There's still no sign of San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (calf) at the start of practice on Thursday. It's not overly surprising to hear McCaffrey is still sidelined by his strained calf, but it's still noteworthy he hasn't fully participated in practice since early August. There's no reason to believe that fantasy's consensus No. 1 overall pick is any kind of real danger of missing the regular-season opener next Monday night against the visiting New York Jets, but he'll need to return to practice at some point next week to restore a full level of confidence in that. With Elijah Mitchell (hamstring) undergoing season-ending surgery, it makes a lot of sense to stash Jordan Mason in all settings just to be safe until CMC is in the clear for Week 1.

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Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase is at practice on Thursday, but he's not participating in the session. Chase is looking for a contract extension with the Bengals, and the two sides have about a week and a half to reach some sort of settlement before the regular-season opener against the New England Patriots rolls around on Sept. 8. The 24-year-old three-time Pro Bowler should not be moved in rankings by fantasy managers at this time, as this situation doesn't yet look nearly as messy as the impasse between Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers. For any time Chase continues to sit out, Tee Higgins will serve as Cincinnati's WR1 at practice, and he would obviously see a surge in fantasy value if Chase unexpectedly extends his absence into Week 1.

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Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said on Thursday he hopes newly signed running back Samaje Perine will be able to play in the regular-season opener against the Baltimore Ravens next Thursday. It sounds like the Chiefs want to put Perine on a crash course to learning their offense in time for Week 1, despite the tailback just signing with the team on Wednesday. The 28-year-old veteran power back was one of the more coveted RBs discarded to the scrap heap earlier during cutdown week, and he'll have a real opportunity to carve out a meaningful role in KC's backfield after piling up a whopping 6.7 yards per touch across 103 touches with the Denver Broncos a year ago. Lead back Isiah Pacheco remains a trusted workhorse starter, but the incumbent Clyde Edwards-Helaire could be relegated to RB3 duties when Perine acclimates to his new surroundings.

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Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert (oblique) is not practicing again on Thursday. Goedert continues to manage an oblique injury that he sustained toward the end of training camp, and he has eight days to recover in order to be ready for the regular-season opener against the Green Bay Packers next Friday. The 29-year-old veteran tight end has settled into backend TE1 territory for fantasy managers, but he should be close to an every-down player in a juggernaut of an offense in Philadelphia in 2024. Grant Calcaterra would function as the Eagles' primary TE if Goedert's absence extends into Week 1, but that seems unlikely at the moment.

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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is once again not on the practice field at the early open portion of Thursday's practice. The standoff between Aiyuk and the Niners rages on, and this situation is becoming at least moderately concerning for fantasy managers with Week 1 of the regular season arriving next week. Given that he hasn't practiced with the team at all during training camp this summer, Aiyuk appears to be at risk of being limited in the Sept. 9 regular-season opener against the New York Jets due to his lack of reps, even if he stays put in San Francisco. The 26-year-old wideout is healthy, however, so he shouldn't be falling too far down rankings for the final week of drafts, considering something just has to give one way or another for the best of both sides before the season begins. Aiyuk racked up a staggering 12.8 yards per target over 105 targets last year.

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Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said that wide receiver Brandin Cooks (knee) will practice on Thursday after he missed time due to a knee injury. Cooks also recently missed time due to a personal issue, but he's returning on Thursday and should be good to go for the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sept. 8 against the Cleveland Browns as the team's WR2 behind CeeDee Lamb. The 30-year-old veteran wideout failed to eclipse 700 yards receiving in each of the last two years, but he did find the end zone eight times in 16 regular-season games in 2023 in his first year in Dallas and could have an expanded role in 2024 with Michael Gallup out of town. Fantasy managers shouldn't be expecting another 1,000-yard season at all, but Cooks could have some nice weeks when opponents choose to double- or triple-team Lamb.

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Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said that wide receiver CeeDee Lamb will see more practice repetitions on Thursday. Lamb, who finally inked a four-year, $136 contract extension with the Cowboys on Monday, returned to practice and will continue to get ramped up with the Week 1 regular-season opener against the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 8 quickly approaching. Dallas was granted a two-game roster exemption for Lamb on Tuesday and placed him on the commissioner's exempt list, meaning he doesn't count against the 53-man roster. The 25-year-old missed a lot of practice reps with the starting offense this offseason and during training camp, but he's back now and is in play as the first overall wideout to come off the board in drafts. Lamb will be a must-start in Week 1 against Cleveland.

