RADIO
MarShawn Lloyd Facing Potential Competition for No. 2 Role
Green Bay Packers running back MarShawn Lloyd suddenly has another back to deal with. Green Bay acquired Kaleb Johnson from Pittsburgh on Sunday, a move that comes just days after general manager Brian Gutekunst said the team had been preparing for the possibility of a Josh Jacobs suspension. Lloyd had been moving in the other direction before the trade. He started the preseason opener with Jacobs sidelined, worked extensively with the first-team offense and caught an 11-yard touchdown from Jordan Love against Denver. RotoBaller also noted on Aug. 27 that Lloyd appeared to have the inside track on the No. 2 job, with a path to lead-back work if Jacobs misses time. Johnson is no lock to change that. The 2025 third-round pick rushed for only 69 yards as a rookie and was on Pittsburgh's roster bubble before being dealt. Still, the Packers didn't add him for nothing. Lloyd's opportunity remains interesting, especially with Jacobs facing possible NFL discipline, but there is now another player who could push for those backup touches.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Kaleb Johnson Traded to Packers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are trading running back Kaleb Johnson to the Green Bay Packers, according to Jeremy Fowler. The move comes with some uncertainty surrounding Josh Jacobs, who was formally charged with two misdemeanors Thursday and could still face discipline from the NFL. Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said earlier this week that the team had been preparing for the possibility of a Jacobs suspension, although there has been no indication that the Johnson trade was made specifically because of that situation. Johnson moves on after a quiet rookie season in Pittsburgh, where the 2025 third-round pick managed just 69 yards on 28 carries in 10 games. He was much more productive during his final season at Iowa, rushing for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns. Green Bay already has Chris Brooks, MarShawn Lloyd and Pierre Strong Jr. behind Jacobs, so Johnson isn't guaranteed a meaningful role. Adding another back now, though, gives the Packers more insurance while Jacobs' Week 1 availability remains unsettled.
Source: Jeremy Fowler
Source: Jeremy Fowler
Dolphins Acquire Quarterback Kyle McCord From the Packers
The Miami Dolphins acquired quarterback Kyle McCord from the Green Bay Packers on Sunday in exchange for a 2028 sixth-round pick, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN. The move comes after the Dolphins sent QB Quinn Ewers to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday and waived Cam Miller and Mark Gronowski. The 23-year-old McCord, a sixth-round selection by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025 from Syracuse, will become the primary backup to another former Packers QB, Malik Willis. McCord has yet to take a snap in the NFL in a regular-season game, but he did look good in the preseason with Green Bay, throwing for 446 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions in three games played. With the move to South Beach, McCord is now one step away from becoming a starter in the NFL if Willis misses time with an injury.
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Javonte Williams Leaves August Firmly in Control of Backfield
Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams hasn't given fantasy managers much to worry about this summer. That's the point. Williams rushed for 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns on 252 carries last season, then Dallas brought him back on a three-year, $24 million deal. Nothing in August has chipped away at that lead role. The Cowboys have spent most of camp sorting through Jaydon Blue, Malik Davis and Phil Mafah behind him, and team writers were still calling everything below Williams a question mark on Aug. 25. Dallas then sat Williams, Blue and Davis in the preseason finale while Mafah handled 12 carries. Williams also caught 35 passes last year and finished with 13 total touchdowns, so there is some regression risk if the scoring drops. The workload is the bigger takeaway, though. RotoBaller's Aug. 28 outlook has Williams ranked 36th overall and projects another top-10 fantasy finish if he stays healthy. He isn't the cheap draft-day bet he was a year ago, but his hold on the Dallas backfield looks every bit as strong heading into Week 1.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Davante Adams Has Helped His Redraft Case This Summer
