Atlanta Falcons reporter Joe Patrick of 929 The Game writes that Tennessee Titans rookie first-round quarterback Cameron Ward looked much better in joint practice with the Falcons on Wednesday and was taking more of what was available underneath while still connecting on some deep shots. Unexpectedly, the first overall pick in this year's NFL draft has been up and down during training camp and in the preseason opener last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 23-year-old Miami product went 5-for-8 for 67 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions against the Bucs in the two drives that he played over the weekend. Most importantly, Ward continues to show a strong connection with receiver Calvin Ridley, who will no doubt be his favorite target in 2025. Ward is a much better long-term gamble in dynasty leagues than he will be in redraft formats for fantasy football.

From RotoBaller

Cleveland Browns rookie fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders (oblique) suffered an oblique injury in Wednesday's training camp practice and was held out the rest of the way, according to the team. It's unclear exactly how serious Sanders' oblique injury is, but with both Kenny Pickett and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel managing hamstring injuries in the last week-plus, the Browns' QB depth has thinned out considerably. The Browns were expected to start Sanders for a second straight week in this Saturday's preseason contest against the Eagles if both Pickett and Gabriel remain out, but they may have to go back to the drawing board now. If Cleveland wants to hold veteran Joe Flacco, the favorite for Week 1 starting duties out again, Tyler Huntley might be forced to play most of Saturday's contest. Sanders looked good in the preseason opener, but he still isn't a realistic starting candidate for the Browns.

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Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday that the team plans to start rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders once again if neither Kenny Pickett (hamstring) or Dillon Gabriel (hamstring) is available, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The Browns take on the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday in their next preseason game. Veteran Joe Flacco is the leader in the clubhouse to start for Cleveland in Week 1, but the depth chart beyond that is up in the air as the Browns aim to sort things out during the preseason.

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Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins enters the 2025 campaign with high expectations. For the past two offseasons, Higgins has been franchise tagged but was finally able to agree to a four-year $115 million contract with the team earlier in March. With his future now secure, Higgins can enter the regular season with a focused mindset. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN noted that the former 33rd overall pick said that "plan" is to catch 100 passes in the upcoming season. He also expressed how the Bengals are exploring other ways to get Higgins on the field, especially in the slot. Throughout his career, he has typically been deployed as a deep threat, but a move to the slot could provide him more opportunities to see targets. Despite only playing in 12 games last season, Higgins tallied 911 yards and found the back of the end zone 10 times. While he will continue to play as the No. 2 opposite of Ja'Marr Chase, given his nose for the end zone, Higgins should be viewed as a WR2 with upside in all fantasy formats this season.

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In one of the more interesting backfield situations in the league, Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce is now seeing first-team reps, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC in Houston. The status of Joe Mixon (foot) is up in the air as the season approaches, while new addition Nick Chubb (head) has also missed time, to say nothing of the major knee injury he suffered in 2023. Pierce rushed for 939 yards as a rookie and has had fleeting moments of success since, but mostly in a secondary role. A committee situation may be worth monitoring as the season approaches.

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Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London has been turning heads during team practices and could be poised to take an even larger step forward in his fourth NFL season. Last fall, London was able to post his first 1,000-yard campaign. In 2024, London caught 100 passes (career-high) for 1,271 yards and nine touchdowns, which were also a career-high. Despite playing with two quarterbacks during the season, London continued to provide high fantasy value. Once Michael Penix Jr. took over the starting job, London flashed even higher upside. During his last two games, London averaged 146.5 yards per game with two scores, which is a positive sign for his upside in 2025. In addition, No. 2 wide receiver Darnell Mooney (shoulder) is currently week-to-week with a shoulder injury and could open up even more targets for London if he were to miss time. Fantasy managers should view London as a WR1 in all formats with the upside to finish as one of the most productive players at the position.

