Jul 31, 2026, 10:01 AM ET

With an unexpected absence at the top of the depth chart, Detroit Lions running backs Isiah Pacheco and Sione Vaki have been splitting first-team reps in the early days of training camp. Three-time Pro Bowler Jahmyr Gibbs has not been practicing as he seeks a long-term contract extension, and head coach Dan Campbell is taking advantage of an opportunity to load his other backs up with valuable work. Pacheco signed a one-year deal this offseason and is expected to handle parts of the vacated David Montgomery role, while Vaki enters his third season with the team after Detroit spent a fourth-round pick on him following a collegiate career in which he played predominantly on the defensive side of the ball. While Campbell has expressed confidence that an extension with Gibbs will get done, he is not overlooking the situation in front of him and is using it to prepare both players for any unexpected call to action over the course of a long 17-game season.--Patrick McGrath
Source: Benjamin Raven

Jul 31, 2026, 9:49 AM ET

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington was a fantasy star over the second half of the 2025 season, and reports out of training camp hint at more big things to come in 2026. While the fourth-year receiver made several plays during the opening practice of training camp, it was the work he did on Thursday that caught the eye of Sports Illustrated's John Shipley, who pointed to the success Washington had at all three levels of the field against some of the team's top cover players before noting that he "just seems to continue to make standout plays that make you think he is due for a big season." Washington became a featured piece of the Jaguars offense after their Week 8 bye, playing as the fantasy WR11 over that stretch, and the buzz throughout the spring and summer would suggest continued usage in that manner and potentially the highest ceiling in a loaded Jaguars receiver room. Playing on the final year of his rookie deal, Shipley believes that Washington's performance in the early days of camp could soon earn him an extension, making him a player to target in dynasty leagues despite his rising price tag.--Patrick McGrath
Source: John Shipley

Jul 31, 2026, 9:37 AM ET

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka caught a long touchdown pass during a competitive 7-on-7 session of Thursday's training camp practice, as he continues to impress in Zac Robinson's new-look offense. The second-year wideout has been working primarily as the Z-receiver, but his versatility has allowed Robinson to move him all across the formation. Egbuka's 2025 rookie season opened on a historical pace, catching five touchdowns through his first five games, but the Buccaneers' offense as a whole faced mounting injuries and a general lack of cohesion as the season went on, and the first-round pick scored only one more time over his final 12 games. With six-time Pro Bowler Mike Evans no longer with the team, Egbuka is projected to take a major step forward in year two, now serving as the primary read on most plays, and the usage in Robinson's redesigned system has been encouraging for RotoBaller's WR20.--Patrick McGrath
Source: Brianna Dix

Jul 31, 2026, 9:25 AM ET

Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III has been heavily involved in all aspects of the team's passing offense through the early days of training camp, and offensive coordinator Press Taylor spoke to reporters on Thursday about the growth of the dynamic second-year player. "You saw in the spring, he was one of those guys where you really saw the skill set flourish. Now he's not thinking quite as much. He's able to just go out, react, play." Since the Bears traded veteran receiver DJ Moore to the Bills in March, offseason narratives have focused on how targets will be divvied up between a young group of pass catchers featuring Burden, Rome Odunze, and tight end Colston Loveland. Now, through the first practices of camp, Burden's involvement has stood out, and a big second season could be on the way for RotoBaller's WR21.--Patrick McGrath
Source: CHGO Bears

