Bucs TE O.J. Howard practiced Friday for the first time since suffering a torn Achilles in October. Barring a setback, he appears on track for Week 1. The former 1st-rounder is in play as a late-round TE3 in FFPC best balls.
Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster reportedly lobbied new OC Matt Canada this off-season to give him more opportunities outside. So far, though, it looks like the wideout remains stuck in the slot. Mark Kaboly of The Athletic writes, “There has been limited-to-no outside work by Smith-Schuster since pads have gone on, except for individual goal-line work.” It’s still early, of course, meaning there’s still plenty of time for Pittsburgh to move Smith-Schuster around. But it appears we should anticipate a role similar to last year’s. That meant lots of receptions in the exceedingly pass-heavy offense but a very low ADOT
Here's the word from ESPN's Mike Triplett on the 1st Saints training-camp practice: "Taysom Hill got the first turn of training camp as New Orleans' starting quarterback during Thursday's practice. However, Jameis Winston generated more buzz with an efficient day." Triplett said Winston's rhythm, timing and patience looked better than last summer, which he conceded gave just a "small sample." We'll certainly be watching this QB competition through camp and the preseason.
Saints RB Alvin Kamara said during his Thursday press conference that both QB Jameis Winston and QB Taysom Hill have been trying to build chemistry with him. That's good to hear as we move from Drew Brees -- a particular friend to the short pass in recent years -- to a new starter. Whether that's Winston or Hill, though, we should expect plenty of targets for Kamara -- especially while lead WR Michael Thomas is out. We're feeling better about Kamara in the middle of Round 1 than we did before Thomas' injury revelation.
The Seattle Times reports that the Seahawks plan to utilize TEs more in the new offense. Not surprisingly, HC Pete Carroll sounds excited about what the team has there. "The tight end spot is really competitive because we don't know who's going to take the bulk of the plays," Carroll says. "We really like the position a lot. We're really fired up about Gerald Everett. We really think he can do a ton, but we're not sure how to mix those guys yet. We've got to find that out as we go through. Colby Parkinson looks exciting too for playing time, and we know Will's in there. So it's a really nice, competitive spot." We're betting on Everett as the lead receiver here for his familiarity with new OC Shane Waldron -- from their time with the Rams -- and receiving ability. The situation will be worth watching through summer, though.
The Bears on Thursday placed S Eddie Jackson on the non-football injury list with a hamstring issue that he sustained while working out. According to the team website, HC Matt Nagy said he's "not overly concerned." So expect Jackson to return well ahead of the season.
The Falcons on Thursday placed DE Dante Fowler on the COVID list. His time spent there will depend on the specifics of his situation. We'll see how that progresses, but Fowler doesn't look like a big factor for IDP drafts even at full health.
Saints K Wil Lutz has opened training camp on the non-football injury list with what GM Mickey Loomis has described only as a "soft tissue" problem, according to NOLA.com. The team has indicated it expects Lutz to return soon, backing that up by making no plans to try out replacement kickers. If Lutz's issue persists closer to the season, then we might draft around him at this fungible fantasy position.
Ravens WR Marquise Brown left practice early Thursday, with the training staff assessing a leg injury. HC John Harbaugh told reporters afterward, though, that the team was just being cautious. "Not serious. Probably more precautionary than anything," Harbaugh said. "Just making sure the muscle health continues to be there early in camp and just build him up to the reps we want to get him to." We'll watch for Brown's return, but don't adjust your outlook for him at this point.
Seahawks RB Rashaad Penny is currently at 223 pounds, his lightest weight since high school. Penny played in the 230s dating back to his time at San Diego State. "He looks great," HC Pete Carroll said Wednesday. "He worked out here all throughout the offseason, and it really paid off. The best he's looked since we've seen him.” John Boyle of the team’s official site observed Penny looking “faster and more explosive” than he did in 2020. It’s a nice first step for the oft-injured RB as he looks to secure the #2 job behind Chris Carson. As the RB55 in FFPC best balls, Penny’s a fine late-round flier.
