Fantasy News

The Raiders waived Christian Hackenberg, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.

Hackenberg apparently wasn’t practicing well enough during the offseason to keep him on the roster much longer when the team already has multiple quarterbacks behind Derek Carr. Now the 2016 second-round pick of the Jets will hit waivers, and we’ll see if someone picks him up of if he becomes an unrestricted free agent. Oakland is moving forward with Connor Cook and E.J. Manuel as its backup quarterbacks. If he’s not picked up, perhaps Hackenberg will end up on Oakland’s practice squad later this year.

Via: Field Yates 6/12/18 - 04:43 PM ET

Leonard Fournette is “leaner” this year.

After the Jaguars’ first minicamp practice today, Fournette says he weighs under 225 pounds after playing at 235 pounds last season. Fournette said, “I feel like I play my best where I played in college – 223, 224,” so he’s planning on playing at this weight during the season. This is excellent news, as the second-year back is still plenty big enough to deliver punishment to defenders (as he showed at LSU), and the weight drop should mean added speed and quickness. Typically, running backs that drop weight tend to perform better, and fantasy owners should see this as a major positive. It also shows the Fournette, who has had some slight character concerns including a team-imposed suspension during his rookie season, is committed to being great right now. Fournette is a clear workhorse RB1 entering 2018.

Via: Jaguars.com 6/12/18 - 03:39 PM ET

Andrew Luck is throwing footballs at Colts minicamp.

As a part of his slow and steady rehab process in recovery from his shoulder issue, Luck hit a significant checkmark as he throws footballs for the first time since October. Luck was previously throwing weighted balls, and normal balls is the next step in his progression—now the plan is likely to gradually increase the throwing distance. This is a bit out of nowhere, as there was some thought that Luck wouldn’t be ready to throw until training camp. Now we just need to hold our breath and hope throwing normal footballs goes well. If it does, Luck will hopefully be in the clear and back to his usual self in 2018 and beyond.

Via: Indianapolis Colts 6/12/18 - 01:32 PM ET

Odell Beckham Jr. (ankle) is fully cleared.

Beckham is back to 100%, but he’s not fully participating in minicamp—probably because he doesn’t have the contract he desires. Giants head coach Pat Shurmur said “we’ll see” if Beckham participates in team drills, but he said he’s not worried about the contract situation affecting anything. Right now, Beckham’s non-participation doesn’t seem to be a big issue for the Giants, but it would likely become an issue if he’s still not in team drills when training camp rolls around.

6/12/18 - 12:08 PM ET

Bills head coach Sean McDermott says the team is going to “mix [Josh Allen] in with the starters” during minicamp this week.

Allen has been and will continue to work with the third unit, but it makes sense for Buffalo to see how he does in limited action with the starters. The No. 7 overall pick could quickly jump Nathan Peterman on the depth chart if he shows well, and we believe he has a good chance of opening up the regular season as the starter over A.J. McCarron, though he will need to earn it. If Allen does see the field as a rookie, he might have some fantasy value due to his ability as a runner. In rookie drafts, the strong-armed signal-caller should probably be the first quarterback off the board.

6/12/18 - 11:59 AM ET

David Johnson is holding out from mandatory minicamp, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Johnson is said to have suffered a very minor injury in OTAs, but Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks wouldn’t really comment on it. Now, DJ is staying away from the team’s mandatory minicamp this week as he hopes to get a new contract. Johnson currently has one year left on his rookie deal, but he likely wants a long-term deal to give him security and peace of mind in the event of another injury—and to avoid the franchise tag next offseason. Johnson is one of the best players in the NFL and is the focus of the offense, and we expect the Cardinals will want to get a deal done with him soon. This holdout isn’t a huge concern right now, but hopefully it doesn’t stretch into the start of training camp.

Via: Adam Schefter 6/12/18 - 11:27 AM ET

Odell Beckham Jr. is not expected to take team reps in Giants minicamp.

Beckham is not holding out from the team, which is a great sign for both sides in what was previously a tense situation. However, NFL Network’s Kimberly Jones says Beckham won’t get team reps in minicamp this week as he still gets back to 100% from his season-ending ankle injury from last year. Jones says Beckham’s doctors and the Giants doctors “have been in concert since the injury,” so both sides are happy with taking things slow. OBJ should be 100% for training camp.

Via: Kimberly Jones 6/12/18 - 08:52 AM ET