Fantasy Football News

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring) missed another training camp practice on Monday with a hamstring injury, according to Tim McManus of ESPN. In addition to Smith, rookie first-round wideout Makai Lemon (hamstring) also remained sidelined, leaving more work for Dontayvion Wicks and Hollywood Brown. Smith has missed over a week of practice, but the Eagles don't believe his injury is serious and are just being extra cautious with their new No. 1 wide receiver. The full expectation is that the 27-year-old will be ready for the 2026 regular-season opener in September. The former 10th overall pick in 2021 from the University of Alabama will have an even higher fantasy ceiling in 2026 in his sixth year in the league with A.J. Brown no longer in town. Smith has had 1,000-yard seasons in three of his first five years in the NFL, but with even more targets coming his way in an Eagles offense looking to bounce back, he'll have an even higher fantasy ceiling and floor. RotoBaller currently has Smith ranked as the No. 13 fantasy WR, right behind the New York Giants' Malik Nabers (knee).

Denver Broncos second-year running back RJ Harvey said that he's looking to become more explosive and produce more big plays in his sophomore season in the NFL, according to Susanna Weir of the team's official website. "I feel like that's my game," Harvey said. "That was my game in college. I made a lot of big plays. And this year, I want to get back to that and make a lot more big plays for my team." Twenty-three percent of Harvey's rushes in college went for at least 10 yards, and he had several big plays as a rookie with Denver in 2025 on his way to 540 rushing yards and seven touchdowns while adding 47 receptions for 356 yards and another five TDs as a pass-catcher. Harvey had a bigger impact in the passing game as a rookie, and that's where he's expected to be utilized the most in Year 2 alongside J.K. Dobbins and rookie Jonah Coleman. Head coach Sean Payton said Harvey "has some good stuff on tape already" this year and is encouraged by his "natural hands." Coleman's presence as a physical back between the tackles will limit Harvey's overall fantasy upside if Dobbins misses more time with an injury in 2026, making him more of an ideal RB3/flex target in point-per-reception fantasy leagues.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is growing comfortable in his new offensive scheme, according to ESPN's Kris Rhim. Under new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, Herbert has improved his timing and has been sharp and accurate with his receivers. Herbert's fantasy value has declined over the past two seasons under Greg Roman, averaging 17.3 fantasy points per game, 2.4 points below his previous average from his first four seasons. If McDaniel's offense unlocks more passing volume than Roman's, Herbert could return to his old form as a consistent Top-5 quarterback. Fantasy managers should expect Herbert to rank as a mid-QB1 in 2026 drafts.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy had one of his better practices of training camp on Monday and continues to build chemistry with rookie second-round wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling, with veterans Mike Evans and Christian Kirk still sitting out with injuries, according to Marc Adams of 49ers Web Zone. Purdy connected with several receivers on Monday for explosive plays, including with Stribling for a 50-yard touchdown down the right sideline. Purdy also connected with Demarcus Robinson on a couple of deep throws, and he had another explosive play with veteran Deebo Samuel Sr. Stribling has continued to make plays for the 49ers' offense, and his work ethic has drawn praise from WRs coach Leonard Hankerson. With Ricky Pearsall (knee) done for the year, Purdy and Stribling could be hooking up for big gains down the field a lot in 2026. Even with injuries already prevalent throughout the 49ers' locker room in training camp, Purdy is an obvious bounce-back candidate this season after missing a large chunk of 2025 with a foot injury. Fantasy managers should view him as a low-end QB1/high-end QB2 target in upcoming drafts.

Seattle Seahawks rookie running back Jadarian Price (lower body) missed his third straight practice on Monday, and his return is not imminent. Head coach Mike MacDonald said the team is in no rush to get him back on the field before the preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys. While it's unclear what injury he's currently dealing with, Price is in no rush as he ramps up for Week 1 in September. With Zach Charbonnet (knee) on the PUP list, the first-round pick has a chance to start early in the season. While we will have to understand what injury he's dealing with, Price should be a starting option in fantasy formats in 2026.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) had a good day in training camp practice on Monday while working in 7-on-7 drills, according to Tori McElhaney of the team's official website. Penix looked strong in the pocket and "worked the middle of the field well," hitting receiver Drake London several times. The lefty QB also dropped a long ball into tight end Kyle Pitts Sr.'s arms around 25 yards down the field, down the sideline. It's nice to hear for Penix, but the 26-year-old has yet to be cleared for team drills after suffering a partially torn ACL in his left knee in Week 11 of the 2025 season. The Falcons have yet to name a starter in their QB competition this summer between Penix and former Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa, but all signs point to Tua getting the nod, at least to begin the 2026 regular season. Penix will almost certainly sit out Friday's preseason opener against the Denver Broncos, and he'll most likely be holding the clipboard on the sideline for Tagovailoa in Week 1 of the regular season against the Pittsburgh Steelers. His redraft and dynasty value has tanked going into his third year in the NFL.

Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane is set for a heavy workload in the 2026 season, according to head coach Jeff Hafley. Speaking on the Rich Eisen Show, Hafley said, "[Achane] will never give a head tap. I said, 'Don't worry, buddy.'" "After you touch the ball 40-45 times, I'm going to have to pick you up and carry you back to the locker room." In his third season, Achane had over 1,800 yards and 12 touchdowns on 305 attempts. With strong endorsement from his head coach, Achane may be in line for a larger workload in 2026. With defenses more focused on stopping Achane, he could be more inefficient than he's been over his three-year career. If his volume improves, he could threaten to be the RB1 overall this season.

Cleveland Browns rookie wide receiver Denzel Boston is set to work with the first-team offense, according to head coach Todd Monken. Monken said, "He wants to see what the offense looks like with Denzel Boston as the boundary receiver and the ability to move Jerry Jeudy around." Boston has had a fantastic training camp, making big plays every day and showing the most consistent hands in the receiver group. The 6'4 wideout fits the traditional "X receiver" mold, since Jeudy and first-round rookie KC Concepcion are smaller receivers. Ranked WR62 in RotoBaller's positional rankings, Boston is a great value for managers to target this season.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (ankle) recently received a second platelet-rich plasma injection and has no timetable for a return. Pierce underwent surgery on his left ankle in March and has yet to practice this offseason. PRP injections are used to accelerate healing, reduce pain, and improve function. It's not ideal that nearly five months later, Pierce is still experiencing pain and instability. With no timetable for return, fantasy managers should be legitimately concerned. Websites and medical advisors report that improvements typically occur two to six months after the injection, so Pierce may be out until after the season begins. Ranked WR38 in RotoBaller's positional rankings, Pierce should drop significantly after this report.

After helping the Seattle Seahawks win the Super Bowl in his first year with the team in 2025, veteran quarterback Sam Darnold has been looking to get more comfortable in training camp this summer in new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury's scheme, according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic. Darnold and Fleury overlapped with the San Francisco 49ers, but Fleury has never called plays before. It gives the two men "a nice foundation with a ton of carryover within the system," but they need experience together. The 29-year-old signal-caller has been trying to fine-tune elements of his game while also working to get more comfortable with Fleury, and on the exterior, Darnold "looks to be at ease." Although Darnold hit the 4,000-yard mark for the second straight year in 2025 and made the Pro Bowl for a second straight season, he wasn't in the top 10 in fantasy scoring at his position. And outside of Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle's WR corps is rather weak. On volume alone, Darnold should have a safe floor as a low-end QB2 target, but expecting more than that doesn't seem wise.

The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. wrote that the Cincinnati Bengals offense bounced back in training camp practice on Sunday by posting two scores, and quarterback Joe Burrow "still looked like himself with touchdowns to receivers Tee Higgins and Andrei Iosivas." The Bengals' offense has "started to show their teeth" with more unscripted periods in practice, which began on Friday in the new stadium with a bomb from Burrow to All-Pro receiver Ja'Marr Chase. Big moments like that for the Bengals' offense have "become increasingly more frequent" after the defense had mostly dominated early in camp. Burrow looks to be at full health this summer and set for another big year leading Cincy's offense in his seventh year in the NFL. The 29-year-old former first overall pick from LSU is the highest-ranked fantasy QB who doesn't have a high-end rushing skill set. Burrow makes up for it with a strong arm, precision passing, and one of the best WR duos in the league in Chase and Higgins. He's ranked as RotoBaller's No. 5 fantasy signal-caller for the 2026 campaign.

Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft (knee) was running routes in full pads while catching passes from Jordan Love during Monday's practice, Ryan Wood of USA Today reports. Kraft continues to work his way back from a torn ACL injury that he suffered last season. The biggest takeaway here is that Kraft wasn't wearing a sleeve on his right knee that he has been wearing all training camp. Kraft is eyeing a Week 1 return, but he might not be fully ready yet, considering he tore his ACL in Week 9 of last season. He's unlikely to play during the preseason, but that shouldn't surprise fantasy managers. The Packers are hopeful he can return to his TE1 ways once he's back to full health.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has developed some nice chemistry in training camp this summer with new wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks, who has emerged as the team's WR2 behind DeVonta Smith, according to Geoff Mosher of Philly Voice. Wicks has had an impressive start to camp as the Eagles' offense looks to bounce back and adjust to life without Pro Bowler A.J. Brown, who was traded to the New England Patriots in the offseason. Smith and rookie Makai Lemon have been sidelined lately with a hamstring injury, too, which has allowed Wicks to get even more looks from Hurts. "Just the work off the field, the talking, the connections off the field that build up to connections on the field and chemistry," Wicks said when asked about his chemistry with his new QB. "Getting together off the field, like we did in the summer, that also built up for now, and will build up for the season." Wicks already had familiarity with Eagles' new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion from his time in Green Bay, and now that he's been standing out in camp, he's been a riser on fantasy football draft boards. The Philly Voice's Jimmy Kempski recently wrote that it's "reasonable to assume" that Lemon won't be ready for a starting role to open his rookie season in 2026.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (undisclosed) was spotted working on the side during Monday's practice, according to Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post. Mims left Friday's practice with an undisclosed injury and didn't work out at all on Saturday. He's back in pads on Monday, which is a step in the right direction. It seems like the Broncos are easing him back into action, which isn't shocking this early into camp. Fantasy managers should consider Mims day-to-day ahead of Friday's preseason matchup versus the Atlanta Falcons.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (leg) was not seen practicing on Monday, according to Parker Gabriel. Waddle hasn't practiced since leaving early during this past Wednesday's session due to muscle tightness. Fantasy managers don't need to panic as this doesn't sound like a long-term issue. Head coach Sean Payton said he expected Waddle to return to practice this week. It's early in camp, so the team will hold out players even with minor issues. Fantasy managers should expect Waddle to be fully healthy and ready to go for the start of the season.

