Fantasy Football News

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said that the team's starters will play a series on Thursday in the preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers, including quarterback Justin Herbert, according to Steve Wyche of the NFL Network. It will be important for Herbert in terms of game operation and to get game reps with new center Tyler Biadasz. It will be the first preseason action this year for the 28-year-old after he sat out the opener last week against the Houston Texans. New offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel has given the 28-year-old signal-caller plenty of praise for picking up his offense extremely quickly during training camp. McDaniel should put Herbert in a better position to succeed in 2026 in his sixth year in the league, and with his dual-threat abilities at the position, Herbert will be an intriguing midrange QB1 for fantasy managers after the big names come off the board. Although the Chargers' receiving corps does not strike fear in opposing defenses, the Chargers' offense should be more explosive with McDaniel running the show.

The Kansas City Chiefs are saying that wide receiver Tyquan Thornton (hamstring) suffered a strained hamstring in Tuesday's training camp practice, according to Nate Taylor of ESPN. Thornton had to be carted to the locker room, so he is probably looking at missing some time going forward, although it's unclear if his hamstring strain is serious enough to potentially keep him out of the Week 1 Monday night showdown against the division-rival Denver Broncos. The 26-year-old almost certainly will not be active this Saturday for the preseason contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If Thornton misses extensive time, it will give rookie Cyrus Allen and Jalen Royals more of an opportunity to earn WR3 duties in KC behind starters Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy. Thornton, a former second-rounder by the New England Patriots from Baylor, caught 19 of 37 targets for a career-high 438 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games in his first year with the Chiefs in 2025. If fully healthy, he mostly profiles as an unpredictable boom/bust downfield threat for the Chiefs' offense. It is hard to justify drafting Thornton in 12-team fantasy leagues if both Rice and Worthy are fully healthy.

The New York Giants are signing free-agent running back Najee Harris (Achilles) to an undisclosed one-year deal on Tuesday, according to the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. The veteran Harris will be added to an already crowded Giants' RB room that includes Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy Jr., and Devin Singletary. The 28-year-old former first-rounder in 2021 by the Pittsburgh Steelers out of the University of Alabama had four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons to begin his career in the Steel City before playing in just three games in 2025 with the Los Angeles Chargers due to a torn Achilles tendon. Harris appears to be fully recovered from his injury after impressing the Giants during his visit with the team on Monday, but he will have a steep hill to climb in 2026 for a fantasy-relevant role in the Big Apple. For now, Harris should remain off the fantasy football radar in standard-sized leagues. In his three games with the Bolts last year, Harris had 15 carries for 61 yards on the ground while catching all three of his targets for 25 yards.

Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza got extensive reps with the first-team offense on Tuesday during the team's joint practice with the Houston Texans, according to Sam Warren of The Athletic. Veteran Kirk Cousins would go first, but Mendoza subbed in for a few team periods. The first overall pick from Indiana is gaining steam to potentially steal the starting gig from Cousins to begin the 2026 regular season, and he looked like a future star in his NFL debut in last Thursday's preseason loss to the Arizona Cardinals, going 10-for-16 passing for 97 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. He also had six yards rushing. Cousins will most likely open the year as the Raiders' starter under center, but if Mendoza continues to impress, he will get his shot sooner rather than later. Fantasy managers in single-year leagues must still temper expectations, as Mendoza could face a steep learning curve with a weak collection of receivers if he is making starts in 2026.

Arizona Cardinals rookie first-round running back Jeremiyah Love (ankle) does not need surgery on his high-ankle sprain, head coach Mike LaFleur told Tyler Drake of Arizona Sports. Love, the third overall pick in April from Notre Dame, suffered a high-ankle sprain in Thursday's preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders and is unlikely to play in the team's final two preseason contests. The good news is that the 21-year-old do-it-all back will not need surgery, and the Cardinals are hopeful that he will be ready to make his regular-season NFL debut in Week 1 versus the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 13. Arizona's RB room is pretty banged up right now with Love, James Conner (foot), and Trey Benson (knee) all nursing injuries, leaving more work for Tyler Allgeier to close out training camp and the preseason. Love easily has the most short- and long-term upside of all the Cardinals' RBs, but reports have suggested that he might be more of a featured back in his rookie season instead of an every-down one. Still, he is going to come off the board in the early rounds of most fantasy drafts as at least a high-end RB2 in what is expected to be a run-heavy offense in 2026 under LaFleur.

