RADIO
Kewan Lacy Faces Tough Test in Opener
Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy faces a stiff test in Week 1 against Louisville on Sunday, so his fantasy expectations need to be tempered a bit. Louisville allowed just 114.3 rushing yards per game a season ago and comes into the season ranked 24th, so this isn't the rosy matchup that many top fantasy players are getting this week. Lacy is a huge fantasy asset coming into the season after rushing for 1,567 yards and 24 touchdowns across 306 carries a season ago; he caught 29 passes for 177 yards. While the matchup is a bit tougher, Lacy should still be started in all fantasy leagues and is expected to deliver a solid fantasy output, but this isn't likely to be his top showing of the season. Expect better offensive showings ahead for Lacy and Ole Miss, which is ranked ninth.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Kamario Taylor Primed for Big Showing in Week 1
Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor has a Week 1 matchup against the University of Louisiana Monroe, so he's set up to shine right away. In his freshman year in 2025, he completed 43 of his 77 passing attempts for 629 yards and five touchdowns, and he had just one interception. Taylor added 458 yards and eight scores over 82 rushing attempts, so he's another dual-threat asset, which makes him an intriguing fantasy player. UL Monroe was 3-9 a season ago, while allowing 31.9 points and 384.8 yards per contest. Taylor should shine in Week 1 and deliver a high-end fantasy score, even if the Bulldogs roll to victory. Running back Fluff Bothwell and wide receiver Anthony Evans III provide some familiar faces who Taylor can trust, and in time, other skill players logging the most snaps could be good fantasy assets too. Fire Taylor up confidently in fantasy leagues this week.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Baker Mayfield Extension Talks Still on Hold
Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said there are no immediate plans to restart contract talks with quarterback Baker Mayfield, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. Mayfield set the start of training camp as his deadline for negotiations, and nothing came together before then. He is now heading into the last year of the three-year, $100 million deal he signed with Tampa Bay in 2024. Mayfield started all 17 games last season, throwing for 3,693 yards with 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also ran for 382 yards and another score. There isn't much here that changes his 2026 fantasy outlook. Mayfield is Tampa Bay's unquestioned starter, and the contract situation is more of a concern for what happens after the season. For now, the Bucs appear content to play things out before deciding what comes next.
Source: Rick Stroud
Source: Rick Stroud
Ashton Jeanty Remains Sidelined at Practice
Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (ankle) remained out of practice Tuesday, according to Ryan McFadden. Jeanty hasn't practiced since suffering a sprained ankle on Aug. 23 when he landed awkwardly while diving for a pass. The injury isn't expected to be a long-term issue, but there still isn't a firm timetable for his return. Head coach Klint Kubiak said Friday that Jeanty was "on the mend" and that the Raiders were counting on him while continuing to assess his availability for the season opener. Tuesday's absence doesn't necessarily signal a setback, but Jeanty is running out of practice time before Week 1. Rookie Mike Washington Jr. has been working with the first-team offense while he's out. Jeanty rushed for 975 yards as a rookie and finished with 1,321 yards from scrimmage and 10 total touchdowns. His practice participation later this week should provide a better indication of his Week 1 status.
Source: Ryan McFadden
Source: Ryan McFadden
Christopher Vizzina Named Clemson Starting QB
Clemson has finally named its starting quarterback, with Christopher Vizzina earning the honor. The move was announced by Dabo Swinney on Tuesday. Vizzina beat out true freshman Tait Reynolds for the starting spot. Vizzina has played two years at Clemson, but has attempted just 105 passes, completing 61% of his throws for 596 yards and four touchdowns, while being picked off once. Vizzina will have to play well to stick as the team's starter, but is helped by having some proven players around him in running back Gideon Davidson and wide receivers Bryant Wesco Jr. and T.J. Moore. Vizzina is not the best fantasy asset going into Week 1, as Clemson matches up with No. 11 LSU, which allowed 328.7 total yards and just 19.8 points per game a season ago. Vizzina will have to prove his worth before he can be trusted in fantasy leagues, but he's worth tracking in case he takes off as the team's starter.
