Bills TE Dawson Knox played in Saturday's preseason finale. He missed Buffalo's second preseason game with a finger injury, but he's ready to go for Week 1. Knox's fantasy value obviously took a big hit with the addition of TE Dalton Kincaid, but Knox should still be on the field plenty with the Bills expected to run a lot of 2-TE sets.
Chiefs HC Andy Reid expects WR Kadarius Toney (knee) back at practice in "about a week." Toney has been sidelined since getting hurt on July 23 and subsequently undergoing surgery to repair a cartilage issue in his knee. Kansas City's season opener is just 12 days away, so Toney seems iffy for that one. But it at least sounds like he's trending in a positive direction and remains worth stashing on fantasy benches.
Titans HC Mike Vrabel said Friday after the team's final preseason game that he hasn't seen enough yet to decide who will back up QB Ryan Tannehill. Malik Willis played nearly all of the game against New England. Will Levis has missed the past two games with a minor thigh injury. "As it stands now, with Will's availability, and we'll get him back this week," Vrabel said. "But I thought that Malik took a big step yesterday. Unfortunately, you have the turnovers, but there was a lot of cool stuff that happened after that. ... Malik has to make some better decisions and we'll see where Will's at this week." It seems like Tannehill is the only Tennessee QB worth paying attention to for 2023. We'll see who hits the season as No. 2 for dynasty and superflex purposes.
Per reporter Rob Demovsky, Packers WR Romeo Doubs missed Saturday’s preseason game with a hamstring injury. No word yet on the severity, but we’ll look for an update this weekend. Doubs sits low in our WR rankings.
The Raiders and RB Josh Jacobs have agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $12 million, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. It's the same thing RB Saquon Barkley got from the Giants. Each RB was limited in what he could get once the July deadline passed for franchise-tagged players to sign long-term contracts. This new pact brings Jacobs back with still more than two weeks before the regular-season opener. We'll see how quickly Jacobs' ADP rebounds. He has commonly been going in Round 3 of recent drafts. He's certainly a nice value in that range and can make sense anywhere from the second half of Round 2 on -- depending on your format. Jacobs never moved much in our fantasy football rankings this summer.
Niners rookie K Jake Moody will miss the team's preseason finale with a right quad strain. He's considered day-to-day, according to multiple reports. Doesn't sound like the injury is a big deal, and we wouldn't bet on the third-round pick getting cut in favor of Zane Gonzalez. But a kicking-leg injury is probably enough to mean you shouldn't draft Moody this weekend at least. We'll see about the coming week.
The Athletic's James Boyd calls RB Zack Moss the Colts' "likely" starter once he's recovered from his broken arm. That's, of course, if RB Jonathan Taylor isn't in the picture. Boyd also writes that RB Evan Hull "could be poised for more snaps alongside [QB Anthony] Richardson" after a strong August. It was RB Deon Jackson who got the start in Indianapolis' final preseason game, so this remains a murky situation. Hull is the most intriguing target at the very end of fantasy drafts, although Moss is worth considering, too.
The Cowboys are acquiring QB Trey Lance from the 49ers for a fourth-round pick, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. We've expected a trade at least since San Francisco officially named Lance the caddy to fellow draft bust Sam Darnold. This is a somewhat surprising destination, though, given that QB Dak Prescott's entrenched and signed through 2024. That no team with more of a QB need was apparently willing to give more suggests the league doesn't believe in Lance's long-term upside either. We'll see how a new stop treats him. But any hope of a fantasy payoff for patient dynasty managers is fading.
The Athletic's Chad Graff wrote recently that Patriots rookie WR Demario Douglas "might end up" as the team's WR3 after strong camp performances. The sixth-round pick from Liberty has received "more snaps with starters in recent practices" than incumbent wideout Tyquan Thornton, per Graff, and is reportedly a threat to diminish the playing time of veteran Kendrick Bourne. It isn't easy to make the case for Douglas in redraft leagues. We don't have much hope for the fantasy prospects of the Pats' pass-catchers in 2023. However, this news presents managers in dynasty leagues with an intriguing dart-throw candidate to target in a trade or off the waiver wire. Consider stashing Douglas on your bench or taxi squad.
Sports Illustrated's Ben Meyerson recently reported that Buccaneers rookie RB Sean Tucker was splitting first-team reps with teammate Rachaad White. Meyerson quickly clarifies it was only during one drive but that it's "definitely something to monitor." The UDFA from Syracuse likely would've been a solid pick in the 2023 NFL Draft had it not been for a rumored heart condition. We mention this because Tucker, despite not being drafted, is a very talented player in a backfield without much depth behind White, the presumed starter. In addition to his rushing acumen, Tucker has some appeal as a pass-catcher. He ranked sixth in receiving market share (15.8%) among all Power 5 conference RBs in 2022 and could provide enough value as the RB2 in Tampa Bay to warrant late-round consideration in deeper leagues. See where these Bucs backs appear in our current RB rankings.
