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Kansas City Chiefs rookie wide receiver Jalen Royals continues to impress early in training camp and had one of the best days on the field during practice on Friday, according to Jesse Newell of The Kansas City Star. Royals had an impressive back-shoulder sideline catch on a pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes as he continues to work in with the starting offensive unit. The 22-year-old fourth-round selection also turned heads in Wednesday's practice while working alongside Xavier Worthy and Marquise Brown, almost of his time with the first-team offense has come when Rashee Rice hasn't been on the field. It's notable because of the fact that Rice could be suspended three or four games to start the 2025 season, so Royals could have a role early on for the Chiefs. When Rice is available, though, Royals will face an uphill battle for consistent playing time, especially with KC using a lot of two-TE formations.

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Yahoo Sports' Jori Epstein reports that Cincinnati Bengals coaches and players have been very high on running back Chase Brown this summer. "I think Chase Brown is going to, by the end of the season, be a household name," offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said. "He's everything that Austin Ekeler was. I think that by the time the season's over, [you'll all] know who he is." Pitcher has also said the Brown will be a focal point of the offense this year, which seems like a good idea after he ran for 990 yards and seven touchdowns on 229 carries in 16 regular-season games (10 starts) in 2024. He also caught 54 of his 65 targets for 360 yards and four touchdowns, proving he can really do it all. Brown had at least 50 snaps and 15 touches in each of his last eight games. The Bengals could look to spell him when they need to, but he's at least a low-end RB1 target in fantasy.

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In the midst of Dallas Cowboys All-Pro pass-rusher Micah Parsons' ongoing contract-extension talks with the team, quarterback Dak Prescott praised Parsons with how he's been handling the situation while still working out with the team at training camp. "He's a great teammate, showing up, obviously not just on the field and being focused, but whether it be in the camaraderie, hanging out, dinner. He's not just doing it to sign off and say, 'Hey, Jerry, look at me.' He wants to be out there practicing. And honestly, I'm glad he's not. He can't do that to himself. That's the business of it. That's the business of a holdout, so I do think he's taken some great steps with being here," Prescott said. The signal-caller also said he thinks Parsons deserves to be paid, which he surely will, most likely before the start of the 2025 season. Parsons is expected to become the highest-paid non-QB when he eventually agrees to a new deal with Dallas.

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According to Jordan Schultz, free-agent tight end Noah Fant is scheduled to visit with the New Orleans Saints. Fant recently did a visit with the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday. The meeting reportedly went well and the two sides are planning to stay in touch. Fant is likely to see all his options before making his final decision. He was released by the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. It doesn't sound like it's going to take him long to find a new home. Last season, Fant finished with 48 receptions, 500 receiving yards, and one touchdown in 14 games with Seattle. His fantasy value will be dependent on where he signs.

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Jacksonville Jaguars two-way player Travis Hunter will be making his camp debut on the defensive side of the ball on Friday. It looks like the Jags are going to start Hunter slow and have him only practice on one side a day. After a few weeks, the Jags want Hunter to practice on offense and defense daily. It remains to be seen how the Jags plan to use Hunter during the regular season. Hunter figures to split up time between offense and defense, but will likely play on the offensive side more frequently. Fantasy managers should get a better idea of his usage as camp goes on.

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New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields (toe) was seen back on the practice field on Friday. This seems surprising considering Fields was carted off the field during Thursday's practice. Afterwards, it was revealed that Fields suffered a dislocated toe. The good news is that he appears to have avoided any major injuries. Fields is already back on the practice field, so an injured toe isn't going to stop him. If he was to miss time, Tyrod Taylor is the primary backup on the Jets. There is still plenty of time for Fields to get fully healthy before the beginning of the regular season. It's looking like Fields is going to be fine going forward, but fantasy managers should stay tuned for more updates.

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Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson appears to be becoming a favorite target of quarterback J.J. McCarthy. During their first practice, McCarthy reportedly looked efficient and effective while targeting Hockenson quite frequently. Hockenson could certainly use a boost after being limited to 10 games last season. He returned from a torn ACL and never quite regained his superstar form. Before the injury, Hockenson posted back-to-back 900-plus receiving yard seasons. The Vikings don't have a ton of weapons on offense, so fantasy managers could be looking at a bounce back year from Hockenson.