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New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh said that wide receiver Mike Williams (knee) had around four or five catches for well over 100 yards in practice on Thursday and is going to be available in Week 1 of the regular season on Monday night, Sept. 9, against the San Francisco 49ers. However, Saleh also said the Jets are going to be smart with how they use Williams, implying that he may not have a normal workload right off the bat after tearing his left ACL in 2023 with the Los Angeles Chargers early in the season. The 29-year-old returned to team drills for the first time this Tuesday and is on track to be ready for the start of the regular season. However, fantasy-wise, managers should be hesitant to consider him as anything more than a WR5/flex against the elite 49ers defense as the Jets look to ease him back into competitive games again.

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Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce said he feels very good about rookie first-round tight end Brock Bowers (foot) being on the field for the Week 1 regular-season opener against the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers. The Raiders are just being cautious with the rookie. Bowers hasn't practiced with the team since he missed the preseason game on Aug. 18 against the Dallas Cowboys due to foot soreness. It's a bit concerning that the 21-year-old is missing valuable practice reps with starting quarterback Gardner Minshew II with the regular season quickly approaching, but it sounds like the Georgia product will be on the field in Week 1. Fantasy managers shouldn't be expecting Bowers to be as good as Sam LaPorta was in his rookie season last year, but he has the ability to be a TE1 in fantasy immediately.

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In a bit of a surprise move, the Minnesota Vikings waived quarterback Jaren Hall on Thursday and replaced him by signing veteran backup QB Brett Rypien. Hall, who was the team's No. 3 signal-caller last year, had seemingly cemented himself the QB3 role again in 2024 with a strong preseason performance. The Vikings felt otherwise, though, and Hall could now get scooped up by another organization. A fifth-round draft pick last year, Hall started two games in 2023 after starter Kirk Cousins suffered a season-ending torn Achilles. The 26-year-old suffered a leg contusion in Saturday's preseason finale against the Philadelphia Eagles, but he was not waived with an injury designation. In three games (two starts) in his rookie season, the BYU alum went 13-for-20 for 168 yards, no touchdowns and one interception for Minnesota.

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The Minnesota Vikings signed veteran quarterback Brett Rypien on Thursday and waived Jaren Hall in a corresponding move. It's a mild surprise after Hall seemingly cemented the job as the QB3 behind starter Sam Darnold and backup Nick Mullens with a strong preseason. The 28-year-old Rypien was released earlier this week by the Chicago Bears. He spent the first four seasons of his career with the Denver Broncos, starting three games, before moving to the Los Angeles Rams last year. The Vikings were hit with tough news earlier in training camp with rookie first-rounder J.J. McCarthy (knee) having to miss all of his rookie season. In his four years in the NFL, Rypien has completed 58.3% of his 168 pass attempts for just 950 yards, four touchdowns and nine interceptions in 10 games (four starts).

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The Cleveland Brown re-signed running back D'Onta Foreman to their 53-man roster on Thursday after releasing former Pro Bowl quarterback Tyler Huntley, according to sources. Foreman was initially cut on Tuesday when they trimmed their roster down, but he'll now rejoin the team as RB depth behind Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong Jr. (ribs) to begin the year with both Nick Chubb (knee) and Nyheim Hines (knee) starting the year on the Physically Unable to Perform list. Expect Foreman and Strong work in tandem in a change-of-pace role behind Ford for at least the first four games of the 2024 season. The 28-year-old Foreman isn't going to see enough volume in Cleveland's backfield unless Ford also misses time due to injury early on, so fantasy managers in most leagues can avoid him for now. In his only year with the Chicago Bears in 2023, Foreman had 109 carries for 425 yards (3.9 yards per tote) and four TDs.

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The Detroit Lions signed wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones to their practice squad on Thursday after releasing him on Tuesday. In other moves, the team placed defensive lineman John Cominsky (knee) on Injured Reserve and released safety C.J. Moore from the practice squad. Peoples-Jones will remain in the Detroit organization as wideout depth to start the 2024 regular season. He began last year with the Browns before joining the Lions for eight games (one) start, where caught just five passes for 58 yards. The 25-year-old former sixth-round pick by the Browns in 2020 out of Michigan struggled last year after a career year in 2022 in Cleveland in which he had a 61-839-3 line in 17 games (14 starts). DPJ should eventually see time in Detroit again in 2024 if any of the receivers on the 53-man roster go down with an injury, but he's currently off the fantasy radar.

