August
30,
2025
Dan
Wiederer
of
The
Athletic
believes
Chicago
Bears
running
back
D'Andre
Swift
could
surpass
1,500
yards
from
scrimmage
this
season.
While
that
mark
may
not
be
realistic,
there
are
more
than
a
few
reasons
to
believe
Swift
read more...
August 30, 2025
Tennessee Titans rookie wide receiver
Chimere Dike will begin the season as the team's punt returner, according to Titans General Manager Mike Borgonzi. Dike was an experienced return man in college at Florida and has reportedly looked good in practice. The rookie will have a tough time earning a heavy amount of snaps on offense early on, but he can be impactful on special teams. He earned two snaps with the starters in the team's last preseason game in the place of
Van Jefferson. The fourth-rounder likely projects to be the primary backup to
Tyler Lockett in the slot, and could emerge if he is productive with his touches. He isn't draftable in redraft leagues at this moment.
--Kyle McCarthySource: Easton Freeze
August 30, 2025
Washington Commanders rookie wide receiver
Jaylin Lane has caught the eye of many in training camp and preseason, including head coach Dan Quinn. Quinn has been encouraged by the fourth-rounder's continued ascent as both a receiver and returner. Lane has elite athletic traits with a 9.68 Relative Athletic Score and is dynamic with the ball in his hands. The Virginia Tech product has 4.34 speed with a 40-inch vertical, and the opportunity to run a decent amount of routes in a projected top offense. The coaching staff has been using him more frequently on the outside as opposed to the slot, most notably in the team's second preseason game against the Bengals. Two of his three receptions in the game were from the outside, and he showed nuance as a route runner, leveraging his speed to create separation in the intermediate range of the field. Lane is worth keeping on the watch list early on and as the season progresses in redraft leagues.
--Kyle McCarthySource: The Team 980
August
30,
2025
Tennessee
Titans
rookie
wide
receiver
Elic
Ayomanor
has
been
developing
a
strong
connection
with
fellow
rookie
quarterback
Cameron
Ward,
according
to
Dan
Graziano
of
ESPN.
Ayomanor
has
consistently
impressed
coaches
during
camp,
and
read more...
August
30,
2025
Indianapolis
Colts
tight
end
Tyler
Warren
may
exceed
expectations
in
his
first
year
in
the
National
Football
League.
"Since
arriving
in
Indianapolis,
as
expected,
Warren
has
been
a
go-to
target
in
the
passing
game,
whether
it
read more...
August
30,
2025
According
to
James
Rapien
of
SI,
Cincinnati
Bengals
running
back
Tahj
Brooks
is
projected
to
occupy
the
No.
3
spot
on
the
depth
chart
behind
Chase
Brown
and
Samajeread more...
August 30, 2025
Rival NFL executives are skeptical about the San Francisco 49ers' "ability to continue surrounding
Brock Purdy with elite talent after they paid their QB this offseason," writes The Athletic's Jeff Howe. The Niners traded away wide receiver
Deebo Samuel Sr., and the strength of the roster was built on high-end contracts. Howe goes on to say that the team's depth has been exposed when their stars have gone down with injuries -- like when both star running back
Christian McCaffrey and top wideout
Brandon Aiyuk were hurt in 2024. The 49ers' margin for error is likely to shrink even more in 2028, when Purdy's salary cap hit rises to $57.6 million. San Fran's defense could take a step forward in 2025, but their receiving corps is already very thin heading into Week 1 with Aiyuk on the PUP list and
Jauan Jennings (calf) also up in the air.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Jeff Howe
August 30, 2025
Per The Athletic's Jeff Howe, one rival NFL executive predicts that Los Angeles Rams linebacker Jared Verse will be the league's best defensive player in 2025. Verse already won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024 by totaling 66 tackles (36 solo), 4.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, 18 QB hits, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 17 regular-season games (16 starts) last year, and he was more disruptive than his 4.5 sacks suggest. The 24-year-old former 19th overall pick out of Florida State appears to be the real deal for a young and emerging Rams defense that was awfully close to knocking out the eventual Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles in the playoffs last year. If Verse stays healthy, he should easily be able to top the 4.5 sacks he accrued in a very successful rookie campaign.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Jeff Howe
August 30, 2025
The New Orleans Saints are excited about second-year cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry, according to The Athletic's Jeff Howe. McKinstry showed up to training camp in terrific shape and has "shown strong ball skills, instincts and toughness." The former second-rounder out of Alabama could become the team's next stud cornerback after both Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo have left town. In his first taste of the NFL last year, the 27-year-old defensive back had 42 tackles (32 solo) and six pass breakups in 15 games (nine starts) in the Big Easy as a starter. It wasn't a bad showing for a rookie cornerback that was forced into a starting role, and it sounds as though McKinstry is ready to take the next step in Year 2 for a Saints team that isn't expected to do much under first-year head coach Kellen Moore. Takeways have never been a part of McKinstry's game, though, making him avoidable in IDP formats.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Jeff Howe
