New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo has named veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett the starter for the Week 1 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport. No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye will start his pro career in the backup role. This has been the expectation this offseason and Maye is viewed as a project QB, while Brissett can stabilize the position early in the 2024 campaign. Although Brissett has had some success during his career, New England is lacking established weapons on offense and could rely heavily on Rhamondre Stevenson and the running game. That said, it would be a surprise if the 31-year-old is high on the fantasy football radar in single-QB leagues. Fantasy managers in Superflex and two-QB leagues could target Brissett as a late-round short-term starter, but Maye should also be stashed in those setups.

From RotoBaller

New England Patriots QB Jacoby Brissett was named the starting quarterback Thursday, Aug. 29, with QB Drake Maye serving as backup.

Fantasy Spin: Interesting scenario considering coach Jerod Mayo came out a couple of days ago and said Drake Maye had outplayed Brissett. Brissett is a ho-hum QB2 in fantasy that could have usage if you suffer an early season injury.

From TheHuddle

Dynasty | The Commanders have signed wide receiver Noah Brown. Dynasty Analysis: Hmm. This one is interesting as the Commanders recently traded Jahan Dotson. He has a chance to emerge as their WR2 opposite Terry McLaurin, though that's far from a given. Brown will compete with the likes of Olamide Zaccheus, Dyami Brown, Jamison Crowder, and Luke McCaffrey for targets but he's worthy of a roster spot again based on this landing spot.

San Francisco 49ers defensive end Leonard Floyd (knee) was seen at practice on Wednesday. Floyd was labeled day-to-day after injuring his right knee in last Friday's preseason finale against the Las Vegas Raiders in the first quarter when a teammate landed on his leg. Floyd avoided a serious injury, though, and should be fine for the Week 1 regular-season finale on Monday, Sept. 9, against the New York Jets. The 31-year-old specialized in pass-rushing in his lone season with the Buffalo Bills in 2023, which led to a career-high 10.5 sacks, but he also recorded a career-low 32 tackles (21 solo) in 17 regular-season games (16 starts). The former ninth overall pick by the Chicago Bears in 2016 out of Georgia has had at least nine sacks in each of the last four seasons and should be pretty productive again in 2024 for a strong 49ers defense across from All-Pro Nick Bosa.

From RotoBaller

The Los Angeles Chargers acquired defensive back Elijah Molden from the Tennessee Titans on Wednesday in exchange for a seventh-round pick in 2026, according to sources. Molden was a starter for most of last season in Tennessee and will now get a fresh start in 2024 on the west coast while giving the Chargers more secondary help. The 25-year-old former third-round selection (100th overall) in 2021 out of Washington had a career-best 73 tackles (47 solo), an interception returned for a touchdown, four pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 15 contests (eight starts) in 2023 in his third year in the league. Molden is likely to move around a bit in his new home alongside fellow safeties Derwin James and Alohi Gilman.

From RotoBaller

Free-agent LB Tyus Bowser (Ravens) worked out for the Indianapolis Colts Tuesday, Aug. 27, and the Tennessee Titans Wednesday, Aug. 28.

From TheHuddle

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed quarterback Michael Pratt to their practice squad, according to PewterReport. The Buccaneers were reportedly interested in drafting Pratt back in April, and now they get him after he was cut loose by the Green Bay Packers. Tampa Bay released John Wolford on Tuesday, so Pratt will take his job as the Bucs' No. 3 quarterback. Barring additional roster moves, we can expect Pratt to operate as the Buccaneers' emergency third-string quarterback on gameday this season.

From RotoBaller

Dynasty | The Chiefs have signed running back Samaje Perine. Dynasty Analysis: The former Bengal. Commander and Bronco will take his talents to Kansas City and attempt to carve out a meaningful role for the Chiefs. It's a decent enough landing spot as Perine will compete with Clyde Edwards-Helaire for backup or change-of-pace duties for Isiah Pacheco. Perine has been productive at times but he's a long way from looking like an absolute must-add in dynasty leagues.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Dynasty | The Broncos have signed tight end Donald Parham. Dynasty Analysis: It sounds like Parham will land on the practice squad, at least to start. He was a bit of a surprise cut by the Chargers and while Denver likes Greg Dulcich, he has yet to show an element of consistency (or health) to make them feel very comfortable. Parham should stay on watch lists and be monitored if and when he's called up to the active roster.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Dynasty | Terrace Marshall has signed on with the San Francisco 49ers and will join their practice sqaud. Dynasty Analysis: The 49ers seem to collect wide receivers like baseball cards, so this makes sense. Marshall flamed out in Carolina but it's clear he has real talent. San Francisco will likely try to stash him for a while. then either call him up on their own or attempt to block another team from signing him off their squad. It's hard to keep a player on a practice squad on your dynasty roster, but you could make a case for Marshall.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Dynasty | The Lions have signed wide receiver Allen Robinson to their practice squad. Dynasty Analysis: Detroit looks to be the latest team to see what Robinson left. The Bears, Rams, Steelers, and Giants have all given him a chance over the past few years but it seems as if Robinson is simply not the same player he once was at 31 years old. With a loaded receiving corps and Tim Patrick also waiting in the wings, it's hard to see a path to dynasty relevancy for Robinson any time soon.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Dynasty | The Falcons have traded quarterback Taylor Heinicke to the Los Angeles Chargers. Dynasty Analysis: Heinicke was likely deemed expendable months ago after the Falcons shockingly took Michael Penix Jr early in the NFL Draft. He should have the inside track to back up Justin Herbert and could push Easton Stick either to the QB3 spot or even off the roster. This is a decent landing spot for Heinicke, who has proven to be effective as a spot starter but far from a player to build a team around. He's off the dynasty radar, despite the positive move from Atlanta to LA.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Free-agent DL Sheldon Day (Vikings) and free-agent DT Rashard Lawrence (Broncos) worked out for the Washington Commanders Wednesday, Aug. 28.

