The Falcons on Thursday placed LB Deion Jones on IR. It's a surprising move, given that Jones had recently come off the PUP and played in the team's preseason finale. Jones had shoulder surgery early in the offseason. We'll see whether the team reveals how long it expects him to be out. Jones' deactivation leaves Rahsaan Evans and Mykal Walker looking like the best bets for playing time among Falcons LBs.
The Texans re-signed RB Royce Freeman after dumping him at final cuts. Houston now has Freeman, Rex Burkhead and Dare Ogunbowale behind Dameon Pierce -- plus Marlon Mack on the practice squad.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Titans EDGE Harold Landry suffered an ACL tear in Wednesday's practice. That would obviously end the season for Tennessee's top pass-rusher, an especially big blow for that defense. Landry had ranked inside the top 10 D-linemen in our IDP rankings, where he carries that designation.
Eagles RB Miles Sanders (hamstring) returned to practice on Thursday. He'd been sidelined the past 2-and-a-half weeks. But, barring a setback, he should be ready for next weekend's season opener vs. the Lions.
Bills WR Isaiah McKenzie suffered an undisclosed injury on Saturday and hasn't practiced since, according to ESPN's Alaina Getzenberg. GM Brandon Beane only said, "we'll see" when asked about McKenzie's availability for the Thursday night season opener vs. the Rams. We'll keep an eye on this and get Buffalo's first official injury report on Monday. Jamison Crowder would step in as the Bills' slot receiver if McKenzie can't go.
The Athletic's Matt Barrows believes Jeff Wilson will open the season as the 49ers' #2 RB behind Elijah Mitchell. Barrows goes on to suggest that rookie Ty Davis-Price might eventually claim that #2 job. But, for now, it sounds like Wilson is the Mitchell handcuff.
The Athletic's Chad Graff expects Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson to get the "bulk" of the passing-down snaps early in the season, assuming RB Ty Montgomery (ankle) is out. "And his performance in the first few weeks could dictate how much Montgomery sees the field," Graff writes. We're expecting Stevenson and Damien Harris to split carries fairly evenly this year, but Stevenson's pass-catching upside makes him the more appealing fantasy pick.
The Athletic's Nate Taylor believes Mecole Hardman will open the season as the Chiefs' #2 WR -- behind JuJu Smith-Schuster but ahead of Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Skyy Moore. "Because he’s the fastest in the group and has been in the Chiefs’ system the longest," Taylor writes. We'll be keeping a close eye on the route and target counts in this group early in the season. But Smith-Schuster will be the only reliable Week 1 fantasy starter.
The Athletic's James Boyd expects Alec Pierce to emerge as the Colts' 2nd most targeted WR. Boyd believes Pierce's combination of size and speed will make him a more valuable weapon for QB Matt Ryan than WR Parris Campbell, especially in the red zone. We ultimately like targeting both these guys near the end of fantasy drafts.
The Broncos and QB Russell Wilson agreed to a 5-year, $245 million contract extension with $165 million guaranteed, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Wilson is now the league's 2nd-highest-paid QB, behind only Aaron Rodgers. More interestingly, he's now signed for the next 7 seasons. Wilson will have just turned 40 when his current contract is up. We'll see if he's able to play through the life of it.
Bucs insider Rick Stroud gives WR Chris Godwin (knee) a 55% chance to play in the season opener vs. the Cowboys. It's just a guess -- but it's an educated guess and worth noting. Godwin shouldn't be in your Week 1 fantasy plans. But if he plays and looks good, he could be an option as early as Week 2.
The Bears placed WR N’Keal Harry on IR. Harry will now miss at least 4 games with his ankle injury. Even in deep formats, the former Patriot is well off the fantasy radar.
The Commanders placed RB Brian Robinson (leg) on the reserve/non-football injury list. While he’ll miss the first 4 games of the season, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport says there's a "chance” Robinson suits up for Week 5. Note that Washington's bye isn't until Week 14.
Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy said Wednesday that WR Michael Gallup is "getting close" in his return from his torn ACL. “Looks excellent,” McCarthy said. "He’s hit every target. His rehab is going very smooth. Just staying on the plan." Owner Jerry Jones said that Gallup could play next week if it was the Super Bowl. "We’re going to be cautious — not cautious, but conservative — with him," said Jones. "He won’t be out there more than likely against Tampa, but if it were the Super Bowl, he would be out there. He’s that ready.” It sounds like we should expect Gallup to make his 2022 debut before the end of September. He's worth stashing on fantasy benches.
Packers HC Matt LaFleur suggested Wednesday that there won't be a clear #1 in the WR corps this season. "I don't think anybody's clear cut in front of the other guy," LaFleur said. "I think it's gonna be very much the ball's gonna get spread around and we're gonna try to feature different guys in different spots." Allen Lazard, Romeo Doubs, Sammy Watkins and Randall Cobb all figure to get significant snaps early in the season. Lazard is the best fantasy bet for now, but don't treat him as more than a WR4.
The Cowboys placed WR James Washington (foot) on IR, knocking him out for at least the first 4 games of the season. With WR Michael Gallup (knee) unlikely to be ready for Week 1, Dallas will roll out CeeDee Lamb, Noah Brown and Jalen Tolbert as its top 3 WRs.
Eagles RB Miles Sanders remains out of practice with a hamstring injury. He hasn’t practiced since August 14, per reporter Zach Berman. We still expect Sanders to be active for Week 1, but we’ll learn more when Philly’s injury report comes out next week.
Colts LB Shaquille Leonard hit the practice field Wednesday for the 1st time since his June back surgery. That doesn't necessarily mean he'll be ready for the regular-season opener, but it's another sign that his full return is approaching. We'll watch the official practice reports on Leonard leading up to Week 1 and see if HC Frank Reich offers further status updates.
Giants beat writer Dan Duggan tweeted Wednesday that WR Kadarius Toney “looks 100%” in practice. Of course, the challenge is for Toney to stay that way going forward. The 2nd-year man remains a highly volatile fantasy asset.
The Texans have cut RB Royce Freeman. With Marlon Mack on the practice squad, Houston’s depth now turns up Rex Burkhead and Dare Ogunbowale behind rookie Dameon Pierce.
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