NFL Network's James Palmer reports that Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco is expected to be fully cleared by August 20. He underwent offseason surgeries on his hand and shoulder. The hand has been cleared, per Palmer, but the shoulder is still a couple of weeks away. Pacheco has been participating in training camp with a non-contact jersey. It sounds like he'll be full-go by the time we get to Week 1.
Bills QB Josh Allen hopped aboard the James Cook hype train in a SiriusXM interview on Wednesday. Cook is "going to take a large portion of the carries and in the pass game, he's going to be kind of a dual threat guy for us," Allen said. We've expected Cook to dominate pass-catching work all along. But a big revelation over the last couple of weeks is that Cook is in line to also lead the Bills in carries. A workload similar to what RB Devin Singletary got over the past four years -- 11.0 carries and 3.2 targets per game -- is within reach for Cook this year.
Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell said Wednesday that WR Jordan Addison is "off to a good start" in training camp. The rookie missed much of the spring with an undisclosed injury but seems to have put that behind him. "What he's done on the grass so far has confirmed a lot of the things that we expected from Jordan," O'Connell added. "He's also done some things instinctively just playing football within the confines of our scheme... he's showing a willingness to be a blocker, he's showing understanding of how he fits within the scheme and the rhythm and timing of the QB in the pass game. I'm really excited about him." Addison remains a good bet to open the season as Minnesota's No. 2 WR, giving him immediate WR3 potential in fantasy lineups.
Per beat writer Kevin Bowen, the Colts have “mixed and matched a lot” with their TEs in training camp. Bowen mentioned a “rotation” of Mo Alie-Cox, Jelani Woods, Drew Ogletree, and Kylen Granson. “It’s difficult to see much separation so far,” Bowen concluded. We remain intrigued by Woods given his combo of size and athleticism. But this is a good reminder that he still needs to earn a role. The 24-year-old posted 25-312-3 as a rookie.
Broncos QB Russell Wilson is off to a “slow start” in training camp, per team insider Troy Renck. He’s committed multiple turnovers in practice, but HC Sean Payton isn’t deterred. "He’s doing fine," Payton said. “We are in an installation pattern. As we install, sometimes we put a play in, and it doesn’t really match, and we wouldn’t run it if we were playing Denver’s defense. Throughout this training camp and preseason, you will see things we do well and some things we don’t feel as comfortable about. So, you are constantly building that memory bank of what we are seeing and how we are executing it.” Wilson and the Broncos open the season vs. Las Vegas on September 10.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes talked up rookie RB Deneric Prince. "He can catch the ball in the backfield, he can run the ball really well, and he’s getting better and better with the protection stuff,” Mahomes said. “So I think they’re just continuing to get him reps. We’re going to have a deep RB room.” Per reporter Pete Sweeney, Prince "seemed" to see an increase in first-team reps on Wednesday. We should get an extended look at the 23-year-old in preseason action.
Ravens HC John Harbaugh said he keeps in contact with RB J.K. Dobbins but remains unsure about a potential return. "I don't know. It's a fair question," Harbaugh began. "And there is a point when it becomes a concern because - and he knows - JK and I talked last night. We talk a lot. He wants to be out, and he needs to be out there, just like any player does. Other than that, there's nothing else that I can really add because I don't know when he's gonna come back. But I know I'm gonna be really happy when he does.” Baltimore opens up the preseason on the 12th vs. Philadelphia.
Per beat writer John Shipley, Jaguars WRs Christian Kirk and Zay Jones “have picked up where they left off [last season].” Kirk and Jones enjoyed career years, finishing at PPR WR12 and WR26, respectively. A healthy Calvin Ridley figures to limit target volume. But the Underdog Fantasy ADPs on Kirk (WR27) and Jones (WR49) put them in a draftable range. See where they sit in our updated WR rankings.
Bears WR Darnell Mooney said QB Justin Fields's biggest area of growth is his knowledge of the playbook. "There's no confusion there at all,” Mooney said on Wednesday. Per beat writer Courtney Cronin, Fields has called plays himself in walk-throughs during two-minute drills — something he didn’t do in 2022. Entering Year 2 in the same system, it’d be a disappointment if Fields wasn’t showing growth. The arrival of WR D.J. Moore simply adds to his passing ceiling.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said Wednesday that he expects Saints RB Alvin Kamara to be suspended for his role in a 2022 fight in Las Vegas. Rapoport throws out 2-, 4-, and 6-game suspensions as possibilities -- depending on how Kamara's meeting with Commissioner Roger Goodell goes. It's looking like we'll get a resolution to this situation soon.