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane has been impressing everyone during training camp. According to Ryan Mink, quarterback Lamar Jackson has been building strong chemistry with the rookie wideout. Jamison Hensley of ESPN went as far as to say that Lane is the best rookie he has seen in training camp during his 27 years covering the team. Lane is making a highlight play on a daily basis in camp. Given his performance, Lane should be able to snag the WR3 job, but he might even surpass Rashod Bateman for the WR2 job soon. The third-round rookie is shaping up as an interesting late-round option in dynasty leagues.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen showed his growing chemistry with new wide receiver DJ Moore during Saturday night's practice at Highmark Stadium, according to BuffaloBills.com. In 11-on-11 team drills, Allen launched a deep ball to Moore down the middle of the field, and Moore hauled it in for a 50-yard gain. Toward the end of practice when the team went into their two-minute offense, Allen engineered a fast-scoring drive and connected with Moore twice to move across midfield. Even though Allen has failed to reach the 4,000-yard passing mark in each of the last two seasons, he's still been the QB1 and QB4 in fantasy scoring because of his rushing prowess. With Moore in the fold to help bolster the Bills' deep passing attack, Allen could very well return to the 4,000-yard mark in 2026 in his ninth year in the NFL. As if Allen's fantasy ceiling could go even higher, it might do just that if he establishes a nice connection with Moore in the wideout's first season in Buffalo. Allen is the consensus No. 1 overall fantasy QB yet again this year.

The San Francisco Standard's David Lombardi said on Monday that San Francisco 49ers veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. split the position drill portion of practice between running backs and wide receivers in training camp practice on Monday, which is something he never did in his first stint with the team from 2019 to 2024. Lombardi added that it was a good visualization of "a role that'll be even more versatile than his first time with the team." The 30-year-old has always been versatile, especially in head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense, and his usage with the RBs on Monday was most likely due to all of the team's options at the position being held out due to injuries to begin the week, including star Christian McCaffrey. At this point in his career, the Niners may not want to use Samuel extensively as a runner unless they're desperate for backfield bodies. He's no spring chicken anymore and averaged a career-low 10.1 yards per catch in 16 games with the Washington Commanders in 2025. With Ricky Pearsall (knee) out for the year, Samuel figures to battle for WR3 duties with rookie De'Zhaun Stribling behind Mike Evans and Christian Kirk. Samuel is more exciting in fantasy in his return to the Bay Area, but fantasy managers shouldn't overvalue him as anything more than a low-upside WR4/5 in 2026.

San Francisco 49ers star tight end George Kittle (Achilles) "continues to make terrific progress" as he works his way back from the torn Achilles he suffered in the playoffs in January, and there's a "high level of confidence" at this point that he will be able to play in the Week 1 regular-season opener in Australia against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams, sources told Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. The 32-year-old veteran remains on the Physically Unable to Perform list in training camp, but he was seen running routes, catching passes, and doing conditioning work before Monday's practice. It was the most extensive work that Kittle has done so far in camp, according to ESPN's Nick Wagoner, which gives hope for fantasy managers and the Niners that he'll be ready for the start of the season in September. When healthy, Kittle should continue to be one of quarterback Brock Purdy's most trusted aerial targets, especially with receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee) already ruled out for the entire season. But because of his lengthy injury history and questionable availability for the start of the year, Kittle is no longer a high-end TE1 target in fantasy drafts, but rather a low-end TE1 target.

Grant Cohn of Sports Illustrated said at training camp on Monday that he thinks San Francisco 49ers rookie second-round wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling is the "best wide receiver on the whole team" right now and is the only WR "that you need to fear." Stribling is big and fast and is fearless over the middle of the field. He missed some practice time last week with a minor hamstring issue, but he returned to team drills over the weekend and should be fine moving forward. Cohn doesn't know that veteran wideout and future Hall of Famer Mike Evans (quadriceps) is going to save this offense, so the Niners will likely ask a lot of Stribling in his first year in the NFL, even after the reunion with veteran pass-catcher Deebo Samuel Sr. Most draft pundits thought the 49ers reached when they took Stribling with the first pick in the second round in April, but he has the size and high football IQ to surprise some folks, especially now that Ricky Pearsall (knee) is out for the year. Assuming Stribling stays healthy all year, he should be a top two or three receiver for San Francisco in 2026.