On Friday, Steelers beat reporter Dave Lolley took to Twitter to help clarify the team's RB situation. Lolley shared that the "narrative that Jaylen Warren is going to 'surpass' Najee Harris ... is simply not true," adding that Harris is the "clear No. 1" and Warren is the third-down back in Pittsburgh. Warren is the more optimal draft pick from an ADP value perspective. Regardless, both Warren and Harris are still favorably slotted in our current RB rankings. This is yet another reminder that one of the pillars of fantasy is to pursue value above all else. Learn more about our draft philosophy here at Draft Sharks.
Ravens GM Eric DeCosta gushed about QB Lamar Jackson's standing heading into the season opener. "Lamar’s attitude has been excellent this year," DeCosta said. "I think last year was a challenging year for a lot of reasons, obviously, just where he was with his contract. This year, his enthusiasm has been fantastic. He’s throwing the ball very, very well. He’s been able to build a great rapport with the WRs very, very quickly. He’s taking care of his body. He seems really into the offense – he's excited about it. He has an awesome relationship with his coaches, and he worked very hard this offseason." With a pass-happier OC and significantly upgraded WR corps, Jackson's 2023 fantasy upside extends to the top of the QB position.
Colts RB Deon Jackson is in line to start the season opener vs. the Jaguars, according to insider Aaron Wilson. RB Jonathan Taylor is out for at least the first four games of the season. And RB Zack Moss isn't expected back from his broken arm until Week 2 or 3, per Wilson. That leaves Indianapolis' backfield to Jackson and rookie Evan Hull, barring another addition. Hull is the more exciting player, but it sounds like the Colts will favor Jackson's experience in the opener. We're still expecting this to be a committee attack, leaving Jackson as an unexciting fantasy play.
Bengals RB Trayveon Williams (ankle) returned to limited practices this week and expects to be ready for the season opener. He appeared to be No. 2 on the depth chart before spraining his ankle at the beginning of August and missing the entire preseason. HC Zac Taylor said the battle for snaps between Williams, Chris Evans, and Chase Brown behind starter Joe Mixon remains fluid. "He still gets an opportunity to do that," Taylor said of Williams' opportunity to win the No. 2 RB job. "I'm not going to say it's nailed down and this is the way it is going to be all season once we make the Game 1 decision. I think it needs to be a fluid situation for us where these guys know there is potential to continue to improve, to get more opportunity."
Chargers beat writer Daniel Popper believes RB Joshua Kelley will see “most of the carries” behind Austin Ekeler. “Kelley had a great camp and preseason,” Popper writes. “His natural talent has started to shine with [OC Kellen] Moore’s downhill run philosophy and scheme. Kelley has earned the opportunity behind Ekeler to start the season. But that could change as the season progresses.” The Chargers passed on adding a veteran back this offseason, signaling faith in Kelley and Isaiah Spiller. While Kelley looks like the primary RB2 now, this situation could be fluid all year.
Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle (midsection) told reporters that he expects to play in the season opener vs. the Chargers. He missed most of August but was spotted on the practice field on Thursday. We'll get Miami's first official practice report of the season on Wednesday.
Colts HC Shane Steichen said Thursday that he "hopes" RB Zack Moss (arm) is available by Week 1. Moss broke his arm on July 31 and was expected to miss about six weeks. Indianapolis' season opener on September 10 is right at the six-week mark. We'll see if Moss gets on the practice field next week. The Athletic's James Boyd said last week that a healthy Moss is the "likely" starter as long as RB Jonathan Taylor is out. Evan Hull and Deon Jackson are the only other RBs on the active
Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy gave his early impression of new QB Trey Lance. “Very hard working. We have a quarterback meeting room area. He’s pretty much kind of taken it over,” McCarthy said via reporter Michael Gehlken. “The grease boards look like ‘A Beautiful Mind.’ We just need to work on the extra things, particularly in the area of footwork.” Lance, who projects as the QB3 behind Cooper Rush, will have plenty of time to refine his game.
Dolphins RB Jeff Wilson's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, expects Wilson to be back when first eligible in Week 5. Rosenhaus is obviously biased, so it's tough to put too much stock into his timeline. HC Mike McDaniel sounded much less optimistic about Wilson's status on Thursday. We'll continue to look for updates on the situation, but Wilson is only worth rostering in deep fantasy leagues or fantasy leagues with an IR spot.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow (calf) has been limited to 7-on-7 work since returning to practice on Wednesday. “He’s not doing a ton,” OC Brian Callahan admitted “We’re still being real cautious about having people around him and having him have to react with the burst and the suddenness that could come up in a team period. I think he wants (to do) as much as possible. We’re just trying to be smart about when and where those things occur until he’s fully good to go.” Callahan added, though, that Burrow remains on track to play in the season opener. “You can tell he’s in shape, and his arm’s in shape, and his timing is good ... I think he’s in a good place, and we’ve got a good plan in place for him to get ready for Week 1."
The Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud writes that WR Trey Palmer "earned the No. 3 spot" following WR Russell Gage's season-ending injury. The rookie had a nice training camp and caught seven of eight targets for 91 yards and two TDs this preseason. Palmer struggled to get on the field at LSU but transferred to Nebraska last year and broke out for 71 catches, 1,043 yards, and nine TDs. Then he blazed a 4.33-second 40 time at the Combine. Palmer will likely need a Chris Godwin or Mike Evans injury to gain fantasy relevance this year. But he's a name to keep on your radar.
Rams HC Sean McVay hinted that WR Cooper Kupp (hamstring) might not be ready for the season opener. “It’s just tricky,” McVay said. "There’s a difference between ‘return to play’ and ‘return to performance’. We want ‘return to performance’ for Cooper Kupp, and we know how special of a player, how special of a person he is. We want to make sure that we’re smart with that and getting him back to feeling like the Cooper Kupp that we all know — and that he is able to play the way he is capable of, whenever that is. Whether that’s Sept. 10 or not, we’ll continue to monitor that and control what we can control.” Kupp was sidelined for about three weeks with his initial hamstring injury. We don't know how this setback compares in terms of severity, but it wouldn't be surprising if he was out a similar length of time. For now, we've trimmed one game off Kupp's projections. See where he lands in the WR rankings.
Patriots WR Tyquan Thornton (shoulder) has been placed on IR. He'll miss at least the first four weeks of the season. The second-year receiver was sidelined during the spring with a soft-tissue injury and then hurt his shoulder in mid-August. He's not worth rostering in redraft. JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, and Demario Douglas figure to open the season as New England's top four WRs.
On Thursday, ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted that Rams WR Cooper Kupp (hamstring) has suffered a setback in his injury recovery. HC Sean McVay is calling Kupp "day-to-day" with this ailment. The veteran wideout sustained this injury on August 2 and has been working his way back ever since. With a setback so close to the regular season, it's concerning news for those looking to draft Kupp as a high-end WR1. This is not to say his fantasy value has totally cratered, but those drafting soon ought to be wary of this prolonged soft tissue injury. See where Kupp appears in our current WR rankings.
Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill won't be suspended for his altercation at a Miami Beach marina back in June, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports. That's been the assumption since Hill's accuser declined to press charges, but it's nice to have confirmation as we enter another big weekend of fantasy drafts. See where Hill sits in the WR rankings.
Saints RB Kendre Miller is sidelined with a hamstring injury, HC Dennis Allen said Thursday. Allen wouldn't say whether Miller will be available for Week 1. New Orleans could certainly use him with RB Alvin Kamara serving the first game of his three-game suspension. Jamaal Williams will operate as the lead back in the opener vs. the Titans.
The 49ers signed K Matthew Wright. He's insurance for rookie K Jake Moody, who's dealing with a quad injury. Avoid this situation in remaining fantasy drafts and Week 1 lineups.
The Vikings and TE T.J. Hockenson have agreed to a four-year extension that keeps him in Minnesota through the 2027 season. Hockenson is getting $66 million over the four new years with $42.5 million guaranteed, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Hockenson has missed most of training camp with an alleged ear infection and stiff back -- but we're guessing this new contract heals him up. We'll keep an eye on Hockenson's status, but he should be ready to go for Week 1.
Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel said Thursday that RB De'Von Achane (shoulder) should be able to participate in next week's prep work for the opener vs. the Chargers. But McDaniel stopped short of saying that the rookie will be able to play in that game. Achane is back on the practice field but is wearing a non-contact jersey. It at least sounds like he's getting close to a full return. Achane's availability has taken on increased importance with RB Jeff Wilson's trip to IR.
Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel says RB Jeff Wilson Jr. landed on IR with a "midsection injury compounded by some finger issues," according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. We're guessing that means the combo of injuries was enough to make the team think Wilson needed time to heal up. McDaniel didn't seem to give an expected return timeline, but what he did say seems ominous: "I wouldn't be surprised if he would make a return this season. We will let his body tell us." That makes it sound like a return this season is not definite. We'll obviously keep watching this season. It's worth noting that McDaniel is often not the most serious coach in press conferences. But it's tough to advocate drafting Wilson at all right now. RB Raheem Mostert, on the other hand, looks like a high-upside selection in the double-digit rounds. You might be able to start him right away against the Chargers in Week 1.
Search
