New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye is expected to be named the starter at some point during the 2024 NFL season, according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic. While Jacoby Brissett gets the nod Week 1, Howe expects that the Patriots will turn to the No. 3 overall pick at some point this year. He notes that "the variables between the team's record and the line's performance have made it a guess as to when that would happen." In other words, if the Patriots get off to a hot start, the Patriots may ride with Brissett. Similarly, if the offensive line can't do a good job in pass protection, the Patriots may play Brissett in order to preserve Maye's health. Once he does take over as the starter in New England, Maye will be a high-end fantasy QB2.

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Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell impressed during the preseason and is trending toward being the team's primary slot receiver when the regular season kicks off this week, according to fantasy football analyst Jared Smola. Indianapolis spent a second-round pick on the Texas product, and it now appears he's poised to start in place of the injured Josh Downs (ankle). Even with a starting role, Mitchell might not be worth deploying right away in fantasy football. He's still behind Michael Pittman Jr. in the receiver room, and he'll also lose some opportunities to rushing threats Jonathan Taylor and Anthony Richardson.

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Buffalo Bills running back Ray Davis looked efficient during his first preseason in the NFL. Although the Kentucky product was held to just two yards in the first week, he bounced back with an impressive 58 yards on eight carries in the second week, good for an average of 7.3 yards per carry. He also caught three passes for 19 yards throughout the preseason. The Bills held Davis out of their final preseason game, a real indication that they have plans to use him down the stretch in 2024. He's not the fastest player, but there's a real chance that he can be more productive around the goal line than James Cook. With real touchdown upside, Davis should be viewed as a potential RB3/FLEX play with RB2 upside if Cook gets hurt.

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Las Vegas Raiders rookie tight end Brock Bowers did not play any snaps alongside quarterback Gardner Minshew II during the preseason, according to fantasy football analyst Jacob Gibbs. This is significant because Minshew was named the Raiders' starting quarterback, and it would have been ideal for Bowers to get some game action with him before the regular season kicked off. That wasn't the case, but there's still time for them to establish a rapport during practice leading up to Week 1 and early in the regular season. Bowers is still a generational talent at tight end and should be treated as such. He's a first-round pick in dynasty leagues and a fringe top-12 fantasy tight end in redraft leagues.

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Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze had plenty of opportunities to establish a connection with quarterback Caleb Williams during the preseason. According to fantasy football analyst Jacob Gibbs, Odunze was the Bears wide receiver who spent the most time on the field with Williams during the three preseason games even more than veterans DJ Moore and Keenan Allen. This bodes well for Odunze's stock in 2024 as he's already started to get on the same page with his quarterback, a fellow rookie. The No. 9 pick will still have to compete for targets with Moore and Allen, but he's trending in the right direction. Odunze should be drafted in all fantasy leagues and will open the year with low-end WR3/FLEX upside.

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Cincinnati Bengals rookie offensive lineman Amarius Mims (pectoral) returned to practice on Monday. The Bengals' O-line has struggled in recent years, which led to Mims being drafted 18th overall in 2024. Mims is not currently listed as a starter, but he should be an important rotational piece. The Bengals still have the No. 21 PFF-ranked O-line in the NFL. Should Mims perform as expected, he will surely boost that ranking. With quarterback Joe Burrow having dealt with various injuries throughout his career, the health of Mims is something to monitor.

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Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver DJ Chark (hip) was not seen at the period of practice on Monday that was open to the media. It's no concerning that Chark hasn't practiced at all for the last two weeks with the Chargers due to a hip injury. There's a chance Chark was limited in practice on Monday after reporters left, but we'll have a better idea of his status heading into the Week 1 regular-season opener this Sunday against the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders when the Bolts post their first official injury report on Wednesday. When healthy, the 27-year-old is expected to start in three-wide sets in 2024 in his first year in LA alongside Joshua Palmer and rookie Ladd McConkey. Especially considering his injury, Chark has been going undrafted in standard 12-team leagues. If he's limited or out this Sunday, former first-rounder Quentin Johnston would enter the starting lineup against Vegas.

