Fantasy Football News

The Philly Voice's Jimmy Kempski doesn't expect Eagles TE Eli Stowers to make a big impact this season. Kempski points out that rookie TEs generally don't post big receiver numbers (although that hasn't necessarily been the case in recent seasons with guys like Sam LaPorta, Brock Bowers, and Harold Fannin). More crucially, Kempski notes that Stowers' blocking deficiencies will challenge his playing time. Kempski lists both Dallas Goedert and Johnny Mundt ahead of Stowers on Philly's depth chart. Mundt won't contribute much as a pass catcher but is a reliable blocker.

The Athletic’s Daniel Popper writes that Chargers WR Ladd McConkey is “poised to return to his 2024 levels of production.” McConkey racked up 82 catches, 1,149 yards, and 7 TDs in 2024, good for a WR18 finish in PPR points per game.

Washington has looked like WR Brandon Aiyuk's most likely landing spot all offseason. The Commanders have a need behind WR Terry McLaurin, and Aiyuk played with QB Jayden Daniels at Arizona State in 2019. But Aiyuk seemingly burned that bridge in his latest social media video. "You’re on my team now," Aiyuk said, talking to Daniels. "You follow my rules. Boy, I’m a grown ass man. You’re gonna have to start running behind your momma and I might believe what you’re talking about, but until then, uh-uh.”

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes tore his left ACL and LCL in Week 15 last season on December 14th. Now he appears on track to be cleared less than 8 months later. SI’s Albert Breer reports that Mahomes is “way ahead of the normal ACL/LCL rehab timeline” and that “He’s trending toward being cleared for 11-on-11 work at the start of camp.” If that happens, he’d have plenty of practice time before Week 1.

New Commanders TE Chig Okonkwo sounds excited about what he's seen so far in the scheme of first-time OC David Blough. The fifth-year vet signed a three-year, $27 million deal in free agency after finishing each of the past three years in the range of 52 to 56 catches.

Purple Insider's Matthew Coller believes RB Jordan Mason will be the Vikings' "bell cow" this season and run for 1,010 yards. It's just a prediction, but Coller is a respected reporter who's been covering the Vikings since 2016. It's not tough to imagine Mason surpassing RB Aaron Jones on the depth chart considering where both guys are in their careers.

According to Steelers beat writer Mike DeFabo, rookie WR Germie Bernard “showed confident hands and good body control, especially near the sideline” this offseason. That's on brand for Bernard, who exited a four-year college career with a low 2.5% drop rate.

The Lions on Monday released CB Terrion Arnold in the wake of his arrest on multiple felony counts, including four apiece for kidnapping and assault. Arnold has been freed on $1 million bond but will be confined to his home as he awaits trial in Florida. The judge granted Arnold permission to leave his home for work -- including practices and games -- but the Lions’ swift action renders that moot.

WR Rashid Shaheed was one of our favorite sleepers heading into last season. He got off to a solid start, catching 44 balls for 499 yards and 2 scores over his first nine games. But a midseason trade to Seattle crushed Shaheed's fantasy value. He totaled just 15 catches for 188 scoreless yards across nine games with the Seahawks. Shaheed is back with the Hawks this year, and it sounds like he's on track to play a bigger role in the offense. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler hears that Shaheed is set to be a "big-time player" for Seattle. It sets him up as a classic post-hype fantasy sleeper.

On the Kelce Brothers’ New Heights Podcast, Ertz said he is doing everything he can to return this season after a torn ACL in Week 14 ended his season. The 35-year old free agent doesn’t want last season to be his final act after posting a 50-504-5 line as the Commanders’ starting TE. If a team wants the veteran, he will likely sign later in the summer.

We passed along earlier in June that Broncos RB RJ Harvey was missing on-field workout time while he rehabbed a surgically repaired shoulder. That time off might have given rookie RB Jonah Coleman a chance to challenge for more playing time this season. Coleman impressed in spring workouts, including in passing situations.

Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence is feeling comfortable heading into his second season in HC Liam Coen's offense. He spent last offseason recovering from shoulder surgery and learning a brand new system. This offseason he's been able to hone in on the details and build more chemistry with his pass-catching corps.

The Jaguars have agreed to a three-year extension with TE Brenton Strange with a max value of $48 million and $25 million in guarantees, NFL Network reports. That’s the fifth-most guaranteed money on a TE contract in the league right now. The $16 million a year at max value would also rank fifth-highest. (We’ll see about the base numbers.)

The Athletic's Daniel Popper believes new Chargers OC Mike McDaniel's offense "could unlock" WR Quentin Johnston. "I see a ton of potential for Johnston in this offense," Popper writes. "McDaniel prioritizes yards after the catch in his passing scheme. He wants the ball into the hands of receivers as fast as possible. This is great news for Johnston, who is most dangerous in these situations. I do not believe any Chargers offense has truly taken advantage of this part of Johnston’s skills."

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reports that the Browns believe rookie WR Denzel Boston can make a similar impact to fellow rookie K.C. Concepcion. Boston was drafted 39th overall, only 15 picks after Concepcion. “Whereas Concepcion is the explosive, run-after-catch type, Boston is the big-bodied, outside-the-numbers genre,” Breer writes. “He’s already earned the trust of the team’s three quarterbacks, runs better than you’d expect of a guy his size and, coming out of the same college offense Tetairoa McMillan did a year ago, has drawn internal comparisons to the young Panthers star.”

The Falcons have agreed to a three-year extension with TE Kyle Pitts worth $54 million, according to multiple reports. That includes $36 million in guarantees. Atlanta applied the franchise tag in March to keep Pitts from hitting the free-agent market.

Jets QB Geno Smith is under police investigation following assault allegations made by a woman on social media over the weekend. Davie (Fla.) police initially said the case was closed with no arrests but later clarified that the incident is still being reviewed before a report can be released. Neither Smith nor the Jets have addressed the situation. No charges have been filed as of now, but that doesn't preclude the league from investigating the incident under the personal conduct policy. We'll keep you updated on any further developments. For now, we're not adjusting Smith's spot in the QB rankings.

Texans insider Aaron Wilson believes the team is building a "smash mouth" offense "built around bell cow RB David Montgomery." Wilson notes that Houston's running game last year, led by RB Woody Marks, wasn't good enough. The team responded by trading for Montgomery and then giving him a two-year, $16.5 million deal. But just how big a role will Montgomery play this season?

Let’s just let ESPN Browns reporter Daniel Oyefusi deliver the primary info: “The Browns drafted wide receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston in April, but no Cleveland wideout was targeted more than [Isaiah Bond] this spring.” That’s especially worth noting for two reasons:

1. Cleveland drafted Concepcion in the first round and Boston in the second. So the team clearly not only likes them but should be incentivized to develop them quickly into key contributors.
2. Although Bond arrived as an undrafted free agent, he’s not your typical UDFA.

Our prospect guru Shane Hallam deemed Bond a Round 4-5 prospect who “certainly could have been a Day 2 pick” with more college production. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler rated him a third-round talent and the No. 10 WR prospect in the class.

Bond went undrafted because he got arrested on sexual-assault allegations just two weeks before the draft. A Texas grand jury determined in August, though, that the case didn’t merit an indictment. Bond subsequently signed with Cleveland

The Colts expect Tyler Warren to take a step forward in Year 2, according to Mike Chappell of Fox 59. HC Shane Steichen said Warren is still growing and specifically pointed to improvement “coming in and out of breaks”. QB Daniel Jones said Warren is already “making a jump” this offseason. Warren finished TE11 with 11.1 PPR points per game, the 10th-most ever by a rookie TE, so another step could push him into the top three at the position, especially in PPR.