RADIO
DeVonta Smith Sits Out Preseason Opener
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring) will not play in Saturday's preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens, per Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer. However, Smith did go through pregame warm-ups despite the injury. The 27-year-old missed seven straight practices at one point with his hamstring injury, but did do some work on the side. Smith would have played if it were a regular-season game, as the injury doesn't appear to be serious. He caught 77 passes for 1,008 yards and four touchdowns over 17 games last season. Smith is set to be Philadelphia's No. 1 wide receiver after the Eagles dealt A.J. Brown to the Patriots during the offseason. Smith is the Eagles' top wide receiver weapon and could be set for a career year as long as his hamstring injury doesn't linger into the regular season.
Source: Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer
Source: Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer
Trevor Etienne Flashes Receiving Ability in the Preseason
Carolina Panthers running back Trevor Etienne rushed for seven yards on six attempts while catching all four targets for 18 yards in Saturday's 29-14 preseason loss to the Buffalo Bills. Etienne led the team in receptions and tied Feleipe Franks and Eliah Cooks with four targets. The 22-year-old has natural hands and has shown flashes in the passing game. However, he started in the Hall of Fame game against Arizona and was limited to 11 total yards. With Jonathon Brooks' injury history and Chuba Hubbard (hamstring) being week-to-week with a hamstring injury, Etienne could have an expanded role if either were to miss any time. The former fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft is battling AJ Dillon for Carolina's RB3 spot behind Hubbard and Brooks. Etienne is a dynasty stash for now, but a name to watch in deep-league PPR formats if Hubbard continues to be sidelined with his hamstring issue into the regular season.
Source: Pro Football Focus
Source: Pro Football Focus
Ja'Seem Reed Makes Case For More Targets After Strong Preseason Showing
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Ja'Seem Reed caught all three targets for 17 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 29-14 preseason loss to the Buffalo Bills. Kenny Pickett found Reed for a six-yard touchdown strike in the second quarter to put the Panthers on the scoreboard. The 23-year-old has run 35 routes, while catching five of six targets for 47 yards and two touchdowns over Carolina's first two preseason games. Carolina's quarterbacks have a 138.9 passing rating when targeting Reed. With Chris Brazzell III (knee) out for the season, Reed has had a strong preseason and is making a case to be Carolina's WR4 behind Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker, and Xavier Legette. He is currently battling John Metchie III and Jimmy Horn Jr. for that spot. Reed is not on the fantasy radar but could be worth stashing in deep dynasty leagues if he continues his strong preseason showing thus far.
Source: Mike Kaye of ESPN
Source: Mike Kaye of ESPN
Bills Not Worried About DJ Moore's Injury
Buffalo Bills head coach Joe Brady indicated that wide receiver DJ Moore (lower leg) is "good" following his injury scare during Saturday's preseason win over the Carolina Panthers, according to Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic. Moore sustained a lower leg injury during his last catch in the first quarter of Saturday's preseason opener. According to Buscaglia, Moore will be further evaluated, but the Bills don't seem to be too worried. The 29-year-old looked impressive, finishing with three catches on four targets for 61 yards, averaging 20.3 yards per reception. Keon Coleman also picked up an injury on Saturday but is expected to be fine. Moore is set to be Buffalo's WR1 and star quarterback Josh Allen's No. 1 target after Buffalo acquired him from the Bears during the offseason. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor the situation, but it appears Moore avoided a severe injury.
Source: Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic
Source: Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic
Josh Downs Exits Saturday's Practice Early After Landing Hard on his Back
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (back) exited Saturday's practice early after landing hard on his back, according to Andrew Moore of Sports Illustrated. According to Moore, Downs tried to walk it off but appeared to still be in pain. The 25-year-old is day-to-day for now, as the Colts should provide an update soon. Before the injury, Downs was having a strong training camp but did miss practice earlier in the week with a groin injury. The Colts are already down Alec Pierce (ankle) and can't afford to lose Downs on top of it. Ashton Dulin and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine would see an uptick in snaps if Downs were to miss any time. With Michael Pittman Jr. on the Steelers, Downs is set for a breakout year and should see an uptick in targets. Barring injury news, Downs is currently RotoBaller's WR40 and could be relied on right out of the gate with Pierce still sidelined.
