August 2024 4for4 Player News Articles

49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was shot in the chest during a robbery attempt.

Pearsall was on his way to a signing event when the attempt happened over a Rolex watch. Both Pearsall and the suspect were shot as there was a struggle over the gun, per Cunningham. Pearsall seems to be okay, per a tweet from 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel. An encouraging sign, certainly.

The 49ers are not trading star WR Brandon Aiyuk — he’s staying in SF with a massive extension.

Aiyuk is getting a front-loaded 4-year deal worth $120M. And yes, Aiyuk will now practice.

Related Players: Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Jauan Jennings

The sweat is over for fantasy managers, and those who grabbed Aiyuk in the 4th are feeling fantastic. The 49ers are set to be an incredible offense once again and Aiyuk should be an easy click in the 3rd round.

Sean McVay says Puka Nacua is practicing fully.

“He’ll be ready to roll.”

Related Players: Cooper Kupp, Demarcus Robinson, Jordan Whittington

There's been a lot of hand-wringing about Nacua's knee injury, and it has dropped him well out of the first round on many occasions. He remains a a fringe WR1 option if he heads into Week 1 fully healthy.

Mike Williams available in Week 1, Saleh says. Had a nice day in practice today, with 4/5 catches, per Saleh. So there you have it: Mike Williams will play vs SF.

Related Players: Garrett Wilson, Xavier Gipson, Malachi Corley

If everyone is healthy, namely Aaron Rodgers, the Jets could be interesting in fantasy for the first time in decades. Williams could carve out a role as a fantasy WR3 with upside for more.

On a conference call, NFL’s Jeff Miller day they are closely monitoring the situation for Chiefs WR Rashee Rice, saying they’ll follow the legal developments.

My read: With his legal situation not yet settled, Rice remains eligible to begin play this season.

Related players: Hollywood Brown, Xavier Worthy, Justin Watson, Skyy Moore

If no changes come soon in Rice's criminal case, there's a very good chance he is eligible through the entirety of the 2024 season. He is currently ranked as a back-end WR2 here at 4for4.

The Browns are releasing QB Tyler Huntley and signing RB D'Onta Foreman, source confirms.

Related Players: Jerome Ford, Pierre Strong, Nick Chubb

Well that didn't take long. For being cut so recently, he still has some fantasy value early in the season. Regardless, Ford should be the player we want, with a non-zero chance of being the No. 1 option for a vast majority of the season.

Patriots HC Jerod Mayo just informed his team that Jacoby Brissett will be New England’s Week 1 starting quarterback vs. the Bengals.

The favorite to start in the battle with rookie QB Drake Maye now gets the Week 1 nod. But Maye’s time is coming.

Maye's mobility should help alleviate some of the pressure this below-average line will create, but we'll have to wait to see it. Brissett should be kept on waiver wires during his starting stint.

WR Noah Brown signing with Commanders, per source. Will join active roster.

Washington gets much-needed receiver help.

Related Players: Terry McLaurin, Dyami Brown, Olamide Zaccheaus, Luke McCaffrey

Brown was sneakily productive as a Texan last season, notching games of 82, 153, and 172 yards while only appearing in ten matchups. On a thin wide receiver depth chart, he makes for an interesting late-round stab, particularly in best ball leagues as a stacking partner for Jayden Daniels.

Steelers have made their decision and Russell Wilson will be the starter for Week 1.

Related Players: Justin Fields

And the crowd goes mild. Wilson should only be considered in deep Superflex/2QB leagues, and there's no telling if he'll keep the job throughout the entirety of the season.

The Chiefs are signing veteran RB Samaje Perine to their active roster.

Related Players: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Carson Steele

This impacts CEH far more than it would seem at first glance. Perine is a legitimate, reliable third-down option, and should be kept in mind for fantasy managers finishing up drafts this weekend.

Among the notable claims:

#Bengals claimed DE KJ Henry
#Packers claimed K Brayden Narveson
#Dolphins claimed WR Grant DuBose
#Saints claimed KR/RB Kene Nwangwu

With Kendre Miller being entirely unable to stay on the field, Nwangwu could carve out a legitimate early-down role, even if he isn't usable in fantasy. Just one more knock against Miller at this point.

Four-time Pro Bowl RB Dalvin Cook is signing with the Cowboys.

Cook was waiting for the right opportunity and always felt it was Dallas. A marquee addition in Big D.

Related Players: Rico Dowdle, Ezekiel Elliott, Deuce Vaughn

Vaughn was a surprising "keep" on roster cut days, but this all but eradicates him from the touch share.

Cook figures to rotate in enough to make none of the top three options serviceable in fantasy, including Cook himself. In his 2023 stint with the Jets, he averaged 3.2 yards per carry and 2.21 yards after contact, a harbinger of what he brings to the table in Dallas.

Jordan Whittington may be utilized in a variety of ways by the Rams as the season progresses.

Whittington seems to be picking up a lot of steam over the recent days, drawing comparisons to Puka Nacua, with some suggesting a similar breakout season. While that remains to be seen, the author suggested Whittington could be used at running back, especially on sweeps and stretch plays. He'll be battling for WR3 snaps.

The Broncos couldn’t trade receiver Tim Patrick, so they cut him. It didn’t take him long to find a new home.

Patrick is joining the Lions’ practice squad, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Related players: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Kalif Raymond

Patrick has missed the past two seasons with injuries, tearing an ACL in training camp in 2022 and tearing an Achilles’ tendon in camp in 2023. Through this preseason, Patrick was back in action and had five catches for 44 yards and a TD. If Patrick is truly back to form, one could see him eventually taking over as the team's WR3 behind St. Brown and Williams.

The Cowboys cut RBs Royce Freeman and Malik Davis.

Related players: Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn

For about a week this summer, Freeman seemed to be the darling of the Cowboys backfield, but that quickly changed and those who follow the team pointed to Dowdle as the back who stood out the most at times in camp. Both Freeman and Davis could resign on the practice squad, however. While we don't know how the workload will be split, it looks like the Cowboys are going with Elliott and Dowdle. We do rank Elliott 34th and Dowdle 51st on our RB list.

Running back Elijah Mitchell went on season-ending injured reserve.

Related players: Christian McCaffrey, Jordan Mason, Isaac Guerendo, Matt Breida

Mitchell can only play this season if the 49ers reach an injury settlement with him and waive him from injured reserve, the story said. Mitchell has struggled to stay on the field but when he has played he's certainly impressed. Mason has had a good camp, according to reports and the team has praised his running style so he'll backup CMC. The team traded up to draft Guerendo, so there's a good chance he has a role this season as well.

Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is ready to go for the regular season.

Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor was asked today if he’s confident that Chase will play Week One against the Patriots, and Taylor answered with one word: “Yes.”

As the story explained, Chase skipped training camp practices because he’s unhappy with the Bengals not giving him the contract extension he’s seeking, but he returned to practice this week. Taylor said that Chase has looked great on the practice field, according to the story. Bengals ownership has said they didn't expect to get a deal done with Chase this season, but there could be some hope after CeeDee Lamb signed his deal this week.

Running back A.J. Dillon was placed on injured reserve and was not designated to return, meaning he is done for the year.

Dillon recently suffered another stinger and last week said he was awaiting test results. Head coach Matt LaFleur had said “absolutely there’s a concern” with Dillon’s injury, noting that Green Bay would proceed cautiously.

Related players: Josh Jacobs, MarShawn Lloyd, Emanuel Wilson, Ellis Merriweather

Dillon, 26, was expected to be the primary backup to running back Jacobs, and the team recently announced the rookie Lloyd will start the season on the PUP list and miss the first four games of the season at least. Wilson and Merriweather are now behind Jacobs, but it's possible the Packers will have to make a move at the position at least until Lloyd comes back.

As things stand right now, the Browns have just two running backs on the 53-man roster: Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong, Jr.

The team cut D'Onta Foreman.

Related players: Nick Chubb

Yates said if the team intends to bring back Foreman, it could re-sign him without him going to waivers. With Chubb still on the PUP list, Yates speculates it could be a case of roster juggling as the team works through other position crunches. It would be hard to believe the team wouldn't bring back Foreman to run with Ford and Strong while they wait for Chubb to return to the lineup.

The Chiefs are cutting Deneric Prince, per a league source.

Related players: Isiah Pacheco, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Carson Steele

The Chiefs will ride with Pacheco, CEH and Steele as their top-three RBs heading into the season. Steele's play was impressive enough that the team was able to cut Prince as a result.

