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FFL: Preseason | NFL: Week 1

Bengals release veteran RB Zack Moss

Wed Jul 30 11:02am ET
Field Level Media

The Cincinnati Bengals released veteran running back Zack Moss on Wednesday.

Moss, 27, agreed to a reworked contract for one year and $1.7 million in April with only $375,000 guaranteed.

He ran for 242 yards and two touchdowns in eight games (six starts) for the Bengals in 2024 before sustaining a season-ending neck injury in Week 8. He also caught 23 passes for 187 yards and one score.

Chase Brown seized the No. 1 running back role for Cincinnati last season, racking up 1,350 yards from scrimmage with 11 touchdowns in 16 games (10 starts).

A third-round pick by Buffalo in 2020, Moss has rushed for 2,318 yards and 16 touchdowns and caught 98 passes for 710 yards and five TDs in 61 career games (17 starts) with the Bills (2020-22), Indianapolis Colts (2022-23) and Bengals.

Cincinnati also announced that center Seth McLaughlin has passed a physical and been cleared to practice. The 23-year-old undrafted rookie from Ohio State had been on the active/non-football injury list since July 19.

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Player Notes
Anthony Richardson Jul 30 12:30pm ET
Anthony Richardson

ESPN's Stephen Holder writes that the Indianapolis Colts quarterback competition between Anthony Richardson Sr. and Daniel Jones remains tight in training camp, with neither signal-caller putting distance between them. Head coach Shane Steichen called the QB battle "neck and neck." The Athletic's Zak Keefer writes that Richardson "was sharper during the team's first two padded practices." Richardson, the former fourth overall pick, has been a disappointment in his first two NFL seasons due to injuries and inconsistent performances. The young QB has missed 17 games due to injury and was benched midway through 2024 in favor of Joe Flacco. His completion percentage was a league-low 47.7%. Despite the early disappointment, GM Chris Ballard has faith in Richardson long term, even if he loses the battle to Jones this summer. Richardson's rushing upside is elite, but he must become a more complete QB to realize his QB1 potential.

From RotoBaller

Xavier Worthy Jul 30 12:20pm ET
Xavier Worthy

The Kansas City Chiefs are saying that wide receiver Xavier Worthy (concussion) is in the league's concussion protocol after he suffered a head injury during Tuesday's training camp practice. It's unclear how much time Worthy will end up missing, but the good news is he has plenty of time to get cleared before the start of the regular season in early September. Marquise Brown (hamstring) was also injured in Tuesday's practice, so it wasn't a great day for KC's wideouts. Worthy was used as a receiver and running back in his rookie season in 2024 and finished with 59 catches for 638 yards and six touchdowns on 98 targets and added 20 carries for 104 yards and three more TDs on the ground in 17 regular-season games (13 starts). Target competition could be a concern when Rashee Rice and Brown are both on the field, but Worthy remains an intriguing WR2 in fantasy in this offense.

From RotoBaller

Mike White Jul 30 12:10pm ET
Mike White

Buffalo Bills quarterbacks Mitchell Trubisky and Mike White are competing for the backup job to superstar Josh Allen, and the team is "nowhere close to a decision at this point," according to Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic. Both players spent 2024 with Buffalo, but neither saw significant playing time. Trubisky (57 starts) has seen significantly more NFL action than White (seven starts). However, Trubisky struggled in his last extended run of action with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022, going 2-3 in five starts and throwing more interceptions (five) than touchdowns (four). Hopefully for Buffalo, Allen continues to be an ironman, as he's started 67 games for the Bills across the last four seasons. However, given Allen's physical style of play, there's always the possibility that the backup in Buffalo could be forced into action.

