August 2019 4for4 Player News Articles

After being let go by the Bills, RB LeSean McCoy has signed a one-year deal with the Chiefs, per Adam Schefter.

So much for the Chiefs having more clarity in their backfield. It goes right back to a potential three-headed monster with McCoy, Damien Williams and Darwin Thompson. And the Chiefs are giving McCoy $3 million guaranteed, so they might have some sort of plan for McCoy. McCoy is now reunited with the coach who drafted him, Andy Reid. It will be very interesting to watch how the team divvies up the carries among the three backs.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported the Chargers have granted permission to RB Melvin Gordon and his representation to seek a trade.

The report and article also state Gordon will weigh all of his options, including returning to the Chargers. The Chargers seem content to let Gordon gauge what his value in the trade market could be after not yet receiving the contract offer he was seeking from the Chargers. However, the Chargers seem to have the edge here. They are very comfortable rolling with Austin Ekeler (whose fantasy value has certainly risen in recent weeks) and Justin Jackson (who has some decent late-round value of his own). There doesn't seem to be an imminent end to this story, with just eight days before the Chargers take on the Colts in Week 1. We'll keep an eye on this story. But as of now, there is no question about firing up Ekeler in your lineups in Week 1, even if Gordon somehow comes back before then.

The Patriots have released WR Demaryius Thomas, per ESPN's Field Yates.

This is a bit of a surprise move as Thomas had come off the PUP list on August 20 and looked like he was going to make the roster, especially after posting a 7/87/2 line in the preseason finale against the Giants. Perhaps Thomas returns to the Patriots after Week 1, when his salary will not be guaranteed. The Patriots initially kept seven receivers, including undrafted rookies Jakobi Meyers and Gunner Olszewski. Julian Edelman, Phillip Dorsett and Josh Gordon will lead the charge in the wide receiver room.

The Texans have acquired WR Kenny Stills and OT Laremy Tunsil from the Dolphins for two first-round picks and a second-round pick, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Another huge trade today involving the Texans. Houston now has a deep threat and insurance for the injuries to Will Fuller and Keke Coutee. They also can finally feel comfortable at the left tackle spot by having Tunsil. No one is more relieved right now than DeShaun Watson. Now, hopefully, he doesn’t get absolutely wrecked like he did last season, which would only help his already high fantasy stock.

In a matter of hours, the Texans have turned Jadeveon Clowney, Martinas Rankin, two No. 1s and a No. 2 into Stills, Tunsil, Carlos Hyde, Barkevious Mingo, Jacob Martin and a No. 3. An interesting return, to say the least. But at least the offense is in much better shape than it was 24 hours ago.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the 49ers have placed RB Jerick McKinnon on season-ending injured reserve.

McKinnon suffered a setback during his knee recovery and had only returned to practice earlier this week. Being placed on IR became the expectation for McKinnon and now it is confirmed. McKinnon is now out for the season and can be safely dropped in fantasy circles if you happened to draft him over the summer.

The Browns acquired WR Taywan Taylor from the Titans for a 2020 draft pick, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Taylor seemed to just be the victim of the numbers game in Tennessee but may have a better chance in Cleveland, at least in the early going behind Odell Beckham, Jarvis Landry and Rashard Higgins, with Antonio Callaway suspended for the first two weeks of the season.

The Texans have acquired RB Carlos Hyde from the Chiefs for guard Martinas Rankin, according to Adam Schefter.

The Texans acquire their second running back in a month after also acquiring Duke Johnson from the Browns. Houston now has two-back set and Hyde likely takes some work from Johnson, but Johnson should still be the favorite for majority of the work. The fantasy situation in Kansas City clears up as well as Darwin Thompson is now locked in as the backup to Damien Williams and will also receive plenty of work. Time shares may be seen in both places.

Adam Schefter is reporting contract talks between the Cowboys and running back Ezekiel Elliott are “intensifying” and a deal could be done this weekend.

Deadline spur action, as has become well known, not just in football but in life. Not that there was a hard deadline, but we are just eight days away from the Cowboys’ opener on September 8 against the Giants. But this is absolutely a positive sign and chances are now rising he will be available for Week 1, so if you didn’t panic, great job staying the course. If you haven’t drafted yet, you can still fee comfortable taking Zeke in the top half of the first round. Don’t be afraid to also take Tony Pollard later as well as a strong handcuff.

The Bills are releasing RB LeSean McCoy, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

This goes as one of the first major surprise cuts of the season, as McCoy had been running well this preseason and came off a performance in Week 3 of the preseason where he rushed six times and played 14 snaps. This at least means, for fantasy purposes, Buffalo's backfield is not as muddied as before, with just Frank Gore and rookie Devin Singletary as the main acts. And Singletary has been very impressive so far. McCoy ends his Bills run after four years and is in the top 25 on the all-time NFL rushing yardage board with 10,606 career yards. He should latch on somewhere else. Singletary's impressive play made McCoy more expendable and Gore will act as the savvy veteran that will always rise up.

The 49ers are expected to place RB Jerick McKinnon on injured reserve with a knee injury, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Rapoport notes it is unclear whether this will end McKinnon's season or if he will return at some point during the season. McKinnon had suffered a setback during his recovery after having just returned to practice on Tuesday. Injuries have gotten the better of McKinnon since signing a four-year, $30 million deal with the 49ers in 2018 after he tore his ACL before the start of last season. McKinnon had started training camp on the active/PUP list but was taken off the list, therefore he cannot be placed on reserve/PUP. Even if he comes back, the 49ers will continue to roll with Tevin Coleman and Matt Breida in the backfield.

Texans head coach Bill O'Brien said WR Keke Coutee is "trending in the right direction, but not sure about the first game" when discussing the receiver's chances of playing Week 1 against the Saints.

O'Brien also said "I think I was unequivocal at (the) banquet about him not playing. I can change my mind." This is a positive change from Tuesday when O'Brien was "not hopeful" Coutee would be ready for the opener on Monday, September 9. It sounds, at the very least, that if Coutee can't go Week 1, he could be ready to go Week 2 against the Jaguars. Keep a close eye on Coutee's availability during the week at practice.

The NFL said Friday Patriots WR Josh Gordon is eligible to play in Week 1 against the Steelers, per Pro Football Talk.

Gordon was conditionally reinstated by the NFL last week and now the league has made it official that Gordon can play for the Patriots in the season opener on September 8. Gordon is oozing with upside with Tom Brady and having Julian Edelman alongside him in the lineup. Gordon's ADP has already soared into the first six rounds as a strong WR2 option.

The Ravens released kicker Elliott Fry, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Fry lasted a total of five days on the Ravens. He effectively came in to give Justin Tucker the night off. Fry did kick a 48-yard field goal in the preseason finale against the Redskins. Fry may not have much trouble finding another landing spot, even with final cuts coming this weekend. Fry went three-of-four in field goal attempts in three games this preseason between the Ravens and Bears, with two kicks over 40 yards.

ESPN's Todd Archer is reporting Dallas Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones is now expecting RB Ezekiel Elliott to miss more than just the season opener against the New York Giants on September 8.

"'I'm operating as though right now he's going to miss regular-season games," Jones said of the running back after the Cowboys concluded the preseason Thursday with a 17-15 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. "My entire expectation for what we're putting together as a team right now would anticipate with him holding out and not having any training camp that he's going to miss games. I just accept that,'" wrote Archer. Archer is also reporting nothing appears imminent between the Cowboys and Elliott.

Tony Pollard's value continues to rise. The rookie rushed 15 times for 84 yards in three preseason games, being held out of the preseason finale against the Buccaneers. Pollard is in line for a sizable workload against the Giants. If you already had your draft and Pollard is somehow still a free agent, grab him now.

The Cowboys open vs. the Giants, at the Redskins and vs. the Dolphins before a big Sunday night showdown in New Orleans.

RB Kareem Hunt will not play in tonight’s preseason finale against the Detroit Lions. Hunt underwent surgery this morning to repair a sports hernia injury. A full recovery is anticipated prior to his return to action in Week 10 of the regular season.

Kareem Hunt will be out 4-6 weeks, but with his eight-game suspension, he should be on track for Week 10 when he returns. Nick Chubb should continue to lead the backfield when Hunt returns, but Hunt is too good to keep off the field. His presence will likely cut into Chubb's workload somewhat.

When asked about Dare Ogunbowale's chance of being the lead back, beat reporter Rick Stroud answered, "Right now I think he’s winning the job as their third down back. Time will tell if he moves higher than that but he’s done a good job as a pass protector and route runn(er) and (has) run the ball inside and near the goal line well."

The Buccaneer's running back situation isn't good, but Dare Ogunbowale's possible job as a third-down back could be the best job in Bruce Arian's offense, especially if Peyton Barber and Ronald Jones continue to jockey for lead-back duties. While coaching the Cardinals from 2013 to 2017, they ranked 10th in running back targets. So there should be opportunity for Ogunbowale even if he doesn't earn more work, but there is room for him to do so.

Behind the scenes, Dallas has still contended all along with that they believe he will be there for Week One against the Giants. I think he will. I think they’ll end up getting a deal done that will make him the highest-paid running back in the NFL. I think he’ll be in there for that first game but you never know what turns negotiations take by the day.

We continue to get positive vibes from the NFL insider community regarding Ezekiel Elliott's holdout, which has managed to keep his ADP in the Top-4. Jay Glazer is usually spot-on in his assessments, but this is still a hunch.

Washington beat writer John Keim picked Derrius Guice as his breakout player this season and had this to say about him, "Guice, a second-round pick in 2018, missed last season with a torn ACL, so durability will be a concern for him as well. However, the Redskins love what he adds as both a runner and a receiver. The Redskins also know their path to victory this season is through running the ball and playing good defense, and Guice is pivotal to that success. He'll split time with Adrian Peterson, but the Redskins know Guice could be electric, so his workload will increase."

Derrius Guice looked good in his first preseason game but he also had just been cleared to play last week. It would be nice to have some idea of the split in touches between Adrian Peterson and Guice, but it appears that it could be fairly even to start the season. The hope is that Guice should stay on the field more, as the better receiver of the two.

How can a player with 319 career receptions and 3,271 receiving yards qualify as a breakout candidate? Because for the first time in his career, he's on a team that prioritizes him in the passing game. The Bills want quarterback Josh Allen to take fewer shots downfield in 2019, and signed Beasley as an incentive for him to do so. He's shifty, gets open nearly at will and has reliable hands. Don't be surprised if he beats the 75/833/5 line he put up during his career-best season in 2016.

The Bills are a hard team to get overly excited about offensively, but Josh Allen should improve this season and Cole Beasley will be a big part of that improvement. Beasley was a favorite target of Allen's this preseason and I expect beat reporter Marcel Louis-Jacques is correct in his assessment above. And the good news is that Beasley can be had for a song in drafts.

Michel, a second-year running back, has been used as a pass catcher often this summer. According to running backs coach Ivan Fears, that’s an area where the Patriots wanted Michel to grow, and he has.

“Much, much improved,” Fears said. “Much better than he was last year. Last year I thought it was a lot for him. This year, boy he’s pretty good at it. He’s going to be very good at it, we’ve just got to keep him out there.”

The Patriots went run-heavy with Sony Michel to close out last season but they would rather Michel be adept as a receiver so they don't telegraph their plays. RB coach Ivan Fears believes Michel has taken a big step in that part of his game and expects him to do well. At this point, Michel checks all the boxes for a great fantasy pick except for his shaky injury history.

49ers GM John Lynch on KNBR said “yesterday was not encouraging” as far as RB Jerick McKinnon’s return to practice. Lynch indicated he had another setback.

There was some hope for Jerick McKinnon after returning to practice, but that hope is dashed and now it looks like McKinnon will likely land on I.R. Rankings have already been changed to reflect his absence, but this reaffirms Matt Breida and Tevin Coleman's status as the San Francisco backs who will get concentrated usage this season.

Chargers ESPN beat writer Eric D. Williams, when projecting their 53-man roster, believes Melvin Gordon will report before Week 1.

This is the first positive news we've heard in a while surrounding the Melvin Gordon holdout, but it is still a guess on Williams' part. But it is also a more informed guess than we are privy to. Williams doesn't go into his thinking, unfortunately, so we still need to be wary of a lengthy holdout.

Trevor Sikkema thinks the Bucs Peyton Barber and Ronald Jones could split early down work with Dare Ogunbowale being the team's third down back.

Related players: Andre Ellington

The story went on to say Jones has looked like the better runner but has struggled in pass protection. Meanwhile, Ogunbowale has looked like the team's best back, according to the story. Ellington could also get some work, and overall, this RB situation may need some time to sort itself out.

Everything is pointing toward Derrick Henry being ready for the Titans' 2019 season opener against the Browns in Cleveland on Sept. 8.

"That's the plan," Henry said Tuesday, speaking with reporters for the first time this preseason.

Henry suffered a left calf injury on July 26, the first day of training camp. He didn't even make it to the team period during practice that day — he said he injured himself on the first drill. Henry proceeded to miss the rest of training camp and each of the team's first three preseason games. He returned to practice for the first time since the injury last week, the story said.

Pete Carroll said DK Metcalf is "moving around this week" with hopes of a quick return. Too soon to know what that means for Week 1.

Related players: Tyler Lockett, David Moore, Jaron Brown, John Ursua

Metcalf had a minor scope on his knee about a week ago but seems to have a shot to play in Week 1. There isn't really a sure thing behind Lockett at this point, so if Metcalf plays he still comes with risks but could certainly see some targets. Moore has a broken arm and also is a big question for Week 1, leaving Brown and Ursua up next.

RB Jerick McKinnon in uniform and practicing for first time since 2-practice cameo couple weeks ago.

Related players: Matt Breida, Tevin Coleman

McKinnon was just about a lock for the IR in some form according to many. He could still be an IR-return candidate if the 9ers put him there after cuts. Either way, McKinnon will have some catching up to do, so at least for now he's still safely behind Breida and Coleman.

Minor scare at Eagles practice: WR DeSean Jackson suffered a broken ring finger on his left hand in today’s workout, sources say.

The good news is Rapoport went on to tweet his understanding is Jackson is not expected to miss time and the team is not concerned about the injury. Jackson should be good to go for Week 1.

Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera says there's "no doubt in my mind'' quarterback Cam Newton will be ready for the Sept. 8 opener against the Los Angeles Rams.

"No, there's no doubt in my mind,'' Rivera said. "Everything he's been doing, everything he's done, he's done exactly what he's needed to. We're at the point now where it's just a matter of time before we start our official prep for the Rams that he's back on the field.''

Newton suffered a sprained left foot in last Thursday's preseason game against the New England Patriots. X-rays came back negative and team officials have been "cautiously optimistic" he would play in the opener. Newton was on the practice field for the second straight day, stretching and warming up with teammates. He threw on the side with trainer Ryan Vermillion, as he did on Monday, and put a little more stress on the foot in his throwing motion than he had, the story said.

Broncos head coach Vic Fangio said at a Tuesday press conference that Butt will not practice on Tuesday and will not play in Thursday’s preseason finale because he’s dealing with renewed problems in his knee. Fangio added that Butt “may miss some time” as the Broncos move forward and that could put a stay on injured reserve on the table once the team makes the cut to 53 players this week.

It was just Monday we reported Butt thought he had turned the corner after dealing with soreness in his knee earlier this summer. Butt played against the Rams Saturday, hobbled off after one play, but then returned to the game.

Robby Anderson missed practice Tuesday with a calf injury, prompting worry warts to wonder whether the speedy wide receiver will be ready when the regular season begins in less than two weeks.

Anderson is day-to-day and HC Adam Gase doesn't know if the injury is concerning, which could be concerning since it's a soft tissue injury. Gase said the team hopes to get Anderson back for practice leading up to Week 1.

Bill O’Brien said he is “not hopeful” that WR Keke Coutee will play in the season opener.

