Reacting To NFL Training Camp News For Fantasy Football
NFL news is coming in ... in a hurry. It's on us to figure out what is worth reacting to and what's best to ignore. There are credible sources. There are non-credible sources. There are also credible sources who are merely sharing an opinion in that particular blurb, tweet, or video. I'll do my best to read between the lines. After grinding blurbs at Rotoworld for years, I like my list of sources and have learned when a writer is suggesting something without directly saying it. This column was so much easier to track with Underdog NFL, Rotoworld, Coachspeak Index, and 32 Beat Writers constantly hitting the feed with notes. And make sure you have a subscription to ESPN+ and The Athletic to read the full reports. Their work is pay-walled for a reason. It's quality information and worth our wallets.
We'll be reacting all August long over on YouTube. Here's our intro into the fantasy football season:
Training Camp Week 3 News
Through August 11th. News will be roughly ordered by Underdog Fantasy ADP.
Christian McCaffrey will miss the preseason and multiple weeks of practice due to a calf injury. This isn't his first or even second injury to his calf muscles in his career, and calf injuries do tend to linger if rushed back too quickly. CMC should have enough time to be ready for Week 1, but this injury is a reminder that this will be his age-28 season and he's coming off of 439 opportunities including playoffs. If you want to play it safer with CeeDee Lamb at 1.01, then I'd fully understand. Expect Elijah Mitchell (hamstring) and Jordan Mason to compete for his backup snaps.
Puka Nacua injured his knee, likely his PCL, in practice and is "week-to-week". Reading between the lines, he has a sprained PCL and should be okay for Week 1. The problem is these can be tricky. I remember Ezekiel Elliott looking totally different while returning from it. Same with Gabe Davis. Nacua is super tough and the Rams training staff is really good, but I'm not fully buying the "not serious" label. In fact, this is enough to move him just out of Round 1 for me. In tandem, I'm moving Cooper Kupp into the early part of Round 2.
August 8th: Brandon Aiyuk leaks have quieted, and there are just three teams involved: 49ers, Steelers, and the Browns. Aiyuk reportedly doesn't want to go to Cleveland, although they haven't formally backed out of talks yet, but for the most part we can believe he's unlikely to go there. That means Aiyuk has largely played his cards, which has limited his asking price by only having the Steelers make an offer he'd accept. PFT's Mike Florio reports the Steelers' contract offer is less than what others have offered and the Steelers trade offer is less than what the 49ers have said they'd be willing to accept. Post Gazette's Gerry Dulac, who has covered the Steelers since the Great Depression (fabricated), said the 49ers are asking for "a lot" and the 49ers will need to lower their asking price for a trade to be completed. ESPN's Adam Schefter said there's "no rush", echoing what I said before that report; the ball is purely in the 49ers court right now and there's no reason to rush into a trade offer they aren't happy with. Instead, the 49ers can simply offer what the Steelers are offering Aiyuk and keep him around during their Super Bowl window (or tell him to enjoy the contractually-obligated 5th-year option this season and the franchise tag next season). It's very rare for high-end WRs to get traded in August. In fact, I've seen just one example (Sammy Watkins) since at least 2010. Every other WR trade has happened in-season or right before the NFL Draft, when the 49ers declined better offers for Aiyuk than what is currently available. ... My bold take (with everyone thinking a trade is a done deal) is it's more likely he stays with the 49ers than is traded to the Steelers. If a trade does go down, I'd expect it to be a simple player for picks trade. Aiyuk seems destined for a deal similar to Jaylen Waddle and D.J. Moore ($28.5M per year with $40-50M fully guaranteed) with either team. ... And shoutout to Pretty Rickey either way. He's already been proven correct that he knows sources by quadrupiling down on the Steelers vs. everyone else. If the 49ers just use the framework of the Steelers offer for their own extension, that's close enough in my book. And he just might fully land the plane, too. What a fascinating public negotiation.
August 5th: Brandon Aiyuk has been granted permission to negotiate contracts with the Commanders, Steelers, Patriots, and Browns. The 49ers still have the leverage here, as they have Aiyuk on the 5th-year contract with the option to franchise tag him in 2025, but they are willing to listen to trade offers if Aiyuk is also willing to sign a long-term deal with said teams. NBC Sports' Matt Maiocco, who has covered the team for 30 years, reports the Commanders have dropped out and the Steelers haven't been willing to trade enough. Is that a coincidence that those are the two teams Aiyuk wants to go to the most? I don't think so. The 49ers may be forcing Aiyuk to learn what his market value is by negotiating with other teams, only to learn his options are to sign with the 49ers, play for the Browns, or play for the Patriots. Reports that the Browns would trade Amari Cooper don't pass the smell test after he just converted his salary into an already-paid signing bonus. Reports that the Patriots would trade ACL-rehabber Kendrick Bourne also don't pass the smell test. The fact this is all happening on August 5th, typically a dead time for trades, makes me believe the 49ers are leaking things to create more leverage in a long-term contract offer to their All Pro level X-receiver. Remember, the 49ers are trying to win a Super Bowl right now and don't have a downfield, man-beating X receiver on the roster. ESPN's Adam Schefter sums it up well: "This is not a simple trade to execute. Any interested team would have to meet the asking price of Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers. It’s easy to meet one of those conditions but considerably more complicated to meet both. So far, no one has been able to do it."
Jordan Addison has a court arraignment for his two misdemeanor chargers set for October 7th where he will plead guilty or not guilty, per the Star Tribune's Ben Goesseling. He appears willing to put this incident behind him, but the courts are the courts. For now, the earliest his suspension can happen is middle October. A slight delay into the proceedings could mean his suspension is handed down in November/December or into 2025. It really comes down to how quickly Addison wants to plead guilty, if at all. Most DUI cases are turned into pleas, but his team could still be in discovery. It's hard to tell. The NFL will be quick in their turnaround once the court case is closed. Addison faces a 3-game suspension based on the CBA's baseline for DUI-related charges, though there is some ambiguity around a potential longer suspension based on his prior 140-MPH charge from last year. Jalen Nailor has been operating as the Vikings WR3 in camp.
