RADIO
Aaron Jones Sr. Could Land in Smaller Role
Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. is expected to work in a timeshare this season in his team's backfield, but he could be in a smaller role than expected since his teammate Jordan Mason has been shining throughout preseason and training camp. Jones restructured his deal this offseason after posting 548 rushing yards and 199 receiving yards with three total touchdowns last year. The 31-year-old running back will still be involved, but he could be limited, with Mason taking more of the lead. Jones does still have value and is ranked as RotoBaller's No. 44 RB, but Mason is No. 35 in those rankings and seems to be on the rise, making Jones a higher-risk pick best left as a deep-league option or backup emergency fill-in.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Travis Kelce Looks Strong in Training Camp
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has looked locked in and ready to post another strong season, according to reports from Chiefs' camp. Last year, in a down year by his elite standards, Kelce racked up 76 catches for 851 yards and five touchdowns on 108 targets. He has finished with over 100 targets in 11 consecutive seasons, and the Chiefs return most of the same pass-catching options this year. In great news for Kelce's fantasy outlook, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) looks like he'll be ready for Week 1, so Kelce can continue his elite chemistry, serving as Mahomes' go-to option. He may not have the ceiling that he provided earlier in his career, but it looks like the veteran still has enough in the tank to bring great value at his current ADP. He's being drafted as a low-end TE1 option in most drafts and is RotoBaller's No. 11 TE. In that spot, he brings a high floor and good upside if he bounces back from last year's slightly reduced totals.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Matthew Golden Brings Breakout Potential in Expanded Role
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden is set for a larger role in the Packers' offense this season and could be a late-round sleeper with true breakout potential. Last year, as a rookie, the first-round pick from Texas totaled 29 catches for 361 receiving yards. He scored his first NFL touchdown in the team's playoff game against the Bears, finishing with four catches for 84 yards and a score. After inconsistent playing time, Golden is locked into a top-three role on the Packers for this year after the team traded Dontayvion Wicks to the Eagles and watched Romeo Doubs sign with the Patriots as a free agent. Golden should be locked into three-wide sets alongside Jayden Reed and Christian Watson. As an outside threat with breakaway speed, Golden could be a big-play-reliant starting option in deep leagues based on his more consistent role. He's ranked as RotoBaller's No. 44 WR in PPR leagues, and he's a solid late-round option to consider as you build depth into your receiving corps. The first-round pick has plenty of upside, even though he remains unproven, and he is therefore a high-risk, high-reward sleeper to target.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Rhamondre Stevenson Gaining Steam as the No. 1 RB for Patriots
Running back Rhamondre Stevenson appears to be poised to lead the New England Patriots' backfield in the early part of the 2026 season as fellow tailback TreVeyon Henderson remains sidelined with an ankle injury he suffered on Aug. 24. Mike Reiss of ESPN reported on Aug. 31 that Henderson had not yet been cleared for a return to full participation, and he did not practice on Sept. 1. Meanwhile, Stevenson, who has drawn praise throughout training camp, continues to practice and seems to be the front-runner for No. 1 running back duties in New England. Stevenson is carrying momentum from the 2025 postseason, where he out-carried Henderson 58-30 and out-rushed Henderson by a tally of 217 yards to 76. While Henderson could be ready for Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks, Stevenson is currently in the driver's seat for a larger workload. Stevenson's current Yahoo ADP of 78.1 is good value, as he ranks as RotoBaller's No. 58 overall player and No. 23 running back in half-PPR leagues.
