RADIO
EJ Crowell a Game-Time Decision for Collegiate Debut
Alabama running back EJ Crowell (ankle) is viewed as a game-time decision for the Week 1 matchup against East Carolina, according to On3's Pete Nakos and Chris Low. It was reported earlier in the week that he was likely to play, but the program could opt to be cautious with the talented freshman in a matchup Alabama should easily handle. The five-star recruit in the 2026 class is expected to have a role right away in Ryan Grubb's offense, but the team is expected to use a large committee, at least to begin the season. AK Dear (ankle) is expected to miss the first few games of the season, leaving Daniel Hill and Kevin Riley to lead the backfield. Fellow freshman tailback Trae'shawn Brown could be involved, too.
Source: Pete Nakos
Source: Pete Nakos
Kevin Love Could Return to Minnesota as Veteran Depth
Free-agent forward/center Kevin Love is open to returning to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the interest is mutual, according to The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski. Love spent his first six NBA seasons in Minnesota before being traded to Cleveland in 2014, so this would be more of a full-circle depth move than a fantasy-relevant signing. The veteran turns 38 this month and averaged 6.7 points and 5.8 rebounds in 37 games with Utah last season. Minnesota has room for another veteran voice after signing Jonathan Kuminga, but Rudy Gobert, Joan Beringer, and Trey Lyles already cover the frontcourt depth chart. Love would bring shooting, rebounding, and locker-room value, not a role worth chasing in fantasy.
Source: Jon Krawczynski
Source: Jon Krawczynski
Dae'Quan Wright, Zxavian Harris Won't Play for LSU in Week 1
Tight end Dae'Quan Wright and defensive lineman Zxavian Harris were not added to LSU's roster ahead of the Week 1 game against Clemson and will not play in the season opener on Saturday night. According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, the two former Ole Miss Rebels could be added to the roster later in the season, as LSU has two roster spots available after submitting its 103-player roster on Friday night. Wright and Harris have been the center of attention in college football after attempting to return to the SEC after spending time in NFL training camps, but LSU is not rolling the dice yet, despite the duo receiving an injunction from a state court judge, which opens up a path toward eligibility in 2026.
Source: Pete Thamel - ESPN
Source: Pete Thamel - ESPN
Kyren Williams May Face Reduced Role in Rams Offense in 2026
Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams is coming off another highly productive season in 2025, recording 1,533 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns on 295 touches across 17 games. Since 2023, Williams has recorded three consecutive seasons with at least 1,350 scrimmage yards and 13 scores. However, the emergence of fellow Rams back Blake Corum has led to questions around Williams' workload entering 2026. While sharing the backfield with Corum in 2025, Williams averaged just 17.4 touches per game after averaging 21.9 touches per game in 2024. Over the final eight games of the regular season, Williams recorded more than 13 carries just twice. Williams remains a borderline fantasy RB1 entering 2026, but his production upside may be limited as long as both he and Corum are healthy.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Bucks Bring Back John Butler Jr. on a Camp Deal
The Milwaukee Bucks signed forward/center John Butler Jr. to a non-guaranteed training camp deal, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic. It is the second straight fall the 7-footer has landed a preseason look with Milwaukee after spending last season with the Wisconsin Herd. Butler averaged 9.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in 28.6 minutes across 49 G-League games while shooting 36.3 percent from three. Milwaukee does have one two-way slot open, so a strong camp isn't a wasted exercise for him. Even so, Myles Turner, Kel'el Ware, and Jericho Sims have the center rotation locked down under Taylor Jenkins, which keeps Butler off fantasy radars in every format.
Source: Eric Nehm
Source: Eric Nehm
Hank Brown to Start for Iowa in Week 1
Iowa quarterback Hank Brown will start on Saturday in the Week 1 matchup against Northern Illinois, according to On3's Pete Nakos. Jeremy Hecklinski is also expected to play. The two signal callers, who both transferred to Iowa last season, have been battling for the QB1 role in fall camp, and while Brown will be the first on the field to open the season, this competition doesn't appear to be decided. After beginning his career at Auburn in 2023, Brown played in three games for Iowa last season, completing 11 of 21 passing attempts for 107 yards and one touchdown. Expect Iowa to remain a run-first unit and run its offense through Kamari Moulton and L.J. Phillips Jr.
