Shark Bites are the latest fantasy football news & NFL updates. Draft Sharks has been in business since 1999. And when we started, redraft was the dominant form of fantasy football. Check out what we've learned about this most basic form of fantasy football along the way.
Browns RB Jerome Ford returned to practice Tuesday for the first time since injuring his right hamstring back on Aug. 7. Ford still has more than a week before the Sept. 10 opener against the Bengals. He also has added competition after Cleveland traded for RB Pierre Strong. We'd still stash Ford ahead of Strong in fantasy football drafts. Both are late-round options but could present significant upside in the case of a Nick Chubb injury.
On Tuesday, Broncos GM George Patton said WR Jerry Jeudy (hamstring) will avoid beginning the 2023 season on short-term IR. This is undoubtedly good news, considering the injury he sustained last Thursday required Jeudy to be carted off the practice field. Still, this doesn't mean he'll be a slam dunk to be healthy for Week 1. We'll update the situation as more information becomes known, though avoiding IR brings moderate relief. In Jeudy's absence, Courtland Sutton and rookie Marvin Mims figure to be the top wideouts for Denver.
NFL Network's James Palmer hears that there's "optimism" that WR Kadarius Toney (knee) will be ready for next Thursday night's season opener vs. the Lions. He's been out since undergoing knee surgery in late July but is expected back at practice by the end of this week. "This week is gonna be very important," Palmer added. "They think he's doing great in terms of his recovery, but how he practices this week would be big." We'll keep an eye on Toney's progress, but he shouldn't be in your Week 1 fantasy plans coming off the extended absence.
The Browns acquired K Dustin Hopkins from the Chargers and promptly released K Cade York. York missed eight FGs and two XPs last year and struggled this preseason, so the move doesn't come as a big surprise. Hopkins sports a career 84.8% FG conversion rate and is squarely on the fantasy radar kicking for what should be a strong Cleveland offense.
Browns WR Marquise Goodwin has been activated from the non-football-injury list. Doctors found blood clots in his legs and lungs earlier this summer, but he's been cleared to return. Goodwin figures to serve as a situational deep threat for Cleveland but isn't a realistic fantasy option.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that the Patriots have traded RB Pierre Strong to the Browns for OT Tyrone Wheatley Jr. Cleveland has spent August thin at RB behind Nick Chubb, with Jerome Ford out nursing a hamstring injury. ESPN's Jake Trotter projected Demetric Felton as the third RB behind Chubb and Ford before this move. The trade doesn't guarantee that Strong makes the regular-season roster. But he should be a good bet to do so. Given that Ford has just eight career NFL touches on offense, it's an upside landing spot for Strong. His departure from a Patriots roster he was expected to make leaves room for at least one among Kevin Harris, Ty Montgomery, and J.J. Taylor behind Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott.
Chiefs HC Andy Reid expects WR Kadarius Toney (knee) back at practice in "about a week." Toney has been sidelined since getting hurt on July 23 and subsequently undergoing surgery to repair a cartilage issue in his knee. Kansas City's season opener is just 12 days away, so Toney seems iffy for that one. But it at least sounds like he's trending in a positive direction and remains worth stashing on fantasy benches.
Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy is expected to miss "several weeks" with a "moderate hamstring injury," according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. Rapoport adds that Jeudy’s status for Week 1 is "in question" but that "there’s optimism it’s nothing long term." It's relatively good news after what sounded like a serious injury in Thursday's practice. Still, with Denver's season opener just 17 days away, fantasy drafters should plan on Jeudy missing at least one game -- and potentially more.
Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy suffered a hamstring injury in Thursday's practice and will undergo an MRI, HC Sean Payton said. Reports from practice made this sound like a significant injury, so be careful drafting Jeudy for now. We'll update his status as soon as we know more.
On Thursday, it was announced that the Browns are naming QB Joshua Dobbs as the backup to Deshaun Watson heading into the regular season. As a result, rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson will begin the year serving as the team's QB3. In three preseason games, Thompson-Robinson completed 30 throws on 46 attempts for 348 passing yards with two TDs and zero INTs. Dynasty managers stashing the rookie nicknamed 'DTR' on their benches or taxi squads will have to continue exercising patience for the ex-UCLA signal-caller. It's encouraging that DTR beat out Kellen Mond for the QB3 job, however, as the Browns waived Mond today. Keep him around in deep leagues.