On a day of players getting cut, here’s a fun story of one guy who made it: RB/FB Carson Steele is on the Chiefs’ initial 53-man roster.

Related players: Isiah Pacheco, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Deneric Prince, Keaontay Ingram

Steele is certainly a name to watch. Pacheco seems like the only safe bet on the roster at RB at this point. Despite the team's use of CEH in the past, someone like Steele could continue the climb up the depth chart and be fantasy relevant. We put him as the team's RB3 at this point. As part of cuts today, the team did let go of Prince.

Saints RB Kendre Miller is expected to begin the year on injured reserve, making the position a bit more of a concern entering the season.

Related players: Alvin Kamara, Jamaal Williams, Jordan Mims

Most of the RB duties are likely to fall on Kamara and Williams. The team also let go James Robinson, leaving Mims as the perhaps the team's RB3. It's possible the Saints will have to make another move at RB before the start of the season.

Kadarius Toney’s time with the Chiefs has come to an end.

According to multiple reports, Kanas City is waiving Toney on Tuesday.

Related players: Rashee Rice, Hollywood Brown, Xavier Worthy, Justin Watson, Skyy Moore

Reports say the Chiefs had been looking for a trade partner for Toney. Toney struggled in 2023 with multiple drops leading to interceptions, the story pointed out. The Chiefs will be fine at WR with youngsters like Rice, Worthy and Moore.

A bit of a shocker: Panthers are releasing WR Terrace Marshall.

Related players: Diontae Johnson, Adam Thielen, Xavier Legette, Jonathan Mingo

Some who follow the team thought Marshall was having a good camp and potentially turning things around for himself. But, the Panthers paid a lot of attention to the WR position the last couple of years. They traded for Johnson this spring after signing Thielen the previous year. Also this spring, they drafted Legette at the end of the first round, after selecting Mingo the previous season, that left Marshall buried down the depth chart.

Tight end Tyler Higbee will miss at least the first four games of the Rams’ season.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Higbee will remain on the team’s physically unable to perform list when they make their cuts to an initial 53-man roster.

Related players: Colby Parkinson

Higbee is recovering from the torn knee ligaments he suffered in the team’s playoff loss to the Lions in January, the story said. With Higbee out, Parkinson is a name to watch out for at the position, and has been getting some attention during the later rounds of drafts.

Colts tight end Jelani Woods will miss his second consecutive season.

Woods is going on season-ending injured reserve, according to TheAthletic.com.

Related players: Kylen Granson, Mo Alie-Cox, Andrew Ogletree

Last year Woods missed the entire season with a hamstring injury. This year he’s out with a toe injury, the story said. There were high hopes for Woods this season as reports said he could take over the team's TE1 spot. The Colts will look to Granson, Alie-Cox or Ogletree will step up. Reports from earlier this summer said the Colts could use a lot of multiple-TE sets in 2024.

Wide receiver Mike Williams is set for his next step back to a full workload on Tuesday.

Jets head coach Robert Saleh said, via multiple reporters, that Williams will begin working in team drills for the first time since signing with the team as a free agent this offseason. Williams is returning from the torn ACL he suffered while playing for the Chargers last season.

Williams remains on schedule as reports over the past two weeks pointed to Williams getting back to team drills this week. Now, Williams and the Jets have a little under two weeks before they open the regular season against the 49ers on Monday, Sept. 9. Williams is expected to slide right into the team's WR2 spot when he's ready to go.

Minnesota is leaving TE T.J. Hockenson on the Physically Unable to Perform List.

Related players: Josh Oliver, Robert Tonyan, Johnny Mundt

Hockenson will miss the first four games of the season, but even after that it seems like a long shot Hock will be back for Week 5. The Vikings have a bye in Week 6, so a more realistic timetable, according to reports, is more likely to be sometime after the team's bye week.

Baltimore is expected to leave RB Keaton Mitchell on the Physically Unable to Perform List, which means he will be ineligible to play the first four games of the season.

Related players: Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, Rasheen Ali

Mitchell burst onto the scene last year and was a very popular pickup that paid off for a couple of weeks before he went down for the season. Hill will likely get the call to compliment Henry, and Ali could get a chance as well. Ali was a popular, late-round dynasty name this past spring.

Marshawn Lloyd is expected to start the season on IR -- they can do that now without missing 2024.

Related players: Josh Jacobs, A.J. Dillon

Lloyd is a rookie who injured his hamstring in the first preseason game. He was expected to slide right into the team's RB2 role behind Jacobs. But, that role looks like it now goes back to Dillon, who was unimpressive last year behind Aaron Jones. Lloyd will miss the first four games of the season.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Panthers will leave Jonathon Brooks on the non-football injury list for the start of the regular season. That will remove him from the active roster and will leave him ineligible to play in the first four games of the regular season.

Related players: Miles Sanders, Chuba Hubbard, Mike Boone, Raheem Blackshear, Jaden Shirden

Brooks tore his ACL during his final season at Texas, but the Panthers still selected him in the second round in April, the story said. The story added the team was hoping to have Brooks back by Week 3 or 4, but are taking it slow with him. Hubbard should be the guy to own in terms of fantasy with Sanders also getting his work. Brooks is still expected to be back, and is very likely to take over the RB1 role at some point soon after his return.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that running back Dalvin Cook is heading to Dallas on Monday night to meet with the team.

Related players: Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, Royce Freeman, Deuce Vaughn.

As the story said, Cook was coming off shoulder surgery last year, so the Cowboys may be hoping he can rediscover his form and bolster their running back group. The Cowboys were expected to make moves at RBs long before now, but instead opted to bring back Elliott and Dowdle. For the most part, those who follow the team lean toward a split between the two as far as workload goes, which isn't all that exciting from a fantasy perspective. This news could cause a lot of owners to pickup Cook off the wire, but it remains to be seen if the Cowboys sign him, and if they do, what's left in his tank. Keep in mind, Cook hasn't drawn a lot of interest up to this point.

Titans are sending QB Malik Willis to the Packers in exchange for a 2025 seventh-round pick, per sources.

Related players: Sean Clifford, Mason Rudolph, Jordan Love, Will Levis

Willis is now likely to back up Love while the move pushes Clifford out as the Packers QB2. In Tennessee, Rudolph looks to be the Titans QB2 behind Levis.

With significant depth and talent at WR, Broncos are moving on from popular veteran Tim Patrick, per source.

Related players: Courtland Sutton, Josh Reynolds, Marvin Mims, Troy Franklin

The post went on to say the Broncos are currently exploring trade possibilities for Patrick, who is generating strong interest on market in advance of Tuesday’s roster cutdown deadline. This move could be good news for players like Reynolds, Mims and the rookie Franklin. It wasn't that long ago that some who follow the team suggested Franklin wouldn't have a big role but that could change with the departure of Patrick, and if he can win the WR3 job. Sutton and Reynolds seem pretty locked into the top-two spots.

The Broncos are expected to move on from respected 8-year veteran RB Samaje Perine, sources say.

Related players: Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, Audric Estime

The team is engaged in a number of trade conversations around Perine and it could be a trade, rather than a release, the story went on to say. Williams is expected to be the team's RB1 but McLaughlin has flashed enough in the past that the Broncos seem pretty comfortable with him in a key RB role behind Williams. Factor in the team drafted Estime and the running back room was pretty crowded in Denver.

CeeDee Lamb will be back for the start of the season.

According to multiple reports, Lamb and the Cowboys have agreed to a four-year contract extension to end the receiver’s holdout.

The story went on to say initial reports indicate Lamb’s deal is worth $136 million, which includes $100 million guaranteed with a $38 million signing bonus. That means Lamb will get an average annual value of $34 million, which is just below the $35 million Justin Jefferson received earlier in the offseason, the story added. Lamb is often the top receiver off the boards in drafts this year, and as we point out, things are mostly unchanged in the Dallas offense. We project Lamb for a monster season with a line of 119-1,563-10.9.

Jaylen Warren says he expects to play Week 1 against the Falcons.

Related players: Najee Harris, Cordarrelle Patterson

Warren says his hamstring is feeling much better. Owners will still want to hear this team from HC Mike Tomlin or from the team before counting on Warren in Week 1. However, it's good news he feels he's trending in the right direction. Warren should continue to have a role, but still share time with Harris in the Steelers offense. The addition of Patterson could complicate things in terms of fantasy, especially in terms of pass catching and third down work.

Jerod Mayo, on The Greg Hill Show, says Ja'Lynn Polk "has a chance to be a really good football player."

