The Ravens placed RB J.K. Dobbins on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. Dobbins reported to training camp on Thursday but won’t be ready for the start of team practices. We'll see what news comes out of Baltimore in the coming days. Dobbins, of course, has been plagued by knee trouble since tearing his left LCL, ACL, and meniscus in 2021.
It's not hard to see why some fantasy football drafters are excited for Titans TE Chig Okonkwo's second season. After delivering a 94th-percentile 40 time among TEs at the Scouting Combine, Okonkwo was efficient as a rookie. Among 43 TEs who drew 30+ targets for the season, Okonkwo ranked third in Pro Football Focus receiving grade and first in yards per route. He ranked third in targets per route among all TEs who ran at least 10 routes. So what's not to like? Okonkwo's biggest question will be playing time. No Titans TE cracked 56% playing time for the season last year. No Titans TE has reached 71% in HC Mike Vrabel's five seasons. Okonkwo's per-route efficiency can combat that and still give him fantasy value, but playing time was the main drag on the fantasy value of Jonnu Smith -- a similarly enticing athlete with intriguing efficiency. Okonkwo moved slightly down our fantasy football rankings with the DeAndre Hopkins signing. He remains an upside play for 2023, as long as you don't reach for him too early. We'll also be watching reports on the role of rookie TE Josh Whyle through training camp and preseason.
We knew WR Alec Pierce brought downfield speed when the Colts drafted him in Round 2 last April. His 12.2-yard average depth of target led the team in his rookie campaign. Pierce's 16.8-yard college aDOT says that number could rise even higher. And new QB Anthony Richardson specialized in deep passing as a collegian. According to Pro Football Focus, Richardson ranked 25th among 148 qualifying FBS QBs last year in total deep attempts (20+ yards downfield), 20th in deep-passing grade and 16th in deep-passing yards. We'll see about the pass-run split between the strong-running rookie QB and the new coaching staff. But Pierce is a low-risk option in best ball drafts at his later-round ADP. Read more about him and see where he sits in our 2023 fantasy football rankings.
The Broncos signed K Brett Maher. It’s a reunion for the 33-year-old, who once kicked for HC Sean Payton. Maher made 31 of 34 FGs last year but will need to beat out Elliott Fry for the starting nod.
The Giants are signing RB James Robinson, insider Art Stapleton reports. Robinson opened last season as Jacksonville's lead back but quickly fell behind Travis Etienne and was traded to the Jets in October. He carried just 29 times for New York and was a healthy scratch for multiple games. Robinson joins Matt Breida, Gary Brightwell, and rookie Eric Gray behind the still-unsigned Saquon Barkley on the Giants' depth chart. We'll see how that backfield shakes out over the next month, but Robinson is no more than an end-of-draft fantasy flier.
Jets HC Robert Saleh envisions QB Aaron Rodgers playing behind 2023. (Well, of course.) "Odds are, if you enjoy playing football, you're going to want to keep doing it,” Saleh said via ESPN. “I wouldn't put pressure on him to commit to something like that anyway, but I'd be shocked if he doesn't play multiple years. He looks like a little kid out there.” Entering camp, Rodgers seems to be feeling the Jets’ vibe. "When you have so many great players on rookie deals, it's pretty exciting, knowing you can do something," Rodgers said. "You've got a good window. It's not just a one-year thing where you can be competitive, which is fun.” Rodgers, who turns 40 in December, projects as a QB1 spot-starter.
The Giants aren't done adding slot receivers. They've signed WR Cole Beasley, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. Beasley joins Parris Campbell, Wan'Dale Robinson, Sterling Shepard, and Jamison Crowder as primary slot receivers on New York's roster. We'll see about the details on Beasley's contract, but it probably won't be enough to guarantee him a roster spot. It's worth noting that he's reuniting with HC Brian Daboll, who was Beasley's OC in Buffalo from 2019-2021.
Commanders WR Terry McLaurin enters Year 5 seeking his 4th straight 1,000-yard season. McLaurin’s underlying numbers looked strong last fall, with 2.04 yards per route run, 5.1 yards after catch per reception, and a 3.8% drop rate. The former Ohio State star also played 17 games for the 2nd straight season. Washington will run it back with a WR trio of McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, and Curtis Samuel. QB Sam Howell brings more questions than answers, but we’re confident in Eric Bieniemy as a major play-calling upgrade. Ultimately, McLaurin profiles as a low-end fantasy WR2.
The Ravens signed RB Melvin Gordon to a one-year deal worth "up to" $3.1 million, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. The guaranteed money on the deal is surely much lower. Gordon turned 30 in April and mustered just 3.5 yards per carry on 90 attempts for the Broncos last year. He ranked dead last among 48 qualifying RBs in NFL Next Gen Stats' Rush Yards Over Expected Per Attempt. Gordon will simply compete for a roster spot in Baltimore behind J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards. He's not worth rostering in any fantasy football format.
Jets HC Robert Saleh said Thursday that RB Breece Hall "looks really good" in his recovery from October's torn ACL. “He looks strong, he’s in really good shape," Saleh added. "Obviously, we’re going to do good by him and make sure that we slow play it, but he’s in really good shape.” Saleh declined to say when Hall will be fully cleared, but his rehab has gone smoothly by all indications, giving him a shot to play Week 1. We'll continue to keep you updated on Hall's progress. With a 3rd-round ADP, he's currently one of the bigger risk/reward picks in fantasy drafts.
Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth has shown a ton of promise in his NFL career so far. He finished last season as the TE11 in PPR points per game (9.3) in a less-than-stellar offense. Though he logged nine top-12 weekly finishes with a pair of top-24 finishes, Freiermuth finished as a TE3 or worse in his other five games in 2022. But when you look under the hood, his production profile looks much better. Among 27 TEs who received 50+ targets in 2022, Freiermuth ranked sixth in Pro Football Focus receiving grade, sixth in target share (19.6%, sixth in air yards share (19.7%), and sixth in yards per route run (1.68). Better yet, he led the Steelers in targets per route run rate (23%), ranked sixth among all TEs in targets per game (6.2), and seventh in target share (20.9%) following the Week 9 trade that sent WR Chase Claypool to the Bears. What makes Freiermuth's feats in that stretch of time even more impressive is that he ranked 22nd in snaps player per game among TEs (47.8) during that period. Whether or not fantasy managers believe in the strength of the Steelers' offense, QB Kenny Pickett developed a strong relationship with Freiermuth that puts him in fairly high standing in our current TE rankings. Take a chance on him in the later rounds of your drafts this season.
New Texans TE Dalton Schultz has thrived on target volume over the past three seasons. He racked up the fifth most PPR points among TEs as Dallas' starter over the past three years, while ranking fourth in targets, seventh in yards, ninth in yards per game and 27th in yards per catch (among 27 TEs with 50+ receptions over that span). Schultz ranked 27th, seventh and 17th among TEs in Pro Football Focus receiving grade in those three seasons, among players with 40+ targets by season. Schultz landed in a Houston offense with no defined target hierarchy. But he also managed just a one-year, $6.25 million deal on the open market ahead of his age-27 season. All told, he doesn't look like a player to bet strongly on or against in fantasy football drafts. Schultz's TE14 ADP helps the case for drafting him by minimizing the risk. See where he sits in our 2023 fantasy football rankings.
Jets QB Aaron Rodgers had high praise for WR Garrett Wilson as training camp opened on Thursday. "Davante [Adams] is in a category by himself still, but Garrett Wilson reminds me of him, as far as his ability to get in and out of breaks, and his quick twitch at the line of scrimmage," Rodgers said. It's especially noteworthy since Rodgers has never been one to artificially compliment his teammates. (Just ask Marquez Valdes-Scantling.) Wilson is coming off a 1,103-yard rookie season catching passes from QBs Zach Wilson, Joe Flacco, and Mike White. He could really explode with Rodgers at the helm.
Lions QB Hendon Hooker has been placed on the active/Non-Football Injury list. No surprise as he continues to work back from November's torn ACL. This figures to be a redshirt rookie season for Hooker, who is only worth rostering in keeper and dynasty leagues.
The Lions released K Michael Badgley. That leaves K Riley Patterson atop the depth chart. We'll see if Detroit brings in new competition ahead of Week 1, but Patterson is clearly the odds-on favorite to open the season as the starter. If he hangs onto that role, he'll be squarely on the fantasy radar kicking for an above-average offense with domed home games.
Matt Schneidman of The Athletic says he thinks Packers rookie Luke Musgrave "will be the TE1 by Week 1." Schneidman adds: "The Packers think he can be the true No. 1 pass-catching tight end that Robert Tonyan was at times but not consistently enough, someone like Jermichael Finley in his prime perhaps." The Packers reportedly hope Musgrave can develop into a player they can move around the formation as "almost a wide receiver." We like the long-term upside on the athletic rookie. For 2023, though, Musgrave sits low in TE3 territory in our rankings.
Vikings WR Jordan Addison was cited for speeding and reckless driving by Minnesota Stat Patrol early Thursday morning. NFL Network's Clayton Holloway reports that he was caught driving 140 mph at 3 a.m. Addison wasn't arrested, and traffic stops don't tend to produce league discipline. So we're not concerned about this event affecting the rookie's playing time. We'll see, however, if it's a signal that fantasy managers should be generally concerned about Addison's off-field manor.
Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco was on the field for the start of training camp on Wednesday. He was sporting a non-contact jersey after undergoing offseason labrum and hand surgeries. But there was otherwise "no sign of injury," according to insider Pete Sweeney. We'll continue to keep an eye on Pacheco, but it looks like he'll be back to 100% ahead of Week 1.
The Lions acquired WR Denzel Mims and a 7th-round pick from the Jets in exchange for a conditional 6th-rounder. That return tells you all you need to know about how Mims' career has gone so far. The 2020 2nd-round pick totaled just 42 catches, 676 yards, and 0 TDs across three seasons in New York. He turns just 26 in October and boasts a 6'3, 207-pound frame with sub-4.4 speed. But consider Mims a long shot for 2023 fantasy value. He at least finds opportunity for a Lions team looking for an outside-the-numbers, vertical threat.
Jets RB Breece Hall will begin training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. Following an October ACL tear, the team will surely take it slow with Hall. Michael Carter figures to open camp with the starters.
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