Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Trey Lance will start the preseason-opening Hall of Fame Game against the Detroit Lions on Thursday, head coach Jim Harbaugh announced. The plan is for Lance to play at least one half before undrafted rookie DJ Uiagalelei takes over. Starter Justin Herbert will sit out, and veteran Taylor Heinicke will serve as the Chargers' emergency third quarterback. Lance joined the Chargers in free agency after unsuccessful runs with the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys. Since entering the league as the third overall pick from North Dakota State in 2021, the 25-year-old has appeared in just 12 games and completed 56.6% of his passes with five touchdowns and four interceptions.

From RotoBaller

Dallas Cowboys running back Miles Sanders "has consistently stood out the most" in both the running and passing game in training camp, per Jon Machota of The Athletic. After back-to-back subpar seasons with the Carolina Panthers, the Cowboys took a low-risk flier on Sanders in free agency, adding him on a one-year deal. The team also signed former Denver Bronco Javonte Williams to a one-year contract and used a fifth-round pick on Jaydon Blue. Sanders looks like the leading candidate to receive the most carries, though, and he's only a couple of years removed from a 1,200-yard, 11-touchdown showing in 2022 with the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles.

From RotoBaller

DeMario Douglas has been the New England Patriots' "most consistent" wide receiver in training camp, according to Paul Perillo of Patriots.com. After hauling in 66 passes on 87 targets for 621 yards and three touchdowns in 2024, the 24-year-old Douglas has continued to develop a rapport with quarterback Drake Maye this summer. With Maye likely to take a leap forward this season under new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Douglas should be among the beneficiaries. Slot receivers have been known to thrive under McDaniels, who got the best out of Julian Edelman, Wes Welker, Danny Amendola, and Jakobi Meyers in the past, which bodes well for Douglas.

From RotoBaller

New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields (toe) plans to practice with a plastic shield on his cleats for the next couple of weeks, Rich Cimini of ESPN reports. Fields is taking precautions after he suffered a dislocated toe on his right foot last Thursday. The 26-year-old, who returned to team drills Monday, said that the injury is "working its way back to 100%" That's a relief for both the Jets and fantasy managers, as so much of Fields' value depends on his elite mobility. The former Chicago Bear and Pittsburgh Steeler hasn't fared great as a passer since entering the league in 2021, but he has been a force on the ground.

From RotoBaller

Jacksonville Jaguars two-way player Travis Hunter caught his first touchdown of training camp, a 5-yarder from Trevor Lawrence, as part of a successful practice at wide receiver on Tuesday. He took 24 snaps, his most in a single practice on offense so far, and "showed his considerable skills" as a receiver, according to Garry Smits of the Jacksonville Florida Times-Union. Hunter, who won the Heisman Trophy at Colorado last season, entered the NFL as the second overall pick in this year's draft and will attempt to play both receiver and cornerback with the Jags. The 22-year-old hasn't manned both positions in one practice yet, but head coach Liam Coen has indicated that should change soon. At receiver, Hunter has the talent to serve as an excellent complement to Jaguars No. 1 Brian Thomas Jr. The question is how much playing time he'll get at the position during games. So far in camp, Hunter has tallied 79 snaps on offense and 47 on defense.

From RotoBaller

Chicago Bears second-year wide receiver Rome Odunze has been the recipient of some of the offense's best plays so far in training camp, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic writes, and his skill set will give new head coach Ben Johnson flexibility because of the way Odunze can win one-on-one matchups. "To me, he fits that prototypical 'X' receiver where you can line him up outside the numbers and, provided he gets a one-on-one with a corner, he's going to win most of his matchups, slant routes, stop routes, go routes, the whole route tree outside the numbers," Johnson said. The new head coach continues to praise the 23-year-old, which is why the Bears coaching staff is expecting a big Year 2 leap from Odunze. There will be stiff target competition in Chicago's offense, but with Keenan Allen now gone, Odunze should definitely have lots more upside as a WR3/flex in 2025.

From RotoBaller

The Athletic's Kevin Fishbain writes that the Chicago Bears are getting creative with DJ Moore under new head coach Ben Johnson in training camp as they look to get his hands on the ball as much as possible. "We're exploring some things," Johnson said. "What I've seen on tape and what I've come to learn about DJ is he's a physical, he's a run-after-catch, just-get-me-the-ball type of guy. Whether that's in the backfield, whether that's screens, I think he had a nice 'go' route the other day, there's a number of things we're looking to do and explore." Moore has 57 career carries (14 in 2024) and has been seen taking some handoffs out of the backfield this summer. There will be competition for targets in an offense with plenty of weapons, but Moore is the clear WR1 in Chicago with Keenan Allen gone and should be targeted as a low-end WR2 with upside in fantasy.