The news on Polk has been positive all summer. The post went on to say Mayo also praised Polk's leadership ability. Daniels shared his own opinion of Polk, saying, "I think the Patriots found a good one with Polk. He's just been so consistent this summer." Those who follow the team say Polk should be a top-three receiver from the start, with some saying he could even emerge as the team's WR1.

Multiple teams have reached out to the Texans to see if WR John Metchie III would be available in trade.

As the post pointed out, the Texans have a "plethora of receivers" on their roster. The post added it's unclear if Houston would move him, but several team are keeping a close eye, according to Schultz. Metchie certainly has the pedigree. He's a former second round pick out of Alabama and had 10 catches for 100 yards and a TD in the preseason. He missed all of 2022 battling Leukemia.

Patriots quarterback, and presumptive Week 1 starter, Jacoby Brissett suffered a shoulder injury during his lone drive of Sunday night’s preseason finale, at Washington. Coach Jerod Mayo sounded mostly positive after the game, but there was a potential caveat in Mayo’s comments.

“He would’ve been able to continue,” Mayo said, initially.

Related players: Drake Maye

Mayo did add that the team would have to see how Brissett is feeling Monday and that often times a player will be more sore the next day vs. in the moment. While Maye was seemingly making a move late in camp with his play, most around the team feel Brissett will be the Week 1 starter.

At the start of training camp, Browns General Manager Andrew Berry said that running back Nick Chubb still had “a little ways to go” before being fully cleared to return from last year’s season-ending knee injury.

Chubb reportedly still has a bit more to do before he gets that green light. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Chubb is expected to remain on the physically unable to perform list into the regular season.

Related players: Jerome Ford, Pierre Strong, D’Onta Foreman, Aidan Robbins, Jacob Saylors, Nyheim Hines

As the story points out, this would make Chubb ineligible to play in the first four games of the regular season and he would not count against the 53-man roster until he is activated from the list. Ford should have a pretty big role in the running game to at least start the season while Strong looks like a change of pace back. Foreman could get his share of carries as well, however, and has been a thorn in the side to fantasy owners over the last three years with the Bears, Panthers and Titans. Foreman has scored a total of 12 rushing TDs over that span, stealing work from the likes of Chuba Hubbard and Khalil Herbert.

49ers first-round rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (shoulder) is expected to return to practice Monday.

Pearsall had been dealing with a shoulder injury that initially landed him on the non-football injury list. He returned during camp only to aggravate the injury again and be back on the sidelines. His return to practice Monday is a good sign for him being able to play in the 49ers' opener against the Jets on September 9. He's a very deep fantasy option as he gets back up to speed after missing a good chunk of practice time.

Patriots QB Jacoby Brissett is questionable to return to Sunday's preseason game against the Commanders with a shoulder injury.

Brissett went down early in the first quarter on a sack and was replaced by Drake Maye. Being it's the last preseason game, Brissett almost certainly won't be back. Maye led a drive that included going 5-for-6 for 71 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter. Brissett will likely start Week 1 against the Bengals, but it's only a matter of time before the No. 3 overall pick of April's draft takes the reigns.

Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase participated in practice Sunday for the first time this summer.

Chase has been in person at practice but did not participate other than individual work and walk-throughs in the midst of him seekkkg a new contract with two years left on his rookie deal. Chase is expected to practice all week. The Bengals open their season in two weeks against the Patriots. Chase is currently our No. 6 wide receiver.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said Saturday he hopes rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (shoulder) will be ready to play when the team opens the regular season Monday, September 9 against the New York Jets.

Pearsall has only practiced for about a week and did not play in any of the 49ers’ three preseason games. He started training camp on the non-football injury list, returned to practice for a week before re-aggravating the injury.

"We'll see how he is this week,” Shanahan said of Pearsall. “Hoping he gets into practice this week, and if he does, that's a pretty good sign that he could be available for then." With Pearsall hurt and Brandon Aiyuk still on his “hold in”, Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings are running as the top outside options for Brock Purdy. There are 16 days until the 49ers’ opener.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said he will make a decision on the starting quarterback “by the end of the work week.”

"We've got three days of Steelers versus Steelers work and why not do it then?" Tomlin said.. "It kind of minimizes the Steelers versus Steelers work when we start making decisions prior to the completion of that. We've got ample time to prepare for Atlanta and make whatever decisions or announcements regarding divisional labor or pecking orders and so forth.

Russell Wilson and Justin Fields have both gone through ups and downs throughout the preseason, neither seemingly taking a hold of the job over the other. Whoever lands the job will face the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1, a team that has recently added veterans Matt Judon and Justin Simmons.

The NFL has suspended Cardinals WR Zay Jones the first five games of the regular season for violating the personal conduct policy.

Related Players: Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch, Trey McBride

This likely eradicates any worries about Wilson being the WR2, but that may have been inevitable regardless. He should be in the WR4/5 range for fantasy drafters.

Colts TE Jelani Woods underwent successful surgery today for turf toe and will miss about four months. The team is hopeful that Woods can return around Christmas in time for a playoff push.

Related Players: Kylen Granson, Mo Alie-Cox, Drew Ogletree

The Colts TE carousel continues. This should theoretically open the door for someone else to receive a heightened target share, but it's not enough to aim for any of the other options in typical redraft leagues.

Bills HC Sean McDermott said there is optimism both WR Curtis Samuel and WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling could get back for Week 1, but he did not want to commit all the way to it because all injury situations are still "murky" at the moment.

Related Players: Keon Coleman, Khalil Shakir, Mack Hollins, KJ Hamler

This WR room doesn't need any more setbacks, so let's hope that they're both ready to go for Week 1 as a rotational piece (Valdes-Scantling) and a do-it-all option (Samuel). In a fully healthy season, there would be a good chance that Samuel could lead the position group in targets.

The Browns are trading K Cade York to the Commanders for a conditional seventh-rounder. So an early deal as trade market heats up with cutdown looming.

Related Players: Dustin Hopkins

York and Hopkins can now be placed into the streaming considerations.

A rare in-division trade: Washington is sending former first-round pick Jahan Dotson and a fifth-round pick to the Eagles in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick and two seventh-round picks.

Related Players: Terry McLaurin, Luke McCaffrey, Dyami Brown, Johnny Wilson

On paper, Dotson is now downgraded from a team's WR2 to a WR3, though we could see a similar amount of spike weeks in the Eagles passing attack.

One of McCaffrey or Brown should now have a shot at lining up in 2WR sets, which makes them interesting late-round dart throws in drafts. Zach Ertz and Ben Sinnott also both get slight boosts, as they may be more involved in the receiving game, while rookie Johnny Wilson's bid for a WR3 designation definitely seems out the window.

Expected but official: Broncos HC Sean Payton officially has named rookie first-round pick Bo Nix as Denver’s new No. 1 QB.

Nix is now slated to start opening day in Seattle against the Seahawks.

It's a good sign that he's been announced a couple of weeks out from the regular season kickoff, but his pass-catching group is less than stellar. He could have a rough go of it in Year 1, but we'll see if he progresses into someone who will be on our streaming radar.

The Patriots are nearing a decision on their starting QB. Jerod Mayo said the team should know who it’ll be Monday night.

“It’s still a competition and Jacoby (Brissett) is still QB1,” Mayo said.

Related Players: Drake Maye

The decision shouldn't impact typical redraft leagues, but if Maye can take the job from Week 1, he presents an interesting floor-play for Superflex/2QB leagues.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill is apparently dealing with a minor thumb injury that will keep him out of most, if not all, of Wednesday’s joint practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Related Players: Jaylen Waddle, River Cracraft, Malik Washington, Odell Beckham

Hill has been spotted wearing a brace on his injured hand, but head coach Mike McDaniel said he is not concerned about his availability for Week 1. Keep drafting him as a top-end fantasy asset.

The Eagles released veteran TE C.J. Uzomah.

Related Players: Grant Calcaterra, Albert Okwuegbunam

It's tough to say who would benefit if Dallas Goedert missed any time, but it looks like the team is content with rolling Calcaterra and Albert O if Goedert leaves the field. Neither should be on fantasy radars.

Jelani Woods is expected to undergo surgery on his toe, according to a source.

Related players: Kylen Granson, Mo Alie-Cox

There is no word on how long Woods will be out but it's a big blow to his fantasy stock. Woods was expected to grab the Colts TE1 job but had an up and down camp and never really stood out like he was expected to. Granson and Alie-Cox are up next and the Colts are expected to use several tight ends this year, according to a report from a few weeks ago, but it remains to be seen just who stands out for fantasy purposes.

Jalen Nailor has been a star in training camp so far and in both preseason games. He’s locked up the WR3 spot and it hasn’t been close.

