2023 Fantasy Football Round Up August 23: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jonathan Taylor, Plus NFL Preseason & Injury News
In late August, the NFL news and rumor mill is churning at full force. And, just like high school football teams doing two-a-days, we’ve up our round up game to three a week. We’ll recap the NFL preseason action, like we did this Monday. We’ll give you a mid-week update on anything from joint practices to trade rumors to NFL injuries on Wednesday (this article). Then on Friday we’ll make sure no stone is left unturned while we preview the game slate for the week ahead. It’s crucial this time of year to constantly make sure we are on top of ADP changes and our fantasy football rankings are fully updated so you can count on us to be here with the news. And, at the end of the article, we’ll also mix in a little bit of the “hype” that’s floating around, even if it’s not necessarily “news”.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba Suffers Broken Wrist
- It was reported that Jaxon Smith-Njigba broke his wrist in the Preseason Week Two game vs. the Cowboys and underwent surgery in Philadelphia yesterday. The timeline for his return is still unsure but there is a chance he misses minimal time. We did a quick write up on the fantasy implications of him missing time at all.
Colts Running Back Jonathan Taylor Given Permission to Seek Trade
- The Colts have give Jonathan Taylor and his agent permission to seek a trade and reportedly their phone has been ringing with teams looking into it. The asking price is reported to be a first round pick and we also have to remember that he is holding out for a new deal.
The Raiders Have No Interest In Trading Josh Jacobs
- On the flip side, the Las Vegas Raiders apparently have no interest in trading running back Josh Jacobs, who has yet to sign his franchise tender. There have been rumors that he will report soon but nothing definitive yet. We are now less than three weeks away from the start of the season.
Baker Mayfield Named Buccaneers Starting Quarterback
- The short battle with prospect Kyle Trask is apparently over - for better or for worse, Baker Mayfield will be your 2023 starting QB in Tampa Bay.
Terry McLaurin Reportedly Dealing with a Toe Sprain
- It was reported by Ian Rapoport that Terry McLaurin suffered a toe sprain in practice. A follow up tweet provided some good news that the MRI revealed no major injury and that there is optimism for Week 1.
Kyle Philips to Miss About Six Weeks With MCL Injury
- The Titans depth chart was already thin with the Treylon Burks injury and now they’ve seen a second wide receiver go down in Kyle Philips. The top pass catchers early on in the season are likely DeAndre Hopkins, Chigoziem Okonkwo, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine.
Fantasy Football Hype
Forget the real news - let’s hit the HYPE MACHINE!
- Patriots safety Adrian Phillips sees a “way better” Mac Jones this year.
- Despite dealing with a groin injury, Miles Sanders says he “absolutely” will be ready to go Week One vs. the Falcons.
- Kenny Pickett has gained a lot of steam this offseason but he poured cold water on that himself a bit saying “It’s the preseason, man. Nothing counts.”
- We literally cannot write one of these articles without Jahan Dotson doing something impressive before we write the next one.
- He’s not the only Commander that has been gaining traction however as Sam Howell has looked pretty good throughout the preseason as well.
- New Air Raid offense. Rashod Bateman dealing with a foot injury. Lot of question marks around Odell Beckham With all that, Zay Flowers continues to shine.
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Related NFL Links:
- 2023 Fantasy Football ADP Report
- Fantasy Football Best Ball Advice
- Fantasy Football Dynasty League Strategy
- 2023 Fantasy Football Draft Guide: Zero RB Overview and Draft Strategy
Player News
NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco reports that the 49ers and OT D.J. Humphries do not have a deal in place.
Humphries reported on his social media account a few weeks ago that he had agreed to a contract with the 49ers, but that does not appear to be the case. At least for now. Humphries tore his ACL at the end of the 2023 season and was released by the Cardinals. He spent most of the 2024 season rehabbing before signing with the Chiefs. He started at left tackle in Week 14 before hurting his hamstring and missing the rest of the season. He will continue to search for another opportunity.
Patriots DT Christian Barmore (blood clots) will be ready to play in Week 1.
Barmore was limited to just four games last season while battling blood clots. He told reporters on Thursday that he’s been cleared for all football activity and has been a full participant in the Patriots’ offseason workout program. He expects to be fully ready by Week 1.
Raiders hired Brandon Hunt as Vice President of Player Personnel
Hunt was most recently the senior director of scouting for the Philadelphia Eagles and spent the previous two seasons as their director of scouting. Before joining the Eagles, Hunt spent 12 seasons (2010-21) as the pro scouting coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
ESPN’s Seth Wickersham reports Caleb Williams considered forcing a pre-draft trade from the Bears before ultimately deciding he could win in Chicago.
In other words, he mulled pulling an Elway. “Chicago is the place quarterbacks go to die,” were the words of Caleb’s father Carl to ESPN’s Seth Wickersham. Williams reportedly desired a trade to the Vikings, but he changed his mind after touring the Bears’ facility. “I can do it for this team,” Caleb reportedly told his dad. “I’m going to go to the Bears.” Williams acknowledged any attempt to force a trade would require going scorched earth on the Bears and city of Chicago, a process he did not have the stomach for. There have been zero reports of Bears/Williams drama since he made his peace with the idea, even after former coach Matt Eberflus’ clown show 2024 mistakes. It’s an interesting story, but one firmly planted in the past.
49ers signed No. 11 pick EDGE Mykel Williams to a four-year contract.
The deal is worth $24.9 million and is fully guaranteed. As is the case with all first-round picks, his contract includes a fifth-year option. The 49ers shed hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts this offseason and the bulk of those savings came on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive end was an obvious position of need and Williams was widely regarded as the best pass-rusher on the board when 49ers GM John Lynch was on the clock. Williams totaled five sacks in 2024 and left Georgia with 14 sacks across three seasons as a starter.
Vikings signed No. 24 pick OG Donovan Jackson to a four-year contract.
It’s a fully guaranteed deal worth $17.2 million with a fifth-year team option. Minnesota taking Jackson with the 24th-overall pick came as a bit of a surprise on draft night, but the Vikings needed offensive line help and Jackson was considered worthy of a first-round pick by some draftniks. He was primarily a left guard at Ohio State but successfully kicked out to tackle for the bulk of his senior season. Jackson is likely fated for guard duties in Minnesota, but the positional versatility remains a plus.