August 2023 4for4 Player News Articles

Saints head coach Dennis Allen said Kendre Miller has a hamstring injury. Wouldn’t say if it will impact Week 1.

Related Players: Jamaal Williams, Kirk Merritt, Alvin Kamara

As it stands, the only active running backs on the Saints roster are Jamaal Williams and Kirk Merritt, though Jordan Mims and Tony Jones are on the practice squad. 4for4's injury expert, Jeff Mueller, believes the hamstring is related to offseason knee surgery, which will impact his Week 1 status. Either Williams is going to have a monster workload right out of the gate, or the team will be immediately signing a free agent option to eat into that (still large) workload.

Rams head coach Sean McVay says Cooper Kupp has had a "setback." He calls it a "muscle strain."Day-to-day, per McVay.

"We're obviously a much better team when he's out there."

Related Players: Van Jefferson, Tyler Higbee, Puka Nacua, Demarcus Robinson, Tutu Atwell

These minor setbacks seem to be adding up for the 30-year-old Kupp's hamstring. Though fantasy drafters should refrain from overreacting, this certainly isn't a good look. Moving the surrounding cast of Ja'Marr Chase, Tyreek Hill, and Stefon Diggs over Kupp is not out of the question as it stands.

There will be no action taken by the league on WR Tyreek Hill for his off-field issues this offseason, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reports, per a source. Hill was investigated by police after a dispute with a South Florida marine worker who accused him of assault. The issue had since been resolved.

Related Players: Jaylen Waddle, Braxton Berrios, Cedrick Wilson

The issue had become more or less a non-factor for drafters, as Hill often climbs into the middle of the first round. With no suspension being handed down, he can safely be considered a top-five fantasy wide receiver.

TE Zach Ertz about playing Week 1: “I don’t think it’s certain by any means.”
Has to keep working. Has to re-earn trust of teammates, coaches.

Related Players: Trey McBride, Geoff Swaim

We haven't heard a modicum of good news about the Cardinals offense through almost the entirety of the offseason. If Ertz is forced to miss time, we should see some extended playing time for sophomore Trey McBride, which will at least give us an idea of what he offers to this new-look offense with Joshua Dobbs or Clayton Tune at the helm.

The Vikings and T.J. Hockenson agreed to terms on a contract extension that makes him one of the NFL’s highest-paid tight ends. Hockenson hasn’t participated in training camp while dealing with some ailments and awaiting a new deal. Now he’ll be back in drills and have time to ramp up for Week 1 against the Buccaneers.

Many have surmised that Hockenson's physical setbacks this summer probably had more to do with the contract extension than his back. Now back with the team, there is no reason to be concerned about a possible holdout, as fantasy drafters should continue to view him as a top-five option.

The Dolphins placed CB Jalen Ramsey, OL Robert Jones, and RB Jeff Wilson Jr. on injured reserve. They’re out at least four games; Ramsey is expected back in December.

Related Players: Raheem Mostert, Devon Achane

Unless this adds fuel to the fire for the team to sign a veteran free agent (which is absolutely possible), the backfield belongs to Raheem Mostert and rookie Devon Achane for at least four games. Both of their values should jump into the RB3/4 range, but it's hard to get more excited than that, as the team as reportedly been shopping for RB help for months now.

Joe Burrow is walking out to practice with helmet and shoulder pads on.

Related Players: Jake Browning

With Burrow back at practice and Jake Browning the only other quarterback on the active roster, this should be a good sign that the starting QB will be ready to go for Week 1. This is the first time Burrow has even thrown warmups in practice since July 27th. There should be no worries about taking him in redraft leagues as normal.

The Miami Dolphins weren't the only team interested in acquiring Jonathan Taylor from the Indianapolis Colts. The Green Bay Packers were also in talks with the Colts and had legitimate interest in trading for the star running back. Indianapolis moved forward after its self-imposed deadline of Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET came and went without receiving what the team deemed an acceptable offer for Taylor, who requested a trade last month and was authorized by the Colts last week to seek out a trade partner.

Related Players: Aaron Jones, A.J. Dillon, Evan Hull, Zack Moss

This saga is far from over, as Taylor is still eligible to be traded despite remaining on the PUP list. The running back will miss at least the first four games of the regular season, regardless of who holds his contract. Taylor heading to Green Bay would be near-catastrophic for fantasy purposes, as we're already dealing with a split that chews into both Jones' and Dillon's fantasy value.

The Dolphins would be easier to stomach for those of us who have been draft best ball teams all Summer, as all of their RB options have been going deep in the double-digit rounds.

As the Lions’ RB competition unfolded, there weren’t many players who separated themselves. Injuries to Jermar Jefferson and Mohamed Ibrahim didn’t help, and the sudden retirement of Justin Jackson came as a surprise. When Craig Reynolds got the bulk of the carries in the first half of the preseason, it felt like you could pencil him in as RB3. However, the Lions’ initial 53-man roster has just two true running backs: Montgomery and Gibbs.

Not that many were worried about either option coming off the field after they spent so much monetary and draft capital on the two, but it's still a relief to know they're not part of a three-back rotation. It sounds as if Reynolds could be back on the team, as he's not subject to waivers. There will likely eventually be an RB3 on the roster, but it's clearly an afterthought for the team.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jalen Waddle injured himself earlier in training camp, but he is optimistic that he will be ready for Week 1 of the 2023 regular season. Waddle injured his midsection and as a result missed the last two weeks of practice.

The story went on to say it was, "always the expectation to go out and play" when asked if he would be ready for the regular-season opener. Waddle said he has felt good while working out, but is fine with sitting out the last few weeks if that is what the medical staff believes is best. He said he trusts the team's medical personnel to put him in the best position to recover properly, according to the story.

Asked today if WR Jerry Jeudy (hamstring) will be moved to short-term injured reserve tomorrow, Broncos GM George Paton said: "He will not go on that.''

Related players: Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims, Lil'Jordan Humphrey

As the post added, it would seem to indicate Broncos believe, at least right now, Jeudy will be back some point before the fourth game of the year. If Juedy does miss any games, Sutton and Mims would be the team's top two wideouts.

The Kansas City Chiefs have clarified the picture at running back after a competitive preseason in which there appeared to be multiple lead changes, so to speak, on the team's depth chart. In the end, the team decided to waive Deneric Prince rather than leave him on the active roster—at least by the league's deadline.

Related players: Isiah Pacheco, Jerick McKinnon, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, La'Mical Perine

Prince was getting headlines recently as he was running with the first team. But as of late the rumors started flying that he wasn't going to make the team and he's officially waived. Some thought Prince could cut into McKinnon's work on passing downs.

The Patriots have waived backup QB Bailey Zappe, source said. A surprise.

Related players: Mac Jones

Other reports say the team released Cunningham as well. Some say Zappe could draw interest from other teams, especially after looking good filling in for Jones last year. But if not, Zappe could find his way back to New England. Currently, the Patriots have no other QBs on their roster behind Jones.

No deal: Indianapolis did not find what it felt was a fair-value offer for Jonathan Taylor and it is not trading its All-Pro running back today, league sources tell ESPN.

Related players: Zack Moss, Evan Hull, Deon Jackson

Schefter went on to say with no trade materializing today, Taylor now is expected to remain on the Physically Unable to Perform List, making him ineligible to play the first four games of the season. Taylor now is expected to miss games vs. the Jaguars, at Houston, at Baltimore and vs. the Rams. We recently reported that if Moss is ready to go, he would likely be the team's RB1 with Hull and Jackson also involved. Moss is dealing with a broken arm so it remains to be seen if he'll get cleared for Week 1. Especially in deeper leagues, any of these three backs are worth adding to your roster if you see them on the wire. The Colts could still move Taylor when he's eligible to return in Week 5.

Another trade: Broncos traded TE Albert Okwuegbunam and a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Eagles for a 2025 sixth-round pick, per sources.

Related players: Dallas Goedert, Grant Calcaterra, Jack Stoll

Reports said the Broncos were expected to cut Albert O earlier today, but the Eagles make the trade and he'll likely eventually slot in as the team's TE2 behind Goedert.

D.J. Chark says hamstring feels good and he’s optimistic about Week 1.

Related players: Jonathan Mingo, Adam Thielen, Terrace Marshall

Chark injured his hamstring last week. He's battling for targets with the rookie Mingo and slot-guy Thielen. Marshall has recently returned to practice as well, but Chark does have a chance to emerge as a valuable target in this offense.

The Vikings are waiving rookie seventh-round pick RB DeWayne McBride, per source.

Related players: Alexander Mattison, Ty Chandler, Kene Nwangwu

Those taking McBride in dynasty leagues this spring were probably hoping for a role in the Vikings backfield after the team released Dalvin Cook. McBride actually had a good summer and scored two preseason TDs, according to the post. But the Vikes are poised to give the RB1 job to Mattison with Chandler emerging as the team's RB2.

Jaguars have trimmed their roster to 53.

They waived 2022 5th round pick RB Snoop Conner and three 2023 late round picks: TE/FB Derek Parish, S Erick Hallett II & DL Raymond Vohasek.

Related players: Travis Etienne, Tank Bigsby, JaMycal Hasty, D'Ernest Johnson

The Jags have themselves a pretty deep running back room. The emergence of Bigsby over the summer meant Conner's spot on the roster was in danger. With Etienne and Bigsby firmly at the top, Hasty established himself as a change of pace back last season. The team also signed Johnson in the offseason, who of course flashed with the Browns when getting chances behind Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb.

Cowboys waived RB Malik Davis, a person familiar with the decision said.

Related players: Rico Dowdle, Tony Pollard, Deuce Vaughn, Ronald Jones

In the end, Davis - who seemed like he had a chance to earn the RB2 job early on - trailed Dowdle and Vaughn this summer, but the team has interest in re-signing him to practice squad if he clears waivers, according to the rest of the post.

Roughly two weeks after signing with them, Dalvin Cook is participating in his first practice with the Jets -- and for the first time this summer -- in preparation for the team's season-opener against the Buffalo Bills, according to head coach Robert Saleh.

Related players: Breece Hall

Hall and Cook are expected to be ready to go for Week 1. But the Jets have hinted about easing Hall back into form after his ACL injury, now that Cook was acquired. So, it remains to be seen how the workload will be split. Right now, we have Hall listed 22nd in our Week 1 RBs rankings with Cook at 34.

Another kicker trade. The Patriots are trading Nick Folk to the Titans, sources say.

Related players: Chad Ryland

Ryland, a fourth round pick by the Patriots this past spring, wins the kicking job, and the Patriots get a seventh round pick.

Source confirms Wil Lutz is being traded to Denver.

Related players: Brett Maher

The Broncos released Maher after acquiring Lutz.

Dolphins are releasing running back Myles Gaskin.

Related players: Jeff Wilson, Raheem Mostert, Devon Achane, Salvon Ahmed

Gaskin is the odd man out in a pretty crowded Miami RB room. The drafting of Achane likely cost Gaskin a roster spot. It looks to be a three-headed monster with Wilson and Mostert as well. But Achane's stock is climbing and he could end up leading the way in touches as we get deeper into the 2023 season. The Dolphins are also rumored to be hot on the trail of current Colts RB Jonathan Taylor.