From RotoBaller

The Athletic's Kevin Fishbain writes that rookie first-round tight end Colston Loveland is doing it all in training camp practices and "has already looked the part." Head coach Ben Johnson said that Colston's instincts showed up right away, and he's also proved that his surgically-repaired shoulder is just fine. The 21-year-old was eased into training camp after having offseason surgery, but it appears he's made up for lost time and is impressing as both a pass-catcher and blocker early on. Fishbain writes that he also expects Loveland to gain more chemistry with quarterback Caleb Williams the more they work together. The Bears drafted Loveland 10th overall for a reason, and he has the kind of upside that we saw with Brock Bowers in Vegas a year ago. However, there are plenty of mouths to feed in Chicago and he'll battle for targets next to Cole Kmet. Loveland should be considered a midrange TE2 with upside.

From RotoBaller

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said at training camp on Tuesday that there's still no timeline for running back Najee Harris (eye) to return to practice. The Chargers will play their first preseason game on Thursday against the Detroit Lions in the Hall of Fame game, and Harris hasn't been on the practice field at all with his new team after injuring his eye during a fireworks accident back on the Fourth of July. The Chargers are optimistic that Harris will be ready for the start of the 2025 regular season in early September, but with him missing all this crucial practice time, the odds of rookie first-rounder Omarion Hampton seizing lead-back work increases each day Harris is absent. The former Steelers RB has been consistent so far in his NFL career, but he lacks big-play ability and could be working behind Hampton all year.

From RotoBaller

Cincinnati Bengals All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson is planning to end his contract holdout and report to training camp on Wednesday, sources tell NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Hendrickson doesn't have the new deal that he wants yet, and it seems unlikely that he'll practice until he does, so he'll effectively be going from a holdout to a hold-in. Now that Hendrickson is back with the team, it's possible the two sides can hammer out a new deal before the 2025 regular season. The 30-year-old pass-rusher has recorded 35 sacks over the last two seasons, so as long as he's going to suit up once the regular season begins, he's going to be a highly sought after defensive lineman in IDP fantasy leagues this fall. Hendrickson has been a Pro Bowler each of the last four seasons and led the NFL with 17.5 sacks in 2024.

From RotoBaller

The Athletic's Colton Pouncy points out that "one thing that's been clear as these practices have unfolded is that Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs is usually the first back on the field with the starters." In past years, David Montgomery would often get the bulk of the first carries of the game before we'd see Gibbs. Pouncy cautions that it could be nothing to read into, but there was a clear pecking order that often translated to games. With Montgomery injured last year, Gibbs couldn't be stopped, totaling 487 scrimmage yards and six touchdowns in the final three games of the regular season. It's now Year 3 for Gibbs, and the Lions have been open about using more two-back sets with both Gibbs and Monty. In addition to being used out of the backfield, Gibbs has also lined up at receiver with Montgomery on the field. It looks like the Lions want Gibbs on the field as much as possible in 2025.

From RotoBaller

Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard said that rookie first-round wide receiver Emeka Egbuka has exceeded expectations in terms of communication, picking up the playbook and running crisp routes so far in training camp. A report surfaced on Monday from Bucs beat writer Brianna Dix that the 22-year-old has looked like a polished veteran so far this summer and impressed the coaching staff with his perfectionist mentality. This is all worth keeping an eye on as training camp progresses, especially with Chris Godwin (ankle) still on the Physically Unable to Perform list. When Tampa's receivers are all healthy and on the field, Egbuka could struggle for consistent targets behind Mike Evans and Godwin, but if Godwin's ankle injury has him at less than 100% early on, there could be a path to immediate fantasy relevance for the Ohio State product.

From RotoBaller

The Cleveland Browns said that cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (Achilles) suffered a left-Achilles injury during training camp practice on Tuesday and will undergo an MRI exam on Wednesday to determine the extent of the injury, per The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot. The expectation right now is that this is a serious Achilles injury. If an MRI exam shows that it's torn, the 24-year-old defensive back will most likely miss the entire 2025 season. The former third-rounder (68th overall) in 2022 out of Mississippi State had his best season yet in his third year in 2024, recording a career-best 80 tackles (62 solo), five pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 17 games (15 starts). Despite his increased production in tackles, Emerson was a liability in coverage and allowed a team-high six touchdowns.

