Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III caught just 19 passes in three collegiate seasons at Wake Forest and Michigan State, and many questioned his ability as a receiver when he entered the NFL. He's hauled in 56 passes for 424 yards and one touchdown through his first 30 pro games, but he could be more involved in that area this season based on comments from offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb. "I think he gets better every single day," Grubb said. "I think the sky's the limit for him. I think he's a really, really talented, powerful back that's a true three-tool guy. He's electric out of the backfield as a pass-catcher." Walker's fantasy value took a hit last year after the team selected Zach Charbonnet in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. However, a new staff is in place, and Walker has reportedly had a great training camp. Charbonnet will likely be involved in the offense, but all signs point toward Walker remaining the clear RB1 for the Seahawks.

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Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (undisclosed) has reportedly been dealing with a minor injury this week, which has held him out of practice. Head coach Mike McDaniel said several players are dealing with minor bumps and bruises, but nothing is major. While it's never ideal for a training camp injury to pop up, Waddle's status should not be a concern until further notice. The former first-round pick out of Alabama has averaged 83.6 receptions, 1,128 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns through his first three years with the organization. Miami signed him to a three-year, $87.75 million deal this offseason, so he should continue to produce alongside Tyreek Hill for at least the next few seasons. Waddle had his worst fantasy finish last season after posting two WR1 campaigns to begin his career, but he might be a bargain at his cost around the WR15 slot in preseason fantasy drafts. He's in one of the best offenses in the NFL, and he'd have top-five upside at the position if the aging Hill had to miss any time during the regular season.

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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields will start against the Houston Texans in Friday's preseason contest, and the first-team offense will get "a couple series," according to head coach Mike Tomlin. Veteran Russell Wilson (calf) is dealing with a calf injury and won't suit up, so this is a perfect opportunity for Fields to show what he can do after a mostly disappointing three-year career with the Chicago Bears. The former first-round pick out of Ohio State flashed as a runner with Chicago, but his 60.3% completion percentage and 40 passing touchdowns to 30 interceptions in 40 career games left a lot to be desired. Wilson is still likely to start in Week 1 of the regular season against the Atlanta Falcons, but Fields could be promoted to the QB1 job by midseason if Wilson continues to regress.

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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Kenny Pickett was dealt to the organization following two underwhelming seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The former first-round pick out of Pittsburgh University threw for just 4,474 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions in 25 starts to begin his career. The Eagles didn't give up much to acquire him, but he is reportedly still competing with Tanner McKee (a 2023 sixth-round pick) for the backup job behind Jalen Hurts. Both signal-callers are getting second-team reps, so this is a situation worth monitoring in superflex and two-QB leagues. Although Hurts has stayed mostly healthy during his pro career, his dual-threat style leaves him more susceptible to injury. If Hurts had to miss any time, Pickett or McKee would become a must-roster option in those formats, and either could have short-term upside given the high-end pass-catchers on the Philadelphia roster.

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Minnesota Vikings wide receivers Jalen Nailor and Brandon Powell were listed as co-starters in the No. 3 role on the team's first unofficial depth chart. The wideout spot behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison is open following the departure of K.J. Osborn, and the pair of pass-catchers are the prime candidates to fill that gap. Nailor, a sixth-round pick out of Michigan State in 2022, has tallied 12 receptions for 208 yards and one touchdown through his first 21 NFL games. Powell, an undrafted free agent in 2018, has hauled in 76 receptions for 678 yards and three touchdowns in 55 games with the Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Rams, and Vikings. It will be interesting to see who comes out of the camp battle victorious, but neither is likely to have much fantasy value in an offense led by Sam Darnold or rookie J.J. McCarthy. However, one of the two wideouts could have deep-league value early in the season if Addison is suspended following his misdemeanor DUI charge, especially since tight end T.J. Hockenson (knee) is likely to miss the start of the regular season.

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Veteran free-agent and former All-Pro safety Justin Simmons is set to meet with the New Orleans Saints on Wednesday, according to NFL insider Adam Schefter. The 30-year-old has been patient this offseason after being released by the Denver Broncos following an eight-year career with the organization that included four All-Pro selections and two Pro Bowl nods. His 30 interceptions since entering the league in 2016 lead all players. The Saints have shown a willingness to sign aging players to generous deals, and if he lands in the Big Easy, he'll team up with fellow former All-Pro safety Tyrann Mathieu.

