Chicago Bears rookie running back Kyle Monangai was efficient in his first preseason outing against the Miami Dolphins. The rookie carried the ball six times for 30 yards and didn't play in the second half. Monangai ran with determination, averaging five yards per carry in his first game action. Although currently fourth on the Bears' unofficial depth chart, Monangai played earlier than current third-string running back Travis Homer and was much more productive. He has also been seeing some first-team reps in practice this week, so it's a promising sign to see Monangai perform well. The seventh-round draft pick should get more playing time if he continues to look good and will be someone to watch in the later rounds of fantasy drafts.

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Chicago Bears backup quarterback Tyson Bagent completed 13 of 19 passes for 103 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in his start against the Miami Dolphins. Bagent played the entire first half and had an up-and-down outing. After going three-and-out on the first two drives of the game, Bagent and the Bears marched down the field on a 16-play 79-yard drive that finished with a four-yard touchdown pass to Maurice Alexander on a fourth and goal. Bagent proceeded to throw an interception on the next drive to end a two-minute drill near the end of the half. Bagent is currently in a quarterback battle with veteran Case Keenum for the backup role behind starter Caleb Williams. Keenum played well in the second half and brings a veteran presence to a young quarterback room. Bagent will need to perform better against the Buffalo Bills next Sunday as he looks to cement his backup role for the Bears in 2025.

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Chicago Bears first-round tight end Colston Loveland played in the first two series in the Bears' opening preseason game, catching one of two targets for eight yards in the 24-24 tie versus the Miami Dolphins. The 10th overall pick got his first NFL action in Sunday's game with Tyson Bagent and the rest of the Bears' backups. Veteran tight end Cole Kmet is listed as the starting tight end on the Bears' unofficial depth chart and didn't see the field, which is a bit of a worrying sign for the rookie. New Bears head coach Ben Johnson has previously coordinated an offense that produced elite tight end production from Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta. Loveland will need to surpass Kmet on the depth chart and rely on Johnson's scheme and quarterback Caleb Williams' potential to match what LaPorta achieved as a rookie.

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Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III started his NFL career by catching two of three passes for 29 yards in Sunday's 24-24 tie against the Dolphins. Burden caught two passes for significant gains: a 16-yard reception on 3rd and 15, and a 13-yard gain that put kicker Cairo Santos in field-goal range. In crucial moments, quarterback Tyson Bagent looked to the rookie, and he delivered. Burden is currently behind D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, Olamide Zaccheaus, and Devin Duvernay on the Bears' unofficial depth chart, but he showed promise in his first game action. Expect more from Burden in the next preseason game against the Buffalo Bills.

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Miami Dolphins quarterback Zach Wilson had an up-and-down performance in his team's preseason game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Wilson completed five of his nine pass attempts for 96 yards and led two touchdown drives, but also took four sacks. Wilson entered the game for Miami's second drive of the day and played through the team's first drive of the second half. The fifth-year signal caller is in his first season with the Dolphins after spending 2024 with the Denver Broncos and not appearing in a game. Wilson is the favorite to be Tua Tagovailoa's backup this year in Miami, although seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers could push him for the role. Given Tagovailoa's extensive injury history, the Dolphins' QB2 role is one to monitor for fantasy managers.

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Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tahj Washington led his team in receiving in their preseason matchup with the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Washington was targeted four times and recorded three catches for 53 yards. A seventh-round pick out of USC in 2024, Washington missed his entire rookie season due to a lower-leg injury. The Dolphins have Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, and Malik Washington as the top four in their wide receiver room, so Tahj Washington is likely battling for a back-end roster spot. He's off to a good start in that effort with this preseason performance, but he's still multiple injuries away from being fantasy-relevant in 2025.

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Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III hauled in two catches on three targets for 29 yards in his first preseason game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. A second-round pick out of Missouri, Burden III recorded 192 receptions, 2,263 receiving yards, and 25 total touchdowns in 38 career college games. He's expected to play a significant role in Chicago as a rookie and could step in for the departed Keenan Allen as the team's primary slot receiver. Burden III profiles as a depth wide receiver option with upside in re-draft fantasy leagues.

