4 new scoring rules for 2025!

Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet spent Thursday's practice running with the ones, with the team in 11-on-11s. The Bears spent the 10th overall pick in the draft on Michigan tight end Colston Loveland (shoulder), who has drawn praise from coaches throughout the start of training camp. However, Kmet is still expected to have a role in Ben Johnson's new look offense, as evidenced by his current spot atop the depth chart. Loveland has been ramping his action up slowly after recovering from offseason surgery to his AC joint, so it's possible he could still claim the starting job by the start of the regular season. Either way, the Bears' offense is ripe with pass-catching options, and it may be difficult to predict where the action will go in any given week, making many of their pieces more appealing in best-ball drafts than lineup leagues..

From RotoBaller

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. has entered 2025 with a renewed mindset and a focus on details. Part of that approach has included cutting sweets from his diet, particularly Skittles. While cutting back on sugary treats alone isn't going to make or break his season, it's part of an offseason overhaul that he hopes can pay dividends. "I need to be more of a pro when it comes to my eating," he told reporters this week. A noticeably trimmed-down Richardson shared that he's lost 10 pounds on his new diet, and by all accounts, he has strung together some of the strongest practices of his young career. The former No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft entered training camp in a quarterback competition with veteran addition Daniel Jones. Still, if he can continue to show signs of improvement and finally capitalize on his raw talents, it will be difficult for anyone to take the job from him.

From RotoBaller

Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield (hand) is out of practice Friday, Aug. 1, due to a contusion on his right hand. Scans were negative, and he's day to day.

Fantasy Spin: Mayfield surprised everyone and finished as the QB3 in fantasy last year. Needless to say, he's one of the more glaring regression candidates for 2025. He's being taken as the seventh QB in a lot of leagues, and if he slips much further than that, he could start to have some upside.

From TheHuddle

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (hand) will not practice on Friday due to a hand injury. Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reported that the quarterback suffered a contusion on his throwing hand during Thursday's session. Mayfield has already undergone scans, but has appeared to have avoided significant injury. For now, fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day. As a result, the Buccaneers will likely manage his workload for the next few days to ensure he is fully healthy for the regular season. Last season, Mayfield enjoyed a career year as he threw for 4,500 yards and 16 passing scores. Even though his offensive coordinator, Liam Coen, is now in Jacksonville. Mayfield remains a solid QB1 in all leagues as the Buccaneers brought in former Ohio State standout Emeka Egbuka in the first round of the draft to further strengthen an elite WR room.

From RotoBaller

Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver Keandre Lambert-Smith was the team's top pass-catcher in Thursday's 34-7 Hall of Fame Game victory against the Detroit Lions. The fifth-round pick out of Auburn led the team with 43 receiving yards on two catches and two targets, hauling in a beautiful 28-yard pass from quarterback Trey Lance and turning a crisp 15-yard slant into a touchdown just before halftime. Despite his impressive outing, Lambert-Smith is currently behind Harris in the wide receiver pecking order and is not considered fantasy relevant at this time. He will look to build on this performance in the Chargers' next preseason matchup against the Saints.

From RotoBaller

Los Angeles Chargers' rookie wide receiver Tre Harris had a quiet start to the preseason, with zero catches on just one target in Thursday's 34-7 win over the Detroit Lions. The big-bodied pass-catcher, who has been running with the starters throughout training camp, couldn't develop chemistry with third-string quarterback Trey Lance in his limited snaps. The 2025 second-round pick showed promise at Ole Miss last season, recording 1,030 yards and seven touchdowns in just eight games, and is poised to take on a larger role as a rookie, especially given the inconsistent play of former first-round pick Quentin Johnston. He's a late-round fantasy stash with potential upside as he gets more reps within the Chargers' system.

From RotoBaller

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Trey Lance made a strong statement in the Hall of Fame Game, completing 13-of-20 passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for eight yards on three carries in Thursday's 34-7 victory over the Lions. Lance, who only started one game with Dallas last season, showed poise and good technique throughout the night, capitalizing on multiple Detroit turnovers. His first touchdown came on the Chargers' first drive, a perfect five-yard pass to Will Dissly. The 25-year-old added his second score just before halftime with a 15-yard slant to Keandre Lambert-Smith. While the performance was encouraging, Lance faced a Lions' backup defense and is still listed third on the depth chart behind Justin Herbert and Taylor Heinicke. Fantasy managers should be cautious not to overreact to the performance until further preseason games are played, but a strong start nonetheless from the former first-round pick of the 2021 draft.

