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With Injury, Elmer Rodriguez Could Return To Yankees
With the forearm injury to Ryan Weathers, New York Yankees pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez could return to the Yankees starting rotation from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Rodriguez is having a great month of August with three starts of two earned runs or fewer at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. His last outing on August 18 saw Rodriguez go five innings allowing just one run with six hits, no walks, and five strikeouts. Rodriguez had a stint with the Yankees this season in which he started four games and went 0-2 with a 4.76 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 17 innings pitched. The right-hander is the No. 3 prospect in the Yankees organization and has three 55-grade pitches in his fastball, changeup, and curveball. The Yankees could call up Rodriguez to replace Weathers in the rotation. For now they have called up Brendan Beck as a bulk reliever but could turn to Rodriguez eventually.
Source: Yankees PR
Source: Yankees PR
Matthew Golden Has a Much Better Setup in Year 2
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden didn't have much to show for his rookie year until the very end. He caught 29 passes for 361 yards during the regular season, then went for 84 yards and his first NFL touchdown against Chicago in the playoffs. Green Bay has cleared out some of the traffic since then. Romeo Doubs left in free agency and Dontayvion Wicks was traded, leaving Golden in the top three with Christian Watson and Jayden Reed. The summer has helped his case, too. Golden caught a 57-yard touchdown from Jordan Love on Family Night, missed a couple of practices with a toe issue, then came right back without much trouble. On Friday against Denver, he was out there with the starters and caught a 19-yard pass from Love on fourth-and-inches during the opening touchdown drive. There are still plenty of mouths to feed once Tucker Kraft is included, so Golden isn't guaranteed a huge target jump. The opportunity is a lot cleaner than it was last year, though. RotoBaller has him 113th overall in PPR, and he's looking more interesting as a bench receiver with upside.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Ethan Salas Brings Great Upside But MLB Debut is Uncertain
In 18 games with Triple-A El Paso, San Diego Padres catcher prospect Ethan Salas is hitting .338 with three homers and 20 RBI in an impressive showing since his July 29 promotion from Double-A San Antonio. The 20-year-old left-handed hitter is the top overall prospect in the Padres' system and is considered one of the top prospects in baseball. Considered an excellent fielder with a 50-grade hit tool and 50-grade power and the ability to play behind the plate, he is a can't miss prospect for the Padres. San Diego currently has Luis Campusano and Freddy Fermin available at catcher and could just close the season out with those two. Salas would bring great upside to fantasy rosters this season, but he is more likely to debut next season and get some more time at Triple-A this season.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Lamar Jackson Has His Rushing Upside Back in Play
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson spent most of last season fighting through something. A hamstring injury cost him three games, then knee, ankle and toe issues followed before a back contusion knocked him out again late in the year. The rushing numbers took the biggest hit. Jackson finished with only 349 yards and two touchdowns on 67 carries after running for 915 yards the year before. This summer has looked a lot different. Baltimore's own camp coverage has described Jackson as fully healthy and moving extremely well, while Kyle Hamilton even said it looked like he had gotten faster. The passing work has been sharp at times, too. Jackson started an August 13 practice 11-for-12 and hit Rashod Bateman for 40 yards down the sideline. He's also adjusting quickly to more snaps from under center in Declan Doyle's new offense. RotoBaller still has Jackson at QB2, so nobody is getting a discount here. What has changed is the confidence in his legs. If Jackson gets anywhere close to his normal rushing workload again, the overall QB1 ceiling is very much back in play.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jhostynxon Garcia On the 7-day IL at Triple-A Indianapolis