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Seattle Seahawks tight end Noah Fant (foot) was in uniform on the practice field on Monday. Head coach Mike Macdonald noted during the preseason that he is optimistic that Fant will be available for the Seahawks' opener against the Denver Broncos. While Fant has not put up prolific numbers for the Seahawks over the past couple of seasons, he is still important to the offense. New offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb could also scheme more looks for Fant in 2024. With backup tight end Pharaoh Brown (foot) also banged up, the Seahawks can only hope that at least one of these players will be available this week.

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Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett (leg) expects to play in Sunday's opening game against the Denver Broncos. Lockett had been dealing with the injury throughout training camp and the preseason. He has been limited in practice during that time, however, it appears that it was all precautionary for the 31-year-old. Lockett is coming off a down year in which he caught 79 passes for 894 yards and five touchdowns. The Seahawks offense is expected to be more prolific and vertical with the addition of new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb. While Lockett's best days may be behind him, he should still deliver consistent flex value and could produce a WR2 week on occasion. He is also a solid player to have on your bench should anything happen to wide receivers DK Metcalf or Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

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The Seattle Seahawks added to the quarterback room by signing Jaren Hall to their practice squad on Monday. The 2023 fifth-round pick started two games for the Vikings in 2023. He threw for 168 yards and zero touchdowns to go along with one interception. Hall was waived last week to make room for Brett Rypien on the Vikings' roster. The Seahawks currently only carry quarterbacks Geno Smith and Sam Howell on their active roster. Hall could feasibly find himself on the active roster at some point should the team decide they need to carry three active quarterbacks. For now, this signing is inconsequential to the Seahawks offense.

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Free agent wide receiver John Ross worked out for the New Orleans Saints on Tuesday. Ross failed to make the Philadelphia Eagles' final roster earlier in the preseason. He was once drafted as the ninth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Ross also owned the record for the fastest 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine until 2024. However, he has never lived up to his pedigree and has recently bounced around the league. Ross would give the Saints a vertical threat and extra depth behind Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and A.T. Perry. Given that he has not played in a regular season game since 2021, Ross does not project to have much fantasy appeal if he were to be signed.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers have worked out free-agent wide receiver Jamal Agnew. The former Jacksonville Jaguar has made his living as a receiver, runner, and kick returner. Agnew has never played a large role in an offense but he is a solid gadget player who can line up all over the field. He would be a solid kick returner opposite running back Cordarrelle Patterson as well. Should he sign with the Steelers, Agnew will not have fantasy appeal. However, he would be a welcome addition to that offense.

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Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews (undisclosed) is not on the team's first injury report on Monday ahead of their Week 1 regular-season opener on Thursday evening against the defending Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs. Andrews was involved in a car accident in the middle of August and missed some practice time with an undisclosed minor injury, but he returned to practice last Friday and is good to go for Week 1. A leg injury to the three-time Pro Bowler last year limited him to just 10 games last year, but he's healthy now and should be one of quarterback Lamar Jackson's most trusted weapons in the passing game again in 2024, which makes him a top-five fantasy tight end. Even though Andrews missed considerable time last year, he still managed to finish tied for second among all tight ends with six touchdowns and also had 544 receiving yards.

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Baltimore Ravens rookie running back Rasheen Ali (neck) finds himself on the team's first official injury report of the season ahead of Thursday night's regular-season opener against the defending Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs on Monday. Ali was listed as limited with a neck injury. The 23-year-old fifth-rounder suffered a stinger in the preseason opener and is still recovering from it. If Ali is active on Thursday night in his first regular-season NFL contest, he'll serve as Baltimore's No. 3 back behind starter Derrick Henry and backup Justice Hill, which means he won't be worth starting in the vast majority of fantasy lineups. He was limited by injuries at times in college and didn't exactly impress during training camp when given opportunities. Right now, Ali is merely a stash candidate in dynasty/keeper formats.