From RotoBaller

Juwan Johnson Jul 30 12:10pm ET
Juwan Johnson

New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson (undisclosed) suffered an undisclosed injury during training camp practice on Wednesday, according to head coach Kellen Moore. The Saints will provide an update on Johnson's injury on Thursday. The Saints are dangerously thin at the tight end position with both Taysom Hill (knee) and Foster Moreau (knee) on the Physically Unable to Perform list, so they will be hoping that Johnson's injury isn't very serious. If he's out for a while, the Saints would be left with rookie Moliki Matavao, Seth Green and Jack Stoll. The 28-year-old Johnson re-signed in New Orleans for three years and $30.75 million after setting career-highs in catches (50), targets (66) and receiving yards (548) in 2024, but he found the end zone only three times. If Johnson's injury isn't serious, he should be the Saints' top pass-catching TE to begin the season, but he shouldn't be considered anything more than a TE2 in fantasy.

From RotoBaller

Tory Horton Jul 30 12:00pm ET
Tory Horton

Seattle Seahawks rookie wide receiver Tory Horton "continues to flash in practice," according to Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. A fifth-round draft pick out of Colorado State, Horton recorded 265 catches for 3,615 yards and 27 touchdowns across five collegiate seasons. The Seahawks have Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp entrenched as their top two wide receivers, and veteran free-agent addition Marquez Valdes-Scantling is penciled in as a starter on the outside. That leaves Horton fighting with the likes of Jake Bobo, Steven Sims, and Dareke Young for a depth role in Seattle. While Horton is unlikely to make an impact in fantasy right away, he could be a name to monitor if he continues to impress throughout the preseason.

From RotoBaller

Calvin Ridley Jul 30 11:50am ET
Calvin Ridley

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley (calf) limped off from the team's practice on Wednesday while holding his right calf, according to ESPN's Turron Davenport. Davenport speculates that it could simply be a cramp, but the severity and nature of the injury are unknown. Losing Ridley would be a major issue for the Titans' offense, which is already low on proven receiving talent. In 17 games for Tennessee in 2024, the 30-year-old recorded 64 catches for 1,017 yards and four touchdowns. Ridley is the unquestioned number one option for rookie quarterback Cam Ward. If he were to miss time, veterans Tyler Lockett and Van Jefferson, as well as rookies Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike, would be in line for increased usage.

From RotoBaller

Jordan James Jul 30 11:40am ET
Jordan James

San Francisco 49ers rookie running back Jordan James has played well in training camp so far, and 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said James "hits holes hard," according to Vic Tafur and Matt Barrows of The Athletic. A fifth-round selection out of Oregon, James rushed for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Ducks in 2024. He's presumably competing with 2024 fourth-rounder Isaac Guerendo and fifth-year veteran Patrick Taylor Jr. for the backup job to 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey. Given the injuries that McCaffrey has dealt with throughout his career, James could find himself in the mix for carries sooner rather than later. He needs an injury to be fantasy relevant, but James could emerge as an intriguing ultra-late-round handcuff option if he continues to impress throughout the remainder of the preseason.

From RotoBaller

Rashid Shaheed Jul 30 11:20am ET
Rashid Shaheed

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed is playing through physical coverage in training camp practices so far, according to Jeff Nowak of Audacy Sports. Nowak notes that this has been a clear area of improvement for the fourth-year receiver since he entered the league in 2022. Once known exclusively as a downfield deep-ball threat, Shaheed was showing signs of becoming a more complete receiver in 2024 before tearing his meniscus in Week 6 and missing the remainder of the season. In the six games he played, Shaheed caught 20 passes for 349 yards and three touchdowns, averaging an impressive 2.25 yards-per-route-run. The Saints' question marks at quarterback hold down his fantasy value, but Shaheed is an intriguing late-round dart throw who could be on the verge of a breakout in his age-27 season.

From RotoBaller

Martin Emerson Jul 30 11:20am ET
Martin Emerson

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed on Wednesday that cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (Achilles) will require surgery to repair his ruptured left Achilles and will miss the 2025 season, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. It's a rough blow for the fourth-year corner, who will be a free agent at season's end. Emerson Jr. had only missed one game across his first three NFL seasons, racking up 62 solo tackles, four interceptions, and 34 passes defensed. He had been projected to be Cleveland's starting nickel corner heading into 2025. Without Emerson Jr., the Browns will likely turn to veterans Tony Brown II and Nik Needham to fill the hole in their secondary.

