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Deebo Samuel Sr. Set for Multi-Purpose Workload in San Francisco
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. will "have a varied role at receiver, running back, and kick returner" in the upcoming season, according to ESPN's Nick Wagoner. Samuel Sr. spent the first six years of his NFL career with the 49ers before being traded to the Washington Commanders ahead of the 2025 season. Across 81 career games with San Francisco, Samuel Sr. collected 1,143 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns to go along with nearly 4,800 receiving yards and 22 touchdown grabs. While the 30-year-old is no longer the same level of athlete he was earlier in his career, Samuel Sr.'s dual-threat ability provides an added element of value for fantasy managers. He's also expected to play a significant role in the 49ers' offense with San Francisco wideout Ricky Pearsall (knee) set to miss the entire season after undergoing knee surgery.
Source: ESPN - Nick Wagoner
Source: ESPN - Nick Wagoner
Rashod Bateman Praises New Coaching Staff, Criticizes Former Regime
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman criticized his former coaching staff while praising his new coaches on Thursday. Per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, Bateman said that new Ravens head coach Jesse Minter's staff "harps on the details," which is "not what we've had here." Bateman's first five years in the NFL were all played under former Ravens and current New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh. While Minter is a first-time NFL head coach with significantly less experience than Harbaugh, it appears as though some in Baltimore feel that he is holding the team to a higher standard. Bateman himself had one of the least productive years of his career in 2025, recording 19 catches for 224 yards and two touchdowns on 38 targets across 13 games (12 starts). With a fresh start in 2026, Bateman could get closer to his 2024 production, when he recorded 756 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns across 17 games. He currently ranks as the RotoBaller's WR74 heading into 2026.
Source: The Athletic - Jeff Zrebiec
Source: The Athletic - Jeff Zrebiec
Notre Dame's Junior Tuihalamaka Entering Transfer Portal
Notre Dame edge rusher Junior Tuihalamaka is entering the transfer portal, according to ESPN's Pete Nakos. This comes after a judge in Louisiana has granted a group of 16 graduated football players an extra season of eligibility. Tuihalamaka was included in that group, and he's now heading back to college football. In four years with the Irish, Tuihalamaka tallied 61 tackles (37 solo), nine tackles for loss, four sacks, one interception, two pass deflections, and two fumble recoveries across 54 career games.
Source: On3
Source: On3
Andy Dalton Leading Eagles QB2 Battle
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Andy Dalton "still appears to be the leader" in the team's backup quarterback battle, according to Zach Berman of The Athletic. Dalton had a rough showing in the Eagles' first preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens last Saturday, but Berman writes that the veteran "showed improvement" during the team's joint practice session with the New England Patriots on Wednesday. Dalton's competition for the QB2 role behind Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia is Tanner McKee, who has played in six games (two starts) since being picked by the Eagles in the sixth round of the 2023 Draft. Dalton obviously has significantly more NFL experience, as he's logged 169 career starts across 15 seasons. As long as Hurts stays healthy, neither Dalton nor McKee will play a fantasy-relevant role. Still, fantasy managers in deeper, two-quarterback formats looking for the handcuff option to Hurts may want to target Dalton.
Source: The Athletic - Zach Berman
Source: The Athletic - Zach Berman
Saquon Barkley Standing Out in New-Look Eagles Offense
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley "consistently found running room within (new Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion's) wide zone concepts" during the team's joint practice session with the New England Patriots, per Zach Berman of The Athletic. After collecting 2,283 scrimmage yards and 15 touchdowns across 16 games in his first season with Philadelphia in 2024, Barkley's numbers regressed across the board in 2025. While still highly productive overall, Barkley's yards per carry dropped from 5.8 to 4.1, and his yards per touch fell from 6.0 to 4.5. The Eagles have a new play-caller for the upcoming year in Sean Mannion. Based on the early returns in camp, it appears as though the new system could be a boon for Barkley's production as he enters his age-29 season. RotoBaller currently ranks Barkley as the RB7 for redraft leagues ahead of 2026.
