Unsigned Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles told reporters Tuesday morning that WR Russell Gage has a "little bit ways to go" to be healthy enough for training-camp practices. Gage likely has more missed practice days than receptions since joining Tampa Bay last offseason. Fortunately, he sits at the very end of drafts in ADP -- when he gets selected at all. Don't expect Gage to be an impactful fantasy asset for 2023.

The Bears have removed WR Chase Claypool from the PUP list. That means he can begin practicing with the rest of the team Wednesday. It seems as though we don't need to worry about any physical issue here. Now we'll see if he can find enough targets.

Bengals insider Jay Morrison believes the coaching staff remains a "fan" of RB Trayveon Williams. The 25-year-old owns only 55 career touches. Still, Morrison believes Williams could fill the “Samaje Perine role” – if he can outperform rookie Chase Brown in pass protection. The Bengals open training camp on Wednesday.

Chiefs WR Richie James was the standout of Sunday's training camp practice. HC Andy Reid noted that James has picked up the offense quickly after working with former Chiefs QBs coach and current Giants OC Mike Kafka in New York last year. "So he didn't have to go through and learn everything here," Reid said. "Just maybe a few new things, and I like what I've seen from him. He's a good football player, has a great feel for things." James is coming off a career-best 57-569-4 line with the Giants last year and has the opportunity to carve out a real role in a wide-open Chiefs WR corps.

Lions WR Marvin Jones will begin training camp on the non-football injury list. No word yet on what's ailing him. Jones has a shot to open the season with a significant role, while WR Jameson Williams serves his six-game suspension. But the 33-year-old Jones is not an exciting fantasy pick. We'll see when he's able to get back on the field.

The Bears have placed WR Chase Claypool on the physically unable to perform list for the start of training camp. HC Matt Eberflus said earlier this off-season that Claypool was dealing with a “few things,” according to ProFootballTalk. We’ll keep an eye on his status, but it doesn’t sound serious

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio writes that there's "been chatter in league circles regarding hesitation arising from the possibility of a suspension" for RB Dalvin Cook. That helps explain why Cook still hasn't been signed after the Vikings released him in early June. Cook reportedly offered his domestic violence accuser $1 million to send a letter to the NFL “relieving Mr. Cook of any wrongdoing," according to The Minneapolis Star-Tribune's Rochelle Olson. Cook's trial won't begin until 2024, but there's some belief that the $1 million offer is a sign of guilt that could spur the NFL to take action. We'll continue to keep you updated on Cook's legal situation and free-agency market. His Underdog Fantasy ADP has sunk into Round 8.

Jets WR Randall Cobb (ankle) has been placed on the active/PUP list. He's working his way back from offseason ankle surgery. Despite his long history with QB Aaron Rodgers, Cobb is a long shot to be a 2023 fantasy factor.

The Giants aren't done adding slot receivers. They've signed WR Cole Beasley, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. Beasley joins Parris Campbell, Wan'Dale Robinson, Sterling Shepard, and Jamison Crowder as primary slot receivers on New York's roster. We'll see about the details on Beasley's contract, but it probably won't be enough to guarantee him a roster spot. It's worth noting that he's reuniting with HC Brian Daboll, who was Beasley's OC in Buffalo from 2019-2021.

The Ravens signed RB Melvin Gordon to a one-year deal worth "up to" $3.1 million, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. The guaranteed money on the deal is surely much lower. Gordon turned 30 in April and mustered just 3.5 yards per carry on 90 attempts for the Broncos last year. He ranked dead last among 48 qualifying RBs in NFL Next Gen Stats' Rush Yards Over Expected Per Attempt. Gordon will simply compete for a roster spot in Baltimore behind J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards. He's not worth rostering in any fantasy football format.

Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Patriots hosted free agent RB Leonard Fournette for a workout on Wednesday. It's unclear as of this writing whether an impending deal is in place. While it's too soon to overreact to this news, the hypothetical addition of Fournette would make this Pats' backfield a complicated mess. The current depth chart behind RB Rhamondre Stevenson is somewhat barren following the offseason departure of Damien Harris via free agency and the quick cup of coffee James Robinson had with the team before being released in early June. Stevenson stands to lose the most by an addition to the backfield, as he’s the only Patriots RB to lead the team in carries and target share in the same year over the last five seasons. Replicating this feat from 2022 would be considerably more challenging with a player like Fournette in tow and knock him down further in our RB rankings.. We'll be sure to stay on top of this story as any updates come to light.

Lions writer Jeff Risdon doesn’t believe WR Marvin Jones is a roster “lock.” Behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, Risdon names Kalif Raymond and Josh Reynolds as safe bets to make the team. Jones, 33, signed a one-year deal worth $3 million (all guaranteed) in March. We expect him to make the final roster, but he’s not someone we’re circling on cheat sheets as a late-round pick. Jones underwhelmed with 46-529-3 in 16 games with Jacksonville last season.

Titans QB Ryan Tannehill endured a rough 2022. Hurting his right ankle twice led to two stretches of missed games. When on the field, though, he played fine. His 65.2% completion rate remained in line with his career rate (64.3%). His 4.0% TD rate was below league average for starters but matched his 2021 number. His 1.8% TD rate was the second-lowest of his career. And Tannehill ranked a decent 18th in Pro Football Focus passing grade among 43 QBs with 150+ dropbacks. That followed rankings of 10th, seventh and third. Tannehill now heads into his age-35 season with a cap hit near $37 million and almost $19 million in dead cap if Tennessee were to move on. His competition is a second-round rookie (Will Levis) and second-year player who stunk as a rookie (Malik Willis). You can tell by our superflex rankings that we're not expecting a high-impact season from Tannehill. But he finished each of the previous three years among the top 16 QBs in fantasy points per game. Something near that would make Tannehill a nice value in superflex and 2-QB formats.

