Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans praised running back Joe Mixon's receiving skills, highlighting what sets him apart. Ryans commented, "Joe stands out as a receiving running back. While everyone recognizes his physical running style and ability to gain yards even without perfect blocking, his hands out of the backfield are exceptional. If downfield options are unavailable, we can rely on him for check-downs and big plays in the passing game." This endorsement makes Mixon a strong candidate for the middle rounds in PPR leagues. Mixon has adapted well to the zone-based schemes used by offensive coordinator Slowik and remains a valuable pass-catching asset. Despite missing most of training camp due to a quadriceps injury and lacking preseason game action, Mixon is expected to be ready for the season opener on September 8 against the Indianapolis Colts.

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Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan says wide receiver Treylon Burks (undisclosed) is fine, and that it was good to see him bounce back after a hard fall on Wednesday in practice. Burks participated in practice on Thursday, so he should be good to go for the Titans in Sunday's preseason finale against the hosting New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome. Although the 24-year-old former first-round pick had a lost 2023 season due to injury and DeAndre Hopkins' (knee) arrival in Tennessee's receiving corps, he's handling additional first-team reps with Hopkins currently sidelined. Burks is a decent late-round flier as a WR5/6 pick for fantasy managers in 12-team leagues at the moment, but he'll likely fade back to irrelevance once Hopkins is healthy.

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Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (shoulder) participated fully in practice on Thursday after being limited on Wednesday with "general arm soreness." While there's no update yet on if Watson will face the Seahawkson Saturday night in the preseason finale at Lumen Field, it's more important to see he's back in action for the Browns on Thursday. The 28-year-old former Pro Bowler is coming off a rough season in Cleveland, dealing with a rotator cuff contusion, getting benched due to poor play altogether in Week 7, and eventually undergoing season-ending surgery to repair a fractured shoulder. Even with Watson being treated as a QB2 choice in fantasy drafts this summer, his rushing upside gives him QB1 potential if he can return to the form he once showed with the Houston Texans.

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Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (undisclosed) did not practice either on Tuesday or Wednesday this week. Njoku has not practiced since last Thursday due to an undisclosed injury, so it appears unlikely he'll take the field for the Browns in Saturday's preseason finale against the hosting Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Fantasy managers will want to see the 28-year-old veteran pass-catcher back at practice with Cleveland by next week, but the tight end remains safe to pick as a backend TE1 option in drafts this summer. Njoku finished as fantasy's overall TE6 in full-PPR scoring in 2023 and is primed to serve as quarterback Deshaun Watson's No. 2 target behind Pro Bowl wideout Amari Cooper in 2024.

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Buffalo Bills WRs Curtis Samuel (toe) and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (neck) have 'a real good chance' of playing in the season opener versus the Arizona Cardinals.

Fantasy Spin: Samuel's return is the much more important one for fantasy purposes, although it is difficult to get overly excited about any receiver trying to return this quickly from turf toe. Fantasy managers are advised to keep him on the bench in most leagues and see how well he can push off his foot before considering him a starting option in Week 2. Turf toe tends to linger and get worse as the season progresses if it is not allowed to fully heal, which makes Samuel something of a risky bet moving forward.

From TheHuddle

Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen announced that the starters will play into the second quarter of Thursday night's preseason finale against the Cincinnati Bengals before having 17 days to prepare for the Week 1 regular-season opener at home against the division-rival Houston Texans. "I think it'll be really good for Anthony Richardson," Steichen said. "Any time you can get out there in those game-like situations, it's good. Obviously, you want to be smart with these guys in the preseason because we've got a long season ahead of us, but we're excited to get those guys out there." It will give Richardson a chance to bounce back after struggling in joint practices with the Bengals this week. The former first-rounder only has four games of NFL experience heading into Year 2 due to a shoulder injury that required surgery, but Richardson's elite rushing abilities have given him a 46.3 ADP in Yahoo drafts.