Source: Andrew Moore
Source: Andrew Moore
Jaxson Dart "Puzzled" Everytime he Finds Himself in the Blue Tent
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart is "puzzled" about how he finds his way into the blue tent every time he takes a hit, according to Giants beat writer Pat Leonard. The Giants quarterback respects the NFL players' safety efforts, but "still trying to wrap my head around," said Dart. He went to the medical tent during Saturday's game against the Vikings after taking a big hit from safety Jay Ward. According to Dart, a miscommunication in protection led to the big hit. The 23-year-old stayed in the game after a brief exit to the medical tent and led the Giants to their first score of the game by connecting with wide receiver Malachi Fields for a 15-yard touchdown. Dart finished the game with 26 passing yards on four passing attempts and a touchdown before being pulled. The 2025 first-round pick made several trips to the medical tent in his rookie season as he dealt with concussions. Dart appears to have avoided any injury and should be fine to play in the Giants' second preseason game against the Dolphins.
Source: Pat Leonard
Source: Pat Leonard
Jonathon Brooks Runs with Starting Lineup on Saturday
Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks started in Saturday's 29-14 preseason loss against the Buffalo Bills and struggled to find any running room. Brooks rushed for five yards on three attempts while catching one pass for nine yards on Saturday. He logged seven of nine snaps with the first-team offense and was targeted once on three routes run. The 23-year-old had trouble finding running room as the offensive line struggled to open any lanes for him, as he averaged a measly 1.7 yards per carry. While the Panthers offense looked sluggish on Saturday, the good news is that Brooks looked healthy, as it was his first NFL snap he played since December 8, 2024. Brooks could see a heavy workload early on as Chuba Hubbard (hamstring) is week-to-week and likely questionable for Week 1 against the Chicago Bears. Brooks has been a trendy name whose fantasy stock has risen with a strong training camp. He is steadily becoming a running back to target in the middle rounds at his current Yahoo Fantasy ADP of 77 and is ranked 91st overall in the latest RotoBaller rankings.
Source: Pro Football Focus
Source: Pro Football Focus
Shedeur Sanders Will Start in Browns' Second Preseason Game
ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi reports that Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders will start in Thursday's preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. Head coach Todd Monken announced that Deshaun Watson and Sanders will split first-team reps during joint practices with the Bills. Additionally, Monken plans to let Sanders play the first half with Watson playing the third quarter, and Dillon Gabriel playing the fourth quarter. Watson looked sharp in his preseason start by completing 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions. In Sanders' limited action, he completed six of 11 passes for 79 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception. The two remain in a close competition for the starting job that has a chance to be decided after the second preseason game.
Source: ESPN - Daniel Oyefusi
Source: ESPN - Daniel Oyefusi
Aaron Donald's Target for Decision to Return Shifts
ProFootballTalk reported that retired defensive tackle Aaron Donald's target date for a decision to return to the Los Angeles Rams continues to shift. Speculation about Donald's return first spread across the league after the blockbuster trade that sent the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett, to the Rams. In early August, Donald was spotted at the team's facility for an official training camp workout. Even as Donald pushes his decision timeline back, the Rams do not seem inclined to set any deadlines. If he decides to return, the Rams would have one of the best defenses in history on paper as they attempt to win another Super Bowl in 2026.
Source: ProFootballTalk
Source: ProFootballTalk
Texans Starters Will Play in Next Preseason Game on Thursday
ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime reported that the Houston Texans will play their starters in next Thursday's preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Head coach DeMeco Ryans told Bien-Aime that everyone healthy will play in the game. The team decided to rest almost all of their primary starters, including C.J. Stroud, Nico Collins, Jayden Higgins, and Dalton Schultz, during their 27-7 preseason loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Ryans has not officially announced a plan or official playing times for their second game yet. However, he will likely make his decision public closer to Thursday's day game.
