Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver coach Connor Embree says that rookie Xavier Worthy has impressed him most with his ability to pick up the playbook quickly. Embree says he'll do more than Rashee Rice did as a rookie, but they're not going to overload him. With Marquise Brown (shoulder) sidelined for up to six weeks, however, Worthy may now have to take on a more pronounced role for the Chiefs in Year 1 than expected to begin the season. It's worth noting that Rice was consistently held under 60% of KC's offensive snaps per game during the first half of last year as a rookie before the team finally unleashed him during the second half. Worthy profiles as a young DeSean Jackson in many ways, and the 21-year-old first-rounder's stock is certainly on the rise in the middle rounds of fantasy drafts as quarterback Patrick Mahomes' likely top deep threat to start 2024.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans left Wednesday's joint practice with the Jacksonville Jaguars early, but he was able to return to the session later on. Evans initially walked off the field without assistance, so there's no reason for fantasy managers to be concerned with what sounds like a false alarm here. The 31-year-old Pro Bowl wideout has entrenched himself as a fantasy stalwart throughout his career, and while his role in Tampa Bay as quarterback Baker Mayfield's primary deep threat means his floor might not be as high as those being selected around him, Evans' ceiling remains among fantasy's highest after he totaled 36 deep targets and 13 touchdowns in 17 games for the Bucs last season. He's a fringe WR1/2 option in drafts this summer.

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Minnesota Vikings rookie first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy (knee) will miss his entire rookie season after having successful surgery on Wednesday morning on the meniscus in his knee. The Vikings announced on Tuesday that the 21-year-old had a meniscus tear in his right knee, and apparently he needed a full repair, which will cost him all of 2024. The 12th overall pick in this year's NFL draft was fully expected to start his rookie year as the backup to Sam Darnold while the team slow-played his development, but there was still a good chance he would have seen the field this year, especially if Darnold struggled in the starting role. Now, McCarthy will rest and rehab and learn from the sidelines. He can obviously be avoided in all single-year fantasy leagues. Nick Mullens will open the regular season as Darnold's backup.

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NFL Network's Tom Pelissero is reporting rookie QB J.J. McCarthy will miss the entire 2024 season after having his torn meniscus repaired today.

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Treylon Burks was immediately pulled from training camp practice on Wednesday after suffering from cramps involving his calf/hamstring. Conditioning issues and injuries have plagued Burks in his first two NFL seasons. The former 18th overall pick in 2022 has been a bust for the Titans to this point, especially after catching only 16 passes for 221 yards and no touchdowns in his sophomore campaign in 11 games played. The 24-year-old has been running with the first-team offense this summer, though, mainly because of DeAndre Hopkins' knee injury. Burks' fantasy stock heading into 2024 took a huge hit when Tennessee added Calvin Ridley to the fold, but he could be worth a late-round flier in deeper fantasy leagues if Hopkins isn't ready to go for Week 1 in early September.

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The Cleveland Browns agreed on a three-year deal worth up to $39 million with $25 million guaranteed with standout, do-it-all linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah on Wednesday, according to sources. The 24-year-old cashes in after a Pro Bowl season in 2023 in which he set career-highs in total tackles (101), solo tackles (72), sacks (3.5), tackles for loss (20), QB hits (five), interceptions (two) and pass breakups (six) in 16 regular-season games in his third year in the league. Owusu-Koramoah was drafted in the second round (52nd overall) in 2021 out of Notre Dame and will once again be a big part of Cleveland's imposing defense in 2024. In IDP fantasy leagues, he's at least worth a look as a bench option at the linebacker position.

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The early beneficiary of Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown's (shoulder) injury in training camp practices has been Justin Watson, who is taking many of the snaps that would have gone to Brown. Watson last year was tied for second among the team's receivers in catches with 27. With Brown's status up in the air for Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens, KC may have to keep seven receivers to open the year. Others competing for roster spots include Mecole Hardman, Skyy Moore, Nikko Remigio and Justyn Ross. Hardman, Moore and Ross played for the Chiefs last year, but none of them were very consistent. Watson will see increased chances with Brown out, but rookie Xavier Worthy will be asked to be the team's big-play wideout, and he's the much better late-round target for fantasy managers.

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Miami Dolphins running backs Raheem Mostert and De'Von Achane are listed as co-starters on the team's latest preseason depth chart, but rookie Jaylen Wright's strong performance in training camp and in the preseason opener should give him a role in 2024. Wright led all players with 55 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries in his NFL debut against the Atlanta Falcons, and his style fits perfectly in head coach Mike McDaniel's outside-zone running scheme. Pro Football Network's Adam Beasley says to expect Wright to see significant action as a rookie. Per TruMedia, the Dolphins led the league in carries (240), rushing yards (1,213), touchdowns (12) and rushing first downs (62) out of 21 personnel in 2023. The 21-year-old fourth-rounder appears to have a leg up on Jeff Wilson Jr. for the RB3 role in an explosive Miami offense.

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Miami Dolphins wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (undisclosed) signed with the team 97 days ago, but he remains on the Physically Unable to Perform list and has yet to resume running routes at training camp. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said he's thrown to Beckham over the last three months, but it's just been "spot catching, him getting to see the way the ball spins, get a feel of it." "I've got to see him catching and running routes with our guys first and getting into the mix first before I can say anything," Tagovailoa said. When healthy, the 31-year-old Beckham is expected to be the No. 3 or 4 wideout behind Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Braxton Berrios, but the fact that he has yet to practice at all with the team with just three weeks until the regular-season opener isn't a good sign. As of right now, OBJ shouldn't be drafted in standard 12-team fantasy leagues.

