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FFL: Preseason | NFL: Week 1

Cardinals rookie DL Darius Robinson (calf) to miss multiple weeks

Sat Aug 24 8:44pm ET
Field Level Media

Arizona Cardinals rookie defensive lineman Darius Robinson's calf injury will cause him to miss multiple weeks, NFL Network reported Saturday.

Robinson hurt his calf during Thursday's practice, which coach Jonathan Gannon confirmed on Friday while saying the team was awaiting imaging test results.

A standout at Missouri, Robinson was the Cardinals' second selection in the first round (27th overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft, following Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth overall pick.

Robinson is listed as second behind starting defensive tackles Bilal Nichols and Justin Jones on the Cardinals' depth chart.

Arizona could take advantage of a new rule and place Robinson on injured reserve before all NFL teams must cut their current rosters from 91 down to 53 by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. In the past, players on injured reserve before the 53-player roster are out for the entire season. New this year, teams can designate up to two players who are on IR at the 53-player cutdown as eligible to return this season.

Those two players, or any on IR after the cutdown, are required to miss a minimum of four games, which is where Robinson could fit in the team's plans.

The Cardinals open the season Sept. 8 against the host Buffalo Bills.

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Philadelphia Eagles running back Tyrion Davis-Price took 12 carries for 56 yards and lost a fumble during the team's 3-26 preseason loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The 23-year-old was given the start on Saturday but has an uphill battle to make the roster with Saquon Barkley, Kenneth Gainwell, and rookie Will Shipley getting a rest to end the preseason. Davis-Price committing a turnover in his lone start likely didn't help his chances of making the final roster. The former San Francisco 49er will likely land on the practice squad if he is cut in the coming weeks leaving the trio of Barkley, Gainwell, and Shipley as locks to make the Week 1 roster.

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Ihmir Smith-Marsette Aug 24 9:40pm ET
Ihmir Smith-Marsette

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette (ankle) left the team's preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills early on Saturday after landing awkwardly completing a catch in the second quarter. The 24-year-old hauled in 2-of-3 targets for 11 yards while contributing 27 yards on two punt returns and a field-flipping 46 yards on his lone kick return. Smith-Marsette was productive before he picked up the injury and is expected to be the team's returner this upcoming season. Barring the severity of his ankle issue, that could still be the case. It's a bit early to tell how impactful the NFL's new kickoff rules will be come the start of the regular season. However, fantasy managers may want to keep the Iowa product on their radar as a sneaky option, depending on how your league values return yards. His Yahoo! ADP is far down enough that he'd be best suited as a prospective waiver-wire add.

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Kenny Pickett Aug 24 9:30pm ET
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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Kenny Pickett completed six of nine passes for 58 yards during the team's 3-26 preseason loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The former first-round pick played the entire first half and ended the preseason with his third-straight underwhelming performance. While Pickett has started all three preseason games and has not played with any of the starting receiving corps, he has done little to nothing. While third-string quarterback Tanner McKee had a poor performance as well Saturday, he has looked much better this preseason and has made a strong case to be the No. 2 option behind starter Jalen Hurts. Because the Eagles made a trade for him this offseason, the 26-year-old will likely be the backup come Week 1. With that said, McKee is a name to watch this upcoming week.

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Tanner McKee Aug 24 9:30pm ET
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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee completed 13 of 21 passes for 115 yards, threw one interception, and lost a fumble during the team's 3-26 preseason loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The 24-year-old had been making a strong case to challenge Kenny Pickett for the No. 2 spot but ended the preseason on a low note with two turnovers. With that said, McKee still looked better as a passer than Pickett Saturday proving that he can push the ball downfield while the offense was inept with Pickett. The former Steelers starter will likely end up as the top backup to starter Jalen Hurts come Week 1. Still, McKee should have safely secured himself the emergency quarterback role with his overall strong preseason totals.

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Justin Shorter Aug 24 8:00pm ET
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Royce Freeman Aug 24 8:00pm ET
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Ryan Flournoy Aug 24 8:00pm ET
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Dallas Cowboys rookie wide receiver Ryan Flournoy scored another preseason touchdown in the Cowboys preseason finale against the Los Angeles Chargers. Flournoy was targeted three times, making all three catches for 30 yards. He also added four yards on the ground with his lone rushing attempt. The sixth-round rookie's touchdown came in the second quarter on an 11-yard pass from Trey Lance. Flournoy had a fairly impressive preseason, but he's likely still not in a starting role once the regular season begins.

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Jaret Patterson Aug 24 7:50pm ET
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Los Angeles Chargers running back Jaret Patterson led the team in carries for the third straight preseason game. In the finale, Patterson carried the ball six times, gaining 27 yards. He added one catch on two targets for an additional 12 yards. Patterson is third at best on the Chargers depth chart behind Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins, but his usage in the preseason shows that he may indeed be part of the team's plans on offense, at least as a depth piece.

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KJ Hamler Aug 24 7:50pm ET
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Buffalo Bills wide receiver KJ Hamler saw a variety of usage in Saturday afternoon's preseason loss to the visiting Carolina Panthers at Highmark Stadium, catching each of his three passes for 11 yards and rushing three times for 21 yards and a touchdown in the defeat. Hamler, a wideout by trade, lined up as a running back before plowing his way past the end zone for a short Bills score in fourth quarter on Saturday against Carolina. After Hamler missed all of 2023 as he stepped away from football altogether for treatment of a heart issue, it was nice to see the 25-year-old former second-round pick make a significant impact in the preseason finale. There's a chance Buffalo keeps him on the 53-man roster as depth for the receiving corps following this solid performance, but Hamler is unlikely to see many opportunities in 2024.

