RADIO
Falcons Don't Have a Timetable to Name a Starting QB
The Athletic's Josh Kendall reports that the Atlanta Falcons don't have a timetable to name a starting quarterback between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. (knee). "Obviously, we will get to that point when we feel it's necessary," head coach Kevin Stefanski said. It's unclear if Tagovailoa will play in the team's preseason opener on Friday against the Denver Broncos, but the Falcons should make an announcement by Wednesday. The 28-year-old Tagovailoa is the clear leader in the QB competition in Atlanta because Penix has yet to be cleared to participate in team drills in training camp after tearing his ACL last year. It would be a massive surprise if Tagovailoa is not the Falcons' starting signal-caller for Week 1 of the 2026 regular season against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tua is looking to bounce back with a change of scenery, and although he has the weapons to do it in Atlanta, his history of concussions makes him a risky bounce-back QB option in superflex fantasy formats. And because Tagovailoa rarely runs with the football, he'll have minimal QB2 upside.
Source: The Athletic - Josh Kendall
Source: The Athletic - Josh Kendall
Denzel Boston to Work With First-Team Offense
Cleveland Browns rookie wide receiver Denzel Boston is set to work with the first-team offense, according to head coach Todd Monken. Monken said, "He wants to see what the offense looks like with Denzel Boston as the boundary receiver and the ability to move Jerry Jeudy around." Boston has had a fantastic training camp, making big plays every day and showing the most consistent hands in the receiver group. The 6'4 wideout fits the traditional "X receiver" mold, since Jeudy and first-round rookie KC Concepcion are smaller receivers. Ranked WR62 in RotoBaller's positional rankings, Boston is a great value for managers to target this season.
Source: Daniel Oyefusi - ESPN
Source: Daniel Oyefusi - ESPN
Alec Pierce Has Second PRP Injection
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (ankle) recently received a second platelet-rich plasma injection and has no timetable for a return. Pierce underwent surgery on his left ankle in March and has yet to practice this offseason. PRP injections are used to accelerate healing, reduce pain, and improve function. It's not ideal that nearly five months later, Pierce is still experiencing pain and instability. With no timetable for return, fantasy managers should be legitimately concerned. Websites and medical advisors report that improvements typically occur two to six months after the injection, so Pierce may be out until after the season begins. Ranked WR38 in RotoBaller's positional rankings, Pierce should drop significantly after this report.
Source: James Boyd - The Athletic
Source: James Boyd - The Athletic
Sam Darnold Working to Gain Comfort in New Offensive Scheme
After helping the Seattle Seahawks win the Super Bowl in his first year with the team in 2025, veteran quarterback Sam Darnold has been looking to get more comfortable in training camp this summer in new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury's scheme, according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic. Darnold and Fleury overlapped with the San Francisco 49ers, but Fleury has never called plays before. It gives the two men "a nice foundation with a ton of carryover within the system," but they need experience together. The 29-year-old signal-caller has been trying to fine-tune elements of his game while also working to get more comfortable with Fleury, and on the exterior, Darnold "looks to be at ease." Although Darnold hit the 4,000-yard mark for the second straight year in 2025 and made the Pro Bowl for a second straight season, he wasn't in the top 10 in fantasy scoring at his position. And outside of Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle's WR corps is rather weak. On volume alone, Darnold should have a safe floor as a low-end QB2 target, but expecting more than that doesn't seem wise.
Source: The Athletic - Jeff Howe
Source: The Athletic - Jeff Howe
Browns Undecided on Which QB Will Start Preseason Game
Cleveland Browns quarterbacks Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders continue to battle for the starting job during training camp. According to Mary Kay Cabot, head coach Todd Monken hasn't decided who is going to be the starter for this week's preseason game against the Chicago Bears. Whoever doesn't start this game will start against the Buffalo Bills next week. It's worth noting that Sanders was getting first-team reps during Monday's practice. This remains a close competition that probably won't be resolved until after the preseason games have concluded.
