The "initial belief" is that Saints TE Adam Trautman will be out 1-3 weeks with his foot injury, according to insider Nick Underhill. Trautman is visiting a foot specialist on Thursday to get another opinion. We'll look for further updates. But, for now, it looks like Trautman has a chance to be ready for Week 1 and will miss a couple of games at worst.
Broncos HC Vic Fangio informed the team this morning that Teddy Bridgewater has won the starting QB job over Drew Lock. It looked like a dead heat until Bridgewater turned in an excellent outing in the 2nd preseason game, going 9 of 11 for for 105 yards and a TD. Bridgewater sits 10th among 80 qualifiers in Pro Football Focus' preseason passing grades. Lock ranks 37th. Bridgewater isn't an exciting player or high-upside fantasy option. But he's steady and accurate. And Denver's strong group of pass-catchers could turn him into a spot-start option for fantasy teams this year. We like this news for the fantasy value on the Broncos' pass-catchers, especially WR Jerry Jeudy.
Jaguars WR Marvin Jones is dealing with an AC joint injury in 1 of his shoulders, HC Urban Meyer said. Jones is questionable for the final preseason game vs. Dallas but "should be fine" for Week 1, per Meyer. We'll keep an eye on the situation but aren't adjusting Jones' projections.
Appearing on SiriusXM radio this morning, ESPN's Adam Schefter said Sony Michel will "probably be the lead back" in Los Angeles. It sounded like much more opinion than report -- but Schefter is obviously 1 of the most plugged-in reporters in the industry. Although he's struggled with injuries through 3 NFL seasons, it's worth remembering that Michel was the 31st overall pick of the 2018 draft. He's still only 26 years old. And he averaged 5.7 yards on 79 carries last year, ranking 26th among 76 qualifying RBs in Pro Football Focus' rushing grades. RB Darrell Henderson, by the way, finished 17th on that list. We'll be keeping a close eye on this backfield over the next couple of weeks. But, for now, both Henderson and Michel look like risk/reward RB3 targets in fantasy drafts.
Giants TE Kyle Rudolph (foot) has been activated from the PUP list and will return to practice, the team announced. Rudolph had foot surgery shortly after signing with the G-Men in March and had been sidelined since. The 31-year-old caught just 28 balls in 12 games for the Vikings last year. But the Giants surprisingly gave him a 2-year, $12 million deal. We'll see exactly how Rudolph factors into the team's plans.
The Patriots traded RB Sony Michel to the Rams in exchange for a pair of late-round conditional picks, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. The Rams always seemed likely to add to the backfield after losing Cam Akers for the season. Even if they believe in RB Darrell Henderson, the depth behind him wasn't NFL-caliber. Henderson still figures to get the 1st crack at lead duties in Los Angeles. But expect Michel to be involved, potentially serving as a short-yardage and goal-line back. Michel ripped off 5.7 yards per carry last year and has looked good this preseason. Rams RBs Xavier Jones and Jake Funk are obviously undraftable now. Meanwhile in New England, Damien Harris is now even safer as the clear lead ball-carrier -- although he'll continue to lose almost all the passing-down work to James White. Michel's departure also makes rookie Rhamondre Stevenson a more interesting late-round flier.
Broncos TE Noah Fant missed practice Tuesday with a “leg issue,” per HC Vic Fangio. NFL Network’s James Palmer spotted Fant jogging with a sleeve on his left leg, and the belief is that the injury is minor. We’re not altering his 2021 projection.
Lions RB D'Andre Swift had a good practice on Tuesday, according to The Athletic's Chris Burke. "Broke a long run, cut well," Burke tweeted. "Made a *great* jump cut to turn a short run off the right side into a long TD and didn't seem at all hesitant between the tackles. A step forward." This comes on the same day that HC Dan Campbell conceded that he's not sure what kind of shape Swift will be in for Week 1 after missing most of August with a groin issue. Swift will be 1 of the more important players to monitor over the next couple of weeks.
