Our 2024 NFL Training Camp News articles are intended to be a one-stop shop for the most important news from around the NFL during training camp. I’ll post a new Market Report every week during August to help our subscribers keep the pulse of what’s happening in the fantasy marketplace. I’ll update this article daily during the week so make sure to check back for the latest training camp buzz.
This article will focus mostly on news, beat reports, and injuries coming out of team practices. Be sure to check out Graham Barfield’s Preseason Game Reviews for key takeaways on player performances and playing time implications from preseason action.
CATCH UP ON PREVIOUS TRAINING CAMP MARKET REPORTS
2024 NFL Training Camp News: Week of Aug. 5
2024 NFL Training Camp News: Week of July 29
ADP in this article is based on our ADP tool’s PPR setting, which pulls from NFFC drafts over the last 14 days.
UPGRADES
Players whom we’re feeling more optimistic about based on training camp reports and injury news.
Quarterbacks
Deshaun Watson (Cle) — HC Kevin Stefanski said Watson has been cleared for full contract and that he’ll get the “vast majority” of reps in joint practices against the Vikings this week (per Daniel Oyefusi). Watson played in just six games last season after he needed throwing shoulder surgery, but he’s picked up some momentum since the start of training camp. Browns GM Andrew Berry told ESPN’ Dan Graziano that the organization brought in former Bills OC Ken Dorsey to help Kevin Stefanski cater his offense more toward Watson’s strengths as a quarterback. Berry said of Dorsey, “He’s a real good quarterback guy, a real good pass-game guy, and then just philosophically, we wanted to be better in the dropback game, the RPO games and really kind of expand our use of motion in our core concepts — and also increase our tempo.”
Watson threw for just 14 TDs in 12 appearances over the last two years, but he did log three top-10 fantasy performances in six appearances before suffering his season-ending shoulder injury. He averaged 18.7 FPG in his five full games, which would’ve tied him for the QB11 over the entire season. Dorsey reiterated the plan for a more uptempo approach on Aug. 5, “I think the stress to our players is, let’s see how many plays we can run in a game. We want to run plays. The more opportunity we get on the field, the more opportunity you have to score points.” The additions of Dorsey and Jerry Jeudy have Watson’s arrow pointing up, but Watson’s ADP (154.9, QB21) has plummeted from last summer. He’ll be making an appearance in our Mr. Relevant article. (Updated Aug. 12)
Sam Darnold (Min) — HC Kevin O’Connell announced that J.J. McCarthy will miss his entire rookie season after he needed a full repair to the torn meniscus in his right knee. There’s been little question out of Vikings camp that Darnold would open this season as the starter since the Vikings were taking it slow with the 10th overall pick, but they now have no choice but to roll with Darnold. O’Connell got the most out of multiple quarterbacks last season, and Darnold will play in a fantasy-friendly offense that ranked fourth in pass rate over expectation (6.3%) and features all-world WR Justin Jefferson. Darnold should be viewed as an upside low-end QB2 in Minnesota’s fantasy-friendly passing attack. (Updated Aug. 14)
Running Backs
Christian McCaffrey (SF) — CMC characterized his current calf injury as “cautionary stuff” to SiriusXM NFL Radio and added that “if we had a game, I would play.” He began to work off to the side at practice on Aug. 15, which indicates he could return to practice by next week. McCaffrey was never going to play in the preseason and our Edwin Porras believed McCaffrey was looking at a two-week issue from when he initially picked up the injury last week. There’s no reason to panic about CMC’s minor calf issue and he should remain your top pick if you’re selecting at the top of the draft. (Updated Aug. 16)
Wide Receivers
Xavier Worthy (KC) — Hollywood Brown injured his shoulder on Kansas City’s first play of the preseason, which has him in jeopardy of missing at least the first game of the regular season. He dislocated his sternoclavicular shoulder joint, which won’t require surgery, but he’s looking at a 4-to-6 week absence (per Jordan Schultz). Andy Reid said after the game that it was the same injury that Tyreek Hill suffered in 2019. The injury caused Hill to miss four games that season, and Hollywood picked up his injury 25 days from Opening Night against his old team the Ravens. Hollywood’s ADP (73.1, WR39) has already begun to slip since his Aug. 10 injury. Worthy is the biggest beneficiary of Hollywood’s situation as the rookie will get more first-team reps and he’ll get the chance to earn a bigger role right out of the gates if Brown misses a game or two. (Updated Aug. 13)
Andre Iosivas (Cin) — Iosivas has received extra reps early in training camp with Ja’Marr Chase searching for a new contract and, by all accounts, he’s taken full advantage of his opportunity. The Athletic’s Paul Dehner called the second-year pro the “offensive star of camp”, which continued when he made his debut playing in the slot in a July 30 practice. Dehner noted that third-round pick Jermaine Burton has received most of the hype as the potential Tyler Boyd replacement, but there’s no denying the “Iosivas hype” to start camp. Joe Burrow added more fuel to the hype train when he said, ““Andre is going to have a big year. I’m really excited about how he’s coming along. Wherever he ends up playing, whether it’s outside or inside, he’s able to do it all.” The 2023 sixth-round pick out of Princeton is big (6’3”, 205 pounds) and athletic (92.9 SPORQ score) receiver who is forcing his way into the picture in deeper formats. Dehner wrote on Aug. 14 that Burton is a “work in progress” in practices and that he’ll be a sub-package player early in the season. (Updated Aug. 14)
Tight Ends
None of note.
