RADIO
Nationals Don't Expect James Wood to Return Later This Week
The Washington Nationals do not expect outfielder James Wood (oblique) to be ready to come off the 10-day injured list later this week when he's eligible, manager Blake Butera told Danielle Allentuck of The Washington Post. Wood took stationary dry balls and threw out to 45 feet over the weekend, and he will progress to taking dry swings on Tuesday. The left-handed power hitter has been on the shelf since suffering a left-oblique strain on Aug. 3. He's improving, but his return may not come until next week. In his absence, Dylan Crews has been starting regularly for the Nats in right field. Wood needs to be stashed in all fantasy baseball leagues while he recovers from his oblique injury as one of the best young all-around hitters in the game. Before his injury, the former second-rounder in 2021 was hitting .265 (116-for-437) with 30 home runs, 73 RBI, 17 stolen bases, and 100 runs scored in just his second full season in the major leagues. He still leads the league in runs scored and walks (90) in his 114 games played.
Source: The Washington Post - Danielle Allentuck
Source: The Washington Post - Danielle Allentuck
Michael Brennan's Win Gets Him Into This Week in Memphis
It was a better late than never scenario last week for Michael Brennan, who stormed up the leaderboard on Sunday to win the final regular-season event. It was the third week in a row that a player under the age of 25 has won on the PGA Tour. After finishing T24 and T15 the two weeks before coming to Greensboro, the Wake Forrest alum started the climb before his first career victory vaulted him all the way inside the top 50 on the FedEx Cup list. He's shown plenty of strokes gained approach and putting ability over the three weeks, averaging 1.31 on approach and 1.55 with the flat stick. Brennan's length off the tee is impressive, but he's tended to be more than wayward at times. Overcoming that around TPC Southwind is much more testing than other spots he's seen this year, but any amount of fantasy interest that comes his way is completely warranted.
Source: Data Golf
Source: Data Golf
Jack Layne Still Recovering From Elbow Surgery
New Mexico quarterback Jack Layne received an offseason surgery on his elbow and is still not practicing. Head coach Jason Eck noted that "It's bothering him a little bit." Layne transferred to New Mexico from Idaho last season, following Eck as he landed the head coaching gig. He played well as the starter from day one, completing 65.1% of his passes for 2,486 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, setting the New Mexico single-season record for completion percentage. It remains to be seen if Layne will be ready for Week 1, when the Lobos will face Central Michigan.
Source: On3
Source: On3
Titans Will Play Their Starters in Preseason Opener on Thursday
Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh said that everyone will play for the team in their preseason opener on Thursday night against the San Francisco 49ers, according to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com. With a new coaching staff in place for the Titans in 2026, they want to set the tone by having their starters play for at least a couple of series this week, including second-year quarterback Cam Ward. The 24-year-old first overall pick from the University of Miami predictably struggled in his first NFL season in 2025 without much help in the passing game, throwing for 3,169 yards, 15 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in 17 starts. The Titans made a concerted effort to surround him with better talent in the passing game this offseason, adding receiver Wan'Dale Robinson in free agency and rookie wideout Carnell Tate in the first round of April's draft. And with the addition of new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, Ward is ripe for a second-year leap in Tennessee. If the Texas native improves on his accuracy and decision-making, he'll be a useful QB2 in superflex fantasy leagues in Year 2.
Source: TitanInsider.com - Terry McCormick
Source: TitanInsider.com - Terry McCormick
Jamauri McClure Out with Injured Foot
Tulane running back Jamauri McClure (foot) is out indefinitely with an injured left foot, per Green Wave beat reporter Guerry Smith. McClure reportedly watched practice from a scooter today. Head coach Will Hall noted that McClure would be back early in the season, but it sounds as if his status is in doubt for the season opener against Duke. McClure ran for 540 yards and two touchdowns a season ago as the lead back for a team that made the College Football Playoff. His absence will be filled by the likes of senior Maurice Turner, who missed most of last season with an injury, and Jaylin Lucas, the speedy playmaker who transferred in from Florida State.
