RADIO
Sam LaPorta Dealing With Hip Injury
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (hip) is dealing with a hip injury he picked up earlier this week, according to Nolan Bianchi. LaPorta was not practicing Thursday, though head coach Dan Campbell said he doesn't think the issue will threaten the start of his season. Campbell stopped short of guaranteeing that, however. LaPorta was limited to nine games last year after a back injury eventually required surgery, finishing with 40 catches for 489 yards and three touchdowns. He spent the offseason rehabbing but was back to full participation when Detroit opened training camp in late July. The new hip issue interrupts what had otherwise been a healthy summer for the fourth-year tight end. Campbell's initial outlook is a positive one for fantasy managers, but LaPorta's progress over the next couple of weeks will determine whether that holds.
Source: Nolan Bianchi
Source: Nolan Bianchi
Patrick Mahomes Won't Play in Second Preseason Game
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said that quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) will not play in the team's second preseason game on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to Matt McMullen of the team's official website. Justin Fields, Garrett Nussmeier, and Chris Oladokun will once again split up the reps at QB for the Chiefs. Mahomes has been full-go since the start of training camp after tearing the ACL and LCL in his knee late last season, but the Chiefs have been hesitant to use him in a preseason game so far. It remains to be seen if the 30-year-old will get a dress rehearsal in the final preseason contest next Friday against the Seattle Seahawks. But all signs point to Mahomes being ready to roll for the Week 1 season opener against the division-rival Denver Broncos. The three-time Super Bowl MVP is no longer a slam dunk for QB1 status in fantasy football, and the Chiefs could rely heavily on their ground game to aid Mahomes in 2026. Betting against the former 10th overall pick from Texas Tech has never been wise, though. RotoBaller has ranked him as the No. 12 fantasy QB as he and the Chiefs offense look to bounce back this year.
Source: Chiefs.com - Matt McMullen
Source: Chiefs.com - Matt McMullen
C.J. Stroud to Play a Few Series on Thursday Night
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is set to play a few series in Thursday night's preseason contest against the Las Vegas Raiders with the first-team offensive line, a league source told Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. Stroud and the first-team O-line will get roughly 25 plays. The Texans will continue their offensive-line evaluation as the team searches for its top five guys heading into the regular-season opener against the Buffalo Bills. Stroud and the Texans' O-line are looking to be more consistent in 2026. After a Pro Bowl selection in his first year in the league, Stroud has regressed in each of the last two years and threw for 3,041 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 14 regular-season starts in Year 3 in 2025. The 24-year-old former second overall pick out of Ohio State just lost one of his top receivers in Jayden Higgins (knee) to a torn ACL, too, which puts a little damper on his bounce-back potential this year. He certainly has the skills to turn it around, but he is going to need some help. Draft him as a low-end QB2 with upside in superflex leagues.
Source: KPRC 2 Sports - Aaron Wilson
Source: KPRC 2 Sports - Aaron Wilson
Jets Looking for Adonai Mitchell to Step Up
The New York Jets are desperately looking for another wide receiver to step up opposite Garrett Wilson, and they are hoping that Adonai Mitchell can be that guy in 2026, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN. "If he continues on this trajectory right here," receivers coach Shawn Jefferson said of Mitchell, "he will be a really good Robin for our Batman. Big time." The Jets believe that Mitchell is an ascending talent and is ready to pop in his third year in the league after they acquired him from the Indianapolis Colts in 2025. The 23-year-old former second-rounder from Texas failed to be effective in his year-plus with Indy but caught 24 of his 58 targets for 301 yards and his first two NFL touchdowns in eight games to close out the year with the Jets last season. Mitchell is signed through the 2027 season and was a prime target of the Jets' front office in the trade that sent cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Colts in 2025. His QB situation with Geno Smith running the offense is not ideal, but the Jets are committed to him, and he will have plenty of opportunities to do damage in his first year with the team. Fantasy managers should be looking at Mitchell as a late-round sleeper in upcoming drafts.
Source: ESPN New York - Rich Cimini
Source: ESPN New York - Rich Cimini
Makai Lemon Back at Practice
Philadelphia Eagles rookie wide receiver Makai Lemon (hamstring) returned to practice on Thursday, seen warming up alongside his teammates without a red non-contact jersey. The Eagles are participating in their second day of joint practices with the New England Patriots, so after being sidelined for more than two weeks with a hamstring injury, Lemon will get his first taste of NFL competition against a different team. The 20th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Lemon was expected to be a major piece in replacing the production of three-time Pro Bowler A.J. Brown, with whom he will share the field on Thursday, but his absence has allowed Dontayvion Wicks to step in as the team's second wide receiver option behind DeVonta Smith. Lemon has fallen to RotoBaller's WR47, but a few positive reports could see his stock rise in the final weeks of draft season. UPDATE: Lemon is practicing on a limited basis, according to NBC Sports' Dave Zangaro.
