August 26, 2025
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers placed wide receiver
Jalen McMillan (neck) on Injured Reserve with a return designation on Tuesday. The move means that McMillan will be eligible to come back in Week 5, but he may have to miss more time than that as he recovers from a sprained neck. The 23-year-old suffered the injury in a preseason win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Aug. 16. McMillan, a third-round pick from Washington in 2024, impressed with 37 catches, 461 yards, and eight touchdowns in 13 games. He hauled in seven of those scores in the Buccaneers' final five games of the season, but he won't be able to build on that performance until at least October. The Bucs will also open the year without
Chris Godwin (ankle), which will give first-round rookie
Emeka Egbuka a prime opportunity to step up as the team's No. 2 receiver after
Mike Evans.
--Connor ByrneSource: Scott Smith - Buccaneers.com
August 26, 2025
Baltimore Ravens tight end
Isaiah Likely (foot) has avoided the Injured Reserve and will open the season on the team's 53-man roster. Likely underwent surgery on his foot after suffering a small fracture on July 29, but he has recovered quickly enough that he'll be available early in the season. The 25-year-old set career highs in receptions (42), yards (477), and touchdowns (six) last season, providing the Ravens a solid pass-catching option at the position behind
Mark Andrews (undisclosed). While Andrews is dealing with an undisclosed injury, indications are that he'll be ready for the Ravens' Week 1 matchup against the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 7. Likely may not be a sure thing for that game, but he will make his 2025 debut sometime in September.
--Connor ByrneSource: Brian Wacker - Baltimore Sun
August 26, 2025
New York Jets wide receiver
Xavier Gipson (shoulder) is expected to make the team's initial 53-man roster, according to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. Gipson missed New York's final preseason game with a shoulder injury and is questionable for Week 1. The 24-year-old's primary utility through his first two NFL seasons has been on special teams, as he has 27 career catches in 34 games played. New York is looking for wide receivers to step up behind top wideouts
Garrett Wilson and
Josh Reynolds, so Gipson could theoretically earn some playing time in the slot once he's able to get back on the field. Still, he should remain off the radar of fantasy managers.
--Will BradySource: The Athletic - Zack Rosenblatt
August 26, 2025
The Seattle Seahawks have released veteran wide receiver
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. Dugar writes that Valdes-Scantling opened training camp with the first-team offense, but was surpassed by rookie wide receiver
Tory Horton over the course of the preseason. Horton (ankle) is dealing with a minor ankle issue, but is expected to be fine for Week 1, which apparently made Valdes-Scantling superfluous. The 30-year-old deep-ball specialist had one of the best stretches of his career to finish 2024, recording 17 catches for 385 yards and four touchdowns in eight games with the New Orleans Saints. Valdes-Scantling will likely be able to find a new home, but he should remain off the radar of fantasy managers.
--Will BradySource: The Athletic - Michael-Shawn Dugar
August 26, 2025
The San Francisco 49ers are releasing running back
Jeff Wilson Jr., according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The 29-year-old signed with San Francisco just over two weeks ago, but will now be looking for a new home. The 49ers improved their running back depth quite substantially by acquiring
Brian Robinson Jr. from the Washington Commanders on August 21, which likely sealed Wilson Jr.'s fate with the team. The release of Wilson Jr. could also be a positive sign for the health of second-year back
Isaac Guerendo (shoulder), who has been battling a shoulder injury throughout the preseason. Assuming Guerendo is ready for the start of the season, San Francisco has two solid contenders for the RB2 role behind superstar
Christian McCaffrey.
--Will BradySource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
August 26, 2025
Kansas City Chiefs rookie wide receiver
Jalen Royals (knee) did not practice on Tuesday, per Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports. Royals has now been out for over a week as he battles knee tendinitis. A fourth-round pick out of Utah State, Royals was reportedly turning some heads in training camp before getting injured. He's likely to start the season in a reserve role, but he could eventually be called upon for more if Chiefs wideout
Rashee Rice is hit with a suspension at some point this season. Royals is not worthy of a draft pick in the majority of redraft fantasy leagues, but he's a name to monitor on the waiver wire.
--Will BradySource: A to Z Sports - Charles Goldman
August 26, 2025
Chicago Bears running back
Travis Homer (calf) has been placed on injured reserve with a return designation, per an announcement from the team. The return designation means Homer must miss the first four games of the season, but will have a chance to play in 2025. With or without Homer, the Bears are thin at running back behind
D'Andre Swift. Chicago's top RB2 candidates,
Roschon Johnson (foot) and
Kyle Monangai (undisclosed), are both dealing with injuries of their own. The Bears are a logical candidate to bring in some help at the running back position before the regular season begins. If they do not, Swift could be in line for a heavy workload and may be a value for fantasy managers in the middle rounds of drafts.