Zack Moss caught three passes straight from Joe Burrow in the 1st-team scrimmage, including a TD from the 3-yard line. Chase Brown hype is booming, but Brown may still be behind Moss in the 2-minute and goal-line roles. That's where fantasy points are typically scored. This is a camp battle to continue to monitor. It's too early to claim a winner. The Athletic's Paul Dehner believes the Bengals want a 1-2 committee that leans into their indivdual traits.
Mike Williams was activated off the PUP list on August 7th, a week before what was expected. He has a full month to get into football shape. Jets coach Robert Salah said Big Mike is "a lot further ahead than anticipated."
Josh Downs will be out 4-6 weeks due to a high-ankle sprain. His Week 1-2 availability is definitely in question, and these injuries due tend to linger. In fact, we probably want him to miss the first few games so he can be healthier for the rest of the year. The Colts don't have an obvious slot backup, so they could turn to Michael Pittman (X), AD Mitchell (slot), and Alec Pierce (Z) in the interim. They also could continue their TE-rotation fetish. Moving Downs ... down is appropriate. Just don't go to crazy. We don't get fantasy points in August if you haven't heard.
Ja'Lynn Polk played on the outside for the first few drives, then only played the slot on his remaining drives during the Patriots first preseason game. He didn't make any plays, nor run by defenders. He wasn't a starter yet either, but it's far too early to bury him.
Rico Dowdle "has been the face of the committee and could be the lead guy during the season. In practices, he’s had solid showings in pass protection, flashed receiving ability and gotten the call to run in high-leverage situations. The running game is another area that’s hard to judge in team practices, but a standout would, well, stand out, and that hasn’t been the case yet." This report comes from The Athletic's Saad Yousuf. The Cowboys are treating Ezekiel Elliott as a 1-2 punch so far, with Royce Freeman as the RB3. In terms of explosiveness and upside, there is one true option: Dowdle. It's likely he'll have to earn more playing time as the season progresses.
AJ Dillon continues to get love from the Packers staff. OC Adam Stenavich said, "I noticed when he walked in the door the first day of OTAs, I was like, ‘Whoa.' He looks just chiseled, more strong than he’s ever looked, and he’s been running the ball hard. It’s been good to see. Yeah, anytime you can have Josh Jacobs and AJ Dillon, that’s a pretty good one-two combination right there, so I’m excited to see those guys this year." That 1-2 combination part of the quote caught my eye, as rookie Marshawn Lloyd wasn't apart of that sentence.
Ricky Pearsall (shoulder) is back to missing practice. It makes the Brandon Aiyuk situation harder to evaluate for the 49ers, as their 1st-round rookie hasn't been with the team much this offseason. This shoulder injury was an aggrevation of his previous injury.
Jermaine Burton is "very much learning" according to The Athletic's Paul Dehner, who believes Andrei Iosivas is the favorite to start in 3-WR sets. Burton has tons of contingent-based and late-season upside attached to Joe Burrow, but he is trending towards being a Post Bye Rookie Bump player only. The rookie needs to get on the same page with Burrow more in practice. His athletic traits and route running were strong as a prospect. It just takes time to transition.
Noah Fant is the clear-cut starter without Colby Parkinson and Will Dissly around, and The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar tweeted "would definitely expect Noah to be more productive this year." He's my most-drafted player in 2024. What can go wrong?
Russell Wilson (calf) returned to practice and rotated with the Steelers 1st-team offense alongside Justin Fields. Wilson did get the very first rep. This is a legit camp battle with Wilson still in the lead.
Tyrone Tracy was listed as the Giants RB2 by The Athletic's Dan Duggan, and in the Giants preseason game he operated as the RB2 ahead of Eric Gray. We liked his game over on YouTube.
My man Johnny Wilson is balling with the Eagles 1st-team offense.
Javon Baker was the 6th WR on the Patriots to see action in their first preseason game, even with Pop Douglas and Kendrick Bourne not suiting up. On tape, Baker slipped at the top of his route just about more than I've seen any receiver during that preseason game. Get this man some new cleats (!!!) or get Baker to play a bit more under control. The good news is he does look fairly fast. Anyways, the 4th-round rookie will compete for X-receiver snaps, but his draft capital and the likliehood of a disgusting rotation keeps his odds of being a fantasy asset low.
Rondale Moore is out for the year, and this was probably his last chance to compete for a starting job. Ray-Ray McCloud was well ahead of him in camp. We hope his recovery goes well. What a super star freshman season he had at Purdue.
Training Camp Week 2 News
Through August 4th. News will be roughly ordered by Underdog Fantasy ADP.
Jahmyr Gibbs missed time this offseason but is back in the mix now. ESPN's Dan Graziano had a very interesting write-up on the emerging star: "The Lions want Gibbs to work on improving in a traditional running back role before evolving into the "unique" role they envisioned for him this season. My takeaway: If you're drafting Gibbs in fantasy, you might have to be patient with him as a result of the limited offseason work." Gibbs is a 1st-round pick on Underdog Fantasy right now. He has the upside to pay that off, especially if David Montgomery misses time, but Montgomery is a big part of the Lions offense still after this tandem worked to perfection in 2023. Their ADPs are likely too far apart right now. Remember, Montgomery also has contingent-based upside if Gibbs were to miss time.
Cooper Kupp "was clearly the No. 1 based on what I saw in practice" according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. It's more positive buzz from the veteran, who wasn't himself after hamstring and ankle injuries in 2023. As a reminder, Kupp averaged 9-102-0.8 in 2022.
