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The Weekly Bender: You Can Always Come Home

Fri Jul 5 6:00pm ET
By HOWARD BENDER
Fantasy Writer

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There is nothing better than winning your fantasy football league. Whether you’re playing against your friends in a home league or gearing up to take down the $500,000 grand prize in The Fantasy Championship, that euphoric feeling hits you in such a way that sometimes words can’t even describe. But it takes work. It takes tenacity. You don’t just stumble into a championship. You earn it. And that starts with your research here in July. Scouting talent is a top priority for you right now and it’s not just about the NFL players on the field. It’s also about which fantasy analysts you choose to trust each season.

Back in 2011, the folks here at RealTime Fantasy Sports led the way in premier scouting. During a raucous after-party following the FSTA Conference (currently the FSGA) in San Francisco, two of RTSports’ finest made their way to the bar and struck up a conversation with the guy slinging drinks. As it turned out, he also happened to be an aspiring fantasy analyst, freelancing for a couple of sites and looking for more work.

The conversation was light and friendly but intensified when opinions on players and teams came into play. The Giants had just won the World Series and baseball talk was buzzing in the Bay Area. The Green Bay Packers were in mini-camp looking to defend their Super Bowl championship and as we witness every year, the football frenzy was already taking over. With every lager and IPA that hit the bar, the men of RTSports also received formidable opinions, spicy hot takes, boatloads of sarcasm and some pretty entertaining jokes. By the end of the evening, a business card was handed across the bar with a firm demand: “We need a fantasy article written every week with these thoughts, these opinions and this kind of attitude.” With smiles all around and firm handshakes given, “The Weekly Bender” was born.

Yes, all of this, just to re-introduce myself to the community here at RealTime Fantasy Sports. What’s going on, everyone? I am over-the-moon with excitement about being back. In some ways, I never left. Though I was soon offered a full-time position at Fantasy Alarm and the Weekly Bender came to a close, I have remained very active on this website. For years, I hosted the Mock Draft Army here on RTSports and provided fantasy owners an opportunity to mock draft alongside dedicated fantasy players and industry analysts from all over. I’ve hosted numerous best ball drafts here for my audience at SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio and until my return today, have been logging plenty of time turning a profit in the RTSports DFS Pick ‘Em contests.

Yes, I am still over at Fantasy Alarm and you can find all of my fantasy football player rankings, cheat sheets (coming this Monday, July 8), draft strategies and my coaching scheme breakdowns in our Fantasy Football Draft Guide. The community over there is spectacular and I am sure that some of you reading this right now may already be over there. But RTSports has always been a home for me and now that I am back, I cannot wait to jump in.

In addition to the Weekly Bender, an article dedicated to providing winning strategies and picks with a hefty serving of snark, I will also be joining Jeff Paur on his weekly podcast/livestream, sharing videos with DFS Pick ‘Em contest picks, hosting mock drafts to get everyone ready for the 2024 NFL season and even setting up some “Beat Howard Bender” contests so that we can not only play against each other but also give you the opportunity to serve some of that smack-talk back to me.

When Thomas Wolfe wrote “You Can’t Go Home Again,” he was referring to the way nostalgia has us viewing the past in an overly-positive light. For those of you who remember the original Weekly Bender, you know we don’t look back at those pieces with rose-colored glasses. We crushed the research together, we ruled the waiver wire together and we shared championships together. It all comes full circle today and if Wolfe was sitting with me here right now, I’d let him know that you truly can go home again.

Here's to a spectacular 2024 season!

Bender, out!

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Player Notes
Demario Douglas Jul 26 12:30pm CT
Demario Douglas

New England Patriots wide receiver Demario Douglas (hand) is dealing with a hand injury that has limited him the last couple of days in training camp practices. Head coach Jerod Mayo called Douglas day-to-day on Friday. Douglas' injury is minor, but he's missing valuable repetitions as he looks to continue to impress in a Patriots receiving corps that is looking for players to step up in 2024. The 23-year-old second-year wideout was impressive in offseason workouts in the spring after going for 49 catches, 561 yards and no touchdowns in his rookie campaign in 2023 after he was taken in the sixth round out of Liberty. Douglas is one to watch entering his second year in the league, but with competition from rookies Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker in an offense led by quarterback Jacoby Brissett, he's probably going to go undrafted in standard 12-team leagues.

