Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones has earned significant praise from offensive coordinator Wes Phillips for his versatility in the passing game, effectiveness in goal-line situations, and strong football IQ. The Vikings plan to leverage Jones in multiple roles across their offense, making him a valuable and versatile asset in today's NFL. Jones showcased his elite talents during last year's Wild Card game against the Cowboys, where he shined on national TV with 118 rushing yards and three touchdowns, leading Green Bay to a 48-32 victory. Despite his on-field success, Jones's health has been a concern; he missed six games last season and had to leave others early due to injuries. As Jones nears his 30th birthdaya significant age for NFL running backshis recent injury history adds some risk. Although the fifth round might be too early for an injury-prone player like Jones, he could be a solid RB2 if available in the sixth or seventh round in upcoming fantasy drafts. Fantasy managers should look to add a reliable RB3 on their roster to cover for the inevitable missed games from Jones.

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Los Angeles Rams starting guard Jonah Jackson (shoulder) is expected to miss the preseason due to a bruised scapula. However, he may return in time for the regular season opener against his former team, the Detroit Lions. Today, Jackson was seen on the sidelines with his left arm in a sling, highlighting the severity of the injury. The Rams have labeled Jackson as day-to-day with a shoulder issue. Signed to a three-year, $51 million contract, Jackson is now the sixth-highest-paid guard in the NFL, acquired from the Lions. The Rams were already without left tackle Alaric Jackson (ankle), who tweaked his ankle earlier in the week, so any significant injury to Jonah Jackson would be a major setback as training camp progresses. These injuries could adversely affect the fantasy value of the Rams' offensive players, particularly Matthew Stafford and Kyren Williams.

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The Washington Commanders have claimed kicker Riley Patterson off waivers from the Jacksonville Jaguars. After a brief stint with Brandon McManus, the Commanders are turning to Patterson, a recent kicker for the Jaguars. Patterson has appeared in 39 career games, including 15 last season with the Lions and Browns. On Wednesday, Ramiz Ahmed was the only kicker on the Commanders' 90-man roster. Ahmed has played in just one career game, serving as a fill-in for Mason Crosby with the Packers in 2022. Patterson joined the Jaguars on a reserve/futures contract but lost an early camp competition to sixth-round rookie Cam Little. The Commanders will evaluate whether Patterson or Ahmed can serve as a dependable kicker. The winner of this competition could hold significant value, especially as the Commanders' offense, led by Jayden Daniels, looks promising but might need to score heavily due to a potentially weak defense.

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Minnesota Vikings tight end Robert Tonyan (back) left practice due to back spasms, and his return timeline is still uncertain. If Tonyan's injury proves severe and he misses a significant amount of time, the Vikings' tight end situation could become problematic. T.J. Hockenson (knee) the team's primary tight end, is only seven months removed from an ACL tear in his right knee and is not expected to be ready for the start of the regular season. He is on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, with no clear timeline for his return. Typically, recovery from an ACL tear takes 9-12 months. Tonyan was brought in to fill Hockenson's pass-catching role, but without both Hockenson and Tonyan, the Vikings' tight end group consists of Josh Oliver, Johnny Mundt, Nick Muse, N'Keal Harry, and Trey Knox. With limited options at tight end, the focus shifts to increasing targets for critical players like Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Aaron Jones.

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On his second day back from his pre-training camp hip injury on Wednesday, Green Bay Packers rookie running back MarShawn Lloyd (hip) returned to team repetitions after only doing individual work on Tuesday. It's good news for the 23-year-old as he attempts to learn a new offense entering his first year in the big leagues. While he's going to start the preseason as the team's RB3 behind Josh Jacobs and AJ Dillon, the explosive third-round selection could easily surpass Dillon on the RB depth chart, especially if Dillon continues to look sluggish like he did in 2023. The 5-foot-9, 220-pounder will merely be a sleeper option in deeper fantasy leagues to begin the 2024 season, but as long as he can stay healthy, he should become a bigger part of Green Bay's offense later this year.

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The New England Patriots and defensive tackle Davon Godchaux agreed to a two-year contract extension on Wednesday that is worth up to $21 million and includes $16.5 million in guarantees. The deal was completed by Drew Rosenhaus, Jason Rosenhaus and Ryan Matha. The Miami Dolphins selected Godchaux in the fifth round (178th overall) back in 2017 out of LSU, and the 29-year-old defensive lineman has come into his own the last three years in Boston after spending the first four years of his NFL career in Miami. Godchaux isn't on the IDP fantasy radar, but he's accumulated 81 solo tackles, 2.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss, nine QB hits, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in three years for the Patriots. He has not missed a game in his three years with the Pats.

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Dallas Cowboys LB Eric Kendricks (back) did not participate in practice Wednesday, July 31, because of back tightness.

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Washington Commanders WR Damiere Byrd and WR Dax Milne were released Wednesday, July 31.

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Free-agent WR Willie Snead (49ers) signed with the Miami Dolphins Wednesday, July 31. Terms of the contract were not disclosed. The team also waived DT Mario Kendricks.

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Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton told reporters at training camp on Wednesday that his starters will play in the preseason. That means fantasy managers should catch their first glimpse of rookie quarterback Bo Nix under center during the Aug. 11 preseason opener against the hosting Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium, but Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson should also see their fair share of snaps this summer. It also means we should get some clarity on the pecking order at running back in Denver. Javonte Williams figures to get the first crack as the Broncos' lead back after Payton praised him during the first week of camp, while veteran Samaje Perine mixes in to try and keep his spot on the roster. The workloads of the speedy Jaleel McLaughlin as well as rookie fifth-rounder Audric Estime will also be worth monitoring.

