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.
Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase joined his team for practice Sunday, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports. It marks the first time this summer that Chase has participated in more than individual work or walk-throughs. And Chase's return came despite no contract extension. He has been holding in throughout training camp in search of a new deal.
Bengals RBs Chase Brown and Zack Moss appear headed for a 50/50 backfield split. After Brown took the majority of first-team snaps early in camp, the expectation has shifted to more of a split backfield, like most expected.
Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase has yet to practice with his team since the start of training camp. Tuesday presented a new step, though, as the WR didn't even attend practice, according to ESPN's Ben Baby. Baby says that Chase "had remained visible and involved during drills" before Tuesday.
The Athletic's Paul Dehner suggests Andrei Iosivas is the favorite to win the Bengals' No. 3 WR job. "The more Iosivas stacks practices, the more you wonder whether he won’t just soak up nearly all of [Tyler] Boyd’s 824 vacated snaps from last season," Dehner writes.
The Bengals on Sunday activated rookie TE Erick All from the non-football injury list. He had been sitting out the start of camp in working back from the October ACL tear that ended his college career prematurely.
Bengals RB Chase Brown has been taking the majority of first-team snaps at RB for the first few days of camp, per Charlie Clifford.
The Bengals have been easing WR Tee Higgins into practice so far in training camp, after his pursuit of a long-term contract kept him away from spring workouts. The team also is going without WR Ja'Marr Chase, who's in camp but not practicing as he seeks an extension. That has left opportunities for other wideouts, and second-year WR Andrei Iosivas has impressed, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow (wrist) has been fully cleared for the start of training camp, HC Zac Taylor said Monday. Burrow's 2023 season ended in November with an injury to his right, throwing wrist that required surgery. He resumed throwing early this year and participated in May's OTAs.
The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. sees a career-best year in store for Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase. “The position-less nature of the rest of the receiver and tight end group allows the Bengals to move Chase around more and dial up more explosive plays from different alignments,” Dehner wrote. “While his overall usage might not go up, the aggressiveness of his targets should and sets up for the three-time Pro Bowler and 2021 Offensive Rookie of the Year to enjoy his best season yet.” Last year, Chase ran 76% of his routes from out wide. His average depth of target (aDOT) sunk to a career-low 9.1 yards. Of course, Joe Burrow made only 10 appearances – his fewest since 2020.
Bengals RB Chase Brown spent much of the offseason training with independent receiver coach Drew Lieberman. Brown and Lieberman worked on everything from the fundamentals of catching the football to the finer points of route running. Lieberman was blown away by the progress Brown made. “I’ve never seen a transformation like it,” he said.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury in Week 11 of last season. Surgery followed for the former top pick. Now, according to NFL Network’s Bridget Condon, the Bengals are comfortable with his health outlook for 2024. Note that Burrow’s only one season removed from finishing top-five in passing yards, TDs, and completion rate. 2022 also turned up a QB4 fantasy finish (16 games).
Bengals QB Joe Burrow was on the field and throwing as OTAs opened on Monday, according to the team's official site. Burrow resumed throwing earlier this offseason after undergoing right wrist surgery in late November, but this was the first time he did it in a team setting. He looked very close to 100% by all accounts, throwing with his usual velocity.
The Bengals grabbed Arizona TE Tanner McLachlan in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. A no-star recruit from Canada, McLachlan started his college career at FCS-level Southern Utah. His four years there included just 15 catches and a 2020 torn ACL. McLachlan missed the entire 2021 season and then transferred to Arizona. He turned in two productive seasons for the Wildcats, posting 34-456-2 and 45-528-4 receiving lines and passing Rob Gronkowski as the school’s all-time leader in receptions by a TE. McLachlan is a 6’5, 244-pounder and earned a solid 7.66 Relative Athletic Score at the Combine, highlighted by a 4.61-second 40 time. He’s a smooth athlete with reliable hands, but his route running needs refinement. That’s a bigger concern considering McLachlan is already 25 years old. He joins fellow rookie TE Erick All in Cincinnati, along with TEs Mike Gesicki, Tanner Hudson, and Drew Sample. It’s a fine landing spot, but McLachlan is well off the redraft radar and isn’t an exciting dynasty target.
