RADIO
Hollywood Smothers: Most Consistent Texas RB in Camp
Texas notoriously hit the transfer portal to improve the running back position this offseason. They now have a loaded room made up of NC State transfer Hollywood Smothers, Arizona State transfer Raleek Brown, and true freshman Derrek Cooper. Between those three players, it appears that Smothers has been the most consistent thus far when it comes to gaining positive yardage and following his vision. This comes as no surprise, as Smothers was electric last season as the Wolfpack's lead back. He averaged 5.9 yards per carry, rushing for 939 yards and six touchdowns on the season. While Brown and Cooper will undoubtedly mix into the rotation, Smothers looks like the top back as of right now.
Source: On3
Source: On3
Ohio State Running Back Ja'Kobi Jackson Sheds Black Stripe
Seventh-year veteran Ja'Kobi Jackson was the first player during August camp to shed his black stripe for Ohio State, indicating that he has officially become a part of 'The Brotherhood.' Jackson started his career at Coahoma Community College, where he played for three seasons before transferring to Florida. He had a career year in 2024, rushing 95 times for 509 yards and seven touchdowns, but hardly saw the field last season before transferring to Ohio State. Jackson is firmly behind Bo Jackson and Isaiah West on the depth chart, but he should see some decent playing time as a role player in Ohio State's offense this upcoming season.
Source: On3
Source: On3
Deuce Alexander, Johntay Cook II Look Like Top Targets for Ole Miss
Ole Miss is losing a lot at the receiver position with De'Zhaun Stribling and Harrison Wallace III off to the NFL and Cayden Lee and Winston Watkins Jr. departing via the transfer portal. Deuce Alexander is their top returning receiver and after racking up 44 catches for 684 yards and two touchdowns in a limited role a season ago, the sky is the limit for the fourth-year player. Joining him at the top of the pecking order is Johntay Cook II, a former blue-chip recruit. Cook struggled to get going at Texas his first two seasons, but caught 45 passes for 549 yards and two touchdowns at Syracuse last season. Behind Alexander and Cook, Horatio Fields, Traylon Ray, and Darrell Gill Jr. will be battling for playing time.
Source: On3
Source: On3
Deuce Knight Developing Nicely at Ole Miss
Ole Miss sophomore quarterback Deuce Knight transferred in from Auburn this offseason knowing that he may not see the field with Trinidad Chambliss' sixth year of eligibility up in the air. When Chambliss was eventually granted his eligibility, Knight settled right in as a backup option. Offensive coordinator John David Baker believes Knight's development is right on schedule, stating: "Really, really pleased with Deuce. My favorite thing about Deuce is, he's a sponge. He's constantly asking questions. The thing about Deuce is, rarely does he put the ball in the wrong spot. The ball is always going to the right spot with him. It may not be exactly how you want it or may not exactly be on time, but he's putting the ball in the right spot. If he's doing that, we can work with that. We can get him there faster on certain things. Obviously he adds a different element. Size-speed ratio and what he can do running the football. But as far as operating the offense, really pleased with where he's at and feel very comfortable with him." While Knight may not see the field frequently this season, he will have plenty of opportunities to learn and develop as he looks towards his future.
Source: On3
Source: On3
Brandon White Making Noise for Kansas State
Brandon White is in his fifth year of college football, although he has played sparingly throughout his career thus far. The fifth-year receiver started his career at Kentucky, but logged no stats outside of a 19-yard kickoff return throughout his first three seasons. White transferred to Hawai'i as a senior, in which he tallied 38 receptions for 399 yards and two touchdowns. The well-traveled receiver is now at Kansas State, where he is reportedly making a name for himself. Drew Galloway of On3 noted that "White may be the most talked about player this entire off-season for Kansas State," stating that he's been making plays all camp in the return game and from the slot. Jaron Tibbs appears to be locked in as the Wildcats' top option at receiver, but White could make some noise this fall in Collin Klein's inaugural season as Kansas State's head coach.
