Los Angeles Rams backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is not expected to play in the team's preseason opener on Saturday night against the Dallas Cowboys, according to Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times. The Rams are also holding starter Matthew Stafford (back) out since he has yet to take part in a training camp practice this summer due to an aggravated disc in his back. The Rams are optimistic that Stafford will be ready for the Week 1 regular-season opener, but in the meantime, Jimmy G has looked good running the first-team offense. With both Stafford and Garoppolo resting this weekend, the Rams will roll with Stetson Bennett and Dresser Winn under center on Saturday against Dallas. Garoppolo is worth stashing in two-QB superflex leagues just in case Stafford's back acts up on him before the start of the regular season.

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Buffalo Bills running back James Cook was seen in full uniform going through pre-game warmups on Saturday before the team's preseason opener versus the New York Giants, according to ESPN's Alaina Getzenberg. Cook started training camp this summer participating with the team, but he recently made the decision to sit out of practices as he continues to negotiate a contract extension with the organization. It's unclear if the 25-year-old will actually take part in the preseason game on Saturday against the Giants, but it could be a sign that both sides are inching closer towards getting something done as he enters the final year of his current deal. Securing an extension would make Cook a more attractive RB2 target in fantasy as he comes off a second straight 1,000-yard rushing season with a league-high 16 touchdowns. Cooks remains Buffalo's RB1, but fantasy managers need to plan for plenty of TD regression.

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New York Giants wide receivers Malik Nabers (shoulder) and Darius Slayton (undisclosed) were not involved in pre-game warmups on Saturday and are not expected to suit up for the preseason opener against the Buffalo Bills, according to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. It's a big chance for Jalin Hyatt to impress the coaches. Neither Nabers' or Slayton's injuries are serious, but the Giants will play it safe early in the preseason and hold them both out. In addition to a shoulder injury, the 22-year-old Nabers has also battled a toe injury since college, but it didn't slow him down at all in his rookie season in 2024, as he had a 109-1,204-7 line on 170 targets. Nabers' nagging injuries are worth watching closely, but as of now, there's no reason not to target him as a strong WR1 in fantasy drafts in 2025.

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Indianapolis Colts third-year signal-caller Anthony Richardson Sr. (finger) plans to practice on Saturday, Stephen Holder of ESPN reports. On Thursday, the Colts played the Baltimore Ravens in their preseason opener, and Richardson was sacked on a drop-back pass, subsequently leaving the game after dislocating his right pinkie on the hit. Still, following the Colts' scheduled day off Friday, Richardson is poised to practice Saturday, which is excellent news for Richardson as battles for the starting QB job in Indy with Daniel Jones. The 23-year-old has had his ups and downs in the NFL, but Richardson is trying to put the lows behind him and prove to the Colts that he is their guy under center for 2025 and the long haul. For the time being, Richardson remains a high-upside QB2 if he starts and is currently ranked as QB28, according to the NFFC, while his counterpart Jones is ranked as the QB31.

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Dallas Cowboys rookie running back Phil Mafah indicated Friday that he played through a torn labrum in his shoulder during his final college season at Clemson, Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News reports. Mafah has been looking good in camp thus far and mentioned that he is feeling healthy, then proceeded to discuss his 2024 injury. During the 2024 season, he rushed for 1,115 yards and eight touchdowns on 216 carries. He also caught 21 passes for 103 yards and played all 14 games, starting every one, and was voted a permanent team captain by his teammates. Those are still solid numbers considering he was dealing with a shoulder injury. Nonetheless, it could be why he fell to the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft in the spring. A big performance from Mafah on Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams could create a running back battle in the Cowboys' backfield between the two veterans (Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders) and the two rookies (Jaydon Blue and Mafah) ahead of Week 1. At this point, from a fantasy standpoint, Mafah remains a dynasty stash at best.

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Washington Commanders wide receiver Luke McCaffrey (illness) had a pregame illness and tried to play through it on Friday against the New England Patriots, but couldn't. Dan Quinn says more injury updates will be available on Sunday, JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington reports. McCaffrey tried to play in the game on Friday and caught his only target for minus-1 yard, but ultimately couldn't keep going. The 2024 third-rounder is fighting for a bigger role in Washington's offense this season after finishing his rookie season with 18 catches (on 24 targets) for 168 yards across 17 regular-season games, so, understandably, he wants to play as much as possible in preseason action. Especially with the news that Terry McLaurin has requested a trade, opening up a potential opportunity in the expansive receiver room. Regardless, McCaffrey is nothing more than a late-round long shot for fantasy in this upcoming season. He remains a decent dynasty stash. The Commanders' next tilt is on August 18, giving McCaffrey some time to recover.