From RotoBaller

Russell Wilson Jul 26 12:30pm CT
Russell Wilson

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said that there weren't any setbacks with quarterback Russell Wilson's calf injury, and he just wanted "to keep a minor thing from becoming major." Wilson was held out of training camp practice for a second straight day due to a minor calf injury, but there's no timetable for the 35-year-old veteran to return to the field. It's an injury that shouldn't affect Wilson's readiness for the start of his first year in Pittsburgh, but at the same time, he's missing valuable reps to gain chemistry with his receivers while learning a new offense. In the meantime, former Chicago Bears first-round QB Justin Fields is running the first-team offense. Wilson looked like shell of his former self in Denver the last two years and doesn't have enough receiving weapons around him in the Steel City to make him anything more than a low-upside QB2 in fantasy.

From RotoBaller

Drake London Jul 26 12:20pm CT
Drake London

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London appeared to be suffering from cramps during Friday's training camp practice when he left early. The Falcons later announced that London was "over-heated" during the team's second training camp practice. It's good news for the 23-year-old that he was only dealing with cramps. It's possible that he'll be a full-go for the team's next practice this weekend as he works to gain chemistry with new quarterback Kirk Cousins. The former eighth overall pick in 2022 out of USC enters the 2024 campaign as a low-end WR1/high-end WR2 now that Cousins is in town. He has 69 receptions on 110 targets for 905 yards and just two touchdowns in 16 starts in his second year in 2023. New offensive coordinator Zac Robinson is expected to favor the passing game in Atlanta over former head coach Arthur Smith.

From RotoBaller

Jabrill Peppers Jul 26 12:20pm CT
Jabrill Peppers

The New England Patriots and safety Jabrill Peppers finalized a three-year contract extension on Friday with a base value of $24 million, according to a source. The deal is worth up to $30 million. It's a nice reward for the Patriots' best defensive player last year. Peppers, a former 25th overall selection by the Cleveland Browns in 2017 out of Michigan, had 78 tackles (52 solo), one sack, five tackles for loss, a career-high two interceptions, eight pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 15 starts for the Patriots in his second year with the team. The 28-year-old is best known for being a standout in run defense, which makes him at least worth a bench spot in deeper IDP fantasy formats. Peppers has racked up 471 total tackles (311 solo) with 5.5 sacks in 93 career games (79 starts) with the Browns, New York Giants and Patriots.

From RotoBaller

Deshaun Watson Jul 26 12:10pm CT
Deshaun Watson

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (shoulder) threw in 11-on-11 drills at training camp practice on Friday for the first time since last season. The Browns are currently unsure if Watson will get repetitions in the preseason this year after having season-ending shoulder surgery in 2023, but he's taking part in practices early in camp and should be fully ready for Week 1 of the 2024 regular season, barring a setback. The 28-year-old took part in 7-on-7 drills in spring practices and is not being limited early in training camp. It's a great sign for Watson, who will be looking to stay healthy and play a full season for the first time with the Browns this year. Watson has proven to be a dynamic QB when healthy, and he has plenty of playmakers around him in Cleveland, but he's going to need to stay healthy and push the ball downfield to prove he's more than a QB2 in fantasy.

From RotoBaller

Tua Tagovailoa Jul 26 12:10pm CT
Tua Tagovailoa

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was a full participant in Friday's training camp practice after he was limited on Wednesday and didn't take part on Thursday. Tagovailoa isn't injured this summer, but he was expected to hold in at camp while he and the Dolphins continue to work on a much-deserved long-term contract extension. A hold-in from the 26-year-old former first-round signal-caller is out the window now, and it would be a surprise if the two sides don't work something out before the start of the regular season this fall after Tagovailoa put up a career year in 2023. In 17 regular-season starts, Tagovailoa led the NFL with 4,624 yards and added a career-high 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He has one of the best one-two punches at receiver in the league, but his floor as a QB1 is lower than some of the other big names at the position because of his lack of rushing statistics.

From RotoBaller

Roman Wilson Jul 26 10:10am CT
Roman Wilson

Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan answered questions from the media at training camp on Thursday and said, "There's nothing going on right now," in terms of a trade for a wide receiver. Outside of George Pickens and Calvin Austin III, the rest of the receiving corps is new to the team. Roman Wilson, the rookie from Michigan, seems to be battling for the third spot, while Van Jefferson appears to be the front-runner for the second receiver. There's still plenty of time between now and the start of the season, but the Steelers appear to be comfortable with the state of their receivers right now.

From RotoBaller

Daniel Bellinger Jul 26 8:30am CT
Daniel Bellinger

New York Giants tight end Daniel Bellinger put together some big plays in practice on Thursday during the team's red-zone drills. He hauled in a touchdown pass from backup quarterback Tommy Devito while the other two tight ends also scored. Bellinger has reportedly been the favorite to be the starting tight end after Darren Waller retired, but it doesn't seem to be a foregone conclusion. Tyree Jackson caught a touchdown from DeVito as well while Lawrence Cager took some first-team snaps and snagged a touchdown as well from Daniel Jones. Fantasy managers will want to monitor Bellinger's training camp performance and how the depth chart shakes out.

