Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is unlikely to suit up for Saturday's preseason opener, according to head coach Kevin O'Connell. This doesn't appear to be health related as Jefferson seems to be fine heading into the preseason. The Vikings simply don't want to risk an injury in an exhibition game. Sam Darnold is slated to start and should be followed by rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The absence of Jefferson won't give the quarterbacks a chance to get more in-game chemistry with their star wideout. However, the health of Jefferson is more important and there will be more preseason contests.

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New Orleans Saints WR Stanley Morgan (hip) is dealing with a hip injury, according to head coach Dennis Allen.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Kyle Trask has been named the starter for Saturday's preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. Head coach Todd Bowles mentioned that a majority of the starters including Baker Mayfield will be resting in the opener. That being said, Trask will start the game and is expected to be followed by third-string quarterback John Wolford. Last season, Trask and Mayfield were having a competition for the starting gig in Tampa Bay. That won't be the case this time around as Trask will compete with Wolford for the backup spot on the roster.

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Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy is going to get his first taste of professional football on Saturday against the Las Vegas Raiders. Sam Darnold will draw the start under center before McCarthy takes over. Head coach Kevin O'Connell said that the rookie signal-caller will get a significant amount of work during the preseason opener. Second-year quarterback Jaren Hall is expected to play after McCarthy exits the contest. The Vikings appear to be making this a legitimate competition, but McCarthy is looked upon as the quarterback of the future in Minnesota.

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Cincinnati Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson (undisclosed) participated in practice Wednesday, Aug. 7.

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Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Rondale Moore (knee), who was carted off from training camp practice on Wednesday, suffered a season-ending knee injury. Moore suffered a non-contact injury on Wednesday, and although the specifics of the injury haven't been revealed, it's likely to be an ACL tear. It's a brutal blow for Moore and the Falcons' receiver depth behind Drake London, Darnell Mooney and Ray-Ray McCloud III. The 24-year-old former second-rounder was acquired by Atlanta in a trade this offseason from the Arizona Cardinals and was competing with McCloud mainly for slot duties in Atlanta. Moore's injury should solidify McCloud as the team's starting slot man in three-receiver sets to open the regular season this fall.

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Jacksonville Jaguars OG Ezra Cleveland (heel), OT Anton Harrison (concussion), DT Arik Armstead (knee), DT Jordan Jefferson (ankle), S Andrew Wingard (knee) and S Darnell Savage (shoulder) will not play in the preseason game Saturday, Aug. 10.

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Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler is returning kicks at training camp during Thursday's practice. That's one way for the Commanders to get Ekeler involved besides backfield usage. The 29-year-old receiving back looked like he was running with a piano on his back after missing three games early last year due to an ankle sprain, rushing for just 3.5 yards per carry and producing only 4.6 yards per touch in 14 appearances for the Los Angeles Chargers. Even so, Ekeler still ranked sixth among qualifiers at his position in yards per catch (8.5) over 52 receptions and 10th in yards per route run (1.55) across 282 routes in 2023, so Washington is going to try and get the ball in his hands in space. He's a wild card for 2024 as an RB3/flex gamble in the double-digit rounds of fantasy drafts this summer, one that is best suited for PPR settings alongside early-down back Brian Robinson Jr.

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Houston Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs (undisclosed) missed Wednesday's practice and likely won't play in Friday's preseason game against the hosting Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Diggs sustained another undisclosed injury after having the wind knocked out of him on Tuesday at practice, but the issue is not expected to be a long-term problem. The 30-year-old All-Pro started hot in the first half of 2023 but took a steep downturn during the second half of the season as the alpha target with the Buffalo Bills, and he'll now share quarterback C.J. Stroud's targets with star wideouts Nico Collins and Tank Dell as well as safety valve Dalton Schultz in 2024. Diggs will have to overcome a likely drop in opportunity with efficiency to remain in WR1/2 conversations this fall, as he's unlikely to produce a fourth straight 100-catch season in his new digs.

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Most New York Giants starters, including quarterback Daniel Jones and rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers, are not expected to play on Thursday in their preseason opener against the visiting Detroit Lions in East Rutherford. The two teams had two intense joint-practices this week. Next week, the Giants don't have any joint practices before Saturday's preseason game against the Texans in Houston. That seems like the most likely spot to get the first-team offense and defense some preseason playing time. While it's no surprise to see New York hold out Jones after the signal-caller tore his ACL last season, it says a lot about the organization's belief in Nabers that they aren't pushing him to get as many exhibition snaps as possible. Fantasy managers will have to wait at least another week before they catch their first glimpse of the LSU standout and 2024 No. 6 overall pick in professional game action.

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Free-agent WR Anthony Miller (Chiefs) is expected to sign with the Baltimore Ravens, according to sources.

