Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said that quarterback Justin Herbert and the rest of the starters will not play in the preseason finale on Saturday against the San Francisco 49ers. Backup QB Trey Lance will get the start under center and will play one to two series. Taylor Heinicke will come in after Lance, followed by DJ Uiagalelei, who will play the rest of the game. Lance and Heinicke are competing for the No. 2 job this summer, although it's unclear if Lance has the leg up based on the fact that he's making the start in the preseason finale. Neither Lance nor Heinicke figure to be on the field much behind Herbert, who has been one of the toughest QBs in the league since entering the NFL in 2020. Herbert missed four games due to injury in 2023 but has started all 79 of the games he's appeared in over the last five seasons.

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Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston (concussion), who suffered a scary-looking concussion in the team's second preseason game last Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams, was back at practice on Thursday, according to Kris Rhim of ESPN.com. While the 23-year-old might not be completely cleared from the league's concussion protocol, the fact that he's back on the field is a good sign that he should gain full clearance to be active for the Week 1 regular-season opener on Friday, Sept. 5, against the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs in Brazil. Johnston should go undrafted in standard 12-team fantasy leagues this fall. The former 21st overall pick in 2023 out of TCU did improve with a 55-711-8 line in 15 regular-season games (11 starts) in 2024, but he continues to struggle with drops and is fighting for the WR3 role with rookie Tre' Harris behind Ladd McConkey and Keenan Allen.

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Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh was non-committall on running back Najee Harris (eye) when asked if he'll be ready for the Week 1 regular-season opener on Friday, Sept. 5, against the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs in Brazil. "When Najee is ready to play, Najee will be ready to play. Right now, to take it past today would be going over the legal limit. That would take your over the legal limit of what-ifs," Harbaugh said. Harris remains on the Non-Football Injury list after a fireworks accident on the Fourth of July injured his eye, and he was seen working out on a side field again on Wednesday. The 27-year-old's representation is saying that he'll be ready for the regular-season opener, but given the fact he's missed all of training camp and the preseason to this point, it seems likely that rookie first-rounder Omarion Hampton will be more involved than Harris in L.A.'s backfield.

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Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said that quarterback Joe Flacco will make the start in the preseason finale on Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams, with the starters expected to go around 25 to 30 plays. Rookie Dillon Gabriel will enter the game after Flacco, followed by rookie fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders third. Kenny Pickett (hamstring) continues to deal with a hamstring injury that he suffered in late July, but he did return to some practice drills this week. The order for this weekend's game suggests that Gabriel remains ahead of Sanders on the team's QB depth chart, but the Browns could keep all four signal-callers on the active 53-man roster heading into Week 1 against the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals. If Pickett is healthy for the start of the regular season, he's expected to be the backup to Flacco.

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Dynasty | Patriots wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk will go on injured reserve and will miss the season. Dynasty Analysis: After a 12/87/2 rookie season disaster, Polk will now miss his entire Sophomore season. It's a massive blow to Polk's dynasty value after there was speculation he was already on the roster bubble. The former second round pick is seeing his dynasty value plummet and this news will honestly see him be placed on a lot of waiver wires in dynasty leagues as he unfortunately looks like a bust at the moment.

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Carolina Panthers backup quarterback Andy Dalton (elbow) is being held out of the team's preseason finale on Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Panthers beat writer Darin Gantt. Starter Bryce Young will also be held out, leaving QB duties on Thursday to Jack Plummer and Bryce Perkins, who was just signed on Monday. The 37-year-old Dalton suffered a muscle strain in his right elbow in the team's second preseason tilt last Saturday against the Houston Texans. While the injury isn't considered overly serious, Dalton is strictly focused on being available for the club's Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday, Sept. 7, against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Red Rifle is purely a backup at this point in his career. In six games (five starts) played last year in Carolina when Young was benched, he threw for 989 yards, seven touchdowns and six interceptions.

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Miami Dolphins running back Jaylen Wright (undisclosed) walked off the practice field on Thursday slowly with an apparent injury and was flanked by a trainer before heading into the team's facilities for further evaluation, according to Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network. With De'Von Achane (calf) not practicing at all this week with a calf injury, Wright's injury status becomes even more important heading into Week 1 of the regular season in early September. Rookie Ollie Gordon II took most of the team's RB reps in practice on Thursday. We'll bring you more information on Wright's status when we have it. Assuming Miami's backfield options are all fully healthy, the 22-year-old Wright figures to be the RB2 behind Achane. The former fourth-rounder has plenty of home run ability himself and had 249 rushing yards on 68 attempts in Year 1 in 2024.

