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    McDaniel won’t bench an RB if he is playing well

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    LAC Running Back #8
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    Speaking on NFL Daily about his backfield rotation, Chargers OC Mike McDaniel said, “if a player is playing really well, I’m not going to take them out.”

    Earlier this week, McDaniel said he plans to employ a hot-hand approach at the running back position and plans to “use all three of those guys probably every game.” NFL Daily co-hosts Gregg Rosenthal and Jourdan Rodrigue helpfully followed up on those comments, specifically regarding their fantasy football implications. McDaniel encouragingly prefaced his response by saying, “no one has to worry,” adding that benching productive players is “bad business.” If you were already bullish on one or more of Omarion Hampton, Keaton Mitchell and Kimani Vidal, these comments can be taken positively. Reading between the lines, if Hampton, the starter, proves his value as the team’s RB1, he should receive a fantasy-friendly workload.
Can McMillan take another step in Year 2?
Patrick Daugherty and Denny Carter discuss Tetairoa McMillan entering his second season with added weight, improved health and expectations to build on after a strong rookie year.

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  • LAC Running Back #34
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    Mitchell has been out of action for more than a week after experiencing a “minor setback” for an undisclosed injury. This could be a situation where we’re all left in the dark until the team is required to disclose injuries in the week leading up to Week 1, leaving fantasy managers to plan for contingencies. Any missed time from Mitchell would be a measurable boost to the weekly expectations of Omarion Hampton.
  • LAC Running Back #34
    This comes on the heels of a missed session on Sunday for the fourth-year back. The team has yet to release a complete injury update for Mitchell after failing to disclose an injury status the previous day, leaving fantasy managers stuck in limbo with less than three weeks until the start of the regular season. “We sustained a mild setback with Keaton, but realistically, that’s a position that you’re always wanting to have three, and I like what our young guys are doing to press into that group,” McDaniel said Monday. It is difficult to read too far into McDaniel’s remarks without further context, keeping Mitchell a strong streaming option in shallow leagues, for the time being.
  • LAC Running Back #34
    This is worth keeping an eye on. Mitchell’s preseason usage indicates he is the Chargers’ clear-cut No. 2 running back, operating in what could be a FLEX-viable role. Mitchell played on 10-of-10 possible snaps across the Chargers’ second and third drives in last week’s preseason game before taking a trip to the blue medical tent. He avoided a trip to the locker room and was allowed to return to the sidelines thereafter. Although the latter aspect is encouraging, today’s absence suggests he is at least a minor injury. The coaching staff is not required to divulge injury information until Week 1 practices begin. Hopefully, someone digs up something useful on this, though. For now, keep drafting him as planned, but be on the lookout for updates.
  • LAC Running Back #34
    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.
  • LAC Running Back #28
    Vidal stayed in for two drives and did not catch his only target. Tonight’s start suggests Vidal is behind RB Keaton Mitchell on the depth chart. Mitchell did not play, nor did starting RB Omarion Hampton. Vidal is a proven, capable fill-in starter, but he should only be drafted as the Chargers’ RB3 at this time.
  • LAC Running Back #8
    Speaking to reporters Monday, Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel said that all three of Omarion Hampton, Keaton Mitchell, and Kimani Vidal will be featured in the backfield this season. “Good news is I see all three of those guys performing at a very high level,” McDaniel said. “Kinda play hot hand once you’re into games.” While that’s not the best news for fantasy managers that invested second round picks into Hampton, the opportunity for the Chargers to turn heads on the scoreboard could result in a case of “a rising tide raises all ships.” McDaniel famously, and recently, made two backs top-six producers in fantasy points per game in the same season, with both Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane finishing 2023 in that range. Whether a similar situation transpires in Los Angeles remains to be seen.
  • LAC Running Back #8
    It’s the kind of thing fantasy managers hate to hear. When speaking about his running backs on Monday, McDaniel said, “I see all three producing at a very high level,” while saying the workload for each back could depend on the opponent and who has the “hot hand.” While it’s certainly concerning on the surface, we feel pretty confident in Omarion Hampton having the safest role as far as fantasy is concerned, while Keaton Mitchell and Kimani Vidal could prove a bit more volatile. Their volatility has been baked into their ADP all offseason, as Mitchell is often going in the 12th or 13th round of drafts while Vidal often goes undrafted. It may take some time to get a good sense of McDaniel’s plans for the backfield, but we would expect a clear-cut RB1 and RB2 to emerge this season.
  • LAC Running Back #8
    McDaniel said you could see how focused Hampton was between the offseason program and the start of training camp. Coaches praising their players is nothing new, but it can’t hurt for a second-year back to catch the eye of one of the most successful play-callers in the NFL. Hampton appeared in only nine games as a rookie, and his role declined in the second half of the season. Currently going off the board as fantasy football’s RB8, Hampton needs to improve in year two to pay off his lofty ADP.
  • LAC Running Back #34
    Adding some passing-game viability would be excellent news for Mitchell’s fantasy value, and the fact that we’re getting it straight from the coach’s mouth is a big update. We still don’t know how often Mitchell will play behind Omarion Hampton and alongside fellow backup Kimani Vidal, but it sounds like McDaniel is working on ways to get Mitchell involved, calling him “a playmaker that I’m very excited about.”
  • LAC Running Back #34
    Per Popper, the Chargers really like Mitchell’s ability to “press the edge and get explosives to the outside.” That said, Popper believes Vidal will “give Mitchell a push” for the role. He also believes that both players will make the final roster, regardless. If this is how the depth chart shakes out, one wonders whether Vidal could sneak onto the field in certain passing situations, potentially reducing Mitchell’s standalone viability. Mitchell was seen working in the passing game last week, though — something he rarely did in Baltimore — so it is too early to tell.

