Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said on 105.3 The Fan that veteran running back Royce Freeman has "really impressed" early on in training camp. The Cowboys were surprised Freeman was available when they signed him to a one-year deal in April. It's a testament to Freeman so far this summer, but it probably speaks more so to how bad Dallas' backfield depth is after Tony Pollard left in free agency this summer. The 28-year-old is currently expected to complement veteran Ezekiel Elliott, with Rico Dowdle and Malik Davis battling it out for RB3 duties to begin the year. Freeman is a poor man's Elliott -- a bulky between-the-tackles runner -- and he's unlikely to see much volume in Dallas in 2024 unless injuries decimate an already thin backfield. A lot can happen between now and Week 1 with Dallas' RB situation. Freeman is likely to be left to the waiver wire to begin the year in most fantasy leagues.

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Las Vegas Raiders rookie running back Dylan Laube is making an early case for playing time in training camp this summer. "I hope so. He is off to a great start," offensive coordinator Luke Getsy said. "He has a great feel for it, and he doesn't have the errors as far as what his responsibilities are. That's really cool to see from such a young guy." Laube was selected in the sixth round in April out of New Hampshire and has a long ways to go before he's a realistic option in the Raiders backfield in his first NFL season. As of right now, the 24-year-old is behind Zamir White, Alexander Mattison and Ameer Abdullah, so it would likely take an injury or two to the RBs ahead of him for him to become a realistic waiver-wire pickup in standard fantasy leagues in 2024. However, the 5-foot-10, 208-pounder is one to keep an eye on for the rest of camp and the preseason.

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Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver Roman Wilson (ankle) has an ankle injury at training camp, according to head coach Mike Tomlin. Wilson is being evaluated to determine the severity and length of the time he'll need to miss. The 23-year-old third-rounder injured himself in practice on Tuesday, a day after a report surfaced that he was impressing early in training camp. Depending on how long Wilson will be out, it could be a setback that puts him behind the eight ball heading into his first NFL season as he attempts to stand out in a receiving corps with not many established options behind WR1 George Pickens. Wilson's injury will allow fellow wideouts Calvin Austin III, Van Jefferson and Quez Watkins more of an opportunity to impress the coaching staff as Pittsburgh's receiver depth chart sorts itself out.

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Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said that rookie running back MarShawn Lloyd (hip) will make his training camp debut and return to practice on Tuesday. Lloyd has been out with a minor hip injury and will only do individual drills on Tuesday as he ramps up. The third-rounder out of USC is missing valuable reps in camp right now, but it looks like the 23-year-old should be able to return sooner than later with the rest of the team. Heading into his first NFL season, Lloyd will clearly be behind lead back Josh Jacobs, and he could also be behind AJ Dillon, who looks determined to put his disappointing 2023 season in the rearview mirror. However, Lloyd's explosiveness is intriguing, and he'll have an opportunity to become the team's No. 2 before season's end. In deeper redraft leagues, Lloyd might be worth a late-round flier, especially if you go with Jacobs early on.

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New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh said that quarterback Aaron Rodgers (Achilles), who is recovering from his Achilles injury, is unlikely to play this preseason. Even if Rodgers hadn't suffered a torn Achilles last year, he would have been unlikely to see much action, if any at all, in the preseason. The 40-year-old future Hall of Famer tore his Achilles early in Week 1 of last year's regular season opener and missed all of the 2024 campaign, although he was practicing with the team late in the year and is on track to be 100% for the season opener this fall. Fantasy managers should be very skeptical that the four-time MVP can recapture his pre-injury form, even if the Jets have some high-end weapons around him on offense. Treat Rodgers as a low-end QB2 in fantasy with upside for more if he stays healthy for the entire 2024 season.

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Tennessee Titans edge rusher Arden Key is facing a six-game suspension to begin the 2024 season for violating the rules against performance-enhancing drugs. It will be a big blow for the Titans defense to begin the year, as Key was in line to be the team's second starting edge rusher, working opposite Harold Landry, with Jeffery Simmons and T'Vondre Sweat in between them. Key will be allowed to continue practicing with the team in training camp. Options behind Landry and Key as pass-rushers for Tennessee include Shane Ray, Rashad Weaver, Caleb Murphy, Thomas Rush and undrafted rookie Khalid Duke. Key has recorded 20 sacks in his six NFL seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Titans.

