June 2024 4for4 Player News Articles

Speaking of Josh Reynolds’ departure, Jameson Williams isn’t the only option to make up for his production. Antoine Green, a 2023 seventh-round pick, has good speed, and the Lions liked how he developed to end the season. He spent time repping with the first-team offense this spring.

Related Players: Donovan Peoples-Jones, Kalif Raymond

The Lions look as if they will be rotating bodies behind Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown, but Green is an interesting name to bank for super deep leagues. Green had all of two targets last season but made a splash in the team's final 2023 preseason game when he took a 70-yard catch to the house en route to a 3-97-1 stat line.

Indianapolis could still make a move. However, for now, it appears the team is content with former third-round pick Trey Sermon stepping in as the second-stringer. Evan Hull appeared in just one game last year as a rookie due to a torn left MCL, but he was a good pass catcher coming out of Northwestern and will have a shot to supplant Tyler Goodson in that role with the Colts if he has a big summer.

We've been down this road before. Sermon earned 41 carries in his rookie season with the 49ers, before heading to the Eagles to notch exactly two more. He got the nod for a majority role last season in Week 15 and performed well, turning 17 attempts into 88 yards. We wouldn't suggest making any moves in redraft or best ball leagues for now, but a deep dynasty stash would make sense.

Braelon Allen, a 2024 fourth-round pick, wasn't known for his receiving in college -- only 49 catches in three seasons at Wisconsin -- but he demonstrated plenty of ability in OTAs and minicamp. He showed excellent ball skills and terrific body control. He's 235 pounds, yet he was able to split out and play like a smaller back. "If you go back and watch his tape at Wisconsin, he caught the ball well," Jets running backs coach Tony Dews said. Allen has a chance to be Breece Hall's primary backup.

Related Players: Isaiah Davis, Israel Abanikanda

There was slight concern that Allen would only be a rotational goal line back but if he flashes some receiving skills, he could have slight standalone value. He's the back to keep an eye on if anything were to happen to Hall.

The New England Patriots and Rhamondre Stevenson reached an agreement on a four-year extension worth $36 million, with $17 million guaranteed. Entering the final year of his rookie deal, Stevenson said during mandatory minicamp that sides were “pretty close” on a contract. Ten days later, the pact came to fruition. The extension keeps the Pats' top back under contract through 2028.

Related Players: Antonio Gibson, Kevin Harris, JaMycal Hasty

Stevenson burst out in 2022, generating 1,040 rushing yards and 421 receiving yards. The 1,461 scrimmage yards is notable, given the incentives in his new deal. The Pats are betting their leading rusher gets back on track after an injury-riddled 2023 relegated him to 12 games and 857 scrimmage yards. Consider him a nice RB2 in fantasy for 2024.

Former Jets WR Denzel Mims, whom the Steelers released this week, is signing today with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Related Players: Devin Duvernay, Parker Washington, Tim Jones

It's been quite the drop from relevance for the former second-round selection, but he'll have a chance to carve out a role through training camp. It's possible the Jaguars see what they can do with him on special teams.

Breaking: Tee Higgins has signed his franchise tag. He is expected to report for training camp when it begins.

Related Players: Ja'Marr Chase, Jermaine Burton, Andrei Iosivas, Trenton Irwin

So, the mini-holdout has come to its end, and Higgins will suit up for the Bengals in 2024. No word yet on an extension, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Higgins should be considered a borderline WR2/3 for fantasy purposes.

The Jaguars have reached a deal with their star QB, Trevor Lawrence. Sources say they are giving the former No. 1 pick a 5-year extension worth $275M — $55M a year — with $200M guaranteed and $142M fully.

Related Players: Mac Jones, C.J. Beathard

Lawrence now has the hair *and* the commas in the bank account. Mac Jones —who went 14 picks after the franchise QB— is now backing up the 275 million-dollar man. Consider Lawrence a locked-in SuperFlex QB and a strong streaming option ahead of 2024.

Did Thursday’s final mandatory minicamp practice provide a subtle — or maybe even not-so-subtle — sign that Deshaun Watson is feeling better? At the risk of making too much out of the last of the team’s 13 instruction-based spring practice sessions, we’ll stick with maybe.

“I’ve said it before (that) I’ve gotten to see him throw throughout the course of this rehab,” HC Kevin Stefanski said. “I don’t know (exactly) when it was, but a while back, he looked very normal to me. So that looked normal to me.”

Related Players: Jameis Winston, Dorian Thompson-Robinson

Assuming there are no future hiccups with Watson's rehabbing, he should be fully cleared well ahead of Week 1. He is currently ranked as 4for4's QB22 as he attempts to string together his first full season since 2020.

Sam Darnold will continue as the Minnesota Vikings' lead quarterback when training camp opens next month, coach Kevin O'Connell said Wednesday as the team wrapped up its final OTA of the spring.

O'Connell stopped short of projecting anything beyond that, saying he plans for a "competitive" training camp at many positions. The Vikings have three other quarterbacks on their roster: Rookie J.J. McCarthy and veterans Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall.

