RADIO
Garrett Wilson Displaying Clear Chemistry With Newest QB
New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson has never struggled to earn targets, though the quality of those looks has often left something to be desired from a fantasy perspective. A first-round pick in 2022, the start of his career did not align with quarterback Geno Smith's first stint with the Jets, but with the 35-year-old veteran now back with the team that drafted him, the two are making the most of their first training camp together and developing an obvious chemistry. While working on third-and-long situations on Friday, Smith was a perfect five of five when targeting Wilson in team sessions, and the ball has rarely touched the ground when he's gone that way throughout camp. With Justin Fields under center to begin 2025, Wilson started the year as the WR6 before a knee injury derailed his season after only five healthy games. Now, with the injury behind him and the potential beneficiary of improved quarterback play, he's being drafted as the WR19, making him one of the best potential values at the position in 2026 drafts.
Source: Amanda Vogt & Eric Allen
Source: Amanda Vogt & Eric Allen
Mavericks Hold Off on Klay Thompson Buyout
Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson is not currently discussing a buyout with the team, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. Dallas is open to trading the four-time champion, but a buyout is not in play for now. Thompson is entering the final season of his deal at roughly $17.5 million, making him an easier trade chip than a long-term salary. The 36-year-old averaged a career-low 11.7 points in 21.7 minutes last season while still hitting 38.3 percent from three. He remains only a narrow fantasy target for threes, and his value likely depends on whether Dallas finds a trade.
Source: Brett Siegel
Source: Brett Siegel
Brian Thomas Jr. "Playing Confident Right Now"
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. was on the receiving end of one of Trevor Lawrence's three touchdown passes during the team's annual Teal and White scrimmage, and as he has done for much of the summer, head coach Liam Coen spoke glowingly of the third-year player following the 90-minute mock game. "He's playing confident right now," Coen told reporters; a sentiment reinforced by Thomas in his own media availability. "I knew I had to be super-intentional about everything I did, whether it's staying locked in on catching the ball, staying locked into the catch point, or just being in the best shape I could be." As part of one of the league's deepest groups of pass catchers, Thomas has fallen to WR31 by current ADP, but throughout a strong training camp, the former Pro Bowler has shown signs that he could return to the difference-making form of his rookie season, making him one of the higher-upside swings in the middle rounds of drafts.
Source: John Oehser
Source: John Oehser
Peyton Watson Draws Four-Team Interest
Denver Nuggets restricted free-agent forward Peyton Watson remains unsigned, with the Clippers, Hawks, Bucks, and Cavaliers all connected to his market, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, citing prior reporting from Shams Charania. Denver is reportedly open to sign-and-trade scenarios and would consider a package built around one impact player and a future first-round pick. Watson broke out in 2025-26, averaging 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 blocks while shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from three. A persistent hamstring issue limited him to 54 games and cost him the playoffs, so his fantasy ceiling depends on both health and landing spot. A starting role elsewhere would help, while a Denver return keeps him fighting for touches in a crowded rotation.
Source: Dave McMenamin
Source: Dave McMenamin
Stefon Diggs Already Seen as a "Different Caliber" of Player
Washington Commanders veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs practiced for the first time with his new team on Friday after signing a one-year deal on Wednesday. Although he was limited as part of his acclimation plan, the four-time Pro Bowler lived up to the hype, according to senior writer Zach Selby. Diggs moved around the field with infectious energy and ran crisp routes while displaying his signature quick hands during individual drills, with Selby noting that he immediately proved himself a different caliber of player. Diggs topped 1,000 yards in his lone season with the Patriots while playing in a rotational role in his first year back from the torn ACL sustained in 2024. Now, another year removed from the injury, the 32-year-old is looking to prove he still has plenty left in the tank, but a long offseason without a team has pushed his ADP down to WR52, and with the market often slow to adjust, Diggs could prove to be one of the best values in the later rounds of 2026 drafts.
Source: Zach Selby
Source: Zach Selby
James Harden Expected to Re-Sign with Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden is on track to re-sign with the team on a new multi-year deal, according to ESPN's Jamal Collier. Harden remains unsigned after declining his $42.3 million player option, but Cleveland still appears to be the expected landing spot after missing out on LeBron James. The 36-year-old stayed productive after arriving from the Clippers, averaging 20.5 points, 7.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.1 threes while shooting 43.5 percent from deep across 26 games with Cleveland. Next to Donovan Mitchell, Harden should remain a strong assists-and-threes fantasy guard, though age and possible rest nights keep some risk attached.
