Fantasy Football News

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan (knee) returned to individual position drills Tuesday, according to Scott Smith. That is a step forward after McMillan missed several practices with the knee injury he suffered earlier in camp. Head coach Todd Bowles initially said the team was being cautious after McMillan banged the knee, then acknowledged last week that he was not sure how long the receiver would be out. McMillan is not all the way back yet, though. Smith noted that it remained to be seen whether he would take part in team drills, so this should not be treated as a full return to practice. McMillan played only four games last season after a serious neck injury, finishing with 12 catches for 178 yards. Getting him back into individual work is encouraging, but his participation in team periods will give a better indication of how close he is to resuming a normal workload.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers confirmed that wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (right leg) missed another training camp practice on Tuesday, according to Alan Saunders of PGH Steelers Now. Fellow wideout DK Metcalf also wasn't seen at practice due to an undisclosed injury. The 28-year-old Pittman has missed the last couple of days with an injury that doesn't appear to be very serious. Still, neither Pittman nor Metcalf is likely to suit up for the team's preseason opener on Thursday versus the Green Bay Packers. The Steelers acquired Pittman from the Indianapolis Colts in the offseason to bolster the team's WR depth behind Metcalf in 2026. Pittman had a career-high seven touchdowns in 17 games in 2025 in his final year in Indy, but it came with just 784 receiving yards, his lowest total since his rookie campaign. The former second-rounder from USC is joining an offense that should be more pass-happy under new head coach Mike McCarthy, but as second fiddle to Metcalf in an offense led by a fading Rodgers, Pittman profiles as more of a WR4/flex in fantasy football in his first year in the Steel City.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed (ankle) returned to practice Tuesday after sitting out the previous two sessions, according to Rob Demovsky. Reed's 2025 season was basically lost to injuries, so even a short August absence gets a little more attention than it otherwise might. He broke his collarbone in Week 2 and had a lingering foot injury surgically repaired at the same time, eventually finishing with 19 catches for 207 yards and one touchdown in seven games. Green Bay still showed its confidence in Reed by signing him to a contract extension in April, and he enters this season alongside Christian Watson and Matthew Golden as one of the receivers expected to lead the group. It is not yet clear how much Reed did during Tuesday's practice, so calling him a full participant would be premature. The quick return is good news for fantasy managers, and for now keeps the ankle issue from looking like a lengthy camp absence. Reed is currently No. 98 overall in RotoBaller's PPR rankings.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf (undisclosed) missed Tuesday's training camp practice with an undisclosed injury, quarterback Aaron Rodgers told Nick Farabaugh of Penn Live. With both Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. (leg) sitting out, receivers Germie Bernard, Brandon Smith, and Roman Wilson have stepped up for Rodgers. The Steelers' WR corps is a little banged up, but neither Metcalf's nor Pittman's injury seems to be very serious, and the two should be back in the fold at practice sooner rather than later. We would not expect Metcalf to play in Pittsburgh's preseason opener this Thursday against the Green Bay Packers. The 28-year-old Metcalf should still be the Steelers' WR1 in new head coach Mike McCarthy's offense in 2026, but the addition of Pittman definitely won't help his overall target share as he enters his eighth NFL season. In addition to more target competition, the two-time Pro Bowler's situation with Rodgers running the offense won't necessarily give him a high fantasy ceiling. The path to the fourth 1,000-yard season of Metcalf's career is tenuous.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden (toe) returned to practice Tuesday, according to Rob Demovsky. Golden had been sidelined since Family Night, where he caught a 57-yard touchdown from Jordan Love and continued a strong start to his second training camp. The 2025 first-round pick had 29 catches for 361 yards and no touchdowns in 14 regular-season games as a rookie, but Green Bay has created more room for him this year after Romeo Doubs left in free agency and Dontayvion Wicks was traded. Golden, Christian Watson and Jayden Reed are expected to lead the receiver group. The quick return is encouraging, especially after Golden dealt with shoulder and wrist injuries during his rookie season, but it is not yet clear how much work he handled Tuesday. For now, the toe issue looks like a brief interruption rather than something that should change his fantasy outlook.