Josh Jacobs signed with the Packers because he wants stability and postseason experience. The Packers signed him for his stability but also to give him more production as a pass-catcher. ESPN's Rob Demovosky wrote an entire column on that priority here. Jacobs did play WR in high school and there is precedent with coach Matt LaFleur in getting his RBs involved as a pass-catcher. It'd be a surprise if 3rd-round rookie Marshawn Lloyd was trusted in pass protection during the 2-minute drill. That could be enough for Jacobs to set a career high in receptions in 2024. Here's another quote from LaFleur about Jacobs' involvement as a receiver.
DeAndre Hopkins (knee) is out 4-6 weeks, which easily could linger into Week 1. It's a bad combination to have a meaningful camp injury while heading into an age-32 season. A drop in rankings is justified. This should give Treylon Burks an opportunity to make noise for the new coaching staff in camp. Burks is competing with lowly-paid Tyler Boyd for the WR3 job.
Jayden Reed only played 62% of the Packers' 1st-team snaps during their Family Night Scrimmage according to Justis Mosqueda. That's similar to his rookie-year usage where he was kept in the slot and kept out of most 2-WR sets. Reed's snaps were less than Romeo Doubs (81%) and Christian Watson (73%) but far ahead of Dontayvion Wicks (23%). This confirms that last year's usage is what the team thinks is best to start camp and likely the early part of the regular season. Reed's and Wicks' ADPs should drop on the news, even if we know their ceilings are still strong. We can't completely ignore median projections in best ball. Those still do matter.
Ladd McConkey has impressed in Chargers camp, operating as the No. 1 target in the intermediate and underneath routes. He's played Z, the motion role, and in the slot in camp per Steven Haglund. That's what he did at Georgia, too, so McConkey's odds of being in 2-WR sets are higher than some believe.
David Njoku returned to practice and reports have been positive. The Athletic's Zac Jackson went as far as writing, "The Browns envision Amari Cooper and Njoku leading the team in targets but are hopeful Jeudy will bring an element of speed they didn’t previously have." Jerry Jeudy hasn't practiced yet but is due back to the field shortly. This offense could pass enough for all to be fantasy relevant. Njoku's Round 9 price tag on Underdog Fantasy doesn't make sense based on his 2023 numbers. He's one of my most-drafted players and I feel great about that. Njoku even said, "They're trying to get me the ball more, so I'm happy."
Joe Burrow (wrist) has had 3 full practices, took 1 day off, and then had a half day in practice. Reporters have liked what they've seen in general, but they do litter their reports with things like this: "He says he’s still trying to get every pass to spin exactly right." I'm tracking this one closely...
Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler will form a committee, per Yahoo's Charles Robinson who writes, "They’re definitely headed for a shared load." This makes sense during Jones' age-30 season, especially one after some career lows in efficiency. Chandler could be a late-season surger if Jones begins to break down or if the Vikings are out of contention.
Jonathon Brooks is not expected back until at least Week 3 according to coach Dave Canales, who says the Panthers want to take things slowly with their rookie. Brooks is still on PUP and if he isn't activated from it by August 27th, then he'll miss the first 4 games of the season. That seems on the table. The Panthers also hint that they'll bring him along slowly even when he does return. Brooks still has late-season upside and a bellcow collegiate profile, but his return is slightly behind where it seemed to be around the NFL Draft.
Romeo Doubs has been a winner of early training camp, per Andy Herman, essentially solidifying that the Packers will have 4-WR rotation. Green Bay has used different WRs in 2- and 3-WR sets in camp. I have just about zero confidence in how snaps will be divvied out. The Athletic also wrote about Doubs' emergence.
AD Mitchell and Alec Pierce are splitting 1st-team reps per ESPN's Stephen Holder. Mitchell's upside is very clearly higher.
According to Taylor Kyles, "It’s still early, but with the rookie’s consistency and reliability, Ja'Lynn Polk feels like a day-one starter for the Patriots’ offense." There's a lot to parse through because Pop Douglas, Kendrick Bourne (PUP), and JuJu Smith-Schuster are banged up, but the Polk playing time odds are strong. He's been lining up in the slot and at Z so far. That leaves the X-receiver gig wide open. Perhaps 4th-rounder Javon Baker can win that job. The more likely outcome is a major WR rotation as the team essentially holds tryouts in the beginning of the year.
Devin Singletary is clearly the top Giants RB in early parts of camp. ESPN's Jordan Raanan said, "It was a reminder that running back Devin Singletary is going to carry a massive workload." It's too early to tell if it'll be Tyrone Tracy as his primary complement yet. But Tracy is a WR-converted RB without much experience. Goes to show how much of a leash Singletary likely has given his familiarity within this coach Brian Daboll offense.
Rico Dowdle "is the best looking RB and it ain't close" was the opinion from one of my absolute favorite beat reporters Jeff Cavanaugh, who also believes Ezekiel Elliott looks slow. Legendary reporter Bryan Broaduss agreed with that assessment. Dowdle is an unproven commodity, but the Cowboys didn't address the position in a loaded free agency class, nor the NFL Draft. That is a sign that they like Dowdle's ability more than the public does. Neither reporter mentioned Royce Freeman or Duece Vaughn by the way. Enough already with those two.
Xavier Legette (foot) is day-to-day and hasn't separated in early camp. ESPN's David Newton writes, "The wide receiver already was off to a slow start in camp. He has been working mostly with the second-team offense behind Diontae Johnson, Adam Thielen and Jonathan Mingo, and at times Terrace Marshall Jr."
It's hard to find someone willing to go to bat for Trey Benson in training camp. The reporters have indicated it's all James Conner, then we had quite the statement from coach Jonathon Gannon here. The odds of Benson having standalone value without a Conner injury seem to be lower than initially thought by the market. As a reminder, Benson wasn't a bellcow at Florida State either.