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Washington Commanders wide receiver Luke McCaffrey (illness) returned to practice on Sunday after playing just one snap in Friday's 48-18 preseason loss to the Patriots. The 24-year-old is battling for a larger role in the Commanders' offense, and he should continue to see an uptick in reps with the first-team offense for as long as Terry McLaurin (ankle/contract) is sidelined. McCaffrey is entering his second season after being a third-round draft pick and had only one catch for negative one yard in the preseason loss. He finished his rookie campaign with a stat line of 18 catches for 168 yards and zero touchdowns. While he is not a significant fantasy contender in standard leagues, McCaffrey could be a late-round flyer in best ball formats and a much higher priority if McLaurin's contract issues linger into the regular season.

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Miami Dolphins running back Alexander Mattison (head) was taken to the locker room after suffering a possible head and neck injury during Miami's first preseason game against the Chicago Bears. The 27-year-old running back got spun around on a 21-yard reception, landing directly on his head as he was tackled into the turf. Mattison recorded three rushes for eight yards and a touchdown, along with the one 21-yard reception before his exit. Now in his sixth season, Mattison spent five years with the Minnesota Vikings and 2024 with the Las Vegas Raiders, where he posted a stat line of 132 rushes for 420 yards and four touchdowns, plus 36 catches for 294 yards and one touchdown. Mattison was already behind Jaylen Wright and De'Von Achane in the Miami backfield and appeared to be competing with rookie Ollie Gordon II for the other backup role.

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Miami Dolphins rookie running back Ollie Gordon II led the team in rushing in their first preseason game against the Chicago Bears, recording 33 yards and a touchdown on eight carries. Gordon II also added a 39-yard reception to his overall line. A sixth-round pick out of Oklahoma State, Gordon II rushed for 2,920 yards and 36 touchdowns in 39 career college games. Miami has De'Von Achane as its clear RB1, but Gordon II could push second-year back Jaylen Wright and veteran Alexander Mattison for the RB2 role. Mattison (head) was forced out of Sunday's game due to a possible concussion, so Gordon II could already be making his way up the backfield depth chart.

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Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (foot) was again absent from practice Sunday. The 24-year-old recently returned to practice after missing time earlier in training camp with a sore foot. Walker has been hampered by injuries over the last two seasons, playing in only 11 games last year and posting a stat line of 153 rushes for 573 yards and seven touchdowns. The dynamic power back, when healthy, has a nose for the end zone and has led the league in forced missed tackles and yards after contact. RotoBaller still projects him as RB16, as this latest absence is likely precautionary to ensure he is ready for Week 1, but given his history of various injuries, his status should continue to be monitored closely.

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Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner has looked "very promising" in training camp practices and is "currently the No. 1 tight end," according to Michael-Shawn Duggar of The Athletic. A fourth-round pick out of Michigan in the 2024 draft, Barner recorded 30 catches for 245 yards and four touchdowns in 17 games (six starts) as a rookie. Seattle released veteran tight end Noah Fant last month, which could be an indication of the confidence the organization has in Barner. However, the Seahawks also used a second-round pick in the 2025 draft at the position when they selected Elijah Arroyo, so Barner will still have in-house competition for targets and playing time.

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Miami Dolphins wide receiver Malik Washington "is WR No. 3" behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, according to Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald. A sixth-round pick out of Virginia in the 2024 draft, Washington recorded 26 catches for 223 yards in 14 games (three starts) for the Dolphins as a rookie. With Hill (oblique) currently sidelined by an oblique injury, Washington could be in line for a larger role than might otherwise be expected. However, Hill's availability for Week 1 is not currently thought to be in danger. If Hill is healthy, he and Waddle should dominate wide receiver targets in Miami. Washington would need one or both of the Dolphins' star receivers to miss time to factor in fantasy this season, but it's noteworthy that he appears to be the clear next man up in the pecking order.

