When asked Monday if rookie WR Drake London will be ready for the regular-season opener, Falcons HC Arthur Smith said, "I feel good about where he's at, but I'm not going to make a prediction," according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. London hasn't practiced since Aug. 12 because of a knee issue. It sounds like we'll have to wait until next week's practices leading up to the opener to find out whether London will play Week 1. Even if he's ready to go, it would be risky to toss the rookie into opening-week lineups. He still presents plenty of full-season fantasy football upside from his WR4-level ADP, though.
Giants HC Brian Daboll stirred murmurs this week over the roster status of WR Kenny Golladay. Asked whether the wideout's roster spot was secure, Daboll answered by saying all the receivers were "competing." He sounded different Monday, according to the team website: “He’s done a good job with what we’ve asked him to do. He’s competed, and he’s played multiple spots for us. He’s continuing to learn our offense. I think he’s done a good job of learning it." Golladay's contract has kept him from being a cut candidate, so we're not taking this as anything more than coachspeak. Golladay has looked bad in a pass offense that has looked shaky-to-poor overall. He should not factor prominently into anyone's fantasy football plans.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Bills are releasing RB Duke Johnson. This comes as no shock, with Devin Singletary, James Cook and Zack Moss emerging as the clear top 3 in the backfield. Schefter adds that Buffalo is interested in stashing Johnson on the practice squad if he doesn't sign elsewhere.
Bills S Jordan Poyer returned over the weekend after missing nearly a month with an elbow injury. According to Katherine Fitzgerald of the Buffalo News, he expects to be ready to play in the regular-season opener, "as long as there's no setbacks." Poyer still has a little more than a week to knock off any rust. We'll see whether Buffalo indicates any limitation on his Week 1 playing time.
Ted Nguyen of The Athletic believes Falcons rookie QB Desmond Ridder is "mentally ready to handle being an NFL starter." Nguyen calls Ridder "a poised, polished prospect who played in a Cincinnati offense that utilizes many drop back concepts that translate to the pro game." He lauded Ridder's reading of defenses and decisive downfield throws in the preseason. Nguyen also acknowledged that the Falcons "seem set" on starting QB Marcus Mariota in Week 1. And it's worth noting that the veteran finished the preseason with the highest Pro Football Focus passing grade in the league (albeit on just 12 attempts across 15 dropbacks). Unless Mariota has the team surprisingly in contention, though, it would make sense for the Falcons to give Ridder a shot this season to see if he can be the future or if they need to pursue a 1st-round QB next April.
The Ravens will host free-agent RB Kenyan Drake today, and it sounds like he's expected to sign with the team, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. This move could signal J.K. Dobbins not being ready for Week 1. Or perhaps Baltimore doesn't feel as good about Mike Davis as his depth-chart slot might seem. We'll see how this situation develops as the opener approaches.
Rams HC Sean McVay labeled RBs Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson "full participants" in Monday's practice. “They look good," McVay added. Akers and Henderson had been sidelined since mid-August with "soft-tissue" injuries but now appear on track to be ready for the season opener vs. the Bills.
Vikings insider Chris Tomasson hears that the team is "open to trading" RB Alexander Mattison. He's entering the final year of his rookie deal, and no progress has been made on a contract extension. Of course, "open to trading" is much different from "likely to trade." We'll see if another team makes a legitimate offer for Mattison. A move out of Minnesota would be good news for his 2022 fantasy value. And it'd leave RBs Kene Nwangwu and rookie Ty Chandler behind Dalvin Cook on the depth chart.
The 49ers and QB Jimmy Garoppolo are finalizing a new deal that will make him the "highest paid backup in the NFL," according to NFL Network. It's a surprising move after the 'Niners basically said all offseason that Garoppolo had no future with the team. San Francisco has committed to QB Trey Lance as the starter -- but Garoppolo's presence will make it easier to bench Lance if he struggles this year. We're not moving Lance in the QB rankings, but his fantasy floor is now a little low.
