RADIO
Luke Altmyer Sees Heavy Playing Time in Rocky Preseason Debut
Detroit Lions undrafted rookie quarterback Luke Altmyer had an up-and-down performance in his preseason debut on Thursday night against the Cincinnati Bengals. Altmyer completed 13 of 22 pass attempts for 130 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Across 13 games at the University of Illinois in 2025, Altmyer completed 67.4% of his pass attempts for 3,007 yards and 22 touchdowns. The Lions do not have any questions at the top of their quarterback depth chart, where Jared Goff is firmly entrenched as the team's starter. However, the surprise retirement of veteran backup Teddy Bridgewater has left Detroit searching for its QB2. The Lions signed experienced NFL journeyman Joshua Dobbs shortly after Bridgewater's retirement. Dobbs has appeared in 27 NFL games (15 starts) across six NFL seasons and likely has the upper hand on Altmyer coming out of the first week of the preseason.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Colby Parkinson's Fantasy Ceiling Capped by a Deep Tight End Room
Los Angeles Rams tight end Colby Parkinson finished third on the team in most major receiving categories in 2025, topped only by the electric wide receiver tandem of Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. With the Rams deploying 13 personnel at a historic rate, he was often the second read on any given pass play, and while more heavy personnel usage is expected in 2026, increased competition from his own position group will make it difficult for Parkinson to repeat his TE15 finish from a year ago. The team spent a second-round pick on Ohio State's Max Klare, and veteran Tyler Higbee is healthy after playing in only 10 games in 2025, but Parkinson's stiffest competition will come from second-year player Terrance Ferguson, who by all accounts is having an outstanding training camp after a strong finish to his rookie season. Ferguson led all NFL tight ends with an unfathomable 21.0 yards per reception in 2025, and with the most obvious upside among his own team's position room, he has emerged as the Rams tight end to roster in 2026, pushing Parkinson to RotoBaller's TE31.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jam Miller Could Have Inside Track to Patriots' Third Running Back Spot
New England Patriots seventh-round rookie running back Jam Miller has had a relatively quiet summer, but a piece of under-the-radar news from before the Patriots' first preseason game could have him positioned to seize the team's third running back spot behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson. Third-year player Terrell Jennings, who by most accounts was the leading candidate to win the job, was placed on season-ending injured reserve before the Patriots' 13-13 tie with the Colts, and in starting the game and earning 55 hard yards on 14 carries, ESPN's Mike Reiss believes Miller may have shown enough to give him the inside track to the RB3 role. Second-year player Lan Larison, now the clearest competition for the job, gained only one yard on seven carries, but caught a team-leading six passes and also returned kicks, staying in the battle for what could be one of New England's final roster spots.
Source: Mike Reiss
Source: Mike Reiss
Caleb Williams in "Complete Control" of Bears Offense
After entering his second training camp down 10-15 pounds, Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was one of the team's best players through the opening days of summer practices, routinely making the type of highlight plays that defined his 2025 season. As practices began to stack, however, he hit a lull that head coach Ben Johnson has shouldered responsibility for, recently telling reporters, "Those first four practices I thought were really, really good, and then as the volume has continued to go up -- and it's my fault as much as anything, just because I think I've put in more this year on offense than I did a year ago by design." In recounting Williams' electric finish to one of the team's most recent practices, ESPN's Courtney Cronin points to evidence that the lull has been snapped, and Johnson would seem to agree, also saying of his 24-year-old quarterback, "He's taken complete control of what we're trying to do, and so we're on the right track." Williams is RotoBaller's QB8, but with one of the league's most dynamic surrounding casts, he is fully capable of cracking the top five after a QB6 finish in his second season.