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Detroit Lions Pro Bowl running back Jahmyr Gibbs (hamstring) didn't suffer a significant hamstring injury in training camp practice on Monday night, according to sources, but the Lions will be very cautious with his rest and rehab to make sure he's 100 percent healthy. Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz says that his understanding is that Gibbs should be ready for Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams. Fantasy managers that already took Gibbs as their RB1 can breathe a sign of relief, although it doesn't mean that David Montgomery won't handle most of the backfield touches early on as the Lions ease Gibbs back into the fold. Gibbs finished as the RB10 in half-PPR scoring in his rookie campaign in 2023 and currently has an ADP of 13.1 in Yahoo leagues, meaning fantasy managers should target him late in the first round/early in the second round, as long as it looks like he'll be active for Week 1.

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The Baltimore Ravens announced on Wednesday that tight end Mark Andrews was involved in a car accident while driving to the team's facilities. Andrews was evaluated by the medical staff and did not sustain any apparent injuries. He later joined the team for their morning meetings. Andrews was originally scheduled for a non-practice day on Wednesday and is expected to return to the field in the coming days. "I appreciate everyone's thoughts and well wishes. This is a great reminder about the importance of wearing seatbelts and remaining alert while driving a car," Andrews said in a statement. The 28-year-old's 2023 season ended early in Week 11 due to a lower-leg injury, but he's healthy now and will once again be one of quarterback Lamar Jackson's top targets in one of the most explosive offenses in football. Treat him as a top-five fantasy TE.

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Los Angeles Rams rookie kicker Joshua Karty appears to have won the starting job with the release of Tanner Brown on Tuesday. Karty is the only kicker currently on the Rams' roster. An All-American at Stanford, Karty was one of three kickers selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. He converted both of his field goal attempts, plus the game-winning extra point, in his preseason debut against Dallas. Karty is a deep sleeper candidate at the position, playing for one of the better offenses in the NFL.

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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning (ribs) is expected to miss time with a rib injury, according to head coach Zac Taylor. Browning filled in admirably for Joe Burrow when the latter missed a large chunk of last season with a wrist injury, prompting the team to re-sign him as their backup quarterback. Veteran Logan Woodside and undrafted free agent Rocky Lombardi will be the quarterbacks under center when the Bengals travel to Chicago for their second preseason game.

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Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell believes quarterback Hendon Hooker (concussion) is trending toward playing in the team's second preseason game against Kansas City on Saturday. The reserve quarterback suffered a concussion during Detroit's preseason opener against the Giants. Last week was the preseason debut for Hooker, who missed all of his rookie campaign recovering from a torn ACL. The 2023 third-round pick is competing with veteran Nate Sudfeld for the second-string job behind Jared Goff.

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Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell stated "I think we're gonna be fine here" regarding the injury to running back Jahmyr Gibbs (hamstring) during a radio interview on Wednesday morning. There wasn't a timeline given on Gibbs' return to training camp, but Campbell's statements suggest it's not a long-term injury. The second-year running back is viewed as a late-first or second-round pick in fantasy football this year. His stock will slip if he hasn't returned to practice as the season opener against the Rams approaches. David Montgomery will take the bulk of the touches in Detroit if Gibbs were to miss any game action.

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Buffalo Bills LB Matt Milano (arm) suffered an apparent left arm injury during practice on Tuesday, Aug. 13. Milano reportedly tested the injury after it happened but did not return.

From TheHuddle

Detroit Lions rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold (pectoral) left practice on Monday with an upper-body injury that was later ruled a pectoral injury, but that injury is not expected to sideline him for any regular season action. The 2024 first-round pick Arnold has been working exclusively on the Lions' first team and is expected to be a Week 1 starter at cornerback this season. This injury likely sidelines Arnold for the remainder of the preseason, but as long as Arnold's recovery goes well, his next snap will come in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams on September 8th.

From RotoBaller

The saga involving the 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk may conclude in the coming days, as Mike Garafolo reports that the team hasn't pulled the trigger on a trade because a deal with Aiyuk that would keep him in San Francisco isn't far apart. It's also reported that Aiyuk would prefer to stay with the 49ers and has always preferred to stay with the 49ers, all things being equal. Aiyuk's status has made waves across the league over the past several days, but on the field, Aiyuk is one of the most efficient and productive wide receivers in the league. The 26-year-old Aiyuk would be a low-end fantasy WR1 upon a new deal with the 49ers, where he would retain his status as the top field stretcher in one of the NFL's best offenses.

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NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that the injury New York Giants rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (ankle) suffered is not "long-term" and Tracy's status is "week-to-week". Fantasy managers can breathe a sigh of relief as Tracy was carted off earlier in the day, diagnosed with a low-ankle sprain, and placed in an air cast. Tracy has been listed as the No. 2 running back for the Giants as the backup to Devin Singletary, but any missed time leads to additional work for Eric Gray. Tracy is a rising sleeper in fantasy circles as a late-round running back worth taking a flier on in drafts. Keep tabs on Tracy's status, but this news should still keep him very relevant as a bench player with upside heading into 2024.

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Kansas City Chiefs rookie running back Carson Steele had his most reps with the first- and second-team offenses on Tuesday out of all the days of training camp. The Chiefs are giving him a long look after his standout preseason game on Saturday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. "What I like about him is, right now, he's doing a lot of good things and being in the right spot at the right time, and you can trust him," offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said. The 21-year-old saw four carries last Saturday and turned them into 29 yards and a touchdown. It's notable that he saw more work over Deneric Prince and Keaontay Ingram, but it helped that Clyde Edwards-Helaire has been sidelined with an illness. For now, Steele is merely a player to watch in dynasty/keeper formats. He'll have to do plenty more to rise up KC's RB depth chart by the start of the regular season.

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