Rotoworld

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    Cowboys restructured TE Jake Ferguson’s contract.

    According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, the Cowboys now have $33.2 million in salary cap space this year. They also reworked DT Kenny Clark and CB DaRon Bland’s deals. Ferguson’s $7.25 million base salary was turned into a signing bonus. For fantasy purposes, this does not alter Ferguson’s standing. The front office could have a personnel move in mind, though. Stay tuned.
  • CHI Running Back #4
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    ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Bears RB D’Andre Swift left practice early on Thursday due to “a cramp.”

    Well, this is a pleasant update. Swift was seen leaving practice earlier today, “apparently holding at his midsection or core area.” After a brief scare, everything appears to be fine for the Bears’ starting running back. Swift enters 2026 as a safe RB2, playing in an expectedly efficient and explosive offense. Backfield mate, RB Kyle Monangai (knee), is currently rehabbing an injury, but last we heard, he has a chance to play in Week 1 against the Panthers. Swift could vault into a top-12 positional ranking if Monangai is unable to play.
  • CHI Wide Receiver #15
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    The Athletic’s Dan Wiederer reports that Bears WR Rome Odunze (leg) “should be all good after leaving today’s practice.”

    Let it be known that these are “preliminary indications” from Wiederer, but Bears fans and fantasy managers alike can breathe a sigh of relief. The team will now go on break over the weekend, and coach Ben Johnson will address the media sometime next week. The first injury report comes out on Wednesday, so we should have an update by then, at the latest. It should be noted that Odunze injured his left foot last season. Today’s injury is to his right leg, so the two issues are unrelated. This is not a re-injury. For now, there is reason for cautious optimism regarding Odunze’s health.
  • FA Running Back #24
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    Saints waived RB Devin Neal.

    The Saints placed Neal on injured reserve with a hamstring injury over the weekend, but did not designate him as a candidate to return. He received an injury settlement, and could potentially return to the Saints if he passes through waivers unclaimed.
  • FA Quarterback #8
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    Free agent QB Will Levis worked out for the Jets on Thursday.

    Joining the Jets would make sense for Levis. The team could be hosting a starting quarterback competition next season, albeit with a player picked early in the first round. A chance to compete should not be overlooked by a player hoping to get things back on track.
  • CHI Wide Receiver #15
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    The Chicago Tribune’s Sean Hammond reports that Bears WR Rome Odunze exited practice early on Thursday after suffering an apparent leg injury.

    Per Hammond, Odunze “came up hobbling during an install period at the start of practice,” with what appeared to be a right leg injury. Apparently, Odunze “wasn’t overly concerned” and tried to continue practicing, but Bears trainers removed him from the field. That last bit is encouraging. Hopefully, Odunze’s Week 1 availability has not been jeopardized. Bears TE Colston Loveland and WR Luther Burden would benefit if Odunze cannot play. Odunze is backed up by WR Kalif Raymond.
  • CHI Running Back #4
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    The Chicago Tribune’s Sean Hammond reports that Bears RB D’Andre Swift exited practice early on Thursday after suffering an apparent injury.

    According to Hammond, Swift “came off the field apparently holding at his midsection or core area” after taking a carry during team drills. Bears coach Ben Johnson labeled No. 2 RB Kyle Monangai (knee) as “week-to-week” on August 18th, though it was believed Monangai would have a chance to play in Week 1 against the Panthers. If Monangai is active and Swift is sidelined, Monangai would be a high-end RB2 at worst.
  • SEA Wide Receiver #22
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    The Athletic’s Andrew Destin believes WR Rashid Shaheed “could very well usurp” WR Cooper Kupp as the No. 2 receiving option.

    Destin echoes what ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler forecasted late in June. It’s nice to know that training camp performances have not altered expectations. Whether Shaheed can be more than a big-play-based FLEX option remains to be seen, but his ADP is hardly prohibitive. Stashing him on benches in Weeks 1-2 while monitoring his usage is a fairly low-risk move, though he is not a priority add.
  • BAL Quarterback #8
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    ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler believes the chances of Ravens QB Lamar Jackson “playing out 2026 without an extension could grow by the day.”

    The veteran quarterback is under contract through 2027, but carries an $84.3 million salary cap hit next year. The front office obviously wants to rework the deal. Jackson wants a lucrative extension and “has massive leverage and appears ready to use it.” He also has a no-franchise-tag provision and a no-trade clause. If Jackson turns in another “banner season,” Fowler believes “he has full control” of where he plays next season. For now, he is a top-tier QB1.
  • SEA Tight End #88
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    The Athletic’s Andrew Destin believes Seahawks TE AJ Barner “will likely see an uptick in production, as should backup TE Elijah Arroyo” this year.

    Destin notes that new Seahawks OC Brian Fleury served as the 49ers’ TE coach for four seasons “and is expected to feature the position prominently.” Aside from that, and an increase in shifts and motion, he thinks the offense is “going to look very similar” to last year. Barner underwent two offseason surgeries, one of which was to address a nagging ankle injury that Barner said he initially suffered during the 2024 Senior Bowl before the Seahawks drafted him. After turning in the PPR TE14 performance last season, Barner might have a shot to crack the position’s top 12.