Related players: Jordan Addison

Nailor’s biggest issue since being drafted has been his durability, but when healthy he’s shown he’s capable of WR3 duties, the story went on to say. The emergence of Nailer will allowed Addison to play in the slot, and the story suggested he could be more effective there. With TE T.J. Hockenson not expected to play in the beginning of the season, Nailer could develop some fantasy value.

Saints running back Alvin Kamara returned to practice Tuesday, according to multiple reports.

Kamara had not practiced in more than a week because of back tightness, which coach Dennis Allen said Aug. 13 wasn’t a big deal, the story said. Speculation suggested Kamara was doing a "hold-in" since he skipped the final practice of the mandatory minicamp in June as a way of showing his displeasure over his contract situation. He was a regular at camp before the injury, however.

Campbell on Jahmyr Gibbs: "Our plan is to get him going next week."

Related players: Sam LaPorta

Campbell was quoted in the post saying about Gibbs, "He's trending the right way and we're hoping the day after the Pittsburgh game, we're gonna get a lot of guys back." Included in Campbell's quote, and also according to the post, is TE Laporta. Gibbs and LaPorta are both dealing with hamstring injuries.

The Dolphins have another injury concern, this time with one of their star players.

According to multiple reporters on the scene, receiver Tyreek Hill was on the field for Tuesday’s practice but did not catch passes while wearing a brace on his right hand.

Head coach Mike McDaniel is not slated to speak with the media again until Wednesday — which is when he will presumably be asked about Hill’s injury, the story said. Hopefully it's just a precautionary move on the part of Hill and the Dolphins, but we may not know more until Wednesday.

Ja’Lynn Polk likely will be one of the starting wide receivers when Week 1 arrives, at least until Kendrick Bourne returns from injury. Polk’s training camp hasn’t been spectacular or filled with other-worldly catches, but he has been consistent and done enough for the quarterbacks to trust him.

Demario Douglas probably has been the best wide receiver, but Polk isn’t far behind. He might start behind K.J. Osborn on the depth chart, but optimism is high around the second-round pick out of Washington.

Related players: Javon Baker

While optimism is high around Polk, it sounds like even if he doesn't get a starting job out of the gate, it should only be a matter of time. Meanwhile, fourth round pick Baker started strong, but looks to be further down the depth chart after a tough stretch, according to the rest of the story. Baker is dealing with drops in practice and running with the fourth-string QB at times. The story said he'll likely start as the team's WR4 or WR5.

“I think from a mental and physical standpoint, right now where [Kyler Murray is] at, to even when he got back last year or even where he finished last year, I think he’s leaps and bounds ahead,” Jonathan Gannon said to Adam Schein of Mad Dog Sports Radio.

Gannon’s first year in Arizona was made more difficult by Murray’s return from the torn ACL he suffered during the 2023 season, the story said. So, Murray had to spend last summer rehabbing and missed the first part of the season. This summer has been much smoother, the story pointed out, and Murray can focus on football vs. rehabbing. As a result, Murray is seventh on our QB list.

Tank Bigsby looking like an entirely new back in 2024 continued to build on his second-year ascension in today’s practice with two explosive rushes and probably another 4-5 solid gains throughout the 11-on-11 teams period. He then added the cherry on the top with a receiving touchdown in 7-on-7 redzone.

Related players: Travis Etienne

The story added this at the end of the blurb about Bigsby: "For all the fantasy football players who were worried about Tank siphoning work from Etienne, it’s possible you may just have been a season early." Etienne is still ranked 8th among our running backs heading into drafts, so Etienne should be fine. However, Bigsby should maybe be on your list as a late-round target as a handcuff.

This is a big week for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterbacks. It’ll be the first week that Russell Wilson can go in practice without restrictions. As such, it’ll give the Pittsburgh coaches their first real side-by-side look at Wilson and Justin Fields. And while the Steelers have maintained that Wilson’s in pole position, Fields has had a lot more reps this summer in new coordinator Arthur Smith’s offense than Wilson has.

Breer went on to say the offense as a whole has struggled, with some moving parts on the line and depth issues at receiver. Breer added the coaches are playing the starters more in preseason games as a result, to try to give the players a shot to work through their growing pains now, rather than doing it in September. But it hasn’t helped make the quarterback picture any less murky to this point, the story went on to say.

Ravens tight end Mark Andrews remained out of practice on Monday.

Andrews was involved in a car accident last Wednesday and the team said that he suffered no “apparent injury” at the time. On Monday, however, head coach John Harbaugh said that Andrews is dealing with something “very minor” and the team will take it slow in bringing him back to the field.

Andrews is expected to travel with the team to Green Bay for joint practices with the Packers later this week. The Ravens will then close out the preseason against the Packers over the weekend, the story said. Harbaugh was quoted in the story, saying, "We’re not messing with it right now. Don’t worry about Mark."

Curtis Samuel is also considered week-to-week with a turf toe injury.

Owners of Samuel may want to follow this injury closely leading up to the season. With it being called week-to-week, it's fair to wonder what his status will be for Week 1. Given the Bills have reworked their WR room, Samuel certainly has some fantasy potential in this offense. In fact, we list him as the team's WR1 on our fantasy depth charts heading into the season.

Jets receiver Mike Williams returned to practice Aug. 7 when he passed his physical. But he has only participated in individual drills at practice, while running routes on the side as he works his way back from a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Williams said Monday that he expected to be cleared for team drills soon.

Williams was quoted in the story, saying, “I think next week I’m going to be doing some team. Just getting in the rhythm of doing things with the team and lining up and going through some plays.” This falls in line with what we reported last week that Williams was a couple weeks away from team drills. When he's ready to go, he'll line up as the team's WR2 and a WR3 overall for fantasy, but comes with risks.

Justin Herbert practicing for the first time since July.

Last week reports said Herbert was out of his walking boot and today there was a video of him throwing in warmups. Herbert is dealing with plantar fascia, but hopefully looks to be back on track to play in Week 1. We'll likely know more based on his activity in practices going forward, but for now seems to be heading in the right direction.

Parris Campbell had the inside track for the Philadelphia Eagles third wide receiver job when training camp started. He has some catching up to do.

A groin injury sidelined Campbell for several practices as Britain Covey, Johnny Wilson, and John Ross emerged as candidates for the third wide receiver job. In terms of the pecking order, Covey and Wilson have passed Campbell.

Related players: Dallas Goedert

Campbell seemed like a sure-thing to land this job much of the spring but now injuries may cost him a spot on the team. The Eagles WR3 traditionally hasn't been a huge fantasy factor anyway the last several years, mostly because Goedert is the better target at TE. It may be worth watching Wilson, however. Reports are the rookie is having a good camp so far.

Now official: The Commanders are rolling with No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels as their starting QB, coach Dan Quinn said.

Last year, Derrick Klassen of Reception Perception identified C.J. Stroud as the most accurate passer in last year's draft class. Guess who charted the best this year? That's right, the so-called "running quarterback" Daniels. Klassen does have some reservations about Daniels' willingness to throw over the middle of the field, but two things are true: 1) Daniels is an accurate passer, and 2) he's going to rack up the rushing yards. John Paulsen's rookie quarterback model predicts 43.9 rushing yards per game for Daniels, which is the third-highest expectation in the 97-player sample behind only Lamar Jackson and Cam Newton. Jackson didn't start until Week 11 of his rookie season, but he was the fantasy QB8 the rest of the way. Newton was the QB3 as a rookie. Rounding out the top five in expected rushing yards were Jalen Hurts (QB8 in his first season as the starter) and Vince Young (QB9 as a rookie). See where this is headed?

Who emerges as the No. 2 running back? On the early downs, Trey Sermon probably needs to be viewed as the favorite there, although a hamstring injury in the preseason opener opened the door for some valuable practice reps to the likes of Evan Hull and Tyler Goodson. The overall running back depth chart remains very much “in pencil” with Jonathan Taylor the obvious bellcow.

There aren't a lot of household names behind Taylor. Even though Hull was a rookie last year who missed most of the season, it looks like Sermon could open up as the backup to Taylor. Given Taylor has had his share of injuries over his career, targeting his handcuff late in drafts may be a good idea.

Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye remain in competition to be the Patriots’ starting quarterback when the regular season starts against the Bengals on September 8.

That’s the word from Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo, who said today that he hasn’t decided whether Brissett or Maye will start Week 1, and won’t decide until after the preseason finale.