Source: Dave Zangaro
Source: Dave Zangaro
Tyler Warren Expected to Miss About a Week
Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren (groin) exited Wednesday's training camp practice early, and he is now expected to miss about a week with a minor groin injury, according to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport. Warren has been viewed as one of fantasy's biggest risers throughout draft season, pegged as an obvious candidate to absorb some of Michael Pittman Jr.'s 110 vacated targets from a year ago, but the recent signing of veteran receiver Keenan Allen has created a murkier picture, and the injury could see him slip in drafts. Still RotoBaller's TE4 for 2026, Warren projects to be a difference-maker at the position, but the gap between him and fellow second-year tight end Colston Loveland has potentially widened in recent days.
Source: Ian Rapoport
Source: Ian Rapoport
Justin Fields to Start Saturday's Preseason Game
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Justin Fields is preparing to start Saturday's preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is taking first-team reps in Thursday's practice behind the rest of the starting offensive line, according to Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com. The Chiefs will hold Patrick Mahomes out of a second straight preseason game as he continues to recover from a torn ACL and LCL in his knee from late last year. Fields also started the team's preseason opener last week against the Los Angeles Rams and went 4-for-4 passing for 41 yards and ran the ball twice for nine yards. The 27-year-old former 11th overall pick by the Chicago Bears in 2021 from Ohio State has elite rushing ability for a QB, but his accuracy issues as a passer have kept him from realizing his true potential as a starter in the NFL. Fields was a disaster for the New York Jets last year and played in a career-low nine games, completing 62.7% of his passes for 1,259 yards, seven touchdowns, and one interception. His fantasy stock in all formats is at a new low in 2026 as the backup in KC, but if he is forced into action, he could become interesting in two-QB superflex leagues in head coach Andy Reid's offense.
Source: ChiefsDigest.com - Matt Derrick
Source: ChiefsDigest.com - Matt Derrick
Myles Gaskin Announces Retirement
Veteran running back Myles Gaskin has announced his retirement from the NFL, according to Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. "Football . . . there will never be enough words to explain how I feel about you, so I won't even try," Gaskin posted to social media on Wednesday night. "What I will do is give all the game you gave me to the next generation of young players who dare to be great. Thank you. It's been real." A seventh-round pick of the Miami Dolphins in the 2019 NFL Draft, Gaskin appeared in 47 games across seven seasons with four different teams, finishing his career with 2,072 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns.
Source: Pro Football Talk
Source: Pro Football Talk
Rachaad White Won't Play on Saturday
Washington Commanders running back Rachaad White (hamstring), who was hurt on his final play of joint practice on Wednesday against the Miami Dolphins, will not play in Saturday's preseason game against the Detroit Lions, head coach Dan Quinn told ESPN's John Keim. Quinn also said that White is "certainly close," so it does not appear his hamstring injury is serious at all. The Athletic's Nicki Jhabvala reports that White is out at practice on Thursday and was seen catching footballs on the Juggs machine. The Commanders will have a lighter practice. If White responds well the rest of the week and early next week, he could be cleared to participate in the team's final preseason contest on Friday, Aug. 28, against the Baltimore Ravens. In his first year in Washington, White is expected to serve in a change-of-pace role behind RB1 Jacory Croskey-Merritt, but his pass-catching prowess could make him a sneaky flex option at the RB position in point-per-reception fantasy formats. In his three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, White caught 205 passes on 230 targets for 1,450 yards and 11 touchdowns in 67 games (48 starts). RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 41 RB for 2026.
Source: ESPN.com - John Keim
Source: ESPN.com - John Keim
Joe Burrow, Bengals Starters to Sit in Second Preseason Game
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is planning to sit the starters, including quarterback Joe Burrow, for Saturday's preseason contest against the Chicago Bears, regardless of how Thursday's joint practice against Chicago goes, according to Jay Morrison of Sports Illustrated. Burrow will be active in the joint practice on Thursday after going 5-for-6 for 39 yards passing in last week's preseason opener against the Detroit Lions. The 29-year-old former first overall pick in 2020 out of LSU has been a boom-or-bust fantasy signal-caller in his six years in the league. Burrow, a three-time Pro Bowler, has thrown for over 4,000 yards in three of his six seasons, but he has also had three seasons wiped out by injuries. He led the league in attempts (652), passing yards (4,918), passing touchdowns (43), and yards per game (289.3) in 17 games in 2024 but then played in a career-low eight games in 2025 due to injury. Burrow has arguably the best receiving duo in the league in Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins and should bounce back in 2026 if he can stay on the field. RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 4 QB, behind only Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Jayden Daniels.