Rams RB Darrell Henderson practiced on Tuesday with a non-contact jersey and a "large wrap" on his injured left thumb, according to The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue. Henderson will be able to maintain his conditioning as he rehabs that thumb injury. He's fully expected to be ready for Week 1.
Bills LB Matt Milano will miss at least the next 5 days as a close contact to the staff member who tested positive for COVID. It’s the same situation affecting WRs Cole Beasley and Gabriel Davis, which means Milano is also unvaccinated. Fellow Bills LB A.J. Klein is out for the same reason. As long as both guys test negative, they’ll be back after the 5 days. We’ll see where the situation goes from here
Titans WR Julio Jones took part in practice Tuesday for the 1st time since an Aug. 2 spill took him off the field. It sounds like Tennessee was limited in its activity Tuesday, so we’ll see how much Jones participates in the next full workout. This is obviously a positive development, though.
Raiders beat writer Vic Tafur writes that RB Josh Jacobs looks “tougher and faster this camp.” It’s worth noting that Jacobs — entering his 3rd season — is only 23. Tafur also described Kenyan Drake as someone who’ll be "moved around on third downs and in the red zone.” No surprise there. Both RBs are viable picks at ADP, but it’s clear that Drake’s presence will limit Jacobs’ fantasy ceiling.
Saints TE Adam Trautman avoided a "major injury" to his foot or ankle, according to insider Nick Underhill. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport adds that the Saints are still seeking additional medical opinions on Trautman's situation. So he's not out of the woods yet, but it's good news so far. We'll continue to keep you updated.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Jaguars RB Travis Etienne will have surgery to repair a Lisfranc tear in his left foot and "likely" miss the entire season. That obviously delivers a big boost to James Robinson, who had been coming off the board well into RB3 range. It also brings Carlos Hyde into late-round view in fantasy football drafts. Robinson now looks like a RB2 with RB1 upside -- which he showed last year -- for fantasy.
Update: The Jaguars have put Etienne on IR, officially ending his season. A player must be on the 53-man roster as of 4 p.m. on Aug. 31 to be eligible for short-term IR.
Dolphins WR Will Fuller (leg) was on the practice Tuesday for the 1st time since July 28. We still don't know much about his injury, but the team reportedly expects him to be ready come Week 2, after serving the final game of his suspension. We'll continue to keep an eye on him.
Patriots TE Hunter Henry (shoulder) was on the field for Tuesday's practice. Per NESN's Zack Cox, Henry didn't participate in team drills. So he's still not a full-go but is clearly making progress in his return from that shoulder injury. Henry should be ready for Week 1.
After returning to practice on Monday, Colts QB Carson Wentz (foot) said he's "optimistic" about his Week 1 availability. “Honestly, it’s not fully my call," Wentz conceded. "It’s going to come down to the doctors and surgeons and trainers and seeing how we feel. A lot will depend on how I respond and how the foot feels day after day after being out there. … But as long as there’s nothing I can do to injure myself, (I’ll play). I know I’ve played through a lot worse, but it’s going to come down to what the doctors say." We'll continue to keep you updated on Wentz's progress.
Jets WR Elijah Moore (quad) returned to practice on Tuesday and told reporters afterward that he plans to play in Friday's preseason finale. The rookie ended up missing a little less than 2 weeks with his quad injury, but it sounds like he'll be good to go for the start of the regular season.
Lions TE T.J. Hockenson has been dealing with an injury to the AC joint in 1 of his shoulders, HC Dan Campbell said Tuesday. Campbell added that he's not worried about Hockenson's Week 1 availability. We'll keep an eye on the situation but aren't adjusting our projections for Hockenson.
Titans WR A.J. Brown (knee) returned to practice Tuesday and was "looking A.J. Brown-ish," according to Joe Rexrode of The Athletic. That's good news on the heels of the Adam Schefter report saying only that Tennessee expected Brown to be ready for the regular-season opener. We haven't adjusted our outlook for Brown at all.
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