News from Training Camp: 9/2/2020

Ben Brown highlights some noteworthy tidbits from Training Camp.

Ben Brown
Draft Prep 4 Years Ago

As training camp progresses and the regular season gets closer, there’s a lot going on that may be tough to keep track of. Our goal with this series is to keep you updated on any fantasy-related injuries and positional battles, while also throwing in some tidbits that may prove useful for your fantasy draft. Expect to see these updates on Mondays and Wednesdays right up until Week 1.

If you missed Monday’s recap you can check it out here. 

 

AFC East

 

New England Patriots

 

Lamar Miller activated off PUP

Boy, are there a lot of mouths to feed in the New England Backfield. I was expecting one or both of Miller and Sony Michel starting the year on PUP just because of the depth this team has at the position, but now they have five active RBs who are capable starters in the league. Again, the only guy I want out of this backfield is James White due to his consistent usage as the pass catching back.

 

Miami Dolphins

 

Tua looking healthy, still may not start Week 1

I’m still inclined to believe that Ryan Fitzpatrick will start the first month of games as Miami eases Tua into NFL action. I think the majority of teams will treat September games as a quasi-preseason where players are given time to ease into their new roles and develop chemistry with their teammates, but for Tua the most important thing will be getting back into football shape and learning the offense from the sidelines. I’ve been saying that I think the Miami offense will be sneaky good this year with their improved offensive line and RBs, so don’t sleep on Fitzpatrick early.

 

New York Jets

 

More injuries strike Jets camp

Lots of bad news here, but I’ll start with the good news first. La’Mical Perine does not have a significant injury, so the 3rd RB on the depth chart should only miss a few weeks. That’s good news because they liked what they saw out of him early in camp and we all know that Head Coach Adam Gase is not the biggest fan of LeVeon Bell, so Perine could see some time on the field later in the year. He’s a name worth watching.

The Chris Herndon experience continues to be negative for the Jets as he went down with another injury, one that could be connected to last year’s rib and lung issues that plagued him for most of the season. It’s unfortunate news because there’s no denying the talent Herndon has and his chemistry with Sam Darnold was going to be important for the team in the early part of the season while all of the injured receivers got accustomed to the offense. For fantasy purposes, I hope you have a backup tight end because Herndon can’t be relied upon to play in 16 games. If your waiver wire is thin, I highly suggest Logan Thomas of the Washington Football Team – he’s most likely available in your league, is the #1 tight end, and has already developed chemistry with Dwayne Haskins in the red zone. I have a Going Deep piece coming out on Thomas tomorrow and he’s someone you should be excited about.

Jamison Crowder left practice with muscle tightness in his leg, but it sounds minor and shouldn’t keep him out of Week 1 action. He should be a solid PPR play with a good floor.

 

AFC North

 

Cincinnati Bengals

 

Joe Mixon gets a new contract

It’s not clear if the migraine reports were false or not, but Joe Mixon did get the new contract he was rumored to be in discussions for. Good for him, but I hope he’s healthy heading into Week 1 because this team will need him if they want to compete in 2020.

 

AFC South

 

Jacksonville Jaguars

 

The league remains on Leonard Fournette watch

There are reports out there that it was the Jacksonville players, not the coaching staff, who decided it was time to move on from Leonard Fournette. I don’t want to speculate here but regardless, Fournette will have to end up in the perfect situation if he’s going to return an investment on his ADP of 32. This may be obvious, but don’t draft him anywhere until we find out where he lands and what his role will be.

 

Devine Ozigbo is the guy to grab out of Jacksonville

Ryquell Armstead missed the first half of training camp while he was on the COVID list. He was then activated on August 20th, but he has missed the last few days with a non-COVID related illness. All of that missed time should mean that Devine Ozigbo, who ran a 4.65 40-yard dash at his 2019 Pro Day, should be in the driver’s seat for RB touches in Week 1. From the small bit of tape I’ve watched of Ozigbo, it looks like he has pretty good burst through the hole, a good first cut and solid field vision. He also caught 49 passes at Nebraska and looks to be a capable pass-catching back. This 2019 Draft Scouting Report by Youtuber Draft Genius lays out a lot of things to like about him, but my favorite part is that he’s got “Eyes on his feet” which basically means he’s a good cutter and it able to avoid getting tripped up by bodies falling around him. Shout out Draft Genius – you’ve got a new subscriber, and hopefully you’re right about Devine Ozigbo.

 

Indianapolis Colts

 

Parris Campbell returns to practice

It’s good to hear Parris Campbell is back at practice, albeit in a limited fashion, as he was looking impressive early on in camp. Feel free to draft and stash him.

