Panthers edge Brian Burns had surgery last Wednesday on his right ankle, the team announced Monday. Burns missed Week 18 with what was deemed an ankle sprain, but he returned to participate in the Pro Bowl games. Panthers.com's Darin Gantt reports that Burns continued to feel soreness as he began the offseason program, however. Tests revealed a "small fracture," which Dr. Robert Anderson repaired. Carolina expects Burns to be ready for training camp and play the season with "no limitations." This obviously adds a challenge for a rising, young pass rusher, though. We'll be watching Burns' progress this summer. Don't be surprised if we're a little cautious with his initial projections, coming in mid-May.
Broncos HC Sean Payton gave a pretty chilly response when asked about TE Greg Dulcich at the league meetings in late March. "We'll see," Payton said. "Some of it was hard -- the evaluation [on Dulcich.] Some of it was hard." Dulcich flashed between injuries as a rookie last year, tallying a 33-411-2 line across ten games. He ranked 17th among TEs in PPR points per game and 19th among 32 qualifiers in yards per route run. But the fact that he's now playing for a brand new coaching staff adds risk to his 2023 fantasy football outlook. Denver still has TE Albert Okwuegbunam, a popular breakout candidate this time last year. And The Denver Post's Kyle Newman believes the Broncos could add a TE in the draft later this month. The good news with Dulcich: He's just TE15 in recent FFPC ADP — a fine shot to take at that price.
The Colts signed WR Isaiah McKenzie, who was cut by the Bills earlier this week. McKenzie is coming off a career-best 42-catch, 423-yard season in Buffalo -- but that still landed him outside the top 50 WRs in PPR points. He currently looks like the favorite to replace Parris Campbell as Indianapolis' primary slot receiver, but we'll see if the team adds anyone else to the WR room. McKenzie isn't an exciting pick in early best-ball drafts.
The Texans and RB Devin Singletary have agreed to terms on a one-year deal worth up to a reported $3.75 million. The former Bill will immediately walk into a backfield previously devoid of depth behind the incumbent RB Dameon Pierce. From a fantasy perspective, the biggest fallout here is how Singletary's mere presence alone cuts into Pierce's value. In fairness, the Texans adding depth RBs behind Pierce was almost inevitable. This issue was a glaring team need that the Texans had to address this off-season. Even so, Singletary has exceeded 200+ touches in each of the last two seasons and logged three-consecutive years of 50+ targets as a pass-catcher. He's not elite, though he isn't some nobody name either. This spells bad news for Pierce, a player who finished 2022 as the RB27 in PPR scoring on the heels of 250 touches through 13 games prior to a season-ending ankle injury. Simply put, Pierce's effectiveness as a fantasy asset was heavily tied to his high volume, and now, that's not looking likely to work in his favor in 2023. Assuming the Texans don't add anyone else into the fold, a potential backfield split on a lower-tier NFL offense likely means both Pierce and Singletary will cannibalize each other into RB3/flex range at best. That said, it's still too early, and unfair, to believe this will be a 50-50 split. Keep an eye on the NFL Draft next month in case the Texans make this busy RB room even busier.
The Bills released WR Isaiah McKenzie, saving $2.7 million in cap space. McKenzie popped for a few big games in Buffalo over the past couple of seasons but never became a consistent fantasy option. The Bills believe they've found an upgrade in WR Deonte Harty. We'll see where McKenzie lands, but he's not worth a pick in early best-ball drafts.
WR Darius Slayton re-signed with the Giants on a 2-year, $12 million deal. Slayton has been pretty consistent through 4 NFL seasons, finishing with 46-50 catches and 724-751 receiving yards in 3 of them. That, of course, isn't enough to really get the fantasy juices flowing. Slayton is still just 26 and a candidate to take a step forward in his 2nd season under HC Brian Daboll. But don't consider him more than a WR4 in early best-ball drafts. The Giants' WR corps now reads: Slayton, Isaiah Hodgins, Wan'Dale Robinson, Parris Campbell, Sterling Shepard.
The Raiders have agreed to a trade sending TE Darren Waller to the Giants in exchange for a 2023 third round pick (100th overall). The pick Giants are sending was initially acquired via the midseason deal that sent WR Kadarius Toney to the Chiefs, thus marking the first fantasy-relevant contribution Toney has ever made for the team. The need to address pass-catchers around QB Daniel Jones stood atop the list of priorities for the Giants this offseason, and now Waller arguably becomes the best receiver on this team. Though hamstring injuries plagued Waller's 2022 campaign, we're not far removed from three-consecutive seasons of 90+ target and 12+ PPR PPG production from the former Pro Bowler. We'll see what the Giants do in the NFL Draft next month regarding the WR position, but as of now, we're looking at some fairly intriguing fantasy upside here from Waller.