Jaguars Tank Bigsby led all RBs this preseason with 5 runs of 10+ runs.

Related players: Travis Etienne, JaMycal Hasty, D'Ernest Johnson, Snoop Conner

Bigsby finished with 28 attempts for 159 yards, 83 of those after contact, according to the post. Preseason stats don't get you fantasy points, but Etienne owners should maybe take note. It appears Bigsby has climbed to the RB2 spot on the depth chart ahead of established players like Hasty and Johnson. Bigsby has stood out all through camp, so if you can somehow manage to draft Etienne and Bigsby it may help your RB situation. Etienne can be had in the third round while Bigsby is going in the 12th.

The Bengals have released QB Trevor Siemian.

Related players: Joe Burrow, Jake Browning

Burrow is hopeful to be ready for Week 1, but perhaps owners in superflex dynasty leagues were rostering Siemian as an emergency replacement. Browning now looks to be the QB2 for the Bengals as we get closer to the start of the season.

This is consistent with Dave Canales’ philosophy of “taking the quarterback off the high dive” and making him “more of a distributor.” Taking less risks through the air and incrementally moving the ball downfield can work as long as the ground game is consistent, and avoid penalties, which was a huge problem in the first preseason game (12 of them).

Related players: Baker Mayfield, Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, Rachaad White

The story said the offense did just that in the final preseason tune-up. Mayfield went 6-for-6 for 43 yards. Godwin accounted for 39 of those yards on four catches, with 22 coming after the catch - which also included a TD. Evans missed the game with a hamstring injury, but the team says he'll be good to go in Week 1. Mayfield is currently ranked 31st among our QBs with Godwin and Evans more WR3 targets in drafts heading into this season. Both WRs can be had between rounds 6-8, according to ADPs.

“I mean, I feel like Daniel Jones [has] kind of been counted out the majority of his life,” Saquon Barkley told The Post this week. “He was a walk-on quarterback for Duke, and to get drafted to the New York Giants, everyone thinks he’s not going to be worth a thing, at all. I think he’s silenced all those critics.

“I don’t want to speak for DJ but he’s gonna come in every single day with the same mindset, be the leader that we need. You can see his swagger has grown a little bit more after being involved in the system, understanding the system even better.”

Barkley added everyone will see when the team is playing games. But he did mention a lack of consistency over the past several years going from Pat Shurmur to Joe Judge to Brian Daboll. Barkley added: “You get to be under a system for another year, have all the coaches basically come back, that just helps your confidence grow. When your confidence grows you get that swagger.” Meanwhile, you'll find Jones ranked 10th among our QBs this season. John Paulsen points out Jones was a top-10 fantasy quarterback in 2022 in his first season with Daboll, and that was with an injury-riddled (and suspect) receiving corps. Thus far, the Giants have added an impact tight end (Darren Waller) and re-signed both Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton.

Ravens tight end Mark Andrews remained out of practice on Monday, but head coach John Harbaugh showed no sign of concern about Andrews’ outlook for the start of the regular season.

Andrews has now missed three straight practices with an undisclosed issue. Harbaugh previously said that Andrews is working through something and he said on Monday that there’s no reason for worry about his status for their September 10 home date with the Texans.

Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba is expected to begin the season on the active roster, source said.

JSN recently underwent surgery to repair a small broken bone in his wrist. While it's good news, Rapoport went on to say there is no word yet on his availability for Week 1, but avoiding IR/designated to return is a sign he'll play soon.

On Monday, the Browns acquired Dustin Hopkins from the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for a 2025 seventh-round pick, ending Cade York's tenure as Cleveland's kicker. The Browns plan to waive York, a source told ESPN.

Hopkins had been competing with Cameron Dicker for the Chargers' kicking job during training camp.

Treylon Burks is back at practice.

This is great news since recent reports indicated the team wasn't sure of his status for Week 1. Burks has been out since mid-August with a sprained LCL. DeAndre Hopkins likely slides into the WR1 role, allowing Burks to grow as the team’s number two target. He should still see a bump in usage from last season.

Teams are mutually willing to give Jonathan Taylor a market contract, per source.

Anderson said at least two teams are still actively working to construct a trade for Taylor - respectively making substantive offers. It seems like great news for Taylor owners he's going to get out of Indy and have a secure RB1 role this season - somewhere. The Dolphins have been mentioned a lot when it comes to trading for Taylor. It's getting interesting.

Cardinals do not plan to activate QB Kyler Murray off the Physically Unable to Perform List by Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline.

And now the Cardinals have released veteran QB Colt McCoy, per league sources.

Related players: Josh Dobbs, Clayton Tune

If the Murray news turns out true, he would be ineligible to be active during the first four games of the season, which doesn't come as a huge surprise. The McCoy release now means newly acquired Dobbs or rookie Tune will get the start in Week 1.

Jets are releasing Zonovan Knight, source said.

Related players: Breece Hall, Dalvin Cook, Michael Carter, Israel Abanikanda

Rapoport went on to say Knight received some interest on the trade front, which could indicate a claim on Wednesday and he finds another team. Knight got off to a hot start the first three weeks of his career last season, running for 14-69-0, 15-90-0 and 17-71-1. But New York is deep at RB, after signing Cook and drafting Abanikanda, who was a sneaky pick in dynasty drafts. Carter also survives and is expected to perhaps keep a third down role.

From the outset, Kevin O’Connell and the Minnesota Vikings staff are very committed to Alexander Mattison being the guy.

Related players: Ty Chandler, Kene Nwangwu, DeWayne McBride

Silva's post quoted Connor Allen. Allen's post from a podcast went on to say that Mattison has also been active as a receiver. Mattison doesn't have much behind him on the depth chart either, and he's shaping up to be a make or break fantasy target at the RB spot. Our John Paulsen went on to break down Mattison's potential for 2023: With Dalvin Cook out of the way, Mattison has a great chance to finish as a fantasy RB1. In the 14 games that Mattison has seen at least 10 carries, he has averaged 18.1 touches for 88 yards and 0.57 touchdowns. The resulting 13.0 half-PPR points per game are about what Jamaal Williams and Aaron Jones averaged as low-end RB1s in 2022. Even better–in his seven starts from 2020-21, he averaged 23.3 touches for 118 yards and 0.72 touchdowns per game. That production would have beaten out Saquon Barkley and Nick Chubb last season.

Jonathan Taylor update: Talks continue and, as expected, this will go down to the wire.

Related players: Zack Moss, Evan Hull, Deon Jackson

The Dolphins have been heavily linked to Taylor and according to reports, have already made an offer that was declined. Holder added he believes there to be a second team involved beyond the Dolphins, which would certainly change the dynamics. It remains to be seen what would happen if the Colts don't get a deal done and Taylor remains in Indy to start the season.

A few injury updates I’ve gathered:

• WR Wan’Dale Robinson: ACL. Expecting him to be activated from PUP by the Tuesday deadline.

• WR Cole Beasley: Quad. He’s close to 100%. Ford-Wheaton injury boosts Beasley’s odds for a roster spot.

Related players: Isaiah Hodgins, Darius Slayton, Sterling Shepard, Parris Campbell, Jalin Hyatt, Jamison Crowder

The Giants have a crowded receiving room, and Robinson will need some time to get up to speed, so it remains to be seen what kind of role he'll start with and eventually get to on the Giants. Robinson has played most of his time in the slot and that area of the room is especially crowded, and includes the rookie Hyatt. Robinson was having the best game of his young career last season in Week 10, catching nine balls for 100 yards on 13 targets before tearing his ACL.

Is there enough practice time available to get Josh Jacobs ready for the season opener in less than two weeks at the Denver Broncos on Sept. 10?

“It’s going to be hard for me to say that until I have an opportunity to see him,” Raiders coach Josh McDaniels said after his team's preseason finale at the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday. “Obviously, his conditioning and just the way his body feels will play a role in that, too. The goal will be to get him in and get going and we’ll do the right thing -- whatever the right thing is.

“If there needs to be a [set] number of plays early in the season, then that’s it. If there’s not, then there’s not. I don’t think any of us will know the answer to that yet.”

Related players: Zamir White, Damien Williams, Ameer Abdullah, Brandon Bolden

In Jacobs' absence, second-year back White got the bulk of the first-team reps and carries, finishing the preseason with 86 yards and a touchdown while averaging 3.3 yards per carry. The Raiders also added Williams in training camp, and the eight-year veteran responded with 54 rushing yards on six carries with a 24-yard TD in the exhibition finale at Dallas, perhaps giving the Raiders staff something else to think about as cutdown day looms, the story said. The RB room that also includes vets Abdullah and Bolden as well as youngsters Sincere McCormick, Brittain Brown and Darwin Thompson. It remains to be seen, but White could be in store for a few extra touches at least early on in the season.

The Chicago Bears released backup quarterback P.J. Walker on Sunday, the team announced.

Related players: Tyson Bagent, Nathan Peterman, Justin Fields

Walker signed a two-year contract worth $4.15 million in March with over $2 million in guarantees. After three seasons with the Carolina Panthers, Walker was brought in to compete for the backup quarterback job behind Justin Fields. The Bears will now hand that role to undrafted rookie Bagent or veteran Peterman. Bagent, who signed with Chicago after playing for offensive coordinator Luke Getsy's squad at the Senior Bowl, has been the team's strongest backup QB throughout training camp, the story went on to say.

Texans rookie head coach DeMeco Ryans announced that rookie C.J. Stroud will be the team's starting QB to open up the 2023 season following Houston's preseason finale against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

Related players: Davis Mills

Not a big surprise, but Stroud struggled a little early on before making improvement, especially in the preseason games. He threw is first TD in the team's third preseason game. The story said Mills may have been the safer pick, but the rest of the Texans young offense now has a chance to grow with a QB who was the number-two overall pick in the NFL Draft.

Raiders RB Josh Jacobs agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $12 million Saturday.

Welcome back, Josh. The move allows the star running back to end his holdout and return to the Raiders. The deal is similar to that of Giants RB Saquon Barkley but instead of incentives, Jacobs gets a boost in his base value for the season, though the deal does also include $200,000 in incentives. The reigning rushing leader goes right back to bring a safe RB1 option, right around the top five at the position.

Trade: The 49ers are sending their former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys for a mid-round. Lance now gets a fresh start in Dallas.

Related Players: Sam Darnold, Cooper Rush, Will Grier

All things considered, this feels like a great deal for all teams involved. Regardless of what we think about the 49ers sacrificing so many picks to grab Lance in the first place, it didn't make any sense for them to keep him, as he has apparently become a third-stringer. The Cowboys had to give away only a fourth-round pick for what could be an exciting backup option, and Trey Lance gets a new start after what presumably has been a rough first couple of years in the league.

In fantasy terms, Lance at least becomes a hold in deep 2QB dynasty leagues.

Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, and Allen Robinson will be the Steelers’ starters, with Calvin Austin holding down punt return duties and Miles Boykin adding speed and special teams duties at the back of the rotation.

Related Players: Gunner Olszewski

A forgotten piece in Fantasyland, Robinson has the ability to make some noise in 11 personnel, which the team figures to use extensively. In typical redraft leagues, he figures to be a guy coming off and back on waiver wires throughout the season, but makes for a great pick deep in best ball leagues, particularly when you have Kenny Pickett on your roster.

One receiver who could naturally see a bigger role in the immediate aftermath of Jerry Jeudy’s injury is Marvin Mims, who has seen his practice snaps increase over the past two weeks since fully returning from his injury absence. Payton said Mims would play more in Saturday’s third preseason game than he did in his debut against the 49ers when the second-round pick out of Oklahoma played 18 snaps on offense and three on special teams.

Related Players: Courtland Sutton

While Courtland Sutton should certainly see a higher target rate if/when Jeudy is out, that doesn't necessarily mean his role will change. He's locked into 2WR sets regardless. But, Mims —who was slated for the slot role— could be seeing the field more often when the team is only employing two wideouts. This doesn't lock him into fantasy success right out of the gate, but more playing time can't be interpreted as anything but a positive. Mims should be considered a WR4 option for those optimistic about a Broncos offensive bounceback.

If Jonathan Taylor is unavailable, Zack Moss would likely be the starter whenever he’s cleared to return from a broken right arm. He’s expected back around the start of the season. Evan Hull looked pretty good on Thursday night, particularly in pass protection, and scored on a 1-yard run in the second quarter. He had six carries for 25 yards and could be poised for more snaps alongside Richardson. Kenyan Drake was the third-stringer on Thursday, and while he scored on an 8-yard reception from Minshew, he didn’t do enough throughout the preseason to climb the depth chart and avoid the practice squad.

According to beat writer James Boyd, the theoretical RB depth chart is set to be Zack Moss, Evan Hull, and Deon Jackson. This is if Jonathan Taylor is moved or is forced to miss the first four games due to not being activated from the PUP list. This makes Moss an interesting late-round target, but it's likely a situation we want to try to avoid if we're not getting a full role out of Taylor.

The Browns are sending QB Joshua Dobbs and a 2024 seventh-round pick to the Cardinals for a 2024 fifth-round pick, per sources. Arizona hasn't named a starting QB, and now Dobbs is in the mix.

Related Players: Colt McCoy, Clayton Tune

Joshua Dobbs was with Cardinals OC Drew Petzing in Cleveland, so he knows the offense. With Kyler Murray still recovering from a torn ACL, it's now Dobbs competing with Colt McCoy and rookie Clayton Tune for the job.

The job is not appealing for fantasy purposes, but there's a slight chance there could be an opportunity for streaming in 2QB leagues.

Per Adam Jahns, "I thought D'Onta Foreman would show more throughout camp. Instead, it’s Roschon Johnson, the rookie, who earned headlines with his play."

Related Players: Khalil Herbert

The team at the Athletic listed Roschon Johnson as the RB2, an eventuality that many of us considered from the time he was drafted. Johnson should see a lot of action on a team that runs so often, but his ceiling is very, very low as long as Khalil Herbert is healthy.

DeWayne McBride was always going to need time to learn the offense — protection responsibilities, the lengthy play calls, and even how to read certain runs. For that reason, he fell to the seventh round. The Vikings like his downhill running style, and it’s possible that the bevy of running backs on the market makes it easier for the Vikings to give him time to develop on the practice squad.

Related Players: Kene Nwangwu, Ty Chandler

It seems as though Kene Nwangwu has locked up the RB3 slot in Minnesota, with his ability to return kicks adding some flexibility to the roster spot. After Ty Chandler's fantastic showing through the preseason, Alexander Mattison is the only body in the way of extended playing time for Chandler.

Through two preseason games, Prince hasn’t managed a memorable snap. He has generated just 34 rushing yards on 10 attempts. Prince also appears to have lost his spot as the primary kickoff returner to Richie James, the six-year veteran receiver.

“As a rookie, the volume (of plays during camp) starts to hit you a little bit and it can slow you down,” Nagy said of Prince. “We have a great room of running backs. There’s great competition, and we’re trying to give all the guys (an) opportunity in different spots.”

Related Players: Isiah Pacheco, Jerick McKinnon, Clyde Edwards-Helaire La'Mical Perine

The article goes on to mention that La'Mical Perine has jumped over Prince on the running back depth chart, and even he is trying to make a case as the team's No. 4 option if they were to keep a fourth running back. Prince had positive buzz after handling some first-team reps earlier in the Summer, but that has faded after uninspiring reps in the preseason.

Keenan Allen has been the focal receiver in Kellen Moore’s offense during camp. Some of that is the rapport he has with Herbert. But some of it, too, is how Moore is using Allen.

Related Players: Mike Williams, Quentin Johnston, Josh Palmer

It feels like we've been waiting for Keenan Allen to age out of fantasy production for years now, but when he's healthy, he's still an exceptional option in what should continue to be a high-powered offense. Allen missed seven games last season, but with no hiccups through camp, he is a fantastic selection when he slides towards the 5th Round.

One to watch heading into the season: Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy is being carted off at practice with an apparent hamstring injury.

Related Players: Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims, Marquez Callaway, Kendall Hinton

Early prognosticators believe the best-case scenario would leave Jeudy out for Week 1, while something more severe could immediately land him on the PUP. It seems like even moderate timetables put him at a six-week recovery from today, so it would seem that he is going to be missing some game time regardless, unless we see an additional report about a mistaken diagnosis. Conservatively, we should be ignoring Jeudy at his ADP and push him far down draft boards until we hear otherwise.

Nick Chubb is as sure a thing as there is in the NFL at the top of the Browns’ running back depth chart. Things behind him are a little murky at the moment with Jerome Ford injured. Ford won’t practice the remainder of this week or play in Kansas City and is still a question mark for Week 1 against the Bengals.

Related Players: Demetric Felton, Jordan Wilkins

Kevin Stefanski said Ford is progressing but added his absence presents an opportunity for other players down the depth chart, like Demetric Felton Jr., newcomer Jordan Wilkins, and others. “I think it’s great competition,” Stefanski said. “Obviously unfortunate with Jerome’s injury, unfortunate for Jerome, but a great opportunity for those other guys to get good reps out here at practice, getting great reps in the game, so I think it’s a great competition in that entire room.”

Reading between the lines, it seems like Ford is still locked into the RB2 role, whether or not he's playing in Week 1. He still makes for an interesting late-round dart in best ball leagues but doesn't need to be drafted in most typical redraft leagues.

J.K. Dobbins said he's now 100% after a devastating left knee injury two years ago. Asked about his absence, Dobbins paused for a few seconds and swayed side to side before saying, "I was just being cautious. I want to be there for my teammates, and that's all it was. My teammates understood what was going on. So, it's all good now I'm out here."

Related Players: Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, Melvin Gordon

After all the hand-wringing over the summer, it seems like Dobbins will be back with the team, fully healthy, as the Week 1 starter. Congratulations to drafters who ignored the buzz, but it sure was a lot of buzz to ignore. Dobbins is currently ranked as a fringe RB2/3 in 4for4's rankings.

T.J. Hockenson missed the majority of camp drills during the previous three weeks because of an ear infection that he said affected his equilibrium. That condition has resolved itself, coach Kevin O'Connell said Wednesday, but Hockenson "very recently" reported his back symptoms to the Vikings' medical staff. O'Connell classified Hockenson's absence as "day-to-day," and did not rule out a return to the field as early as Thursday's joint practice with the Arizona Cardinals, but such a quick return seems unlikely.

Related Players: Josh Oliver, Johnny Mundt

The article goes on to mention that these ailments could have something to do with the fact that Hockenson is still on his rookie deal and there has been "little progress in talks". If that's the case, we shouldn't push the TE any further down draft boards than he is currently going, as the threat of an actual holdout seems unlikely. If he's back on the field during joint practices on Thursday, this will ultimately feel like an overreaction.

Corey Davis announced his intentions on Instagram on Wednesday afternoon.

"For some time now I've been contemplating stepping away from the sport of football," Davis wrote. "This decision has not been easy. Although I am a deep person, I am a man of few words. I've been searching my heart for what to do and I feel that stepping away from the game is the best path for me at this time. I have more blessings than I could have ever imagined -- I have an amazing family, a beautiful wife and two healthy children that I look forward to spending more time with. I am truly grateful for all the opportunities I have had and will continue to have on my journey. Thank you to my family and friends and the Jets organization for supporting me through this process."

Related Players: Irvin Charles, Jason Brownlee

Though Davis wasn't necessarily in the fantasy spotlight leading up to the retirement, he had two different impactful seasons (2018 and 2020) in which he accounted for 65 receptions with the Tennessee Titans.

The San Francisco 49ers have named their backup to starting quarterback Brock Purdy -- and it's not the player they once paid a fortune to trade up for. Sam Darnold will be named the 49ers' QB2 following a strong showing this offseason, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported on Wednesday. That means that Trey Lance is currently running third on the depth chart -- and what it means for his future with the team remains to be seen.

No potential teams have been named yet, but there were rumors that the team was involved in trade discussions before the NFL Draft. The 49ers could obviously just keep Lance, but if they can receive any draft compensation for their third-string quarterback, it's a no-brainer, regardless of what draft capital they once spent on him.

Frank Reich indicates D.J. Chark is injured and declines to expand on his situation "at this point." While Frank Reich wouldn't get into specifics on Chark, the fact he said the Panthers are not planning any "big moves" at WR suggests that it might not be too serious.

Related Players: Adam Thielen, Jonathan Mingo, Terrace Marshall

There are no specifics as of yet, but the fact that they would need to make *any* moves at all might be telling to the timetable they're thinking. Reading between the lines, we may assume that he will miss at least some regular-season playing time, which puts his fantasy prospects in doubt for a while. Chark was already going in the 13th round.

While the Colts let Jonathan Taylor seek a trade, league sources say the Raiders have shown no interest in trading their star RB Josh Jacobs. Jacobs hasn’t signed his tender, and no deal is imminent to get him into camp. The NFL rushing champ’s status for Week 1 remains to be determined.

Related Players: Zamir White, Ameer Abdullah, Damien Williams

The Raiders have been pretty mum on the subject, even though the season opener is right around the corner. The team did sign Damien Williams recently, but he doesn't project to have any impact on the team's decision with their RB1. Jacobs has now slipped out of the top-10 running backs in 4for4's rankings due to his uncertainty for Week 1.

Kyle Shanahan said the competition between Trey Lance and Sam Darnold to be the San Francisco 49ers’ No. 2 quarterback could continue during the regular season.

Shanahan said he’d likely announce the pecking order prior to the team’s Week 1 game in Pittsburgh. After all, the so-called “third quarterback” rule allows teams to dress three passers on game days but they still have to designate which are the first two.

