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Dynasty $125 - FFL: Preseason | NFL: Week 1

YouTube TV, Fox standoff impacts NFL home market broadcasts, not Sunday Ticket

Tue Aug 26 3:29pm ET
Field Level Media

If you purchased a Sunday Ticket NFL package for all out-of-market games before learning of the tenuous contract negotiations between Fox and YouTube TV, you can exhale.

The NFL issued a statement on Tuesday reassuring customers who have purchased the popular out-of-market streaming package that the standoff between Fox and YouTube won't impact their viewing options on Sundays.

YouTube TV customers, however, remain in limbo when it comes to games carried by local affiliates, including college football games.

The contract between YouTube TV and Fox expires on Wednesday and could create a seismic impact on the weekend's college football slate. Fox Sports is broadcasting the headline college football game of the weekend in Columbus pitting No. 1 Texas and defending national champion Ohio State. The Buckeyes are No. 3 in the preseason Top 25.

Week 1 of the regular season in the NFL begins next week. The first games carried by Fox in the regular season begin at 1 p.m. ET on Sept. 7.

Those games are: Tampa Bay at Atlanta, Cincinnati at Cleveland, Miami at Indianapolis, Carolina at Jacksonville, N.Y. Giants at Washington. The late-game slots on Fox feature these 4:05 p.m. ET games: Tennessee at Denver, San Francisco at Seattle.

However, that doesn't mean home market NFL game will be available for YouTube TV subscribers if Fox is the carrier and contract negotiations between the network and carrier remain ongoing. For NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers, only out of market games are guaranteed.

"The games in the NFL Sunday Ticket package on YouTube and YouTube TV only include out-of-market Sunday afternoon regular-season NFL games. NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers will continue to have access to all out-of-market games (both CBS and FOX). Games in the local market are not available within NFL Sunday Ticket and would be impacted on YouTubeTV if the potential dispute is not resolved by the start of Week 1," the league statement to NBC Sports read Tuesday.

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Player Notes
Devon Achane Aug 26 2:40pm CT
Devon Achane

Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane (calf) was not seen working at the team's practice on Tuesday, according to David Furones of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Achane also missed all of last week's practices due to a calf injury, but head coach Mike McDaniel said over the weekend that the 23-year-old speedster is expected to return to the practice field next week when the team begins preparing to face the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 on Sunday, Sept. 7. It's a situation to watch very closely for fantasy purposes, as Jaylen Wright (leg) is expected to miss the start of the season. If Achane is also iffy for Week 1, it could put rookie Ollie Gordon II in line to serve as Miami's lead back in his first regular-season NFL game. Achane still has RB1 upside in fantasy, but his calf injury should at least make fantasy managers think twice on draft day.

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Jakobi Meyers Aug 26 2:20pm CT
Jakobi Meyers

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers requested a trade on Monday since he and the organization have been unable to reach a contract extension this summer. However, ESPN's Adam Schefter said on the The Pat McAfee Show that the Raiders are "not looking to deal him." "My understanding is the Raiders had one team reach out to trade for Jakobi Meyers but they wanted them to pick up some of his salary," Schefter added. The 28-year-old is owed $10.76 million in the last year of his current deal in 2025. It sounds like Meyers will be with Vegas for the Week 1 regular-season opener against the New England Patriots, where he'll operate as one of quarterback Geno Smith's top options. He had his first 1,000-yard season on a career-high 87 catches last year, but he scored only four times. Meyers is good, but not great, and is on the WR3/4 borderline in RotoBaller's rankings.

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Dustin Hopkins Aug 26 2:20pm CT
Dustin Hopkins

The Cleveland Brown released kicker Dustin Hopkin on Tuesday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. It appears that Andre Szmyt will open the 2025 regular season as the team's placekicker, although the Browns could still bring in more competition before Week 1. Hopkins will be let go after spending the last two seasons kicking for Cleveland, where he went 51-for-63 on his field-goal attempts (81%) and 41-for-46 on his extra-point tries in 31 total games. The final straw for the 34-year-old veteran might have been when he missed one of his two extra-point tries in the preseason finale on Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams. Hopkins entered training camp on shaky ground at the position after going 18-for-27 on his field goals in 16 games a year ago.