Source: Mary Kay Cabot
Source: Mary Kay Cabot
Bengals Offense, Joe Burrow "Showing Their Teeth" in Camp
The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. wrote that the Cincinnati Bengals offense bounced back in training camp practice on Sunday by posting two scores, and quarterback Joe Burrow "still looked like himself with touchdowns to receivers Tee Higgins and Andrei Iosivas." The Bengals' offense has "started to show their teeth" with more unscripted periods in practice, which began on Friday in the new stadium with a bomb from Burrow to All-Pro receiver Ja'Marr Chase. Big moments like that for the Bengals' offense have "become increasingly more frequent" after the defense had mostly dominated early in camp. Burrow looks to be at full health this summer and set for another big year leading Cincy's offense in his seventh year in the NFL. The 29-year-old former first overall pick from LSU is the highest-ranked fantasy QB who doesn't have a high-end rushing skill set. Burrow makes up for it with a strong arm, precision passing, and one of the best WR duos in the league in Chase and Higgins. He's ranked as RotoBaller's No. 5 fantasy signal-caller for the 2026 campaign.
Source: The Athletic - Paul Dehner Jr.
Source: The Athletic - Paul Dehner Jr.
Tucker Kraft Running Routes in Full Pads
Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft (knee) was running routes in full pads while catching passes from Jordan Love during Monday's practice, Ryan Wood of USA Today reports. Kraft continues to work his way back from a torn ACL injury that he suffered last season. The biggest takeaway here is that Kraft wasn't wearing a sleeve on his right knee that he has been wearing all training camp. Kraft is eyeing a Week 1 return, but he might not be fully ready yet, considering he tore his ACL in Week 9 of last season. He's unlikely to play during the preseason, but that shouldn't surprise fantasy managers. The Packers are hopeful he can return to his TE1 ways once he's back to full health.
Source: Ryan Wood
Source: Ryan Wood
Jalen Hurts Gaining Chemistry With New Receiver
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has developed some nice chemistry in training camp this summer with new wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks, who has emerged as the team's WR2 behind DeVonta Smith, according to Geoff Mosher of Philly Voice. Wicks has had an impressive start to camp as the Eagles' offense looks to bounce back and adjust to life without Pro Bowler A.J. Brown, who was traded to the New England Patriots in the offseason. Smith and rookie Makai Lemon have been sidelined lately with a hamstring injury, too, which has allowed Wicks to get even more looks from Hurts. "Just the work off the field, the talking, the connections off the field that build up to connections on the field and chemistry," Wicks said when asked about his chemistry with his new QB. "Getting together off the field, like we did in the summer, that also built up for now, and will build up for the season." Wicks already had familiarity with Eagles' new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion from his time in Green Bay, and now that he's been standing out in camp, he's been a riser on fantasy football draft boards. The Philly Voice's Jimmy Kempski recently wrote that it's "reasonable to assume" that Lemon won't be ready for a starting role to open his rookie season in 2026.
Source: Philly Voice - Geoff Mosher
Source: Philly Voice - Geoff Mosher
Marvin Mims Jr. is Back in Pads on Monday
Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (undisclosed) was spotted working on the side during Monday's practice, according to Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post. Mims left Friday's practice with an undisclosed injury and didn't work out at all on Saturday. He's back in pads on Monday, which is a step in the right direction. It seems like the Broncos are easing him back into action, which isn't shocking this early into camp. Fantasy managers should consider Mims day-to-day ahead of Friday's preseason matchup versus the Atlanta Falcons.
Source: Parker Gabriel
Source: Parker Gabriel
Jaylen Waddle Misses Monday's Practice
Denver Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (leg) was not seen practicing on Monday, according to Parker Gabriel. Waddle hasn't practiced since leaving early during this past Wednesday's session due to muscle tightness. Fantasy managers don't need to panic as this doesn't sound like a long-term issue. Head coach Sean Payton said he expected Waddle to return to practice this week. It's early in camp, so the team will hold out players even with minor issues. Fantasy managers should expect Waddle to be fully healthy and ready to go for the start of the season.
Source: Parker Gabriel
Source: Parker Gabriel
Lamar Jackson Building Trust with Rookie Wide Receiver
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane has been impressing everyone during training camp. According to Ryan Mink, quarterback Lamar Jackson has been building strong chemistry with the rookie wideout. Jamison Hensley of ESPN went as far as to say that Lane is the best rookie he has seen in training camp during his 27 years covering the team. Lane is making a highlight play on a daily basis in camp. Given his performance, Lane should be able to snag the WR3 job, but he might even surpass Rashod Bateman for the WR2 job soon. The third-round rookie is shaping up as an interesting late-round option in dynasty leagues.