Source: Jamal Collier
Source: Jamal Collier
DeMario Douglas the Star of Patriots Scrimmage
The New England Patriots held their second annual Blue and White team scrimmage under head coach Mike Vrabel on Friday, and the standout performer, according to senior reporter Evan Lazar, was wide receiver DeMario Douglas. The fourth-year player has earned praise from the local beat for running an expanded route tree throughout training camp, and that work paid off under game conditions, with Lazar noting that he made catches at all three levels of the field, including a deep ball in an end-of-game scenario and a touchdown from Tommy DeVito. Douglas saw only a 26% snap share in 2025 but has been operating as the primary slot receiver with the first-team offense and should see an uptick in usage in a role that has had some notable success in Josh McDaniels' offense. Falling outside of RotoBaller's top 300, Douglas is going largely undrafted in most single-season formats, but a strong training camp could lead to an increased role and occasional fantasy viability in 2026.
Source: Evan Lazar
Source: Evan Lazar
Isaiah Stewart Embraces New Grizzlies Chapter
Memphis Grizzlies forward/center Isaiah Stewart is embracing his move from Detroit, telling Andscape's Marc J. Spears that he is happy to be "moving on to a new chapter." Stewart was traded to Memphis during the second round of the NBA Draft after six seasons with the Pistons, and he said he feels wanted by the organization. The 25-year-old averaged 10.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks last season while finishing seventh in Sixth Man of the Year voting. In Memphis, he should bring frontcourt toughness behind Zach Edey in a young, reworked big-man rotation. The blocks give Stewart narrow fantasy appeal, but he likely needs a bigger role to become more than a specialist.
Source: Marc J. Spears
Source: Marc J. Spears
Pitching Prospect Tanner McDougal Getting the Call From the White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are calling up right-handed pitching prospect Tanner McDougal from Triple-A Charlotte, according to The Athletic's James Fegan. McDougal earned his first big-league call-up after going 1-1 with a 3.44 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 44:21 K:BB in 36 2/3 innings pitched across 17 appearances (six starts) with High-A Winston-Salem and Charlotte. The 23-year-old began his pro career as a starter, but he has since been moved to a relief role after suffering a forearm injury last month. Like left-handed prospect Hagen Smith, who is also being called up from Charlotte, McDougal will most likely work in a relief role in his first taste of the big leagues, limiting his fantasy baseball value to deep dynasty/keeper leagues as a stash. McDougal, a former fifth-rounder in 2021, posted a 2.86 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with Charlotte, but he has surrendered six runs in 8 2/3 frames down on the farm since returning from his forearm injury. Smith is the much better prospect stash with more starting-pitching upside in the long-term.
Source: The Athletic - James Fegan
Source: The Athletic - James Fegan
White Sox Calling Up Top Pitching Prospect Hagen Smith to the Majors
The Chicago White Sox are calling up left-handed pitching prospect Hagen Smith from Triple-A Charlotte, according to James Fegan of The Athletic. Smith, who is considered the team's No. 2 prospect by MLB Pipeline, will get the call for the first time after going 1-6 with a 4.32 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and 87:40 K:BB in 58 1/3 innings pitched across 20 appearances (14 starts) at Triple-A Charlotte in 2026. The White Sox moved Smith to the bullpen last month, and since then, he's been much more effective, giving up just one run while striking out 10 in 6 1/3 innings pitched. The 6-foot-3, 235-pound southpaw, who was a former fifth overall pick in 2024 from the University of Arkansas, has a bright future, but for the rest of the year in the majors, he's expected to pitch in a relief role for the Pale Hose. That means that fantasy managers in redraft leagues can most likely ignore Smith off the waiver wire. He's currently rostered in only 2% of Yahoo leagues. Smith has mostly relied on a fastball/slider combination, and he may need to develop a strong third pitch to have long-term upside as a starter in the big leagues.
