Fantasy News

Jameis Winston insists Doug Martin is the Buccaneers’ “guy.”

Martin, who is suspended for the first three weeks of the season, has the support of his quarterback. Winston said of Martin: “We’re playing these games for Doug. Doug is out there and he’s not taking any reps off. He’s out there going hard like he’s going to be starting Week 1. That’s exciting.” Winston added that Martin is “back” and the other running backs see how hard he works, so they can’t let him down while he’s out. The Bucs have a deep running back group and it’s certainly possible one of them steps up with Martin out and seizes the lead role to start the season, but it’s more likely Martin returns as the lead guy for Tampa when he returns in Week 4.

Via: ESPN 8/8/17 - 03:25 PM ET

Jamison Crowder won’t play in the Redskins’ first preseason game.

Crowder is day-to-day with a hamstring injury, so this isn’t surprising. Josh Doctson (hamstring) and Jordan Reed (toe) also won’t be playing in the game. Terrelle Pryor might get plenty of looks from Kirk Cousins for however long they play in the first exhibition.

Via: Washington Redskins 8/8/17 - 02:03 PM ET

Jamaal Charles won’t play in the Broncos’ first preseason game.

The Broncos have made it clear they want Charles to get ready for the regular season, so this isn’t a surprise. We could see Charles get some snaps in the second and/or third preseason games, considering he hasn’t been on the field since the first half of last season. C.J. Anderson is probably locked in as the guy in Denver’s backfield that will get the most carries this season.

8/8/17 - 01:59 PM ET

Jeremy Hill listed as Bengals starting running back on the team’s first depth chart.

Giovani Bernard is listed as the second running back, with rookie Joe Mixon listed not third, but fourth (behind Cedric Peerman). NFL teams usually make rookies earn their starting spots in the preseason, and the Bengals are doing just that, as wide receiver John Ross is also listed on the third team, with Cody Core and Tyler Boyd as second-string wideouts. Even if Hill plays well in the preseason and “starts” in the regular season, the Bengals aren’t going to keep Mixon off the field after taking him in the second round of the NFL Draft. The best Hill could probably do this preseason is earn a short-yardage and goal-line role; Mixon has the makings of an elite player and is the guy you want in fantasy drafts.

Via: Jim Owczarski 8/8/17 - 01:54 PM ET

Carson Wentz says he can “just go out and play now.”

The second-year quarterback was on SiriusXM NFL Radio and said it’s “crazy” the difference a year makes. After getting a year under his belt in which he played all 16 games, and now being locked in as the starter throughout the offseason and training camp, Wentz is naturally a lot more comfortable this season. Wentz, who will already be 25 at the end of this year, is in a position to take a big step forward in 2017 after he struggled following a quick start in 2016.

Via: SiriusXM NFL Radio 8/8/17 - 12:53 PM ET

Julio Jones won’t play in the team’s first preseason game on Thursday.

The Falcons aren’t worried about rushing their best weapon to play in the preseason after he had offseason foot surgery. The focus is getting Julio to the regular season at 100%. Fellow receiver Taylor Gabriel won’t play either. Matt Ryan probably won’t be out there too long for the first game either, with two of his top receivers out.

Via: Kelsey Conway 8/8/17 - 12:43 PM ET

Ryan Switzer is back practicing for the Cowboys.

The rookie receiver missed about two weeks with a hamstring injury, but practiced on a limited basis yesterday and is working his way back to full participation. Switzer isn’t sure if he’ll play in the team’s preseason game against the Rams on Saturday, but it’s a great sign that he’s back practicing. He should be ready for Week 2 of the preseason if he isn’t ready for Saturday.

Via: DallasCowboys.com 8/8/17 - 12:00 PM ET