ESPN's Brooke Pryor says the Steelers are "likely to push the ball down the field more than in recent years." That would obviously be good for the fantasy football upside for everyone in the passing game (except maybe RB Najee Harris), but it would be an especially positive development for rookie WR George Pickens and 3rd-year WR Chase Claypool. Pickens has generated seemingly nonstop buzz in camp, while Claypool has displayed his downfield talent through 2 pro seasons. Both look attractive in reserve territory of fantasy football drafts.
If you've been waiting for Russ to cook, then your time might have come. Here's what Peter King heard from an unnamed source: "Coach [Nathaniel Hackett] and Russell [Wilson] are not coach-player. They're partners." And Wilson seems to agree. "It's the ownership of the players owning our own offense," the QB said. "This has to be a player-ran kind of team. Coach Hackett gives us the keys to do that." Take this as confirmation of what we all hoped Wilson would be getting from the move out of Seattle.
Insider Jordan Schultz hears that QB Justin Fields has "blown away" the Bears' coaching staff in camp. “His mechanics have improved, he’s in great shape, he works at it and he really cares. [OC] Luke [Getsy] loves him," a source told Schultz. That's obviously encouraging -- although we still wish Chicago surrounded Fields with a better supporting cast this season. He's still capable of QB1 production thanks to his rushing ability, but Fields is more exciting in dynasty leagues than redraft.
Adam Jahns of The Athletic writes that Bears QB Justin Fields “seems to be stacking more good throws and moments in camp.” Chicago’s rolled out a number of combinations at WR and along the O-line, largely due to injuries. So it hasn’t been the easiest environment for the 2nd-year passer — especially when he's also been tasked with learning new OC Luke Getsy’s system. It’s the talent-thin pass catching corps that leaves Fields as a QB2 to open the season.
Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth was a full participant in Tuesday's practice, according to Steelers Depot's Alex Kozora. Freiermuth dealt with a hamstring injury early in camp, but it looks like a non-issue going forward.
Rams WR Van Jefferson has started the rehab process after undergoing knee surgery and "has a chance" to play Week 1, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. That jibes with a previous report from The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue. We'll continue to monitor Jefferson's progress leading up to the Thursday night opener vs. the Bills.
Buccaneers WR Scotty Miller says he added 10-15 pounds of muscle this offseason, looking to rebound from an injury-derailed 2021. "I've always been undersized, so this year I really focused on gaining a couple pounds to show the coaches I can do a lot of different things in the offense," he told Pewter Report. "I just feel more explosive and really fast. The fastest I've ever been." Miller will have trouble reaching fantasy relevance, with Julio Jones joining an already loaded top 3 at WR: Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Russell Gage. But he flashed with Tom Brady in 2020 and count present enough versatility to earn a roster spot. At 25, Miller is heading into his 4th NFL season.
Eagles RB Boston Scott is sidelined with a concussion. It shouldn't impact his availability for the start of the season but is worth filing away in case he suffers another head injury. Scott is expected to open the season as Philly's #3 RB behind Miles Sanders and Kenneth Gainwell.
Falcons RB Cordarrelle Patterson admitted that he was “banged up” and unable to play the way he wanted to late last season. C-Pat easily set a career high with 205 touches last year, and the Falcons are happy to limit his offseason reps. In fact, the 31-year-old sat out OTAs/minicamp and has been limited in training camp. “He’s got good work habits,” HC Arthur Smith said in camp. “Everybody is in different parts of their careers. With CP, where he is, at the usage rate he had last year, we are trying to maximize him.” Patterson’s also hoping for more return opportunities, as he needs just one more kick return TD to break the NFL record. “I’ve got a record to break,” he said. “I need one more before I can hang it up. I get one more, I’ll stop doing it.”
The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue hears that Rams WR Van Jefferson's knee surgery "went great" and that "it’s realistic to believe he can return by the Sept. 8 opener." You probably won't want to be using Jefferson in Week 1 fantasy lineups, but it doesn't sound like we should be adjusting his season-long outlook much, if at all.