Source: BallDurham
Source: BallDurham
Baker Mayfield Will Not Play in Preseason Opener on Friday
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said that quarterback Baker Mayfield will not play in the team's preseason opener on Friday against the New York Jets, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. Mayfield will not play, even though backup Jake Browning, who was expected to start on Friday, appeared to injure his back on Tuesday. It's no surprise that Mayfield won't play in the preseason contest this week after he didn't play at all in the preseason last year. The 31-year-old veteran was unhappy that the Bucs didn't try very hard to work out a contract extension with him before the start of training camp this summer, and he'll enter the final year of his deal with the team in 2026 with a chip on his shoulder as he looks to bounce back from a disappointing 2025 campaign in which the team failed to make the postseason. Mayfield played all 17 games, but he wasn't 100% for most of the year, ending up with 3,693 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. In a new offense without future Hall of Fame receiver Mike Evans, fantasy managers shouldn't be viewing the veteran signal-caller as anything more than a low-upside, low-end QB2 in superflex leagues.
Source: Tampa Bay Times - Rick Stroud
Source: Tampa Bay Times - Rick Stroud
Nick Bosa Week-to-Week With Knee Tendinitis
San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa (knee) is now considered week-to-week because of tendinitis in his surgically repaired knee, according to Ari Meirov. Head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed the diagnosis Tuesday after Bosa had missed three straight practices with soreness. The 28-year-old is still making his way back from the torn right ACL that ended his 2025 season in Week 3 against Arizona. He recorded 17 tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles in three games before the injury. Bosa had been working his way through training camp before the soreness became an issue, and the week-to-week designation means his return to a normal practice schedule will have to wait a little longer. There has been no indication from the team that this is another ACL injury, but tendinitis in the same knee certainly gives San Francisco reason to be careful with its star pass rusher.
Source: Ari Meirov
Source: Ari Meirov
Myles Garrett Sidelined by Knee Swelling
Los Angeles Rams defensive end Myles Garrett (knee) sat out Tuesday's joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys because of swelling in his knee, according to Lindsey Thiry. Head coach Sean McVay said Garrett is around "85%" and that the Rams are choosing to be cautious with their new star pass rusher. Garrett missed four practices earlier in camp with what McVay called lower-body soreness before returning last week, though the Rams never connected that absence to his knee. There isn't much reason to push the 30-year-old through a joint practice in August, especially after Los Angeles made a blockbuster trade to bring him over from Cleveland this offseason. Garrett is coming off an incredible 2025 season in which he set the NFL record with 23 sacks and led the league with 33 tackles for loss. The knee swelling is worth watching, but McVay's comments make this sound precautionary for now.
Source: Lindsey Thiry
Source: Lindsey Thiry
Anthony Richardson Sr. to Start Preseason Opener
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. will start Thursday's preseason opener against the New England Patriots, according to Joel A. Erickson. Richardson will play the entire first half before Riley Leonard takes over for the second. The Colts will flip that setup against Atlanta on Aug. 22, with Leonard starting the first half and Richardson finishing the game. Daniel Jones will not play in either contest, leaving plenty of snaps for Indianapolis to evaluate its backup competition. Richardson and Leonard have split second- and third-team work throughout camp, and neither has separated yet. Those reps are especially useful for Richardson after he barely saw the field in 2025. He appeared in two games before suffering a fractured orbital bone during pregame warmups in Week 6 and spending the rest of the season on injured reserve. Jones remains firmly established as the starter, so Richardson and Leonard are fighting for the No. 2 job rather than a path to immediate fantasy value.
Source: Joel A. Erickson
Source: Joel A. Erickson
Jets Starters Will Play Friday Against Buccaneers
New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn plans to play his starters in Friday's preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to Al Iannazzone. That should put Geno Smith, Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson on the field together, though Glenn did not say how long the first unit will play. Smith was named New York's starter in March after throwing for 3,025 yards, 19 touchdowns and 17 interceptions with Las Vegas last season. Hall is coming off a career-high 1,065 rushing yards on 243 carries, while Wilson is back healthy after a knee injury limited him to seven games and 395 receiving yards in 2025. The Jets are also getting two joint practices with Tampa Bay before Friday's game, so Glenn does not need to leave his starters out there long to get useful work. For fantasy managers, the preseason opener should offer an early look at how Smith fits with Hall, Wilson and the rest of New York's revamped offense.