DOWNGRADES
Players whom we’re feeling less optimistic about based on training camp reports and injury news.
Quarterbacks
J.J. McCarthy (Min) — HC Kevin O’Connell announced that McCarthy will miss his entire rookie season after he needed a full repair to the torn meniscus in his right knee. It’s a devastating blow for McCarthy, who will lose a whole season of development for a quarterback who averaged just 22.6 pass attempts per start during his last two years at Michigan. There’s been little question out of Vikings camp that Sam Darnold would open this season as the starter since the Vikings were taking it slow with the 10th overall pick, but they now have no choice but to roll with Darnold. (Updated Aug. 14)
Running Backs
Marshawn Lloyd (GB) — Lloyd’s bid to win the Packers' #2 RB job has been hindered by a hip injury through the first few weeks of training camp. He’s now dealing with a hamstring injury that ended his day early in Green Bay’s first preseason game. It’s looking like the third-round pick is going to get off to a slow start this season while A.J. Dillon reportedly showed up to camp in excellent shape as he looks to bounce back from a miserable 2023 campaign. I’m still targeting Lloyd at his slipping ADP (151.2, RB49) in case he earns a significant role next to Josh Jacobs in the second half of the year, but it’s looking like his rookie campaign could get off to a slow start. Josh Jacobs could see a little more work while Lloyd catches up to speed, especially if Dillon doesn’t show significant improvement from his 3.4 YPC. (Added Aug. 12)
Kendre Miller (NO) — Miller is coming off a miserable, injury-plagued rookie campaign with just 41 carries in eight games because of knee and hamstring issues. His sophomore campaign got off on the wrong foot after picking up a hamstring injury at the start of training camp, which prompted HC Dennis Allen to tell the press, “It’s hard to make the team when you’re in the training room all the time.” He’s yet to return to practice as of Aug. 14, and Allen reiterated “it hasn’t gotten any easier” to make the team from the training room. Miller is struggling to stay healthy and, if he does manage to play, he’s likely to lose receiving opportunities to Alvin Kamara and goal-line touches to Taysom Hill and Jamaal Williams. Hill notably hasn’t thrown a pass at practice to start training camp. HC Dennis Allen said Hill has been playing a lot of different positions and alignments in new OC Klint Kubiak’s offense. Miller is falling behind for the second straight season so look elsewhere for RB help late in the double-digit rounds of your drafts (164.3, RB54). (Updated Aug. 16)
Wide Receivers
Hollywood Brown (KC) — Hollywood injured his shoulder on Kansas City’s first play of the preseason, which has him in jeopardy of missing at least the first game of the regular season. He dislocated his sternoclavicular shoulder joint, which won’t require surgery, but he’s looking at a 4-to-6 week absence (per Jordan Schultz). Andy Reid said after the game that it was the same injury that Tyreek Hill suffered in 2019. The injury caused Hill to miss four games that season, and Hollywood picked up his injury 25 days from Opening Night against his old team the Ravens. Hollywood’s ADP (73.1, WR39) has already begun to slip since his Aug. 10 injury. Worthy is the biggest beneficiary of Hollywood’s situation as the rookie will get more first-team reps and he’ll get the chance to earn a bigger role right out of the gates if Brown misses a game or two. (Updated Aug. 13)
