August 22, 2025
Chicago Bears running back
D'Andre Swift looked solid in his first preseason action, carrying the ball seven times for 28 yards, while adding six yards on one reception in the Bears' 29-27 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bears' 2024 starting running back was the workhorse on Friday, playing 19 of the 20 snaps during the Bears' first team reps and totaling eight touches in those 19 snaps. Not only did he have the opportunities, but the six-year veteran looked really good, including an impressive hurdle, as well as picking up two first downs in short-yardage situations. Swift has experience under new head coach Ben Johnson, when he coached in Detroit, where he averaged 11.9 half-PPR fantasy points. With
Roschon Johnson (foot) inactive, it's hard to say precisely how the backfield will shake up, but Friday was an excellent night for Swift.
--Nathan HarveySource: ESPN
August 22, 2025
Chicago Bears quarterback
Caleb Williams completed 11 of 15 pass attempts for 113 yards and a touchdown in the Bears' 29-27 victory against the Kansas City Chiefs. Williams also added 18 yards on the ground. The Bears' first two drives were ugly, with a botched exchange, a costly sack, and a false start. After a slow start, Williams was able to drive the first-team offense down the field on his two final drives, with the final one ending with wide receiver
Rome Odunze snagging a three-yard touchdown with 31 seconds to go until the end of the first half. The second-year quarterback finished his preseason, going 17-of-25 for 220 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, in just six drives. Williams has looked good in his first game reps under new head coach Ben Johnson, but sputtered against the Chiefs' first-team defense. We will see the former first-overall pick in action in Week 1 when the Bears host the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football.
--Nathan HarveySource: ESPN
August 22, 2025
Philadelphia Eagles running back
Montrell Johnson Jr. carried the ball 15 times for 57 yards and a touchdown in a 19-17 win over the New York Jets on Friday. Johnson got more than double his touches from last week against Cleveland and was far more productive in an overall stronger outing for the Philly offense. His highlight came in a 15-yard rush up the middle for his team's only time finding the end zone all night. The undrafted rookie couldn't manage to get very involved in the passing game, having no receptions on two targets. While Johnson has gotten the most work in the Eagles backfield over the last two games, it still seems unlikely that he'll get many looks during the 2025 season.
--Ricky Maloney - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
August 22, 2025
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback
Kyle McCord completed 15-of-35 pass attempts for 136 yards and an interception, and ran for three yards on three attempts in Friday's 19-17 victory over the Jets. McCord was the sole QB on the team to get playing time in the final game of the preseason after trading snaps with
Dorian Thompson-Robinson last week. This marks the second week in a row that the fourth-string failed to complete more than 50% of his passes. While Philly managed five scoring drives with McCord under center, this was in large part due to having favorable field position throughout the game. Four of these drives, all of which resulted in field goals, went no more than 26 yards. It seems as though the rookie will struggle to make the final 53-man roster before the regular season begins.
--Ricky Maloney - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
August 22, 2025
The New York Giants released wide receiver
Zach Pascal on Friday. The 30-year-old had the best stretch of his career with the Colts, where he caught 15 touchdowns in 64 regular-season contests. However, he wasn't nearly as impactful from a statistical standpoint in stints with the Eagles and Cardinals. Pascal signed with the Giants in March, but now he's back on the market and looking for work. There's a chance he'll sign with another team at some point moving ahead. Still, Pascal is a long way away from being a relevant fantasy option in any format.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Adam Schefter
August 22, 2025
Albert Breer of SI believes Cleveland Browns quarterback
Joe Flacco will remain the starting signal-caller as long as the team remains competitive. The Browns could theoretically keep four quarterbacks on the roster, with
Kenny Pickett (hamstring),
Dillon Gabriel, and
Shedeur Sanders behind Flacco. There's still a chance Pickett could be traded away. However, with Sanders and Gabriel both still a work in progress, Flacco might stay atop the depth chart as long as the Browns remain in the playoff conversation. The 40-year-old has thrown for 45,697 yards, 257 touchdowns, and 162 interceptions in 196 regular-season contests throughout his career. While that's a lot of mileage, Breer noted that Flacco still has "juice in his arm." Granted, that won't make him a practical option in single quarterback fantasy setups, although he is worth rostering in deep Superflex formats as long as he remains under center.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Albert Breet
August 22, 2025
According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Steelers defensive tackle Derrick Harmon (knee) is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. However, the team currently has no plans to place him on Injured reserve. With a few weeks to go before the start of the 2025 campaign, the best-case scenario could mean the rookie will be on the field for the Week 3 meeting with the New England Patriots. Harmon suffered an MCL sprain during the preseason finale versus the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night. Fortunately, things turned out better than initially believed. The 2025 No. 21 overall pick has plenty of hype entering the National Football League after amassing 45 tackles and five sacks at Oregon in his final collegiate season. Of course, there could be more updates along the way, so there's always a chance Harmon could be out longer than anticipated.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Gerry Dulac
August
22,
2025
Josina
Anderson
reports
that
a
trade
between
the
Carolina
Panthers
and
Minnesota
Vikings
involving
veteran
wide
receiver
Adam
Thielen
is
"not
likely,
at
this
point,"
according
to
a
league
source.