Source: Courtney Cronin
Source: Courtney Cronin
Calvin Ridley Makes His Presence Felt on Opening Scoring Drive
Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley got the start along with the rest of the team's first-unit offense during Thursday night's preseason opener, and he connected with quarterback Cam Ward on an 18-yard pass as part of the Titans' 11-play, 95-yard opening scoring drive. Ridley missed most of the 2025 season with a hamstring injury and a broken fibula, but his 925-yard pace across his five healthy games would have led the team by a significant margin. An overhauled receiver room featuring free agent acquisition Wan'Dale Robinson and fourth overall pick Carnell Tate adds significant target competition in 2026, but often going undrafted outside of deeper leagues, Ridley is a player to watch early in the season, as his versatility could still lead to usable fantasy contributions, even as the third option in what could be an ascending offense.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Up-and-Down Night for Cam Ward in Preseason Opener
Tennessee Titans second-year quarterback Cam Ward had completions of 18 and 16 yards in an 11-play, 95-yard scoring drive to open Thursday's preseason win over the 49ers. Unfortunately, while playing well into the second quarter, the rest of his night was not without its rough patches. Ward finished the game 5-of-12 for 57 yards and missed more than one open target while also setting the team back with an intentional grounding penalty on the second drive of the game. After a promising finish to his rookie season, the Titans surrounded the 2025 first overall pick with new playmakers in the form of free agent acquisition Wan'Dale Robinson and fourth overall pick Carnell Tate, and while Ward has shown flashes throughout training camp, most reports would indicate that he's still searching for consistency in year one of Brian Daboll's offense. Ward is RotoBaller's QB25 and not a player who needs to be targeted outside of superflex leagues.
Source: Jim Wyatt
Source: Jim Wyatt
Boris Katchouk Signs With KHL Team
Winger Boris Katchouk has signed a one-year contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL, AHL Insider Tony Androckitis reports. He will play at least one season in Russia after failing to secure a regular role in the NHL. Last season, Katchouk skated in three games with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He finished the campaign in the Philadelphia Flyers organization and became an unrestricted free agent on July 1. In total, Katchouk has appeared in 179 NHL games, posting 36 points (15 goals, 21 assists). The former second-round pick has recorded 169 points (71 goals, 98 assists) in 286 AHL outings.
Source: Tony Androckitis
Source: Tony Androckitis
Quiet Preseason Debut for Rookie Carnell Tate
Ten different Tennessee Titans players caught a pass in the team's preseason debut against the 49ers on Thursday night, but rookie wide receiver Carnell Tate was not one of them. Playing into the second quarter with the rest of the team's starters, the fourth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft was targeted three times, all from Cam Ward, but the two were unable to connect. With Ward having an up-and-down night and most of the team's success coming on the ground, the Titans completed only 12 total passes on 26 attempts, and Wan'Dale Robinson's 19 receiving yards were enough to lead the team, so it's not as if Tate missed out on what was otherwise a fantasy bonanza. Still, after a hype-filled training camp, more will be expected when the Titans host the defending champion Seahawks in their next preseason outing.
Source: Jim Wyatt
Source: Jim Wyatt
Jack Roslovic Excited for New Chapter in Toronto
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Jack Roslovic is looking forward to linking up with his new teammates. "A mixture of everything," Roslovic said about his decision to sign with the team during an appearance on TSN's OverDrive. "They've been a team that you could say didn't have their best year last year. But it's a team that's new, it's young, it's vibrant, it's ready to win. A couple of familiar faces around. A really cool, really good style of hockey that's exciting, and I just wanted to be a part of it." Over the last three seasons, Roslovic has played for four NHL teams. He never seems to stick around for long but has been a solid contributor wherever he's been. If Roslovic stays injury-free, a 40-point campaign looks reachable for him in 2026-27.
