Miami Dolphins rookie running back Ollie Gordon II is expected to open the season as the RB2 behind De'Von Achane (calf) with Jaylen Wright (leg) likely sidelined for the first few weeks. Achane is trending toward playing Week 1, but Gordon should see rotational snaps and remains a valuable handcuff in case of setbacks. He'll face a Colts defense that ranked 24th against the run in 2024. While his short-term fantasy appeal is limited, Gordon is worth stashing as insurance and could become a plug-and-play option if Achane were to suffer any setbacks.

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Cleveland Browns rookie running back Quinshon Judkins remains unsigned but is not considering a return to college, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Earlier in the week, NBC's Mike Florio reported that the former Ohio State standout could begin to pursue a return to college, but Cabot's recent report suggests the running back is not planning to go this route. Earlier in the offseason, Judkins was arrested for domestic violence and battery charges. While his prosecutors dropped the charges against him, he has yet to agree to a rookie contract with the Broncos. Additionally, the NFL could still suspend him after conducting their own investigation. Given his uncertain situation, it is best to leave Judkins off your draft board for the time being. Throughout the preseason, fellow rookie Dylan Sampson and veteran Jerome Ford have shared the backfield and will likely open the season as the 1A and 1B in the running back room.

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Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels expressed confidence in his continued chemistry with star wideout Terry McLaurin, noting, "It never leaves." McLaurin, who returned to practice this week, is coming off a 2024 season with 82 catches, 1,096 yards, and a career-high 13 touchdowns. His steady presence makes him Daniels' clear top target heading into 2025. Currently being drafted as WR16, McLaurin carries strong upside and could be one of the better value picks among mid-tier receivers this season.

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The Philadelphia Eagles received a boost Thursday as wide receiver DeVonta Smith (groin) returned to practice alongside A.J. Brown. His presence is a positive sign for the offense heading into their Week 1 Thursday night clash with the Cowboys. Smith is coming off what many considered a "down" 2024 season, tallying 68 catches for 833 yards and eight touchdowns. Still, he remains a strong mid-round fantasy target with WR2 upside in one of the league's most explosive offenses. With questions surrounding the Cowboys amid the Micah Parsons storyline, Philadelphia's offense will look to set the tone early in the opener.

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Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith (undisclosed) has been out of practice since August 11, and his status remains uncertain as Week 1 approaches. While the team doesn't expect Smith to miss significant time, his absence is worth monitoring given his role as a six-time Pro Bowler and defensive leader. If Smith were sidelined for the opener, the Bears' rushing attack, led by D'Andre Swift and rookie Kyle Monangai, could benefit from a softer matchup. Smith's health will be a key storyline for Minnesota's defense heading into the season.

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Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (groin) is expected to be back at practice Monday, head coach Sean Payton confirmed. Entering his third season, Mims produced 503 yards and six touchdowns on 39 receptions last year, and his role could expand as quarterback Bo Nix develops in year two. Mims is trending upward on fantasy draft boards and should be in line for standard usage in Week 1 against the Titans. Beyond his receiving work, Mims is also one of the league's most dynamic return specialists, adding sneaky value in leagues that reward return yardage and touchdowns.

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Veteran free-agent wide receiver Hunter Renfrow, who was released by the Carolina Panthers on roster cutdown day on Tuesday, is receiving interest from multiple teams, including the Panthers, a league source told David Newton of ESPN. Panthers general manager Dan Morgan said on Thursday that it's up to Renfrow to decide where he wants to be, and Morgan said the Panthers are open to adding Renfrow to the 53-man roster. However, if Renfrow was going to return to the Panthers, it would seem it would have happened already. Carolina just traded veteran Adam Thielen to the Minnesota Vikings, so it makes sense why they'd be interested in bringing the 29-year-old Clemson product back for depth. Renfrow was a Pro Bowler in 2021 with the Raiders and had a 1,000-yard season, but he fell off a cliff in 2022 and 2023 due to health issues before being released.

