Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell has fully recovered from being shot in the leg during the offseason and enters the 2024 season without any limitations. He built a firm rapport with C.J. Stroud last season, and the two should continue to connect early and often this year despite the Texans adding Stefon Diggs to the offense. Dell currently projects as the Texans' primary slot receiver. He caught a 34-yard touchdown in Week 1 of the preseason. As of now, there's no clear sign whether Dell, Diggs, or Nico Collins will emerge as Stroud's favorite target, but it appears to be anyone's title to win. With that in mind, Dell might be more of a value than Diggs or Collins given that he has a lower price tag. He's being drafted 25 picks after Collins and seven after Diggs despite having consistent WR2 upside in fantasy football.

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Buffalo Bills wide receiver Curtis Samuel should be a major contributor in the passing game this season. The veteran wideout has been a versatile player throughout his entire career and could now command a large portion of the targets vacated by Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. While Samuel might not be as flashy as someone like rookie Keon Coleman, he's a dependable veteran who has reportedly earned immense favor among the Bills' coaching staff. Managers should not discount the support Samuel seems to have from the coaching staff, which should be enough to get him on the field often in 2024. Samuel is an appealing mid-round draft pick and could work his way into WR3/FLEX territory early in the season if he has a strong rapport with quarterback Josh Allen.

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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (knee) is coming off one of the most impressive rookie years in NFL history. Now, he'll look to build off his historic campaign as he enters his second season in the league. Nacua has been battling a knee injury this summer, but he's expected to be back to 100 percent for the Rams' upcoming season opener. Once again, Nacua will operate alongside Cooper Kupp while catching passes from Matthew Stafford. Managers interested in Nacua should be aware that Kupp still has the makings of an elite wide receiver and could command plenty of volume this year. Nevertheless, Nacua has shown that he deserves plenty of passes thrown his way, too. Whether there are enough opportunities for both of them to thrive remains unclear, but at the very least, Nacua is a high-end WR2 with upside.

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Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) will miss at least the first four games of the regular season after he was placed on the PUP list amidst his torn ACL recovery. This will delay Brooks' NFL debut, and he'll face an uphill battle to emerge as the Panthers' No. 1 running back once he's healthy. While Brooks is undoubtedly the Panthers' franchise running back, it could be difficult for him to win the job over Chuba Hubbard in the middle of the season while recovering from a serious injury and still acclimating to the NFL caliber of play. In other words, a Week 5 return wouldn't necessarily mean he'd warrant a spot in your Week 5 starting lineup. At the very least, fantasy managers should tamper expectations when Brooks gets healthy and be prepared to exercise patience as he gets adjusted to the NFL.

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Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle will play fewer special teams snaps as the team prepares to give him increased looks out of the backfield in 2024, head coach Mike McCarthy told the media. Dowdle is projected to operate alongside Ezekiel Elliott atop the Cowboys' running back room this season. While Elliott may technically open the year as the starter, Dallas feels very confident in Dowdle's ability to be a three-down back and plans to get him very involved this year. With an ADP of 127, he's currently being drafted 43rd among all running backs in fantasy football. He has legitimate FLEX value down the stretch and could sneak into the RB2 tier in the event that Elliott misses time.

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San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey did not register a touch during the 2024 NFL preseason. Many teams choose to rest their stars, and McCaffrey certainly fits that description. He's healthy and ready to go ahead of the upcoming season. Undoubtedly the best running back in the NFL, McCaffrey is coming off the second RB1 finish of his career in fantasy football. He eclipsed 2,000 scrimmage yards for the second time in his career last season and delivered a 21-touchdown campaign, which was a career-high. As long as McCaffrey stays healthy, he's the favorite to lead all running backs in fantasy points.

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Kansas City Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (illness) was not seen at the portion of Sunday's practice open to the media, according to Pete Sweeney of Arrowhead Pride. Edwards-Helaire recently revealed that he's been dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. While that kept him out of some training camp sessions, it's unclear whether the diagnosis explains his absence from practice on Sunday. The Chiefs' first injury report of the year will be released Monday, which should provide some more context regarding Edwards-Helaire's status and availability. In the event that he can't suit up Thursday, veteran Samaje Perine and preseason standout Carson Steele would round out the remainder of the backfield behind Isiah Pacheco.