Jordan Addison (Min) — Addison suffered an ankle injury during a joint practice with the Browns, which forced him to be carted off, but HC Kevin O’Connell believes that Addison is going to “be ok” (per Alec Lewis). Addison appears to have avoided a serious injury as long as he avoided the dreaded high-ankle injury. He’s had a tough summer overall with his ADP dipping to the ninth round. Addison was charged with two misdemeanors in Los Angeles County for his July 12 arrest on suspicion of drunken driving, and he has an Oct. 7 court appearance to be arraigned and enter his plea for charges. The NFL’s policy on substances of abuse calls for a three-game suspension for the first criminal offense regarding alcohol use, but a potential suspension could easily be pushed back until 2025 by entering a not-guilty plea or if the court date is delayed. His ADP could fall even more with J.J. McCarthy (knee) out for the season, which could create an opportunity to buy low on him. (Updated Aug. 15)
Jahan Dotson (Was) — HC Dan Quinn told reporters they’re “in the middle of” a search for their WR2 behind Terry McLaurin. The Commanders signed Martavis Bryant earlier in the week, and The Athletic’s Ben Standig noted that Dotson has been uneven in practices, which was why he played a team-high 32 snaps in their preseason opener. He’s coming off a dreadful second season, ranking third in overall routes (608) but finishing last in targets per route run (.13) and ahead of only Jonathan Mingo in YPRR (.85). At the very least, the Commanders are challenging Dotson to perform better heading into his third season and, at worst, he’s in danger of losing routes and targets to lesser-pedigree players. (Added Aug. 15)
Jermaine Burton (Cin) — Andrei Iosivas has received extra reps early in training camp with Ja’Marr Chase searching for a new contract and, by all accounts, he’s taken full advantage of his opportunity. The Athletic’s Paul Dehner called the second-year pro the “offensive star of camp”, which continued when he made his debut playing in the slot in a July 30 practice. Dehner noted that third-round pick Jermaine Burton has received most of the hype as the potential Tyler Boyd replacement, but there’s no denying the “Iosivas hype” to start camp. Dehner wrote on Aug. 14 that Burton is a “work in progress” in practices and that he’ll be a sub-package player early in the season. (Updated Aug. 14)
JuJu Smith-Schuster (FA) — The Patriots released Smith-Schuster the day after he opened New England’s first preseason game as a starter (per Ian Rapoport). The Patriots have one of the NFL’s weakest receiving corps heading into the 2024 season, which doesn’t bode well for his future if he can’t earn a roster spot in New England. Knee issues have robbed Smith-Schuster of his explosiveness since starting his career with 169/2343/14 receiving in his first two seasons in 2017-18. It seems unlikely that Smith-Schuster ever finds himself fantasy-relevant as he enters his age-28 season. (Added Aug. 13)
Tight Ends
None of note.
WATCH LIST
Players who we’re not ready to upgrade or downgrade but whose situations demand monitoring based on training camp reports and injury news.