Jul 31, 2026, 9:14 AM ET

Through the early days of training camp, Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley has worked in close to a 50/50 split with fourth-year back Tank Bigsby, with the latter drawing rave reviews from the local beat in his first offseason with the team. While Bigsby's involvement could be viewed as planned load management to keep the team's three-time Pro Bowler fresh through the summer after handling more than 800 touches across his first two campaigns with the team, Eagles reporter Eliot Shorr-Parks speculated on his Go Birds! podcast about whether Bigsby's increased involvement could stretch into the regular season. With Bigsby arriving in Philadelphia via a mid-season trade, his 2025 involvement was limited primarily to special teams, but as his offensive opportunities grew throughout the year, he took advantage, averaging nearly six yards per carry and looking decisive and explosive behind the same banged-up offensive line that was frequently pointed to as a reason Barkley was incapable of matching some of his previous-season highs. Barkley ran for only 1.6 yards after contact per carry last season, with Bigsby's number more than a full yard higher at 2.8 YPA, while his 10 broken tackles came on only 58 carries to Barkley's 18 broken tackles on 280 attempts. Barkley is RotoBaller's RB6 for 2026, but without the volume that fantasy managers are used to seeing, he could struggle to live up to ADP expectations.--Patrick McGrath
Source: Eliot Shorr-Parks

Jul 31, 2026, 12:00 AM ET

Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little put together a rock-solid season in 2025, converting 30 of his 34 field goal attempts and 50 of his 51 extra-point tries. Little also has one of the most powerful legs in the NFL, as he made eight field goals from 50-plus yards out and connected on an NFL-record 68-yard field goal in early November. The 22-year-old finished 2025 as the fifth-best kicker in terms of overall fantasy scoring. Entering 2026, Little should be in a strong position for another high-end fantasy season while playing alongside the high-powered Jacksonville offense. In both redraft and dynasty formats, Little has a strong case to be viewed as an elite kicker.--Will Brady
Source: RotoBaller

Jul 30, 2026, 11:47 PM ET

New York Jets rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq was "heavily featured" in training camp practice on Thursday, according to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. Rosenblatt reports that New York lined Sadiq up all over its offensive formations and that the 21-year-old "made a few plays." The 16th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Sadiq recorded 51 catches for 560 yards and eight touchdowns across 14 games for the University of Oregon in 2025. He projects as an elite athlete for the tight end position in the NFL and could ultimately see heavy usage from the slot in New York. The Jets' uncertain quarterback situation and the presence of fellow tight end Mason Taylor in New York are both potential limiting factors for Sadiq in his rookie season. Still, he could end up undervalued by his current redraft ADP of TE23.--Will Brady
Source: The Athletic - Zack Rosenblatt

Jul 30, 2026, 11:37 PM ET

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III scored a long touchdown on a screen pass in training camp practice on Thursday and brings a new element to the team's screen game in 2026, according to Matt McMullen of Chiefs.com. Walker III is entering his first year in Kansas City after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Seattle Seahawks. Across 17 games with Seattle in 2025, the 25-year-old recorded 1,309 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns on 252 touches. Walker III's fantasy upside with the Seahawks was limited due to his shared workload with Seattle back Zach Charbonnet (knee). However, Kansas City appears set to deploy Walker III as a true three-down workhorse. His explosive ability in space could pair especially well with the Chiefs' screen game, which is operated by superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes and designed by Hall of Fame play-caller Andy Reid. Walker III carries high-end RB1 upside in redraft leagues entering 2026.--Will Brady
Source: Chiefs.com - Matt McMullen

Jul 30, 2026, 11:29 PM ET

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said "it's pretty exciting" when discussing the status of tight end Sam LaPorta (back) as he works his way towards a return from back surgery, per Colton Pouncy of The Athletic. Pouncy reports that Campbell said LaPorta is "ready to go" and "a big piece of our offense." LaPorta recorded 40 catches for 489 yards and three touchdowns on 49 targets across nine games last season before suffering a season-ending back injury. The 25-year-old has proven he has high-end fantasy TE1 upside when healthy, as he recorded over 1,600 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns across his first two NFL seasons in 2023 and 2024. While the back injury and the Lions' deep core of talented pass-catchers are both potential limiting factors for LaPorta's fantasy value, it appears as though Detroit is encouraged by their tight end's status at the start of training camp. RotoBaller currently ranks LaPorta as the TE8 for redraft leagues.--Will Brady
Source: The Athletic - Colton Pouncy