Source: OverDrive
Source: OverDrive
Nicholas Singleton Runs with Second Team on Thursday Night
With most of the Tennessee Titans' starters playing well into the second quarter of the team's preseason debut against the 49ers, rookie running back Nicholas Singleton did not see his first action until the closing minutes of the first half, but he looked good on his first carry, running up the middle for eight yards on first down. Singleton would end the night with 31 yards on a team-leading eight carries but found no involvement in the passing game on a night where the Titans completed only 12 total passes. Singleton has had a strong training camp, but with Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears appearing to have well-defined roles on the depth chart ahead of him, he could be hard-pressed to carve out standalone value in 2026. In the long term, however, the rookie should only see his value rise, as both veterans are on the final year of their respective contracts, and Singleton is RotoBaller's dynasty RB42.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Yuki Kawamura Joins Japan's Qualifier Squad
Los Angeles Clippers guard Yuki Kawamura was included on Japan's 17-man list for the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers, joining new Clippers teammate Rui Hachimura ahead of the late-August window. Kawamura signed an Exhibit 10 deal with Los Angeles after playing Summer League with Indiana, so he still has to earn a regular-season roster spot. The 25-year-old averaged 3.4 points and 2.6 assists in 18 games for Chicago last season, then posted 18.7 points and 11.0 assists in 11 G-League games with Windy City. His passing is real, but with a crowded Clippers guard room, Kawamura remains off the fantasy radar.
Source: BasketNews
Source: BasketNews
Ilya Protas Expected to Have Full-Time NHL Role in 2026-27
Washington Capitals forward Ilya Protas is likely to have a full-time NHL role in the upcoming campaign, Tony Ferrari of The Hockey News reports. After showing off spectacular form in the AHL, Protas skated in his first NHL games late last season. He notched one goal and three assists in four appearances. Protas' efforts included a three-point performance against the Pittsburgh Penguins. While Protas is set to see more action in 2026-27, the Capitals have beefed up their frontline during the offseason, so there will be only limited ice time available for the talented Belarusian.
Source: Tony Ferrari
Source: Tony Ferrari
Rui Hachimura Leads Japan's Qualifier Roster
Los Angeles Clippers forward Rui Hachimura headlines Japan's 17-man list for the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers, with the late-August window including matchups against Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The national-team run carries no NBA fantasy weight, but his move across Los Angeles does. Hachimura signed a two-year, $28 million deal with the Clippers after averaging 11.5 points and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 51.4 percent from the field and 44.3 percent from three last season. He also scored 17.5 points per game on 56.9 percent from deep in the playoffs. A clearer role next to Darius Garland could help his points-and-threes appeal, though his low rebounding keeps the ceiling modest.
Source: BasketNews
Source: BasketNews
Tyjae Spears Impresses in Preseason Debut Amid Depth-Chart Battle
With the Tennessee Titans' rushing attack looking potent for the duration of the team's preseason debut, a 19-13 victory over the 49ers on Thursday night, fourth-year running back Tyjae Spears ran for 35 yards on only four carries, breaking off a 25-yard run on the Titans' opening scoring drive. Spears also added four receiving yards by reeling in his lone target of the night, and he figures to see a significant role in the passing game in 2026. By all accounts, he has stood out in that regard throughout training camp, and with veteran Tony Pollard still expected to see the bulk of the carries, Spears will likely need to rely on his receiving work to find and maintain fantasy relevance. With rookie Nicholas Singleton also expected to factor into the team's plans, Tennessee's running back situation remains too muddled to make Spears a must-land draft target. Still, as RotoBaller's RB50, he's a player whose usage should be watched in the opening weeks of 2026, as he could quickly reveal himself to be an early-season waiver wire priority.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Klay Thompson Eyes Role on Title Contender
Dallas Mavericks guard/forward Klay Thompson said he wants the chance to compete for a championship and play a role on a team built for a deep playoff run. The 36-year-old is coming off a career-low scoring season, averaging 11.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 2.9 threes in 21.7 minutes across 69 games while shooting 38.3 percent from deep. Dallas is now building around Cooper Flagg after his Rookie of the Year season, with Kyrie Irving still working back from left ACL surgery. Thompson has been linked to Miami and the Lakers, but his fantasy value remains limited to threes whether he stays or moves.
Source: Kevin Gray Jr.
Source: Kevin Gray Jr.
