Browns WR Elijah Moore (ribs) returned to practice on Tuesday. It sounds like he was limited to individual drills. But the fact that he's back on the field means that he's in no danger of missing the start of the season. Consider Moore's fantasy value unchanged.
Jets HC Robert Saleh said Tuesday he's "very confident" RB Breece Hall will be ready for Week 1, according to ESPN's Rich Cimini. This falls in line with everything else we've heard from Saleh about Hall, as well as his Tuesday activation from PUP. We'll obviously keep watching the RB throughout August and into the season. Hall did move down our RB rankings after the Dalvin Cook addition.
Chiefs WR Justyn Ross suffered a leg injury in Tuesday's practice. ESPN's Adam Teicher reports that HC Andy Reid didn't offer specifics afterward. We'll see how long the second-year wideout remains sidelined. He hasn't been worth consideration outside of the final rounds in a best ball draft anyway, though.
Colts HC Shane Steichen announced Tuesday morning that they've named QB Anthony Richardson the regular-season starter. It's not a surprising move, but it's noteworthy that Steichen announced it after just one preseason game. Whether that signals more confidence in how far along Richardson already is or just a desire to commit to him earlier doesn't really matter. Richardson also doesn't need to be as "good" at football as most QBs to contribute fantasy value. Even with sack yardage subtracted (per college stat practice), Richardson still averaged 54.5 rushing yards per game across 12 starts in his only full season as Florida's starter. Combine that with a big arm and displayed aptitude for throwing deep, and you have a QB with immediate upside into the top 12. Check our fantasy football QB rankings to see where Richardson lands after this announcement.
Patriots TE Mike Gesicki suffered a "mild" dislocated shoulder in Monday's practice, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. "While nothing is given, the hope is he’s back for Week 1 despite the AC joint injury," Rapoport adds. We're not adjusting Gesicki's projections for now but will keep a close eye on his recovery from this injury.
Jets RB Breece Hall (knee) has been activated from the PUP list. He'll be a limited participant in Tuesday's practice, according to The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt. Hall is now nearly 10 months removed from his torn ACL. He's been setback-free in his rehab by all accounts and is now seemingly on track to play in the season opener. Exactly how big a role Hall plays out of the gate -- especially after Monday's addition of RB Dalvin Cook -- remains uncertain.
SNY TV's Connor Hughes notes that there's been a concerted effort to get Giants RB Saquon Barkley more involved in the passing game in camp. "Not just as a check-down guy (think Le'Veon Bell in Pittsburgh), either, but wideout-light," Hughes adds. "The Giants have motioned Barkley out in the slot or split wide, then gotten him the ball, multiple times this summer." Even in his strong 2022 campaign, Barkley's receiving production felt a tad underwhelming. He caught 57 balls but averaged a career-low 5.9 yards per catch with 0 TDs. There's lots of room for those marks to grow in 2023.
Ravens HC John Harbaugh said Monday that RB J.K. Dobbins is "100% healthy." He spent the first 2+ weeks of training camp on the PUP list, but this is basically confirmation that his absence was contract-related. With Dobbins evidently resigned to playing out 2023 under his current contract, he's primed to take over as the clear lead back in new OC Todd Monken's offense. Dobbins has been a big value in Round 6 or 7 of recent drafts. We'll see where his ADP moves from here.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that new Jets RB Dalvin Cook is still "at least a week away" from being cleared to practice after undergoing shoulder surgery in February. It sounds like Cook should be ready in time for Week 1, but the missed practice time isn't ideal as he works to settle into a new offense. We'll see when he's able to get on the field. Teammate Breece Hall, of course, remains on the PUP list.
The Jets have agreed to a one-year deal with RB Dalvin Cook. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that Cook is getting "up to $8.6 million ... with the majority guaranteed." He adds that it's the largest annual average of any deal for a RB free agent this offseason. This seems to signal a few things: First, the Jets like Cook much better than any of their current RB backups and were iffy enough on that crew to make a significant upgrade. Secondly, it also indicates they want to make sure not to overwork Breece Hall in his return from the ACL tear. Hall has yet to take the field in training camp, though reports have said they expect him to be ready for the regular season. Even if that holds true, expect Cook to cut way into the available work. That moves Hall down our RB rankings and gives Cook nice contingent upside, in case Hall misses further games. The rest of the Jets' current RBs are no more than end-of-draft fliers. At least one among Michael Carter, Zonovan Knight, and Israel Abanikanda probably isn't making the regular-season roster.
