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Dallas Cowboys running back Jaydon Blue (ankle) said he's not worried about the injury sustained during Friday's game, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. The rookie is stepping into one of the most uncertain backfield situations in the league, so calling the injury "nothing serious" is a positive development for Dallas. The team signed short-term deals with running backs Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders for a rotation that also includes Deuce Vaughn, giving Blue a very realistic path to playing time during his first season. He remains an intriguing rookie breakout candidate on a Cowboys offense that has significant skill-position talent around him.

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Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels will not play in the team's final preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday. Daniels is joined on the bench by most of the team's starters, including wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. and left tackle Laremy Tunsil. Daniels played one drive in the team's second preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday without attempting a pass. The 24-year-old can now turn his full attention to Washington's Week 1 matchup against the division rival New York Giants. Daniels is a high-end fantasy QB1, but he may be without his top weapon in wide receiver Terry McLaurin to open the season due to McLaurin's ongoing contract dispute with the team.

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Atlanta Falcons tight end Feleipe Franks caught all three of his targets for 24 yards, most of which came on a 23-yard catch and run that he was able to take in for a touchdown. Franks also caught one pass for nine yards last week and was not targeted in the first preseason game. He was battling Teagan Quitoriano for the third tight end spot behind Kyle Pitts Sr. and Charlie Woerner, and with Quitoriano not receiving a target in the preseason, Franks appears to have a leg up. Unfortunately, third-string tight ends don't have any value for fantasy, so no need to roster him in any leagues.

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Washington Commanders rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt will not play in the team's preseason finale against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, per Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic. A seventh-round pick this past April, Croskey-Merritt has been one of the breakout stars of the summer. Washington traded running back Brian Robinson Jr. to the San Francisco 49ers on Friday, opening up a spot for Croskey-Merritt to be the team's early-down workhorse right away. Veteran Austin Ekeler should handle the majority of passing-down work, and Washington also has a pair of backs with NFL experience in Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Jeremy McNichols. Notably, Croskey-Merritt and Ekeler are the Washington backs who will not play on Saturday, which could be an indication of the current pecking order in the backfield. Croskey-Merritt profiles as an RB4 with upside in redraft fantasy leagues.

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Tennessee Titans wide receiver Van Jefferson recorded 102 yards and a touchdown on three catches in his team's 23-13 preseason victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Friday. Jefferson scored a 65-yard touchdown on a long catch-and-run in the second quarter. The 29-year-old is entering his first season in Tennessee after logging 24 catches for 276 yards and two touchdowns in 17 games for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024. Jefferson projects to open the season as the WR3 in Tennessee alongside veterans Calvin Ridley and Tyler Lockett. However, he may struggle to hold off the team's pair of fourth-round rookie wide receivers, Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike. Jefferson should be off the radar of fantasy managers in 2025.

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Dynasty | Commanders rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt moves up the depth chart with the trade of Brian Robinson to the 49ers. Dynasty Analysis: It's now officially "Bill" season. Still, expectations should be tempered. Yes, Croskey-Merritt has torn up camp by all accounts and clearly should be on rosters everywhere. However, Chris Rodriguez may have already been tabbed as the goal-line and short-yardage back for the team and Austin Ekeler is still a great pass-catcher and option for a lead back. Croskey-Merritt has the looks of a late round rookie gem this year and that's exciting but his ADP could also skyrocket a little prematurely as people go overboard.

Dynasty | The trade of Brian Robinson to the 49ers creates an uncertain backfield in San Francisco. Dynasty Analysis: If there's a loser in the Robinson deal, it's probably Guerendo. He would likely split time with Robinson should Christian McCaffrey be injured but this deal makes it abundantly clear San Francisco is concerned about his injury history and not willing to leave themselves vulnerable should CMC go down. Guerendo has been a solid handcuff to own over the past two seasons but even if he was to remain the RB2, it's hard to see a situation where Robinson doesn't still split time with him. His dynasty ADP is going to slip over the next month.

Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said that right tackle Kaleb McGary (leg) will miss "significant time" and could be placed on injured reserve after injuring his leg in practice on Wednesday, per ESPN's Marc Raimondi. Atlanta signed McGary to a two-year, $30 million extension earlier this month. He's started 92 games across six seasons with Atlanta, and Pro Football Focus graded him as the 17th-best run-blocking tackle in the NFL in 2024. With backup tackle Storm Norton (ankle) set to miss six to eight weeks after undergoing ankle surgery, the Falcons now have a massive hole on the right side of their offensive line. With a left-handed quarterback in Michael Penix Jr., McGary's absence could be a major issue for the team's pass protection as well as its run game.

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Atlanta Falcons third-string quarterback Easton Stick completed 20 of 28 passes for 198 yards and a touchdown in Friday's 31-13 preseason loss to the Cowboys, adding three rushes for 18 yards. He also threw one interception in the game. The 29-year-oldhas now thrown a touchdown pass in each of the team's three preseason games and appears to have solidifiedhimself as the third QB option behind Michael Penix Jr. and Kirk Cousins, especially with the team waiving Emory Jones this past week, who also had been used in the preseason. Without a starting gig, however, Stick won't be relevant for fantasy unless both of the other quarterbacks become unavailable.

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Dynasty | The trade of Brian Robinson to the 49ers pushes rookie running back Jordan James down the depth chart. Dynasty Analysis: James has been a popular late round rookie pick but Robinson's arrival throws a big bucket of cold water on his short-term value. Should James make the team behind Christian McCaffrey, Robinson and Isaac Guerendo, his path to playing time looks murky. No longer fully guaranteed a roster spot, James is a player to monitor the last week of the preseason as he may need to show something to avoid the practice squad. Regardless, he looks to be fourth on the depth chart and that's not anything to get too excited about.