Source: The Athletic - James Fegan
Source: The Athletic - James Fegan
Adley Rutschman to Begin a Rehab Assignment on Saturday
Boston Red Sox catcher Adley Rutschman (wrist) will start a minor-league rehab assignment on Saturday, according to Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald. Rutschman has been on the 10-day injured list since July 20 due to inflammation in his wrist, but now that he's on the verge of a rehab assignment, the 28-year-old switch-hitting backstop could be in line to make his debut with Boston at some point next week, barring a setback. Once he's back in the big leagues, the former first overall pick from Oregon State University will be the Red Sox's starting catcher as they look to stay hot and earn a berth in the playoffs. Boston gave up quite the prospect haul to acquire Rutschman from the Baltimore Orioles on Monday, so they are banking on him returning to the form he had in Baltimore in his first couple of years in the majors. Rutschman has been an injury disappointment the last two seasons, and he has hit .251/.331/.433 with a .764 OPS, eight home runs, 47 RBI, and 30 runs scored in 67 games and 284 plate appearances in 2026. He's rostered in 70% of Yahoo leagues after fading since the start of the 2025 season.
Source: Boston Herald - Mac Cerullo
Source: Boston Herald - Mac Cerullo
Payton Tolle Dominant Against A's, Strikes Out 14 Batters
Boston Red Sox left-hander Payton Tolle was absolutely dominant in Friday night's 13-1 beatdown of the Athletics at Fenway Park and flirted with a perfect game early on. Tolle allowed just one earned run on two hits (one homer) while walking none and fanning a career-high 14 batters in six innings of work to pick up his seventh win of the season and lower his ERA to 3.20. Tolle's perfect-game bid was ended in the fifth inning when he allowed a solo home run to Tyler Soderstrom, but that was all the 23-year-old southpaw would allow. He had his swing-and-miss stuff going, as he generated 24 swings and misses on just 84 pitches. It was Tolle's second straight quality start. Tolle will face the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays for the third time this year in his next scheduled outing. It will be a challenge for him to earn a third straight quality start, as he's allowed seven runs (five earned) with a walk and seven strikeouts in 11 innings against the Rays in his previous two starts against them in 2025. After Friday's strong start, Tolle has a nice 3.20 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP in his 107 innings pitched over 19 starts in his first full year in the majors.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Jordan Mason Looking Good in Training Camp
Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Mason has been a standout at training camp and looks poised for a big 2026 season. According to the Purple Daily Podcast, Mason looks better than Jones, and "the way [Mason] is moving around, the way that he runs. I really like Jordan Mason as a fit in the new run scheme that the Vikings have with their new wide zone concepts." Last season, Mason totaled 758 rushing yards and six touchdowns in 16 games, averaging 4.8 yards per carry, while Jones averaged 4.2 yards per carry. While Mason doesn't offer much in the passing game, any improvement there could boost his stock, especially if the team improves on their abysmal showing in 2025. Ranked RB37 in RotoBaller's positional rankings, Mason is a great value that could easily top his current price this season.
Source: Purple Daily Podcast
Source: Purple Daily Podcast
Kimani Vidal Still a Factor in Chargers Crowded Running Back Room
Los Angeles Chargers running back Kimani Vidal is competing for touches in a crowded backfield. Vidal had a career year in 2025, posting 779 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns on 171 total attempts, doing most of his work while both Omarion Hampton (ankle) and Najee Harris (Achilles) were out. Now that former first-round pick Hampton is back and Keaton Mitchell has been added, Vidal is still fighting for his role in Los Angeles. Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel said the group of Hampton, Mitchell, and Vidal is "as deep and complementary a group that [he's] been around." Ranked RB73 by RotoBaller, Vidal is an option if Hampton or Mitchell were to struggle or miss time during the 2026 season.
Source: Dan Graziano - ESPN
Source: Dan Graziano - ESPN
Brian Robinson Jr. Back With Second-Team Offense in Camp
After Atlanta Falcons superstar running back Bijan Robinson ended his holdout and signed a three-year, $75 million contract, Brian Robinson Jr. has returned to the second team in training camp. The former Commanders and 49ers running back has totaled 3,341 yards and 22 touchdowns in 58 NFL games. Robinson Jr. is coming off the worst statistical season of his career with San Francisco, finishing with just 425 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns despite playing all 17 games. Now in Atlanta, most speculate that he'll replace Tyler Allgeier, who was the Falcons' RB1B from 2023-2025. However, Allgeier's production has been far better than Robinson Jr.'s, and it's a whole new scheme with Kevin Stefanski in town. Fantasy managers should view Robinson Jr. as a handcuff in this offense and not expect much standalone value behind Bijan.
Source: Marc Ralmondi - ESPN
Source: Marc Ralmondi - ESPN
