The NFL is suspending Saints RB Alvin Kamara for the first three games of the regular season over the assault case that stemmed from a February 2022 incident in Las Vegas. This is half the length of the six-game suspension that many have assumed heading into this season. We'll see whether Kamara appeals but wouldn't expect it, with the announcement coming two days after what was reported as a "good" meeting between the RB and commissioner Roger Goodell. Expect Jamaal Williams and rookie Kendre Miller to split work in Kamara's absence, with the veteran likely reclaiming the lead role upon his return. This news moves Kamara up our fantasy football rankings. His per-game upside has made him a solid-to-good value all along at a depressed ADP.
The Saints have agreed to a two-year extension with Edge Cameron Jordan. The deal includes $27.5 million guaranteed, a particularly noteworthy number given that Jordan is already 34. He's coming off significant declines by nearly all measures last season, traditional stats and advanced metrics. This pact says New Orleans believes Jordan will remain a big part of the defense at least through this year, though. With a contract that now runs through 2025, Jordan's presence for 2024 seems like a lock as well. We'll see beyond that. Jordan doesn't sit as high in our IDP rankings as previous years. But he's also likely to go in value range of your drafts.
NBC's Peter King made the Ravens the sixth training camp he has visited this week and had this to say afterward: "The most impressive rookie I have seen in six camps in Zay Flowers. Why? He lines up across from a corner, and unless they literally interfere with him or hold him, he has tremendous separation on almost every cut." Flowers remains low in WR4 territory in ADP. That's higher than he currently sits in our WR rankings, across formats. But we expect the Baltimore offense to lean a lot more toward the pass than it has in the past. We can only guess at just how high that pass rate will climb. And we can only guess at how a renovated WR corps will spread the target shares. There's plenty of room for Flowers to outperform our ranking and his ADP. We're in on him as a player and the Ravens as a high-upside offense this year.
Jets QB Aaron Rodgers gushed over WR Garrett Wilson in an interview during Thursday night's Hall of Fame Game. "Garrett has the potential to really be special in this league for a long time," Rodgers said. "Because he's got all the right things you need. He's got incredible talent. He's got a great work ethic. And he's a freakin' great kid. ... Carries himself like a seasoned vet." Rodgers also compared Wilson's "traits" to WR Davante Adams' for the second time in the past few weeks. It sure sounds like Rodgers and Wilson are already vibing, which can only help Wilson's chances of building off an impressive rookie season.
Rams OC Mike LaFleur said Thursday that WR Cooper Kupp (hamstring) is day-to-day and "he'll be fine," according to Turf Show Times. We'll keep watching for more on this situation at least until Kupp returns to the field. For now, he hasn't budged in our WR rankings.
The Bears are signing Edge Yannick Ngakoue to a one-year, $10.5 million deal, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. He spent 2022 with the Colts after being traded by the Raiders. Ngakoue totaled 19.5 sacks over the past two seasons but has exceeded 10 just once in seven pro seasons. He has also topped 30 total tackles just once, back in 2017. Ngakoue has primarily been a low-impact IDP factor, especially since leaving the Jaguars (after 2019). He should, at least, step into a starting gig in Chicago. There's upside for deeper big-play leagues.
49ers HC Kyle Shanahan said he no longer thinks about Brock Purdy’s offseason elbow surgery. This comment came on the heels of Purdy’s "sharpest practice” of camp, per beat reporter Matt Maiocco. “That’s completely off my mind. He’s healed; he’s healthy,” Shanahan said. “Guys got to get into throwing shape and they got to play and get used to that, and that takes time. But I’m not thinking about his injury.” Purdy and the 49ers travel to Pittsburgh for Week 1. The second-year QB should only factor into your superflex strategy for that one.
Texans QBs C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills remain in an “interchangeable rotation as starters during practice,” per reporter Brooks Kubena. Houston’s been serious about making Stroud earn the starting job. We see the second overall pick under center come Week 1, but we’ll watch him closely come preseason play.
Seahawks RB Zach Charbonnet (shoulder) returned to practice on Thursday. He’ll participate in Friday’s mock scrimmage, per HC Pete Carroll. The rookie will also soak up extra first-team reps with Kenneth Walker nursing a groin injury. See where both Seahawks sit in our fantasy RB rankings.
49ers RB Elijah Mitchell is dealing with an adductor strain that’ll sideline him for about one week, per HC Kyle Shanahan. Mitchell’s extensive injury history remains a concern in Year 3. He should still fill a part-time role behind Christian McCaffrey when healthy, though. Current projections have Mitchell for about 8 touches per game.
Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Broncos RB Javonte Williams is expected to play in preseason games. HC Sean Payton has said the coaching staff is still determining whether or not the third-year back will make his debut in the first or second game but that they "like how he's progressing." A torn ACL and LCL in Week 4 cut the former second round pick's 2022 campaign short, but it seems the ailment isn't slowing him down in his comeback effort this season. Agreeing to play him in the preseason is Williams' most significant vote of confidence to date after he avoided the PUP list and was cleared to contact at the beginning of camp. Fantasy managers hoping for a resurgent season from Williams ought to feel encouraged. We're still cautiously optimistic yet, but Williams has received a slight boost in our RB rankings.
Titans QB Ryan Tannehill signaled that the team will use WR Treylon Burks in a more diverse role. As a rookie, he ran 79% of his routes out wide — a major shift from his usage at Arkansas. “Now [he’s] kind of switching positions, learning the other side…and being able to move around a little bit," Tannehill said. "I think the more we can move around, the better it’s going to make our offense.” The 23-year-old profiles as a fringe WR3 to open the season.
Raiders RBs Zamir White and Ameer Abdullah have been splitting first-team work with RB Josh Jacobs still holding out, according to The Athletic's Tashan Reed. White has been handling "most of the carries," with Abdullah playing in passing situations. That's how we'd expect this backfield to operate if Jacobs misses regular-season games. White's ADP has remained in check, making him an intriguing bench stash as we continue to monitor the Jacobs holdout.
Chiefs WR Justyn Ross had a good start to training camp and has kept the momentum rolling. "You can tell he's been in the offense for a year now," QB Patrick Mahomes said. "He's obviously making big plays and he's getting more involved in those first-team reps." HC Andy Reid added that Ross has "done a nice job, had a good offseason, and then he's worked his tail off here." Ross is looking like a good bet to make the Chiefs' 53-man roster and is worth considering as a late-round flier in fantasy drafts.
NFL Network's James Palmer reports that Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco is expected to be fully cleared by August 20. He underwent offseason surgeries on his hand and shoulder. The hand has been cleared, per Palmer, but the shoulder is still a couple of weeks away. Pacheco has been participating in training camp with a non-contact jersey. It sounds like he'll be full-go by the time we get to Week 1.
Bills QB Josh Allen hopped aboard the James Cook hype train in a SiriusXM interview on Wednesday. Cook is "going to take a large portion of the carries and in the pass game, he's going to be kind of a dual threat guy for us," Allen said. We've expected Cook to dominate pass-catching work all along. But a big revelation over the last couple of weeks is that Cook is in line to also lead the Bills in carries. A workload similar to what RB Devin Singletary got over the past four years -- 11.0 carries and 3.2 targets per game -- is within reach for Cook this year.
Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell said Wednesday that WR Jordan Addison is "off to a good start" in training camp. The rookie missed much of the spring with an undisclosed injury but seems to have put that behind him. "What he's done on the grass so far has confirmed a lot of the things that we expected from Jordan," O'Connell added. "He's also done some things instinctively just playing football within the confines of our scheme... he's showing a willingness to be a blocker, he's showing understanding of how he fits within the scheme and the rhythm and timing of the QB in the pass game. I'm really excited about him." Addison remains a good bet to open the season as Minnesota's No. 2 WR, giving him immediate WR3 potential in fantasy lineups.
Per beat writer Kevin Bowen, the Colts have “mixed and matched a lot” with their TEs in training camp. Bowen mentioned a “rotation” of Mo Alie-Cox, Jelani Woods, Drew Ogletree, and Kylen Granson. “It’s difficult to see much separation so far,” Bowen concluded. We remain intrigued by Woods given his combo of size and athleticism. But this is a good reminder that he still needs to earn a role. The 24-year-old posted 25-312-3 as a rookie.
Broncos QB Russell Wilson is off to a “slow start” in training camp, per team insider Troy Renck. He’s committed multiple turnovers in practice, but HC Sean Payton isn’t deterred. "He’s doing fine," Payton said. “We are in an installation pattern. As we install, sometimes we put a play in, and it doesn’t really match, and we wouldn’t run it if we were playing Denver’s defense. Throughout this training camp and preseason, you will see things we do well and some things we don’t feel as comfortable about. So, you are constantly building that memory bank of what we are seeing and how we are executing it.” Wilson and the Broncos open the season vs. Las Vegas on September 10.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes talked up rookie RB Deneric Prince. "He can catch the ball in the backfield, he can run the ball really well, and he’s getting better and better with the protection stuff,” Mahomes said. “So I think they’re just continuing to get him reps. We’re going to have a deep RB room.” Per reporter Pete Sweeney, Prince "seemed" to see an increase in first-team reps on Wednesday. We should get an extended look at the 23-year-old in preseason action.
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