RADIO
Trey Lance Wins the Chargers' Backup Quarterback Job
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Trey Lance has made the team's initial 53-man roster, according to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. He won the backup quarterback job behind Justin Herbert after the Chargers released DJ Uiagalelei on Sunday. Lance has seen occasional playing time as a depth option for the Chargers, Cowboys, and 49ers over the last few years, but he hasn't scored a touchdown since his rookie season with the Niners in 2021. He has appeared in just 16 games since being drafted, flashing impressive mobility but never coming close to meeting the expectations that came with being the No. 3 overall pick. The North Dakota State product remains off the fantasy radar in all leagues, and even if he gets thrust into action due to a Herbert injury, he'd still be tough to trust in weekly fantasy lineups.
Source: Matt Zenitz
Source: Matt Zenitz
Jordyn Tyson Officially Placed on Injured Reserve
The New Orleans Saints have officially placed wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) on injured reserve, according to Matthew Paras of The Times-Picayune. This move was merely procedural, as we already knew that Tyson would miss approximately two weeks due to a hamstring injury he suffered during training camp. It's been an injury-riddled couple of years for Tyson, who has now endured three different hamstring strains since the start of 2025. By landing on IR, the first-round pick will now be sidelined for at least four games. The earliest he could possibly return to action would be the Saints' Week 5 contest against the Minnesota Vikings on October 11, but we wouldn't be surprised if he needs a little more time beyond that date. With Tyson sidelined, Devaughn Vele is expected to step up as the Saints' No. 2 receiver alongside Chris Olave.
Source: Matthew Paras
Source: Matthew Paras
Steelers Keeping Four Quarterbacks on Roster
The Pittsburgh Steelers are keeping four quarterbacks on their initial 53-man roster, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Head coach Mike McCarthy previously hinted that this was a possibility, and now it's official. Aaron Rodgers will remain the team's starter while Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and Drew Allar round out the depth chart. Entering training camp, it seemed like Allar would be the odd man out, but he earned a roster spot by throwing for 351 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions this preseason. It will be interesting to see if the Steelers make any additional quarterback moves before Week 1, as it seems like it would be difficult to keep four of the 53 roster spots tied up to quarterbacks for a long period of time. On the other hand, it makes sense to keep Rudolph, who has flashed starter potential at the NFL level, as well as both Howard and Allar, who could compete to take the reins from Rodgers after his retirement.
Source: Adam Schefter
Source: Adam Schefter
Lions Release Wide Receiver Greg Dortch
The Detroit Lions have released wide receiver Greg Dortch as part of the process to get their active roster down to 53 players, according to Tom Pelissero of The Ringer. Dortch had spent the last five seasons in Arizona, peaking as the WR62 in PPR leagues during the 2022 season. His productivity had dipped in recent years, and he finished 2025 with just 29 catches, 206 yards, and three touchdowns across 12 games. He faced an uphill battle to make the Lions' roster and ultimately wasn't able to beat out any of Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Isaac TeSlaa, or Tay Martin. The fact that Detroit is carrying just four receivers right now could leave the door open for Dortch to re-sign with the team before Week 1, but it seems unlikely after he caught just two passes for 22 yards during the preseason. He may have to settle for a practice squad spot somewhere else.
Source: Tom Pelissero
Source: Tom Pelissero
J.J. McCarthy Makes the Vikings' 53-Man Roster
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (ankle) made the team's initial 53-man roster, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. There had been plenty of speculation that McCarthy could be traded or released, but he ultimately remains with the Vikings for now. With that said, we can't rule out the possibility of him being moved at a later date. Minnesota has four quarterbacks on its roster, which probably isn't sustainable for a long time. Kyler Murray has already been named the Week 1 starter, and the Vikings presumably would have released Carson Wentz or Max Brosmer if they didn't envision them having any sort of role. That leaves McCarthy as the odd man out. It feels a bit bizarre to talk about cutting bait on a first-round pick after just one year of NFL action, but it was a pretty brutal stretch. He missed all of 2024 due to injury, and across 10 games last year, he completed just 57.6% of his pass attempts for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. A fresh start might be the only way for McCarthy to salvage his NFL career, but until that happens, he can be avoided in all fantasy football leagues.