Related players: DeAndre Carter, Vyncint Smith

Coutee returned to practice Monday but doesn't look like he'll be ready for Week 1. As talked about Monday, if Coutee can stay on the field he could be a solid WR3 fantasy option assuming he sees seven-plus targets a game. But right now he can't get on the field. Carter and Smith look to be next up on the depth chart.

Jaguars WR D.J. Chark will return to practice today.

He's still in the concussion protocol, according to the tweet, but making progress toward a Week 1 return. We list Chark as the Jags WR2 and is one of John Paulsen's 39 players he must draft this year.

Lamar Jackson is looking to rely more on his arm in 2019 than he had throughout his entire rookie season with the Ravens.

Baltimore's signal caller appeared on Mad Dog Sports Radio on Monday and was asked by CBS Sports Network's Adam Schein what the ideal run-to-pass ratio would be for him in Year 2.

"Probably throwing, probably 30 passes a game," Jackson said. "Running, I probably won't have as many attempts as last year. We have a great backfield and we're just going to take what the defense gives us and take advantage of it and just go from there."

Jackson didn't have a single game last season where he dropped back and passed 30 or more times, so this would be quite the change of pace for him. During his eight starts under center last season, Jackson averaged 23.4 passes a game, with the highest (29 attempts) coming in Baltimore's playoff loss to the Chargers on Wild Card Weekend. HC John Harbaugh said "bet the over" when it came to Jackson coming close to the 139 attempts by Cam Newton in 2017, so the Raven may not want to see 30 passing attempts. But, it sounds like Jackson is trying to be a more well-rounded QB.

Just imagine the plays Matt Nagy has already drawn up for Cordarrelle Patterson, who’ll likely see time on offense as a receiver, runner and perhaps even a passer when the regular season opens on Sept. 5. Patterson will also handle kickoff returns.

“He came in as strictly a wide receiver and obviously was a little bit smaller at the time, but he found his own niche,” Nagy said last week.

Nagy said the team has some plans for Patterson with what the Bears want to do, and Patterson said he's role's been expanded. Nagy added he's proud of Patterson and the fact of what he’s done coming into this camp and digesting the playbook, whether that’s a wide receiver or in the backfield.

Ex-Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski said at a presser that if he feels passionate again about football, he'll play.

"It could be the case in 6 months, it could be the case in 2 years, it could be in 3 years ... But I truly don't see it in the foreseeable future."

Given the issues New England has a TE, they may be trying to get him to reconsider. But Breer went on to say Gronk sympathizes with recently retired QB Andrew Luck. Gronk added he was in tears in his bed after a Super Bowl victory and four weeks later still hurting with a thigh bruise, and, had internal bleeding. "Football was bringing me down," Gronkowski said, according to Breer. Doesn't seem like a return is likely based on those comments.

Redskins coach Jay Gruden said he expects tight end Jordan Reed to be available for the season opener at Philadelphia.

"We're quite confident that Jordan will be fine," Gruden said

Reed entered the concussion protocol after a hit in Thursday's preseason win at Atlanta. Reed cant seem to stay healthy despite having a ton of talent. He's 14th on our TE list, but in his last 16 games he has 67 catches for 664 yards and four touchdowns. Those numbers would have beat out Kyle Rudolph as the No. 7 fantasy tight end last season. Reed should see plenty of targets given the state of the Washington receiving corps.

James Washington is not all that impressed with his big-play August. He's been through this before, tearing up the 2018 preseason only to disappear for parts of his rookie year.

This time around, he even looks unimpressed with himself after each leaping catch. That's because he expects it to last.

"I'm just trying to show coaches something and put it on their minds that I've gotten better," the Pittsburgh Steelers receiver said.

JuJu Smith-Schuster, Donte Moncrief

The story said Washington looks like an X factor the offense needs with his ability to make difficult catches. On deep balls, Washington is getting open consistently enough that he often has to back-track to secure throws in practices and games. It is the preseason, of course, and the story added Moncrief appears to be the other starter opposite Schuster.

On Monday, head coach Bill O’Brien said that he thinks the team is in a “good situation” at the RB position despite Lamar Miller’s loss and cited the trade for Duke Johnson as a leading reason for that opinion. The Browns made heavy use of Johnson as a receiver the last four years, but O’Brien said he’s confident that Johnson can take on a bigger role.

Buddy Howell, Taiwan Jones, Cullen Gillaspia, Karan Higdon, Damarea Crockett

O'Brien was quoted as saying he wouldn't call Johnson just a third-down back and with the Texans he'll be used a lot of different ways. O'Brien did add he doesn't think Johnson will be used exclusively, because of the other guys on the roster. It's believed the Texans will be looking to acquire another RB option before the season starts.

Receiver Keke Coutee is back at practice after being out since the Green Bay game with a sprained ankle.

Coutee only played six games, but averaged 4.7 catches (on 6.8 targets) for 48 yards and 0.17 touchdowns per game. He added 11-110-1 in the Texans’ lone playoff game, raising his per game average to 5.6-57-0.29 over a seven-game span. Deshaun Watson indicated that the team has to find ways to get Coutee the ball since he’s so dangerous with it. He could turn into a solid WR3 if he begins to see 7+ targets per game. Coutee is ranked 43rd on our WR list.

WR Amari Cooper getting better. Won’t practice this week but on schedule to play Week 1 per Cowboys HC Jason Garrett.

Cooper told this reporter last week he would play. He can run full speed, the left foot injury is just impacting “cutability” right now and he's just being careful, as are the Cowboys.

49ers Dante Pettis says he’s dealing with minor groin issue.

Pettis played into the third quarter of the team's last game and HC Mike Shananhan said afterward he wanted Pettis to earn a spot on the team. Inman's tweet added Pettis isn't surprised at his coach’s criticism, that they’re on same page, and that he needs to play with more urgency and “run routes deliberately with more purpose.” We have Pettis as the team's WR1

Bears head coach Matt Nagy tells us WR Anthony Miller & OLB Aaron Lynch returned to practice today in a limited role.

Miller missed two weeks with a sprained ankle, but he's projected to be the Bears WR2 this season. He’s coming off offseason shoulder surgery, so he may get off to a slow start especially now with the ankle injury, but since he’s being drafted as a fantasy WR5, owners can afford to be patient. If Matt Nagy’s offense takes off in its second season, Miller should be one of the primary beneficiaries.

Damien Williams, Darwin Thompson and Darrel Williams were the backs who got first team snaps at Chiefs practice today. Carlos Hyde got none though he did work with the backups.

Those with Damien Williams at RB should probably not look at Hyde as a handcuff. Speculation is Hyde doesn't make it through cuts based on this tweet.

Rookie John Ursua appears to be part of the Seahawks’ offensive plans, particularly as injuries to DK Metcalf and David Moore have depleted some of the depth at wide receiver.

Ursua looks like he'll play slot receiver at least until the unit gets healthier. The story was mostly about the comparisons of Ursua and Doug Baldwin. At Hawaii last year, Ursua led the nation in TD receptions with 16 and added 89 catches for 1,343 yards. So far in preseason he has four catches for 100 yards, which leads the team.

Browns WR Odell Beckham returns to practice.

It's his first padded practice since Aug. 6, according to the tweet. Beckham has been working on the side with his hip injury and looks on pace to play Week 1.

Dan Quinn said he expects Julio Jones and Deion Jones to be full-go next week.

The tweet added that Quinn said Jones is in the spot he hoped he'd be at this time. Looks like he'll be ready to go against the Vikings in Week 1. Over the past two seasons, Jones has averaged 6.3 catches for 98 yards and 0.34 touchdowns. The knock on him is that he doesn’t catch enough touchdowns, and over the last three seasons he has averaged 0.37 touchdowns when he should have scored 0.97 per game according to Kevin Zatloukal’s expected touchdowns (xTD) model. He’s still a solid first round receiver and is capable of posting a No. 1 overall season if he figures out how to find the end zone more consistently.

With Chad Henne suffering a fractured ankle, the Chiefs are signing former Dolphins’ QB Matt Moore, per source.

Related players: Patrick Mahomes

Moore will now back up Mahomes. Moore didn't play in the NFL in 2018.

Golden Tate (concussion) not wearing a non-contact jersey and working with the first team.

It looks like Tate has cleared the league's concussion protocol. He's suspended for the first four weeks but should be good to go in Week 5.

Good news for the Bucs as WR Mike Evans has returned to practice.

Evans followed up a No. 18 finish in 2017 with a No. 8 finish in 2018. He’s currently the eighth receiver off the board, so fantasy owners believe we’ll see a repeat of 2018. There’s a new regime in town, while DeSean Jackson and Adam Humphries are no longer around to threaten his targets. The Bucs still have Chris Godwin and O.J. Howard, so we don’t expect Evans targets to increase too much, but he should do well in Bruce Arians’ scheme.

Kenyan Drake has returned to Miami Dolphins practice today.

Related players: Kalen Ballage

As the tweet said, it's obviously a good sign he'll be ready to go for Week 1. Despite the feeling that the fantasy community views his 2018 campaign as a failure, Drake finished the season as the No. 17 back in half-PPR formats. He hasn’t been a consistent producer thus far in his career, but that was mainly due to his irregular usage under former HC Adam Gase. We think Drake's talent wins out over Ballage in the end.

Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (foot sprain) is working with the trainer on the side. Not dressed for drills so just another step in rehab.

After positive reports all weekend, fantasy owners probably hoped he was doing a little more than this, but the team could also just be taking it easy with their star QB. Indications are he'll still be ready to go for Week 1, but it's something to keep an eye on.

Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas was added to the active roster in New England last week and he updated reporters Sunday on how he feels after returning to practice after rehabbing his torn Achilles.

Thomas said he has to knock a “little rust off” after such a long stay on the sideline, but feels confident he “can still go” well enough to help the Patriots offense in 2019. Thomas said he can feel his old explosiveness “here and there” as he regains his footing on the field.

The Patriots have parted ways with Dontrelle Inman and Maurice Harris recently, which cuts down on the competition Thomas will face for a spot on the 53-man roster but we’re still a few days away from knowing if Thomas will continue facing a challenge with the Patriots into the regular season, the story said.

Jake Butt erased any worry with a solid performance in a football return of nearly one year in the making. Butt said he “felt good” on 11 snaps played with two receptions for 17 yards. He took on blockers, split out as a wide receiver on some plays and showcased quick feet in route running, albeit in a small sample size.

Related players: Noah Fant

Butt had a false alarm when he limped off the field after his first play. Butt is further down the Broncos depth chart with Fant projected as the team's TE1. But, several injuries to the tight ends and the still unknown potential of Fant present Butt an opportunity to move up.

Saturday night, C.J. Prosise again showed his vast promise, leading the Seahawks with 32 yards on five carries, one a hard-fought 1-yard touchdown, and also had one reception for 15 yards.

Related players: Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny

Prosise has played in just 16 of 48 games in his career. Carroll said he didn't want to give up on Prosise despite all his injuries, and it looks like he's going to make the 53-man roster the story said. Prosise and the Seahawks will likely run the ball a lot this year, but Prosise will still play behind Carson and Penny.

Free agent receiver Michael Crabtree will play for his third team in three years when he suits up for the Arizona Cardinals.

He’ll turn 32 years old on Sept. 14.

Related players: Larry Fitzgerald, Christian Kirk, KeeSean Johnson, Andy Isabella

The Cards believe Crabtree has the necessary quickness and movement skills it takes to play the X or Z receiver, according to the story, which are the outside spots. This may end up hurting Johnson's fantasy value as Crabtree probably slides into a WR3 role behind Fitz and Kirk. Johnson was getting a lot of hype this spring and in camp, but is still a late-round rookie and the Cards may just want to secure the position.

WR Sterling Shepard (thumb) is good to go.

Although he's never been in the role, Shepard is expected to be the team's WR1 this season. This is especially true with Golden Tate suspended for the first four games. He has been a solid fantasy WR3 with Odell Beckham in the lineup and that’s about where he’s being drafted right now. The other red flag is that Eli Manning’s production is tailing off.

The rookie season of wide receiver Hakeem Butler is over.

The Cardinals placed Butler on injured reserve Sunday with his hand injury, and because they did so during the preseason, Butler is ineligible to be one of the two allowed players to return from IR this season.

Related players: MIchael Crabtree, KeeSean Johnson

Butler’s chances to make an impact on the receiving corps this year – especially in the first half of the season – looked small even before his injury. With the addition of Crabtree and the emergence of fellow rookie Johnson, the Cardinals figure to have solidified their top five receivers in Larry Fitzgerald, Christian Kirk, Crabtree, Johnson and probably Trent Sherfield, with Damiere Byrd making a push as well.

From ESPN’s Ben Baby: “A.J. Green was briefly in the locker room today. Still had a boot on his left foot and using the push scooter. Didn’t have an update on his potential return, either.”

Damion Willis will start in place of Green. The team is hoping Green only misses a few weeks, but very little has come out about his status, the story added. The author thinks it's unlikely the team puts Green on IR if a quicker return is in their plans.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor told undrafted free agent rookie wide receiver Damion Willis to line up as the starting X wide receiver in Sunday’s walk-through. What he didn’t tell him was that meant he was starting the Sept. 8 regular-season opener in Seattle.

“I’m just finding out,” said a dazed Willis before practice. “I’m going to wait to Saturday to celebrate.”

Reports say Willis has been the hottest name in camp all summer so it wasn't a total surprise this news broke. Willis led the team in receiving and also scored a TD in the team's Week 3 preseason game. Willis is starting in place of A.J. Green.

Shanahan kept Dante Pettis in the game late in KC because they still want him to "earn a role on the team."

Pettis is the top WR on our 49ers depth chart. The rookie played at a 64-989-11 pace (on a 99-target pace) over his final six games. He should be a full-time starter and enjoy a QB upgrade in his second season. He’s an intriguing breakout candidate typically available in the seventh round.

Shanahan said a slew of 49ers are on tap to return to practice this week: Among them is Jerick McKinnon.

Related players: Tevin Coleman, Matt Breida

Some who follow the team thought McKinnon could start the year on the IR, but this is at least a sign there's a chance he plays sooner than later. Still, owners will have to deal with Coleman and Breida ahead of him as far as fantasy production goes.

Notable Bengals players returning from injury to practice today: John Ross, Drew Sample, Dre Kirkpatrick, Keivarae Russell.

Ross is just 92nd on our WR list heading into the season. Even with A.J. Green out of the lineup, Ross isn't considered a safe fantasy play but it looks like he'll be ready for Week 1.

Josh Gordon dressed in full pads today.

That’s an indication he’s been removed from NFI, Perry said in his tweet. Gordon appears on track for Week 1. He obviously comes with risks but there is certainly upside. He's going in the seventh or eighth round and played at a 58-1040-4.3 pace in 11 games with the Patriots. He’s still just 28 years old, and is entering his second season in the New England system. He averaged 6.9 targets per game in his final nine games last season. Consider him a WR3/WR4 with WR2 upside.

Panthers head coach Ron Rivera said on Saturday that he expected quarterback Cam Newton back on the field soon after he sprained his foot in last Thursday’s game against New England and Sunday brought reason to believe that will be the case.

Multiple reporters at the Panthers facility reported that Newton is out of the walking boot that he’d been wearing since suffering the injury.

The story went on to say Rodrigue reported on Saturday that Newton could do something in practice on Monday. Sunday’s development makes that and Newton’s availability for Week 1 seem like pretty solid bets, although one would imagine the Panthers will be cautious in order to make sure all remains well.

Source: Raiders WR Antonio Brown has lost his grievance for his helmet. Again.

Brown needs to wear a league-approved helmet or he can't play. The hope is he eventually moves on from the issue. Raiders GM Mike Mayock said last week he needed Brown to be all in or all out, so we'll see what Brown does from here.

Redskins coach Jay Gruden named Case Keenum the starting QB.

Related players: Wayne Haskins, Colt McCoy

This was the trend for a while now but it was more of a default situation. McCoy continues to battle injury while Haskins just hasn't proved to be ready yet. Eventually this job will be Haskins' though.

The Raiders won’t be carrying running back Doug Martin on the roster for the regular season.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that Martin has been released.

