The whole lot that occurs within the NFL has some further context when considered from a fantasy soccer perspective. From place battles to accidents and a lot extra, the information cycle will always have an effect on participant values in fantasy soccer.
Our fantasy soccer buzz file, with contributions from our ESPN fantasy writers and our NFL Nation reporters, goals to offer fantasy managers with the intel they want as information breaks across the NFL.
Key hyperlinks: Draft Information | Cheat Sheet Central | Fantasy depth charts
Sept. 4: Bengals’ Chase returns to follow
Cincinnati Bengals wideout Ja’Marr Chase suited up and took part in follow in the present day in line with ESPN’s Ben Child, after lacking all of coaching camp on account of a contract dispute.
Chase is at present the No. 3 WR in ESPN Fantasy Soccer PPR rankings and seventh general.
Sept 2: Chiefs place Edwards-Helaire on NFI
The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs positioned working again Clyde Edwards-Helaire on the non-football sickness record, which means he’ll miss the primary 4 video games of the season. Edwards-Helaire has been the backup to Isiah Pacheco since 2022 and the Chiefs have solely two different backs on their energetic roster. Veteran Samaje Perine, who was just lately added to the workforce after being launched by Denver Broncos and undrafted rookie Carson Steele. Perine will possible function the insurance coverage RB to Pacheco whereas Edwards-Helaire is out.
Aug. 29: Brandon Aiyuk extension increase to Brock Purdy’s inventory
Eric Moody: Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers have agreed to a four-year extension value $120 million that may see him swimsuit up for the NFC favorites.
Aiyuk is ESPN Fantasy’s WR19 and stays a strong midrange WR2 on a San Francisco 49ers workforce loaded with playmakers. Regardless of sharing targets with Deebo Samuel Sr., George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey, Aiyuk stays a greater than dependable playmaker.
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What’s Brandon Aiyuk’s fantasy rating after new take care of the 49ers?
Area Yates, Stephania Bell and Daniel Dopp react to Brandon Aiyuk’s contract extension with the 49ers and the way it impacts his ADP in fantasy drafts.
The most important winner? Quarterback Brock Purdy. The connection between Aiyuk and Purdy final season was elite. Purdy’s QB score (95) when focusing on Aiyuk ranked second amongst 98 QB/WR combos with 50+ targets. Aiyuk led the league with 12.9 yards per goal final season, posting seven 100+ yard video games, and we should always count on extra of the identical in 2024.
Samuel (WR18) stays a robust WR2 choice, having averaged 17 fantasy factors per recreation over the past three seasons. Kittle seems like extra of a boom-or-bust TE1. He had seven video games with 16+ fantasy factors in 2023, however he additionally had six with six factors or fewer. Rookie Ricky Pearsall takes a success as a sleeper on account of Aiyuk staying in San Francisco.
Aug. 29: Patriots select Brissett over Maye for Week 1
Tristan H. Cockcroft: Jacoby Brissett was named the New England Patriots’ Week 1 beginning quarterback. Observe the significance of “Week 1” as to when Brissett has been named the starter, for the reason that Brissett-Drake Maye QB battle will linger all through the season.
Brissett’s choice proper now comes as no shock, shopping for a while for the rookie who made a aggressive push to seize the job himself, and it brings a touch extra stability in fantasy phrases to the Patriots’ receivers — not that you ought to be leaping on the likelihood to start out them in commonplace leagues.
Brissett has averaged 14.1 fantasy factors over his profession as a starter and a September schedule (@CIN, SEA, @NYJ, @SF) with video games the place he’ll possible be “enjoying from behind” however towards harder defenses means that he’ll hover in that statistical vary. New England’s No. 1 WR DeMario Douglas and TE Hunter Henry, although, get ever-so-slight bumps in what could possibly be a target-heavy opening month.
