Cowboys QB Dak Prescott has earned rave reviews for his work through the first 3 days of training camp. "Prescott has shown no signs of ever having suffered a severe ankle injury," The Athletic's Jon Machota writes "His mobility looks as good as ever and he’s been accurate in individual and team drills." At this point, we can put any concerns about that ankle to bed. Prescott -- with a loaded group of pass catchers -- has upside to lead all QBs in fantasy points this season.
Jets WR Corey Davis (shoulder) is ready for the start of training camp on Wednesday, according to The Athletic's Connor Hughes. Davis hurt his shoulder at a May OTA session and didn't do much in minicamp. But it looks like a non-issue now. Davis is coming off a strong 2020 season and got paid like a #1 WR by the Jets in free agency. He's a value at his WR54 ADP.
Following up on NFL Network's Ian Rapoport's story this morning, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Packers and QB Aaron Rodgers are "close" to working on a deal that would bring Rodgers back to Green Bay for the 2021 season. Per Schefter, the agreement would void the 2023 year in Rodgers' contract and ensure that the team reviews Rodgers' situation after this year. It essentially sounds like this would be his final season with the Packers. We'll continue to track this situation, but Rodgers and Green Bay's skill-position players look much safer to draft now than they did 12 hours ago.
Rams HC Sean McVay said Monday that RB Darrell Henderson won’t play in any preseason games. Per a tweet from beat writer Cameron DaSilva, McVay said it’s never been an ability question for Henderson; it’s about availability and staying healthy. Indeed. Through 2 pro seasons, Henderson’s sustained a pair of ankle sprains and a hamstring strain. So the team is wise to save its new lead back for the games that count. Barring a legit backfield addition, Henderson projects as a top-20 RB across formats.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that "Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has indicated to people close to him that he does plan to play for GB this season." We're still waiting for Rodgers to officially report to the team, but this is at least a positive sign. There will be risk to drafting Rodgers until he actually shows up, but his depressed ADP has also presented upside. He's QB11 in current FFPC best-ball drafting, coming off a QB3 fantasy finish.
Zak Keefer of The Athletic reports that the Colts say RB Marlon Mack is back to 100% health for the start of camp. That's noteworthy, given Mack missed last year with a torn Achilles' tendon. Of course, being 100% healthy does not necessarily equal being back to your original performance level. But this is a big step for the veteran back. Mack still can't hope to be more than the #3 RB on this year's Indy roster, but his return could leave Jordan Wilkins without a spot. A near full-strength Mack could also stress the workload for Jonathan Taylor.
Colts GM Chris Ballard says LB Darius Leonard has had an ankle "procedure" in early June, according to Mike Chappell of FOX59. Ballard said the team will monitor him but that there's "no reason for concern," despite conceding that the LB will miss some early practices. Leonard missed 2 games last season, but a groin injury was the culprit. We'll keep an eye out for anything further on this situation. For now, though, we'll take Ballard at his word and not adjust our outlook for Leonard.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doesn't expect WR Amari Cooper (ankle) to practice until training camp breaks in mid-August. Cooper remains on the active PUP list after January ankle surgery. The team continues to express little concern about his status, but it sure seems like his recovery has taken longer than expected. Cooper comes with elevated risk until we see him back on the field.
Andy Vasquez of NorthJersey.com projects RB Ty Johnson as a cut in his admittedly "far too early" 53-player roster projection. "[Tevin] Coleman will likely get the majority of the snaps, but there will be plenty of opportunities for [Michael] Carter and another young back," Vasquez writes. "[Josh] Adams, [La'Mical] Perine and Johnson will battle for the final two spots at this position." We're not particularly excited about any player in what figures to line up as a committee but will be tracking the competition through summer.
The Browns have placed rookie LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah on the COVID list. That, of course, could mean a positive test or a high-risk exposure. We'll see how long the designation keeps the 2nd-rounder out and whether we should expect any lingering impact.
The Bears have placed RB Tarik Cohen on the active PUP list to start training camp. Cohen is still working back from last September's torn ACL and was reportedly hobbled during spring workouts. We're guessing he'll be available for the start of this season -- but it's certainly not a lock. We'll continue to monitor his progress. Cohen's absence would free up targets for RB David Montgomery. Chicago also added RB Damien Williams this offseason.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow (knee) will participate on day 1 of training camp. He’s avoided the PUP or NFI list, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. If his knee continues to cooperate, there’s no question Burrow could pay off his QB13 FFPC ADP. See where he sits in our 2021 QB rankings.