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Deuce Vaughn Aug 24 7:50pm ET
Deuce Vaughn

Dallas Cowboys running back Deuce Vaughn ran the ball nine times in the Cowboys preseason finale, gaining 53 yards. He was targeted twice in the passing game but was unable to come up with either catch. Vaughn ended up with the most carries among Cowboys running backs, although quarterback Trey Lance led the team with 11. Vaughn is buried on the depth chart and likely ticketed for a special teams role, but he's shown some rushing ability in case injuries strike the top Cowboys runners.

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Trey Lance Aug 24 7:40pm ET
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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance struggled in a preseason loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday. Lance attempted 49 passes, completing 33 of them for 323 yards, one touchdown, and five interceptions. He added 11 carries for 90 yards and a touchdown, leading the team in both carries and rushing yards. It was a strong game on the ground for Lance, but the passing game wasn't clicking, as the Chargers defense was all over Lance for the five picks and also two fumbles. If Lance makes the team as the third quarterback, he'll be behind starter Dak Prescott and backup Cooper Rush.

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Darrynton Evans Aug 24 7:40pm ET
Darrynton Evans

Buffalo Bills running back Darrynton Evans made his case to make the final roster in Saturday afternoon's preseason defeat to the visiting Carolina Panthers in Orchard Park, tying for the team lead in receiving with three catches for 28 yards and a touchdown while adding 15 rushing yards on three carries. Evans certainly put together a nice day on Saturday against the Panthers, shedding a tackle and high-stepping his way across the end zone to give the Bills a lead in the second quarter, but his performance was overshadowed by undrafted rookie Frank Gore Jr., who also scored but produced a whopping 101 yards. Evans, 26, is not as likely to make Buffalo's 53-man roster following Gore's standout showing, and he probably wouldn't be any greater than the No. 4 back on the depth chart even if he does stick around.

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Derius Davis Aug 24 7:40pm ET
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Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Derius Davis touched the ball once in the Chargers preseason finale, but he made it count. Davis took the ball up the sideline for a 70-yard touchdown run, breaking tackles and avoiding defenders along the way. It was an impressive run for the former fourth round pick, but he appears to be headed for a special teams role as a returner who may occasionally fill in on offense.

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Simi Fehoko Aug 24 7:40pm ET
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Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Simi Fehoko scored a long touchdown in a preseason win against the Dallas Cowboys. Fehoko was targeted twice, making two catches for 85 yards and a touchdown. His score came on a huge throw from Easton Stick that ended up as a 78-yard touchdown pass. Fehoko dominated the Chargers passing game in preseason play, but he's not expected to see much time on offense once the regular season begins.

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Frank Gore Jr. Aug 24 7:30pm ET
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Buffalo Bills running back Frank Gore Jr. made a statement in Saturday afternoon's preseason loss to the visiting Carolina Panthers at Highmark Stadium, rumbling for 101 rushing yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. He caught one of his two targets for no gain. It was one chunk pickup after another on Saturday against Carolina for Gore, who plowed his way into the end zone for a Bills score in the third quarter. None of James Cook, Ray Davis, or Ty Johnson made an appearance in the preseason finale, so it was left to Gore and Darrynton Evans to compete for a spot on Buffalo's roster, with the former passing his final test with flying colors. While Evans hit paydirt through the air, Gore outproduced him in the yardage department in a big way, likely giving the 2024 undrafted rookie a leg up in the competition over the incumbent veteran.

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Easton Stick Aug 24 7:30pm ET
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George Pickens Aug 24 7:20pm ET
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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens hauled in both of his targets for 26 yards in the team's 24-17 preseason loss to the Detroit Lions. Although he lost six yards on his first reception, the third-year pro made up for it on the very next play with a 32-yard gain on a perfect deep pass from quarterback Russell Wilson. The pair was pulled from the contest immediately following the opening drive, which resulted in a touchdown. Barring any last-minute surprises, Pickens appears primed to enter the regular season as Pittsburgh's undisputed WR1. He offers plenty of upside in the middle rounds of fantasy drafts with the Steelers' offense expected to improve in 2024.

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Frank Gore Jr. Aug 24 7:10pm ET
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Buffalo Bills running back Frank Gore Jr. (knee) is scheduled to undergo X-rays after suffering an injury during Saturday's preseason finale. This is a shame considering how well Gore has been playing in the preseason. He rushed for 101 yards on 18 carries with one touchdown before exiting on Saturday. He's competing with Ray Davis and Ty Johnson for the backup role behind James Cook. Gore doesn't have a great fantasy outlook right away with Cook being the workhorse back in Buffalo. However, he has decent potential and is a solid hold in deep or dynasty formats, assuming the results from his testing come back negative for any significant damage.

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Cordarrelle Patterson Aug 24 7:10pm ET
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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Cordarrelle Patterson handled three rushing attempts for 31 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's preseason loss to the Detroit Lions. Patterson worked with Pittsburgh's first-team offense as a complement to Najee Harris with Jaylen Warren (hamstring) sidelined. He exploded for a 31-yard score on the Steelers' opening drive and earned one touch on their second possession. Given Patterson's history with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and the lack of proven receiving options on Pittsburgh's offense, the 33-year-old could see utilization in the regular season, especially if Warren misses time. He is best left undrafted in most fantasy leagues, however.

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Eddy Pineiro Aug 24 7:00pm ET
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Carolina Panthers kicker Eddy Pineiro (hamstring) didn't return for the second half of Saturday's preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills. Pineiro was forced to exit the game due to mild hamstring soreness. Head coach Dave Canales said afterwards that Pineiro is fine and the team held him out for precautionary reasons. Before exiting, Pineiro made both his extra-point attempts and a 45-yard field goal during the first half of Saturday's game. The assumption is that Pineiro should be fine for the regular season opener against the New Orleans Saints.

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