Source: On3
Source: On3
Jayden Maiava Leads USC To Blowout Win Over Fresno
Quarterback Jayden Maiava put together another fantastic game to lead No. 14 USC to a 39-0 win over Fresno State. Maiava completed 23-of-25 passes for 349 yards and three touchdowns. Despite the return of star WR Tanook Hines, USC freshman Trent Mosley had another big game with four receptions for 104 yards and a pair of touchdowns. In two games, Maiava has only six incompletions in 54 pass attempts. He has five touchdown passes without an interception. Despite this, Maiava is still available in 16% of Yahoo leagues. Go check your league's waiver wire and see if he's out there in yours!
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Darian Mensah Dominates In Miami Debut
Duke quarterback transfer Darian Mensah led the No. 7 Miami Hurricanes to a big 45-6 win over Stanford at The Farm on Friday night. Mensah completed 27-of-30 passes for 401 yards and five touchdown passes in Miami's big win. 234 of those yards and three of the touchdowns went to star receiver Malachi Toney. Mensah is still available in 57% of Yahoo leagues. If you are in a shallow league, go pick him up immediately. If Toney's 2026 debut is any indication, you need to target him in trades. Miami's schedule doesn't get much tougher than this.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Lazaro Montes Dealing With Hip Soreness
Seattle Mariners outfield prospect Lazaro Montes (hip) exited Friday night's game early against the division-rival Athletics with soreness in his left hip, according to the team. In just his third MLB game, Montes left hobbled after crashing into the outfield wall while attempting a catch. Until we know the severity of the 21-year-old's injury, we will consider him day-to-day. Before being replaced in right field by Taylor Ward, Montes went 0-for-2 at the plate. In his first two games for the M's, the team's No. 5 prospect per MLB Pipeline went 3-for-9 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs scored. Seattle recently called up the 21-year-old Cuban outfielder in hopes that he would give the team a shot in the arm as they try to stay in the playoff race in the American League down the stretch. In 123 games (542 plate appearances) in the minors this year with Double-A Arkansas and Triple-A Tacoma, Montes hit .249/.369/.558 with a .928 OPS, 38 home runs, 96 RBI, 99 runs scored, and eight stolen bases, so he can certainly do serious damage at the dish when he is on. Because he sells out for lift and power most of the time, fantasy managers will have to put up with plenty of strikeouts. But his 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame can produce high-end power. UPDATE: MLB.com's Luke Olson reports that Montes is day-to-day.
Source: Mariners PR
Source: Mariners PR
Bryan Baker Pulled Early Friday, "Nothing Physical"
Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that right-handed closer Bryan Baker (illness) was pulled from his outing early on Friday against the Texas Rangers with an illness and is dealing with "nothing physical," according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Baker was brought in for the ninth in a save situation and allowed an earned run on two walks without recording an out before he was replaced by Tyler Wells, who hung on for his sixth save of the season in the 7-6 win in Texas. The 31-year-old Baker might not be available for the rest of the weekend series against the Rangers, but it is unlikely that he will need a stint on the injured list, which is great news for fantasy managers. The former 11th-round pick by the Colorado Rockies in 2016 from North Florida came out of nowhere in 2026 to be an elite source of saves. Baker, a first-time All-Star this year, came into Friday's outing with a 1.47 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, a league-leading 39 saves, 60 strikeouts, and 18 walks in 55 innings pitched. Before this season, Baker had four saves in five MLB campaigns with the Rays, Orioles, and Blue Jays. Consider him day-to-day going into Saturday.
Source: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin
Source: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin
Should Fantasy Managers Temper Expectations for Makai Lemon?