Dynasty | The Commanders have traded running back Brian Robinson to the 49ers. Dynasty Analysis: San Francisco sends a sixth round pick in exchange for Robinson. It's a deal that seemed inevitable after he was inactive for this week's preseason game. Robinson clearly fell out of favor with Washington as he just didn't seem to fit their offense as well as others on their roster. It's a small price to pay for San Francisco, who now gets a capable backup to Christian McCaffrey. As for Robinson, his dynasty value is going to spiral as he's now simply a capable handcuff instead of a starter in the NFL.

Chicago Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent completed 20 of 28 passes for 212 yards and three touchdowns in the Bears' 29-27 comeback victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bears agreed on a two-year, $10 million extension with the backup quarterback on Wednesday, and then he overcame a two-score deficit in their final preseason game of the season. Bagent led a 10-play, 87-yard game-winning drive with under 90 seconds to go in the game, which ended in a six-yard touchdown to Jahdae Walker with seven seconds left in the game. Bagent will enter the 2025 season in relief of starting quarterback Caleb Williams, and he proved he can be productive given the opportunity this preseason.

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Tennessee Titans rookie running back Kalel Mullings (ankle) injured his ankle during the team's preseason game on Friday against the Minnesota Vikings. However, Titans head coach Brian Callahan said that the injury should not result in significant missed time. Mullings rushed for 27 yards on six carries before getting injured on Friday and shared the field with quarterback Cameron Ward during Tennessee's second offensive series. With Tyjae Spears (ankle) currently sidelined, Mullings is battling with Julius Chestnut for carries behind Tony Pollard in the Titans' backfield. If Mullings is unavailable to start the season, Chestnut would have a clear path to the RB2 role early on.

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Tennessee Titans running back Julius Chestnut got the start in his team's final preseason game on Friday night against the Minnesota Vikings and rushed for 28 yards and a touchdown on five carries. The 24-year-old played in 17 games for the Titans in 2024, recording 22 carries for 102 yards. With Tyjae Spears (ankle) currently sidelined, Chestnut could have an opportunity to open the season as the RB2 in Tennessee behind Tony Pollard. Sixth-round rookie Kalel Mullings figures to be Chestnut's biggest competition, so it could be telling that it was Chestnut who played the opening drive against the Vikings on Friday.

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Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Cameron Ward led a touchdown drive in his final possession of the preseason on Friday night against the Minnesota Vikings. Ward finished the night three-for-four as a passer for 36 yards and was sacked once for a loss of three. The number one overall pick played in all three of Tennessee's preseason games, completing 10 of his 19 passes for 145 yards with zero touchdowns, but also zero interceptions. Ward is the unquestioned starter for the Titans heading into his rookie campaign. He profiles as a low-end QB2 in redraft fantasy leagues who could have bursts of huge production but will likely struggle with inconsistency in his first NFL season.

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In his first game action with the Minnesota Vikings, Xazavian Valladay led the team in rushing with 39 yards on eight carries and added one catch for two yards on Friday at Tennessee. It was a solid day for the new acquisition, who has bounced around the league since going undrafted in 2023. The Vikings have an opening for a third running back behind Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, but Valladay will have an uphill climb to make Minnesota's final 53.

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Tight end Bryson Nesbit scored the Minnesota Vikings' lone touchdown on Friday at Tennessee thanks to a 21-yard connection with quarterback Max Brosmer. The North Carolina product finished with two catches for 45 yards on four targets in the preseason finale for the Vikings. Minnesota will once again roll with T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver at tight end, but it's open season beyond that. Draft pick Gavin Bartholomew (back) is on the PUP list, leaving Nesbit, fellow undrafted rookie Ben Yurosek, and veteran journeyman Nick Vannett competing for the third spot formerly held by Johnny Mundt. After a strong showing Friday, Nesbit has a real shot of being on the Vikings' 53-man roster.

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Dallas Cowboys running back Deuce Vaughn led his team in rushing on Friday night in preseason action against the Atlanta Falcons, recording 10 carries for 42 yards. Vaughn has been limited in training camp by a hamstring injury, but he earned the start at running back in the preseason finale. A sixth-round pick in 2023, Vaughn has just 40 career carries in 14 games played. However, there could be an opportunity for him to earn playing time in Dallas this season, given the team's muddled backfield situation. Veterans Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders are likely to open the season earning the majority of the reps, leaving Vaughn to battle with rookies Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah for a depth role. Blue (ankle) left Friday's game with an ankle injury, which could open a spot for Vaughn early in the year.

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The Minnesota Vikings gave quarterback Max Brosmer a long look Friday, during which he completed 15 of 23 passes for 161 and a touchdown. The undrafted rookie nearly had an even better night statistically, but a perfect long ball that would have converted a fourth down and set up first-and-goal was dropped. Of the quarterbacks on the Vikings' current roster, Sam Howell still seems most likely to back up starter J.J. McCarthy, though Brosmer has made a compelling case to stick around in Minnesota.

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Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Ryan Flournoy led his team in receiving yards on Friday night in preseason action against the Atlanta Falcons, hauling in four of his five targets for 45 yards. A sixth-round pick in 2024, Flournoy had 10 catches for 102 yards in 11 games as a rookie. Heading into 2025, Dallas has a clear top four in its wide receiver room with CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Jalen Tolbert, and KaVontae Turpin. The team's presumed WR5, Jonathan Mingo (knee), is expected to start the year on injured reserve with a knee injury. Mingo's injury could give Flournoy a better chance of making the roster.

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