Broncos HC Vic Fangio said he was pleased with the performance from each of his top 2 QBs in Saturday's preseason opener against the Vikings. Drew Lock started, completed 5 of 7 passes for 151 yards and tossed a pair of TDs -- including an 80-yard connection with K.J. Hamler. Teddy Bridgewater then went 7-of-8 for 74 yards and another TD. "I don't think any separation happened today," Fangio said of the QB competition afterward, according to Andrew Mason of DNVR. Bridgewater is expected to start the next game.
Broncos RB Melvin Gordon sat out Saturday's preseason opener with what HC Vic Fangio called a "minor" groin injury. Fangio added that Gordon isn't expected to miss much time. We'll see when he's able to get back on the field. Rookie RB Javonte Williams started Saturday's game and carried 5 times for 29 yards.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott's Saturday MRI on his strained shoulder showed that his injury is "healing well," according to ESPN's Todd Archer. The QB did some on-field throwing before Friday night's game against Arizona and emerged without issue. He reportedly hopes to practice this week and potentially play against Houston in the next preseason game.
Dolphins RB Malcolm Brown started Saturday's preseason opener vs. the Bears. Per Pro Football Focus' Nathan Jahnke, Brown out-snapped RB Myles Gaskin 16 to 7 with the 1st-team offense. Gaskin then played into the 2nd quarter with Miami's backups. "You saw all 3 backs played, all 3 of them got carries," HC Brian Flores said after the game, referring to Brown, Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed. "Pick one out and put them in, basically. We like all 3 guys. They all do good things. And I think we saw that today. And [we'll] just keep working all 3 guys." That sure sounds like this will be an ugly committee backfield. We'll get another look at the rotation in Miami's 2nd preseason game. But, for now, we've moved Gaskin well down the RB rankings and Brown up.
Cowboys TE Dalton Schultz missed the team's 2nd preseason game with a "minor" ankle sprain, according to the Dallas Morning News' Michael Gehlken. "Fully expected to be ready for start of season," Gehlken adds. We'll see when Schultz is able to get back on the field, but his absence will give TE Blake Jarwin a shot to lay claim to the starting job.
Seahawks S Jamal Adams has been sitting out training-camp practices amid a stalemate in negotiations on his contract extension. But eternal optimist HC Pete Carroll doesn't expect that to carry over into the regular season. “Oh, I’m not even thinking about that at all,” Carroll told The Seattle Times this week. “I don’t know. I can’t even imagine that.” We'll see about Adams as the regular season draws closer.
Titans RB Darrynton Evans left Friday night's preseason game after a non-contact knee injury in the 1st quarter. Tennessee deemed him questionable to return, which could be a good signal on the injury's severity. We'll keep an eye out for updates, though. Jeremy McNichols stepped in after Evans left.
Giants WR Sterling Shepard is having an impressive camp and has been QB Daniel Jones' favorite target, according to insider Matt Lombardo. And that was reportedly the case even before WR Kenny Golladay went down with his hamstring injury. "The expectation entering this season was that free agent newcomer Kenny Golladay would vault to the top of Jones’ target hierarchy, and even before the high-priced addition suffered a hamstring injury last week, that just didn’t happen," Lombardo writes. "Meanwhile, Shepard has consistently been making plays, and consistently been among Jones’ first reads, perhaps a harbinger for the kind of season ahead for the longest-tenured Giant." Shepard is never an exciting fantasy pick but has finished as a top 34 WR in PPR points per game in 3 of 5 seasons -- and never finished lower than 45th. He's a strong bet to beat his current WR64 ADP.
Insider Doug Kyed hears that there's "no concern" about Jets WR Elijah Moore's quad injury. Exhale! We'll see when the rookie is able to get on the field. But you can continue targeting him aggressively in the double-digit rounds of fantasy drafts.
