NFL News & Rumors This Week: Brandon Aiyuk, Sunday Ticket Lawsuit & More
Dynasty rookie drafts are in our rearview. Best ball season, of course, never ends. But we are right around the corner from the greatest part of fantasy football – redraft season!
If you ask me, the Scott Fish Bowl is the unofficial “grand opening” of seasonal redraft leagues. And it starts in 10 days! The SFB Podathan is this weekend, so make sure you are subscribed to the Fantasy Cares YouTube for that. And, if you are playing in that or one of the satellites, make sure you check out our Guide to Winning SFB14 with Rankings!
As we do every Friday, we’ll hit on the major NFL news and rumors from around the league first. Then, at the bottom, we’ll share the fantasy football-related rumors, big or small, for us to obsess over. Isn’t football the best?
Jury Orders NFL To Pay Over $4 Billion In Sunday Ticket Antitrust Lawsuit
- A jury ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL that would award $96 million to commercial users and $4.7 billion to residential users. The lawsuit alleges that, from 2011 to 2022, the NFL sold their package for out-of-market games at an inflated price and only via a satellite provider, which breaks antitrust laws. There are still many appeals to come before users see that money, but it’s a step in the right direction.
Report: Amazon Was Not Blocked From Commanders Purchase
- There was a lot of debate on whether Jeff Bezos was shut out in some way from buying the Commanders, either by Dan Snyder or the NFL itself. As it turns out, he was simply outbid. The report states that, had he gone up to $7 billion, the team likely would have been his. Turns out even the man with all the money in the world draws a line somewhere.
Brandon Aiyuk Trade Rumors Continue To Swirl
- It’s no secret that Brandon Aiyuk is looking for a raise. Recent rumors from Adam Schefter suggest that teams like the Buffalo Bills have shown interest in Aiyuk, but there is a difference in evaluation. Teams are looking to pay a WR2 price while San Francisco believes he’s an “elite WR”. If they believe he is so elite, however, you would think they might just pay him themselves. Aiyuk also had a meeting with the 49ers this week though it’s not clear what, if anything, came of it.
Kansas City Chiefs Release DL Isaiah Buggs
- The Chiefs have finally made the decision to cut ties with defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs. He was recently arrested twice on animal cruelty charges and then separate charges related to domestic violence. Unless there is some sort of serious exonerating evidence that comes to light, Buggs is probably done in the NFL.
Kansas Governor Signs Bill To Fund Chiefs, Royals Stadiums
- Kansas City is technically in Missouri, though it’s located directly on the border of Missouri and Kansas. Kansas Governor Laura Kelly signed a bill into law that would fund roughly 70% of the costs of the new stadium, with the team coming up with the other 30%, if they elected to move the stadiums over the border into Kansas. The Kansas City mayor in Missouri, Quinton Lucas, is confident Missouri will come up with a deal to keep them in state. For now, though, Kansas has thrown down the gauntlet.
Fantasy Football News & Rumors
This part focuses on important news related to fantasy football from different NFL offseason practices and meetings:
- It should never be surprising when rookie quarterbacks play like rookies in camp. But there are early reports of both Michael Penix Jr. and J.J. McCarthy struggling a bit in early practices.
- A recent report suggested that Isaiah Likely could find his way on the field more at the same time as Mark Andrews in a hybrid WR role.
- The Bears have suggested that Rome Odunze could be their primary punt returner. Plenty of guys like Tyreek Hill, Dez Bryant, Randy Moss, CeeDee Lamb returned punts but, as a rookie, Lamb was also the odd man out in 3 WR sets. With DJ Moore and Keenan Allen, Odunze could be on a similar trajectory.
- The hype for one of the most hyped players grows with a report that Anthony Richardson will be a full go at Colts training camp.
- Daniel Jeremiah reports that J.K. Dobbins is fully healthy and that you should draft him in fantasy football.
- Rookie Dylan Laube reportedly got some first team reps in practice and could serve as the pass-down back and return man.
- Drew Petzing believes Trey McBride can take his game to another level this year after his year-two breakout last season.
- After letting Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson walk, the Seahawks “have plans for Noah Fant” this year.
Player News
Dolphins signed No. 13 overall pick DT Kenneth Grant to a four-year contract.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Grant will sign his contract today. The former Michigan defensive tackle is expected to fill a major void left by Christian Wilkins, who left for the Raiders in the 2024 offseason. Grant totaled 32 tackles, three sacks, and seven TFLs in his final season at Michigan and excelled at stopping the run while also generating 27 pressures in his final season, per PFF.
Beat reporter John Hendrix reports that free agent WR Donovan Peoples-Jones is among the 16 players that the Saints will host for their rookie minicamp.
Peoples-Jones last played regular season snaps with the Lions back in 2023, when he caught 13-of-24 targets for 155 yards. He is highly unlikely to return to fantasy relevance at this point but could perhaps sign on as a special teams contributor.
Titans signed fourth-round pick WR Elic Ayomanor to a four-year contract.
Ayomanor will now begin learning behind Calvin Ridley. Although Ayomanor is unlikely to find a meaningful role in year one, dynasty managers should note his status as training camp gets underway this summer. The former Stanford receiver flashed big-play ability in his two college seasons.
Buccaneers signed seventh-round pick WR Tez Johnson to a four-year contract.
Johnson will serve as a rotational deep-threat option for Baker Mayfield. His thin frame (5'10/154) simply does not lend itself to the repeated hits one incurs in a full-time role. Johnson did earn 100-plus targets in his two seasons at Oregon, though. His big-play style make him a better fit in best ball for now, pending any major on-field breakthroughs.
Giants waived DT Casey Rogers.
Rogers was a 2024 undrafted free agent and logged 33 defensive snaps for the Giants in his rookie season. He is credited with zero tackles and/or sacks. He may find his way onto another roster as a practice squad option.
Vikings signed third-round pick WR Tai Felton to a four-year contract.
Felton is quietly in play to challenge Vikings No. 3 WR Jalen Nailor in training camp. Nailor (5'11/190) caught 28-of-42 targets for 414 yards and six touchdowns in his first season as a starter last year, with the latter category buoying his fantasy productivity. Felton (6'1/183), meanwhile, caught 96-of-143 targets for 1,119 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 2.32 yards per route run in his final college season. Fantasy managers should monitor Felton’s training camp reports this summer, as he could have a matchup-based WR5 role if everything falls into place.