3 days agoSports Illustrated's John Shipley writes that he won't leave Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver
Parker Washington off any roster projections moving forward after he had a good offseason from what the media observed during offseason organized team activities. Washington only had 16 receptions on 21 targets for 132 yards and two touchdowns in nine games (one start) in his rookie campaign in 2023 after the Jaguars selected him in the sixth round out of Penn State. Most of Washington's production came after the team lost
Christian Kirk to a season-ending injury in the second half of the year. He's a name to keep an eye on, but as long as Kirk, rookie first-rounder Brian Thomas and
Gabe Davis stay healthy, it's hard to envision Washington having a role begin enough to warrant a roster spot in standard 12-team fantasy leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: SI.com - John Shipley
3 days agoIndianapolis Colts wide receiver
Alec Pierce (foot) didn't take part in mandatory minicamp this week as a precaution after his foot was stepped on in practice last week. It's a minor injury for Pierce, who should be a full-go for training camp at the end of July. The 24-year-old wideout will be competing for the No. 3 job in Indy this year with rookie second-rounder
Adonai Mitchell behind starters
Michael Pittman Jr. and
Josh Downs. The former second-rounder in 2022 out of Cincinnati hasn't really been on the fantasy radar in standard 12-team leagues in his first two years in the NFL, catching a total of 73 passes for 1,107 yards and four touchdowns, although a healthy
Anthony Richardson at quarterback could change that if Pierce beats out Mitchell for the No. 3 job in training camp and the preseason.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Indianapolis Star - Joel A. Erickson
3 days agoLos Angeles Rams wide receiver
Cooper Kupp (hamstring) was limited to just 12 games in 2023 after dealing with a hamstring injury during the summer and averaged just 61.4 yards per game, the second-lowest mark of his career. He finished with 737 yards and five touchdowns, the second-fewest totals since he entered the league in 2017. Kupp did have four 100-yard games, but it was clear that he was never fully healthy last year. But the 30-year-old says he's fully healthy in 2024 and it's the first time in a while he's felt 100% during the offseason program. Kupp should be able to rebound with better health this year, but he's also no longer a spring chicken and will have to deal with the emergence of fellow receiver
Puka Nacua, who had a phenomenal rookie campaign. It's hard to imagine Kupp returning to peak form when led the league in catches (145), yards (1,947) and touchdowns (16) in 2021.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Rams Wire - Cameron DaSilva
3 days agoAccording to The Athletic's David Lombardi, San Francisco 49ers running back
Elijah Mitchell is the team's clear No. 2 back behind All-Pro running back
Christian McCaffrey. Mitchell is an all-around back, but his health is the key. If training camp this summer yields a productive backfield logjam, Lombardi points out that the 49ers have previously traded
Matt Breida and
Jeff Wilson Jr. when they have an excess of depth at the position. As of right now, the 26-year-old Mitchell is the best handcuff option for fantasy managers that take McCaffrey first overall in fantasy drafts this fall. Mitchell has produced 4.7 yards per carry in his three years in the NFL in the Bay Area, but he's also played in just 27 games in a three-year span. If CMC misses time with an injury in 2024, Mitchell will become a hot commodity.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - David Lombardi
3 days agoThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers agreed to terms with veteran free-agent wide receiver
Sterling Shepard on an undisclosed one-year deal on Thursday, according to a source. After eight seasons with the New York Giants after he was drafted in the second round in 2016 out of Oklahoma, Shepard will reunite with former Sooners quarterback
Baker Mayfield. The 31-year-old veteran pass-catcher played in 15 games (two starts) in 2023, but he was on the field for a combined 10 games in 2021 and 2022 due to serious injuries, which have sapped his fantasy value heading into 2024. He caught 10 of his 22 targets in a limited role with New York last year for just 57 yards and a touchdown. With better health, Shepard could find himself with a bigger role, but he'll merely be competing for a depth role behind
Mike Evans,
Chris Godwin and
Trey Palmer.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL Network - Mike Garofolo
3 days agoIndianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen told reporters on Thursday that second-year quarterback
Anthony Richardson (shoulder) is dealing with some soreness in his surgically-repaired right shoulder. Steichen inferred that it wasn't a big deal, though, saying that Richardson could play in a game if needed. The 22-year-old made it through only four games in his rookie campaign in 2023 before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury, but the former fourth overall pick in 2023 out of Florida has been fully cleared this offseason and will be ready to go for the start of the regular season this fall. It's not out of the ordinary for a player in Richardson's situation to have some normal soreness during his recovery. Richardson is going to need to improve as a passer, but his elite rushing ability and physicality make give him high-end QB1 upside going into Year 2.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
4 days agoThe Kansas City Chiefs re-signed veteran wide receiver
Mecole Hardman Jr. on Thursday, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report. The 26-year-old will return for his sixth season with the organization after catching the game-winning touchdown in the Super Bowl LVIII win over the San Francisco 49ers. While Hardman hasn't been a superstar since being selected in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, he has caught the third-most touchdowns (16) from
Patrick Mahomes, trailing only
Travis Kelce (47) and
Tyreek Hill (43). Mahomes and the Chiefs trusted him in a crucial moment in the Super Bowl, so he'll likely earn snaps in 2024. Given the uncertainty surrounding
Rashee Rice's legal troubles, Kansas City has now drafted
Xavier Worthy and brought back Hardman. Hardman has hauled in 166 passes for 2,212 yards and 16 touchdowns through his first 68 career games.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Jordan Schultz
4 days agoThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver
Cody Thompson on Wednesday to help replace
Deven Thompkins (hamstring), who was placed on Injured Reserve this week. Thompson will be competing for a roster spot at training camp this summer and during the preseason after catching his only target for 10 yards in seven games played for the Seahawks in his second season in the NFL. The 28-year-old pass-catcher joined the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent out of Toledo in 2021 and was active for five games, but he didn't see a single target. Even if Thompson makes the roster heading into the 2024 regular season, he'll be buried on the receiver depth chart and is completely off the fantasy radar.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Tampa Bay Times - Rick Stroud
4
days
agoCleveland
Browns
running
back
Pierre
Strong
Jr.