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New Orleans Saints wide receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed are not going through pre-game warm-ups for the team's preseason opener against the Los Angeles Chargers, according to Luke Johnson of The New Orleans Times-Picayune. That means Spencer Rattler, who is getting the start against Los Angeles as he competes with Tyler Shough and Jake Haener for the QB1 job, will be without his top two wide receivers. Both Olave and Shaheed had their 2024 seasons significantly impacted by injuries, so it makes sense that the team would want to be cautious with them in the preseason.

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Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Jermaine Burton (undisclosed) missed practice on Sunday with an undisclosed injury and is considered day-to-day, according to ESPN's Ben Baby. He was a full participant in the team's practice on Saturday, so it's not clear when exactly this injury occurred. A third-round pick in 2024, Burton recorded just four catches in 14 games as a rookie. With Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins earning the lion's share of the wide receiver targets in Cincinnati and Andrei Iosivas entrenched as a solid WR3, it will be difficult for Burton to factor in fantasy without at least one injury to a player ahead of him on the depth chart.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles wants to see running back Sean Tucker get the ball more in 2025, according to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. Tucker is entering his third year with the team and has logged 65 career carries in 28 games played. Tampa Bay has a clear top two in their running back room with Bucky Irving and Rachaad White, but White (groin) left the team's preseason game on Saturday due to a groin injury. According to Smith, Bowles' comments about wanting Tucker more involved in the offense came even before White got hurt. Assuming White can return relatively quickly, it sounds like Tampa Bay may be planning to use all three backs. That could potentially impact the fantasy outlook for Irving, who currently profiles as a low-end RB1.

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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Skylar Thompson completed 20 of his 28 pass attempts for 233 yards and three touchdowns against the Jacksonville Jaguars in a 31-25 preseason win. He added three rushing yards on one carry. Thompson took over for Mason Rudolph after two offensive possessions and was electric in his three quarters of play. Most notably, the former Miami Dolphin connected with undrafted rookie receiver Ke'Shawn Williams on a 26-yard deep ball for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, but previously scored on red-zone passes to running backs Max Hurleman and Trey Sermon. With rookie quarterback Will Howard (hand) possibly sidelined for the entire preseason, Thompson should see plenty of exhibition opportunities and could earn a spot on a 53-man roster if he continues to play like this. His next shot will come against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday night.

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NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (back) will return to training camp practice on Monday. Stafford has not practiced at all this summer and was held out of the preseason opener on Saturday night against the Dallas Cowboys. The 37-year-old has been dealing with an aggravated disc in his back, but he was able to make around 60 throws before Saturday's contest, according to head coach Sean McVay. Stafford will now have a little under four weeks to prepare for the 2025 regular season as L.A.'s starting QB. He had no limitations with what he could do during his workout on Saturday, but the Rams will probably play it safe with Stafford as much as possible in practices going forward. Stafford can still sling it with the best of them, but injury concerns alone will make him a low-end QB2, at best, in fantasy leagues.

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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson finished with two receptions for 24 yards on two targets in a 31-25 preseason win against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Wilson took the field with Pittsburgh's first-team offense on Saturday and commanded looks from quarterback Mason Rudolph. The second-year pro is in line for a big opportunity in 2025 after missing nearly all of his rookie season due to ankle and hamstring injuries. While newly-acquired wideout D.K. Metcalf is clearly entrenched as the team's primary pass-catcher, Wilson could certainly carve out a role for himself in an otherwise thin wide receiver room that includes Calvin Austin III, Robert Woods, and Scotty Miller. He'll hope to further showcase his abilities in next week's exhibition bout with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports that Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III is expected to play in the preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, and he "should figure into the rotation significantly." However, Biggs is unsure if he'd put Burden in the starter category just yet. Rookie tight end Colston Loveland will also suit up on Sunday, although quarterback Caleb Williams, running back D'Andre Swift and receivers DJ Moore and Rome Odunze aren't starting. The 21-year-old Burden missed important development time during spring practices and the start of training camp with a soft-tissue injury, so the Bears would like to get him extra work in the preseason opener as their WR1. The second-rounder is primarily battling with Olamide Zaccheaus in his rookie season for the WR3 role in new head coach Ben Johnson's offense.

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