Andrew Moore of Sports Illustrated reports that the Indianapolis Colts are "still happy" with wide receiver Alec Pierce's (ankle) progress from offseason ankle surgery and "expect him to be ready for Week 1." The team's signing of veteran wideout Keenan Allen on Monday night "has nothing to do" with Pierce's recovery. Pierce had surgery on his left ankle and remains on the Physically Unable to Perform list at training camp. The 26-year-old is not expected to return during camp, yet the Colts think he will still be recovered in time to take the field in Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 13. Without Pierce in the fold, Josh Downs has stepped up as the Colts' top wideout, with tight end Tyler Warren also seeing plenty of run as a top target for quarterback Daniel Jones. Pierce has led the NFL in yards per catch in each of the last two seasons and broke out in 2025 with a 47-1,003-6 line in 15 games played, but fantasy managers should be concerned about his chances of an encore after missing valuable time this offseason, especially now that Allen is in the mix. He has fallen to No. 50 in RotoBaller's WR rankings for the 2026 campaign.

Houston Texans second-year wide receiver Jayden Higgins (undisclosed), who has been the team's most impressive player in training camp, exited Tuesday's practice early due to an undisclosed injury, according to Cole Thompson of Texans Wire. Higgins was on the ground in pain but was able to get up on his own. He headed to the locker room for further evaluation, and he is unlikely to return for the rest of the day. We will have more information on Higgins' injury once more details emerge, but this is concerning for the Texans' offense. The 23-year-old second-rounder in 2025 from Iowa State enters his second year in the NFL as the leading candidate for WR2 duties across from WR1 Nico Collins after catching 41 of his 68 targets for 525 yards and six touchdowns in 17 regular-season games in his first year in the league. If Higgins' injury is not serious, he will be a nice second-year breakout target in the later rounds of fantasy drafts in 2026. Stay tuned for more details on his injury and how long he might be out.

Miami Dolphins rookie third-round wide receiver Caleb Douglas (lower body) is back at training camp practice on Tuesday after a little injury scare on Monday, according to David Furones of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Douglas worked with the starters in the preseason opener last Friday against the Washington Commanders and caught one of his two targets for a 28-yard gain. Nobody is expecting much of the Dolphins' new offense led by QB Malik Willis, but there is plenty of opportunity for Douglas to seize a starting role in 2026 in his first year in the NFL. Right now, Jalen Tolbert and Malik Washington are the team's top pass-catchers, with Douglas competing with Tutu Atwell and fellow third-round rookie Chris Bell (knee) for the WR3 role. Douglas had over 800 receiving yards in each of his final two seasons in college at Texas Tech and 13 total touchdowns in 2024 and 2025. He will probably go undrafted in most shallow fantasy leagues, but he's worth a look as a late-round flier in deeper formats for his opportunity alone in a weak WR room in Miami.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton (undisclosed) is out of training camp practice again on Tuesday with an undisclosed injury, according to Greg Auman of FOX Sports. Auman does not think that Otton will be cleared to play with the rest of the starters in the second preseason game this Saturday against the Kansas City Chiefs. The 27-year-old should be considered day-to-day for now. Otton caught a career-high-tying 59 passes on 81 targets for 572 yards and just one touchdown in 16 starts for the Bucs in 2025 in his fourth year in the NFL. The former fourth-rounder from the University of Washington could see a larger target share in 2026 if receiver Emeka Egbuka (toe) is not ready for the start of the regular season, although Otton still profiles as more of a touchdown-dependent, low-end TE2 in fantasy football leagues. Otton's career year came in 2024, when he caught 59 passes for 600 yards and four touchdowns on 87 targets to finish as the TE11 in half-PPR formats. There might be more opportunities for spike weeks this year, though, with future Hall of Fame receiver Mike Evans no longer in town.

