15 hours agoSan Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (elbow) is expected to be around 100% by the start of the 2023 regular season, according to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport. Purdy tore his right ulnar collateral ligament in last year's NFC Championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles and had the ligament surgically repaired this offseason. With Purdy sidelined, Trey Lance has been getting all of the first-team reps during OTAs. Despite Lance's recent run with the first team, many close to the team believe that Purdy is the 49ers' QB1. That means that Purdy, and not Lance, could be starting under center in Week 1 provided he doesn't suffer any setbacks in the meantime.--Matt T - RotoBallerSource: Pat McAfee on Twitter

15 hours agoMinnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is absent from voluntary organized team activities this week, according to reports. Head coach Kevin O'Connell discussed Jefferson's absence with reporters, stating that he has been speaking with the star receiver regularly and that he hopes to see Jefferson "as soon as possible." The Vikings have a mandatory minicamp on June 13 and 14. While Jefferson skipping OTAs is worth noting, his absence at the mid-June mandatory minicamp would be a much bigger deal. Jefferson is likely angling for a contract extension, as he will play the 2023 season on the fourth year of his rookie contract. As one of the top wideouts in the league, Jefferson should become one of the highest-paid receivers in the NFL when he does finally ink an extension.--Matt T - RotoBallerSource: Kevin Seifert on Twitter

21 hours agoWashington Commanders guard Andrew Norwell (hip) has been placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. The move takes him off the 90-man roster, and he's likely to be released once he can pass a physical. Norwell started 16 games for Washington after signing with the team last offseason, but his time with the organization could be coming to an end. There will likely be a market for the 2017 first-team All-Pro's services, at least as a backup offensive lineman.--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Ari Meirov -- 33rd Team

21 hours agoMinnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison is not participating at organized team activities this week, but head coach Kevin O'Connell said it is "nothing serious." Addison reportedly suffered a minor undisclosed injury at rookie minicamp. For now, there should be no panic or takeaway as the team is likely just being careful with its 2023 first-round pick. Addison is expected to have a big role right away alongside Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson in the ascending Minnesota offense led by Kirk Cousins. These "minor injuries" can develop into big things quickly, though, so stay tuned for further updates.--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Matthew Coller -- Purple Insider

22 hours agoJacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley will be a full participant in practice when training camp rolls around, but for now, head coach Doug Pederson said the team is being careful with the former Atlanta Falcon. Ridley hasn't seen game action since Week 7 of the 2021 season, so he'll be slowly eased back into action. However, Pederson said he has seen no sign of rust. Ridley posted 1,374 receiving yards on 90 receptions in 2020 before stepping away from the team in early 2021. The 28-year-old will look to be Trevor Lawrence's No. 1 WR and recapture his former upside in his first season in Duval County.--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Michael DiRocco -- ESPN

23 hours agoIt remains to be seen if the Baltimore Ravens will consider signing free-agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, but The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec thinks it's a "no-brainer, contract demands and team chemistry questions be damned." Hopkins would no doubt help Baltimore in their quest to develop a more dynamic passing game under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken, but will they be able to afford him? He'll turn 31 next week, but he's a five-time All-Pro and still has some of the best hands in the game. The Ravens did their due diligence on Hopkins earlier this offseason, but it doesn't appear that the team was ever really close to a deal with the Cardinals. Baltimore can get Hopkins cheaper now, but they've also invested a lot of offseason capital on adding receivers Nelson Agholor and Odell Beckham Jr.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Jeff Zrebiec

1 day agoUnsurprisingly, Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram is not present at voluntary organized team activities this week. This was expected with Engram still trying to secure a long-term contract extension from the team after his breakout 2022 campaign. The Jags put the franchise tag on Engram, but there is optimism that the two sides can work out something long term before the 2023 season. In his first year in Jacksonville in 2022, the 28-year-old set career-highs in catches (73) and receiving yards (766) while adding four touchdowns on 98 targets in 17 regular season games (14 starts). Fantasy managers probably shouldn't overspend for Engram, but at the very least he should be considered a solid low-end TE1 target.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Jaguars.com - Demetrius Harvey

1 day agoNew York Giants running back Saquon Barkley proved in 2022 that he still had explosive abilities despite dealing with the injury bug in previous years. Barkley racked up 1,312 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 295 carries, posting the third-best per-carry average (4.4) of his career and his best mark since 2019. Despite lengthy a lengthy lower-body injury history, he finished with the second-most gains of 10-plus yards over expected (17) and six runs of 20-plus mph last year. There's a chance the 26-year-old could hold out this summer as he seeks a long-term contract extension, but as long as he plays for the G-Men this year, he should be considered a top-five fantasy RB with some injury risk.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL.com - Nick Shook

