Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens hauled in both of his two targets for 25 receiving yards in Friday's preseason loss to the Houston Texans. Pickens played on just three offensive series but showed early signs of chemistry with quarterback Justin Fields. The third-year pro was dynamic after the catch, turning short completions into gains of 15 and 10 yards. It's no secret that the Steelers are interested in adding to their receiving corps, but for the time being, Pickens is entrenched as the team's top target. He should see additional opportunities next Saturday in a preseason bout with the Buffalo Bills.

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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields completed five of his six attempts for 67 scoreless yards in a 20-12 preseason loss to the Houston Texans. Fields added just two rushing yards on three attempts and took two sacks. He was also charged with two fumbles, both resulting from botched exchanges with guard Nate Herbig at center. Although Fields wasn't given many opportunities, he did manage to impress on a handful of completions to wideouts George Pickens and Van Jefferson. With Russell Wilson expected to suit up next Saturday against the Buffalo Bills, the quarterback competition in Pittsburgh should continue to heat up as the regular season approaches.

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Miami Dolphins tight end Tanner Conner caught three of four targets for 70 yards and a touchdown during Friday's 20-13 win against the Atlanta Falcons. His longest catch of the day was a 43-yarder where he came streaking off the line on a third and five, blowing right by a Falcons defender. Conner leaped to catch a slightly off-target Skylar Thompson pass in the soft spot of the zone and then showed off his yard-after-catch skills as he scampered down the field for a significant gain. He racked up 37 yards on his other two receptions. He had just four targets, but the third-year TE showed enough to be at least intriguing going into the second week of the preseason. He still has quite a bit of work to do, though. He sits behind Jonnu Smith, Durham Smythe, Julian Hill, and Jody Fortson Jr. on Miami's unofficial depth chart. It remains to be seen how much work Conner will get next weekend when the Dolphins take on the Commanders in Miami.

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Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said he anticipates quarterback Russell Wilson being available for the second preseason game next Saturday against the visiting Buffalo Bills. Wilson missed some time recently in training camp with a minor calf injury, which allowed backup Justin Fields to get some run with the first-team offense. The Steelers held Wilson out of Friday's preseason opener against the Houston Texans, while Fields proceeded to go 5-for-6 for 67 yards while also fumbling the ball twice. Fields may have more big-play ability because of his legs, but Wilson remains in pole position to start under center for the Steelers in the Week 1 regular-season opener versus the Atlanta Falcons on the road. With little to work with in the passing game, Wilson, who looked washed up in his two seasons in Denver, will open 2024 as a low-end QB2 for fantasy managers.

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Miami Dolphins quarterback Skylar Thompson completed eight of 19 passes for 95 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in Friday night's win against the Atlanta Falcons. He added two rushes for six yards. Thompson fared much better than fellow quarterback Mike White, who went 3-for-13 with a paltry 28 yards but still made a few head-scratching throws of his own. The second-year signal-caller is behind White on Miami's unofficial depth chart as the Dolphins' QB3, but after a few more performances like this, that might not be the case. The highlight of Thompson's night came on a third and five when he hit Tanner Connerstreaking down the sideline for a 43-yard gain. Thompson hit Conner with a well-placed ball that he layered between the corner and safety, though he did not hit him in stride. It is likely the Kansas State product will see a bunch more work next Saturday when Miami takes on the Washington Commanders at home.

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Miami Dolphins running back Jaylen Wright rushed for 55 yards and scored one touchdown on 10 carries in Miami's 20-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Friday. He failed to haul in his lone target. The former Tennessee Volunteer had a long gain of 14 yards on the night and was overall efficient, as he rushed for 5.5 yards per carry. Wright showed off his agility and quickness on Friday, displaying the tools that made him such an enticing selection for head coach Mike McDaniel in this year's draft. He is decisive and explosive and fights through arm tackles with a rugged toughness. The rookie RB is comfortably third on the Dolphins' depth chart behind incumbent co-starters Raheem Mostert and De'Von Achane for now. He's highly athletic, but significant volume could be tough to come by this season unless one of the two players mentioned above misses time on the field.

