Justin Jefferson won't play in Minnesota's preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday. (Source: Andrew Krammer)
Fantasy Impact: Jefferson won't suit up for Minnesota's preseason opener on Saturday. That shouldn't come as much of a surprise, as he is well established as one of the best receivers in the entire NFL at this point. It's also worth noting that the team is being cautious with his recovery from last year's hamstring injury, but it doesn't look like it's still affecting him at all.
Aaron Jones is unlikely to play in Saturday's preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders. (Source: Andrew Krammer)
Fantasy Impact: Jones was held out of practice on Thursday for an undisclosed reason, and it appears to be unlikely that he will suit up for Minnesota's preseason opener on Saturday. Fantasy managers should keep tabs on his status to make sure that he's 100% healthy and good to go prior to Week 1 of the regular season.
Sam Darnold is set to start in Minnesota's preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders. (Source: Andrew Krammer)
Fantasy Impact: This shouldn't come as much of a surprise, as Darnold is listed as the team's starter on their unofficial depth chart. HC Kevin O'Connell has yet to make an official determination on who will be the Week 1 starter for the team, but it looks like it's Darnold's job to lose at this point.
Jordan Mason has been running with the first team at training camp recently. (Source: Matt Maiocco)
Fantasy Impact: Christian McCaffrey (calf) and Elijah Mitchell (hamstring) are both sidelined right now for the 49ers, so Mason has been getting the majority of first-team reps at camp. He has been gaining a lot of momentum throughout the preseason so far, and it seems like he could make a real push to be the backup behind McCaffrey on this offense in 2024.
Joe Burrow is expected to play in Saturday's preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. (Source: Geoff Hobson)
Fantasy Impact: Burrow suffered a thumb injury that cut his season short in 2023, but it looks like he is finally healthy enough to take the field again. The Bengals are planning on playing him in Saturday's preseason game against the Buccaneers, and while he probably won't see more than a quarter or so of action, seeing him take the field will be very valuable in determining where he's at in his recovery. Fantasy managers should keep tabs on his performance in the coming days.
The Kansas City Chiefs' starters, including QB Patrick Mahomes II, will play roughly the first quarter of action in their preseason opener versus the Jacksonville Jaguars, says HC Andy Reid. (Source: Ari Meirov on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Reid has let his starters see the field in the preseason recently, though they are typically limited to a quarter or a pair of series. Mahomes and the other first-teamers will get a chance to loosen up and play at live game speed before their regular season kicks off against Baltimore on Thursday Night Football.
Baltimore Ravens RB Derrick Henry, a prize free agent acquisition, will not play in the 2024 NFL preseason. (Source: Cameron Wolfe on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: With Henry sitting out of the preseason action, the public's first glimpse of the "King" in purple and black will be in Week 1 versus the Kansas City Chiefs. The former Tennessee Titans RB is set to have a huge role in 2024 after a down season in Nashville, Tenn., where he still ran for 1,167 yards and 12 touchdowns. With RBs Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins in L.A., Henry (half-PPR ADP RB9) is set to have a potentially strong season on a potent offense.
Free agent WR Robbie Chosen is working out with the San Francisco 49ers on Wednesday. (Source: Clayton Holloway on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Amid all the Brandon Aiyuk trade rumors, the 49ers are bringing in another WR to potentially help further deepen the room. Chosen played for Miami in 2023, appearing in nine games with zero starts and catching four passes for 126 yards, including a 68-yard TD against the Denver Broncos. He doesn't provide much more than a bench deep threat at the age of 31, but the 49ers could sign him if they're looking for more bodies out wide.
T.J. Watt will not play in the Steelers preseason opener against Houston on Friday. (Source: Gerry Dulac on X)
Fantasy Impact: Watt is one of many Pittsburgh starters who will not suit up against the Texans on Friday. It’s not surprising, as at this point it’s mainly extra reps that could cause him to get injured before the regular season starts.
Wed, Aug 7th 10:12am EDT
By Garrett Ball
Minkah Fitzpatrick will not play in the Steelers preseason opener on Friday. (Source: Gerry Dulac on X)
Fantasy Impact: Fitzpatrick is among multiple Pittsburgh starters who will not play against the Texans on Friday. Given how early it is in the preseason, this is not surprising. Fitzpatrick may see some later preseason work, but his presence is not vital in the opener.