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams already showed last season that the touchdowns are still there. What he did not have was a summer of work with Matthew Stafford. Stafford missed almost all of 2025 training camp because of a back injury, leaving Adams to build that connection on the fly. This August has been different. The two connected on an over-the-shoulder touchdown during camp, and their chemistry stood out again in the Rams' joint practice with New Orleans. Adams is coming off 60 catches for 789 yards and an NFL-leading 14 touchdowns in 14 games, good for a WR9 finish in PPR. There is still plenty of regression risk here. His 52.6% catch rate was a career low, 84 of his 222.9 PPR points came from touchdowns, and Puka Nacua remains the clear lead target. RotoBaller currently has Adams at WR18 in PPR rankings, so he is not being treated like a bargain. Still, a healthy summer with Stafford is a meaningful change from a year ago. Adams has done more to steady his redraft value than give fantasy managers another reason to fade him.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Dillon Gabriel Set to Make Browns' 53-Man Roster
Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel is set to make the team's initial 53-man roster heading into the regular-season opener on Sept. 13, sources told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. After a strong training camp and preseason this summer, Gabriel has earned the QB3 role entering his second NFL season behind starter Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders. After the Browns took the 25-year-old in the third round (94th overall) out of Oregon last April, he threw for 937 yards, seven touchdowns, and two interceptions in his first 10 NFL games (six starts) before an injury opened the door for Sanders to close out the year as the Browns' starter. Cleveland could end up keeping four QBs on their initial roster, with the Browns hoping to keep rookie Taylen Green around because of his rushing upside. While Gabriel has looked good this summer, he struggled to do much down the field as a rookie, and his dynasty/keeper upside remains minimal.
Source: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
Source: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
Dohnte Meyers Makes Bengals' Initial 53-Man Roster
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Dohnte Meyers has made the team's initial 53-man roster, according to Charlie Clifford. Meyers came over from the CFL in January and kept making plays throughout his first NFL summer. He led Cincinnati with 11 catches for 121 yards in the preseason, including three grabs for 51 yards on the opening drive Friday against Philadelphia. That was his only series of the night. Meyers also got first-team work while Ja'Marr Chase was sidelined earlier in the week. The 26-year-old earned his NFL opportunity after catching 65 passes for 1,056 yards and eight touchdowns for Saskatchewan last season and helping the Roughriders win the Grey Cup. Meyers is buried behind an established group led by Chase and Tee Higgins, so there isn't an obvious path to fantasy value right away. Still, his work on offense and in the return game was enough to turn a January futures signing into a spot on Cincinnati's 53.
Source: Charlie Clifford
Source: Charlie Clifford
Browns Want to Keep Rookie QB Taylen Green on the Roster
The Cleveland Browns would like to keep rookie sixth-round quarterback Taylen Green on their 53-man roster on Sunday if they can find a way to do it, according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. It looks like the Browns could be keeping four signal-callers on their initial 53-man roster after all under new head coach Todd Monken. Green would be the team's QB4 behind starter Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel. The 23-year-old from Arkansas needs some development as a passer, but it is clear that the Browns are intrigued by his ability to scramble and pick up chunk gains with his legs. Gabriel solidified his spot as the Browns' QB3 with a strong preseason showing after he was taken two rounds ahead of Sanders in the 2025 NFL draft. If Green can develop as a passer this year, he could have a future in Cleveland. In fantasy, he is merely a bench stash in deep dynasty/keeper leagues.
Source: The Cleveland Plain Dealer - Mary Kay Cabot
Source: The Cleveland Plain Dealer - Mary Kay Cabot
Bengals Release Veteran Quarterback Josh Johnson
The Cincinnati Bengals released veteran quarterback Josh Johnson on Sunday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The end of the line could be coming for the 40-year-old journeyman QB who has spent time with the Bengals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, and Cleveland Browns over the course of his 10 NFL seasons since being drafted in the fifth round by Tampa back in 2008 from the University of San Diego. If Johnson does latch on with another squad before the start of the 2026 campaign, he will merely be veteran QB depth with a path to a starting role very unlikely. He played in five games (two starts) with the Commanders last year and threw for 372 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions on 54 passing attempts. Johnson has a 58.7% career completion percentage with 2,669 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions in 50 games (11 starts).