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Dallas Cowboys running back Miles Sanders reportedly looked good while playing with the first-team during Thursday's practice. According to Calvin Watkins, Sanders is running smoother than Javonte Williams in practice. It's early in camp, but it seems like Sanders is the favorite to be the lead back in Dallas. The 28-year-old hasn't done much on the field over the last two seasons. However, Sanders rushed for 1,269 yards with 11 touchdowns during his last season as the full-time starter in Philadelphia during the 2022 season. Sanders wasn't productive in Carolina, but maybe a move to Dallas will help spark him. The expectation is that Williams and rookie Jaydon Blue should also be in the mix in the backfield. This could end up being a three-back committee, but too early to tell right now.

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren was going through first-team reps during the beginning of Thursday's practice. It would make sense that Warren would get the first chance at the starting job in Pittsburgh. He has earned that opportunity after putting in solid work as the backup over the last few seasons. Most notably, Warren rushed for 784 yards with four touchdowns while earning a 5.26 yards per carry during the 2023 season. The departure of Najee Harris will give Warren a chance to earn full-time reps this upcoming season. However, third-round pick Kaleb Johnson figures to be breathing down his neck. The Iowa product should immediately be in the mix in what many believe will be a co-starter role. It's hard to imagine either back running away with the job, so a co-starter type of situation seems likely.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield called his team's rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka an "absolute stud" during a recent episode of New Heights with Travis and Jason Kelce. The Bucs surprised many when they used a first-round selection on Egbuka this past April despite already rostering receivers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Jalen McMillan. Egbuka starred at Ohio State in college, recording 81 catches for 1,011 yards and ten touchdowns as a senior in 2024. Tampa Bay recently placed Godwin (ankle) on the active/physically unable to perform list, and it's unclear if he'll be ready to go for the start of the season. That would open up a clear pathway to playing time for Egbuka early in the season. If he can take advantage of the early opportunity and run with it, Egbuka could be a draft-day steal for fantasy managers.

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New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs has been "remarkably fluid in his routes and a consistent target" for quarterback Drake Maye, according to Chad Graff of The Athletic. It's a great sign for the 31-year-old coming off an ACL tear he suffered in October 2024. Diggs played well for the Houston Texans before the injury, hauling in 47 catches for 496 yards and three touchdowns in eight games. The Patriots signed him to a three-year, $63.5 million contract this past offseason, and he'll be relied upon to be the number one receiver in an offense that is desperate for playmakers in the passing game. Diggs may no longer have the same downfield juice he did in his peak, but he could be a PPR monster if healthy. In Drake Maye's second season, New England's offense should be improved to at least some degree relative to 2024.

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Buffalo Bills second-year wide receiver Keon Coleman "failed to deliver on several opportunities" in practice on Wednesday, according to Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic. Buscaglia notes that Coleman struggled to create separation, which has been a consistent issue throughout his NFL career so far. Buffalo used a second-round pick on Coleman in 2024, and he caught 29 passes for 556 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie. Khalil Shakir emerged as the team's top wide receiver target last season, and the Bills signed veteran Joshua Palmer to compete with Coleman on the outside. Coleman will have every opportunity to win a prominent role, but he's off to an inauspicious start to training camp after early reporting indicated he was also inconsistent during minicamp in the spring. He's a high-upside bet in fantasy, but he has a long way to go before he's can be counted on as a consistent contributor.

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The San Francisco 49ers have signed wide receiver Quintez Cephus, according to Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area. The team waived running back Israel Abanikanda to make room on the roster for Cephus. Originally drafted in 2020 by the Detroit Lions, Cephus has not appeared in an NFL game since 2022. He profiles as a depth piece in San Francisco, but the 49ers need all the help at wide receiver they can get. Top wideouts Brandon Aiyuk (knee) and Ricky Pearsall (hamstring) are on the active/physically unable to perform list, and Jacob Cowing (hamstring) left the team's practice on Wednesday due to injury. Jauan Jennings is healthy and practicing, but he's reportedly seeking a trade if the team does not offer him a new contract. Under head coach Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco has proven the ability to get production out of unheralded players. Even still, Cephus is a long shot to make an impact in fantasy in 2025.

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Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Christian Wilkins has been released by the team, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. It's a shocking turn of events for the 29-year-old, who signed a long-term deal with Las Vegas worth over $100M in March 2024. Wilkins played 51 straight games for the Miami Dolphins from 2021 to 2023, but injuries limited him to just five appearances for the Raiders in 2024. Rapoport reports that Wilkins and the team disagree about how to treat his ongoing foot injury, with Wilkins preferring rehab and the Raiders pushing for surgery. When he's on the field, Wilkins is a difference-maker on the interior. He recorded nine sacks, 10 TFLs, and 23 QB hits in 2023. His health is a limiting factor, but Wilkins will surely have a chance to latch on somewhere else and prove he can still contribute.