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On their first unofficial depth chart released in the preseason, the Indianapolis Colts listed rookie wide receiver Adonai Mitchell and Alec Pierce as co-starters at the No. 3 wideout position behind Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs. It doesn't come as much of a surprise after Mitchell and Pierce have been rotating reps with the first-team offense so far in training camp. Pierce has been more consistent, although the 21-year-old Mitchell has had his share of impressive moments. Preseason action should help settle the battle before the start of the 2024 regular season. Even if Pierce opens the year as the WR3 for Indy, Mitchell's impressive physical attributes should make him a candidate to overtake Pierce by season's end if he can stay healthy. Mitchell is the higher-ceiling, late-round sleeper to target in deeper fantasy leagues this fall.

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Seattle Seahawks tight end Noah Fant (foot) didn't finish training camp practice on Tuesday and left midway through with some sort of foot injury. Head coach Mike Macdonald didn't give any injury updates after practice, so it's unclear how severe Fant's foot injury actually is. For now, we'll consider him day-to-day. Re-signed in the offseason, the 26-year-old should open the year as the team's top pass-catching tight end if he's healthy. However, the former first-rounder of the Denver Broncos in 2019 out of Iowa wasn't exactly a fantasy standout in his second year in Seattle in 2023, catching a career-low 32 passes for 414 yards and no touchdowns in 17 starts. New offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb's system should be good news for Fant's fantasy outlook, but he's still likely to be fourth on the target totem pole behind receivers DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

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The Seattle Times' Mike Vorel writes that Seattle Seahawks second-year wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the team's X-factor on offense in 2024. Seattle partly drafted Smith-Njigba in the first round in 2023 to help them pile up big plays and dominate on third downs, two places where they really struggled last year. He had the second-most catches by a rookie (63) in franchise history, but the results were inconsistent, and he didn't find the end zone until the sixth game of the year. JSN also had three or fewer catches in seven games and never went over 63 receiving yards. The 22-year-old has been getting rave reviews from head coach Mike Macdonald in training camp, though, and he appears poised to benefit from fresh leadership in new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb's system. Smith-Njigba is still battling for targets behind DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, but he remains an intriguing WR4/flex option in fantasy that should improve in Year 2.

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Most of the San Francisco 49ers starters will not play in their preseason opener at the Tennessee Titans this Saturday, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. We already know that running backs Christian McCaffrey (calf), Elijah Mitchell (hamstring) and rookie Isaac Guerendo (hamstring) and rookie first-round wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (shoulder) will not suit up for a team that has been hit hard with injuries early in training camp. Quarterback Brock Purdy, receiver Deebo Samuel and tight end George Kittle probably won't suit up, either. The 49ers aren't unlike most teams early in the preseason in sitting their starters. There's still plenty of time for Sn Fran's offensive weapons to heal up before Week 1 of the regular season, but the offense's efficiency will be worth watching early in the year if most of their starters don't get much time to work together in the last two preseason contests.

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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (calf) returned to a full practice at training camp on Tuesday after being sidelined with a minor calf injury for over a week. With Wilson sidelined the last week-plus, backup Justin Fields had plenty of opportunities to impress the coaching staff while working with the first-team offense. Fields was up and down for the most part, although Wilson's injury has opened the door for this to become more of a QB competition than it was earlier this offseason. Wilson and Fields alternated reps on Tuesday and figure to both play in the preseason opener this Friday against the Houston Texans. Wilson may still be in "pole" position for the starting gig in Pittsburgh to open the 2024 regular season, but Fields could easily flip the script if he outplays the 35-year-old veteran throughout the preseason.

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After inquiring about San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk's availability, the New England Patriots have decided not to explore any further trade possibilities with the 49ers regarding their standout wideout, according to sources. The Patriots are excited about their young receivers, mainly rookies Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, and want to focus on them. The Patriots reportedly had the framework of a deal in place for Aiyuk on Monday night, but they were always considered more of a long shot to land Aiyuk, with the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers also involved. It's good news for fantasy managers looking to score on both Polk and Baker as sleepers. The two rookie wideouts could start right away in three-wide sets alongside Demario Douglas in 2024, depending on the health of Kendrick Bourne (knee), who is coming off a torn ACL.

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New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (knee), who has started camp on the team's PUP list, is expected to be part of a potential trade to the San Francisco 49ers for Brandon Aiyuk. The trade winds have been swirling around Aiyuk in recent days, but it's been reported that the framework for an Aiyuk trade has been agreed to by the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots. Bourne tore his ACL in late October of last season but has returned to practice in uniform, but without a helmet or shoulder pads as he continues his rehab. After spending the first four seasons of his career with the 49ers, the 29-year-old wide receiver enters his third season with the Patriots and now surveys a much more youthful wide receiver group with incoming rookies Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker added to Demario Douglas and offseason addition K.J. Osborn. Bourne would compete for targets will all of these players, limiting his fantasy upside if he remains a Patriot.

