RADIO
Jacory Croskey-Merritt at the Top of Commanders Running Back Depth Chart?
Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt is the current favorite to be his team's starter in the backfield, according to Ben Standig of the Last Man Standig Substack. A seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Croskey-Merritt recorded 805 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 175 carries across 17 games (seven starts) as a rookie. The Commanders also roster veteran backs Rachaad White and Jeremy McNichols (quadriceps), as well as rookie Kaytron Allen, all of whom could push Croskey-Merritt for playing time. Croskey-Merritt recorded just nine catches on 13 targets last season, so he's unlikely to play a true three-down role in Washington. Still, the 25-year-old is a high-upside rusher who should provide value for fantasy managers as long as he sees regular work in the Commanders' offense. RotoBaller currently ranks Croskey-Merritt as the RB38 for redraft leagues entering 2026.
Source: Last Man Standig Substack - Ben Standig
Source: Last Man Standig Substack - Ben Standig
George Pickens the Cowboys' "Best Offensive Player" in Joint Practices
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens "continues to have a strong camp" and was the team's "best offensive player" in a joint practice with the New Orleans Saints on Tuesday, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. Pickens had a breakout first season in Dallas in 2025, recording 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns on 137 targets across 17 games. The Cowboys may get more out of star wideout CeeDee Lamb this season, who missed time in 2025 with an ankle injury. However, it appears as though Pickens is still standing out amongst Dallas' myriad offensive weapons and could be in line for another big year. RotoBaller currently ranks Pickens as the WR8 for redraft leagues heading into 2026.
Source: The Athletic - Jon Machota
Source: The Athletic - Jon Machota
Tyler Warren Leaves Practice With Groin Injury
Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren appeared to suffer a groin injury during Wednesday's joint practice with the Atlanta Falcons, according to Joel A. Erickson. Warren went down during the session and walked off with a trainer, with James Boyd noting that he had a noticeable limp. The second-year tight end has been one of Indianapolis' busiest targets throughout camp after a big rookie season. Warren caught 76 passes for 817 yards and four touchdowns across 17 games in 2025, earned a Pro Bowl selection and added another score on the ground. He was also heavily involved in last week's joint practice with New England, catching three passes on the Colts' final two-minute drive alone. Warren has quickly become a major part of Shane Steichen's offense. The timing isn't great. Indianapolis has another joint practice against Atlanta on Thursday before the two teams meet in Saturday's preseason game.
Source: Joel A. Erickson
Source: Joel A. Erickson
Terrance Ferguson Set for TE1 Role in Los Angeles?
The "best version" of the Los Angeles Rams' offense will have tight end Terrance Ferguson leading the team's tight ends in catches and yards, according to Nate Atkins of The Athletic. Atkins also writes that he believes Ferguson "will emerge from (the Rams' tight ends) as the player worthy of an every-week, game-planned role." A second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Ferguson recorded 11 catches for 231 yards and three touchdowns on 25 targets across 14 games (three starts) as a rookie. The Rams' tight end room is extremely crowded, featuring Colby Parkinson, Tyler Higbee, Davis Allen (quadriceps), and 2026 second-rounder Max Klare. However, the Rams use multiple tight end formations at one of the highest rates in the league. Ferguson also appears to be separating himself from the pack with his strong performance this summer. His value is rising in both redraft and dynasty formats entering 2026.
