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FFL: Preseason | NFL: Week 1

Chargers elevate RB Najee Harris (eye) from non-football injury list

Tue Aug 26 7:21pm ET
Field Level Media

The Los Angeles Chargers are activating running back Najee Harris from the non-football injury list, the NFL Network reported on Tuesday.

Harris missed the start of training camp as he recovers from an offseason eye injury. He was limited to conditioning work before increasing his participation in football drills, starting Aug. 12. He did not play in the preseason.

Harris, 27, has been on the non-football injury list since the start of camp after sustaining what his agent, Doug Hendrickson, described as a "superficial eye injury" during a July 4 fireworks mishap. The Chargers have not disclosed details of the injury, in line with head coach Jim Harbaugh's practice of withholding specifics during the preseason.

The Chargers open the season Sept. 5 against the Kansas City Chiefs in Brazil.

If Harris remained on the NFI list when rosters are finalized, he would be forced to miss the first four games. Coming off the list and practicing starts a three-week window to make the active roster. If he's not moved to the roster, he has to stay on the NFI list for the rest of the season.

Harris signed a one-year, $5.25 million deal with the Chargers in the offseason, which could be worth up to an additional $4 million if he meets all incentives for rushing yardage. Harris and first-round draft pick Omarion Hampton (North Carolina) are expected to be the team's primary ball carriers.

Harris topped 1,000 rushing yards in all four of his seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and has 4,312 yards and 28 rushing touchdowns in 68 NFL games (all starts). The Steelers selected him 24th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, and Harris made the Pro Bowl and the NFL All-Rookie team that season. He became a free agent after the 2024 season.

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Player Notes
Jonathan Mingo Aug 26 7:40pm ET
Jonathan Mingo

The Dallas Cowboys placed wide receiver Jonathan Mingo (knee) on Injured Reserve on Tuesday but designated him for a return, which means that Mingo will be eligible to rejoin the active roster after missing the first four games. The 24-year-old wideout is still recovering from a PCL sprain in his right knee that he suffered in the middle of August in a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens. The earliest that Mingo would be able to make his 2025 debut would be in Week 5 on Oct. 5 against the New York Jets. CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are Dallas' top two receivers, and with Mingo now sidelined at least four games, Jalen Tolbert and KaVontae Turpin will battle it out for WR3 duties. Neither Tolbert nor Turpin will really be rosterable in 12-team fantasy leagues unless one of Lamb or Pickens miss time with an injury.

From RotoBaller

Darnell Mooney Aug 26 7:30pm ET
Darnell Mooney

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney (shoulder) has avoided landing on Injured Reserve to start the 2025 season, even though he has not practiced since the first day of training camp in late July, according to Marc Raimondi of ESPN. It means that the Falcons think Mooney could be available within the team's first four games of the season in September. Still, the 27-year-old can probably be considered more of a long shot to suit up in Week 1 against the division-rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Sept. 7. When healthy, Mooney could serve as the team's No. 2 wideout behind Drake London in starting three-wide sets, although the uncertainty surrounding his injury makes him no better than a late-round dart throw in fantasy drafts as a WR4/5. In his first year in Atlanta in 2024, Mooney bounced back in a big way with a 64-992-5 line on 106 targets over 16 starts.

From RotoBaller

Efton Chism III Aug 26 7:20pm ET
Efton Chism III

The New England Patriots announced their 53-man roster on Tuesday, and both rookie Efton Chism III (ankle, foot) and Kendrick Bourne (leg) were included despite dealing with injuries during training camp. The 23-year-old Chism was a nice story in training camp after going undrafted out of Eastern Washington. While he turned heads during practices this summer, Chism's most direct path to playing time in 2025 will most likely come on special teams. Bourne, 30, is a surprise addition to the 53-man roster after having not practiced or played since injuring his leg on Aug. 1. He had an outlier season in 2021 with 55 catches for 800 yards and five touchdowns, but since then he's totaled 1,145 yards and six touchdowns in three seasons. Bourne is buried in a crowded New England wideout room and should be avoided in the vast majority of fantasy leagues.

From RotoBaller

Cedric Tillman Aug 26 7:10pm ET
Cedric Tillman

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Cedric Tillman (thumb) was back at practice on Tuesday, according to Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram. Tillman is back on the field after missing almost a full week with a minor thumb injury. Now that the 25-year-old is back at practice, he should be good to go for the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday, Sept. 7, against the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals. And with limited help in the receiver room behind Jerry Jeudy, Tillman figures to operate as Cleveland's WR2 to begin the season. It might not amount to much in terms of consistent weekly production with veteran quarterback Joe Flacco leading the offense, though, and RotoBaller currently has Tillman ranked as the WR63. Tillman's 2024 was cut short due to injury, and he finished with a 29-339-3 line in 11 games (six starts).