The Giants have agreed to a four-year pact with LB Bobby Okereke. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that it's worth $40 million total, with $22 million of that guaranteed. It clearly positions Okereke as the lead LB for a team that has lacked such a guy since Blake Martinez tore an ACL early in 2021. Okereke spent the past two seasons starting for the Colts, racking up 283 total tackles. He has also defensed 17 passes across four seasons. Okereke sits among the top 15 LBs in our dynasty rankings. Don't be surprised if he lands inside the top 10 when our 2023 IDP rankings come out.
Tennessee WR Jalin Hyatt weighed in at just 176 pounds (on his 6-foot frame) at the NFL Scouting Combine. His testing numbers looked good, though. He led all WRs with an 11'3 broad jump and ranked fourth with a 40-inch vertical. Altogether, Hyatt rated seventh among 44 WRs in Relative Athletic Score. The early draft entrant is coming off a huge receiving line: 67 catches, 1,267 yards, and 15 TDs. His 18.9 yards per catch match the 4.4-second speed he flashed at the Combine. His relatively late breakout -- as a nearly 21-year-old junior -- is a negative, however. We'll dig further into the likely early-round pick for his upcoming prospect profile. Hyatt's current WR49 ADP in Underdog fantasy best ball drafts makes him OK to mix in, though it's hard to imagine a huge spike after he finds his NFL team.
Bills WR Isaiah McKenzie (hamstring) logged full practice participation all week and doesn't carry an official injury designation for Sunday's Divisional Round game vs. the Bengals. The veteran wideout missed last week's Wild Card matchup vs. the Dolphins due to this injury. McKenzie primarily runs routes out of the slot and will likely draw coverage from Bengals CB Mike Hilton. Hilton only has 4 games this season in which he's allowed more than 50 receiving yards to opposing WRs.
Bills Isaiah McKenzie (hamstring) practiced fully again on Thursday ahead of Sunday's Divisional Round game vs. the Bengals. It seems the veteran wideout is on track to play barring any potential major setback. We'll keep an eye out for updates tomorrow regarding a final word on McKenzie's availability.
Bills WR Isaiah McKenzie (hamstring) practiced fully on Wednesday in advance of Sunday's Divisional Round matchup vs. the Bengals. This is great news considering McKenzie was inactive for the team's Wild Card game vs. the Dolphins due to this injury. We'll see if this trend continues as the week unfolds. Be sure to check back for updates tomorrow.
Bills WR Isaiah McKenzie (hamstring) is inactive for today's Wild Card game vs. the Dolphins. That leaves WRs Cole Beasley, Khalil Shakir and John Brown behind Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis. Beasley is the most natural fill-in for McKenzie's slot role.
Bills WR Isaiah McKenzie (hamstring) didn't practice again on Friday and is officially listed as questionable for Sunday's Wild Card game vs. the Dolphins. Should McKenzie miss this contest, WRs Cole Beasley and Khalil Shakir could see a bump in opportunity running slot routes. The Dolphins' primary slot CB Kader Kohou has allowed 50+ yards to opposing WRs in 3 of the team's last 5 contests. Something to consider for fantasy managers participating in playoff contests/formats.
Bills WR Isaiah McKenzie (hamstring) was downgraded to missing practice on Thursday after logging limited participation the day before. It'll be interesting to see if McKenzie can ramp up activity Friday or else he may be in danger of missing Sunday's Wild Card game vs. the Dolphins. Should he sit, WRs Khalil Shakir and Cole Beasley could see a boost in responsibility running out of the slot. We'll keep everyone posted as more information becomes available.
Bills WR Isaiah McKenzie (hamstring) was listed as limited in practice on Wednesday. There's still ample time for the veteran to ramp up activity ahead of Sunday's Wild Card game vs. the Dolphins. We'll keep tabs on McKenzie as this week marches on.
Panthers EDGE Brian Burns (ankle) is inactive for today's game against the Saints.
Giants EDGE Azeez Ojulari (ankle) and S Xavier McKinney (hand) are active for today's game against the Colts. Both carry IDP upside against a struggling offense. McKinney sits higher in our Week 17 IDP rankings, at their respective positions.
Broncos TE Greg Dulcich (hamstring) has been placed on IR. He'd already been ruled out for Sunday's game vs. the Chiefs and will now also miss the finale. Dulcich dealt with a few different injuries this year but flashed when healthy, finishing with a 33-411-2 line in 10 games. He currently ranks 18th in Pro Football Focus receiving grade and 21st in yards per route run among 39 TEs with 30+ targets. We're not optimistic about QB Russell Wilson's chances of bouncing back in 2023, but Dulcich will be worth considering as a TE2 in early 2023 fantasy football drafts.
Broncos TE Greg Dulcich (hamstring) has been ruled out for Week 17 vs. the Chiefs. The rookie didn't practice at all this week due to this ailment. It's onto 2023 with Dulcich for fantasy purposes.
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