The story went on to say Shanahan indicated the quarterback order “definitely” could change during the season and that Darnold could run the scout team one week — which is typically the purview of the No. 2 quarterback — and Lance could run it in the next.

The Cowboys again have high expectations for Jalen Tolbert heading into the 2023 season.

“We had high expectations last year for him,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday. “He’s living up those we had for him last year this year without equivocation.”

Tolbert has locked up the fourth wide receiver spot behind CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks and Michael Gallup, executive vice president Stephen Jones said Tuesday.

Last year, Tolbert appeared in only eight games, playing 89 offensive snaps and 53 on special teams and making only two catches for 12 yards. While this is likely only news for deeper leagues, Tolbert could be an injury away from having fantasy value.

Joe Mixon’s aggravated menacing case came back not guilty and the Bengals declared they are “pleased that this matter is now behind everyone.” The path now clears for his role as the starter on early downs with rookie Chase Brown behind him. The story of the third-down job has been dominated by the rise of Chris Evans. He’s shown well in pass protection and improved running the ball downhill over last year’s disappointing preseason to become the frontrunner with Trayveon Williams (ankle) sidelined.

Williams seemed to be the favorite to land the passing down job but his injury has allowed Evans to thrive. The story added that outside of one big run, neither Evans or Brown were able to pick up much ground running the ball in the preseason so far. It seems like Brown will backup Mixon for early down work.

Carolina Panthers running back Miles Sanders said on Tuesday he "absolutely'' will be ready for the Sept. 10 opener against the Atlanta Falcons.

Sanders missed the last few weeks of training camp with a groin injury that sidelined him for the first two preseason games. While you can't always trust what players say about injuries, Sanders practiced in full pads on Monday and Tuesday and showed no signs that the injury will be a problem moving forward, and even broke off a big run on Tuesday.

Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Will Levis is just following directions at this point.

Levis was at Titans training camp practice Tuesday out of uniform, mostly relegated to charting plays and supporting fellow quarterbacks Ryan Tannehill and Malik Willis on a team scrimmage day. Willis did go through stretching routines with his teammates and threw a few passes during special teams periods but was otherwise unavailable as he continues to recover from the lower body injury he sustained last Thursday that also kept him out of Saturday's preseason game vs. the Minnesota Vikings.

"I just had something happen in a practice that just came up," Levis said. "I went to the medical staff and I’m just following their directions in the best way to attack it and get better. It’s nothing too serious but I’m just going to make sure I take the right steps to get back to the road to recovery."

Levis is in a battle to be the QB2 on the Titans, but this injury certainly isn't helping his chances. Reports out of Tennessee indicated Willis was outplaying Levis even before his injury.

On Tuesday, head coach Dan Campbell gave a positive update on Amon-Ra St. Brown’s condition.

“He’s doing good, he’s doing good. We weren’t going to play him in Carolina, but he’s doing great,” Campbell said, via the team.

St. Brown won’t be playing this week, and it doesn’t sound like there’s much concern about his ankle. The team added they never planned to have the wideout in the lineup against the Panthers. St. Brown got hurt in practice last week and did not play against the Jaguars last Saturday. We rank him 10th among our WRs heading into drafts.

Sources say there is optimism for Week 1 for Terry McLaurin. More day-to-day than anything, with the scans showing no major injury.

Good news for McLaurin, who looks to be dealing with a mild toe sprain, or turf toe. Things appeared to be a little more serious after last night's game and even this morning. We'll keep you posted of any timetable as toe injuries can still be tricky to deal with.

49ers receiver Deebo Samuel was notably self-critical earlier in the offseason when he called his 2022 season “awful” and vowed not to repeat it.

To that end, the receiver worked hard to get into his best shape in years. After playing seven snaps and receiving two touches against the Broncos in Saturday’s preseason game, Samuel noted he can feel a difference.

“I think it’s like a little more to my step,” Samuel said, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. “Like a little more speed, so it’s a little bit more power. But overall, it felt good to get out there, get a couple of plays [under] my belt to get ready for the season.”

Samuel caught two passes for 39 yards, one of which was a short pass he turned into a 25-yard gain in preseason Week 2. He noted that his lighter playing weight should aid his stamina. With all the targets in San Francisco, many are down on Samuel this year. We rank him 19th among our WRs. In five games with likely starting quarterback Brock Purdy, Samuel led the team in targets (6.8 per game), receptions (4.4), and yards (60), so if he can stay healthy, he should find himself back in the top-20. He averaged 19.7 rushing yards prior to Christian McCaffrey’s arrival, and 15.7 after, so his rushing took a slight hit.

Bills receiver Stefon Diggs usually posts cryptic tweets. There was nothing cryptic about the tweet he posted last night.

“100% not true,” Diggs said. “I don’t know who the source is but I thought i nip this [stuff] in the bud already.”

The story went on to speculate Diggs undoubtedly was responding to a Monday claim from Stephen A. Smith of ESPN from Monday’s First Take: “Brother wants out, by the way. I’m just telling you what I know know. I got my own sources. Brother wants out. He don’t wanna be in Buffalo no more. I’m telling you right now. I have my sources. Stefon Diggs got to be there, but he would prefer to be gone.”

There has been speculation Diggs has wanted out at least since the team's playoff loss to end last season. As the story added, Diggs doesn't have a lot of choice other than to deny the claim.

Tennessee's kicker competition has been turned on its head. Throughout the summer, Caleb Shudak and Trey Wolff had been duking it out for the Titans kicker job. With two weeks of the preseason in the books, however, it doesn't seem like either one of them was able to impress enough to allow Mike Vrabel to give one of them the job. Instead, they both got the boot.

As both of those kickers head out, former Lions placekicker Michael Badgley is coming in as the team also announced that it has agreed to terms with the veteran.

There's nothing like late-August kicker talk leading up to fantasy drafts. In Tennessee, they're going with Badgley after he went 24-for-28 in field goals and was 33-for-33 in extra points a year ago.

Seahawks’ first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba is undergoing wrist surgery today in Philadelphia, but still could have a chance to be ready for the start of the regular season, per sources.

Related players: DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, D'Wayne Eskridge, Jake Bobo, Dareke Young

Schefter added that JSN broke a bone in his wrist on the play in which he almost scored Saturday night. Surgery will determine how long he will miss. Reading into it a bit, even if JSN misses games, it seems safe to conclude it may just be a couple of weeks to start the season. Metcalf and Lockett will remain the top-two targets but Eskridge, Bobo and Young are next up behind Smith-Njigba should he not be available. We'll continue to monitor his timeline.

The #Bucs are going with Baker Mayfield as their starting QB, coach Todd Bowles announced.

The former No. 1 overall pick, Mayfield beat out Kyle Trask for the right to succeed Tom Brady and will start the Sept. 10 opener at Minnesota.

Mayfield's stock should rise - a little - with the news he's the starter, but it's tough to see him passing too many QBs at the bottom of our rankings leading up to Week 1. For now, Mayfield is more of a QB3 or bottom end QB2 until we see more. However, he certainly has some quality WRs to throw to in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. All three players will need one another in order to provide fantasy managers with the points they need. Also for now, Godwin and Evans are ranked as lower-end WR3s on our list.

Kyle Philips suffered an MCL injury in Saturday’s preseason win over Minnesota, per paulkuharsky.com, an injury that will reportedly keep him out “in the range of six weeks.”

Related players: Chris Moore, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Racey McMath, Treylon Burks

If he wound up missing six weeks, according to the story, Philips would likely miss at least the first three games of the season, probably four. Philips burst on to the scene in Week 1 last year but then faded and played in only four games. Philips was slated to be the team's WR3 this season so this injury likely sets him back. Next up are Moore, Westbrook-Ikhine and McMath.

The story went on to say, the Titans will likely have to use two of their initial 53-man roster spots on injured receivers — Burks and Philips. And if the team needs to keep two healthy receivers as a result, that means two players at other positions will not survive the Aug. 29 final cut.

Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin was not happy after limping off the field late in the first half. He threw his right shoe as an indication of that.

But, hopefully for the Commanders, the initial news is a sign that maybe it won’t be a long-term injury.

The Commanders report that McLaurin has a toe injury.

It's looking like turf toe, according to reports Tuesday morning. While toe injuries can be tricky, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports X-rays were negative, which is at least some good news. McLaurin was injured on a 13-yard reception from Sam Howell with a minute left in the first half. His foot bent behind him as Ravens linebacker Kristian Welch dragged him down. He's only missed three games in his entire career.

T.J. Hockenson has not been doing any team work since the start of camp and he said last week that his equilibrium has been off because of an ear infection. Hockenson said the condition was improving and he said on Monday that he’s still “taking it day by day” and wants to be out there as a full participant.

The story said there has been speculation that Hockenson’s contract might also factor into his workload. Hockenson is in the final year of his rookie deal but he said he wasn't concerned about a future deal. Hockenson is our third-ranked TE.

Colts have given All-Pro RB Jonathan Taylor permission to seek a trade, per league sources. Other teams now are weighing whether to make an offer to the Colts and what would be fair value.

Related players: Zack Moss, Evan Hull, Deon Jackson, Kenyan Drake

It would be great news for Taylor and his owners for a deal to be made so he can get back on the field. It remains to be seen if Taylor would play again for Indy. If a trade is made, the Colts running back room becomes interesting. Many forget Moss was pretty good to end the season last year, running for lines of 24-81-0, 12-65-0, 15-74-0 and 18-114-1 over the final four weeks. But it terms of fantasy value, Moss isn't exciting, and the favorite seems to be the rookie Hull, especially being drafted by the new coaching staff. It would seem until Moss returns from his arm injury, a split of Jackson and Hull seems most likely.

With Mike White now in the concussion protocol and with second-year seventh-rounder Skylar Thompson looking pretty good against the Texans on Saturday, it’s fair to ask whether Thompson might leapfrog White.

Related players: Tua Tagovailoa

White has the second spot on the unofficial preseason depth chart, according to the story, but Thompson, who helped the Dolphins make things interesting in the playoffs against the Bills, looked good in Houston, completing 15 of 22 passes for 157 yards and three touchdowns. Normally there isn't a ton of hype around backup quarterbacks, but with Tua struggling with concussions last year, knowing his backup could be valuable, especially in deeper or two QB leagues.

Falcons coach Arthur Smith is still letting rookie running back Bijan Robinson know he’ll have to earn a starting job.

Although Robinson was the No. 8 overall pick and will surely be the No. 1 running back in Atlanta when the regular season starts, he remains the third running back on the depth chart for the Falcons’ third and final preseason game.

Cordarrelle Patterson is listed as the No. 1 running back and Tyler Allgeier is listed as No. 2.

While depth charts in August don't tend to mean a whole lot, the story went on to say Smith prefers to keep rookies behind veterans who have already proven themselves, and both Patterson and Allgeier played well last season. But Robinson was drafted to be the Falcons’ starting running back, and it remains overwhelmingly likely that he will be for the Falcons’ Week 1 game against the Panthers.