Houston Texans wide receiver Jaylin Noel (hamstring, finger) is back at training camp practice on Tuesday, according to Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle. Noel was expected to be sidelined for a few weeks with hamstring and finger injuries, but he was seen in full pads without a no-contact uniform on, a pleasant surprise for Texans fans. The Texans will still likely ease the 23-year-old second-year wideout back into practice, and it is unclear if he will be cleared to play in the second preseason game this Thursday against the Las Vegas Raiders. The former third-rounder from Iowa State is battling for WR3 duties going into his second year in the NFL, and how much of a role he has in the passing game could depend on the recovery of Tank Dell, who missed all of 2025 with a serious knee injury. Noel took a back seat to fellow receiver Jayden Higgins last year, catching 26 of 35 targets for 292 yards and two touchdowns in 17 regular-season games. He is going undrafted in standard 12-team fantasy leagues and is currently ranked as the No. 118 WR at RotoBaller.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love will play in Week 2 of the preseason against the Denver Broncos, head coach Matt LaFleur told Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. Love also played the opening drive of the Packers' first preseason game, so this will be the second week in a row he sees the field. LaFleur noted that several offensive starters will play, so it will be good for Love to get some reps with members of the first-team offense. The 27-year-old is looking to improve upon a modest 2025 campaign in which he threw for 3,381 yards, 23 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He was the QB15 last year, but he's just a few years removed from his QB5 finish in 2023, so managers would like him to return to that level of play. The good news is that Love should have a stronger supporting cast this year. Matthew Golden is trending toward making a Year 2 leap, Christian Watson is on the precipice of a career year, and Tucker Kraft (knee) will hopefully be healthy for the full season.

New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson (illness) returned to training camp practice on Tuesday after sitting out on Monday due to an illness, according to Al Iannazzone of Newsday. Wilson took part in the team's preseason opener last Friday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, catching two of his three targets for 32 yards while playing 11 offensive snaps. It remains to be seen if the 26-year-old will suit up for the second preseason contest this Friday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Going into his fifth year in the NFL, the former 10th overall pick from Ohio State is the Jets' unquestioned WR1 in a new offense led by veteran quarterback Geno Smith. Wilson has never had high-end QB play in his first four years in the league, but he has produced three 1,000-yard seasons in his three healthy campaigns. He played in only seven games in 2025 due to an injury, finishing with 36 catches for 395 yards and four touchdowns. Wilson is an obvious bounce-back candidate in 2026 if he plays a full season, and he should have a solid fantasy floor as a WR2 target.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Kenny Gainwell has emerged as a potential sleeper to draft in fantasy football this year, and now, quarterback Baker Mayfield is singing his praises. "He's much more than a gadget guy," Mayfield said about Gainwell, who signed with the Bucs this offseason after a year in Pittsburgh. "I've just been completely overwhelmed with the amount of talent that he has." The veteran quarterback also made a point to shout out Gainwell for his versatility on offense, where he contributes as both a receiver and ball-carrier. The stats back up that claim, too, as Gainwell caught 73 passes for 486 receiving yards in Pittsburgh last season. The Bucs signed Gainwell to join a backfield that also features Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker. While Irving is the clear No. 1 running back here, we expect to see Gainwell get plenty of volume, similar to his role with the Steelers in 2025. In Pittsburgh, he handled 114 carries and 73 receptions (187 touches) while teammate Jaylen Warren had 211 carries and 40 catches (254 touches). When all was said and done, the two backs combined for 441 touches, but Warren only had 67 more than Gainwell. Don't be surprised if we see Gainwell support Irving in the same way he did with Warren, which could allow him to rank as a top-24 running back in fantasy football once again. For now, he ranks as the RB37 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football draft rankings.

New York Jets rookie first-round tight end Kenyon Sadiq (hernia) is trending toward being available for the regular-season opener against the Tennessee Titans, head coach Aaron Glenn told Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. "The goal has always been getting those guys ready for Week 1," Glenn said in reference to Sadiq and fellow rookie D'Angelo Ponds. Sadiq, who was selected 16th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, suffered a setback in early August and was reportedly seen working on a side field on Tuesday. He projects to be the Jets' No. 1 tight end for this season and beyond, but given that he has missed a large portion of training camp, he could initially open the year as the backup to Mason Taylor. Nevertheless, there's plenty of upside behind drafting Sadiq in all leagues. RotoBaller's experts rank him as the TE28 in redraft leagues and the TE9 in dynasty leagues.

