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NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that the Minnesota Vikings have reworked veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen's contract. Pelissero notes that the 35-year-old's salary will be cut by $2 million, while $4 million in incentives will be removed. It was seemingly never about the money for Thielen, who returns to the team that took a chance on him as an undrafted free agent back in 2013. The Minnesota State alum missed a good chunk of time during 2024 with a hamstring strain, but averaged 72.3 receiving yards per game from Weeks 12 to 18 when he was healthy. That includes two 100-yard efforts and one more just shy of that (99). Thielen projects to play a sizable role in the offense while teammate Jordan Addison serves his three-game suspension to start the year. Still, his production could be volatile with the unknown variable of second-year signal-caller J.J. McCarthy.

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Once a sneaky candidate to back up star running back Christian McCaffrey, stock for San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan James has declined since the NFL Draft. The fifth-round pick broke a finger, forcing him to be sidelined for a few weeks. Then, the 49ers traded for former Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. Head coach Kyle Shanahan stated that Robinson is locked into the number two role, and second-year back Isaac Guerendo is currently manning the third spot on the depth chart. Although he's back on the practice field now, James may never get the chance to showcase his talents during a regular-season football game this season, barring a rash of injuries in the San Francisco backfield. Still, general manager John Lynch recently reconfirmed his confidence in the rookie, so dynasty managers shouldn't give up hope yet. The other three San Francisco running backs are regularly being selected in redraft leagues.

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Las Vegas Raiders rookie wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr.'s role in the team's offense is unclear with the addition of veteran wide receiver Amari Cooper to the fold. The University of Tennessee product has speed for days and garnered hype this Summer as the Raiders' legitimate WR2 alongside incumbent starter Jakobi Meyers. However, Cooper returning to the team that selected him fourth overall in the 2015 NFL Draft is unideal for the prospect. Currently, Thornton Jr. sits fourth on Las Vegas' unofficial depth chart, behind Cooper, Meyers, and third-year pass-catcher Tre Tucker, who has flashed as well. The possibility remains that Thornton Jr. will eventually work into the starting offense. For now, though, fantasy managers can't expect more than the occasional spike week. He carries more value in best ball and dynasty formats.

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New Orleans Saints running back Devin Neal is listed fourth on the team's depth chart, but still made the most of his limited preseason opportunities. The sixth-round pick out of Kansas was sidelined with a hamstring injury for a large chunk of training camp, preventing him from winning the backup job to Alvin Kamara. Kendre Miller earned that role, relegating Neal to fight for touches with converted wide receiver and special teams player Velus Jones Jr. Neal impressed head coach Kellen Moore and backup quarterback Tyler Shough in his lone preseason appearance (seven touches for 30 yards), and the team parted ways with Clyde Edwards-Helaire shortly after. It will take an injury or two for Neal to receive meaningful touches on what could be the league's worst offense. He doesn't need to be drafted in standard-sized redraft leagues this season.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield appears to be in line for a new contract this offseason, according to a report from The Athletic's Jeff Howe. The Buccaneers signed Mayfield to what is now viewed as a discounted three-year, $100 million deal in March 2024. Mayfield responded by setting career-high marks in completions (407), passing yards (4,500), and touchdowns (41), and led the Buccaneers to an NFC South title. He also ran for more yards (378) than ever before in his career. Mayfield and the Tampa Bay front office have made it clear they want to continue this relationship long-term, so it should come as no surprise to see Mayfield earn a raise before entering the final year of his current contract. Mayfield ranks as RotoBaller's QB8 in redraft leagues this season.

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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is taking extra efforts to make sure the team's offense is doing things correctly, according to The Athletic's Jeff Howe. Unfortunately, teachings from the 41-year-old are coming often. The Steelers exchanged their starting quarterback, running back, and top wide receiver this offseason, so there's not much continuity on the practice field. Howe notes the offense is still a work in progress, but Rodgers is doing everything he can to get the team ready for Week 1. Rodgers, in what is likely the final season of his career, is buried in the quarterback fantasy football rankings. But he's shown a tendency to hyper-target his top wide receiver, bringing hope for a strong season from DK Metcalf.

