Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert (knee) returned to a full practice on Thursday. He'll be ready for lead-back duties in this weekend's game vs. the Patriots.
Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert (knee) did not practice on Wednesday. "Just vet rest and maintenance. He’s good to go," NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe tweeted. It sounds like Mostert will be ready for a full workload vs. the Patriots this weekend, but we'll keep an eye on his status over the next few days.
Raiders WR Jakobi Meyers (concussion) did not practice on Wednesday. That's not a good start for his chances of being cleared in time for this weekend's game vs. the Bills. We'll update Meyers' progress again tomorrow, but he should be on fantasy benches for now.
Raiders HC Josh McDaniels confirmed on Monday that WR Jakobi Meyers is in the concussion protocol. That leaves him no better than 50/50 for Week 2. Meyers was awesome before sustaining that head injury in the win over Denver, hauling in nine of 10 targets for 81 yards and two TDs. Even though he might not be available this coming week, Meyers should be scooped off the waiver wire in fantasy leagues of 10+ teams.
Titans WR Kyle Philips is expected to miss about six weeks with a sprained MCL, insider Paul Kuharsky reports. That'll knock Philips out for the first few games of the season. He was seemingly in line to be Tennessee's starting slot receiver but wasn't a legitimate fantasy option.
Raiders RBs Zamir White and Ameer Abdullah have been splitting first-team work with RB Josh Jacobs still holding out, according to The Athletic's Tashan Reed. White has been handling "most of the carries," with Abdullah playing in passing situations. That's how we'd expect this backfield to operate if Jacobs misses regular-season games. White's ADP has remained in check, making him an intriguing bench stash as we continue to monitor the Jacobs holdout.
The Raiders and CB Marcus Peters have agreed to a one-year deal, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Peters instantly looks like a favorite to start for a weak Raiders D. He lost seven total games to injuries over the past two years, but has remained an INT and TD-return threat when healthy. Peters isn't a big factor for IDP teams but can make your week in a big-play, large-roster format.
Falcons QB Desmond Ridder has teammates fired up about his leadership heading into his second season. “When he talks, you listen,” TE Jonnu Smith told The Athletic. “Having leadership qualities is the most important trait you should have as a quarterback. He has that. He’s been coming in here and working his butt off. I have nothing but great things to say about Desmond.” Those words come from a seventh-year veteran heading into his age-28 season and in his first offseason with the Falcons. Others had similar praise for Ridder, who has not only led on-field work but reportedly been organizing events with teammates away from the field. All of this could mean nothing for his in-game performance. And Taylor Heinicke stands in wait as Ridder insurance. But all signs point to the Falcons hoping that Ridder will be their guy for at least the near future. He’s a fine late shot to take in superflex drafts. Check out his spot in our superflex rankings.
Raiders GM Dave Ziegler said he tried to trade back into the first round to secure TE Michael Mayer. Vegas ended up landing Mayer with the fourth pick of Round 2. "He was one of the top 15 players on our board," Ziegler said. We were surprised to see Mayer slip into the second round. But he landed in a solid spot for immediate opportunity, with only TEs Austin Hooper and O.J. Howard to conquer.
The Raiders selected Cincinnati WR Tre Tucker in Round 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft. A strict slot at 5’9, 182 pounds, Tucker wins with 4.40 speed. The 22-year-old will likely fit in as Vegas’ WR4 or WR5 this season. He’s also a candidate to contribute in the return game.
The Raiders selected Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer in Round 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft. Mayer stepped into a starting role as a true freshman. Across three seasons, the Notre Dame TE set records for career catches (180), receiving yards (2,099), and TDs (18). Despite small, 31 5/8” arms, Mayer is a polished, contested-catch winner. The 249-pounder has also proven tough with only one missed game in three seasons. The Raiders certainly had a TE need following the trade of Darren Waller. Austin Hooper joined the club in March, but he’s not much of a barrier to Mayer capturing a three-down role. The 21-year-old could be a TE1 spot-starter this fall.
The Raiders selected Edge Tyree Wilson with the seventh pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Wilson’s college career started slowly, with a redshirt season and transfer from Texas A&M to Texas Tech before he became a starter. He broke out over the past two seasons, totaling 27.5 tackles for loss and 14 sacks over that span. Wilson was on pace for easily his best college campaign in 2022 before a foot fracture cost him the final three games. That recovery will be worth watching for his 2023 IDP outlook. He goes to a Las Vegas defense without an immediate starting need on the edge. Bet on Wilson working into the rotation with Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones initially, with a chance to take playing time from Jones this year. Don't be surprised if the rookie starts slowly, though. Read more about Wilson in our early IDP rookie rankings.