Source: Sports Illustrated - Jay Morrison
Source: Sports Illustrated - Jay Morrison
Evan Engram Raves About Broncos Offense
Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram failed to reach 500 receiving yards in his first season with the team, scoring only one touchdown, but to hear him tell it, big things are in store not just for him, but for the entire Broncos offense in Year 1 under new play-caller Davis Webb. "One of the most impressive things is he's really just kind of built something for everybody," Engram recently shared with the media. "Everybody's got plays. Anytime anybody is getting the ball, it's an explosive. You look at Pat Bryant and the camp he's having. [Courtland Sutton], he's balling as usual. Troy Franklin's flying all over the field. The running backs are getting active. Tight ends are making plays." The Broncos finished 10th in the league by yards per game in 2025 while ranking 14th by points scored, but following the addition of wide receiver Jaylen Waddle via trade and the drafting of running back Jonah Coleman into an already deep room of J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey, expectations are in place for a major step forward. At RotoBaller's TE34, Engram has spent most of the summer off of drafters' radars, but a strong start could see him work his way into the early-season streaming conversation.
Source: Kevin Patra - Around the NFL
Source: Kevin Patra - Around the NFL
Malik Nabers Not Participating in Joint Practice
New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (knee) is not participating in Thursday's joint practice with the Miami Dolphins as he continues to work his way back from the severe knee injury that ended his 2025 season. Nabers only recently began participating in full team drills while wearing a red non-contact jersey, so it comes as no surprise that he is being held out of the less predictable setting of joint practice. Head coach John Harbaugh told the media on Tuesday that Nabers would need to shed the red jersey and absorb contact before being considered for regular season action, but indicated that hurdle would not be cleared against the Dolphins. The team remains hopeful that Nabers will be available for a Week 1 divisional clash with the Cowboys on September 13, and the former sixth overall pick, who broke the Giants' single-season rookie reception record on his way to a WR7 finish in 2024, is RotoBaller's WR12.
Source: Jordan Raanan
Source: Jordan Raanan
Baker Mayfield Thinks Bucs will Shock a Lot of People in 2026
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield is excited and ready for the season. He expressed his confidence by taking a question on Wednesday about the team's Week 1 matchup in Cincinnati and saying, "It's just the Bucs against everybody else in that city you're going to... I think we're going to shock a lot of people this year, so I'm excited to just get on the road and do that." Mayfield is in the final year of the three-year, $100 million extension and was unable to reach a new extension this offseason. He took a step back last year, with 3,693 yards and 26 touchdowns after posting 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns in 2024. He played through injury during the season, which ended with the Bucs just missing the playoffs. He'll look to post a big year and earn a new deal, and he starts the year ranked as the No. 17 QB in RotoBaller's rankings.
Source: Kevin Patra
Source: Kevin Patra
Tai Felton a Top Performer in Camp, Pushing for WR3 Role
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Tai Felton has been one of the team's top performers this training camp, according to ESPN's Kevin Seifert. Felton was a third-round pick out of Maryland before last season but only had three catches for 25 yards in his rookie season, contributing mostly on special teams. This season, though, he has been pushing newly acquired Jauan Jennings for playing time with an outstanding training camp, earning praise for his route-running and winning contested catches in the red zone and in the open field. Felton is still a deep-league sleeper at this point, but he's definitely a name to watch since the Vikings' passing game could get a boost with Kyler Murray stepping in as the starting QB. Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison will get most of the work, but Felton is a name to know late in drafts, and he could quickly emerge as a waiver wire option if he earns playing time.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Kaleb Johnson on the Roster Bubble, Unlikely to Make the Team
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson is in a battle for his roster spot and could end up not making the final roster, according to The Athletic's Mike DeFabo. Johnson was the team's third-round pick just over a year ago, but he didn't make much of a positive impact as a rookie and has struggled in limited work in training camp. He only had two carries for three yards in the team's preseason game and was most notable for being yelled at on the sideline by special teams coach Danny Crossman. Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle will likely get most of the work at running back for the Steelers, with Travis Homer mixing in as a specialist. Lew Nichols seems to have passed Johnson as well, which puts Johnson in danger of being cut if he doesn't step up in the rest of the preseason. Johnson isn't a fantasy factor at this point, but his roster status is worth watching.
Source: Mike DeFabo
Source: Mike DeFabo