From RotoBaller

Michael Badgley Jul 26 8:00am CT
Michael Badgley

Detroit Lions kicker Michael Badgley (hamstring) reportedly suffered a torn hamstring getting ready for practice on Thursday. According to Ian Rapoport, the injury will force Badgley to miss the entire season and the Lions will now try out new kickers to take his place. The 28-year-old joined the Lions in 2022 and appeared in 12 games while playing four games for them in 2023. Riley Patterson played in 12 games for the Lions last season, so he may be one of the kickers trying out for the spot this season. For now, fantasy managers will have to wait and see who wins the position in Detroit.

From RotoBaller

David Njoku Jul 26 7:50am CT
David Njoku

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (undisclosed) was seen working on the side at training camp on Thursday. Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports that Njoku was working alongside Jerry Jeudy (leg) and Nick Chubb (knee) among other players dealing with injuries. Njoku was at least getting some work in even though it wasn't with the whole team in the main portion of practice. His injury remains undisclosed at this point, but we could get some further insight on Friday. He proved to be a fantastic fantasy asset while playing with Joe Flacco last season, but it's unclear whether or not he can build the same chemistry with Deshaun Watson.

From RotoBaller

Jerome Ford Jul 26 7:40am CT
Jerome Ford

Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford (personal) reportedly missed practice on Thursday due to a personal matter. Patrick Warren of clevelandbrowns.com reports that Ford is expected back at practice on Friday as he only needed to tend to the matter on Thursday. The 24-year-old projects to be the starter with Nick Chubb (knee) still on the PUP list and recovering from his gruesome injury last season. The good news for fantasy managers is this is just a temporary absence and Ford should be back on the field taking first-team snaps.

From RotoBaller

Jerry Jeudy Jul 26 7:40am CT
Jerry Jeudy

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (leg) was seen at practice on Thursday working on the side with Nick Chubb (knee) and David Njoku (undisclosed). All three players were getting their own workouts in instead of taking any snaps with the team. Jeudy was dealing with a "minor injury" at the start of mandatory minicamp, so it's unclear if this is related to the same issue. Reports have suggested that Jeudy is making progress with the new offense since coming over from the Denver Broncos, but getting more time at training camp is going to help at the start of the season. Fantasy managers will want to monitor his participation level as camp progresses.

From RotoBaller

Will Levis Jul 26 5:30am CT
Will Levis

Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan reported that quarterback Will Levis has been "really impressive" through their first two days of camp. "I think his hard work this offseason and over the summer has really paid off. He's incredibly confident right now. And he's earned that confidence. ... He's dialed in. He has studied." Levis has a big arm and isn't afraid to use it. He's also mobile enough to extend plays, and it's nice to hear a coach speak highly of a player so early on in camp. Whether it is coach-speak or not still stands to be determined. However, the second-year quarterback garners an underrated arsenal of weapons with a returning DeAndre Hopkins and Chigoziem Okonkwo, as well as newly acquired Calvin Ridley and Tony Pollard. He has the potential to be a pleasant surprise this year if he takes even just a slight step forward. The University of Kentucky product presents sleeper appeal in superflex and best-ball formats as a QB2 with upside.

From RotoBaller

Justin Fields Jul 25 9:40pm CT
Justin Fields

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields was surprised early Thursday morning to learn that he would take all the reps with the first-team offense on the first day of Steelers' training camp. Mike Tomlin decided to hold Russell Wilson out for the time being with a sore calf muscle. "I decided to sit (Wilson) down today and create a little short-term discomfort for him, not allowing the small problem to become a bigger problem," Tomlin said. He characterized Wilson as day-to-day. Meanwhile, Fields looked sharp during portions of Thursday's practice and, at other times, looked like someone still trying to figure it out. The Steelers shocked the world when they brought in both Wilson and Fields this offseason, and a bit of a quarterback competition would probably do them both some good. Wilson -- if healthy -- appears to be locked in as Pittsburgh's starter, but this will be a situation to monitor all the way up until Week 1.

From RotoBaller

Deshaun Watson Jul 25 9:20pm CT
Deshaun Watson

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski addressed the media Thursday on their first day of training camp, breaking the news that he was unsure whether or not starting quarterback Deshaun Watson (shoulder) would appear in any of the team's three preseason games. Watson, who had shoulder surgery during the offseason to tend to the scapular and rotator cuff injuries he suffered during the 2023 season, seems to be on his way to health but isn't there just yet. Stefanski confirmed he would discuss the details with Watson and his staff before determining when he would get game action at an appropriate time. "We'll be smart," Stefanski said. "We're very fortunate to have a great medical team around Deshaun... He looks great, feels great, so we'll just be smart about it." Watson is going off draft boards as QB22 and is a solid second quarterback option in superflex leagues heading into fantasy drafts.

