Browns QB Deshaun Watson (shoulder) is expected to resume throwing in March, according to insider Mary Kay Cabot. His rehab from November surgery on his right shoulder has gone smoothly by all accounts. Watson got back in the weight room this week, per Cabot, and should at least be a limited participant in April's OTAs. Watson was mostly disappointing prior to that shoulder injury last year, finishing the 2023 campaign with a 61% completion rate and 6.5 yards per attempt. It's been three years now since Watson's big 2020 season -- and it's becoming increasingly unlikely that he returns to that level of play. But he did still average 23.7 rushing yards per game last year, which gives Watson a chance to be a fantasy asset in 2024 even if his real-life performance is lacking. He scored as a top-10 fantasy QB in three of his five full games last year. We'll keep tabs on that right shoulder.
Chiefs WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling has a year left on his contract, but that doesn't mean he's a lock to stay in K.C. this season. The Chiefs have decisions to make on extensions with other players, including DT Chris Jones and CB L'Jarius Sneed. If they need more cap space, MVS looks like a prime candidate to help. He's set to count nearly $14 million against the 2024 cap, whereas cutting the vet would leave just a $2 million dead-cap hit. Valdes-Scantling averaged a career-low 1.3 receptions per game in 2023, his second with the Chiefs. He also set a career low with 15.0 yards per catch and has scored just three TDs across two seasons. Frankly, we'll be a little surprised if Kansas City doesn't at least look to restructure MVS this offseason. You shouldn't be looking his way in best ball drafts right now anyway, so there's low potential fantasy impact to this situation.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Buccaneers would owe WR Mike Evans $28.4 million for 2024 if they use the franchise tag to retain him. That's significantly higher than the league-wide WR tag salary of $21.6 million because Evans carried a $23.7 million cap hit in 2023. This obviously doesn't keep Tampa Bay from signing Evans to a longer-term extension ahead of free agency. And it might not even keep the Bucs from tagging Evans. Spotrac projects the team to be more than $37 million under the 2024 even with the existing $12.2 million hit of Evans' voided 2024. The team could also tag Evans and then rescind the tag if he doesn't sign the tender and the two sides fail to work out a longer deal. We're betting for now that the 31-year-old (come Aug. 21) sticks around. But that's no sure thing.
Update: Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz says his "understanding is Evans is trending toward becoming a free agent, barring an unexpected change in discussions."
The Jaguars already owe Atlanta a third-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft from the trade that brought WR Calvin Ridley to town in 2022. If Jacksonville re-signs Ridley before then, though, the pick would become a second-rounder -- jumping from 79th overall to 48th. That might be enough to keep the Jags from returning the 29-year-old wideout. We'll find out come March's opening of free agency. For now, though, don't treat Ridley as a Jaguar if you're drafting in best ball formats.
The Ravens have signed WR Nelson Agholor to a one-year extension. Agholor finished fifth on the team in targets last season but tied Odell Beckham Jr. for third in receptions, trailing only Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews. Agholor finished just 71st among WRs in PPR scoring and cracked the top 36 just three times -- with a high of WR23 in Week 2. Don't expect him to be much of a 2024 fantasy factor. Though he could pop up for the occasional annoying week to get in the way of another Ravens pass catcher you're starting.
Texans WR Tank Dell expects to be able to participate in the team's offseason program, according to insider Aaron Wilson. Dell's rookie season ended with a fractured fibula in early December, but the injury shouldn't be an issue for his 2024 fantasy value. Dell was brilliant before that injury, ranking 12th among WRs in PPR points per game. His 2.22 yards per route run ranked 16th among 80 qualifying WRs and third among 14 qualifying rookie WRs. Dell sits 20th in our initial PPR WR Rankings.
QB Jimmy Garoppolo has been suspended two games for violating the NFL's Performance Enhancing Substances Policy, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Garoppolo reportedly used a banned medication without having an exception from the league. He will not appeal the suspension and will miss the first two games of the 2024 campaign. Schefter also confirms that the Raiders will release Garoppolo before the fifth day of the new league year in mid-March, saving the team an $11.25 million roster bonus. Garoppolo will be able to participate in the offseason program and training camp with his new team, despite the suspension. The Raiders, meanwhile, will be left with QBs Aidan O'Connell and Brian Hoyer. They'll certainly add to that group in free agency and/or the draft.
Giants QB Daniel Jones (knee) said recently that his goal is to be ready for the start of training camp. He's working his way back from a torn right ACL suffered in early November. “My rehab is going well,” Jones said. “I’m making progress. I’m three months into it, and I’ve started running on the anti-gravity treadmill. It’s going well.” Jones will be almost nine months removed from the injury when camp gets going -- and over ten months removed when the 2024 season kicks off. He has a good chance to be cleared by Week 1, although it's likely that his mobility is limited at least early in the season. That, of course, is a big part of whatever fantasy value Jones brings to the table. He's just a QB3 target in early best ball drafts.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson was recently cleared to resume throwing, according to ESPN's Stephen Holder. Richardson had surgery on his right shoulder in October but is 6-8 weeks ahead of schedule in his rehab, per Holder. It sounds like Richardson will be able to participate in at least some of the offseason program and should be a full-go come training camp. Multiple injuries limited him to just two full games as a rookie last year -- but he finished QB4 in fantasy points both of those weeks. A healthy Richardson has easy top-5 fantasy upside in 2024 and beyond. See where he sits in our initial 2024 fantasy football QB rankings.