Marshawn Lloyd is well behind A.J. Dillon right now. The veteran 81% of the Packers' Family Night scrimmage snaps, while the rookie was out for the remaining 19%. That's not much of a committee either, which could be great news for Josh Jacobs when he's available again after missing with a "not that serious" groin injury. Beat writer speculation suggested Dillon had reworked his body this offseason to get faster and it's caught the eye of the coaching staff, while Lloyd has missed time due to injury. It's too early to completely rule out Lloyd -- way too early -- but most didn't expect Dillon to be part of this competition. He firmly is, so a minor-to-medium drop in Lloyd's ADP is justified. Dillon is a solid Round 18 selection for uniqueness purposes, too.
J.K. Dobbins was first in RB drills ahead of Gus Edwards, Isaiah Spiller, and Kimani Vidal. He's started camp healthy and is hyping himself up. The floor remains non-existent (especially if you zoom in on his calves here), but his odds of making the team are higher than what his $50k guaranteed contract would suggest. I still have my doubts about Dobbins lasting during a long season, just as I did when Darren Waller was steamed like crazy last offseason based on training camp hype. Vidal should overtake Spiller shortly and remains draftable in 18 round leagues.
Justin Herbert has plantar fascia that will require 2 weeks in a boot and then a ramp up period afterwards. There's enough time for him to potentially be ready for Week 1, but this is a tight turnaround. This will be something he'll have to play through as well, which could mean less rushing than anticipated under OC Greg Roman and potentially some discomfort as a thrower. A minor reaction is appropriate. This isn't a total nothing.
Geno Smith is very clearly the Seahawks starter, and Sam Howell is reportedly struggling. The News Tribune's Gregg Bell wrote "there is no competition" and that Howell is "almost alarmingly inaccurate" after three days of camp. If you've watched football over the last 2.5 seasons, you'd know there is no actual competition here. Geno is simply way better in just about every way. The in-season benching risk is overblown. ESPN's Dan Graziano has heard the same thing. He had an MRI on his knee and hip, but the results were all clear. He shouldn't miss much time in camp per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Daniel Jones has $23M in injury guarantees next season if he can't pass a physical next March, leading to increased benching risk late in the year like we've seen with Russell Wilson and Derek Carr. But the Giants are telling reporters that's not something they're planning on. ESPN's Dan Graziano wrote, "I am told that is not the plan and that they want to give Jones the season to see whether they need to move on in 2025." The difference between Jones and the other QBs in this example is that they were in their 30s while Jones is relatively young and hasn't had the supporting cast to properly judge how high his ceiling is. I've been taking on the risk of a benching while he sits in Round 17 of Underdog Fantasy drafts. Drew Lock has run with the 2nd-team offense only in camp.
Colby Parkinson was paid like the Rams TE1 this offseason and has operated as such in camp. USA Today's Cameron DaSilva writes, "Parkinson is going to fill in for Tyler Higbee as the top tight end, especially given the way he’s performed in training camp." That's enough to be treated as a TD-or-bust TE2. He's gone largely undrafted so far on Underdog. He's a very clear target and my favorite late-round TE option.
Rashod Bateman was listed as "stock up" by The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec. Everything surrounding his offseason has been associated with the word "healthy."
Troy Franklin is not standing out in camp. Broncos reporter Benjamin Allbright tweeted, "I hope nobody is drafting him ahead of Marvin Mims. They're in for a disappointment." I have close to 0% exposure to Franklin and feel great about fading a 4th-round rookie on one of the worst teams in the NFL. It sounds like he'll be behind Josh Reynolds and possibly Tim Patrick, too.
Andrei Iosivas is getting almost all of his snaps out of the slot, per The Growler's Paul Dehner Jr. The Bengals are looking for a Tyler Boyd replacement, and he's getting the majority of the No. 3 WR snaps early in camp ahead of 3rd-round rookie Jermaine Burton. Both could split snaps in the regular season, but if they want to keep Ja'Marr Chase out wide, then Iosivas is the favorite for routes. In fact, Iosivas has "been the offensive star of camp." Burton could be a high-end insurance play on the perimeter if he's not going to get many reps out of the slot.
Roman Wilson (ankle) will miss weeks, potentially lingering towards Week 1. That's valuable missed time for the 3rd-round rookie who wasn't guaranteed a starting spot early in training camp. He had a quiet mini camp but was at least making some noise in the first week of camp. Expect Van Jefferson (not good) and slot-only Calvin Austin to join George Pickens at WR early on.
Jalin Hyatt is running ahead of Darius Slayton in Giants' camp according to The Athletic's Dan Duggan. Slayton is often counted out before overdelivering, but the Giants do want to see their young players and Slayton is on an expiring contract. Slayton is a trade candidate.
Greg Dortch is going to the Hall of Fame.
Roschon Johnson is battling Khalil Herbert for early-down work, and ESPN's Dan Graziano thinks "circumstances favor" Johnson. Herbert is the better runner in my opinion, while Johnson is the most trusted in pass protection, even over D'Andre Swift. I smell 3-RB committee.
Audric Estime is working well behind Javonte Williams for the Broncos' early-down RB role, but Sean Payton has liked what he's seen. Here was his scouting report on his 5th-round rookie: "Minus runs, fewest in his class. Really good vision in the hole. Rarely did you see the player lose yards. He had good feet for someone who is 220 pounds. So I saw runner first, and good value on where we took him. He was one of those guys that, when the draft starts, every once in a while there’s a player you could say, ‘When this thing is all over with, I’d love to have this player.’ Fortunately, we were able to get this player." He should be the RB3 at worse in an ambiguous backfield.
Will Shipley stood out with the 1st-team offense when Saquon Barkley wasn't available to practice. He is on pace to leap Kenneth Gainwell, if he hasn't already.
Tank Bigsby "keeps breaking off long runs in team drills" according to Sports Illustrated's John Shipley, who also said Bigsby is going to get the first crack to be the Jaguars RB2. I'm moving him up a few spots.
Jalen Tolbert is facing pressure from Jalen Brooks for the Cowboys WR3 job, but The Athletic's Jon Machota believes Tolbert remains the top option.