Source: The Athletic - Zach Berman
Source: The Athletic - Zach Berman
Jared Goff Still Belongs in the QB1 Conversation
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff is learning his fourth offense since arriving in Detroit, and camp hasn't given fantasy managers much reason to worry about this one. Lions senior writer Tim Twentyman has raved about Goff's accuracy and ball placement and said he already has a "great grasp" of Drew Petzing's system. That's coming off 4,564 yards, 34 touchdowns and only eight interceptions in 2025. The weapons aren't the concern either. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta are all back. Goff's fantasy problem is the same as ever: he gives you almost nothing on the ground. He ran 19 times for 45 yards and no touchdowns last year, so his big weeks have to come through the air. Fine when Detroit is throwing like this, less helpful when it isn't. But Petzing was the biggest new variable entering camp, and Goff looks comfortable so far. If you're waiting on quarterback in a one-QB draft, he still belongs in that late QB1 mix.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Keenan Allen Already Working With Colts' First-Team Offense
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Keenan Allen got thrown into the mix quickly Thursday. Mike Chappell reported that Allen was working with the first-team offense in 11-on-11 drills, which is a bigger step than the Colts initially laid out for his first practice. Head coach Shane Steichen said Wednesday that Allen would work into individual drills Thursday and that the team would "really get him going next week." Instead, he was already taking team reps with the starters. Allen signed with Indianapolis on Tuesday after catching 81 passes for 777 yards and four touchdowns with the Los Angeles Chargers last season. The 34-year-old also knows Steichen well from their seven seasons together with the Chargers. One practice doesn't lock in a role, especially with Josh Downs, Alec Pierce and Tyler Warren all competing for targets, but this was an encouraging first look. Allen appears to be moving into the offense quickly and still has some PPR appeal if he earns a steady share of the passing game.
Source: Mike Chappell
Source: Mike Chappell
Fernando Mendoza Expected to Play First Half Against Texans
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza is expected to play roughly the first half of Thursday night's preseason game against the Houston Texans, according to Adam Schefter. Aidan O'Connell is expected to take over for the second half. Mendoza got an extended look in the opener against Arizona, completing 10 of 16 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown over four drives. The Raiders have kept adding to his workload since then. He saw valuable snaps against Houston's first-team defense during Tuesday's joint practice, while Kirk Cousins continued to handle the bulk of the first-team work. Head coach Klint Kubiak has been clear that Mendoza needs reps, and Thursday should give the No. 1 overall pick plenty more. Cousins still sits ahead of him, but Mendoza is getting a longer runway in these preseason games as Las Vegas continues bringing its rookie quarterback along before Week 1.
Source: Adam Schefter
Source: Adam Schefter
Ka'imi Fairbairn Remains a Top Kicker Option in Redraft
Houston Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn is coming off about as good a fantasy season as a kicker can have. He made 44 of 48 field-goal attempts in 15 games, tying David Akers' NFL single-season record for makes, and went a perfect 28-for-28 on extra points. The distance wasn't a problem either. Fairbairn hit all 16 of his tries from 40 to 49 yards and went 9-for-13 from 50 to 59, with a long of 57. Houston also gave him a two-year, $13 million extension in March that keeps him under contract through 2028. The only thing worth pushing back on is last year's volume. His 48 field-goal attempts led the league, and counting on another season like that is asking a lot. Fairbairn doesn't need to get there again to be useful. He has the leg, the accuracy, and a secure job on a Houston offense that gave him plenty of chances last year. He still belongs near the top of the kicker pool in redraft.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Isaiah Likely Emerging as Major Piece of Giants Offense
New York Giants tight end Isaiah Likely is becoming one of Jaxson Dart's most trusted targets, according to Jordan Raanan. Likely caught six passes during live drills in Thursday's joint practice with the Miami Dolphins, with Raanan describing him as Dart's security blanket and favorite receiver. This hasn't come out of nowhere. Dart and Likely started building chemistry during the spring, and the Giants have featured their tight ends heavily throughout training camp. Likely gives Dart a big target in the middle of the field and can move around the formation, something New York has taken advantage of all summer. Malik Nabers is still working his way back from last year's knee injury, but Raanan expects Likely to remain a major part of the offense even once Nabers returns. Likely caught only 27 passes for 307 yards and one touchdown with Baltimore last season. His role in New York is shaping up to be much bigger.
