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    Murray takes ‘hefty’ amount of first-team snaps

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    MIN Quarterback #1
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    The Athletic’s Alec Lewis reports that QB Kyler Murray “took a hefty amount of snaps with the starters” on Thursday.

    Per Lewis, Murray connected on a notable deep pass at one point, and ESPN’s Kevin Seifert also noted that Murray is pushing the ball downfield. Fellow Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy “spent more time with the No. 2 group” and attempted fewer downfield passes. If this is an indicator that Murray is pulling away, that’s a good thing. The sooner one quarterback begins taking all first-team reps the better.
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  • MIN Wide Receiver #18
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    Jefferson told Seifert what many of us were concerned about this spring and summer — that having the Murray and QB J.J. McCarthy split first-team reps “was an added challenge.” At the Vikings’ joint practice against the Ravens on Wednesday, Jefferson beat a double team for a touchdown, “but had roughly a half dozen passes broken up as he tried to muscle for position.” Jefferson should still be treated as a WR1, but as he told Seifert, “work needs to be done.”
  • MIN Quarterback #9
    With the Vikings naming Kyler Murray as the starter, McCarthy’s future in Minnesota is in question. The 23-year-old is entering his third season and still has plenty to work on, though losing the Week 1 starting job indicates his chances to start for the Vikings again are dwindling. When asked about his future, McCarthy stated he wants to be in Minnesota and will “continue to just do whatever [he] can for this team and this organization.” The room for error for young quarterbacks is thin in the NFL and though he is saying the right things to the media, McCarthy is a former first-rounder that may want to move on, should he have no future as a starter with the Vikings. He will start the season as the backup while the Vikings evaluate their quarterback room throughout the season; it wouldn’t be a surprise to see McCarthy depart Minnesota between now and this time next year.
  • MIN Quarterback #1
    It’s not quite a ringing endorsement for Murray, acquired from the Cardinals this offseason. Murray had a brief competition with incumbent starter JJ McCarthy that included inconsistent play from both signal callers. On Tuesday the Vikings said the competition was over, and that Murray had won. “In my opinion,” O’Connell said, "[Kyler] has got the skill set and the abilities not only just from the standpoint of accuracy and his ability to affect the game with his athleticism, but he’s also proven to be smart, very hardworking, and be able to take in a lot of information and churn that out. Now we really want to give him the opportunity to really start building a comfort level not only with the system but with the guys.” Reportedly fired up about proving himself after flaming out with the Cardinals, Murray should be an upgrade for Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson in 2026. Murray has worked closely with Addison throughout the offseason.
  • MIN Quarterback #9
    Sure, Kev. McCarthy lost the starting competition and is entering the third year of his four-year rookie contract. If he’s going to have a major future as a quarterback in the league, he almost certainly needed to beat out Murray for the starting role or (still in play) get traded somewhere where he can play this year. We’ll see what happens, but it wouldn’t be surprising if McCarthy was traded. It also wouldn’t be surprising if McCarthy requested a trade.
  • MIN Quarterback #1
    Though the Vikings staged what appeared to be a (short-lived) quarterback competition between Murray and JJ McCarthy, the result was likely determined from the outset. Murray and McCarthy split first-team reps for much of the offseason and into training camp, with both QBs struggling at times. There was no way the Vikings were going to pay the steep price of acquiring Murray from the Cardinals only to sit him behind McCarthy. Murray as starter is probably good news for Justin Jefferson, who last season had one of the NFL’s lowest catchable target rates. Murray should be fine as a floor-based fantasy play in Kevin O’Connell’s offense. McCarthy should still be rostered in superflex formats behind the oft-injured Murray.
  • MIN Quarterback #1
    According to Seifert, the Vikings have given Murray “roughly two-thirds of the snaps with the first-team offense in 11-on-11 drills,” while J.J. McCarthy “has spent a significant portion of his summer working with the No. 2 offense.” While reports have been up and down on Murray thus far, Seifert also suggests the gap between Murray and McCarthy remains wide after the first two weeks of camp, saying that “no objective observer to training camp could say that (McCarthy) has made up the ground necessary to truly challenge Murray” this summer. There are still two weeks left to go in camp, but it sounds like McCarthy will need a lot to go right for him to get the nod for Week 1 against the Packers.
  • MIN Quarterback #9
    We’ve done a lot of J.J. McCarthy blurbs this offseason and the vast majority of them from beats have McCarthy well behind Kyler Murray, while we also have a June quote from Kevin O’Connell saying “he doesn’t plan to take the competition until the end of camp.” It’s only the league-wide reporters who seem to give McCarthy much of a chance to win the job. Interesting coincidence, some would say.
  • MIN Quarterback #1
    While Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy are both expected to enter training camp in competition for the team’s QB1 role, it sounds like O’Connell would prefer to land on a decision sooner rather than later. Murray, by all accounts, appears to be the leader in the clubhouse to open the season as the starter, but McCarthy has received praise from teammates and coaches for his improvement as a passer and his ability to throw with a little more accuracy and touch. Currently going around the late ninth/early tenth round of best ball drafts, Murray could turn out to be a nice value if he wins the job and can return to the player who finished as a top-10 fantasy QB in fantasy points per game from 2020 to 2022 under KOC.
  • MIN Quarterback #9
    On one hand, it’s “just” OTAs. On the other hand, this is the second reporter to suggest there’s a noticeable difference between what Murray and McCarthy offer at the position. We’re less than a full week removed from ESPN’s Kevin Seifert saying the gap between the two QBs is “not close,” and now, Ragatz is all but suggesting the same in his most recent article. While there have been reports of McCarthy making strides as a passer this offseason, the bar has been set so low after 2025’s debacle, that any marginal improvements could garner praise for JJMC at this point. We’ll get a better sense of where things really stand between Murray and McCarthy when the pads come on in training camp, but Murray continues to sound like the clearcut QB1 to start the season, despite the Vikings’ best efforts to suggest the winner of this camp battle hasn’t already been determined.
  • MIN Quarterback #1
    It was only the Vikings’ second OTA of the spring and first that was open to the media. Still, while the Vikings gave both quarterbacks an equal opportunity, it doesn’t sound like a real competition, according to Seifert. “Murray made all of the best throws of the practice, demonstrating his downfield touch and accuracy,” he wrote. It was a reminder that McCarthy could continue making incremental improvements and still fall short of being able to match Murray, according to Seifert. A former Pro Bowler who led the Cardinals to the playoffs in 2021, Murray is being drafted outside the top-12 quarterbacks as he looks to bounce back in his first season with the Vikings.

