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Ricky Pearsall Expected to Undergo Season-Ending Knee Surgery
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee) is expected to undergo season-ending surgery on the nagging PCL injury that dates back to last season, general manager John Lynch told reporters, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Pearsall is expected to make a full recovery in time for the start of the 2027 season. The 25-year-old former first-rounder from the University of Florida has considerable upside in head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense, but unfortunately, injuries have defined his career early on. Pearsall played in just 20 games in his first two NFL seasons, catching 67 of 99 targets for 928 yards and three touchdowns. Fantasy managers can obviously remove him from their draft boards in 2026. San Fran has since reunited with veteran pass-catcher Deebo Samuel Sr., who could factor into starting three-wide sets this year alongside newcomers Mike Evans and Christian Kirk, although rookie second-rounder De'Zhaun Stribling, who has looked good so far in training camp, might have something to say about that.
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Marvin Mims Jr. Displaying Big-Play Ability in Training Camp
Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. has a tougher path to consistent playing time in 2026 in Denver after the team's offseason addition of Jaylen Waddle, but that hasn't stopped him from displaying his big-play ability in training camp, according to Susanna Weir of DenverBroncos.com. In what was the play of the day in practice on Friday, quarterback Bo Nix delivered a deep ball at least 50 yards down the field to Mims, who caught the pass for a would-be touchdown. "He's demonstrated it, time in and time out," head coach Sean Payton said of Mims' ability to make big plays. "There's a lot of confidence that he plays with. He's got that top-end speed, but his strength is locating the ball when it's down the field, 50 yards or 40 yards. He does that really well." The 24-year-old's big-play ability is definitely useful for a Broncos offense looking to become more explosive, but it was a bad sign in 2025 when he regressed to a 37-322-1 line in 15 regular-season games. The former second-rounder in 2023 from Oklahoma is now part of a crowded WR corps in Denver, and his fantasy football stock has fallen considerably. RotoBaller has Mims ranked as the No. 95 WR going into 2026.
Source: DenverBroncos.com - Susanna Weir
Source: DenverBroncos.com - Susanna Weir
Brock Purdy Developing Chemistry With New No. 1 Receiver
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy appears to have already lost wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee) for the entire 2026 season, but the good news is he has shown some early chemistry in training camp with new wideout Mike Evans, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports. Purdy and Evans connected on the play of the day in practice on Friday. With the 6-foot-5 Evans matched up against nickelback Upton Stout near the goal line, Purdy threw high for Evans, who made a leaping six-yard touchdown catch. The 26-year-old Purdy played in just nine regular-season games last year due to a turf-toe injury, throwing for 2,167 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in 284 pass attempts. It was obviously a disappointing showing for fantasy managers, but even with Pearsall likely done for the year in 2026, Purdy has obvious bounce-back potential in head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense while being able to throw it up to a future Hall of Famer in Evans. The Niners are reuniting with veteran Deebo Samuel Sr., too, and Purdy still has All-Pro RB Christian McCaffrey to dump the ball off to when all else fails. A lack of rushing prowess limits Purdy's overall fantasy upside, but he's not a bad low-end QB1/high-end QB2 target for a bounce-back if he stays healthy in his fifth year in the NFL.
Source: NBC Sports Bay Area - Matt Maiocco
Source: NBC Sports Bay Area - Matt Maiocco
Justin Jefferson Building Chemistry With Both QBs in Training Camp
Minnesota Vikings All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson has remained neutral when it comes to the team's competition at quarterback this summer in training camp, but he's doing his best to gain chemistry with both Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy in the meantime, according to Lindsey Young of Vikings.com. "It's all on who comes to practice and who's the better guy," Jefferson said. "And at this point, it's still early in training camp for any of us to understand or know who's the No. 1 guy. It's just all about pouring into both of them and making sure that whoever [that guy is], at the end of the day we're not starting over or starting fresh. We're just going right from where we left off in camp and what we've been doing every single day." There's no clear leader in the competition yet, but Jefferson did say that Murray is "definitely getting more comfortable" with head coach Kevin O'Connell's scheme. Jefferson had his sixth straight 1,000-yard season in 2025, but he also scored only twice in 17 games with poor QB play in Minnesota. He's still an easy top-10 fantasy WR, but Murray winning the job under center probably gives Jefferson the higher overall ceiling for a big bounce-back in 2026.