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Spencer Rattler Aug 26 2:10pm CT
Spencer Rattler

The New Orleans Saints will open the 2025 season with Spencer Rattler as their starting quarterback, according to head coach Kellen Moore. The Saints are opting for experience at the position to begin the year after Rattler beat out rookie second-rounder Tyler Shough in training camp and the preseason. The 24-year-old Rattler was a fifth-round selection (150th overall) last year out of South Carolina. He ended up playing in seven games (six starts) in his rookie campaign due to injuries to Derek Carr, and he looked like a rookie, completing 57% of his 228 pass attempts for 1,317 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions. Rattler added 18 rush attempts for 146 yards on the ground and also fumbled five times. He is going to be on a short leash if he struggles, making him more of a QB3 option in superflex fantasy leagues. Avoiding the Saints' QB picture is the smartest strategy.

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Spencer Rattler Aug 26 1:50pm CT
Spencer Rattler

The Saints have named Spencer Rattler their starting quarterback for Week 1 of the NFL season.

MarShawn Lloyd Aug 26 1:40pm CT
MarShawn Lloyd

According to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Green Bay Packers are leaning toward placing running back MarShawn Lloyd (hamstring) on the injured reserve. While the move has not been officially announced yet, this would give the second-year running back additional time to recover and put him in a position to make his season debut in Week 5. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor her status in case he faces a further setback. The former third-round pick dealt with injuries throughout his rookie season and was only able to appear in one contest. During this brief taste of NFL action, Lloyd took six carries for 15 yards. If Lloyd were to miss the opening of the season, fantasy managers should expect Emanuel Wilson to slot in as the No. 2 option on the depth chart.

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Deuce Vaughn Aug 26 1:13pm CT
Deuce Vaughn

Dynasty | The Dallas Cowboys have released running back Deuce Vaughn. Dynasty Analysis: This one had to hurt as Vaughn's dad is Chris Vaughn, the Dallas Cowboys' assistant director of college scouting. It seems the Cowboys are going with Jaydon Blue behind Miles Sanders and Javonte Williams to form what looks to be the worst running back room in the league. Vaughn has had some moments here and there the past two years but his size (5'6") may just be too much to overcome at the NFL level. He should be on dynasty waivers.

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Desmond Ridder Aug 26 1:00pm CT
Desmond Ridder

The Cincinnati Bengals are releasing quarterback Desmond Ridder on Tuesday, a source told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Ridder was brought in off the street in July to push Jake Browning for the QB2 spot behind starter Joe Burrow, but it didn't work out, and Ridder will once again become a free agent searching for a team. It's possible that the 25-year-old returns to Cincy's practice squad during the 2025 season if he doesn't latch on with another organization. Ridder was taken in the third round (74th overall) by the Atlanta Falcons in 2022 out of Cincinnati, but he was turnover-prone and quickly wore out his welcome in his two seasons there before spending 2024 with the Raiders. In his lone season as the Falcons' starter in 2023, Ridder threw for 2,836 yards, 12 touchdowns and 12 picks in 15 games (13 starts).

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Bailey Zappe Aug 26 12:40pm CT
Bailey Zappe

The Kansas City Chiefs waived quarterback Bailey Zappe on Monday, a source told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. It's possible that if Zappe clears waivers, he could rejoin the Chiefs and open the 2025 regular season on their practice squad. But for now, KC will roll with Patrick Mahomes as their starter and Gardner Minshew and Chris Oladokun as their backups under center. Zappe was taken in the fourth round (137th overall) in 2022 by the New England Patriots out of Western Kentucky. He spent the first two years of his NFL career with the Pats, throwing for 2,053 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions on 304 pass attempts over 14 games (eight starts). Zappe made one start in his time with the Cleveland Browns a season ago and will represent QB depth wherever he ends up. He can continue to be ignored in all fantasy formats.

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Lil'Jordan Humphrey Aug 26 12:30pm CT
Lil'Jordan Humphrey

The New York Giants are releasing wide receiver Lil'Jordan Humphrey on Tuesday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Humphrey will hit the open market despite going for six catches, 94 yard and a touchdown on eight targets during preseason action. The 27-year-old had career-highs in catches (31), targets (45) and receiving yards (293) while scoring one touchdown in 17 games (seven starts) in 2024 with the Denver Broncos. Humphrey originally went undrafted out of Texas before joining the New Orleans Saints and making his NFL debut in 2019. He has only 62 catches on 92 targets for 770 yards and seven touchdowns in 58 games (23 starts) in his six years in the NFL. It's possible that Humphrey could join New York's practice squad this year if he doesn't get scooped up by another organization looking for receiver depth.

