Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up
Odds by

    Beat: Deal unlikely before Week 1 for Tucker Kraft

    Link copied to clipboard!
    Link copied to clipboard!

    The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein reports that the Packers and TE Tucker Kraft are unlikely to agree on a contract extension before the season opener.

    Silverstein believes the deal’s total value likely isn’t as important to the Packers as the structure. Kraft is still likely to reset the tight end market, but since he is returning from a season-ending ACL tear and has “yet to show he’s picked up where he left off last year, it may take some time for the deal to come together.” In the meantime, as long as he takes the field, Kraft can be treated as a TE1.
Analyzing Glenn’s decision-making in Week 2
Mike Tomlin, Jason Garrett, Devin McCourty and Maria Taylor discuss Aaron Glenn’s coaching decisions late in Packers vs. Jets, as New York’s approach to the end of the game and overtime didn’t work out.

Related Player News

  • GB Tight End #85
    Personalize your Rotoworld feed by favoriting players
    The good news is that Kraft played 52 of the team’s 53 snaps and ran a route on 32 of their 34 dropbacks. The bad news is that he wasn’t commanding targets, and he also fumbled one of his catches, but the replay review couldn’t determine for sure who recovered it, so the Packers were able to maintain possession. Perhaps we should have been a little less aggressive in expecting Kraft to return from tearing his ACL less than a year ago and go right back to being himself at the start of the season. His role remains elite, but it may take another couple of weeks before he’s physically able to play like we’re used to seeing.
  • GB Tight End #85
    Kraft, who tore his ACL in Week 9 last year, told reporters he would not be on a snap count in Week 1. He was. Kraft ran 20 routes to Jonnu Smith’s 18. The good news is that Kraft looked as explosive as ever, racking up gains of 30, 23, and 12 yards. Even with the weak route rate, this goes down as a win for a player whose game is built around big plays. His route rate should climb in the coming weeks, keeping him in the TE1 mix versus the Jets next Sunday.
  • GB Tight End #85
    The news was first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Kraft’s deal, which runs through the 2030 season, has a maximum value of $92 million and includes a $26.5 million signing bonus. He’s now the NFL’s highest-paid tight end. Kraft had 32 receptions, 489 yards and six touchdowns before tearing his ACL in Week 9 last year. Not on the injury report for Week 1, Kraft is a surefire TE1 even in a tough matchup against the Vikings defense.
  • GB Tight End #85
    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
    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.
  • 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.

Rotoworld

  • SEA Wide Receiver #22
    Player Stats
    Personalize your Rotoworld feed by favoriting players
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Rashid Shaheed caught 3-of-6 targets for 35 yards in the Seahawks’ Week 2 win over the Cardinals, adding one rush for four yards.

    The Seahawks tried to get Shaheed involved early on, but he largely made his presence felt on special teams, returning two kicks for 47 yards and three punts for 29 yards. Shaheed was unable to haul in his first target on the Seahawks’ second drive. He got open on a post route from the slot on the ensuing drive, and QB Drew Lock hit him for a 23-yard gain. He caught a four-yard pass in the flats immediately after that. Later, on the sixth drive, Lock fired a pass at Shaheed 34 yards downfield, but his coverage defender grazed the ball, altering the trajectory and leading to an incompletion that went off Shaheed’s fingertips. Shaheed also fumbled the second half’s opening kick return, but his teammate recovered it and advanced the ball 30 yards downfield. Shaheed remains a big-play-dependent FLEX against the Commanders next week.
  • SF Wide Receiver #5
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Mike Evans caught all three of his targets for 54 yards in a Week 2 win over the Dolphins.

    Evans left this game late in the second half with a hip injury, but 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that Evans would have come back into the game if it had been closer. The veteran didn’t have many chances in this one, but he ran a route on 18 of Purdy’s 26 dropbacks, which was the second most on the team. His 27-yard catch was also a nice catch-and-run that saw him go out of bounds on the one-yard line, just before crossing the pylon. He should be good to go against the Cardinals in Week 3.
  • WAS Wide Receiver #17
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Terry McLaurin caught 2-of-9 targets for 50 yards in the Commanders’ Week 2 loss to the Cowboys.