From RotoBaller

Zack Moss Jul 30 10:20am ET
Zack Moss

The Cincinnati Bengals have released running back Zack Moss. Moss began his tenure in Cincinnati during the 2024 season. He opened the campaign as the starter but eventually fell to the reserve role in favor of Chase Brown. In addition, Moss would see his season cut short due to a neck injury following Week 8. During the early part of the 2025 offseason, Moss was able to participate in team OTAs but was placed on the non-football injury (NFI) list to open training camp. However, the veteran running back has been unable to progress and will instead look for a new club. As a result, fantasy managers should expect Brown to be deployed as the clear three-down back during the 2025 season. Brown flashed high upside as a pass-catching back in 2025 and will have a path to enjoy an RB1 season with less competition on the depth chart.

From RotoBaller

Isaiah Likely Jul 30 10:10am ET
Isaiah Likely

Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely (foot) is expected to miss at least six weeks of action to repair a broken bone in his foot. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network noted that while the expectation is that the tight will miss six weeks, there is a belief that he could recover on a faster timeline. While Likely could be in danger of missing the start of the regular season, he has avoided a significant injury. The 25-year-old sustained this injury during Tuesday's practice session. Fantasy managers should continue to keep a close eye on his status in case this injury begins to linger. Last season, Likely enjoyed an impressive start to the campaign, tallying 111 yards in the season opener. However, he would only go on to tally over 70 receiving yards in one game during the remainder of the season. When healthy, Likely will be deployed as the No. 2 tight end in Baltimore behind Mark Andrews, which will continue to limit his fantasy ceiling.

From RotoBaller

Kader Kohou Jul 30 8:50am ET
Kader Kohou

Miami Dolphins cornerback Kader Kohou (knee) suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice on Saturday. After Kohou went down over the weekend, reports initially indicated that the injury wasn't very severe. Further testing showed that the injury was more serious than initially believed, as the team will place him on injured reserve. The loss of Kohou is a big one for the Dolphins as the secondary was a team weakness, and Kohou is their top corner. The team will likely turn to veteran Mike Hilton to help fill the vacancy at slot corner.

From RotoBaller

James Cook Jul 30 8:40am ET
James Cook

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook has been pushing for a larger role during the first week of training camp. Cook wants to play more on third downs this season after the team mostly turned to Ty Johnson on passing downs in 2024. Thus far in camp, the Bills haven't appeared interested in changing their offense after getting excellent production from their rushing attack last year. Cook will be a free agent after the season, so he likely wants to show that he can be a three-down back as he has an eye on securing a long-term deal for 2026 and beyond. Cook finished as a low-end RB1 in fantasy in 2024, although he benefited from 16 rushing touchdowns. Fantasy managers can continue to draft Cook as a high-end RB2 in upcoming drafts with the possibility for more if the Buffalo coaching staff decides to throw him the ball a bit more frequently.

From RotoBaller

Isaiah Likely Jul 30 8:30am ET
Isaiah Likely

Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely reportedly suffered a small fracture in his foot. Likely rolled his ankle during practice on Tuesday, with the injury initially believed to only keep him out a few weeks. According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Likely should be able to return to the field early in the season and could be ready for Week 1 if his recovery goes smoothly. Likely's injury clears the way for Mark Andrews to be the only tight-end target in the Baltimore offense after the former siphoned work away from Andrews during the 2024 season. Likely was popping up as a sleeper option at tight end in fantasy drafts, but his injury makes it a bit more risky to use a late-round draft pick on him.