Source: Al Iannazzone
Source: Al Iannazzone
Kazuma Okamoto Back in Blue Jays' Lineup on Tuesday
Toronto Blue Jays corner infielder Kazuma Okamoto (knee) is starting at third base and batting seventh on Tuesday for the team's matchup against the division-rival Boston Red Sox and left-hander Patrick Sandoval, per MLB.com. The Blue Jays held Okamoto out for Monday's series opener at the Rogers Centre with a contusion on his left knee, but it wasn't a serious injury, and he'll return a day later. The 30-year-old Japanese native has been a great source of power from the right side in his first year in the big leagues, hitting 24 home runs and driving in 70 in 427 at-bats, but he's striking out over 30% of the time and sports a weak .225 batting average and .299 on-base percentage. Okamoto has hit just .217 (23-for-106) against left-handed pitchers, with five of his 24 home runs on the year. He is 1-for-3 in his career against Sandoval and will have a lower fantasy ceiling in the seven-hole in his return to Toronto's starting nine for Game 2 of the series.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Michael Forret Provides Solid First Impression in First Start With New Club
Baltimore Orioles pitching prospect Michael Forret had a solid first start with his new club after coming over from the Tampa Bay Rays, allowing two earned runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out five in 4 2/3 innings of work at Triple-A Norfolk. The Orioles' sixth-ranked prospect has now allowed two earned runs or fewer in six of his last seven starts and now owns a 3.32 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and a 16.0 percent K-BB% in 20 starts this season, half of which came at Double-A. The 6-foot-3 hurler could make his major league debut in the coming weeks, but even though the strikeout totals are good (9.86 K/9), the 22-year-old isn't worth stashing in redraft leagues outside of perhaps 15+ team and AL-only leagues.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Kevin O'Connell Believes J.J. McCarthy has a "Future With the Organization"
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy lost out to Kyler Murray in the battle for the starting job in training camp this summer, but head coach Kevin O'Connell said he believes McCarthy "has a future with the organization," according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN. The 23-year-old former 10th overall pick from the University of Michigan missed his entire rookie season in 2024 after having knee surgery, and he struggled mightily in just 10 games started last year in his first season in the starting role, completing 57.6% of his pass attempts for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. His struggles prompted the Vikes to sign Murray to a one-year deal in free agency in the offseason. Minnesota officially named Murray as their QB1 on Tuesday. For now, McCarthy will sit and learn behind Murray, but his next opportunity could come sooner rather than later if Murray's injury issues from a year ago resurface. For now, though, McCarthy is undraftable in redraft leagues, and his fantasy stock in dynasty/keeper formats has reached a new low.
Source: ESPN.com - Kevin Seifert
Source: ESPN.com - Kevin Seifert
Jonah Tong Bottoms Out, Falls From Redraft Stash Ranks
Just when it looked like New York Mets pitching prospect Jonah Tong might be ready for another shot in the big leagues after posting a 1.84 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings pitched over three starts, the right-hander got roughed up for six runs (five earned) on five hits -- all of which were home runs -- along with one walk and a hit batter while striking out three in five innings of work in his latest outing. After a 2025 in which he posted a 1.43 ERA and struck out 179 batters in 113 2/3 innings pitched (mostly at Double-A), the Mets' top-ranked prospect now owns a 5.46 ERA and 1.47 WHIP through 19 starts at Syracuse, though the strikeout totals remain high at 26.9 percent. The 23-year-old may get another shot in the majors this year, but it could be as a reliever again like he was earlier this season. Either way, he doesn't warrant stash consideration at this point in most redraft leagues.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Puka Nacua Leaves Practice Early With Unspecified Injury
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua left Tuesday's practice early with an injury, according to Ari Meirov. Head coach Sean McVay said afterward that the team was still unsure what Nacua had injured, so there is no body part, diagnosis or timetable to attach to this yet. That's really the whole story for now. Nacua is coming off a 2025 season in which he led the NFL with 129 catches and finished second with 1,715 receiving yards while scoring 10 touchdowns in 16 games. He is also currently No. 3 overall in RotoBaller's PPR rankings, which makes any health update worth following closely. Still, there is no reason to assume this is either minor or serious before the Rams know what happened. Nacua's status at the next practice, or another update from McVay, should give fantasy managers a better idea of whether this was just a brief scare or something that could linger.
Source: Ari Meirov
Source: Ari Meirov
