Eagles RB D'Andre Swift "is still one of many in the running back room, not the main guy," The Athletic's Bo Wulf writes. It's confirmation of how we've been projecting the Philly backfield all along. Swift is the best fantasy bet of the bunch, but he figures to lose too much work to RB Kenneth Gainwell and others to be a real fantasy difference-maker. Check out our full projections for the Eagles backfield.
The Cardinals are trading Isaiah Simmons to the Giants for a seventh-round pick. That marks a steep fall for the former first-round pick who is in just his fourth season, the final on his rookie contract. Arizona moved Simmons from LB to safety this offseason but clearly wasn't satisfied with him in the new role. We'll see whether Simmons can carve out a meaningful role with his new team, but odds stand against him rebuilding IDP value.
According to ESPN's Courtney Cronin, Bears HC Matt Eberflus said on Wednesday that RB Khalil Herbert "hasn't done anything to lose the job" of being the team's starter. Eberflus also mentioned that rookie Roschon Johnson "has done a nice job competing" but didn't say much about the other Chicago backs. This news certainly bodes well for Herbert's odds of carrying a majority of the workload this season. Of course, QB Justin Fields will have his share of rushing attempts that take away from him. But if Herbert continues to stave off his backfield competition, he'll be a solid RB3/flex candidate in lineups in 2023. See where Herbert slots in our current RB rankings.
This coming Tuesday, August 29, is a big day for Colts RB Jonathan Taylor. ESPN's Stephen Holder reports that the team has given Taylor until Tuesday to find a trade partner. Two teams have already submitted offers to the Colts, per Holder, although it's unclear if either is close to what the Colts are looking for. Tuesday is also when teams must decide what to do with players on the active/PUP list, as Taylor is. Taylor will either need to be activated to the 53-man roster, or move to reserve/PUP, which would cost him the first four weeks of the season. We'll have a much better idea of Taylor's 2023 fantasy outlook by the end of Tuesday. Stay tuned.
The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec writes that Ravens RB Justice Hill's stock is up. "You no longer should be asking whether Hill is a lock to make the team," Zrebiec adds. "It’s probably more pertinent to ask whether he’ll have a notable role on offense. He’s earned it with how he’s practiced this summer and played in the preseason." Hill has turned six preseason touches into 86 total yards, while playing ahead of RB Gus Edwards in the first exhibition. We still don't expect Hill to have tangible fantasy value behind a healthy RB J.K. Dobbins. But Hill might be the Ravens RB to own if Dobbins misses time.
Jets WR Corey Davis took to Instagram on Wednesday to announce that he's retiring from the NFL. HC Robert Saleh had shared earlier in the afternoon that Davis had stepped away from the team for personal reasons. Though various hamstring and groin injuries plagued Davis throughout his career, he was a reasonably productive player when healthy. The 5th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft played six seasons between the Titans and Jets, accumulating 273 catches, 3,879 receiving yards, and 17 TDs. With Davis gone, we project a small uptick in favor of WR Allen Lazard. Fellow wideout Mecole Hardman and the TEs should also see marginal improvements in their opportunity shares, but this news doesn't move the needle much for fantasy purposes. See how our WR rankings shake out in the aftermath of Davis' retirement.
Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson is over the ear infection that has sidelined him in camp but is now out with lower-back stiffness, according to insider Sam Ekstrom. Like the ear issue, this doesn't sound like a major concern. But it's certainly been a less-than-ideal August for Hockenson. We'll let you know when he gets back on the field.
Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald says Patriots rookie WR Kayshon Boutte is making a "late surge for a roster spot." That's a good way to encapsulate his current fantasy standing. We've seen other positive recent reports on Boutte's performance, including from Kyed. And the sixth-round pick started his college career with intriguing upside before being derailed by injury. That upside makes him worth a stash in dynasty leagues. But that he's fighting for a roster spot on a time with a questionable-to-weak WR corps should temper any excitement.
The 49ers have named Sam Darnold their No. 2 QB, NFL Network reports. That leaves QB Trey Lance as the No. 3 -- and his future with the team in limbo. We'll see if Lance is still on the 49ers' roster come Week 1, but he's obviously not worth a roster spot in any redraft leagues.
Jets WR Corey Davis has left the team for personal reasons, HC Robert Saleh said Wednesday. Saleh wouldn’t say whether Davis will be back for Week 1, adding that he can take “however long he needs." We'll keep an eye on this and let you know when Davis returns. He's been no more than a late-round flier in fantasy drafts.