Saints WR Rashid Shaheed returned to individual drills in Thursday's practice, according to insider Nick Underhill. Shaheed had been sidelined since August 5 but is seemingly on track to be available for the season opener. He'll start the year as New Orleans' No. 3 WR behind Chris Olave and Michael Thomas.
SI’s Albert Breer writes that Commanders RB Chris Rodriguez “will have a role (maybe a big one)” in 2023. Per Breer, the rookie Round 6 pick “has shown aggression and efficiency as a runner.” That matches up with his pre-draft profile. Over the past four seasons at Kentucky, the 220-pounder racked up 3,601 yards and 32 TDs. He added only 20 receptions over that stretch, though. And it’s tough to see him emerging as a fantasy factor behind Brian Robinson and Antonio Gibson.
Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins said Thursday that he's back to 100% after his 2021 multi-ligament knee injury. "I do think that healthy, I can be one of the top backs in the league," Dobbins said. "That flashes sometimes, but I just got to prove it and I am going to prove it one day. One day it will happen." Dobbins sure looked healthy -- and like one of the best backs in the league -- when he averaged 6.6 yards per carry over the final five games of last season (including playoffs). If he can avoid injury this year, Dobbins will return big value from his fifth-round ADP.
The Dolphins are one of two teams that have made a trade offer for Colts RB Jonathan Taylor, according to The Miami Herald's Barry Jackson. The Dolphins' offer was not accepted, obviously, but the team continues to engage in talks with Indianapolis, per Jackson. We'll see where this goes. Miami would be an excellent landing spot for Taylor's fantasy value -- and crush RBs Jeff Wilson and Raheem Mostert.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Commanders WR Terry McLaurin (toe) is "uncertain" for Week 1. "His injury typically is a multiple-week injury," Schefter adds. Not only does turf toe tend to be a multi-week injury, it's also an injury that can linger beyond that and impact a player's performance. It's a definite concern for McLaurin's 2023 fantasy outlook. We nudged him down the WR rankings.
Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy is expected to miss "several weeks" with a "moderate hamstring injury," according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. Rapoport adds that Jeudy’s status for Week 1 is "in question" but that "there’s optimism it’s nothing long term." It's relatively good news after what sounded like a serious injury in Thursday's practice. Still, with Denver's season opener just 17 days away, fantasy drafters should plan on Jeudy missing at least one game -- and potentially more.
The Cardinals acquired QB Joshua Dobbs and a 2024 seventh-round pick from the Browns in exchange for a 2024 fifth-rounder. Dobbs joins Colt McCoy and Clayton Tune as the healthy QBs in Arizona. The Cardinals have yet to name a Week 1 starter, with QB Kyler Murray still on the mend. The Browns, meanwhile, look set to roll with rookie QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson as QB Deshaun Watson's backup.
The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue writes that Rams RB Kyren Williams "could have a bigger impact" on the team's passing game in 2023. Williams has reportedly "excelled throughout training camp" in this capacity, and QB Matthew Stafford "seemed to get comfortable" targeting him as a receiver. Perhaps the biggest takeaway from Rodrigue is the belief the Rams will "probably feature both [Cam] Akers and Williams," meaning that whatever hopes existed for rookie Zach Evans to seize a fantasy-relevant role are dwindling. Williams was used sparingly as a rookie last season, only seeing 50%+ of offensive snaps twice in 2022, but this potential uptick in usage could vault him into deep league PPR consideration. See where the Rams RBs appear in our current RB rankings.
"Do not underestimate the Vikings’ commitment to [RB Alexander] Mattison," The Athletic's Alec Lewis writes. "The team believes in him and it believes he is a key cog in their attempt at improved rushing efficiency. Mattison might not provide the explosive element that [RB Dalvin] Cook possesses, but the Vikings are committed to providing him an every-down workload." Mattison isn't the most exciting talent, but everything we've heard from Minnesota since Cook's departure is that Mattison is in for big volume this year. He's a solid pick in the fifth or sixth round of fantasy drafts.
The Athletic's Daniel Popper writes that Chargers WR Josh Palmer "appears" to be ahead of WR Quentin Johnston on the depth chart. "Palmer has been earning more first-team reps in three-receiver packages alongside Keenan Allen and Mike Williams," Popper adds. "Johnston is still in the very early stages of his development and has struggled with drops. His role early in the season will be geared toward specific concepts that allow him to play fast. Palmer, meanwhile, has the full trust of quarterback Justin Herbert and the coaching staff. He has been a regular playmaker in training camp." We certainly won't be shocked if Palmer out-snaps Johnston in Week 1. But we'd expect the rookie's role to grow throughout the season. Johnston remains an exciting fantasy pick, even though we won't be able to trust him in Week 1 lineups. Palmer, meanwhile, is a fine pick at the very end of best-ball drafts.
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