New England Patriots Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Commanders RB Antonio Gibson worked on a side field on Wednesday as he recovers from a hamstring injury. HC Ron Rivera said they'll "ramp up" Gibson and slowly work him back into practice. This injury sounds minor, but Gibson has had trouble staying healthy over his first 2 NFL seasons. We'll keep an eye on him.

Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson ran with the 1st-team offense on Wednesday, while RB Damien Harris was with the 2s, according to multiple sources in attendance. It's the 1st day of Patriots training camp, so we're not overreacting or even adjusting projections for the backfield yet. But it's a situation to keep a close eye on through the rest of camp and preseason action.

Speaking to Sports Illustrated, WR Stefon Diggs said he wants to finish his career in Buffalo. The 28-year-old mentioned how it would be a “dream” to team up with his brother, Cowboys DB Trevon Diggs, but that’s unlikely in the short-term. Stefon, of course, signed an extension in April that keeps him under contract through the 2027 season, so his words match his actions. (Trevon is signed for 2 more seasons.) If the Bill plays out his entire contract, he'll be a 35-year-old free agent.

Commanders RB Antonio Gibson has dropped 7 pounds and several points from his body-fat percentage with the help of a dietician and a physiotherapist this offseason. Gibson says he played last year around 235 pounds -- 10 pounds heavier than he'd like. "I’m so used to being twitchy … and I feel like I lost a good bit of that," Gibson said. "So I wanted to cut some weight and get back to that and show people what I’m really capable of.” Gibson faces lots of touch competition this season after Washington re-signed RB J.D. McKissic and drafted RB Brian Robinson. But his ADP has sunk into the late 5th round of recent FFPC drafts.

Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson said Tuesday that his focus this offseason was "route running and being a third down back." That doesn't necessarily mean that he'll be New England's primary pass-catching back this season. But it's certainly possibly, especially if he's improved in that department after a promising rookie year. Stevenson caught 14 of 18 targets for 123 yards in 2021, ranking 12th among 89 qualifying RBs in yards per route run. The Patriots re-signed RB James White in March, but the 30-year-old coming off hip surgery is a big question mark.

ESPN's John Keim writes that the touch count "should remain high" for Commanders RB Antonio Gibson this season but that "his usage could vary weekly." That comes after the team drafted Alabama RB Brian Robinson in Round 3, an addition that has elicited multiple comparisons to former Panthers RB duo DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. Keim specifically highlights Robinson's power and short-yardage potential. That could vulture goal-line touches from Gibson, who has racked up 18 TDs on the ground through 2 seasons. Add the return of J.D. McKissic, and it's easy to see the risk factors on Gibson's 2022 workload. His best-ball ADP has dipped significantly since the NFL Draft. We'll see where he settles as summer approaches.

The Bills and WR Stefon Diggs have agreed to a 4-year, $104 million extension with $70 million guaranteed, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Tyreek Hill is the only WR with more guaranteed money in his contract. This extension tacks on to Diggs' old deal and keeps him under contract with Buffalo through the 2027 season. Diggs will be 34 at that point, so he's basically tied to QB Josh Allen for the rest of his career.

Former Giants S Jabrill Peppers is joining the Patriots on a 1-year deal. Peppers is still just 26 (until Oct. 4) and a former 1st-round pick, but he's likely headed for a reserve/rotational role with New England. His playing time dipped even before an ACL tear and high-ankle sprain ended his 2021 campaign early. Peppers lands in a crowded Patriots secondary. His best path back to IDP relevance would be if New England envisions some sort of hybrid safety-LB role for a guy who has played both and looks better in the box than in deep coverage.