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Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said on Thursday that quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the rest of the starters will not play in the preseason finale on Saturday against the Miami Dolphins. Lawrence and the rest of the starting offense will not be seen again until the regular-season opener on Sunday, Sept. 7, against the Carolina Panthers. The 25-year-old signal-caller from Clemson has not lived up to the hype of being the No. 1 overall pick back in 2021, and on top of it, he played a career-low 10 games in 2024 due to injury. Lawrence should bounce back this year as long as he stays healthy, though, especially in Coen's offensive scheme with an added weapon in two-way star Travis Hunter. Fantasy managers aren't going to be drafting Lawrence as anything more than a low-end QB2 with upside in upcoming drafts.

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Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said that quarterback Matthew Stafford (back) has been a full participant at practice all week. When asked how Stafford has looked the last few days, McVay said, "He's looked like the stud we know." However, Stafford will not travel with the team to Cleveland for their preseason finale against the Browns on Saturday. The 37-year-old veteran has now practiced four straight days without restrictions and appears to be on track to be ready for the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday, Sept. 7, against the Houston Texans. He may not be 100% to begin the season, but it's good news for receivers Puka Nacua and Davonte Adams that Stafford should be on the field in Week 1. Expect Stafford to be limited early in the practice week next week. For fantasy purposes, he has become a low-end QB2 with injury risk.

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Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton confirmed that quarterback Bo Nix and the rest of the team's starters will play eight to 10 offensive snaps in the preseason finale on Saturday against the New Orleans Saints. Nix played briefly in the preseason opener against the San Francisco 49ers and looked rusty before not suiting up for the second preseason game last weekend versus the Arizona Cardinals. The 25-year-old will get one final brief tune-up against another squad this weekend before a Week 1 season-opening matchup against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Sept. 7. The former Oregon Duck started off slow in Payton's offense in his rookie campaign before hitting his stride and taking off, throwing for 3,775 yards, 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. If Nix continue to grow in Payton's offense in Year 2, he should be in play as at least a low-end QB1 in fantasy.

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Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur shut down any rumors of wide receiver Romeo Doubs (back) being cut following training camp. When asked about the potential for Doubs to be cut on the Up & Adams show, the head coach said, "That will not happen." The Packers can't really even afford to cut Doubs if they wanted to heading into the start of the 2025 regular season with how banged up their receivers room is. Christian Watson (knee) is going to begin the year on the Physically Unable to Perform list and Doubs, Jayden Reed (foot) and Dontayvion Wicks (calf) have also been banged up. Doubs missed some practice time with a back injury but should be good for the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday, Sept. 7, against the division-rival Detroit Lions. The 25-year-old Doubs should be on the roster, but he's probably going to need Reed to miss time to be a realistic flex option in 12-team fantasy leagues.

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New Orleans Saints second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler will make the start for Saturday's preseason finale against the Denver Broncos, head coach Kellen Moore announced after practice on Thursday. The competition for the starting QB job remains neck and neck between Rattler and rookie second-rounder Tyler Shough, and Rattler making the "start" doesn't really mean he's the favorite to be named the Week 1 starter after Saturday's contest. The 24-year-old looked better than Shough did in the second preseason contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars, though, so if he can do that for a second straight week, Moore will likely name Rattler as the starter under center to begin the season. Rattler, a fifth-rounder last year, looked like a rookie in his seven games (six starts), throwing for 1,317 yards, four touchdowns and five picks. Fantasy managers will want to avoid the Saints' QB situation.

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New England Patriots wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk (shoulder) will miss the entire 2025 season due to a shoulder injury that needs surgery, sources told FOX Sports' Jordan Schultz on Thursday. Polk visited with multiple specialists before opting for season-ending surgery, but going under the knife was determined to be the best course of action. The former second-round pick last year will be hoping to be fully healthy for the start of the 2026 season. Polk disappointed in his first year in New England last year, catching just 12 of his 33 targets for 87 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games (seven starts), but to be fair, he didn't have much of a chance in the Patriots' low-scoring offense. He will now miss his entire sophomore season, which gives rookies Kyle Williams and Efton Chism III greater chances of making the 53-man roster as depth behind Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins and DeMario Douglas.