Source: Adam Schefter
Source: Adam Schefter
Elly De La Cruz Diagnosed With Left-Quad Tightness
Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (quadriceps) was diagnosed with left-quad tightness after he exited in the seventh inning of Sunday's game against the Chicago Cubs. De La Cruz was replaced in the lineup by Ivan Johnson, but not before he went 2-for-4 with a single, a double, a run, and two strikeouts. The 24-year-old owns a .269/.349/.476 slash line with 21 home runs, 60 RBI, 24 steals, a 10.7% walk rate, a 27.0% strikeout rate, and a career-high 125 wRC+ this season. De La Cruz avoided injury throughout the 2024 and 2025 seasons, but he missed three weeks earlier this year due to a right hamstring strain, and now it appears that he's banged up once again. Fantasy managers should stay tuned for additional injury updates from the Reds after Sunday night's game goes final. UPDATE: FOX 19's Charlie Goldsmith reports that De La Cruz has a chance to play in Monday's series opener against the San Diego Padres.
Source: Cincinnati Reds
Source: Cincinnati Reds
Pete Alonso is Okay After Leaving Game Early
Baltimore Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso (head) is expected to be fine despite leaving Sunday's game early after being hit by a pitch in the helmet. Manager Craig Albernaz told Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun that he was already planning to pinch-run for Alonso before he got hit in the helmet. He also noted that Alonso remained in the dugout after exiting and was behaving like his usual self, so there's no cause for concern. Based on Albernaz's comments, we wouldn't be surprised to see Alonso back in the lineup for the Orioles' next game against the Colorado Rockies tomorrow night. The veteran first baseman is slashing .269/.358/.503 with 32 home runs, 91 RBI, an 11.0% walk rate, a 24.4% strikeout rate, and 141 wRC+. He currently ranks as the #5 first baseman in RotoBaller's rest-of-season fantasy baseball rankings.
Source: Matt Weyrich
Source: Matt Weyrich
Cardinals to Promote No. 7 Prospect Leo Bernal to Majors
The St. Louis Cardinals are promoting catching prospect Leo Bernal to the majors, according to Francys Romero of Beisbol FR. The 22-year-old originally signed with the Cardinals as an international free agent out of Panama in 2021. Up until this point, he had spent the entire season in Triple-A, slashing .279/.364/.469 with 16 home runs, 77 RBI, nine steals, an 11.8% walk rate, a 20.0% strikeout rate, and 116 wRC+ across 100 games. Bernal is a switch-hitter and has made impressive strides from a platoon standpoint this year. Specifically, he improved upon his ability to hit right-handed pitching, bringing his OPS against righties up from .668 to .846 this year. He's also been solid on defense, throwing out 27.4% of base stealers. Bernal should have a chance to carve out significant playing time right away, as both of the Cardinals' active catchers have a sub-.600 OPS.
Source: Francys Romero
Source: Francys Romero
Willson Contreras Experiencing Hamstring Tightness
Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (hamstring), who exited during the seventh inning of Sunday's loss against the New York Yankees, was dealing with hamstring tightness, interim manager Chad Tracy told Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. "The hamstring was a little tight," Tracy said. "Just felt like at that point of the game, I don't want to push it. So we got him out of there." It's worth noting that the Red Sox were trailing 6-0 at the time of Contreras' exit, and it's unclear whether he would have been able to keep playing if the score were closer. We wouldn't be surprised to see him get the day off Monday against the Seattle Mariners, and we also can't rule out an IL stint if the injury persists or worsens in the next day. Nick Sogard would be the most likely candidate to play first base in Contreras' absence, but the team could also recall Mickey Gasper from Triple-A.