Chiefs RB Jerick McKinnon ranked fifth among RBs in PPR points (and ninth in non-PPR points) over the final 10 games of last season. He averaged 5.4 targets, 4.3 catches, 39.6 receiving yards, and 0.8 receiving TDs per game during that span -- all top-2 marks among RBs. McKinnon also ranked eighth among 43 qualifying RBs in Pro Football Focus receiving grade and 10th in yards per route run. He's in for some TD regression after scoring on nine of 56 receptions last year. But, with the Chiefs returning the same backfield, McKinnon should again play a big role in the passing game in 2023. He looks like a nice value at his recent RB44 PPR ADP. McKinnon sits a handful of spots higher in our 2023 PPR RB Rankings.

It looks like the market for free agent RB Dalvin Cook is heating up. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins have made a formal contract offer to the veteran back. Jackson went on to say that “there's mutual interest" and that Cook "has called Miami a 'perfect fit'.” NFL Network's Tom Pelissero also recently spoke about Cook on The Rich Eisen Show, stating that the veteran has received "multiple offers" from various teams, so the Fins will not be alone in their pursuit. Cook showed some signs of decline last season, averaging his fewest rushing yards per game (69.0) since 2017 and losing significant target share. Wherever he ends up, we're probably not talking about a slam-dunk RB1 in fantasy anymore. But he should have a role worthy of mid-round draft consideration. Cook landing in Miami would throw an already busy backfield -- Jeff Wilson Jr., Raheem Mostert, and 2023 rookie De'Von Achane -- into an absolute frenzy. Keep an eye out for further updates.

Multiple reports on Tuesday indicate that free agent RB Sony Michel is signing with the Rams. The terms of the deal are unknown as of this writing. This will be Michel's second stint with the team, as he spent the 2021 season as a member of the Rams team that won Super Bowl LVI. The former first-round pick was a member of the Chargers in 2022, racking up 106 rushing yards on 36 carries in a limited role last year. Michel brings five seasons of NFL experience to a backfield littered with inexperienced players like Zach Evans, the Rams' 2023 sixth-round draft pick, and 2022 rookies Kyren Williams and Ronnie Rivers. While the signing of Michel certainly doesn't reflect super well on these younger backs, though it's too soon to make a big deal about the Rams bringing in a 28-year-old with an extensive injury history. Training camp will help give us an idea as to which of these players will seize the RB2 role behind presumed backfield leader Cam Akers in 2023. Still, we project Akers to have a sizable workload in this backfield this upcoming season. Take a look at where Akers appears in our current RB rankings.

The Athletic's Mark Kaboly lists WR Allen Robinson as one of the Steelers' offseason winners. Robinson "impressed in every facet, especially in the slot at the goal line," Kaboly writes. "The move to the slot appears to be natural for Robinson. He’s shifty and has a knack for finding space in tight red zone areas, which could lead to some easy touchdowns. ... It sure seems to me that Robinson is going to be a big part of the team’s success this year." Fantasy owners should be skeptical considering Robinson drew praise from Rams beat writers last summer before turning in an abysmal 2022 season. He's still not a priority target in fantasy drafts, even at his dirt-cheap price tag. But we'll continue to keep a close eye on Robinson when training camp opens next month.

Rams RB Cam Akers closed the 2022 season strongly, scoring as a top-4 fantasy RB over the final six games. He's rolled that momentum over into 2023, HC Sean McVay said from minicamp. “He’s really capitalized on a lot of the momentum he built up toward the latter part of the year," McVay said. "And he’s going to be a huge part of what we’re doing moving forward. He’s had a great offseason. I love the rapport that he’s established with Ron Gould, our new running backs coach. Cam is going to be a central figure in this offense. I think he’s priming himself to have a great year." Akers has had a rollercoaster first three NFL seasons. But he's flashed workhorse ability in stretches, is still only 24, and has a chance to dominate backfield work this season. He has plenty of profit potential at a RB24 ADP.

"It looks like Washington's tight ends are going to be heavily involved in the passing game this season," Zach Selby of the Commanders' official site wrote after attending minicamp. The Commanders are installing a new offense under OC Eric Bieniemy, who just spent the past five seasons helping Chiefs TE Travis Kelce to huge numbers. No one will come close to that level of production in Washington, of course. But Selby notes that TE Logan Thomas has been busy in the passing game. "Thomas, who looks fully healthy for the first time in years, has been the top target for the position and looks like the threat he was back in 2020," Selby writes. "He made contested catches over defenders, looked fluid in his route running and found soft spots in coverage to be a reliable target for Howell." Thomas has struggled with injuries the past couple of seasons but finished fourth among TEs in PPR points back in 2020. We'll continue to keep a close eye on this new-look Commanders offense, but Thomas looks like a value late in best-ball drafts.

The Bucs are signing K Rodrigo Blankenship, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Blankenship nailed 86.5% of his FG attempts as a rookie for the Colts back in 2020. But he missed most of 2021 with a hip injury and was dumped by the Colts last September. Blankenship had surgery in January to repair a torn muscle in his leg, per Rapoport, and is "finally healthy for the first time in over a year." He'll compete with K Chase McLaughlin for Tampa's starting job.