Steelers Beat: healthy TE Vance McDonald could make difference

Jul 09, 2018

"Can TE Vance McDonald untap his vast potential?" That was the question posed by Steelers beat writer Joe Rutter.

"The Steelers thought enough of McDonald to trade for him in the final week of the preseason last summer. Team officials believe a full season learning the Steelers system will benefit McDonald, who has never surpassed 30 catches or 391 receiving yards in five NFL seasons. Of course, he needs to stay healthy, which was a difficulty for McDonald in his first year with the Steelers. He also has been plagued by drops in his career," Rutter went on to answer.

Related players: Jesse James

Fantasy Impact:

James is entering the final season of his rookie contract, but don't forget, McDonald had the best game of his career in the divisional playoffs with a line of 10-112-0. The story said the Steelers think McDonald can be among the top tight ends if healthy. McDonald is our No. 20 ranked TE and is another late option in drafts.

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Chargers set to open window for RB J.K. Dobbins (knee)

Daniel Popper on X

0 minutes ago

Chargers will be opening J.K. Dobbins' 21-day window today, Jim Harbaugh tells reporters.

Related players: Gus Edwards

Fantasy Impact:

Dobbins has been on IR for the past four games with a knee injury. He's not a lock to play this week and he's not a lock for a safe workload even if he does play. The Chargers travel to New England in Week 17, so the matchup isn't a bad one. It's an early window game on Sunday, so owners should have plenty of notice. We'll also keep an eye on the practice reports this week.

Dolphins unsure of WR Jaylen Waddle's (knee) status for Week 17

Barry Jackson on X

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McDaniel non-committal on whether Jaylen Waddle (knee) will practice this week: "I'm expecting to get everything from Waddle that he can do... I've [talked to] the trainer to make sure we protect him from himself. We will see how the week progresses. I don't know exactly what it will look like."

Fantasy Impact:

Waddle owners should probably not count on Waddle for Week 17, or at the very least have a backup plan. Waddle and the Dolphins play the Browns in the later window on Sunday so it could further complicate things for owners who were hoping to play him.

Texans WR Tank Dell tore ACL, dislocated knee

DJ Bien-Aime on X

9 minutes ago

DeMeco Ryans says WR Tank Dell tore his ACL along with dislocating his knee.

Fantasy Impact:

No surprises here as it was a terrible injury to watch during the game. While he's obviously out for the season, the bigger question is what will his status be for 2025. It's a huge question mark at this point given the seriousness of the injury. Even if Dell is able to play next season, he may take a while to get back to 100%.