Carolina Panthers rookie running back Trevor Etienne showed some improvement during Carolina's preseason finale on Thursday evening. Facing the Steelers, Etienne ran the ball just three times, but racked up 26 yards. His longest run of the evening went for 28 yards. This was also his longest run of the preseason. During their second game, Etienne ran the ball for only 18 yards on seven attempts. In his debut, he did not fare much better, totaling just three rushing yards on two attempts. The Panthers selected Etienne in the fourth round of April's draft out of Georgia. Given his lack of consistent success during the preseason, fantasy managers should not expect the rookie running back to have a significant role in his debut campaign. Chuba Hubbard will likely serve as the clear workhorse with Rico Dowdle filling in as a strong No. 2 option.

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Dynasty | The Vikings have signed free agent quarterback Carson Wentz. Dynasty Analysis: Now five years removed from once being an MVP candidate in the NFL, Wentz has found a home as the backup to JJ McCarthy. Wentz has spent time with the Eagles, Colts, Commanders, Rams and Chiefs over the past five seasons and will now join his sixth franchise in as many years. Wentz has proven to be a very capable backup or short-term option but simply not a player to build a franchise around. His presence should be a welcome one for Minnesota as they now have some insurance behind McCarthy after trading Sam Howell to the Eagles this morning in a corresponding move. Wentz remains far off the dynasty radar outside of deep Superflex leagues.

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Dynasty | The Minnesota Vikings have traded quarterback Sam Howell to the Philadelphia Eagles. Dynasty Analysis: The Vikings received a 2026 5th round pick from the Eagles. The teams also swapped 2027 picks, with the Eagles receiving a sixth-round pick and the Vikings receiving a 7th round selection. This is actually decent value for the Vikings, who signed Carson Wentz in a corresponding move. Howell really struggled in his time with Seattle last year and hadn't shown a lot in camp this season. He'll compete with Kyle McCord for backup duties behind Jalen Hurts but it's hard to see him having much dynasty value.

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According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are waiving rookie safety Shilo Sanders. The buccaneers signed Sanders, who is the brother of Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, an undrafted free agent following April's NFL Draft. Sanders attended Colorado alongside his brother. Sanders spent his last two collegiate seasons in Colorado and logged 44 solo tackles with 67 combined tackles in his final season. Sanders was ejected from their preseason contest against the Buffalo Bills this past Saturday when he threw a punch. Given his lack of attention during the draft process, fantasy managers should not expect Sanders to be heavily sought after on the free agent market leading up to the regular season.

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Baltimore Ravens beat writer Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic lists Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely's (foot) status on the initial 53-man roster as one of his toughest calls in his latest roster projection. Likely underwent foot surgery in early August. Zrebiec includes Likely in his roster projection and writes that the team is projecting confidence that the tight end will be able to play in Week 1 or "shortly thereafter." If that's the case, Likely can avoid a placement on injured reserve, which would sideline him at least four weeks. Likely's presence on the field has a big impact on the fantasy outlook for fellow tight end Mark Andrews. In the lone game that Likely missed in 2024, Andrews matched his season-highs in single-game targets (seven), catches (six), and receiving yards (68).

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Cleveland Browns rookie running back Dylan Sampson was the first running back on the field in his team's final preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams. Sampson got the first handoff of the game from starting quarterback Joe Flacco and finished his day with two carries for three yards and one reception for 14 yards. Veteran running back Jerome Ford split reps with Sampson during the team's second offensive series. With running back Quinshon Judkins still unsigned following his offseason arrest, Sampson and Ford should be expected to share the Browns' backfield workload early in the season. If Sampson can emerge as the clear RB1 in Cleveland with a strong start to his rookie campaign, he could be a steal in the late rounds of fantasy drafts.

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Las Vegas Raiders rookie running back Ashton Jeanty wrapped up his first NFL preseason by playing one series on Saturday against the Arizona Cardinals. Jeanty logged two carries for five rushing yards and will finish the preseason with 12 carries for 37 yards and a touchdown. He did not see much preseason work in the passing game, recording just one catch for two yards. Jeanty should be expected to shoulder a heavy workload as a rookie in a Raiders' offense that's light on playmakers outside of tight end Brock Bowers and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers. Jeanty profiles as a solid fantasy RB1 with upside, particularly if the Raiders offense outperforms expectations.

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Las Vegas Raiders rookie wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. recorded two catches for 26 yards and a touchdown in his team's final preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals. The fourth-rounder out of Tennessee finishes the preseason with three catches on eight targets for 43 yards and a score. Thornton Jr.'s touchdown grab against Arizona came from starting quarterback Geno Smith on the team's first offensive possession. Thornton Jr. is listed as a starter on the team's depth chart, and he has a chance to emerge as the team's WR2 behind veteran Jakobi Meyers. He could be a solid value as a late-round dart-throw for fantasy managers, particularly in deeper leagues.

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Dallas Cowboys running back Jaydon Blue (ankle) suffered a low-ankle sprain on Friday, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. The rookie running back told reporters after the game that he was not overly concerned and hopeful to be ready for Week 1. Blue is one of the more intriguing rookie running back candidates given the situation in Dallas, where his primary competition for carries are two veterans on one-year deals in Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders.

