Jaguars RB Travis Etienne is not practicing Tuesday. It's just an illness, though, according to John Shipley of SI's Jaguar Report. Rookie Snoop Conner was seen getting 1st-team reps in Etienne's absence.
Jaguars HC Doug Pederson announced Tuesday that QB Trevor Lawrence and RB Travis Etienne will not play in Thursday night's Hall of Fame game, the preseason opener. This is not a surprise. Starters rarely make more than a cameo in the "game." We'll see how much preseason action Lawrence and Etienne get beyond that. In the meantime, get fired up for Thursday night's Jake Luton Show. (QB C.J. Beathard also won't play.)
Chargers RB Isaiah Spiller has been the only RB other than Austin Ekeler taking 1st-team reps, according to NFL Network's Taylor Bisciotti. That's a pretty good signal that he's the favorite to emerge as the Chargers' #2 RB. And it doesn't hurt that former #2 Justin Jackson signed with the Lions on Monday. Spiller looks like a solid handcuff-level pick.
Update: Bisciotti later tweeted that RBs Joshua Kelley and Larry Rountree also got 1st-team reps in Monday's practice. "They’re splitting reps and it’s an open competition," Bisciotta tweeted. "RB2 is up for grabs." We still consider Spiller the favorite to win this job.
Browns WR Amari Cooper hurt his right ankle late in Monday's practice. HC Kevin Stefanski had no update afterward. "I haven't gotten the full report," he said, per Cleveland.com. "I'll update you guys tomorrow." Cooper did remain out with the team (not participating) for the end of practice. We'll watch for the update.
Steelers RB Najee Harris left Monday's practice early with a left foot injury, but it doesn't sound serious. "Somebody stepped on his foot, but it shouldn't be a major deal," HC Mike Tomlin said, according to Steelers Depot. We'll keep an eye on the situation, but it doesn't seem like we should worry.
Saints RB Alvin Kamara's court date for the battery charges against him has been rescheduled for September 29, ESPN's Katherine Terrell reports. That's 4 days after New Orleans' Week 3 game in Carolina and 3 days before the Week 4 game vs. the Vikings in London. We'll see what comes of that hearing and whether it spurs the NFL to take action.
Rams HC Sean McVay said Monday that QB Matt Stafford still has "a little bit of pain" in his throwing elbow. Stafford had an injection in that elbow shortly after the Super Bowl and didn't throw at all during the spring. He's thrown some in camp but was held out of team drills on Monday. "We just want to be really smart with somebody that is as important as our quarterback is," McVay said. "[We want to] put together a plan that we feel like is in his best interests and our team's best interests." The Rams continue to downplay this situation. But when a QB is still experiencing pain in his throwing elbow in August, we're on alert.
ESPN's Todd Archer reports that Cowboys WR James Washington broke his right foot in Monday's practice. He'll undergo surgery on Tuesday and is expected to be sidelined for 6-10 weeks, per Archer. It sounds like this is a Jones Fracture, which is a fracture of the bone on the pinky toe side of the foot. That's the injury that cost Titans RB Derrick Henry nearly 3 months last year, so 6-10 weeks might be on the optimistic side. Regardless, Washington isn't worth a spot on redraft rosters -- and we wouldn't even bother with him in best ball. With WR Michael Gallup (ACL) also not expected to be ready for the start of the season, rookie WR Jalen Tolbert has a huge opportunity to capture a significant early-season role.
Rams WR Van Jefferson will have surgery on his left knee, HC Sean McVay announced to reporters Monday. The issue still doesn't sound major, though. Jefferson is only expected to miss "a few weeks," according to NFL Network's Ian Rapport. The young wideout is "TBD for Week 1." We'll see about Jefferson's status as Week 1 approaches. He remains in play as an end-of-draft option for deeper leagues, though there's obviously risk that the situation limits him into the season. Ben Skowronek and Tutu Atwell look like the top 2 candidates for the 3rd WR role if Jefferson misses regular-season games. We also could see more target share go to Cooper Krupp and/or Allen Robinson in that case.