Related players: Josh Jacobs, Jalen Richard, DeAndre Washington

This is a good sign for Jacobs who should see the biggest workload. HC John Gruden has been on record as saying he expects Jacobs to be the NFL Rookie of the Year, so he's expected to put up fantasy numbers as a result. The story expects Richard and Washington to stick around behind Jacobs.

In two weeks, the Dolphins play a regular-season game against the Ravens.

But who will start at quarterback for that game — Ryan Fitzpatrick or Josh Rosen — remains up in the air.

In fact, Dolphins coach Brian Flores told reporters Sunday morning that he’s not even leaning a certain way at this point.

Flores was quoted in the story as saying "this could go either way." Fitz was the leader early on, it seemed, but the story said Rosen has been solid in the preseason which is giving the coaching staff second thoughts. A decision on the starter should come by the middle of next week, the story said, but it may not be made public it added.

Rookie wide receiver KeeSean Johnson looked great again too, with seven catches and running routes that frankly, a rookie doesn't usually run. His backshoulder catch of a Murray pass in the first half was the stuff veterans are made of. On the flip side, it definitely feels like Andy Isabella is a work-in-progress.

Isabella was a second round pick but the headlines out of Arizona have mostly been about Johnson so far this summer. Isabella may need some time before he makes a fantasy impact.

Preparations for the Sept. 8 season opener against the Steelers now intensify, and it seems fair to wonder if first-round pick N'Keal Harry will be available.

Ever since Harry hobbled off the field in the Aug. 8 preseason opener, he hasn't practiced in full. And in the limited time that reporters have been present at practice -- basically for a light jogging session -- the rookie receiver hasn't passed the eye test in terms of looking comfortable, according to the story.

Adam Gase did the right thing by keeping LeVeon Bell in mothballs for the preseason, but there will be minor consequences to that decision. No matter how well Bell practices, he will have to work his way through rust and timing issues. Fortunately for the Jets, they have a terrific backup in Ty Montgomery, who can share the load until Le'Veon is Le'Veon.

There have been good things coming out of New York about Montgomery since OTAs, so this isn't really a surprise. The story said it's unrealistic to expect vintage Bell in Week 1 so owners may need to be patient for a few weeks.

49ers coach Kyle Shanahan vowed to keep Jimmy Garoppolo in Saturday night’s preseason game long enough for the quarterback to show he could get the offense into a rhythm.

That’s exactly what happened.

“It was definitely better than the week before, and that would have been hard not to do,” Shanahan said. “It was cool that they got to stay out there longer, get into a little bit of a rhythm.”

“You have to ignore it and just go play football,” Garoppolo said. “I thought it was a good step coming back here to K.C., the place where it all started. Just to get that out of the way, it’s another step in the right direction.”

Over five separate drives, Garoppolo threw to 10 different receivers, and completed 14 of his 20 passes for 188 yards and one touchdown, giving him a 116.2 rating. Garoppolo’s longest throw was a 33-yarder to Richie James in the first quarter.

Colts owner Jim Irsay Irsay discussed the same possibility during his own press conference on Saturday. He mentioned Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan in a winding and hopeful answer.

“You know, I don’t rule it out,” Irsay said. “Because as quickly as this thing sort of descended on us, and as mysterious as it was coming upon us, it could leave the same way.”

While anything is possible, if you watched the press conference with Luck on Saturday night, he didn't seem like someone who is leaving the door open, so as the story said, this is probably just wishful thinking on the part of Irsay.

Duke Johnson, who wanted more playing time in Cleveland, will be the Texans' starting RB. He's going to get all the playing time he can handle.

We've been high on Johnson ever since the trade to Houston from Cleveland. Our own John Paulsen thought with Lamar Miller in a contract year, Johnson had a chance to be the team's starting back heading into the 2020 season. Looks like we will see Johnson get that chance a lot earlier with the ACL injury to Miller on Saturday night. Paulsen feels Johnson is three-down-back material, so he's definitely a target for those who didn't draft yet. He's moved up to 18th on our PPR RB rankings.

Adam Schefter is reporting the Texans fear RB Lamar Miller suffered a torn ACL in Saturday’s preseason game against the Cowboys.

Miller suffered a nasty-looking hit from Maliek Collins. If this is the case, Miller would be lost for the season, Duke Johnson may finally get his opportunity and undrafted free agent Damarea Crockett, who has been garnering buzz, also moves up in the depth chart. An unfortunate event for the Texans, putting more pressure on DeShaun Watson. Duke Johnson should see a major increase in PPR value.

Colts QB Andrew Luck has unexpectedly decided to retire from the NFL and has a press conference set for Sunday to officially announce his decision.

This was absolutely out of nowhere and one of those stories that you almost have to double check that it’s actually Schefter tweeting the news. But it is true. Schefter says Luck has already met with owner Jim Irsay regarding his decision. Luck was not expected to play Week 1, and there was no indication of when he would return. But as it turns out, there will be no return as Schefter reports Luck, 29 years of age, has become mentally worn down. We wish Luck all the best in his retirement. Jacoby Brissett is now officially the starting quarterback in Indianapolis and all other fantasy options for the Colts certainly get bumped down a notch or two.

Texans RB Lamar Miller was carted off the field during Saturday’s preseason game against the Cowboys with a left knee injury, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Miller’s knee was hit by the helmet of Maliek Collins on a stretch play and Miller went down immediately. No word yet on the severity of the injury but things do not look good for Miller. This now creates a major opportunity for Duke Johnson, whom the Texans just acquired from the Browns earlier this month. The career rushing leader at the University of Miami, Johnson is fully capable of seizing a three-down role for the Texans. Without an update to Miller's injury, Johnson is worthy of a fifth round pick if drafting this weekend. Here’s to a quick recovery for Miller.

The Colts waived RB Donta Foreman from injured reserve with an injury settlement, per Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star.

After being acquired off waivers from the Texans just three weeks ago, Foreman’s 2019 season was thought to be down the drain after being placed on injured reserve. However, he will possibly get an opportunity with a team late in the season, as he will now be free to sign elsewhere. The expected timetable from his biceps injury is about four months, so a team may take a chance on him for a stretch run or as depth in the playoffs. In any event, Foreman at least now has some chance of playing in 2019.

Packers WR Equanimeous St. Brown suffered a high-ankle sprain in last night’s preseason game in Canada, source said. X-Rays were negative and the MRI indicated a high-ankle sprain that’ll likely knock him out 4-6 weeks.

Equanimeous St. Brown's absence should help boost Jake Kumerow's playing time up as the likely No. 4 receiver in Green Bay to start the season. Kumerow has looked good in camp and in preseason games and will be right on the edge of seeing useful fantasy volume if any receiver ahead of him misses playing time or if he can beat out Geronimo Allison for slot work.

Joe Fann of NBC Sports Northwest believes Jaron Brown will open the season as the No. 2 wide receiver until DK Metcalf returns.

David Moore is also out with a shoulder injury, creating the opportunity for Brown, at least in Week 1 against the Bengals. Brown had flashed during offseason workouts and now will get a chance at the starting lineup. Metcalf is expected to resume training next week, so while Metcalf may miss the opener, he may be back in Week 2 against Pittsburgh.

Colts QB Jacoby Brissett will not play in Saturday’s preseason game against the Bears, per Zak Keefer of The Athletic.

The Colts are sitting majority of their starters and with the uncertainty of Andrew Luck, Brissett is currently the starter behind center. It still remains to be seen if Luck will be available for Week 1, but the Colts aren’t taking any chances with Brissett. Perhaps the injury scare to Cam Newton factored in to the decision but the Colts also really like what they have in Brissett and can’t afford him getting hurt. All signs are starting to point toward Brissett starting the opener against the Chargers.

Jaguars WR Terrelle Pryor is dealing with a hamstring injury and is considered day to day, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Rapoport notes the injury isn’t as bad as the injury he had two weeks ago. Pryor is on the roster bubble for the Jaguars and missing some time certainly won’t help his cause, as he is already well buried on the depth chart.

Redskins TE Jordan Reed is in the NFL’s concussion protocol after suffering the injury during Thursday’s preseason game against the Falcons, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Per Rapoport, this is at least the fourth concussion Reed has suffered during the NFL career. Others have noted at least six known concussions for the tight end. A once promising career has been derailed by the numerous concussions. At the very least, Reed is likely questionable, if not doubtful, for Week 1 against the Eagles. It’s possible we see a mix of Vernon Davis and Jeremy Sprinkle in Reed’s absence.

Carolina Panthers general manager Marty Hurney spoke Friday about the foot injury suffered by quarterback Cam Newton, saying "Cam Newton has a mid-foot sprain in his left foot, and we are cautiously optimistic he will be ready for week one.", per Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic.

Newton exited Thursday’s game against the Patriots after three series. He was tackled by Patriots DT Danny Shelton which caused the injury. He later was spotted wearing a walking boot, but that was likely just for precautionary reasons. Former NFL team doctor David Chao shares some insight into the injury saying “Cam Newton in a walking boot. No crutches. By video, I did not see a major left foot injury. Often boot is precautionary for swelling overnight, especially when there is a flight home. No reason to panic with 2.5 weeks to opening game.” Newton should be considered questionable at best for Week 1 against the Rams but fortunately the injury does not seem serious.

Keke Coutee remains sidelined with a sprained ankle.

Beat writer Aaron Wilson didn't give us much information other than Keke Coutee is still out, but we're getting to a point where we won't see him in the preseason and his availability for Week 1 is coming into doubt. When healthy, Coutee is a useful fantasy player and likely startable in most PPR leagues, so hopefully, he gets back to practice sooner than later.

KeeSean Johnson may have had the best training camp of anyone on the Cardinals' roster, veteran or rookie alike. He's displayed a sharp route tree and great hands, both of which have made him an early favorite with the coaching staff."

The Arizona Cardinals just signed Michael Crabtree for some veteran receiver depth, but KeeSean Johnson doesn't appear to be a reason Arizona was seeking out receivers. Johnson looks to be firmly in the mix for work starting Week 1, especially in an offense that will use four-receiver formations often.

Running backs coach Stump Mitchell praised Nick Chubb, who was arguably the MVP of training camp.

“I think he’s going to be special like he was last year," said Mitchell. “He’ll be used a little more in the passing game than he was last year. Nick just continues to improve on the skillset that he has, and I think he has a fantastic skillset."

More passing game work for Nick Chubb would be a huge boost to his fantasy potential. Chubb only had 31 receptions in four years at Georgia and then 20 last season with Cleveland. He did barely play early on with Hue Jackson at the helm, and when he did take over as the lead back, he averaged two receptions per game, which would have given him 32 in a full starting role. If he can build on that now that Duke Johnson is gone, we could hope for 40-50 receptions, but Kareem Hunt will also become a factor after his suspension is up.

Miller has been out of action since Aug. 10 with what the Bears have said is a sprained right ankle. He suffered the injury during the team’s penultimate practice in Bourbonnais when he landed on top of Kyle Fuller’s foot. Miller’s absence is more significant after he also missed the bulk of organized team activities and minicamp while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.

“The biggest challenge is the timing with the quarterback,” Nagy said Wednesday. “That’s the No. 1 challenge.”

Nagy emphasized that Miller has done well learning the offense. “But then,” he said, “it’s also getting the offense down and running it versus a defense and getting that play timed up and that route timed up with the quarterback.”

Anthony Miller is behind this summer due to rehabbing his injured shoulder and now a sprained ankle. He still has plenty of dynasty appeal but in most leagues, he looks like a fade to start the season. We could see a bit more work for Tarik Cohen with Miller limited, but there likely isn't a big boost for any one player.

Arizona has agreed to terms with WR Michael Crabtree on a one-year contract.

The Cardinals want to be a pass-first team and that takes receivers, but after Christian Kirk and Larry Fitzgerald, the team has great talent, but not much experience. Michael Crabtree shouldn't have any fantasy value in most leagues, but his veteran presence could help their rookie quarterback Kyler Murray.

McDonald played a career-high 564 snaps in 2018, splitting time almost equally with James. Even though James is gone, offensive coordinator, Randy Fichtner doesn't see him logging too many more snaps than that.

"He still won't," Fichtner said of McDonald's playing time increasing substantially this season.

"He's never going to play the full game. That's never going to happen."

Offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner seemed adamant that Vance McDonald wouldn't see an increase in work, which would put Xavier Grimble in Jesse James' inline blocking job from last season. McDonald's targets should still increase, but it could be a cap on his upside.

At this point, Chargers RB Melvin Gordon’s holdout is expected to continue into the season, sources say. Contract talks have not progressed as he hoped, and he’ll continue to train in Florida for the foreseeable future.

Melvin Gordon still needs to show up at some point this season to get his year of service in, but he still has leeway to miss multiple games. Without knowing the exact amount of games missed, we must assume the worst when going into our fantasy football drafts. And now that it is probable he misses time, he should drop precipitously in your draft rankings.

His absence will be a big boost in fantasy value for Austin Ekeler and to a lesser extent, Justin Jackson.

Seahawks beat reporter Joe Fann on Rashaad Penny, "I’m seeing a guy fall further behind Chris Carson, who has established himself as Seattle’s clear No. 1 option."

Fann doesn't think Rashaad Penny is in danger of losing his No. 2 job and believes he could still see 10 touches a game, but there's also no reason to think Penny has gained any ground on Chris Carson after a slow start. With a firm grip on the No. 1 running back job and the possibility for more receiving work, Carson continues to look like a strong play in fantasy this year.

HC Bruce Arians announces WR Mike Evans will not play in the team’s third preseason game against Cleveland this Friday. Evans has been sidelined all week with a lower body injury (we believe a quad injury).

Mike Evans has been out a week with what appears to be a quad injury but the team doesn't appear to be worried about his Week 1 availability. He will miss the third preseason game or the team's "dress rehearsal" for the regular season and then starters almost never play in the fourth preseason game. Evans is a veteran who should be fine without taking the field in preseason, so we'll, for now, we'll need to keep an eye on practice reports to make sure he gets back out there and looks healthy.

When asked about the fantasy value of the Buccaneers' running backs, beat reporter Jenna Laine responded, "I’d be cautious when picking up Bucs running backs. The offensive line struggled last year and didn’t upgrade this offseason, and Rojo has been dealing with knee swelling this week."

The Tampa Bay running backs look poised to remain sub-standard this season. Ronald Jones' swollen knee could help Peyton Barber secure more work, but Dare Ogunbowale has played well enough to take Jones' touches if they're up for grabs. The team wants to give Jones an opportunity to prove himself, but so far he hasn't done much in the preseason to give us hope.

The Bears used Tarik Cohen at running back, outside receiver and in the slot last season and weren’t shy about adding new formations and personnel groupings to his game-week workload. He was a quick study, they said, and he became perhaps their most dangerous offensive weapon.

In retrospect, however, Nagy said the Bears might have taxed Cohen’s preparation too much down the stretch.

‘‘We moved [Cohen] around a lot last year, and I do feel like there was a time — probably later in the season — where we probably gave him a little bit too much,’’ Nagy said before practice Tuesday. ‘‘And when you mentally drain them, it pulls them back physically.’’

Tarik Cohen's touches may go down to keep him fresh, but they're much more likely to go down due to the team adding three pass-catching backs in David Montgomery, Mike Davis, and Cordarrelle Patterson and also getting Anthony Miller back healthy. Cohen looks like he will see fewer carries and targets, capping his upside on a team that will keep games low-scoring due to a strong defense.

Free agent WR Dontrelle Inman is signing back with the LA Chargers, source said.

Related players: Travis Benjamin

It's a reunion. The Chargers made an offer that stood as he took other visits, according to Rapoport. The Jets made an offer, too, but the pull of QB Philip Rivers played a big part of Inman coming back to the Chargers.

49ers RB Jerick McKinnon (knee) is not expected to rejoin team drills this week — only individual work.

Related players: Matt Breida, Tevin Coleman

As the tweet added, it’s been 17 days since he underwent a PRP procedure. McKinnon could return to team drills next week, some speculate, but others believe he could end up on IR to begin the year. Breida and Coleman will carry the load to start the season.