Per the Miami Herald, Dolphins WR Will Fuller left the team’s first training camp practice with an apparent foot injury. He’s undergoing tests to gauge the severity. There’s no major cause for concern right now, especially with Fuller suspended for Week 1. Still, his lengthy injury history says we should pay extra close attention here. Fuller’s currently coming off the board as the WR44 in FFPC best balls.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that RB Alfred Morris is scheduled to meet with the Giants "early next week" and that the team is expected to sign him at that point. Morris carried 55 times and caught 3 passes for last year's Giants, as they scrambled to fill a backfield missing Saquon Barkley. That they're looking to add a veteran RB now seems like yet another signal that we should expect a slow start for Barkley to this season. Expect Barkley to remain 1 of our most closely tracked players throughout the next month and a half (and maybe beyond). Do not expect Morris, however, to become a 2021 fantasy factor.
Washington has placed WR Curtis Samuel on the COVID list. We'll see how long that keeps him out. Samuel, of course, has already been sidelined on the PUP list with the groin issue that followed him out of OTAs. Washington also placed DT Matt Ioannidis on the COVID list.
Jets QB Zach Wilson has signed his rookie contract and reported to camp on Thursday. He ended up missing just a couple of days, so there shouldn't be any fantasy impact here. Wilson be under center for the Jets' opener vs. the Panthers on September 12.
Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy said Thursday that the plan for QB Dak Prescott (shoulder) to play in the preseason is "still on schedule." We'll see if Prescott ends up getting on the field for the exhibitions, but this is another sign that the team isn't overly concerned with his strained shoulder.
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce left Thursday's practice with what the team is calling back and hip tightness. That doesn't sound like a long-term issue, but we'll certainly keep an eye on the 1st-round fantasy pick.
Washington WR Adam Humphries has been a "favorite target" for QB Ryan Fitzpatrick early in camp, according The Athletic's Rhiannon Walker. It's worth noting that WR Curtis Samuel has been sidelined with his groin injury. But earlier reports had Humphries as the likely starting slot receiver, with Samuel joining Terry McLaurin on the outside. Humphries has missed 13 games over the past 2 seasons but did catch 76, 61 and 55 balls over the preceding 3 seasons in Tampa. And some of that came with Fitzpatrick under center. We'd still bet against Humphries becoming a real fantasy factor in an offense with McLaurin, Samuel, TE Logan Thomas and RBs Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic. But he's at least worth monitoring over the next month.
Before the 1st practice of Bengals training camp Wednesday, QB Joe Burrow said: “I’m just about 100 percent. Feeling great, still getting stronger in my legs. Going to continue to lift throughout camp, keep getting stronger, so I just feel great going into Week One.” Burrow also said that he wants to play in a preseason game, but we'll see what the team decides to do. We wouldn't be surprised if they deny the franchise QB that wish. Still, signs continue to look positive for the health of Burrow's knee heading into his 2nd season.
Falcons WR Calvin Ridley was on the field for Thursday's practice after missing spring workouts recovering from foot surgery. "The Falcons number one receiver looks good," ESPN's Michael Rothstein tweeted. "Cut well out of his breaks and looked smooth as ever." We'll continue to keep an eye on Ridley, but it doesn't sound like we should be concerned about the foot.
Eagles GM Howie Roseman said Wednesday that he expects TE Zach Ertz to be on Philly's roster when the season begins, according to ESPN's Tim McManus. We wouldn't expect to hear anything different from Roseman, regardless of where trade talks might be on the veteran player. The fact that Ertz hasn't gone anywhere yet, though, means we should draft as though Ertz will be an Eagle come Week 1. His continued presence would certainly affect Dallas Goedert's fantasy ceiling, but we expect the younger TE to emerge as Philly's clear leader at the position this season. Even if their target counts sit close together, Goedert is the much better bet for a deeper average target depth and for yards after the catch.
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