NFL Player News

Folsom made some big hits at inside linebacker during preseason action and should make it onto the practice squad. Billingsley was a raw burner.

Pierce said the Colts have been doing a good job of preparing him to play even while sidelined, and with 16 days to go before the Colts host the Ravens in Week 1, it’s not inconceivable that he could be ready in time for the season opener. The Colts will continue to ramp Pierce up in the coming weeks, making his status one to monitor, especially when teams begin releasing official injury reports ahead of game day. If he is able to play, fantasy managers should view Pierce as anything more than a boom/bust WR3 until we see how he looks on the field.

Legwold writes that the fourth-round rookie is “squarely in the backfield rotation” for the Broncos. Coleman possesses a three-down skill set that could open the door for him to eat into both J.K. Dobbins’ and RJ Harvey’s roles, but fantasy managers shouldn’t rush to put him in their lineups at this time. Dobbins is still considered the favorite to lead the Broncos in early-down touches to start the season, with most of Harvey’s looks coming on third down and in passing situations. That said, Coleman is one of the higher upside stashes at his position who could prove to have top-24 upside or better at some point this season.

This will be the first look we get at Harris since he suffered a torn Achilles in Week 3 last season. The 28-year-old vet signed a deal with the Giants less than two weeks ago, but could end up being a “significant contributor” to the Giants’ backfield, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. Whether or not Harris has any fantasy value as a standalone option with Cam Skattebo healthy is to be determined, but he could be the leader in the clubhouse to be the next man up should Skattebo ever miss time, making him an intriguing late-round pick in fantasy drafts.

In fairness to Monken, it’s not often we see teams keep four QBs on a roster. With Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders already locked into their roles, the question becomes whether or not both Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green make the 53-man roster or if one could be cut/traded. Gabriel turned in a solid outing in the Browns’ final preseason game, throwing for 186 yards and three touchdowns in one half of play, while Green threw for 27 scoreless yards but also rushed for 88 yards on six carries and helped orchestrate a 98-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter. With roster cutdown day set for Sunday, Monken and GM Andrew Berry still have a few days to decide the makeup of their QB room before Week 1’s game against the Jaguars.

Playing early is one thing. Pulling targets from Terry McLaurin, Stefon Diggs, and Chig Okonkwo is another. Williams has reportedly had a strong camp and will likely see most of his snaps come from the slot in his rookie season. The former Clemson Tiger caught 130 passes over his final two seasons, but it’s hard to imagine him offering much fantasy production, especially in the early part of the season.

This isn’t the first time Raanan has suggested Fields could have the inside edge as the Giants’ WR2. Earlier this month, he said the rookie third-rounder was making an “early claim” for the role, which doesn’t come as much of a surprise given the thin receiving corps the Giants are currently working with. The 6-foot-4, 220-plus-pound receiver has an excellent catch radius and made a name for himself with his ability to haul in contested targets during his days at Virginia and Notre Dame. It seems highly unlikely that Fields would make enough of an impact to be considered a reliable fantasy contributor, but he could be worth a late-round/stash in drafts to see how things unfold for him in the weeks to come.

After getting through the third and final dress rehearsal before the Rams kick off Week 1 in Australia, McVay said he won’t be “pigeon-holding” himself into any decision just yet. Rookie Ty Simpson and fourth-year vet Stetson Bennett have both performed well for the Rams this preseason, with Bennett sitting out Thursday’s game against the Chargers. The decision to sit Bennett on Thursday, coupled with the 62 snaps he saw in the preseason to Simpson’s 111, could be a signal as to which way McVay is leaning at this point, although he is on record saying we shouldn’t read too much into that. Regardless, the good news for McVay and Rams fans is that Matthew Stafford is healthy and will hopefully be under center for all 17 of the Rams’ games this season as he looks to defend his crown as the reigning league MVP.

The only QB who truly felt like he was on the roster bubble this offseason was Will Howard. The former sixth-round pick immediately found himself in competition for a roster spot after the Steelers used the No. 76 pick in this year’s draft to select Penn State’s Drew Allar, but it would appear that Howard’s spot on the roster is safe for now. Speaking after the team’s preseason finale against the Bills, McCarthy said that he feels good about the team’s quarterback room and suggested that we can expect both players, along with Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph, to all be on the roster after cutdown day. Howard threw for 229 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions this preseason, while Allar threw for 351-2-0 but completed just 55.6 percent of his passes. We wouldn’t expect either QB to see the field in the regular season.

That’s three straight weeks that Kubiak has declined to name his Week 1 starter despite the widely held belief that it will be Kirk Cousins getting the start in Week 1 against the Dolphins. Cousins has received the majority of first-team reps throughout the offseason and limited action in the preseason, while Fernando Mendoza has worked mostly with backups and played extensively in every preseason game. We’ll see just how long Kubiak is willing to stretch this decision out, but it would come as a surprise to almost everyone if Mendoza got the nod over Cousins in Week 1.

A groin injury sidelined Bell for most of August. The coaching staff evidently wanted to get him up to speed. He played into the fourth quarter this evening. The Bills’ fourth-round rookie ran fantasy-friendly crossing routes against the Steelers this, hauling in a 16-yard pass on one such play. Tonight’s starting QB Shane Buechele badly overthrew him on another, but the two continued honing their connection all night. Bell scored a 28-yard touchdown on an end-around, speeding past defenders en route to the end zone. Bell does not need to be rostered in 12-team leagues, but the intriguing prospect could end up being a worthwhile waiver wire add in-season.