RADIO
Ashton Dulin's Role Takes a Hit After WR Addition
At the start of training camp this summer, the Indianapolis Colts were talking about the prospect of scaling back wide receiver/returner Ashton Dulin's special teams responsibilities to become an offensive starter. But after the Colts signed veteran wideout Keenan Allen a month later, "those plans seem to have flipped," and Dulin could now become the team's primary kickoff and punt returner on special teams while seeing his offensive role reduced, according to Nathan Brown of the Indianapolis Star. The 29-year-old was seeing more usage on offense early in camp before they signed Allen and with Alec Pierce (ankle) still on the Physically Unable to Perform list. But Pierce could be ready for Week 1 of the regular season, and with Allen now in the fold, there is not as much urgency for Dulin to step up as a receiver. The former undrafted free agent from Malone College caught only five passes for 106 yards in 12 games played in 2025 and does not have more than 15 receptions or 207 yards in any of his six NFL seasons in Indy. Dulin can be ignored in the vast majority of fantasy football leagues.
Source: Indianapolis Star - Nathan Brown
Source: Indianapolis Star - Nathan Brown
Darnell Washington Losing Redraft Appeal
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington is coming off the best receiving season of his career, but his redraft outlook has cooled as the preseason has unfolded. Washington caught 31 passes for 364 yards and one touchdown in 16 games last year, then signed a four-year, $42 million extension with Pittsburgh in June. That commitment has not translated into a larger receiving role this summer. Pat Freiermuth remains first on the depth chart, while Washington has just one catch for five yards through two preseason games. Veteran Robert Tonyan has been much more involved, catching six passes for 78 yards over the same stretch after reuniting with Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh. Washington still matters plenty to the Steelers because of his blocking, and his 6-foot-7, 264-pound frame gives him some red-zone appeal. The problem for fantasy managers is target volume. Washington drew only 43 targets despite starting 13 games last season, and nothing this August suggests a major jump is coming. RotoBaller ranks him TE36 in half-PPR, leaving him outside the standard redraft mix and better viewed as a deep-league touchdown dart throw.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Trey McBride Stands Out in Joint Practice With Packers
Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride was the team's standout during Wednesday's joint practice with Green Bay, according to Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic. That's not exactly a surprise after the season McBride just put together. He caught 126 passes on 169 targets for 1,239 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2025, setting the NFL single-season record for receptions by a tight end. McBride was also a near-unanimous first-team All-Pro, receiving 49 of 50 first-place votes. Arizona has treated him like one of its established stars this preseason, including holding him out of Saturday's game against Dallas. He has now posted at least 100 catches and 1,000 receiving yards in back-to-back seasons, becoming the first tight end in league history with consecutive 100-catch campaigns. Wednesday's showing doesn't change much for fantasy purposes. McBride already enters 2026 as the clear centerpiece of Arizona's passing game.
Source: Theo Mackie
Source: Theo Mackie
Malik Washington Strengthening His Hold on a Starting Role
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Malik Washington has strengthened his redraft outlook by holding onto a prominent role in one of the NFL's most unsettled receiving corps. Washington opened the preseason with Miami's first-team offense against the Commanders and caught all three of his targets for 15 yards, including receptions on the Dolphins' first two offensive plays. He did not play against the Giants on Saturday, but Miami's current depth chart still lists him as a starter alongside Caleb Douglas and Jalen Tolbert. Washington also brings useful returning production after catching 46 passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns last season, while adding 110 rushing yards and another score on 17 carries. The ceiling remains uncertain. Washington averaged only 6.9 yards per reception in 2025, Douglas has been one of Miami's better camp performers, and Chris Bell is now back in team drills. Still, Washington has done enough to remain near the front of the receiver rotation entering the final week of the preseason. RotoBaller's half-PPR rankings list him as WR81, and his combination of first-team usage and short-area volume makes him a reasonable late-round target in deeper redraft leagues.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jaylen Wright Pulling Ahead in Miami's RB2 Battle
Miami Dolphins running back Jaylen Wright is pushing ahead in the battle to back up De'Von Achane, giving his redraft outlook a late-August boost. With Achane out of Saturday's preseason game against the Giants, Wright started and handled every snap on Miami's opening drive, then played 12 of the team's first 16 offensive snaps before Ollie Gordon II took over. The results were ugly, as Wright managed nine yards on six carries and lost a fumble, but Miami kept him in the game afterward. The 5-foot-10, 208-pound back also has a useful workload sample on his résumé. When Achane left Week 14 last season with a rib injury, Wright carried 24 times for 107 yards and a touchdown while Gordon saw only five attempts. Miami's first unofficial depth chart had Wright ahead of Gordon, and the preseason rotation has backed that up. Gordon's recent rib issue should not be overstated after head coach Jeff Hafley said he could have returned in a regular-season game. Wright still has limited standalone appeal behind Achane, but he's increasingly looking like Miami's preferred insurance back and a worthwhile late-round target in deeper redraft leagues.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Frank Reich has Been "Impressed" With Geno Smith
New York Jets offensive coordinator Frank Reich thinks he has the right quarterback to "steer his offensive ship" in veteran Geno Smith, who has "pure" throwing mechanics that few NFL QBs can match, according to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. "He's very detailed in the way that he teaches the offense," Smith says. "Very meticulous in what he wants from us and how he wants us to execute." "I am just so impressed with Geno, I cannot express that enough," Reich said. In addition to Smith, Reich thinks he has the personnel on the offensive line and the right weapons around Smith to build a formidable offense in 2026. Smith was a Pro Bowler in back-to-back seasons in 2022 and 2023 with the Seattle Seahawks, but he was one of the worst signal-callers in the league in 2025 in his lone season with the Las Vegas Raiders, going 2-13 as the starter while throwing for 3,025 yards, 19 touchdowns, and a league-high 17 interceptions. He has looked much better this summer with the Jets, but fantasy managers in superflex leagues will believe a bounce-back only when they see it in 2026.
