Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard opened the preseason with three rushes for 10 yards in Friday's 30-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns. While his stats were light, the 26-year-old is expected to resume his role as the team's lead back after an impressive 2024 campaign. Last year, Hubbard emerged as a bell-cow, capitalizing on injuries to Miles Sanders and Jonathon Brooks (knee) to post a stat line of 250 rushes for 1,195 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground, along with 43 receptions for 171 yards and one touchdown through the air in 15 games. He signed a four-year, $33.2 million contract extension in the middle of the season. RotoBaller projects Hubbard as RB17 heading into the regular season, reflecting his expected workload as the top option in the Carolina backfield and a steady, high-end RB2.

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Carolina Panthers first-round draft pick Tetairoa McMillan caught two of five targets for 43 yards in his first NFL action in Friday's 30-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns. McMillan hauled in a 30-yard deep ball from starting quarterback Bryce Young, but unfortunately dropped an open touchdown. He was targeted on three of Young's six pass attempts, suggesting that his target share could be ranked among some of the best receivers in the NFL. Young was looking McMillan's way early and often, and their chemistry should improve throughout the season. The next chance we will get to see McMillan in action is next Saturday afternoon against the Houston Texans.

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Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette was ejected from Friday's preseason game against the Cleveland Browns after a first-quarter altercation. The 24-year-old did not record any catches or targets before being thrown out of the 30-10 loss. Legette was a first-round pick in last year's draft, with a rookie stat line of 49-49-4 on 84 targets. Panthers head coach Dave Canales acknowledged that while the play was physical, Legette's response was a liability. "You can't do that... both guys got ejected, rightfully so," Canales said, per Darin Gantt of panthers.com. The incident occurred while Legette was downfield blocking and got tangled up with Browns cornerback Rayshawn Mitchell. RotoBaller projects Legette as WR69 with a slight uptick in catches, yards, and TDs this season. He is most likely to be behind rookie stud Tetairoa McMillan and veteran Adam Thielen in targets. Still, he could emerge as an upside WR4/5 if anything happens to Thielen as the season progresses.

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Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones is not expected to play Saturday against the Houston Texans. Jones was the starting running back for the Vikings in 2024, totaling over 300 attempts for 1,546 scrimmage yards and seven total touchdowns. At 30 years old, it's understandable why the Vikings are choosing to rest Jones, while 2024 first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy will play. Jones was listed as the starting running back for the Vikings in their unofficial depth chart. However, head coach Kevin O'Connell has already mentioned that they will use a committee approach with newly signed running back Jordan Mason. While another 300-attempt season is unlikely, Jones should be drafted as a high-end RB3 in most fantasy football formats.

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Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills is expected to start in Saturday's preseason opener against the Minnesota Vikings. Mills has started 26 games with the Texans in his four-year career, totaling 6,167 yards, with 35 touchdowns and 25 interceptions. With starting quarterback C.J. Stroud sitting out, Mills will get the nod for the Texans. He was listed as the the second quarterback in the Texans' unofficial depth chart with rookie quarterback Graham Mertz as the third string. Mills will suit up alongside rookie playmakers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, as he looks to cement his backup quarterback role.

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Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young was efficient in his first preseason game of the 2025 season, completing four of six passes for 58 yards and a touchdown in Friday's 30-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Young went three-and-out on his first drive but put together an incredible second drive. He strung together a nine-play, 74-yard scoring drive that included two big plays to rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and a five-yard touchdown pass to second-year receiver Jalen Coker. The former No. 1 overall pick showcased his scrambling ability, which he demonstrated in college and near the end of last season. With another year in head coach Dale Canales' system and a new WR1 in McMillan, Young could be a late-round quarterback to consider in fantasy drafts.

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Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell (undisclosed) is not taking part in Saturday's practice due to an undisclosed injury, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. It's unclear exactly what Mitchell is dealing with, but he did carry the ball nine times for 68 yards and a touchdown in the preseason opener on Thursday night against the Indianapolis Colts. We'll keep an eye on the 23-year-old's participation at practice going into next week, but it's likely a minor injury and shouldn't impact his availability for the start of the 2025 season. Mitchell has plenty of big-play abilities out of the backfield, but he's played in only 13 games in his first two seasons in the NFL due to injuries. He's averaged a healthy 6.9 yards per carry. However, unless Derrick Henry misses extended time with an injury in 2025, Mitchell will likely struggle for weekly touches in Baltimore.

