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    Pickens will move around the formation this season

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    DAL Wide Receiver #3
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    Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said he plans to move WR George Pickens around the formation more this season.

    Schottenheimer began this section of the press conference by saying that he was very pleased with Pickens’ playbook preparedness when he showed up for mandatory minicamp this week. He did not attend organized team activities, so this is great to hear. Regarding Pickens’ pre-snap alignment, he will not just play X-receiver this season — Schottenheimer notes that Pickens does not like doing that anyway. Schottenheimer plans to line Pickens up in the slot, and isolated on the front side, on the same side as the tight end. Pickens logged just 77 slot snaps last season and 891 out wide. Giving him more opportunities to run routes against safeties and linebackers from the slot will increase his fantasy-scoring floor and ceiling. Schottenheimer also plans to expand Pickens’ route tree and build elements of the offense around his strengths, noting Pickens’ slant route successes last season in particular. He’s a WR1.
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  • DAL Wide Receiver #3
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    The July 15th deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign long-term deals came and went without Pickens signing a new deal. Cowboys executive vice president Steven Jones had said in April that “there won’t be negotiations on a long-term deal” with Pickens. The 25-year-old wide receiver showed up for mandatory minicamp and does not plan to hold out of training camp, either. He will play on a $27.3 million franchise tag and will either reach a contract extension after the season or enter unrestricted free agency in 2027. Pickens will be the WR2 across from CeeDee Lamb in 2026; both have ceilings in the fantasy WR1 range.
  • DAL Quarterback #4
    Solak’s prediction was among his bold predictions for the 2026 NFL season. Prescott having a shot at 5,000 yards, Solak said, would hinge on the Cowboys remaining a fast-paced offense in 2026. Last season the Cowboys led the league in play clock remaining at the snap and offensive plays per game, leading to 600 passes for Dak — a career high. The wideout duo of George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb won’t hurt matters for Prescott, who has eclipsed 4,500 passing yards three times in his NFL career. Pickens’ downfield ability was reflected in Prescott finishing sixth in deep ball accuracy last season. “The volume will be there for Prescott to not just lead the league in passing in 2026 but to once again challenge for the 5,000-yard milestone,” Solak said. Quarterbacks have thrown for more than 5,000 yards just 14 times in league history.
  • DAL Wide Receiver #3
    Pickens’ current ADP is in the 20-30 range and we expect most analysts will give him a little bump now that he’s not holding out of camp. CeeDee Lamb’s health clearly played a role in Pickens’ 2025 season, as did Dallas’ cataclysmically bad defense. Still, he has a real chance to finish as a WR1 this year and full reps at training camp can only help him out as he plays out the franchise tag.
  • DAL Wide Receiver #3
    After staying away from the team during voluntary workouts, Pickens is officially in the facilities and “is expected to attend mandatory minicamp this Tuesday, Wednesday, [and] Thursday,” per Machota. The Cowboys franchise tagged Pickens earlier this offseason, but the star receiver is still hoping to secure a long-term deal before the start of this season, although the Cowboys have said they don’t intend to negotiate with him ahead of the July deadline to sign tagged players to multi-year deals. In his first season with the Cowboys, Pickens enjoyed a career year, totaling 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns — all of which were career-highs. His decision to report to minicamp is a good sign, although that could simply be out of a desire to avoid being fined for his absence. How much he participates in practice over the three-day period will be worth watching as the week unfolds.
  • DAL Wide Receiver #3
    Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer told reporters last week that he expects Pickens to attend mandatory minicamp this week, which is scheduled to run from June 16-18. Schottenheimer quickly clarified that Pickens has not “committed” to doing so. When asked if he plans to attend, Pickens reportedly shrugged and said, “uhhh” before a representative stepped in to end the conversation. Pickens is set to make $27.3 million this season by playing on the franchise tag this season. He is still seeking a long-term extension, but the front office has made it clear that it does not plan to extend Pickens this offseason. Should Pickens skip minicamp sessions, he would be fined daily. It is tough to guess as to what will happen here, but minicamp absences would likely drive Pickens’ ADP downward. At this time of the year, we advise buying the dip.
  • DAL Wide Receiver #3
    The Cowboys’ mandatory minicamp is scheduled for June 16-18. Pickens is not present for the Cowboys’ voluntary organized team activities, but head coach Brian Schottenheimer said Pickens is “in a good spot and handling his business” after speaking with the wide receiver yesterday. Pickens signed his franchise tag late in April and is set to make $27.3 million this season. Trade speculation has not amounted to anything thus far, and it sounds like Pickens will show up when he is supposed to later this month.
  • DAL Wide Receiver #3
    The Cowboys were initially reported to be placing the franchise tag on Pickens prior to the NFL draft, prompting speculation he would be dealt during the draft. However, Pickens did not sign the $27.3 million tag immediately, leaving him out of any potential trade conversations. Now, the Cowboys announce Pickens has officially signed his franchise tag. He now plays on a one-year, $27.3 million fully guaranteed deal for 2026 while aiming to negotiate a new contract with Dallas or another team that would agree to acquire and sign him to a long-term deal.
  • DAL Wide Receiver #3
    ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported shortly before the start of Day 1 of last week’s draft that Pickens would be signing his franchise tag. Now, it appears that is not the case. Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones said last week that the team would not have negotiations with Pickens for a long-term deal this year, but it’s possible that Pickens and his team may take their time to see if a deal can still be reached. There’s not much we know here other than Pickens hasn’t signed his tag, but with the deadline to sign tags still over two months away, Pickens has plenty of time to see if the Cowboys are willing to budge and ink him to a new deal rather than force him to play on the one-year tag. If he does play on the tag, Pickens would earn a guaranteed $27.3 million.
  • DAL Wide Receiver #3
    Pickens signed his franchise tag a little over an hour ago, prompting trade speculation. The Cowboys were unable to move him if he remained unsigned. Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones shared yesterday that the team had decided not to pursue a long-term deal with Pickens at this time. If they do indeed keep him, he will make $27.3 million this year. That said, things can change quickly, and Rapoport said nothing about the Cowboys’ plans for tomorrow.
  • DAL Wide Receiver #3
    Yesterday, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said that “there won’t be negotiations on a long-term deal” for Pickens. Today, Pickens signed the franchise tag shortly before Day 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft is set to begin. With Pickens having signed the deal, the Cowboys now have the ability to trade him. He will make $27.3 million this year if he plays out the one-year deal. Should the Cowboys send him elsewhere, the new team would be free to workout new, multi-year contract. In his first season with the Cowboys last year, Pickens posted a 93/1,429/9 receiving line.

