RADIO
Liam Coen Expects Jaguars RB Committee
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said the running back room will likely be "more of a committee" this season. After their 24-20 preseason victory over the New Orleans Saints, Coen was asked how they would replace 2025 starter Travis Etienne. He replied, "We'll never be able to replace what he was able to do for us." Ultimately, it's their job to take. "We're going to have to be more by committee, and those guys are going to have to play their part." Running backs Bhayshul Tuten, Chris Rodriguez Jr., and LeQuint Allen are expected to have distinct roles in the offense, with Tuten the favorite to take over the backfield. Fantasy managers should recognize the risk of drafting Tuten, given his low NFL draft capital and lack of production in his rookie season.
Source: Jacksonville Jaguars
Source: Jacksonville Jaguars
Mike McDaniel Has High Praise for Justin Herbert
Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel praised quarterback Justin Herbert for how he has adjusted to the new system. On Monday, McDaniel said Herbert is "far past where quarterbacks usually are in Year 1." "He's been everything I'd hoped for and more." Herbert is transitioning from former offensive coordinator Greg Roman's system to McDaniel's, which will feature extensive pre-snap motion and varied alignments. During his two years under Roman, Herbert posted career lows in passing yards, attempts, and completions. Currently ranked QB7 in RotoBaller's positional rankings, Herbert and the Chargers are hoping for an offensive explosion in the first year of McDaniel's offense.
Source: Kris Rhim - ESPN
Source: Kris Rhim - ESPN
Bills Brass Happy With New Field After Preseason Opener
The Buffalo Bills' new Highmark Stadium showed signs of wear and tear before, during, and after the team's preseason opener on Saturday against the Carolina Panthers, but president Pete Guelli is not worried about the grass field. "From a playability and safety perspective, everybody's very happy," Guelli said. "It's Year 1. So it's a brand new field, and it's going to take time for the foundation to build up. So some of the things people saw in the game, those will dissipate over time." "Our grounds people were aware that was a possibility. Until it actually happens in a game as the field is maturing and the root system is setting, those things can happen," Guelli said about the field getting torn up. The Bills' new stadium has been criticized on social media based on seats with obstructed views by guardrails and stairs. With the move to a new stadium, the Bills switched from artificial turf to grass, with their old surface routinely panned by Bills players for being among the league's worst. The team went with Kentucky bluegrass, and it was also installed on the team's practice field.
Source: The Associated Press
Source: The Associated Press
Tee Higgins Has Top-12 Upside if Healthy for a Full Season
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins has top-12 upside in fantasy football, but injuries to either him or quarterback Joe Burrow have prevented him from reaching his ceiling so far. Through six NFL seasons, Higgins' best fantasy finish is WR15, a mark that he achieved in 2025 despite missing two games. Unfortunately, Burrow also missed plenty of time last year, leaving Higgins with subpar quarterback play for a large portion of the season. Nevertheless, he managed to score 11 touchdowns, marking the second consecutive year in which he made double-digit trips to the end zone. Ironically, as his touchdown total went up, his receptions and yards went down, and he finished last year with a modest 59 catches for 846 yards. If Higgins and Burrow can both stay healthy this year, the 27-year-old receiver should finally push for 1,000+ yards, 10+ touchdowns, and a top-12 fantasy finish. He has proven that he and Ja'Marr Chase can coexist, and we know this offense is capable of supporting numerous big fantasy performances at once. As it stands, Higgins ranks as the WR15 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for 2026.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Keenan Allen Signs with Colts
The Indianapolis Colts have signed free-agent wide receiver Keenan Allen to a one-year, $8.32 million contract. Allen spent the last two seasons with the Chicago Bears and the Los Angeles Chargers, totaling 151 receptions for 1,521 yards and 11 touchdowns in his last 32 games. The veteran receiver will spend his 14th season in Indianapolis alongside quarterback Daniel Jones, who had a strong season before tearing his Achilles in Week 14. The team's wide receiver room was desperate for another playmaker, with Josh Downs and Alec Pierce, who is currently on the PUP list and uncertain to return in Week 1. While all three receivers will compete for targets and negatively affect each other from a fantasy perspective, Allen and Downs should have strong roles if Pierce misses time. The newly acquired receiver should be ranked around the WR50-WR60 range, while Pierce and Downs likely drop down fantasy boards with Allen's addition.