August 30, 2025
Carolina Panthers defensive lineman Derrick Brown continued to impress during training camp this summer and "should be a force" again in 2025, according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic. Brown has been a high-impact player for years now, and there doesn't appear to be a drop-off in sight for the former seventh overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft out of Auburn. The 27-year-old was a first-time Pro Bowler and one of the top D-linemen in the league in 2023, when he had a career-high 103 tackles (57 solo), two sacks, seven tackles for loss, 15 QB hits, an interception and six pass breakups in 17 starts. However, he tore his MCL in Week 1 of last year, leading many to wonder if he can regain his form for Carolina in 2025. By all accounts, Brown is fully healthy, and the Panthers defense is going to need him if they are going to make any noise in the NFC South.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Jeff Howe
August
30,
2025
The
Athletic's
Jeff
Howe
writes
that
the
Tennessee
Titans
"have
been
thrilled"
with
rookie
first-round
quarterback
Cameron
Ward's
work
ethic
early
on.
Ward
has
showed
up
around
5
am
every
day
during
training
camp
to
start
read more...
August 30, 2025
Los Angeles Rams rookie running back
Jarquez Hunter is likely to open the season behind both
Kyren Williams and
Blake Corum in the team's backfield pecking order. Given how heavily Los Angeles has utilized Williams over the past two seasons, Hunter's RB3 status could mean that he is unlikely to see the field much as a rookie. A fourth-round pick out of Auburn, Hunter led the SEC by averaging 6.4 yards per rush attempt in his final collegiate season. The 22-year-old brings an explosive speed element to the Rams' backfield that Williams and Corum do not. However, Williams and Corum are dependable three-down backs who can make plays inside the tackles, which is a skill set that Rams head coach Sean McVay has typically favored. An injury could change things, but for now, Hunter should be off the radar of fantasy managers in 2025.
--Will BradySource: Rams Wire - Cameron DaSilva
August 30, 2025
Denver Broncos rookie wide receiver
Pat Bryant played well in training camp and the preseason and could be ready to contribute immediately in 2025. A third-round pick out of Illinois, Bryant recorded 54 catches for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns in his final collegiate season. The 22-year-old will likely open the season as the primary backup to star Broncos wide receiver
Courtland Sutton. However, Bryant could force his way onto the field alongside Sutton if he produces when given the opportunity. Denver's WR2 and WR3 are
Marvin Mims Jr. and
Troy Franklin, who are both talented players, but neither has a proven track record of production. Bryant's upside case includes him working his way into the team's WR2 role by the end of the season, which makes him a worthy late-round flier in deep fantasy leagues.
--Will BradySource: The Athletic - Nick Kosmider
August 30, 2025
New York Jets rookie tight end
Mason Taylor has a chance to emerge as a key contributor within the team's passing game this season. A second-round pick out of LSU, Taylor recorded 55 catches for 546 yards and two touchdowns in his final collegiate season. The 21-year-old reportedly had an impressive training camp and is poised to open the season as the Jets' top tight end. New York does not have a clear secondary target-earner behind star wide receiver
Garrett Wilson, so Taylor could conceivably work his way into a prominent role early in the year. He should not be counted on for fantasy TE1 production, but Taylor could end up being a value as a late-round flier in deeper leagues.
--Will BradySource: The Athletic - Zack Rosenblatt
August 30, 2025
The Carolina Panthers are signing veteran wide receiver
Hunter Renfrow to the active roster, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Renfrow will have a chance to be the team's primary slot receiver with
Jalen Coker (quad) heading to injured reserve due to a quad issue. Renfrow did not appear in an NFL game in 2024. In 17 games for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023, he recorded 25 catches for 255 yards. The 29-year-old will likely never reclaim the Pro-Bowl level he reached in his peak season in 2021, but Renfrow could prove to be a semi-capable target earner in Carolina this season. Still, he offers little upside as a downfield or red-zone receiver and should remain off the radar of fantasy managers.
--Will BradySource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
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