"Expectations should be tempered early" for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Makai Lemon, according to Tim McManus of ESPN.com. Lemon entered the league with plenty of upside, fueled by his first-round draft capital. However, some of that excitement faded away after he struggled in the preseason, catching just three passes for three yards. He also missed a portion of training camp due to a hamstring injury. The rookie noted that he needs to be more professional about how he conducts himself off the field in regard to proactively avoiding injuries, and the coaching staff followed that up by encouraging him to learn from experienced receiver DeVonta Smith. The rookie's slow summer will likely result in a slow start to the regular season, so he's unlikely to make a big impression right away. Instead, he's more of a developmental option in fantasy leagues, especially after falling to No. 3 on the depth chart behind Smith and Dontayvion Wicks. Currently, he has an ADP of 106.4 in redraft leagues; that corresponds to the ninth round of fantasy drafts, which feels like a bit of a reach given the latest chatter from Philly-based media.
Source: Tim McManus
Source: Tim McManus
Tyler Allgeier a Top Running Back Target in the Later Rounds
Arizona Cardinals running back Tyler Allgeier should take on a larger role early in the season, making him a very appealing late-round target for fantasy managers in 2026. Rookie Jeremiyah Love (ankle) is at risk of missing a few weeks and James Conner (foot) will open the year on injured reserve, leaving Allgeier in line to start at running back in Week 1. The ex-Falcons ball-carrier has a track record of producing on the ground and through the air, giving him upside in all league formats, from standard to full-PPR. Over the course of the full season, he ranks as RotoBaller's overall RB48. However, for Week 1, he should break into the top-25 range. Managers looking for him to step into the RB3/flex role in their lineup can currently get him at an ADP of 140.7 (RB44) in fantasy drafts.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Stefon Diggs Set for High-Volume Role in Washington
Washington Commanders wide receiver Stefon Diggs is set for a high-volume role with his new team. Diggs is coming off an impressive season with the Patriots, in which he caught 85 passes for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns. He finished as the overall WR17 in PPR leagues and turned in his seventh 1,000-yard campaign in the last eight years. Now with the Commanders, Diggs finds himself in a slightly different role compared to last year. This year, he'll operate as the No. 2 receiver behind Terry McLaurin. While that could lower his ceiling and threaten his chance of another 1,000-yard season, it should also benefit him by taking away some of the defense's attention. In other words, he'll likely be covered by opponents' No. 2 cornerbacks, while the top corners lock onto McLaurin. As long as quarterback Jayden Daniels stays healthy for most of the season, Diggs has a great chance to be a low-end WR2 or high-end WR3 this year.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jahmyr Gibbs the Consensus 1.01 in Fantasy Drafts
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs has an ADP of 1.1, which means he is consistently being taken with the first pick in 2026 fantasy football drafts. There are plenty of intriguing names near the top of the draft, including running backs Bijan Robinson and Christian McCaffrey, but managers who have the luxury of picking first are selecting Gibbs more often than not. Gibbs has been a top-10 fantasy running back in each of his three pro seasons, including RB1 and RB3 over the last two years, respectively. In fact, despite finishing as the RB3 last year, he posted the highest fantasy points total of his young career. Despite sharing touches with David Montgomery, Gibbs broke out for 1,223 rushing yards, 77 catches, 616 receiving yards, and 18 touchdowns. Assuming he stays healthy for 17 games this year, he's a pretty safe bet to finish among the top three at his position, with a very real chance at the overall RB1 title.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
J.T. Ginn May Not Pitch Again This Season
Athletics right-hander J.T. Ginn (soreness) has made minimal progress and will be evaluated by the team orthopedist on Saturday, according to Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. There is a chance that Ginn will not pitch again this season. The A's reported that Ginn had been pushed back from his most recent scheduled appearance due to undisclosed soreness. It is unclear exactly what Ginn is dealing with, but with the A's playoff hopes already out the window, they have no incentive to rush him back to the starting rotation if he is not 100 percent healthy. He is not on the injured list, but it sounds like that could be coming if the A's shut him down for the year. The 27-year-old former second-rounder by the New York Mets in 2020 from Mississippi State University has gone 9-8 this year with a 3.71 ERA (4.38 FIP) and 1.24 WHIP with a career-high 121 strikeouts and 57 walks in 138 1/3 innings and 27 appearances (24 starts) in his third year in the majors. Ginn's low 22.4% strikeout rate in his three-year career gives him limited fantasy upside, and he is rostered in only 27% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: MLB.com - Martin Gallegos
Source: MLB.com - Martin Gallegos
