ESPN's Steve Levy said during the Saints-Jaguars Monday Night Football broadcast that HC Sean Payton told him, "If you’re asking me today, my #2 RB is Tony Jones.” That follows reports that RB Latavius Murray could be on the chopping block. Jones got the start vs. Jacksonville, although he and Murray both played 8 snaps with starting QB Jameis Winston. We'll keep an eye on this battle, but it's a situation to avoid in fantasy drafts until we get some clarity.
The Cardinals on Monday activated DE J.J. Watt off the PUP list. Watt had been easing back in after he hurt a hamstring during the conditioning test at the start of camp. "We wanted to make sure we were really cautious, make sure he felt 100 percent before we got him back out there," HC Kliff Kingsbury said before practice, per ESPN's Josh Weinfuss. Watt added: "We definitely took our time." Barring some setback, expect Watt to be ready for the season.
Eagles TE Dallas Goedert "is quietly having an outstanding training camp," insider Eliot Shorr-Parks writes. Goedert is reportedly leading the team in catches (39), targets (46) and TDs (6) in practices. He's been slipping in drafts lately as it looks more and more like TE Zach Ertz will remain with the team -- and play a sizable role. But Goedert remains the Eagles' biggest TE talent and even has a shot to lead the team in targets this season. He's at least a lower-end TE1 and still has upside into the top 6 at the position.
Patriots TE Jonnu Smith (ankle) was a full participant in Monday's practice, according to NESN's Zack Cox. Smith was sidelined for a week, but we can now cross him off the list of injured played to worry about.
Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill participated in Monday's practice. He was a late scratch from Friday night's preseason game with a tight hamstring, but it looks like a non-issue now.
Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ankle) practiced on Monday, according to beat writer Matt Derrick. It sounds like CEH was limited after injuring that ankle in Friday's preseason game -- but the fact that he was out there at all is an excellent sign. Edwards-Helaire should be ready to go come Week 1, but we'll continue to keep a close eye on his status.
Rams RB Darrell Henderson is considered "day to day" with his thumb injury, according to The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue. Testing revealed no ligament damage to the thumb. We'll keep an eye on him, but Henderson should be fine for Week 1.
Jaguars RB Travis Etienne left Monday night's preseason game against the Saints with a foot injury and is officially questionable to return, according to ESPN's Field Yates. Jacksonville obviously has no reason to push him back into the exhibition. We'll see how serious the issue is beyond that.
Saints TE Adam Trautman went to the locker room on a cart during Monday night's preseason game. He had been getting checked for a foot or ankle injury in the sideline tent before riding to the locker room. We'll keep an eye on this situation. According to Pro Football Focus' Nathan Jahnke, TE Nick Vannett saw his playing time increase after Trautman's departure while TE Juwan Johnson's role appeared unchanged.
Rams RB Darrell Henderson injured his thumb in Monday's practice. Both NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and ESPN's Adam Schefter report that it's a minor sprain. Schefter adds that Henderson is expected to be ready for Week 1. It's still not an ideal development for a guy who has had trouble staying healthy -- and is now being counted on in an expanded role. We'll keep you updated on Henderson's status. There's no clear-cut handcuff to Henderson right now after RB Jake Funk started over RB Xavier Jones in the 2nd preseason game. The Rams could still add to the backfield before the start of the season.
Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb has landed on the COVID list. The Dallas Morning News' Calvin Watkins reports that Lamb is fully vaccinated, so it should be a short stay. We'll keep you updated, but consider Lamb's fantasy stock unaffected for now.
Packers QB Jordan Love (right shoulder) returned to practice on Monday. He’d missed about a week of action with the minor injury. Now, we’ll see if the team deems him healthy enough to suit up for Saturday's preseason game (at Buffalo).
Here's what The Athletic's Zac Keefer tweeted that watching Colts QB Carson Wentz's return to practice on Monday: "Even more convinced now than I was two hours ago that it’ll be Carson Wentz under center in Week 1 for the Colts. Setbacks can happen, for sure, but he absolutely looked like a guy today who’ll be ready to go in three weeks." Sounds like Wentz looked good out there. We'll continue to track his progress.
Patriots QB Cam Newton will be away from the team for 5 days after a misunderstanding with COVID protocols. Newton went to a medical appointment outside of the New England area on Saturday. Despite continuing to test negative for the virus, protocols now require him to go through a "5-day entry cadence process" to return to the team. He'll be able to participate virtually -- but Newton's absence will give rookie QB Mac Jones a chance to soak up 1st-team reps. We'll see if that changes the outcome of this QB competition.
The Jaguars placed DE/OLB Josh Allen on the COVID list Monday. It's not yet clear whether he tested positive or was merely a close contact.
Jets HC Robert Saleh told reporters Monday that LB Jarrad Davis will likely be out until sometime around the team's Week 6 bye with his ankle injury. Davis hurt the ankle in Saturday's preseason game, leaving the sideline on a cart. According to Connor Hughes of The Athletic, Saleh says rookie Jamien Sherwood will step into Davis' starting role. Davis had appeared to be on track for full or near-full playing time. If Sherwood can approximate that playing time, he could be an early-season steal in IDP leagues.
49ers WR Deebo Samuel played 19 snaps in Sunday's preseason game vs. the Chargers, finishing with 1 catch on 2 targets for 9 yards. He reportedly got an MRI for a tight glute last week -- but it's clearly not an issue at this point.
Cowboys WR Amari Cooper (ankle) played 13 snaps in Saturday's preseason game vs. the Texans. He finished catch-less with QB Garrett Gilbert getting the start -- but the takeaway here is that the ankle issues that sidelined Cooper for much of the offseason are no longer a concern. He's a high-upside target in the 3rd or 4th rounds of fantasy drafts.
Titans WR A.J. Brown has lost some recent practice time to a knee injury, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. We haven't seen further details on the issue, but Schefter reports that Tennessee expects Brown to be ready for the regular season. We'll see about how soon he gets back on the field. It's worth remembering that Brown had "cleanup" procedures on each of his knees in the offseason.
Bills WR Stefon Diggs (knee) returned to practice on Sunday. It was a "light practice," per WGR's Sal Capaccio, but Diggs appeared to be moving well. He had missed the previous week and a half, but we never got the vibe that it was a serious issue. We'll continue to keep an eye on Diggs, but he's safe to draft at this point.
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