1 day agoTennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry didn't start very strong last year and didn't break 100 rushing yards in a game until Week 4. However, from Weeks 4 through 9, he had 100-plus rushing yards in each game. Henry finished second in rushing yards gained after contact (1,252 of his 1,538), logged 11 gains of 10-plus yards over expected and had 57 runs of 15-plus mph. He will turn 30 years old before the end of the 2023 season and has slipped slightly in the overall running back rankings, but King Henry can still produce big plays on the ground with the best of them. Tennessee will still likely lean heavily on Henry this year, but he's become more of a midrange RB1 than a high-end one heading into the 2023 campaign.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL.com - Nick Shook

1 day agoBuffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen ranks ninth on NFL.com's Nick Shook's list of most explosive runners from a season ago. He was among the premier big-play producers in 2022, managing to gain 10-plus yards over expected 10 times last year. Allen also had 44 runs of 15-plus mph and 26 runs that gained 10-plus yards. The 27-year-old signal-caller had the highest expected points added per carry of any qualifying rusher in the NFL at plus-0.44. The Bills offense would probably be better off not relying on Allen so much as a runner, but it doesn't change the fact that he's very explosive when he takes off. It's why he'll once again be a top-three QB1 target for fantasy managers this fall.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL.com - Nick Shook

1 day agoMinnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook ranks 10th on NFL.com's Nick Shook's list of the most explosive runners in 2022. He broke 20 mph on three of his carries and logged one of the best top speeds of any qualifying RB at 21.68 mph. Cook continues to run like a wrecking ball, as evidenced by his 57 runs of 15-plus mph. However, he didn't rack up enough runs of 10-plus yards to land higher on this list. The 27-year-old's fantasy value is down heading into 2023. He produced his fourth straight 1,000-yard rushing season a year ago, but he's also coming off shoulder surgery in February and is expected to be traded by the Vikings this offseason. Cook remains explosive at his position, but he's becoming more of a high-end RB2 target in fantasy instead of a surefire RB1.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL.com - Nick Shook

1 day agoDetroit Lions safety Tracy Walker (Achilles) was at the team's organized team activities last week, albeit in a limited fashion after tearing his Achilles in Week 3 of last year against the Minnesota Vikings. Getting Walker back will be a big boost to the Lions defense in 2023 after he was Detroit's leading tackler in 2021 with 108 tackles. He also had six passes defensed and an interception that year. The 28-year-old is seven months removed from surgery and said he'll be ready to return in a full capacity when training camp starts this summer as long as he gets clearance from his surgeon. When healthy, Walker will start alongside C.J. Gardner-Johnson, with both Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch also pitching in.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: DetroitLions.com - Tim Twentyman

2 days agoSan Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is looking forward to the season ahead. The 26-year-old spent his entire career in Carolina before he was traded to the Niners last season. He played well under head coach Kyle Shanahan, amassing 746 rushing yards, 464 receiving yards, and 10 touchdowns in 11 games. However, McCaffrey is confident he may be even more potent this season. "I'm definitely excited," said the former Panther during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show. "It's nice being able to have an offseason under my belt where I can get comfortable with the details." McCaffrey was once a top fantasy option, but injuries slowed him down considerably. But if he can stay healthy, he has an excellent chance of finishing the year as the most productive fantasy back.--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Charean Williams

2 days agoThe New Orleans Saints have brought in former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden to help quarterback Derek Carr and the offensive coaching staff install their new offense under head coach Dennis Allen. Since being drafted in the second round in 2014, Carr had spent his entire career with the Raiders. Carr and Gruden ran the West Coast offense from 2018 through 2021, which is similar to the one the Saints employ. The Saints signed Carr this offseason primarily because of his familiarity with the offensive scheme, so it should allow him to hit the ground running sooner than later in 2023. The 32-year-old QB made his fourth Pro Bowl in 2022 but completed just 60.8% of his passes for 3,522 yards, 24 TDs and 14 interceptions in 15 starts. In his first year in the Big Easy, he should be viewed as a midrange QB2 in fantasy.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The New Orleans Times-Picayune - Jeff Duncan

2 days agoNew York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has enjoyed getting to know new tight end Darren Waller at organized team activities this spring. "But he's like a true 6-foot-6. He's a true 250, 260 (pounds) and can fly and can run, can run all the routes. He's just an impressive athlete. And, yeah, he's just been locked in. You can tell it's important to him. He's put a lot of effort into learning stuff and getting caught up and it has been fun working with him," Jones said. Waller became one of the best tight ends in the league in his time with the Raiders, but since his best year in 2020, he has slowed down a bit. Meanwhile, Jones threw for a career-high 3,205 yards with a 67.2% completion rate in 2022. Waller is still a very solid midrange TE1 target in fantasy, but fantasy managers shouldn't reach for him heading into his first year in the Big Apple.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL.com - Brenna White