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Los Angeles Chargers quarterback DJ Uiagalelei completed 16 of 31 passes for 170 yards to go with two touchdowns and an interception Saturday against San Francisco. The rookie got the majority of snaps and played fairly well, also rushing for 13 yards on one attempt. The Chargers are clearly set at quarterback with Justin Herbert, but will have decisions to make with backup candidates Trey Lance, Taylor Heinicke, and Uiagalelei on cutdown day.

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Running back Raheim Sanders ran 13 times for 48 yards to lead the Los Angeles Chargers in rushing on Saturday against San Francisco. The undrafted rookie had a decent showing in the preseason finale, but still has an uphill climb to make the Chargers' final roster. The Chargers traded for Najee Harris and drafted Omarion Hampton to add to a roster that already features Kimani Vidal and Hassan Haskins. Sanders is likely still on the outside looking in when cutdown day arrives.

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The Minnesota Vikings are sending backup quarterback Sam Howell to the Philadelphia Eagles, according to Ben Goessling of the Minnesota Star Tribune. As part of the deal, Minnesota will send Howell and a sixth-round pick in 2026 to Philly for a fifth-rounder in 2026 and a seventh-rounder in 2027. With Tanner McKee (finger) uncertain for the start of the season, the Eagles have another backup option behind Jalen Hurts. Minnesota, meanwhile, moved quickly on Howell, flipping him to Philly and signing veteran Carson Wentz to serve as J.J. McCarthy's backup.

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Veteran quarterback Carson Wentz is headed to Minnesota, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Vikings acted quickly to reorganize their quarterback ranks on Sunday, also sending Sam Howell to the Philadelphia Eagles in a separate transaction. The Vikings weren't satisfied with their backup options throughout training camp and opted for Wentz instead, who figures to be J.J. McCarthy's primary backup. Most recently, Wentz served as the backup in Kansas City behind Patrick Mahomes.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Tez Johnson made a big impact on the field during Saturday's preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills. Johnson was busy as he hauled in all eight of his targets for 58 yards and a touchdown. The score came on a one-yard catch with less than a minute remaining in the half. The seventh-round rookie has hauled in 12 receptions for 82 receiving yards and a touchdown over his last two preseason games. Johnson figures to have a role in the offense with Chris Godwin (ankle) and Jalen McMillan (neck) banged up to start the season. He could be worth a stash in deep leagues with the Bucs down a few wideouts.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Kyle Trask started under center for the preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday. Teddy Bridgewater (illness) was unavailable for this game, so Trask played the entire first half. The 27-year-old completed 13-of-17 passing attempts for 93 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. His lone score came on a one-yard pass to Tez Johnson with less than a minute remaining in the first half. Despite a quality outing, it's unclear if Trask will win the backup job. The Bucs may elect to go with the more experienced quarterback in Bridgewater to backup Baker Mayfield.

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Detroit Lions quarterback Kyle Allen completed all five of his pass attempts for 66 yards and a touchdown in the team's preseason finale on Saturday against the Houston Texans. Allen was removed from the game in the first half after playing just two offensive series, which indicates that the 29-year-old's role with the team is secure. Allen has played well this preseason, completing 35 of his 44 pass attempts for 401 yards and five touchdowns. He is a lock to open the season as the Lions' QB2 behind Jared Goff.

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Detroit Lions rookie wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa recorded two catches for 41 yards and a touchdown in his team's final preseason game against the Houston Texans on Saturday. TeSlaa finishes the preseason with 10 catches for 146 yards and three scores. A third-round pick out of Arkansas, TeSlaa has had an encouraging summer heading into his rookie season. He currently projects as WR5 on the Lions' depth chart, but TeSlaa has a chance to steal playing time from veterans Kalif Raymond and Tim Patrick if he can carry his strong play into the regular season. TeSlaa is a name for fantasy managers to monitor as a waiver-wire target, particularly if there is a wide receiver injury in Detroit.

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Detroit Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker had a rough game in the team's preseason finale against the Houston Texans on Saturday, completing six of 11 pass attempts for 70 yards with zero touchdowns and an interception. Hooker was also sacked twice. The third-year signal-caller has struggled mightily in the preseason, throwing three interceptions and fumbling twice while completing just 55% of his passes. He entered training camp as the presumed favorite for the Lions QB2 role behind Jared Goff, but Hooker has been surpassed by veteran Kyle Allen. There's no guarantee that Detroit will keep three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, which means Hooker could find himself looking for a new team at some point in the next few days.

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Dynasty | Seahawks quarterback Jalen Milroe completed 13-of-24 passes for 148 yards, with one touchdown, 31 rushing yards and two lost fumbles in Seattle's final preseason game. Dynasty Analysis: Any dreams dynasty managers had of Milroe somehow unseating Sam Darnold early this season had a bucket of cold water thrown on them today as Milroe really struggled. The two lost fumbles were brutal as he Milroe lost one on a sack and the other on a fourth down sneak. While he made some plays later in the game, Milroe clearly has a ways to go and while he remains a dynasty stash, his time is clearly not now.

Dynasty | Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez had 34 rushing yards in his final preseason game. Dynasty Analysis: The most notable part of this game was likely the fact both Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Austin Ekeler were inactive, possibly indicating they are now the top two running backs on the team. Rodriguez did a good job of making his own case for touches as he did his damage on just five carries. This backfield could end up being a bit of a jumbled mess, but Rodriguez is a player who could carve out a role and should be rostered in all leagues.