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Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (shoulder) is reportedly likely to suit up for the Week 1 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. The star pass rusher was able to return to practice last week. He was also on the field on Sunday, which is good news heading into Thursday's opener. Jones suffered a shoulder injury in early August and missed all of the preseason as a result. However, the five-time Pro Bowler shouldn't need too much time to get ready. Over the last two seasons, Jones has recorded 26 sacks in 33 games, so his presence on the field is huge for this defense. Fantasy managers should check back for another update on Monday when the injury report is released.

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Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice figures to be someone coming off fairly early in fantasy drafts. However, Rice is reportedly not being taken until sometimes the seventh or eighth round, according to the New York Post. There was some concern about Rice being suspended, but that won't happen this season. That means, fantasy managers in redrafts formats have nothing to worry about with Rice. It doesn't sound like Marquise Brown (shoulder) is going to be ready for the beginning of the season. The loss of Brown should only increase the value of Rice heading into the opener. Last season, Rice saw 102 targets during his rookie season with the team. The team hasn't added much competition, so Rice should remain the favorite wide receiver to quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs do have Travis Kelce and Xavier Worthy, but Rice should still be a strong WR2 in basically all fantasy formats.

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Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (knee) is currently working his way back from an injury that cost him most of last season. The team has already placed the star back on the physically unable to perform list, which means he'll miss the first four games of the season. The hope is that Chubb would return to the field shortly after that, but that might not be the case. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com says the goal should be getting Chubb back by mid-season. It's worth noting that the organization did not say this, but Cabot believes it'll take Chubb longer than expected considering he tore both his ACL and MCL last season. The Browns do have Jerome Ford who proved himself to be a viable option without Chubb last season. That being said, the Browns might play it safe and ride with Chubb until he feels fully healthy to return. At the end of the day, Chubb is going to return when he's ready, so fantasy managers expecting him to suit up in Week 5 might be disappointed.

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Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert (oblique) was back on the practice field on Sunday. Goedert picked up the injury about two weeks ago. The 29-year-old has been eased back into activities and should be fully ready for the season opener against the Green Bay Packers. Goedert is looking to bounce back after a down year in 2023. The good news is Goedert saw 83 targets last season in a fairly loaded Philly offense. That being said, Goedert should once again be heavily involved in the offense which should make him a viable TE2.

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Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Johnny Wilson (concussion) is back on the practice field on Sunday. This is good news considering Wilson has been sidelined since mid-August while in concussion protocol. The 23-year-old was forced to miss both practices and preseason games due to this injury. Despite that, Wilson should be ready in time to play in the season opener against the Green Bay Packers. The sixth-round pick looks like he could be a solid red zone target, but he doesn't have much fantasy value out of the gate. The Eagles are fairly loaded at wide receiver, so it would take an injury or two for Wilson to see significant looks on this offense.

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Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry is looking forward to the Week 1 Thursday night matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. "I'm excited," said Henry while speaking to the media on Sunday. "It's gonna be fun, so I'm looking forward to it." The 30-year-old has spent his entire career with the Titans, running for 9,502 yards and 90 touchdowns off 2,030 carries, adding 155 grabs for 1,458 yards and three touchdowns. While most assume Henry will have a tough time remaining an elite fantasy option in a Baltimore offense loaded with talent, a change of scenery could give the veteran enough motivation to become the NFL's top rusher once again. Regarding his fantasy potential versus the defending champs, Henry has amassed 447 yards and six touchdowns off 78 carries in four games versus the Chiefs throughout his career.

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Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb recently agreed to a lucrative contract extension with the team. He hadn't been practicing during the stand-off. However, it appears Lamb is still in better shape than ever, with head coach Mike McCarthy stating that the wideout looks "jacked," referring to a noticeable increase in muscle mass from the end of last season. The 25-year-old had a monster season in 2023-24, amassing career-highs in catches (135), targets (181), receiving yards (1,749), and touchdowns (12). While the contract dispute was concerning for fantasy managers, it didn't cause his fantasy stock to drop in most leagues. With that said, Lamb will probably see more attention than ever during fantasy drafts after the latest update regarding his physique.