From RotoBaller

Marquez Valdes-Scantling Aug 26 6:57pm ET
Marquez Valdes-Scantling

Dynasty | The Seahawks have released wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Dynasty Analysis: Seattle really wanted MVS to be part of things this year but Tory Horton outplayed him and sewed up the WR3 job behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp early in camp. Since he doesn't contribute on special teams, Seattle had to eat about $3 million and cut him loose. MVS should find work elsewhere as a situational deep threat but this was a disappointment.

Dillon Gabriel Aug 26 6:56pm ET
Dillon Gabriel

Dynasty | The Browns have named Dillon Gabriel their QB2. Dynasty Analysis: Gabriel wasn't great this season but the Browns saw enough of him and Shedeur Sanders to apparently feel confident enough to ship Kenny Pickett to the Raiders. Should something happen to Joe Flacco, it seems now set in stone that Gabriel would be the next man up and Sanders may not even be active on game days outside of being an emergency replacement. Gabriel has been the better roster stash all along and this solidifies it, though he really hasn't looked like an NFL quarterback as of yet.

Trey Palmer Aug 26 6:54pm ET
Trey Palmer

Dynasty | The Tampa Bay Bucs have released wide receiver Trey Palmer. Dynasty Analysis: Palmer has had some nice moments but also had no chance at playing time behind Mike Evans, Chris Godwin or Emeka Egbuka when they're all healthy, so this could be a good thing. A deep roster stash in many leagues, Palmer will look to latch on elsewhere later this week. He could still be kept in deep leagues as we see what happens with him in the coming days.

Desmond Ridder Aug 26 6:54pm ET
Desmond Ridder

Dynasty | Quarterback Desmond Ridder was released by the Cincinnati Bengals. Dynasty Analysis: Ridder was a one-time starter in Atlanta but failed to live up to expectations. He was battling Jake Browning to be the backup to Joe Burrow but it didn't work out for him in the end. Ridder should find work elsewhere but he can be dropped in any league, including deep superflex formats.

Jonathan Mingo Aug 26 6:53pm ET
Jonathan Mingo

Dynasty | The Dallas Cowboys have placed wide receiver Jonathan Mingo on IR with a designation to return. Dynasty Analysis: It sounds like he's going to be out 4-6 weeks. While still a bit of a deep league sleeper, Mingo just hasn't looked great over the past two seasons. The Cowboys will go with CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Tolbert and George Pickens to start the year and it's tough to see Mingo making much of a difference after catching just five passes for them after being traded mid-year from the Panthers. Mingo is a tough hold in dynasty leagues, despite being a second round pick not long ago.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire Aug 26 6:53pm ET
Clyde Edwards-Helaire

Dynasty | The Saints have released running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Dynasty Analysis: It's another tough break for the one-time first round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs. CEH has been plagued by injuries, ineffectiveness and an unfortunate battle with PTSD that has simply derailed his career. The Saints could bring him back but he's clearly behind Alvin Kamara, Devin Neal and Kendre Miller, making him value-less in dynasty leagues.

Tommy DeVito Aug 26 6:53pm ET
Tommy DeVito

Dynasty | The Giants have released quarterback Tommy DeVito. Dynasty Analysis: The Giants were always destined to keep Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston and Jaxson Dart in the end but DeVito gave it his best shot. He's shown some ability through the years but may need to find a practice squad to get a second shot. At this point, he has no business on dynasty rosters.

Blake Watson Aug 26 6:52pm ET
Blake Watson

Dynasty | The Broncos have released running back Blake Watson. Dynasty Analysis: A dynasty rookie darling at this time a year ago, Watson couldn't unseat Jaleel McLaughlin or Tyler Badie (at least at the moment) to crack the roster of the Broncos. He seems like a player who could resurface on another roster, especially as it seemed there was some teams rumored to be interested in trading for him prior to him spraining his knee this week. Dynasty managers should keep their eye on him but he's no longer a priority on rosters.

Kenny Pickett Aug 26 6:52pm ET
Kenny Pickett

Dynasty | The Browns have traded quarterback Kenny Pickett to the Raiders. Dynasty Analysis: We pretty much called this one in our player news updates over the last 24 hours after Aidan O'Connell fractured his wrist. The Raiders needed a backup quarterback, the Browns really didn't need four signal callers and it just made too much sense. Pickett has been banged up over the off-season and Cleveland apparently saw enough from Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel to feel comfortable having a fifth round pick instead. Pickett's dynasty value will fall now that he has no chance of starting without a Geno Smith injury and those who took a chance on Gabriel or Sanders could be rewarded.