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Buffalo Bills kicker Tyler Bass (pelvis) will not play in the team's preseason opener on Saturday against the New York Giants due to pelvic soreness, according to The Buffalo News' Jay Skurski. Bass has been dealing with a pelvic injury during training camp and is not ready to kick in a game yet. As a result, the Bills signed Caden Davis on Friday so that he can handle kicking duties on Saturday. The 28-year-old Bass has plenty of time to get ready for the start of the 2025 regular season, and there's no reason to believe that he won't be ready by early September. For fantasy purposes, Bass will be a low-end starting option at the position in 12-team leagues. The former sixth-round pick (188th overall) in 2020 out of Georgia Southern has an 84.5% success rate on his field goals and 96.4% success rate on extra points in his five NFL seasons in Buffalo.

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Los Angeles Rams backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is not expected to play in the team's preseason opener on Saturday night against the Dallas Cowboys, according to Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times. The Rams are also holding starter Matthew Stafford (back) out since he has yet to take part in a training camp practice this summer due to an aggravated disc in his back. The Rams are optimistic that Stafford will be ready for the Week 1 regular-season opener, but in the meantime, Jimmy G has looked good running the first-team offense. With both Stafford and Garoppolo resting this weekend, the Rams will roll with Stetson Bennett and Dresser Winn under center on Saturday against Dallas. Garoppolo is worth stashing in two-QB superflex leagues just in case Stafford's back acts up on him before the start of the regular season.

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Buffalo Bills running back James Cook was seen in full uniform going through pre-game warmups on Saturday before the team's preseason opener versus the New York Giants, according to ESPN's Alaina Getzenberg. Cook started training camp this summer participating with the team, but he recently made the decision to sit out of practices as he continues to negotiate a contract extension with the organization. It's unclear if the 25-year-old will actually take part in the preseason game on Saturday against the Giants, but it could be a sign that both sides are inching closer towards getting something done as he enters the final year of his current deal. Securing an extension would make Cook a more attractive RB2 target in fantasy as he comes off a second straight 1,000-yard rushing season with a league-high 16 touchdowns. Cooks remains Buffalo's RB1, but fantasy managers need to plan for plenty of TD regression.

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New York Giants wide receivers Malik Nabers (shoulder) and Darius Slayton (undisclosed) were not involved in pre-game warmups on Saturday and are not expected to suit up for the preseason opener against the Buffalo Bills, according to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. It's a big chance for Jalin Hyatt to impress the coaches. Neither Nabers' or Slayton's injuries are serious, but the Giants will play it safe early in the preseason and hold them both out. In addition to a shoulder injury, the 22-year-old Nabers has also battled a toe injury since college, but it didn't slow him down at all in his rookie season in 2024, as he had a 109-1,204-7 line on 170 targets. Nabers' nagging injuries are worth watching closely, but as of now, there's no reason not to target him as a strong WR1 in fantasy drafts in 2025.

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Indianapolis Colts third-year signal-caller Anthony Richardson Sr. (finger) plans to practice on Saturday, Stephen Holder of ESPN reports. On Thursday, the Colts played the Baltimore Ravens in their preseason opener, and Richardson was sacked on a drop-back pass, subsequently leaving the game after dislocating his right pinkie on the hit. Still, following the Colts' scheduled day off Friday, Richardson is poised to practice Saturday, which is excellent news for Richardson as battles for the starting QB job in Indy with Daniel Jones. The 23-year-old has had his ups and downs in the NFL, but Richardson is trying to put the lows behind him and prove to the Colts that he is their guy under center for 2025 and the long haul. For the time being, Richardson remains a high-upside QB2 if he starts and is currently ranked as QB28, according to the NFFC, while his counterpart Jones is ranked as the QB31.

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Dallas Cowboys rookie running back Phil Mafah indicated Friday that he played through a torn labrum in his shoulder during his final college season at Clemson, Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News reports. Mafah has been looking good in camp thus far and mentioned that he is feeling healthy, then proceeded to discuss his 2024 injury. During the 2024 season, he rushed for 1,115 yards and eight touchdowns on 216 carries. He also caught 21 passes for 103 yards and played all 14 games, starting every one, and was voted a permanent team captain by his teammates. Those are still solid numbers considering he was dealing with a shoulder injury. Nonetheless, it could be why he fell to the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft in the spring. A big performance from Mafah on Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams could create a running back battle in the Cowboys' backfield between the two veterans (Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders) and the two rookies (Jaydon Blue and Mafah) ahead of Week 1. At this point, from a fantasy standpoint, Mafah remains a dynasty stash at best.

