The NFL suspended free-agent wide receiver Michael Thomas (knee) for the first week of the 2024 regular season for violating the league's personal-conduct policy related to an incident with a construction worker from last fall. Things continue to get worse for Thomas, who was the best receiver in the NFL as recent as 2019. While it's only a one-game suspension, it's not going to help the 31-year-old veteran's cause as he looks to find a new team for the 2024 season. He was cut by the New Orleans Saints back in March after catching 39 of his 64 targets for 448 yards and just one touchdown. A knee injury limited Thomas to only 10 games (seven starts), and he hasn't played in over 10 games in a season since his All-Pro campaign in 2019. Even if Thomas does land with another team, he will merely be competing for a depth role.

From RotoBaller

The Pittsburgh Steelers announced on Friday that they re-signed wide receiver Quez Watkins to their practice squad after releasing him earlier this week. Watkins will return to Pittsburgh as extra receiving depth to begin the 2024 campaign behind George Pickens, Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin III, Scotty Miller and rookie Roman Wilson. The fact that the 26-year-old wasn't able to impress the coaching staff enough during training camp and the preseason to win a 53-man roster spot in one of the weakest WR rooms in the league pretty much says all you need to know about Watkins. He was a sixth-round selection by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020 out of Southern Mississippi and racked up 98 receptions on 147 targets for 1,249 yards and six touchdowns in his four years in Philly over 49 games (25 starts). Watkins is well off the fantasy radar for now in Pittsburgh.

From RotoBaller

The Los Angeles Chargers released running back Isaiah Spiller from their practice squad on Friday, according to a source. Spiller missed out on making the 53-man roster out of training camp and has now been pushed off the team entirely after the club claimed RB Hassan Haskins off waivers from the Tennessee Titans earlier this week. The 23-year-old wasn't able to win one of the last RB spots over rookie Kimani Vidal and will now be free to join any team in the league as RB depth. Spiller failed to make an impact with the Bolts after they drafted him in the fourth round (123rd overall) in 2022 out of Texas A&M. In his first two years in the league, he carried the ball 55 times for 137 yards (2.5 yards per carry) and no touchdowns, adding only nine receptions (nine targets) for 47 yards without a touchdown in 15 games (zero starts).

From RotoBaller

The Miami Dolphins have signed running back Deneric Prince to their practice squad on Friday. The second-year back was recently cut by the Kansas City Chiefs. Prince had a few nice showings during the preseason, but his mistakes outshined his success. There is certainly potential with Prince, so we'll see how he does in Mike McDaniel's system. The Dolphins have a fairly crowded backfield that features Jaylen Wright, Jeff Wilson Jr., Raheem Mostert, and De'Von Achane. There's a small chance that Prince makes an impact in Miami this season. This looks more like a depth move to see if the Dolphins can unlock something in Prince.

From RotoBaller

The Baltimore Ravens have signed free-agent quarterback Tyler Huntley on Friday. This news comes a day after Huntley was let go by the Cleveland Browns. Huntley spent the first four years of his career in Baltimore before joining the Browns this offseason. The 26-year-old has proven himself to be a reliable backup to Lamar Jackson over the last few seasons. He has thrown for nearly 2,000 yards with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions in 20 games (nine starts) with the Ravens since 2020. There won't be much fantasy value here, but the Ravens will get a familiar face that knows the system well in case of an emergency.

From RotoBaller

Los Angeles Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker has signed a long term extension with the organization on Friday. The two sides have agreed on a four-year extension worth $22 million, which includes $12.5 million in guaranteed money. This makes Dicker one of the highest paid kickers in the league. To be fair, Dicker has been one of the most reliable kickers over the last two seasons. He connected on 31-of-33 field goal attempts last season while hitting all his extra point attempts. There's not many kickers that are more accurate in the game right now than Dicker.

