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Jusuf Nurkic Dominates Italy with 25 Points, 14 Rebounds
Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic carried Bosnia and Herzegovina to a 78-76 win over Italy in Friday's World Cup qualifier in Tuzla, posting 25 points and 14 rebounds on 11-for-19 shooting in just over 22 minutes. The 32-year-old had not played competitive basketball since February, when nose surgery ended his NBA season. Utah's frontcourt looks different this time around. Nurkic re-signed on a two-year, $22 million deal in June and projects as the starting center after the Jazz sent Walker Kessler to the Lakers, with Jaren Jackson Jr. slotting in beside him. Kyle Filipowski is the main threat to those minutes, though Nurkic averaged 10.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 26.4 minutes across 41 games last season. That rebounding and passing floor makes him worth tracking as camp approaches.
Source: Keith Smith
Source: Keith Smith
Joshua Dobbs Throws Two Touchdowns on Saturday
Detroit Lions quarterback Joshua Dobbs put together a strong performance in his team's final preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday, completing 15 of 19 pass attempts for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Dobbs was signed by Detroit midway through the summer after the surprise retirement of former Lions quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. The veteran Dobbs is competing with undrafted rookie Luke Altmyer for Detroit's QB2 job behind starter Jared Goff. However, Dobbs outplayed Altmyer on Saturday and may have solidified himself as the Lions' backup quarterback to open the year. Assuming he makes Detroit's 53-man roster, the Lions will be Dobbs' seventh team as he heads into his seventh NFL season. His last extended run of playing time came in 2023, when he threw for 2,464 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions across 13 games (12 starts) split between the Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings. As long as Goff remains healthy, Dobbs should not be on the radar of fantasy managers.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Neemias Queta Pulled Early in Portugal's Win Over Spain
Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (undisclosed) is dealing with an injury of some kind after Portugal pulled him early in the fourth quarter of Friday's FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers win over Spain, Keith Smith reports. Head coach Mario Gomes said the medical staff flagged a "real risk" and shut Queta down as a precaution, but he did not name the injury. The 27-year-old had 16 points, nine rebounds, one assist, and two steals in 24-plus minutes before exiting. Portugal hosts Georgia on Monday, making his status there the next read on severity. Queta averaged 10.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 0.8 steals last season before signing a four-year, $56 million deal, but Boston also added Mitchell Robinson and still has Luka Garza. Any missed camp time would add pressure to Queta's hold on the starting center job.
Source: Keith Smith
Source: Keith Smith
Anthony Richardson Sr. Highly Accurate as Roster Crunch Lingers
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. completed seven of his 10 pass attempts for 80 yards during Saturday's preseason contest against the Detroit Lions. He finished the game without a touchdown or interception, and he took just one sack along the way. There has been plenty of chatter about Richardson's future with the Colts after he requested a trade, but for now, he remains on the roster as the projected backup behind Daniel Jones. With that being said, there are fewer than 24 hours until NFL teams must trim their rosters to 53 players, so we can't rule out the possibility of a surprise trade or release involving Richardson. Assuming he remains on the Colts' roster, he can be avoided in all fantasy football leagues. He'd only get onto the fantasy radar as a QB3 if Jones were to suffer an injury.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Cowboys Acquire Broderick Jones From Steelers
The Dallas Cowboys have acquired offensive tackle Broderick Jones and a fourth-round pick from the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a third-round pick and a sixth-round pick, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Essentially, in return for Jones, the Steelers are moving up a round in the middle of the draft and also picking up a late Day 3 selection in the process. The 25-year-old tackle was a first-round pick out of Georgia in 2023. He played all 17 games in each of his first two seasons, but his participation total dropped to 11 games last year due to a season-ending neck injury. He had a career-worst 50.6 PFF run-blocking grade last year, but he also posted a career-best 59.0 PFF pass-blocking grade. Jones should offer impressive depth as the backup right tackle behind Terence Steele. He's heading into a contract year after Pittsburgh declined his fifth-year option.