Aug. 28: Steelers title Russell Wilson beginning QB
Matt Bowen: Steelers coach Mike Tomlin named Russell Wilson the workforce’s beginning quarterback on Wednesday. The play-action move recreation shall be closely deployed below new coordinator Arthur Smith, which inserts Wilson, as he accomplished 67.3% of his play-action throws in 2023, with 11 touchdowns. Wilson could have a No.1 goal in discipline stretcher George Pickens, a receiver who can produce breakout weeks. However given Smith’s run-oriented strategy within the recreation plan, which advantages working backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, plus Wilson’s declining play pace outdoors of the pocket, he needs to be focused solely as a lower-tier QB2.
If Wilson have been to wrestle early this season, do not be shocked if the workforce turned to backup Justin Fields. Along with his dual-threat potential and playmaking abilities, Fields nonetheless has potential fantasy upside this yr and may be drafted in deeper leagues.
Aug. 28: Cowboys add Prepare dinner to follow squad
Moody: The Dallas Cowboys will signal veteran working again Dalvin Prepare dinner to their follow squad, sources informed ESPN on Wednesday. Prepare dinner may be known as as much as the energetic roster if he is able to contribute, making this a no-risk transfer for Dallas. However his signing possible dampens the fantasy attraction of Ezekiel Elliott as a flex choice and Rico Dowdle as a sleeper.
Whereas Prepare dinner is previous his bodily prime at 29 years outdated, he has nonetheless racked up 5,238 dashing yards over the previous 5 seasons (fourth most within the league over that span). The Cowboys’ backfield was anticipated to be a committee between Elliott and Dowdle, however with Prepare dinner doubtlessly within the combine, it seems like one to keep away from in fantasy drafts.
Aug. 28: Williams set to return punts for Rams
Sean McVay introduced Tuesday that Rams working again Kyren Williams will return punts this season. Mike Clay affords his ideas on whether or not the particular groups position impacts Williams’ fantasy worth within the video beneath.
Aug. 28: Mitchell positioned on IR, out for season
Tristan H. Cockcroft: Although it might sound unimportant to scrutinize the backup position to fantasy soccer’s top-scoring working again from 2023, Christian McCaffrey, let’s not overlook that McCaffrey does have an damage historical past. He missed 23 video games in 2020 and 2021 mixed with ankle (twice), shoulder, thigh and hamstring points, in addition to the calf pressure that price him the whole lot of this yr’s preseason.
Elijah Mitchell (hamstring) heading to season-ending injured reserve on Wednesday is related, even when just for the way it upends McCaffrey managers’ insurance-policy technique. Jordan Mason, who totaled 76 yards and two touchdowns on 14 preseason carries, shall be thrust into the first backup position, and fourth-round rookie Isaac Guerendo, who missed some essential preseason time with a hamstring problem of his personal, has elevated alternative to play a significant position within the 49ers’ offense.
Mason is now value late-round decide in commonplace codecs, particularly for these fortunate sufficient to get McCaffrey from the No. 1 draft slot, whereas Guerendo is a promising dynasty league stash.
Aug. 27: Hockenson to stay on PUP record, out till at the very least Week 5
Eric Karabell: Minnesota Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson tore the ACL and MCL in his proper knee final Christmas Eve, and since we all know how lengthy it might take for a knee to heal from this main trauma, there was little likelihood he would play in Week 1. Now, it’s official. Hockenson stays on the workforce’s PUP record, and he’ll miss at the very least the primary 4 video games of the 2024 season. Fantasy managers have properly not made Hockenson a top-10 tight finish, as they usually would, and that is sensible. It’s also sensible to proceed investing in Hockenson later in drafts, in anticipation of doubtless superior numbers from October onward. Nothing has modified right here, and there are not any bye weeks in September, anyway. Stash Hockenson in your IR slot, discover one other tight finish for the early portion of the season and be affected person. Johnny Mundt is the Vikings TE probably to be an element within the move recreation whereas Hockenson is sidelined, however he isn’t value drafting in fantasy.
