And So It Begins...

Houston Texans running back Dare Ogunbowale started and recorded 14 yards on three carries while catching two passes for 21 yards on two receptions in Thursday's Hall of Game against the Chicago Bears. Following him, J.J. Taylor gained 16 yards on six carries without involvement in the passing game. Both Ogunbowale and Taylor took the field ahead of Cam Akers, who has been with the team for only a week. As Akers continues to acclimate, he could move up the depth chart. The Texans' new starting running back, Joe Mixon (quad), is dealing with a soft tissue injury that has kept him out of practice. Even if he were fully healthy, Mixon wouldn't have played in the game, and there are no concerns about his readiness for the regular season. The Texans also rested backup halfback Dameon Pierce, which suggests the team considers him a strong candidate to keep his role as the primary backup. Ogunbowale will continue to battle Taylor and Akers this preseason for a roster spot. None have fantasy value without injuries to both Mixon and Pierce.

From RotoBaller

Houston Texans wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson led the team with five catches for 56 yards in Thursday's Hall of Fame Game against the Chicago Bears. He started alongside John Metchie III, who, along with Hutchinson, was slotted in as the fifth and sixth wide receiver on Houston's depth chart last season. The snap counts indicate that Metchie is the current favorite, followed by Hutchinson. Metchie caught only one pass for 4 yards, suggesting Hutchinson may have narrowed the gap. Ben Skowronek was the third wide receiver, and Steven Sims also saw action. Skowronek and Sims continued into the second half, highlighting that Hutchinson and Metchie are clearly in contention for roster spots. Hutchinson stood out as the best wide receiver for Houston on Thursday night and is worth monitoring in fantasy leagues if a role opens up in the Texans' high-powered offense.

From RotoBaller

Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills delivered an impressive performance, completing 10 out of 13 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown in Thursday's Hall of Game against the Chicago Bears. He capped a 13-play, 74-yard first drive with a nine-yard touchdown pass to tight end Teagan Quitoriano. Mills guided the offense to 10 points and controlled the clock for over 13 minutes before his night ended after the second Texans' possession. As he enters the final year of his rookie contract, Mills competes with veteran Case Keenum for the backup role and made a compelling case for the No. 2 spot on Thursday night. While neither backup quarterback has fantasy value unless C.J. Stroud is injured, it is reassuring that Houston's skill position players should still perform well if Mills or Keenum needs to step in temporarily.

From RotoBaller

The Houston Texans' running back Cam Akers (Achilles) rushed five times for 13 yards and caught both his targets for 18 yards and a touchdown in Thursday's Hall of Fame Game against the Chicago Bears. He displayed quickness on a 14-yard reception that set up his touchdown catch. Akers is working to make a comeback with the Texans after suffering a torn Achilles tendon for the second time in three years, which cut his previous season short. Returning to the field just under nine months after the latest injury, which occurred in Week 9 of last season with the Vikings, is an impressive feat given the challenges of recovering from multiple Achilles tears. Akers is competing for the No. 3 running back spot with Dare Ogunbowale, rookie sixth-round pick Jawhar Jordan, and J.J. Taylor. None of these backs hold significant fantasy value unless Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce are injured.

From RotoBaller

Dynasty | Former Bears running back Tarik Cohen is retiring. Dynasty Analysis: Cohen was attempting a comeback with the Jets but things were clearly not working out. He was once a highly coveted dynasty asset and caught 79 passes for Chicago in a great 2019 season. Cohen has just run out steam it seems and he's calling it quits at age 29. Such is life as a running back in the NFL. Cohen can be dropped from dynasty rosters at this point.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Dynasty | Clyde Edwards-Helaire has revealed he deals with PTSD. Dynasty Analysis: The story is worth a read for sure. It seems CEH may have been part of an electronics sale that went wrong and resulted in one person being shot and killed while he was at LSU. While he hasn't disclosed many particulars, he has missed practice time in the past for personal reasons and this explains some of it. CEH has largely been disappointing from a dynasty perspective during his time in the league but this story reminds us all these are human beings we root for. He remains a deeper roster stash at the moment.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Chicago Bears wide receiver Collin Johnson caught three of his six targets for 56 yards and two touchdowns in the team's 21-17 shortened win over the Texans. Johnson showed great rapport with quarterback Brett Rypien in this game to help give Chicago a slight edge over Houston. In a receiver room loaded with talent at the top, there isn't much room on the active roster for Johnson. More performances like this throughout camp bolster his case to be on the practice squad at the least. Johnson's next chance to show his ability in a game comes August 10th at Buffalo.