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Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle figures to play an enhanced role in 2024 following the departure of veteran running back Tony Pollard. The team brought back longtime Cowboy Ezekiel Elliott early in the offseason and recently signed Dalvin Cook, but both aging backs appear to be well beyond their primes. When asked if this is his best opportunity for extended playing time, Dowdle said, "I think so for sure, with the way things have went out there, practice and things like that. I think I definitely should get a bigger role this year. And I'm looking forward to it." Last season, the South Carolina product rushed 89 times for 361 yards and two touchdowns and caught 17 passes for 144 yards and two more scores as Pollard's breather back. Although he's unlikely to get the backfield to himself, he has a chance to be the leading rusher in an explosive offense. At his preseason draft cost around the RB45 spot, he's worth taking a flier on for fantasy football.

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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson started just 13 games in his collegiate career at Florida and four games last year during his rookie campaign. The elite athlete from the QB spot has all the physical tools to succeed, but it could take time for him to develop. Heading into 2024, Colts general manager Chris Ballard said the team expects "roller-coaster moments" from the 22-year-old. "Most quarterbacks, when they're young, they go through those moments, but you have to learn from them, grow from them, and keep moving forward," Ballard said. "Just look around the league and it's a little bit up and down." While Richardson is likely to be inconsistent as a passer, his rushing floor and ceiling should stabilize his fantasy value. Despite leaving three of his four games early last year, he racked up at least 17.7 fantasy points in three of four contests, and he scored 29.6 fantasy points in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Rams. If he can stay healthy, he has a clear path to a QB1 season in fantasy football, even if he struggles through the air.

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The Cleveland Browns are releasing quarterback Tyler Huntley on Thursday, according to NFL insider Dianna Russini. Cleveland's initial 53-man roster included quarterbacks Deshaun Watson, Jameis Winston, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and Huntley, and the team reportedly was open to trading one of the backups. However, that did not happen, so Huntley is being cut loose. Huntley spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens after going undrafted out of Utah in 2020. Overall, the 26-year-old has thrown for 1,957 yards, eight touchdowns, and seven interceptions in 20 game appearances. He also has 509 rushing yards and three rushing scores to his name. Huntley has proven to be a somewhat serviceable backup, so he should land on a new team before the start of the 2024 regular season.

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The Dallas Cowboys signed wide receiver CeeDee Lamb to a four-year extension this week, and with that situation taken care of, all eyes shift toward quarterback Dak Prescott. The former fourth-round pick out of Mississippi State is entering the final year of his current deal, and time is running out to reach an extension before Week 1 of the regular season. However, team owner Jerry Jones said the situation remains unchanged, and Todd Archer of ESPN reports the two sides don't appear to be close to a deal. This will be a situation worth monitoring, but there is no indication Prescott will miss any game action if he heads into the season without a long-term contract. With the Cowboys' rushing attack likely to be downgraded this season, Dallas could have a pass-happier offense in 2024. Prescott could be a value pick as his QB10 ADP, especially if he sees additional red zone carries and pass attempts.

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The Cleveland Browns restructured quarterback Deshaun Watson's contract, freeing up $35.83 million in cap space. $44.79 million of Watson's 2024 base salary was converted to a signing bonus to create the extra cap space, which Cleveland now leads the league in with over $62 million. It's an interesting move by the organization, and it could mean they have their eye on a few transactions before the start of the 2024 campaign. However, that is not being reported. This season presents a prove-it year for Watson, who has struggled in just 12 game appearances over the last two seasons since being traded from the Houston Texans.

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The Buffalo Bills are signing safety Lewis Cine to the practice squad after he was released by the Minnesota Vikings at the 53-man roster cutdown deadline. It was first reported that Cine was set to sign with the New York Jets, but it appears he has changed his mind and is joining another AFC East organization. Cine, a 2022 first-round pick out of Georgia, played in just 10 games for Minnesota in two seasons and racked up just one tackle. Clearly, things didn't work out, but Buffalo is taking a cheap flier on the former first-team All-SEC performer.

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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.

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