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Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman (undisclosed) is back practicing at Wednesday's training camp. After leaving Monday's practice and missing Tuesday's session, Bateman is back on the field for the Ravens on Wednesday after his undisclosed injury was downplayed. The 24-year-old deep threat will have a chance to cement himself as superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson's No. 3 option in the passing game behind star wideout Zay Flowers and All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews in 2024, but he'll need to do a better job of staying healthy this year after dealing with a Lisfranc injury in the past. After posting a healthy 14.5 yards of average target distance in Baltimore's potent offense last season, Bateman profiles as a post-hype sleeper in the final rounds of 12-team fantasy drafts this summer.

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Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is having a pre-planned rest day at training camp on Wednesday, offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said. Jefferson's absence from Wednesday's session is simply for maintenance purposes, so fantasy managers don't need to be alarmed. It remains to be seen, however, if Jefferson will take the field for the Aug. 10 preseason opener against the visiting Las Vegas Raiders at U.S. Bank Stadium. The 25-year-old All-Pro wideout missed seven games a year ago due to a strained hamstring, but that didn't stop him from putting up over 1,000 yards in just 10 appearances during 2023. After notching the fourth-most yards per route run (2.95) over 364 routes run and sixth-most yards per target (10.7) across his 100 targets, Jefferson is a cinch selection in the middle of Round 1 of fantasy drafts as Minnesota's alpha target.

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New Orleans Saints LB Demario Davis (hamstring) left the Wednesday, July 31 practice early due to an unspecified hamstring injury.

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Entering his fourth season and coming off a new contract extension, New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson looks the part of a franchise running back at training camp. The 26-year-old says he's in great shape, and he's also excited for the offense's future. A big reason for that revolves around new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who is implementing an outside zone scheme for the Patriots' running backs. Stevenson noted that Van Pelt's scheme is the same one he ran in college at Oklahoma. Stevenson showed his potential in 2022, rushing for 1,040 yards along with 69 receptions and 421 receiving yards. Last year, however, he dealt with a thigh bruise and high-ankle sprain before being shut down after 12 games. New England's offense isn't likely to score a lot of points in 2024, rendering Stevenson a volume-driven RB2 option, with Antonio Gibson likely poaching some third-down work.

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The New York Giants had their first day of training camp practicing in pads Monday. That meant an emphasis on the run game, which was a reminder that running back Devin Singletary is going to carry a massive workload this season. Behind him, the Giants have 18 career carries from the rest of their RBs. His success will largely be contingent on the offensive line, but the 26-year-old former third-round pick showed well during his second-half surge in 2023 as the Houston Texans' lead back. Over his final nine outings (all starts), Singletary averaged 17.1 carries for 76.6 yards and 2.3 receptions for 16.8 yards with eight total touchdowns from Weeks 10 through 18. The Giants sport what figures to be a bottom-10 offense once again, however, likely limiting Singletary's fantasy upside on a weekly basis, but he should make up for a lack of high-scoring performances with heavy workloads as a volume-based RB2/3 play.

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Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown (illness) returned to practice at training camp on Wednesday. Brown was sidelined for a couple of days due to an illness, but he's back in action at camp on Wednesday. The 27-year-old star wideout registered a pitiful 5.7 yards per target over 101 targets a year ago in the desert with the Arizona Cardinals, badly fading after a hot start and missing four games with a sore heel, but he'll have a great chance to bounce back as a fringe WR2/3 in fantasy drafts with superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes in 2024. After dropping just one pass over his 51 receptions, Brown should at least give the Chiefs' offense some stability this year after it was plagued by receiver drops last year. With the Rashee Rice situation in a state of uncertainty, Brown's ADP could rise or fall based on when or if Rice gets suspended.

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New York Jets defensive back Michael Carter II(ankle) is dealing with an ankle injury, according to head coach Robert Saleh, but he doesn't believe it will be a long-term issue going forward. Carter's impact may get overshadowed at times by New York's vaunted cornerback duo of Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed, but he's still an integral component of the Jets' defense after giving up the second-fewest yard per catch (7.7) and yards per target (4.3) among qualifying cornerbacks over 15 games last season. The 25-year-old former fifth-round pick out of Duke has plenty of time to get healthy ahead of the regular season in September, but he may not be ready for the preseason opener on Aug. 10 against the visiting Washington Commanders.

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New England Patriots DT Davon Godchaux agreed to a two-year contract extension worth up to $21 million on Wednesday, July 31, according to his agents. The deal includes $16.5 million guaranteed.

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New England Patriots running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson are locked in as the 1-2 punch in New England's backfield, but it's anyone's guess what will happen behind those two. Kevin Harris has been repping as the RB3 during early training camp practices, but the competition for the RB3 role will be decided in preseason games, where Harris, JaMycal Hasty and undrafted rookies Terrell Jennings and Deshaun Fenwick will likely get most of the snaps. Harris, 23, has had a small role in the Patriots' offense in his first two years in the league, combining for just 34 carries for 117 yards and two touchdowns while adding three catches for 58 yards last year. The former sixth-rounder likely has the leg up on the RB3 role, but unless an injury occurs to Stevenson or Gibson, he belongs on the waiver wire in most fantasy leagues.

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New England Patriots first-round rookie quarterback Drake Maye has looked like a rookie so far in training camp. Working with a backup offensive line isn't doing Maye any favors, but he's also just 21 years old with only 26 collegiate starts under his belt. The former North Carolina signal-caller is now running a much different offense than he was in college where he's reading out progressions and is tasked with operating in structure. It's going to take more reps for Maye to get his timing down. He looks his best when they get him on the move and he's attacking single coverage on the outside. The jury remains out on whether Maye can eventually be the team's future under center, but for now, Maye continues to adjust to a brand-new offensive system. He's almost certainly going to open the 2024 season as the backup to veteran Jacoby Brissett.

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