The Los Angeles Chargers have "major plans" for wide receiver Quentin Johnston this season, and offensive coordinator Greg Roman intends to manufacture opportunities for the second-year player, according to Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Specifically, the Chargers want to give him more opportunities to produce after the catch, which is an area where he's excelled in the past. Los Angeles really liked what it saw in Johnston coming out of TCU and is ready to help him elevate his game despite a frustrating rookie campaign in which he caught just 56.7 percent of his targets and also logged three drops. Given that Johnston could start alongside Josh Palmer in the Los Angeles offense, he's an intriguing investment at his current Yahoo ADP of 182.

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Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman spoke highly of J.K. Dobbins (Achilles), saying he is "as good as anybody" when healthy, according to Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Dobbins has endured several major season-ending injuries before, but his offseason recovery has gone quite well and he's in the mix for the lead-back role with Gus Edwards. Both Edwards and Dobbins showed flashes of promise during their time together in Baltimore, but neither should be viewed as anything more than an RB3/FLEX option heading into the 2024 fantasy football season. As it stands, managers favor Edwards (Yahoo ADP of 100) over Dobbins (Yahoo ADP of 168) in redraft leagues.

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Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs "has had the most consistently good showing so far and has separated himself as Love's go-to guy in any situation," according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. It's been challenging to decipher reports about the Packers' wide receiver corps this offseason, but Graziano seems convinced that Doubs has emerged as Green Bay's top option. He even noted that Doubs should be the preferred Packers wide receiver in fantasy football leagues. That goes against the trends we've seen recently in Yahoo ADP, which has Jayden Reed being drafted as WR36, Christian Watson as WR41, and Doubs as WR56. That puts Doubs just one slot ahead of Dontayvion Wicks (WR57). Of course, the Packers' depth chart will continue to take shape over the next few weeks, so we should have more clarity on Doubs and his teammates by Week 1 of the regular season. In the meantime, though, it sounds like he might be a steal in the 11th round of fantasy drafts.

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Arizona Cardinals tight end Tip Reiman "should carve out a role" this season, according to Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Even though the third-round rookie is clearly a notch below Trey McBride on the depth chart, the expectation is that Reiman will still get looks within Arizona's offense. The insiders note that Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing previously spent three years in Cleveland where he supported solid production from both David Njoku and Harrison Bryant. In their analogy, Graziano and Fowler likened McBride to Njoku and Reiman to Bryant. Bryant caught 24 passes for 238 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie in 2020. Perhaps we should expect similar production from Reiman in 2024.

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New York Jets wide receiver Jason Brownlee isn't a lock to make the 53-man roster but can help his cause by performing well in Week 1 of the preseason, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN. Cimini notes that Brownlee had a slow start to camp but has started to trend in the right direction recently. As a result, it's imperative that he continues his "positive momentum" in order to make a push for a roster spot. Garrett Wilson, Mike Williams, Xavier Gipson, and Malachi Corley are all locks to make the team, which means Brownlee is competing with the likes of Allen Lazard, Irvin Charles, Lance McCutcheon, and Malik Taylor. The 25-year-old played in seven games (five starts) as a rookie last year, catching just five passes for 56 yards and a touchdown. He's firmly on the roster bubble and can be avoided in most fantasy formats.

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Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Chris Blair caught two passes for 45 receiving yards in Friday's 20-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins. The 26-year-old did lead the team in receiving on only three targets. He reeled in a gorgeous 41-yard long ball from Michael Penix Jr., the first-round draft pick for the Atlanta Falcons. The 26-year-old former XFL player looks to be nothing more than a depth piece for this season, but it was a great showing from him nonetheless on Friday.

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Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Casey Washington caught three passes on nine targets for 27 yards in a 20-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins Friday night. Despite the heavy volume for the 23-year-old receiver, he wasn't able to do much with it. The rookie out of the University of Illinois was able to log an impressive 12.4 yards per reception in the limited time he received in college on 122 receptions in 55 total games. Although, he was only able to find the end zone four times during his five years in college. There are no expectations for Washington to be used on the offense as the team's fifth wideout on the depth chart, but the early heavy volume is a positive side for the rookie receiver.