Rotoworld

  • NYG Wide Receiver #1
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    Giants HC John Harbaugh said he doesn’t think Malik Nabers (knee) is “at full-speed yet” after his first day in 11-on-11 drills.

    It was a big day for Nabers, as the star receiver participated in 11-on-11s for the first time since suffering a torn ACL last season. While he may not be up to full-speed just yet, it has been a positive summer for Nabers overall. He managed to avoid the PUP list to open camp and has not suffered any setbacks since then. He’s still sporting the red non-contact jersey, but all signs continue to point to Nabers being ready for Week 1 if he continues on his current trajectory.
  • JAC Quarterback #16
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    Jaguars HC Liam Coen said he is “trending toward” playing the starters in Friday’s preseason game against the Panthers.

    The Jaguars didn’t play any starters in last week’s preseason game against the Saints, but Coen said that because they couldn’t do a padded practice on Monday with the Panthers, he may consider playing his starters a bit on Friday in order to get some “good (players) on good (players)” facing one another. If the Jaguars do play their starters this week, it will be their only taste of preseason action, as Coen has already said he won’t be playing them in the third preseason game.
  • LA Wide Receiver #12
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    Rams HC Sean McVay said Puka Nacua is still dealing with soreness in his groin.

    Nacua suffered a groin injury nearly a week ago and is still dealing with soreness. McVay said last week that he expects Nacua to return sometime this week, but the starting receiver was not on the field during Monday’s practice. McVay didn’t say which day he expects Nacua to be back, noting that the team prefers to “err on the side of caution” with soft-tissue injuries.
  • TB Wide Receiver #2
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    Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles said he’s “not sure at this time” if Emeka Egbuka (toe) will be available in Week 1.

