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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Miami Dolphins wide receivers Tyreek Hill (oblique) and Jaylen Waddle were not dressed for pre-game warmups and are not expected to play in the team's preseason opener on Sunday against the Chicago Bears, according to David Furones of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Hill dealt with a wrist injury pretty much all of last season and has been tending to an oblique injury during training camp. The injury isn't believed to be very serious, but it's worth watching for the 31-year-old veteran pass-catcher after he put up an 81-959-6 line in 2024, which was disappointing by his standards. With Miami's top two receivers sitting this one out, Malik Washington, Erik Ezukanma, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Dee Eskridge and others will see more opportunities in the preseason opener.

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Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was dressed in full uniform as the team came out for pre-game warmups on Sunday before their preseason opener against the Chicago Bears, according to David Furones of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Starting receivers Tyreek Hill (oblique) and Jaylen Waddle will not play, but Tagovailoa will at least see the field for several offensive series this weekend. Backups Zach Wilson and rookie Quinn Ewers will likely see most of the action in the preseason opener. The 27-year-old Tagovailoa suffered another scary injury in 2024 and played in just 11 games, throwing for 2,867 yards, 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions a year after leading the NFL in passing yards. Miami's offense could bounce back this year, but Tua's injury history alone makes him a scary proposition, even as a QB2 in fantasy.

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Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan said that running back Tyjae Spears (ankle) will miss a couple of weeks at least after he suffered a high-ankle sprain in Saturday's preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and had to be carted off the field. This means that Spears should be considered questionable to play in the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sept. 7 against the Denver Broncos. The 24-year-old was set to take on a bigger role in the Titans' backfield to take some of the burden off of Tony Pollard, but that might have to wait for now. With Spears out of action for at least a couple of weeks, it will create more change-of-pace opportunities for both Julius Chestnut and rookie Kalel Mullings behind Pollard. With the injury, Spears is now ranked as the RB46 in fantasy at RotoBaller.

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Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington made the most of his only target, scoring on a 19-yard pass from quarterback Mason Rudolph in a 31-25 preseason victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The third-year pro operated as the team's starting tight end on Saturday with Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith both inactive. His touchdown capped off the Steelers' opening drive and sparked what would become a strong offensive showcase for the rest of the contest. Although it's unclear exactly how Washington will be deployed this season, the 23-year-old has reportedly had an excellent camp and has been praised by starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He'll look to build on this performance next week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson turned eight carries into 20 rushing yards and hauled in one of two targets for six receiving yards in a 31-25 preseason win against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The rookie handled RB1 duties for Pittsburgh in the first half before he was eventually replaced by Trey Sermon, Evan Hull, and Lew Nichols. Although Johnson could not find much room to operate on Saturday, he notably ran through the arms of a diving Travis Hunter for a seven-yard gain early in the second quarter. The fact that veteran Jaylen Warren was inactive confirms his standing as the Steelers' featured back, meaning Johnson will need to earn playing time early in the regular season. His next opportunity to showcase his talents will come against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next week.

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