Source: The Athletic - Zack Rosenblatt
Source: The Athletic - Zack Rosenblatt
Josh Downs Says Calf Injury Is "Very Minor"
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (calf) downplayed the injury that has kept him out of practice the past two days. According to James Boyd, Downs called it "very minor" and said the team is simply being precautionary. He sat out Tuesday before the Colts identified the issue as a calf injury Wednesday. Downs also missed practice time earlier this month with a groin injury, so Indianapolis has already been careful with him during camp. The 25-year-old caught 58 passes on 88 targets for 566 yards and four touchdowns in 16 games last season after posting a career-high 803 yards in 2024. Michael Pittman Jr. is now in Pittsburgh, although the recent addition of Keenan Allen gives the Colts another proven option alongside Downs and Alec Pierce. For now, there isn't much reason to move Downs down fantasy boards based on his own description of the injury.
Source: James Boyd
Source: James Boyd
Patrick Mahomes Won't Play in Preseason Finale
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said on Wednesday that quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) will not play in the team's preseason finale on Friday against the Seattle Seahawks, according to Nate Taylor of ESPN. Rookie signal-caller Garrett Nussmeier will get the start. Although Mahomes has been a full-go for all of training camp after tearing his ACL and LCL in Week 15 against the Los Angeles Chargers last year, the Chiefs will end up keeping him out of all three preseason contests as a precaution. Reid has been non-committal on whether the 30-year-old three-time Super Bowl MVP will be ready for Week 1 against the division-rival Denver Broncos, but all signs point to him being available on Monday, Sept. 14. The former 10th overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft out of Texas Tech was a Pro Bowler from 2018 to 2023, but he obviously had his season cut short last year and threw for under 4,000 yards in 2024 as the Chiefs' offense hasn't been as explosive in recent years. With mobility concerns coming off major knee surgery in a Chiefs offense searching for more explosive plays down the field, Mahomes has become more of a high-end QB2 target in 2026 fantasy drafts instead of the high-end QB1 he was earlier in his career.
Source: ESPN.com - Nate Taylor
Source: ESPN.com - Nate Taylor
Jonathon Brooks Impresses on Red-Zone Run
Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks had another encouraging moment during Wednesday's joint practice with Houston. According to Kyle Bailey, Brooks showed patience on a red-zone carry, waited for a lane to open, cut back and picked up roughly 10 to 12 yards. That kind of run stands out a little more with Brooks, who is coming back from two tears of the same right ACL. The second one cost him the entire 2025 season. Brooks has only 12 regular-season touches in the NFL, but he has looked comfortable cutting and accelerating this summer, worked with the first-team offense, and scored a 1-yard touchdown against Jacksonville last Friday. Chuba Hubbard has been working back from a hamstring injury, and Dave Canales has said Carolina plans to keep rotating its backs once Hubbard returns. Brooks isn't suddenly taking over the backfield, but he's giving the Panthers more reasons to trust him in a meaningful role.
Source: Kyle Bailey
Source: Kyle Bailey
J.J. McCarthy Getting a Day Off While Nursing Ankle Injury
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said that quarterback J.J. McCarthy (ankle) is getting a day off from training camp practice on Wednesday for an ankle injury that he suffered in last Saturday's preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic. The Vikings are hoping to have McCarthy start their preseason finale on Friday in Denver against the Broncos as he continues to compete with veteran Carson Wentz for the QB2 job behind starter Kyler Murray. The 23-year-old McCarthy's ankle injury obviously is not serious, but his fantasy stock in dynasty/keeper leagues has never been lower after he lost the starting QB battle to Murray. If McCarthy loses the backup job to Wentz, he will become a prime trade candidate before the start of the 2026 season. The former 10th overall pick from Michigan missed his entire rookie season in 2024 due to knee surgery and then played in only 10 games in 2025 while completing 57.6% of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions for the Vikes.
