August 25, 2025
The Athletic's Joseph Person projects rookie wide receiver
Jimmy Horn Jr. to be one of seven wide receivers who make the team's initial 53-man roster. A sixth-round pick out of Colorado, Horn Jr. recorded 37 catches for 441 yards and one touchdown in 11 games for the Buffaloes in 2024. The 22-year-old was targeted seven times in the preseason, hauling in six catches for 29 yards. Horn Jr. appears to be somewhat buried on the Panthers' wide receiver depth chart to begin the season, and he's unlikely to be fantasy-relevant in 2025. However, Horn Jr. could be a name to monitor in dynasty formats, as veterans like
Adam Thielen and
Hunter Renfrow currently block his path to playing time and don't project to be part of Carolina's long-term plans.
--Will BradySource: The Athletic - Joseph Person
August 25, 2025
The Washington Commanders have signed star wide receiver
Terry McLaurin to a three-year contract extension worth over $96 million, per Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports. McLaurin has been engaged in a highly publicized standoff with the team for the majority of the summer in search of a new deal, and it appears his wish has now been granted. The 29-year-old is coming off a career year in 2024, recording 82 catches for 1,096 yards and 13 touchdowns. He's played in all 17 games for Washington in four consecutive seasons and hasn't had fewer than 77 catches or 1,002 receiving yards in a season since his rookie year in 2019. Now that McLaurin is back, he's the undisputed top target for quarterback
Jayden Daniels in Washington. McLaurin profiles as a solid WR2 in fantasy, although it's possible his absence from training camp practices and preseason play affects his performance early in the regular season.
--Will BradySource: Fox Sports - Jordan Schultz
August 25, 2025
The Washington Commanders and wide receiver
Terry McLaurin "have been apart all offseason and continue to be apart" on the value of a potential new contract, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. On ESPN's Get Up this morning, Schefter said there "doesn't seem to be progress" in discussions between the two sides. Based on the latest reporting, it appears McLaurin's "hold-in" is set to continue. The 29-year-old projects as a WR2 in fantasy and would clearly be the top target-earner in Washington if he were on the field. However, he's obviously a risky pick for fantasy managers as long as his status for the start of the regular season is uncertain. If McLaurin were to miss time, Commanders wide receiver
Deebo Samuel Sr. could be looking at a heavy volume of targets and touches.
--Will BradySource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
August 25, 2025
ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime projects Houston Texans wide receiver
Xavier Hutchinson to open the season on the team's 53-man roster. A sixth-round pick in 2023, Hutchinson has recorded 20 catches for 207 yards and zero touchdowns across 32 career games for Houston. He's reportedly been rotating with second-round rookie
Jayden Higgins as an outside receiver alongside
Nico Collins and
Christian Kirk when the Texans line up in three-receiver formations. Hutchinson is unlikely to block Higgins from full playing time for the entire season, but Hutchinson could take snaps and targets away from the highly-touted rookie early in the year.
--Will BradySource: ESPN - DJ Bien-Aime
August 25, 2025
ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime projects Houston Texans running back
Dare Ogunbowale to be one of five backs who make the team's initial 53-man roster. Notably, Bien-Aime does not include
Joe Mixon (foot), writing that Mixon "can land on the non-football injury list to start the regular season." Without Mixon, the path to playing time in the backfield in Houston appears to be wide open. Veteran
Nick Chubb will likely get the first crack at early-down work, but Ogunbowale could have a role on passing downs. In 17 games with the Texans last year, Ogunbowale had just 30 rush attempts but was targeted 28 times, recording 19 catches for 198 yards and a touchdown.
--Will BradySource: ESPN - DJ Bien-Aime
August 25, 2025
After catching 12 passes and a touchdown in his two preseason appearances, Tampa Bay Buccaneers' rookie wide receiver
Tez Johnson has put himself in a good position to make the team's initial 53-man roster. If he does, he will make history as the lightest NFL player to have ever weighed in at the Combine. Officially listed at 165 pounds on the Buccaneers' website, he tipped the scales at only 154 pounds when he weighed in at the Combine in February. Johnson tested slower than expected, causing him to fall to the seventh round of the NFL draft. However, throughout training camp and into the preseason, he has displayed the lightning quickness that made him a matchup nightmare in college. He is listed as the team's 6th wide receiver in ESPN's latest projection, so his fantasy value will be limited at best even if he makes the team.
--Patrick McGrathSource: Tony Adame
August 25, 2025
Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs (knee) has passed his physical and been moved from the team's PUP list to the active roster, signaling he has a chance to play in Week 1. The former All-Pro suffered a season-ending knee injury late in the year and has spent much of the offseason rehabbing. While the move to the active roster does not guarantee his availability to start the season, the hope is to soon get him back onto the practice field. Diggs is an interesting name in IDP leagues, as his 11-interception season in 2021 helped to win many a fantasy title. Unfortunately, he has never topped three interceptions in any of his other four years in the league and has never cracked 60 tackles in a season. Without a reliable tackle floor and his double-digit-interception campaign looking like a true outlier, he can remain off of IDP boards heading into drafts.