Update: ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Garoppolo is getting $6.5 million guaranteed with "playtime bonuses that can boost it another nearly $9 million." So it's a backup-level deal with upside in case Garoppolo ends up playing more than expected.
The Jaguars are trading WR Laviska Shenault to the Panthers, according to multiple reports. It's a fresh start for Shenault, who had clearly slid down the new depth chart in Jacksonville. It's also an indication that Carolina remains unenthusiastic about 2nd-year WR Terrace Marshall. We'll see about Shenault's expected role and the terms of the trade.
The Dolphins have released RB Sony Michel, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. It's a little surprising after the team signed Michel to essentially the same contract as Raheem Mostert this offseason, but Myles Gaskin worked in ahead of Michel in the team's final preseason game. Michel's departure leaves Mostert as the clear top partner for Chase Edmonds in the Miami backfield. Mostert has been a value in fantasy football drafts. We'll see how much his ADP climbs with Michel's departure. Gaskin is now interesting near the end of drafts as well.
Rams RB Cam Akers was in pads for the start of Monday's practice, according to The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue. The media was only allowed to watch the first 20 minutes of practice, so we don't know exactly how much Akers did. But he's clearly trending in the right direction with Los Angeles' opener 10 days away. We'll continue to keep an eye on him.
Commanders HC Ron Rivera said Monday that doctors are "optimistic" RB Brian Robinson will be able to return this season. Rivera added that it's a "fluid situation" and that the team is expected to get another update on Robinson's status later today. Washington will then decide whether to place Robinson on the non-football injury list, which would cost him at least the first 4 games. We'll continue to keep you updated on the situation. Robinson is just a later-round bench stash for now.
Chiefs WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling told reporters Monday that he's cleared the concussion protocol. MVS missed the preseason finale, but this is the first we've heard of a concussion. It's his first documented head injury. Barring a setback, Valdes-Scantling will be ready for Week 1. He's set to open the season as 1 of Kansas City's top 2 WRs, alongside JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster was back on the practice field Monday. He missed a little over a week with what the team called a "sore knee." But, barring a setback, he should be ready to roll for the start of the season.
Giants HC Brian Daboll said Monday that he's "hopeful" WR Kadarius Toney will be available for the season opener. Toney has missed a bunch of time this month with knee/hamstring trouble. “I think he’s getting close," Daboll said. We'll keep a close eye on Toney's health over the next couple of weeks. He remains a risk/reward fantasy pick.
Packers TE Robert Tonyan returned to 11-on-11 work on Sunday for the 1st time since tearing his ACL last October. But HC Matt LaFleur was non-committal when asked Monday whether Tonyan will be ready for Week 1. "It's a little early to say that right now," LaFleur said. "That was his first action in team periods. We'll see how he responds." Tonyan shouldn't be in your early-season fantasy plans, but he's capable of emerging as an asset later on.
The Jaguars released WR Laquon Treadwell. He was shoehorned into a significant role over the 2nd half of last season but remained a replacement-level player. Treadwell's release increases the chances WR Laviska Shenault sticks on Jacksonville's roster. But Christian Kirk, Marvin Jones and Zay Jones are locked in as the top 3 WRs.
Patriots HC Bill Belichick said in a Monday morning radio appearance that RB Ty Montgomery is "doing alright" after exiting Friday night's preseason game with an ankle injury. Belichick also insinuated that Montgomery might be able to practice this week. We'll see if we learn more about the injury, but it at least sounds like it's not serious. Montgomery is expected to play a pass-catching role in the Pats backfield.
Giants HC Brian Daboll said Sunday that QB Tyrod Taylor "should be OK" after his injury in the preseason finale, according to Dan Salomone of the team website. Taylor left the field in the 1st half and then rode from the medical tent to the locker room on a cart with a back injury. We'll see whether he's back in time for the regular-season opener.
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