The Arizona Cardinals' starters, including quarterback Jacoby Brissett, will play a drive or two in the team's second preseason game on Thursday night against the Las Vegas Raiders, according to ESPN's Josh Weinfuss. Brissett and the first-team offense did not play in last week's Hall of Fame preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. The 33-year-old veteran took over for an injured Kyler Murray last year and proceeded to have a career season, throwing for 3,366 yards, 23 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 14 games played (12 starts). It was an impressive showing for a career backup, but his strong season earned him a new contract in the desert and the confidence of the Cardinals' new coaching staff. Arizona's offense is expected to be much more balanced under new head coach Mike LaFleur in 2026, especially after the offseason additions of running backs Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier, so we aren't expecting Brissett to be dropping back to throw nearly every down like he did in 2025. At best, Brissett should be considered a low-end QB2 with limited upside in 2026.

Denver Broncos rookie running back Jonah Coleman gave the coaching staff another good sign Tuesday, this time in pass protection. According to Troy Renck, Coleman had a couple of nice blitz pickups during practice. That matters for a rookie trying to earn snaps in Sean Payton's offense, especially because Payton praised that part of Coleman's game after the draft and said he could play on third down. Denver took Coleman 108th overall after he rushed for 758 yards and 15 touchdowns at Washington last season. He has also been getting positive reviews throughout camp, with Payton recently saying Coleman does not feel like a rookie. The Broncos still have J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey in a crowded backfield, so one good practice rep is not going to settle anything. Still, Coleman showing he can recognize pressure and hold up in protection gives Denver another reason to trust him when the offense gets into passing situations.

The Arizona Cardinals' starters, including rookie first-round running back Jeremiyah Love, will play a drive or two in the team's second preseason game on Thursday night against the Las Vegas Raiders, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN. Love did not play in last week's Hall of Fame preseason game against the Carolina Panthers, so he'll make his NFL debut this week. The 21-year-old third overall pick from Notre Dame has an incredibly high fantasy ceiling in the short and long term in Arizona, but early on in his first NFL season, Love could share plenty of backfield touches with Tyler Allgeier and veteran James Conner. Regardless, fantasy managers in redraft leagues will have to pay a pretty penny to secure the services of the do-it-all back as he heads into his first year in the NFL. He's not in an ideal situation in an offense run by veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett, but Love's talent alone makes him a low-end RB1/high-end RB2 talent right away.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson is getting another vote of confidence from Aaron Rodgers. According to Mike DeFabo, Rodgers said Wilson is "coming into his own," pointing to how much more dynamic and confident he looks this summer. That's a big change from where Wilson was a year ago. He caught only 12 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games last season and was a healthy inactive late in the year. This summer, he is listed as a starter on Pittsburgh's first unofficial depth chart and has been making plays in camp, including a diving touchdown catch during a two-minute drill. There is still competition for work with second-round rookie Germie Bernard in the receiver room, but Wilson has given the Steelers more reason to keep him involved. Rodgers continuing to single him out is notable, especially after such a quiet 2025. Wilson still has to carry it into the regular season, but his third-year outlook looks considerably better than it did a few months ago.

San Francisco 49ers veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. is listed as a starting WR on the team's first unofficial depth chart of the preseason, according to the Bay Area News Group's Cam Inman. Veteran Mike Evans and Demarcus Robinson are listed as the other starters in three-wide sets alongside Samuel, who is returning to the Bay Area after spending the 2025 campaign with the Washington Commanders, where he caught 72 of his 99 targets for 727 yards and five touchdowns in 16 games played. The Niners brought Samuel back after learning that Ricky Pearsall (knee) would miss the entire season. The 30-year-old veteran is versatile and will have more fantasy upside back in head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense, but rookie second-round receiver De'Zhaun Stribling also figures to be heavily involved in San Fran's offense opposite Evans. There's also veteran Christian Kirk, who is in his first year with the team. Samuel's versatility will give Shanahan another weapon to challenge defenses, but fantasy managers should not expect the former second-rounder to suddenly have another 1,000-yard season just because Pearsall is out for the year. RotoBaller has Samuel ranked at No. 56 at the WR position in fantasy.

