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    Kraft (knee) says team may ramp up reps in-season

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    Packers TE Tucker Kraft (knee) said the team will “probably” keep him on a snap count until halfway through the 2026 season.

    Kraft is recovering from a season-ending ACL tear. He is on track to play in Week 1. Easing him into action before “sending [him] to the wolves” partway through the year, as Kraft says, makes sense. Kraft proved himself to be a top-tier real-life tight end and a locked-in TE1 in fantasy last year. He can still return TE1 numbers while playing on a snap count, likely receiving a few first-read passes that are designed with his post-catch skill set in mind. These comments should not impact his ADP negatively. For what it’s worth, Kraft also said that he is hoping to play his normal allotment of snaps in Week 1. The team may simply choose to take a conservative approach. Kraft notably resumed participating in 11-on-11 drills today.
Are the Patriots better entering 2026?
Devin McCourty, Mike Tomlin, Jason Garrett and Maria Taylor discuss the Patriots’ chaotic offseason and new additions heading into the 2026 season, examining how New England could perform this season.

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  • GB Tight End #85
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    Kraft has been trending toward playing in Week 1 for a long time. Not appearing on the injury report in any capacity means he is good to go. Kraft may still have somewhat of a pitch count for his first game back from a 2025 torn ACL, but Matt LaFleur will be sure to get him the ball when he is on the field. Kraft is a fantasy TE1 for the Packers’ Week 1 game against Minnesota.
  • GB Tight End #88
    Musgrave is coming back from a neck injury with no clear timeline for a return to action. The Packers last week signed Jonnu Smith, who will play behind Tucker Kraft to start the regular season. Smith could be an interesting waiver add if Kraft — returning from a major knee injury — misses any time in 2026.
  • GB Tight End #81
    Smith reunited with Arthur Smith in Pittsburgh last year and posted 38 catches for 222 yards and two touchdowns. Even with NFL players actively returning to college football, Jonnu was unable to find a way to follow his favorite offensive coordinator to Ohio State. All signs point to Tucker Kraft being fully recovered from his torn ACL by Week 1, but backup tight end Luke Musgrave remains sidelined with an injury of his own. Smith won’t be on the fantasy radar as long as Kraft is healthy, but he should be a solid depth option for the Packers.
  • GB Tight End #85
    It looks like the Packers are ready to ease Kraft back into competition following the serious knee injury that ended his 2025 season. Kraft said recently that the team would “probably” keep him on a snap count to begin the regular season. That would make Kraft — one of the game’s most efficient tight ends — a dicy bet for fantasy purposes. Kraft might not be playable for the first month of the regular season, or even longer depending on his progress and the Packers’ strategies for keeping him healthy.
  • GB Tight End #85
    According to Rapoport, the “biggest question” Kraft faces is whether he will get a contract extension that makes him the highest-paid tight end in the NFL before the season kicks off. Kraft led the team in receptions (16) and receiving yards (225) when he suffered a season-ending ACL tear in Week 9 last year. At 25 years old, he is early in his prime.
  • GB Tight End #85
    ESPN’s Rob Demovsky notes this is Kraft’s first absence since he returned from the physically unable to perform list. The Packers are having their annual Family Night this evening, and Demovsky believes the team is simply giving Kraft the night off. There is no cause for concern at this time.
  • GB Tight End #85
    LaFleur elaborated that Kraft will have to hit all his benchmarks to get there, but that it’s squarely in play is great news for Kraft’s chances of being available for Week 1. We’d still expect him to be eased into camp practices, but this is trending in the right direction.
  • GB Tight End #85
    This is tremendous news for Kraft, who said earlier in the week that he expected to be activated “very soon.” Head coach Matt LaFleur said Kraft will practice on Friday but also added that he will not participate in 11-on-11s for the time being. Regardless of his participation, Kraft being back in any capacity is a great sign for his availability entering the season, and we would expect him to be a full participant in practice sooner rather than later. The fourth-year tight end caught 32 passes for 489 yards and six touchdowns over eight games last season before a torn ACL ended his breakout campaign, but he should be in line for a big 2026 if he can return to the player we saw before his injury.
  • GB Tight End #85
    Kraft said all the way back in June that he would likely begin training camp on the PUP list. He added that he may simply need some time to get his conditioning right before taking the field, and his comments from today seem to confirm that. He was on pace to finish as the TE4 before suffering a torn ACL last year. Even if he starts slow in 2026, Kraft appears to be a safe bet for high-end fantasy production this year.
  • GB Tight End #85
    Kraft had left open the possibility he would be full-go for the beginning of camp, but this was always a more likely outcome. Kraft can be activated at any time, but the conservative Packers will undoubtedly take their time. Once you are off the active/PUP list, you cannot return and are no longer a candidate for reserve/PUP. In other words, the Pack will want to be sure Kraft is healthy. The ascending fourth-year pro has a strong chance at being ready for Week 1, but it is not a forgone conclusion. We will keep you updated.

