Sure, that’s what Patrick Mahomes wants to see. Josh Simmons (back) is unlikely to play, leaving the Chiefs with Jaylon Moore at right tackle and Benson, who would become the first UDFA rookie to start at tackle in Week 1 since Desmond Harrison was with the Browns in 2018, on the blind side. “If he has to be the left tackle, then he’s the left tackle and we roll with it,” Reid said. “That’s just how it goes.” Inspiring stuff!
Seems unideal. The No. 3 overall pick in the draft is dealing with an ankle injury that may or may not have him in real trouble as far as playing in Week 1. Allgeier seems like he’ll at least have a real role in this backfield even if Love is healthy. This has not been a great early runout for those who picked Love early in fantasy drafts this offseason.
Shipley hedges a bit by noting that there’s a chance that one back simply carries the momentum early in the season forward and never lets up, but ultimately falls on the idea that neither back is likely to hit 1,000 rushing yards in 2026. “I think there is a more likely chance we see both running backs hit 750+ yards than one of them hit 1,000,” Shipley writes. Such a split would probably lean towards Rodriguez at the goal line, making him slightly more fantasy-valuable on a weekly basis barring big plays from Tuten. If this prediction comes true, both backs might have trouble cracking the weekly RB2 ranks.
Bell is yet another young wideout in Miami — along with Caleb Douglas — who could make a fantasy impact right away as the Dolphins deal with what looks on paper to be an extremely rough defense. Bell only just shed his non-contact jersey in late August, so we’re expecting a slow start, but his Week 1 performance could certainly throw him on waiver wire columns if he starts and plays most of the snaps.
“He has a (back) issue there he’s working through. Josh is rehabbing. He’s working his tail off. This isn’t anything other than him having an issue with his back,” Reid said, asking what about his ‘My left tackle has a back issue he’s working through” t-shirt was unclear. Simmons’ status appears to be in some short-term doubt and we wouldn’t rule out an IR stint for him ahead of the opener.
Johnson added that he was “hopeful” Odunze would go on Sunday. Check back on Wednesday to see if he actually hits an injury report, but Odunze hasn’t practiced yet this week and that’s certainly not a great sign even if we’re not rushing to rule him out just yet.
We would be very surprised if Mahomes didn’t start Week 1 given how this has trended this offseason, but Reid left it in some doubt, adding “Most likely, he’ll be the guy that’s out there.” Justin Fields would be the starter if Mahomes couldn’t go, we doubt we’ll be talking about that possibility seriously on Friday or Saturday ahead of Kansas City’s MNF opener.
We can’t endorse relying on anyone in this backfield as a surefire bellcow in the event that Cam Skattebo gets hurt or is ineffective enough to lose playing time. It seems like it will be hard to rely on Tracy to have a major role this year with Harris in town.
He’s an IR possibility ahead of Week 1. Ossai, signed in the offseason from the Bengals, was expected to be a big part of the Jets rotation on the edge. His absence will elevate playing time for Will McDonald and Kingsley Enagbare.
Let’s hope he doesn’t find Joe Mixon’s trainers. Rapoport reports the “plan” is for Gordon to return a few weeks into the season and begin practicing shortly thereafter. He’s probably looking at a midseason timetable to return at this point.
Way back in late May, the Athletic’s Daniel Popper suggested Kolar, who signed a three-year, $24.3 million contract with the Bolts this spring, would enter the season as LA’s top tight end “because of his complete skill set.” Week 1 usage will tell us a lot about how offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel will use his tight ends, but for now it seems Kolar will lead the group in Week 1 against the Cardinals. David Njoku and Oronde Gadsden II, however, could see more pass game involvement depending on how many routes they run in a given week, and whether the Chargers go run-heavy against an opponent. None of the Chargers’ tight ends are particularly appealing fantasy plays for Week 1.
It’s McMillan, not rookie WR Ted Hurst III, who’s listed as a starter alongside Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka ahead of Tampa’s Week 1 game against the Bengals. Hurst, the tallest of the Bucs wideouts, has by all accounts impressed Bucs players and coaches throughout the offseason and should have some kind of role in the team’s passing attack to start the year. It could be a while before Hurst takes on a more prominent role, however. Bucs general manager Jason Licht said last week that Hurst, 22, has “proven to us throughout camp, even OTAs, practice every day that he’s been very, very steady...it’s kind of evolved into okay, we can use him this year and he’s going to play a role.” Hurst can be stashed in deeper fantasy formats for now. McMillan is unlikely to be a factor in the Tampa offense after once again struggling with injuries this offseason.
It’s a bit of a course reversal for the longtime Eagles pass rusher. Graham in May told reporters he would not retire and planned on suiting up for the 2026 season. On Tuesday he said he would hang it up after a fantastic career that included 79.5 sacks and two Super Bowl titles in Philadelphia. Graham, 38, who played all 16 years with the Eagles, had a career season in 2022 when he totaled 11 sacks to go along with 17 quarterback hits.
This, of course, doesn’t mean Tuten will dominate the backfield workload in Jacksonville’s season opener against the Browns. It could mean he leads the backfield in snaps and carries, however, as Chris Rodriguez operates as a 1B or second option behind Tuten. Whoever gets the goal line looks and targets out of the Jags backfield will be an interesting top-24 weekly option this season. LeQuint Allen’s involvement as a pass catcher could throw a wrench into the fantasy prospects of Rodriguez and Tuten, however. Jaguars running back usage will be among the most closely watched backfield situations in the NFL this week.