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Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters that rookie fifth-round quarterback Shedeur Sanders will open his first NFL season as the third QB, which means he will be able to dress for regular-season games. Veteran Joe Flacco will open the year as the starter under center for Cleveland, with rookie third-rounder Dillon Gabriel serving as his direct backup after the Brown traded Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders this week. The 23-year-old Sanders looked good in the team's preseason opener but then missed some time in training camp with an oblique injury, which didn't help his cause in passing Gabriel on the QB depth chart this summer. The Browns reunited with Bailey Zappe this week, but he will open the year on the practice squad. With two rookie QBs as their insurance policy, expect the Browns to giv Flacco a longer leash in 2025.

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Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney (shoulder) is at practice and in uniform on Thursday for the first time since July 24, according to Marc Raimondi of ESPN. Mooney injured his shoulder on the first day of training camp and is just now returning. Although it's unclear if the 27-year-old will be ready for Week 1 of the regular season on Sunday, Sept. 7, against the division-rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he was able to avoid landing on short-term Injured Reserve, which would have kept him out for the first four games of the year. Expect Atlanta to begin ramping Mooney back up in advance of next week's season opener. In his first year with the Falcons in 2024, Mooney had one of the best years of his career, posting a 64-992-5 line on 106 targets over 16 starts. It might be a stretch for him to duplicate those numbers in 2025, but he's at least worth a late-round flier for receiving depth in fantasy drafts.

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Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (hamstring) returned to practice on Wednesday and is expected to be on the field for the Week 1 regular-season opener on Thursday, Sept. 4, against the division-rival Dallas Cowboys, according to Zach Berman of The Athletic. Brown has been dealing with a hamstring injury since early in August, and the Eagles have been playing it safe with their star wideout. The 28-year-old looked good while doing a pre-game workout last Friday before the preseason finale, and it appears that he's slowly being ramped up before next week's season opener. As long as he doesn't have a setback in his return to practice in the next week, fantasy managers should expect to have him in their starting lineups against Dallas. In two games against the Cowboys in 2024, Brown caught eight of his 12 targets for 145 yards and a touchdown.

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Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane (calf) did not put in any practice work on Thursday, according to David Furones of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Achane hasn't practiced in over a week due to a nagging calf injury, but general manager Chris Grier said on Wednesday that the team expects him to play in Week 1 of the regular season against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Sept. 7. We're still a bit skeptical, and fantasy managers should be, too, until the 23-year-old gets back onto the practice field. The Dolphins could just be playing this one extra cautious, especially with backup Jaylen Wright (leg) having leg surgery and not expected to be ready for the start of the year. Achane will be a must-start in all fantasy lineups if he's active in Week 1, but if he's out or limited, it would pave the way for rookie Ollie Gordon II to see significant backfield work.

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David Furones of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (oblique) is practicing on Thursday, per head coach Mike McDaniel. McDaniel said earlier on Thursday that Hill is expected to play in Week 1 of the regular season against the Indianapolis Colts despite missing a lot of training camp due to a nagging oblique injury. Now that the 31-year-old speedster is back on the field with another week until the season opener, it's safe to assume he'll be active on Sunday, Sept. 7. Although Hill was limited on Thursday, McDaniel said that "everything looks great." The Cheetah will slowly be ramped up going into next weekend as both he and the Dolphins offense look to bounce back from a disappointing 2024 campaign. Hill still has the skills to produce 1,000 yards for fantasy managers, but his value is tied to the health of oft-injured QB Tua Tagovailoa, putting him on the WR1/2 borderline.

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Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan said specifically that wide receiver Jalen Coker will play in the slot this year after the team traded veteran Adam Thielen to the Minnesota Vikings this week. Morgan also called Coker "a baller." Now that Thielen is out of town, the 23-year-old second-year pass-catcher projects to start in the slot in three-wide sets alongside rookie first-rounder Tetairoa McMillan and Xavier Legette. After going undrafted last year, Coker signed with the Panthers and made noise in his first year in the NFL with 32 catches on 46 targets for 478 yards and two touchdowns in 11 games (four starts). Coker was Carolina's top slot receiver from Weeks 5-10 when Thielen was injured, and he was in a near every-down role to close out the year. Coker is ranked as the No. 63 receiver at RotoBaller and is worth a late-round flier as a sleeper in upcoming fantasy drafts.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers placed rookie quarterback Will Howard (hand) on the Reserve/Injured list on Thursday, according to Teresa Varley of Steelers.com. Howard was drafted in the sixth round (185th overall) in April out of Ohio State, but he suffered a fractured bone in his left hand in training camp on Aug. 5 that kept him sidelined for the entire preseason. He will now begin his NFL career in Pittsburgh on IR, which means he won't be eligible to play in the first four games of the season. The good news is that the injury is to Howard's non-throwing hand, so he should be ready to go when he's eligible. When Howard is cleared, he should operate as the team's emergency third signal-caller behind starter Aaron Rodgers and backup Mason Rudolph.