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Washington Commanders wide receiver Luke McCaffrey (illness) had a pregame illness and tried to play through it on Friday against the New England Patriots, but couldn't. Dan Quinn says more injury updates will be available on Sunday, JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington reports. McCaffrey tried to play in the game on Friday and caught his only target for minus-1 yard, but ultimately couldn't keep going. The 2024 third-rounder is fighting for a bigger role in Washington's offense this season after finishing his rookie season with 18 catches (on 24 targets) for 168 yards across 17 regular-season games, so, understandably, he wants to play as much as possible in preseason action. Especially with the news that Terry McLaurin has requested a trade, opening up a potential opportunity in the expansive receiver room. Regardless, McCaffrey is nothing more than a late-round long shot for fantasy in this upcoming season. He remains a decent dynasty stash. The Commanders' next tilt is on August 18, giving McCaffrey some time to recover.

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Philadelphia Eagles star wide receiver A.J. Brown (hamstring) was not practicing Saturday morning, Martin Frank of The Delaware News Journal reports. Brown continues to battle through a hamstring injury that caused him to miss Thursday's preseason matchup against the Detroit Lions, and he has now been sidelined since August 1. The Eagles play the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, September 4, for their season opener, and Brown will have two more opportunities to suit up for the preseason before that matchup. He doesn't need to get those reps for his fantasy outlook in 2025, but fantasy managers certainly don't want to see this hamstring linger into the regular season. Brown is considered a WR1 in all fantasy formats and is the WR10 overall according to NFFC. With Brown sidelined, Johnny Wilson and Ainias Smith will continue to rotate in three-wideout sets with the first-team offense alongside DeVonta Smith and Jahan Dotson.

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The New York Giants plan to start Russell Wilson in their preseason opener on Saturday against the Buffalo Bills, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN. The veteran is part of a completely revamped New York quarterback room, which also includes Jameis Winston and rookie Jaxson Dart. The 36-year-old Wilson helped lead Pittsburgh to the playoffs in his only year with the club, but a five-game losing streak to end the season soured the prospects of a return. At least for now, he appears to have the inside track for the Giants' starting job.

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Well-traveled Washington Commanders quarterback Josh Johnson completed 15 of 22 passes for a game-high 173 yards with one touchdown and an interception on Friday against the New England Patriots. Jayden Daniels is the no-doubt starter for Washington with Marcus Mariota also in the fold as the likely backup, leaving Johnson and Sam Hartman competing for the third spot. Hartman struggled while the 38-year-old Johnson proved to be the more effective of the two, at least in the opener. Washington will next take on Cincinnati on Aug. 18.

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Running back Jamaal Williams completed a workout with the Chicago Bears, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The 30-year-old running back is coming off a forgettable tenure with the New Orleans Saints in which he managed just 470 yards and two touchdowns in the past two seasons combined. Williams' best season came as a member of the Lions in 2022 when he surpassed 1,000 yards rushing and scored 17 touchdowns. With former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson now the head coach in Chicago, Williams is at least getting a look with the Bears.

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Detroit Lions rookie wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa caught two passes on three targets for 18 yards and a touchdown in his team's 17-10 preseason win over the Atlanta Falcons on Friday night. Detroit used a third-round pick on TeSlaa in the 2025 draft, and reports out of training camp have indicated that the 23-year-old has been playing well in practice. Even still, TeSlaa does not project to have a huge role in the offense as a rookie. The Lions have the star duo of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams leading their wide receiver room and steady veterans Tim Patrick and Kalif Raymond behind them. That makes 2025 likely a developmental season for TeSlaa, but he could eventually push the 31-year-old Patrick for playing time.

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Detroit Lions rookie wide receiver Jackson Meeks led the team in receiving during Detroit's 17-10 preseason win over the Atlanta Falcons on Friday night. Meeks recorded three catches on four targets for 78 yards and a touchdown. An undrafted free agent out of Syracuse, Meeks logged 78 catches for 1,021 yards and seven touchdowns in his final collegiate season in 2024. The Lions have a deep wide receiver room with players like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Tim Patrick, Kalif Raymond, and third-round rookie Isaac TeSlaa. That leaves Meeks competing for a roster spot with veterans Ronnie Bell and Tom Kennedy as well as fellow rookies Dominic Lovett and Jakobie Keeney-James. Meeks is probably still a long shot to make the team, but he may have separated himself to some degree with a strong showing on Friday.

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