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The New York Jets won't play their starters in the preseason finale this weekend against the New York Giants, according to head coach Robert Saleh. It means that we won't see quarterback Aaron Rodgers (Achilles) at all until Week 1 of the regular season against the San Francisco 49ers as he attempts to return from a torn Achilles that kept him off the field for all of 2023. In addition, running back Breece Hall will be held out this weekend. Adrian Martinez and Andrew Peasley will work under center for the Jets against the G-Men. The 40-year-old Rodgers probably won't be in former MVP form in 2024 coming off a devastating injury, but he could bounce back and be a serviceable QB2 for fantasy managers if he stays healthy. He'll get a good Week 1 test against one of the best defenses in the league, and we wouldn't recommend using him in fantasy lineups in that one.

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The Baltimore Ravens will rest quarterback Lamar Jackson in the preseason finale against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday. It's been the routine for Jackson, though, as he's one of six QBs who have not played game snaps in the last two preseasons and then started in Week 1. "We have done well over the years doing that because we practice well," head coach John Harbaugh said. "It comes down to practice. Practice is what makes it." Since Harbaugh became the Ravens coach in 2008, he has never played his starters for any great length of time in preseason games. Jackson won his second MVP award in 2023 and didn't play in the preseason last year, so fantasy managers considering drafting him as a top-five fantasy signal-caller shouldn't be worried that he'll come out rusty in Week 1 of the 2024 regular season against the defending Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs.

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Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott had some positive news on Thursday on wide receivers Curtis Samuel (toe) and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (neck). "I feel like those two - from what I've heard so far - have a real good chance of being back. Just not committing to it yet," McDermott said. Despite dealing with multi-week injuries, both Samuel and Valdes-Scantling have a shot to be ready to go for Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals. Samuel, 28, has been labeled week-to-week with turf toe. Even if both wideouts are ready for the 2024 regular-season opener, it appears that rookie Keon Coleman will operate as the team's WR1 in the first year without Stefon Diggs. And if Samuel and MVS are out in Week 1 or limited, look for Khalil Shakir, Mack Hollins and KJ Hamler to receiver additional opportunities in Buffalo's offense.

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Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales said he wants to get second-year quarterback Bryce Young and the starters "some good work" in the preseason finale this Saturday against the Buffalo Bills. Canales said he's unsure if backup Andy Dalton (quadriceps) will play. Given how bad Young was in his first year in the NFL, it makes all the sense to throw the 23-year-old out there for extensive action in the preseason finale to try and build chemistry with the rest of the offense under a new coaching staff. The former Alabama star has nowhere to really go but up in Year 2, and he has a new No. 1 wideout in Diontae Johnson to help him improve. Pushing the ball downfield will be a good first step for Young to improve on a disastrous rookie campaign. Until we see Young take the next step, though, he should probably only be drafted as a QB2/3 in superflex fantasy formats.

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Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales said that wide receiver Diontae Johnson (illness) was held out of Thursday's training camp practice due to an illness. The Panthers are still hoping that Johnson will be feeling good enough to suit up on Saturday against the Buffalo Bills in the preseason finale after not playing at all in the first two preseason contests. Johnson has dealt with several minor injuries in his first camp with the Panthers this summer but should be fully healthy for the start of the 2024 regular season. Carolina acquired the 28-year-old from the Pittsburgh Steelers, hoping he can be a spark to improve the offense drastically in quarterback Bryce Young's second season. Efficiency and volume have been problems for Johnson in the past, but he should see enough volume with his new squad (if healthy) in 2024 to be in play as a weekly WR3/flex in fantasy.

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Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (hamstring) was a full participant in Thursday's joint practice with the Houston Texans, according to head coach Sean McVay. Stafford returned to team drills at training camp earlier this week after he was limited to individual drills on Monday. Even though the 36-year-old signal-caller's hamstring issue isn't very serious, he's not expected to suit up for the preseason finale this Saturday against Houston. Stafford finished as the QB15 last year in what was a bounce-back campaign after he played in only nine games in 2022 due to injuries. He had 3,965 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 15 regular-season contests. Even with wideouts Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, the aging Stafford's fantasy ceiling and floor have come down considerably. At best, if he stays healthy, he's probably no better than a midrange QB2 at this point in his career.