From RotoBaller

Tre Harris Jul 29 10:27pm ET
Tre Harris

Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver Tre Harris had one of his best showings of the summer during Monday's practice, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports. Quarterback Justin Herbert found Harris twice during 11-on-11 drills and connected on a touchdown. The Chargers are expecting big contributions from Harris after drafting him 55th overall out of Ole Miss this year. He may be in line to claim a starting job with the recent retirement of Mike Williams. While the Chargers have an established No. 1 receiver in Ladd McConkey, a second-round pick last year, Harris could surpass Quentin Johnston as Herbert's second-favorite target.

Maxwell Hairston Jul 29 10:00pm ET
Maxwell Hairston

Buffalo Bills rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston (knee) limped off the field with a trainer after suffering an apparent injury to his right knee during the team's practice on Tuesday. Buffalo selected Hairston in the first round of the 2025 draft out of Kentucky, and the rookie had been projected to step into a starting role on the outside opposite Buffalo's top corner, Christian Benford. In 32 career games across three seasons at Kentucky, Hairston recorded 71 solo tackles, six interceptions, and three defensive touchdowns. The severity of this current knee injury is unclear, but any amount of missed time could be trouble for a rookie in need of all the preseason preparation he can get. If Hairston were to miss regular-season games, veterans Tre'Davious White and Dane Jackson would be the most likely candidates to see increased playing time.

From RotoBaller

Christian Gonzalez Jul 29 9:50pm ET
Christian Gonzalez

New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (hamstring) has suffered a hamstring injury that will sideline him for "a bit," but it "will not impact his Week 1 availability," according to NFL Insider Jordan Schultz. Gonzalez left the team's Monday practice early due to the injury. New England seems to have avoided the worst for their All-Pro corner, who had his rookie season in 2023 cut short after four games due to a torn ACL. In 16 games last year, Gonzalez recorded 50 solo tackles, two interceptions, and 11 passes defensed. He's the top coverage player for New England, so any missed time for him would significantly impact the Patriots' secondary.

From RotoBaller

Austin Hooper Jul 29 9:40pm ET
Austin Hooper

New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper (undisclosed) returned to practice on Tuesday, according to Evan Lazar of Patriots.com. Hooper had started camp on the active/physically unable to perform list, but he appears to be back in action. The 30-year-old recorded 45 catches for 476 yards and three touchdowns in 17 games with New England in 2024. He's behind Hunter Henry on the Patriots' tight end depth chart, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see the team use plenty of two tight-end sets now that Josh McDaniels is back in town as the play-caller. Even still, Hooper would need an injury to Henry to crack the radar of fantasy managers.

From RotoBaller

Cade Otton Jul 29 9:30pm ET
Cade Otton

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton (hamstring) remained sidelined for his team's Tuesday practice, according to Greg Auman of Fox Sports. Otton has now missed three straight days of practice with what Bucs head coach Todd Bowles has described as a mild hamstring strain. The fourth-year tight end played 14 games in 2024, hauling in 59 catches for 600 yards and four touchdowns. However, Otton did much of his work when Tampa Bay's receiving corps got hit with a rash of injuries mid-season, so he could see his numbers come down a bit in 2025. That being said, he's clearly the team's top receiving threat at the tight end position, as backups Payne Durham and Ko Kieft profile more as blockers. It doesn't sound as though the team expects any significant missed time for Otton, but his situation is worth monitoring until he returns to the practice field.

From RotoBaller

Luke McCaffrey Jul 29 9:30pm ET
Luke McCaffrey

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said he's seen "the year one to the year two jump" and is "encouraged" by the work wide receiver Luke McCaffrey has put in over the offseason. Washington drafted McCaffrey in the third round out of Rice in 2024, and he did not contribute much on offense as a rookie. In 17 games, McCaffrey recorded 18 catches for 168 yards and zero touchdowns. Heading into 2025, the 24-year-old appears to be battling veteran Noah Brown for the WR3 role in Washington behind Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel. However, McLaurin (ankle) is currently on the active/PUP list with an ankle injury and is engaged in a very public contract dispute with the team, so there's some added uncertainty at the position. A strong showing in the preseason could go a long way toward solidifying McCaffrey's role within the offense.

From RotoBaller