Jerry Jeudy "should mostly be in the slot" which is more of a sign that Cedric Tillman will start in 3-WR sets ahead of Elijah Moore, who left practice with a concussion.
Johnny Wilson received 1st-team snaps next to A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith according to Bleeding Green's Brandon Lee Gowton. He'd play X or Z receiver, while Smitty plays the slot if he were to win the Eagles' wide-open WR3 job. Wilson was a very unique prospect as a massive target with better route running ability than you'd expect.
Jordan Mason was talked up by 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan when he was asked about the RB room. He said, "Nothing against Elijah Mitchell — there’s been no falloff in Elijah at all — but Mason runs at a very high level. He did a hell of a job for us last year. We’ll see how camp plays out, but I love both of those guys." Notice how 3rd-round rookie Isaac Guerendo (hamstring) was left out of this quote.
Athletic 4th-round rookie Theo Johnson returned from injury and immediately "took the majority of 1st-team offense reps" with the Giants ahead of Daniel Bellinger, who hasn't done a lot with plenty of opportunity in his young career. New York probably has too many WRs to get the ball to for Johnson to be fantasy relevant, but he's now in the Round 18 dart throw mix in best ball.
Rashaad Penny retired. He went on quite the run for a minute there.
Training Camp Week 1 News
Through July 28th. News will be roughly ordered by Underdog Fantasy ADP.
CeeDee Lamb and Ja'Marr Chase are not practicing for contractual reasons. Players don't miss regular seasons anymore under the new CBA because the fines are too expensive. These ownership groups are simply wasting time and costing themselves money each day they wait to pay their elite WRs top of the market money. There's no reason to panic in fantasy yet.
Brandon Aiyuk is holding in while looking for a new contract. The 49ers obviously don't want to trade their lone downfield target, and it's unlikely that they will. San Francisco has history of extending their stars before Week 1. ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted, "The 49ers intend to keep Brandon Aiyuk, not trade him." It makes sense to keep this Super Bowl contending roster in-house during the cheap Brock Purdy years. That means they have to sort out All Pro LT Trent Williams' holdout, too. They both should be paid more if you ask me.
The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue reported, "Kyren's their guy, Kyren is Sean's guy. If he could sign himself over to be Kyren's godfather, he would." Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson shared the same belief. We won't get preseason action from the Rams starters most likely, so all we have to go off are reports like this one. Kyren Williams is available in Round 3 on Underdog Fantasy, but I have him ranked 16th overall. He'll be one of my most-drafted players based on his proven upside. I'm willing to take on his risk, especially with a bag full of Blake Corum. ESPN's Mike Clay listed Kyren as one of his 5 players to draft this year:
Malik Nabers, from what I have picked up on X, is balling.
Jalen Hurts is healthy and acing the offense under new OC Kellen Moore. They couldn't handle pressure last year, but ESPN, Philly Voice, and other outlets have reported that Hurts has a good feel for the incoming changes. Moore even said this himself: "Jalen has been really smooth the first couple days. He's been excellent, just his operation. You can tell he's just in command, he's in control." Somehow available in Round 4 on Underdog Fantasy, Hurts is a way-too-obvious target, especially when stacked with A.J. Brown and (to a lesser extent) DeVonta Smith. Moore stated that both receivers will move around the formation more this year than they did in the past. What the Eagles need is a new No. 3 WR after DeVante Parker retired months ago. It's a battle between training camp starting slot Parris Campbell , giant rookie Johnny Wilson, and normal-sized rookie Ainias Smith are the most in the mix right now.
Lamar Jackson was sick (again). What is going on?
Anthony Richardson (shoulder) was a full participant from the get go. Equally as important, coach Shane Steichen said the team isn't going to shy away from having Richardson run in 2024. It shocks me that anyone would think otherwise. He's one of my top-3 most-drafted QBs on Underdog Fantasy while going in Round 5.
Dalton Kincaid is going to be featured far more in his 2nd season, especially after the Stefon Diggs trade. But The Athletic's Joe Buscaglia reminded us that Dawson Knox is not going to be fully benched either. These two will rotate at times, potentially favoring Knox in some blocking situations. Kincaid may just miss out on the full-time job that the true fantasy elites have. Buscaglia notes Kincaid played 56% snaps during the last 6 games with Knox available. I'll clearly take the higher on that number. To compare, Sam LaPorta dna Trey McBride played 89% snaps over their final 6 games last year. Knox's contingent-upside appeal and TD-or-bust standalone value aren't much different than Isiah Likely if you're looking for a new Round 18 option on Underdog Fantasy.
Kyle Pitts looks healthy to me, based on the videos I've seen of him. He didn't look right in camp last year, foreshadowing a forgettable 2023 campaign. Being another year removed from a serious knee injury could be all it takes for him to return to the elite TE tier. Here's to hoping that the rest of camp goes smoothly. I'm going to move him ahead of Kittle and Kincaid in my rankings after being patient with the uncertainty of his injury.
Marquise Brown led the team in targets during a key part of Chiefs practice, leading to this Patrick Mahomes quote: "No one told me like how much he can actually do on the football field. He can run those over-the-middle routes. He can run really good routes— and he can run deep. It’s not like ‘fast’ is the only thing that he can do." We're still waiting on the news of Rashee Rice's criminal trial date and what that'll mean for his odds of a 2024 suspension. Xavier Worthy was on the receiving end of one of the all-time training camp throws from Mahomes, too. Imagine not drafting Mahomes at the Round 4/5 turn right now.
