RADIO
Dawson Knox a Touchdown-Dependent TE2
Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox still has a real role in this offense, and Buffalo made that pretty clear by keeping him under contract through 2028. Fantasy is another story. Knox caught 36 passes for 417 yards and four touchdowns last season on just 49 targets. Every one of those scores came from inside the 20, which tells you where most of the appeal is coming from. The Bills are still using him there, too. Josh Allen targeted Knox on back-to-back red-zone plays during an Aug. 3 practice, with Knox scoring on a screen. Dalton Kincaid was heavily involved that day as well and has looked healthy throughout camp after knee and hamstring trouble last season. Buffalo picked up Kincaid's fifth-year option, and he remains the tougher obstacle to Knox seeing a real jump in targets. Knox can absolutely pop for a week when Allen finds him near the goal line. But 49 targets across 17 games is hard to draft around. He's still a touchdown-dependent TE2, not a sleeper.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Kendrick Bourne Still Has Little Redraft Appeal
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Kendrick Bourne has a real job in this offense. Fantasy managers just shouldn't confuse that with a big one. Arizona has him slotted behind Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson, and the team called Bourne an "upper-level No. 3" this week. Bourne seems perfectly fine with that. He told the Cardinals he chased a bigger role in New England and now feels back in the role that fits him best under Mike LaFleur. Last season gives you a pretty good picture of the upside and the problem. Bourne caught 37 passes for 551 yards and no touchdowns, with 284 of those yards coming in back-to-back 142-yard games. He did catch a 12-yarder from Jacoby Brissett in Arizona's second preseason game, but there isn't much here pointing to a volume jump. Harrison, Wilson and Trey McBride all have stronger claims on targets. Bourne can help Arizona. In standard redraft leagues, he's still mostly an injury-away depth option.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Geno Smith to Start Friday Against Steelers
New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith will start Friday's preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Connor Hughes. Smith missed the opener against Tampa Bay after developing ankle soreness during joint practices, but he's been back at practice throughout this week. Friday will be his first game action since returning to the Jets in a March trade with Las Vegas. New York has already made it clear that Smith is its starter for 2026, so this is about getting him some live reps in Frank Reich's offense before the games count. Smith started 15 games for the Raiders last season and completed 67.4% of his passes for 3,025 yards, 19 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. The Jets originally planned to play him in the preseason opener before the ankle issue got in the way. Now they'll finally get that first look at Smith running the offense in a game.
Source: Connor Hughes
Source: Connor Hughes
Puka Nacua Remains Out With Psoas Soreness
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (psoas) remained out Thursday and did not take part in the joint practice with the New Orleans Saints, according to Sarah Barshop. Nacua has been sidelined since developing soreness in his psoas during the Aug. 11 joint session with Dallas. His absence Thursday was expected. Sean McVay said Monday that Nacua was doing well but the Rams could hold him out until next week, stressing that they want a return to performance rather than simply getting him back on the field. Nacua has continued conditioning and weight work while sidelined. He is coming off a huge 2025 season, leading the NFL with 129 catches while piling up 1,715 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in 16 games. The Rams are clearly taking the cautious route with one of their most important offensive players, and Thursday's absence doesn't appear to represent a setback from the timeline McVay laid out earlier this week.
Source: Sarah Barshop
Source: Sarah Barshop
Ja'Kobi Lane Continues to Turn Heads at Ravens Camp
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane continues to be one of the loudest stories of training camp, with Rookie Watch highlighting the rookie's catch radius and ability to win contested throws. The buzz is backed up by Baltimore's own camp reports. Lane has made difficult catches over Nate Wiggins, Marlon Humphrey and other Ravens defensive backs, and head coach Jesse Minter said earlier this month that the consistency is starting to show up every day. He carried that into the preseason opener, catching three passes for 38 yards and a touchdown against Philadelphia. Baltimore took Lane 80th overall in April after he finished his final USC season with 49 catches for 745 yards and four touchdowns. He is currently listed behind Rashod Bateman on the depth chart, but the rookie keeps forcing his way into the conversation. At 6-foot-4 with a 40-inch vertical and huge hands, Lane gives this offense a different kind of target.