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (undisclosed) is not practicing at training camp for the second straight day on Tuesday, according to Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group. McCaffrey is being held out so far this week with undisclosed "tightness," but offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak has downplayed CMC's situation and said the team is "just managing" the All-Pro RB. The 49ers are already pretty banged up early in training camp, and as a result, they are resting some of their key veterans like McCaffrey. In addition to McCaffrey, RBs Kaelon Black (groin), Jordan James (ribs), and Isaac Guerendo (pectoral) are injured, so the Niners can't afford to lose their most valuable offensive weapon in McCaffrey before the season even starts. CMC managed to stay completely healthy in 2025 and finished as the RB1 in half-PPR scoring with 1,202 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns while adding 924 receiving yards and seven touchdowns as a receiver in 17 games. McCaffrey has elite upside at his position but also high-end bust potential due to his lengthy injury history. RotoBaller has him ranked as the RB3 for 2026, behind only Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson.

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs remains one of the players who could face discipline from the NFL, according to Adam Schefter. Jacobs was arrested in May following an alleged domestic incident in Wisconsin and was released the next day while prosecutors requested additional investigation before making a formal charging decision. Jacobs has denied wrongdoing through his attorneys. No punishment has been announced by the league, so there is no reason yet to guess at how much time he might miss. It is worth following for fantasy purposes, though. Jacobs ran for 929 yards and 13 touchdowns in 15 games last season while catching 36 passes for 282 yards and another score. He is also currently sidelined with a groin injury that will keep him out at least this week. MarShawn Lloyd has gotten first-team work with Jacobs sidelined, though Green Bay's unofficial depth chart currently has Chris Brooks ahead of Lloyd. If Jacobs eventually misses regular-season games, that backup battle would suddenly become much more important.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Mike Evans (quadriceps) is in uniform and warming up for Tuesday's joint practice with the Tennessee Titans after missing time recently with a quad injury, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. Evans is returning to practice for the first time since suffering a strained quad muscle last Monday. While the veteran wideout might be limited on Tuesday, it's a great sign for the future Hall of Famer going forward. We would not expect Evans to play in the team's preseason opener on Thursday against the Titans. The 32-year-old six-time Pro Bowler has a fantastic track record in the NFL, recording 1,000-yard seasons in each of his first 11 seasons in the league before playing in just eight games due to a broken collarbone in 2025 in his final year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Fantasy managers aren't worried about what Evans has done in the past, though, and durability concerns as he nears the tail end of his career will make him a much riskier fantasy WR than he's ever been before. At the very least, Evans should be an excellent red-zone weapon for QB Brock Purdy, but injury concerns have dropped him to No. 26 in RotoBaller's WR rankings entering the 2026 season.

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua could be facing discipline from the NFL. Adam Schefter reports that Nacua is among a group of players with potential punishment looming, though there is no word yet on the extent of the punishment. Nacua is facing a civil lawsuit stemming from a New Year's Eve incident in which a woman accused him of making an antisemitic remark and biting her. His attorney has denied the allegations. Schefter noted that there is a possibility the superstar will be held out of action in Week 1. From a fantasy standpoint, the uncertainty matters because Nacua is coming off a huge season. He led the NFL with 129 catches while finishing with 1,715 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in 16 games. RotoBaller currently has him No. 3 overall among all players and the WR1. For now, this is simply something to closely watch until the league makes a decision.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and other established starters will not play in Saturday's preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, head coach Jesse Minter told Jamison Hensley of ESPN. Coming off a disappointing and injury-plagued 2025 campaign in his eighth year in the NFL, the Ravens aren't going to take any chances with the two-time MVP and will likely keep him out of all preseason contests. The 29-year-old played in only 13 games last year and had 2,549 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and seven interceptions while carrying the ball a career-low 67 times for 349 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Jackson should be a prime bounce-back candidate in new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle's scheme as long as he stays healthy as one of the top dual-threat QBs in the league. Jackson's injury-plagued 2025 campaign hasn't made him a discount at the QB position in fantasy this year, and he's ranked as RotoBaller's No. 2 signal-caller, behind only Josh Allen.