As the story said, it's a departure from what Mayo was saying for most of the offseason, when he has indicated that Brissett is the starter and Maye is still developing. But Mayo said today that he likes the progress Maye has made. Maye has certainly made a move over the past several days with his play, however, the story added Brissett is still probably the favorite to start Week 1.

According to multiple reporters on the scene, Matthew Stafford is participating in Monday’s practice.

HC Sean McVay said he was not concerned about Stafford missing the Week 1 game against Detroit, but Stafford getting back on the field is nevertheless a good sign, the story went on to say. Stafford had to exit last week’s joint session with the Cowboys and then did not practice or play for the rest of the week — though he would not have been on the field for Saturday’s exhibition matchup with the Chargers anyway, the story added.

Despite having a quiet training camp amidst reports of struggles, the team is invested in Franklin’s continued development, and they are in a position where they don’t need him to be a No. 1, 2, or 3 right away as a rookie. He’ll likely redshirt or play some special teams.

Related players: Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, Marvin Mims, Josh Reynolds, Devaughn Vele, Jalen Virgil

Franklin was more of a dynasty name this offseason but the hope was he'd quickly establish himself in a Broncos WR group that isn't necessarily loaded in terms of big names. The story said this is a position that could see five, six, or seven players on the 53-man roster. The writer says HC Sean Payton values size, and he has that with Sutton, Patrick, Reynolds, and Vele. He also values speed, which he gets from Mims, Virgil, Vele, and Franklin. Either way, it doesn't sound like Franklin will have a big fantasy impact at least early on this season.

I left Kimani Vidal off my 53-man roster projection after Week 1 of the preseason. My grade at that stage was “incomplete.” He had missed a week of practice, including the joint session with the Rams, before not playing in the preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks. You have to earn your spot in the NFL, and that will especially be the case under Harbaugh. Vidal had a strong week of practice last week. He followed that up with a solid performance in his first game action. I have moved him ahead of Isaiah Spiller and onto the 53-man in my running projection.

Related players: Gus Edwards, J.K. Dobbins, Jaret Patterson

If you remember, we reported on this a few weeks ago when this writer left Vidal off the team's 53-man roster. Vidal was at least a popular dynasty selection up to this point, given the Chargers state at RB. However, Vidal looks to be making a move up the depth chart with solid, recent practices and preseason game showing. Edwards and Dobbins appear to be leading the way at the position with Patterson also having a nice camp. Vidal looks like he still has a lot of work to do to at least be the team's RB3.

Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix turned in a fine preseason performance on Sunday night, but he hasn’t earned the Broncos’ starting job. Yet.

Denver head coach Sean Payton said after the game that he liked what he saw from Nix but isn’t making any announcements about who the starting quarterback is.

“He’s played well. I’m not announcing any starting quarterback tonight,” Payton said. “I’ll let you guys know when the time comes. I thought he played well.”

Related players: Jarrett Stidham, Zach Wilson

Payton said he also liked what Stidham and Wilson did in the preseason win over the Packers, but that could be coach-speak. The story opined that it's hard to believe Nix won't be the starter as he's been trending up as of late.

Steelers RB Jaylen Warren is out multiple weeks with a hamstring injury.

His status for Week 1 against the Falcons is up in the air. Warren suffered the injury during Saturday’s preseason game against the Buffalo Bills.

Warren had a breakout season last year with over 1,000 total yards, including 61 receptions for 370 and averaged over five yards per carry. Najee Harris will step back into the lead role for the Steelers with a chance to prove himself after the team declined to pick up his fifth-year option this offseason. Cordarrelle Patterson will also be in the mix.

The Raiders have named Gardner Minshew as their starting quarterback.

Head coach Antonio Pierce made the announcement Sunday after a camp battle between Minshew and Aidan O’Connell. It was a close battle all the way through. Both threw for just under 100 yards Saturday against the Cowboys. In the end, the veteran wins out. The Raiders gave Minshew $15 million guaranteed in free agency after he nearly led the Colts to the playoffs last season. Minshew and the Raiders open the season September 8 against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Bills WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling suffered a neck sprain during Saturday’s preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

X-rays were negative for MVS, a positive sign after the receiver left the game on a cart. His status for this week is uncertain. MVS is reportedly squarely on the roster bubble. It’s great to hear his injury isn’t that serious but time will tell if he is still on the team come roster cuts.

Steelers running back Jaylen Warren suffered a hamstring injury during Saturday’s preseason game against the Buffalo Bills and is doubtful to return.

Warren had three touches (including two receptions) for 15 yards before the injury occurred. If Warren misses any time, Najee Harris will have a chance to show he can still be a solid option for the Steelers after the team declined his fifth-year option earlier this offseason. We’ll update Warren’s status as more news comes out.

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris told the media Saturday that rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will not play in the remainder of the preseason.

"We feel really good with where we're at with Michael," Morris said, via McElhaney. "Mike showed us, last week, enough that we don't have to play him in the preseason." As a result, Penix did not play Saturday against the Ravens and will not play Friday against the Jaguars. Penix threw for 104 yards on 9-of-16 passing in his preseason debut. The question now becomes when will we see Penix play again. Kirk Cousins isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The Falcons had raved about Penix since before the draft and this quote is just the latest example.

The #Bengals agreed to terms on a three-year, $16.5 million extension with K Evan McPherson, per his agents.

McPherson will earn $10 million in new money in the first year of the deal, highest ever for a three-year kicker extension.

Money Mac is currently ranked as a top-10 fantasy kicker per 4for4's rankings.

Kyle Shanahan is hopeful that Ricky Pearsall will be ready for Week 1 for 49ers.

Related Players: Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings

With no movement yet —or possibly at all— on the Aiyuk front, it seems unlikely that the rookie will make much of a fantasy impact unless someone in the offense misses time. He's an interesting (very) late-round dart throw, but nothing more for now.

Patriots HC Jerod Mayo says "the competition isn't over" for the starting quarterback job in Week 1.

Mayo said that Drake Maye has made strides, but he wants to see the whole operation be faster with Maye at QB.

Related Players: Jacoby Brissett

Maye showed some of his rushing ability when finding the end zone and 15 yards on four attempts. He's still a stay-away in a questionable offense for redraft leagues but would be more intriguing in 2QB/Superflex if we knew he was a good bet to start all 17 games.

Bengals RB Chris Evans suffered a torn patellar tendon during today’s practice, and he will miss the entire regular season.

Just a devastating blow for the former Michigan star, who was having a strong camp with Cincinnati.

Related Players: Zack Moss, Chase Brown, Trayveon Williams

It seemed as if Evans were on the outside looking in on the roster bubble, but this injury will clear the way for Williams to presumably lock in a spot. Hopefully Evans has a smooth recovery and finds a team for the 2025 season.

It’s a “mild calf injury” for Jaguars WR Christian Kirk, per Doug Pederson. He won’t practice vs Bucs today.

Related Players: Gabe Davis, Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington

Doesn't seem like anything too serious but also seems like Kirk won't be practicing for the rest of the week. We'll keep an eye on the situation, but no reason to push Kirk down your draft boards quite yet.

Update on Jordan Addison: Injured his ankle, unlikely to practice tomorrow but Kevin O'Connell doesn’t believe it to be serious

“I think he’s going to be OK,” KOC said after practice.

Related Players: Justin Jefferson, Jalen Nailor

Just brutal injury luck for the Vikings over the last couple of days. The WR depth chart is very, very thin behind Jefferson/Addison, so for the sake of a fluent offense, let's hope Addison is just fine. We'll keep an eye on it, but if Addison misses time to pair with a possible late-season suspension, he's going to be a headache for fantasy.

Good news on Lions Pro Bowl RB Jahmyr Gibbs. Sources say the hamstring injury he suffered is not considered significant, but the team will be very cautious with rest and rehab to make sure he’s 100% healthy. My understanding is he should be ready for Week 1 vs the Rams.

Related Players: David Montgomery, Craig Reynolds

It looks like the projected Gibbs/Montgomery split is still intact, making them both very fantasy-viable. If Gibbs were to miss anytime, Montgomery should be considered an RB1.

Surgery on J.J. McCarthy’s torn meniscus revealed that a repair was necessary and the Vikings rookie quarterback now will miss the 2024 season.

While the Vikings are disappointed, they “strongly believe he will come back better and have a long, successful NFL career”, as one team official said. But rookie season is over.

Related Players: Sam Darnold, Nick Mullens, Jaren Hall

So much for a QB controversy.

This will be Sam Darnold's job, which makes him an interesting target deep in Superflex/2QB leagues.