The Steelers released QB Mitchell Trubisky. NFL Network's Mike Garafolo said the two sides agreed to "mutually part ways." Trubisky made two starts for Pittsburgh this past year, totaling 359 yards, two TDs, and three INTs on 6.2 yards per pass attempt. The 29-year-old will only land a backup job on the open market and has scant dynasty value. The Steelers are expected to add a QB this offseason to compete with or replace Kenny Pickett.
The Athletic's Paul Dehner writes that "all expectations" are that the Bengals will use the franchise tag on WR Tee Higgins. Higgins is scheduled to hit free agency in March, but the tag would keep him in Cincinnati for 2024 on a one-year, $20.7 million deal. The deadline for franchise tags is March 5. Our current fantasy football rankings have Higgins projected to remain with the Bengals this year.
We should know by March 12 whether QB Kirk Cousins will stay with the Vikings in 2024. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that the final four years on Cousins' current contract will void that day, the last of the league year. More importantly, the resulting $28.5 million in dead cap would immediately apply to Minnesota's 2024 salary cap. The Vikings could offset that by signing Cousins to an extension before March 12 and are reportedly working on that. If the two sides don't agree by then, the veteran QB would reach the open market. We'll be interested to see not only how those talks play out, but also what Cousins gets coming off an Achilles' tear and heading into his age-36 campaign. For now, you shouldn't treat him as more than a low QB2 in best ball drafting.
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce said after Sunday's Super Bowl win that he'll be back for the 2024 season. There had been some whispers that he'd retire, especially if the Chiefs won another title. But Kelce will help Kansas City gun for a three-peat. The 34-year-old averaged 14.8 PPR points per game this past year -- his fewest since 2016 but still enough to lead all TEs. Kelce then racked up 32 catches, 355 yards, and three TDs across four playoff games. He sits atop our 2024 fantasy football TE rankings.
Niners LB Dre Greenlaw tore his left Achilles' tendon running onto the field in the second quarter of the Super Bowl. It's devastating timing for a devastating injury that puts his 2024 season into question. On top of that, Greenlaw heads into the final season of a two-year extension. His 2024 carries a $9.6 million cap number vs. just $2.8 million in dead cap if San Francisco cuts him, according to Spotrac. That could make him a cap casualty for a team projected to be just $570K under the cap for 2024. We'll keep an eye on both the contract situation and the rehab for a star LB who will be heading into just his age-27 season. The injury also chips away at Greenlaw's dynasty value, though it doesn't necessarily make him an offseason cut for fantasy.
Chiefs WR Kadarius Toney is a healthy scratch for tonight's game vs. the 49ers. He's signed with Kansas City for the 2024 season, but it's tough to be optimistic about his fantasy value considering how this season went. WR Skyy Moore is active for the Chiefs tonight.
Chiefs RB Jerick McKinnon (groin) is active for tonight's game vs. the 49ers. It's a surprise after HC Andy Reid said Tuesday that McKinnon had a "slim" chance to play. He evidently made more progress than expected throughout the week. We're still not expecting McKinnon to play a major role in his first action since mid-December, although he could siphon some passing-down snaps from RB Isiah Pacheco.
The Seahawks are expected to hire Ryan Grubb as their new OC under HC Mike Macdonald, according to multiple reports. This will be Grubb's first NFL coaching job. He's been in the college ranks since 2005, most recently serving as Washington's OC for the last two seasons. Both of those Huskies teams finished top 13 in the nation in both total yards and points per game. They were especially lethal through the air, ranking first and then second in passing yards per game. Grubb joins a Seahawks squad with plenty of passing-game firepower in WRs D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. QB Geno Smith will very likely be back under center in 2024. We'll see if Seattle reunites Grubb with QB Michael Penix, who was at the helm for Washington the last two years.
49ers TE George Kittle (toe) is not listed on the final injury report for the Super Bowl. He was a full participant in practice on Friday and should be ready for his usual role vs. the Chiefs on Sunday. Kansas City allowed the fifth-fewest receptions to WRs during the regular season but finished mid-pack in catches allowed to TEs. Kittle could be a big part of San Francisco's game plan.
Chiefs RB Jerick McKinnon (groin) is listed as questionable for the Super Bowl. He was limited in practice all week. HC Andy Reid said Tuesday that McKinnon had a "slim" chance to play, so we're currently projecting him to miss this one. We'll get Kansas City's inactives around 5 pm ET on Sunday.
49ers TE George Kittle (toe) got in a limited practice on Wednesday. He's fully expected to play in the Super Bowl this weekend, but we'll keep you updated on his status over the next few days.
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