(back)
was
participating
in
organized
team
activities
on
Wednesday.
Strong
appears
to
be
recovered
from
a
back
injury
that
kept
him
out
of
the
team's
wild-card
loss
to
the
Houston
Texans
in
the
postseason.
read more...
4 days agoSNY's Connor Hughes writes that the New York Jets seem to really like rookie fifth-round running back
Isaiah Davis, who has gotten a ton of work with the first-team offense and quarterback
Aaron Rodgers during organized team activities this week. Unfortunately for Davis, rookie fourth-rounder
Braelon Allen has been one of the biggest standouts during OTAs because of his emergence as a pass-catcher despite his reputation as a bruising power back in college. Davis and Allen have gotten more reps thanks to a minor lower-body injury that has kept starter
Breece Hall on the sidelines this offseason. As of right now, both Davis and Allen have pushed 2023 fifth-rounder
Israel Abanikanda down the depth chart. Davis' dynasty stock is up, and he could eventually develop into a short-yardage option for the Jets.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: SNY - Connor Hughes
4 days agoNew York Jets rookie third-round wide receiver
Malachi Corley (lower body) was a full participant at practice at organized team activities on Tuesday after leaving practice early last week with an undisclosed lower-body injury. Corley made an impressive contested catch in team drills on a pass from veteran backup quarterback
Tyrod Taylor. The 22-year-old's injury from last week obviously wasn't too serious, and Corley is now back in the fold at OTAs gaining valuable repetitions as he learns the Jets offense heading into his first NFL season. If
Mike Williams (knee), who is coming off a torn ACL, is healthy, Corley will be the No. 3 option, at best, in New York's offense this year. Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers has taken a liking to Corley, though, which is a good first step for the youngster.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Zack Rosenblatt
4
days
agoNew
York
Jets
rookie
running
back
Braelon
Allen
has
been
one
of
the
biggest
standouts
at
organized
team
activities
open
to
the
media,
especially
because
of
his
emergence
as
a
legitimate
option
as
a
pass-catcher.
Most
of
his
catches
had
been
coming
on
read more...
4 days agoThe Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt writes that the connection between New York Jets quarterback
Aaron Rodgers and top wide receiver
Garrett Wilson is growing during voluntary organized team activities this offseason. Wilson ran such a good route in practice on Tuesday that he wound up wide open in the middle of the field for an easy touchdown, and he had another catch on a pass from Rodgers in which he was able to adjust his body in mid-air to catch a pass that was thrown a little behind him. Wilson is "as advertised," according to new receivers coach Shawn Jefferson. "This kid can be whatever he wants to be. He has that it ... the sky is the limit for this kid." If Rodgers can stay healthy all year, Wilson will also have high-end WR1 value for fantasy managers in 2024. The former 10th overall pick has topped 1,000 yards in both his NFL seasons despite subpar QB play.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Zack Rosenblatt
4 days agoLos Angeles Chargers wide receiver
Joshua Palmer (knee), who has been rehabbing a knee injury that kept him out of six games last year, said he got the most repetitions of the offseason in Tuesday's organized team activities. After posting a career-best 58.1 receiving yards per game last year, Palmer's role is set to increase even more in 2024 now that both
Mike Williams and
Keenan Allen are out of town. However, he'll still be competing for targets with former first-rounder
Quentin Johnston and second-round rookie
Ladd McConkey, not to mention
DJ Chark. The Bolts' offense is also transitioning to a run-first unit under head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman, so Palmer is far from a lock to break out this year. However, the 24-year-old's big-play ability makes him enticing as WR depth.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Daniel Popper
4 days agoNew England Patriots rookie quarterback
Drake Maye, the third overall pick of this year's NFL draft, has been impressing offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt this offseason. "He's been impressive," Van Pelt said. Maye took snaps as the top backup in Tuesday's organized team activities after previously working as the No. 3 option. While Van Pelt has praised Maye early on, he's also preaching patience with the rookie. Maye has quickly adapted the footwork chances the coaches have taught him, allowing him to play more in rhythm. Van Pelt reiterated that veteran
Jacoby Brissett remains the starter and has had an "exceptional spring" by showing "great command of the offense." The Pats are hoping Maye is the starter of the future, but all indications are that he'll begin the year holding a clipboard for Brissett on the sideline. "There is no timetable" for Maye to be the starter, Van Pelt said.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN Boston - Mike Reiss
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