From RotoBaller

J.K. Dobbins Jul 25 8:50pm CT
J.K. Dobbins

Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins (Achilles) told reporters Thursday that he is one of the league's best running backs when healthy. "Ya'll know how much yards I averaged per carry," said Dobbins. The former Baltimore Raven has averaged 5.8 yards per carry since entering the league in 2020 -- the highest of any running back in that time. However, performance hasn't been the issue for the former Ohio State Buckeye; his availability has. He's appeared in just 24 of a potential 73 career games after falling victim to tears in his ACL and Achilles over the last few seasons. Despite this, Dobbins still views himself as a top talent in the league. "I feel like I'm in college out there right now," Dobbins said. "And I do think that the storm is over... You guys will see -- it'll be special." Dobbins has been a full go through two days of training camp, while Gus Edwards has yet to participate in team drills after an unspecified offseason surgery. Interestingly enough, Dobbins is currently being selected as the RB49 (ADP 150) -- 30 picks after Gus Edwards (RB40). It's possible he can provide some value this year with the caveat that he remains healthy.

From RotoBaller

Deshaun Watson Jul 25 6:40pm CT
Deshaun Watson

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Thursday at training camp that he will call the offensive plays for the team in 2024. The Browns hired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey this offseason, but Stefanski will at least start the new season as the play-caller after holding the role since arriving as head coach before the 2020 campaign. Ultimately, Cleveland's offensive success hinges on whether quarterback Deshaun Watson can stay on the field. The 28-year-old former 12th overall pick by the Houston Texans in 2017 out of Clemson was suspended for the entire 2021 season and has only started 12 games in the last two seasons with Cleveland due to injuries. Still, the Browns offense has finished in the top half of the league in points per game in two of the last four seasons.

From RotoBaller

Nick Chubb Jul 25 6:30pm CT
Nick Chubb

The Athletic's Zac Jackson writes that the Cleveland Browns have options with their roster management and don't need to rush running back Nick Chubb (knee) back for the start of the 2024 season. But if Chubb returns to practice at any point during training camp, he'll be activated from the Physically Unable to Perform list and would have to be on the 53-man active roster to start the regular season. Chubb has been a superstar for the Browns who has consistently produced -- his career average of 5.3 yards per carry ranks seventh-best by any player since 1946 -- but he's recovering from a torn ACL, MCL and meniscus in his left knee, the same one in which he previously tore his ACL in college. The fact that the 28-year-old doesn't have a timetable and remains a candidate to open the year on the PUP list (and miss at least the first four games), makes him a risky RB3/flex in fantasy in 2024.

From RotoBaller

Trevon Diggs Jul 25 6:20pm CT
Trevon Diggs

The Dallas Cowboys officially placed cornerback Trevon Diggs (knee) on the Physically Unable to Perform list on Thursday and will not be able to take part in the start of training camp. The Cowboys are expected to be cautious with Digg's return this summer. After leading the NFL with 11 interceptions in 2021 and turning in another Pro Bowl campaign in 2022, Diggs tore his ACL in a Week 3 practice last year. The 25-year-old defensive back was working off to the side with the rehab group this offseason and is expected to be activated from the PUP list before the start of the 2024 regular season. The ball-hawking Diggs will form a potent cornerback duo in Dallas with DaRon Bland when he's healthy, but he's a pretty big gamble for takeaways in IDP fantasy formats coming off a serious injury. The Alabama product has 173 combined tackles (146 solo) in his four NFL seasons. Expecting double-digit interceptions in 2024 wouldn't be wise.

From RotoBaller

Dak Prescott Jul 25 6:10pm CT
Dak Prescott

When asked if the 2024 season would be quarterback Dak Prescott's last year with the organization, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said, "I don't think so. I do not think this will be his last year with the Cowboys at all." "We think we can get them both done." executive vice president Stephen Jones said when asked about getting contract extensions done with both Prescott and receiver CeeDee Lamb. He also indicated it "does require" to make tougher decisions on other players. Lamb is currently holding out of training camp as he seeks a new deal, while Prescott is in line to play the 2024 campaign on the final year of the four-year contract he signed in 2021. Prescott is due to make $55 million this year after a career season in 2023. The 30-year-old is much more likely to hit the open market next March if he doesn't sign a new extension with Dallas before Week 1 this fall.

From RotoBaller