Source: ESPN - DJ Bien-Aime
Source: ESPN - DJ Bien-Aime
Demond Claiborne Leads Vikings In Rushing Saturday
Running back Demond Claiborne of the Minnesota Vikings earned a team-high 12 carries for 34 yards in the club's preseason opener against the New York Giants. Playing mostly behind the Vikings' backups on the offensive line, Claiborne still showed some juice despite limited space to run, including a nine-yard burst that gained a first down to set up Minnesota's lone touchdown. The rookie will begin the season behind Aaron Jones Sr. and Jordan Mason, though his impressive speed and receiving potential give him a chance to win playing time in a backfield with two veterans on expiring deals. Claiborne, a sixth-round pick, has serious long-term potential in dynasty formats, but he also could be a high-priority waiver candidate in redraft leagues if either Jones or Mason misses extended time.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Jordan Mason Sharp In Limited Action
Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Mason continued a strong summer on Saturday against the New York Giants with 17 yards on three carries in the first-team offense's only drive of the day. The second-year Viking has been impressive in training camp as the club appears to be headed for a split backfield that includes veteran Aaron Jones Sr. With just 28 receptions in his past three seasons -- and Jones still the Vikings' top choice on passing downs -- Mason's ceiling will be somewhat limited by his lack of passing game work, particularly in PPR leagues. A popular choice for the zeroRB strategy, however, Mason has 1,000-yard potential and a pathway to regular goal-line touches on a talented offense, all from a mid-round ADP.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Myles Price Making Push For Bigger Receiving Role?
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Myles Price logged an impressive preseason debut by catching all four of his targets for 51 yards and a touchdown on Saturday against the New York Giants. An undrafted free agent from Indiana, Price made the Vikings' 53-man roster last season and finished third in the NFL in kick return yards. The second-year pro is now competing with Tai Felton and Jeshaun Jones for a secondary receiving role in the Vikings' offense, and Price's team-best 28-yard reception and acrobatic touchdown catch on Saturday certainly helped his cause. Still firmly behind Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jauan Jennings, Price won't factor into most standard formats, but he's a name worth knowing in formats that score return yards and deeper dynasty leagues.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Mike Evans Returns to Team Drills
San Francisco Chronicle's Noah Furtado reports that San Francisco wideout Mike Evans (quad) returned to team 11-on-11 drills and caught a rope from Brock Purdy. Evans suffered a quadriceps strain early in training camp that has forced him to miss practices and the 49ers' preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans on Thursday. The 49ers have dealt with various injuries up to this point that have caused multiple receivers to miss some time in training camp. Evans is projected to be the WR1 in the offense and will be the No. 1 option in the red zone through the air. With Evans returning to team drills, he is on track to be available for Week 1. Evans is being drafted as a fringe WR2 and carries immense touchdown upside for 2026.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle - Noah Furtado
Source: San Francisco Chronicle - Noah Furtado
Christian Watson Being Drafted as a WR3 Despite Intriguing Upside
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson is heading into the 2026 season with a clean bill of health and a new four-year contract worth up to $110.5 million. The 27-year-old has had a roller-coaster career up to this point of his career due to multiple hamstring injuries and a significant ACL injury. However, when healthy, Watson is a strong fantasy producer and has had stretches of dominance in fantasy football. In his final eight games, Watson scored over 18 PPR points four times, averaged 14 points per game, and finished as the WR13. Watson is heading into 2026 with an opportunity to establish himself as the No.1 receiver in Green Bay. The team traded Dontayvion Wicks and let Romeo Doubs walk in free agency. Watson could see a higher snap percentage and more targets with a condensed receiver room. Additionally, with Josh Jacobs facing a possible suspension, the team may opt to be more pass-heavy this season. Watson is currently a value in redraft leagues and carries WR1 upside.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