Cleveland Browns running back Quinshon Judkins is healthy and getting plenty of work as he heads into his second season. Scott Petrak of BrownsZone.com reports that the plan is for Judkins to be the workhorse in Todd Monken's offense, and that has shown up in camp with carries and catches. Judkins ran 230 times for 827 yards and seven touchdowns in 14 games as a rookie, adding 26 receptions for 171 yards. Running backs coach Duce Staley believes he can handle all three downs, so the receiving work is worth watching after a fairly modest rookie total. The other encouraging part is his health. Judkins fractured his fibula and dislocated his ankle in Week 16, had surgery in December, and worked his way back during the offseason program. He has not missed a day of camp, and Petrak reports he looked 100 percent when practices began. Dylan Sampson will still get work, but Cleveland clearly wants Judkins at the center of the backfield. He is currently No. 57 overall in RotoBaller's PPR rankings.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice spoke Tuesday about the 30-day jail sentence he served earlier this offseason, calling it a "reality check." According to Nate Taylor, Rice said it is in the past and that he is focused on the future. Rice was ordered to report to jail in May after testing positive for THC, a violation of the probation he received after pleading guilty to two felony charges stemming from the 2024 Dallas crash. The jail term had already been part of his original sentence, but the positive test led to it being served immediately. Rice also had a cleanup procedure on his right knee shortly before entering jail and missed OTAs and mandatory minicamp, though he has since worked his way back into 11-on-11 drills at training camp. He caught 53 passes for 571 yards and five touchdowns in eight games last season. RotoBaller currently has Rice 36th overall and WR16, and his progress in camp is the more important fantasy development going forward.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (Achilles) will not play during the preseason, according to Jonathan Jones. Head coach Shane Steichen announced the decision Tuesday as Jones continues his return from the torn Achilles that ended his 2025 season in Week 14. The good news is that Jones has been a full participant in training camp, so there is nothing here suggesting he has suffered a setback. He started 13 games last season and completed 68% of his passes for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions, adding 164 yards and five more scores on the ground. The Colts also have no quarterback decision to make with Jones, who enters the season as their unquestioned starter. Riley Leonard and Anthony Richardson Sr. are instead competing for the backup job and should get plenty of preseason work. Jones remains RotoBaller's QB24, and sitting out exhibition games should not change much for fantasy managers as long as he continues practicing without limitations.

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said that both wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins will play against the Detroit Lions on Thursday in the team's preseason opener, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer's Kelsey Conway. Chase and Higgins will most likely work a few offensive series with quarterback Joe Burrow. Even though Burrow missed half of last season due to a turf-toe injury, Chase managed his fifth straight 1,000-yard season, found the end zone eight times, and led the NFL with 185 targets in 16 starts. The 26-year-old five-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro is still the best receiver in the NFL and could approach his career high of 1,708 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns from the 2024 season if Burrow stays healthy again in 2026. There's a reason why Chase is the consensus top overall fantasy wideout. He's had at least 1,046 receiving yards, 81 catches, and seven touchdowns in his five years in the NFL with the Bengals.

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said that quarterback Joe Burrow will play against the Detroit Lions in the team's preseason opener on Thursday, per Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer. Burrow will also be out there with his top two receivers in Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, although they will probably only stay in the game for a couple of offensive series, at the most. The 29-year-old Burrow and the Bengals offense got off to a bit of a slow start in training camp, but they have been coming alive of late and figure to be in good shape for the 2026 season as long as Burrow stays healthy. The three-time Pro Bowler played in a career-low eight games last year due to turf toe, throwing for 1,809 yards, 17 touchdowns, and five interceptions a year after leading the NFL in passing yards (4,918), touchdown passes (43), completions (460), and pass attempts (652). He's an obvious bounce-back candidate in 2026 with top-five QB upside in fantasy football, even though most of his production comes solely from his arm.