Curtis Samuel is being used everywhere in camp, including on the perimeter in 3-WR sets and out of the backfield as a manufactured touch player. That's exactly what he did with OC Joe Brady while they were together in Carolina years ago. Samuel is the favorite for targets in the WR room, especially with 2nd-round rookie Keon Coleman being brought along slowly. Coleman may lose X-receiver snaps to Mack Hollins and MVS early in the year. He has Post Bye Rookie Bump written all over him. Expect Khalil Shakir to remain in the slot. I'm collecting a huge Samuel bag. Expect his price tag to continue to climb, eventually flipping the rookie. As a reminder, Samuel hasn't played with a good passing QB ever:
Brian Thomas Jr. reviews have been mixed. On one hand, all reports suggest he's picking up the playbook and is already in 3-WR sets with the 1st-team offense. Bar cleared. But Thomas isn't exactly piling up a bunch of targets early on. Thomas' route tree will likely be skewed towards deep downfield, so it could merely be hard to track how well he's going to do on his probably lower-target role this early into camp. I'm not moving my spike-week flex expectations for the rookie yet. This is just one to monitor. Sports Illustrated's John Shipley believes Thomas will be 4th in the target pecking order, including TE Evan Engram. Speaking of Shipley, his notes on how poor the offense has looked as a whole have made me chuckle. Is that just his writing style, or is that self coping for my heavy Jaguars bags on Underdog Fantasy? It's hard to say.
The Packers are rotating their WRs still. With the help of Andy Herman's Twitter account, it's obvious that all 4 WRs are in the "starter" mix. It was Dontayvion Wicks and Romeo Doubs in 2-WR sets on July 27th, but Jayden Reed and Christian Watson have been in starting lineups when the team was practicing in 3-WR packages. It's notable that Reed wasn't a starter in 2-WR sets, after not playing in them as a rookie either. To pay off his Round 5 price tag on Underdog Fantasy, that has to change.
Chris Godwin is moving back to the slot. That's a much better fit for his skillset.
Panthers coach Dave Canales said, "As we build our offense, we really try to feature someone. And for us right now: 'Where is Diontae Johnson at?'" Shoutout to Josh Norris for digging up that quote. Johnson was the team's biggest offseason acquisition in the skill group and projected really well in my personal 2024 player projections. He's an ideal scheme fit as an early-route separator who can play X receiver. That should allow Byrce Young to get the ball out quickly. The total upside will be capped by the Panthers' very low team totals, but Johnson could easily be a volume-based top-30 receiver this year. Just like Adam Thielen was on an even worse version of this offense last season.
Lions coach Dan Campbell said Jameson Williams is "a more mature guy, he's bought in and he's putting in the work. Because of that, he's just continued to get better and better." The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner tweeted Williams "literally looks like a different player from a year ago today", as he competes for a 2-WR set starter role. He's only being challenged by Donovan Peoples-Jones and Antoine Green right now. Green, the former 7th-rounder, is currently operating as the starter X receiver after figuring out OC Ben Johnson's playbook last year. I have my homework on learning Green's game. This is my signal to cool it on Amon-Ra handcuff Kalif Raymond in Round 18 of Underdog Fantasy drafts.
Alvin Kamara is not holding out of training camp despite looking for a new contract, and Kendre Miller (hamstring) is back in the doghouse. Coach Dennis Allen said, "That’s a player who needs to figure out how to stay healthy because you can’t make the team in the training room." Their ADP's are trending in opposite directions, even if they break the age-related norms. If Miller can't get back onto the field soon, Jamaal Williams will open the year as the grinder back. Don't expect Kamara or Williams to be efficient behind a potentially disastrous offensive line.
Jonathon Brooks (ACL) will "be brought along slowly" according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. He can be elevated from the NFI List at any point, but there hasn't been an indication that it's going to happen soon. Brooks has until August 27th to be activated from the NFL List before he'll be forced into missing the first 4 games of the year. Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders are battling for snaps currently.
Joe Burrow (wrist) was a full participant during the first two practices, then didn't throw on the third day per ESPN. He had a very rare wrist surgery on November 27th that he'll have to manage. He said it was a more difficult rehab than his ACL tear and is still working on improving the mobility per The Athletic. It's making me a tad nervous about Burrow's long-term health once his non-contact jersey is off. The addition of total stud 1st-round RT Amarius Mims eases those concerns a bit.
Chase Brown is getting reps with the Bengals 1st-team offense. Some reporters (who I have never heard of) have even reported that Brown is getting the most of them. As a tip, be careful that these "reps" aren't for a specific situation, which is why we'll keep on evaluating these snap counts. Either way, it's a real battle between Brown and reliable veteran Zack Moss. The Athletic's Paul Dehner (who I very much have heard of) called Moss the "starter" in his 53-man predictions just days ago. Bengals "GM" Duke Tobin said Brown would "have an opportunity to be the guy, or the second guy, or in tandem with Zack [Moss]." Thanks, sir. To get the best out of each of their flawed profiles, the Bengals should use Moss as the primary short-yardage rusher and on pass-protection snaps (see: Joe Mixon), while allowing Brown's raw speed shine on designed targets and early-down outside carries. We talked about this training camp battle here:
Javonte Williams received the bulk of 1st-team reps and is down 11 pounds after coach Sean Payton asked him to lose weight. Broncos reporter Benjamin Allbright believes cut candidate Samaje Perine has "the toughest climb" to make the roster with Audric Estime (early downs) and Jaleel McLaughlin (passing downs) rounding out the depth chart. If Payton can find someone trustworthy to replace Perine's pass-blocking skills, then this 3-RB rotation makes sense. This offense will heavily utilize their backs in the receiving game, so get ready to PPR scam. In half PPR best ball, I like Estime's price tag the best and even ranked him highly in my 2024 RB prospect rankings. He'll have to steal Williams' starting job to pay off, however. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler believes it's Williams, then everyone else.
Nick Chubb (ACL, MCL, menisus) is on the PUP list and is working off to the side of Browns practices, as expected. ESPN's Dan Graziano reports that Chubb isn't likely to be ready for the season and "has begun working on change-of-direction stuff in addition to full-speed sprinting." If he's just starting out with football-like moves as the report insinuates, then Chubb is probably far out. A return around Halloween seems reasonable. The team is not setting a timetable for his return. It'll be Jerome Ford on passing downs with D'Onta Foreman in the goal-line role that Kareem Hunt had last year. Pierre Strong Jr. is also in the mix.