From RotoBaller

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and running back Samaje Perine will both be available in the season opener on Thursday evening against the Baltimore Ravens, according to Pete Sweeney of the Arrowhead Pride. Head coach Andy Reid noted that the team would be cautious about overloading Perine during the opener. Both Smith-Schuster and Perine signed with Kansas City earlier this week after hitting free agency. Smith-Schuster played in Kansas City in 2022 and totaled 933 yards on 78 catches that season but struggled in New England last fall. Perine posted a career-high 50 receptions and 455 receiving yards last season in Denver. Perine should be expected to serve as the third-down back throughout the season, while Smith-Schuster will serve as a depth option in the wide receiver room.

From RotoBaller

Kansas City Chiefs running back Samaje Perine received praise from his new head coach on Friday afternoon about his potential as a third-down back. According to Adam Teicher of ESPN, Reid expressed, "He's been a phenomenal third down back. The opportunity to have a guy in here that can do the run game and the pass game . . . That is a great addition." The 28-year-old running back signed with Kansas City earlier this week after being released by the Denver Broncos. Last season in Denver, Perine saw a career-high 50 receptions and 455 receiving yards, with an added 238 on the ground. With these recent comments, fantasy managers should expect Perine to serve in a similar role with the Chiefs, primarily entering the game in passing situations. However, Isiah Pacheco will still likely see the vast majority of backfield touches this upcoming season.

From RotoBaller

Kansas City Chiefs rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy may not be given a full workload early in his rookie season. According to Adam Teicher of ESPN, head coach Andy Reid expressed some concern about relying on the rookie early in the season. However, Reid did add that, "We'll just see how it goes when things are flying here fast and furious." Worthy has been making some noise in the preseason as he saw five targets from Patrick Mahomes in their preseason match against the Detroit Lions. In addition, he also found the end zone later in that game and finished with 63 total yards. Worthy was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft earlier this spring and is known for his elite speed as he set a new record in the 40-yard dash. Fantasy managers should feel confident stashing Worthy on their bench as he could emerge as a viable starter down the stretch, given his record-breaking speed.

From RotoBaller

Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews (undisclosed) returned to practice on Friday, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN. This is the first time the 28-year-old has returned to the practice field since being involved in a car accident on August 14. Andrews, fortunately, did not suffer any injuries during the accident, and it is a great sign to see him back on the field, as it looks like his prolonged absence was just precautionary. Last season, the tight end appeared in only ten games as he suffered a lower-leg injury in Week 11, which ended his regular season. He caught 45 passes for 544 yards and six scores. Andrews remains one of the top tight ends in fantasy and should serve as Lamar Jackson's primary target once again in 2024.

From RotoBaller

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (foot, toe) missed a large chunk of training camp and the preseason due to injuries, but he returned to practice this week and says he's ready for the start of the 2024 regular season. "It felt really, really good today. I feel like I didn't lose a step. I stayed on top of everything that I needed to throughout the rehab process, so I would be able to be fast and play free and be on the same page with our quarterbacks," Shaheed said. With a new offensive scheme in place under coordinator Klint Kubiak, Shaheed missed valuable time getting reps on the field, but he said he's not worried and already feels that he has a good physical rhythm in the offense. The 25-year-old could have an expanded role in what the Saints are hoping is an improved offense in 2024, but for Week 1 against the Panthers, Shaheed should be considered more of a boom/bust WR5/flex in fantasy lineups.

From RotoBaller

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said in his opening news conference on Friday that he doesn't expect wide receiver Marquise Brown (shoulder) to play in next Thursday's season opener against the Baltimore Ravens due to a sternoclavicular dislocation that he suffered in the preseason opener on Aug. 10. This has pretty much been the expectation since Brown suffered the injury, especially since he hasn't been able to return to practice yet. The 27-year-old was given a four- to six-week timetable initially. Brown will most likely officially be ruled out for Week 1 next Wednesday, but there's a chance he could be available for Week 2 at home against the Cincinnati Bengals. The injury has obviously dropped Brown down fantasy draft boards, but he's still worth taking as a potential great value as a WR4/flex. Rookie Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice will see an early-season boost for however long Brown is out.