Source: The Athletic - Alec Lewis
Source: The Athletic - Alec Lewis
Jayden Daniels, Commanders Offense Have Brutal Day Against Ravens
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels and the starting offense had a miserable joint practice against Baltimore on Wednesday. Nicki Jhabvala called it the worst she has seen the Commanders' offense look in years and described the offensive line as "inoperable." Washington was shorthanded up front, which matters here. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil remains out after undergoing surgery for a torn triceps, center Nick Allegretti is dealing with a calf injury, and right guard Sam Cosmi missed Wednesday's work because of an illness. The Commanders signed veteran tackle D.J. Humphries on Wednesday, but he obviously wasn't going to fix everything overnight. Daniels played only seven games last season, throwing for 1,262 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions while adding 278 rushing yards and two scores. One ugly August practice isn't a reason to knock Daniels far down draft boards, but Washington's battered offensive line is becoming a legitimate concern with Week 1 approaching.
Source: Nicki Jhabvala
Source: Nicki Jhabvala
Kenneth Walker is "Gonna be Fine"
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said on Wednesday that running back Kenneth Walker's (ankle) shoe caused some swelling around his ankle but added that "he's gonna be fine," according to Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star. The initial report on Walker was that he missed training camp practice earlier this week with a foot injury, but it was never considered very serious after he was seen walking without a limp and without a brace of any kind on his foot on Tuesday. The 25-year-old will most likely be held out of the preseason finale on Friday against his former team, the Seattle Seahawks, but all signs point to the Super Bowl MVP being a full-go as KC's workhorse RB for a Week 1 showdown on Monday night against the division-rival Denver Broncos. The former second-rounder by Seattle in 2022 from Michigan State played all 17 regular-season games in 2025 and had the second 1,000-yard rushing season of his career while scoring five times on the ground and adding 31 catches for 282 yards as a receiver. Walker has a history of lower-body injuries, but if he can stay healthy, his volume alone with the Chiefs should give him a high floor as a low-end RB1/high-end RB2 in fantasy football.
Source: The Kansas City Star - Sam McDowell
Source: The Kansas City Star - Sam McDowell
Parker Washington Dominates After Injury Absence
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington has shown no obvious effects from the undisclosed injury that kept him out of practice last week. Black & Teal highlighted Washington for a second straight day against Tampa Bay on Wednesday after he caught a red-zone touchdown from Trevor Lawrence. Washington returned to practice Sunday and was described by the Jaguars as back to full speed. He also picked up where he left off before the absence, when he had been one of Jacksonville's most consistent camp standouts. Washington is coming off a breakout 2025 season with 58 catches on 95 targets for 847 yards and five touchdowns in 16 games. He closed the regular season especially well, putting up 400 receiving yards and two scores over the final four games. Washington and Brenton Strange were also Lawrence's favorite targets Wednesday, particularly in the red zone. With Washington back making plays, the brief injury absence does not appear to have disrupted his standing in Jacksonville's offense.
Source: Black&Teal
Source: Black&Teal
Jalen McMillan Not Expected to Play in Preseason Finale
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan (knee) did not travel with the team to Jacksonville for joint practices this week and is not expected to play in the preseason finale against the Jaguars on Friday, according to Pewter Report. McMillan has been practicing in a limited fashion in training camp, but the 24-year-old will end up missing the entire preseason while battling a knee injury this summer. When fully healthy, the former third-rounder from the University of Washington should start in three-wide sets in Tampa alongside Emeka Egbuka (toe) and veteran Chris Godwin Jr. A significant neck injury suffered last preseason limited McMillan to only four games last year, but he impressed with 37 receptions for 461 yards and eight touchdowns in 13 games played in 2024 as a rookie, and there's room for upside in 2026 in Tampa's passing attack now that Mike Evans is no longer in town. Still, injury concerns are not going away, and McMillan is going to have to prove it before most fantasy managers in 12-team leagues take notice. RotoBaller currently has McMillan ranked as the WR57 in half-PPR formats, right behind 49ers veteran wideout Deebo Samuel Sr.
Source: Pewter Report
Source: Pewter Report
Dontayvion Wicks Set to Open Season as Eagles' WR2
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks is expected to open the season as the team's No. 2 option behind DeVonta Smith, according to Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice. Kempski called the battle for Wicks earlier in camp, and that read hasn't changed with first-round rookie Makai Lemon back as a full participant. Wicks has earned consistent praise for his work with Jalen Hurts and did not play in Philadelphia's first preseason game, another sign of how the team views him. The Eagles traded a fifth-round pick and a 2027 sixth-rounder to Green Bay for Wicks in April, then extended him through 2027. He caught 30 of 46 targets for 332 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games last season, though he did post 581 yards and four scores as a rookie in 2023. Wicks now has a cleaner path to regular snaps than he ever had in Green Bay, giving him a path to fantasy relevance in deeper redraft leagues.
Source: Jimmy Kempski
Source: Jimmy Kempski