Source: baltimoreravens.com
Source: baltimoreravens.com
Josh Allen Showing Solid Connection With New Receiver
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen showed his growing chemistry with new wide receiver DJ Moore during Saturday night's practice at Highmark Stadium, according to BuffaloBills.com. In 11-on-11 team drills, Allen launched a deep ball to Moore down the middle of the field, and Moore hauled it in for a 50-yard gain. Toward the end of practice when the team went into their two-minute offense, Allen engineered a fast-scoring drive and connected with Moore twice to move across midfield. Even though Allen has failed to reach the 4,000-yard passing mark in each of the last two seasons, he's still been the QB1 and QB4 in fantasy scoring because of his rushing prowess. With Moore in the fold to help bolster the Bills' deep passing attack, Allen could very well return to the 4,000-yard mark in 2026 in his ninth year in the NFL. As if Allen's fantasy ceiling could go even higher, it might do just that if he establishes a nice connection with Moore in the wideout's first season in Buffalo. Allen is the consensus No. 1 overall fantasy QB yet again this year.
Source: BuffaloBills.com - Alec White, Mike Maynard, and Maddy Glab
Source: BuffaloBills.com - Alec White, Mike Maynard, and Maddy Glab
Deebo Samuel Sr. Splits Practice Between RB and WR
The San Francisco Standard's David Lombardi said on Monday that San Francisco 49ers veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. split the position drill portion of practice between running backs and wide receivers in training camp practice on Monday, which is something he never did in his first stint with the team from 2019 to 2024. Lombardi added that it was a good visualization of "a role that'll be even more versatile than his first time with the team." The 30-year-old has always been versatile, especially in head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense, and his usage with the RBs on Monday was most likely due to all of the team's options at the position being held out due to injuries to begin the week, including star Christian McCaffrey. At this point in his career, the Niners may not want to use Samuel extensively as a runner unless they're desperate for backfield bodies. He's no spring chicken anymore and averaged a career-low 10.1 yards per catch in 16 games with the Washington Commanders in 2025. With Ricky Pearsall (knee) out for the year, Samuel figures to battle for WR3 duties with rookie De'Zhaun Stribling behind Mike Evans and Christian Kirk. Samuel is more exciting in fantasy in his return to the Bay Area, but fantasy managers shouldn't overvalue him as anything more than a low-upside WR4/5 in 2026.
Source: The San Francisco Standard - David Lombardi
Source: The San Francisco Standard - David Lombardi
New Seahawks Owner Considering Field Changes Amid Rising Concerns
Incoming Seattle Seahawks owner Vinod Khosla has opened the door to making a change to convert Lumen Field's artificial turf to high-quality grass, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. "I'd defer to people at the [Seahawks] who know better than me. The team that got us the Super Bowl," Khosla said over the weekend, via The Seattle Times' Sofia Schwarzwalder. "That's for management to decide, not for me to decide." Seahawks veterans Cooper Kupp and Leonard Williams spoke out at the beginning of training camp this summer that they would like to see the organization make the transition from artificial turf to real grass, and Florio writes that "there's no reason for the coaching staff or front office to disagree." Florio thinks it's a no-brainer for the entire organization to make the change if Khosla is willing to "cut the check."
Source: Pro Football Talk - Mike Florio
Source: Pro Football Talk - Mike Florio
"High Level of Confidence" That George Kittle Will be Ready for Week 1
San Francisco 49ers star tight end George Kittle (Achilles) "continues to make terrific progress" as he works his way back from the torn Achilles he suffered in the playoffs in January, and there's a "high level of confidence" at this point that he will be able to play in the Week 1 regular-season opener in Australia against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams, sources told Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. The 32-year-old veteran remains on the Physically Unable to Perform list in training camp, but he was seen running routes, catching passes, and doing conditioning work before Monday's practice. It was the most extensive work that Kittle has done so far in camp, according to ESPN's Nick Wagoner, which gives hope for fantasy managers and the Niners that he'll be ready for the start of the season in September. When healthy, Kittle should continue to be one of quarterback Brock Purdy's most trusted aerial targets, especially with receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee) already ruled out for the entire season. But because of his lengthy injury history and questionable availability for the start of the year, Kittle is no longer a high-end TE1 target in fantasy drafts, but rather a low-end TE1 target.
Source: CBS Sports - Matt Zenitz
Source: CBS Sports - Matt Zenitz
