Sep 4, 2026, 1:40 PM ET

Denver Broncos rookie running back Jonah Coleman has been one of the most hyped players on the roster since the team spent a fourth-round pick on him in the 2026 NFL Draft, and in appearing with Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team, Broncos beat reporter Zac Stevens indicated that the buzz is well-justified. Pointing out the complexity of Sean Payton's offense, Stevens notes that Coleman has already earned the trust of Payton and new offensive coordinator Davis Webb and says, "If and when J.K. Dobbins gets hurt, it's not going to be RJ Harvey that steps up into that starting running back role. It's going to be Jonah Coleman." Dobbins has not played more than 13 games in any year since his 2020 rookie season, so if Coleman has truly earned his coaches' favor, he could prove to be one of the league's most valuable insurance backs, heading into the final weekend of draft season as RotoBaller's RB54.--Patrick McGrath
Source: Zac Stevens

Sep 4, 2026, 1:27 PM ET

After scoring 12 touchdowns as a rookie, Denver Broncos running back RJ Harvey has been arguably the least discussed back on the Broncos' roster for most of the summer, but beat reporter Zac Stevens does not believe that should be the case, as he foresees a big role for the 2025 second-round pick. In a recent appearance with Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team, Stevens broke down the entire Broncos running back room and said that Harvey "has really established himself as the third-down running back and the pass-catching running back," comparing his role to that of Alvin Kamara in Sean Payton's Saints offenses. While rookie Jonah Coleman has emerged as a more likely true handcuff to starter J.K. Dobbins, Harvey is expected to see a significant role in the passing game after catching 47 passes as a rookie. As RotoBaller's RB36, Harvey is a player to target in full-PPR leagues, and he has the spike-week potential to return tremendous value from the middle rounds of drafts.--Patrick McGrath
Source: Zac Stevens

Sep 4, 2026, 1:14 PM ET

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs has had his initial court appearance moved up from November 17 to September 10, according to online court records. Jacobs was charged in late August on two misdemeanor counts of battery and criminal damage stemming from his May 26 arrest, and he was placed on the NFL's Commissioner's Exempt List shortly thereafter. The eighth-year veteran is not permitted to practice or attend games while on the list, and while there is no timeline for the league to make a final determination on any further suspension, the accelerated legal process could help to bring about clarity sooner rather than later. After being drafted in the high-end RB2 range for much of the summer, Jacobs has fallen below RB25 in more recent drafts, with MarShawn Lloyd climbing rapidly.--Patrick McGrath
Source: WTAQ

Sep 4, 2026, 12:59 PM ET

DNVR Sports' Zac Stevens says that Denver Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins is "for sure" the team's No. 1 RB when he is healthy. However, second-year RB RJ Harvey, who has been the least talked-about Broncos back in training camp, will have a "big role" and could take on an Alvin Kamara-type role as a pass-catching back in head coach Sean Payton's offense. And then there is fourth-round rookie Jonah Coleman, a big, physical back who is viewed as the backup to Dobbins as a between-the-tackles runner. The 27-year-old Dobbins has been extremely efficient in his five NFL seasons, averaging over 5.0 yards per carry on 582 rushing attempts, and he was among the league leaders at the RB position last year in his first season with Denver before suffering a season-ending foot injury, recording 772 yards and four rushing touchdowns on 153 carries through 10 games. When healthy, Dobbins has been a strong RB in the NFL, but the story of his career to this point has been injuries. He has never played a full season yet, and with a committee backfield approach in Denver in 2026, Dobbins' fantasy ceiling will be limited as more of a low-end RB2 option for managers.--Keith Hernandez
Source: DNRV Sports - Zac Stevens

Sep 4, 2026, 12:45 PM ET

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has made sweeping changes to its selection process that include a significant reduction in the number of selectors and the elimination of the separate Seniors category, according to Jeff Legwold of ESPN. The board of selectors will be reduced from 50 to 28, as 25 members of the selection committee will be voting members, plus three alternates. There will no longer be at least one selector in each of the home markets of the 32 NFL teams. All players will now be considered in one pool rather than split into either "modern era" or "seniors." The Hall of Fame's class and voting procedures were scrutinized particularly heavily after former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was not selected in his first year of eligibility. "The Hall continually reviews its bylaws to ensure the selection process reflects the highest standards of integrity and the magnitude of election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame," Hall of Fame president and CEO Jim Porter said. "There is no more important task at the Hall of Fame than the election of each new class."--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN.com - Jeff Legwold