Rotoworld

  • NYG Running Back #22
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    ESPN’s Jordan Raanan says Najee Harris “was brought in under the premise that he’s going to be a significant contributor” for the Giants this season.

    It’s worth noting that Cam Skattebo continues to be the first running back up in practice, but it sounds like the Giants could have a vision for Harris, who signed with the team on a one-year, minimum-salary deal, per Raanan. Harris is returning from a torn Achilles that ended his 2025 season in Week 3, but there’s plenty of room for him to earn snaps behind Skattebo once he gets up to speed. A blown pass-blocking assignment by Tyrone Tracy in the team’s first preseason game against the Vikings raised immediate questions about whether or not the Giants will trust Tracy in pass-blocking situations this season, and Harris has proven to be a capable pass-blocker in the past. At this point, it’s hard to imagine Harris having any standalone fantasy value in a healthy Giants backfield, but he could be worth a handcuff to Skattebo in deeper leagues based on these latest reports.
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    The Athletic’s Jesse Newell reports the Chiefs have been “getting the ball to Kenneth Walker all the time” in camp.

    Newell writes that the way the Chiefs have been getting the ball to Walker has been “one of the most striking parts of camp,” while adding that Walker has been the primary target in the screen game and in the red zone. It’s about as encouraging a report as fantasy managers could hope for if they’re eyeing Walker in drafts this season. The 25-year-old back signed a three-year, $40.05 million contract with the Chiefs this offseason and could operate as the true bell cow in Andy Reid’s offense this season. Newell also noted that the Chiefs don’t appear to be alternating backs on every other series as they have in recent years, which would only raise Walker’s fantasy ceiling for this upcoming season. Walker already figures to be in the running for a top-12 fantasy season at his position, but he could be in line for a career year if his reported camp usage holds up in the regular season.
  • JAC Wide Receiver #11
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    ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Parker Washington is expected to return to practice next week.

    Washington missed this week due to an undisclosed injury, but it doesn’t sound like this is anything to be too concerned about at this point. The fourth-year receiver is expected to make his return to the field next week and should be in position to be ready for the start of the season. Washington is coming off a breakout year in which he totaled 58 receptions for 847 yards and five touchdowns, and it was reported recently that the Jaguars seem “reluctant” to take him off the field, with some believing Washington has established himself as the WR1 for the Jags. He’s sounding more and more like a reliable WR2/WR3 as we enter prime fantasy draft season.
  • LV Quarterback #8
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    Raiders HC Klint Kubiak declined to name a starting QB after the team’s second preseason game against the Texans on Thursday.