Ravens TE Mark Andrews was involved in a car accident this morning. Ravens say that Andrews didn't sustain any apparent injuries.

Related Players: Isaiah Likely

We'll keep an eye on this situation, but it doesn't seem to be anything too serious for Andrews as it stands.

The Chiefs expect Hollywood Brown to return early in the regular season. Reid was noncommittal about Brown's chances of playing in the team's Sept. 5 opener against the Baltimore Ravens, saying only, "We'll see.''

Related Players: Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Justin Watson, Mecole Hardman, Skyy Moore, Nikko Remigio, Justyn Ross

The article continues, "The early beneficiary of Brown's absence in practice is Justin Watson, who is taking many of the snaps that would have gone to Brown."

If we knew that Brown were to miss multiple regular season games, Watson would be a little more interesting, but he should remain undrafted in most fantasy leagues. He could be worth a dart throw in *very* deep drafts or in large-field tournaments for differentiation.

Tuesday's practice featured an added twist in the saga involving Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase.

For the first time in training camp, Chase was not present when the team was practicing. The fourth-year player had not been participating at practice as he awaits a contract extension, but had remained visible and involved during drills.

HC Zac Taylor said Tuesday, "Ja'Marr [is] day-to-day. We'll take it one day a time." Team president Mike Brown indicated a deal isn't likely to get done this year, but it's unclear what changed to cause Chase to miss Tuesday's practice.

Earlier Tuesday came news that the Steelers and 49ers have a deal in place for a Brandon Aiyuk trade. So, why hasn’t it happened yet?

Mike Garafolo of NFL Media reports the 49ers haven’t pulled the trigger on a trade because they aren’t that far apart on a deal to keep Aiyuk in San Francisco long term.

Garafolo was quoted in the story as saying Aiyuk would prefer to stay with the Niners, and the Niners would prefer to keep him. Garafolo added the 49ers number has got better than what it was previously during the talks.

Chiefs rookie RB Carson Steele had his most reps with the 1s and 2s today out of all the days at camp.

Related players: Isiah Pacheco, Deneric Prince, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Keaontay Ingram, Carson Steele

Chiefs are giving him a long look after his standout game Saturday, the post said. The post also added a quote from OC Matt Nagy: "What I like about him is, right now, he's doing a lot of good things and being in the right spot at the right time, and you can trust him." The Chiefs aren't necessarily deep at RB. CEH didn't practice today and hasn't proved to be an exciting option. Prince and Ingram are familiar names but if Steele has a chance to get snaps in this offense, fantasy owners should follow this situation.

Chiefs WR Hollywood Brown is expected to miss four to six weeks with the sternoclavicular injury he suffered, per multiple sources.

Related players: Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Justin Watson

Doing the math, opening night is three weeks from this Thursday night. KC opens up at home vs. Baltimore and then Cincinnati. The timetable certainly puts the Baltimore game in doubt but it's possible if recovery goes well, Brown could return for Week 2. With Brown out, rookie Worthy seems to have the biggest chance to produce early on this season behind Rice.

Though things did not look good earlier on Tuesday, it appears Giants rookie running back Tyrone Tracy has avoided a major injury.

According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Media, New York believes Tracy has suffered a sprain.

Related players: Devin Singletary, Eric Gray, Dante Miller

Tracy went down with a non-contact injury during Tuesday’s session and his right leg was immediately placed in an air cast. He was then carted off the field, the story went on to say. It's hard to believe Tracy won't miss at least some time, which could put his potential RB2 job in jeopardy. Gray and Miller aren't necessarily household names, so Tracy could still eventually slide back into the RB2 role at some point. Even though Singletary seems poised for a big workload, the Giants RB2 job should hold fantasy value, even if just handcuff.

The standoff between receiver Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers may be coming to a conclusion soon.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, the 49ers and Steelers have a deal for a potential Aiyuk trade in place. The Steelers also are “in a good place” with Aiyuk on a new contract. If the 49ers give their final sign-off, the deal will be done.

Related players: Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings, Jacob Cowing, George Pickens, Van Jefferson, Roman Wilson, Calvin Austin III

The story went on to say San Francisco also has an offer out to Aiyuk on a long-term deal for him to remain with the club that, but to this point, Aiyuk has not accepted. The story added it’s currently unclear what Pittsburgh would send back to San Francisco in exchange for Aiyuk, but it would likely be a significant package. If the deal goes through, the Niners would be looking at Pearsall, Jenning and Cowing to move up the depth chart, while in Pittsburgh, Aiyuk and Pickens form the 1-2 punch.

Coach Kevin O’Connell has announced that quarterback J.J. McCarthy will undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee.

Related players: Sam Darnold, Nick Mullens, Jaren Hall

As the story went on to say, the threshold question is whether he’ll have the meniscus trimmed or repaired. As to the former, the player can come back quickly. As to the latter, he could miss several months. The story also pointed out that the other side of the coin is that a repair maximizes the amount of cartilage in the knee. A trim reduces the cushioning, setting the stage for a potential bone-on-bone situation. The story added what it thinks is the smart, long-term play - to get the meniscus repaired and the team goes with Darnold in 2024 and Hall would be the backup. McCarthy could potentially make a return around November. This is just the opinion of the author of course, we should get more information soon. For now, Darnold should get a bump in value with McCarthy at least temporarily out of the picture. He has the weapons around him to be a potential QB2 and superflex option.

By being placed on IR now, [Chase Claypool] is ineligible to return and play for the Bills as a “designated to return.”

The post went on to say the team can work out an injury settlement within the next seven days. If that happens, he’ll be released with that settlement and eventually would be able to re-sign with the Bills for whatever amount of weeks that settlement is, +3 weeks. (amount of weeks of the settlement is not made public). In that scenario, once a settlement is reached, he could sign with another team at any time, according to the post. According to other reports, it all likely means Claypool won't return to the Bills, but could get picked up by another team.

Giants head coach Brian Daboll shared some positive news on the injury front in his Tuesday morning press conference.

Via multiple reporters on the scene, Daboll said receiver Malik Nabers went through full testing for his ankle injury and is “good.”

While the Giants will keep Nabers out of practice on Tuesday, he should be OK going forward, as Daboll said it’s not a long-term injury, the story said. This was the trend even on Monday, however it's always nice to get official word. Nabers suffered the ankle injury during Sunday’s practice.

Giants running back Tyrone Tracy’s rookie season may have come to an end at Tuesday’s practice.

Reporters at the session sent word that Tracy went down with a non-contact injury during a special teams drill. Trainers immediately put an air cast on Tracy’s right leg and he was carted off for further evaluation.

Related players: Devin Singletary, Eric Gray, Dante Miller

This news doesn't sound great, but the results of the evaluation will determine Tracy’s outlook. The move to the air cast is usually a sign of a serious injury, according to the story. Tracy was looking like the Giants RB2 option behind Singletary. That spot could go to last year's rookie Gray. Either way, the Giants may have to make another move for an RB if Tracy's season is lost.

Trade talks have reportedly slowed as receiver Brandon Aiyuk continues his hold-in with the 49ers.

With it again looking more like Aiyuk will be with San Francisco for 2024, head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked in his Monday press conference if Aiyuk was taking part in anything on the field — like running routes with the team’s quarterbacks against air.

“Not with us. I trust Brandon knows what he’s got to do for this year to get ready to play,” Shanahan said, via transcript from the team.

Aiyuk is seeking a new contract that will pay him a salary that’s more in line with the current market rate for top receivers. He’s currently slated to make $14.124 million in guaranteed base salary on his fifth-year option in 2024, the story went on to say. Rumors have linked him to the Patriots, Steelers and Browns over the last week, with other rumors saying deals were in place. However more recently, talks with Aiyuk and the Niners have reportedly progressed, and it could mean a return to San Francisco. We rank Aiyuk 16th among WRs, so he's a very solid WR2 option on your fantasy roster no matter where he ends up.

The 65-yard touchdown pass that Dontayvion Wicks caught in stride on the third play of Saturday's preseason opener at the Cleveland Browns was reminiscent of the 17 deep balls that Jordan Love connected on last year.

Only two quarterbacks hit on more throws of 25 or more air yards last season: New Orleans' Derek Carr and Miami's Tua Tagovailoa with 19.

As perfect as that throw looked against the Browns on Saturday as it floated 27.7 yards in the air, according to NFL Next Gen Stats tracking, it's easy to forget that even with 17 deep-throw connections last season, Love's completion rate on those passes was no better than 15th among all quarterbacks.