Source: Vikings.com - Lindsey Young
Source: Vikings.com - Lindsey Young
Kyle Monangai Missing Another Practice on Saturday
Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai (undisclosed) is missing his second consecutive training camp practice on Saturday for undisclosed reasons, according to Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune. It's unclear why Monangai is absent, but for now we'll consider him day-to-day. With the 24-year-old missing practice on Friday, Salvon Ahmed stepped into RB2 duties behind D'Andre Swift, but Roschon Johnson and Brittain Brown could compete for RB2 duties alongside Ahmed if Monangai misses more time this summer. Monangai had 169 carries for 783 yards (4.6 yards per carry) and five rushing touchdowns in 17 regular-season games as a rookie in 2025 after being taken in the seventh round out of Rutgers. He added 18 receptions on 30 targets for 164 yards and zero touchdowns as Swift's primary complement out of the backfield. Monangai is expected to resume RB2 duties in 2026 as long as he's healthy, limiting his weekly fantasy upside as more of an RB3/flex option in standard-scoring leagues because of his limitations as a pass-catcher. RotoBaller currently has Monangai ranked as the No. 35 RB.
Source: The Chicago Tribune - Brad Biggs
Source: The Chicago Tribune - Brad Biggs
Jaylen Warren the RB1A in Pittsburgh to Begin Training Camp
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren is "probably" the team's RB1A "for now," according to Mike DeFabo of The Athletic. Warren had his most productive season as a pro in 2025, recording 1,291 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns on 251 touches across 16 games. However, the Steelers signed running back Rico Dowdle, who has recorded back-to-back 1,000-rushing-yard seasons, to a two-year deal in free agency. Per DeFabo, Warren has been "getting every first rep," but the Steelers are also "quickly and consistently rotating" through Warren, Dowdle, and second-year back Kaleb Johnson. While it seems likely that Warren will operate as part of a committee backfield in Pittsburgh this season, the 27-year-old still looks to be on track to be the nominal starter for the Steelers. RotoBaller currently ranks Warren as the RB31 for redraft leagues entering 2026.
Source: The Athletic - Mike DeFabo
Source: The Athletic - Mike DeFabo
Cyrus Allen Carted Off on Saturday with Apparent Knee Injury
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Cyrus Allen (knee) left the practice field in a cart on Saturday due to an apparent left knee injury, according to ESPN's Nate Taylor. Per Taylor, the injury occurred due to a collision during a special teams rep in practice. A fifth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Allen recorded 51 catches for 674 yards and 13 touchdowns across 13 games in his final collegiate season at Cincinnati. The 23-year-old had reportedly been one of the standout performers of the early days of Chiefs camp. While the severity of Allen's injury is not yet clear, this appears to be an unfortunate setback for the promising rookie. The Chiefs enter the year in need of reliable pass-catching talent, so Allen could play a prominent role in Kansas City if he's able to avoid significant missed time.
Source: ESPN - Nate Taylor
Source: ESPN - Nate Taylor
Puka Nacua "Noticeably Slimmer" in Training Camp
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua has a "noticeably slimmer frame than the one he played with last season," according to Nate Atkins of The Athletic. Atkins reports that Nacua is attempting to "balance his across-the-middle physical style with a bit more finesse and burst in perimeter alignments." The 25-year-old put together a monster season in 2025, recording 129 catches for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns on 166 targets across 16 games. However, Nacua has battled some off-field issues that may be holding up extension talks with the Rams as he enters the final year of his rookie contract. The star wideout has reportedly been a standout performer in the early days of training camp, so it appears he has come into the year motivated and ready to work. Nacua remains a viable candidate to be the first wide receiver off the board in redraft leagues going into 2026.
Source: The Athletic - Nate Atkins
Source: The Athletic - Nate Atkins
Kyren Williams to See More Involvement as a Pass-Catcher?
Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams' ability to impact the game as a pass-catcher is a "wrinkle (the team) could tap into more" this season, speculates Nate Atkins of The Athletic. Atkins notes that Los Angeles has relied on Williams' pass-protection abilities in the past, but that its shift to bigger personnel groupings could allow Williams to play more as a pass-catcher in 2026. The 25-year-old has recorded at least 1,350 scrimmage yards and 13 touchdowns in three straight campaigns, but he's never reached 300 receiving yards in a season. Thanks to the emergence of fellow Rams running back Blake Corum, Williams also saw his workload decrease from 19.8 touches per game in 2024 to 15.2 touches per game in 2025. If Williams does indeed see more usage as a receiver, it could help offset a potential regression in his fantasy production due to the split backfield in Los Angeles.
Source: The Athletic - Nate Atkins
Source: The Athletic - Nate Atkins
Ty Simpson Battling for the QB2 Job in Los Angeles
Los Angeles Rams quarterbacks Ty Simpson and Stetson Bennett IV split reps evenly in training camp practice on Friday, according to Nate Atkins of The Athletic. With Rams QB1 Matthew Stafford resting on Friday, Atkins reports that Simpson had an "eventful day with some highs and lows." Los Angeles selected Simpson with the 13th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft after he threw for 3,567 yards and 28 touchdowns across 15 games in his final collegiate season at Alabama. As long as Stafford stays healthy in 2026, Simpson is highly unlikely to see the field for any significant stretch in his rookie season. However, given where they drafted him, it appears Los Angeles views Simpson as its quarterback of the future. Simpson's dynasty value could fluctuate significantly based on how he performs in training camp and the preseason.
