August 21, 2025
Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh was non-committall on running back
Najee Harris (eye) when asked if he'll be ready for the Week 1 regular-season opener on Friday, Sept. 5, against the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs in Brazil. "When Najee is ready to play, Najee will be ready to play. Right now, to take it past today would be going over the legal limit. That would take your over the legal limit of what-ifs," Harbaugh said. Harris remains on the Non-Football Injury list after a fireworks accident on the Fourth of July injured his eye, and he was seen working out on a side field again on Wednesday. The 27-year-old's representation is saying that he'll be ready for the regular-season opener, but given the fact he's missed all of training camp and the preseason to this point, it seems likely that rookie first-rounder
Omarion Hampton will be more involved than Harris in L.A.'s backfield.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Daniel Popper
August 21, 2025
Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said that quarterback
Joe Flacco will make the start in the preseason finale on Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams, with the starters expected to go around 25 to 30 plays. Rookie
Dillon Gabriel will enter the game after Flacco, followed by rookie fifth-rounder
Shedeur Sanders third.
Kenny Pickett (hamstring) continues to deal with a hamstring injury that he suffered in late July, but he did return to some practice drills this week. The order for this weekend's game suggests that Gabriel remains ahead of Sanders on the team's QB depth chart, but the Browns could keep all four signal-callers on the active 53-man roster heading into Week 1 against the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals. If Pickett is healthy for the start of the regular season, he's expected to be the backup to Flacco.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Cleveland Plain Dealer - Mary Kay Cabot
August 21, 2025
Carolina Panthers backup quarterback
Andy Dalton (elbow) is being held out of the team's preseason finale on Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Panthers beat writer Darin Gantt. Starter
Bryce Young will also be held out, leaving QB duties on Thursday to
Jack Plummer and
Bryce Perkins, who was just signed on Monday. The 37-year-old Dalton suffered a muscle strain in his right elbow in the team's second preseason tilt last Saturday against the Houston Texans. While the injury isn't considered overly serious, Dalton is strictly focused on being available for the club's Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday, Sept. 7, against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Red Rifle is purely a backup at this point in his career. In six games (five starts) played last year in Carolina when Young was benched, he threw for 989 yards, seven touchdowns and six interceptions.
--Keith HernandezSource: Panthers.com - Darin Gantt
August 21, 2025
Miami Dolphins running back
Jaylen Wright (undisclosed) walked off the practice field on Thursday slowly with an apparent injury and was flanked by a trainer before heading into the team's facilities for further evaluation, according to Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network. With
De'Von Achane (calf) not practicing at all this week with a calf injury, Wright's injury status becomes even more important heading into Week 1 of the regular season in early September. Rookie
Ollie Gordon II took most of the team's RB reps in practice on Thursday. We'll bring you more information on Wright's status when we have it. Assuming Miami's backfield options are all fully healthy, the 22-year-old Wright figures to be the RB2 behind Achane. The former fourth-rounder has plenty of home run ability himself and had 249 rushing yards on 68 attempts in Year 1 in 2024.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Cameron Wolfe
August 21, 2025
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said on Thursday that quarterback
Trevor Lawrence and the rest of the starters will not play in the preseason finale on Saturday against the Miami Dolphins. Lawrence and the rest of the starting offense will not be seen again until the regular-season opener on Sunday, Sept. 7, against the Carolina Panthers. The 25-year-old signal-caller from Clemson has not lived up to the hype of being the No. 1 overall pick back in 2021, and on top of it, he played a career-low 10 games in 2024 due to injury. Lawrence should bounce back this year as long as he stays healthy, though, especially in Coen's offensive scheme with an added weapon in two-way star
Travis Hunter. Fantasy managers aren't going to be drafting Lawrence as anything more than a low-end QB2 with upside in upcoming drafts.
--Keith HernandezSource: Jaguars.com - Demetrius Harvey
August 21, 2025
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton confirmed that quarterback
Bo Nix and the rest of the team's starters will play eight to 10 offensive snaps in the preseason finale on Saturday against the New Orleans Saints. Nix played briefly in the preseason opener against the San Francisco 49ers and looked rusty before not suiting up for the second preseason game last weekend versus the Arizona Cardinals. The 25-year-old will get one final brief tune-up against another squad this weekend before a Week 1 season-opening matchup against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Sept. 7. The former Oregon Duck started off slow in Payton's offense in his rookie campaign before hitting his stride and taking off, throwing for 3,775 yards, 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. If Nix continue to grow in Payton's offense in Year 2, he should be in play as at least a low-end QB1 in fantasy.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Denver Post - Luca Evans
August 21, 2025
Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said that quarterback
Matthew Stafford (back) has been a full participant at practice all week. When asked how Stafford has looked the last few days, McVay said, "He's looked like the stud we know." However, Stafford will not travel with the team to Cleveland for their preseason finale against the Browns on Saturday. The 37-year-old veteran has now practiced four straight days without restrictions and appears to be on track to be ready for the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday, Sept. 7, against the Houston Texans. He may not be 100% to begin the season, but it's good news for receivers
Puka Nacua and Davonte Adams that Stafford should be on the field in Week 1. Expect Stafford to be limited early in the practice week next week. For fantasy purposes, he has become a low-end QB2 with injury risk.