Source: Mike Reiss
Source: Mike Reiss
Juwan Johnson Has a Clear Path to Early-Season Targets
New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson should see an uptick in targets early this season as he helps to fill the void of wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (hamstring). Johnson was a wide receiver in college, so even though he's a tight end now, he remains a legitimate receiving threat with impressive size and athleticism. While the coaching staff is high on Devaughn Vele, there's a very legitimate chance that Johnson ranks second on the team in targets (behind Chris Olave) for the duration of Tyson's absence. Tyson is expected to be sidelined through late October, setting up Johnson to see enough targets for him to rank as a low-end TE1. There's certainly precedent here, as Johnson was the overall TE8 while playing in a similar-looking offense last year. It's also encouraging that he performed better with Tyler Shough as his quarterback (11.5 PPR points per game) than with Spencer Rattler (9.5 PPR points per game). Johnson currently has an ADP of 146.3, which corresponds to the 13th round and makes him the 16th tight end off the board.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Daniel Jones Fully Healthy and Undervalued in Drafts
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones has fully recovered from last season's Achilles injury, but it doesn't look like his ADP has completely adjusted yet. As it stands, Jones has an ADP of 174.7, which corresponds to the 15th round and makes him the 23rd quarterback off the board. That seems to be a slightly pessimistic evaluation of the 29-year-old, who ranked as the QB7 in total points before getting injured last year. Even if Jones doesn't quite replicate his QB7 ranking this year, he's still a reasonable candidate to finish among the top 12 quarterbacks in fantasy football. Therefore, now that he's fully healthy, he's somewhat of a steal at his current price tag. He stands to benefit from a strong supporting cast, including Keenan Allen, Josh Downs, Alec Pierce, Tyler Warren, and Jonathan Taylor.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Zachariah Branch Off the Fantasy Radar Entirely?
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Zachariah Branch is not expected to have a starting role in Week 1, and his low position on the depth chart likely takes him off the redraft radar entirely. The Falcons' latest depth chart lists Branch with the second-team offense, likely putting him in the No. 4 or No. 5 receiver role. He's penciled in behind Drake London, Olamide Zaccheaus, and Jahan Dotson, as well as potentially Chris Blair. Branch was a third-round pick, so it's not a total shock to see him lower on the depth chart to open his career. With that said, he caught 81 passes at Georgia last year, so we know that he can produce against a strong caliber of opponent. Nevertheless, it looks like fantasy managers will have to be patient with Branch, who is likely headed for a more consistent role on special teams than on offense. He caught just four passes for 21 yards in the preseason, and he has fallen to WR81 in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings for fantasy football.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jordan James No Longer a Handcuff to Target in Fantasy Drafts
San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan James seems to have lost his appeal as a handcuff option in fantasy football. Heading into the back half of August, it seemed like James was in line to earn the No. 2 running back role behind Christian McCaffrey, especially after Isaac Guerendo (pectoral) was placed on the PUP list. Instead, James is third on the depth chart while rookie Kaelon Black occupies the backup role. In years past, we have seen that the 49ers' No. 2 running back only has fantasy value when McCaffrey misses time. In other words, his backup has always been a handcuff and never really possessed standalone value. Now that James has fallen to third on the depth chart, his fantasy value is dwindling even further. He's still worth stashing in deeper leagues in case the depth chart changes or McCaffrey gets hurt and Black can't handle the lead-back role on his own. However, there's no incentive to roster him in redraft leagues at the moment.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Carson Steele Back with Eagles on Practice Squad
Free agent running back Carson Steele has been signed to the Philadelphia Eagles' practice squad, according to an announcement from the team. Steele had been with the Eagles throughout training camp and the preseason. He was uninspiring on the ground with just 59 rushing yards on 21 carries (2.8 YPC), but he made up for it as the team's leading receiver. In total, he caught 14 passes for 136 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. His dominant preseason receiving stat line wasn't quite enough to get him a roster spot, nor did any of the other 31 teams want to sign him to their 53-man roster. However, the Eagles evidently felt like he was worth bringing back as a practice squad player. Other teams can still bring him onto their 53-man roster, but for now, he'll offer depth behind Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby, and Will Shipley without occupying an active roster spot. He remains off the fantasy radar in most leagues.