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Miami Dolphins running back Jaylen Wright (leg) had surgery on his injured leg and could be back "Septemberish," according to head coach Mike McDaniel. Wright is not out for the entire season, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. The 22-year-old is expected to miss multiple week, although an exact timetable is not known. With De'Von Achane (calf) also battling a nagging calf injury that could put him up in the air for Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts, it's possible that rookie Ollie Gordon II could serve as Miami's primary ball-carrier to open the 2025 regular season. Achane and Wright should still be drafted in all fantasy formats, but these injuries have also made Gordon much more intriguing as a late-round flier, especially as a handcuff to Achane. Wright has not gone on Injured Reserve, which means Miami thinks he can return within the first four weeks of the season.

From RotoBaller

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said that wide receiver Tyreek Hill (oblique) looks good for Week 1, per Travis Wingfield of MiamiDolphins.com. Hill has been limited throughout training camp due to an oblique injury and missed practice on Wednesday, but it appears the team anticipates him playing in the opener against the Indianapolis Colts. Hill played all 17 games for Miami in 2024, but he battled through a wrist injury and posted his fewest receiving yards per game (56.4) and lowest receiving touchdown total (six) since his rookie season. The 31-year-old profiles as a low-end WR1/high-end WR2 in fantasy, but the potential for age and injury-related regression makes him a somewhat risky selection in the early rounds.

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The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt writes that New York Jets running back Breece Hall "wasn't (the team's) best running back in training camp." Rosenblatt also reports that, based on the way Jets' coaches have raved about second-year back Braelon Allen, he wouldn't be surprised if Allen "overtakes (Hall) completely as the lead back at some point." There's been a steady drumbeat of reporting indicating a split workload in the Jets' backfield this season. That could lead to Hall being limited to mostly passing-down work, which may mean he is currently overvalued in fantasy drafts as one of the first 15-20 running backs off the board. Hall remains a very talented player who had an extremely productive fantasy season as recently as 2023, so he's a risky pick due to the variance between his floor and ceiling.

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The San Francisco 49ers are "still in the mix" to sign free-agent wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. Bourne was released by the New England Patriots on Wednesday. The 30-year-old spent the first four seasons of his career in San Francisco, so there's familiarity between player and organization. The 49ers currently have just three fully healthy and available wide receivers on their 53-man roster, so Bourne would have a chance to contribute immediately if San Francisco were to bring him in. Bourne recorded 28 catches for 305 yards and one touchdown in 12 games (nine starts) for New England in 2024.

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Washington Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown (knee) returned to practice on Wednesday, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic. Brown suffered a knee injury in minicamp that forced him to miss nearly all of training camp, but it appears he has a chance to be ready for Week 1. The 29-year-old played in 11 games for Washington last season, recording 35 catches for 453 yards and one touchdown. Brown is expected to be Washington's WR3 alongside Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel Sr. Brown is unlikely to be a significant factor in fantasy this season, but he could be a solid bye-week replacement off the waiver wire if one of McLaurin or Samuel Sr. were to go down with an injury.

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The Cleveland Browns brought back quarterback Bailey Zappe with a spot on their practice squad, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The fourth-year pro appeared in one game for Cleveland last season, but failed to latch on with Kansas City after training camp and was waived. Cleveland, which traded Kenny Pickett to Las Vegas earlier this week, will keep quarterbacks Joe Flacco, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel on its 53-man roster. Zappe, who had his moments as a rookie in New England, is way off the fantasy radar at this point.

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