The Buccaneers have placed receiver Russell Gage on injured reserve, formally ending his 2023 season.

Gage suffered a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee last week during a joint practice with the Jets, an injury that will sideline him for the year.

Related players: Deven Thompkins, Trey Palmer

After signing with the Bucs in the 2022 offseason, Gage caught 51 passes for 426 yards with five touchdowns last year in 13 games. Thompkins and Palmer are next up behind Chris Godwin and Mike Evans.

While speaking to reporters on Monday, HC Zac Taylor didn't exactly say when Joe Burrow would be back on the field but noted that he looks as good as he's ever seen him.

"He looks great. Physically just walking around, he looks probably as good as he's ever looked at this point," Taylor said. "That's a positive and we'll just go from there."

The story went on to say Taylor's comments do sound like Burrow is making the proper steps to be available in Week 1. On Sunday, offensive coordinator Brian Callahan also relayed positive news about Burrow's status, saying, "he looks like he is progressing the way he's supposed to." The Bengals feel it won't take Burrow long to get back up to speed when he does return.

RB Miles Sanders appears to be back in the mix...

Sanders has been recovering from a groin injury. It's a good sign he should be ready to go for Week 1, but he has missed a lot of camp because of the injury. We rank Sanders 21st on our RB list, but feel Sanders could be in store for 300 touches, perhaps 250 carries and 50 receptions, as the Panthers want to get him more involved in the passing game. He had 50 receptions as a rookie with the Eagles.

Andy Reid said Isiah Pacheco will no longer work in a yellow, non-contact jersey, a positive sign for him ahead of the Sept. 7 season opener against the Lions.

Related players: Jerick McKinnon, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, La'Mical Perine, Deneric Prince

Pacheco seems like he's on track to play Week 1 and looks to have a pretty clear path as the team's RB1. McKinnon, or the often cast-off Edwards-Helaire, will likely see some work as well and primarily catch passes. Prince has faded a bit from the headlines after getting some first-team reps recently.

Dolphins RB Devon Achane is also dealing with a shoulder injury. He's week to week and avoided serious injury.

QB Mike White is also in concussion protocol.

Related players: Jeff Wilson, Raheem Mostert, Myles Gaskin

Achane has been a highly-touted rookie RB who has gained a lot of traction, especially early on in dynasty leagues. Achane's biggest asset is his speed, and talk was building he'd have a significant role in the Dolphins offense because of HC Mike McDaniel's love of fast players. He still was going to lose touches to Wilson and Mostert, so it remained to be seen how much of the workload he could garner. This setback could end up costing him some work, at least to start the season. But the good news is he avoided a more serious injury.

Texans RB Dameon Pierce played every snap of the first two drives with starters, including all 3rd-downs. A change from last year, when Pierce only played on about 25% of 3rd-downs.

Devin Singletary then came on and played every snap of the third drive with starters.

Related players: Mike Boone, Dare Ogunbowale

It's tough to read into how much this will matter once the season starts. There are many in the fantasy world who are saying to stay away from Pierce, probably more when it comes to his dynasty value. Singletary is likely to have a big role in the offense as well, but if he takes away passing down value - that would obviously hurt Pierce. The good news is there isn't a whole lot to worry about fantasy value-wise behind Pierce and Singletary.

What has changed: Tyjae Spears has served notice: He is the most talented running back acquired by the Titans since they drafted Derrick Henry in the second round in 2016. He’s going to matter this season.

I thought Jonathan Ward would make this team as the No. 2 third-down back, with Julius Chestnut essentially backing up Henry. But Ward hurt his knee in the preseason opener and, though Hassan Haskins is also nicked up now, he and Chestnut do enough on special teams to both make the team.

The story went on to say: Chestnut was the star Saturday with 98 yards rushing and a touchdown rushing and receiving. His TD catch was excellent, and everyone should listen to Vrabel when he says Chestnut, “embodies what we believe in.” It seems like a crowded backfield behind Henry, but it sounds like Spears could have a role in the offense with, perhaps, Chestnut an injury away from a significant role.

Cooper Kupp and Derion Kendrick will practice against the Broncos, per Sean McVay.

There was hope Kupp would return for last week's joint practices but when the Rams said he would 't there were at least some alarm bells set off. But it looks like Kupp will be good to go this week with the hope of playing in Week 1. He's been sidelined since Aug. 1.

Running back Josh Jacobs is expected to report to the Raiders before their season opener in three weeks, multiple league sources have indicated.

But with only a few practices remaining before the club takes the field against the Broncos on Sept. 10, time is running out for Jacobs to be fully prepared for the rigors of an NFL game.

Jacobs has been away from the club all offseason and training camp after he and the Raiders failed to come to an agreement on a long-term contract. The story said if and when he returns, he will play either on the terms of the $10.1 million franchise tag or a modified one-season salary.

Saints TE Jimmy Graham was arrested Friday night in California following what the team called a "medical episode which resulted in him becoming disoriented" before being taken to a hospital for evaluation.

According to Saints team doctors, Graham was believed to have suffered a seizure that resulted in him becoming disoriented. He was arrested for suspicion of being under the influence of narcotics and obstructing a police officer, according to police. Graham was taken into custody by local authorities and later transported to a local hospital for evaluation. He was since released from the hospital. The Saints said Graham is with the team as they continued preparations for Sunday's preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers will play in Saturday's preseason finale against the Giants.

This will be Rodgers' first game action as a Jet and his first appearance in the preseason since 2018. Rodgers truly is doing things differently than he was during his final few years in Green Bay. He took part in OTAs with the Jets and is now playing in a preseason game. It sounds like the Jets are going to treat Saturday's game as somewhat of a dress rehearsal for the regular season, which opens September 11 against the Buffalo Bills. Zach Wilson had started the Jets' first three preseason games.

It’ll be between Carter and Knight if the Jets keep a fourth running back, and Knight has played better throughout training camp, in addition to an impressive three-game stretch he had last season before tailing off. He’s also more explosive than Carter and is an option in the return game.

Related Players: Michael Carter, Zonovan Knight, Israel Abanikanda

With the injury history of both Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook being extensive and ranging from minor to severe, you would think the team would keep a fourth running back, but that looks like it may not be the case. Abanikanda makes for a very interesting late-round pick, particularly in best ball. You don't have to squint to see how he will be rotated in early in the season and might cut out a season-long role.

Unsurprising news, but the Lions have waived WR Denzel Mims — acquired from the Jets last month — with an injury designation. Mims certainly looked the part of a big-bodied X receiver with intriguing speed, but he was never able to gain momentum after an ankle injury sidelined him for much of camp.

Related Players: Josh Reynolds, Trinity Benson

Upsetting news for Mims, who was hoping to add some depth to a team that sorely needs it. It's tough to hold him in all but the deepest of dynasty leagues at this point.

Sam Howell will start the season opener at quarterback for the Washington Commanders, coach Ron Rivera said Friday, ending what had been a one-sided competition for the job. Howell has worked only with the starters since spring practices began. He has taken all but several reps with the starters; Jacoby Brissett, signed in the offseason, took his place for a handful of snaps before the preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns.

On the surface, Howell is surrounded by a lot of talent, but he will be the most unproven commodity at the position outside of the incoming rookie class. Howell did show a bit with his legs in limited action last year and should firmly be on 2QB/SF radars.

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said C.J. Stroud will start again vs. the Dolphins —another step toward the No. 2 overall pick being Houston's QB1.

Related Players: Davis Mills

At this point, it would be quite a surprise if Stroud did not begin Week 1 as the Texans starter. Stroud completed two-of-four passes for 13 yards and an interception in preseason Week 1.

Colts’ WR Ashton Dulin suffered a season-ending torn ACL during last night’s practice.

Related Players: Michael Pittman, Alec Pierce, Josh Downs, Isaiah McKenzie

Another strain on a thin wide receiver depth chart, the 3WR set looks to be Pittman/Pierce/McKenzie, with Josh Downs still set to be a rotational deep-threat to begin the year.

Bengals running back Joe Mixon was found not guilty of aggravated menacing and will return to practice. There will very likely be no punishment from the NFL.

Related Players: Trayveon Williams, Chase Brown, Chris Evans

It seems the most likely scenario is that no suspension will be handed down from the NFL. The Cincinnati backfield will be Mixon's for a mostly-workhorse role, with former sixth-round pick Trayveon Williams the mostly likely No. 2.

Head coach Dan Campbell added that WR Amon-Ra St. Brown will likely be back on the field between Monday-Friday of next week after a small ankle injury suffered yesterday.

Related Players: Marvin Jones, Josh Reynolds, Denzel Mims, Kalif Raymond

It doesn't seem to be anything to be concerned about, but we'll keep an eye on it. The wide receiver depth chart looks iffy, with Jameson Williams suspended until October and now nursing a hamstring injury that will keep him out of the rest of the preseason. Rookie tight end Sam LaPorta may be a bigger part of this offense than most were expecting.

Lions’ WR Jameson Williams has a hamstring injury that is likely to sideline him for the remainder of the preseason.

Related Players: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Josh Reynolds, Marvin Jones, Kalif Raymond

Another setback for what has been nothing short of a dramatic beginning to a career. The next time we see Williams on the field will be in mid-October, following his gambling suspension. This opens the door for other Lions options to pick up the slack alongside St. Brown, as the sophomore wide receiver has to be thought of as an easy fade at his 11th-round ADP.

Titans WR Treylon Burks suffered an LCL sprain during practice today, sources say after the MRI. This is good news, as Burks should only miss a few weeks. A scare, but a solid result considering.

Related Players: DeAndre Hopkins, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Chris Moore

Burks' rapidly descending ADP should continue its downward trajectory, which could certainly make him a target if Hopkins doesn't become a complete target hog in this run-heavy offense. Consider Burks a WR5 target as he falls well into the double-digit rounds, with upside if he makes a complete return close to Week 1.

Dalvin Cook is arriving soon, and Breece Hall is practicing again after a long layoff, creating a first-class problem for the backfield-heavy New York Jets. "There's only one football," offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett said Tuesday. "You always want everybody to want the ball at all times, and I think we have a lot of people that want the ball and deserve the ball."

Related Players: Michael Carter, Zonovan Knight, Israel Abanikanda

If Hall is quick to return to full health, you have to wonder if the team will make another move with the sheer amount of depth it is currently carrying on its roster.

The article goes on to mention that "Admitting he was 'an emotional train wreck' during the toughest times of his rehab, Hall said his knee is sound, although he also said he still experiences occasional knee soreness and still wonders whether he can make certain cuts. He downplayed Tuesday's return."

Drafting any Jets option at this point feels like a headache, but Hall should still be the target as his ADP continues to drop into the 3rd Round and possibly beyond.

Colts statement released a short while ago: “Jonathan Taylor returned to Indianapolis to continue his rehab, however he had a personal matter arise. He is not currently with the team and his absence is excused.”