When asked about the team's QB situation on Tuesday, Falcons HC Arthur Smith shared the plan is for Desmond Ridder to open training camp as the starter. Smith also spoke about QB Taylor Heinicke, the former Commanders signal-caller who inked a two-year deal with the Falcons in free agency. "The chemistry in the quarterback room is important, as we expect Desmond to take the next step," said Smith. "But we also have [Heinicke] who can go in and win you football games and be ready to play." Reading between the lines a little bit, it sounds as though this could be a camp battle in which Heinicke would have an opportunity to win the job if Ridder slips. That said, we can't put too much stock into vague statements like this in late March. We'll surely have our attention on this situation should it evolve into something more into the summer. If nothing else, dynasty managers could consider throwing out some feelers to acquire Heinicke on the cheap in superflex leagues, but that's about all there is here.
The Dolphins are re-signing RB Raheem Mostert on a two-year, $5.6 million agreement, according to multiple reports. It's a bigger contract than the one-year, $2.125 million pact that brought Mostert in last season. But the annual average is similar. (ESPN's Adam Schefter adds that incentives give the contract a max value of $7.6 million.) Mostert opened last season splitting work with Chase Edmonds and finished it splitting with Jeff Wilson Jr. Despite that, Mostert tallied career highs in most categories while missing just one game. We're expecting further moves in the Miami backfield, which will affect Mostert's fantasy outlook. But he's a fine value right now at his late-round best ball ADP.
The Raiders will be signing WR Jakobi Meyers to a three-year, $33 million deal, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The pact will reportedly include $21 million in guaranteed money. This fit seems somewhat odd. Meyers does reunite with HC Josh McDaniels, who served as New England's OC for three of Meyers' four seasons there. But the 26-year-old (until Nov. 9) wideout joins an offense that already sports WR Davante Adams, TE Darren Waller, and WR Hunter Renfrow with annual average salaries over $10 million. Meyers also ran 64.5% of his routes with the Patriots from the slot, according to Pro Football Focus. That's also Renfrow's primary position (69.7% of career routes; 86% in 2022). We're assuming Meyers will be the second wideout (with Adams) in two-WR alignments, which will keep Renfrow's ceiling down. Meyers likely could have found more target share available elsewhere. It is, at least, a solid corps of receivers for new Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo. That said, we're not excited for the fantasy outlook on the QB, Meyers, or Renfrow.
The Bengals are re-signing LB Germaine Pratt for three years at $21 million, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Pratt's playing time fluctuated a bit in 2022, his fourth season with the team. His 75.6% snap share across 15 regular-season games marked a career high and his third straight increase in that category. Pratt also played 83% or more of the snaps in each of the final five contests, including the three playoff contests. Cincinnati also significantly decreased Pratt's special-teams role in 2022. All of this points to Pratt potentially delivering more consistent IDP value in 2023. We boosted him up the dynasty rankings on this contract news.
The Seahawks and QB Geno Smith have reportedly reached an agreement on a three-year, $105 million contract extension. The 32-year-old finished the 2022 NFL season with Pro Bowl honors and the Comeback Player of the Year Award after he spent several seasons serving as a backup. It'll be tough for Smith to maintain his fantasy production from last year (QB9 in points per game with 17.9), but this deal locks him in with the likes of WRs D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett for the foreseeable future. We've bumped up Smith to QB18 in our dynasty rankings as a result of this news. He'll be a quality QB2 in superflex leagues. As for Metcalf and Lockett, their dynasty values are relatively the same. Continuity at QB does eliminate some of the risk associated with Metcalf in dynasty formats if anything. We don't yet know the details of Smith's contract and if the Seahawks would be able to maneuver out of the deal should the franchise choose to explore younger options at the position. But for now, it's great news for a player with a great story.
TE Michael Mayer measured in at nearly 6’5 and 249 pounds at the NFL Combine. Mayer wasn’t a standout tester, posting a 4.70 forty and a 32.5” vertical. No major surprise there, though. Mayer is a contested catch specialist who exited Notre Dame with 180 catches across 3 seasons. He still projects as a day 1 NFL starter.
The Falcons might already have their starting QB for 2023, if owner Arthur Blank's assessment is meaningful. "We're very excited about Desmond Ridder," Blank said this week, according to NFL.com. "I think from the time he came into training camp, he showed great capabilities as a leader amongst the rookies and then amongst the vets." We're not talking these words to signal that Ridder will definitely lead Atlanta for the coming season. But he's the current favorite to open Week 1, just by virtue of already being on the team. If you're taking the 2022 rookie in early fantasy football drafts, though, you shouldn't do so until late. The Falcons carry the 8th overall pick in the NFL Draft and could be in range for one of the top incoming QBs.
Seahawks QB Geno Smith told Sirius XM NFL Radio on Saturday that he’s in talks with the team on a new contract and that things are “looking very good.” We’ve been assuming Smith would re-sign, as the move just makes sense for both sides. We’ll be tracking the process, of course. If you’re jumping into early best-ball drafts — or managing your dynasty rosters — treat Smith as though he’ll start for Seattle in 2023. The length of his new contract should help clarify how long he might stay beyond that
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