Source: Rookie Watch
Source: Rookie Watch
Quinshon Judkins Misses Second Straight Practice
Cleveland Browns running back Quinshon Judkins was not practicing Thursday, his second straight absence, according to Daniel Oyefusi. Judkins also sat out Wednesday after working throughout camp up to that point. His absence began one day after a particularly physical Tuesday practice in which he took some extra contact, though Cleveland has not said the two are connected. Judkins led the Browns with 827 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 230 carries as a rookie, adding 26 catches for 171 yards. His season ended in Week 16 with a dislocated ankle and fractured fibula, but he recovered in time for full offseason work and had been participating normally this summer. Two missed practices in a row now make this more than a one-day maintenance note. Until Cleveland provides some context, Judkins' availability remains an open question.
Source: Daniel Oyefusi
Source: Daniel Oyefusi
Chris Olave Appears to Get Day Off Thursday
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave appears to be getting the day off Thursday, according to Nick Underhill. Olave was not taking part as the Saints opened their joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams, two days after he was heavily involved against Dallas. There hasn't been any indication from Underhill's initial report that an injury is behind Thursday's absence. Olave is coming off the best season of his career, catching 100 passes for 1,163 yards and nine touchdowns in 16 games while earning second-team All-Pro honors. The Saints also signed him to a multi-year extension shortly before training camp. After a busy summer and a strong showing against the Cowboys earlier this week, Thursday looks like a chance for New Orleans to give its top receiver a break.
Source: Nick Underhill
Source: Nick Underhill
Samaje Perine's Redraft Case Has a Little More Life
Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine is still mostly tied to Chase Brown's health for fantasy, but his summer role is a little more interesting than that sounds. Perine mixed in with the starters in the preseason opener, catching two passes for 12 yards and taking his only carry for seven. Cincinnati has also been leaning into more two-back looks, with Perine staying in the backfield while Brown moves around the formation. That matters. Perine ran for 382 yards and three touchdowns on 84 carries last season, and he showed against the Jets that he can still do something with extra work, going for 94 yards and a score on nine carries. Brown isn't losing the job after 1,456 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns in 2025, so this isn't some backfield battle. Perine just has a little more going on than a pure bench stash. He's still an insurance back first, but Cincinnati may give him enough snaps to stay involved even when Brown is healthy.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Khalil Shakir Misses Practice With Injury
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir is dealing with an injury and did not participate in Tuesday's practice at Highmark Stadium, according to Katherine Fitzgerald. Head coach Joe Brady confirmed Thursday that Shakir and defensive tackle Ed Oliver are both dealing with injuries after sitting out the stadium session. Shakir had been active throughout camp before the absence. He led Buffalo in both receptions and receiving yards last season, catching 72 passes for 719 yards and four touchdowns in 16 games. The Bills added DJ Moore this offseason, but Shakir still figures to have a steady role in a passing game that leaned on him heavily in 2025. Buffalo is also managing a foot/toe sprain for Keon Coleman, so the receiver room has taken a few hits this week. That makes any missed work more notable with Week 1 approaching. Shakir's next practice appearance will be the important part from here.
Source: Katherine Fitzgerald
Source: Katherine Fitzgerald
Joe Burrow Treating 2026 as Now-or-Never Season
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is treating 2026 like a now-or-never season when it comes to winning a championship, according to Ben Baby. Asked directly about that mindset Thursday, Burrow said, "That's how I'm treating it." Cincinnati is coming off a 6-11 season and has now missed the playoffs three years in a row after making back-to-back AFC Championship Games in 2021 and 2022. Burrow only started eight games last year after a toe injury sent him to injured reserve, but he still threw for 1,809 yards, 17 touchdowns and five interceptions. The urgency isn't new. Burrow said earlier this offseason that this is the best roster he's had in seven seasons with the Bengals, and he's been noticeably more vocal about what he expects from the team. He's entering 2026 with one goal in mind, and he isn't being subtle about it.
Source: Ben Baby
Source: Ben Baby
J.J. McCarthy Likely to Start Saturday Against Ravens
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy will more than likely start Saturday's preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens, according to Kevin Seifert. Head coach Kevin O'Connell said Kyler Murray and many of Minnesota's other starters are unlikely to play after getting two days of work against Baltimore in joint practices this week. That should mean a longer look at McCarthy. He took over after Murray's opening series in the preseason opener against the Giants and completed 4 of 7 passes for 34 yards while playing the rest of the first half. McCarthy is currently Minnesota's No. 2 quarterback, and Saturday should give him plenty of snaps to keep working in that role. With most of the first-team offense expected to sit, the focus will be on how McCarthy handles a larger chunk of the game against Baltimore.
