Dolphins TE Mike Gesicki admitted that HC Mike McDaniel’s offense has him blocking more than in past seasons. "Yeah, I mean, I don't think I took one snap from a receiver stance today," Gesicki said at training camp. "So it's definitely different. And but I mean, it is what it is. And I'm excited about it. I'm looking forward to another challenge and another opportunity.” Gesicki, 26, is likely to be an inconsistent fantasy asset this fall.
Following a day that saw Eagles RB Miles Sanders handle some 2nd-team reps, HC Nick Sirianni dismissed the notion that he’s shaking up the backfield. "Miles is our guy," Sirianni said. "It just so happened to be the way the numbers worked, but Miles was in with the [No.] 1s as well. There's no secret. Miles is our guy, and we like to rotate our backs.” Carry on.
Chargers RB Austin Ekeler doesn’t expect his role to change significantly in 2022. “As far as my load, yeah, maybe it could be altered a little bit but I don’t think it’ll go down. I think it’ll just look a little different, if anything.” OC Joe Lombardi is on the same page. “I’m not expecting any kind of dip in usage with him,” the long-time coach said. “But, like any running back, unless you’re 250 pounds, sometimes there’s a pitch count on those guys. (Ekeler) isn’t someone you want to lose halfway through the season because you overused him. Just being smart with how many times he’s getting hit every game is something that you have to keep any eye on.” Ekeler saw a career-high 206 carries in 16 games last season. Perhaps that’s scaled back a bit, but there’s no reason to alter 2022 expectations here.
Bills beat writer Jay Skurski has “concern” over the team’s O-line situation. “I hate to say it, but [Josh] Allen’s ability to be healthy and play 17 games might be at stake here,” Skurski admits. Buffalo’s projected starters along the O-line have yet to practice together due to injuries (Rodger Saffold, Mitch Morse, Ryan Bates and Spencer Brown) and an absence for personal reasons (Dion Dawkins). We’re not adjusting projections, as this unit should all be together come Week 1. But that matchup — on the road against Aaron Donald and the Rams — might lead to a rocky start.
Arif Hasan of The Athletic writes that Vikings WR K.J. Osborn has appeared to lock down the team’s #3 WR role. Osborn, who enjoyed a mini breakout last year (50-655-7), is running ahead of guys like Bisi Johnson, Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Albert Wilson. It’s not a surprise, but it’s nice to get confirmation with Minnesota breaking in a new coaching staff. With the Vikings expected to feature more 3-WR looks, Osborn could enter the spot-start mix in deep leagues.
49ers insider Grant Cohn expects RB Elijah Mitchell to remain the team's clear lead back this season. "Elijah's good. I don't necessarily think they're gonna dial back his workload," Cohn said on the Draft Sharks podcast. "The issue with him was that he was 205 pounds and kept getting hurt ... This year he's 215 [pounds]. He's way bigger ... So I think the idea is, he's the starter." Mitchell averaged a big 18.8 carries per game last year. If he gets anything close to that in 2022, he'll return value at his 5th-round price tag.
Niners DL Arik Armstead is expected to miss "a few weeks" after spraining his right knee this week. That's what HC Kyle Shanahan told reporters Friday, according to ESPN's Nick Wagoner. Armstead reportedly thought it was a bruise at first, but MRI revealed the more significant injury. There's still time for the vet to work beyond the issue ahead of the regular season. We'll see, though, whether it remains a factor come Week 1. Armstead opened camp as a DT this year after shifting between end and tackle in 2021.
Commanders HC Ron Rivera told reporters Friday that DE Chase Young will "probably miss a little bit of time" at the beginning of the regular season, according to the Washington Times. Rivera reportedly talked about the PUP list initially before backtracking on that. It's clear that Young will at least miss Week 1, and we'd bet that the PUP remains a possibility. That would sideline the DE for at least the 1st 4 games. Young is still working back from a November ACL tear that included patellar damage.
The Giants had RB Devontae Booker in for a workout Friday. There's no report of an impending signing. We'd be a little surprised, though, if the team heads into the season with Matt Brieda and the current cast of nobodys behind Saquon Barkley.
"I think it's the best I've ever seen him throw it thus far," Ravens OC Greg Roman said Friday about QB Lamar Jackson. Roman, of course, has been Baltimore's coordinator for the past 3 seasons, and has thus watched plenty of Jackson passes. He also noted the QB's increased strength, as we've passed along here previously. "He's really worked hard in the offseason, and it's showing," Roman added. "We're all very excited." Fantasy football players have already seen the vaulted ceiling that Jackson possesses. Consider him an elite QB option as you draft.