Rotoworld

  • ARI Running Back #4
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    Cardinals RB Jeremiyah Love (ankle) was limited in Wednesday’s practice.

    Head coach Mike LaFleur said earlier Wednesday that Love would have “no limit.” However, the rookie was indeed listed as limited for Wednesday’s practice report, likely as a formality. The ankle injury may limit him and prop up Tyler Allgeier for some work to open the year but the 21-year-old is a high-end RB2 for the full season. Love is trending in the right direction to play Week 1 against the Chargers.
  • LA Outside Linebacker #95
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    Rams EDGE Myles Garrett (knee) was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice.

    As expected, Garrett gets in a full practice ahead of the Rams’ Week 1 Australia matchup against the 49ers. He did not practice Tuesday but it was likely a load management day for the star pass-rusher’s knee. Expect more of these kinds of practice weeks from Garrett moving forward; he is good to go for Week 1.
  • LV Running Back #2
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    Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty (ankle) is practicing in full for Week 1 against the Dolphins.

    This is great news. Raiders coach Klint Kubiak told reporters earlier today that Jeanty would resume practicing today, however, we assumed it would be a limited session. It turns out Jeanty is already good to go. He faces a soft Dolphins defense in Week 1 and can be treated as a fantasy football RB1 even if rookie RB Mike Washington handles a decent workload as his backup/.
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    Seahawks S Nick Emmanwori (ankle) is inactive for Week 1 against the Patriots.

    Emmanwori underwent surgery to deal with an ankle issue back in July. Despite some limited practice participation, the 22-year-old is not yet ready to return. With S Ty Okada (hamstring) also out, the Seahawks will lack depth in the back of the secondary for Week 1 against the Patriots.
  • SEA Wide Receiver #15
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    Seahawks WR Tory Horton (hamstring) is inactive for Week 1 against the Patriots.

    Horton got in some limited practices earlier this week as he deals with a hamstring injury. He will miss opening week against the Patriots, boosting Rashid Shaheed for some deep targets in Week 1. Also inactive for the Seahawks are S Nick Emmanwori, G Beau Stephens, QB Jalen Milroe, TE Nick Kallerup, S Ty Okada, and DE Mike Morris. Milroe will serve as the emergency third quarterback.
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    Patriots RB TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) is inactive for Week 1 against the Seahawks.

    Henderson was ruled out with an ankle injury after not practicing all week. Rhamondre Stevenson will be the workhorse running back for New England, propelling him into the fantasy RB2 conversation. Also inactive for the Patriots are CB Karon Prunty, LB Erick Hunter, OT Walter Rouse, C Ben Brown, WR Efton Chism, and QB Behren Morton.
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    49ers TE George Kittle (Achilles) was limited in Wednesday’s practice.

    Kittle gets in another limited practice ahead of the 49ers’ Week 1 Australia game against the Rams. We expect him to continue to get limited practices in beyond this week as the 32-year-old nurses his Achilles. Also limited was FB Kyle Juszczyk (finger). Both are still in line to play this week.
  • PHI Tight End #87
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    Eagles TE Eli Stowers (hamstring) was limited in Wednesday’s practice.

    Stowers has been dealing with a hamstring injury he suffered in the preseason and he opens Week 1 with a limited practice. The 23-year-old rookie was already in line for a limited role this season after a subpar training camp but now may be limited even further with a soft tissue injury. Stowers is off fantasy radars in redraft leagues but his absence propels Dallas Goedert into borderline top-10 tight end territory.
  • CHI Quarterback #17
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    Bears QB Tyson Bagent (back) did not participate in Wednesday’s practice.

    Bagent popped up on the injury report with a back issue to open the week. He previously dealt with a hamstring issue but this appears to be a new injury. It’s unclear if the back will keep Bagent out of Week 1 just yet, but Case Keenum will step up at backup quarterback if he misses time.
  • LAC Running Back #34
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    Keaton Mitchell (hamstring) was limited in Wednesday’s practice.

    Mitchell went down with the hamstring injury late in camp but returned to practice earlier this week. The team will likely keep his workload light in practice and on Sunday. Omarion Hampton remains the clear lead back in LA, with Mitchell mixing in for some designed touches. He will be an RB4 for his first game as a Charger.