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Jacksonville Jaguars rookie two-way star Travis Hunter (upper body) was held out of Thursday's joint practice with the Miami Dolphins due to an upper-body injury, and he will not play in the team's preseason finale on Saturday night against Miami, according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN. The Jaguars considered having Hunter practice, but they took the precautionary route since they don't want him to aggravate the injury that has kept the Heisman Trophy winner out of the team's three previous practices and the second preseason game. The 22-year-old second overall pick out of Colorado suffered the injury in the team's scrimmage on Aug. 14. Although he hasn't been practicing with the rest of the team, he took part in individual drills on Tuesday and Wednesday, suggesting he should be just fine for the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday, Sept. 7, versus the Carolina Panthers.

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Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said that quarterback Lamar Jackson (foot) is fine after he was stepped on during Wednsday's training camp practice. Jackson got an X-ray, which came back negative, just for peace of mind. "Prayers do get answered," Harbaugh said. The Ravens held Jackson out of practice on Thursday because his foot was still sore. The 28-year-old two-time MVP will not play in the team's preseason finale on Saturday against the Washington Commanders, but he'll be just fine for the Week 1 regular-season opener in a showdown with the Buffalo Bills. Jackson was already an elite fantasy threat with his legs, but he took the next step as a passer last year, too. He finished as the QB1 with 4,172 passing yards, 41 touchdowns and only four interceptions while rushing for 915 yards and four more scores.

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Trainers were looking at Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins' left ankle during training camp practice on Thursday, according to Jeremy Rauch. Higgins got his leg tangled up during a play and was seen hobbling off the field. Higgins and the rest of Cincy's starters were already scheduled to be held out of the preseason finale on Saturday against the Indianapolis Colts. The 26-year-old has a history of dealing with nagging injuries, so this isn't what fantasy managers want to see right before the start of the 2025 regular season. While it doesn't sound like Higgins' injury is serious, it's something to watch for heading into Week 1 of the regular season. Higgins only played in 12 games for the second straight year due to injuries in 2024, but he still managed 73 catches, 911 yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns in Cincy's high-octane offense. He's on the WR1/2 borderline in fantasy.

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Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders (oblique) was limited in Wednesday's practice, according to head coach Kevin Stefanski, but the team was happy with the work he was able to get in in his return to practice. Sanders injured his oblique while practicing last week, following a strong preseason debut. Since then, the team has named veteran Joe Flacco as the starting quarterback for Week 1, but the rest of the depth chart remains to be sorted as Sanders, Kenny Pickett, and Dillon Gabriel have all dealt with injuries and missed time throughout camp. The expectation is that the Browns may keep all four signal-callers on the 53-man roster, and it's not out of the question that each will see time as the starter at some point this season. Flacco could occasionally volume his way to late-round upside in superflex best-ball formats, but none of the Browns quarterbacks need to be rostered in redraft leagues. Meanwhile, Sanders offers intriguing potential and name recognition as a dynasty stash.

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Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. will likely be used in short-yardage situations and at the goal line this season, according to Commanders head coach Dan Quinn. With Brian Robinson Jr. almost certainly on his way out in Washington, the team appears to be comfortable with a committee of Austin Ekeler, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Rodriguez Jr., and Jeremy McNichols at the running back position. In 22 career NFL games over the last two seasons, Rodriguez Jr. has 86 carries for 420 yards and four touchdowns. He could be worth a late-round dart throw in deep leagues given his presumed role and the opportunity to earn more touches in Washington.

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Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. has been studying historically elite quarterback/tight end relationships and wants to foster that with Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr., according to ESPN's Marc Raimondi. Raimondi says that this is a noteworthy change from how Pitts has spoken about the quarterbacks he has played with in the past. In the three games that Penix Jr. started for the Falcons in 2024, Pitts was targeted 10 times and hauled in seven catches for 65 yards and a touchdown. The 24-year-old tight end remains one of the most physically gifted players at his position, and he may have an opportunity for increased targets early in the season with Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney (shoulder) currently sidelined. Pitts profiles as a fringe TE1 for fantasy with solid upside but a very low floor.

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Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Johnny Wilson (knee, ankle) will undergo surgery on his knee and ankle and miss the entire 2025 season, according to Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Wilson suffered the injuries in practice on Tuesday. The 24-year-old was selected in the sixth round by the Eagles in 2024 and appeared in 16 games as a rookie, recording five catches. Wilson was expected to play a larger role on offense in his second season, but that will now have to wait until 2026. Philadelphia acquired wide receiver John Metchie III from the Houston Texans earlier this week, and Metchie III looks like the favorite to take Wilson's role as the team's WR4.

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