Mike Williams (ACL) reportedly needs a "few more weeks" before he'll come off of the PUP list. That's left little behind Garrett Wilson. Current slot starter Xavier Gibson will also miss 1-2 weeks with a leg injury. If we don't hear anything from 3rd-round PPR scam Malachi Corley during their absenses, then he might need a redshirt before earning the trust of Aaron Rodgers. Coach Robert Salah said Corley "has a long way to go." Yikes, but not a surprise after watching the routes he ran at Western Kentucky.
2nd-round rookie Ja'Lynn Polk is already a 1st-team starter in camp. It's a low bar to clear, but he's cleared it early. Polk is the latest a team's No. 1 receiver gets drafted on Underdog Fantasy. He'll be one of my most-drafted players. Polk can play inside or out, meaning his path to near full-time snaps is relatively safe compared to his price tag.
Kirk Cousins (achilles) was practicing from the get go, even going 15-of-16 in an 11-on-11 drill at camp. That's as good of a start as possible, especially with new WR2 Darnell Mooney getting in the mix with a team-high 5 targets. Meanwhile, Michael Penix took all the 2nd-team snaps ahead of Taylor Heinicke.
Deshaun Watson (shoulder) has thrown in 3-straight practices per ESPN. That wasn't the case earlier in the offseason. That's a promising start for an offense I project to explode in pass attempts. I wrote about the reasoning here.
Ray Davis has impressed as the Bills RB2.
Chargers 6th-round RB Kimani Vidal is at least behind Gus Edwards (undisclosed), J.K. Dobbins, and Jaret Patterson right now, per The Athletic's Daniel Popper. He has his work cut out to be in the starter mix by Week 1, but OC Greg Roman said the preseason will be Vidal's "time to shine" and he's liked his vision so far. Roman saw the same trait on his college tape. Even if Vidal officially climbs ahead of Patterson soon (here's a clip of Vidal getting a handoff from Herbert in a scrimmage setting), it may not matter if Dobbins truly surprises. He's talking a big game and is working with the 1st-team offense in full to open training camp. This staff is quite familiar with Dobbins, who has suffered multiple career-threatening injuries to date. His $50k guaranteed contract is a reminder of what he's coming back from, but the optimistic reports are relentless right now. In fact, Dobbins says he's actually faster after tearing his achilles.
Quentin Johnston worked with the 2nd-team offense, notably playing behind D.J. Chark according to The Athletic's Daniel Popper. It's early -- real early -- but every rep behind Chark in the year of our lord 2024 is not a good sign. I'm not bothering with either of them in fantasy. All of my eggs are in the Ladd McConkey and Josh Palmer baskets right now. Coach Jim Harbaugh has been very impressed with McConkey.
Demarcus Robinson is the Rams' No. 3 WR to open camp and is drawing positive reviews from coach Sean McVay. The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue went as far to say he is "locked in as the #3" and joked that he's "aging in reverse." D-Rob did nothing throughout his career until late last year when he was a deep threat and red zone option for Matthew Stafford. He's a sleeper with contingent upside. TuTu Atwell is their 4th option, but it's possible the Rams opt for more 2-TE sets than normal after adding multiple players to that room over the last calendar year.
Jermaine Burton is mixing in with the 1st-team offense, but Bengals WR coach Troy Walters said, "You want to get your best three players on the field. Right now, Andrei Iosivas is probably No. 3 and playing well. We had to find a way to get him on the field. He processes quickly and does everything you ask. He’ll probably grow into that role and see if he can handle it." Iosivas and Burton will continue to battle things out in camp, and it's hard to say if the team is looking for a slot or flanker because Ja'Marr Chase can play inside or out. Iosivas is getting some hype as a potential slot receiver, a position Burton rarely played in college. There were upside flashes on Burton's college tape, but he is a 3rd-round rookie after all. Iosivas ran 152 routes as a 6th-rounder out of Princeton last year.
Roman Wilson isn't guaranteed a role based on draft capital (3rd round). He's currently behind Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin, per The Athletic's Mike DeFabo, as the Steelers desperately look for depth behind George Pickens. He's at least working in with the 1st-team offense, specifically in the slot as expected. The drumming you do hear in Pittsburgh is from Pat Freiermuth's drumsticks. He's apparently lighting it up in camp. OC Arthur Smith has a deep history of targeting his tight ends.
Michael Wilson is starting over Zay Jones. No surprise here. It should be slot Greg Dortch in 3-WR sets over Jones, too. Jones is the only one not draftable on Underdog Fantasy right now. I mix in the two youngsters.
Marvin Mims (5'11/182) and Troy Franklin (6'2/176) are tiny, so it's weird that coach Sean Payton is obsessed with "size" in his WR room. That's potentially good news for Josh Reynolds ($4.2M) and Tim Patrick ($7.2M), though this will likely turn into a rotation behind big alpha Courtland Sutton. I draft a ton of Sutton. I'll let you guys deal with the rest of these dart throws.
Daniel Jones (ACL) was cleared for contact on Day 1 of training camp and is getting all of the 1st-team reps. All of them. There have been some clips of him connecting with 1st-round baller Malik Nabers already. Jones hasn't had a talent like him -- or anything close to him -- during his Giants' tenure. He's one of my most-drafted players in the very last part of Underdog drafts.
Drake Maye already splitting 1st-team snaps with respected veteran Jacoby Brissett means this competition is close with plenty of time to get sorted out. The Patriots have a lot to sort out across the offensive line and at receiver, so they still may opt to ride with the veteran early. I just wouldn't rule out the rookie surprising in camp and earning a Week 1 starting job. There are few dual-threat upside QBs available in Round 17-18 nowadays. Maye is one of the exceptions. Draft accordingly.
