Fantasy News

O.J. Howard is “far, far ahead” of where he was last year

Entering his second NFL season, the uber-athletic tight end has reportedly improved his blocking from last season; and he’s also been a “human highlight reel in the passing game,” according to Carmen Vitali of Buccaneers.com. Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter said he thinks Howard is “far, far ahead” of where he was at any point as a rookie, which probably means the team has a ton of confidence with him on the field. Despite Cameron Brate’s big contract extension earlier this year, Howard is going to be a big part of the offense and has obvious TE1 upside in fantasy drafts.

Via: Buccaneers.com 8/2/18 - 08:37 AM ET

Terrell Davis says the Broncos are “thrilled” with rookie running back Royce Freeman.

Davis is of course a Hall of Fame running back that played for the Broncos, so he has connections with the franchise, including with Broncos GM John Elway. Davis said on NFL Total Access that he’s “talked to people in Denver and they’re just thrilled by what they see in camp and what they saw in minicamp from Royce Freeman. They think he’s going to be the starting running back.” Denver has expressed desire to use a committee backfield with Devontae Booker, De’Angelo Henderson, and Freeman, but that doesn’t mean one guy won’t emerge and run away with the job. Preseason games might determine how the workload is split for the Broncos in 2018, but Freeman at least has a chance to immediately emerge as the lead guy.

Via: NFL.com 8/1/18 - 09:38 PM ET

The Colts reportedly believe they got a “massive steal” in Deon Cain.

NFL Network’s Stacy Dales said on Good Morning Football that “everybody” she talked to with the Colts believes the sixth-round rookie receiver from Clemson was a massive steal. This falls in line with everything we’ve been hearing about Cain all spring and summer. As Dales notes, Cain is currently down on the depth chart, and he will need to pass some guys to have a starting role opposite T.Y. Hilton; but we definitely believe Cain can work his way into the number two role behind Hilton.

Via: NFL.com 8/1/18 - 07:52 PM ET

Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton haven’t missed a beat this year, according to Andrew Walker of Colts.com.

Luck has reportedly found Hilton often throughout training camp, connecting “for big gains just about every day the two work together in 11-on-11 work.” Hilton says their connection is “just like when you wake up, you brush your teeth and wash your face.” This isn’t surprising, but it’s still good to hear after Luck was off the field for an entire season. It’s also notable that Colts head coach Frank Reich says that when he was hired, Luck told him not to worry about Hilton maybe not running routes exactly as designed because their connection is so strong and he knows what his speedy receiver is going to do. Hilton should be a lock for 1,000 yards after he missed the mark by 34 yards without Luck in 2017.

Via: Colts.com 8/1/18 - 05:44 PM ET

John Ross has been the story of Bengals training camp so far.

In the offseason, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said that Ross was just hurt last year (which Ross himself also said), making it clear that he was not a draft “miss” as a top-ten pick. Now fully healthy entering his second NFL season, Ross has been electric in training camp according to multiple reports that go to the open practices. The former Washington star has top-tier speed, but he’s more than just a guy that can run deep. Ross could potentially be a huge factor for Cincinnati in 2018, and he might step up as the team’s number two option behind A.J. Green in the passing game.

Via: Cincy Jungle 8/1/18 - 02:23 PM ET

Josh Doctson (shoulder) tweets that he’s good.

“#imgood *prayer emoji*” is what the third-year receiver tweeted. The team announced earlier that Doctson was going to be evaluated for his shoulder injury, but the tests presumably returned good news. Doctson might miss some time, including potentially the first preseason game, but he should return to the field soon. The former first-round pick needs to stay healthy in a big season for him.

Via: Josh Doctson 8/1/18 - 01:26 PM ET

The Patriots have released Jordan Matthews, according to Jim McBride.

Matthews is apparently dealing with a significant hamstring injury, so New England is moving on, as he would fall behind without reps in training camp and preseason action. Heading into camp, the veteran was potentially ticketed for a big role with Julian Edelman suspended to begin the season, but injuries continue to impact him since leaving Philadelphia. There’s a chance the Patriots bring in someone like Eric Decker, but they could also rely on the guys already on the roster, including Phillip Dorsett, Cordarrelle Patterson, and Kenny Britt.

Via: Jim McBride 8/1/18 - 12:35 PM ET