Related players: Zack Moss, Evan Hull, Deon Jackson, Kenyan Drake

Despite the turmoil and repeated reports of Taylor wanting out of Indianapolis, this doesn't appear to be anything more than what it seems. Taylor will hopefully be able to return to the team later this week and we will see strides towards the answer of whether he will be taking Week 1 snaps with the team.

Treylon Burks just made a deep catch from Ryan Tannehill for a TD. Tumbled go the ground and got up limping. He walked off with help from the trainers who were holding his left knee.

Related Players: DeAndre Hopkins, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Chris Moore

Without getting too speculative, some immediate reactions have mentioned that Burks may miss "some time". Obviously that's not very descriptive, but we'll keep an eye out for something more definitive as the day rolls on. For now, it's probably for the best to pause on drafting Burks if you can help it until official word comes down about the severity of the injury.

Davante Adams will be “out here and ready to roll” according to Josh McDaniels.

Says he’s back to 100%

Adams is being heavily discounted this offseason with another new quarterback throwing him the ball this year. If he truly is back to 100%, he is a bargain in the second round, even with Jimmy Garoppolo as his quarterback.

Arthur Smith said Cordarrelle Patterson will be out a couple of weeks, likely the rest of the preseason, and they will reevaluate and have more info on his status in the week before Week 1.

Related Players: Tyler Allgeier

This could end up being a huge boost to Allgeier, as the RB2 in Atlanta's scheme figures to be heavily involved. We will keep an eye on the situation, but a soft tissue injury for Patterson, who is entering his age-32 season could end up lingering longer the team is hoping.

Russell Gage is down and surrounded by trainers, in obvious duress. A cart has been brought out to take him off the field.

Related Players: Trey Palmer, David Moore, Deven Thompkins

Very unfortunate news for Gage, who was likely to get quite a lot of run this season, even after the trade rumors surrounding Chris Godwin and Mike Evans came and went. Trey Palmer and Deven Thompkins are both projected as kick returners, so one of them may get extra snaps as a speedy slot option, depending on the severity of Gage's injury.

If anyone thought Dalvin Cook’s addition was a sign that Hall’s recovery from a torn ACL was slower than expected, the reality is actually the opposite. Breece Hall is on track to return by Week 1, and Cook still needs some time for both personal reasons (he’s expecting a child) and health (coming off shoulder surgery).

Throughout the summer, Saleh has noted that Hall has run as fast as 22 or 23 mph while rehabbing, according to the team’s GPS tracking, which is about the same speed of his 62-yard run against the Broncos last year before getting injured. Hall is still being eased back into practice, though.

The addition of Cook was only surprising in that the Jets already have Hall in the building, and they view him as a star-level player capable of carrying the workload.

Related players: Michael Carter, Israel Abanikanda, Zonovan Knight

Adding Cook means someone else might wind up being the odd man out. Hall and Cook are safely locked into roster spots. So is Abanikanda, a fifth-round rookie. So then it comes down to which of Carter or Knight the Jets want to keep around as the third/fourth running back. Fullback Nick Bawden could factor into the equation, too, the story went on to say. Those owning Carter and Knight may want to wait this out a bit.

If there were a set of rules for Sam Howell to follow as he tries to lead the Washington Commanders' offense, one of, if not the first on the list would be to get the ball to Terry McLaurin as often as possible.

McLaurin has been a security blanket for a variety of quarterbacks as he enters his fifth NFL season. As part of an offense that has gone through overhaul at almost every position, McLaurin has been one of the only constants, and despite all the turbulence that has surrounded him, he has found ways to be productive with every signal-caller he's worked with, from Alex Smith to Garret Gilbert.

Howell is the 10th player to throw passes to McLaurin in his career, and their relationship is still growing as Howell tries to earn the role of Washington's Week 1 starter for the 2023 season. Although the two have only been working together consistently since June, McLaurin can already tell a difference in their connection, and over the last few weeks, he feels it has risen to another level, the story went on to say.

Sean Payton confirmed RB Javonte Williams will play in preseason game Saturday at SF 49ers.

Related players: Samaje Perine

Williams continues to impress and looks to be well ahead of schedule. Those thinking he would take a similar path to J.K. Dobbins could be proved wrong if Williams can look good and emerge from this week's game. As of now, Williams looks like he'll be good to go for Week 1 fantasy lineups, likely sharing a workload with Perine.

One camp surprise: Malik Willis has a good chance to beat out Will Levis for the Titans backup job.

Related players: Ryan Tannehill

Tannehill and his owners may be the happiest people to hear this news. Someone had to win the QB2 job. Willis was pretty unimpressive in his time as a starter last season and Levis fell down the draft board back in April leading many to speculate he may struggle early on.

After releasing a pass (interception), Aaron Rodgers clutches his left calf. He’s limping around, but stays in for the next play. This was his “good” calf. Injured the right in OTAs.

Of course the most famous calf injury so far this season belongs to Joe Burrow, who remains out. Rodgers did continue to practice but struggled according to other reports. There certainly could be more to learn about this injury as the day goes on.

Running back Dalvin Cook is officially a member of the Jets, but he won't be practicing with them this week.

Head coach Robert Saleh said at a Tuesday press conference that it will be at least a week before Cook joins the team on the practice field. Cook's child is due to be born soon and he is coming off of shoulder surgery this offseason.

Related players: Breece Hall, Michael Carter

Once Cook is ready to go, Saleh said the team will be working on ways to maximize his contributions as well as those of fellow backs Hall and Carter. Saleh said the team still believes Hall, who was activated from the PUP list Tuesday, will be ready to go in Week One and that he thinks there are many ways Cook can join the team's returning players to put stress on defenses.

Saleh says he’s “very confident” that Breece Hall will be ready for Week 1.

Related players: Dalvin Cook

Hall just came off the PUP list after the team signed Cook. While it's still possible the Jets ease Hall into action to start the season, things are already starting to become interesting in the Jets backfield.

WR Justyn Ross left practice with a leg/hamstring injury, head coach Andy Reid told reporters.

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reports Ross' injury does not appear to be serious, which is great news. Ross and his time on the first team for KC has been one of the bigger stories of camp this year in terms of fantasy. But he's still trying to work his way up the KC depth chart.

The Eagles have given away all the signs throughout training camp where Kenneth Gainwell stands on this roster. He's the back they trust the most in late-game and pressure situations, showcasing that by not playing him in the preseason opener (along with the designated players who weren't going to play).

Philadelphia backed that up by having Gainwell on the first team of 11-on-11s during the joint practice, getting the first snaps before D'Andre Swift spelled him. Swift is the back splitting the reps with Gainwell, as the Eagles line him out wide and use his explosiveness in pass-catching.

Related players: Rashaad Penny

The story went on to say Gainwell is the lead guy, but Swift is the counter punch. They are the 1-2 combination at running back, splitting the bulk of the touches. Swift has had an excellent camp and will be in integral part of the offense, the story went on to say. There was no mention of Penny. We've already reflected this on our depth chart and it's no surprise considering Gainwell had a big role last year even with Miles Sanders on the team.

On Monday, Tee Higgins was asked why he has limited his practice work.

“Just precaution . . . just out there talking to [wide receivers coach Troy Walters] going back and forth with him being able to take some team reps off and do individual but actually getting back in there doing everything with the guys feels good,” Higgins said, via Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Higgins came down awkwardly during Monday's practice but avoided serious injury and didn't return. The story added any discussion about Higgins’ practice participation also includes a nod to his contract status. He’s in the last year of his rookie deal and joins quarterback Joe Burrow on the list of Bengals players who are looking for new deals before the start of the regular season. Burrow’s deal is a bigger priority, so it remains to be seen what the team can get done ahead of Week 1.

It's not much of a surprise, but the Indianapolis Colts have made it official, naming rookie Anthony Richardson their starting quarterback for Week 1 of the 2023 regular season.

Related players: Gardner Minshew

According to our own John Paulsen: Richardson throws a nice deep ball, but according to the experts he misses too many “layups” on shorter throws given his scattershot accuracy. His rookie quarterback model projects 29.3 rushing yards per game, though it should be noted that the model underpredicted Jalen Hurts by about 17%, projecting 43.3 rushing yards to his actual 52.3 rushing yards per game in his first season as the Eagles’ starter. That’s relevant because Richardson will play for Shane Steichen, who was previously the offensive coordinator for the Eagles. If Steichen runs Richardson over projection by the same amount, he could be looking at roughly 34 yards per game. That number could rise further if Steichen elects to run Richardson as much as he did with Hurts–10.1 attempts per game from 2021-22.

Richardson comes in as our QB12 making him a low-end QB1 this fantasy season.

Patriots TE Mike Gesicki suffered a mild dislocated shoulder during yesterday’s practice, source said.

Related players: Hunter Henry

As Rapoport pointed out, Gesicki has been impressive so far in camp. Rapoport added while nothing is given, the hope is he’s back for Week 1 despite the AC joint injury. As we stated yesterday, we do rank Henry higher than Gesicki on our TE list.

Breece Hall is coming off the PUP list today, per source. He’ll be limited at practice.

Related players: Dalvin Cook

Hall returns a day after that Jets sign Cook to join him in the backfield. The Jets will likely bring along Hall slowly for the rest of the summer and perhaps even the start of the season. Many feel eventually Hall will take over the backfield based on youth and talent.

"And since (Roschon Johnson has) gotten in there, we really love the style. We’re just gonna keep letting that thing compete out where it belongs, and we’ll see where it goes."

Related players: Khalil Herbert, D'Onta Foreman

Fantasy opinions have been all over the place when it comes to Johnson and his potential, while reports so far say Herbert has had a great camp and will be tough to overtake as the RB1. Johnson got a couple reps with the first team in 11/11 and in the two min drill on Monday. Cronin said Bears coaches are impressed with what they've seen to give him a look with the starters. The unnamed coach in the post added about Johnson: "Just the running style. He’s a downhill guy that we’re excited about. He’s got good vision."

Free agent RB Dalvin Cook is planning to sign a one-year deal worth up to $8.6 million with the New York Jets, per source.

Related players: Breece Hall, Michael Carter, Israel Abanikanda, Zonovan Knight

Another RB domino falls today as many felt it was just a matter of time before Cook ended up with the Jets - this despite a story today where Carter said he felt the team didn't need Cook. Perhaps the biggest question now is the status of Hall, who is coming off a torn ACL last season. Speculation at this point is Hall either isn't completely ready or the Jets just want to ease him back in. As a result, it may be safe to assume Cook leads the backfield, at least early on until Hall is back to form, where perhaps a split or hot hand situation forms. It's a win-now move for the Jets, who didn't seem to want to give Carter, rookie Abanikanda or last year's sensation Knight, a bulk of the work. Cook's signing moves all three backs down the depth chart. Last year, Cook played in all 17 games running 264 times for 1,173 yards and 8 TDs while adding 39 catches for 295 yards and two TDs.

The Saints needed running back help after Kendre Miller’s knee sprain. They brought in free agents Kylin Hill and Darrel Williams to work out for them Monday and decided to sign one of them.

Williams has agreed to terms with the Saints, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.