Bo Nix isn't perfect, but reports suggest he looks as advertised while competing in 3-way committee. Coach Sean Payton said that will be cut down to two QBs shortly before declaring a starter. It'd be an upset if Nix isn't the winner, at least by the start of October. His competition is Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson after all.
Russell Wilson (calf) hasn't practiced since picking up a minor injury during the Steelers conditioning test. That's allowed Justin Fields to take the 1st-team reps. Coach Mike Tomlin said Wilson was out of practice out of an "abundance of caution."
Sam Darnold is getting "the majority" of 1st-team reps to open training camp, while 1st-round rookie J.J. McCarthy is primarily operating as the QB3 behind Nick Mullens. The NFL has a fetish for Darnold, who enters (by far) the best coaching, WR, and OL environment of his career. Coach Kevin O'Connell coached Mullens and Josh Dobbs to big fantasy outings last year. Darnold seems like a way too obvious Geno Smith or Baker Mayfield candidate this year. He's my new low-drafted Round 18 dart throw, especially on Justin Jefferson teams. JJ can drag just about anyone to passing yards.
Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew are rotating with the Raiders' 1st-team offense.
Tyrone Tracy was called a "sleeper" by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, who called out the rookie's hands and smoothness. He made sure to reiterate this is Devin Singletary's backfield to start the year.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire re-signed for $1.7M practically guaranteed this offseason, but that doesn't guarantee that he'll be Isiah Pacheco's backup. To start camp, Deneric Prince ($0 guaranteeed as an exclusive rights free agent) was working ahead of CEH and getting reps with the 1st-team offense. Prince is a former UDFA who played all 15 of his NFL snaps on special teams so far. The Chiefs are known to mix things up and try things out, but this is one worth tracking. Prince doesn't have the profile of a draftable fantasy asset, but he is 6-foot, 216 pounds and is attached to Patrick Mahomes. The major difference between the two, aside from overall pedigree, is experience on passing downs. Prince has 44 receptions since 2016 (27 in high school, 17 in college, 0 in the NFL). I'll still on team CEH for now, admitting that I didn't think a real competition was even on the table heading into camp.
Kadarius Toney is "getting plenty of repetitions with the projected starters" per The Athletic's Nate Taylor. That's been at both WR and RB. This would be classic coach Andy Reid if Toney is a part-time player in a gadget role despite a load of mistakes in 2023.
Trey Sermon continues to take the Colts' RB2 snaps, per Destin Adams. The Athletic's James Boyd confirms, "Sermon appears to have solidified his position as the backup running back behind Jonathan Taylor." What can go wrong? Hand up, I do have to admit to sprinkling in some Round 18 Sermon. It's sickening.
Tank Bigsby should be the RB2 "to start" the year, per Sports Illustrated's John Shipley.
Texans coach Demeco Ryans said Dameon Pierce will "be in a much better spot this year than he was last year." Pierce is battling rookie Jawhar Jordan for Joe Mixon's backup job. Whoever wins that should be drafted well before Round 18 later in August.
Kenneth Gainwell is mixing in with the Eagles' 1st-team offense ahead of 5th-round rookie Will Shipley, per Brandon Lee Gowton. But Shipley received some 1st-team snaps on July 27th. The winner of this battle is worthy of a Round 18 selection on Underdog Fantasy. It's unclear who that will be, but I've personally seen enough from Gainwell's NFL career to exclude him from the upside bucket.
Isaac Guerendo's hamstring injury has prevented him from practicing. He's on pace with Trey Sermon and Tyrion Davis-Price as 49ers' 3rd-round RBs so far. Elijah Mitchell is CMC's backup and one of the more obvious late-round targets on Underdog Fantasy.
Juwan Johnson (foot) isn't practicing yet, but he's at practice without a boot. That likely means he avoided the most serious of the foot surgeries. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Saints are hopeful he'll be ready for Week 1. His ADP completely tanked after news broke months ago, but that could be an overreaction. Last time I checked, we get zero (0) fantasy points in June and July.
Post-hype sleeper Greg Dulcich is practicing and ESPN's Dan Graziano wrote, "The Broncos are expecting a big year from tight end Greg Dulcich." Dulcich is the highest-upside receiving option of the group, with ex-Saint blocking types surrounding him on the depth chart. The Broncos will likely have one of the lowest depths of target this year, so he's on the radar in the deepest of leagues. He just needs to stay healthy. So far, so good.
Panthers starting TE Tommy Tremble (hamstring) will miss time. 4th-round rookie Ja'Tavion Sanders has had a "quiet" offseason so far. Neither should be drafted often on Underdog Fantasy right now.
Devontez Walker is making mistakes in camp, as most 4th-round rookies do. The Ravens are looking for a No. 3 receiver, but Walker may have his hands full beating out veteran Nelson Agholor ($3.7M). I'd take the lower-drafted Agholor in Round 18 of a Lamar stack, rather than deal with the higher-drafted rookie. I wasn't a fan of Walker's junior tape with Drake Maye last year. He's a freestyler as a route runner.
Rondale Moore is behind Ray-Ray McCloud and other WRs you've never heard of in Falcons camp.
Jalen Nailor is in the lead for the Vikings WR3 job, ahead of Brandon Powell, per Sports Illustrated's Will Ragatz. Coach Kevin O'Connell said, "We're all very optimistic about Jalen because he's proven what he is as a football player. It's not a question of that." It's an underrated role for Round 18 drafters with T.J. Hockenson (ACL) and Jordan Addison (suspension) expected to miss time at various points of the year. As O'Connell alluded to, Nailor never eclipsed even 10 games while at Michigan State. Hopefully his injury luck turns around.
Treylon Burks has lost weight. That was a necessary step in a potential post-hype revival. Tyler Boyd is only making $750k guaranteed this year as the distant No. 3 option in Tennessee. Burks could steal that.
Michael Gallup unexpectedly retired. He's a reminder that even in 2024, returns from major surgeries aren't a given. Gallup was a quality starter before his ACL tear. He's now out of the league at 28 years old.