Source: Jeremy Fowler
Source: Jeremy Fowler
Jaguars Acquire Quinn Ewers From Dolphins
The Jacksonville Jaguars have acquired quarterback Quinn Ewers from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2028 NFL Draft, according to an announcement from both teams. Ewers, a University of Texas product, showed glimpses of promise during his rookie season last year. He made three starts at the end of the season, completing 67% of his pass attempts for 569 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions. He also took six sacks across his final two games of the season. For Miami, this trade reaffirms the team's confidence in Malik Willis to start all 17 games this upcoming year. The move leaves Cam Miller and Mark Gronowski, who have a combined zero snaps in the NFL, to back up the 27-year-old. For the Jaguars, the trade strengthens their depth behind Trevor Lawrence. Having quarterback depth is important for a prospective playoff team like the Jags, and they evidently believe Ewers can at least keep them afloat if Lawrence misses any time. Ewers had limited action this preseason, going 1-for-8 on pass attempts with 27 yards, zero touchdowns, one interception, and one sack.
Source: Jacksonville Jaguars
Source: Jacksonville Jaguars
Trent Mosley Stars for USC in Collegiate Debut
USC wide receiver Trent Mosley caught seven passes for 118 yards and one touchdown in his collegiate debut in the 42-26 win over San Jose State on Saturday. The true freshman was expected to play a significant role right away in the absence of Tanook Hines (foot), but he exceeded expectations and looked like Jayden Maiava's clear No. 1 wide receiver. After the strong performance, he entered the College Fantasy Football radar, and he's just two percent rostered in Yahoo leagues. All that said, the Trojans were heavy favorites against an overmatched team, and Hines was out, so it's too early to know if he'll be a consistent producer in Lincoln Riley's offense. USC has two more "cupcake" matchups against Fresno State and Louisiana over the next two weeks.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Beau Pribula Dominates in Virginia Debut
Virginia quarterback Beau Pribula had a fantastic outing in his first game with the program, completing nine of his 11 passing attempts for 155 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions in the win over NC State. He also rushed 15 times for a career-high 110 rushing yards. The Cavs dominated up front and ran the ball a total of 57 times, with Pribula clearly leading the way. The former Penn State and Missouri quarterback has 16 career rushing touchdowns despite just having one season as a starter, and Virginia is clearly looking to utilize the quarterback run game heavily in 2026. The senior is just one-percent rostered in Yahoo college fantasy football leagues, but after his Week 0 performance, he'll be worth monitoring in the coming weeks. Virginia is on a bye in Week 1 before a favorable matchup against Norfolk State in Week 3.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Is Chase Briscoe Worth Rostering for DFS at Daytona?
Chase Briscoe of Joe Gibbs Racing will start in the 12th position for this week's Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway after qualifying. This will be Briscoe's first race at Daytona, where he will start outside of the top 10 since the 2024 Daytona 500. In 11 Cup starts in his career, Briscoe has three top-10 finishes and an average finish of 20.5. Through 25 races so far this year, Briscoe has one win, 13 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 14.6. In his last 10 races at drafting tracks, Briscoe has three top-5 finishes and has led in eight different events. Briscoe's starting position does not provide much upside, and his track history has been boom-or-bust at Daytona. Fantasy players can use Briscoe in all formats due to his potential ceiling for DFS, but he is best recommended for tournaments due to his underwhelming upside.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Carson Hocevar Presents Plenty of DFS Upside for Daytona Lineups
Carson Hocevar of Spire Motorsports will start 28th after qualifying for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Hocevar last qualified this far back in the field at the site during the 2025 Daytona 500. In five previous races at Daytona, Hocevar has two top-20 finishes and a best finish of 11th, which he obtained in August 2024. With 25 Cup races completed so far this season, Hocevar has one win, 18 top-20 finishes, and an average finish of 15.9. Notably, Hocevar has finished inside the top five in each of the last three races at drafting tracks, including a win at Talladega earlier in the year. Hocevar has plenty of upside based on his starting position for this week's race. When factoring in his history at drafting tracks overall, Hocevar makes for a great DFS option for all formats.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Chris Buescher Earns his First Front-Row Start at Daytona
