Bucs WRs coach Bryan McClendon said Monday that the team believes rookie WR Jalen McMillan can play both outside and in the slot. McMillan played almost exclusively in the slot the past two seasons at Washington but lined up out wide for 84% of his snaps as a sophomore back in 2021. That ability to play outside will be important with the Bucs planning to move WR Chris Godwin back into the slot for the majority of the time this season. That figures to leave McMillan and WR Trey Palmer battling for the outside spot opposite Mike Evans. Consider McMillan a slight favorite to win that job. He beats Palmer in draft capital (Round 3 vs. Round 6), and Palmer ranked 77th among 80 qualifying WRs in yards per route as a rookie last year.
The Panthers are set to sign RB Rashaad Penny, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Penny is still rocking a career 5.6 yards-per-carry average. But he's suffered a multitude of injuries, most recently a fractured fibula in October 2022. He barely found any snaps on Philadelphia last year, finishing with just 11 carries for 33 yards. There's opportunity in Carolina, where Penny joins a backfield with rookie Jonathon Brooks, Chuba Hubbard, and Miles Sanders. But it'd be a surprise if the now-28-year-old Penny re-emerged as a fantasy asset.
Jets QB Aaron Rodgers is expected to be a full participant in OTAs later this month, HC Robert Saleh said. Rodgers is about eight months removed from his torn Achilles. "Once phase three hits, we're not anticipating any restrictions from what we can and can't do with him," Saleh said. It's been a smooth rehab for Rodgers by all accounts, and he should be ready to roll come Week 1. It's excellent news for WR Garrett Wilson, RB Breece Hall, and the rest of New York's skill-position players.
The Packers "see shades of Aaron Jones" in rookie RB MarShawn Lloyd, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "Not only with his rushing ability, but his ability to catch passes out of the backfield," Fowler said. "So, the expectation is they're going to get him acclimated pretty early, try to use him a lot." Lloyd caught just 34 passes over his final three college seasons but averaged 13.3 yards per catch. The 220-pounder clocked a 4.46-second 40 time at the Combine, so he brings plenty of juice. We're not expecting Lloyd to see enough work behind Josh Jacobs to be a reliable fantasy play. But a Jacobs injury could turn the rookie into an exciting weekly starter.
Ravens HC John Harbaugh singled out WR Devontez Walker as a standout in rookie minicamp. "You knew he was gonna be fast. You knew he was gonna be big and fast. He showed that," Harbaugh said. "I was impressed with how he moved, change of direction. ... Caught the ball really well. ... He's off to a great start." There's opportunity in Baltimore's WR corps behind Zay Flowers. Walker has the size (6'2) and speed (4.36-second 40 time) to snatch that opportunity. We'll keep a close eye on the rookie this spring and summer. And he's worth a look at the end of early best-ball drafts.
The Dolphins are set to sign WR Odell Beckham, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The Miami Herald's Barry Jackson reports that Beckham is getting a $3 million base salary with another $5 million available in incentives. The 31-year-old was a part-time player for the Ravens last year, catching just 35 balls across 14 regular season games. But Beckham still flashed big-play pop, averaging a career-high 16.1 yards per catch on a 13.9-yard average target depth. He ranked 27th among 93 qualifiers in Pro Football Focus' receiving grades. Beckham will sit behind WRs Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in Miami and is unlikely to be a reliable fantasy play if those guys are healthy. But an injury to either could turn Beckham into a potential fantasy spot starter.
The Bills are signing WR Chase Claypool to a one-year deal. Claypool has been in a free fall since an impressive rookie season. He totaled 451 yards and one TD between Pittsburgh and Chicago in 2022 and then just 77 yards between Chicago and Miami last year. Claypool is still only 25 and finds some opportunity in Buffalo. But there's little to suggest that he'll take advantage of it. We'll keep an eye on Claypool this summer, but he's not worth a pick in early best-ball drafts.
The Chargers and WR D.J. Chark agreed to a one-year deal worth “up to” $5 million," according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Chark went for 1,008 yards back in 2019 but hasn't really been fantasy relevant since. He's missed 39 games over the last four seasons and averaged 48.6 yards per game. Chark finished a distant second to WR Adam Thielen with 525 receiving yards on a bad Panthers passing game last year. His 1.08 yards per route ranked 75th among 93 qualifying WRs. Chark isn't a guy you should be excited to bet on, although this is a solid landing spot with QB Justin Herbert and a wide-open WR corps. Chark, Ladd McConkey, Josh Palmer, and Quentin Johnston will duke it out for snaps this summer.