Seahawks S Jamal Adams broke a finger on the 1st day of training camp. After getting multiple opinions, he'll return to practice with a "special cast" and a club on the hand, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. It's also "likely" that Adams will need surgery after the season. We'd bet on Adams not being hampered overall by the finger, though playing with a club necessarily makes intercepting passes more difficult. Adams will certainly remain draftable in IDP leagues but doesn't stand out as a target in our DB rankings.
We passed along reports of Eagles RB Miles Sanders working with the 2nd team Friday, and Kenneth Gainwell running ahead of him with the starters. Mike Kaye of Pro Football Network -- and formerly an Eagles beat writer -- said, "The guess here is that Sanders was used with the twos to give the first-team defense better looks in the running game." That possibility makes for a good reminder that we shouldn't overrate individual camp reports. We'll certainly be tracking the situation for fantasy purposes right up to the start of the season (and maybe beyond). For now, there's value to both Sanders and Gainwell at ADP.
Niners DE Nick Bosa says the beginning of this year's training camp has been "completely different" because of better health. "Last year, I didn't really take any reps until a couple of weeks before the year," he said Friday, per NBC Sports Bay Area. Last year's camp found Bosa still working back from the ACL tear that ended his 2020 campaign in Week 2. His rookie camp featured Bosa missing a lot of time with a hamstring injury. The beast still managed 15.5 sacks and a league-leading 21 tackles for loss in 2021. And he was no slouch as a 2019 rookie (25 QB hits). If we get an even better version of Bosa this year ... we might not even know yet what the ceiling is. Grant Cohn of All49ers.com told us on Friday's podcast that San Francisco has a shot to sport the league's best defense this season. Bosa is a key factor in that.
The Steelers worked out 4 players Friday, including veteran RBs Jordan Howard and Josh Adams. Signing with Pittsburgh would be nice for either player, as the team sports weak depth behind Najee Harris. Howard (or Adams) would need only to beat out Benny Snell and Anthony McFarland to get onto the field in case of a Harris injury. We'll watch to see whether the Steelers sign either guy -- or another backup RB.
According to SB Nation's Brandon Lee Gowton, Eagles RB Kenneth Gainwell was "the first team running back" in Friday practice. The team not only lined him up in the backfield but had him run routes from WR spots. Miles Sanders was available but working with the 2nd team. It's just 1 day of work -- for now. But the sheer possibility of Gainwell landing ahead of Sanders on the depth chart (or even with) makes the 2nd-year man an enticing value in the double-digit rounds of fantasy football drafts.
Daniel Popper of The Athletic says the Chargers have an "open competition" for the 2nd RB spot among Isaiah Spiller, Larry Rountree and Joshua Kelley. "We're not going to know about these backs until they get tackled," HC Brandon Staley said Friday. Fantasy football drafters are treating Spiller as the clear #2 back. We're betting on the rookie seizing that role, too, but it's worth noting the team isn't handing it to him just yet.
Bears WR Equanimeous St. Brown has been working in with the 1st team. The Athletic reports that he was a "reliable target" for Justin Fields in Friday's practice -- including a couple of TD catches. This specific day doesn't mean a whole lot, but it's a reminder of the open competition in the lackluster Chicago WR corps.
According to Kevin Fishbain and Adam Jahns of The Athletic, S Jaquan Brisker and CB Kyler Gordon have "been two of the Bears' best playmakers since their draft selections." The Bears took both in the 1st half of Round 2 of the NFL Draft. Each rookie appears headed for a starting gig. We'd bet on Brisker having the stronger chance at IDP relevance this season.
Lions HC Dan Campbell comped RB D’Andre Swift to Alvin Kamara. “It goes without saying, Swift is one of our most explosive players on offense,” Campbell said. “Like, literally, we feel like, ‘All right, man, if we set this up right and there’s any space, this guy can take it to the house.’ He’s got that ability, and so — my gosh, man — you want those guys out there every play.” Swift has missed 7 games over the past 2 seasons, but there’s top-5 PPR upside here if his health cooperates.
Steelers rookie QB Kenny Pickett has been “erratic and inconsistent” early in training camp, per The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly. Meanwhile, Mitch Trubisky has been “progressing” and Mason Rudolph — get this — “continues to shine.” Through 3 practices, all 1st-team reps have gone to Trubisky; all 2nd-team reps to Rudolph. Translation: Pickett, despite his Round 1 status, is an extreme long-shot to start the opener at Cincinnati.
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