Chiefs HC Andy Reid said Thursday that WR Mecole Hardman was knocked out of Wednesday's practice with a groin spasm. Hardman is "making progress," according to Reid, and might even be able to play in Saturday's preseason game vs. the Commanders. It doesn't sound like the groin will be an issue by the time Week 1 rolls around.
WR Will Fuller remains unsigned as of mid-August. Yahoo's Charles Robinson spoke about why that might be the case on the Underdog Football Show. "He's a deep-field player when he's at his best. I don't know if teams necessarily feel like he can still be that player," Robinson said. "I think people think that injuries have taken their toll on him. Obviously there have been issues with suspension. I don't think he's what you would consider a 'clean signing.' ... What's been relayed to me is some of it is physical. It's the thought process that physically he does not look like a player that can hold up and has really lost a little bit." Even if Fuller signs before Week 1, he'd be a long shot for early-season fantasy value. At this point, he's nothing more than a last-pick flier in best-ball drafts.
Despite coming off the PUP list last week, Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins' availability for Week 1 is still uncertain, HC John Harbaugh admitted Wednesday. "He's made some good progress this week," Harbaugh said. "We measure times of how fast he runs, how fast he decelerates, how fast he changes direction. You can see the improvement is tangible. So, we'll see." The decision to remove Dobbins from the PUP list means the Ravens expect him back by at least Week 4. We'll continue to keep a close eye on his progress.
Rams QB Matt Stafford said Wednesday that his right elbow "feels good" and is "right on track." He admitted that he's not sure when the soreness in that elbow will go away, but he doesn't think it'll impact his performance. "I'm just going out there, doing my work [and] trusting the process that we have," Stafford said. "I know that I'm able to go out there and function at a high level right now. So whatever it feels like, hopefully, continues to keep getting better as it has. But I know that functionally, I feel like I can do everything I need to do. So just trying to continue on that road."
Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb was sidelined for Wednesday's joint practice with the Chargers. He told insider Clarence Hill that he suffered a cut to his foot that required stitches. Lamb wouldn't say how it happened. We'll see exactly how long he's out, but we're not expecting this to impact Lamb's availability for the start of the season.
Raiders TE Darren Waller returned to practice on Wednesday. He'd been out since July 30 with a hamstring injury. Barring a setback, though, consider Waller's fantasy stock unaffected.
"The plan is for [Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker] to be out there Week 1 if all goes well," according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. "Walker underwent surgery to repair a hernia — not what is sometimes called a 'sports hernia' or core muscle injury — and he’s expected to make a full recovery," Rapoport adds. We'll track Walker's rehab. But, considering the rookie will miss the rest of the preseason and a bunch of practice time, he won't be a viable Week 1 fantasy option. RB Rashaad Penny's early-season fantasy stock gets a boost with the news.
Seahawks HC Pete Carroll said Wednesday that rookie RB Kenneth Walker is having a "procedure" but that his injury is not a sports hernia, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. We'll watch for word on how long the team expects him to be out.
After some positive buzz at the start of training camp, Titans WR Treylon Burks is heading in the wrong direction again. He was buried in the pecking order in the preseason opener and didn't play particularly well. “Just being able to take the progress — some of the improvements that we saw in practice, and carry them over into the game. I don’t think that happened enough," HC Mike Vrabel said afterward. "Treylon will have to come out here and have a good week.” Burks then missed some reps in Wednesday's joint practice with the Bucs. It's looking like we won't be able to trust the rookie in fantasy lineups early in the season. There's still longer-term upside here, but Burks shouldn't be considered more than a WR4 at this point.
When asked about RB Javonte Williams getting the first snaps at practice, RB Melvin Gordon said, "The want 'Vonte to be the guy," per insider Zac Stevens. That, of course, doesn't tell us anything specific about how snaps and touches will be divvied in this backfield. But it at least seems like confirmation that Williams will lead the way. We'll see if we get any clues on workload distribution in Denver's final 2 preseason games.
Vikings QB Kirk Cousins returned to practice on Wednesday. He ended up missing the minimum 5 days with COVID. His fantasy stock is unaffected.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow spoke to the media on Wednesday about his recovery from his appendectomy. He said he's eating "everything" to gain back 20 pounds, per insider Mike Petraglia. Burrow added that he'll return to 11-on-11 work in Wednesday's practice. And, while he won't play in the preseason, he feels confident that he'll be ready to go for Week 1. We'll continue to monitor Burrow's progress, but we haven't altered his 2022 projections.
Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman suffered an apparent left leg injury in Wednesday’s practice, per beat writer Nate Taylor. He limped off the field for evaluation. We’ll pass along an update when it’s available.
UPDATE: Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Hardman's injury is to his groin.
Rams RB Cam Akers' soft-tissue injury is not considered serious, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "Rams taking preventative measures by holding him out of preseason practices but that’s the extent of it," Fowler adds. He makes no mention of the severity of RB Darrell Henderson's injury. We'll see when the Rams backs are able to return to practice.
The NFL Players' Association and the NFL are working on a settlement agreement in the Deshaun Watson case, according to insider Aaron Wilson. "Sources expressed optimism that a deal will get worked out," Wilson writes. A settlement would very likely result in something in between Watson's current 6-game suspension and the full-season ban the league has been pushing for. Stay tuned.
Seahawks HC Pete Carroll said Tuesday that RB Kenneth Walker has "a little hernia thing that he’s working on." Added Carroll, "we’ve got to get through that. So I don’t know what to tell you yet, but it’s something that we can attend to and all that ... We’ve just got to make sure that he’s OK by the opener is what we’re shooting for.” Hopefully Walker doesn't need surgery, which would certainly cost him the start of the season. We'll look for updates on the rookie's status.
Seahawks QB Drew Lock tested positive for COVID. He'll be out at least the next 5 days, which means he'll miss Seattle's 2nd preseason game. Lock seemed to be making up ground on QB Geno Smith, getting 1st-team reps in Tuesday's practice. But this is an obvious setback. Smith remains the favorite to start Week 1, although Lock is a good bet to also make starts this season.
Mike Dussault of the Patriots' official website calls RB Ty Montgomery the "early favorite" for passing-down duties. "Montgomery has been one of the under-the-radar stars of Patriots training camp this summer, slowly but surely cementing himself as part of the running back rotation," Dussault writes. HC Bill Belichick called Montgomery a "very smart, multi-skilled, multi-talented player" prior to Tuesday's practice. This still feels like a fluid situation, with RBs Rhamondre Stevenson and Pierre Strong also in the mix for pass-catching work. But it's time to at least start considering Montgomery near the end of deeper PPR drafts.
Rams QB Matt Stafford (elbow) was a full participant in Tuesday's scrimmage. He had “great energy, great command… threw the ball incredibly accurately… Really activated all parts of our pass game," HC Sean McVay said afterward. Reports on Stafford's right elbow have trended up over the last week. We'll continue to keep a close eye on him leading up to Week 1.
The Raiders released WR Demarcus Robinson. It's a slightly surprising move because Robinson was Vegas' most accomplished WR behind Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow. But, per The Athletic's Vic Tafur, Mack Hollins and Keelan Cole have emerged as the team's #3 and #4 WRs. "Tyron Johnson’s speed has put him in the mix as well," Tafur adds. None of these guys will be 2022 fantasy factors without an injury to Adams or Renfrow.
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