The Patriots are set to sign RB Ezekiel Elliott to a one-year deal worth "up to" $6 million, NFL Network reports. We'll see about the actual details of the contract but doubt the base value is anywhere close to $6 million. Elliott's name is much bigger than his game at this point. The 28-year-old averaged a career-low 3.8 yards per carry last season, ranking 43rd among 48 qualifiers in NFL Next Gen Stats' Rush Yards Over Expected Per Attempt. His usage and production plummeted in the passing game, too. Elliott caught just 17 of 23 targets for 92 yards (5.4 YPC) and 0 TDs. The Patriots have been flirting with free-agent RBs for a while now -- seemingly in large part because depth RBs Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris have failed to emerge. The Elliott signing is more about those guys than lead RB Rhamondre Stevenson. Zeke's arrival adds some risk to Stevenson's 2023 fantasy outlook. But Stevenson was more effective by basically any metric last year -- as a runner and pass-catcher -- and should remain the Patriots' clear backfield leader. Elliott looks more like a Stevenson handcuff than standalone fantasy option. But we'll keep an eye on New England's plans.
Update: Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the deal carries $3 million in base salary, $1 million in signing bonus, and incentives that can take it to $6 million.
Panthers HC Frank Reich said Monday that WR Terrace Marshall hurt his back in practice and is getting checked out, according to Joe Person of The Athletic. We'll see whether it's anything serious, but Marshall has already been trending toward landing no higher than fourth on the WR depth chart.
Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson said Monday that an ear infection early in camp was affecting his equilibrium. That has kept him out of contact and team drills, according to ESPN's Kevin Seifert. Hockenson also said he didn't know if he would participate in upcoming joint practices with the Titans. This doesn't sound like a big issue. But avoiding contact for that long suggests it's something we need to at least be aware of. We'll see how the rest of August goes for Hockenson. For now, he's not moving down our fantasy football rankings, though.
Patriots “TE“ Mike Gesicki went down with an unspecified injury in one-on-one drills Monday, according to Zack Cox of NESN. Gesicki reportedly needed help off the field and did not return. We’ll watch for more specifics.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Colts RB Jonathan Taylor is back with the team. "He remains on PUP and his stance has not changed," Rapoport says. "But he has returned." The report says Taylor left the team for "additional rehab on his ankle." If that's the whole truth, it doesn't bode well for his injury risk headed into the season. Taylor gets a "high risk" designation from our Injury Predictor. Of course, he also comes with a high fantasy ceiling if fully healthy and should operate as a workhorse. Taylor has moved down our RB rankings through this saga. He's an upside pick in Round 3, though.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that Saints RB Kendre Miller won't need surgery on the right knee he sprained in Sunday's preseason opener. "He'll likely miss a little time, but optimism the third-round pick will be ready Week 1," Pelissero adds. It's good news -- but Miller is still going to miss precious reps after also being limited in the spring. The rookie is unlikely to be a viable early-season fantasy play, even with RB Alvin Kamara suspended for the first three games.
Cardinals TE Zach Ertz has received full medical clearance to return from last November's torn ACL and MCL. That should put him on track to play Week 1. Ertz was sitting third among TEs in PPR points through Week 9 last season. We'll see how the 32-year-old bounces back from that knee injury -- and how Arizona plans on divvying snaps between Ertz and TE Trey McBride. For now, consider Ertz just a TE3 target in best-ball drafts.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Ravens are activating RB J.K. Dobbins off the physically unable to perform list today. There has been no real indication this designation was actually injury related, as Dobbins has been seeking a new contract (along with approximately every other NFL RB). HC John Harbaugh has said he maintained contact with Dobbins throughout the RB's absence and has been awaiting his return. We expect Dobbins to quickly claim the top spot on the depth chart and have not moved him down our RB rankings amid the holdout.
Update: ESPN's Jamison Hensley adds that Dobbins took part in individual drills at Monday's practice.
Eagles HC Nick Sirianni said not to read too much into the backfield usage in Saturday's preseason opener vs. the Ravens. RB Kenneth Gainwell was held out of that one, while RBs D'Andre Swift and Rashaad Penny played. That could be interpreted as Gainwell being atop the depth chart. But Sirianni said that's not necessarily the case. "We wanted to see Rashaad go. Rashaad hasn't played in a little bit," Sirianni said. "My plan with the backs ... I always like those guys getting tackled, so the first time they get tackled isn't in game one [of the regular season.] So, next game, [Boston Scott] or [Kenny Gainwell] will get a couple carries, like Swift did today. And the next game the other one will get a couple carries." So don't expect to learn too much about the Eagles' backfield plans the rest of this preseason. We know that it'll be a committee attack -- but exactly how touches will be divvied remains uncertain.
You've probably seen Bears RB Khalil Herbert's 56-yard catch-and-run TD in Saturday's preseason opener by now. But the more important note from that game was that Herbert was on the field for all seven of QB Justin Fields' snaps. RBs D'Onta Foreman and Roschon Johnson didn't play at all with the first-team offense. It's a small sample -- and Herbert obviously won't be a 100% snap rate player in the regular season. But the first glimpse we've gotten of this 2023 Bears offense has Herbert looking like the clear lead back. He's climbing our RB rankings.
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