The Bengals added Iowa TE Erick All in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. All’s college career was marred by injury. He needed spinal surgery in 2022 and then tore his right ACL this past October. He flashed at two different schools when he was healthy, though. All tallied 38 catches and 437 yards for Michigan in 2021 – both marks ranking second on the team. Then he led Iowa with 299 receiving yards this past year, despite missing the final seven games with that knee injury. In fact, All accounted for a whopping 36.6% of Iowa’s receiving yards in his seven outings. His 2.62 yards per route ranked third among 81 TEs with 30+ targets. Durability is a legitimate concern, but All is an intriguing sleeper in this rookie TE class. Landing with QB Joe Burrow only adds to that sleeper appeal. All joins Mike Gesicki, Drew Sample, and Tanner Hudson in what should be a pretty wide-open TE room this summer. We’ll see who earns snaps.
The Bengals selected Alabama WR Jermaine Burton in Round 3 of the NFL Draft. Here’s a tricky one. Burton, a highly touted recruit, began his college journey at Georgia (2020-2021). Right away, he showed value by finishing third on the Bulldogs in catches (27), yards (404) and TDs (3). His 497 yards beat Ladd McConkey and Adonai Mitchell in 2021; he ranked a close third among the group in catches (26). Come 2022, Burton transferred to SEC rival Alabama. He led the Crimson Tide in receiving over the next two seasons, showing electric downfield ability. That surfaced most prominently in 2023 with 20.5 yards per catch on a 20.2-yard average depth of target. Despite the downfield usage, Burton didn’t register a single drop last fall. A plus athlete (9.09 RAS score) at 6’0, 196 pounds, there’s a lot to like in his profile. So why’d he last so long in the draft? NFL scouts say he had “up and down moments” with both coaching staffs, per The Athletic’s Dane Brugler. Reporter Bob McGinn said pre-draft that Burton was removed from “at least two teams’ boards for various character-related issues.” Burton also lacks a standout production profile, one that includes a single-season career-high of only 40 catches (2022). That said – Cincinnati supples an excellent landing spot, particularly with Tee Higgins on the trade block. Consider Burton an upside target for dynasty rookie drafts.
Alabama WR Jermaine Burton turned in a strong Combine showing on Saturday, highlighted by a 4.45-second 40-yard dash. He also registered a 38.5-inch vertical and 133-inch broad jump at 6'0 and 196 pounds. Burton's 9.55 Relative Athletic Score ranks 32nd out of 3,063 WRs from 1987 to 2024. We'd already been eyeing Burton as a potential sleeper in this WR class. After transferring from Georgia, Burton led the Crimson Tide in receiving yards in both of the past two years while averaging 18.7 yards per catch. We'll see when and where Burton goes in next month's NFL Draft.
Colts RB Zack Moss (forearm) is active for tonight’s game vs. the Texans. It’ll be his first action since Week 15. Moss is just a DFS flier but figures to eat into RB Jonathan Taylor’s workload at least a bit.
Colts RB Zack Moss (forearm) is listed as questionable for Saturday night’s game vs. the Texans. He put in full practices on Wednesday and Thursday, so we’re expecting him to play. Moss isn’t much of a fantasy option but figures to siphon at least a few touches from RB Jonathan Taylor.
Bengals OC Brian Callahan said he believes RB Chase Brown “has a chance to be a heavy contributor” in 2024. Callahan praised Brown’s hard running and explosiveness. Despite only 46 touches, the rookie’s tallied a pair of 30+ yard gains. Joe Mixon isn’t a lock to return in 2024, so Brown's a candidate to play a rotaitonal role next fall. He sits at RB47 in our current RB dynasty rankings.
Bengals RB Chase Brown had just three rushes for 5 yards and 2 catches for 23 yards in Sunday's loss to the Chiefs. Those 5 touches marked a slight dip vs. last week but a bigger decrease from Brown's previous three games. Joe Mixon, meanwhile, rebounded from two straight 13-touch games to dominate Brown 25-5 in that category. Brown hadn't reached the point of being usable in lineups in most fantasy formats, and that should continue for Week 18. We'll see whether Cincinnati decides to cut Mixon for cap savings ahead of next season. If so, Brown could get a shot at competing for the top job in 2024. But don't treat him as the likely 2024 starter for dynasty purposes or early best-ball drafting. Keep in mind we're talking about a fifth-round pick who had just 5 total touches before December.
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