What’s Happening
DeVante Parker ’s status for Week 1 in “up in the air” according to to Cameron Wolfe of ESPN. Parker has been an industry favorite as a sleeper for multiple years now, but that shine has now faded, as he has struggled with route running, getting off of press coverage, and health. He now is a forgotten about commodity. The upside is still there for the 25-year-old, but at least now there is no price attached. His health woes keep him as a player to avoid for now though.
Jimmy Smith has been suspended for four games for violating the league’s personal conduct policy regarding domestic violence. Smith missed four games in 2017 due to violating the league’s policy on PEDs and the result was Baltimore’s defensive backfield struggling in his absence. With matchup versus Buffalo, Cincinnati, Denver, and Pittsburgh to start the year, the Ravens may get off a bit easy as the first three do not sport the best passing games, but this is a bit of a boost to those teams’ passing and receiving options nonetheless.
Nyheim Hines suffered his fourth fumble of the preseason in Monday night’s preseason game. Hines has a nice combination of rushing and receiving ability, making him a nice sleeper play in an underwhelming backfield, but he will not see much playing time if he cannot hold onto the ball. With Marlon Mack struggling with health right now, this is a big boost for Jordan Wilkins ’ fantasy value.
Matt Kalil ’s availability for Week 1 is in doubt after having his knee scoped on Tuesday. This would be a big loss for the Panthers who are already struggling with loses on the offensive line due to injury and free agency. This is a definitive downgrade for Cam Newton , C.J Anderson, and Christian McCaffrey .
Ronald Jones is continuing to struggle for the Buccaneers according to multiple sources. Bucs RB coach was quoted as saying that there is “probably a reason” that he isn’t more involved in the passing game. Jones’ ability to catch the ball has always been in question but couple this kind of talk coming out of camp with the fact that he has looked awful in the running game and appears to be behind on the depth chart to Peyton Barber , than it would appear that the previous hype on the second rounder was foolhardy to say the least.
Quick hits
The Saints released Terrance West . This appears to be a vote of confidence for Jonathan Williams who has impressed people thus far through training camp.
T.J. Yeldon has dropped weight this offseason in an attempt to make himself quicker and more explosive he said at practice this week. This comment may be in response to coach Doug Marrone saying he wants fellow back Leonard Fournette more involved on third downs this year, which would cut into Yeldon’s playing time.
Pete Carroll said that Doug Baldwin will be ready for Week 1.
Panthers rookie wide receiver was cited for speeding in a work zone on August 10th. Apparently, he was driving 113 mile per hour in a 65-mph zone. Hopefully coach Ron Rivera can inspire him to keep the explosiveness on the field as he has looked great thus far.
Don’t Sleep On’em
Keelan Cole has seemingly emerged as the No. 2 wideout in Jacksonville training camp, as he has been receiving the majority of starter reps alongside Marqise Lee . Many appear to be “sleeping” on Cole according to current ADP trends, but that might turn out to be a mistake, as he averaged right around four receptions on seven targets for 74 yards per game from Week 9 on last season. Over those eight games, Cole also found the end zone three times while averaging 19.3 yards per reception.
You can also get Howard Bender & Jim Bowden’s take on Cole from today’s Fantasy Alarm Show on Sirius XM Fantasy Sports Radio by checking out the Audio Clips section.
James Washington is a player on the rise this preseason in Pittsburgh. The second-round selection (60th overall) out of Oklahoma State hauled in five passes for 114 yards and two scores in this past Thursday’s matchup with the Packers and, as a result, has been bumped up to the Steelers’ second-team offense.
Player News
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said the team does not “have any feelings on competition” when asked about the quarterback room.
O’Connell was asked about a potential quarterback competition on the Rich Eisen Show Wednesday and was unclear on whether J.J. McCarthy would have to compete to start. He said, “we’ve got an obligation as coaches to put our players in position to attack that competition phase.” O’Connell discussed first putting Brett Rypien and the newly acquired Sam Howell in a position to play before any competition would occur. He continued that McCarthy is “owning it” this offseason and is taking snaps from starting center Ryan Kelly. After missing last season with a torn meniscus, McCarthy has been ramping up workouts in the offseason and is the front-runner to start for the Vikings in 2025. As of now, Howell looks to be reinforcement at the backup spot in case it turns out McCarthy is not ready to start.
Texans re-signed DT Foley Fatukasi.
Fatukasi initially joined the Texans last offseason on a one-year contract. The 30-year-old was a rotational defensive lineman, tallying four tackles for loss and one sack. He returns to Houston for 2025, where he will be a part of a deep Texans front seven.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports Tyreek Hill’s second wrist surgery was part of the original plan and his timeline remains unchanged.
Hill announced the second surgery on social media and Pelissero quickly added some context to the situation. The speedy receiver suffered the wrist injury just before the start of the season and it lingered throughout the year, though he never missed a game because of it. If the second surgery truly is a non-story, an offseason to recover might be what Hill needs to return to form after a down 2024 season. On the other hand, Hill is 31 years old, played his worst football last year, and his offense prioritized targets for Jonnu Smith and De’Von Achane. As it stands, Hill might have the highest risk-reward split in fantasy drafts.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports there are “multiple people in the league who believe the new regime is not so high on Travis Etienne.”
Fowler also noted Tank Bigsby’s fumbling issue but didn’t directly relate that to the feelings of the new brain trust in Jacksonville. The Jags clearly felt they were lacking at running back this offseason and addressed that opening via the draft with Bhayshul Tuten in the fourth round and LeQuint Allen in the seventh. The pair of additions complicate an already-messy backfield by committee. Etienne is entering the final year of his rookie deal and is a long-shot to be brought back in 2026. The Jags could opt to move on early by trading him, clearing $6.1 million in cap space in the process. If the team does trade Etienne, Tuten would likely be the team’s top back in the long run, making him a high-upside bet in early fantasy drafts.
Broncos signed third-round pick WR Pat Bryant to a four-year contract.
The deal includes $1.4 million guaranteed and is worth $6.6 million in total. Sean Payton compared aspects of Bryant’s game to those of Michael Thomas in his post-draft press conference and there are at least a few similarities in their profiles. Bryant stands at 6'2/204 and ran a 4.61-second Forty at the combine. Thomas measured in at 6'3/212 and clocked a 4.57-second Forty. Though the two have similar physical characteristics, Thomas was known for his proficiency from the slot while Bryant primarily played on the outside as a field-stretcher at Illinois. Bryant’s transition to slot duties may take some time, but third-round draft capital makes him worth a shot in dynasty leagues.
Colts EDGE Samson Ebukam (Achilles) said he is expected to be cleared for training camp.
Ebukam suffered a torn Achilles in training camp last year and did not play in the 2024 season. He broke out in 2023 with a career-high 9.5 sacks in his first season with the Colts. He now has one year left on his deal and will be looking for a rebound season as he stares down free agency in 2026