From RotoBaller

Los Angeles Chargers rookie running back Omarion Hampton started in Thursday's Hall of Fame Game against the Detroit Lions, rushing twice for nine yards in the Chargers' 34-7 victory. Hampton showed his signature burst and tackle-breaking ability on his first carry, an eight-yard gain, but failed to cut upfield on his second, falling just short of a first down. While he was limited to only one drive, the 2025 first-round pick looks poised to take on a larger role in Greg Roman's ground-and-pound offense as Najee Harris (eye) is still dealing with an ambiguous eye injury. RotoBaller has Hampton projected for 1,210 yards and 10 TDs, with a current RB15 ranking that could rise depending on the severity and duration of Harris's injury.

From RotoBaller

Cincinnati Bengals TE Mike Gesicki will be joined by veteran TE Noah Fant, as the latter was signed Thursday, July 31.

Fantasy Spin: Gesicki was already being drafted as a low-end TE2 in most PPR redraft leagues, and another mouth to feed at the tight end position doesn't help his fantasy appeal. Drew Sample and Erick All are also in the mix, too. In the final rounds on draft day, you can likely do much better than Gesicki for your backup fantasy tight end.

From TheHuddle

Free-agent RB Latavius Murray announced on his official Instagram account that he has retired from the NFL after 11 years. 'They never saw a pro in me but 11 years later, I showed what a pro really looks like!', he said.

From TheHuddle

Detroit Lions rookie wide receiver Dominic Lovett was targeted nine times during his team's 34-7 preseason loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, hauling in five catches for 31 yards. The 22-year-old also featured prominently on special teams, returning a kick for 22 yards and a punt for 19. A seventh-round pick out of Georgia, Lovett recorded 59 catches for 607 yards and six touchdowns in 14 games with the Bulldogs last season. He figures to be competing with veteran Kalif Raymond for Detroit's WR4/return specialist role. Raymond has been a steady contributor across four seasons in Detroit heading into 2025, but he's entering his age-31 season, and his 17 catches in 2024 were his fewest since 2020. Lovett would need multiple injuries in the Lions' receiver room to be fantasy relevant in 2025, but a strong preseason could assure him of a roster spot.

From RotoBaller

Detroit Lions rookie wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa hauled in two of three targets for 46 yards receiving in his preseason debut with the team, a 34-7 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Drafted in the third round out of Arkansas, TeSlaa recorded 28 catches for 545 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games for the Razorbacks last season. He's earned praise from Lions coaches and beat reports alike for his work so far in training camp, but TeSlaa faces stiff competition for playing time as a rookie in Detroit. Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams are locked in as the team's top two wide receivers, and Tim Patrick and Kalif Raymond are both steady veterans who have played key roles in previous years. TeSlaa profiles most similarly to Patrick as a big-bodied outside receiver, and could be the Lions' succession plan at the position with Patrick currently signed to a one-year contract.

From RotoBaller

Detroit Lions running back Craig Reynolds led his team in rushing yards during the team's 34-7 preseason loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night. Reynolds finished with 10 carries for 38 yards and one touchdown as a rusher, adding one catch for 10 yards as a receiver. The 29-year-old running back is entering his seventh NFL season and has been with Detroit since 2021. In 34 games for the Lions since the start of 2023, Reynolds has logged 72 carries for 318 yards and one touchdown. He appears to be fairly locked into the RB3 role in Detroit behind Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. Reynolds would need an injury to one of those two backs to be relevant in fantasy, and even then, he would likely be a fringe flex option at best.