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Philadelphia Eagles star wide receiver A.J. Brown (hamstring) was not practicing Saturday morning, Martin Frank of The Delaware News Journal reports. Brown continues to battle through a hamstring injury that caused him to miss Thursday's preseason matchup against the Detroit Lions, and he has now been sidelined since August 1. The Eagles play the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, September 4, for their season opener, and Brown will have two more opportunities to suit up for the preseason before that matchup. He doesn't need to get those reps for his fantasy outlook in 2025, but fantasy managers certainly don't want to see this hamstring linger into the regular season. Brown is considered a WR1 in all fantasy formats and is the WR10 overall according to NFFC. With Brown sidelined, Johnny Wilson and Ainias Smith will continue to rotate in three-wideout sets with the first-team offense alongside DeVonta Smith and Jahan Dotson.

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The New York Giants plan to start Russell Wilson in their preseason opener on Saturday against the Buffalo Bills, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN. The veteran is part of a completely revamped New York quarterback room, which also includes Jameis Winston and rookie Jaxson Dart. The 36-year-old Wilson helped lead Pittsburgh to the playoffs in his only year with the club, but a five-game losing streak to end the season soured the prospects of a return. At least for now, he appears to have the inside track for the Giants' starting job.

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Well-traveled Washington Commanders quarterback Josh Johnson completed 15 of 22 passes for a game-high 173 yards with one touchdown and an interception on Friday against the New England Patriots. Jayden Daniels is the no-doubt starter for Washington with Marcus Mariota also in the fold as the likely backup, leaving Johnson and Sam Hartman competing for the third spot. Hartman struggled while the 38-year-old Johnson proved to be the more effective of the two, at least in the opener. Washington will next take on Cincinnati on Aug. 18.

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Running back Jamaal Williams completed a workout with the Chicago Bears, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The 30-year-old running back is coming off a forgettable tenure with the New Orleans Saints in which he managed just 470 yards and two touchdowns in the past two seasons combined. Williams' best season came as a member of the Lions in 2022 when he surpassed 1,000 yards rushing and scored 17 touchdowns. With former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson now the head coach in Chicago, Williams is at least getting a look with the Bears.

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Detroit Lions rookie wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa caught two passes on three targets for 18 yards and a touchdown in his team's 17-10 preseason win over the Atlanta Falcons on Friday night. Detroit used a third-round pick on TeSlaa in the 2025 draft, and reports out of training camp have indicated that the 23-year-old has been playing well in practice. Even still, TeSlaa does not project to have a huge role in the offense as a rookie. The Lions have the star duo of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams leading their wide receiver room and steady veterans Tim Patrick and Kalif Raymond behind them. That makes 2025 likely a developmental season for TeSlaa, but he could eventually push the 31-year-old Patrick for playing time.

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Detroit Lions rookie wide receiver Jackson Meeks led the team in receiving during Detroit's 17-10 preseason win over the Atlanta Falcons on Friday night. Meeks recorded three catches on four targets for 78 yards and a touchdown. An undrafted free agent out of Syracuse, Meeks logged 78 catches for 1,021 yards and seven touchdowns in his final collegiate season in 2024. The Lions have a deep wide receiver room with players like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Tim Patrick, Kalif Raymond, and third-round rookie Isaac TeSlaa. That leaves Meeks competing for a roster spot with veterans Ronnie Bell and Tom Kennedy as well as fellow rookies Dominic Lovett and Jakobie Keeney-James. Meeks is probably still a long shot to make the team, but he may have separated himself to some degree with a strong showing on Friday.

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Detroit Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker had a rough outing in his team's second preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons on Friday night. Hooker completed seven of ten pass attempts for just 38 yards and lost two fumbles. The third-year quarterback got the start after playing behind veteran Kyle Allen in the Lions' first preseason game, but Hooker was pulled in the middle of the second quarter against the Falcons. Hooker and Allen are competing for the backup quarterback job in Detroit behind Jared Goff. The competition has been open throughout training camp, but Hooker may have fallen behind Allen with his poor showing on Friday night.