Miles Sanders will almost certainly overtake Jordan Howard at the top of the depth chart at some point, and probably soon, but Howard will still play a role. Especially if he keeps showing signs of progress as a pass-catcher, where he’s been solid thus far. At minimum, he’ll be one of the Eagles’ top options when it comes to short-yardage situations and in the red zone.

This story is actually about Howard and how he's become the forgotten man in the Birds backfield because of Sanders. The story added Howard has run well this year in OTAs and in camp, but it seems, according to those who follow the team, the main back job will end up going to Sanders sooner than later. Ideally, the Eagles like using a committee, so Howard should have a short yardage role, possibly even in the red zone.

WR Demaryius Thomas, who took the practice field today in a jersey and helmet, has been activated from the PUP list. It's another step in his recovery from an Achilles tear in December.

We got the sense this was getting close based on reports over the last few days. Thomas joins a crowded group of WRs on the Patriots as we head toward Week 1, but he'll have to clear more hurdles to be ready to go.

Amari Cooper isn’t too concerned about his foot issue. Has had it before and played through it.

The tweet went on to say Cooper mentioned having a 1,000-yard season his rookie year while playing with it. Also dealt with it his sophomore year at Alabama the tweet said. Cooper is hoping for another big season as he's up for a new contract.

Jon Gruden said that Antonio Brown practiced today, with a helmet on. “It’s a certified helmet.”

As the helmet saga continues, owners can only pray this is the end and Brown is now all in, like GM Mike Mayock hopes. He should hopefully be good to go for Week 1.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, rookie receiver Hakeem Butler has an avulsion fracture in his hand, and could end up on injured reserve.

Related players: Andy Isabella, KeeSean Johnson

Via Darren Urban of the team’s official website, coach Kliff Kingsbury said Butler would miss the rest of the preseason, but that it was too soon to know his status for the regular season. Both Isabella and Johnson have looked good according to reports and are also rookie WRs. In a story posted Monday, some feel Johnson has been the standout of camp to this point.

Colts coach Frank Reich today: QB Andrew Luck will not practice this week.

Related players: Jacoby Brissett

Keefer went on to tweet that the issue remains a matter of "full speed movement vs. pain threshold" with his ankle. The Colts, ideally, will want to know his status for Week 1 next Monday. That'll be 13 days shy of the season opener, the tweet went on to say.

Texans running back Duke Johnson is practicing for first time after dealing with hamstring injury before and after trade.

Related players: Lamar Miller

As John Paulsen recently said about Johnson in his draft guide:

Duke Johnson has three-down ability but has never been used that way. He’s been traded to a team with a vulnerable starter and could have a weekly role worthy of flex consideration. He might post RB1 numbers if anything were to happen to Miller. (Keeper league owners, heads up: Lamar Miller is a free agent next year, so it’s possible that the Texans go into 2020 with Johnson as their RB1.)

Longtime backup Malcolm Brown and rookie Darrell Henderson have shared a bulk of the snaps with the starting offense in Todd Gurley's absence.

"The biggest learning point in this game is just having experience," Brown said. "So being able to get the reps during practice when T.G. has those off days, I'm thankful for it, because it's not doing anything but getting me better."

Brown and Henderson could find themselves playing a significant role depending on the status of Gurley, although coach Sean McVay won't commit to any increased playing time.

McVay said specifically said Brown's workload during the season is yet to be determined. The Rams matched the Lions offer sheet for Brown who was a restricted free agent. McVay called Henderson a "change of pace back" in the story but said it remains to be seen just what kind of work he'll get behind Gurley and Brown.

Cowboys beat reporter Jean-Jacques Taylor said, "The Cowboys, I think, want Tony Pollard to be exactly what Tavon Austin was for the Rams in 2015. That year, he had 104 touches -- 52 receptions and 52 carries -- for 907 yards and nine touchdowns. That's 6.5 touches per game.

Related players: Ezekiel Elliott

JJT added that's a doable number with Ezekiel Elliott still getting his touches, assuming he and the team come to terms on a contract. JJT feels the Cowboys need some big-play juice and that Pollard can give that as a complementary player. We've seen speculation that Pollard can stand on his own in certain PPR leagues and this would certainly indicate that.

Marquise Brown missed Thursday’s preseason game against the Green Bay Packers but has now appeared in four straight practices, an encouraging development given his long offseason recovery from Lisfranc (foot) surgery.

“He basically practiced for the first time in a more aggressive setting, so I saw a guy that was practicing for the first time," HC John Harbaugh said. "He just needs to get accustomed to it. It’s all new for him — the speed of it, the thinking, the lining up, running the right route. He has a ways to go with all of that. I’m confident he’ll get there, and we’ll know what to do to use him, how to use him early in the season. But it’s just great work for him.”

Offensive coordinator Greg Roman said Sunday that Brown still needs to develop chemistry with quarterback Lamar Jackson, and the two did not connect in Brown’s relatively limited action. His highlight was a slant route he turned into an early completion from backup Trace McSorley early in practice, the story went on to say.

After steadily increasing his workload in practice the past two weeks, Emmanuel Sanders played on the first three possessions of Denver's 24-15 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Sanders was the first player introduced to the crowd Monday, as he sprinted out of the tunnel to open the announcement of the starting offense. Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco wasted no time getting Sanders involved, with a 5-yard throw to Sanders on the offense's first play from scrimmage. Sanders also had a 19-yard run on an end-around.

Offensively, the Bears are in love with RB David Montgomery, who brings a professional approach that is rare for a rookie.

Related players: Mike Davis, Tarik Cohen

Paylor went on to say Monty is a no-nonsense guy who takes football very seriously. The Bears love that, plus his receiving skills and make-you-miss skills. He will help this team immediately, Paylor added. We had a story about Monty's receiving skills Monday, and it may be something potential fantasy owners weren't aware of.

Will Dissly has practiced without much limitation and has regained the connection with Russell Wilson that was starting to become evident before he went down in Week 4 of his rookie season. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer had one of the better compliments a player can get when he said of Dissly: "I am literally more at ease when he's out there."

Related players: Ed Dickson, Jacob Hollister

Dissly was a spectator during the entire offseason program while recovering from surgery on his torn patellar tendon. Dickson (knee) and Hollister (groin) have missed time in camp.

"There seems to be a connection between Jimmy Garoppolo and Trent Taylor," fullback Kyle Juszczyk said. "And he just seems to be moving at another speed and just has an incredible feel for space on the field. Many times, it's just him and Jimmy just kind of improvising."

Don't be surprised if he leads the team in targets and receptions, according to beat writer Nick Wagoner.

Taylor suffered a Jones fracture in his foot last week that will keep him out the rest of the preseason, but the Niners are hopeful he will be back for Week 1. When he does return, the hope is he will pick up where he left off after a training camp that left teammates and coaches raving about his bounce-back from an injury-plagued 2018 season. We have him down the team's depth chart, but he's a name to keep an eye on.

WR KeeSean Johnson has quickly established himself as the Cardinals' WR3 in a crowded receivers room. "One that has jumped out, seems to catch everything coming his way, is KeeSean," said coach Kliff Kingsbury. "He's made a ton of plays. I think the QBs, all of them, have confidence in him."

The sixth-round rookie out of Fresno State has been the talk of camp almost since Day 1, and rightfully so. He's been producing at a level beyond what most people expected, running precise routes and catching nearly everything thrown his way with a deft catch ability, the story said.

Jake Kumerow was the underdog receiver wowed the Packers last summer only to dive into the end zone and hurt his shoulder as he scored during the preseason. Kumerow wasn't activated until the final month of the season and finished with just eight catches for 103 yards and one touchdown.

Kumerow is having another flawless camp, the story said, and few can recall him ever dropping a pass. The story added he's in line for a significant role this season. Said Aaron Rodgers: "He's just a very smart guy, cerebral guy, and you guys know I love playing with those kind of guys."

Third-round pick David Montgomery has opened eyes in camp with the way he caught the ball out of the backfield, something his predecessor, Jordan Howard, struggled to do.

Montgomery flashed more than any other newcomer, the story said. Monty is expected to have a decent role in Chicago's offense and his strength in college was his tackle-breaking ability.

Wide receiver D.J. Chark made more of an impact as a gunner in 2018 than he did as a receiver (14 catches). He said he didn't realize the amount of time he needed to spend with his playbook each week and didn't know how to prepare. But he says he's much more comfortable now and that shows.

The story said he had issues catching the ball last season, but he showed no signs of that in OTAs and training camp. He's been the most impressive receiver, and it comes at a position that desperately needs playmakers to emerge alongside Dede Westbrook. We have Chark second on our WR depth chart for the Jags.

Wide receiver Derrick Willies entered training camp uncertain to make the 53-man roster. By the Aug. 3 scrimmage at FirstEnergy Stadium, he was already working with the first team alongside Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry.

QB Baker Mayfield pointed out it's been obvious Willies worked hard in the offseason and showed up ready for camp. We have Willies fifth on our depth chart with Rashard Higgins and Antonio Callaway ahead of him.

As rookies last season, Mark Andrews and quarterback Lamar Jackson made an instant connection. That has carried over into this year's training camp, where Andrews has been Jackson's favorite target, especially in the red zone. And Andrews has been a touchdown monster.

OC Greg Roman said there is real chemistry between the two. Andrews is 17th among our TEs.

No Dolphins player outside of the quarterbacks has created a louder on-field buzz than Preston Williams this training camp. The 6-foot-5, 218-pound undrafted receiver out of Colorado State has thrilled the fan base with highlight one-handed grabs, consistent big plays on throws from Josh Rosen and a strong feel that he belongs not just on the roster but in the starting lineup.

Teammates think Williams can be special and even a number-one receiver one day, and there remains room for improvement. We have Williams as the team's WR2 on our depth chart.

New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman, who missed the first three-and-a-half weeks of training camp with a thumb injury, was removed from the non-football injury list, a source told ESPN's Field Yates.

Related players: Demaryius Thomas, Josh Gordon

This updates a previous story from today that said Thomas and Edelman were spotted at practice and could be close. Turns out Edelman is set to go but Thomas not quite yet, and remains on the PUP list. Gordon was just moved to the NFI list after being reinstated by the NFL.

Bengals wide receiver John Ross has been out of action since injuring his hamstring in late July, but the team has set its sights on a return date.

Head coach Zac Taylor said on Monday that Ross won’t play in Thursday’s game against the Giants, but that he’s expected back at practice a few days later.

Taylor said Sunday would be the target day for Ross to return, giving him a full two weeks of practice before the team's opener with Seattle.

Aaron Rodgers returned to practice on Monday after skipping last week's preseason game in Baltimore and the practice that immediately followed because of tightness in his back, something he has rarely -- if ever -- been bothered by in the past.

That doesn't mean the Green Bay Packers quarterback will play in Thursday's preseason game against the Oakland Raiders in Winnipeg -- or at all before the Sept. 5 regular-season opener against the Chicago Bears, the story said. Rodgers said after the 1-hour, 57-minute padded practice that he "felt pretty good," and coach Matt LaFleur said Rodgers "looked pretty good today to me."

Melvin Gordon is in California, but not back with the Chargers.

The Chargers’ holdout running back told ESPN he is “training rigorously . . . and staying ready to play football.”

He would not discuss his contract but said he wants to play football.

“Just waiting on the call,” Gordon told ESPN.

The story points out the Chargers don't seem close to budging as Gordon is supposed to make $5.6 million this season. He wants a long term deal or to be traded.

RB Derrick Henry back at practice today for Titans.

It's the first time he's practiced since day one of training camp. Henry finished with 1,059 rushing yards, but 55% of that total came in the team’s last four games. He was hitting a few waiver wires before that outburst. His value is going to depend mainly on his workload. The big question, we think, is are the Titans committed to getting him going even if he struggles early in games? He’s a risky pick in the third round.

Donta Foreman to remain with Colts and rehab his torn biceps, four-month injury.

Wilson went on to say the Colts had plans for him and were bringing him along slowly, and he was expected to play an entire half in next game until this season-ending injury occurred. The plan for Foreman now is to rehab for next year with Colts.

The tentative plan is for RB Derrius Guice (knee surgeries) to get some work in the preseason game vs the Falcons.

Related players: Adrian Peterson, Chris Thompson

Rapoport said he was told it’ll likely be his only action of the preseason. But as he continued in his tweet, getting some contact before the regular season would be important.

The Tennessee Titans are getting kicker Ryan Succop and tight end Jonnu Smith are both back on the field and off the physically unable to perform list after each passed physicals.

The Titans announced the roster changes Monday.

Smith went on IR last December with a knee injury while Succop had an unspecified injury. The story said at least Succop is expected to be ready for Week 1.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans did not practice Monday due to an apparent leg injury.

The Tampa Bay Times said the two-time Pro Bowl selection grabbed his left leg after catching a deep ball during Sunday’s practice.

While this certainly seems like something to keep an eye on, the Tampa Times added the team feels the injury is "not serious." Evans played a total of 20 snaps in the Bucs’ first two preseason contests, but his availability for Friday’s game against the Cleveland Browns is in question, the story said.

The Colts made a change in the backfield, as they look for some experience there.

The team announced a series of transactions Monday, which included placing just-acquired running back Donta Foreman on injured reserve, and signing veteran running back Charcandrick West.

The Colts had recently claimed Foreman from the Texans but he's going on IR for an "undisclosed" reason, according to other sources. West has been back and forth with the Chiefs and is mostly considered a third-down back.

Per source Antonio Brown returned to the Raiders and attended practice today.

Yesterday we reported GM Mike Mayock said Brown is either "all in or all out" so maybe this is Brown responding. Brown, of course, is fighting to keep using his old helmet which is considered outdated by the NFL.

Browns David Njoku (knee) back in action today as camp resumes. Full pads again.

Njoku missed time last week with the knee injury but seems good to go heading into preseason Week 3. Njoku is our number-nine TE coming into drafts this season.

Broncos WR Emmanuel Sanders will play in a game tonight for the first time since tearing his Achilles at the Dec. 5 practice, and he will start, per source.

Sanders will be introduced with Denver’s starters tonight pregame, run out of the tunnel, and be on field for first offensive snap, according to Schefter. Sanders has said he will play Week 1 and he seems to be on pace for that.

Reporters were present for a very brief warmup period, and Julian Edelman and Demaryius Thomas took part in that part of practice.

Reiss went on to say this could be an indication they are coming off the NFI/PUP lists. Edelman is dealing with a thumb issue while Thomas' injury is to his Achilles.

Marcus Kemp will miss the season after tearing the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in the same knee during Saturday’s preseason game at Pittsburgh, The Star has learned. An MRI confirmed the injury.

The loss is significant for the Chiefs. Kemp was having an excellent preseason and figured to be a strong contender to make the roster as a wide receiver.

The Ravens built their offense this year around Lamar Jackson, and Jackson has, in turn, wrapped himself around what team officials believe will be a "revolutionary" offense. Baltimore has been throwing a lot of different concepts, formations and cadences at Jackson, and he has not appeared to flinch.

“I’m way ahead, way ahead of where I was last year," Jackson said. "Last year, I was asking coach, ‘What do you have right here?’ and stuff like that. This year, it’s a lot of studying, dialing in to my playbook, getting with my teammates in the offseason. They helped a lot."

Jackson averaged 18.7 PPG in his eight starts, throwing for 159 yards and 0.7 touchdowns while adding 80 yards and 0.57 touchdowns as a runner. The Ravens hired ground-game aficionado Greg Roman to coordinate the offense so it’s crystal clear that the team will continue to emphasize the run with Jackson at quarterback. He will continue to rack up points with his legs, but it’s doubtful that Roman will be able to maximize Jackson’s ability as a passer. Jackson should be a high-floor fantasy quarterback in 2019.