--Will BradySource: Chicago Bears
August 26, 2025
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver
Chris Godwin (ankle) has passed his physical, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. That will clear Godwin to be activated from the physically unable to perform list and allow him to begin practicing within the first four weeks of the season. Godwin suffered a dislocated ankle in Week 7 of 2024 and has since undergone two surgeries. The 29-year-old still may not be ready for game action until October, so he's a risky late-round pick in fantasy but one with upside if he can rediscover his form from before he got injured last season. With Godwin sidelined, Buccaneers rookie wide receiver
Emeka Egbuka should be heavily relied upon early in the season.
--Will BradySource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
August 26, 2025
The Los Angeles Chargers have released quarterback
Taylor Heinicke, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Heinicke was outplayed in the preseason by
Trey Lance, who has made the team and will serve as the backup to
Justin Herbert in Los Angeles. The 32-year-old Heinicke has played seven seasons in the NFL and made 29 starts. He's been a capable backup for stretches of his career and should be able to find a new home rather quickly. For fantasy purposes, a Herbert injury would now make Lance a priority waiver-wire addition due to his dual-threat ability at the quarterback position.
--Will BradySource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
August 26, 2025
The Carolina Panthers released veteran wide receiver
Hunter Renfrow on roster cutdown day on Tuesday, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Renfrow's comeback will have to happen elsewhere unless he returns to Carolina on their practice squad. The 29-year-old former Pro Bowler dealt with health issues at the end of his tenure with the Las Vegas Raiders and spent 2024 out of football. Even if Renfrow had made the Panthers' 53-man roster, he would have been buried on the depth chart behind rookie
Tetairoa McMillan,
Xavier Legette,
Adam Thielen and
Jalen Coker. At this point, it's a long shot for Renfrow to regain his Pro Bowl form that saw him catch 103 passes for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns in 17 games in Vegas in 2021.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
August
26,
2025
The
Dallas
Cowboys
placed
wide
receiver
Jonathan
Mingo
(knee)
on
Injured
Reserve
on
Tuesday
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designated
him
for
a
return,
which
means
that
Mingo
will
be
eligible
to
rejoin
the
active
roster
after
missing
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read more...
August 26, 2025
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver
Darnell Mooney (shoulder) has avoided landing on Injured Reserve to start the 2025 season, even though he has not practiced since the first day of training camp in late July, according to Marc Raimondi of ESPN. It means that the Falcons think Mooney could be available within the team's first four games of the season in September. Still, the 27-year-old can probably be considered more of a long shot to suit up in Week 1 against the division-rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Sept. 7. When healthy, Mooney could serve as the team's No. 2 wideout behind
Drake London in starting three-wide sets, although the uncertainty surrounding his injury makes him no better than a late-round dart throw in fantasy drafts as a WR4/5. In his first year in Atlanta in 2024, Mooney bounced back in a big way with a 64-992-5 line on 106 targets over 16 starts.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Marc Raimondi
August 26, 2025
The New England Patriots announced their 53-man roster on Tuesday, and both rookie
Efton Chism III (ankle, foot) and
Kendrick Bourne (leg) were included despite dealing with injuries during training camp. The 23-year-old Chism was a nice story in training camp after going undrafted out of Eastern Washington. While he turned heads during practices this summer, Chism's most direct path to playing time in 2025 will most likely come on special teams. Bourne, 30, is a surprise addition to the 53-man roster after having not practiced or played since injuring his leg on Aug. 1. He had an outlier season in 2021 with 55 catches for 800 yards and five touchdowns, but since then he's totaled 1,145 yards and six touchdowns in three seasons. Bourne is buried in a crowded New England wideout room and should be avoided in the vast majority of fantasy leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: New England Patriots
August 26, 2025
Cleveland Browns wide receiver
Cedric Tillman (thumb) was back at practice on Tuesday, according to Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram. Tillman is back on the field after missing almost a full week with a minor thumb injury. Now that the 25-year-old is back at practice, he should be good to go for the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday, Sept. 7, against the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals. And with limited help in the receiver room behind
Jerry Jeudy, Tillman figures to operate as Cleveland's WR2 to begin the season. It might not amount to much in terms of consistent weekly production with veteran quarterback
Joe Flacco leading the offense, though, and RotoBaller currently has Tillman ranked as the WR63. Tillman's 2024 was cut short due to injury, and he finished with a 29-339-3 line in 11 games (six starts).
--Keith HernandezSource: The Elyria Chronicle-Telegram - Scott Petrak
August 26, 2025
The current Cleveland Browns' running back room includes only
Jerome Ford and rookie
Dylan Sampson, but it sounds as though the team plans on going into the regular season with more than just Ford and Sampson. "There will be more than two running backs on this team," head coach Kevin Stefanski said. Cleveland cut
Pierre Strong Jr. (concussion) with an injury designation on Tuesday, leaving their backfield very thin right now. However, rookie second-rounder
Quinshon Judkins should eventually be signed to his rookie deal after facing domestic-violence charges this summer. The 21-year-old didn't end up being formally charged, but it doesn't mean he won't face a suspension in 2025 from the league. Despite being away from the team all summer, Judkins is RotoBaller's highest-ranked Browns RB for fantasy purposes at No. 48.
--Keith HernandezSource: WEWS - Camryn Justice
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