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The Green Bay Packers are searching for ways to expand tight end Tucker Kraft's role in the passing game, according to Mark Oldacres of Packers Wire. Kraft took a step forward in his second season in 2024, recording 50 catches for 707 yards and seven touchdowns. However, Oldacres notes that 101 of his 118 career targets have been either behind the line of scrimmage or in the short area (zero to 10 yards). Heading into 2025, the coaching staff in Green Bay is working on how to get Kraft more involved down the field. Between Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, and rookies Matthew Golden and Savion Williams, the Packers have a deep group of wide receivers, but none of them are cemented as a true go-to target for quarterback Jordan Love. If Kraft can grab hold of a larger share of the pass-game volume in Green Bay, he's talented enough to be a difference-making fantasy tight end.

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Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney (undisclosed) came off the field with a trainer during training camp practice on Thursday after missing a catch and didn't return, according to Marc Raimondi of ESPN. It's unclear what type of injury Mooney is dealing with and how severe it is, but we should have clarification on his status soon. The 27-year-old had a nice bounce-back season in his first year in Atlanta last year, catching 64 of his 106 targets for 992 yards and a career-high five touchdowns in 16 starts. He also had career-highs in yards per catch (15.5) and yards per target (9.4). If healthy, Mooney should once again serve as the WR2 in Atlanta behind Drake London. While fantasy managers shouldn't necessarily be expecting a repeat of 2024, Mooney should still be useful as at least a WR4/flex with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. heading into his first full year as the starter.

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Speaking at the team's first training camp practice on Wednesday, Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (shoulder) said he's 100 percent healthy after missing seven games last year due to a shoulder injury and a concussion, per Jags beat writer John Oehser. Lawrence required season-ending surgery in December on his left (non-throwing) shoulder. "I feel really good," Lawrence said. "It's the best I felt in a long time physically." In addition to rehabbing in the offseason, the 25-year-old former first overall pick spent time honing in on his footwork. Lawrence so far hasn't lived up to his draft billing, but he was a Pro Bowler in 2022 and should be able to have a bounce-back season in head coach Liam Coen's offense in 2025. He'll have a nice one-two punch of Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter at wideout as well, making him a decent QB2 target with upside in superflex fantasy formats.

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Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey (shoulder) made five of his six field-goal tries into the wind during training camp practice on Thursday, per Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News. It's notable that Aubrey is practicing early on in training camp this summer after he had surgery on his shoulder in the offseason. The 30-year-old should be a full-go for the start of the regular season and should be considered one of the top fantasy kicking options going into his third year with Dallas. Aubrey has been a Pro Bowler in both of his first two NFL seasons and is coming off a 2024 in which he made 40 of a league-high 47 field-goal attempts, including a long of 65, in 17 regular-season games. He also made all 30 of his extra-point attempts. RotoBaller has Aubrey ranked as the top fantasy kicker.

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Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry said on Thursday that he doesn't expect to see rookie second-round running back Quinshon Judkins on the field at training camp for a while. Judkins was arrested on July 12 in Florida on a charge of battery and domestic violence and remains unsigned. The Browns are in no rush to sign Judkins to his rookie deal as they gather information around his legal issues. The 21-year-old is a big-play threat any time he has the football in his hands and rushed for 1,060 yards and 14 touchdowns for Ohio State in 2024. He was drafted with the 36th overall pick in April and was viewed as the future lead back, but that might be put on pause as he faces missed games in 2025 due to a potential suspension. The longer Judkins remains away from the team, the more it helps the fantasy stock of both Jerome Ford (undisclosed) and rookie Dylan Sampson.

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Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams has noticed new offensive coordinator John Morton's aggressiveness in his approach to taking deep shots down the field, and it's one of the major areas that Williams thinks he has improved since a year ago, writes ESPN's Eric Woodyard. "My route running -- coach Johnny Mo is letting me run more routes," Williams said. "I knew I could run more routes, but he's putting me in position to run more routes so I'm getting better with cuts and angles and how to run this route and that route, so I would say I'm more polished in my route game." There is a lot of pressure on Morton after Detroit's offense averaged 29 points per game over the last three seasons under Ben Johnson, who is now in Chicago. Williams broke out in 2024, but there are a lot of mouth to feed in this offense, making him a boom/bust WR2/3 target in fantasy.

From RotoBaller