Source: Jordan Schultz
Source: Jordan Schultz
Jerry Jones Willing to Add More Pieces to Cowboys Roster
Even after the Dallas Cowboys signed veteran pass-rusher Von Miller to a one-year deal on Sunday, owner and general manager Jerry Jones said on Monday that he's willing to make a "substantive move to further improve the roster if one should arise," per Todd Archer of ESPN. "I think it's fair to say that if we could improve it, which is almost a cliche, we would," Jones said. "Because again, I'm even more excited today than I was when we started camp that our team is going to be one that if we can have some things go right for us, avoid some injury, we could really be something that we all want to be. And that's a team that's competing for the big games. So bottom line is the answer is, yes, if we saw something that would help us any place, we'd do it." When asked if he had talked to any owners or GMs lately, Jones said he had talked to "a few" and would see "a bunch of them" at an owners' meeting next week, but that he didn't think being with other owners would lead to a potential trade. The Cowboys are excited about the addition of Miller, a former Super Bowl MVP, and what he can add to a defense that already includes pass-rushers Rashan Gary and Donovan Ezeiruaku.
Source: ESPN Dallas - Todd Archer
Source: ESPN Dallas - Todd Archer
Is Colston Loveland the Top Bears Pass-Catcher?
Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland is a Year 2 breakout candidate, and he has the potential to operate as quarterback Caleb Williams' favorite target in 2026. As a rookie last year, Loveland caught 58 passes for 713 yards and six touchdowns, despite operating behind Cole Kmet for a sizable portion of the season. Now that Loveland has staked his claim as the clear-cut No. 1 tight end in Chicago, he is trending up in fantasy football and has a chance to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards. There's suddenly an interesting conversation to be had regarding which Bears pass-catcher offers the most fantasy value between Loveland, Luther Burden III (groin), and Rome Odunze. At the moment, Loveland has an ADP of 44.6, which is just one spot higher than Burden and nearly eight spots higher than Odunze. RotoBaller's "Who Should I Draft?" tool agrees with the general population, suggesting Loveland as the ideal pick over Burden and Odunze.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Is CeeDee Lamb Worth the First-Round Price Tag?
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb currently has an ADP of 11.0, which makes him a first-round pick in fantasy drafts and the fifth receiver off the board. When Lamb and quarterback Dak Prescott are both healthy, the pass catcher has elite upside in fantasy football. Fortunately, there have been plenty of reports from training camp indicating that the receiver and quarterback have looked great together recently. However, there's also some risk associated with drafting Lamb, who finished as the WR22 in PPR leagues after missing three games last year. He has missed five games over the last two seasons and also faces some competition for targets from George Pickens, who had a breakout campaign in Dallas last year. Ideally, fantasy managers could get Lamb at the first-round and second-round turn, allowing them to pair him with a top-tier running back.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Cedric Tillman Does Not Practice on Monday
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Cedric Tillman (undisclosed) did not practice on Monday, according to Zac Jackson of The Athletic. We don't have many specifics on his injury, but we do know that it has sidelined him for two days in a row. Tillman is an under-the-radar candidate to be released this offseason, so it's fair to say he's fighting for his job this summer. Missing two days of practice isn't ideal, but if the injury is minor, he should get back on the field for at least one of the Browns' final two preseason games. Tillman played in 13 games last season, ranking as the WR98 in PPR leagues with 21 catches, 270 yards, and two touchdowns. Not only is he undraftable in redraft leagues, but he has also become droppable in most dynasty formats.
Source: Zac Jackson
Source: Zac Jackson
Mitchell Trubisky Evaluated for Bicep Injury
Tennessee Titans quarterback Mitchell Trubisky (bicep) left practice early on Monday and is undergoing further evaluation for a bicep injury, head coach Robert Saleh told Jim Wyatt of the team's official website. "I think we're good, but I'm the eternal optimist," Saleh said. It sounds like the injury isn't a major cause for concern, but we'd expect the Titans to still exercise caution with his workload over the next few days. Barring a surprise, he will open the regular season as Tennessee's No. 2 quarterback behind Cam Ward. Trubisky hasn't seen meaningful starter reps since the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the Steelers, when he totaled 287 pass attempts, eight passing touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Trubisky can be left on waivers in all fantasy leagues as long as he remains in a backup role.