Source: The Athletic - Nate Atkins
Source: The Athletic - Nate Atkins
Jakobi Meyers' Redraft Ceiling Is Getting Harder to Trust
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Jakobi Meyers was terrific after arriving last season, catching 42 passes for 483 yards and three touchdowns on 61 targets in nine games. He hasn't suddenly lost his job. Meyers is still listed as a starter, and he caught two red-zone touchdowns from Trevor Lawrence during the Aug. 13 joint practice with New Orleans. The problem is everything happening around him. Parker Washington has been one of Jacksonville's best players in camp, Brian Thomas Jr. is healthy again, and Travis Hunter is back taking offensive reps. That's a lot of competition for a player whose fantasy value has usually come from steady target volume. RotoBaller has Meyers at WR45 in its Aug. 18 PPR rankings, which feels a lot more reasonable than expecting last year's post-trade pace to carry over untouched. Meyers should still have useful PPR weeks and Lawrence clearly has a role for him. The ceiling just looks a little shakier now with this many receivers pushing for the football.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Khalil Shakir Still Has Late-Round Sleeper Appeal
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir keeps hanging around the later rounds, and the case for taking him there is pretty straightforward. He led Buffalo with 72 catches and 719 receiving yards on 95 targets last season, scoring four times. Josh Allen's first pass of the preseason opener went right back to him for 21 yards. DJ Moore changes the target picture, sure, but Shakir wasn't living on deep shots in the first place. A lot of his damage comes underneath and after the catch. RotoBaller has Shakir 125th overall in its Aug. 19 PPR rankings. That's a pretty cheap entry for a receiver who has led the Bills in receiving yards two years in a row. There probably isn't a monster breakout coming with Moore, Keon Coleman and Dalton Kincaid around. Fine. Shakir doesn't need one to pay this off. If you're looking for a late receiver who can actually make your lineup instead of just sitting there as an upside stash, he still makes plenty of sense.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Ray Davis Still Looks Like a Handcuff in Redraft Leagues
Buffalo Bills running back Ray Davis is easy to like in theory. The problem is James Cook III isn't going anywhere. Davis had only 58 carries last season, finishing with 275 rushing yards, while Cook ran for 1,621 yards on 309 carries and won the rushing title. That's a pretty wide gap. Davis did show what can happen when the door actually opens, though. In Week 18, with Buffalo easing off Cook, he ran 21 times for 151 yards and caught two passes for 23 yards and a touchdown. That was his only game all year with double-digit carries. Ty Johnson is still around to take passing-down work, so even the backup role isn't completely clean from a fantasy standpoint. RotoBaller has Davis 183rd overall in its Aug. 19 PPR rankings, which puts him in late-round territory. That's about right. Davis can handle a bigger workload if Buffalo ever needs him to, but until something happens to Cook, there probably isn't enough here for regular standalone value.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
A.J. Brown Dominates Eagles
New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown had his best practice of camp Wednesday, catching all seven of his targets against his former Philadelphia Eagles teammates, according to Mark Daniels. Brown got going early with a slant against Riq Woolen, then kept finding openings throughout the two-hour joint session. He also beat Quinyon Mitchell during 11-on-11 work and came down with a 30-yard grab over Woolen with Drake Maye under pressure. Seven looks, seven catches. That was his busiest day since arriving in New England. Brown said afterward that he is now 100% comfortable in the Patriots offense after putting himself at about 90% earlier in camp. He caught 78 passes for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games for Philadelphia last season before New England traded for him in June. The Patriots brought Brown in to give Maye a proven top target. He looked every bit like one against his old team Wednesday.
Source: Mark Daniels
Source: Mark Daniels
Quinshon Judkins Not Practicing Wednesday
Cleveland Browns running back Quinshon Judkins (undisclosed) was not practicing Wednesday, according to ProFootballTalk. The absence comes one day after a physical Tuesday session in which defensive tackle Adin Huntington knocked Judkins to the ground during team work, drawing the ire of head coach Todd Monken. Jared Verse also got into Judkins on a later rep before Monken ended practice early. Cleveland has not tied Wednesday's absence to anything that happened Tuesday, so that connection shouldn't be assumed. Judkins led the Browns with 827 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 230 carries as a rookie before a dislocated ankle and fractured fibula ended his season in Week 16. He was back to full work during the offseason program and has been active throughout camp this summer. Cleveland entered camp with Judkins and Dylan Sampson leading the backfield, so any extended absence would matter. For now, though, Wednesday is simply a missed practice. UPDATE: The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot reports that Judkins is dealing with an undisclosed minor issue.
Source: ProFootballTalk
Source: ProFootballTalk
Shedeur Sanders Not Feeling the Pressure in Browns' QB Battle
Cleveland Browns second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders said on Wednesday that he's not feeling pressure ahead of a joint practice with the Buffalo Bills on Thursday and his start in the team's second preseason game at home on Saturday against the Bills, according to Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN. Head coach Todd Monken has not revealed a timeline for naming a starter at the QB position between Sanders and Deshaun Watson, but he said he might use the preseason finale against the New England Patriots as a dress rehearsal. It leaves this week's practices and Saturday's game as the final chances for Sanders to leave an impression on the new head coach. "I don't really feel anxiety or any pressure going into things like that anymore, because that's how I approach everything. So, it's just another day of going to work. That's all it is for me," Sanders said. The son of former NFL star cornerback Deion Sanders, Shedeur threw for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in eight games (seven starts) as a rookie after falling all the way to the fifth round in last year's NFL draft. If the 24-year-old wins the job over Watson, he'll become a low-end QB2 option for fantasy managers in superflex leagues with a short leash if he struggles.