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Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders put together an impressive training camp, most notably as a receiver. Head coach Dave Canales recently spoke about his improvement as a pass-catcher. The second-year, fourth-round pick caught 33 passes for 342 yards and one touchdown during his rookie season. Interestingly, he did that on only 43 targets. Sanders was on the field often, but wasn't a favorite target for quarterback Bryce Young. Following an absence in Week 13 due to an injury, Sanders was almost completely uninvolved in the Carolina passing attack. He projects to be Carolina's primary tight end in 2025, but his rookie inconsistencies have made him nothing more than a late-round dart throw in fantasy football redraft leagues.

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The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt predicts that New York Jets running back Braelon Allen "will become the predominant ball carrier" in the team's running back room, "perhaps early" in the season. Rosenblatt also writes that he expects the Jets to finish in the top five in the NFL in team rushing attempts, so the team's lead rusher could end up with a significant workload. Allen is expected to split reps at running back with Breece Hall, but Rosenblatt implies that Hall could shift into more of a pass-game role this season. Allen profiles as a low-end RB3/high-end RB4 in redraft fantasy leagues for 2025, and should have dynasty appeal as the Jets running back of the future with Hall in the final year of his contract.

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New England Patriots rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson has "impressed Patriots brass with his ability to run between the tackles, not just to the outside," according to Chad Graff of The Athletic. Graff also writes that Henderson "looks like easily (New England's) best offensive weapon" and has "outperformed both" of the team's veteran running backs, Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson, in practice. Henderson's explosive speed and receiving ability are well known from his collegiate days at Ohio State. However, if the 22-year-old is also opening eyes with his inside rushing ability, he could be on the fast track to a three-down role in New England. Henderson is a priority RB2 target in redraft leagues with significant upside if he can wrestle touches away from Stevenson and Gibson over the course of the season.

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The Athletic's Daniel Popper predicts that Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman "is going to feed" rookie running back Omarion Hampton this year and that Hampton can be a "very productive workhorse." Veteran running back Najee Harris (eye) is back in practice, but Popper writes that there are "still questions about how much Harris will be able to contribute." Hampton was drafted in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft and has the skillset to be a three-down back. The 22-year-old profiles as a low-end RB1/high-end RB2 in fantasy, and his ceiling is likely only capped by how many touches he gets in the Chargers' offense.

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The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. predicts that Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown's workload "won't be too far off" from the 23.6 touches he averaged per game between Week 9 and Week 17 of the 2024 season. Dehner Jr. writes that the team "restructured the run game specifically around (Brown's) skillset" and is "utilizing him more split out wide." During the eight-game stretch last season referenced above, Brown gained 930 yards from scrimmage and scored six touchdowns. As long as Cincinnati's offense is again one of the league's most prolific, Brown should be in line for a monster season. He's a low-end fantasy RB1, and could finish even higher in full-PPR scoring formats.

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Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton has been one of the hottest names this training camp and preseason, and the rookie receiver should be in a good spot to make an immediate impact. Coach Mike Macdonald said earlier this week that Horton has recovered from his ankle injury to return punts beginning Week 1. The fact that he'll be healthy to start the season could be huge for the impressive fifth-round pick, who compiled 167 catches, 2,267 receiving yards, and 16 touchdowns in two seasons at Colorado State. He'll start the year as the team's third receiver behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp, but he could climb the depth chart with his playmaking upside. He is a nice sleeper to target late in drafts and is the WR73 in the RotoBaller rankings.

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Cleveland Brows tight end Harold Fannin Jr. has played his way into a significant role with the team after a productive training camp and preseason. Quarterback Joe Flacco praised his rookie tight end by saying, "he's going to be...an important piece for us." Fannin worked out of the slot this preseason and played alongside veteran tight end David Njoku, which should make both solid fantasy names to watch coming into the season. The Browns drafted Fannin Jr. in the third round out of Bowling Green, after he racked up 1,555 yards and 10 touchdowns in 13 games last year. Fannin Jr. is the TE30 in the RotoBaller rankings since his role is still uncertain, but he brings enough upside to target late in the draft or off the waiver wire if you need tight-end depth in deep leagues. He would also be a priority pick-up if Njoku deals with any injury issues like he did last year.

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Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet had a great training camp, according to The Athletic's Jeff Howe, and he could have a larger role in the team's offense after Kenneth Walker III missed significant time while dealing with a foot injury. With Klint Kubiak in place as the team's new offensive coordinator, the team will likely have a renewed focus on the run game, and Charbonnet and Walker could both be solid fantasy options at times this season. Last year, Charbonnet had 569 rushing yards on 135 carries while adding 42 catches for 340 receiving yards, all new career highs in his second season out of UCLA. He also found the end zone nine times. Charbonnet is the RB32 in the RotoBaller rankings and is a very solid RB3 with RB2 upside if he does indeed seize a larger role in Seattle's backfield after his strong camp.