From RotoBaller

Los Angeles Chargers rookie first-round running back Omarion Hampton and second-round wide receiver Tre Harris are both in line to play in Thursday's Hall of Fame preseason game against the Detroit Lions, reports Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. Rookie receiver Keandre Lambert-Smith will also see action in his first official NFL game. Both Hampton and Harris could be key parts of L.A.'s offense in their first year in the NFL. For Hampton, his fantasy stock is especially rising during training camp with Najee Harris (eye) on the Non-Football Injury list with no timetable for a return. In a run-first offense, the 22-year-old from Ohio State could start the year as the primary backfield option for the Bolts, and if he plays well, it could remain that way all year. Harris, meanwhile could easily be quarterback Justin Herbert's primary deep threat in 2025 now that Mike Williams has retired.

From RotoBaller

Tennessee Titans rookie first-round quarterback Cam Ward had a tough day at the office during training camp practice on Tuesday, according to Titans beat writer Jim Wyatt. Ward went 5-for-9 in a 7-on-7 period and then 6-for-17 in team periods, making him 11-for-26 overall on the day while also being intercepted three times. In four training camp practices now, the first overall pick has gone 46-for-78 with five interceptions so far. We all knew there were going to be growing pains for Ward in his first season in the NFL, and this could easily spill over into the regular season with not many weapons to throw to in the passing attack outside of WR1 Calvin Ridley. The 23-year-old signal-caller is the clear-cut starter for Tennessee now that Will Levis (shoulder) is out for the season, but because he's also not expected to run much, fantasy managers shouldn't look at him as much more than a low-end QB2 in hi first NFL season.

From RotoBaller

Cincinnati Bengals running back Zack Moss (neck), who broke his neck in three places last year, is on the Non-Football Injury list and continues to work on his conditioning on side fields during training camp, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. "I've pretty much been a couch potato since November," Moss said. The 27-year-old briefly considered retirement in the offseason but ultimately decided to return in 2025 on a reduced salary. Chase Brown emerged as one of the best backs in the NFL last year after Moss' injury, and the team drafted Tahj Brooks out of Texas in the sixth round this year. He's currently out of football shape due to a lack of activity last year following his injury, which has allowed Brooks, Samaje Perine and Gary Brightwell more reps as they compete for the RB2 role. It sounds like Moss could be buried on the depth chart if he's even ready for the start of the 2025 season.

From RotoBaller

ESPN's Kevin Seifert writes that it doesn't sound like the Minnesota Vikings plan to mothball wide receiver Justin Jefferson (hamstring) until the start of the regular season. "I have zero worry about the opener, but there's a lot of time between now and then. What that looks like, we're going to be smart. But at the same time, he wants to get back out there. He doesn't want to stay wearing what I wear to practice much longer," head coach Kevin O'Connell said. Jefferson was held out of training camp practice last Thursday, and a day later it was announced that the 26-year-old All-Pro wideout is dealing with a mild left-hamstring strain. It's more of a day-to-day injury, the Jefferson has yet to return to practice. He's missing valuable time to develop chemistry with quarterback J.J. McCarthy, but Jefferson should return sooner than later and remains an elite fantasy wideout until further notice.

From RotoBaller

Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver Tre Harris had one of his best showings of the summer during Monday's practice, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports. Quarterback Justin Herbert found Harris twice during 11-on-11 drills and connected on a touchdown. The Chargers are expecting big contributions from Harris after drafting him 55th overall out of Ole Miss this year. He may be in line to claim a starting job with the recent retirement of Mike Williams. While the Chargers have an established No. 1 receiver in Ladd McConkey, a second-round pick last year, Harris could surpass Quentin Johnston as Herbert's second-favorite target.

From RotoBaller

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey (undisclosed) isn't practicing on Tuesday because of an undisclosed injury. Head coach Jim Harbaugh doesn't seem concerned, though, as he said McConkey is "working through something minor." A second-round pick out of Georgia last year, the 6-foot, 185-pound McConkey sparkled as a rookie with 82 catches on 112 targets, 1,149 yards, and seven touchdowns. McConkey is quarterback Justin Herbert's go-to guy and should be in line for another terrific season this year. RotoBaller has McConkey as the 10th-ranked receiver going into 2025.

From RotoBaller

Washington Commanders rookie seventh-round running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt is getting reps with quarterback Jayden Daniels and the first-team offense in the no-huddle session during Tuesday's training camp practice. It's something worth watching for the 245th overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft back in April. The 24-year-old had 1,190 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2023 at New Mexico but then ran into eligibility issues in 2024 after transferring to Arizona and played in one game. It's the reason why he fell to the final round of the draft, although he does have some intrigue as a between-the-tackles bruiser. As long as Austin Ekeler and Brian Robinson Jr. are healthy, Croskey-Merritt figures to compete the No. 3 change-of-pace role with Chris Rodriguez and Jeremy McNichols. Fantasy managers in redraft leagues can likely ignore him.