Pittsburgh Pirates outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia (undisclosed) was recently optioned back to Triple-A Indianapolis and just landed on the seven-day injured list with an unspecified injury. Garcia spent a stint in the major leagues with the Pirates but was sent back down to Indianapolis on August 14 after he was called up on July 29. With the Pirates, Garcia played in 20 games this season and hit .167 with no homers and two RBI. In the minors between two levels this season, the talented right-handed hitter combined to hit 10 homers with 36 RBI with a .276 batting average in 244 at-bats. The injury setback hurts Garcia's chances of returning to Pittsburgh and spending time with the big-league club again this season. He did little in his first MLB stint and likely will not get another one until at least next season.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Jonah Tong Worth a Stash With Three Straight Good Outings at Triple-A
New York Mets pitching prospect Jonah Tong is coming off his third straight solid start in a row at Triple-A Syracuse. He's given up one run or less in his past three outings at Triple-A and on Saturday night he pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings with three hits, two walks, and three strikeouts on his way to picking up the victory. He lowered his ERA this month to 3.26 and his overall minor-league ERA to 4.86. After a good month of July, Tong has had a nice month of August at Triple-A after making a big-league appearance at the end of May and early June. Tong appeared three times out of the bullpen for the Mets in his big-league stint, pitching 10 innings and giving up four earned runs. Tong looks like he could get back to New York the way he is pitching now in the minors. He's a decent bet to get a few starts this season and has nice upside for fantasy managers.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
De'Zhaun Stribling Remains Out With Shoulder Injury
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling missed practice again Sunday because of a shoulder injury, according to Matt Barrows. That's two straight practices on the sideline for the rookie, who was listed as day-to-day Saturday. The timing isn't ideal after Stribling spent most of August forcing his way into San Francisco's plans at receiver. He caught seven passes for 63 yards against Tennessee in his preseason debut, then added four catches for 46 yards against the Chargers on Thursday. The 33rd overall pick has 11 receptions for 109 yards through two preseason games and has made a strong case for playing time right away. There isn't anything here yet that suggests his Week 1 availability is in serious doubt. Still, Stribling losing consecutive practices is worth tracking after all the momentum he built during camp.
Source: Matt Barrows
Source: Matt Barrows
Edwin Arroyo Could Be Good Bet to Get Back to Cincinnati
Cincinnati Reds middle-infield prospect Edwin Arroyo had a stint with the Reds earlier this season but has just put in a productive month of August back at Triple-A Louisville. Arroyo hit four homers with nine RBI this month while hitting .305 back in the minors. He made a good case for himself to make a return to the major leagues with Cincinnati. The infielder had a stint in the majors in July and hit .244 with no homers and five RBI in 131 major-league at-bats. Aside from his month-long MLB stint, Arroyo has played all of his ball at Triple-A this season, hitting 15 homers with 43 RBI to go with 13 stolen bases and a .319 batting average in 276 at-bats with Louisville. He earned his first call-up, and based on how he's hitting for Louisville, he might get another chance this season. Fantasy managers will want to pay close attention to how Cincinnati handles Arroyo's situation.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Christian McCaffrey Back on Practice Field
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey was back in uniform and on the practice field Sunday, according to Nick Wagoner. McCaffrey had not practiced since Aug. 8 while the 49ers managed what the team called tightness. Kyle Shanahan said earlier this week that the absence was health-related and that McCaffrey probably would have practiced if San Francisco were preparing for a regular-season game. That made the extended layoff sound precautionary, and Sunday's return fits that read. McCaffrey handled a massive workload last season, finishing with 311 carries for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns while adding 102 catches for 924 yards and seven more scores. His 413 touches led the NFL. Wagoner noted that McCaffrey's level of participation Sunday was not immediately clear, so this is not the same as saying he's back to a full workload. Still, getting him onto the field again is an encouraging step with Week 1 approaching.