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Atlanta Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo kicked off his preseason on a positive note, going 2-for-2 in field goal attempts, and added one extra point in a 20-13 loss against the Miami Dolphins Friday night. He nailed his first field goal from 39 yards and followed suit with his second field goal from 53 yards out. After finishing the 2020 and 2021 seasons with more than a 90% field goal percentage, Koo took a step back in 2022 and 2023, finishing at precisely 86.5% in both seasons. Younghoe Koo should get plenty more field goal opportunities this season with a much-improved offense with Kirk Cousins at the helm. With the excellent start to the preseason and the new offense in Atlanta, fantasy managers should feel good about drafting Koo as a top-10 kicker this season.

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Atlanta Falcons running back Carlos Washington Jr. ran for 25 yards on 16 attempts and found the end zone in a 20-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins Friday night. The average yards per attempt at 1.6 yards was underwhelming for the second-year running back, but he made up for it by finding the end zone on a strong one-yard rush in the first quarter. With Bijan Robinson as the clear RB1 and Tyler Allgeier as the clear RB2, along with Jase McClellan and Avery Williams ahead of him on the depth chart. A lot would have to happen for the 25-year-old to get anywhere near the field this season. The fact he led the team in rushing attempts should be a positive sign moving forward for Washington.

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Atlanta Falcons rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. threw for 104 yards in his professional preseason debut Friday night in a 20-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins. Penix was efficient in tossing the pigskin, going 9-for-16 in pass attempts while completing a game-long 41-yard dime to Chris Blair in-stride. The 2024 first-rounder isn't expected to play much this season, or possibly the next few seasons, with the Falcons signing Kirk Cousins (Achilles) to a four-year $180 million deal this offseason. Penix should see a ton of playing time throughout the preseason, with Cousins not expected to suit up until Week 1.

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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Taylor Heinicke was 4-for-11 in pass attempts Friday night in a 20-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins. The veteran quarterback was the second to enter the game after rookie sensation Michael Penix Jr., with 6:34 remaining in the second quarter. The veteran signal-caller was partly victimized by playing with second and third-string offensive linemen and skill players, making his poor passing line slightly more understandable. Nevertheless, Heinicke still has a clear lead in his battle with recent signee Nathan Rourke for the No. 3 quarterback job.

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Running back Jeff Wilson Jr. rushed five times for seven yards in the Miami Dolphins' 20-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Friday. He added three receptions for 18 yards and a touchdown on four targets. Wilson was the first running back in for the Dolphins and was featured heavily over the first few drives. In the opening seconds of the second quarter, Miami was down in Atlanta's red zone. He caught a Skylar Thompson pass in the left flat and swiftly made his way to the end zone, diving for the pylon. 2024 will be the eight-year veteran's third season with Miami after spending the first five seasons of his career in a similar Kyle Shanahan-esque offense. He's been a solid contributor in this scheme before when health permits but presents as no more than a depth piece for now. The 27-year-old is a solid deep-league handcuff for now, but can be safely avoided in redraft circles unless injuries force him into action.

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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III managed two receptions for 49 yards on three targets in a preseason loss to the Houston Texans. All of Austin's opportunities came with Kyle Allen at quarterback. The pair nearly connected for a touchdown in the second quarter, but the ball was poorly thrown and Austin failed to haul it in. The 25-year-old wideout was much sharper in the second half, creating plenty of separation for deep completions of 24 and 25 yards. Although veteran Van Jefferson has reportedly had an excellent training camp, Austin could carve out a role for himself in a receiver room that is highly suspect outside of George Pickens. Austin will hope to stand out again in next Saturday's contest against the Buffalo Bills.

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Daijun Edwards turned three carries into 28 yards and a rushing touchdown while adding a reception for nine yards in the team's 20-12 preseason loss to the Houston Texans. He also picked up 27 yards on his lone kick return. The undrafted rookie made an impact immediately upon checking in at the start of the fourth quarter, exploding for a 24-yard gain on his second attempt. He capped off the drive with a one-yard score on the very next play. The Georgia product tallied 1078 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns in his final collegiate season and could certainly push for a roster spot in Pittsburgh, especially given his usage on special teams. Edwards will look to make the most of his opportunities once again next week when the Steelers face the Buffalo Bills.