Source: On3
Source: On3
Scottie Scheffler Headlining First Playoff Event in Memphis
Despite leading the FedEx Cup by a fairly wide margin, Scottie Scheffler is in the field this week in Memphis and hoping to build some momentum toward the Tour Championship. He's still in search of a second victory this season, but at this point, he's the heaviest of runner-up favorites. There isn't much to say about the world number one that most don't already know, though the statistical greatness hasn't produced trophies. He leads so many statistics throughout the bag, but missing short putts has become a painfully obvious pitfall. The good news is that many of his runner-up finishes have come in shootouts, where TPC Southwind has a history of being a little more guarded. Like every week, if reaching Scheffler's price tag is doable, he's an easy plug-and-play.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Kazuma Okamoto Scratched From Lineup With Knee Contusion
Toronto Blue Jays corner infielder Kazuma Okamoto (knee) was scratched from Tuesday's starting lineup against the division-rival Boston Red Sox with a left-knee contusion, according to the team. Charles McAdoo will now start at third base for Toronto and bat leadoff against Red Sox left-hander Patrick Sandoval at the Rogers Centre. For now, Okamoto should be considered day-to-day as he deals with what appears to be more of a minor knee injury. Fantasy managers should check back on Wednesday to see if he's good to go. Okamoto has really struggled at the plate since the All-Star break, batting .170 (15-for-88) with a .488 OPS, two home runs, three doubles, eight RBI, 11 runs scored, a stolen base, four walks, and 30 strikeouts in 23 games and 93 plate appearances. The Japanese native's power has been useful for fantasy managers in his first year in the big leagues, but the swing-and-miss issues have really surfaced so far in the second half of the season, making him a liability in the average and on-base-percentage departments.
Source: Toronto Blue Jays
Source: Toronto Blue Jays
Mike Vrabel Avoids Question Regarding Offseason Scandal
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel sidestepped a question at training camp practice on Tuesday when asked about the counseling session that caused him to miss the third day of the 2026 NFL draft in April, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. "I think we always look at improvement," Vrabel said. "As we talk about getting ready for the next season, we always look at improvement and ways that we can improve individually and how we can improve as a team. It's really critical that we continue to do that on and off the field. I believe in that." It's one of the few questions directed at Vrabel this summer that deals with the aftermath of the offseason controversy involving him and former ESPN/The Athletic reporter Dianna Russini. Florio suggests that the controversy is still hovering over Vrabel, and it could move back to the front burner if the Patriots struggle out of the gates in 2026 after reaching the Super Bowl last season.
Source: Pro Football Talk - Mike Florio
Source: Pro Football Talk - Mike Florio
Jackson Koivun Sneaks His Way Into FedEx Cup Playoffs
It only took five starts for Jackson Koivun to make his way to 70th on the FedEx Cup points list, but he has a steep hill to climb if he hopes to make a deeper run past this week. He's mellowed out since his week in Detroit, finishing T31 and T29 in his last two starts due to poor putting. It's still too early to know exactly which parts of his game are PGA Tour-ready and which aren't, but it seems ball striking is at the forefront of his strengths. He's a young buck with plenty of power, but his over 70% greens and 75% fairways hit during this small window are really impressive. As long as the putter can find some stability, his ceiling is as high as anyone's. However, it's understandable to view him more cautiously this week in an elite field. Even with the potential already bestowed on this kid, people should consider the inexperience and understand the volatility in taking him in DFS.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Geraldo Perdomo Out on Tuesday With Knee Injury
Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo (knee) will sit out of the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the division-rival Colorado Rockies after being pulled from Monday's series opener with soreness in his left knee, according to MLB.com. Ildemaro Vargas will start at the 6 in Arizona and will hit eighth against Rockies right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano. Perdomo's knee injury doesn't sound too serious, but he'll miss at least one game. Fantasy managers will want to check back on Wednesday to see if he's feeling good enough to return to action. The 26-year-old Dominican switch-hitter hasn't lived up to expectations in 2026 after a breakout year in 2025 in which he hit .290 (173-for-597) with 20 home runs, 100 RBI, 27 stolen bases, and 98 runs scored in 161 games played. Going into Tuesday's games, he's slashing .244/.359/.374 with a .733 OPS, nine homers, 42 RBI, 17 steals, and 57 runs scored in 116 games played. Perdomo had his worst month in July, hitting .194 (18-for-93) with a .658 OPS, three homers, two doubles, a triple, seven RBI, five steals, 15 runs, 16 walks, and 13 strikeouts in 24 games.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Josh Naylor Out on Tuesday With Wrist Soreness
Seattle Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor (wrist) is out of the team's starting lineup on Tuesday against the hosting New York Yankees in the Bronx with soreness in his right wrist, according to Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times. Naylor tweaked his wrist on a swing during the homestand. Weston Wilson will make the start at first for the M's and will hit eighth against Yankees left-hander Ryan Weathers. The 29-year-old Naylor's power continues to decline (he has only 10 homers in 111 games), but he's on pace for a new career high in stolen bases after swiping 30 bags with the Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks last year. It's bad timing for Naylor to be banged up, as he's hit .312 (24-for-77) with an .831 OPS, two home runs, five doubles, six RBI, five stolen bases, and nine runs scored in 21 games and 85 plate appearances since the All-Star break in mid-July. He's gone 7-for-24 (.292) with two homers, two doubles, four RBI, two runs, and two stolen bases in the first seven games in August. The Mariners are going to need Naylor down the stretch if they want to qualify for the postseason. Naylor is slashing .263/.328/.372 overall with 42 RBI, 44 runs, and 23 stolen bases to go with his 10 homers in 430 at-bats.