Panthers WR D.J. Chark is sidelined with a hamstring injury, according to The Athletic's Joe Person. HC Frank Reich declined to give a timetable for Chark's return but said the team isn't planning any “big moves” at the position. Carolina is also without WRs Terrace Marshall (back), Laviska Shenault (concussion), and Damiere Byrd (hamstring). That's left Jonathan Mingo and Adam Thielen as the clear top two healthy receivers. We'll see when these other guys are able to get back on the field.
Vikings WR Jordan Addison (concussion) returned to practice on Wednesday and appeared to be a full-go, according to The Star Tribune's Andrew Krammer. If Addison hasn't been fully cleared yet, he's close. The rookie will be ready to go in plenty of time for Week 1. Consider his fantasy value unaffected by the concussion.
Saints TE Juwan Johnson has emerged as one of QB Derek Carr's "most reliable targets," ESPN's Katherine Terrell writes. “I think he’s developed a nice little rapport with Derek,” HC Dennis Allen said. "He seems to be where Derek wants him, when he wants him there. When you do that, you kind of get rewarded and the ball comes your way." Johnson is coming off a breakout 42-508-7 line last year. That TD rate is a near lock to regress, but there's potential for Johnson to improve his catch and yardage totals. He's an intriguing TE2 target in fantasy drafts.
Jets RB Israel Abanikanda is expected to be out "a couple of weeks" with his thigh injury, HC Robert Saleh said Tuesday. When healthy, the rookie will be New York's third or fourth RB. He's off the redraft radar.
Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle (midsection) was in uniform for Tuesday's practice but remained on the rehab field, according to NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe. HC Mike McDaniel said that the team is being cautious with Waddle, with the goal to have him ready for Week 1. Waddle has been out since August 9. But, at this point, there's no reason to believe he won't be ready for the season opener.
Seahawks HC Pete Carroll said Tuesday that WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba has a "slight fracture" in his wrist and that the team is "optimistic on a 3-4 week timeline," per insider Corbin Smith. Carroll is about as unreliable as they come in terms of injury updates, so take this with a giant grain of salt. But we're a little less than three weeks away from Seattle's season opener, so it sounds like JSN is likely to at least miss Week 1. We'll continue to look for updates on his status.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport here's that there's "optimism" that Commanders WR Terry McLaurin (toe) will be ready for Week 1. "More day-to-day than anything, with the scans showing no major injury," Rapoport adds. We'll keep a close eye on McLaurin over the next few weeks. For now, we're not moving him down the WR rankings.
Browns HC Kevin Stefanski shared on Tuesday that RB Jerome Ford (hamstring) will not practice with the team this week, per beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot. This ailment has kept Ford out of practice for almost two weeks at this point. However, Stefanski added that Ford is progressing toward returning from injury and that the team is hopeful he'll be available for their season opener vs. the Bengals on September 10. Should Ford not be ready to go for Week 1, RB Demetric Felton would be in line for backup duties behind starter Nick Chubb. We'll keep an eye on this situation as more information becomes available.
On Tuesday, the Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. wrote that he projects Bengals RB Chris Evans as the team's starting passing-downs back. Fellow Bengals RBs Chase Brown and Trayveon Williams appear on this list as backups. Dehner Jr. adds that Evans has "shown well in pass protection and improved running the ball downhill" compared to last preseason. Evans seizing this role would make him the replacement for Samaje Perine, now with the Broncos, and bring his fantasy appeal up to the level of a late-round PPR target in deeper leagues. We'll be sure to keep track of this RB2 battle as the preseason comes to an end. See where these Bengals' backs sit in our current RB rankings.
On Tuesday, ESPN's Mike Reiss tweeted that Patriots RB Ezekiel Elliott saw "a notable uptick in work" in practice behind starter Rhamondre Stevenson. Reiss specified that Elliott received increased usage as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. Granted, this is only one report. We don't want to overreact or make any big takeaways here. The former All-Pro saw a career-low 23 targets with the Cowboys last season and likely won't be too much of a threat to Stevenson in that department. That said, we'll keep an eye on future reports should Elliott continue being utilized as a pass-catcher in practice as it could cut into the point scoring ceiling of Stevenson. He fell a smidge in our PPR RB rankings following Zeke's signing, but we still feel confident Stevenson will be the clear RB1 in this offense. Check back for further updates as we get more information.
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