Source: Nick Wagoner
Source: Nick Wagoner
Daniel Jones Gives QB2 Drafters More to Like
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones has done a lot this summer to quiet the concern around last December's torn Achilles. He was fully cleared for the first day of training camp and has looked like himself moving around, with Colts.com noting his mobility was almost entirely unaffected by the injury by the end of camp. That's a big deal for a quarterback who added 164 rushing yards and five scores in 13 games last season. Jones was also good through the air, completing 68% of his passes for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions while averaging 19.4 fantasy points per game before he went down. Indianapolis hasn't needed to see him in preseason games. Shane Steichen has already made it clear Jones is the QB1, and the Colts added Keenan Allen this week to a group that includes Josh Downs, Alec Pierce and Tyler Warren. The Achilles still makes his rushing ceiling harder to project, but the recovery has gone about as well as fantasy managers could have hoped. RotoBaller has Jones at QB24, leaving some room for profit in two-quarterback and Superflex formats.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Joshua Dobbs Scores Rushing Touchdown, Coughs Up Two Turnovers
Detroit Lions quarterback Joshua Dobbs had an up-and-down showing in his team's 17-13 preseason win over the Washington Commanders on Saturday. The 31-year-old completed seven of 12 pass attempts for 74 yards and an interception, rushed for 53 yards and a touchdown, and lost a fumble. Dobbs has only been with the Lions since August 9, as his signing was precipitated by the surprise retirement of quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. While the Lions have a clear QB1 in Jared Goff, the team's backup job is currently up for grabs between Dobbs and undrafted rookie Luke Altmyer. Based on NFL experience, Dobbs would appear to have the edge. The veteran has appeared in 27 games (15 starts) across six pro seasons. Dobbs' last run of extended action came in 2023, when he threw for 2,424 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions across 13 games (12 starts) split between the Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Chargers Place Center Tyler Biadasz on Season-Ending Injured Reserve
The Los Angeles Chargers officially placed center Tyler Biadasz (knee) on season-ending Injured Reserve on Sunday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. It is a massive loss for the Chargers' offense before the 2026 season even gets underway. The Bolts signed the 28-year-old to a three-year, $30 million deal in free agency, but he will not play at all in L.A. this year after tearing his ACL, in addition to other damage, in training camp practice on Tuesday. With Biadasz now out, the Chargers will look for Jake Slaughter to step in as their starting center. Biadasz, who was originally a fourth-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2020 NFL draft from Wisconsin, was a Pro Bowler in Dallas in 2022 and spent his first four years with the Cowboys before spending his last two seasons playing for the Washington Commanders. Of his 92 games played in the NFL in the last six years, he has started 84 of them.
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Darius Cooper Making a Late Push for Redraft Relevance
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Darius Cooper keeps stacking good days in a receiver room where there isn't much room to spare. Cooper caught three passes for 44 yards in Saturday's 24-21 loss to New England, with gains of 25 and 13 yards from Andy Dalton. The 25-yarder came on a crossing route where he broke contact, while the 13-yard grab moved the chains on fourth down. He also led Philadelphia with two catches for 21 yards in the preseason opener. Camp has looked similar. Cooper made multiple contested catches from Jalen Hurts on August 7, then beat Kobee Minor on a go route during the August 19 joint practice with New England. The current depth chart still lists him behind Dontayvion Wicks, and that's the problem for redraft. Cooper caught only nine passes for 92 yards as a rookie, while Philadelphia has plenty of other options at receiver. Still, five catches for 65 yards through two preseason games and a good camp are enough to move his stock up. He's a deeper-league name for now, with standard-league relevance dependent on climbing the depth chart.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
George Kittle Activated From PUP List
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (Achilles) took another important step toward a possible Week 1 return on Sunday. The 49ers activated Kittle from the active/PUP list, according to Adam Schefter, clearing him to practice as he continues working back from the torn right Achilles he suffered in January. Kittle underwent surgery three days after the injury and has spent training camp doing rehab work on the side. His activation also means he will not be moved to reserve/PUP, which would have required him to miss at least the first four games. Kittle caught 57 passes for 628 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games last season, so his return would immediately matter for fantasy managers. He has been ahead of schedule in his rehab and still has a legitimate chance to play against the Rams in Australia. That isn't guaranteed yet, but getting back onto the practice field puts him much closer.
Source: Adam Schefter
Source: Adam Schefter
Jackson Meeks Leads Lions in Receiving Yards on Saturday
Detroit Lions tight end Jackson Meeks led his team in receiving yards in preseason action on Saturday, recording four catches for 33 yards on six targets. Meeks spent most of his rookie season in 2025 on the Lions' practice squad, appearing in two games but failing to record a single target. A college wide receiver, Meeks has made the transition to tight end ahead of his second NFL campaign. With star Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (hip) battling a hip injury that could cause him to miss regular-season time, Meeks could have a chance to step into a more prominent role. Detroit has a pair of proven veteran tight ends in Brock Wright and Tyler Conklin, so Meeks may still be a long shot to make the team's 53-man roster coming out of the preseason. Still, the young tight end convert could be a name to watch in deeper leagues.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