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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk recently agreed to a four-year, $120 million contract extension, which included $76 million guaranteed. Although ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that was the same deal that "had been on the table," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler stated Aiyuk's decision to sign was based on wanting to get on the field. "Aiyuk wanted to play in games," said Fowler while appearing on NFL Live. "He didn't want to sit out and hold out of that portion of it. And then he was comfortable with the contract." The 26-year-old appeared in 16 games for the Niners last season, amassing a career-high 1,342 receiving yards with 75 catches and seven touchdowns. Without question, the end of the lengthy contract dispute has already resulted in Aiyuk seeing more attention during fantasy drafts heading into the 49ers' Week 1 meeting with the New York Jets.

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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (chest) was released from the hospital on Sunday. The rookie wideout was the victim of a robbery attempt on Saturday, resulting in a gunshot wound to the chest. Fortunately, the bullet missed his vital organs. Pearsall, the No. 31 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, likely has some hurdles to clear before he even considers returning to the field. But once he does, he'll have an uphill climb before he's relevant for fantasy managers outside of dynasty formats, considering the 49ers offense currently features Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, and Deebo Samuel Sr.

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Green Bay Packers running back MarShawn Lloyd (hamstring) returned to practice on Sunday. The 23-year-old had been battling a hamstring injury, although he avoided entering the 2024-25 campaign on the injured reserve list. Josh Jacobs is the No. 1 running back on the depth chart. But with backup AJ Dillon (neck) out for the year, Lloyd and Emanuel Wilson will be looking to get routine snaps throughout the season. However, unless Jacobs were to suffer an injury ahead of the Week 1 meeting with the Eagles, neither player can be trusted from a fantasy standpoint.

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Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said that he expects running back Samaje Perine, who was just signed this week after being released by the division-rival Denver Broncos, to play in the Week 1 regular-season opener on Thursday night against the Baltimore Ravens in a rematch of last year's AFC Championship. Although Perine will eventually have an opportunity to carve out a nice role on third downs for KC, the Chiefs won't overload him in the season opener, and he's currently listed as the RB4 on the depth chart behind starter Isiah Pacheco, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and rookie Carson Steele. Perine's signing with the defending Super Bowl champions immediately gave him more upside in deep PPR leagues, but he's still only worth a bench stash, at best. Perine's addition to KC's backfield should also slightly worry Pacheco's fantasy managers.

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Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said that wide receiver Marquise Brown (shoulder) is the only player not practicing on Sunday. This shouldn't come as much of a surprise, as Reid said earlier this week that the Chiefs aren't expecting Brown to suit up to kick off the 2024 regular season this Thursday night against the Baltimore Ravens. The 27-year-old suffered a shoulder injury in the team's preseason opener and missed the rest of the preseason and training camp. It remains to be seen if he has a shot to make his Chiefs debut in Week 2 against the visiting Cincinnati Bengals, but he'll need to get back on the practice field in some capacity first. Brown is still worth stashing as a WR4/flex with upside in upcoming fantasy drafts, but just know he could miss several weeks to open the season. For however long he's out, more targets will be coming for Rashee Rice, rookie Xavier Worthy, and Justin Watson, among others.

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Sports Illustrated's Tim Weaver suggests that the Carolina Panthers could consider signing new wide receiver Diontae Johnson to a long-term contract extension to create more salary cap space heading into Week 1 of the 2024 regular season. The Panthers already gave up cornerback Donte Jackson and a sixth-round draft pick to acquire Johnson from the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason. If they don't sign Johnson to an extension, they could see him walk next March in free agency. If Carolina decides to extend Johnson, they could save up to $7.1 million against this year's cap. The 28-year-old missed some time in training camp this summer with minor injuries but played in the preseason finale and caught one of two targets for 17 yards. Johnson is expected to be the top pass-catcher in Carolina this year for what should be an improved offense. Fantasy managers should target him as a WR3/flex.

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