--Patrick McGrathSource: Tommy Yarrish
August 25, 2025
The Carolina Panthers spent a late fifth-round pick on Notre Dame tight end
Mitchell Evans, and he's believed to have shown enough through his first training camp to stick with the team in a depth role. While he caught only one pass in his two preseason appearances, he acquitted himself well enough as a blocker to potentially find himself on the right side of the roster bubble. With
Tommy Tremble only recently being activated from the PUP list, there could be an opportunity for Evans to see the field early in two-TE sets along with
Ja'Tavion Sanders. Evans was one of PFF's highest-rated tight ends in the country before the ACL injury that ended his 2023 season. While the recovery has been long, he has shown enough pass-catching prowess to make him an interesting dynasty stash in leagues with deep benches or taxi squads.
--Patrick McGrathSource: Schuyler Callihan
August 25, 2025
The New England Patriots made their first round of roster cuts on Friday, and among the six players released was undrafted quarterback
Ben Wooldridge. The move left the team with only
Drake Maye and
Joshua Dobbs currently manning the position. While Wooldridge is a candidate to return as a practice squad player, New England will likely scour the waiver wire in the coming days for a potential addition to the room. One name to remember is New York Giants third-year signal-caller
Tommy DeVito. DeVito currently sits as the fourth quarterback on his own depth chart, but the Patriots just got a first-hand look at him in their preseason finale. DeVito went 17 of 20 for 198 yards and three touchdowns against Patriots backups. If he shakes free from New York, it might have been enough for New England to put in a claim.
--Patrick McGrathSource: Ethan Hurwitz
August 25, 2025
Fourth-year wide receiver
Skyy Moore is looking to put the past behind him and start anew, following last week's trade from the Kansas City Chiefs to the San Francisco 49ers. Moore was a second-round pick by the Chiefs in 2022, but he could not find a consistent role in Andy Reid's offense, and he was dealt to San Francisco on Wednesday for a late-round pick swap. With the 49ers' receiver room currently plagued by injury and/or suspension, there is an opportunity for Moore to carve out an early role, and he is embracing the opportunity. While he could help the team navigate some early-season bumps, this offense is primed to run through a healthy
Christian McCaffrey and do-everything tight end
George Kittle. Wherever Moore ends up settling on the depth chart, he is unlikely to see enough opportunity to make him fantasy relevant for the foreseeable future.
--Patrick McGrathSource: Kevin Patra
August
25,
2025
New
Orleans
Saints
rookie
quarterback
Tyler
Shough
believes
he
has
shown
enough
through
training
camp
practices
and
preseason
games
to
lead
his
team.
The
Saints
are
the
only
team
yet
to
announce
their
Week
1
starter
at
read more...
August 25, 2025
The Houston Texans spent their second-round pick on Minnesota offensive lineman Aireontae Ersery, and he has since drawn the praise of journalists and teammates alike. Former first-round pick and 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year was asked on Saturday which rookies had impressed him through camp, and he didn't hesitate to name Ersery. He quickly pointed out Ersery's work ethic and noted that he has all the tools to become a great offensive lineman in the league. Texans quarterback
C.J. Stroud struggled in his sophomore season, largely due to the failings of the offensive line in front of him. The Texans now go into 2025 with a new offensive coordinator and an overhauled offensive line, and with Ersery manning his blindside, the hope out of Houston is that Stroud can return to the form that won him Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023.
--Patrick McGrathSource: Kevin Patra
August 25, 2025
According to Chad Graff of The Athletic, New England Patriots rookie running back
TreVeyon Henderson has emerged as one of the team's top offensive weapons. Even though he is currently fighting for the starting running back job alongside
Rhamondre Stevenson, Henderson has shown immense upside during the preseason and should be in the mix for a significant role early in the season. The team's executive vice president Eliot Wolf said that "I've been maybe most impressed with his ability to run between the tackles." During the preseason, Henderson has looked very strong in both the rushing and receiving game. The former second-round pick has seen his ADP continue to surge in the preseason, and he could be in the mix to overtake the starting job in the near future. Given his upside as a playmaker, he should be viewed as an RB2 in all formats, despite potentially sharing time with Stevenson.
--Andy SmithSource: Chad Graff
August 25, 2025
Houston Texans quarterback
Graham Mertz got the start in the team's preseason finale in Detroit on Saturday, and the sixth-round rookie had a very strong showing while leading his team to a 26-7 win over the Lions. With starter
C.J. Stroud and primary backup
Davis Mills getting the day off, Mertz completed 14 of his 16 pass attempts for an efficient 145 passing yards. He threw a touchdown to
Quintez Cephus and led three scoring drives before halftime. He also added 20 rushing yards on two carries. Mertz played ahead of
Kedon Slovis, who was on the Texans' practice squad last year, and took over for the second half of Saturday's win. Mertz likely secured the third spot on the quarterback depth chart with his strong showing, while Slovis could be headed back to the practice squad.
--Zach ThompsonSource: ESPN.com
August
25,
2025
Following
Saturday's
14-6
win
over
the
Jacksonville
Jaguars,
Miami
Dolphins
head
coach
Mike
McDaniel
noted
that
he
was
impressed
with
rookie
running
back
Ollie
Gordon
II's
performance.
"I
think
Ollie
did
a
very
good
job
read more...
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