Source: Jim Wyatt
Source: Jim Wyatt
Tory Horton Doesn't Practice Monday, Dealing with a "Few Things"
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton (undisclosed) did not participate in practice on Monday, according to Corbin Smith of Emerald City Spectrum. Head coach Mike Macdonald didn't provide any specifics on his injury, other than saying that Horton is "dealing with a few things." The 23-year-old had 13 catches across eight games as a rookie last year, and he found the end zone at an absurd rate, scoring five touchdowns. As it stands, he enters the 2026 season as the Seahawks' No. 3 receiver behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, and Rashid Shaheed. He could end up getting on the fantasy radar if he puts together a strong start to the regular season, but that would first require him to recover from his current injury situation. He now ranks as RotoBaller's WR103 in redraft leagues and WR81 in dynasty leagues.
Source: Corbin Smith
Source: Corbin Smith
Christian McCaffrey is Actually Dealing with Tightness, Not a Hold-In
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (undisclosed) is actually dealing with tightness despite speculation that he was sitting out due to contractual reasons, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. There had been plenty of recent speculation on social media that McCaffrey was holding in, but Rapoport confirmed that he is actually experiencing tightness, as the 49ers previously announced. The exact specifics of his injury are unknown, though, and it's too early to tell whether he'll play in the 49ers' season opener against the Los Angeles Rams. The good news, though, is that it's not believed to be much of a concern. McCaffrey is no stranger to injury concerns, but he was able to stay healthy for a full slate of 17 games last season. In doing so, he tallied 413 touches, 2,126 scrimmage yards, and 17 touchdowns en route to ranking as the RB1 in PPR leagues. Even at 30 years old, he remains capable of leading his position group in fantasy points if he can stay healthy for a full season. Fantasy managers will want to monitor McCaffrey's status and seek out additional updates as Week 1 gets closer.
Source: Ian Rapoport
Source: Ian Rapoport
Drew Stevens Wins the Kicking Job in Washington
Washington Commanders kicker Drew Stevens has won the kicking job ahead of the 2026 season, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic. He essentially locked in his roster spot when the Commanders released fellow kicker Jake Moody on Monday morning. Stevens, an undrafted free agent out of Iowa, made one field goal and one extra point in the Commanders' preseason opener. Back at school last year, he went 22-for-28 on field goals, which led the Big 10. He also went 41-for-42 on extra points. The 22-year-old doesn't have much redraft appeal yet, but that could change once he gets some regular-season games under his belt. In the meantime, we need to see him produce consistent results in the NFL, and we also need to see how many high-value fantasy opportunities he gets in a Commanders offense that has some question marks.
Source: Nicki Jhabvala
Source: Nicki Jhabvala
Panthers Easing Darren Waller In
The Carolina Panthers are easing veteran tight end Darren Waller into action, according to Mike Kaye of ESPN.com. Waller signed with the Panthers five days ago, but he hasn't participated in a practice or game yet. Head coach Dave Canales said that he's not expected to get involved in the team's joint practices with the Jaguars that start Wednesday, but he might still get in uniform to participate in drills with quarterback Bryce Young. Waller is now 33 years old, so we're not too surprised that the Panthers are taking things slow and easing him in. His exact role and usage this season are uncertain, but he showed that he was still capable of producing last season, when he caught six touchdown passes across nine games with the Dolphins. He currently ranks as the TE35 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for 2026.
Source: Mike Kaye
Source: Mike Kaye
Texans Optimistic That Jaylin Noel Will be Ready for Week 1
The Houston Texans are optimistic that wide receiver Jaylin Noel (hamstring, finger) will be ready for Week 1 of the regular season against the Buffalo Bills, according to Aaron Wilson of SportsTalk 790. Noel injured his right pinkie earlier this summer, and then he picked up a hamstring strain last week. Wilson described the latest injury as a "minor setback" and relayed that receivers coach and passing game coordinator Ben McDaniels is confident in the receiver's ability to get back up to speed. "I expect him when he hits the grass to be ready to roll," Ben McDaniels said. "He's extremely diligent with his preparation and being ready to go when he's going to be healthy." Noel had a relatively quiet rookie season last year, catching 26 passes for 292 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He's technically fourth on the depth chart behind Nico Collins, Tank Dell, and Jayden Higgins, but he could be the team's primary slot option after Christian Kirk departed in free agency. He currently ranks as the WR119 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for 2026.
Source: Aaron Wilson
Source: Aaron Wilson