From TheHuddle

The New Orleans Saints have claimed running back and punt returner Kene Nwangwu off waivers from the Minnesota Vikings, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Nwangwu had been cut loose when the Vikings trimmed their roster down to 53 players on Tuesday. The 26-year-old is primarily a return specialist, having attempted just 14 rushes over the last two seasons. On the other hand, he led the NFL with 35 punt returns in 2022 and tacked on another 15 over nine games last year. He owns an impressive 27.6 yards per return and three return touchdowns over 37 career contests. It's no surprise that Nwangwu was claimed off waivers given his special teams talent, but it's an interesting landing spot given that the Saints already have Rashid Shaheed on their roster. Presumably, Shaheed will handle kick returns and Nwangwu will get the nod for punt returns in 2024.

From RotoBaller

Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane is "cautiously optimistic" that quarterback Mitchell Trubisky (knee) will avoid being placed on injured reserve, according to Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic. However, the team won't rule anything out until Trubisky is able to practice. Nevertheless, Beane's comments are promising. The same is true of the Bills' decision to release quarterback Ben DiNucci, leaving the Bills with only Josh Allen and Trubisky on the 53-man roster. Buffalo wouldn't enter the season with Allen as their only healthy quarterback, so perhaps Trubisky is trending in the right direction. We should know more within the next week.

From RotoBaller

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (foot, toe) was spotted at practice on Wednesday. This was a positive sign for the up-and-coming pass-catcher given that he'd missed time with an assortment of injuries this summer, including foot, toe, and hamstring issues. He has 11 days to get fully healthy before the Saints' season kicks off against the Carolina Panthers. Shaheed projects as the team's No. 2 receiver behind Chris Olave, giving him legitimate appeal as an occasional FLEX option in fantasy football. His speed makes him quite the boom-or-bust weapon.

From RotoBaller

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (undisclosed) had surgery over the offseason, according to David Furones of the Sun Sentinel. Miami reportedly knew about Beckham's injury and procedure before signing him in free agency. Although Beckham wanted to play Week 1, the Dolphins placed him on the PUP list, delaying his debut with the team until Week 5 at the earliest. Furones notes that the team was comfortable with Beckham's injury status and made their decision based on the "long play" essentially banking on the fact that Beckham will get healthy over the next month and make a big impact down the stretch. From a fantasy football perspective, the veteran will operate behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, making it difficult for him to rack up points.

From RotoBaller

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice is not expected to be suspended by the NFL until after his legal process plays out, according to Mark Maske of the Washington Post. Furthermore, the NFL does not intend to place Rice on the commissioner's exempt list. These developments point to Rice being available for most or all of this season. The legal process can take a while, especially if Rice's representation manages to delay parts of the process until next offseason. Fantasy managers should still tread carefully with Rice, but the odds of him suiting up for a full season are a bit higher with today's news. If he does play most or all of the Chiefs' 17 games this season, he'd be Patrick Mahomes' No. 1 wide receiver and would teeter between the WR2 and WR3 tiers on a weekly basis.

From RotoBaller

The Los Angeles Chargers are acquiring quarterback Taylor Heinicke from the Atlanta Falcons on Wednesday in exchange for a conditional sixth-round draft pick. Not only is starting quarterback Justin Herbert (foot) recovering from plantar fasciitis in his foot, but backup Easton Stick regressed in training camp and the preseason. The 31-year-old Heinicke will be an upgrade at the QB position behind Herbert entering the regular season next week. In Atlanta, the Falcons were expected all along to try and trade Heinicke after taking rookie Michael Penix Jr. in the first round in April. Heinicke made his NFL debut back in 2017 with the Houston Texans and has appeared in 38 games (29 starts) since then with four different teams. His best year came in 2021 with Washington, when he threw for 3,419 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 picks on 321 pass attempts over 16 games (15 starts).

From RotoBaller

New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo will talk to the players on Thursday and announce the decision on the starting quarterback between rookie first-rounder Drake Maye and veteran Jacoby Brissett. A decision has already been made, it just hasn't been announced. Maye, the third overall pick in this year's draft out of North Carolina, has outplayed Brissett the last few weeks, but the new coaching staff remains hesitant to throw the 21-year-old out there right away in Week 1 versus the Cincinnati Bengals. Brissett also suffered a shoulder injury in the preseason finale, although it won't keep him from being ready for the regular-season opener. Brissett could very well start in Week 1, but Maye is the more attractive upside QB3 play in superflex leagues, and it's only a matter of time before he would take over under center in 2024.

From RotoBaller