From RotoBaller

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said that running back Rico Dowdle will get fewer special teams spans this year because he's expected to be a bigger part of the offense with an expanded workload. Dowdle is expected to open the 2024 season as the co-starter with veteran Ezekiel Elliott, but the recent signing of Dalvin Cook could put a damper on Dowdle's fantasy value this year. The 26-year-old former South Carolina product had just seven carries for Dallas in his first two years in the league, but his role expanded considerably in 2023, as he had 89 rushing attempts for 361 yards and two touchdowns and added 17 receptions for 144 yards and two more scores in 16 regular-season games. Dowdle almost certainly isn't going to take over this backfield single-handedly, which probably caps his fantasy value as a RB4/flex, at best.

From RotoBaller

The Miami Dolphins signed head coach Mike McDaniel to a contract extension on Friday that will take him through the 2028 season, according to sources. The Dolphins had the top-ranked offense in the league last year under McDaniel for the first time since 1994, and they also had their first back-to-back playoff appearances in 23 years. McDaniel has an especially strong working relationship with general manager Chris Grier, CEO Tom Garfinkel and salary cap guru Brandon Shore. The next step for McDaniel and the organization will be to win in the postseason. Miami has not won a playoff game since 1999 and have lost two AFC wild-card games under McDaniel. The head coach has had a noticeable impact on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's development after leading the NFL in passing yards in 2023. Tagovailoa also signed a four-year extension this offseason, so he and McDaniel are in it together.

From RotoBaller

Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton is heading into a big season as the number-one receiver on the new-look Broncos offense. He's undoubtedly the leader of the receiving corps after the team opted to go younger by trading away Jerry Jeudy and letting Tim Patrick walk. The coaching staff has noticed improvements that he's made over the offseason and he'll look to help boost up rookie quarterback Bo Nix with consistent performances. Last year, in a volatile offense, the six-year pro posted 772 yards and 10 touchdowns while catching 59 of his 90 targets. The last time Sutton was the clear number-one was in 2019 when he caught passes from Joe Flacco and Drew Lock, he finished with 124 targets, 72 receptions, 1112 yards, and six scores.

From RotoBaller

Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin showed some lackluster highlights in the first preseason games of his NFL career. After the team let Tim Patrick walk, it was a sign that they still had some confidence in the rookie's progress. According to head coach Sean Payton, the coaching staff is pleased with where Franklin currently sits with his progress and he'll get the chance to keep growing with this new-look offense. When it comes to the depth chart, he's still slotted behind Courtland Sutton, Josh Reynolds, and Marvin Mims Jr., so he may not see too many snaps to start out the season. Right now, his fantasy relevance is higher when it comes to dynasty formats.

From RotoBaller

The Los Angeles Chargers re-signed free-agent S Tony Jefferson to the practice squad on Thursday, Aug. 29.

From TheHuddle

The Washington Commanders signed free-agent DL Sheldon Day (Vikings) to the practice squad on Thursday, Aug. 29.

From TheHuddle

According to Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O'Connell, the surprising decision to waive running back/kick returner Kene Nwangwu on Tuesday was mostly about their belief in Myles Gaskin. Gaskin is currently on the practice squad, but he's likely to be elevated to the game-day roster in Week 1 to serve as the team's No. 3 RB and kick returner. He'll be behind starter Aaron Jones and backup Ty Chandler on the RB depth chart. The 27-year-old has returned only eight kicks between his college and NFL career, but the Vikes liked what they have seen in training camp. In the end, Gaskin proved more versatile on special teams and as a pass-protector in the backfield than Nwangwu. Gaskin, a former seventh-round pick 2019 by the Miami Dolphins, won't have any fantasy value unless one of Jones or Chandler miss time with injury in 2024.

From RotoBaller

Dynasty | The Patriots have named Jacoby Brissett their starting quarterback. Dynasty Analysis: Brissett was outplayed throughout training camp and the preseason by rookie Drake Maye but the Patriots are clearly playing it safe here. With an offensive line that's, well, offensive, and a receiving corps that's paper thin, this may not be the best situation to throw a rookie into. Maye will still likely make some starts this season but New England is going the safe route here. Brissett will be a low-end QB2 to start the year and likely waiver wire fodder at some point in the season.

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