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Philadelphia Eagles tight end Grant Calcaterra caught both of his targets for 14 yards during the team's preseason opener against the Baltimore Ravens on Friday night. The 25-year-old was a part of the starting offense, which was the second-string unit, alongside backup quarterback Kenny Pickett. Calcaterra was targeted early but was quickly subbed out for Albert Okwuegbunam Jr. The depth chart behind starting tight end Dallas Goedert has been thin for years now, However, Jack Stoll, who was last year's No. 2 tight end for the Eagles, is now playing for the rival New York Giants, leaving the role wide-open for Calcaterra to take. He seems to be set in that role currently, but he will need to stave off Okwuegbunam Jr. and the rest of the room heading into September.

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Philadelphia Eagles running back Will Shipley took seven carries for 23 yards and caught his lone target, taking it for a seven-yard score at the end of the first quarter against the Baltimore Ravens. Veteran Kenneth Gainwell got the start ahead of the rookie Friday night and was more efficient with his carries. However, Shipley was put into the game early, indicating that the No. 2 role going to Gainwell is not a foregone conclusion. The 21-year-old also saw work as a returner on the kickoff team, a role that Gainwell also occupies. The rookie has been on the veteran's heels so far this summer and could carve out a passing downs role if he can continue to impress in practice.

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Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver John Ross caught three of five targets for a team-leading 28 yards receiving in the preseason opener against Baltimore Friday night. The 28-year-old was a part of the starting group, which was the second-string, to open the game and played into the second half with backup quarterback Kenny Pickett. Ross led the starting offense in the receiving game and saw five targets alongside Britain Covey. The former first-rounder has been receiving praise throughout the offseason and seems to have an inside track on the No. 3 job in the Eagles receiving room. The speedster will look to have a late-career rebirth after being one of the more glaring first-round busts of the past decade.

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Indianapolis Colts rookie wide receiver Anthony Gould has been used in the slot at times with the first-team offense during training camp. The rookie wideout is also competing for the punt-returner job. With Josh Downs (ankle) missing time, the Colts are giving all of their receivers a look in different spots to see who might fit where in case they're needed. Gould will notably compete with fellow rookie Adonai Mitchell and returning veterans Alec Pierce, Kylen Granson, and Jonathan Taylor for targets. It's worth noting that Pierce and Mitchell ran with the first team almost exclusively in Indianapolis' most recent practice. Still, Downs' injury certainly opens opportunities for others on this roster. He's going unselected in drafts right now.

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Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Ashton Dulin (hamstring) missed his second straight day of practice on Friday. With his and Josh Downs' (ankle) recent injuries, other wideouts on the Colts roster have been able to run with the first team. The severity of Dulin's injury is unclear, but this puts him in jeopardy of missing Indianapolis' preseason opener on Sunday. The fifth-year wideout had previously been a full-go at training camp on the heels of missing the entirety of the 2023 season with a torn ACL he suffered in August last season. The Colts have a relatively deep WR corps, and Dulin is listed fifth on the team's unofficial depth chart behind Michael Pittman Jr., Downs, rookie Adonai Mitchell, and Alec Pierce. For now, he can be safely left by the wayside until he returns to health and begins rapidly ascending the depth chart.

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Philadelphia Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell took four carries for 23 yards and was the first back on the field with the second-string unit against the Baltimore Ravens Friday night. Rookie Will Shipley soon came in to take over for the 25-year-old but was not nearly as efficient on his seven carries. Shipley was able to find the end zone at the end of the first quarter, catching a seven-yard pass from quarterback Kenny Pickett. Gainwell seems to have the inside track on the No. 2 job behind Saquon Barkley, but Shipley is proving that he can carve out his own role in the passing game and has been paired with Gainwell for kickoff returns.

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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Kenny Pickett completed 14 of 22 passes for 89 yards and touchdown, adding three carries for four yards in the Eagles preseason opener. While it was rumored that the Philadelphia starters would see playing time during the preseason opener, the second-team unit started the game and played into the third quarter led by the Eagles' offseason addition from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Without any starting receivers to throw to, the 26-year-old failed to throw for over 100 yards despite playing the entire first half and seeing snaps during the first drive of the second half. He was able to hit rookie running back Will Shipley for a seven-yard touchdown pass at the end of the first quarter. Pickett has received praise throughout the offseason but looked just as bland and was unable to complete big plays something he struggled with in Pittsburgh last season. Luckily for him, there is no real competition for his spot as the No. 2 option for the Eagles and he should see more play time next week when the Eagles travel to New England next Thursday.