From RotoBaller

Buffalo Bills CB Taron Johnson (quad), OL Will Clapp (concussion) and S Terrell Burgess (hamstring) are not practicing Thursday, Aug. 22.

From TheHuddle

New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the starters won't play in the preseason finale against the New York Giants on Saturday, Aug. 22.

From TheHuddle

The Washington Commanders are trading wide receiver Jahan Dotson and a fifth-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick and two seventh-round picks. This is one of the more surprising deals in recent memory, considering the two organizations are NFC East foes. Dotson was selected by Washington in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft and racked up 35 receptions for 523 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie in 12 games. Despite playing in 17 games in 2023, he tallied just 518 yards and four touchdowns. There have been reports that Dotson was failing to secure the WR2 role in Washington this offseason, and his departure clears the way for Olamide Zaccheaus and rookie Luke McCaffrey to see more snaps than expected in 2024. Dotson's fantasy value was already declining, but now that he's behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith in the Philadelphia passing game, it would be a surprise if he sees a healthy amount of targets from Jalen Hurts.

From RotoBaller

Albert Breer is reporting the Commanders are trading WR Jahan Dotson and a 2025 fifth-round pick to the Eagles for a 2025 third-round pick and two 2025 seventh-round picks.

Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier rushed for 1,035 yards in his 2022 rookie season, but that didn't stop the team from selecting Bijan Robinson in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Allgeier spent last season as a secondary ball carrier for Atlanta, rushing 186 times for 683 yards and four touchdowns. With former head coach Arthur Smith gone, many believe Robinson will become a true workhorse running back, but Falcons writer Daniel Flick predicted Allgeier could see roughly 14 carries per game in 2024. He clarified that Robinson could see about 16 carries per game plus work in the passing attack, but it's worth noting Allgeier is likely to remain involved in the offense. Given the high injury rate at the running back position, Allgeier is worth stashing in deeper setups. If Robinson has to miss any action this year, Allgeier would be moved into the starting role behind a top-tier offensive line as a part of an ascending offense under new quarterback Kirk Cousins.

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Arizona Cardinals quarterback Clayton Tune will start the team's preseason game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, indicating that he has a lead over Desmond Ridder for the backup QB spot behind Kyler Murray. Ridder was dealt to the Cardinals in March in exchange for wide receiver Rondale Moore, but he's fighting for a roster spot if the team does not keep three quarterbacks. Tune, a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, threw for 62 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions in one start last year. Fantasy managers in Superflex or two-QB leagues should monitor the backup competitions around the league, as any QB2 could become a starter and enter the fantasy football radar if injuries take place.

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Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Brooks has been drawing positive reviews this offseason, and his success has continued into training camp. According to Calvin Watkins of Dallas News, Brooks has been "outstanding." Brooks was selected in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of South Carolina and played in seven games as a rookie, collecting six receptions for 64 yards. Following the departure of Michael Gallup, the team's WR3 role is open behind CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks. If Brooks beats out Jalen Tolbert, he will be worth rostering in deep fantasy football leagues. For now, he's at least an interesting late-round dart throw in best ball formats.

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San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams has not been at training camp this offseason, and he remains away from the team just a few weeks away from the season-opening game against the New York Jets. Williams is seeking a revised contract, and Kyle Shanahan is hopeful the two sides will strike an agreement soon. "I've had some contact with him. It's been good talking to him," Shanahan said. "We're negotiating hard. Hopefully, it's getting close." The 31-year-old is an 11-time Pro Bowler and has been named a first-team All-Pro in each of the last three seasons. The 49ers offense would likely take a hit if the future Hall of Famer isn't on the field, so surely, the organization will do everything possible to get him on the field in Week 1.

From RotoBaller