Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. was deployed as the No. 4 option during the team drills on Wednesday. According to JP Finaly of NBC4, during a QB/RB drill, Rodriguez was the fourth running back to take the field. Veteran Austin Ekeler continued to slot in as the top option while Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Jeremy McNichols served as the No. 2 and No. 3 options. This situation is worth closely monitoring as Rodriguez was initially listed as the third option on the depth chart earlier in the week, but appears to have been jumped by the seventh-round rookie, Croskey-Merritt. Last season, Rodriguez had a limited role in the offense but showed potential at times, posting a strong 4.9 YPC. Given his unknown role in the season opener, he is best left for deeper 14+ team formats as a high-risk flex option.

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Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler was once again deployed as the team's RB1 during practice on Wednesday. During a QB/RB drill, JP Finaly of NBC4 reported that Ekeler was given the first opportunity, while seventh-round rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt followed him. Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez Jr. followed behind him as the third and fourth running backs. Earlier in the week, Ekeler was listed first on the team's depth chart, and his usage during Wednesday's practice seems to solidify his role as the lead option. During his debut season in Washington, Ekeler served as the primary pass-catching back, but was still very effective on the ground, posting a 4.8 YPC. Given his projected role, Ekeler carries RB2 upside in PPR leagues and strong flex value in standard formats facing the New York Giants in Week 1.

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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (calf) was a limited participant during Wednesday's practice session but is expected to play in Week 1, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. Jennings has been sidelined throughout most of August due to this calf injury. However, seeing him return to the practice, albeit in a limited capacity, is a positive sign. Fantasy managers should continue to keep an eye on his status leading up to the season opener against the Seattle Seahawks. Last season, Jennings enjoyed a breakout campaign, totaling 975 yards on 77 receptions. He found the back of the end zone six times. With Deebo Samuel Sr. now in Washington and Brandon Aiyuk (knee) slated to miss the first month of the season, Jennings has a clear path to open the season as Brock Purdy's go-to option in the passing attack. If he is cleared to play, Jennings carries WR2 upside, facing the Seahawks.

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New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (toe) is not on the team's initial injury report. Throughout camp, Nabers has been diagnosed with a lingering toe injury in addition to back and shoulder injuries. However, seeing Nabers not on the report early in the week suggests he will be given a full workload during their season opener on Sunday afternoon against the Washington Commanders. During his rookie campaign, the former LSU standout established himself as one of the top rising stars in the sport. Nabers caught 109 passes for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns. During the final four games of the season, Nabers flashed immense upside, averaging a stellar 22.9 PPR points per game. Given his role as the clear WR1 in the offense, Nabers is a must-start in all formats in Week 1.

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Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (hamstring) is not on the team's initial injury report. This is an excellent sign as the wideout was battling a hamstring injury throughout most of August. However, seeing him practice in full on Wednesday should put him in an excellent position to be at full strength in their season opener on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status throughout the week in case he faces a setback. Last season, despite playing with subpar QB play, Downs flashed immense upside as he averaged 13.1 PPR points per game across 14 contests. During this stretch, Downs tallied 57.4 yards per game and scored five touchdowns. With Daniel Jones slated to serve as the QB1 in Indianapolis, Downs possesses high-end WR3 upside facing the Dolphins.

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DE Dorance Armstrong (knee), WR Noah Brown (knee), and CB Jonathan Jones (hamstring) were limited in practice on Wednesday, Sept. 3. PK Matt Gay (illness) and QB Marcus Mariota (Achilles) practiced in full on Wednesday. TE Zach Ertz (rest) was not given a practice designation on Wednesday.

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Washington Commanders WR Noah Brown (knee) was limited during practice Wednesday, Sept. 3.

Fantasy Spin: Brown has been recovering from a knee injury he suffered during the offseason, but he seems to have a chance to play in the opener. Brown likely will serve as the No. 3 receiver for the Commanders but may be limited in Week 1 depending on his recovery. Fantasy players may want to consider other options this week and keep Brown on the bench.

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Washington Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown (knee) was listed as a limited participant on the Wednesday on the team's first injury report of the year, according to Dan Salomne of Giants.com. Brown was injured all the way back in June in minicamp, but now we know he's been tending to a knee injury. It's good news that he's practicing at all, but he might have to get in a full practice the next two days to avoid a questionable tag heading into the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday against the division-rival New York Giants. Now that Terry McLaurin is no longer holding out, the 29-year-old Brown won't be a realistic starting lineup option in fantasy if he's active this weekend after the addition of Deebo Samuel Sr. to the offense. He is competing primarily with Luke McCaffrey for Washington's WR3 role in 2025.

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Washington Commanders TE Zach Ertz (non-injury) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Sept. 3.

Fantasy Spin: Ertz likely will get most Wednesdays off this season since he is a veteran but will be ready to play in Week 1. He should see a handful of targets during the game but probably will only be a No. 2 tight end in leagues.

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Free-agent WR Russell Gage Jr. (49ers) was signed to the San Francisco 49ers practice squad Wednesday, Sept. 3.