Sep 4, 2026, 12:36 PM ET

Iowa Hawkeyes offensive coordinator Tim Lester spent the 2023 season with the Green Bay Packers as an analyst and was named offensive coordinator at Iowa in 2024, where he inherited new Packers running back Kaleb Johnson and brought along head coach Matt LaFleur's offense, according to Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated. "He should have unbelievable familiarity with the system, that's for sure, because that's exactly what we ran his senior year of college, which is good," Lester said. "And so I've been excited for him to get his shot and kind of get settled. The NFL normally takes a little bit of time to get adjusted, but definitely a talented kid." It should help Johnson, a third-rounder by the Pittsburgh Steelers last year, get up to speed much faster after recently being acquired in a trade from Pittsburgh to help the Packers with RB depth now that Josh Jacobs will not be with the team to begin the 2026 season. Johnson had 1,537 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns at Iowa in 2024, with 4.4 yards on average coming after contact. The 23-year-old excels at breaking tackles, although he only had 28 carries for 69 yards (2.5 yards per carry) in 10 games with the Steelers as a rookie. Johnson's rookie season was forgettable, but he could quickly turn things around in Green Bay in an offense he is much more familiar with. MarShawn Lloyd is expected to get the first crack at RB1 duties with Jacobs out, but Johnson should not be ignored as a late-round handcuff with rising value because of Jacobs' status.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Sports Illustrated - Bill Huber

Sep 4, 2026, 12:10 PM ET

Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (knee), who is opening the 2026 season on Injured Reserve, renegotiated the final year of his contract and is due $1.704 million, including a $500,000 signing bonus, $1 million total guaranteed, a salary-cap figure of $1.988 million, and a $1.145 million salary, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. Dell was previously due $3.624 million in the final year of his rookie deal with a $3.967 million salary-cap figure. The 26-year-old former third-rounder in 2023 from the University of Houston tore multiple ligaments in his knee in a devastating injury in 2024 and was unable to return at all last year. Dell was slowly being ramped up in training camp this summer, but now that he's on IR, he will not be eligible to make his 2026 season debut until at least Week 5. Even though fellow wideout Jayden Higgins (knee) is out for the year, Dell remains a question mark this year as far as what his role will be when he is cleared to return. The addition of Kayshon Boutte via trade from the New England Patriots will not help Dell's case for fantasy relevance later this year. For now, Nico Collins, Boutte, and Jaylin Noel will be quarterback C.J. Stroud's top three receivers.--Keith Hernandez
Source: KPRC 2 Sports - Aaron Wilson

Sep 4, 2026, 11:58 AM ET

Denver Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle has made a strong first impression with his new team. The Broncos gave up first-, third- and fourth-round picks to acquire him from Miami in March, and Waddle spent much of camp showing exactly what they paid for. Denver's own coverage repeatedly highlighted his ability to separate and create explosive plays during the first six practices. A leg strain on Aug. 5 interrupted that run for nearly two weeks, but it didn't take long for Waddle to get going again. He returned to practice Aug. 17 and, two days later, hauled in a roughly 60-yard touchdown from Bo Nix during the final open practice of camp. Waddle is coming off 64 catches for 910 yards and six touchdowns on 100 targets last season and now enters a Denver offense that clearly has plans for his speed. Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr. and Evan Engram will all get their opportunities, so the targets could be spread around. Still, Waddle's first summer in Denver has given fantasy managers more reason to expect a rebound toward his earlier production.--Bruno Mulé
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 4, 2026, 11:49 AM ET

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray has a much stronger group of pass-catchers around him after his final season in Arizona fell apart. A foot injury limited Murray to five games in 2025, but Minnesota named him the starter on Aug. 11 after his competition with J.J. McCarthy. The job comes with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings at receiver, plus T.J. Hockenson at tight end. Jefferson was full-go throughout camp and started clicking with Murray late in the summer, while Jennings arrives after piling up 1,618 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns over the past two seasons. Murray has already shown what his rushing can add when healthy. In 2024, he threw for 3,851 yards and 21 touchdowns while running for another 572 yards and five scores. He enters September at QB19 in RotoBaller's updated rankings, so fantasy managers aren't paying for a full rebound yet. Durability is still the concern, but this Minnesota group gives Murray plenty of room to beat that price.--Bruno Mulé
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 4, 2026, 11:42 AM ET