The Steelers have declined the fifth-year option on RB Najee Harris' rookie contract. Harris would have counted about $6.8 million vs. the salary cap had the team exercised his option, so it's not a shocking development. But it's notable that Pittsburgh would rather let him hit the open market than pay what would be the No. 12 RB salary in the league by this year's average annual values. Harris has seen his carries per game and receptions per game decline each of the past two years, while also watching Jaylen Warren gain yards at a more efficient pace. It'll be interesting to see whether Pittsburgh plans any further decline for Harris' 2024 workload in the first season under new OC Arthur Smith. As it stands, Harris and Warren both look fine at best ball ADP. Feel free to mix either player (or both) in to your best ball drafting.
Texans GM Nick Caserio said WR Tank Dell is “doing great” after suffering a “minor” gunshot wound last week. Dell was released from the hospital the day after the incident and has been "in and out of the building” since. Dell's 2023 season ended on December 3 with a fractured fibula. But it sounds like he'll be back to 100% at least in time for the start of training camp. Dell faces increased target competition this season with the addition of WR Stefon Diggs, but he's fairly priced at his WR25 Underdog ADP.
Panthers HC Dave Canales talked up RB Jonathon Brooks' versatility in his post-draft press conference. "He's a bigger back. He's got range. There's so much that he brings from a versatility standpoint," Canales said. "That's probably the biggest thing that stood out. Vision, patience, contact balance, acceleration. He's got it all. He's the best back in this class and we're so fired up to be able to bring him in." Canales also talked about his system looking to flex RBs out wide and get them in space with the screen game. That's exactly what we saw from Canales' Bucs offense last year, with RB Rachaad White ranking top-9 among RBs in targets, catches, and receiving yards. Brooks flashed strong pass-catching skills in his 10 outings last season, averaging 28.6 receiving yards per game and 11.4 yards per catch. With RBs Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders as his only backfield competition, Brooks has a chance to capture a big role early in his rookie season. The only real roadblock is his recovery from his November ACL tear.
The Jaguars released WR Zay Jones, saving $4.18 million against the 2024 salary cap. This move was inevitable after Jacksonville took WR Brian Thomas in the first round of the draft -- after signing WR Gabriel Davis in free agency. Jones missed seven games with knee and hamstring injuries last year but caught 82 balls back in 2022. The 29-year-old can still help an NFL team, although Jones is not a good bet to be a major fantasy asset in 2024 or beyond.
Broncos GM George Paton believes QB Bo Nix is "game-ready" to start as a rookie. Paton pointed to Nix's 61 college starts and the fact that he's already 24 years old. That advanced age might be a knock against Nix's ultimate ceiling, but it certainly helps his chances of hitting the ground running this season. With only QBs Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham in his way, Nix has a good chance to win the Week 1 starting job. He's a fine target in both redraft and dynasty superflex leagues.
WR Michael Gallup agreed to a one-year deal with the Raiders worth "up to" $3 million, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports. Gallup went for 1,107 yards in his second NFL season back in 2019 and 843 yards in 2020. But he hasn't been the same player since tearing an ACL late in the 2021 campaign. He averaged just 27 yards per game for the Cowboys over the last two seasons, while ranking outside the top 60 WRs in yards per route and Pro Football Focus receiving grade both years. Gallup has a shot to win the No. 3 WR job in Las Vegas, but that wouldn't be enough to make him a real fantasy factor.
Chargers RB J.K. Dobbins said Monday that he's 100% recovered from the torn Achilles he suffered last September. "It was like a walk in the park, it was like a sprained ankle," Dobbins said. "It was very easy, because I had the knee [injury] -- the knee was pretty hard. The Achilles was, I would say, easy, just because that's my mentality. It was pretty easy to me." We'll file this under "believe-it-when-we-see-it." Full health is not the same as full effectiveness. RB Cam Akers quickly made it back from an Achilles injury but hasn't been the same runner since. Dobbins still isn't a player to invest heavily in at this point. But we'll be keeping a close eye on him this spring and summer. The Chargers' backfield will be a key situation for fantasy owners to monitor, with Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and rookie Kimani Vidal duking it out for touches.