Royce Freeman Aug 26 6:52pm ET
Royce Freeman

Dynasty | The Bears have released running back Royce Freeman. Dynasty Analysis: It looks like Chicago is going to go with Kyle Monangai to back up D'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson this year. As for Freeman, he's starting to run out of chances. After spending time with Denver, Carolina, Houston and the Rams without ever really showing much in long stretches, Freeman has no business being on dynasty rosters. Such is life for running backs, even those who were once thought of very highly in dynasty circles.

Bailey Zappe Aug 26 6:52pm ET
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Dynasty | The Chiefs have released quarterback Bailey Zappe. Dynasty Analysis: Zappe just hasn't been able to recapture the magic he once had in a stretch with New England years ago. After spending time with Cleveland last year, he failed to beat out Gardner Minshew for the backup job to Patrick Mahomes this year. Zappe should land on his feet somewhere as a developmental backup-type but his dynasty value has cratered.

Amari Cooper Aug 26 6:51pm ET
Amari Cooper

Dynasty | The Raiders have signed wide receiver Amari Cooper. Dynasty Analysis: It's a fun reunion of sorts for Cooper, who started his career with the Raiders back in 2015. After spending his first three and half years in Silver and Black, Cooper has spent time with the Cowboys, Browns, and Bills over the past few seasons. He isn't the same player he once was, but Cooper is an interesting addition to a depth chart with Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker, and not much else proven for Geno Smith. While tight end Brock Bowers should remain the top target in the offense, Cooper has a real chance to provide some value in dynasty leagues this year and his ADP will rise yet again with the move.

Harrison Bryant Aug 26 6:40pm ET
Harrison Bryant

The Houston Texans released tight end Harrison Bryant on Tuesday despite acquiring him from the Philadelphia Eagles as part of last week's trade for wide receiver John Metchie III, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Bryant will be searching for his third team of the year after signing with the Eagles back in March. The 27-year-old has never been much of a pass-catcher at his position, as he's accumulated only 98 receptions for 877 yards and 10 touchdowns on 140 targets in his five years in the NFL. He was originally drafted in the fourth round (115th overall) by the Cleveland Browns in 2020 out of Florida Atlantic. Bryant spent his first four years in the league with the Browns, catching 89 of 128 targets for 791 yards and 10 touchdowns in 65 games (30 starts). He caught only nine balls for 86 yards and no scores in 13 games (three starts) for the Raiders in 2024.

From RotoBaller

Tetairoa McMillan Aug 26 6:20pm ET
Tetairoa McMillan

Carolina Panthers rookie first-round wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (hamstring) returned to practice on Tuesday after missing some time last week with a minor hamstring issue, according to Joe Person of The Athletic. It's great news for the 22-year-old pass-catcher out of Arizona, as he should be just fine to begin his first year in the NFL with a Week 1 meeting against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, Sept. 7. McMillan appeared to be the real deal during training camp this summer and already seems to have a pretty good connection with quarterback Bryce Young. The eighth overall pick could easily lead the Panthers receivers in catches, targets and yardage in his first season in the league, especially if Carolina trades veteran Adam Thielen. If Young continues to improve after a strong second half in 2024, McMillan absolutely could function as a strong WR2 in fantasy.

From RotoBaller

Foster Moreau Aug 26 6:20pm ET
Foster Moreau

New Orleans Saints tight ends Taysom Hill (knee) and Foster Moreau (knee) are both recovering from torn ACLs suffered last season and are starting on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list, according to Ross Jackson of Locked On Saints. Both Hill and Moreau will be required to at least miss the first four games of the 2025 season, and based on a recent report from the team, they both might not be ready to make their season debuts when Week 5 rolls around on Oct. 5 against the New York Giants. The 35-year-old Hill can do it all for the Saints offense, but it's unclear exactly how he'll be used when he finally returns under new head coach Kellen Moore. Hill suffered his torn ACL in Week 13 of last year and can be ignored in fantasy drafts in 12-team leagues. Juwan Johnson will be the team's top pass-catching TE to open the year, but he won't draw much fantasy attention given the team's weak QB situation.

From RotoBaller

Brandon Aiyuk Aug 26 6:13pm ET
Brandon Aiyuk

Dynasty | The 49ers have placed wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk on the PUP list. Dynasty Analysis: As a result, Aiyuk will be ineligible to play the first month of the season. This was expected all along but leaves San Francisco woefully thin at the position. Aiyuk should bring back WR2 value the back-end of the season but his ADP isn't rising again until we see him come back to pre-injury form at some point.

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