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Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (hamstring) has been suffering from a hamstring injury which has kept him working on a side field with a trainer. LaPorta missed a second-straight practice on Tuesday, but Lions head coach Dan Campbell stated that he doesn't expect this injury to be a long-term issue. It would be reasonable to assume that LaPorta will miss Thursday's preseason opener against the New York Giants due to this minor injury. The Lions will choose to err on the side of caution with LaPorta, who set the fantasy world ablaze with his fantastic rookie season in 2023. The former Iowa Hawkeye set a rookie record for most receptions by a tight end with 86 last season and should follow with another excellent season in 2024. Many view LaPorta as the top fantasy tight end in fantasy drafts and while he faces stiff competition from Travis Kelce for that title, LaPorta has the slight edge as overall TE1.

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The Seattle Seahawks have signed center Connor Williams (knee) to a one-year deal worth up to $6 million on Tuesday. Williams' 2023 was spent with the Miami Dolphins, where an ACL injury ended his season in Week 14. Agent Drew Rosenhaus said that Williams made a "miraculous" recovery following surgery on his torn ACL, and would be ready in time for the beginning of training camps. As one of the top interior offensive linemen in his time with the Dolphins and before that, the Cowboys, the addition of Williams certainly will fortify the offensive interior for Geno Smith and the skill-position players this season. A healthy Williams should be in the conversation for Seattle's starting center job.

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49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan relayed to reporters on Tuesday that San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell (hamstring) has been dealing with a strained hamstring. While it's unknown if Mitchell will miss any time because of this injury, but the fact that Christian McCaffrey (calf) is also set to miss the preseason with a calf injury and the team adding former 49er Matt Breida to the running back stable raises the level of concern. The pecking order for the backup running back behind McCaffrey has heated up with Mitchell, Jordan Mason, rookie Isaac Guerendo, and now Breida. Mitchell has been the primary backup since McCaffrey arrived in San Francisco in a 2022 mid-season trade, but the hold on that job has loosened by the day. Keep an eye on any news regarding the injury status for Mitchell, but Mitchell does carry a slight edge as the contingency running back for the 49ers in case CMC isn't ready for Week 1.

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Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman (midsection) suffered an injury in training camp on Monday and was seen walking off the field with a trainer holding his ribs or midsection. Head coach John Harbaugh did clear things up with Bateman's injury, saying it was not serious and that he landed on the ball. Bateman should be able to return to practice in a couple of days, where he'll be competing for a starting wide receiver job. His 2023 was not super encouraging to that end, as Bateman reeled in just 32 passes for 367 yards and one touchdown in 16 regular season games. The former 2021 first-round pick has a ways to go before getting back into fantasy football managers' good graces, but at best, Bateman is a late-round flier this season in the hopes that he can fulfill some of the expectations from when he was drafted.

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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (knee) exited practice this past weekend and stayed on the sideline with a bag of ice wrapped around his knee. Sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter that the injury is deemed "not serious." Fantasy managers can wipe the sweat from their brow as last season's NFL Offseason Rookie of the Year should be good to go for Week 1 barring any further setbacks. After being selected in the fifth round by the Rams, the 23-year-old budding superstar set NFL rookie records for receptions and receiving yards en route to being a league winner for fantasy football in 2023. Nacua will be heavily targeted once again with a healthy Cooper Kupp to form a potent one-two punch at receiver for quarterback Matthew Stafford this season. Nacua is a firm WR1 for fantasy managers this season.

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Tennessee Titans right guard Saahdiq Charles is set to retire. The 25-year-old appeared to be in the driver's seat to secure the Titans' starting right guard position. Charles was signed by the Titans in March after spending his first four seasons with the Washington Commanders. Charles has had trouble staying healthy during his career. He only played in 35 games over his first four seasons. However, he did bring 18 games of starting experience to the Titans. With the 30th PFF-ranked offensive line in the NFL, the Titans need all the help they can get up front. Fourth-year player Dillon Radunz is now listed as the Titans' starting right guard. The Titans need a solid performance from their offensive line in 2024 to give second-year quarterback Will Levis a chance to succeed. The Titans have several fantasy-relevant players including Levis, DeAndre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley, Tony Pollard, and Tyjae Spears who could all be negatively impacted if this line is unable to hold up.

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Cleveland Browns wide receiver Elijah Moore (concussion) was back in team drills on Tuesday. Moore suffered the injury during the Browns' final training camp practice. Moore recorded 59 receptions for 649 yards and two touchdowns with the Browns in 2023. He is currently listed as the No. 3 wide receiver on the Browns' depth chart. With the Browns reportedly engaged in trade talks for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, it remains to be seen where Moore will fall on the Browns' final depth chart. The former New York Jet is likely the fourth option on a Browns team, including David Njoku. For now, Moore should be considered a depth piece in fantasy in deeper leagues.

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