Aug. 27: Jonathon Brooks additionally will begin the season on PUP/NFI record
Eric Moody: The Carolina Panthers are leaving RB Jonathon Brooks on the PUP/NFI record to start out the season, making him ineligible for the primary 4 video games. The Panthers have Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders within the backfield, with Hubbard anticipated to deal with many of the touches. Hubbard was the featured again for the league’s worst offense final season and was a top-12 fantasy RB over the ultimate seven weeks, main the league with 134 dashing makes an attempt throughout that span. Regardless of this, he is at present the RB45 in ESPN ADP, which makes him a strong decide by way of early-season worth.
Brooks, in the meantime, can nonetheless be thought of as an RB4. Earlier than a torn ACL ended his season at Texas in 2023, he had 1,139 dashing yards (sixth in FBS on the time of the damage). The Panthers, who had solely 9 runs of 20-plus yards and 7 dashing touchdowns all of final season, drafted Brooks to assist on this space. The offense ought to enhance below new head coach Dave Canales. You may draft Brooks and stash him in your IR slot. Upon his return, the forty sixth general decide within the NFL draft ought to problem Hubbard for the beginning job sooner reasonably than later and be a key contributor within the second half of the season.
Aug. 27: AJ Dillon positioned on season-ending IR
Liz Loza: A.J. Dillon, who missed the ultimate three video games of final season with a neck damage, was positioned on injured reserve after a struggling the same damage throughout joint follow with Denver Broncos Tuesday. Dillon had emerged because the early favourite for RB2 duties in Inexperienced Bay, working forward of MarShawn Lloyd, who had been coping with hip and hamstring problems with his personal. Inexperienced Bay chosen Lloyd within the third-round of April’s draft, making an attempt to offer youth and depth behind Josh Jacobs. The rookie’s Week 1 outlook remains to be muddy, although he figures to offer eventual worth, assuming he can get wholesome.
Within the meantime, Jacobs will work because the workforce’s uncontested ball service. The vet’s numbers regressed mightily in 2023, after averaging a monster 23 touches per recreation in 2022. An improve in offense, nonetheless, ought to raise Jacobs’ effectivity whereas his quantity retains him within the high-end RB2 fantasy dialog. Count on the previous Raider to start the season a top-15 FF RB when the Packers tackle the Eagles in Brazil on Sept. 6.
Aug. 27: High-ranked fantasy LB traded to Titans
Ernest Jones IV, who’s the No. 1 LB for 2 of our three IDP rankers, was dealt from the Los Angeles Rams to the Tennessee Titans. Jones, who had at the very least 9 tackles in 10 of his 15 video games performed in 2023, lands with a Titans workforce that had a obvious want for an every-down linebacker along with his potential. In fantasy, Jones possesses elite sort out potential and likewise had a career-high 4 1/2 sacks final season. He drops barely in our LB rankings, as Bobby Okereke of the Giants turns into the unanimous No. 1.
Aug. 26: Nick Chubb to start out the season on PUP record
Eric Moody: The Cleveland Browns are leaving RB Nick Chubb on the bodily unable to carry out record to start out the season, which means he shall be ineligible to play for at the very least the primary 4 video games. The Browns have Jerome Ford to deal with many of the touches of their backfield. He averaged 12.9 fantasy factors per recreation from Week 3 to Week 17 final season filling in for Chubb because the lead again. Ford is at present RB37 in ESPN ADP, whereas Chubb ought to nonetheless be thought of as an RB4 or RB5 and stays an intriguing late-round goal.
Chubb is just 28 years outdated and, as we noticed final yr with Alvin Kamara (17.9) and Raheem Mostert (17.8), older working backs can nonetheless rank among the many performers in fantasy PPG. You may nonetheless draft Chubb and stash him in your IR slot. He’s positioned to be a key contributor for fantasy groups within the second half of the season.