Working to improve Love's 34.7% success rate on throws of 25-plus air-yards has been a focus in training camp, the story said. So even though it was a preseason game, it was Love's first deep attempt in live action - and it was a success. The story added last year Love struggled to hit his speed receivers on deep throws, many of which were under thrown. Love's fantasy value seems to be on the rise and he's surrounded by a ton of talent on the offensive side of the ball. Success on deep throws will only help continue his climb. Love is currently ranked 10th on our QB list.

Rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy is not participating in the Vikings’ Monday night practice.

Coach Kevin O’Connell said McCarthy reported right knee soreness to the team’s medical staff.

Related players: Sam Darnold

McCarthy played 30 snaps in the preseason opener and went 11-of-17 for 188 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He was scheduled to receive more snaps with the first-team offense this week, O’Connell said in the story. The team said they sat him out of precaution and also wanted to run more tests.

Source: Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs suffered a hamstring injury at today’s practice.

Related players: David Montgomery, Craig Reynolds, Sione Vaki, Zonovan Knight

This will be worth monitoring until we find out just how serious this is. Hamstring injuries, of course, can be very tricky. If Gibbs has to miss any time or games to start the season, Montgomery would likely get a bulk of the work with Reynolds next up. The loss of the dynamic Gibbs would certainly change the Lions offensive attack. The rookie Vaki could get to see more time if Gibbs is out for a while.

Beyond Keon Coleman, three other receivers took snaps with Allen: Khalil Shakir, Curtis Samuel and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Shakir’s usage was the most interesting, as he was an immediate starter with Allen — and in 12 personnel, no less.

The story went on to say as the team’s primary slot receiver, working into two-receiver sets is essential for Shakir to take the next step. The author said that also of note, Shakir was the first receiver the team shut down, perhaps signifying his lofty spot within the offense. He took the first three snaps after Allen left the field, and that was the end of his evening. With Bills WR spots seemingly up for grabs this season, Shakir is looking like he could be a fantasy receiver to target in drafts.

As the calendar flips to mid-August, the Bengals and Ja’Marr Chase remain at an impasse.

Chase has not practiced throughout training camp in an apparent hold-in. Zac Taylor’s comments in his Monday press conference did not make it seem like Chase will return to the field soon.

“We’ll see. We’ll just keep taking it day-to-day,” Taylor said. “He and I have had good conversations.”

As the story went on to say, Chase is eligible for a contract extension after completing his third season. But team owner Mike Brown’s comments at the beginning of training camp made it seem like the team was not going to address a new deal for Chase this year.

Mike Williams is still a couple of weeks away from jumping in with team drills according to Robert Saleh.

The team went on to say they just want to be careful when bringing back Williams. Williams should serve as a nice complement to Garrett Wilson. He averaged 83 yards per game in three games last year after back-to-back productive seasons in 2021 (76-1146-9) and 2022 (63-895-4). If he can stay healthy, he'll be in the WR3 mix as Aaron Rodgers' No. 2 option in the passing game.

Jaret Patterson has impressed the coaching staff, and he appears to have grasped the RB3 role right now.

Gus Edwards, J.K. Dobbins, Kimani Vidal, Elijah Dotson, Isaiah Spiller

Much like they did in Baltimore, Edwards and Dobbins will look to form the 1-2 punch. While Patterson seems to be in the lead for the RB3 role, the author of this story seems to think rookie sixth rounder Vidal could be left off the roster. He said of the four backs competing behind Edwards and Dobbins, Patterson has gotten the most reps with the first team in practice. He was also the first running back in the game Saturday, ahead of both Spiller and Dotson. The story went on to say Vidal was in uniform for warmups but did not dress for the game. Vidal has also been dealing with an injury and missed four full days of practice earlier this month, according to the story, including the joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams. The author ended by saying this competition is still wide open and things could change by the end of camp.

Sources: Packers rookie RB MarShawn Lloyd suffered a hamstring injury on Saturday afternoon.

Related players: Josh Jacobs, A.J. Dillon

The injury is not considered serious and he's expected to be fine for the season. However, we all know hamstring injuries can be tricky, so the team will be cautious with him, the post said. His time missed could set him back a bit on the depth chart, possibly making Dillon the RB2 to open the season behind Jacobs. Given Dillon's struggles last season, though, many feel Lloyd has a chance to earn the RB2 job at some point.

Someone in the set of wideouts has to emerge as an eventual No. 1. Right now, rookie Ja’Lynn Polk has as good a shot as anyone.

Related players: Kendrick Bourne, Demario Douglas, Javon Baker, K.J. Osborn, Kayshon Boutte

For what it's worth, we've already reflected this on our fantasy depth charts listing Polk as the top option. Robinson thinks Polk could step in and get a ton of targets immediately. In the preseason opener, Polk played limited snaps but caught three balls for 14 yards. Robinson expects those numbers to grow. Polk could be worth targeting in the later rounds of drafts given his very late ADP.

Via Joe Person of TheAthletic.com, first-round rookie receiver Xavier Legette is back on the field after missing a few practices with a foot injury.

Related players: Diontae Johnson, Adam Thielen

The Panthers traded up to pick Legette with the 32nd selection in the first round. He's expected to slide into the WR3 role, assuming he can get back up to speed, behind Johnson and Thielen.

Reports indicated Giants rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers avoided a major injury during Sunday’s practice and head coach Brian Daboll confirmed that with an update to Nabers’s condition on Monday morning.

The story went on to say word was Nabers suffered a minor ankle sprain and Daboll said at his press conference that the first-round pick did not have a fracture. Daboll said that Nabers will not practice on Monday and that the team will take things day by day moving forward.

Jalen McMillan lined up out wide on 7 of his 10 snaps on Sunday — good news for his potential to start early in three-WR sets.

Related players: Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, Trey Palmer, Sterling Shepard

With Evans on the outside and Godwin expected to be back in a full-time slot role this season, it leaves the other outside position up for grabs. Palmer flashed at times last season in the WR3 role, but, McMillan was drafted this past spring and looks to have a serious shot at taking that outside role, which would give him a boost in value heading into drafts.

The Raiders’ quarterback competition may be over at this time next week.

Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew are vying for the starting job in Las Vegas and O’Connell got the start in the team’s first preseason game. Minshew is set to start the second game against the Cowboys on August 17 and head coach Antonio Pierce said on Sunday that he thinks that will be enough information to make a call about who will be under center in Week 1.

The story went on to say O’Connell and Minshew both led scoring drives during their time in the preseason opener and Pierce said he thought both players did well, so there’s not much of a hint about which way he’s leaning as decision day draws closer.

Dak Prescott didn’t play in Sunday’s preseason game against the Rams, and he isn’t expected to play in the next two either. He hasn’t taken a snap in a preseason game since 2019.

Prescott, though, will return to practice Tuesday when the Cowboys get back on the field.

“One thousand percent,” Prescott said, via Todd Archer of ESPN.

Prescott sat out Friday’s practice for precautionary reasons after a joint practice with the Rams on Thursday left him with ankle soreness. Prescott was also seen last month with a boot on his foot, the story said.

Browns QB Deshaun Watson’s shoulder was cleared for full contact, head coach Kevin Stefanski said Sunday.

Watson did not play in Sunday’s preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers but had been throwing in nearly every training camp practice this summer. He is expected to get a “vast majority” of the first-team reps during the team’s upcoming joint practices Wednesday and Thursday with the Minnesota Vikings. He will not play in the game Saturday but Stefanski did leave open the possibility of Watson playing in the preseason finale August 24 against the Seattle Seahawks.

Giants WR Malik Nabers left practice Sunday with a minor ankle sprain.

Nabers initially limped off the field and took his shoe off. The first thought was an apparent foot injury for Nabers. The Giants do not seem overly concerned about the injury, per ESPN. That is good news for the potential breakout rookie. Nabers has had a strong training camp to this point.

Chiefs WR Hollywood Brown was hospitalized Saturday with a dislocation of his sternoclavicular joint.

Brown suffered the injury on the first play of Saturday’s preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Brown is now questionable for the start of the regular season. The hope is that the injury is minor and he’ll return sooner rather than later. In the meantime, rookie Xavier Worthy could see more reps.

Bengals RB Zack Moss missed the team’s preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with an illness.

Moss came down with the illness Friday. With Moss out, Chase Brown got the start against the Buccaneers. He carried five times for ten yards and caught a pass but did not gain any yards on the reception. The Bengals will be back in action next Saturday against the Chicago Bears.

Giants QB Drew Lock is dealing with a bad bone contusion and strained oblique from last night’s preseason game. He’s expected to miss some time, but no surgery is required.