    This comes just days after it was reported that the Buccaneers “are very optimistic” about Egbuka’s Week 1 availability. The second-year receiver has been dealing with a sprained toe that he suffered on Wednesday and hasn’t practiced since. The Buccaneers are 27 days away from their Week 1 game against the Bengals, which will hopefully give Egbuka plenty of time to heal up. Egbuka profiles as a solid WR2 for this season with Mike Evans now with the 49ers.
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    The Athletics Chad Graff believes the Patriots’ backfield “will be a 50-50 split” this season.

    TreVeyon Henderson’s involvement in the offense could hinge heavily on his pass-protection performance, but Graff believes that if Henderson can hold up in those situations, he and Rhamondre Stevenson are looking at a 50-50 split. In his article over at The Athletic, Graff says the Patriots “want to take advantage of Henderson’s big-play ability, but they believe in Stevenson a bit more to get what’s blocked.” Henderson and Stevenson should both see plenty of work to have standalone fantasy value, but they could prove frustrating to roster in start/sit leagues if their roles become difficult to predict on a week-to-week basis.
  • CHI Defensive End #92
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    Bears signed DE Marcus Davenport, formerly of the Lions.

    Davenport reunites with current Bears DC and former Saints HC Dennis Allen. The 29-year-old vet spent the last two seasons with the Lions but appeared in only 10 games due to injuries. He totaled seven QB pressures and one sack last season and will likely work as a situational pass rusher this season for the Bears.
  • NE Wide Receiver #8
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    The Athletic’s Chad Graff believes Kyle Williams is “going to have a role” in the Patriots’ offense this season.

    It’s hard to imagine Williams having a fantasy-relevant role given the fact that the Patriots went out and added A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs this offseason, but Graff believes the second-year receiver will have some sort of role in the offense this season. As a rookie, Williams caught 10 passes for 209 yards and three touchdowns, and he went for 2-37-1 on three targets in last week’s preseason game against the Colts. Williams’ role in the offense could be worth monitoring in-season, but there’s no reason to rush to add him to your draft day plans.
  • ARI Running Back #4
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    Speaking on the Pat McAfee show, ESPN’s beat writer said he thinks Jeremiyah Love could be used “more as a feature back, so not the every-down guy.”

    Love is currently dealing with a sprained ankle he suffered in the preseason against the Raiders. Weinfuss said that, based on how he has seen Love used in training camp, Love might be used more as a feature back in “unique situations,” while also noting that Tyler Allgeier was signed to “be that short-yardage, bruising type of back.” This certainly isn’t what fantasy managers who invested third-round draft capital in Love want to hear. It also comes as a bit of a surprise given the 14 touches Love saw in Thursday’s preseason game. While it wouldn’t be surprising to see Allgeier vulture a few goal-line touchdowns, we would still expect Love to lead this backfield in touches by a wide margin while adding plenty of value in the passing game. Fantasy managers shouldn’t balk at whatever ADP slide he might see to his injury, as it could present a nice opportunity to scoop up the talented rookie at a discount price.
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    Commanders released K Jake Moody.

    NFL insider Jordan Schultz was the first to report the move. The former 49er was signed to a one-year deal earlier this offseason after a brief stint with Washington, in which he went 10-for-11 while going 2-for-2 on distances of 50-plus yards. Moody had been in a kicking competition with rookie UDFA Drew Stevens, who has outperformed Moody in camp. Moody was a third-round pick by the Niners in 2023 and has converted 78 percent of his field goals in his career and is 107-for-110 on his extra point tries.
  • CLE Wide Receiver #1
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    Browns HC Todd Monken said he hopes the team is trying to get KC Concepcion the ball “as often as we can.”

    Concepcion caught three passes for 27 yards in the Browns’ preseason opener and also ran in a 14-yard touchdown on a jet sweep. The rookie first-rounder drew high praise from Monken on Monday, who said, "(Concepcion) is explosive, he’s tough, he’s got great contact balance,” to the media. There have been multiple reports this offseason about the Browns trying to get Concepcion the ball in as many ways as possible. We’ll still want to see how his usage shakes out once we get to real games, but Concepcion sounds like a great later-round target who could yield early results for fantasy managers.