--Keith HernandezSource: TheRams.com - Stu Jackson
August
21,
2025
Green
Bay
Packers
head
coach
Matt
LaFleur
shut
down
any
rumors
of
wide
receiver
Romeo
Doubs
(back)
being
cut
following
training
camp.
When
asked
about
the
potential
for
Doubs
to
be
cut
on
the
Up
&
read more...
August 21, 2025
New Orleans Saints second-year quarterback
Spencer Rattler will make the start for Saturday's preseason finale against the Denver Broncos, head coach Kellen Moore announced after practice on Thursday. The competition for the starting QB job remains neck and neck between Rattler and rookie second-rounder
Tyler Shough, and Rattler making the "start" doesn't really mean he's the favorite to be named the Week 1 starter after Saturday's contest. The 24-year-old looked better than Shough did in the second preseason contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars, though, so if he can do that for a second straight week, Moore will likely name Rattler as the starter under center to begin the season. Rattler, a fifth-rounder last year, looked like a rookie in his seven games (six starts), throwing for 1,317 yards, four touchdowns and five picks. Fantasy managers will want to avoid the Saints' QB situation.
--Keith HernandezSource: New Orleans Saints
August
21,
2025
New
England
Patriots
wide
receiver
Ja'Lynn
Polk
(shoulder)
will
miss
the
entire
2025
season
due
to
a
shoulder
injury
that
needs
surgery,
sources
told
FOX
Sports'
Jordan
Schultz
on
Thursday.
Polk
visited
with
multiple
specialists
before
read more...
August 21, 2025
Jacksonville Jaguars rookie two-way star
Travis Hunter (upper body) was held out of Thursday's joint practice with the Miami Dolphins due to an upper-body injury, and he will not play in the team's preseason finale on Saturday night against Miami, according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN. The Jaguars considered having Hunter practice, but they took the precautionary route since they don't want him to aggravate the injury that has kept the Heisman Trophy winner out of the team's three previous practices and the second preseason game. The 22-year-old second overall pick out of Colorado suffered the injury in the team's scrimmage on Aug. 14. Although he hasn't been practicing with the rest of the team, he took part in individual drills on Tuesday and Wednesday, suggesting he should be just fine for the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday, Sept. 7, versus the Carolina Panthers.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Michael DiRocco
August
21,
2025
Trainers
were
looking
at
Cincinnati
Bengals
wide
receiver
Tee
Higgins'
left
ankle
during
training
camp
practice
on
Thursday,
according
to
Jeremy
Rauch.
Higgins
got
his
leg
tangled
up
during
a
play
and
was
seen
hobbling
off
the
read more...
August 21, 2025
Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said that quarterback
Lamar Jackson (foot) is fine after he was stepped on during Wednsday's training camp practice. Jackson got an X-ray, which came back negative, just for peace of mind. "Prayers do get answered," Harbaugh said. The Ravens held Jackson out of practice on Thursday because his foot was still sore. The 28-year-old two-time MVP will not play in the team's preseason finale on Saturday against the Washington Commanders, but he'll be just fine for the Week 1 regular-season opener in a showdown with the Buffalo Bills. Jackson was already an elite fantasy threat with his legs, but he took the next step as a passer last year, too. He finished as the QB1 with 4,172 passing yards, 41 touchdowns and only four interceptions while rushing for 915 yards and four more scores.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
August 21, 2025
Washington Commanders running back
Chris Rodriguez Jr. will likely be used in short-yardage situations and at the goal line this season, according to Commanders head coach Dan Quinn. With
Brian Robinson Jr. almost certainly on his way out in Washington, the team appears to be comfortable with a committee of
Austin Ekeler,
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Rodriguez Jr., and
Jeremy McNichols at the running back position. In 22 career NFL games over the last two seasons, Rodriguez Jr. has 86 carries for 420 yards and four touchdowns. He could be worth a late-round dart throw in deep leagues given his presumed role and the opportunity to earn more touches in Washington.
--Will BradySource: Ben Standig
August 21, 2025
Atlanta Falcons tight end
Kyle Pitts Sr. has been studying historically elite quarterback/tight end relationships and wants to foster that with Falcons QB
Michael Penix Jr., according to ESPN's Marc Raimondi. Raimondi says that this is a noteworthy change from how Pitts has spoken about the quarterbacks he has played with in the past. In the three games that Penix Jr. started for the Falcons in 2024, Pitts was targeted 10 times and hauled in seven catches for 65 yards and a touchdown. The 24-year-old tight end remains one of the most physically gifted players at his position, and he may have an opportunity for increased targets early in the season with Falcons wide receiver
Darnell Mooney (shoulder) currently sidelined. Pitts profiles as a fringe TE1 for fantasy with solid upside but a very low floor.
--Will BradySource: The 33rd Team - Ari Meirov
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