From RotoBaller

Chicago Bears running back Khalil Herbert rushed four times for 35 yards in the team's 21-17 shortened win over the Texans. Herbert averaged 8.8 yards per carry and broke a run as long as 19 yards in his preseason debut. Although he trailed Roschon Johnson in overall carries in this game, Herbert was the most effective rusher on a team that used three different running backs. Behind new addition D'Andre Swift, Herbert and Johnson will likely split the backup duties based on situation. Herbert's next chance to bolster his case comes on August 10th at Buffalo.

From RotoBaller

Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson rushed six times for 24 yards and caught his only target for seven yards in the team's 21-17 shortened win over the Texans. Johnson trailed Khalil Herbert in rushing yards on the day with a modest 4.4 yards per carry but led all players in touches. Following the addition of D'Andre Swift in the offseason, Johnson looks to step into a solid supporting role heading into his second season. He appears set to work in a timeshare with Herbert based on the situation. Johnson's next chance to improve his game film and earn a bigger role comes August 10th at Buffalo.

From RotoBaller

Chicago Bears quarterback Brett Rypien lit it up in the Hall of Fame game by completing 11 of 15 passes for 166 yards and three passing touchdowns in the team's 21-17 shortened win over the Texans. Rypien also rushed one time for nine yards and entered the game late in the second quarter. After signing in free agency, Rypien will compete with Tyson Bagent for the backup quarterback role behind first-overall pick Caleb Williams. He'll have the rest of camp to prove he's worthy of a roster spot, with his next preseason chance coming on August 10th at Buffalo.

From RotoBaller

When asked about running back Justice Hill, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh referred to him as a "high-value running back." It's apparent that Hill has solidified his role as the RB2 in Baltimore's backfield. "he's a high-caliber running back, I think he's going to play a lot," said Harbaugh. However, with Derrick Henry in front of him and Lamar Jackson slated to get his fair share of the team's carries, the opportunities will be scant for the fifth-year RB. Hill had the most productive season of his career in 2023, amassing 593 yards and four touchdowns on 112 total touches. He holds little standalone value but would be the most obvious player to benefit if Henry were to miss any time. Standing as the current RB72 in NFFC ADP, Hill presents as nothing more than a handcuff option or late-round best-ball flier.

From RotoBaller

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (knee, hip) missed his second straight practice Thursday after getting "banged up a little bit" at practice this past Tuesday. He came up favoring his leg after having a defensive teammate collide with him during non-contact drills. Smith is set for imaging on Thursday evening to assess the severity of the injury. For now, the news around the injury remains murky. Sam Howell will step into the QB1 role for the time being, with P.J. Walker backing him up. Any time away from the field right now is negative with the installation of Ryan Grubbs' new offense, and this offense gets a clear downgrade with one of the other current quarterbacks on the roster manning the helm. Smith is the NFFC QB23 and could be seen as a solid QB2 target in best-ball and superflex drafts before the injury. However, it might behoove fantasy managers to steer clear of this situation for now while we wait for news on his injury.

From RotoBaller

Dynasty | Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins will miss the next 4-6 weeks with a knee injury. Dynasty Analysis: Hopkins apparently has a knee strain that's going to keep him out a month or more. It doesn't look like a long-term concern but his status for week one is clearly in question. Regardless, we won't be seeing him this preseason. Hopkins' dynasty value has cratered in recent years but he's in line to be a solid value for a contender should this injury prove to be minor, as expected.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

The Dallas Cowboys have signed defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad on Thursday. This comes days after defensive end Sam Williams (knee) tore his ACL. The Cowboys are in need of another pass rusher with Williams done for the season. Muhammad is a six-year veteran with 12 total sacks over his career. His best season of his career came with the Indianapolis Colts in 2021. This looks to be a depth signing as Muhammad isn't even a lock to make the 53-man roster.

From RotoBaller

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Jermaine Burton (ankle) was forced to leave practice early on Thursday. Luckily, Burton doesn't appear to have suffered a serious injury. The organization is calling it only an ankle tweak. The third-round rookie was pulled out of practice as a precaution and isn't expected to miss much time. Burton has been seeing increased reps in practice with Ja'Marr Chase currently out. The assumption is that Burton is going to fill the vacant spot left by Tyler Boyd, which should mean steady targets.

From RotoBaller

Tennessee Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (knee) is in danger of missing the beginning of the regular season. The veteran wideout suffered a knee strain during Tuesday's practice. Hopkins was reportedly wearing a wrap on his knee during Thursday's practice session. The organization believes that Hopkins could miss four to six weeks of action because of this injury. Hopkins could potentially be unavailable for the Week 1 matchup against the Chicago Bears. When healthy, Hopkins should be considered a high-end WR2 for fantasy purposes. The knee injury is a concern, but it shouldn't drop him too far on draft boards.

From RotoBaller

The New Orleans Saints have signed wide receiver Marquez Callaway to a one-year deal. This is far from a blockbuster move, but the addition of Callaway does give the Saints depth at wideout. Most notably, Callaway hauled in 46 receptions for 698 yards and six touchdowns during the 2021 season. Since then, Callaway has been quiet with only 16 total receptions over the last two seasons. He should slot into the back end of the wide receiver depth chart which means Callaway is unlikely to have any kind of fantasy value.

From RotoBaller

Philadelphia Eagles TE Grant Calcaterra 'has really done an excellent job to be the second tight and currently' and 'has a great awareness and understanding of the game,' according to offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Yaya Diaby (ankle) suffered an ankle injury during practice and had to be carted off the field. Fortunately, preliminary X-rays showed no fractures, relieving Diaby and the team. An MRI is scheduled later in the day to assess the full extent of the injury. Diaby, selected by the Buccaneers in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Louisville, had a strong rookie season, starting in seven of 17 games and recording 38 combined tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and a team-leading 7.5 sacks. The Buccaneers expect Diaby to start opposite Joe Tryon-Shoyinka as an outside linebacker. The Buccaneers also used their second-round pick on former Alabama pass rusher Chris Braswell and signed veteran Randy Gregory, though Gregory has yet to report for camp. Such an injury would significantly weaken the Buccaneers' defense, likely leading to more high-scoring games for Tampa Bay. This situation could enhance the fantasy value of playmakers like Rachaad White, Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin.

New England Patriots outside linebacker Matthew Judon returned to practice on Thursday after a productive meeting with head coach Jerod Mayo. This was after Judon wasn't dressed to participate as the Patriots began their first full-pads practice of training camp on Monday, leading to a heated confrontation with Mayo. He was also absent the following day but rejoined the team as a full participant in Thursday's non-full-pads practice, following a team rest day on Wednesday. The dispute arose because Judon is looking for a new contract before the season begins. He is currently set to earn $6.5 million in the final year of the four-year, $56 million deal he signed in March 2021, but he feels this does not reflect his actual value. Complicating matters, Judon, who turns 32 in August, missed 13 games last season due to a torn biceps. With Judon, the Patriot's defense/special teams can fill in with the right match-up; without him, they are a defense to target wanting to play against.