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Mecole Hardman Aug 26 12:20pm CT
Mecole Hardman

The Green Bay Packers are releasing wide receiver Mecole Hardman on Tuesday, sources told Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. Despite the Packers dealing with multiple injuries to their receiving corps in training camp, the Packers will move on from Hardman, who was looking to secure a depth role with the Packers after spending the first six years of his NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs. In his six NFL seasons, the 27-year-old pass-catcher has caught 178 of hi 258 targets for 2,302 yards and 16 touchdowns in 80 regular-season games (28 starts). Hardman also has plenty of special-teams experience and should be able to find work with another team for his versatility and speed during the 2025 season. Last year in 12 regular-season games (no starts) with KC, Hardman caught just 12 passe for 90 yards and no scores.

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Laviska Shenault Jr. Aug 26 12:13pm CT
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Dynasty | The Bills have released wide receiver Laviska Shenault. Dynasty Analysis: The former Jaguar, Panther, Seahawk, and Charger will again try to find work as a kick returner or rotational wideout. It's been a rough road for Shenault, who just hasn't been able to unlock what seemingly looks like great potential. His dynasty value is near zero at this point.

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Emeka Egbuka Aug 26 12:13pm CT
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Dynasty | The Tampa Bay Bucs have released wide receiver Trey Palmer. Dynasty Analysis: Palmer has had some nice moments but also had no chance at playing time behind Mike Evans, Chris Godwin or Emeka Egbuka when they're all healthy, so this could be a good thing. A deep roster stash in many leagues, Palmer will look to latch on elsewhere later this week. He could still be kept in deep leagues as we see what happens with him in the coming days.

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Diontae Johnson Aug 26 12:13pm CT
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Dynasty | The Cleveland Browns have released wide receiver Diontae Johnson. Dynasty Analysis: What a long, strange trip it's been for Johnson. He'll again be looking for work after spending time with the Steelers, Panthers, Texans, Ravens, and Browns all over the past year. For a player once viewed as a dynasty staple, it's been a precipitous fall from grace. Johnson may have some trouble finding a roster spot and he's going to find himself on a lot of dynasty waiver wires moving forward.

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Greg Dulcich Aug 26 12:13pm CT
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Dynasty | The Giants have released tight end Greg Dulcich. Dynasty Analysis: Once a highly thought of prospect when he was with the Broncos, Dulcich has battled injuries and ineffectiveness throughout the past few seasons. At this point, his early career struggles that have plagued him might create a quick burn in the NFL. He could find his way on to another roster but he's way off the dynasty radar again.

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Malachi Corley Aug 26 12:13pm CT
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Dynasty | The Jets have released wide receiver Malachi Corley. Dynasty Analysis: Corley was the 65th overall pick just last season but things just didn't work out for him with the Jets. The fact he made it just one season after New York moved up in the draft to get him speaks volumes about where his career is at the moment. Corley has the pedigree to latch on somewhere else but dynasty managers may have to swallow their pride and let him go to waivers at this point.

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Joe Burrow Aug 26 12:13pm CT
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Dynasty | Quarterback Desmond Ridder was released by the Cincinnati Bengals. Dynasty Analysis: Ridder was a one-time starter in Atlanta but failed to live up to expectations. He was battling Jake Browning to be the backup to Joe Burrow but it didn't work out for him in the end. Ridder should find work elsewhere but he can be dropped in any league, including deep superflex formats.

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Tyjae Spears Aug 26 12:13pm CT
Tyjae Spears

Dynasty | The Titans have placed running back Tyjae Spears on injured reserve. Dynasty Analysis: He will miss at least the first month of the season with an ankle injury. This is a disappointing development as he was battling for touches with Tony Pollard in what looked to be a pretty wide open time share. This could open the door for Julius Chestnut or Kalel Mullings to have some sneaky value behind Pollard, at least temporarily.

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CeeDee Lamb Aug 26 12:13pm CT
CeeDee Lamb

Dynasty | The Dallas Cowboys have placed wide receiver Jonathan Mingo on IR with a designation to return. Dynasty Analysis: It sounds like he's going to be out 4-6 weeks. While still a bit of a deep league sleeper, Mingo just hasn't looked great over the past two seasons. The Cowboys will go with CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Tolbert and George Pickens to start the year and it's tough to see Mingo making much of a difference after catching just five passes for them after being traded mid-year from the Panthers. Mingo is a tough hold in dynasty leagues, despite being a second round pick not long ago.

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Carson Steele Aug 26 12:13pm CT
Carson Steele

Dynasty | The Kansas City Chiefs have released running back Carson Steele. Dynasty Analysis: This move looks to possibly pave the way for both Elijah Mitchell and Brashard Smith to make the roster behind Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt. He had a 72-yard game early last season but only mustered another 111 yards the rest of the season. A bruising running back, Steele may end up back on the Chiefs practice squad but needs to be released from dynasty rosters.

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