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Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. could be on the move this year, according to the latest report from The Athletic's Jeff Howe. Howe reported that if the Falcons struggle early in the season and Pitts isn't clicking with new quarterback Michael Penix Jr., he could be available before the trade deadline. Pitts is coming into the final year of his huge five-year rookie contract and will earn a hefty $10.878 million salary. While that huge price tag will make a trade tricky, teams have been willing to eat salary to add a playmaker or to add draft capital if the Falcons include a draft pick in the deal. Pitts hauled in 47 catches for 602 yards and a career-high four touchdowns while playing all 17 games last season. He posted over 600 yards in each of the last two years, but he hasn't consistently delivered on the upside that he promised as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. A change of scenery would be interesting for Pitts and his fantasy value as a fringe TE1 before he hits the free agent market after this season.

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The Washington Commanders have been "blown away" by wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr.'s "commitment to recapturing as much of his prime as possible," according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic. Samuel Sr. has reportedly shed weight over the offseason after being acquired by Washington from the San Francisco 49ers. The 29-year-old is coming off an underwhelming season, recording 806 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns on 93 total touches across 15 games for San Francisco. Recapturing his peak form from 2021, when he recorded 1,770 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns, may be a stretch, but Samuel Sr. could conceivably bounce back to somewhere in between his best season and his most recent one. He's the clear WR2 behind Terry McLaurin in Washington, and he may get multiple touches per game as a rusher as well. Samuel Sr. could easily end up being undervalued as a low-end WR3/high-end WR4 in fantasy drafts.

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Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze has "taken on more of a natural leadership role, which has impressed those in every corner of (the team's) building," according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic. Howe writes that Odunze is "growing in new coach Ben Johnson's system on and off the field." The 2024 first-rounder is expected to make a leap from his rookie-season production, when he posted 54 catches for 734 yards and three touchdowns in 17 games. Odunze enters 2025 as the WR2 in Chicago behind D.J. Moore, but he has the talent to work his way into being the favorite target of quarterback Caleb Williams over the course of the season. The 23-year-old profiles as a WR3/flex option in fantasy with significant upside if he can hit on his full potential and the Bears' offense as a whole improves in Johnson's first year at the helm.

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League evaluators see "a lot of room for improvement" in Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix and "believe he's capable of raising his game," per Jeff Howe of The Athletic. Nix outperformed expectations as a rookie in 2024, throwing for 3,775 yards and 29 touchdowns in 17 games. He also showed an ability to make plays with his legs, rushing for 430 yards and four scores on 92 attempts. Nix finished the season on a tear, throwing for 19 touchdowns and completing 70.3% of his passes over his final eight regular-season games. He'll be expected to be more consistent from start to finish in his second season under center for the Broncos. Nix profiles as a low-end fantasy QB1 who is helped by his dual-threat ability and the significant talent around him in Denver.

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Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is expected to make more pre-snap reads in new head coach and play caller Liam Coen's offense, according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic. Howe writes that Lawrence will be sent to the line with two play calls "90% of the time," and that a "trusted QB expert believed Lawrence could turn it on in the second half of the season when he becomes more comfortable." As the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024, Coen engineered the best season of quarterback Baker Mayfield's career. A similar breakout could be possible for Lawrence, who is coming off an injury-shortened campaign that saw him average the lowest amount of passing yards per game of his career. The 25-year-old profiles as a mid-tier fantasy QB2 with upside.

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New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte should not be overlooked coming off a "stunning" offseason turnaround, according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic. Boutte is in the mix with veteran Mack Hollins and rookie Kyle Williams for the WR3 job in New England alongside Stefon Diggs and DeMario Douglas. In 15 games for the Patriots last season, Boutte recorded 43 catches for 589 yards and three touchdowns. A sixth-round pick in 2023, Boutte is still just 23 years old and showed significant improvement between his rookie and sophomore seasons. If he can take another leap forward, there's a pathway for him to significant playing time in New England. Boutte should not be drafted in redraft fantasy leagues, but he's a name to monitor as a potential early-season waiver-wire candidate.

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