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Cardinals Acquire Tight End Hunter Long From the Jaguars
The Arizona Cardinals acquired tight end Hunter Long from the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, according to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network. It is unclear what the Cardinals sent to the Jaguars in return. With the move, Long will join a tight end room in Arizona that includes starter Trey McBride, one of the best pass-catching TEs in the NFL, Elijah Higgins, and Teagan Quitoriano. The 28-year-old former third-rounder by the Miami Dolphins in 2021 from Boston College has primarily been a blocking-first tight end in his five years in the NFL, accumulating just 20 catches on 29 targets for 153 yards and two touchdowns in 46 games played (eight starts) with the Dolphins, Los Angeles Rams, and Jaguars. Long had his best season last year with Jacksonville, catching 12 of 17 targets for 85 yards and two touchdowns in nine regular-season games. He will have a better shot at playing time in Arizona, but Long is still a big long shot for fantasy relevance in 2026.
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
Bucky Irving Could Lose Goal-Line Touches
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving could be in danger of losing touches with the news on Sunday. The Bucs have decided to cut Josh Williams and keep Sean Tucker on their 53-man roster. Tucker figures to serve as the third back behind Kenneth Gainwell, with Irving being the starter. Normally, Tucker's presence doesn't mean much outside of his one monster game per season. However, the Bucs tend to trust Tucker the most out of their backs in goal-line situations. His work in the red zone could be why the Bucs decided to keep him around. His presence will likely be a thorn in the side of Irving, but the 24-year-old should still offer RB2 value as the lead back in Tampa Bay.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Sean Tucker Makes 53-Man Roster
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Sean Tucker has made the 53-man roster, according to Jenna Laine. Tucker was on the roster bubble, but the Bucs decided to keep him and his $3.5 million salary for the upcoming season. Instead, the Bucs have cut running back Josh Williams, which leaves Tucker as the third back in Tampa Bay. The 24-year-old is unlikely to have a huge role behind Bucky Irving and Kenneth Gainwell. It seems that Tucker is good for one epic game per season to get fantasy managers hyped, but then he fails to capitalize on it. He remains a stash in dynasty formats, as he could be one injury away from getting consistent touches in the backfield. UPDATE: Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Tucker agreed to a new one-year deal with the Bucs on Sunday that includes $2.5 million guaranteed.
Source: Jenna Laine
Source: Jenna Laine
George Kittle Expected to Practice This Week
According to Adam Schefter, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (Achilles) is expected to practice this week. Despite recent reports suggesting that he might have had a setback in his recovery from a torn Achilles tendon, he has not had any setbacks and has a legitimate chance to play in Week 1. Kittle is still working his way back from an Achilles tendon injury that happened on January 11. The veteran tight end has been working hard and is pushing to be available for Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams. He was activated from the active/PUP list last Sunday and is trending towards getting on the practice field this week. His status for Week 1 is still cloudy, but it sounds like Kittle won't miss much time to begin the season. Fantasy managers should continue to check for updates throughout the week on Kittle's status.
Source: Adam Schefter
Source: Adam Schefter
Jake Browning Gets Released by Buccaneers
According to Adam Schefter, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jake Browning was released by the team on Sunday. Browning signed with the Bucs in March with the expectation that he'll be the backup to Baker Mayfield. The 30-year-old had a quiet preseason, completing 10-of-15 passing attempts for 86 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions. He was outperformed by rookie Jalon Daniels, who snags the No. 2 job behind Mayfield. Browning made a handful of appearances during his time in Cincinnati whenever Joe Burrow was injured. It wouldn't be shocking to see Browning land elsewhere as a backup, but Daniels is the biggest winner here. There's some stash value for Daniels in deeper dynasty leagues.
Source: Adam Schefter
Source: Adam Schefter
Bhayshul Tuten Offers Intriguing Upside
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten will get a chance to be the full-time lead back this upcoming season. The 23-year-old will get an opportunity to show that he can be the cornerstone option in the backfield. Recent reports have been saying that Tuten is being more active as a pass-catcher lately. A legit dual-threat back is a rarity in football, and fantasy managers shouldn't pass up an opportunity to possibly land one. The Jags have Chris Rodriguez Jr. and LeQuint Allen Jr. as backup options, but neither player has shown the same upside as Tuten. He's ranked as the No. 25 running back in Rotoballer's rankings and has a great chance to rise quickly.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