    It could have been a much bigger day for McLaurin, who had a 20-yard touchdown overturned after it was determined he did not maintain possession. In the third quarter, McLaurin broke free down the field for what would have been an easy touchdown on a trick play, but fellow receiver Antonio Williams underthrew him, ruining another scoring opportunity. McLaurin’s nine targets are a nice bump from the four he saw in Week 1 against the Eagles, and he was targeted 20-plus yards downfield four times. He continues to look like a volatile fantasy asset, with Stefon Diggs now in town. Diggs caught five passes for 47 yards and two scores in Sunday’s game. McLaurin will settle somewhere in the WR3 ranks for next week’s game against the Seahawks.
  • CAR Running Back #25
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Panthers coach Dave Canales said Jonathon Brooks aggravated his groin injury in Week 2 against the Falcons and is considered “day to day.”

    The good news is that this is related to Brooks’ history of knee injuries and it sounds like he has a shot at suiting up for Week 3. The bad news is that Brooks originally suffered this groin injury during training camp and is still dealing with it two weeks into the season. Brooks only had five carries and one catch before exiting Week 2’s win over Atlanta. Even if he is healthy for next week’s game, Brooks is barely on the fantasy radar right now.
  • WAS Running Back #1
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Rachaad White rushed seven times for 43 yards in the Commanders’ Week 2 loss to the Cowboys, adding six receptions for 40 additional yards.

    White out-snapped Jacory Croskey-Merritt 36 to 23 on Sunday and continues to play well ahead of him on third downs. White broke off a 14-yard run in the second quarter on a drive that helped set up a four-yard touchdown by Stefon Diggs, and hauled in multiple passes throughout the day with his team trailing the whole way. This performance is what we expected to see from White when the Commanders signed him to a one-year deal earlier this offseason. It’s too early to say we can confidently start him in Week 3 against the Seahawks, but he’s a worthy dart throw in deeper leagues as an RB4/FLEX if needed.
  • CHI Quarterback #18
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    NBC Sports’ Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports that the Bears are optimistic QB Caleb Williams (hamstring) avoided a severe injury.

    According to Florio, it “could be as slight as a Grade 1" strain. Williams will undergo further testing tomorrow to determine the severity, at which point we should get an update about an expected return timeline. Williams is reportedly in good spirits and is ready to attack his rehab program. Williams injured his right hamstring today, and Florio notes that Williams injured his left hamstring in college. The Bears host the Eagles in Week 3’s Monday Night Football game. Backup QB Tyson Bagent would start in Williams’ stead if Williams is unable to play, though the extra day of rest could pay off.
  • DAL Wide Receiver #3
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    George Pickens caught 6-of-8 targets for 40 yards in the Cowboys’ Week 2 win over the Commanders.

    At some point, things will break in Pickens’ favor, but it was not to be in Sunday’s win over the Commanders, despite Dak Prescott throwing for 279-4-0 and having just five incompletions on the day. Pickens hasn’t generated any explosive plays yet, with his longest catch of the season coming on a 12-yard gain in the second quarter of today’s game. He’s still averaging 7.0 targets through the first two weeks of the season, so hopefully the big plays will follow soon. He should be treated as a high-end WR2 in next week’s game against the Ravens.
  • Link copied to clipboard!

    Commanders coach Dan Quinn said QB Jayden Daniels suffered a dislocated left elbow in Week 2 against the Cowboys.

    This one was pretty apparent after viewing the replay, but now we know for sure. Today, Daniels suffered the same injury, in the same arm, that ended his 2025 season. Quinn notes that Daniels underwent X-rays post-game, and the imaging shows that he avoided suffering a fracture. While that is good news, the injury overall is extremely concerning. Daniels is set to undergo more tests on Monday, which will help determine his expected recovery timeline. He is expected to miss time, regardless.
  • LAC Running Back #34
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Keaton Mitchell rushed five times for 24 yards in the Chargers’ Week 2 loss to the Raiders, adding one catch for 145 yards.

    The Chargers deployed Mitchell sparingly once again. He touched the ball four times in his LA debut last week and that number only improved to six this time around. Omarion Hampton logged 23 carries and two catches today. On the other hand, Hampton coughed up a game-losing fumble, so the Chargers may want to see more from Mitchell next week versus the Bills. He is buried in the RB5/6 ranks for now, but fantasy managers can hold onto him for at least one more week.
  • Link copied to clipboard!

    Mike Washington Jr. rushed three times for seven yards in the Raiders’ Week 2 win over the Chargers.

    Washington saw two of his carries and his lone target in the fourth quarter as the Raiders attempted to bleed the clock. Ashton Jeanty also appeared to get shaken up late in the game, putting Washington on the field for a few extra snaps. Jeanty eventually returned to the game even after the contest was all but decided, so it’s safe to say he’s okay. Washington remains a distant RB2 for the Raiders headed into Week 3.