Source: Pete Thamel - ESPN
Source: Pete Thamel - ESPN
Packers Expect Josh Jacobs to Play This Season
Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs is still expected to play this season despite his uncertain status. General manager Brian Gutekunst told reporters Tuesday that he is hopeful Jacobs will return and expects him to play for Green Bay at some point, according to Matt Schneidman. Gutekunst was also asked whether there is a scenario in which the Packers release Jacobs, but said the team wants to let the process play out before making that kind of decision. Jacobs remains on the NFL's Commissioner's Exempt List after being charged with misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor criminal damage to property stemming from a May incident. He cannot practice or play while on the list, and there is still no timetable for his return. Green Bay has since added Kaleb Johnson to a backfield that also includes MarShawn Lloyd and Chris Brooks. Gutekunst's comments are encouraging for Jacobs' season-long outlook, but his availability remains completely up in the air.
Source: Matt Schneidman
Source: Matt Schneidman
Devon Dampier Set Up for Monster Outing in First Matchup
Utah quarterback Devon Dampier opens his season against Idaho on Thursday night, setting him up to shine in the first week of action. A season ago, Dampier completed 63.5% of his passes for 2,490 yards and 24 touchdowns, while throwing just five interceptions. He added 835 yards and 10 scores on the ground. The dual-threat QB is a highly viewed fantasy asset going into this season and has a great matchup to open things up. Idaho lost to Cal Poly in Week 0, allowing 516 total yards, with Cal Poly QB Anthony Grigsby Jr. throwing for 319 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions, while also adding 62 yards and a score on the ground. Expect a monster outing from Dampier in what should be a lopsided game. He has some new offensive talent around him, but Dampier should still excel in his first game of 2026, so fire him up confidently in fantasy leagues.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Packers High On New Acquisition Kaleb Johnson
Green Bay Packers running back Kaleb Johnson has been traded over from the Pittsburgh Steelers and amid the troubles with running back Josh Jacobs, the Packers organization is high on the addition of Johnson. Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst had this to say about Johnson as a newcomer to the team: "Excited to get Kaleb in here. Young player with huge upside ... He comes from a very strong program. He had a lot of success there. There's some similar scheme stuff, a lot of outside-zone." Johnson comes from the Iowa Hawkeyes college program and has a real shot to make a name for himself with Jacobs on the Commissioner's Exempt List. Johnson could be a nice late-round addition to fantasy teams with some "huge upside" as stated by his new GM.
Source: Weston Hodkiewicz (@WesHod)
Source: Weston Hodkiewicz (@WesHod)
David Montgomery Could Be a Steal in Texans Offense
Houston Texans running back David Montgomery looks like a mid-tier running back draft candidate but has the potential to really reward his drafters this season. Coming over in the offseason from Detroit where he split time with Jahmyr Gibbs, Montgomery has the ability to take over the Texans lead rushing role. The Texans do have Woody Marks as a backup running back who will likely take away some of Montgomery's carries and passing down work but Montgomery looks locked and loaded as the lead back. NFL.com's Kevin Patra, did an article where he picked one new Pro-Bowler from each AFC team and listed Montgomery as his candidate for the Texans, saying, "The 29-year-old is in line for a significant workload increase in Houston, and his ability to punch in scores from short range will be a boon to the offense."
Source: Kevin Patra
Source: Kevin Patra
Parker Washington Has Big-Time Potential As Slot Receiver
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington looks like he has real potential this season as a mid-to-late-round draft target. Washington closed the season last year with two 100+ yard receiving games in Weeks 16 and 17. He also had four receiving touchdowns from Week 10 though the end of the season. He finished the season with 58 catches for 847 yards and five touchdowns. The Jaguars offense under Liam Coen has the potential to be very good with Trevor Lawrence at quarterback and Brian Thomas Jr. and Jakobi Meyers also at receiver. Washington, out of Penn State in college, should line up regularly in the slot and be a dynamic receiver in that role. He broke through in a big way late last season and should see that continue this season.