The most efficient tight end in the NFL over the past two seasons, Kincaid ran a pass route on a meager 45 percent of Buffalo’s drop backs over 12 games in 2025, finishing the season with 49 targets while being targeted on a hefty 28 percent of his routes. Finally healthy, Kincaid has been talked up by Bills coaches over the past few months. Bills players and beat writers have even complimented Kincaid’s blocking, a point of concern for the fourth-year tight end. Buscaglia said if Kincaid can “be just competent enough in blocking to preserve the threat of play action when he’s on the field and continue to crush receiving efficiency metrics, he’ll become one of the most important pieces to the roster.” Kincaid is a high upside swing late in drafts for those who fade the game’s top tight ends.
Way back in late May, the Athletic’s Daniel Popper suggested Kolar, who signed a three-year, $24.3 million contract with the Bolts this spring, would enter the season as LA’s top tight end “because of his complete skill set.” Week 1 usage will tell us a lot about how offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel will use his tight ends, but for now it seems Kolar will lead the group in Week 1 against the Cardinals. David Njoku and Oronde Gadsden II, however, could see more pass game involvement depending on how many routes they run in a given week, and whether the Chargers go run-heavy against an opponent. None of the Chargers’ tight ends are particularly appealing fantasy plays for Week 1.
Buscaglia called Moore, who was acquired from the Bears this spring, the “crown jewel of the offseason” for the Bills front office. “Moore’s contributions to the offense within training camp were immediate and obvious,” Buscaglia said. “Allen routinely pushed the ball downfield to Moore, making a concerted effort all summer to build on-field chemistry with the Bills’ new No. 1 receiver. ... The days of ‘everybody eats’ seem to be in the rearview mirror.” It’s a bullish report — one that could mean Moore is among the best values in redraft leagues this season even after being among the NFL’s most inefficient wideouts in 2025. Moore should be in all 12-team lineups for Week 1 against the Texans.
Coming back from a 2025 ACL injury, there’s been speculation that Nabers might not be ready for the Giants’ opening game against Dallas on Sunday night. Graziano seems to think the Giants releasing veteran WR Darius Slayton over the weekend is a sign Nabers will be a go for Week 1, and ESPN’s Jordan Raanan said Nabers “seems to be trending in a positive direction” five days ahead of New York’s season opener. The Giants won’t practice Tuesday. Nabers’ Wednesday practice status could tell us whether he’s a full go against the Cowboys.
It’s $102 million guaranteed for the 24-year-old Gonzalez, who is entering his fourth season after being drafted 17th overall in 2023. Gonzalez went without an interception during the regular season last year, but he was a Pro Bowler anyway and he did come up with a huge pick in the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship versus the Broncos. The Patriots had him under control for two more years after exercising his fifth-year option in April.
During a media sessions late Monday, Morris was asked if Bosa would be able to go in Week 1 against the Rams, to which he responded, “Oh, he’s going out there. He’s going.” There’s no room left for interpretation about that quote, meaning Bosa is expected to make his return to the field after tearing his ACL in Week 3 of the 2025 season. Don’t expect a normal allotment of snaps in his first game in almost a calendar year, but the veteran pass-rusher can still make a significant impact when on the field. IDP managers will want to confirm his status on the team’s injury report Tuesday before making plans to insert him into Week 1 lineups.
Asked whether Kittle would play in Week 1, 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said, “We have two more practices, but Kittle looks good.” That was not as explicit as defensive coordinator Raheem Morris’ quote on Nick Bosa’s expected status just minutes earlier, but it certainly seems to confirm mounting reports that Kittle is on track to suit up for Week 1. Kubiak added at the end of his response that Kittle’s “workload will be determined,” also reinforcing earlier reports that the team was likely to monitor his snap rate closely. Fantasy managers are likely better off taking a wait-and-see approach with Kittle until he has proven to be capable of a normal workload.
It’s the second straight missed practice for Okada as he tends to a hamstring injury, while fellow starting safety Nick Emmanwori (ankle) is thought to be doubtful to suit up against the Patriots Wednesday, per those close to the team. The team’s final injury report of their Week 1 preparation will be released Tuesday, upon which we’ll receive final game designations. Keep a close eye on the transaction reports from Seattle to gauge the expected level of health of both players. Considering the Seahawks carried only three safeties on their initial 53-man roster, any practice squad elevations from the secondary could signal expected absences from one, or both, players.
It was the second straight day with the same level of participation for the second-year receiver, who could be headed for a game-day injury designation for the team’s season opener. We were kept in the dark regarding Horton’s ailment after he missed the final three weeks of camp, with a hamstring injury now labeled as the cause. Although Jake Bobo’s season-ending ACL tear all but guaranteed Horton a spot on game-day rosters, he remains unlikely to contribute meaningful counting stats playing behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed, and Cooper Kupp. Second-year undrafted free agent Montorie Foster Jr would be in line to serve as the team’s fourth receiver on Wednesday should Horton be unable to go.
The longest-tenured Giants player is now in search of a new home after the team opted to release the 29-year-old receiver on Monday. Slayton was reportedly at risk of not making the initial 53-man roster out of camp, but survived the initial cuts only to be released a week later. During his seven seasons with the Giants, Slayton totaled 296 receptions for 4,435 yards and 22 touchdowns while serving primarily as a field stretcher. He posted four seasons of 724 or more receiving yards and had an impressive rookie campaign when he went for 48-740-8 as a rookie fifth-rounder out of Auburn. Slayton should have no trouble finding a new home in the coming days, but it may take some time before he’s back to seeing the field in a meaningful capacity.
According to Titans beat Jim Wyatt, Gray was entered into concussion protocol after being involved in an accident while in an ultra terrain vehicle. The Titans released a statement saying that Gray “sustained a concussion and minor injuries” and that they expect him to be on the field once he clears concussion protocol. Gray is entering his third year in the league and is coming off a 2025 season in which he totaled 164 tackles, one sack, and two fumble recoveries while starting all 16 games he appeared in.