From RotoBaller

Detroit Lions quarterback Kyle Allen had a rough night in his first preseason appearance with the team against the Los Angeles Chargers. Allen started the game and played the entire first half, finishing 9-for-14 through the air for 91 passing yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions. The 29-year-old is competing with Hendon Hooker for the backup job behind Jared Goff in Detroit. Allen has played for five teams in his seven-year NFL career, appearing in 31 games (19 starts). For his career, he's completed 62.7% of his 705 career pass attempts for 4,753 yards with 26 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. Without a proven backup quarterback in place, an injury to Goff would significantly impact the outlook of Detroit's skill-position players.

From RotoBaller

Detroit Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker struggled in his 2025 preseason debut, a 34-7 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Hooker played the entire second half and finished three-for-six through the air for 18 passing yards, zero touchdowns, and an interception. Hooker was also sacked twice for a loss of five total yards. A third-round pick out of Tennessee in the 2023 draft, Hooker has failed to nail down the backup job in Detroit behind Jared Goff as he enters the third year of his career. Hooker is battling veteran Kyle Allen for the role heading into 2025, and it was Allen who earned the start in the Lions' first preseason game. While he will certainly get more chances throughout the remainder of the preseason, it's clear Hooker has more work to do to earn the trust of his coaching staff.

From RotoBaller

New York Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart completed his first seven passes in the team's move-the-ball period and "looks like a different QB from the first few practices of camp," according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic. A first-round selection out of Ole Miss, Dart completed 69.3% of his passes while throwing for 4,279 yards and 29 touchdowns in 13 games last season for the Rebels. Russell Wilson will be the Giants' starter at quarterback to begin the season, so Dart is competing with veteran Jameis Winston for the primary backup job. If all goes well for New York, 2025 will be a developmental year for Dart, and he won't be forced into game action as a rookie.

From RotoBaller

The Buffalo Bills have activated right tackle Spencer Brown (back) from the active/physically unable to perform list, according to Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic. Brown had been held out of training camp practices due to a "flare-up" of his back. The 27-year-old has started 46 games over the past three seasons for Buffalo and signed a four-year contract extension off his rookie deal with the team last September. Pro Football Focus graded him as the 14th-best run-blocker out of 140 qualified tackles in 2024, so his presence is a crucial part of Buffalo's dominant rushing attack. Brown appears to have avoided a significant injury, but the health of his back will be something to monitor throughout the remainder of training camp.

From RotoBaller

Cincinnati Bengals rookie running back Tahj Brooks has reportedly "turned heads in camp" and has a clear path to the team's RB2 role after Cincinnati released veteran running back Zack Moss on Wednesday. A sixth-round pick out of Texas Tech, Brooks gained 1,704 yards from scrimmage and scored 18 touchdowns in just 11 games for the Red Raiders in 2024. The Bengals have Chase Brown entrenched as their starter at running back, so Brooks will be battling veterans Samaje Perine and Gary Brightwell for the RB2 role. Perine is known for his third-down work as a pass-catcher and pass-protector, which could earn him the job early in the season. Brooks may need an injury to Brown to see enough playing time to make an impact in fantasy, but he could be an intriguing late-round handcuff option.

From RotoBaller

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (groin) returned to practice on Thursday, according to James Boyd of The Athletic. Pittman Jr. tweaked his groin during the team's training camp practice on Tuesday. The 27-year-old played 16 games through a fracture in his lower back in 2024, so he's surely hoping to get to the 2025 season as healthy as possible. Pittman Jr. finished last season with 69 catches for 808 yards and three touchdowns, each of which was his lowest total since his rookie season in 2020. He and third-year slot receiver Josh Downs are the top two target earners in the Colts' offense. Pittman Jr.'s fantasy viability depends heavily on the level of quarterback play Indianapolis can squeeze out of the combination of Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones.

From RotoBaller

Dallas Cowboys' wide receiver KaVontae Turpin has been a focal point in the offense during Thursday's practice. With the dynamic duo of George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb soaking up a lot of the defensive attention, Turpin might prove to be a bright spot in the offense this year. After posting his best year yet in the offense, he will look to make more of an impact on offense as he shined in some special teams opportunities last year while recording 47 touches on offense through catches and carries. With Turpin's 4.31 40-yard dash speed, we'll see what he can do to contribute this year to Dallas this season.

From RotoBaller