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Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (foot) was a participant for the team's padded practice on Tuesday, according to Emerald City Spectrum. The Michigan State product missed six games last season, but has looked strong in practice and appears ready to go for Week 1, according to the report. Seattle and its revamped offense figures to lean heavily on Walker, who surpassed 1,000 yards rushing as a rookie and logged 46 catches last year despite missing extended time.

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Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (hamstring) was a non-participant for the Eagles' joint practice against the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday, according to Ashlyn Sullivan of NBC Sports Philadelphia. The veteran has missed some time during the past two weeks dealing with the injury, but did log a pair of limited practices this week after sitting out a preseason game. The club doesn't seem overly concerned about the injury for its top wide receiver, but is clearly taking it easy ahead of its Sept. 4 opener against Dallas.

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Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (oblique) is back for a joint practice against the Detroit Lions, according to Pride of Detroit's Jeremy Reisman. The 31-year-old is coming off an 81-catch, 959-yard season that was both still productive and a clear step back from four straight years in which he cleared 1,200 receiving yards. When healthy, though, Hill still has WR1 potential as the top option for Miami's passing game.

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Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins has looked very impressive during team practices. On Tuesday, Collins was able to find the back of the end zone on a remarkable catch against second-year defensive back Kamari Lassiter. In 2024, Collins posted his second-straight 1,000-yard campaign as he tallied 1,006 yards on 68 receptions. He found the back of the end zone seven times. Despite missing five games due to a hamstring injury, Collins produced as an elite WR1. Through his 12 games, Collins averaged an impressive 17.5 PPR points per game with 83.8 receiving yards per game. During the offseason, Texas added two pass catchers in the draft, such as Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. They also brought in veteran Christian Kirk. With Collins slated to operate as the clear top option for C.J. Stroud once again, he is worth a selection in the first round despite his injury concerns. If he can stay on the field throughout all of 2025, he could make a push to finish as the overall WR1.

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Buffalo Bills running back James Cook is officially back in the fold after signing a four-year contract extension with his team on Wednesday. Soon after the signing was announced, Buffalo GM Brandon Beane told reporters that he views Cook as a three-down back. Beane said, "We do feel he can take more, but we like to use our three options and keep him fresh." Cook often lost passing-down work to Ty Johnson last season and only played on 48% of Buffalo's offensive snaps. It is unlikely that Buffalo installs Cook as their workhorse, as their running game was effective in 2024, but it would be a positive for fantasy managers if the Bills shifted some of the targets in the passing game onto Cook's plate. Either way, he sets up as a solid RB2 in fantasy with an RB1 ceiling if he starts catching more passes.

From RotoBaller

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook signed a four-year, $48 million contract extension on Wednesday. Cook had been holding-in throughout training camp but returned to practice on Tuesday as the two sides were apparently getting close to a deal. The contract extension has a $30 million guarantee and will keep Cook in Buffalo as their primary back for the near future. With Cook back in the fold, fantasy managers can confidently draft him as a solid RB2 heading into drafts later this summer. His return bumps Ty Johnson and Ray Davis back to reserve roles, although they should remain involved as Cook played on just 48% of the team's offensive snaps in 2024.

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Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell has been dominant in training camp and has moments where he looks like a perennial Pro Bowl player, according to James Boyd of The Athletic. A second-round pick out of Texas in 2024, Mitchell was used sparingly as a rookie. In 17 games, he had just 23 receptions for 312 yards and zero touchdowns. The Colts have three productive wide receivers in Josh Downs, Michael Pittman Jr., and Alec Pierce. However, none of those three are elite enough talents to keep Mitchell off the field if he can hit on his high-end potential. His fantasy outlook for 2025 is murky due to both the target competition and shaky quarterback situation in Indianapolis, but Mitchell is a name to monitor.

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Seattle Seahawks WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling will have a significant role in the offseason, according to offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. The OC added Tuesday, Aug. 12 that Valdes-Scantling has had 'a really good camp'.