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Detroit Lions quarterback Kyle Allen completed seven of eight pass attempts for 120 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions in his team's 17-10 preseason win over the Atlanta Falcons on Friday night. He entered the game in the second quarter, replacing Hendon Hooker at quarterback. Allen and Hooker are competing for the backup quarterback job in Detroit behind Jared Goff. Both players struggled in the team's preseason opener against the Los Angeles Chargers, but Allen significantly outplayed Hooker against Atlanta. The Lions' usage of their two reserve quarterbacks will be something to monitor in the team's third preseason game against the Miami Dolphins on August 16.

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Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders completed 14 of his 23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns while rushing four times for 19 yards in a 30-10 win over the Carolina Panthers in the preseason opener on Friday. Sanders got the start for Cleveland and found wide receiver Kaden Davis for a pair of scores in the second quarter. The rookie signal-caller played into the third quarter, leading a third touchdown drive that was capped off by a four-yard rushing score by Gage Larvadain before calling it a night. Sanders is looking to beat out Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Dillon Gabriel for the chance to be Cleveland's starting quarterback in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals. While there's still plenty of time left in the preseason, he made a good first impression on Friday night.

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Cleveland Browns running back Dylan Sampson carried the ball twice for six yards and failed to catch his lone target in a 30-10 preseason win over the Carolina Panthers on Friday. Sampson got the start, taking his first carry of the game for a five-yard gain while rotating with Trayveon Williams. The rookie runner out of Tennessee has a chance to earn a large role alongside Jerome Ford in the Cleveland backfield thanks to the legal issues of Quinshon Judkins, who remains unsigned. Sampson will continue to state his case in Cleveland's second preseason game, which will come next Saturday against the Philadelphia Eagles.

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New England Patriots wide receiver Efton Chism III caught six of his eight targets for 50 yards and a touchdown during Friday's preseason opener against the Washington Commanders. He also returned a punt for 11 yards. We had heard a lot about Chism's talent and ability through training camp so far, but it was even more exciting to see him produce in a game. The 23-year-old Eastern Washington product is an underdog story after going undrafted this past spring. He signed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent and, despite facing an uphill battle, has put himself in the mix for a roster spot. He still has work to do in order to make the team, but pacing the team's receivers on Friday was a great place to start. Should Chism survive final cuts at the end of the preseason, he'd fill a back-end depth role in New England and would struggle to carve out a role for fantasy football purposes.

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Washington Commanders wide receiver Ja'Corey Brooks led the team in receiving in their first preseason game against the Patriots, catching all five targets for 59 yards. The 2025 undrafted free agent stepped in to play the majority of the second half and made the most of his opportunity. Brooks, a former five-star recruit out of high school, played at Alabama before transferring to Louisville for a season. He has good size at 6'2", 190 pounds, and posted over 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns in his final collegiate season. However, his poor athletic testing dragged him down in the draft process. With the Terry McLaurin contract situation and the state of the Commanders' receiver room, there is an opportunity for Brooks to make the roster as the sixth receiver. He'll need to continue to stack positive days at practice as well as produce when the lights come on for him to have a chance.

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New England Patriots running back Lan Larison rushed seven times for 35 yards and a touchdown during Friday's preseason opener against the Washington Commanders. He also caught each of his two targets for a total of nine yards through the air. Larison, a 23-year-old UC Davis product, signed with the team as an undrafted free agent back in May. As a result, he faces an uphill battle to make the roster. Nevertheless, he certainly made a positive impact and got himself noticed with Friday's productive showing. As the summer carries on, Larison will likely continue to compete with Terrell Jennings and JaMycal Hasty for the No. 4 running back role.

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New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 36 yards on seven carries during Friday's preseason opener against the Washington Commanders. He was not targeted in the passing game. Although Stevenson has been productive through four seasons and has a 1,400-yard year under his belt, he still faces some job security. He was benched late last season for Antonio Gibson, and now he must also fend off the likes of TreVeyon Henderson. That won't be easy, as Henderson contributed a 100-yard kick return touchdown on Friday and also broke off an 18-yard rush. This backfield competition continues to be a must-watch for fans and fantasy managers alike as the summer carries on.

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