Patriots RBs Pierre Strong (concussion) and Ty Montgomery (leg) returned to practice on Tuesday. Strong isn’t yet cleared for full contact, per reporter Zack Cox. Montgomery sustained an undisclosed leg injury on day 2 of training camp. Neither guy is on the fantasy radar in standard-size leagues following the arrival of Zeke Elliott.
Patriots TE Mike Gesicki (shoulder) returned to practice on Tuesday. He wore a red, non-contact jersey. The former Dolphin isn’t someone we’re counting on for anything close to TE1 production. Hunter Henry, who made our list of undervalued fantasy football players, is the TE target in New England.
Panthers WR Laviska Shenault was placed in the NFL’s concussion protocol. The injury took place on Monday, per reporter David Newton. Shenault remains a late-round flier for those in deep formats.
Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba is having surgery on his left wrist in Philadelphia on Tuesday after breaking a bone Saturday night against Dallas. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the rookie "still could have a chance to be ready for the start of the regular season." The team should know more about his return timeline after the surgery. We'll await that news before judging whether to move JSN in our 2023 PPR rankings.
The Titans signed K Michael Badgley. Kickers Caleb Shudak and Trey Wolff were released in a corresponding move. Badgley, who's made 81.7% of his career FG attempts, isn’t a late-round target.
Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles announced Tuesday that QB Baker Mayfield will be the starter. It's the news we've all been waiting for, and Mayfield's projection has sat well ahead of Kyle Trask's ever since our fantasy football rankings came out. Mayfield, of course, played his way into getting replaced by Deshaun Watson in Cleveland and then played his way out of Carolina in just part of 2022. Although the former No. 1 overall pick has also flashed positively at times, it's tough to get excited about him. Let's hope he can at least do enough to support the weekly fantasy values of WRs Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, and RB Rachaad White. Trask remains a decent stash for superflex and dynasty rosters, in case Mayfield plays his way out of another starting gig.
Titans WR Kyle Philips is expected to miss about six weeks with a sprained MCL, insider Paul Kuharsky reports. That'll knock Philips out for the first few games of the season. He was seemingly in line to be Tennessee's starting slot receiver but wasn't a legitimate fantasy option.
Commanders WR Terry McLaurin is believed to be dealing with a toe sprain, or turf toe, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The injury is "not thought to be overly serious, but he’ll have an MRI today to determine the full extent," Rapoport adds. It's relatively good news, although turf toe has a tendency to linger. We'll look for further updates on McLaurin's status. For now, we're not moving him down the WR rankings.
Update: Rapoport reports that McLaurin's MRI showed "no major injury" and that the WR is "more day-to-day than anything." The team is optimistic he'll be ready for Week 1.
The 49ers got RB Elijah Mitchell back at practice Monday after a nearly three-week absence for an adductor injury. According to Jack Hammer (yes, really) of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat, Mitchell "looked explosive." Expect Mitchell to remain No. 2 on the RB depth chart, barring any setbacks. See where he sits in our RB rankings.
Commanders WR Terry McLaurin left Monday night's game against the Ravens with a toe injury on his right foot. X-rays were negative, and he left the sideline under his own power without a noticeable limp. We'd guess this isn't a serious issue but will certainly watch for details.
The Bucs released K Rodrigo Blankenship. That leaves Chase McLaughlin as the only kicker on the roster. We'll see if Tampa adds any further competition over the next couple of weeks, but McLaughlin looks like a good bet to open the season as the Bucs' kicker. He's a weak fantasy option on an offense that figures to struggle post-Tom Brady.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that the Colts have given RB Jonathan Taylor permission to seek a trade. He adds that "conversations to find potential landing spots are ongoing." Although the RB market is tough everywhere, we'd be surprised if the Colts and Taylor can't find a suitor. Of course, cost will be a huge factor -- potentially both in trade terms and Taylor's contract demands. Exactly where he lands will have a huge fantasy impact: on Taylor's outlook, on the Colts' remaining RB depth chart, and on any new backfield mates. We'll be watching closely for developments here.
Chiefs RB Isaiah Pacheco (shoulder, hand) shed his non-contact jersey for Monday's practice. HC Andy Reid said afterward that there's a chance Pacheco plays in Saturday's preseason finale. He's clearly on track to be ready for Week 1.
Panthers RBs Miles Sanders (groin) and Chuba Hubbard (ankle) were on the practice field on Monday, according to The Charlotte Observer's Mike Kaye. Sanders had been out since August 9, while Hubbard hurt his ankle in Friday night's preseason game. Both guys are on track to be ready for the start of the regular season.
Steelers OC Matt Canada said Monday that RB Najee Harris remains the team's No. 1 RB. “I don’t think there’s any doubt about that," Canada added. It sounds a bit like a coach trying to tamper down any talk of a RB controversy after RB Jaylen Warren's 62-yard TD in Pittsburgh's second preseason game. Canada also said that he'll use Warren "a lot." We don't doubt that Harris will open the season as the Steelers' clear lead back. The question is whether that workload split will shift during the season if Warren continues to run more efficiently than Harris. We recently updated our projections for the Steelers backfield.
The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec believes Ravens RB Justice Hill is “set” in the RB3 role. Zrebiec thinks it’s down to Melvin Gordon and rookie Keaton Mitchell -- if Baltimore keeps four RBs. Gordon’s made a “compelling case” to make the team, although Mitchell brings more "speed and explosiveness" (plus special teams potential). We should see both guys suit up for tonight's preseason tilt with Washington.
Dolphins RB De'Von Achane avoided a severe injury to his shoulder, HC Mike McDaniel told reporters Monday. But according to NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe, the rookie RB is considered "week-to-week." That's a particularly tough spot for a young back who has been running fifth on the RB depth chart so far. We'll see whether Achane can return to the field before the regular-season opener. We're moving him down the RB rankings for upcoming fantasy football drafts, though.
Bengals HC Zac Taylor said Monday of QB Joe Burrow, via NFL Network's Ian Rapoport: "He looks great. Physically walking around, he looks as good as he's ever looked." Rather than wonder why Burrow doesn't commonly look better walking around, we'll choose to take this as a big positive on his recovery from the calf strain. Burrow continues to trend toward being ready for Week 1. See where he sits in our 2023 fantasy football rankings.
Dolphins QB Mike White has entered the concussion protocol. NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe reports that Miami staff members "found irregularities with him" during Saturday's preseason game against the Texans. It's White's first documented concussion, as far as we can tell.
Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njibga has played 13 snaps out wide and 13 snaps in the slot through two preseason games. It looks like Seattle is gearing him up to play all over the formation this season, which can only be good news for his fantasy value. Smith-Njigba isn't cheap in fantasy drafts, but he's capable of beating his 7th-round ADP. Check out more fantasy takeaways from Week 2 of the preseason.
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