Fantasy Spin: There has been some speculation that Valdes-Scantling might see a decreased role with rookie Tory Horton turning heads in training camp. While MVS might have Kubiak's backing, it's hard to envision the veteran being anything more than a WR5 or WR6 in deeper fantasy leagues at this juncture.

From TheHuddle

The Kansas City Chiefs signed free-agent RB Michael Wiley (Commanders) on Tuesday, Aug. 12, and they signed DE Nate Matlack, while sending S Deon Bush and DE Janarius Robinson to the reserve/injured list.

From TheHuddle

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy is showing "improved chemistry" with quarterback Joe Flacco, according to Zac Jackson of The Athletic. Jackson writes that Jeudy had his best practice of the summer last week when the Browns held a joint session with the Carolina Panthers. The 26-year-old had his most productive NFL season in 2024, recording 90 catches for 1,209 yards and four touchdowns in 17 games for Cleveland. Jeudy took off once Jameis Winston replaced Deshaun Watson at quarterback for the Browns, and Flacco profiles similarly to Winston as a high-volume gunslinger at this point in his career. There's a chance that Flacco is replaced by one of the young quarterbacks in Cleveland at some point this season. However, until that happens, Jeudy is a good bet to outperform his early-seventh-round average draft position.

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New England Patriots rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson will "get half of the running back snaps this season," according to Chad Graff of The Athletic. Graff writes that Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has "publicly backed (running back) Rhamondre Stevenson several times and seems inclined to at least try out a running back committee." A second-round pick out of Ohio State, Henderson impressed in his preseason debut on Friday by catching three passes and returning the game's opening kickoff for a touchdown. There's no doubt Henderson is an explosive player, but Stevenson is an established veteran who has averaged at least 12 carries per game in three straight seasons. Henderson profiles as a mid-tier RB2 in fantasy, but he has massive upside if he can seize the lion's share of the backfield touches in New England.

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New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields has been "mostly playing it safe" in the passing game in practices, according to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. Rosenblatt notes that Fields has been throwing a lot of "quick slants, dump offs, (and) screens." Fields set a career-high in air yards per pass attempt (7.21) in 10 games last season for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but has typically been more comfortable checking down to underneath targets than most mobile quarterbacks. If the Jets' plan is for Fields to get the ball out of his hands quickly, it could benefit running back Breece Hall's reception totals. It could also remove some chances for Fields to make plays in scramble situations. A good portion of Fields' fantasy value comes from his legs (career 50.2 rushing yards per game).

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Buffalo Bills wide receiver Curtis Samuel (hamstring) is "getting close" to returning from a hamstring injury that has sidelined him for two weeks, head coach Sean McDermott told the media. Thanks to the injury, Samuel has gotten off to an inauspicious start in 2025 as he looks to rebound from a disappointing first year in Buffalo. After back-to-back solid seasons in Washington, Samuel left for the Bills in free agency and went on to catch 31 passes on 46 targets for 253 yards and a touchdown in 14 games in 2024. He's largely off the fantasy radar now as part of an offense known for spreading the ball around to several targets.

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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jacob Cowing (hamstring) returned to practice on Tuesday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN reports. Cowing, who suffered a hamstring injury on the first day of camp, did individual work and mixed in some team snaps in his first practice back. The 5-foot-9, 171-pounder appeared in 15 games as a fourth-round rookie last year and caught a mere four passes for 80 yards. However, he garnered praise from head coach Kyle Shanahan during minicamp, and there was talk of Cowing helping to replace the departed Deebo Samuel Jr. in a gadget role. Now, there may be a path to more opportunities with the 49ers facing issues at the receiver position. Brandon Aiyuk (knee) will miss the first several weeks of the regular season, Jordan Watkins (ankle) is out for a month, and Jauan Jennings (calf) is also banged up. Additionally, Demarcus Robinson is staring at a potential suspension from a 2024 misdemeanor DUI charge.

From RotoBaller