Despite spraining both ankles and a knee last weekend, Cowboys TE Jason Witten is listed as probable for Sunday’s game against the Falcons. He practiced all week, including a full workout on Friday. He’ll run his streak to 190 straight games played. But at less than 100% and with Brandon Weeden under center, Witten is just a low-end TE1.
Bengals RB Jeremy Hill lost 2 fumbles in Sunday's game against the Chargers. He was benched after the 2nd one in the 3rd quarter. "We can't have a back fumbling the football," HC Marvin Lewis said. "Jeremy's a talented young player and we've got to keep the football. That wasn't part of his deal last year, and we can't let it creep in." With Hill on the sideline, RB Gio Bernard ripped off 123 yards on 20 carries. That has this backfield looking like a pure committee heading into Week 3.
Brandon Bolden operated as the Patriots' 1st-team passing-down back in Friday night's preseason game. He finished with 5 carries for 12 yards and 0 catches on 1 target. Dion Lewis was the change-of-pace back with QB Jimmy Garoppolo and the 2nd-team offense. He looked good in hauling in all 4 of his targets for 20 yards and a score. RB James White, meanwhile, didn't get on the field as far as we could tell. This situation remains as muddy as even with less than 2 weeks until New England's opener. Avoid all 3 guys in fantasy drafts.
The Packers view WR Ty Montgomery as a "bigger Randall Cobb," according to insider Rob Demovsky. The rookie has been impressing in a variety of roles early in training camp. "You’ve seen how many different ways they use Cobb out of the backfield, out of the slot, end around type things. We’ve seen all of that already with Montgomery," Demovsky added. "[Aaron] Rodgers has commented, and so has Jordy Nelson, just about how studious he is. When you study like that, you gain the trust of the quarterback." Montgomery would need an injury to Nelson, Cobb or Davante Adams to have a shot at reliable fantasy value this season, but he's worth tracking in redraft leagues and stashing in dynasty setups.
Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger suggested that Markus Wheaton remains the team's #2 WR. "We're in 2-WRs (sets), he's our #2 and we're asking him to play outside," Big Ben said. "When we go 3 WRs we ask him to move inside." Roethlisberger obviously hasn't been reading the clippings on WR Martavis Bryant's impending breakout 2015 season. Bryant remains a strong bet to out-produce Wheaton this year, but if he truly stays 3rd on the depth chart and isn't an every-down player, he'll struggle for week-to-week consistency. This will be a situation to keep a close eye on over the next month. Wheaton could end up as a value pick at his ADP is he retains the #2 spot. Big Ben named Wheaton his team's "breakout player of the year."
Packers WR Jordy Nelson (hip) was on the field and practicing on the 1st day of training camp Thursday. He missed the majority of the offseason after undergoing hip surgery, but he returned to individual drills in June minicamp and appears at or close to 100% now. Unless he suffers a setback in August, consider the hip a non-issue. Nelson is fairly priced at his current 2.06 ADP.
Raiders QB Derek Carr has been experiencing numbness in his right ring finger, according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen. The team is hoping that Carr can avoid surgery and address the issue with rest and rehab. "Nobody sounds overly alarmed for now," Mort adds. CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora also hears that the issue is "very, very minor." Carr will still be worth closely monitoring, though, because the injury is to his throwing hand. He also figures to miss some offseason practices, which isn't ideal considering the Raiders are installing a new offense and have 2 new starting WRs.
Undrafted free agent RB Zach Zenner latched on with the Lions. Zenner hails from South Dakota St. but gained a cult following in the pre-draft process thanks to an impressive combination of production and measurables. He posted 3 straight 2,000-yard rushing seasons with 58 TDs over that span. He also caught 77 balls during that 3-year stretch. Then Zenner checked into the Combine at 6'0, 223 pounds and ran a 4.60-second 40-yard dash with a 41-inch vertical and 121-inch broad. That gave him the 2nd highest SPARQ score in this year's RB class -- behind new teammate Ameer Abdullah. Detroit's backfield is currently a bit crowded with the 2 rookies, Joique Bell and Theo Riddick. But Bell turns 29 in August and Riddick only looks like a pass-catcher. Zenner is capable of emerging as a "big back" complement to Abdullah down the road.
The Dolphins on Friday traded WR Mike Wallace and a 7th-round pick to the Vikings for a 5th-round pick. The low-cost for a talented wideout heading into just his age-29 season shows just how much Miami wanted to get rid of him, and perhaps how wary other teams remain of the big contract he signed. Regardless, Wallace brings deep speed to a Minnesota team suddenly deep at wideout. The Vikings boast 2014's emergent Charles Johnson, Cordarrelle Patterson -- who's heading into just his 3rd year -- and veteran Greg Jennings. (We'll see if Wallace's arrival threatens Jennings' status.) For now, it's tough to find Wallace enough volume to climb beyond WR3 territory in fantasy football, but there's no clear #1 in Minnesota's WR pecking order. QB Teddy Bridgewater can only gain value from adding Wallace's big-play speed. The 2nd-year mean looks like a solid pick near the bottom of the top 12 at QB. We'll be very interested to watch this offense through the summer.
Vikings OC Norv Turner said RBs Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon will play against the Saints on Sunday. He added that he "might use 1 more if he gets a hot hand." That's a bit surprising since McKinnon doesn't seem ready for a significant role. He's still not a Week 3 fantasy option but is definitely worth stashing. Turner's comment makes Asiata a riskier fantasy play. A subpar NFL talent, he's unlikely to develop that hot hand.