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Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (ankle) is "progressing well" as he continues to rehab a high-ankle sprain, according to head coach Shane Steichen, but there's no indication as to whether he'll actually take part in the team's first official practice of the 2024 regular season on Wednesday. We will have a better idea of Downs' status for Week 1 of the regular season on Sunday against the division-rival Houston Texans after Indy releases their injury report on Wednesday, but as of now, the 23-year-old is completely up in the air for this weekend. Fantasy managers that have Downs rostered should plan as if Downs won't suit up and go from there. If he's unavailable or limited for the Colts against Houston, expect to see rookie Adonai Mitchell and Alec Pierce lined up in three-wide sets alongside starter Michael Pittman Jr.

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Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen said that kicker Matt Gay (hamstring) is dealing with a hamstring injury, which is why kicker Spencer Shrader was added to the practice squad. Gay's status for the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday against the division-rival Houston Texans is to be determined. If the 30-year-old ends up playing this weekend, he'll be a borderline fantasy starter in 12-team leagues after making just 80.5% of his 41 field-goal attempts during 17 regular-season games while missing just one of his 36 extra-point tries. If Gay is held out of the season opener, fantasy managers should pass on Shrader and look for a replacement on the waiver wire. We'll have a much better idea of Gay's Sunday status later this week after the team completes a couple official practices. Check back for those injury reports to see if Gay can practice.

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Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison (ankle) was back at practice on Monday but didn't do a whole lot outside of warmups in the 15 minutes that were open to reporters. Addison likely would have been limited on an official injury report, but with the Vikings' Week 1 regular-season opener not coming until this Sunday against the New York Giants, there first official practice for Week 1 won't be until Wednesday. Either way, the 22-year-old second-year pass-catcher's presence at practice on Monday for the first time since being carted off the field on Aug. 14 was a good sign. We'll have a better idea of Addison's status for this Sunday once the team releases their official injury report on Wednesday. Despite a strong rookie year in 2023, Addison is shaping up as a shaky WR4/flex for fantasy managers due to his injury and the fact that he has a downgrade in QB from Kirk Cousins to Sam Darnold.

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Chicago Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen (foot) was back at practice on Monday after missing a few practices with a foot injury. Head coach Matt Eberflus said Allen's foot issue was cleat-related, so it sounds like he's trending toward being good to go for Week 1. Fantasy managers should monitor the team's official injury reports that come out starting on Wednesday. While Allen remained productive in his final season with the Los Angeles Chargers, he will face immense target competition from DJ Moore and Rome Odunze, among others in 2024, and he'll be playing with a rookie quarterback in Caleb Williams. He could remain a high-end fantasy wide receiver, but he's a riskier asset than ever before. Still, he's an attractive WR3 or flex option in PPR setups. Assuming he's active, Allen has a wide range of outcomes in Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans. Tennessee allowed the ninth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers last year, but they brought in defensive backs L'Jarius Sneed, Chidobe Awuzie, and Quandre Diggs to help sure up the secondary.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker YaYa Diaby (ankle) returned to practice on Monday for the first time since suffering an ankle injury on Aug. 1. Hopefully, the 25-year-old has enough time to get in game shape ahead of the Week 1 contest against the Washington Commanders. After being selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft last offseason, Diaby was a pleasant surprise and racked up 7.5 sacks in his rookie campaign. The Louisville product is looking to build off his promising start in Year 2. He could be limited in practice throughout the week, but we'll know more when the team releases its first official injury report on Wednesday.

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Kansas City Chiefs rookie offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia has locked up the starting left tackle job and he will be tasked with protecting quarterback Patrick Mahomes' blind side on Thursday night against the Baltimore Ravens. The No. 63 overall pick out of BYU has been a standout at training camp, and it's notable that he's starting in Week 1 considering Kansas City often brings rookies along slowly. "He had a good training camp," head coach Andy Reid "He had a good preseason, but this is going to be a learning experience for him here. This is a good defensive line, and he's going to -- I'm sure there will be some ups and downs as he goes like any young player has. He's prepared himself, and it's time to go play now." The Ravens led the NFL with 60 total sacks last season, so the 21-year-old will have his work cut out for him right away.

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