Source: The Athletic - Nate Atkins
Source: The Athletic - Nate Atkins
Jameson Williams Standing Out in Training Camp
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams has been one of the standout performers of the early days of training camp, according to Colton Pouncy of The Athletic. Per Pouncy, Lions head coach Dan Campbell said that Williams is "going to have a big year" for Detroit. Across 17 games last season, the 25-year-old recorded 65 receptions for 1,117 yards and seven touchdowns on 102 targets. However, much of Williams' production came after Lions tight end Sam LaPorta went down with a season-ending back injury in Week 10. With LaPorta back in action for Detroit heading into 2026, Williams could get lost in the shuffle behind LaPorta, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Jahmyr Gibbs. There's no doubting Williams' explosive upside, but he will need to find more week-to-week consistency to break through the boom/bust WR3 label.
Source: The Athletic - Colton Pouncy
Source: The Athletic - Colton Pouncy
Juwan Johnson Confident About Saints Offense for 2026
New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson recently appeared on 'The Insiders' and spoke of the confidence and camaraderie the team played with late in the 2025 season, and he believes that mindset will carry into 2026. He also compared his path to that of Taysom Hill, with whom he shared a locker room for the past six seasons, and with Hill recently announcing he would not be returning to the Saints, Johnson knows he will need to become more of a leader and locker room presence in year seven. Johnson was the TE10 in 2025, and with a chance to turn in similar production in Kellen Moore's ascending up-tempo offense, he represents great potential value as a closing-round flier in 2026 drafts, currently ranked as RotoBaller's TE21.
Source: The Insiders
Source: The Insiders
Jalen McMillan Making His Presence Felt at Buccaneers Camp
After missing most of the 2025 season with a significant neck injury sustained during preseason action, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan has been a full participant in the early days of training camp, regularly flashing the underrated abilities that allowed him to finish as the fantasy WR19 or better in six of his last 10 games played. With the Buccaneers working on two-minute drills during Friday's practice, team staff writer Brianna Dix highlighted a perfectly run dig route that resulted in a long touchdown, and pointed out the contagious energy he brought to the offense by skipping into the end zone. The play came with McMillan aligned on the outside of the formation, which could prove to be a spot he finds himself in more frequently following the departure of six-time Pro Bowler Mike Evans. McMillan is RotoBaller's WR56 and a candidate to greatly outperform ADP if he can stay healthy and earn a regular spot on the outside.
Source: Brianna Dix
Source: Brianna Dix
Lamar Jackson Adjusting Quickly to Working Under Center
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson took over 80% of his snaps from shotgun or pistol in 2025, but you might not know it from the way he's operated offensive coordinator Declan Doyle's new-look system through the early days of training camp. Jackson's first three pass attempts of camp all came from under center, with all three resulting in completions, and he has reportedly audibled to move under center on more than one occasion. In speaking with reporters, Doyle pointed out Jackson's quick learning curve and what he hopes to accomplish by putting the two-time MVP under center more frequently. " He's very natural at it... There's a lot of versatility in his game. You want to mix all those things and make the defense have to deal with him." He went on to discuss the benefits of the play-action element, saying, "Being able to turn your back to the defense and simulate the run for a longer period of time allows things down the field." Since his hire in January, Doyle's messaging has been clear about creating more explosive plays, and with Jackson taking quickly to the new approach, he could easily see one of the highest fantasy ceilings at the position, and the four-time Pro Bowler is RotoBaller's QB2.
Source: Clifton Brown
Source: Clifton Brown
Trevor Lawrence "Significantly Ahead" of Where He Was Last Year
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence has had three different offensive coordinators in his five-year career, but entering his second season with Grant Udinski in that position and head coach Liam Coen calling plays, the continuity appears to be paying dividends. The team's editorial staff reports that through three days of training camp practices, Lawrence and the offense are "significantly ahead of where they were this time last season." Lawrence finished 2025 playing arguably the best football of his professional career, pacing as the fantasy QB1 over the final 10 weeks while earning MVP consideration, and early reports would indicate he's picked up right where he left off. The Jaguars boast one of the league's deepest groups of pass catchers, and with Coen unlocking his rushing abilities, as he had with Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay, Lawrence has one of the highest ceilings at the position. In a year where waiting to select a quarterback makes as much sense as ever, Lawrence is a player to target in the later rounds of 2026 drafts, currently coming off the board around QB11.
Source: Jacksonville Jaguars
Source: Jacksonville Jaguars