With Raiders RB Maurice Jones-Drew (hand) looking unlikely to play against the Texans this weekend, HC Dennis Allen suggested that RBs Darren McFadden and Latavius Murray could share backfield duties. "We'll start with Darren, and it probably will be more series-wise with Latavius and Darren," Allen said. McFadden remains the superior fantasy play, but he's a shaky RB3 or flex. Murray shouldn't be in Week 2 fantasy lineups but is an intriguing stash.
Bengals LB Vontaze Burfict left Sunday's opener against Baltimore in the 2nd quarter with a concussion. He suffered the injury when he hit Ravens QB Joe Flacco shortly before halftime and has been ruled out for the game. Burfict will obviously need to go through the league protocol before returning now. We'll see what his status is for Week 2. Baltimore moved the ball much more easily on the Bengals D in the 2nd half without Burfict around.
Chargers TE Antonio Gates (hamstring) is "50-50" to play against the Cardinals on Monday night, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Gates injured the hamstring in practice on Saturday and is officially listed as questionable. Between the late kickoff and risk for reinjury, Gates should be on fantasy benches this week. TE Ladarius Green is already an intriguing fantasy option in Monday's plus matchup. Gates' absence would only add to his appeal.
Former Rams WR Torry Holt says WR Tavon Austin has failed to stand out in training camp. “Tavon Austin has been very quiet this camp, and I thought he was quiet the other night [in the preseason opener],” Holt said. “And for a guy who was picked 8th overall, it’s bothering me he’s been so quiet up to this point.” Holt went on to say that he believes Austin's biggest contribution this season will come on special teams. It's just one man's opinion but obviously not what we want to hear about a guy looking to make a 2nd-year leap. Between Austin's disappointing rookie campaign and St. Louis' run-first offense, we're not expecting him to emerge as a weekly fantasy starter in 2014.
Rookie Vikings RB Jerick McKinnon led the team with 12 carries and 45 yards in Friday night's preseason opener against the Raiders. RB Matt Asiata started, carried 3 times for 13 yards and scored the team's lone TD before turning the backfield over to McKinnon on the 2nd drive. "Jerick has got great acceleration, he’s got great hands, he’s tough, he’s thick, he’s powerful and it showed,” HC Mike Zimmer told the Minneapolis Star Tribune afterward. It's too early to read into the order of playing time between McKinnon and Asiata, especially considering that one's a rookie and the other a returning player. McKinnon offers more quickness than the pounding style of Asiata, which could mean a workload split if Adrian Peterson gets hurt in the regular season. For now, we'll continue to watch the backup battle play out before targeting either as a handcuff.
Jacksonville teammates and decision makers have heaped praise on 2nd-year Jaguars S Johnathan Cypriend. “You look at him and he’s the type of kid that he can be the best in the NFL,” LB Paul Posluszny told The Associated Press this week. “He has that type of talent and that type of ability and he wants to do things the right way. He wants to be great, so it’s exciting to see because, for him, the sky's the limit." Coaches have talked up Cyprien's skills since he arrived last spring, and we certainly see the fantasy upside here. If you're a DS Insider, you already know how much we think of Cyprien from his place in our 2014 IDP rankings.
The Vikings have hired Norv Turner as their new OC. He'll run the offense under defensive-minded HC Mike Zimmer. Turner has had mixed results as a HC but is highly-regarded as a play-caller. He helped Browns WR Josh Gordon and TE Jordan Cameron to breakout seasons this past year. Turner favors a run-first attack and a vertical passing game. He also likes to get his TEs involved in the aerial attack. His arrival is good news for RB Adrian Peterson, WR Cordarrelle Patterson and TE Kyle Rudolph. Of course, Minnesota still needs to find an answer at TE.
The New York Daily News reports that Giants HC Tom Coughlin was "encouraged" by the Thursday workout of DE Jason Pierre-Paul. “He’s sore today, probably because he hasn’t been running,” Coughlin
said Friday. “He’s not ready to come out two days in a row and do what he did
(Thursday), but I’m encouraged by what he did.” JPP has been out of action since June back surgery. It remains to be seen whether he'll be ready for the season opener. But if his stodgy old coach admits he's impressed, then we're optimistic.
The scouting report on QB Ryan Tannehill coming out of Texas A&M said he was a capable passer when under pressure. That was certainly the case during his 2012 rookie campaign with the Dolphins. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 4th-best QB in the NFL when under pressure -- behind only Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Peyton Manning. Tannehill completed 51% of his passes, averaged 7.1 yards per attempt and tossed 3 TDs vs. 4 INTs when pressured. The Fins have added a few more weapons to his arsenal this offseason. The offensive line remains a concern. But perhaps his protection won't matter as much as we think. Tannehill is worth targeting as a QB2 flier near the end of fantasy drafts this summer.
Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul had back surgery Tuesday morning to deal with a lingering injury. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that JPP played through the injury in 2012 and had multiple epidurals during the season. Pierre-Paul said they decided to go for the surgery when the pain didn't go away this offseason. He's expected to be ready for the season, but it's not clear how much prep time JPP will have. That's particularly concerning when you consider that HC Tom Coughlin accused the player of arriving at camp out of shape last summer. (Pierre-Paul refuted that.) His back issues also date back to college. New York's starting right DE dropped to just 6.5 sacks last season after busting out for 16.5 in 2011. Expect JPP to drop down our preseason rankings a bit on this news. We'll be watching throughout camp to reassess his fantasy football value as an IDP.
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