Related players: Jamaal Williams

It is a homecoming for Williams, who grew up in Louisiana and played at LSU. He spent his first four NFL seasons with the Chiefs before going to the Cardinals last year. Miller is expected to be ready for Week 1, according to reports. However any missed time may push Miller down the depth chart, at least to start the season.

OC Mike Kafka said early in camp that it was “too early to tell” if Sauqon Barkley would be more of a receiver but “we’re practicing all kinds of things with people at every position.”

But it appears that the brain trust might be reconsidering because Barkley has been an early read on more passes — returning to a plan that was unveiled in May 2022 but scrapped before the season for reasons that Barkley declined to share on the podcast.

Related players: Matt Breida, Gary Brightwell, James Robinson, Eric Gray

The story pointed out the irony in Barkley potentially getting his wish to show that he can be a Christian McCaffrey-type dual threat is that the contract he finally agreed to — one-year, $10.1 million with an additional $909,000 in incentives — pays extra for a would-be career-high 1,350 rushing yards and for 65 receptions. But increased receptions, the story said, likely means fewer carries — making it difficult to hit both markers — to manage Barkley’s workload and keep him healthy. For fantasy purposes, an increased workload in the passing game would give a bump to Barkley's value in PPR leagues. Barkley had 91 receptions his rookie season but then 52 in 2019, 41 in 2021 and last year he had 57. He was injured most of 2020.

The Patriots are expected to sign former Cowboys star RB Ezekiel Elliott to a 1-year deal worth up to $6M after his successful FA visit earlier in camp.

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

As Rapoport added, New England loves Stevenson, but they’ve been seeking a running back to bang it between the tackles, while adding Elliott's prowess in pass blocking at the same time. The move seemed to be in the works for a while. Elliott is expected to take on a Damien Harris-type role in the Patriots offense, a role that saw Harris collect about 9-10 carries a game last season in 11 games. He ran for 4.36 YPA and added three TDs. Although older than Harris, Elliott could potentially see a similar workload, and he also has some pass-catching ability as well. Still, Elliott will likely be tough to trust even as a flex, at least early in the season until we see his role.

Terrace Marshall just took a front seat ride on a cart. Not sure what happened there. Didn’t seem like anything super dramatic.

Related players: D.J. Chark, Jonathan Mingo, Adam Thielen, Laviska Shenault

Other reports claimed HC Frank Reich said Marshall tweaked something in his back. Marshall has been a disappointment after getting second round draft capital in 2021. He's battling for a top-three spot on the re-made Panthers offense, but we put him behind Chark, Mingo and Thielen on our fantasy depth chart.

Patriots TE Mike Gesicki left practice early with an upper body injury.

Related players: Hunter Henry

The post said Gesicki got hurt on a tackling drill against LB Jahlani Tavai. Gesicki walked off in pain with the head trainer grabbing under his shoulder pads, and he didn't return. While Gesicki was starting to get noticed at camp recently, we still rank him 31st on our TE list and below Henry, who is 20th.

Colts RB Jonathan Taylor, who has been away from the team getting additional rehab on his ankle, is back today, source said.

Related players: Zack Moss, Evan Hull, Deon Jackson, Kenyan Drake

Taylor remains on PUP and his stance has not changed, and he wants a trade out of Indy. But, he has returned to the team, according to the rest of Rapoport's post. With Taylor out and Moss dealing with an arm injury, Hull and Jackson look to be later-round targets, at least for now.

Atlanta Falcons rookie running back Bijan Robinson is expected to make his debut Friday against Cincinnati, but even then don't expect a full gamut of what the No. 8 pick in this year's NFL draft can do.

"We're not going to go crazy," Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said. "We just need the reps. We need to get our bread-and-butter concepts in there and he'll see his tracks."

The story went on to say Smith said they'll give Robinson some of the basic stuff so he can feel the speed of facing another opponent in a game and have tackling in order to get him ready for Week 1 against Carolina. Robinson sat out the preseason opener against Miami along with many of the team's key players.

Sources: Ravens’ RB J.K. Dobbins, who has not yet practiced during training camp, is being activated today off the Physically Unable to Perform list.

Related players: Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, Melvin Gordon

The Ravens have been indicating Dobbins would return to the team sooner than later. Many feel Dobbins was "holding in" as he's been rumored to want a new contract. Because of his injury history, he could need to prove his worth in what is the final year of his rookie contract. Dobbins was impressive in the second half of the season after returning from injury, putting up rushing lines of 15-120-1, 13-125-0, 12-59-0 and 17-93-0. In the playoff game he rushed for 13-62, but also caught four balls for 43 yards and he's expected to be more involved in the Ravens new passing offense this season.

Tests confirmed Saints RB Kendre Miller suffered a knee sprain in Sunday's preseason win over the Chiefs, per source.

Related players: Alvin Kamara, Jamaal Williams

Pelissero added there is no need for surgery. He'll likely miss a little time, but there is optimism around the team the third-round pick will be ready Week 1. The Saints could opt to bring in another back, but still have Dwayne Washington and Adam Prentice on their roster at the moment.

Almost nine months after tearing his ACL and MCL, Cardinals TE Zach Ertz has been cleared for full football activity.

Related players: Trey McBride

Garafolo added Ertz is on track to play in Week 1, according to a source. The three-time Pro Bowler was on pace for 86 catches, 745 yards and 8 TDs before injuring his knee in Week 10, Garafolo went on to say. The Cards could ease Ertz back into play when the season starts, but this likely means McBride's stock is going to take a hit.

Rachaad White looks OK.

Knight posted a video of White doing individual drills, which is a great sign after he went down with a non-contact injury on Sunday. White, himself, posted on X he was 'fine' and told everyone to 'relax.'

Keeping Keaton Mitchell over Melvin Gordon. Gordon has looked good in training camp and showed some juice in the preseason opener. But Mitchell’s speed, elusiveness and return ability make him an intriguing prospect. With J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards eligible for free agency after the season, it makes more sense to keep a younger back.

Related players: Justice Hill

Gordon is 30, but despite looking pretty good up to this point he's considered on the bubble because teams usually side with youth. The story said it's possible the Ravens only keeps three RBs on the roster, but acknowledged there is plenty of injury history with Dobbins and Edwards. Of course, Dobbins remains out, but rumors and stories say his return to the team is close.

Rams receiver Cooper Kupp continues to be out of practice with an injury the Rams continue to downplay as “day-to-day.”

At one point, an impression was created that he would return for joint practices this week against the Raiders. On Sunday, coach Sean McVay created the impression that Kupp won’t be back.

“I would say it’s more likely that he will not, but I don’t have any clarity on that,” McVay said. “I would think Denver’s probably a more realistic goal but there is a chance. He’s feeling good and making good progress, but I don’t know if we’ll have him go this week.”

Hopefully the Rams are just playing it safe with Kupp, who missed the final eight games of the season a year ago. We'll likely know more next week when the Rams are scheduled to take part in joint practices with the Broncos.

Initial belief is that Kendre Miller avoided a major injury, which is a good thing, but we'll know for sure after further testing, per source.

Related players: Jamaal Williams, Alvin Kamara, Dwayne Washington, Adam Prentice

Miller is thought to have a knee sprain on the same knee he's been rehabbing during the offseason. Miller could miss some time, and with Kamara suspended to start the season, it leaves Williams as the RB1. Washington and Prentice are next up. If Miller has to miss a significant amount of time, the Saints could be in the mix to bring in another RB.

A year ago, Chandler won a roster spot after leading the Vikings in preseason rushing yards; if he could show a broader set of skills in 2023, he might be able to win the team's No. 2 running back job.

Related Players: Kene Nwangwu, DeWayne McBride

Alexander Mattison is for sure slated for the RB1 job but it's a stretch to expect him to garner the type of workload Dalvin Cook held on to for years. Chandler could sneak into a third down role and start popping more on fantasy radars

Raiders are signing former Chiefs’ RB Damien Williams, per his agent/

Related Players: Zamir White, Ameer Abdullah, Brandon Bolden

It's a good move by Las Vegas as the depth behind Josh Jacobs —who is still away from the team— was looking pretty thin. This is probably not very closely tied to Jacobs' holdout, so there's not much to take away here. Zamir White remains the "best" arbitrage pick for those looking to get a piece of this backfield.

On one of the first few days, offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey even used the term “three-down back” when speaking about Cook’s potential should he realize it. In practices, Cook continued to provide the team with plenty of reasons to be optimistic about both his outlook and role in their 2023 season. Cook went coast-to-coast as their unquestioned top running back at camp, displaying excellent pass-catching skills and a good knack for finding running lanes between the tackles.

Related Players: Latavius Murray, Damien Harris

Buscaglia continued, "Cook also separated himself from backups Damien Harris and Latavius Murray, with Murray giving Harris a run for the primary backup duties due to his performance."

Cook looks more destined than ever to take a true three-down role, and the upside in this Bills offense would be fantastic, even if his target share is lessened by Josh Allen's legs. Cook is climbing into bona fide RB2 range.

RB Marlon Mack is done for the season with an Achilles injury. Brutal injury for a guy who was here a few days.

Related Players: Keaontay Ingram, Corey Clement

Mack had a legitimate shot at earning the RB2 role in Arizona with a depth chart that is severely lacking. While Ingram could see more run in the short term, don't be surprised if the team is back on the hunt for a veteran presence.

The Ravens activated WR Rashod Bateman (foot) from the PUP list, and he’s on the field today.

Related Players: Odell Beckham, Zay Flowers

The Ravens have a chance at one of the top receiving trios in the league if they fall into some good injury luck, and this is a good step in that direction. Even with Todd Monken running the offense, it's unlikely that there will be enough targets going around to support all three guys having a great fantasy year, but there's a good chance they will all pop up from time to time. Rookie Zay Flowers is currently our highest ranked option as the WR43.

The Kansas City Chiefs expect running back Isiah Pacheco to play in their regular season opener against the Detroit Lions. Pacheco had offseason surgeries on his hand and shoulder. He has been a limited practice participant through camp and has yet to be cleared for contact.

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

Pacheco led the Chiefs in rushing last season as a rookie. He ran for 76 yards and a touchdown in the Super Bowl. Practically everyone in this backfield is worth a flier at their current ADPs, including late-round darts on UDFA Deneric Prince who has impressed in camp during Pacheco's absence. Pacheco himself still garners RB2 upside if he is indeed ready for the regular season.

The Kansas City Chiefs expect wide receiver Kadarius Toney to play in their regular season opener against the Detroit Lions. Toney tore his meniscus at the Chiefs' opening practice of training camp and subsequently had surgery. He has yet to return to practice.

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

The Chiefs are hopeful Toney, acquired from the New York Giants at midseason last year, can be their leading wide receiver. He played a big part in their Super Bowl LVII win over the Philadelphia Eagles, scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter and later setting up another with a 65-yard punt return. It would be nice to have some clarity on this WR room before Fantasy Draft Weekend, but it seems like we're just going to have to go with our gut and take whoever falls into the double-digit rounds. Skyy Moore currently seems like a good bet to beat his current 10.08 ADP.