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Coach Dennis Allen announced that New Orleans Saints defensive end Chase Young (neck) was cleared for "full participation" on July 22. Allen noted that Young would continue to increase his daily activity and has complied with all the training staff's requirements. Young signed a one-year, fully guaranteed $13 million contract with the Saints this offseason. New Orleans aims to make Young a key component of their pass rush after he tied his career-high with 7.5 sacks last season, alongside 25 tackles and 41 pressures with Washington and San Francisco. The Saints finished the 2023 season ranked 28th with just 34 sacks, their lowest total since 2016. Young hopes to strengthen the New Orleans defense, potentially creating more fantasy opportunities for star offensive players like Chris Olave and Alvin Kamara.

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The Carolina Panthers have placed running back Rashaad Penny on the reserve/retired list. Penny, who joined the Panthers this offseason, was set to reunite with head coach Dave Canales, the passing game coordinator during Penny's standout 2021 season with the Seattle Seahawks, and Brad Idzik, now the Panthers' offensive coordinator. Unfortunately, a series of injuriesincluding multiple strains, a torn ACL, and a fibula fracturehave hindered Penny's once-explosive performance. Despite rigorous rehab, he struggled to regain the speed that made him a dynamic force in college. Penny's 5.6 yards per carry would be the highest in NFL history if he had sustained it. He also recorded 2,248 rushing yards at San Diego State in 2017, ranking fifth for a single season in NCAA history. The former first-round pick had stints with the Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles before signing with the Panthers in May. Penny retires with 1,931 career rushing yards, 13 touchdowns on 348 carries, and 28 receptions for 227 yards.

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Carolina Panthers wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. has been making a strong impression this year at training camp. Despite high expectations as a second-round pick out of LSU in 2023, Marshall has yet to fully realize his potential in the NFL. At LSU, he excelled with 106 receptions, 1,594 yards, and 23 touchdowns over 32 games. He is beginning to showcase the level of play he demonstrated in college, regularly providing highlights with his catches in training camp. However, Marshall faces stiff competition for playing time with the Panthers, having traded for Diontae Johnson, drafted Xavier Legette (32nd overall), and retained their leading receiver from 2023, Adam Thielen. Although Marshall's fantasy value remains uncertaingiven his modest 767 yards and one touchdown over his first three NFL seasonshe could still vie for the third wide receiver spot alongside Legette and Jonathan Mingo.

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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson, who struggled during OTAs and minicamp, is now beginning to showcase the skills that led to his third-round draft selection. The rookie from Michigan received his opportunity on Saturday when the Steelers' first-team offense took the field, with Wilson stepping into the slot receiver role. He had a standout day, making several impressive catches from quarterbacks Justin Fields and Kyle Allen. Wilson is now firmly in the mix for the second wide receiver spot behind George Pickens, competing against Calvin Austin III and Van Jefferson. If he can secure the No. 2 role, Wilson could emerge as a sleeper with significant upside, given the Steelers' track record of drafting and developing wide receivers.

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Buffalo Bills running back Ty Johnson (undisclosed) suffered a noticeable injury after a significant hit from linebacker Terrel Bernard during a running play to the left side on Monday at training camp. Johnson, drafted by the Detroit Lions in the sixth round of 2019, has moved around the league before finding a place with the Bills in 2023. When starter James Cook missed practice on Sunday for personal reasons, Johnson and rookie Ray Davis split first-team reps almost evenly. This injury comes at a challenging time for Johnson, as he and Davis vie for the second spot on the depth chart, potentially giving Davis more opportunities. However, both backs may see playing time as they have distinct roles, with Davis being a power runner and Johnson being known for his speed and receiving skills. With Cook expected to handle most of the running back touches, Johnson's value is likely limited to a handcuff in fantasy at best.

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Buffalo Bills wide receiver Chase Claypool (toe) is dealing with a toe injury, which Coach Sean McDermott described as a day-to-day issue. The Bills signed Claypool to a one-year deal in the offseason after underwhelming performances with the Dolphins and Bears in recent years. Although Claypool suffered the toe injury on Sunday, he is expected to make a swift recovery. Once he returns to practice, he will compete for a roster spot in the retooled Bills wide receiver group, which features Khalil Shakir, Curtis Samuel, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Mack Hollins, and rookie Keon Coleman. Claypool currently holds little fantasy value unless he secures a spot in the starting rotation for Buffalo.

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Baltimore Ravens WR Rashod Bateman (undisclosed) left practice early Monday, July 29, but head coach John Harbaugh said Bateman is just dealing with some soreness.

