger blow to the running back's ADP, which has dropped nearly a full round since the first week of June. He should be left off of your draft boards until further notice.

Kadarius Toney, the projected No. 1 receiver, will participate in his first camp with the Chiefs since the team acquired him midway through last season via a trade with the New York Giants. Strengthening the connection between Mahomes and Toney will be a major focus of camp for offensive coordinator Matt Nagy.

Related Players: Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore, Rashee Rice

As much as we would love a consistent alpha option to emerge in Kansas City, we saw in the first year without Tyreek Hill that the Chiefs are more than happy to spread the ball around. We've got a full training camp of puff pieces ahead of us, so we'll see how high Toney's ADP takes him, but we currently have him ranked as a borderline WR3/4.

Tight end Evan Engram and the Jacksonville Jaguars reached an agreement on a three-year contract, agent Mike McCartney announced Sunday.

Related Players: Brenton Strange, Luke Farrell

Engram had a fantastic 2022 season, setting career highs in catches (73) and receiving yards (766). This was after years as a notoriously inefficient fantasy piece with the New York Giants, consistently ranking near the bottom of the league in yards per target. Doug Pederson's tight-end-friendly offense turned that around, making him '22's overall TE6 in half PPR scoring.

Ahead of this season, the target tree could very well shrink with Calvin Ridley back from suspension, but Engram should absolutely be considered a top-10 option.

Free-agent WR DeAndre Hopkins is expected to sign with the Titans, per source. Deal is expected to become official over the next few days.

Related Players: Treylon Burks, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine

DeAndre Hopkins is an immediate impact to the entire operation of this offense and should allow Burks to operate out of slot more often which also raises his floor. Hopkins can be considered a WR2 if this goes through.

The Bengals and RB Joe Mixon are finalizing a restructured contract that will keep him in Cincinnati for the 2023 season. Mixon was due $10.1 million this season with a $12.791M cap number. The new deal frees up cash and cap for Cincinnati, and Mixon stays as RB1.

Related Players: Trayveon Williams, Chase Brown, Chris Evans

Congratulations to those who stayed the course this offseason and selected Mixon when he dropped consistently into the sixth round in drafts. Mixon should be considered a high-upside RB2 for the 2023 season.

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara agrees to plead no contest to misdemeanor charge of breach of peace for Las Vegas nightclub beating. He will have to do community service and pay $100K to victim for medical bills.

Related Players: Jamaal Williams, Kendre Miller

The NFL has historically drawn a line in the sand between misdemeanors and felonies, so this should presumably be good news in reference to Kamara's full-season availability. With that said, the NFL has kept mum on this situation so we don't know for certain whether or not he will face a suspension. Regardless, this is sure to boost his ADP while inversely affecting those of Williams and Miller.

We will continue to update Kamara's news page as we find out more information.

Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams, who suffered a torn ACL in Week 4 last season, said Sunday "the plan'' is for him to be cleared for the start of training camp and to participate at least some in practices after the team's veteran players report July 25.

Related Players: Samaje Perine, Tyler Badie

The article doesn't really give any definitive answers beyond Williams being quoted as saying, "I mean, that's the plan. I feel like I'm ready to go" when asked if he would be medically cleared for training camp. An optimist could take away that it means he will be ready for Week 1, but we should probably wait for some more ringing endorsements before we jump on that train. With those worries still in the air, Javonte should still be considered a low-end RB2 for the time being.

Panthers free-agent acquisition Miles Sanders is back —he hopes— to being a three-down back. Sanders, now 26, is confident that reuniting with running backs coach Duce Staley, who was a Pederson assistant in Philly, will help him re-emerge as a receiving threat out of the backfield.

Related Players: Chuba Hubbard, Raheem Blackshear

Sanders bottomed out as a pass-catcher in 2022, with new career lows in receptions (20), yards (78), and receptions for first downs (two). He's really got nowhere to go but up after finishing the season, ranking 49th/49 qualifying backs with a 0.28 yards per route run mark. Leaving a team that has a quarterback that is prone to taking off with the ball on third downs should help, but his efficiency marks last year were stark. The good news is, he doesn't have a ton of competition for backfield touches with the way the depth chart is set up at the moment. Sanders is currently ranked as a mid-tier RB2.

Per beat writer Boyd, "Richardson has a lot of growing to do, and while Gardner Minshew was brought in to help mentor him, it’s not like Minshew is going to lie down and give the rookie the starting job. Richardson must show strides with his grasp of the playbook, throwing mechanics and leadership to garner more first-team reps throughout the summer. My belief is that Richardson won’t be a better quarterback than Minshew, a five-year vet, by Week 1. "

Boyd would go on to say that Anthony Richardson does have an out, and that would include receiving more first-team reps than Minshew until the Colts "finally pull the trigger and name him the starter." This doesn't mean that Richardson won't see action as a rookie, just that it doesn't seem likely that he gets the entire 2023 season to himself.

While talking with the Bussin' With the Boys podcast, Bills QB Josh Allen remarked, "The media has blown this so far out of proportion. We are in rookie or minicamp. We're not playing a game for four months. He doesn't show up for one day. He's still there. Coach asked him to go home. They're in talks. They're trying to resolve some things. It wasn't anything major. And (the) media blew it up. They're still talking about it. Let it go. There's no reason to continue talking about it."

In the doldrums of the first week of July, news is slow, and the back-and-forth regarding Diggs continues to sway from positive to negative. The situation is still worth monitoring, regardless of what Allen is saying here. Though we're still a long way away from regular season kickoff, we have seen multiple occasions in recent years in which an unhappy wide receiver pops back into the news throughout the year. Diggs is currently sitting as the WR5 in our WR rankings.