The Seahawks might or might not throw the ball more in 2019 after dropping back on the lowest percentage of their offensive snaps (50.5%, per ESPN charting) of any team in the NFL last season. But they will throw the ball more to Chris Carson and their other running backs, including 2018 first-round pick Rashaad Penny.

If that wasn't clear from watching the offseason program and the first three weeks of training camp, comments from the coaching staff have left no doubt.

"That's something that we went to right after the season ended and said, 'Hey, look, Chris can help us win games a lot of ways and one of [the] ways that he wasn't last year was in the passing game,'" Schottenheimer said, recalling the April meeting between Carson and Morton. "He and Chad, the minute Chris came back, had something to talk about. Chris was really excited about it."

It seems to be one of the worst-kept secrets heading into the season. There appears to be a Chris Carson update every week as we go through camp. Most recently, the team said they want to get Carson 50 targets this season. The departure of Mike Davis at RB and Doug Baldwin at WR should mean an increase for both Carson and Penny in the passing game. John Paulsen has a lot more on Carson in his draft strategy article.

Giants head coach Pat Shurmur said that Golden Tate suffered a concussion in the team’s game against the Bears and he will be out of action until he passes the tests required by the league’s concussion protocol.

As the story said, given the four-game suspension, there’s plenty of time for Tate to recover before he’d be eligible to play in a regular season game. There are only a few days before the Giants’ next preseason game, however, and that may leave Tate to play spectator in Cincinnati on Thursday night.

Seattle coach Pete Carroll told reporters Sunday that D.K. Metcalf needs surgery on his knee. Carroll didn't offer a definitive timetable for the dynamic athlete's return but said he would likely know more after the procedure, which is planned for Tuesday.

"We're disappointed for him because he was off to a fantastic start, but I don't think this is going to derail him for long," Carroll said. "But he does have to have some work done."

Related players: David Moore, Jaron Brown

Metcalf was having a strong summer for the Seahawks. His fall debut might be delayed as a result. But, the story said Carroll said the team is optimistic Metcalf could still play Week 1. Moore and Brown could see more chances of Metcalf misses time.

Worth noting fullback C.J. Ham has been the Vikings' lone third-down back for starting offense in limited preseason reps.

Related players: Dalvin Cook, Alexander Mattison

Cook will be a three-down back, but they need a reliable third-down option, the tweet went on to say. That could be Ham, especially if the rookie Mattison isn't up to speed by the time the season starts.

Patriots WR Josh Gordon, upon his conditional reinstatement, has been placed on the non-football injury list.

The team released Dontrelle Inman when he requested to be let go. Gordon should be ready to go by Week 1, according to other reports.

Veteran wide receiver Dontrelle Inman requested his release from the New England Patriots on Sunday, and the club has granted his request, according to a league source.

The Patriots officially announced the move on Sunday evening.

Inman's release comes on the same day that wide receiver Josh Gordon was allowed to join the Patriots, with the club placing Gordon on the active/non-football injury list, according to ESPN's Field Yates. Gordon is not yet cleared to practice, but he can be removed from the list at any time.

Raiders General Manager Mike Mayock has had just about enough of Antonio Brown and his helmet.

Mayock told reporters today that Brown is not at practice because he’s still angry the NFL won’t let him wear the helmet of his choice, and Mayock left little doubt that it’s beginning to wear on the team that everyone else is working hard while Brown is not.

Mayock's quote from the story pretty much summed up the situation: “Here’s the bottom line: He’s upset about the helmet issue," Mayock said. "We have supported that, we appreciate that. But at this point, we’ve pretty much exhausted all avenues of relief. So from our perspective, it’s time for him to be all in or all out. We’re hoping he’s back soon."

Sterling Shepard no longer is wearing the yellow non-contact jersey, having ditched it for Sunday’s practice.

It is another step in Shepard’s return from a fractured left thumb, even if the Giants receiver didn’t think it was a big deal.

Shepard continues to wear the splint on his thumb for support, and he remains unavailable for the third preseason game. But Shepard is on track to play in the Sept. 8 opener against the Cowboys, the story said.

The Packers were planning on Aaron Rodgers returning to practice today, but things didn’t go as planned.

According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, the veteran quarterback was held out of practice again Sunday, after he was a late scratch from Thursday’s preseason game with back tightness.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur acknowledged that things would be different if this was a regular season week, describing it as a day-to-day decision. The Packers were planning on starting Rodgers last Thursday night against the Ravens, so they clearly had some degree of interest in getting him some preseason reps in LaFleur’s new offense, according to the story.

Case Keenum is now tracking to be Washington’s opening-day starting QB.

This falls in line with the story we just posted on Colt McCoy and his injured leg. Keenum has seemed to be ahead in this competition for most of camp, so with McCoy still hurting and Haskins a rookie struggling at times, it seems Keenum will be the starter at least early on.

Bills TE Tyler Kroft, currently on PUP due to foot surgery, is "moving in the right direction," Sean McDermott said.

Related players: Dawson Knox, Lee Smith

Kroft has done a ton of work behind the scenes, according to the tweet. However there is no timeline for a return to the field so he could be in danger of missing games in the season. Knox and Smith are up next on the depth chart.

Despite national analysts like ESPN’s Dianna Russini pushing the idea the Titans have allowed Ryan Tannehill to go at it with Marcus Mariota for the starting role, every piece of evidence to this point indicates that's nothing but noise.

Mariota got every first-team rep through training camp, except during Day 9 when he sat out for rest. With only three weeks until the season opener at Cleveland, the Titans would be putting themselves at a significant disadvantage by swapping in Tannehill as the No. 1 quarterback this late in the process.

The story went on to list several other reasons why Mariota should win the job, and among them was Tannehill himself saying he doesn't think him starting is an option at this point. Mariota also looked sharp against the Patriots on Saturday, an improvement over Week 1 of the preseason. Earlier today we had a report that stated Tannehill could be in the mix to win the job but this article certainly goes against that.

The right leg that was supposed to have healed after three offseason injuries is hurting again, forcing Colt McCoy to miss the team’s first two preseason games. After Thursday’s second preseason game, HC Jay Gruden said “starting isn’t even in the equation now” when asked about McCoy, adding that the quarterback has to get healthy. After McCoy didn’t practice on Sunday, Gruden sounded even more dire, saying McCoy might miss the last two preseason games and possibly more.

Related players: Case Keenum, Dwayne Haskins

McCoy was supposed to be in a three way battle for the starting job with Haskins and Keenum. According to the story, McCoy looked good early on in camp and had an edge because he knows the offense better. Most reports say Keenum is favored to win the job at this point.

Rookie RB Trayveon Williams will likely be out for the remainder of the preseason, according to Bengals coach Zac Taylor.

Related players: Joe Mixon, Giovani Bernard

Williams left last week's preseason win over Washington with a foot injury. He was competing to be the team's RB3 this season.

RB Dare Ogunbowale seems solidly entrenched as third RB now.

Related players: Peyton Barber, Ronald Jones

Auman reported Ogunbowale was working with the ones a bit Sunday, but HC Bruce Arians said that was a function of Jones' knee being sore. Reports all summer seem to indicate Barber should get the most rushes this year but Jones should be a factor as well.

Head coach Matt Nagy announced on Sunday that the team has waived Elliott Fry off of their 90-man roster. Fry missed a field goal against the Giants on Friday night, but made the three other kicks he’s tried this offseason.

The move leaves Eddy Pineiro as the only kicker currently on hand, but Nagy made it clear that Fry’s departure doesn’t mean Pineiro will be the kicker against the Packers on September 5.

The story said the Bears tried to trade for Kaare Vedvik from the Ravens before he was sent to the Vikings, so the team is certainly keeping an eye on the kicking situation.

Jimmy Garoppolo is coming off of the torn ACL that ended his 2018 season and John Lynch said on Saturday that his overall work at camp has been positive. Lynch also noted that his recovery from that injury has been as good as anyone in the organization could have hoped to see, which is why he believes Garoppolo will “answer the bell” come September.

Lynch believes Jimmy G has had a really good camp, but there have been some reports he hasn't looked great all the time. Still, with his recovery going very well, he looks ready to go for 2019. We have him as a lower-end QB2 heading into this season.

Jerry Jones added that Tony Pollard still has a lot of work to do, specifically in pass protection, where he missed a blitz pickup that got quarterback Dak Prescott hit.

Still, Pollard, a fourth-round pick out of Memphis who also returns kickoffs, has impressed the Cowboys so far in camp. And he might just be the Week 1 starter, if the Cowboys and Ezekiel Elliott don’t come to terms on a new contract.

Related players: Darius Jackson, Jamize Olawale, Mike Weber, Alfred Morris

All along, Pollard has been the favorite to see passing-down action for the Cowboys and the thought was he could even hold his own in PPR leagues. Pollard's stock seems to be still on the rise, especially with Elliott still holding out.

The quarterback locks this season are obviously Tom Brady and fourth-round pick Jarrett Stidham, which means HC Bill Belichick must ultimately decide how much he values Brian Hoyer's place on the team.

Hoyer, 33, has been very sharp in recent weeks, making it a strong likelihood of keeping three quarterbacks, the story said. But the story also added the team has only kept three QBs on the roster twice since 2009.

Let’s be clear about one thing.

Josh McCown has nothing to do with Nate Sudfeld.

The Eagles didn’t sign McCown because they don’t have faith in Sudfeld. They didn’t sign him because they’re concerned with Sudfeld’s ability to be their No. 2. They didn’t sign him in case Sudfeld doesn’t work out.

They signed him simply because Howie Roseman and Doug Pederson believe the Eagles are a better team with McCown on the roster than without him.

Related players: Cody Kessler, Carson Wentz, Clayton Thorson

McCown brings nearly two decades of experience playing quarterback in the NFL, and when you have 26-year-old Wentz, 25-year-old Sudfeld and 23-year-old Thorson in your quarterback room, there’s tremendous value in a guy who’s been around since before the Linc was built. But the Eagles also need someone who can be effective as soon as the opener on Sept. 8.

Oakland Raiders wideout Antonio Brown was a full participant in the team’s walkthrough on Saturday and could be a full participant as soon as Sunday, head coach Jon Gruden told reporters.

“He took all the reps today in our walkthrough,” Gruden said. “He showed great retention, and we’ll see what happens here with this afternoon; we’re going to have a walkthrough today as well. We have a lot of guys that can’t practice so we’ll pick it up tomorrow.”

Brown had taken part in just one walkthrough and one full-speed practice in training camp before Saturday, as his feet recover from blisters caused by a cryotherapy mishap. He also had been absent from the team last week while trying to sort out an issue with his helmet, as his old one is no longer approved for NFL use because it is more than 10 years old.

While Marcus Mariota hasn’t stood out this preseason (this column was written before Saturday night’s game), Ryan Tannehill threw for 130 yards and two touchdowns in the first exhibition game. And one report from ESPN this past week stated that Mariota is no lock to start in Week 1, with some of the Titans coaches preferring Tannehill, who ran a similar offense in Miami.

The Titans gave Mariota his fifth-year option but not an extension, and then signed Tannehill to give him competition. The story said even if Mariota wins the job, he won't be on a long leash.

The Philadelphia Eagles signed QB Josh McCown and waived WR Braxton Miller in a corresponding move Saturday, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

With Nate Sudfeld out with a broken wrist and Cody Kessler suffering a concussion, the Eagles badly needed an extra backup quarterback, at least to get them through the preseason, with rookie Clayton Thorson the only available quarterback behind Carson Wentz, who still may be held out during the preseason. McCown comes out of his short-lived retirement (he was just hired by ESPN in June) to back up Wentz and likely get some first-team reps during the Eagles' regular-season dress rehearsal this week against the Ravens. Sudfeld and Kessler aren't expected to miss too much time so it will be interesting to see how the Eagles carry the quarterbacks when all are healthy. Miller simply never panned out due to injuries and lack of production after signing with the Eagles' practice squad in 2018.

ESPN NFL writer Dan Graziano shared a video on his Instagram of Indianapolis Colts' quarterback Andrew Luck warming up in individual drills Saturday, prior to the Colts' preseason game against the Cleveland Browns.

Luck did not play Saturday, but this may still be considered a good sign. Or it may amount to nothing. But seeing Luck running a drill before a game at least shows he is working to make progress from whatever injury he is dealing with since the story had appeared to change numerous times as to what he was dealing with. But also, for what it's worth, ESPN's injury expert Stephania Bell commented on Graziano's Instagram post: "I’m going to take it as a sign that he’s testing things. Generally, a positive. Putting the ankle through some very specific structured work to then see how it responds. Would not get carried away with projecting anything beyond this is what he is doing today." Nonetheless, Luck is out partaking in football drills, which is more than we can say from the previous Colts practices.

NFL is reinstating Patriots’ WR Josh Gordon, league source tells ESPN.

Josh Gordon may attend but may not play in the Patriots' Thursday, August 22 preseason game. But ready to go for the regular season.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Josh Gordon: “We are all rooting for Josh to succeed, both personally and professionally. Everyone shares in that hope and will continue to support him to every extent possible. But as Josh acknowledged, ultimately his success is up to him."

Goodbye 15th-round ADP. Josh Gordon's reinstatement should send his draft spot climbing, but just how far will be interesting to see. Gordon can't play in this upcoming preseason contest but should be on the field for the Patriots to start the regular season. Last year in 12 games, Gordon averaged 11.6 PPR points per contest. For now, treat him as a WR4.

The ESPN Chargers reporter Eric Williams believes that Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson would see a 50/50 split in work if Melvin Gordon's holdout lingers into the season.

Austin Ekeler was the starter in the Chargers first preseason game while Justin Jackson saw a few touches, including a short touchdown. ESPN's Eric Williams has seen more of a 50/50 split in camp, so maybe that's how it will end up, but at the moment the first preseason game should be more indicative of snaps. With Gordon out, we will get a good idea of how the snaps and touches are doled out with the next two preseason games.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Amari Cooper is dealing with a heel sprain and he hasn't been ruled out completely for preseason.

We've heard a few different theories on Amari Cooper's heel injury, but I'll take Ian Rapoport's reporting as the best source we can use and he is reporting that Cooper still has a shot to play in the preseason. Cooper should remain in your draft rankings as-is for now.

Chargers’ WR Keenan Allen suffered an ankle injury at practice this week that is not considered serious but could knock him out of the Chargers’ remaining three preseason games, per a league source. Allen is expected back for the regular-season opener, per source.

The question still lingering is just how severe Keenan Allen's ankle injury is. If it is a high-ankle sprain, the three weeks until Week 1 would probably have Allen questionable to play, but if the team is just being cautious by holding him out of preseason games after a minor ankle injury, that would be better for his early fantasy prospects. His return to practice may be our only sign on his health, so keep an eye out.

Albert Wilson, a veteran who is working on getting back from a significant 2018 hip injury, has suffered no setbacks and is on course to play in the regular-season opener, per a source.

The Dolphins are hopeful Wilson can begin to participate in team drills next week in advance of the Aug. 22 preseason game against Jacksonville.

Albert Wilson was a per touch fantasy monster last season, but touches were scarce. He has the ability to put up fantasy points on limited work and as long as he's ready to go for Week 1, he's worth a flyer in your drafts.

Mike Tomlin routinely talks about injured players getting back on a moving train, which, loosely translated, means they better be ready to produce once they are healthy.

Donte Moncrief appeared to not only hop on to Tomlin’s train but took control of it as well after being an onlooker for a significant chunk of training camp with a broken ring finger.

Donte Moncrief returned to practice after a two-week absence due to a finger injury. He had been considered the No. 2 receiver after a strong spring, but the injury and a big preseason game from James Washington put his status in doubt. The good news for Moncrief is that he returned to practice and quickly picked up where he left off, catching three touchdown passes from Ben Roethlisberger in the process. He's still in the lead for the starting role opposite JuJu Smith-Schuster and that's a good place to be in Pittsburgh's pass-happy offense.

Beat writer John Keim tweets, "Colt McCoy's leg is making it tough for the Redskins to see a true quarterback competition. He won't play for a second straight preseason game as he deals with the effects of his broken leg last December."

