Fantasy Football News

Buffalo Bills running back Ty Johnson (knee) is still not practicing after an apparent lower-body injury sustained during a scrimmage on August 10th. Johnson limped off after falling on a route and left with his arm wrapped around a trainer. The Bills have been quiet about Johnson's status, with head coach Joe Brady saying they would know an answer a week after the injury. If Johnson ends up missing time during the season, starter James Cook could see more receiving work. There have been rumors that Cook will have a bigger role in the passing game, and Johnson's injury could open the door for those wishes to come true. Fantasy managers should evaluate Johnson's status heading into the beginning of the season, as this could have direct implications for Cook's role.

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson could see fewer targets this season with other playmakers around him. Ferguson had a career season in 2025, hauling in 82 of 102 targets for 600 yards and eight touchdowns, though star wideout CeeDee Lamb missed time with a hamstring injury. In the four games Lamb missed, Ferguson averaged 7.5 receptions for 51 yards and four touchdowns. In the other 13 games, Ferguson averaged only 6.7 half-PPR fantasy points per game, which would have ranked him outside the top 20 tight ends last season. Now, young receiver Ryan Flournoy is emerging as the clear third receiver in this offense, which could take more targets away from the Cowboys' starting tight end. Fantasy managers should look to other options at tight end rather than pay a high price for Ferguson, who made his mark after injuries to the team's top receivers.

Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz could see more targets after the devastating injury to wide receiver Jayden Higgins. Higgins suffered a torn ACL during their joint practice with the Las Vegas Raiders on Tuesday, ending his season before it began. Higgins was having a fantastic training camp and was shaping up for a big year, but targets will now shift to other weapons. Schultz has had over 85 targets in each of the last six seasons, including a career-high 106 targets with Higgins healthy last season. Schultz has a legitimate shot to be the second-highest target-getter in Houston behind star wideout Nico Collins, with Tank Dell (knee) expected to be limited in the early portion of the season. Ranked as the TE23 in RotoBaller's positional rankings, Schultz is currently a great value in fantasy drafts and could easily surpass the 106 targets he had in the 2025 season.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jauan Jennings could see less volume and fewer snaps than expected in 2026. Jennings is coming off back-to-back strong seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, totaling 1,618 yards and 15 touchdowns over 30 games. He was traded to Minnesota, where he was expected to be the team's WR3 behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. However, in the preseason win over the New York Giants, Jennings played just two of nine first-team snaps, while Addison and second-year receiver Tai Felton played all nine. Felton has made a lot of noise during training camp and could push Jennings for snaps in 2026. Despite solid production in 2024 and 2025, Jennings, as the WR3 or possibly the WR4, is not worth the value this season in fantasy drafts.

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson had another productive day at practice on Wednesday and is in line for a major role in 2026. Titans senior writer Jim Wyatt believes Robinson is set to catch many passes this season, noting that he caught eight passes during Wednesday's practice and 48 during training camp (the most on the team). The former Giants wideout has had 140 targets in each of the last two seasons under head coach Brian Daboll, including his first-career 1,000-yard season in 2025. With Daboll now the Titans' offensive coordinator, Robinson is set for a high volume again in 2026. Currently ranked WR49 in RotoBaller's positional rankings, Robinson could be a great value in PPR formats this season.

Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren (groin) sustained an abductor strain during Wednesday's practice but is not expected to miss much time, per Jordan Schultz. Schultz said the second-year tight end should be fine and back next week. Warren enters the 2026 season with vacated targets after wideout Michael Pittman Jr.'s departure and the ankle injury that is currently keeping Alec Pierce out of practice. As a rookie, Warren caught 76 of 112 targets for 817 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 8.9 half-PPR fantasy points per game and finishing as the TE5 in 2025. With quarterback Daniel Jones back and healthy after missing the final four games of the season, Warren is hopeful for a breakout year in 2026 and appears to have avoided a major injury that could have affected his early-season value.

Washington Commanders running back Rachaad White (hamstring) suffered a hamstring injury during a joint practice with the Miami Dolphins, according to Mike Garafolo. Luckily, it's not considered to be a serious injury, so fantasy managers should expect him to be back in the mix soon. White has been competing with Jacory Croskey-Merritt for the lead back role in Washington during training camp. The odds are that Croskey-Merritt gets the bulk of the ground work with White serving as the receiving back. There might be limited reps for White on the ground, but he could be an appealing PPR option if he becomes the pass-catching back. Fantasy managers should check back for another update, but White should be back in practice soon.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa is expected to have a larger role in the offense this upcoming season. The second-year wideout is currently competing with Greg Dortch for the third wideout spot on this roster. It sounds nice on paper, but whoever gets that role will get the scraps behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. The Lions also have tight end Sam LaPorta, who should be a significant part of the passing game as well. There are too many options on this offense for TeSlaa to have a steady role as a pass-catcher right now. The 24-year-old appears to be a viable red-zone target with six touchdowns last season. His role on the team should grow, but it'll likely be slowly, which makes him more of a dynasty stash than a weekly option in redraft formats.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Mitchell Trubisky (biceps) did not participate during Wednesday's morning drills, according to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com. Trubisky exited early during Monday's practice session due to a biceps issue and appears to still be dealing with the injury. This sounds like a day-to-day issue, and the Titans are just being cautious with the veteran quarterback. He's expected to return to practice at some point during the week. If he misses more time, Will Levis and Hendon Hooker should see increased snaps as the backup for Cam Ward.

Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren (groin) was forced to exit early during Wednesday's practice session. Warren went down and limped off the field with a trainer. According to Adam Schefter, Warren has officially suffered a groin injury during Wednesday's joint practice. It's unclear at the moment how much time Warren could miss from this injury. His absence could mean a larger target share for Josh Downs and newcomer Keenan Allen, with Alec Pierce (ankle) still sidelined at the moment. Mo Alie-Cox will probably operate as the TE1 while Warren is down, but that shouldn't excite fantasy managers. There should be a better timetable for Warren in the coming days.

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson hasn't been the same on the field since tearing his ACL in January of 2024. Since returning from injury, Hockenson has 92 receptions for 893 receiving yards and three touchdowns across 25 games. He hasn't been horrible, but Hockenson used to be a top-five player at his position. It's tough to have success when J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer are offering subpar play at the quarterback spot. The hope is that the 29-year-old bounces back with Kyler Murray under center for the Vikings to begin the season. Murray had a ton of success when he was in Arizona with stud tight end Trey McBride. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect Hockenson to be a top option at his position, but he could offer viable TE2 value.

Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports that New Orleans Saints rookie fourth-round wide receiver Bryce Lance (undisclosed) operated as the team's WR2 in his return to training camp practice on Tuesday. The Saints will not have first-round rookie wideout Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) to begin the 2026 regular season, and Devaughn Vele was rested on Tuesday, so Lance worked opposite Chris Olave in the joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys. The 23-year-old Lance, the younger brother of QB Trey Lance, should have an opportunity to carve out a role in the Saints' offense early in the year with Tyson sidelined, although it probably won't be enough volume to make him interesting in most fantasy football leagues. The 6-foot-3, 204-pounder has good size and speed and scored 28 total touchdowns in 57 games at North Dakota State in his collegiate career. Lance is an interesting dynasty/keeper stash for his athleticism in an up-and-coming offense.

New Orleans Saints running back Audric Estime (ankle) will miss some time, but Ross Jackson of WWL Louisiana reports that it does not sound like his injury is serious. Kendre Miller and Devin Neal returned from injuries on Tuesday, but Estime and veteran Alvin Kamara (knee) will miss some time and could be questionable to play in the Week 1 regular-season opener in early September. The 22-year-old Estime was drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2024 out of Notre Dame and had 76 carries for 310 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games that year. In only seven games with the Saints last season, Estime had 46 rushing attempts for 198 yards and a touchdown. He has caught 17 of 18 targets for 130 yards as a pass-catcher in his two NFL seasons and figures to operate in a depth role in the Big Easy again in 2026 if he even makes the 53-man roster out of training camp and the preseason. Estime is off the fantasy radar in single-year leagues.

Indianapolis Colts running back DJ Giddens (hamstring), who missed a considerable amount of time in training camp due to a hamstring injury, made his return to the practice field on Wednesday, according to Nathan Brown of the Indianapolis Star. Before his hamstring injury, Giddens had mixed in with the first-team offense, but his time away due to injury may have opened the door for rookie sixth-rounder Seth McGowan to claim the RB2 role behind Jonathan Taylor to begin the 2026 regular season. Whoever wins the RB2 job in Indy is looking at a light workload as long as Taylor stays healthy, but it will be worth watching for handcuff purposes in deeper fantasy football leagues. After being selected with the 151st overall pick in the fifth round last year from Kansas State, Giddens saw only 26 rushing attempts for 96 yards (3.7 yards per carry) in nine games played as a rookie. Giddens is currently outside RotoBaller's top 94 rankings at RB for 2026.

The Houston Texans got wide receiver Jaylin Noel (hamstring, finger) back from his injuries this week in training camp, and they plan to ramp him up to get him back to where he was in the spring when he caught several touchdowns, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. Noel's fantasy football stock rose dramatically on Wednesday after it was announced that fellow wideout Jayden Higgins (knee) suffered a season-ending torn ACL. The 23-year-old recently returned to practice after missing several weeks with a hamstring and pinkie injury, and now that he's back, the former third-rounder from Iowa State has a clear path to WR2 duties in Houston in his second year in the NFL now that Higgins is done for the season. In 17 regular-season games as a rookie in 2025, Noel caught 26 of his 35 targets for 292 yards and two touchdowns for the Texans. At the very least, Noel should see a big rise in target share as the Texans continue to work Tank Dell back from a knee injury that kept him out for all of last year. RotoBaller now has Noel ranked as the No. 65 overall fantasy WR.