Per multiple reports, Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy sustained a leg injury in practice on Thursday that required being carted off the field. Team beat writer Zac Stevens tweeted that Jeudy "pulled up after running full speed during a play" and "grabbed his hamstring immediately" before medical staff helped him onto a cart to transport him into the locker room. This offseason has one of dire straits for Denver's WR room. Veteran Tim Patrick ruptured his Achilles tendon at the end of July, and the Broncos waived fellow wideout K.J. Hamler with a non-football illness designation that same day. Add Jeudy's ailment to the pile, and it's an even bleaker picture. However, we'll update as more information becomes available before getting too hasty with looking forward. Rookie Marvin Mims is a name to remember for a possible bump in role should Jeudy miss extended time. Stay tuned.
Browns HC Kevin Stefanski shared on Tuesday that RB Jerome Ford (hamstring) will not practice with the team this week, per beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot. This ailment has kept Ford out of practice for almost two weeks at this point. However, Stefanski added that Ford is progressing toward returning from injury and that the team is hopeful he'll be available for their season opener vs. the Bengals on September 10. Should Ford not be ready to go for Week 1, RB Demetric Felton would be in line for backup duties behind starter Nick Chubb. We'll keep an eye on this situation as more information becomes available.
Patriots RBs Pierre Strong (concussion) and Ty Montgomery (leg) returned to practice on Tuesday. Strong isn’t yet cleared for full contact, per reporter Zack Cox. Montgomery sustained an undisclosed leg injury on day 2 of training camp. Neither guy is on the fantasy radar in standard-size leagues following the arrival of Zeke Elliott.
Browns WR Elijah Moore (ribs) returned to practice on Tuesday. It sounds like he was limited to individual drills. But the fact that he's back on the field means that he's in no danger of missing the start of the season. Consider Moore's fantasy value unchanged.
Browns WR Elijah Moore exited Friday night's preseason game with a rib injury. X-rays came back clean, according to ESPN's Jake Trotter. We'll look for more details on his status. Moore was featured before the injury, catching a six-yard pass on Cleveland's first offensive snap and taking a carry for 18 yards.
Browns RB Jerome Ford's Week 1 status is in doubt after he injured his hamstring on Monday, according to insider Mary Kay Cabot. Ford seemingly had the No. 2 RB job -- and potentially a third-down role -- locked up. We'll see if this injury spurs the Browns to add to the backfield. Outside of Ford and Nick Chubb, the only other RBs on the roster are Demetric Felton, John Kelly, and Hassan Hall.
The Chiefs expect WR Kadarius Toney (knee) to play in the season opener vs. the Lions, GM Brett Veach said Monday. Toney injured his knee on the first day of camp, underwent surgery, and has been sidelined since. He's unlikely to practice much before Week 1 and won't be a bankable fantasy play in that one. But being out there for the opener would be a win for Toney -- and potentially make him a fantasy option starting in Week 2.
Per Browns reporter Tony Grossi, RB Jerome Ford suffered a right hamstring injury in Monday’s practice. He hobbled off the field to get checked out by team trainers. We’ll let you know when we hear about the severity.
Browns HC Kevin Stefanski said Sunday that the team's third-down RB job is up for grabs. "Could be Nick [Chubb], could be Jerome [Ford]," Stefanski said. Chubb played just 21% of Cleveland's third-down snaps last year, ceding most of that work to RB Kareem Hunt, who's no longer on the team. Any extra third-down work Chubb picks up this season would be a bonus -- and give him an opportunity to grow his receiving production considerably. Ford, meanwhile, seems locked in as the Chubb handcuff. If he captures the majority of the third-down work, he'd have a chance at some standalone value in PPR leagues.
ESPN's Courtney Cronin reports that RBs Khalil Herbert and D'Onta Foreman "have been involved in the passing game quite a bit" in early training-camp practices. That has included "check downs, screens, short passes," she added. Herbert has been the assumed first guy up in Chicago's backfield, so it's not a surprising report for him. It's especially noteworthy for Foreman, however. He has just 23 total receptions since entering the NFL in 2017. Rookie Roschon Johnson not making that note adds intrigue. It was reported soon after Chicago drafted him that Johnson impressed with his passing-game aptitude, including both receiving and blocking. It's early, of course. And this doesn't look like a good offense for RB target counts overall. But we'll certainly keep watching the Bears' backfield competition -- and potentially shuffling our RB rankings.
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