Source: NFL.com
Source: NFL.com
De'Zhaun Stribling Remains a Top Late-Round Target
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling has been one of the most exciting players to emerge this preseason, stepping up as a key contributor in the team's receiving corps while other receivers battled injury. Ricky Pearsall (knee) was placed on season-ending IR, while Christian Kirk (calf) will also start the year on injured reserve but could return after Week 4. The second-round pick from Ole Miss will begin the year in a starting role alongside Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel, and the rookie could make an immediate impact based on his preseason usage and success. He caught 11 of his 13 targets for 109 yards in his first two preseason games before sitting out the team's third and final preseason contest with the rest of the starters. Stribling's draft stock is sky-rocketing, and he is the WR50 in RotoBaller's rankings. If you can grab him as a bench option in the middle rounds, he could still bring great value if he emerges as one of the go-to options in coach Kyle Shanahan's typically productive passing game.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Kenneth Walker Could Be Over-Hyped
Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker is coming off a big postseason run with the Seahawks that culminated in his Super Bowl MVP Award. After joining the Chiefs this offseason, Walker is being drafted very early in most fantasy drafts, coming off the board in the early rounds. He's ranked RotoBaller's RB No. 7, and he definitely brings top-10 RB potential in his new role with his new team. However, Walker had trouble staying healthy until last season, and he shared a lot of the work with Zach Charbonnet. He finished the regular season with 1,027 rushing yards and 282 receiving yards, with just five total touchdowns. Coach Andy Reid has typically mixed in multiple backs in the past, and the team used a fifth-round pick on Emmett Johnson, while Brashard Smith is also still in the mix. Walker has RB1 potential, but he is less of a sure thing than some of the other RBs being drafted in the same tier. If you do draft Walker, be sure to have plenty of depth at the position with possible pivots if he ends up in a timeshare.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Tanook Hines Has Murky Outlook To Start Season
USC wide receiver Tanook Hines impressed as a freshman in 2025, tallying 34 receptions for 561 yards and two touchdowns. Hines came on strong in two of his final three games last season. He hauled in six receptions for 141 yards and a touchdown against Oregon and finished the season with six receptions for 163 yards in the Alamo Bowl against TCU. These outputs created a lot of buzz for Tanook heading into the 2026 offseason, and he was slated to be the WR1 for a potent USC offense this season. However, Hines had a procedure in the offseason for an undisclosed injury, and he missed Week 0 against San Jose State for presumably the same injury. USC wide receiver Trent Mosley went off in that game, hauling in seven receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown, which only adds to the murkiness for Hines. Hines was drafted as the WR20 in preseason drafts and still has upside, but he could get off to a slow start.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Ted Hurst III Earning a Larger Role for the Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Ted Hurst III had a great training camp and preseason, and he has impressed the team to the point that they expect him to be involved early in the season, according to NFL Network's Sara Walsh. The Bucs have dealt with multiple injuries in their receiving corps this preseason, with Emeka Egbuka (toe), Jalen McMillan (knee), and Tez Johnson (groin) all missing practice at different points. Hurst has been very consistent throughout all the different opportunities, and the third-round pick from Georgia State has made the most of his chances. Both head coach Todd Bowles and quarterback Baker Mayfield have praised Hurst's ability and reliability throughout the preseason, and Hurst is definitely worth considering as a late-round WR flier or a waiver-wire add, especially if he gets more playing time as other receivers recover.
Source: Sara Walsh
Source: Sara Walsh
Deni Avdija Misses FIBA Qualifiers at Blazers' Request
Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija said in a social media post that the team did not clear him for Israel's August FIBA World Cup qualifying window. According to Aris Barkas of Eurohoops, Avdija called it a complex back injury, and earlier reporting traced it to a January rebound attempt. The first-time All-Star still finished 2025-26 with 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game, but the lingering back concern is worth tracking before camp. Ja Morant and Damian Lillard add more on-ball competition in Portland, so Avdija's fantasy ceiling may hinge on health and how much creation he keeps under Micah Nori.
Source: Aris Barkas
Source: Aris Barkas