New England Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon appears to be holding in at training camp as he seeks a new long-term contract extension. On the first day of padded practices on Monday, Judon showed up in a sweatshirt, chatted with head coach Jerod Mayo for a while and then left the main field. The Patriots and Judon appear to be far apart on a contract extension. The 31-year-old is currently scheduled to make $6.5 million in 2024 in the final year of his current deal. A torn biceps caused Judon to miss the final 13 games of last season, but he made four straight Pro Bowls before last year, including a career-high 15.5 sacks and 60 tackles (36 solo) in 17 games (15 starts) for the Pats in 2022. The former fifth-round pick in 2016 by the Baltimore Ravens out of Grand Valley State combined for 28 sacks in 2021 and 2022 and could be back on the IDP fantasy radar this year if he proves he's fully healthy.

Carolina Panthers RB Rashaad Penny was placed on the Reserve/Retired list Tuesday, July 30.

Fantasy Spin: Scratch his name off the list of potential handcuffs to Chuba Hubbard. Miles Sanders and Jonathon Brooks will be in the mix as RB5s.

From TheHuddle

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III carried his impressive performance from OTAs and minicamp into training camp. A 2022 fourth-round pick, Austin missed his entire rookie season due to a foot injury and saw limited action last year, with just 30 targets and 11 carries. At 5-foot-9 and 162 pounds, Austin is among the smallest players in the league, but the Steelers are giving him opportunities to play both inside and outside. He has demonstrated versatility by excelling in these roles, effectively handling short and deep routes and impacting various route types. Since the start of the year, Austin has been the team's second-best receiver, and nothing in the past week has altered that status. If he can outperform Van Jefferson and rookie third-round pick Roman Wilson for the second wide receiver spot, he could emerge as a valuable sleeper heading into 2024 fantasy drafts.

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Dallas Cowboys RB Royce Freeman has impressed executive vice-president Stephen Jones. 'We were just talking about it last night at the scout dinner, 'What in the (world) was he doing sitting around out there?' An interesting guy to just have been sitting there. He's a great 2-3 combination in terms of what he can do as a backup. He's a big, thick guy. He'll be a good addition and great complement to (Ezekiel Elliott). And then we'll let these young guys between (Rico Dowdle and Malik Davis) and those guys battle it out.'

Fantasy Spin: That quote could mean that Freeman is ahead of Dowdle in the pecking order. He's one to watch that could rise up draft boards quickly from RB5 to RB4.

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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Tutu Atwell is battling Demarcus Robinson for the third spot on the depth chart, but he'll most likely end up as the WR4, as long as rookie sixth-rounder Jordan Whittington doesn't unseat him. As training camp rolls on, it'll be worth monitoring who between Whittington and Atwell is getting more first-team reps because that'll be an indication of how the rotation might shake out in the regular season. Atwell started hot but faded late during the 2023 season, averaging 5.5 catches on 8.8 targets for 67.5 yards over the opening four outings of the year that star receiver Cooper Kupp was sidelined for. Atwell passed the 30-yard barrier just once over his closing 12 contests. The 24-year-old wideout is just a dart-throw WR6/7 bench piece for fantasy managers in deep leagues this summer.

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Wide receiver Jonathan Mingo continues to impress for the Carolina Panthers during practice at training camp. Mingo's first year in the league was a flop with the Panthers, seeing him collect just 41 of his 85 passes for 418 scoreless yards despite playing plenty of snaps in 15 games, but the second-year man out of Ole Miss is looking to bounce back in his sophomore season. The 23-year-old wideout was a second-round pick in the NFL draft in 2023, and he's currently battling with Terrace Marshall Jr. for No. 4 receiver duties behind rookie first-round Xavier Legette in Carolina's offense. Barring a trade involving Diontae Johnson's expiring contract later this year or Adam Thielen being phased out of the offense, Mingo still looks hard-pressed for a consistent role in three-receiver sets as a WR6/7 in fantasy leagues to begin the campaign.

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The New York Giants experimented with rookie tight end Theo Johnson in the first-team offense on Monday. It was a fairly uneventful practice, with the Giants installing early-down packages, but that allowed the team to get a closer look at Johnson. New York selected the 23-year-old out of Penn State in the fourth round of this past spring's NFL draft, and he'll compete with Daniel Bellinger in the tight end room for quarterback Daniel Jones' targets in the short and intermediate levels of the field in the New York offense. The G-Men have struggled to find consistent tight end play for almost a decade, and Johnson appears to be in the mix for the starting role. With that said, Johnson's appeal is more pronounced in dynasty setups in the aftermath of Darren Waller's retirement but should see his role grow as the season rolls on.

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