We’ve seen Chargers coaches talking up WR Mike Williams. Sounds like the QB agrees. “We need to get him the ball more,” Justin Herbert said, via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. “He’s one of those guys that you just have to find out there. He’s going to get open. He’s so physical, fast and strong that he’s going to win — jump balls, deep balls and intermediate routes. I think we need to get him more involved in the short game and the quick game because he’s an incredible player.” Williams’ ADP has climbed since the beginning of draft season but he remains a solid-to-good value in most places.
Ravens WR Rashod Bateman had successful core-muscle surgery in Philadelphia on Friday, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. HC John Harbaugh reportedly still hopes to get the rookie back “sometime in September.” Bateman’s absence to open the season helps the outlook for both Marquise Brown and Sammy Watkins.
Broncos RB Mike Boone is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a quad injury, insider Mike Klis reports. That puts him right up against the start of the season. Denver's likely #3 RB, Boone wasn't really on the fantasy radar. But we thought there was a chance that he siphoned a handful of carries per game from RBs Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams. That's now less likely in the beginning of the season. Klis said Boone was having a "terrific camp" before this injury.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that Raiders TE Darren Waller is dealing with an ankle injury that's "not concerning." We know Waller has been sidelined for over a week now -- but this is the 1st time we've heard why. "If prepping for a regular-season game, Waller would probably be fine," Fowler adds. We'll keep an eye on this, but it doesn't sound like we need to adjust 2021 expectations for Waller right now.
Chargers HC Brandon Staley said Thursday that QB Justin Herbert won't play at all in the preseason. That's not necessarily good or bad news. It does mean that we won't get to see him at all in the new offense until the regular season. We have Herbert below the top tier (or top 2?) in our QB rankings. With just 1 year behind him and a new coaching staff in place, there's more risk than we see in the QBs above him. But Herbert, of course, also showed us plenty of upside as a rookie.
The Cardinals on Thursday placed RB James Conner on the COVID list as a high-risk close contact. As long as Conner tests negative, he should be back soon with no reason for further concern. We'll keep an eye out for updates on his situation. Jonathan Ward and Eno Benjamin should see extra reps for as long as Conner is out.
Jets WR Elijah Moore injured his quad in Thursday's practice. He was able to get off the field under his own power but is headed for an MRI, HC Robert Saleh said. We'll pass along an update when we get one.
ESPN's Jamison Hensley reports that Ravens WR Rashod Bateman will have surgery on his groin. HC John Harbaugh reportedly says the rookie will be back "sometime in September." We'll see about that as the return gets closer. For now, Bateman probably has to fall down draft boards. He had been performing well in camp, but WR Sammy Watkins has also drawn positive reviews from OC Greg Roman. Bateman's situation certainly adds upside to Watkins as a late fantasy pick.
Dolphins WR Will Fuller remains sidelined with the injury he suffered on July 28. It's believed to be a foot injury, although we haven't heard much from the team on the situation. We're still a month away from the start of the season -- and Fuller is suspended for Week 1 -- but this is starting to become a concern. Fuller, of course, has had durability problems throughout his career. We just nudged him down the WR rankings.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott told reporters Wednesday that he's getting another MRI on his strained shoulder this weekend. The QB said that there's been no setback in his rehab and that his body has responded well to the recent return to light throwing. He said the team is working to make sure the issue doesn't linger, and he still expects to be ready for the opener. "Once Sept. 9 comes, I'll move forward and won't think about this again," he said, according to the team website. We'll have to keep watching for updates/changes on Prescott's situation. He's holding at his current spot in our QB rankings, though.
The Athletic's Jeff Howe believes Sony Michel is currently the "1B" to Damien Harris' "1A" in the Patriots backfield. Howe writes that both guys have "had the best training camp of their careers, thanks to performance and availability." That's a pleasant surprise regarding Michel considering most have written him off. Harris remains the favorite to lead New England in carries this season -- but his fantasy stock would take a significant hit if Michel is heavily involved. It's a situation to monitor in preseason action.
Search