Adrian Peterson endorsed Colt McCoy as the starter earlier this week, but it's starting to look like he won't even get his chance. Washington's handling of injuries continues to be a big problem and apparently the main reason they don't have their star offensive lineman Trent Williams with the team right now. This problem is another reason, other than a likely poor overall offense, to avoid their players in fantasy this season.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo says that the team doesn't sound as optimistic as they did earlier in training camp in regard to Andrew Luck's Week 1 status, but do believe they have a better grasp of his injury now. Coach Frank Reich also wants to designate a starter after the Week 3 preseason game, which shortens Luck's time to heal before the season starts.

The timeline puts Jacoby Brissett squarely in the picture to start Week 1 and should knock Andrew Luck down your draft board somewhat. If you've already drafted Luck, Brissett is someone worth grabbing as insurance, but there's also a decent chance you can find a free agent quarterback in most single quarterback leagues.

Amari Cooper left practice early on Aug. 3 with what was described by the Dallas Cowboys as a heel bruise, and head coach Jason Garrett had hopes on Aug. 6 that Cooper would return to practice that afternoon. He's since missed every practice and the preseason opener against the San Francisco 49ers, however, and new information points to an issue that may be more concerning than a simple bruised heel. The injury to Cooper is reportedly "more of a ligament thing," team insider Mickey Spagnola told 105.3FM the Fan on Aug. 13, which would explain why extra rest is needed.

This is the same issue that was called plantar fascia irritation yesterday by sources, so this all seems clear as mud. Beat writer Patrik Walker does have sources that tell him the "ligament thing" is closer to the truth than the earlier reports and that Amari Cooper is unlikely to play this preseason. Any damage to a ligament is concerning, but it appears the team feels good about him getting back before Week 1. Hopefully, all of these reports will get the team to clarify a timetable for Cooper's return.

When asked on Twitter about Damien Harris, beat writer Jeff Howe responded that he has been "dealing with a minor hand/wrist injury."

RB Sony Michel has run with the first team ever since he has been able while Damien Harris hasn't sniffed the first team, but that has become more apparent of late. It appears that this injury could be the reason we've seen more New England beat writers talking about Harris running so far behind. Michel remains the no-doubt lead back, but Harris should still get his shots to be involved in the offense as long as this injury is indeed minor.

Beat writer Nick Underhill tweets that N'Keal Harry was suited up for practice Wednesday morning.

UPDATE: Harry did return to practice, but he did not participate. It's hard to say if this is a step toward him practicing soon, but hopefully, it is.

We don't know how much work N'Keal Harry will get in his first practice back after a few missed days due to various injuries but it looked like he might miss more time than he ultimately did. Harry is still in line to start and got a boost after showing well in the Patriots first preseason game.

Dolphins beat writer Cameron Wolfe tweets, "Just saw Kenyan Drake in a walking boot out here in Tampa to start practice. He left practice early yesterday due to injury."

UPDATE: Miami coach Brian Flores says that Drake will be out for "a while" but he is hopeful Drake will be ready for Week 1. This news gives Kalen Ballage a real boost, as he's already been seeing work with the first team. Even if Drake can get back for Week 1, there's a good chance Ballage leads the way at least to start the season.

Beat writer Joe Schad did say that Kenyan Drake's injury isn't structural. That's not a lot to go on, but it's better than him being out for the season. Drake has shared work with Kalen Ballage this summer but has managed to stay ahead of him for the most part. Hopefully, we'll hear more about the extent of the injury sooner than later.

Case Keenum has a clear path to becoming the Redskins’ starting quarterback.

With Colt McCoy watching practice from the sideline Tuesday and Dwayne Haskins still looking at times like the rookie he is, Keenum worked regularly with first-teamers in the final practice before Washington faces the Bengals on Thursday.

According to the story, Keenum has looked like the more polished passer throughout camp over McCoy, whose health problems cost him two previous chances to remain the Redskins’ starter. Now Keenum has a clear edge over his veteran counterpart, while Haskins’ steady improvement might make him the No. 2 option no matter who starts.

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard said quarterback Andrew Luck's calf strain has become a high-ankle issue.

Of course earlier today we reported Luck's recent absence from camp was because of a bone issue in his lower left leg. The good news is, as the story said, we're three-and-a-half weeks from the regular season, so no one is ready to say Luck won't be ready for Week 1. But, he seems to have a lot of issues to deal with before he's ready to go.

The Miami Dolphins quarterback depth chart hasn't changed since the beginning of training camp. Ryan Fitzpatrick is still with the first team while Josh Rosen remains on the second team. There was a slight change during Tuesday's joint practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as head coach Brian Flores had Rosen working with the first team for the session.

Flores said Rosen needs to do a better job of getting guys in and out of the huddle, as well as communication and body language. The story said Flores doesn't appear ready to put Rosen ahead of Fitzpatrick.

Dallas Cowboys star Amari Cooper has missed a week of training camp due to what the team has officially defined as a “heel bruise.” A source tells me, however, that the Pro Bowl receiver is actually suffering from “plantar fascia irritation” - while also noting, “He’ll be fine.”

Plantar fasciitis has a scary ring to it, the story said. It's a “very small muscle strain” of the plantar fascia, which is the a ligamentous connective tissue that runs from the heel bone to the ball of the foot. There are different levels of potential injury there, all the way up to a tear. It's being described as an "irritation" or "inflammation."

Asked today if Antonio Brown will play Week 1, HC John Gruden answered, “Oh yeah. Yep.”

For his part, Brown told reporters he’s not sure when his feet will be healthy enough for him to practice. But he sounded an optimistic note about his ability to return.

The Broncos open the regular season Sept. 9 at Oakland and receiver Emmanuel Sanders is confident he will not be on a snap count in his first game since tearing his Achilles’ last December.

“I don’t think so,” he said after practice Tuesday. “Based on how I’m practicing right now, I’ll be ready to go.”

The story went on to say Sanders’ recovery has been a pleasant surprise considering he missed all of the offseason program and was limited to individual drills early in camp. But little by little, Sanders has been doing more — from individuals to 7-on-7 to 11-on-11.

New York Giants owner John Mara would consider it ideal if longtime quarterback Eli Manning started all 16 games and No. 6 overall pick Daniel Jones didn't see the field during the 2019 season. He also cautioned to temper expectations on the rookie quarterback based solely off the preseason opener.

The Giants' record this season will determine if, or when, Jones gets on the field. As the story said, the Giants have been ecstatic about what they've seen from Jones since April's draft, even if it's what they expected. He picked up the playbook and immediately looked like he belonged in the spring, has played well during training camp and was close to perfect in his preseason debut.

Julio Jones, who’s recovering from a foot injury, is back to running routes full speed.

“It feels great, being back out there running around, running routes,” Jones said. “It’s football. I’ve been doing it for so long. I just love to be back out there just running around catching the ball and having fun.”

Jones doesn’t plan to play during the exhibition season, but has clearly started to ramp things up for the regular season which is great news for potential owners planning to make him their top fantasy pick.

Brian Schottenheimer said he wants Chris Carson’s targets to be in the 50 range.

Related players: Rashaad Penny, C.J. Prosise

Last year Carson was targeted 24 times while Mike Davis saw 42. So if some of those targets left by Davis go to Carson, it could easily get him in the ballpark for 50. For what it's worth, we rank Carson 24th on our RB list and project him for 27 catches.

Golden Tate of the New York Giants has been suspended without pay for the first four games of the 2019 regular season for violating the NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances.

The statement went on to say Tate can participate in all preseason practices and games. He can return to the Giants active roster on Monday, Sept. 30. That's following the team's Week 4 game vs. Washington.

Zach Ertz's targets will likely go down in an offense with Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson, Nelson Agholor, Dallas Goedert and Darren Sproles, but he’ll likely still lead the team in targets/receptions, and maybe even touchdowns, too.

Ertz has looked great in camp and has especially been tough to stop in the red zone, according to reports. He's ranked third among our TEs heading into drafts despite the loaded Eagles offense. Ertz has always been a favorite target for QB Carson Wentz

"Whether [Derrius Guice] plays in this game or not will still be determined," Jay Gruden said during a press conference Monday. "(Guice) has been fine. We're going to increase his workload next week a little bit more and more. He's got a good handle on the offense and he's been catching the ball pretty well."

Related players: Adrian Peterson, Chris Thompson

Guice is still expected to share touches with Peterson and Thompson but so far has been gaining high praise. He missed all of last season after tearing his ACL.

DeSean Jackson is back with the Eagles after five years in exile, and the Eagles have been working a ton during training camp on finding ways to get Jackson the ball in ways other than chucking it deep.

"Shoot man, whatever they call on me to do, that’s what I’m here for,” Jackson said. “I don’t like to say I can only be one-dimensional. Whatever the offense calls for me to do, that’s what I’m here to do. I’ve always felt I’ve been good at it, but you can only be as good as your opportunities present."

Jackson went on to say, "We got some dope stuff in this year." Reports have said all through camp that Jackson and Wentz's connection seems to grow every day. The downfall is the Eagles have a lot of other targets on offense.

Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper is struggling with a foot injury.

Cooper injured his foot 10 days ago and has missed six consecutive practices, Ed Werder of ESPN reports. However, the team does not believe it will be a long-term injury.

Cooper will want to get healthy in time to have a big season, especially if he’s expecting to hit free agency in March or even earn an extension with the Cowboys.

"It's definitely better to be in the second year with a quarterback than the first year." Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen on the development of a relationship between quarterback and wide receiver.

Related players: Stefon Diggs, Kirk Cousins

Thielen said it takes a long time to get on the same page with a quarterback and that you're always working on it. He added it's about the QB understanding what receivers are good at, like body control or a jump ball player. It could mean more efficient seasons for both Thielen and Diggs as well as Cousins, which is a scary thought as both WRs were over 1,000 yards and each caught nine TDs a year ago.

Ravens first-round pick Marquise Brown returned to practice after sitting out Monday.

Hensley said it looks like Brown will be limited Tuesday. Brown doesn’t appear to be at full strength either, according to the tweet. He is still recovering from January foot surgery.

We’ve seen very little from Damien Harris this summer. Just not getting many reps.

Related players: Sony Michele, James White

The tweet went on to say it's pretty clear that Michele is the No. 1 RB right now. That should leave White to resume his normal pass-catching duties. Harris got a lot of attention in the spring but seems to be fading for now.

Jim Irsay was on SiriusXMNFL yesterday. Irsay said Andrew Luck is dealing with a ‘small little bone’ issue.

The good news is it seems like it's nothing to do with the Achilles tendon. Irsay went on to say he feels confident Luck will find his way through the bone issue.

Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley hasn’t been able to do much in training camp, but the team still thinks he’s good to go for the regular season.

Ridley had only completed one full practice when he suffered a hamstring injury on July 25 that kept him out for more than two weeks. But Falcons coach Dan Quinn said Ridley returned to practice Sunday and “looked good.”

Ridley has been out two weeks but Quinn seems pleased the team did well to get Ridley back to full strength, citing his quickness and his explosion, according to the story.

Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy said the Chiefs would be patient with Damien Williams.

"He's the starter," Bieniemy said. "We need to make sure than Damien continues to do the things he needs to do in order to help himself be ready when called upon."

Related players: Carlos Hyde, Darrel Williams, Darwin Thompson

Williams has prepared in the offseason to be the starter but an early hamstring injury may have some wonder if he can handle the load. The good news is Reid hasn't really used a committee approach at RB during his time with the Eagles and Chiefs, so as long as Williams performs he should put up fantasy numbers.

After a strong start to training camp, which includes being a bigger part of the passing game, there’s considerable optimism that Leonard Fournette could be headed for a big season.

Fournette is looking like he could bounce back after a very disappointing season a year ago. The story went on to say as camp progresses, it's become clear that Fournette will be a bigger part of the pass game than he was in his first two seasons. That's in part because that’s a significant part of OC John DeFilippo’s scheme and because he wants to give Fournette as many touches as possible. We have Fournette just 20th among RBs so those who want to take a shot should certainly get their chance to draft him.

After an arbitrator ruled against Antonio Brown in his helmet grievance, the Raiders wideout said that he was “working on getting back to full health and looking forward to rejoining my teammates on the field.”

Getting back on the field isn’t going to happen immediately, but Brown will be back around his teammates. PFT has learned, via a league source, that Brown will be back at the Raiders’ facility on Tuesday.

Brown has been away from the team for more than a week as he first dealt with injuries to his feet and then with the grievance related to the NFL barring him from using his preferred helmet because it is too old to be certified for use this season. Brown is looking for a version of that helmet — the Schutt AiR Advantage — that is less than 10 years old, the story said.

Irv Smith is a key part of the Vikings’ vision to run more “12” personnel — one running back, two tight ends — with Kyle Rudolph, and make it harder for defenses to guess if plays are run or pass. Smith also has high expectations for himself, joking he would like to catch 10 touchdowns as a rookie to come near his father’s career total.

The Vikings see Smith as a “move” or “F” tight end, meaning he will be aligned all over the field from fullback to slot receiver and run routes accentuating his shiftiness, the story said. Tight ends need to know pass protection, like offensive linemen; they need to know the routes, like wide receivers; and in Smith’s case, they need to know how to lead block, like a fullback, the story said. It's been a work in progress but there is a big learning curve for the rookie, mostly because of his skills.

Oakland Raiders WR Antonio Brown had his helmet grievance ruled against him Monday, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Schefter also reports it is “unlikely” Brown will appeal the decision.

The decision means Brown must either comply with the NFL’s helmet policy or not play at all. Brown took to Instagram after the ruling and said “while I disagree with the arbitrator’s decision, I’m working on getting back to full health and looking forward to rejoining my teammates on the field. I’m excited about this season, appreciate all the concerns about my feet.” That at least sounds like Brown will eventually return to the Raiders at some point, hopefully before the regular season begins, especially since he is unlikely to appeal the decision. Perhaps Brown is willing to put all this behind him and begin focusing on the upcoming season. We can only hope that he does.

New York Jets RB Ty Montgomery limped off the practice field Monday with a possible groin injury, per Brian Costello of the New York Post.

Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News also noted Montgomery left practice with a trainer but has since come back to the sideline, walking gingerly. Montgomery was beginning to emerge as the direct backup to LeVeon Bell. Hopefully, this is just a minor bump and Montgomery won't be out too long. Keep an eye on Montgomery, who had a solid preseason debut with the Jets on Thursday against the Giants.

Among his notes from his visit to Lions' training camp, Terez Paylor of Yahoo Sports reports the Lions think free-agent acquisition WR Danny Amendola can fill the role of "security blanket" left by former Lions WR Golden Tate.

The Lions gave Amendola a guaranteed $4.5 million salary this season, so they seem to have some sort of plan for the former Patriot and Dolphin. Injuries have been the biggest issue with Amendola throughout his career, but otherwise, he has certainly been a viable receiver, even if he seemed to disappear while in Miami. It's not out of the realm of possibility for Amendola to compete for the second-most targets among the wide receivers with Marvin Jones, especially on third down. Kenny Golladay should see the lion's share among the receivers, with RB Kerryon Johnson also expected to contribute often in the passing game. Amendola is essentially a free lottery ticket in drafts right now and is currently our No. 83 WR in PPR formats

During his training camp visit with the Lions, Terez Paylor of Yahoo Sports is noting rookie tight end T.J. Hockenson will likely begin the season as the Lions' No. 2 tight end, behind Jesse James.

This isn't a huge surprise, as Hockenson is still learning and the Lions brought in Jesse James as a free agent this offseason from the Steelers. Paylor also said: "How quickly he ascends from there (No. 2 TE) will come down to how fast he understands defensive coverages (sight adjustments) and blocking schemes in the run game, but there's hope he can contribute this year and turn into a really fine player down the road once he fully fills out." Hockenson has reportedly been developing very well, and it wouldn't be surprising if he does elevate to the TE1 role at some point this season. He certainly has more upside than James and would be a better option in the passing game. Rookie tight ends are always tough to fully invest in for fantasy purposes, but if anyone can do it this year, it's Hockenson.