Chris Buescher of RFK Racing qualified on the outside of the front row in second for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway. It will be the first front-row start for Buescher at the site in his Cup career. In 21 Cup races at Daytona, Buescher has one win and 11 top-10 finishes with an average finish of 17.7. Through 25 races this year, Buescher has 10 top-10 finishes and an average finish of 13.9. In the last seven races at drafting tracks, Buescher has six top-15 finishes, with five of them inside the top 10. Although Buescher has been one of the more consistent performers at Daytona in his Cup career, fantasy players should look towards rostering other drivers for this week's race. Buescher's starting position being towards the front provides him with no Place Differential upside, making him difficult to recommend for most DFS lineups outside of tournaments despite his great track history.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Ryan Preece Is A Huge DFS Risk Despite Strong Daytona Qualifying Result
Ryan Preece will start this week's Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway from the fourth position. This matches the highest starting position of Preece's Cup career at Daytona, which was obtained in August 2024. In 13 Cup starts at the site, Preece has four top-15 finishes and an average finish of 24.3. After 25 Cup races so far this season, Preece has six top-10 finishes and an average finish of 17.2. Since 2024 at drafting tracks, Preece only has one top-10 finish, being a ninth-place result at Atlanta earlier this season. Considering his overall history at drafting tracks is lackluster, Preece is a driver who fantasy players should look to avoid rostering in this week's race. This is also because he is a huge risk for losing Place Differential in DFS based on track history.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Raiders Set to Name Kirk Cousins as Week 1 Starter
According to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, the Las Vegas Raiders are expected to name veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins their Week 1 starter. Even though Cousins was slated to take the starting job back at the beginning of training camp, newly appointed head coach Klint Kubiak has kept the door open for a competition. However, the veteran earned the starting gig over first-overall pick Fernando Mendoza and Aidan O'Connell. Cousins has been sharp in the preseason, going 5-for-6 in the opener and 8-for-11 in their preseason finale this past Thursday evening. Last season, Cousins appeared in 10 games for the Falcons and averaged 205.5 passing yards per game with a 10:5 TD:INT in the eight games in which he logged more than 50 offensive snaps. Given that the Raiders lack many proven options in the passing game outside of star tight end Brock Bowers, the 38-year-old carries low-end QB3 appeal in their Week 1 opener against the Miami Dolphins.
Source: Matt Zenitz
Source: Matt Zenitz
Fernando Mendoza Could Begin the Season as the QB3
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak is open to naming Aidan O'Connell as the QB2 over rookie first overall pick Fernando Mendoza, according to Michael Smith of NBC Sports. This would make the No. 1 overall pick the QB3 to start the season for the Raiders. During the preseason, Mendoza had 25 completions on 45 passing attempts for 240 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. It has widely been expected that Kirk Cousins would be the starting quarterback for Week 1, with Mendoza being the backup. However, not many would have thought the rookie would start the season as the third-string quarterback. "We've got three guys that are ready to play," Kubiak told team reporters. "It's going to be some hard decisions on who's 1, who's 2. That's not a decision we have to make today, but those are discussions that are ongoing." If this happens, nothing much will change for Mendoza's fantasy outlook for redraft leagues and dynasty leagues. We knew he was a long-term fantasy investment that would not have much fantasy relevance until, at best, the end of the 2026 season.
Source: NBCS - Michael Smith
Source: NBCS - Michael Smith
Phil Mafah Falling Out of Roster Spot?
Dallas Cowboys running back Phil Mafah could be on the outside looking in to make the Cowboys' final 53-man roster. The Cowboys drafted him in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Clemson. Teams around the league will have to shrink their roster from 90 players to 53 players on Sunday in order to be ready for Week 1. Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram noted Mafah got the majority of the running back work during the preseason finale Friday night. This signaled Mafah had one last shot to prove to the coaching staff that he should win a spot on the Cowboys' final roster. Mafah has been battling Jaydon Blue and Malik Davis all summer for the backup running back role behind starter Javonte Williams. After stiff competition, Mafah could be the odd man out of the running back room.
Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram - Nick Harris
Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram - Nick Harris