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris handled three carries for nine yards and turned his lone target into a 16-yard reception in a preseason loss to the Houston Texans. Harris had his number called immediately on Friday with a screen pass from quarterback Justin Fields on Pittsburgh's first play from scrimmage. As expected, he split reps with the first-team offense fairly evenly with backfield mate Jaylen Warren. Harris, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract, reportedly dropped weight this offseason and looked explosive throughout training camp. He'll look to be a focal point early again next week against the Buffalo Bills.

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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens hauled in both of his two targets for 25 receiving yards in Friday's preseason loss to the Houston Texans. Pickens played on just three offensive series but showed early signs of chemistry with quarterback Justin Fields. The third-year pro was dynamic after the catch, turning short completions into gains of 15 and 10 yards. It's no secret that the Steelers are interested in adding to their receiving corps, but for the time being, Pickens is entrenched as the team's top target. He should see additional opportunities next Saturday in a preseason bout with the Buffalo Bills.

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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields completed five of his six attempts for 67 scoreless yards in a 20-12 preseason loss to the Houston Texans. Fields added just two rushing yards on three attempts and took two sacks. He was also charged with two fumbles, both resulting from botched exchanges with guard Nate Herbig at center. Although Fields wasn't given many opportunities, he did manage to impress on a handful of completions to wideouts George Pickens and Van Jefferson. With Russell Wilson expected to suit up next Saturday against the Buffalo Bills, the quarterback competition in Pittsburgh should continue to heat up as the regular season approaches.

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Miami Dolphins tight end Tanner Conner caught three of four targets for 70 yards and a touchdown during Friday's 20-13 win against the Atlanta Falcons. His longest catch of the day was a 43-yarder where he came streaking off the line on a third and five, blowing right by a Falcons defender. Conner leaped to catch a slightly off-target Skylar Thompson pass in the soft spot of the zone and then showed off his yard-after-catch skills as he scampered down the field for a significant gain. He racked up 37 yards on his other two receptions. He had just four targets, but the third-year TE showed enough to be at least intriguing going into the second week of the preseason. He still has quite a bit of work to do, though. He sits behind Jonnu Smith, Durham Smythe, Julian Hill, and Jody Fortson Jr. on Miami's unofficial depth chart. It remains to be seen how much work Conner will get next weekend when the Dolphins take on the Commanders in Miami.

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Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said he anticipates quarterback Russell Wilson being available for the second preseason game next Saturday against the visiting Buffalo Bills. Wilson missed some time recently in training camp with a minor calf injury, which allowed backup Justin Fields to get some run with the first-team offense. The Steelers held Wilson out of Friday's preseason opener against the Houston Texans, while Fields proceeded to go 5-for-6 for 67 yards while also fumbling the ball twice. Fields may have more big-play ability because of his legs, but Wilson remains in pole position to start under center for the Steelers in the Week 1 regular-season opener versus the Atlanta Falcons on the road. With little to work with in the passing game, Wilson, who looked washed up in his two seasons in Denver, will open 2024 as a low-end QB2 for fantasy managers.

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Miami Dolphins quarterback Skylar Thompson completed eight of 19 passes for 95 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in Friday night's win against the Atlanta Falcons. He added two rushes for six yards. Thompson fared much better than fellow quarterback Mike White, who went 3-for-13 with a paltry 28 yards but still made a few head-scratching throws of his own. The second-year signal-caller is behind White on Miami's unofficial depth chart as the Dolphins' QB3, but after a few more performances like this, that might not be the case. The highlight of Thompson's night came on a third and five when he hit Tanner Connerstreaking down the sideline for a 43-yard gain. Thompson hit Conner with a well-placed ball that he layered between the corner and safety, though he did not hit him in stride. It is likely the Kansas State product will see a bunch more work next Saturday when Miami takes on the Washington Commanders at home.

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