Source: Christopher Smith
Source: Christopher Smith
Jordan Hawkins Could Fall Out of the Rotation
The New Orleans Pelicans recently signed Bennedict Mathurin to a two-year deal. The new addition is going to significantly impact the Pelicans' rotation this upcoming season. The team will need to figure out how to mix Dejounte Murray, Jeremiah Fears, Jordan Poole, and Mathurin all into a rotation together. Given all the depth the Pelicans have right now, Jordan Hawkins might end up outside the rotation to begin the season. There's not going to be enough playing time for everyone, so somebody needs to be the odd man out. Hawkins already didn't have a ton of fantasy value coming into the season, but he probably won't be worth stashing in most fantasy formats.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
George Holani Has a Path to an Early-Season Role
Seattle Seahawks running back George Holani should carve out a role early in the season after Zach Charbonnet (knee) was placed on the PUP list. Rookie Jadarian Price projects as the Seahawks' No. 1 running back to open the year, but Holani will likely earn a significant snap share, too. Price never averaged more than 9.4 carries per game at school, so he's presumably not capable of handling an every-down role while Charbonnet is sidelined. Holani, who is heading into his third pro season, spent most of last year as the Seahawks' No. 3 running back behind Kenneth Walker III and Charbonnet. He had 12 touches in Week 3 last season, but his best game actually came in Week 10, when he logged seven carries, 31 rushing yards, and one rushing touchdown. Holani has just three targets through 16 career games, so we'd expect most of his snaps to come on early downs. He could have some early-season appeal as a low-end RB3/flex in deeper leagues.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jordan Poole Could See Reduced Role
The New Orleans Pelicans recently signed free-agent guard Bennedict Mathurin to a two-year deal. The 24-year-old gets $16 million over two years and a player option in his new deal. The presence of Mathurin is going to significantly impact the rest of the Pelicans' rotation. The team will need to find minutes for Dejounte Murray, Jeremiah Fears, and Jordan Poole to all get playing time with Mathurin in the mix as well. Out of the bunch, Poole is likely going to lose the most playing time with Mathurin joining the team. Poole is coming off a disappointing season where he averaged 13.4 points, 3.1 assists, and 2.0 rebounds across 39 games with the Pelicans this past season. He's probably the most inconsistent player of the bunch, so it wouldn't be shocking to see his minutes take a hit this upcoming season.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Saints Place Devin Neal on Season-Ending Injured Reserve
The New Orleans Saints have placed running back Devin Neal (hamstring) on season-ending injured reserve, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. He suffered the injury during Week 2 of the preseason. Neal had an impressive stretch of games from Week 12 through Week 15 during his rookie season in 2025, but there wouldn't have been much of a role for him this year, even if he were healthy. Travis Etienne Jr. was given a large contract to lead this backfield for the next few years, and the Saints have Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller, and Audric Estime to round out the running back room. Neal's next chance to make an impact will be the 2027 season, which lines up well with the expiration of Alvin Kamara's contract.
Source: Nick Underhill
Source: Nick Underhill
Justin Joly Was a "Little Bit Behind" Before Being Cut
Denver Broncos rookie tight end Justin Joly was "just a little bit behind" throughout the offseason and training camp, general manager George Paton said during an appearance on Orange and Blue Today. "We knew when we drafted him -- we knew he was raw, and we still liked the player," Paton said. "We still like the player. We think he's going to have a nice career. You just gotta make tough decisions to build the best 53 you can make." He added that Joly had been improving lately, and he scored an 88-yard touchdown in Saturday's preseason finale, albeit on a play where the defense broke down. Paton hinted that if the preseason were one or two games longer, the outcome may have been different. Presumably, Denver will look to get Joly back on the practice squad so that he can continue to develop. However, with fifth-round draft capital, we wouldn't be surprised if any of the other 31 teams try to claim him off waivers.
Source: Andrew Mason
Source: Andrew Mason
Mariners to Promote Top Prospect Lazaro Montes
Seattle Mariners top outfield prospect Lazaro Montes is being called up to the majors, according to Francys Romero of Beisbol FR. The talented outfielder signed with the Mariners as an international free agent out of Cuba in 2022 and has quickly developed within the organization's farm system. Up until this point, Montes had split his 2026 season between Double-A and Triple-A. Through 43 games at the Triple-A level, he was slashing .267/.359/.564 with 13 home runs, an 11.6% walk rate, a 31.3% strikeout rate, and 125 wRC+. Strikeouts are evidently a concern with the 21-year-old, but he makes up for it with incredible power, slugging 38 total homers in the minors this year. There's a strong chance that he could be in the lineup for his MLB debut tomorrow against the Boston Red Sox. Regardless of whether he plays on Monday, he should earn consistent playing time in the thick of the playoff race, as the Mariners are five games back in the AL West.
Source: Francys Romero
Source: Francys Romero