The Titans are signing former Browns TE Austin Hooper to a 1-year, $6 million deal. It's a nice landing spot for Hooper on a roster who's top remaining TE had been Geoff Swaim. We'll see whether Tennessee adds anyone else significant and what they do at WR, but Hooper's a solid option late in current best-ball fantasy football drafting.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that the Browns are releasing TE Austin Hooper (with a post-June 1 designation). That will send Hooper to a free-agent market that has seen little TE movement in the early days. His departure leaves room for David Njoku to take over the lead TE spot, with 3rd-year TE Harrison Bryant behind him. Njoku has remained a solid value in best-ball drafting since re-signing with Cleveland. We'll see how much his ADP climbs with the Hooper news. Fowler says the Browns planned to keep Hooper but that acquiring WR Amari Cooper and pursuing QB Deshaun Watson changed the cap situation.

CB Carlton Davis and the Buccaneers have agreed to a 3-year $45 million deal, according to multiple reports. Davis has played in 51 of a possible 65 games in 4 years since arriving as a 2nd-round pick, starting all but 1 of those contests. He has topped 1 INT just once among his 4 seasons but averaged 1.3 passes defensed per game over the past 3 years. Davis has also been a solid tackle collector for the position. He should be drafted in most CB-required leagues and is even worth a look in plenty of formats with generic DB slots.

The Chargers have agreed to a 5-year, $82.5 million deal with CB J.C. Jackson, with $40 million of that guaranteed in the 1st 2 years, according to multiple reports. Arguably the top corner on the market, Jackson joins a Chargers defense that had already acquired EDGE Khalil Mack from the Bears this month. Jackson has grabbed 17 INTs over the past 2 seasons and 25 in his 4 years since arriving as an undrafted free agent. Both numbers lead the league over their respective spans.

The Titans have reached a 5-year deal with OLB Harold Landry worth $87.5 million, including $52.5 million guaranteed, according to multiple reports. Tennessee elected not to use the franchise tag on Landry by Tuesday afternoon's deadline. Now it's clear that move was a bet that the 2 sides could finalize the new contract. Landry is coming off season highs in sacks (12), QB hits (22) and tackles (75). He'll turn 26 in June.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that the Browns plan to keep TE Austin Hooper around, despite using the franchise tag to keep TE David Njoku of the free-agent market. Hooper has 1 year left on his contract at a $13.25 million cap hit, according to Spotrac. Even cutting him, though, would mean $7.5 million in dead cap space. Having Hooper, Njoku and Harrison Bryant all on the roster once again would make it tough for any to provide consistent fantasy production. Don't overrate any of them in early fantasy football drafts.

Patriots beat writer Khari Thompson writes that the “next step” for RB Rhamondre Stevenson is “getting better as a pass blocker and receiver.” As a 2021 rookie, Stevenson excelled as a rusher, posting 4.6 YPC and excellent broken tackle metrics. But he graded out as a below average pass protector and pass catcher from Pro Football Focus, dropping 1 of 18 targets and fumbling on another. Still, the fact that Stevenson effectively matched Damien Harris in routes per game (7.2) is encouraging. There’s also not a receiving RB currently on the roster, assuming James White, 30, gets to free agency. Look for the 1-2 punch of Harris-Stevenson to continue in 2022.

Patriots S Adrian Phillips (knee) and DT Christian Barmore (knee) are active for today's game against the Dolphins, after entering the day questionable. LB Dont'a Hightower is inactive with his own knee injury.

Washington RB Antonio Gibson (hip) was limited in Wednesday's practice. He came off the COVID list earlier in the day and seems on track to play vs. the Giants this weekend.

Washington RB Antonio Gibson has been activated from the COVID list. He should be back for Sunday's finale vs. the Giants, but we'll have to see what Gibson does in practice this week. He's battled through a bunch of different injuries this season.

Patriots S Adrian Phillips sustained a wrist injury in Sunday's win over the Jaguars. We'll see about his status for Week 18.

Patriots S Kyle Dugger (hamstring), S Adrian Phillips (knee, illness) and CB J.C. Jackson (elbow) are active for today's game against the Jaguars. All arrived questionable but should be ready for IDP use at their appropriate levels.