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Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane (calf) appeared to be limited in the portion of practice open to the media on Wednesday, according to David Furones of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. The fact that Achane is practicing at all is a good sign after he missed the final two weeks of training camp with a calf injury, and head coach Mike McDaniel said on Monday that he expects the 23-year-old to be active for Week 1 this Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts. Fantasy managers would be happy to see Achane upgrade to full participation by the end of the week, but as long as he's active on game day, he should be in play as at least a high-end RB2 for fantasy lineups to kick off the season. With backup Jaylen Wright (leg) expected to miss the first couple of weeks, rookie Ollie Gordon II will have a bigger role as a change-of-pace option behind Achane.

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Baltimore Ravens TE Isaiah Likely (foot) is probably a little ahead of schedule in his recovery, according to head coach John Harbaugh.

Fantasy Spin: Likely is not expected to play in the regular season opener, but he appears to have a chance to return in Week 2 or Week 3. He will see a few targets when he returns to the lineup and can be a No. 2 tight end in fantasy leagues.

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Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (oblique) will be listed as a limited practice participant on Wednesday and has been ramping up his activity ahead of Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts, according to David Furones of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Hill missed over three weeks during training camp this summer with an oblique injury, but the speedy 31-year-old returned to practice last week and has been ramping up since then. Barring a setback on Thursday or Friday, the Cheetah should be ready to go for the regular-season opener this weekend. Fantasy managers would feel a lot better if Hill is able to upgrade to full practice partcipation by Friday. If Hill is a full-go on Sunday without any limitations, he should be considered a must-start as at least a high-end WR2 as he looks to bounce back from a frustrating 2024 campaign.

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Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely (foot) was not seen practicing on Wednesday with the rest of the team, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Likely was on the field early and was talking with head coach John Harbaugh, but then he went inside early. The 25-year-old tight end has not practiced since having surgery to fix a small fracture in his left foot that he suffered near the start of training camp at the end of July, and he's not expected to be available for Week 1 this Sunday night against the Buffalo Bills. However, the Ravens are still expecting Likely to be available early in the season, which is why he avoided Injured Reserve to start the year. Likely will likely be ruled out for Week 1 on Friday, which means fellow TE Mark Andrews should be a must-start TE1 in fantasy lineups to kick things off as one of quarterback Lamar Jackson's most trusted targets.

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Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed (foot) is the only player on the roster who is not practicing on Wednesday, according to Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Reed had taken part in the past few practices after returning from a foot injury that had him in a walking boot during training camp, but he was seen standing on the sideline on Wednesday. He told Wood last week that his availability for the Week 1 season opener on Sunday against the division-rival Detroit Lions was uncertain. The 25-year-old is dealing with a Jones fracture in his left foot and is trending as a very risky starting lineup option right now for fantasy managers in Week 1. Reed is going to need to get back on the practice field later this week to have a chance of suiting up. If he's available against Detroit, he will be an even more boom/bust WR4/flex.

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Miami Dolphins TE Darren Waller (undisclosed) will not participate in practice Wednesday, Sept. 3, but head coach Mike McDaniel said Waller has not suffered any setbacks.

Fantasy Spin: Waller is still working his way back into game shape, so his workload for Week 1 uncertain at this point. He will be involved in the passing game this season but will likely be a No. 2 tight end in most fantasy leagues.

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Free- agent WR Lance McCutcheon (Steelers) was signed to the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad Wednesday, Sept. 3. The team also released WR Robert Woods from the practice squad.

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Washington Commanders rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt was seen working as the No. 2 running back during team drills on Wednesday, according to JP Finaly of NBC. This is an excellent sign for the seventh-round rookie as he was listed fourth on the team's depth chart earlier in the week. During these QB/RB drills, Croskey-Merritt was deployed behind the presumed starter, Austin Ekeler, while Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez Jr. were deployed as the No. 3 and No. 4 options. Fantasy managers should continue to keep a close eye on this backfield throughout the early part of the season. Earlier in August, the Commanders opted to trade their top running back from last season, Brian Robinson Jr., to the San Francisco 49ers. In the preseason, Croskey-Merritt has looked very impressive and continues to make a case to open the season in the starting role. For now, the Arizona product figures to be a risky RB3 in Week 1 as his role has yet to be defined.

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Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said that the team is being very intentional with tight end Darren Waller's practice workload, and he will not be out at practice with the rest of the team on Wednesday by design, according to ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques. The Dolphins continue to ramp up Waller's workload heading into this Sunday's regular-season opener against the Indianapolis Colts after the 32-year-old veteran was out of football all of last year. Waller came out of retirement to play for the Dolphins after they traded Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the offseason. While Waller is expected to be active against the Colts in Week 1, he's unlikely to be on the field all that much, which means fantasy managers should be avoiding him in their starting lineups out of the gates. It's hard to project Waller's production this year, but at best, he's a TE2 stash for now.

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Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel addressed how rookie running back Ollie Gordon II will be used as a rookie on Wednesday. "I know he'll have zero plays, or all the plays. Zero yards or all the yards, or somewhere in between," McDaniel said. We're not really sure exactly what that means, but Gordon certainly has the potential to make noise in fantasy in his first year in the NFL, mainly because of his speed. Jaylen Wright (leg) is going to miss the first couple weeks of the season, too, which means Gordon will open Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts as the direct change-of-pace option behind De'Von Achane, who missed practice in the final few weeks of training camp due to a calf injury. The Dolphins could take it easy on Achane and give Gordon plenty of run early on, making him a worthile bench stash, even in 12-team fantasy leagues.

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