Source: Jordan Raanan
Source: Jordan Raanan
Dawson Knox a Touchdown-Dependent TE2
Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox still has a real role in this offense, and Buffalo made that pretty clear by keeping him under contract through 2028. Fantasy is another story. Knox caught 36 passes for 417 yards and four touchdowns last season on just 49 targets. Every one of those scores came from inside the 20, which tells you where most of the appeal is coming from. The Bills are still using him there, too. Josh Allen targeted Knox on back-to-back red-zone plays during an Aug. 3 practice, with Knox scoring on a screen. Dalton Kincaid was heavily involved that day as well and has looked healthy throughout camp after knee and hamstring trouble last season. Buffalo picked up Kincaid's fifth-year option, and he remains the tougher obstacle to Knox seeing a real jump in targets. Knox can absolutely pop for a week when Allen finds him near the goal line. But 49 targets across 17 games is hard to draft around. He's still a touchdown-dependent TE2, not a sleeper.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Yohandy Morales Maintains Stash Appeal for Power Potential
Washington Nationals corner infield prospect Yohandy Morales has cooled off at the plate, going 3-for-24 (.125) over the last six games at Triple-A Rochester. Despite the slowdown, the Nats' 26th-ranked prospect has had a solid campaign overall, hitting .287 with an .892 OPS and 23 home runs in 94 games for the Red Wings. There is a ton of pop in his bat, with average exit velocity, max exit velocity, barrel rate, and hard-hit rate all registering in the 91st percentile or better at Triple-A, so there is some intrigue for fantasy purposes, especially if he were to be placed in the middle of MLB's highest-ranking team in terms of runs scored per game (5.28). There is some batting average risk due to elevated chase and whiff rates, but the 24-year-old represents an under-the-radar stash option for home runs and RBI for a late-season run to the fantasy playoffs.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Jhostynxon Garcia Falling from Stash Radar After Latest Demotion
Pittsburgh Pirates outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia was optioned back to Triple-A Indianapolis on August 14 after a brief second stint with the big-league club. The Pirates' fifth-ranked prospect is 3-for-11 (.273) in the three games since rejoining Indianapolis and is now slashing .270/.337/.419 with seven home runs and five steals in 61 games for the Indians. The right-handed hitter surged through the minors on the way to a major league debut in Boston's organization in 2025, but has done little with his limited opportunities in the majors. Coming off a 21-home-run campaign in 114 games last year and with a ball hit 113.5 mph this season (95th percentile), there is some power potential in his bat, but it comes with a lot of chase that leads to a lot of swing-and-miss and few walks. The 23-year-old could get another shot in the majors this season, but there are likely better stash options available on your waiver wire.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Kendrick Bourne Still Has Little Redraft Appeal
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Kendrick Bourne has a real job in this offense. Fantasy managers just shouldn't confuse that with a big one. Arizona has him slotted behind Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson, and the team called Bourne an "upper-level No. 3" this week. Bourne seems perfectly fine with that. He told the Cardinals he chased a bigger role in New England and now feels back in the role that fits him best under Mike LaFleur. Last season gives you a pretty good picture of the upside and the problem. Bourne caught 37 passes for 551 yards and no touchdowns, with 284 of those yards coming in back-to-back 142-yard games. He did catch a 12-yarder from Jacoby Brissett in Arizona's second preseason game, but there isn't much here pointing to a volume jump. Harrison, Wilson and Trey McBride all have stronger claims on targets. Bourne can help Arizona. In standard redraft leagues, he's still mostly an injury-away depth option.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jacob Melton a Strong Stash for Steals When Healthy
Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Jacob Melton (hamstring) was flashing his elite speed at Triple-A Durham before being placed on the injured list with hamstring tightness back on August 4, his second time on the IL this season. The Rays' eighth-ranked prospect was riding a six-game hit streak and had stolen bases in three consecutive games before suffering the injury, which had raised his slash line to .285/.381/.520 with five home runs and 23 steals in just 36 games for the Bulls. The former second-round draft pick has been swinging a bat recently, but there has been no official update to his status from the organization, so his timeline for return is unclear. It has been an injury-marred campaign, and if the 25-year-old could stay healthy, he'd be one of the top stashes for his stolen-base potential, but until the 6-foot-2 slugger returns to action and makes a run at a major league promotion, there is no need to roster him.
Source: Run From the OPS
Source: Run From the OPS