Source: The Seattle Times - Ryan Divish
Source: The Seattle Times - Ryan Divish
Russell Henley Looks to Continue Incredible Consistency in Memphis
Even with one victory this season, there weren't many times Russell Henley made a legitimate run at a title outside of his podium finish at Augusta. But the ability to always find a way inside the top 25 shouldn't be overlooked, as he only found himself outside that position five times in 17 total starts. Ball striking has been spotty at times, but the putter is still an incredible weapon for the 37-year-old, averaging 1.443 strokes gained on the greens over his last three starts. He may be one of the shortest players in the field, but he's also arguably the most accurate. Henley is in a pretty comfortable spot at 15th in the FedEx Cup race. Given the quality of play he has routinely had this season, he'll make for a solid DFS start.
Source: Data Golf
Source: Data Golf
Rockies Outfield Prospect Zac Veen Returning to the Majors
The Colorado Rockies are recalling outfield prospect Zac Veen from Triple-A Albuquerque on Tuesday and have designated infielder Edouard Julien for assignment in a corresponding move, according to Kyle Newman of The Denver Post. It will be Veen's first action in the big leagues since he struggled in 2025 in his MLB debut in 12 games played, when he went 4-for-34 (.118) with a homer, two RBI, two walks, and 14 strikeouts. The team's No. 7 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, has earned a promotion back to the majors in 2026 by hitting .327/.402/.635 with a 1.037 OPS, 24 home runs, 87 RBI, 18 stolen bases, and 82 runs scored across 100 games and 445 plate appearances with the Isotopes. The 6-foot-3, 243-pounder bulked up in the offseason and cleaned up his act from a maturity standpoint, so he appears much better positioned to have sustained success for the Rockies to close out the season. Veen went 5-for-5 with three home runs, a double, and a triple over the weekend against Triple-A Sugar Land, and fantasy managers who need power and speed should be looking to add him off the waiver wire, even in mixed leagues.
Source: The Denver Post - Kyle Newman
Source: The Denver Post - Kyle Newman
Ty Clark III Projects as Wake Forest's RB1
With Demond Claiborne off to the NFL after a productive season at Wake Forest, there is a gaping hole in Jake Dickert's backfield. Junior running back Ty Clark III, who backed up Claiborne last season, appears to be the frontrunner to start in Week 1. Clark carried the ball 75 times for 323 yards and three touchdowns a season ago. While Clark appears to have a grasp on the starting job, smaller backs Jamar Searcy and freshman Deuce Lawrence could find roles, while Florida transfer KD Daniels appears to be fighting for a goal-line role. The backfield lacks a top-end talent like Claiborne, but is a deep group altogether.
Source: On3
Source: On3
Malik Benson Models his Game After Offensive Player of the Year
Las Vegas Raiders rookie sixth-round wide receiver Malik Benson said he tries to model his game after reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba, according to Levi Edwards of the team's official website. Not many people are likely to know about Benson just yet, but the 23-year-old from the University of Oregon has made some noise in training camp and could be pushing to secure the WR3 role behind Jalen Nailor and Tre Tucker in Vegas in his first year in the NFL. Benson's primary competition for a starting role in three-wide sets in 2026 is Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr. The 6-foot, 189-pounder is thin but comes with plenty of pure athleticism, and he could become interesting as a deep-league sleeper at the WR position if he finishes out training camp and the preseason strong, primarily because of the Raiders' lack of depth at the position. In his final collegiate season with the Ducks in 2025, Benson caught 43 passes for 719 yards and six touchdowns in 15 games. He's an under-the-radar rookie name to keep an eye on.
Source: Raiders.com - Levi Edwards
Source: Raiders.com - Levi Edwards