Colts WR Parris Campbell has been limited to 9 games over his first 2 NFL seasons due to a plethora of injuries. But, according to The Athletic's Zak Keefer, the team still believes he'll "become a vital player in their offense." The Colts made Campbell the 59th overall pick of the 2019 draft after he caught an Ohio State-record 90 balls as a senior and then blazed a 4.31-second 40-yard dash at the Combine. Campbell has flashed in those 9 games he's played so far, catching 5+ balls 3 times and also carrying 6 times for 50 yards. "If Campbell exits camp without any setbacks, he’ll have a big role in 2021," Keefer adds. Campbell remains super cheap in drafts, with an ADP sitting outside the first 12 rounds.
Texans QB Deshaun Watson will report for the start of training camp on Sunday, according to ESPN's Sarah Barshop. ESPN's Ed Werder reports that Watson is only showing up to avoid the daily $50,000 fine for missing camp. Watson, of course, has had issues with Houston management and requested a trade earlier this offseason. "Sense around league is Texans have moved on from Watson in their football plans, unless Watson’s arrival to camp somehow changes the dynamic," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler tweeted on Sunday. We'll see where that goes -- along with Watson's legal situation and standing with the NFL after the sexual assault allegations. He remains just a late-round flier in fantasy drafts right now.
Bucs TE Cameron Brate has been placed on the active PUP list to begin training camp. No word on his injury or how long he'll be out. Brate figures to be Tampa's #3 TE this season behind Rob Gronkowski and O.J. Howard, so he's off the fantasy radar.
Bucs WR Justin Watson is expected to miss 4 months after undergoing knee surgery, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Watson was placed on the active PUP list on Saturday and figures to slide to the reserve PUP list before the season starts, costing him at least the first 6 games. He was set to battle for the #4 WR job in Tampa. It'll now be Scotty Miller, Tyler Johnson and rookie Jaelon Darden fighting for that spot.
The Titans have placed rookie CB Caleb Farley on the non-football injury list and OLB Bud Dupree on the PUP list to begin training camp. Dupree is still working back from the early December right ACL tear that ended his 2020 season. Farley has had 2 back surgeries since his last action at Virginia Tech in 2019. Both players figure to be important pieces for a Tennessee defense that needs to improve on last year's performance. We'll see how they progress through the summer.
Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald this week led his list of potential "breakout" Patriots for 2021 with WR Jakobi Meyers. Callahan points to the "only" potential hurdles for Meyers being injury or "dominant summers from Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne," whom New England paid up for in free agency. "But those free-agent additions undoubtedly saw what everyone else did at OTAs and minicamp this spring: Meyers was the best receiver on the field," Callahan writes. We've certainly read other similar offseason buzz for Meyers, who claimed 28% of Patriots targets from Week 7 on last season. At WR68 in current FFPC best-ball drafting and a mid-13th round price on Underdog, Meyers at least looks worth some shots in your drafts. We'll see how things go for him and the rest of the Pats offense through training camp and preseason. Mac Jones taking over for Cam Newton at QB would also likely be good for Meyers' target volume.
The Bears are trading WR Anthony Miller to the Texans. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, it took only a "late-round pick swap" for the deal to happen. We have yet to see more specific details, but that seems an extremely low price for the 4th-year wideout. Miller lands in a situation with opportunity to be as much as the #2 target behind Brandin Cooks. But it's also a low-ceiling spot if Deshaun Watson doesn't return. We remain uninterested in Houston pass-catchers behind Brandin Cooks in fantasy football drafts. We'll see who steps into the #3 WR role in Chicago. Marquise Goodwin drew some spring buzz.
The Lions believe T.J. Hockenson is capable of making another leap forward in his 3rd NFL season. “I think it’s been a fairly consistent message all offseason, from Coach [Dan] Campbell to [OC Anthony] Lynn, that there’s plenty of meat still on that bone for him,” TEs coach Ben Johnson said. “And I think he’s embraced that. He agrees with that. We’re really looking forward to getting more out of him now.” Hockenson turned 101 targets into a 67-723-6 line last year and should be in for a boost in targets in 2021 considering Detroit's crappy WR corps. The stars are aligning for a big fantasy season here.
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