Quarterbacks
Justin Herbert (LAC) — The Chargers shut down Herbert at the start of training camp for a plantar fascia injury. He wore a boot for two weeks before shedding it on Aug. 15, and he’s expected to gradually ramp up his rehab to get ready for the season. Dr. Edwin Porras believes the Chargers are making the right decision to give Herbert time to heal and rehab, but he’s at a higher risk of injury moving forward in 2024. It’s overall bad news for a Chargers offense that’s installing a new system under Jim Harbaugh, and the only player it may slightly benefit is Josh Palmer since he already has a significant track record with Herbert. Palmer scored 9.7+ FP in seven of eight games from Week 3 on when Mike Williams tore his ACL, and he averaged 1.89 YPRR on 30.7 routes per game overall. We were already concerned about Herbert with his passing volume set to plummet under Harbaugh, and now he’s at risk of running less and aggravating the injury in season. (Updated Aug. 16)
Running Backs
Jahmyr Gibbs (Det) — Gibbs suffered a hamstring strain during an Aug. 12 practice (per Adam Schefter), which is likely to keep him out for the next couple of weeks. The good news is that Gibbs has 27 days to get ready for Detroit’s season opener against the Rams, and the Lions training staff is likely to take it slow after Gibbs missed two games for a hamstring strain last season. HC Dan Campbell told 97.1 The Ticket that “we’re gonna be fine” when asked about Gibbs’ outlook. He could see his ADP (11.6, RB4) dip a bit into the early second round behind Jonathan Taylor and potentially Saquon Barkley, and I’ll be buying the dip if it happens. (Updated Aug. 14)
James Cook (Buf) — Cook has had some ball-security issues through the first couple weeks of training camp (per Joe Buscaglia). He notably lost 3-of-4 fumbles last season, which ranked behind only Bijan Robinson at the position, and he had 5 drops as a receiver, which was the sixth-most drops at the position. Buscaglia believes Cooks’ early fumbling issues shouldn’t impact his playing time once the season starts, but it will “stay in the back of the coaches’ heads” if the issue pops up during the season. We’ve been targeting James Cook at his ADP (41.3, RB14) but this isn’t the type of report we want to be reading in August. (Added Aug. 12)
Tyrone Tracy (NYG) — Tracy is already working off to the side on Aug. 15 and he could return to practice next week (per Art Stapleton), which is a stunning development considering New York’s medical staff put an air cast on his ankle and took him to the hospital at the beginning of the week. Tracy had the “upper hand” in a battle with Eric Gray and Dante Miller for the backup job to Devin Singletary (per Ryan Dunleavy). He’s worth a late-round dart in deeper PPR formats since he has an easier path to the top of the depth chart than most Day 3 picks. (UpdatedAug. 16)
Wide Receivers
CeeDee Lamb (Dal) — Lamb is currently set to play out the fifth and final season of his rookie contract, but he’s yet to report to camp, which means the Cowboys can fine him for not showing up. Justin Jefferson signed a four-year, $140 million extension this summer that includes $110 million guaranteed, which is the template for Lamb. Owner Jerry Jones said of the ongoing negotiations with Lamb, “I don’t have any urgency to get it done.” Lamb tweeted, “lol.” on a repost of Jones’ quote, which was subsequently retweeted by Micah Parsons. The Cowboys have been putting off some bad vibes this off-season with no deals looming for Lamb, Parsons, or Dak Prescott through early August. Beat reporter Clarence Hill wrote that “there is no one on the Cowboys who doesn’t believe ground will be made up and Lamb will be back with the team before the start of the season.” This contract dispute is worth monitoring but it’s not time to panic in fantasy drafts yet. (Updated Aug. 15)
Ja’Marr Chase (Cin) — Chase is in search of a new contract and he skipped his first practice of training camp on Aug. 13. He was previously visible and involved during drills but not practicing (per Ben Baby). Ja’Marr is under contract through 2025 after the Bengals picked up his fifth-year option, and the Bengals typically move at their own rate when it comes to locking up players to long-term deals. However, Chase is among the NFL’s elite WRs and holding in at camp, which puts more pressure on Cincinnati’s front office to get a new deal done. (Updated Aug. 14)
Brandon Aiyuk (SF) — Aiyuk is still waiting out the 49ers for a big extension or for the franchise to trade him to a team that’s willing to pay him top-of-the-market money. The Steelers remain the most likely team to get a deal done with the 49ers since they have the framework for a trade done and they’re “in a good place” to get a contract done with Aiyuk (per Ian Rapoport). San Francisco has a long-term offer on the table that Aiyuk hasn’t accepted, and the two sides appear to be playing a game of chicken to see who blinks first in contract negotiations. The 49ers (rightfully) aren’t in a rush to trade away one of the NFL’s top perimeter WRs while he’s under contract for $14.1 million for the 2024 season. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that Aiyuk would prefer to stay with the 49ers “all things being equal” but the 49ers have yet to offer a contract to Aiyuk’s liking. He’s seen his ADP plummet in the last two weeks (33.6, WR21), and this saga likely has another twist or turn left before we get a final resolution. Stay tuned for more updates. (Updated Aug. 14)
Malik Nabers (NYG) — Nabers suffered an ankle injury during an Aug. 11 practice but HC Brian Daboll said the injury isn’t a long-term concern — Nabers returned to practice on Aug. 15. Nabers is a potential league-winning player at his mid-third-round ADP. (Updated Aug. 16)
Tight Ends
None of note.