Commanders HC Ron Rivera noted how WR Curtis Samuel’s skill set fits the new offense. Washington is now under the direction of OC Eric Bieniemy. “I think it fits in very well,” Rivera said. “Go back and get an opportunity to look at the stuff that they did in Kansas City and look at how creative and inventive they have been over the years with the receivers that they've had. Everything from running the jet sweeps to going vertical to working underneath, and the coverages against the coverages. You know, it's about getting the ball into the hands as quick as possible in as much space as possible, allowing these guys to make plays.” Highlighting Samuel’s catch-and-run ability makes sense. But we’re likely talking about the No. 3 option for an offense with QB concerns. Samuel, 27, projects as a bench stash to begin the season.
None of the Vikings' backup RBs have stepped up in camp so far, according to The Athletic's Alec Lewis. RB Ty Chandler has "lacked consistency," RB DeWayne McBride "faces a tall task in trying to learn the offense in short order," and RB Kene Nwangwu is unlikely to "shoulder a massive load," Lewis writes. It continues to look like RB Alexander Mattison will handle a high percentage of Minnesota's backfield touches this season. We'll see if one of these other guys gets rolling -- or if the Vikings add a veteran to the backfield.
Cowboys rookie TE Luke Schoonmaker worked off to the side but in full pads Tuesday, according to ESPN's Todd Archer, "normally a sign a player is close to getting on the field for practice." The second-round pick has been out with plantar fasciitis. We'll see if he's back in time for preseason games. He'll likely still face a tough battle with Jake Ferguson for playing time.
Packers HC Matt LaFleur praised WR Christian Watson for his growth in Year 2. "He just seems like a much more confident player and I think we saw that kind of take shape last year, about halfway through the season," LaFleur said. "You gotta remember… I think any time you're a young player and you miss all of training camp essentially, that's tough. That's difficult, so just him being healthy, he had a really good offseason and just his knowledge with our offense, he is one of the most intelligent players that I've ever been around.” (Note: Watson missed most of the ’22 camp following offseason knee surgery.) Now healthy, the 24-year-old brings enticing fantasy upside at a current ADP of WR25.
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah came away from Cowboys training camp “concerned” about the O-line. LT Tyron Smith “looked a little bit old,” per Jeremiah. He also noted the absence of G Zack Martin (contract). It’s a storyline to follow, but we’re not too worried about this unit limiting Dak Prescott and company. See why in our recent piece on O-line play and fantasy production.
Bucs OC Dave Canales said Tuesday that the competition for the team's starting QB job is even tighter now than it was earlier this offseason. QB Kyle Trask has had a nice start to camp, while QB Baker Mayfield has already tossed five INTs. “The first couple of days, I think the experience that Baker brings – just playing in games, being in camps, going through installs – you can see where the offense was gelling really well,” Canales said. "But it just took a couple of days for Kyle to really settle in. And then what we saw is the last two practices, Kyle really showed what he can do, stretching the field with his arm, getting the ball out quickly, making decisions. So I’m really excited about both of those guys and the progressions they’ve made throughout the last couple of days.” This battle figures to ultimately be decided in preseason action. Stay tuned.
Jaguars WR Calvin Ridley suffered a toe injury at Tuesday's practice, HC Doug Pederson said. Pederson added that Ridley will be limited in Wednesday's practice -- so it's clearly not a serious injury. We'll keep an eye on him, but Ridley isn't moving in our WR rankings.
Lions TE Sam LaPorta left practice Monday with a "minor" ankle injury, according to Justin Rogers of the Detroit News. LaPorta is reportedly expected to "test" that ankle at Wednesday morning's practice. We'll see how that test goes, but the quick return leaves us not overly worried about the situation. The rookie isn't moving in our TE rankings.
Rams WR Cooper Kupp left Tuesday's practice with a hamstring injury. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports he had an MRI and that the team expects him back "for scrimmages in a few weeks." We'll watch for more detail on that end of it, but the Rams have obvious reason to be cautious with Kupp's health.
Buccaneers rookie DT Calijah Kancey is expected to miss four weeks after straining his right calf. That would cost the first-round pick all three preseason games but give him a shot at being ready for the opener. We wouldn't bet on Kancey getting near full playing time early under that scenario. The rookie already sat low in our 2023 IDP rankings. We'll keep an eye on his status upon his return from this injury.
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