Even if Darnold begins Week 1 as the starting quarterback, we shouldn't assume that continues deep into the season. McCarthy can still be targeted (very) late in best ball drafts, while neither option should be in consideration for typical 1QB redraft leagues.

Saints TE Juwan Johnson is scheduled to undergo foot surgery next week that will sideline him “a while”. The hope and belief for now is that he will be back for the start of the season.

Related Players: Foster Moreau, Taysom Hill

Taysom Hill needs to be targeted anywhere that has him with TE eligibility. A foot surgery seems more impactful than Johnson coming back by Week 1 but he should still be on fantasy radars with the Saints so bereft of pass-catching talent behind Chris Olave.

Travis Kelce turns 35 in October and acknowledged he's a lot closer to the end of his football career than the beginning. But he said he's not planning on 2024 being his final season.

"I love coming to work every single day and doing this, so I am going to do it until the wheels fall off and hopefully that doesn't happen anytime soon,'' Kelce said after the Kansas City Chiefs' minicamp practice Tuesday.

Related Players: Noah Gray, Jared Wiley

Kansas City has added insurance here and there over the years since their offense is so TE-friendly, but as long as Kelce is on the field he is going to be a driving force to the team. His regular season workload could very well decline, but that still makes him a huge asset in fantasy.

Tyrone Tracy Jr. spent a good portion of 11/11 drills today with the 1s. The rookie is already making a push to be the Giants back on passing downs. Pass pro this summer, as always, will be the final test.

Related Players: Devin Singletary, Eric Gray

Tracy has been climbing up rookie draft boards for two months now, with his best ball ADP making a similar ascension. There isn't a lot of talent in the Giants backfield —or elsewhere for that matter— so Tracy could garner a far bigger role than his fifth-round NFL Draft capital would make us believe.

"He's got a long way to go," Saleh said about Mike Williams' recovery from injury. "He's on the same timeline that Breece Hall had. They're very similar injuries, same timeframe. Speaking with Mike, he knows he's got a road to trek, but at the same time, if he does it the right way, we're very confident that we'll have them ready for Week 1."

Related Players: Garrett Wilson, Malachi Corley, Allen Lazard, Xavier Gipson

If the team truly does view the injuries in the same light, we could see a sort of pitch count for Williams to begin the season. Hall had season-lows in snap counts in Week 1 (17) and Week 2 (16) before getting back to his full workload. Regardless, the former Chargers receiver fits very well in this offense and should pop up with WR2 weeks throughout the year.

The Browns receiver was not in attendance for Cleveland's Tuesday session and is subject to fines.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski said Cooper's absence was not excused.

"These situations, I understand that they do come up," Stefanski said. "I'll really leave all of that between Amari, Amari's agent and AB (general manager Andrew Berry) and those type of conversations. Again, as you guys know, we focus on guys that are here. We'll get some good work in and really keep it at that."

Related Players: Elijah Moore, Jerry Jeudy, Jamari Thrash

At 30 years old, there aren't many reasons for Cooper to miss time this season, so we assume this will be hashed out sooner rather than later. The Browns offense as a whole has plenty to prove this year, not least of all is their receiving room.

Bengals star WR Ja'Marr Chase, who has skipped OTAs and wants a new contract, is present for mandatory minicamp. He was there for media day yesterday and is in the building today.

A follow-up report mentioned that Tee Higgins is not currently attending, so the Cincy WR drama isn't quite over. After Justin Jefferson's recent blockbuster deal, Chase should be getting a similar treatment sooner or later.

Daniel Bellinger will slide back into his pre- DarrenWaller role, and it appears more will be expected from Theo Johnson and former wide receiver Lawrence Cager in the pass-catching tight end role. Johnson and Cager are among the players who have received first-team offense opportunities this spring.

Bellinger was having a decent rookie season in 2022 before a freak injury forced him to miss some time. He then played second-fiddle to Waller last year but looks to be in the lead for pass-catching duties ahead of '24.

This will come at the expense of rookie Theo Johnson, who is nothing more than a deep flier in Giants stacks.

The Browns have a new offensive coordinator in Ken Dorsey, a new running backs coach in Duce Staley and two new veteran running backs in the group, Nyheim Hines and D’Onta Foreman. Jerome Ford, who became the lead back in Chubb’s absence last year, has been first in line through the first three weeks of spring practice and presumably will keep that spot until Chubb returns.

The article goes on to mention, "Hines is also trying to come back from a torn ACL, and Chubb said he and Hines have spent plenty of time together with the team’s medical staff." We can surmise that the current 1-2 punch as it stands is Ford-Foreman, which should put the latter on our radar as a final-round dart throw.

Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson was held out of Thursday's final offseason practice with right shoulder soreness, but the second-year player and coach Shane Steichen both insisted the decision was purely precautionary.

Richardson sustained an AC joint sprain last season that required season-ending surgery, but he recovered quickly and has been the Colts' starting quarterback throughout this spring's workouts. He was seen with trainers midway through Wednesday's practice, addressing the shoulder before returning to the lineup briefly and then giving way to backup Joe Flacco in the final period.