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Dynasty | Free agent wide receiver Robby Chosen has signed with the 49ers. Dynasty Analysis: The player formerly known as Robbie Anderson (and briefly as Chosen Anderson) will attempt to make the 53-man roster, though that could prove tough as he's bounced around the league in recent years. The news here may be the fact the 49ers are improving their depth chart in the hopes they can move Brandon Aiyuk here soon. Stay tuned.

Indianapolis Colts rookie wide receiver Adonai Mitchell is taking advantage of his increased playing time with the first team with Josh Downs (ankle) out. As per Kevin Bowen of The Fan, Friday was easily the best combined practice for him and teammate Alec Pierce. Both routinely worked with the starters, and notably, Mitchell ran out of the slot, hauling in three of three targets. The rookie wideout has nine receptions throughout training camp now, giving him the fourth-most among Colts pass-catchers, trailing only Michael Pittman Jr., Downs, and Kylen Granson. The Colts' coaching staff trusting Mitchell to expand his role so quickly is an encouraging sign. Downs' progress in return from injury is something to monitor, because if he were to miss time during the season, the former Texas Longhorn could return sleeper value in drafts this year. He's the NFFC WR66 (158 overall) currently in average draft position.

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Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald announced that he believes tight end Noah Fant (foot) will practice next week. He missed a bit of time over the last few days due to a foot injury incurred during Wednesday's practice, but it seems he'll be all good to return following the weekend. This is a good sign for the sixth-year veteran, as any time missed during the crucial install of Ryan Grubb's offense could cost him. Targets will be scarce for Fant, as he has DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba to contend with for quarterback Geno Smith's targets. During Grubb's 2023 reign as coordinator for the Washington Huskies' offense, tight end Jack Westover finished the season with the fourth-most receptions and yards in Washington's offense. It seems fitting to project a similar situation here. Fant is the TE24 in NFFC ADP (207 overall) and is only a target in two-tight end and best-ball formats.

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Dynasty | The Patriots have released wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. Dynasty Analysis: After a decent 2022 campaign in Kansas City, the Patriots signed Smith-Schuster to a three-year deal last off-season. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a mess as he posted just a 29/260/1 season in 11 games. With players like Demario Douglas and Ja'Lynn Polk apparently ready to move into prominent positions, he was simply expendable. At this point, he's still just 27 years old and should latch on to a team as a veteran presence. His dynasty value, however, is at an all-time low with little chance of really rising too much at this point in his career.

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Dynasty | Giants running back Eric Gray rushed for 52 yards on four carries and added four catches for another 46 yards, scoring twice in his preseason debut. Dynasty Analysis: It was quite the stat sheet stuffer for Gray, which is great news. The bad news, however, is the fact he played well behind Tyrone Tracy and didn't log a snap with the starters. Gray remains a solid sleeper in dynasty leagues but we need to see him log some time against better competition before feeling too confident.

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Dynasty | Texans receiver Tank Dell had one catch for 34 yards and a touchdown in Houston's preseason opener. Dynasty Analysis: Now seemingly healthy, Dell returned to his explosive self by scoring on the opening drive before calling it quits on the day. The Houston offense looks to be one of the more productive next season and Dell seems to be a relative bargain at the moment in dynasty leagues as many are focusing their attention on Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs.

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The Dallas Cowboys announced on Friday that quarterback Dak Prescott (ankle) was given a precautionary day off at training camp on Friday due to ankles soreness. It should be nothing to worry about, but Prescott is also not expected to play in Sunday's preseason opener versus the Los Angeles Rams. The 31-year-old continues to manage occasional ankle soreness stemming from his broken ankle several years ago and also caused a stir back in early July when he was seen wearing a protective walking boot on his right foot while on vacation. Prescott continues to maintain that he'll be a full-go for the start of the regular season in Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns despite not getting a long-term contract extension as he heads into the final year of his current deal. He had the best year of his career in 2023 but has a lower floor and ceiling than most big-name QBs because of his lack of rushing numbers.

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