Cardinals QB Kyler Murray tested positive for COVID and will miss at least the next 5 days of training camp, HC Kliff Kingsbury said. Murray is reportedly dealing with "minor" symptoms. It's fortunate timing with Week 1 still over a month away. Assuming no long-term impacts of the virus, consider Murray's fantasy stock unaffected.
Cowboys WR James Washington was carted off the practice field on Monday with an apparent right leg injury. We'll pass along an update when we get one, but it'd probably be wise to hold off on drafting Washington in the meantime. A significant injury would open the door wide open for rookie WR Jalen Tolbert to claim a Week 1 starting job.
Broncos TE Greg Dulcich participated in individual drills on Monday for the first time in training camp. He had presumably been sidelined with the core injury he suffered this spring. Insider Mike Klis predicted on the Draft Sharks podcast that, although TE Albert Okwuegbunam would open the season as Denver's starter, that Dulcich would lead the group in fantasy points by season's end. We'll see if the rookie can start pushing for a role.
Bengals HC Zac Taylor said Monday that RB Samaje Perine has a “leg up” in the competition to be the 3rd-down back. Taylor also called Perine a "security blanket" while acknowledging that 2nd-year RB Chris Evans could still earn the role. The main takeaway here is that the team doesn't want to put too much on Joe Mixon's plate, despite his 3-down skill set. A Mixon injury would almost certainly lead to a timeshare.
Falcons WR Bryan Edwards is sidelined with a shoulder injury suffered on Saturday. “It’s nothing that’s considered long term," HC Arthur Smith said. "We’ll take it day by day." It doesn't sound like Edwards' availability for the start of the season is in jeopardy, but he can't afford to miss much time if he wants to win a Week 1 starting job.
There was a hearing on Monday for Saints RB Alvin Kamara's assault case. The result? "A 60-day status check," according to Las Vegas 8 News Now's David Charns. "No action today." So it'll be the end of September before we get another legal update on Kamara's situation. The NFL can still step in with a suspension at any point but tends to wait for the legal process to play out in cases like these. Translation: It's now more likely that Kamara is eligible for Week 1 and the entire season.
Broncos WR K.J. Hamler has been activated from the PUP list. He spent the offseason rehabbing the torn ACL and dislocated hip he suffered last September. We'll see how Hamler fares in practice and if he's ready come Week 1. His deep speed should mesh well with QB Russell Wilson, but Hamler will struggle for reliable fantasy value if he's the #4 WR behind Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick.
Bills HC Sean McDermott said WR Jamison Crowder will practice "in some capacity" on Monday. He missed the 1st week of camp with what the team called "general soreness." WR Isaiah McKenzie balled out in Crowder's absence and now looks like the favorite for slot duties. We'll see if Crowder can turn the tables. There are still over 5 weeks until Buffalo's opener.
Commanders RB Antonio Gibson (hamstring) returned to position drills Monday, according to Ben Standig of The Athletic. We'll keep an eye on his status -- as well as specific role -- going forward.
The NFL -- via Judge Sue Robinson -- has suspended Browns QB Deshaun Watson for the 1st 6 games of the season for violating the personal-conduct policy. The NFLPA has said it would not challenge her ruling. The league has 3 days to file an appeal. This is obviously a positive outcome for the fantasy football outlook of Watson and the Browns offense. Expect Jacoby Brissett to start the 1st 6 contests.
The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec highlighted WR Rashod Bateman among his "stock up" players through the 1st week of training camp. "He consistently made plays in all areas on the field and cut out the drops that were happening too often in minicamps," Zrebiec wrote. "The 2021 first-round pick has a no-nonsense and business-like demeanor." Bateman has a massive opportunity in 2022 with the departure of WR Marquise Brown and his 146 targets from a year ago. He's an attractive target at his 7th-round ADP.
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