The New England Patriots acquired TE Eric Saubert from the Atlanta Falcons for a conditional seventh-round pick, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The Patriots have certainly been busy acquiring tight ends this offseason, especially recently, as they've also added Matt LaCosse and Lance Kendricks. Recently unretired Ben Watson is suspended for the first four games of the season. Saubert seemed to fall out of favor in Atlanta behind Austin Hooper, Luke Stocker and Logan Paulsen. We've seen the Patriots turn other team's castoffs into treasure, but the TE group is still very crowded in New England. LaCosse looks like the early favorite to start, at least while Watson is suspended.

San Francisco 49ers WR Trent Taylor suffered a broken foot in Saturday's preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys, per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.

Taylor went down early in the game, was carted off the field and was immediately ruled out for the rest of the game. As it turned out, he was already getting surgery. The team hopes Taylor will be back early in the season, but it looks unlikely he will be ready for the season opener against the Buccaneers. Taylor had been showing well and was touted by Maiocco as the receiver who would lead the team in catches. Taylor, fortunately, will not miss a lot of time and was already going practically undrafted in fantasy circles. Monitor the 49ers' receivers and the waiver wire in case Taylor lands there.

In his latest 49ers mailbag, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area says "the 49ers to do not have a No. 1 receiver. Let's clear that up right now."

This response came in regards to several questions from Maiocco about the wide receivers, including supposed No. 1 receiver Dante Pettis. Maiocco states Pettis has been solid in camp and would not call him a disappointment. But he did say Pettis "should be stepping up and making more plays." Maiocco also believes this has led to rookies Deebo Samuel and Jalen Hurd becoming standouts during training camp.

Maiocco's thoughts on the group as a whole were that he's "not sure the 49ers have a classic No. 2, either. They might have a bunch of 2.5s and 3s." But he believes head coach Kyle Shanahan is just fine with that. Unfortunately, this does put a damper on the stock of Pettis, who is currently being selected in the 7th round in 12-team leagues. That said, perhaps this will knock him back a round or two and not be as much of a risk.

Also, Maiocco is standing firm on his belief from the beginning of training camp that Trent Taylor will lead the team in receptions this season. Taylor is free in drafts at this point.

Updating an earlier post, Eagles TE Dallas Goedert will now miss the rest of the preseason while recovering from a calf injury suffered in Thursday's preseason opener against the Titans, as reported by Rueben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

The Eagles are likely simply being extra cautious with their young tight end and just want him to be fully healthy for the regular-season opener against the Redskins. Goedert caught three passes for 50 yards against the Titans and showed a glimpse of being much more implemented in the offense this season. Goedert is currently our No. 23 tight end in PPR formats with a 14th-round ADP, still making him an excellent late-round streaming target.

During his Saturday press conference, Houston Texans’ head coach Bill O’Brien praised newly acquired running back Duke Johnson, saying he is “good in the run game, good in the pass game.”

Johnson was at practice Saturday but was not dressed. It obviously makes sense to shine a positive light on a player your team traded a mid-round draft pick for, but Johnson showcased very good skills in all aspects during his time in Cleveland and just became a victim of the numbers game. Lamar Miller will continue to get looks, but Johnson is going to be a factor in this offense and will eat into some of Miller’s work, especially in the passing attack. Johnson should also feel a lot happier now that he received his wish to be traded from the Browns, so a new setting could be very refreshing for him. Both back provide good value in this offense. Both rank just outside the top 30 in our PPR rankings for running backs and both are worthy of flex plays.

During his press conference Saturday, Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien said WR Keke Coutee “will not be back soon” as he deals with an ankle injury suffered in the first half of the Texans’ preseason opener against the Packers Thursday.

The news continues to be negative surrounding Coutee, who was in line for a breakout season with QB DeShaun Watson and WR DeAndre Hopkins and not having a set timetable for his return makes his fantasy stock all the more cloudy. Very unfortunate circumstances for Coutee. In the meantime, Will Fuller will likely see more targets in Coutee’s absence.

Vic Tafur of The Athletic is reporting the Raiders believe WR Antonio Brown "will return to Napa in a couple of days", as they have been in contact with the receiver and sending him different helmets.

Another chapter is written in what has become the most eye-catching story of training camp. As we noted yesterday, Brown is expected to have a meeting regarding his helmet grievance against the NFL and has threatened not to play football if he is not granted his wish to play with his preferred helmet. Brown is under no risk of penalty, as it's the team that is punished for helmet violations. With three weeks left in the preseason, there is still plenty of time for this story to boil over before the regular season begins, so perhaps it's not panic mode yet. We'll certainly continue to monitor this story as it develops.

Philadelphia Eagles TE Dallas Goedert is dealing with a calf injury and is listed as week-to-week, per ESPN's Tim McManus.

This seems more precautionary than anything, as Goedert spoke to reporters Saturday and showed no signs of any significant issues. He may sit out next week's preseason game against the Jaguars, but he could be back for the regular-season tuneup in two weeks against the Ravens. Continue drafting Goedert in the later rounds with confidence as he should be absolutely fine for Week 1 against the Redskins.

Adam Schefter of ESPN is now reporting Raiders WR Antonio Brown has told team officials that, unless he is allowed to wear his preferred helmet, he will not play football again. Schefter says Brown “believes the new helmet that the rules mandate he wears protrudes out and interferes with his vision as he tries to catch football” and that the Raiders have been sending Brown other helmets to try and he is not interested in any of them.

This has turned into a strange story. It sounds like a lot is now riding on the expected grievance hearing next week and if Brown loses his case, his next steps will be fascinating to watch. It’s almost making the foot injury a non-story. Brown still has tremendous upside for his talent but is also becoming more of a risk if he actually stays true to his threat to not play.

Raiders WR Antonio Brown’s recent absence from training camp stems more from his recently-filed helmet grievance against the NFL, rather than his blistered foot, per Adam Schefter.

A previous report from Chase Williams of WPXI in Pittsburgh said the Raiders stated Brown had gone “radio silent” and they had “no clue” of his whereabouts. Now, he is expected to return soon, according to Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Brown's grievance against the NFL states he wishes to wear a helmet he prefers, rather than a mandated one by the league. However, per NFL policy, only a team can be punished for a player wearing a wrong helmet, not the player himself. His hearing is expected to take place next week.

Cleveland Browns WR Antonio Callaway has been suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

As Rapoport notes, this likely explains why Callaway has been running with the reserves during training camp up to this point. After a terrific rookie season, Callaway has taken a major step back . First, it was being behind Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry and now he will miss the first quarter of the season. Tough to buy too much stock into Callaway considering all the other talent Baker Mayfield has to throw to. He’s worth a flyer, but not much lore than that at this stage.

When asked about a potential running back by committee in Kansas City, Head Coach Andy Reid said “we’ll do that here,”, when speaking to SiriusXM Radio.

Reid talked about Damien Williams, Carlos Hyde and Darwin Thompson and said “They all have their strengths and we’ll try to exploit their strengths there." Reid harkened back to his days as Eagles’ head coach and the host of running backs he employed there and believes he can have the same effect with his current group in Kansas City. Williams has the most upside but all three are going to be in play as of now and could make for a messy fantasy situation. Proceed with caution.

Keke Coutee being helped up and is limping off the field with help of trainers, is hobbling with right leg injury

Coutee has been a rising fantasy WR this offseason and was being drafted in the late 9th to early-10th round as a WR3. He dealt with hamstring issues last season and it would be rough if this is a substantial injury.

49ers RB Jerick McKinnon’s knee was not feeling good after working the past two days. He’ll be shut down for a while. He can’t go back on PUP. If he’s slow to recover, the only option would be to start season on IR and come back later in the season.

UPDATE: Jerick McKinnon (knee) is having a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment. He’ll have two weeks to recover, then 18 days after that before Week 1 of the regular season. “If he’s ready, that would be great,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “If not, we’ll be patient with him.”

Jerick McKinnon is now too far behind in his rehab to have any chance of seeing work early in the season and appears close to going on IR or being let go with an injury settlement. Tevin Coleman and Matt Breida are now the clear cut No. 1 and 2 backs, giving both of them fantasy value in a strong offense for their skill-sets.

The Texans traded a fourth-round pick in the 2020 draft that can become a third-rounder to the #Browns for Duke Johnson.

It looks like the Texans cutting Donta Foreman turned out to be a bad thing for Lamar Miller in the end. Adding Duke Johnson to the backfield is a big upgrade for the Texans offense but a downgrade for Lamar Miller's upside. Johnson will automatically take over receiving work and should compete for touches with Miller. Johnson isn't guaranteed a big workload, but he will undoubtedly see an increase in touches from what he would have had in Cleveland. This move also boosts Nick Chubb and Dontrell Hilliard up, likely giving him a few more touches and possibly more receiving work, while pushing Hilliard into Johnson's role as a change-of-pace and receiving option.

Andy Reid appeared on the SiriusXMNFL Training Camp Tour and said to expect an RBBC in the Chiefs backfield this season. Along with Damien Williams, he pointed out the play of Darrell Williams and also mentioned Carlos Hyde.

If Andy Reid is being upfront here, Damien Williams should be dropped in your rankings. Williams track record doesn't have any seasons with 50 or more carries, but that also doesn't mean he's not capable of carrying the load. Before training camp started, Reid said that Williams was the starter, but maybe his hamstring injury has Reid second-guessing his decision. Maybe we'll get more clarity here, but for now, it is time to let off the acceleration on Williams' hype train.

Beat writer Max Henson delves into Curtis Samuel's fantastic camp in his latest article on the team's website.

“When I’m in my zone,” Samuel said, “I don’t feel I can be stopped.” It’s not just talk. Unstoppable is an accurate way to describe the third-year wideout right now.

"He's light years from where he was when he came in as a rookie." head coach Ron Rivera said of the former second-round pick. "One thing that I talk about is that we have a group of young guys that do need to take that step, and he is one of them.

The praise for Curtis Samuel has been consistent and effusive throughout training camp, with one beat writer saying that Samuel looks like the Panthers No. 1 receiver. I still expect D.J. Moore to lead the team in targets, but Samuel shouldn't be far behind and his ability after the catch should make every reception a good one for his fantasy stats.

Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer on Chris Carson, "We need to get him more involved in the passing game. He’s got unbelievable hands and he’s a problem for people coming out of the backfield.” Carson’s 23 targets last season – Schottenheimer’s first in Seattle – were tied for 56th among running backs, according to ESPN charting. Of the eight other running backs who topped 1,000 yards rushing in 2018, six had at least 48 targets. As a team, Seattle’s 84 targets to running backs was the second-fewest in the league and down from 100 during Darrell Bevell’s final season as OC in 2017. Said Carson about what’s different in Year 2 under Schottenheimer: “He’s doing a lot with the running backs. He’s splitting them out wide, putting them in different spots around the field. He’s using us more for pass catching than what he did in the previous years. It’s fun for us."

The fantasy impact here is a big one, as Carson's usage was great last season, but his lack of receptions hurts him in PPR. He caught 20-of-24 targets for 163 yards, but if you even double that, he gets into the Top-20 running backs for receptions and if he can triple it, he's Top-10, pushing him into elite fantasy status.

Damien Williams is back at practice for the first time since injuring his hamstring more than a week ago.

Coach Andy Reid was frustrated with Williams missing so much camp this summer and started building up his other running backs in the press, but it looks like Williams is back and ready to get going. He'll likely be eased back, but this is a great sign for those invested in the K.C. starter.

According to Chris Simms on PFT Live, Antonio Brown burned his feet by entering a cryotherapy machine without the proper footwear, and his feet were frostbitten.

Well, I don't think anyone saw that one coming. Now that we know Antonio Brown has frostbite, we, unfortunately, are still left out in the dark, the frigid dark, when it comes to a timetable to return to the field. Presumably, the Raiders knew what the injury was when Adam Schefter tweeted that it wasn't something the team was worried about, but this is still an injury that is keeping him off the field and is worrisome for fantasy.

Jon Gruden said that Antonio Brown is not in Raiders camp, but instead, he is “gathering information” on his foot issue.

Gruden didn’t want to offer any other updates on Brown other than that. Said there is no new news on Brown’s situation and refused to speculate on his readiness for Week 1.

There isn't much new here other than the fact that Antonio Brown is still seeking help for his foot issue, which means he's likely not much closer to returning to practice. The latest reports still have Brown's injury as minor, but the lack of information along with Jon Gruden's personality will continue to stoke rumors and more questions.

“I’m the guy. I feel like that. That’s what I’ve been told,” said McCoy. “That’s my every day approach. We’re all a team and trying to help each other out to win games, compete against each other and make each other better.”

LeSean McCoy has more competition this year and he's coming off his worst season ever, but despite the competition, all signs continue to point toward him as the starter. Frank Gore and Devin Singletary will get work, but they'll need McCoy to miss time to have fantasy value. McCoy's fantasy value will depend on the Bills offense taking a step forward in Josh Allen's second year, which is possible, but McCoy will need an outlier year to put up big numbers in his tenth season.

Updating a previous news item, Ron Rivera now says Cam Newton will not play against Chicago in their preseason opener.

If Cam Newton had played, he would have maybe been in one series, but Carolina is going to be cautious with Newton after his season ended last year with shoulder surgery. Kyle Allen will get the start for Carolina on Thursday.

Beat writer Matt Barrows believes the first four receiver spots would go to "Dante Pettis, Deebo Samuel, Jalen Hurd, and Trent Taylor," and that would leave just "two spots for Marquise Goodwin, Jordan Matthews, Kendrick Bourne and Richie James" to compete over.

Barrows says that all the receivers competing for a spot have had good days, but of late it's Been Kendrick Bourne putting up the strongest work. Marquise Goodwin likely still has an in based on his work in the past, but he's not locked in, which means he shouldn't be locked into your draft day plans.

The 49ers have activated RB Jerick McKinnon from the PUP list. A key part of their backfield is back in the mix following an ACL tear last preseason.

The activation of Jerick McKinnon can only cause trouble in fantasy, as the 49ers now have three above-average running backs vying for touches in an offense that often uses running backs in a committee. McKinnon does have a ways to go to get back up to speed and will most likely lag behind for a month or so as he works to make up ground. For now, Tevin Coleman remains the lead back, but it will be tough to keep Matt Breida off the field unless he's hurt.

The Arizona Cardinals signed wide receiver Michael Crabtree Monday, per a report by Pro Football Talk.
Update: The Texas Tech alumni reunion with the Arizona Cardinals appears to be off.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, the Cardinals and free agent wide receiver Michael Crabtree could not come to terms on a deal after Crabtree worked out for the team on Monday. Crabtree remains on the market for now.

Michael Crabtree appears to still be a free agent after the deal with Arizona fell through.

Kansas City Chiefs' rookie wide receiver Mecole Hardman has been earning praise from head coach Andy Reid for his impressive work at camp. “He’s a smart kid,” Reid said, per beat writer Brooke Pryor of the Kansas City Star. “I think it was just him getting used to the speed of the game. And then every route here, there’s no route that’s off. Not with a quarterback like we have. You have to run hard on everything. It might look like a clearing route, but you can’t take it that way. That’s not how it works.”

Pryor writes Monday, the last of a current four-day training camp stretch, was Hardman's best and most consistent days yet. She also notes the chemistry between Hardman and quarterback Patrick Mahomes is constantly growing. Hardman was drafted as a potential replacement option for Tyreek Hill, who was facing a suspension but ultimately did not receive one. But it does mean Hardman adds more speed to an already dangerous offense. Hardman still has developing to do and is yet to play an actual NFL game, but early reports are that Hardman is quickly starting to make a name for himself on the practice field. Hardman is also expected to be heavily evaluated as a punt returner.

In his observations from Monday's practice, Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane listed rookie running back Miles Sanders as his top player that is trending up on the Eagles.