Source: Philadelphia Eagles
Source: Philadelphia Eagles
Chris Jones Sitting Out With Minor Back Injury
Kansas City Chiefs starting defensive tackle Chris Jones (back) sat out Wednesday's practice with a back injury that is not expected to keep him sidelined for long, head coach Andy Reid told Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports. From what Goldman understands, it "likely amounts more to veteran rest." The Chiefs are just playing it safe with one of the best defensive tackles in the league as the 2026 regular season approaches. As long as Jones does not suffer a setback with his back injury next week, he should be just fine for the regular-season opener on Monday night, Sept. 14, versus the Denver Broncos. The 32-year-old seven-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro had back-to-back double-digit sack seasons for KC in 2022 and 2023, including a career-high-tying 15.5 sacks in 2022, but he has combined for only 12 sacks in the last two seasons. In 17 starts in 2025, Jones tallied 29 tackles (15 solo), seven sacks, 12 tackles for loss, and 25 QB hits in his 10th year in the league. Because of his lack of overall tackles, Jones is hard to trust for consistent production as a D-lineman in IDP fantasy formats.
Source: A to Z Sports - Charles Goldman
Source: A to Z Sports - Charles Goldman
Bailey Zappe Joins Jets Practice Squad
According to Amanda Vogt, quarterback Bailey Zappe has signed with the New York Jets practice squad on Tuesday. Zappe was cut by the team over the weekend, but will return as a member of the practice squad. He was competing for the backup gig to Geno Smith, but lost to rookie Cade Klubnik. The 27-year-old will serve as depth on the practice squad, but he is unlikely to see the field unless it's as an emergency option. Fantasy managers shouldn't bother rostering Zappe in any fantasy formats with Smith and Klubnik both healthy heading into the regular season.
Source: New York Jets
Source: New York Jets
Michael Wilson Could Receive Extension Soon
According to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson could receive a new contract within the next few days. There has reportedly been movement towards a new deal that could be happening before Week 1. Wilson is coming off a breakout campaign, so the Cardinals would like to lock him up long-term now. The former third-rounder finished with 78 receptions with 1,006 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 17 games with the Cardinals last season. Wilson is heading into the final year of his rookie deal and appears to be coming into finally breaking out and building chemistry with this team. We'll see if the two teams can come to an agreement before the beginning of the season.
Source: Josh Weinfuss
Source: Josh Weinfuss
Zamir White Returns to Saints Practice Squad
According to the New Orleans Saints official site, running back Zamir White has signed with the team's practice squad. White was released by the team on Sunday as part of the 53-man roster cutdown. They've decided to bring back White as depth with both Alvin Kamara (knee) and Kendre Miller (undisclosed) absent right now. The Saints may elevate White as depth in the backfield for the season opener. It's still going to take an injury or two before White actually sees significant snaps in the backfield, even with Kamara and Miller out. White doesn't need to be rostered in fantasy formats right now.
Source: New Orleans Saints
Source: New Orleans Saints
Cedric Tillman Joins the Saints
According to the New Orleans Saints official site, wide receiver Cedric Tillman has signed with the team's practice squad on Tuesday. Tillman was waived by the Cleveland Browns last Thursday, but he quickly found a new home. Tillman is a former third-round pick of the Browns from the 2023 draft. He didn't exactly impress during his first three seasons in the league. He hasn't surpassed 30 receptions or 400 receiving yards in a single season since becoming a pro. He'll serve as depth for the Saints, but fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to bring much to the table.
Source: neworleanssaints.com
Source: neworleanssaints.com
Emmett Johnson Earns Praise for his Pass Protection
Kansas City Chiefs running back Emmett Johnson is drawing praise from head coach Andy Reid for his work in pass protection. Reid said that Johnson's work in pass protection is one of the main reasons he's the RB2 right now, Charles Goldman reports. The rookie is playing so well that he beat out Emari Demercado for the backup role behind Kenneth Walker to begin the season. The expectation is that Johnson will serve as the change-of-pace back behind Walker. Johnson seems to be doing everything well and is one of the most important handcuffs in fantasy. The 22-year-old is well worth a look in the late rounds on draft day.
Source: Charles Goldman
Source: Charles Goldman