Source: Kevin Seifert
Source: Kevin Seifert
Sam LaPorta Dealing With Hip Injury
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (hip) is dealing with a hip injury he picked up earlier this week, according to Nolan Bianchi. LaPorta was not practicing Thursday, though head coach Dan Campbell said he doesn't think the issue will threaten the start of his season. Campbell stopped short of guaranteeing that, however. LaPorta was limited to nine games last year after a back injury eventually required surgery, finishing with 40 catches for 489 yards and three touchdowns. He spent the offseason rehabbing but was back to full participation when Detroit opened training camp in late July. The new hip issue interrupts what had otherwise been a healthy summer for the fourth-year tight end. Campbell's initial outlook is a positive one for fantasy managers, but LaPorta's progress over the next couple of weeks will determine whether that holds.
Source: Nolan Bianchi
Source: Nolan Bianchi
Patrick Mahomes Won't Play in Second Preseason Game
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said that quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) will not play in the team's second preseason game on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to Matt McMullen of the team's official website. Justin Fields, Garrett Nussmeier, and Chris Oladokun will once again split up the reps at QB for the Chiefs. Mahomes has been full-go since the start of training camp after tearing the ACL and LCL in his knee late last season, but the Chiefs have been hesitant to use him in a preseason game so far. It remains to be seen if the 30-year-old will get a dress rehearsal in the final preseason contest next Friday against the Seattle Seahawks. But all signs point to Mahomes being ready to roll for the Week 1 season opener against the division-rival Denver Broncos. The three-time Super Bowl MVP is no longer a slam dunk for QB1 status in fantasy football, and the Chiefs could rely heavily on their ground game to aid Mahomes in 2026. Betting against the former 10th overall pick from Texas Tech has never been wise, though. RotoBaller has ranked him as the No. 12 fantasy QB as he and the Chiefs offense look to bounce back this year.
Source: Chiefs.com - Matt McMullen
Source: Chiefs.com - Matt McMullen
C.J. Stroud to Play a Few Series on Thursday Night
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is set to play a few series in Thursday night's preseason contest against the Las Vegas Raiders with the first-team offensive line, a league source told Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. Stroud and the first-team O-line will get roughly 25 plays. The Texans will continue their offensive-line evaluation as the team searches for its top five guys heading into the regular-season opener against the Buffalo Bills. Stroud and the Texans' O-line are looking to be more consistent in 2026. After a Pro Bowl selection in his first year in the league, Stroud has regressed in each of the last two years and threw for 3,041 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 14 regular-season starts in Year 3 in 2025. The 24-year-old former second overall pick out of Ohio State just lost one of his top receivers in Jayden Higgins (knee) to a torn ACL, too, which puts a little damper on his bounce-back potential this year. He certainly has the skills to turn it around, but he is going to need some help. Draft him as a low-end QB2 with upside in superflex leagues.
Source: KPRC 2 Sports - Aaron Wilson
Source: KPRC 2 Sports - Aaron Wilson
Jets Looking for Adonai Mitchell to Step Up
The New York Jets are desperately looking for another wide receiver to step up opposite Garrett Wilson, and they are hoping that Adonai Mitchell can be that guy in 2026, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN. "If he continues on this trajectory right here," receivers coach Shawn Jefferson said of Mitchell, "he will be a really good Robin for our Batman. Big time." The Jets believe that Mitchell is an ascending talent and is ready to pop in his third year in the league after they acquired him from the Indianapolis Colts in 2025. The 23-year-old former second-rounder from Texas failed to be effective in his year-plus with Indy but caught 24 of his 58 targets for 301 yards and his first two NFL touchdowns in eight games to close out the year with the Jets last season. Mitchell is signed through the 2027 season and was a prime target of the Jets' front office in the trade that sent cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Colts in 2025. His QB situation with Geno Smith running the offense is not ideal, but the Jets are committed to him, and he will have plenty of opportunities to do damage in his first year with the team. Fantasy managers should be looking at Mitchell as a late-round sleeper in upcoming drafts.
Source: ESPN New York - Rich Cimini
Source: ESPN New York - Rich Cimini