Source: ESPN.com - Daniel Oyefusi
Source: ESPN.com - Daniel Oyefusi
J.J. McCarthy Holds Vikings' No. 2 Quarterback Job for Now
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy remains the team's No. 2 for now, according to Kevin Seifert. Head coach Kevin O'Connell made McCarthy's standing clear Wednesday, though he also said he wants the quarterback room to stay competitive and did not completely rule out revisiting things. McCarthy worked with the second-team offense in Saturday's preseason opener against the Giants, completing 4 of 7 passes for 34 yards. He started 10 games last season and finished with 1,632 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while adding four more scores on the ground. The Vikings still want competition behind their starter, but McCarthy is the one holding the backup job at the moment. That keeps him on the radar in dynasty and Superflex formats, though his immediate path to playing time remains limited.
Source: Kevin Seifert
Source: Kevin Seifert
Kyler Murray Building Chemistry With Vikings' Top Target
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray kept looking for Justin Jefferson during Wednesday's joint practice with the Baltimore Ravens, according to Kevin Seifert. The pair connected a couple of times in 7-on-7 work, but the full-team periods were tougher with Marlon Humphrey tight in coverage. That was more of a difficult practice than a warning sign. Minnesota had already noted clear chemistry between Murray and Jefferson in consecutive practices last week, with the two connecting at multiple levels of the field. Murray was named the Vikings' starter Aug. 11, so these reps matter as he settles into Kevin O'Connell's offense. Jefferson is coming off an 84-catch, 1,048-yard season with only two touchdowns, his sixth straight year over 1,000 yards. A tougher day against Baltimore doesn't erase the work they've already put together. Murray continuing to look Jefferson's way is still the part fantasy managers should care about most.
Source: Kevin Seifert
Source: Kevin Seifert
Devaughn Vele's Sleeper Case Just Got Stronger
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Devaughn Vele was already running with the top group before Jordyn Tyson's hamstring injury. Now the window is a lot wider. Tyson, the No. 8 pick in April, is expected to miss roughly two months and could open the season on short-term Injured Reserve. Vele at least has something on the résumé that says he can use the extra work. From Weeks 12 through 15 last year, he caught 19 of 26 targets for 239 yards and a touchdown before a shoulder injury ended his season. His full 2025 line was 25 catches for 293 yards and two scores in 13 games, so most of his production came late. Kellen Moore said this spring that Vele was healthy and had a "really defined role," and the Saints treated him as one of their top three receivers before the preseason opener. At an ADP of 277, there is barely a price attached. Tyson should eventually return, but Vele has a real early-season opening now. He's a much more interesting final-round swing than he was a week ago.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Michael Pittman Jr. Dealing With Minor Hamstring Injury
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. has been out for roughly a week and a half with a minor hamstring injury, according to Nick Farabaugh, who added that there is no concern about Pittman's Week 1 availability. Pittsburgh's absence reports had not previously identified the injury, and rookie Germie Bernard has picked up extra work while Pittman and DK Metcalf have been sidelined. Pittman came over from Indianapolis in a March trade and is listed as a starter on the Steelers' initial depth chart. He played all 17 games for the Colts last season, catching 80 passes for 784 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns. A hamstring issue this close to the season is worth keeping an eye on, but Farabaugh's report is a good one for Pittman's outlook. For now, the Steelers appear to have time to let him get fully back up to speed before Week 1.
Source: Nick Farabaugh
Source: Nick Farabaugh
Trevon Diggs Signs With Seahawks
Former Dallas Cowboys two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs is signing an undisclosed one-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN. While waiting for former Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold's situation to play out, the Seahawks will add Diggs, who played with the Cowboys and Green Bay Packers in 2025, racking up 27 tackles (20 solo) in nine total games. The 27-year-old was originally a second-rounder by Dallas in the 2020 draft out of the University of Alabama. Diggs made back-to-back Pro Bowls in 2021 and 2022, when he recorded a total of 14 interceptions (two returned for touchdowns) in 33 games played in Dallas. He has struggled to stay healthy since he tore his ACL in September of 2023, and he had an additional surgery on his knee in December of 2024. Diggs will provide corner depth in Seattle, but he has played in only 22 games in the last three seasons.
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