McLane writes that Sanders "exceeded (his) early expectations, and (he) liked the selection." McLane also writes "There are still unknowns about his receiving, blocking and ball security, but as a ball runner, he looks like a pure thoroughbred." Sanders has been receiving nothing but praise throughout the football landscape and this is just another glowing endorsement from the media. The Eagles' is fairly crowded with Jordan Howard, Corey Clement and Darren Sproles in the mix, but Sanders may have the most upside of them all, even as a rookie. He looks in line to receive a healthy workload very early in his career.

Former Houston Texans running back D'Onta Foreman has been claimed off waivers by the Indianapolis Colts, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.

Foreman was a surprise cut by the Texans over the weekend, but had shown poor work habits and Texans' coach Bill O'Brien was not happy with what he had been seeing out of Foreman. Him being claimed by the Colts means about three-quarters of the league did not submit a claim on Foreman, as the current waiver order is the order from the 2019 NFL Draft, not including trades, meaning the Colts sat 26th on the board. Foreman now joins a backfield that is already crowded with Marlon Mack, Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins. Foreman will have to improve his overall body of work if he is to impress head coach Frank Reich and carve out a role in the Colts' offense.

ESPN Detroit Lions writer Michael Rothstein noted Monday that running back Kerryon Johnson did not practice with a wrap on his leg after wearing one during much of practice last week.

There weren't any major concerns with Johnson as far as injuries were concerned but this is still notable, as Johnson now does not seem to have any limitations. And with Theo Riddick out of the picture, the arrow continues to point up for Johnson, who is now expected to be a major factor in the Lions' offense.

Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera expects all four Panthers quarterbacks, including Cam Newton, to play in Thursday's preseason opener against the Chicago Bears, per Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic.

Rodrigue adds the Panthers coaches are still trying to settle on a concrete plan for Thursday. In all likelihood, if Newton does play, he will only play one series, as is typical of most starters in Week 1 of the preseason. This will allow Newton to get some game action under his belt as he continues to regain his pre-shoulder injury form. The progress continues to be positive surrounding Newton. The other quarterbacks on the depth chart are rookie Will Grier, Kyle Allen and Taylor Heinicke.

Running back Ty Montgomery continues to be one of the most impressive players in Jets training camp.

The former Packer and Raven has shown his versatility and looks like he could be a significant piece of Adam Gase’s offense. Montgomery can run the ball and, as a former receiver, is a natural pass catcher out of the backfield.

The story said Gase was surprised Montgomery was still unsigned when April rolled around. Gase added the team is experimenting with how Monty will be used with his versatility and flexibility. Montgomery is 62nd on our RB list and it's tough to say how he'll be used with LeVeon Bell as the main back. But Monty specializes in third down situations so he may end up with PPR value in deeper leagues.

Tom Brady‘s next contract will tie him to the Patriots for the next three seasons, and give him an immediate pay raise.

The deal Brady and the Patriots have agreed on runs through 2021 and includes an $8 million raise this year, according to multiple reports.

There’s no word on the full details of the contract and how much he’ll make in 2020 and 2021, the story said. Given that Brady is now 42 years old, it’s debatable whether he’ll even reach the 2021 season, when he’ll be 44. But Brady has said he sees himself playing until he’s 45, so perhaps he could not only play out this contract, but even sign another one after that.

The Redskins posted their first unofficial depth chart on Sunday and Colt McCoy landed at the top of the quarterback list. Veteran Case Keenum found his name in the backup role and rookie Dwayne Haskins will be the third-string QB.

For those watching the team’s practices during training camp, the depth chart isn’t particularly surprising. McCoy has the best command of head coach Jay Gruden’s offense, and he should considering he’s been in the system for five years. The organization traded for Keenum earlier this year and Haskins is a rookie.

The story went on to say the truth is this has become a two-man race to start at QB between McCoy and Keenum. Haskins just doesn’t look ready yet, and the team needs to be mindful of his long-term development. That means not rushing the 15th overall pick into the action.

The Seahawks held a mock game on Saturday, but competition continues to be a very real thing for the team. And last year’s starting running back Chris Carson, a seventh-round pick in 2017, continues to keep his grip on the job over Rashaad Penny, a first-round selection in 2018.

Related players: C.J. Prosise

“Carson continues to look like the best running back on the roster,” writes Michael-Shawn Dugar of TheAthletic.com. “That’s not to say Penny has been bad. In fact, he looked really explosive on a few screen passes Saturday; he’s just not at the same level as Carson right now.”

Even if Carson wins the starting job, there should be plenty of touches for Penny now that Mike Davis is on the Bears. The story went on to say HC Pete Carroll did praise Penny on Saturday saying he had a great offseason, reduced his body fat and looks stronger and faster.

Dan Quinn says Kurt Benkert will get a second opinion on his toe injury this week but it will “knock him out for a while.”

Related players: Matt Ryan, Matt Schaub

Benkert was battling Schaub for the QB2 spot behind Ryan, but this injury looks like it gives Schaub the leg up for now.

The waiving of Donta Foreman creates an opportunity for a number of players in Texans camp. Other backs are Josh Ferguson, Taiwan Jones, Karan Higdon, Buddy Howell and Damarea Crockett.

Crockett was splitting goal line carries with Foreman.

Related players: Lamar Miller

In our report from earlier in the day about Foreman getting released, Crockett wasn't listed among the favorites to see the time Foreman was getting, but this tweet is quite the opposite. Crockett is a name to keep an eye on especially for those who end up with Miller in fantasy drafts. Reports are now saying Crockett could slip into the role Foreman had.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Brady and the Patriots have agreed to a deal that will extend his stay in New England beyond 2019.

Rapoport’s colleague Tom Pelissero reported in July that no deal was on the horizon for Brady, who is set to make $14 million in salary this season. Given the length and success of the relationship between Brady and the team, it’s not surprising that things came together since that point.

There are no details about the terms of the deal beyond that it is the “short-term deal” you’d expect the 42-year-old quarterback to be signing at this point in his career.

Darren Waller has returned to Raiders practice after one session out.

Waller is dealing with a sprained AC joint, according to reports, but only missed Saturday's practice. Waller is 18th on our TE list as a rookie but has a nice upside in a Raider offense that made Jared Cook a fantasy stud last season.

Kansas City brought back Damien Williams and Darrel Williams and signed journeyman back Carlos Hyde to compete for snaps, but midway throughout training camp, the former Williams (and the Chiefs' presumed starter) is not on the field. The 27-year-old back missed the past week with a hamstring injury and there is currently no timetable for his return.

"Carlos has done a nice job," HC Andy Reid said. "He's getting a lot of reps and he's taking advantage of them." In Kansas City, Hyde suddenly has the opportunity to stake a claim for a starting role again with Williams currently out of the rotation. It doesn't appear the Chiefs are just being cautious with Williams as Reid has appeared frustrated with Williams lack of practice time, according to reports.

Rookie wide receiver D.K. Metcalf participated in early warmups but was held out of the mock game.

Metcalf, on the last play of practice, got a "little oblique strain and he’s been banged up on a couple things," HC Pete Carroll said. Carroll went on to say the team thought it was the right thing to just give him a break, and get him back next week.

Former Vikings’ RB Roc Thomas is signing today with the Jacksonville Jaguars, per source. Thomas will travel with Jaguars to Baltimore for practices against the Ravens.

Related players: Alfred Blue, Thomas Rawls, Leonard Fournette

Thomas will get to compete for a role behind Fournette, who is expected to get a majority of the carries for the Jags. Thomas is suspended for the first three games of the 2019 season, though.

Antonio Brown went to see a foot specialist on Saturday after missing several days of practice at training camp. The good news out of that meeting is that Brown has not been ruled out for an extended period of time, but Brown may not be practicing for a little while.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Brown is considered day-to-day after the visit to the doctor.

Jacquizz Rodgers has added another NFC South team to his resume.

Rodgers entered the NFL as a Falcons fifth-round pick in 2011 and he spent the last three years with the Buccaneers, so the Saints had plenty of opportunities to scout him before signing him to their roster.

Related players: Alvin Kamara, Latavius Murray, Rob Kelley

Rodgers’s arrival meant the end of Kelley‘s brief stay with the team. Kelley signed with the team early last week, but was dropped from the roster to make room for Rodgers. He’ll join Kamara and Murray in the New Orleans backfield.

Josh Rosen capped off his best week of practice as a Dolphin with a solid performance in the team's simulated scrimmage Saturday. Ryan Fitzpatrick, the wily veteran, saw his performance drop off some after a scorching hot spring and first week of training camp.

This news, of course, comes about a week after HC Brian Flores called Fitz the leader in the QB competition. So it's a great sign for Rosen and potential fantasy owners that he "punched back," according to the story. The story added the competition won't be decided until preseason games begin.

Per Coach Reich, Andrew Luck will sit out the next three days of practice.

The team says the program Luck is on will be similar to last week and they will try to ramp him up a little from the week before. The Colts are obviously being careful with their star QB with the goal of having him healthy for Week 1.

The Texans placed RB Donta Foreman on waivers.

Related players: Josh Ferguson, Buddy Howell, Taiwan Jones, Damarea Crockett, Karan Higdon Jr., Lamar Miller

This is a bit of a surprise. The tweet went on to say the Texans weren’t happy with his work habits. Ferguson, Howell and Jones seem the likely candidates to earn the RB2 spot. Higdon and Crockett are undrafted free agents. For Miller owners, this is a story to follow in the weeks ahead.

Andy Reid sounded frustrated with starting running back Damien Williams, who has yet to practice with the Chiefs at training camp because of a sore hamstring. ‘’He’s missed quite a bit,’’ Reid said. “He’s missed a lot of plays. It’s been great for these other guys. (Carlos Hyde) has done a nice job. He’s got a lot of reps and he’s taking advantage of them.’’

Damien Williams' hamstring shouldn't keep him from starting this season, but the fact he has never had more than 50 carries in a season coupled with this early injury will likely make you pause before hitting draft. There's no doubt that Williams was great to finish last season and if he can stay healthy, he will put up good numbers in this K.C. offense, but if you do grab him, Carlos Hyde and Darwin Thompson need to be on your radar as well.

Raiders beat writer Vic Tafur tweeted out Saturday that Antonio Brown will see a foot specialist.

Antonio Brown has a picture of his feet covered in what appear to be blisters on Instagram and if you are foolhardy enough, you can find it. The news that he'll see a specialist is concerning, but we are still in the dark on what his condition actually is. Hopefully, his injury will be resolved sooner than later, but until we learn more, his draft stock should remain the same, but I could see having some trepidation.

UPDATE: Adam Schefter chimed in with this tweet, "It is not considered any type of long-term injury for Antonio Brown, per source."

NFL Network's Stacey Dales reports that Andrew Luck will miss another practice. Luck had a setback with his calf strain, which first popped up in April and has now missed five straight practices.

Hopefully, Andrew Luck just needs some time for his calf to heel, but the fact that it popped back up after getting injured in April is concerning for a reoccurrence. Luck could be out an extended amount of time so the team can be positive that he's 100% and if you have him in fantasy, you probably should want him to get that rest, but it will still give you indigestion.

UPDATE: Frank Reich says that Andrew Luck will not practice leading up to their preseason opener against the Bills.

Josh Gordon has applied for reinstatement according to Howard Balzer BalzerFootball.com.

Gordon missed 2015 and 2016 due to suspensions related to substance abuse. He was reinstated in 2018 and played 11 games before receiving another indefinite suspension. Reports have hinted at Gordon getting another chance this season and this would be the first step in that process. New England signed Gordon to a one-year deal despite his suspension and Tom Brady spent time this offseason practicing with him. It seems the team believes there is a chance he'll be able to play, so we should as well. He is still under thirty and looked as if he was getting on the same page with Brady before his suspension last season. With a thin receiving core in New England, Gordon should quickly return to the starting lineup if he is allowed to return and we will likely see his ADP move fast from his current spot around the 200th player off the board.

Yahoo's NFL reporter Charles Robinson is currently traveling to training camps and just visited Denver. He tweeted out his take on the running back situation, "The Broncos are feeling really good about RB Royce Freeman right now. To the point that they are hoping to finally establish the true split-touch situation that they envisioned between Freeman and Phillip Lindsay last season. They feel like that plan is fully on track for 2019."

Royce Freeman will continue to get his shot this season and it looks like the team wants him to handle a good chunk of the lead back work. Phillip Lindsay outplayed him last season, but they like what they have in Freeman, at least as an early-down runner and he has improved this offseason according to reports.

Robinson tweeted his thoughts before the Broncos signed Theo Riddick, but Riddick isn't a threat to Freeman or Lindsay as a runner, as he'll continue his specialty as a receiver, which will likely cut into every running back's possible targets. In the end, the lack of faith in Lindsay to lead the team is a legitimate concern for him in fantasy, especially on a team that doesn't project to score many points per game.

When speaking about Antonio Calloway on Thursday, Todd Monken said "“To his credit, I think he’s worked himself – I shouldn’t say his credit, hell, he came in a little bit out of shape probably – the last seven days he’s getting himself back in shape, putting himself in position, you can see that starting to feel more comfortable and make plays. So I really like him. He really has tremendous upside, we all know that, you guys saw it last year. He’s explosive, has really good down-the-field ball-tracking ability, so there’s a lot to like there.

So far the Browns have Antonio Callaway running with the second and third team in camp and his conditioning appears to be one big reason. His offensive coordinator Todd Monken does feel like he's getting into better shape and showing well on the field. Right now Rashard Higgins is the No. 3 receiver based on snaps with the first team, but Callaway still has time to beat him out for the job. There aren't going to be a plethora of targets left after Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry get theirs, but Callaway is a big play receiver and would benefit in coverage with Beckham Jr. on the field.

Beat reporter Mike Kilis tweets, "Barring the unexpected, it appears coveted free agent RB Theo Riddick will sign with the Broncos later this week, per source. Saints were also in on Riddick and several other teams called on former Lion. Appears Elway about to give Joe Flacco a new weapon."

Theo Riddick joins the Broncos for the 2019 season and is the only running back to catch 50 or more passes over the last four seasons and will help a thin Broncos receiving core. There are multiple reports of Phillip Lindsay seeing more work as a receiver this year and this signing likely dampens that receiving upside, but only to a degree. Riddick's presence could possibly push Devontae Booker off the team as well.

Vikings beat writer Chris Tomasson tweets, "QB Kirk Cousins: "Chad Beebe is another guy who I just think will make a major difference for our offense this year.''

Camp buzz for Chad Beebe has been strong so far and it looks as though he all but has the Vikings slot position wrapped up. Minnesota will look to run a bit more than they did last season and Beebe won't be a high-volume target, but his presence could push Adam Thielen to the outside more. Thielen thrives in the slot, so he'll still spend time there, but if Beebe works out, we could see Thielen's slot snaps scaled back, hurting his overall upside. Beebe's value is good compared to his ADP at the moment, but he'll likely need to be in a deep league to pay dividends.

Josina Anderson tweets, "Chargers RB Melvin Gordon's agent Damarius Bilbo tells me he requested a trade last wk for his client, after the team remained at their initial offer of aprox $10M/ year. GM Tom Telesco told Bilbo, Gordon is still family, but Bilbo was not given permission to seek trade partners."

Melvin Gordon and the Chargers aren't close in negotiations and it doesn't look like the team is willing to budge, while also shutting down any chance of trading their star running back. Without an olive branch from the team, Gordon could stay entrenched in his hold out, making him a real risk to miss time this season.

Panthers head coach Ron Rivera discusses Christian McCaffrey's workload on Wednesday, “The goal is to cut down on his plays, but we’re not going to take away his touches,” Rivera said. “We want the ball in Christian’s hands. When he’s on the field, there’s no reason for him to be a decoy or be a swing guy."

Christian McCaffrey was on the field for 91.3% of all the Panthers snaps last season, a league-high for running backs. The team wants to limit his workload this season by streamlining his snaps with his touches, which would mean similar touch numbers, but a lowered snap percentage. With nobody behind him set to cut into his work, McCaffrey should be set up for another huge workload, making him one of the few backs in the league on pace to get 300+ touches this season.