Jul 30, 2026, 11:17 PM ET

Veteran wide receiver Dante Pettis has been signed by the Buffalo Bills, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Across eight games with the New Orleans Saints in 2025, Pettis recorded nine catches for 127 yards on 11 targets. The 30-year-old has played in 66 NFL games across seven seasons, but his contributions have mostly come on special teams. Pettis has not recorded more than 19 catches or 245 receiving yards in a season since his rookie year in 2018. While the Bills are searching for reliable receiver talent behind DJ Moore and Khalil Shakir, Pettis is unlikely to play a significant role as a pass-catcher in Buffalo. Fantasy managers in both redraft and dynasty leagues should avoid Pettis.--Will Brady
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter

Jul 30, 2026, 11:10 PM ET

The San Francisco 49ers worked out veteran running backs Khalil Herbert, Raheem Blackshear, and Owen Wright, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. San Francisco has superstar back Christian McCaffrey firmly in place atop its depth chart at the position, but it appears the team could be looking to add some additional bodies to an RB2 competition that already contains 2025 fifth-rounder Jordan James and 2026 third-rounder Kaelon Black. Herbert recorded over 2,000 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns across his first three NFL seasons with the Chicago Bears, but he's played for three teams and logged just 36 total carries since the start of the 2024 season. Blackshear did not appear in an NFL game in 2025 after spending three seasons with the Carolina Panthers from 2022-2024. Wright logged three carries across three games with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season.--Will Brady
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter

Jul 30, 2026, 9:53 PM ET

The Indianapolis Colts worked out free-agent wide receiver Chase Claypool on Thursday. Claypool is attempting an NFL comeback after not playing in the league since 2023. He last suited up for the Miami Dolphins during the 2023 campaign. He finished with eight receptions for 77 yards and one touchdown in 12 games with Miami. The 28-year-old was a former second-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2020. He hasn't really done anything meaningful on the football field since leaving the Steelers during the 2022 season. Even if he lands with the Colts, Claypool would likely only be depth and have a minimal role.--Andy Webb
Source: Mike Garafolo

Jul 30, 2026, 9:45 PM ET

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. is reportedly in competition for the backup role ahead of the 2026 season. Daniel Jones is the clear starter in Indy, but the backup gig is still up for grabs. JJ Stankevitz is reporting that Richardson and Riley Leonard are "neck and neck" for the QB2 job. The team plans to continue to rotate the two quarterbacks between the second and third-team offense throughout camp. Richardson hasn't actually played meaningful football since the 2024 season. Leonard threw for 415 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions in five games last season. Whoever wins the backup job could have some stash value with Jones coming back from an Achilles injury.--Andy Webb
Source: colts.com

Jul 30, 2026, 9:35 PM ET

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry has been one of the top players at his position for many years. Despite his stellar performance, fantasy managers need to start thinking about when Henry might decide to retire. The 32-year-old is entering his 11th season in the NFL. Despite his age, Henry recently said that he's not thinking about retirement right now. He is focused on being the best player possible and helping the Ravens win football games. Henry has finished in the top-8 or better in each of the last four seasons. At some point, you would think age regression would play a factor, but Henry is apparently a different animal. He's currently ranked as the RB13 in redraft leagues heading into the season.--Andy Webb
Source: Jeff Zrebiec

Jul 30, 2026, 9:23 PM ET

The San Francisco 49ers signed free-agent wide receiver Deebo Samuel on Thursday. According to Jordan Schultz, they've agreed on a one-year, $7 million deal for the upcoming 2026-2027 campaign. It was rumored that the two sides were interested in a reunion after Samuel left for the Washington Commanders last season. The 49ers are in need of reinforcements after the news that fellow wideout Ricky Pearsall (knee) could miss the entire season. Samuel figures to immediately slot alongside Mike Evans as the No. 2 wideout on this roster. The expectation is that rookie De'Zhaun Stribling and Christian Kirk will compete for the third wideout spot, assuming Pearsall is truly out for the year. Samuel is coming off a 72-catch season with the Commanders in 2025. He should be able to offer around top-30 upside at his position.--Andy Webb
Source: Jordan Schultz