Steelers RB Najee Harris left Monday's practice early with a left foot injury, but it doesn't sound serious. "Somebody stepped on his foot, but it shouldn't be a major deal," HC Mike Tomlin said, according to Steelers Depot. We'll keep an eye on the situation, but it doesn't seem like we should worry.
Rams WR Van Jefferson will have surgery on his left knee, HC Sean McVay announced to reporters Monday. The issue still doesn't sound major, though. Jefferson is only expected to miss "a few weeks," according to NFL Network's Ian Rapport. The young wideout is "TBD for Week 1." We'll see about Jefferson's status as Week 1 approaches. He remains in play as an end-of-draft option for deeper leagues, though there's obviously risk that the situation limits him into the season. Ben Skowronek and Tutu Atwell look like the top 2 candidates for the 3rd WR role if Jefferson misses regular-season games. We also could see more target share go to Cooper Krupp and/or Allen Robinson in that case.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Rams WR Van Jefferson will “see a specialist on Monday for a knee issue that has been plaguing him.” The wideout has reportedly been “doing maintenance” and is in danger of missing the next few weeks. Rapaport’s report includes the possibility that he’ll need surgery. We’ll watch for more after the visit. Jefferson is only a late-round pick now, carrying limited risk. You might want to back away from him for the next few days at least in best-ball drafts, though. Tutu Atwell might find a significant opportunity boost if Jefferson misses extended time
"If the first three practices are any indication, George Pickens is going to be a huge factor in this [Steelers] offense," ESPN's Brooke Pryor tweeted on Friday. It reads a little hyperbolic, but Pickens has been creating consistent buzz from multiple Steelers beat writers early in camp. And we loved him as a prospect, so we wouldn't be surprised to see him make a significant rookie-year impact. Highlight Pickens as an intriguing late-round flier in fantasy drafts.
Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth is dealing with a hamstring injury, according to HC Mike Tomlin. We don't have any other details at this point but will keep you updated as we learn more.
Steelers beat writer Chris Adamski described WR George Pickens as the “clear WR3” early in training camp. As expected. Pickens’ raw talent has flashed early on, but it’ll likely take something close to a flawless performance over the coming weeks to overtake Chase Claypool. Pickens remains an intriguing redraft stash and best ball flier.
Jordan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports that Rams WR Van Jefferson is back to 100% after "minor" knee surgery early in the offseason. We hadn't seen anything previously about the knee procedure. Jefferson turned up questionable for the NFC title game with a knee issue but saw full playing time in each of the final 3 playoff contests. It doesn't sound like we need to worry about this for Jefferson's 2022 outlook.
Steelers beat writer Chris Adamski believes WR George Pickens is in position to play a “significant role” by the end of the 2022 season. Patience might be key here, as he's coming off a March 2021 ACL tear. (Pickens, however, managed to appear in 4 games with Georgia last year.) While his size (6’3, 200), speed (4.47 forty) and early breakout age (18.5) signal a potential difference-maker, targets will be tough to earn early on. Current 2022 WR projections have him down for 63 targets.
Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth shared his expectations for the 2022 season. “I should be more in the range of 800, 900 (season) yards, so I think I definitely need to get (yards/reception) higher and want to push the ball down the field,” Freiermuth said. As a rookie, the Penn State product posted 497 yards at just 8.3 yards per catch. Eric Ebron departed this offseason, while Pittsburgh only added rookie Connor Heyward in Round 6. Increased production is likely for Freiermuth, but current projections have the TE falling shy of the 800-900-yard range.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler says he's "told" the Bears like the way QB Justin Fields has developed this offseason. Specifically, the 2nd-year QB has reportedly quickened his release when passing and improved at throwing on the move. "The Bears are excited for offensive coordinator Luke Getsy's system, which should give Fields more space to operate," Fowler writes. Even if you're not ready to fully buy in on Fields, he's going 15th among QBs in FFPC ADP and 16th on Underdog. There's plenty of fantasy upside from that range even if Fields struggles from a real-life perspective.
Search