New York Jets running back Breece Hall (groin) exited Monday's practice with a groin injury and is now expected to miss 2-3 weeks, with head coach Aaron Glenn telling reporters he will be ready for the start of the regular season, according to The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt. Hall pulled up after catching a pass on Monday and went down without any contact, but the team's lead back appears to have avoided serious injury. The former second-round pick has lived in mid-RB2 territory in each of the past two seasons after an overall RB4 finish in 2023. Still, with the Jets offense projected to take a sizable step forward following a change at quarterback, Hall could be seen as an underrated draft target, as his ADP has seen little movement. Now projected to be available for the team's Week 1 matchup with the Titans, Hall remains an attractive third-round option at RotoBaller's RB15, adding upside as an RB2 or allowing WR-heavy drafters to still find a trustworthy starting back outside of the first two rounds.

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs (groin) will be back at practice on Tuesday, head coach Matt LaFleur told Aaron Nagler of CheeseheadTV. The veteran ball-carrier missed a few days of practice but is now getting back on the field. The Packers wouldn't have him practice if he wasn't close to 100%, so fantasy managers should feel confident that he's healthy and this injury won't impact his availability for Week 1. There is still an off-the-field hurdle to clear, though, as Adam Schefter of ESPN previously reported that Jacobs could face discipline for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. With that being said, until punishment is issued, Jacobs remains on track to play Sept. 13 against the Vikings. He's coming off a 14-touchdown season and ranks as the overall RB17 for the 2026 fantasy football season.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. has been sharing reps as the No. 3 receiver with Travis Hunter, according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. For most of training camp, when Thomas has been on the field, Hunter has been on the sideline, and vice versa. Additionally, DiRocco reports that although Thomas has been impressive this summer, the Jaguars have given far more reps to Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington, whom they are reluctant to take off the field. At this point, fantasy managers should be concerned that Thomas is going to open the season sharing reps as the Jags' No. 3 receiver. Additionally, although Hunter is expected to play more defense than offense, all signs point to Thomas coming off the field when the Jaguars choose to give Hunter reps at wide receiver. Thomas has fallen to WR33 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings, making him a fringe WR3/flex in most leagues.

Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears has had a productive summer, accumulating 39 yards on five touches in the team's preseason opener and carrying that momentum back to the practice field. With Tony Pollard (foot), Nick Singleton (undisclosed/foot), and Kalel Mullings (hip) all held out of Monday's session, Spears was the Titans' most active back, particularly in the passing game, where senior writer Jim Wyatt credits him with a practice-high six catches. Spears has stood out for his receiving work for much of camp, and he figures to carry a significant pass-catching role into the regular season, making him an underrated late-round target in PPR leagues. Currently being selected as the RB53, he has standalone value that more than justifies his draft cost and can lead the backfield if forced into a larger role, as evidenced on Monday.

Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren recently saw his draft stock rise with the news of Alec Pierce (ankle) being shut down for the rest of training camp, but he's now falling back down draft boards after the team signed wide receiver Keenan Allen. Even with Pierce sidelined, Warren's volume will likely be impacted by the addition of Allen. The veteran receiver had at least 121 targets in each of the last two seasons with the Bears and Chargers, respectively. Last year, he finished with 81 catches, 777 yards, and four touchdowns, which ranked as the overall WR29. Given how productive he has remained deep into his career, the 34-year-old has a decent chance to command another 100+ targets in this Daniel Jones-led offense. Warren has the talent to maintain a fantasy-relevant role even when both Pierce and Allen are on the field, but the presence of those two receivers might limit his upside and impact his ability to string together a bunch of big performances week after week. At a certain point this offseason, Warren had a late third-round ADP, but he has now fallen to the start of the sixth round in most formats. Still, he is pretty consistently the fourth tight end off the board following Brock Bowers, Trey McBride, and Colston Loveland.

New York Jets running back Braelon Allen missed most of the 2025 season with a sprained MCL, but after an offseason of intensive rehab, he told the media on Monday that he is faster and more explosive than ever. With starting running back Breece Hall (groin) exiting practice with a groin injury, the third-year back could be in line for an expanded workload, and head coach Aaron Glenn shared on Monday his belief that Allen could handle the role. "I know that most people think that once you lose a starter, there's a huge drop-off," he said. "I like to look at it as all our guys are starters and there shouldn't be a drop-off. So, anytime we lose a player, I expect the next guy to come in and operate just as good." Allen is currently being drafted as the RB60, but he is built to handle an every-down role should Hall miss time in the regular season, making him an important insurance back to roster in deeper leagues.