Coach Brian Daboll said NYG could potentially add another QB with Lock sidelined a bit.

Related Players: Daniel Jones

This could indirectly give Daniel Jones a little extra job security. Jones remains an interesting deep pick in 2QB/Superflex leagues.

The Patriots are releasing WR JuJu Smith-Schuster. While a surprise, this move does give Smith-Schuster the chance to sign somewhere before the season.

This is a wild fall for Smith-Schuster who popped for a 1,400-yard season in 2018 and a 900-yard performance in 2022 with the Chiefs. It would be hard to roster him in nearly any fantasy format at this point.

Falcons WR Rondale Moore, who was carted off from practice yesterday, suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Related Players: Darnell Mooney, Ray-Ray McCloud, Casey Washington, KhaDarel Hodge

Moore had apparently been losing some snaps to McCloud through training camp, so this most likely pushes Ray-Ray into the starting lineup with Moore out for the year. Consistent targets for whoever steps up will be a very difficult task, with Drake London and Kyle Pitts (and Bijan Robinson) expected to take a massive chunk of the target share.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur on Christian Watson getting banged up yesterday: "That was a big time scare. He seems to be doing well."

LaFleur said he believes Watson will practice today.

Related Players: Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Bo Melton

If he is indeed already back to practice today, there shouldn't be much to worry about. A report from yesterday had Watson saying his knee was just "sore and bruised." Continue to draft him as a low-floor/high-ceiling play in this ascending offense.

As the third week of camp nears an end, Sam Darnold has received all but two of the first-team reps in 11-on-11 drills. J.J. McCarthy got the other two. This should be no surprise to anyone who has listened to coach Kevin O'Connell talk about the position. While McCarthy is clearly the club's future quarterback, team leaders are in agreement that his ascension will not be rushed.

Any doubts that Darnold will start the season as QB1 seem to be out the window at this point. The Vikings do have a tough opening schedule, with the 49ers, Texans, Packers, and re-vamped Jets coming before their Week 6 Bye. McCarthy could be a play by the second half of the season, so we'll see how he looks for streaming purposes if/when that time comes.

The Jets activated WR Mike Williams from the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list after he passed his physical.

Related Players: Garrett Wilson, Xavier Gipson, Malachi Corley

This doesn't necessarily mean he'll be a full-go by Week 1 but it's a step in the right direction. If everyone is healthy, namely Aaron Rodgers, the Jets could be interesting in fantasy for the first time in decades. Williams could carve out a role as a fantasy WR3 with upside for more.

Rondale Moore leaving the field on a cart with an inflatable cast on his right leg. Falcons teammates gathered around him before he left field and now gathered in prayer.

Related Players: Darnell Mooney, Ray-Ray McCloud, Casey Washington, KhaDarel Hodge

Moore had apparently been losing some snaps to McCloud through training camp, so this most likely pushes Ray-Ray into the starting lineup if Moore ends up missing time. Regardless, neither slot guy is especially attractive for fantasy purposes, with Drake London and Kyle Pitts (and Bijan Robinson) expected to take a massive chunk of the target share.

Colts WR Josh Downs, who’s had a great camp, was just tackled to the ground and came up with an apparent ankle injury. Had to helped off the field and did not put weight on the lower leg.

Related Players: Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce, Adonai Mitchell

The 3-wide set has been Pittman, Downs, and Pierce throughout camp, with Downs seemingly locked into the No. 2 role. If Downs ends up missing time, this will allow rookie Adonai Mitchell to see the field more often, regardless of his progression ahead of Year 1. This would be a huge boost to his fantasy stock considering he was trending towards a rotational role.

There is optimism at Steelers camp that quarterback Russell Wilson (calf) could return to practice this week.

"The plan, to my understanding, is he's going to see the doctor again this coming week," Pelissero said (H/T Sports Illustrated). "There's optimism that he's going to be fine, be able to get back out there and take back some of those reps that he's been giving up to [Justin Fields]."

Wilson is expected to step right back into the QB1 role when he does return to practice, but his absence has allowed Justin Fields to get plenty of reps with the first team and try to close the gap in the competition. Wilson is a low-end QB2 in our current rankings.

Panthers WR Xavier Legette left practice early Sunday with an apparent lower-leg injury.

As said by head coach Dave Canales, Legette was evaluated as a precautionary measure, and X-rays came back negative. Legette will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury. This is already multiple injuries Legette has dealt with this offseason. He also had a hamstring issue in June. Legette can currently be had for a bargain in drafts.

Rams WR Puka Nacua left Sunday's practice about an hour into team drills and was later seen with ice around his right knee.

Head coach Sean McVay said he was "unsure" about what happened to Nacua. Nacua did stay in uniform and his helmet on the sideline but did not return to practice. Hopefully this is minor and the Rams were just being cautious with their young star receiver. Nacua is our WR17.

Commanders head coach Dan Quinn announced rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels will play in Washington’s preseason opener Saturday against the Jets.

This was more of a formal announcement. As a rookie, Daniels needs all the early reps he can get. Washington has just the three preseason games compared to the four for the Chicago Bears, which was why Caleb Williams did not play in the Hall of Fame Game. Daniels is currently our QB12.

Panthers rookie running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) will hopefully be ready to play by Week 3 or 4.

That’s at least the hope from head coach Dave Canales. Brooks is still recovering from
His torn ACL suffered last year while at Texas. The Panthers selected Brooks in the second round of the draft. While Brooks is out, Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders will handle rushing duties but Brooks should eventually take center stage once he is healthy. We currently have Brooks as a flex option heading into drafts. The Panthers open the season September 8 at New Orleans.

Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (knee, hip) is likely to be back at practice early this week.

Smith was banged up a bit during practice on Tuesday. Rapoport noted the MRIs came out “fine”. Smith did not participate in Seattle’s scrimmage-style practice Saturday and will have the day off Sunday. He could return possibly by Monday or Tuesday but sometime early this week. Smith has had a strong start to camp by man accounts. He is currently our QB21 heading into August drafts.

Yes, I think Jalen McMillan has done everything he could to assert himself as WR3 so far. Still five weeks before the opener, but he’s impressed and will play a lot as a rookie.

Related Players: Trey Palmer, Rakim Jarrett, Sterling Shepard

An extended target share is likely going to be difficult behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, but McMillan could pop for some usable weeks as a perimeter player every once in a while. If he locks in the WR3 job, he makes for an even more intriguing target in best ball leagues.

Browns RB D’Onta Foreman is back with the team after his scary neck injury yesterday and being flown by helicopter to a nearby hospital. Again, X-rays and scans were negative.

Related Players: Nick Chubb, Jerome Ford, Nyheim Hines

Good news all around after a big scare yesterday. Foreman is looking to carve out an early-season role with Jerome Ford as Nick Chubb continues to recover from his knee injury.

Browns run their first two-minute drills but without Deshaun Watson (rest day), Elijah Moore (walked off with trainer) and Jerry Jeudy (limited with knee). Winston vs second team D finds David Bell for diving TD.

Related Players: Elijah Moore, Jamari Thrash, Cedric Tillman

It doesn't seem like anything major but Jeudy certainly doesn't need any setbacks as we look for a bounce-back season in fantasy. He is currently a WR6 in 4for4's rankings.

Injury update: Testing on Seahawks QB Geno Smith’s knee and hip injuries did not reveal anything significant and, as one source said, “he shouldn’t miss any time.”

Related Players: Sam Howell

Smith is unlikely to hit the field today, so more upgrades on the situation are doubtful until next week. As it stands, Geno can still be targeted in 2QB/Superflex leagues and as a late-round option in best ball, while this news might make his ADP fall even further.

Following yesterday’s practice, Justin Herbert was diagnosed with an injury to the plantar fascia in his right foot.

Doctors have recommended approximately two weeks in a boot — followed by a graduated return to play protocol — with the expectation that he will be ready for the start of the regular season.

Related Players: Easton Stick, Max Duggan

Ah yes, just what we needed; more bad news for the Chargers' passing game. Easton Stick should be stashed away in (very) deep SuperFlex Dynasty leagues, but doesn't move the needle in redraft leagues. If Herbert misses time in the regular season, the entire offense needs to be downgraded in fantasy.

Browns D’Onta Foreman injured during kickoff drill. Being immobilized and taken off on board.

Related Players: Nick Chubb, Jerome Ford, Nyheim Hines

There are no further updates at this time, but we'll keep an eye on it. Foreman is looking to carve out an early-season role with Jerome Ford as Nick Chubb continues to recover from his knee injury.