    Kirk Cousins didn’t play a snap in Thursday night’s game, but despite the decision not to dress his veteran QB, Kubiak opted not to commit to a starter just yet. Rookie Fernando Mendoza played the entire first half of yesterday’s game, completing 8-of-15 passes for 86 yards, with one of his incompletions resulting in an 80-yard pick-six. It’s long been believed that the Raiders’ plan entering this season was to go with Cousins as the starter before eventually making the move to Mendoza later in the year. While that may still end up being how things unfold, Kubiak’s decision not to name a starter on a night when several starters sat has raised questions ahead of the team’s third and final preseason game next week against the 49ers.
  • LAC Running Back #34
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    Chargers RB Keaton Mitchell rushed three times for minus-one yard in Thursday’s preseason game against the 49ers, adding one reception for 11 yards.

    Mitchell’s box score would have looked a lot better if his 21-yard reception on a route out of the backfield had not been called back due to a penalty. Chargers starting RB Omarion Hampton played all three snaps on the opening drive before giving way to Mitchell, who played 10-of-10 snaps on the second and third drives. Fellow backup RB Kimani Vidal took the field as the Chargers’ kick returner to begin the game. He made his first appearance on offense on the Chargers’ fourth drive. Mitchell could return standalone FLEX value with big-play upside in this role. He reportedly visited the blue medical tent, but was allowed to return to the sideline. Hopefully, this is a non-issue.
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    Chargers TE Charlie Kolar caught 1-of-1 targets for nine yards in Thursday’s preseason game against the 49ers.

    Kolar earned QB Justin Herbert’s first target of the night on a short out route to the left. Kolar secured the pass but stumbled and was brought down just shy of the first-down marker. PFF’s Nathan Jahnke notes that Kolar shared the field with TE David Njoku on two of the first three plays, but Kolar remained on the field for the Chargers’ first 11 personnel package. Kolar looks like the Chargers’ No. 1 tight end. He was a talented prospect but has contributed sparingly as a receiver in the NFL to this point, making him a coin-toss TE1/2 for fantasy.
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    49ers WR De’Zhaun Stribling caught 4-of-5 targets for 46 yards in Thursday’s preseason game against the Chargers.

    Stribling starred on the 49ers’ first two drives. He caught three passes on the first drive, nabbing an eight-yard gain on a curl route, high-pointing a pass beyond the sticks and making a kneeling catch for a first down via a slant route from the perimeter. 49ers QB Brock Purdy beautifully threaded the needle to him on a post route downfield, sneaking the ball right past two defenders. Stribling nearly hauled in a 30-plus-yard pass down the left sideline, just a few yards from the end zone, but he couldn’t complete the catch. The result of that play might keep his ADP from inflating too much. The rookie wide receiver might warrant WR3 treatment right out of the gate.
  • LAC Wide Receiver #89
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    Chargers WR Brenen Thompson exited Thursday’s preseason game against the 49ers after suffering an apparent injury.

    Thompson stopped by the blue medical tent before being taken to the locker room. This is a bummer. The speedy wide receiver played all three first-team reps with QB Justin Herbert. Herbert hung up his cleats for the night after that drive, but Thompson remained on the field, earning two targets from QB Trey Lance. The first yielded a seven-yard gain on a comeback route. The second was thrown 50-plus yards downfield. Thompson dove for it, but a defender likely got away with a DPI no-call, and Lance slightly overthrew the pass anyway. Hopefully, Thompson is only dealing with a minor injury and can continue his encouraging development soon. Chargers WRs Quentin Johnston and Tre’ Harris appear to be inactive.
  • JAC Wide Receiver #11
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    ESPN’s Michael DiRocco reports that the Jaguars are “reluctant” to take WR Parker Washington off the field.

    DiRocco indicates that Washington is staying on the field for both 12 personnel and 11 personnel packages. He and WR Jakobi Meyers have reportedly led the position group in snaps this summer. Although Washington is dealing with an undisclosed injury at the moment, he is expected to return next week. DiRocco said on Tuesday that Washington has “established himself” as the team’s No. 1 wide receiver, which lines up with what we’ve been hearing all spring and summer.
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    Raiders RB Mike Washington rushed nine times for 56 yards in Thursday’s preseason game against the Texans, adding two receptions for 18 yards.

    Washington looked good once again this week. His best play was an explosive gain on the Raiders’ first drive. Washington ran into the back of the line briefly but bounced off contact and took off downfield for a 33-yard gain. He was tackled by his shoestrings on the Texans’ 25-yard line. Unfortunately, the next play wasn’t great. Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza decided to check down to Washington on a play-action dropback, but the pass was intercepted and returned for an 80-yard touchdown. Texans LB Wade Woodaz made a great play on the ball. Washington possibly could have done a better job of maintaining spatial awareness and boxing Woodaz out, but the result of the play does not fall entirely on Washington’s shoulders. The rookie running back could offer standalone FLEX value this season. At worst, he is a high-upside stash.