Fantasy News

The Chargers are eyeing an October debut for Mike Williams, according to Ian Rapoport.

Williams, the seventh-overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, has been sidelined in training camp with a herniated disc in his back. The timetable for Williams potential return to the field has ranged all over the place, and October would probably be good news for Chargers fans, as it could be the entire season. He was a top-ten pick for a reason, so Williams might be worth drafting late if you can stash him on IR.

Via: Ian Rapoport 8/14/17 - 01:29 PM ET

Bills trade for receiver Jordan Matthews.

Simultaneous to trading star receiver Sammy Watkins to the Rams, Buffalo acquired Jordan Matthews and a 2018 third round pick from the Eagles for cornerback Ronald Darby. Matthews instantly inserts as the number one receiver for the Bills, so this is a big plus for his fantasy value. He should have among the highest floors of all fantasy receivers, and his ADP is certainly going to rise in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, this locks in Nelson Agholor and Torrey Smith as the top two receivers in Philadelphia behind Alshon Jeffery.

8/11/17 - 12:53 PM ET

Devonta Freeman has a concussion.

Falcons Head coach Dan Quinn said his running back is in concussion protocol and will not play this Sunday in the team’s second preseason game. Don’t be surprised if Freeman doesn’t play the rest of the preseason games as they focus on Week 1 of the regular season. Tevin Coleman will handle most of the first-team snaps with Freeman out, and he might be able to take advantage and steal more of the workload in the regular season. Hopefully Freeman can get out of protocol and back on the field soon.

Via: Kelsey Conway 8/14/17 - 11:49 AM ET

Sammy Watkins has been traded to the Los Angeles Rams.

WOW. This is simply shocking. The Bills shipped Watkins and a 2018 sixth round pick to the Rams for cornerback E.J. Gaines and a 2018 second round pick. Buffalo declined Watkins’ fifth-year option this offseason, but the thought was they wanted him to stay healthy before dedicating to him long-term and they could always franchise tag him if necessary—but this is a surprise. It’s difficult to find more of a blockbuster than this in the NFL, as Sammy Watkins has the ability to be an elite player. Jared Goff is a big winner here, as he gets a bonafide stud for his number one receiver. Watkins might not get as many targets as he would have in Buffalo, but he still offers the upside of an great WR1 in Los Angeles and is one of the best targets in the 3rd/4th round of fantasy drafts.

8/11/17 - 12:50 PM ET

Jay Cutler might play in the Dolphins’ second preseason game this week.

Head coach Adam Gase talked to reporters and said he’s “trending toward yes” regarding Cutler playing against Baltimore on Thursday. In a preseason game, they might as well throw Cutler out there and let him get some game reps with his new teammates. Cutler knows the offense from his time with Gase, so that shouldn’t be an issue. Look for Cutler to hit the field on Thursday night in Miami against the Ravens.

8/14/17 - 10:57 AM ET

Ezekiel Elliott is being suspended for six games by the NFL, according to Adam Schefter.

While six games is a lot, this isn’t too surprising. The NFL has been very hard on domestic violence over the last few seasons, and Elliott has had a few off the field incidents unrelated to his domestic violence allegations as well. Elliott will no doubt appeal this suspension, which could lead to it being shortened from six games. This could actually be far from over, and it’s possible this drags out into the regular season and Elliott is eligible to play in Week 1. Ideally, a solution will come before the regular season, though. Darren McFadden now has great value over the first six weeks of the season, and is worth a mid-round pick in fantasy drafts. As of now, Elliott shouldn’t be drafted until the late second round, at the earliest.

Via: Adam Schefter 8/11/17 - 12:09 PM ET

Marqise Lee has a high-ankle sprain, according to Ian Rapoport.

High-ankle sprains can be lengthy injuries. As Rapoport says, Lee will try to get ready for the opening game of the regular season, but a “cautious approach could push it back.” The best thing to do is get to 100%, as we’ve seen guys struggle when trying to come back from high-ankle sprains too early. Expect Lee to be out for the rest of the preseason as he tries to recover for Week 1. In the meantime, Allen Hurns will step up as the number two receiver opposite Allen Robinson. Lee might not be worth drafting in 10- or 12-team leagues if this injury keeps him out until the regular season, as he’ll be missing a lot of practice time.

Via: Ian Rapoport 8/14/17 - 10:10 AM ET