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New York Jets WR Mike Williams (knee) was limited during practice Thursday, Aug. 8. Head coach Robert Saleh said Williams probably will not participate in team drills for another week or two.

Fantasy Spin: Williams has a decent chance to be ready for Week 1, but fantasy players will need to monitor his progress over the next few weeks. Williams can be a No. 4 receiver in most fantasy leagues and could be a starting option against favorable matchups.

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As much as anyone on the offense, Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts has been breathing heavily during practice at training camp. Part of that is because he's getting a ton of work, more than he did under former head coach Arthur Smith, simply because the Falcons practiced more personnel groupings under Smith. Another part of it could be that he's still working himself into his best shape. Although he won't be an unrestricted free agent until the 2026 offseason, 2024 feels like it's a bit of a make-or-break season for Pitts. The 23-year-old former No. 4 overall pick and generational talent remains a buy-low fantasy asset among low-end TE1 picks in drafts this summer, with their being optimism that Atlanta's modernized offense will finally unlock him. Last year, Pitts led his position in deep targets (11), air yards (1,012), and unrealized air yards (479) in 17 games.

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Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence will suit up and start in the team's first preseason game of the year against the visiting Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday at EverBank Stadium. Head coach Doug Pederson said on Monday before the team's 11th camp practice that he intends to play the team's penciled-in starters for a "series or two" to get their feet wet as he's done in the past. Lawrence will suit up for the first time since signing his record-setting $275 million contract extension. The 24-year-old former No. 1 overall pick is coming off a fairly disappointing season from a fantasy perspective, throwing just 21 touchdowns with a pedestrian 7.1 yards per attempt in 16 appearances, but he did deal with four separate injuries at various points during the year. To begin the season, Lawrence belongs on the QB1/2 borderline after Jacksonville ran the sixth-most team pass plays per game (36.5) in 2023.

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Cleveland Browns RB D'Onta Foreman (neck) participated in practice Thursday, Aug. 8.

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New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is not dressed to practice on Thursday for precautionary reasons, according to head coach Robert Saleh. The Jets are being cautious because of the heavy rain all morning in New York, and they don't want to take the risk with their franchise signal-caller. Rodgers is already unlikely to play during the preseason this year, so this shouldn't affect his status for Saturday's exhibition opener against the visiting Washington Commanders in East Rutherford. The 40-year-old future Hall of Famer was beginning to show signs of decline back in 2022 with the Green Bay Packers before 2023's ruptured Achilles, so he's being drafted as more of a QB2 in fantasy drafts this summer. The weekly potential for Rodgers to post QB1 scores will likely be dependent on game scripts in 2024.

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Green Bay Packers kickers Greg Joseph and Anders Carlson are in a competition for the starting job in 2024 after the team cut rookie James Turner last week. Carlson, a sixth-round pick last year, struggled at the end of his first year in the NFL, included a missed 41-yard field goal late in the Divisional Round loss to the San Francisco 49ers. It's been a close competition between the two in training camp, but ESPN's Rob Demovsky writes that Joseph has a slight advantage through the early portion based solely on the numbers. Joseph had made 36 of 40 field goals, while Carlson was 33-for-40. Carlson's only miss at practice last Saturday was from 57 yards out, though. Head coach Matt LaFleur anticipates the kicking competition playing out throughout the preseason, so Carlson has time to flip the script.

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Former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles officially announced his retirement on Thursday on his Instagram account. Foles entered the NFL as a third-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2012 out of Arizona and went on to play in 11 seasons in the league before hanging up his cleats. He hadn't played since the 2022 campaign, when he appeared in three games (two starts) with the Indianapolis Colts. The 35-year-old signal-caller made his lone Pro Bowl in his second year with Philly in 2013. He'll be remembered most for taking down Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII to give the Eagles their first Super Bowl title in franchise history. Foles wraps up his NFL career with 14,227 passing yards, 82 touchdowns and 47 interceptions in 71 regular-season games (58 starts).

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Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said that rookie first-round quarterback Caleb Williams and the "starters that are available to us" will play in the second preseason contest this Saturday on the road against the Buffalo Bills. There's a "range" of plays that will be designated for this group, but Eberflus wouldn't give a specific amount. Chicago held Williams and the starters out of the preseason opener last Thursday versus the Houston Texans in the Hall of Fame game, but the 22-year-old will get his first preseason action in Buffalo this weekend. The No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft is unlikely to play more than a few offensive series, but it will give us a chance to see him operate against an opponent for the first time in his young NFL career. The USC alum is the most pro-ready QB of all rookie signal-callers and has an excellent supporting cast, giving him a chance to be a high-end QB2 in fantasy right off the bat.

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