 

Marlon Mack is the starter for the Colts

Mack’s 75 ADP is still a bit too high for me, but he should give you 4-5 solid weeks before the inevitable Jonathan Taylor revolution begins. I prefer to draft guys who will still be there for me in the playoffs, but that’s just me. We all know Mack is talented and with that offensive line who knows what could happen – maybe both backs are worth starting on a weekly basis anyway. Only time will tell.

 

Trey Burton injures calf, likely missing time

A tough break for newcomer Trey Burton, as he had become one of Philip Rivers‘ favorite targets in camp. Jack Doyle is now the guy to target, but I’ve always liked Burton and thought he might be a fun sneaky DFS play at TE early on.

 

AFC West

 

Las Vegas Raiders

 

Tyrell Williams on IR

Tough break for Tyrell Williams, who had said he was going to try to play through his torn labrum. Now it’s clear that Bryan Edwards will be the starter on the outside for Las Vegas. His ADP has jumped all the way up to 164, though I would rather have his teammate Hunter Renfroe who has a defined role and is going nearly a round later. It’s easy to overpay for a guy with a ton of hype, and there’s a lot of risk in Edwards. But if he’s your 5th or 6th receiver and you’re all set elsewhere then go for it.

 

Denver Broncos

 

Your daily reminder that Courtland Sutton is going to be a beast

Get. On. The. Train.

 

NFC East

 

Philadelphia Eagles

 

Quez Watkins returns to practice

With Jalen Reagor out, we’re likely to see more of Greg Ward and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside than Quez Watkins, but a strong showing in the next week of practice could lead to more playing time for Quez in the early part of the season. Of these three guys, Ward is the one to target in PPR leagues.

 

New York Giants

 

Golden Tate nursing a hamstring injury

It doesn’t sound like anything serious, thankfully, so don’t be afraid to roll him out there in the Giants’ Week 1 matchup against Pittsburgh.

 

Dallas Cowboys

 

Amari Cooper – Injury or just rest?

Amari Cooper has’t practiced much in the past few days and it’s unclear whether he’s nursing an injury or just being rested ahead of Week 1. The always impartial, never biased Jerry Jones has gone on the record saying that the team isn’t worried about Cooper’s health and that it’s just precautionary. We’ll see if he’s right sooner than later.

 

NFC North

 

Green Bay Packers

 

A Running Back by Committee in Green Bay?

I wouldn’t count on it. Aaron Jones has proven he can handle a full workload and is by far the most talented back in the offense. They will obviously rest him from time to time but he gives them their best chance to win on a weekly basis. Sure, we’ll see Jamaal Williams and AJ Dillon from time to time but for a team that’s still in win-now mode, Jones will get his touches as long as he’s healthy.

 

Detroit Lions

 

D’Andre Swift returns to practice

It may be too little too late for Swift to see significant touches in Week 1 but it’s good to at least see him back on the field. He should start getting passing down work at some point early in the season, with the strong possibility of overtaking Kerryon Johnson as the number one back at some point down the line.

 

NFC South

 

New Orleans Saints

 

Alvin Kamara not practicing and at odds with the Saints over his contract

If you’re drafting before this situation gets resolved, Latavius Murray is an absolute must target as his current ADP, and it may be a good idea to target Ty Montgomery in deeper leagues just in case. This is turning into a messy situation and I don’t feel great about it. I already don’t like Kamara this year due to the knee injury he sustained last year (torn MCL) that he chose to rehab over surgery, and this semi-holdout/contract dispute leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Hopefully everything turns out alright.

 

Carolina Panthers

 

Ian Thomas hyper-extends his toe

… How does that happen? I’ve heard of hyperextended arms and legs, but toes? Was he not wearing shoes? This one is puzzling.

 

NFC West

 

Los Angeles Rams

 

Cooper Kupp strains muscle in leg

If Cooper Kupp were a Patriot, this injury would be labeled “Lower Body” instead of “muscle strain on the side of the lower part of his leg right above the foot.” That’s an incredible amount of detail for what sounds like a pretty minor injury.

 

Seattle Seahawks

 

Paul Richardson returns to Seattle

Richardson isn’t fantasy relevant but it’s notable that Seattle has a gaping hole at WR after Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf. They brought in Philip Dorsett to handle WR3 duties but he had been out for a week with a sore foot, so maybe Richardson is just someone they feel they can plug and play until Dorsett is up to speed in the offense. Either way, neither are fantasy relevant in a run-first offense.

 

Featured image by Justin Paradis (@freshmeatcomm on Twitter)

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