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London remains one of the safer bets for volume, even with the quarterback situation still unsettled. London drew 112 targets in only 12 games last season, turning them into 68 catches for 919 yards and seven touchdowns. No other Falcons wide receiver reached 75 targets, and Darnell Mooney is no longer on the roster. Atlanta added Jahan Dotson, Olamide Zaccheaus and rookie Zachariah Branch, but none of them changes London's standing as the clear No. 1 receiver. The bigger question is who will be throwing him the ball. The Falcons were still evaluating Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa this week, and their current depth chart lists both atop the quarterback spot. London has enough of a grip on this passing game to keep that uncertainty from sinking his value. He checks in at WR7 in RotoBaller's latest half-PPR rankings after averaging 9.3 targets per game over the past two seasons. The quarterback play may be uneven, but London's role gives him a strong chance to keep producing like a fantasy WR1.--Bruno Mulé
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 4, 2026, 11:35 AM ET

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. is moving in the right direction after a hamstring injury took a chunk out of his training camp. Pittman had not practiced since Aug. 8 before getting back on the field Aug. 24, and he was still participating in team work this week as Pittsburgh began ramping up for the regular season. General manager Omar Khan has said Pittman is expected to be available for the Sept. 13 opener against Atlanta, although head coach Mike McCarthy made it clear the Steelers are still being smart with his workload. That matters after Pittman missed the entire preseason and lost valuable reps in a new offense. Pittsburgh brought him in this spring after he caught 80 passes for 784 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns with Indianapolis last year. DK Metcalf remains the top receiver, but Pittman should have a steady role underneath once he is fully up to speed. His summer took a hit, but the outlook is getting better now that Week 1 appears to be back on the table.--Bruno Mulé
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 4, 2026, 11:24 AM ET

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love hasn't been asked to throw nearly as much the past two seasons, but that could change with Josh Jacobs unavailable. Love averaged just 28.8 pass attempts per game across 2024 and 2025 after throwing 579 times in his first full season as the starter in 2023. He still put together an efficient year last season, completing a career-high 66.3% of his passes for 3,381 yards, 23 touchdowns and only six interceptions. Jacobs remains on the Commissioner's Exempt List with no timetable to return, leaving MarShawn Lloyd as the likely lead back entering Week 1. Lloyd has just six NFL carries after spending most of his first two seasons battling injuries, while Chris Brooks and Kaleb Johnson provide the other backfield options. Green Bay doesn't suddenly have to abandon the run, but there is more reason to put the offense in Love's hands. He has also climbed to QB17 in RotoBaller's latest rankings. A bump in attempts would give Love a better chance to push back into the QB1 mix.--Bruno Mulé
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 4, 2026, 11:16 AM ET

New Orleans Saints running back Travis Etienne Jr. already looked headed for the bigger share of this backfield, and Alvin Kamara's knee injury could give him even more work out of the gate. Kamara was still absent from the portion of Thursday's practice open to the media as he works back from a sprained MCL. Kendre Miller has also been sidelined this week, which only adds to the uncertainty behind Etienne. The 27-year-old handled most of the first-team early-down work before Kamara was hurt, then finished camp healthy while the rest of the room dealt with injuries. Etienne is coming off 1,107 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 260 carries in Jacksonville, plus 36 catches for 292 yards and six more scores. He now sits at RB15 in the latest PPR rankings. Kamara avoided injured reserve and still has time to make it back for the opener, so this may be a short-term boost rather than a season-long change. For now, Etienne has a clearer path to heavy volume than he did a few weeks ago.--Bruno Mulé
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 4, 2026, 11:14 AM ET

Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams is expected to occupy an every-down role once again this season. The Cowboys recently released Phil Mafah and Jaydon Blue, leaving them with a backfield of Williams, Malik Davis, and Emari Demercado. Although Davis and Demercado have both been in the league for a while, they've established themself as depth options and won't sniff the lead-back role as long as Williams is healthy. As a result, the 26-year-old has a legitimate chance to replicate (or even improve upon) last year's RB12 finish in PPR leagues, especially with the Cowboys' offense projected to be effective again this year. Last year, Williams had 1,201 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns, shattering his previous career-high rushing yards (903) and rushing touchdowns (four). At the moment, he ranks as the RB12 in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings for PPR leagues. He has an ADP of 32.9, which corresponds to the third round of fantasy drafts and makes him the 15th running back off the board.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller