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The Athletic's Joseph Person projects rookie wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. to be one of seven wide receivers who make the team's initial 53-man roster. A sixth-round pick out of Colorado, Horn Jr. recorded 37 catches for 441 yards and one touchdown in 11 games for the Buffaloes in 2024. The 22-year-old was targeted seven times in the preseason, hauling in six catches for 29 yards. Horn Jr. appears to be somewhat buried on the Panthers' wide receiver depth chart to begin the season, and he's unlikely to be fantasy-relevant in 2025. However, Horn Jr. could be a name to monitor in dynasty formats, as veterans like Adam Thielen and Hunter Renfrow currently block his path to playing time and don't project to be part of Carolina's long-term plans.

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The Washington Commanders have signed wide receiver Terry McLaurin to a three-year contract extension worth over $96 million, per Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports. His holdout is now officially over.

The Washington Commanders have signed star wide receiver Terry McLaurin to a three-year contract extension worth over $96 million, per Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports. McLaurin has been engaged in a highly publicized standoff with the team for the majority of the summer in search of a new deal, and it appears his wish has now been granted. The 29-year-old is coming off a career year in 2024, recording 82 catches for 1,096 yards and 13 touchdowns. He's played in all 17 games for Washington in four consecutive seasons and hasn't had fewer than 77 catches or 1,002 receiving yards in a season since his rookie year in 2019. Now that McLaurin is back, he's the undisputed top target for quarterback Jayden Daniels in Washington. McLaurin profiles as a solid WR2 in fantasy, although it's possible his absence from training camp practices and preseason play affects his performance early in the regular season.

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The Washington Commanders and wide receiver Terry McLaurin "have been apart all offseason and continue to be apart" on the value of a potential new contract, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. On ESPN's Get Up this morning, Schefter said there "doesn't seem to be progress" in discussions between the two sides. Based on the latest reporting, it appears McLaurin's "hold-in" is set to continue. The 29-year-old projects as a WR2 in fantasy and would clearly be the top target-earner in Washington if he were on the field. However, he's obviously a risky pick for fantasy managers as long as his status for the start of the regular season is uncertain. If McLaurin were to miss time, Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. could be looking at a heavy volume of targets and touches.

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ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime projects Houston Texans wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson to open the season on the team's 53-man roster. A sixth-round pick in 2023, Hutchinson has recorded 20 catches for 207 yards and zero touchdowns across 32 career games for Houston. He's reportedly been rotating with second-round rookie Jayden Higgins as an outside receiver alongside Nico Collins and Christian Kirk when the Texans line up in three-receiver formations. Hutchinson is unlikely to block Higgins from full playing time for the entire season, but Hutchinson could take snaps and targets away from the highly-touted rookie early in the year.

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After catching 12 passes and a touchdown in his two preseason appearances, Tampa Bay Buccaneers' rookie wide receiver Tez Johnson has put himself in a good position to make the team's initial 53-man roster. If he does, he will make history as the lightest NFL player to have ever weighed in at the Combine. Officially listed at 165 pounds on the Buccaneers' website, he tipped the scales at only 154 pounds when he weighed in at the Combine in February. Johnson tested slower than expected, causing him to fall to the seventh round of the NFL draft. However, throughout training camp and into the preseason, he has displayed the lightning quickness that made him a matchup nightmare in college. He is listed as the team's 6th wide receiver in ESPN's latest projection, so his fantasy value will be limited at best even if he makes the team.

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ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime projects Houston Texans running back Dare Ogunbowale to be one of five backs who make the team's initial 53-man roster. Notably, Bien-Aime does not include Joe Mixon (foot), writing that Mixon "can land on the non-football injury list to start the regular season." Without Mixon, the path to playing time in the backfield in Houston appears to be wide open. Veteran Nick Chubb will likely get the first crack at early-down work, but Ogunbowale could have a role on passing downs. In 17 games with the Texans last year, Ogunbowale had just 30 rush attempts but was targeted 28 times, recording 19 catches for 198 yards and a touchdown.

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The New England Patriots made their first round of roster cuts on Friday, and among the six players released was undrafted quarterback Ben Wooldridge. The move left the team with only Drake Maye and Joshua Dobbs currently manning the position. While Wooldridge is a candidate to return as a practice squad player, New England will likely scour the waiver wire in the coming days for a potential addition to the room. One name to remember is New York Giants third-year signal-caller Tommy DeVito. DeVito currently sits as the fourth quarterback on his own depth chart, but the Patriots just got a first-hand look at him in their preseason finale. DeVito went 17 of 20 for 198 yards and three touchdowns against Patriots backups. If he shakes free from New York, it might have been enough for New England to put in a claim.

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The Carolina Panthers spent a late fifth-round pick on Notre Dame tight end Mitchell Evans, and he's believed to have shown enough through his first training camp to stick with the team in a depth role. While he caught only one pass in his two preseason appearances, he acquitted himself well enough as a blocker to potentially find himself on the right side of the roster bubble. With Tommy Tremble only recently being activated from the PUP list, there could be an opportunity for Evans to see the field early in two-TE sets along with Ja'Tavion Sanders. Evans was one of PFF's highest-rated tight ends in the country before the ACL injury that ended his 2023 season. While the recovery has been long, he has shown enough pass-catching prowess to make him an interesting dynasty stash in leagues with deep benches or taxi squads.

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Dynasty | Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell will need surgery on a fractured wrist and will miss the next 6-8 weeks. Dynasty Analysis: O'Connell had no chance of taking any time away from Geno Smith but this leaves the Raiders woefully thin at the position with rookie Cam Miller rounding out the depth chart. Perhaps they'll kick the tires on Kenny Pickett or another of the Browns quarterbacks in the coming days. Regardless, O'Connell's dynasty value just took another hit and he's a tough hold at this point, even in deep superflex leagues.

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.

Fourth-year wide receiver Skyy Moore is looking to put the past behind him and start anew, following last week's trade from the Kansas City Chiefs to the San Francisco 49ers. Moore was a second-round pick by the Chiefs in 2022, but he could not find a consistent role in Andy Reid's offense, and he was dealt to San Francisco on Wednesday for a late-round pick swap. With the 49ers' receiver room currently plagued by injury and/or suspension, there is an opportunity for Moore to carve out an early role, and he is embracing the opportunity. While he could help the team navigate some early-season bumps, this offense is primed to run through a healthy Christian McCaffrey and do-everything tight end George Kittle. Wherever Moore ends up settling on the depth chart, he is unlikely to see enough opportunity to make him fantasy relevant for the foreseeable future.

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New Orleans Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough believes he has shown enough through training camp practices and preseason games to lead his team. The Saints are the only team yet to announce their Week 1 starter at quarterback. While Jake Haener has an outside shot at the job, the belief around camp is that the decision will come down to Shough or second-year signal-caller Spencer Rattler, who started six games for the team last season. Shough and Rattler appeared in all three of the team's preseason games, each throwing one touchdown and one interception, and Rattler barely taking the edge in completion percentage and yards per attempt. The Saints spent an early second-round pick on Shough, and with the team going 0-6 in Rattler's starts last season, the belief has been that Shough would have to struggle mightily not to get the Week 1 start. Regardless of who the team plugs into the starting job, the fantasy output of New Orleans looks bleak, with only Alvin Kamara worthy of a top-50 pick.

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According to Chad Graff of The Athletic, New England Patriots rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson has emerged as one of the team's top offensive weapons. Even though he is currently fighting for the starting running back job alongside Rhamondre Stevenson, Henderson has shown immense upside during the preseason and should be in the mix for a significant role early in the season. The team's executive vice president Eliot Wolf said that "I've been maybe most impressed with his ability to run between the tackles." During the preseason, Henderson has looked very strong in both the rushing and receiving game. The former second-round pick has seen his ADP continue to surge in the preseason, and he could be in the mix to overtake the starting job in the near future. Given his upside as a playmaker, he should be viewed as an RB2 in all formats, despite potentially sharing time with Stevenson.

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Houston Texans quarterback Graham Mertz got the start in the team's preseason finale in Detroit on Sunday, and the sixth-round rookie had a very strong showing while leading his team to a 26-7 win over the Lions. With starter C.J. Stroud and primary backup Davis Mills getting the day off, Mertz completed 14 of his 16 pass attempts for an efficient 145 passing yards. He threw a touchdown to Quintez Cephus and led three scoring drives before halftime. He also added 20 rushing yards on two carries. Mertz played ahead of Kedon Slovis, who was on the Texans' practice squad last year and took over for the second half of Saturday's win. Mertz likely secured the third spot on the quarterback depth chart with his strong showing, while Slovis could be headed back to the practice squad.

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Following Saturday's 14-6 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel noted that he was impressed with rookie running back Ollie Gordon II's performance. "I think Ollie did a very good job today of mastering the non-on-ball assignments," said McDaniel. I thought he competed...So it was a good day for a rookie back in terms of getting his feet wet. It didn't look too big for him." Gordon II got the starting nod on Saturday for the team's preseason finale with backfield mate De'Von Achane (calf) still battling a sore calf and provided a decent spark. With teammate Jaylen Wright (leg) week-to-week, the Oklahoma State product could challenge for the backup job behind Achane. Gordon II fell off during his junior campaign with the Cowboys, but racked up 2,062 scrimmage yards and 22 total TDs back in 2023. He won't threaten Achane's workload, but could be a nice change of pace option for Miami and profiles as a better short-yardage rusher (6-foot-2, 225 lbs).

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San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan reports that wide receiver Jacob Cowing (hamstring) could miss up to six weeks with a hamstring injury he suffered last week during practice. The second-year pro will likely open up the season on injured reserve. San Francisco's pass-catching corps is reeling with yet another significant injury to one of their wideouts. With the news regarding Cowing, it could very well be teammates Ricky Pearsall and Skyy Moore lining up in two-wide sets, depending on whether Jauan Jennings (calf) will be good to go for their season-opener against the Seattle Seahawks. Moore is a newly acquired asset for the team, but it isn't out of the question that they might seek more help in that regard. Fantasy managers can expect Pearsall, tight end George Kittle, and running back Christian McCaffrey to be slated for a heavy load of touches if this situation doesn't improve.

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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall and his chemistry with fourth-year quarterback Brock Purdy have been on full display this offseason, in camp, and during their lone preseason drive together. The 24-year-old is one of San Francisco's only healthy wideouts, and he and Purdy have worked hard to develop a connection ahead of the 2025 season. In the lone series the two shared during their victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, Pearsall hauled in 3-of-4 targets for 42 yards and totaled more than half the 49ers' yardage. With conflicting reports around the health of teammate Jauan Jennings (calf) and Brandon Aiyuk (knee) to potentially miss six games of his own, the University of Florida alum is poised to handle a large workload in the early going of the season. He's a fine selection as a high-upside WR3/4 in PPR formats.

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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III (abdomen) was spotted in pads and running routes during the team's practice on Sunday, per Nick Farabaugh of PennLive. Austin III has been dealing with an abdominal injury for the better part of a month, but it appears he's trending towards being ready to go for Week 1. The 26-year-old recorded 36 catches for 548 yards and four touchdowns in 17 games for Pittsburgh in 2024. He's expected to play a key role as the team's lead slot receiver in 2025. If Austin III can quickly develop chemistry with new Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, there's an opportunity for him to emerge as the number two target-earner in Pittsburgh behind DK Metcalf. He may end up being a value in fantasy as a late-round flier.

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Starting the season on the short-term injured reserve list is "in consideration" for Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears (ankle), according to Easton Freeze of A to Z Sports. Spears suffered a high ankle sprain in preseason play and is reportedly still in a walking boot. It's unlikely that he will be ready to go for Week 1, and he could be sidelined for the first four weeks of the season if the team does indeed place him on injured reserve. Julius Chestnut and Kalel Mullings (ankle) would serve as the backups to Tony Pollard in the Titans backfield if Spears is forced to miss time, although Mullings is dealing with a minor ankle issue of his own. Spears profiles as a solid running back depth in fantasy when healthy.

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