The Chiefs and TE Travis Kelce agreed to a two-year, $34.25 million contract extension, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. It makes Kelce the league's highest-paid TE and keeps him with Kansas City through the 2027 season. He'll be 38 by that point. We'll see whether Kelce plays through the life of this contract, but it looks like he'll retire as a Chief. His 14.8 PPR points per game last year were his fewest since 2016 -- but were still enough to lead all TEs. Kelce sits atop our 2024 fantasy football TE rankings.
The Cowboys and RB Ezekiel Elliott have agreed to a contract, NFL Network reports. It's a reunion after Elliott spent his first seven seasons in Dallas. The 28-year-old mustered just 3.8 yards per carry in his last season with the Cowboys and then averaged 3.5 yards per carry for the Patriots last year. Elliott ranked 29th among 42 qualifiers in Pro Football Focus' 2022 rushing grades and 41st among 49 last year. There's very little gas left in this tank, although Elliott still proved capable of handling big workloads down the stretch last season. He averaged 14.8 carries and 6.5 targets over the final six weeks. The Cowboys are desperate for RB help after losing Tony Pollard in free agency and failing to land a RB in the draft. Elliott just might be the favorite to lead the backfield in touches ahead of Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, and Royce Freeman. He's still not an exciting fantasy pick. We'll see where his ADP settles.
The 49ers signed undrafted rookie RB Cody Schrader. Schrader spent six years in college and will turn 25 in September. But he’s coming off a massive 2023 season. After four years at Truman State, Schrader walked on at Missouri and immediately led the team with 745 rushing yards in 2022. Then he ripped off 1,627 rushing yards and 14 TDs on 5.9 yards per carry, plus 22 catches for 191 yards, this past year. Schrader led the SEC in rushing and was named a first-team All-American. He ranked 32nd among 157 qualifying RBs in Pro Football Focus’ rushing grades. Schrader is a sturdy 5’9, 202-pounder with good contact balance and strong leg drive. He’s also reliable in the passing game as a receiver and protector. Schrader doesn’t run with much wiggle, though, and bombed at the Combine with a 2.33 Relative Athletic Score. At his advanced age, it’s fair to wonder how much meat is left on this bone. He’s obviously a dynasty long shot after going undrafted and landing in Christian McCaffrey’s backfield. We’ll see if Schrader can make the team this summer.
The Steelers signed Georgia RB Daijun Edwards as an undrafted free agent. Edwards spent his early years behind eventual NFL draft picks like James Cook, Zamir White, and Kenny McIntosh. Come 2022, Edwards split carries with McIntosh, a current Seahawk, and posted modest numbers (140-777-7). Last fall, Edwards was the 1A rusher ahead of Kendall Milton, who also went undrafted. Milton posted better efficiency than Edwards (6.5 yards per carry vs. 5.4) as the latter underwhelmed from an analytical perspective. Among 73 RBs with 150+ carries, Edwards ranked 56th in yards after contact per attempt and 45th in Pro Football Focus’ Elusive Rating. He also doesn’t project as a factor in the passing game. (He caught 1.3 passes per game over the past two seasons.) Through an optimistic lens: The 23-year-old is built compactly at 5’9, 207 pounds and runs with excellent power and patience. Edwards will aim to win Pittsburgh’s No. 3 RB job behind Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. He can be ignored in redraft and dynasty leagues for now.
The Bills signed undrafted rookie RB Frank Gore Jr. The son of an NFL legend, Gore brings unmatched bloodlines to the pro game. He’s not the caliber of prospect we saw from his father, though. While stout, Gore is ultimately just 5’8, 198 pounds. He struggled with ball security (six fumbles from 2022-2023) and drops (three in 2023) – hardly a surprise given his 8¼" hands. That hand size ranks in the 2nd percentile among Combine RBs since 1999. Gore isn’t a dynamic athlete either, instead winning with patience, vision, and power. The true bull case comes from his college production, as the 22-year-old led Southern Miss in rushing for four straight seasons. His production peaked over the past two seasons with a combined 2,953 total yards. Gore also didn’t miss a game due to injury, despite racking up 759 carries in 47 games played. He’s obviously a long shot to ever be a true fantasy factor after going undrafted, although landing with the high-scoring Bills helps his chances.
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