Richardson began throwing a few months ago, so this isn't a huge concern for just a single day. We'll keep an eye on the situation but don't believe it's going to keep him out of Week 1 action.

The Buccaneers have agreed to terms with veteran WR Sterling Shepard on a one-year deal. Following eight seasons with the Giants, who drafted him in the second round in 2016, Shepard reunites with his former Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield in Tampa.

Related Players: Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Trey Palmer, Jalen McMillan

Shepard adds some depth to the wide receiver room as they head into the summer months but will have a difficult time producing in fantasy if he makes the final roster.

Veteran WR Mecole Hardman is re-signing with the Chiefs on a one-year deal, per source. A hero in Super Bowl LVIII after a brief stint with the Jets, Hardman is back in Kansas City.

Related Players: Rashee Rice, Skyy Moore, Justin Watson, Kadarius Toney

Hardman finished with 33 targets in eight games during his last stint with the Chiefs, so he doesn't have much standalone value. He puts the squeeze on the back-half of the rotation, though.

The Cleveland Browns running back, who is attempting yet another comeback from a vicious knee injury, doesn't know exactly when he'll return to the field. He still has a long way to go in his rehabilitation. But Chubb said he's nonetheless happy with the progress he has made so far following his season-ending Week 2 injury last year.

Related Players: Jerome Ford, Nyheim Hines, D'Onta Foreman

There remains some doubt that he will be ready for Week 1. This makes considering the rest of the backfield a tricky situation in current best ball drafts. Cleveland currently has seven backs on its roster, including the offseason additions of Hines and Foreman. Ford should be considered the most likely option to lead the backfield in touches in Chubb's steed.

We will keep an eye on news for further updates on Chubb's status.

Ricky Pearsall has been easy to pick out in San Francisco 49ers practices.

For one, he’s been the team’s most prominent receiver on the field for most of the spring. Brandon Aiyuk was a no-show on Day 1 of the mandatory minicamp on Tuesday as he continues to hold out for a multiyear contract extension.

Related Players: Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings, Chris Conley, Jacob Cowing

Barrows went on, “It’s been fun to watch both of them,” Shanahan said of the Purdy-Pearsall connection. “Brock doesn’t always get to watch how the route gets there. But he knows when guys end up in the right spot. That’s when quarterbacks get comfortable, and I think he can make that throw with Ricky right away. He’s been getting to the right spot. And when he has made a mistake, he understands it and corrects it. I think that so far those guys have had a lot of fun working together.”

Pearsall will be very interesting in fantasy should Aiyuk or Samuel miss any time. As it stands, he only profiles as a late-round dart throw

Reigning Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey once again has reset the RB market, signing a two-year extension with the 49ers, averaging $19 million per year.

McCaffrey will receive an additional $8 million over what he was scheduled to make in the first two years while adding $24 million in guarantees.

Related Players: Elijah Mitchell, Isaac Guerendo, Cody Schrader

McCaffrey solidifies himself on one of the best offenses in the league, and should still be viewed as the best RB option in fantasy football.

Cowboys star WR CeeDee Lamb has not been spotted in Dallas for mandatory minicamp. Lamb has not been present for voluntary OTAs, but is not reporting to minicamp, which subjects a player to fines.

Lamb seeks a new contract extension.

This is always a tricky path in fantasy, as we've seen holdouts last into the regular season, and that puts a question mark on his value in drafts. Lamb is the WR1 in current 4for4 Rankings, but missing time will obviously put a damper on that. We'll keep an eye on the situation throughout the offseason.

The 49ers are working to finalize a deal with veteran TE Logan Thomas. After a 55-catch season with the Commanders in 2023, Thomas returns to the NFC West, where he began his career as a QB for the Cardinals.

Related Players: George Kittle, Brayden Willis

This is actually quite an interesting landing spot. Thomas won't have any immediate fantasy upside but would be a streaming option if Kittle were to miss any time.

New York Giants tight end Darren Waller is likely to make a decision by next week's mandatory minicamp about his playing future, and people in and around the team expect that he's going to retire, multiple sources told ESPN. Those close to him believe he's leaning in that direction.

Related Players: Daniel Bellinger, Theo Johnson

It seems more likely by the day that Waller is going to retire. This would make Bellinger a streaming option throughout the season, while Johnson would get quite the boost in Dynasty leagues.

A record deal: the Vikings and three-time Pro-Bowl WR Justin Jefferson reached agreement on a four-year, $140 million contract extension that includes $110 million guaranteed and makes him not only the highest-paid WR in NFL history, but the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history.

Jefferson’s deal includes $88.743 million due at signing, the highest non-QB guarantee at signing in NFL history. And it resets the WR market.

Related Players: Jordan Addison, Brandon Powell, N'Keal Harry

Jefferson is one of five players ever with 5,000-plus receiving yards in his first four seasons, and his 5,899 career yards are nearly 400 more than any other player in NFL history along that same measure, according to NFL Research.

This locks in one of the best playmakers in the league for Sam Darnold/J.J. McCarthy going forward.