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton said on Wednesday that quarterback Bo Nix will have a similar workload to the starters in last week's preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons when he makes the start this week in the second preseason contest against the Green Bay Packers at home, according to Zac Stevens of DNVR Sports. It will be Nix's first game since suffering a broken right ankle in the Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs in January. The 26-year-old former first-rounder out of Oregon had a cleanup procedure on his ankle in April, but he's been a full participant since the start of training camp and isn't expected to have any limitations when the 2026 regular season kicks off in Week 1 in a showdown on Monday night versus the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs. Nix has been a top-10 fantasy signal-caller in each of his two seasons in the NFL, and while many folks might be hesitant to select him after ankle surgery, he could also have his highest ceiling yet in his third year after the addition of speedy receiver Jaylen Waddle. RotoBaller has Nix ranked as the No. 16 fantasy QB.

Two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vita Vea and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reached an agreement on Wednesday on a one-year contract extension for $30 million, which ties him to the team for two more seasons, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Vea receives $6 million in new money this year. The two sides came together on a new deal before the start of the 2026 season in September after the 31-year-old interior defensive lineman requested a trade at the start of training camp. The Bucs made it clear that they had no plans to trade him, even with a handful of interested teams checking in on his availability. Vea's new-money value of $30 million ranks him fifth in average annual value in the league. The former 12th overall pick in 2018 from the University of Washington is not really a fantasy asset in IDP formats, but he has been a key run-stuffing cog for the Bucs defense in his eight years in the league. Vea had a career-high seven sacks in 2024 and followed it up with a 4.5-sack season and 34 total tackles in 17 starts in 2025.

Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen gave a positive update on wide receiver Alec Pierce (ankle) after Wednesday's training camp practice, saying, "Alec is in a great spot right now. I watched him work out (Tuesday) in the indoor (facility) and he's moving around really good. Hopefully we will have him back soon," per Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan. The 26-year-old remains on the Physically Unable to Perform list in camp after having surgery on his left ankle in April, but the Colts remain optimistic that he will be ready for Week 1 of the 2026 regular season in early September. He was seen doing individual work off to the side on Wednesday, perhaps indicating that he could be getting close to coming off the PUP list. When fully healthy, Pierce is expected to have an elevated role in Indy's passing attack in 2026 now that Michael Pittman Jr. is in Pittsburgh. The former second-rounder from Cincinnati led the NFL in each of the last two years in yards per catch (21.8), scored 13 total touchdowns in those two seasons, and had his first 1,000-yard campaign in 2025. Still, with plenty of time missed this summer and in the offseason, Pierce has become a shaky boom/bust WR4/flex target in fantasy football drafts.

Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft (knee) had a big practice in training camp on Sunday in his return to 11-on-11 work for the first time since suffering a torn ACL last year, and he was impressive again in Tuesday's session, according to Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated. Huber writes that Kraft showed that "he's going to be a force to be reckoned with this season." "He's worked his tail off. You know, congratulations to him," general manager Brian Gutekunst said. Kraft caught four passes on Sunday and another five on Tuesday as he works his way back into the fold in Green Bay's offense as a high-end target for quarterback Jordan Love. The 25-year-old said on Sunday that the Packers could put him on a snap count early in the season as he works back from his ACL tear. The former third-rounder from South Dakota State was one of the best TEs in the league in 2025 before he got hurt, catching 32 of 44 targets for 489 yards and six touchdowns in eight games. Regardless of potential snap-count concerns early on, Kraft is going to be drafted as a top-five player at his position.

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (undisclosed) was not present at Wednesday's training camp practice due to an undisclosed injury, according to Jeremy Reisman of Pride of Detroit. Reisman writes that there is no word yet on the nature of LaPorta's injury after he worked all offseason to rehab from back surgery that limited him to nine games in 2025. Fantasy managers should be worried if LaPorta's absence on Wednesday is related to his back. But for now, we will consider him day-to-day. After recovering from back surgery, the former second-rounder in 2023 from Iowa has been excellent in training camp practices to this point and could easily bounce back to being a high-end pass-catching TE for fantasy managers in 2026. RotoBaller currently has LaPorta ranked as the No. 6 fantasy option at the position, behind Brock Bowers, Trey McBride, Colston Loveland, Tyler Warren, and Tucker Kraft. He is a fine target at TE if you do not want to spend top dollar at the position. Don't forget that LaPorta burst onto the NFL scene in his first two years in the league with 146 receptions (203 targets) for 1,615 yards and 17 total touchdowns.