Thielen
is
in
the
last
year
read more...
August 22, 2025
Pittsburgh Steelers rookie first-round defensive tackle Derrick Harmon (knee), who injured his knee in the preseason finale on Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers, was diagnosed with an MCL sprain, sources told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Harmon is expected to miss around a month, which makes him a candidate to open the regular season on Injured Reserve. He would miss at least the first four games of his rookie season. It's a tough start to the 22-year-old's NFL career, but at least it's not a season-ending injury. The Steelers hope that Harmon will eventually bolster their pass rush this year when he's healthy and add depth behind veteran pass-rushers Cameron Heyward and T.J. Watt. Harmon was the 21st overall pick in April's draft after recording 45 tackles (27 solo), five sacks and 11 tackles for loss in 2024 at Oregon.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
August 22, 2025
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports the Dallas Cowboys have received multiple trade inquiries on disgruntled pass-rusher Micah Parsons, but the Cowboys are not entertaining those trade inquiries right now and don't plan to trade him. Fowler goes on to say that it would take "some sort of Herculean-sized offer" for Dallas to even seriously consider trading him. The Cowboys and Parsons have the next 10 to 12 days before the start of the regular season to try and hash out a contract extension, and people in the organization that Fowler has spoken to remain optimistic that something can get done. If Dallas changes their tune on a potential trade, teams like the Packers, Cardinals, and Ravens could get involved. Parsons has 52.5 sacks in his four years in the NFL and has been aPro Bowler each season, but his IDP fantasy value is a bit unsettled with a potential holdout seeping into the start of the regular season.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
August 22, 2025
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver
A.J. Brown (hamstring) looked "pretty good" while catching passes from quarterback
Jalen Hurts during a pre-game workout on Friday before the team's preseason finale at MetLife Stadium against the New York Jets, according to John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia. The Eagles are being cautious with some of their players to make sure they are ready to start practicing this coming week as they begin preparations for the Week 1 season opener on Sept. 4 against the division-rival Dallas Cowboys. While Brown has not practiced with the team since suffering a hamstring injury early in August, the team has been optimistic all along that he'll be ready for the start of the regular season, and Clark's report on Friday backs that up. Brown is one of those veterans that will miss plenty of practice time but still play on Sundays. He remains a top-10 fantasy receiver.
--Keith HernandezSource: NBC Sports Philadelphia - John Clark
August 22, 2025
Houston Texans wide receiver
Nico Collins was targeted by quarterback
C.J. Stroud "all day" during the team's joint practice with the Detroit Lions on Thursday, according to Colton Pouncy of The Athletic. In the four games before he injured his hamstring in Week 5 of 2024, Collins was averaging nearly 11 targets per contest. It appears the 26-year-old could be in line for a massive target share once again in 2025. Injuries have been an issue for Collins throughout his career so far, as he's missed 17 games across four NFL seasons. If he can stay on the field, Collins has a legitimate shot at being the overall WR1 in fantasy.
--Will BradySource: The Athletic - Colton Pouncy
August 22, 2025
Denver Broncos running back
Audric Estime "may not even make the roster" out of training camp, according to Nick Kosmider of The Athletic. A fifth-round pick in 2024, Estime rushed for 310 yards and two touchdowns on 76 carries as a rookie. Denver overhauled their running back room heading into 2025, using a second-round pick on
RJ Harvey and signing
J.K. Dobbins in free agency. Those additions could leave Estime on the outside looking in. If the 21-year-old were in fact released, he would surely get an opportunity with another team. The best outcome for Estime's fantasy profile in the short and long term might be for him to find a home outside of Denver.
--Will BradySource: The Athletic - Nick Kosmider
August 22, 2025
Houston Texans rookie wide receiver
Jaylin Noel was a standout performer in the team's joint practice with the Detroit Lions on Thursday, according to Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle. Alexander writes that Noel will "find some time on the field this season and should make an impact." Houston drafted Noel in the third round out of Iowa State this past April. The 22-year-old projects as veteran
Christian Kirk's backup in the slot to start the season, but Noel could easily work his way into a larger role over the course of the year. He would likely need an injury to one of the wide receivers ahead of him to be fantasy-relevant in 2025. Still, Noel is a player to target in dynasty leagues and a name to monitor in redraft formats.
--Will BradySource: Houston Chronicle - Jonathan M. Alexander
August 22, 2025
Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said that fullback
Patrick Ricard (soft tissue) is dealing with a "soft tissue thing" but should be able to return to practice before Week 1. Ricard has played in all 17 games for Baltimore in each of the last three regular seasons. While he's not a fantasy-relevant player himself, Ricard is a five-time Pro Bowler who plays an important role as a blocker in Baltimore's jumbo packages. If Ricard were to miss any time, it could negatively impact the rushing efficiency for Ravens running back
Derrick Henry and quarterback
Lamar Jackson.
--Will BradySource: The Athletic - Jeff Zrebiec
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