The Lions are signing QB Teddy Bridgewater after a recent visit to Detroit. A new backup QB.

Related Players: Jared Goff, Nate Sudfeld, Hendon Hooker

The Lions are signing the 30-year-old quarterback after a July 24th visit and have been in talks with him since March. This solidifies the fact that we are unlikely to see Hendon Hooker in any capacity as he continues to recover from a torn ACL, but it provides a great opportunity for mentorship. Bridgewater has made 31 starts over the past three seasons and offers a great option without much of a dropoff if something were to happen to Goff.

Ravens WR Rashod Bateman, who remains on PUP (foot), ran on an adjacent field during training camp practice today. The former first-round pick moved well, and he could be getting close to returning.

On Friday, John Harbaugh said Bateman "has a chance to be out there pretty soon"

Related Players: Odell Beckham, Zay Flowers

The Ravens have a chance at one of the top receiving trios in the league if they fall into some good injury luck, and this is a good step in that direction. Even with Todd Monken running the offense, it's unlikely that there will be enough targets going around to support all three guys having a great fantasy year, but there's a good chance they will all pop up from time to time. Rookie Zay Flowers is currently our highest ranked option as the WR43.

Kareem Hunt is making a free agent visit to the Saints. With Alvin Kamara missing during his three-game suspension and Eno Benjamin suffering a torn Achilles, the team is looking for some more options.

Related Players: Jamaal Williams, Kendre Miller

The last two seasons we've seen Hunt with the ball in his hands, he's produced exceedingly inefficient rushes, so hopefully he's not chewing into Williams' role too much. As for the third-round rookie Miller, we could expect this signing to come to his detriment.

Skyy Moore has been with 1s every rep at training camp when KC has had 2 WRs. Rashee Rice/Justyn Ross has occasionally mixed in with 1s but overwhelmingly been with 2s. Things can change, of course, but every indication as of now is Moore is ahead of those two.

With the Chiefs receiver room remaining a giant question mark, any good news is going to be reacted to. As of now, Moore is still a WR4/5 in 4for4's projections but with the continued bad news surrounding Kadarius Toney, and now this, he may be finding himself higher with more news like this.

The Colts are signing RB Kenyan Drake, per his agency.

Related Players: Jonathan Taylor, Zack Moss, Evan Hull

With Taylor sidelined for what feels like an indefinite amount of time as it stands, Zack Moss is also out for 1-2 months with a broken forearm. Drake adds depth and probably impacts rookie Evan Hull's ability to see the field early in the year more than anything.

Saints RB Alvin Kamara will miss games against the Titans, Panthers, and Packers while serving his suspension. He can make his 2023 debut at home on Oct. 1 against the Bucs.

Related Players: Jamaal Williams, Kendre Miller, Eno Benjamin

With rumors floating of four, six, or even eight games, a three-game suspension seems like the best-case scenario. This actually makes Kamara a bargain as he was going in the middle of the seventh round, but this news will no doubt make that more expensive soon. Expect Jamaal Williams to carry a lot of the load, with Kendre Miller rotating in for most of the first month. Williams remains a good value all the way back in the ninth round.

Sam LaPorta has been taking first-team reps since Day 1 and doesn't look out of place at all. He's still got a lot to learn, but all indications are that he's a quick study and his receiving skills are really advanced for a young tight end. He's going to play a big role in this offense starting Week 1.

Related Players: Brock Wright, James Mitchell

You love to see it. For a team that set a tight end TD record despite trading away T.J. Hockenson halfway through the season, fantasy managers are expectedly excited for the rookie's fantasy prospects. Detroit TEs went for 784 yards on 93 targets last year. La Porta is firmly on streaming radars right out of the gate.

Much like his first two seasons, Kenneth Gainwell is the team’s featured running back during the two-minute drill.

Related Players: Rashaad Penny, D'Andre Swift

Though we've tried to make this work in fantasy before, it's very unlikely that Gainwell is going to be used enough to play outside of sneaky DFS Showdown slates. What is likely, is that Swift's role in this offense might be squeezed into a much smaller box than we think it's going to. With a healthy Penny being the early down back, Gainwell handling the two-minute drill, and Jalen Hurts running the ball instead of checking it down, you have to squint to see RB3 production for Swift.

Rams’ offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur on the status of WR Cooper Kupp, who hurt his hamstring this week: “He’s day-to-day. He'll be back in the right time and stuff like that. So he is just going through the rehab process, but he's day-to-day. He'll be alright.”

Related Players: Ben Skowronek, Van Jefferson, Puka Nacua

Kupp walked off the field earlier this week after he "came up a bit" during a red zone route. This is good news, though it wouldn't be surprising if the team shuts him down until closer to Week 1. If drafters are scared off of Kupp, and you find him past his 1.05/1.06 ADP, feel free to pounce.

Browns RB Jerome Ford was listed as inactive for the Hall of Fame game, alongside starting running back Nick Chubb.

Related Players: Demetric Felton, John Kelly

This is a good look for Jerome Ford, who has been forecasted as the RB2 in Cleveland throughout the preseason. Chubb should be the head and shoulders workhorse back for the Browns this season, but Ford's current ADP has him going all the way back in the 20th round. In deep leagues, Ford is absolutely worth a look.

While the Ravens have been going about business as usual on the field with Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, Melvin Gordon III and undrafted rookies Keaton Mitchell and Owen Wright. However, considering the massive role Dobbins could have in the Ravens offense this season and the installation of Todd Monken's new scheme, it's imperative that J.K. Dobbins gets in practice time before Week 1.

Per coach John Harbaugh, "You know, I don't know. It's a fair question, and there is a point in time when it does become a concern," Harbaugh said. "J.K. and I talked last night. We talk a lot. He wants to be out there, and he needs to be out there, just like any player does. Other than that, there's nothing else I can really add. I don't know when he's going to come back, but I know I'm going to be really happy when he does."

Things really feel like they're coming to a head here, with Dobbins still not participating in Ravens training camp. His status as a solid RB2 in fantasy football is teetering week-by-week.

Per Rodrigue, it’s a little more complicated than names on a list. Limited to just the No. 3 position written on paper, it might be between third-year receiver Tutu Atwell and rookie Puka Nacua. Nacua had a significant workload in spring OTAs despite his rookie status, and that has not changed. Over the next few weeks without Kupp, he’ll vault into an even larger role alongside the more veteran players.

Related Players: Demarcus Robinson, Ben Skowronek

Rodrigue also mentioned that even if Cooper Kupp were to miss extended time, it's unlikely that any one player would somehow take over his entire workload, which falls in line with what we saw in 2022. Veteran Atwell's path to the WR3 slot is dependent on him being able to "do it all," which is a tall task for a player of his stature.

As it stands, both Atwell and Nacua make for very interesting dart throws in best ball drafts, particularly when you already have Matthew Stafford rostered.

After missing camp and the first 11 games of his rookie season, while recovering from an ACL tear in his left knee, the second-year Detroit Lions receiver Jameson Williams will also sit the first six regular season games of 2023 due to suspension for violating the NFL’s gambling policy.
Lions coach Dan Campbell says they’ll “douse him with a ton of game reps” during the upcoming preseason contests against the New York Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Carolina Panthers.

Related Players: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Marvin Jones, Josh Reynolds, Denzel Mims

The article goes on; "Williams returned from a leg injury to participate in his first padded practice of the summer on Monday, struggling at times with drops and during 1-on-1s in the red zone."

With only 37 routes run through six truncated games to begin his career, it's obvious that this is not what Detriot had in mind when selecting him with the 12th-overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. If everything goes to plan during his time away from the team, Williams *should* be able to operate as the team's WR2 by the end of 2023, which will push down the veterans playing opposite St. Brown. Amon-Ra remains a very interesting selection in this year's fantasy drafts, but we'll have to slightly temper expectations in the back-half of the season with the return of Williams and the addition of receiving-game specialist rookie Jahmyr Gibbs.

While the Colts RB situation is in flux, rookie QB Anthony Richardson took all the first-team reps yesterday.

Related Players: Gardner Minshew

After flipping first-team reps with the veteran QB Minshew, Richardson has been seeing more rotation as the "starting" QB. This is still no guarantee that the rookie starts in Week 1, but it's at least a good sign that they feel the need to get him comfortable in that role. With so many question marks around Indianapolis, Richardson still isn't a leading option in typical 1QB leagues.

As for the trade demand, Jim Irsay’s been adamant: It’s not happening. Not now and not before the deadline in October. The team owns every bit of leverage here and has the option of placing the franchise tag on Jonathan Taylor each of the next two offseasons — a last-ditch outcome that would surely not be either side’s preference.

As Chris Ballard said recently, “The market is what the market is.”

Related Players: Zack Moss, Deon Jackson, Evan Hull, Jake Funk

With Taylor sidelined for what feels like an indefinite amount of time as it stands, Zack Moss is also out for 1-2 months with a broken forearm. The relationship between Taylor and the team feels like it's bordering on abject disaster, but if the Colts franchise tag him and he sits out anyways, he will only be hurting his own bank account.

Through no fault of Taylor's, the team doesn't want to pay a running back while not in "win-now" mode, but they also don't want to trade him for assets. JT's first-round capital should be faded in fantasy drafts, even if we get confirmation that he is staying in Indianapolis.

Jaguars’ HC Doug Pederson told reporters that WR Calvin Ridley has a toe injury and will be limited at practice.

Related Players: Christian Kirk, Zay Jones

Video from the same practice in question shows Ridley moving at full speed through individual drills. We'll keep an eye on the situation, but if the team were truly worried about it, he would likely be on the sideline. Continue to consider Ridley a WR2 with a ton of upside.

LA Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp underwent an MRI on his injured hamstring after leaving practice early Tuesday night, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter. The source said the Rams will be cautious with Kupp's injury but that he could be back "for scrimmages in a few weeks."

Related Players: Ben Skowronek, Van Jefferson, Puka Nacua

Kupp walked off the field with the training staff about 30 minutes into a two-hour workout at UC Irvine. Matthew Stafford and other players didn't see exactly what happened, but coach Sean McVay said he was told Kupp "came up a little bit in a red zone route."

The immediate feedback around the injury is that it's of minimal concern regarding his Week 1 availability. If Kupp starts to fall back into the back-half of the first round he would remain a great bargain.

Bengals RB Trayveon Williams, who was carted off at practice after suffering an injury during ball security drills, is believed to have suffered a mild ankle sprain. He’ll likely miss a couple of weeks, assuming tests confirm the initial diagnosis.

Related Players: Chase Brown, Chris Evans

With Samaje Perine in Denver, it's worth keeping an eye on the Bengals' RB2 situation. Williams, Brown, and Evans were each taken in the fifth round or later in the '19, '21, and '23 drafts, so nobody has a leg-up here in terms of draft capital. Evans might get the biggest boost in playing time here, but that would likely only be for one or two preseason games.