Russell Wilson will not play in the Steelers preseason opener on Friday. (Source: Gerry Dulac on X)
Fantasy Impact: It’s not a surprising move with Wilson listed atop the Steelers’ first depth chart. While nothing is set in stone for who will start come Week 1, resting Wilson during a preseason game that does nothing for him is the right move.
Deshaun Watson won't play in Saturday's preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers. (Source: Daniel Oyefusi on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: The Browns will be holding Watson out of Saturday's preseason opener. He has already established himself as the QB1 on this offense, and considering the injury issues he battled last year, starting him would be more risk than it's worth for Cleveland. Jameis Winston will get the start in his absence.
Jameis Winston is set to be the starting QB in Cleveland's preseason opener on Saturday. (Source: Mary Kay Cabot on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Winston is set to get the start on Saturday with Deshaun Watson not playing in the team's first preseason game. These will be some valuable reps for the backup, but he doesn't have a chance to overtake Watson as the QB1, even if he has a strong preseason.
Ben Sinnott is listed as the TE3 for the Washington Commanders on their unofficial depth chart. (Source: Zach Selby)
Fantasy Impact: The Commanders used a second-round pick on Sinnott in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he hasn't earned the starting job for himself on this offense. In fact, he's currently listed as the third-string TE rather than even the backup. He still has time to win a role for himself in the preseason, but if this doesn't change, his rookie year likely won't amount to much for fantasy purposes.
Brandon Aiyuk has been given permission to negotiate with other teams as the 49ers are now openly listening to trade offers for their young star wideout. (Source: Adam Schefter via X)
Fantasy Impact: Aiyuk has been the source of trade rumors for months now, and it looks increasingly likely that he will not be a 49er by the season opener. If he is moved, it will take him some time to ramp up to the new offense and build a rapport with his new QB. Where he goes will impact his fantasy ADP for better or worse, as both the Browns and Patriots are seen as suitors and represent very different opportunities for Aiyuk. Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and guys like Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings will see a boost in ADP as well.
Jonathan Mingo is slotted in as a starter on Carolina's unofficial depth chart. (Source: Carolina Panthers)
Fantasy Impact: Mingo had a disappointing rookie campaign in 2023, but it looks like he will still get opportunities this year. He's currently listed as a starter prior to Carolina's first preseason game, although that's subject to change prior to the start of the season. Unless he takes a big step up from a talent perspective this year, fantasy managers shouldn't be expecting him to have much value in most league formats.
Xavier Legette is listed as a backup on Carolina's unofficial depth chart. (Source: Carolina Panthers)
Fantasy Impact: The Panthers recently released their unofficial depth chart ahead of their first preseason game against the Patriots this week, and it included Legette in the backup wide receiver slot. His role is subject to change over the rest of the preseason, but his momentum to claim a starting spot may be hindered by the foot injury that he's currently dealing with.
Jamaal Williams has been getting some reps with New Orleans' first-team offense. (Source: Erin Summers on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Williams is an afterthought for fantasy purposes after a disappointing 2023 campaign, but it appears that he may still have a solid role on this offense. He has been seen mixing in with the first team at times during camp, and it's possible that he could claim the short-yardage and goal line roles on the offense. This is bad news for Kendre Miller, who has gained some hype this offseason as a potential breakout candidate.
Braelon Allen is trending towards winning the RB2 job for the Jets this season. (Source: New York Jets)
Fantasy Impact: Allen, a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, has been competing for the RB2 job behind Breece Hall throughout Jets' training camp so far. It appears that he's the leading candidate for the job, as the team has officially listed him as the RB2 on their unofficial depth chart. This is subject to change before the start of the season, but for now, it looks like he's earning a real role for himself on New York's offense.
Giants rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr. appears to have the early edge over Eric Gray and Dante Miller in the training-camp battle to be the primary backup to Devin Singletary. (Source: NYPost.com)
Fantasy Impact: Tracy entered college as a wide receiver before he moved to running back. “Wherever they use me, I’m going to try to do it to the best of my ability,” Tracy said. “But with all the short-yardage stuff — whether that’s a hitch or backs [coming] out of the backfield — I think that’s a little to my advantage because of my background." Singletary will open the season as the lead back, but Tracy could be a player to take a flier on in the last round of fantasy drafts or at least is someone to monitor on the waiver wire early in the season.
