Tue Aug 4th 2026

Trainig Camp Report - Week One

Ricky Pearsall and Deebo Samuel

• Things keep getting worse in San Francisco, tempting me to believe in the curse of the power plant! Pearsall will miss the entire season, so the 49ers signed Deebo Samuel, making them one of the oldest groups of receivers in the league unless De’Zhaun Stribling can step up. His managers have to be pleased with this news. He will get a chance to play this season way earlier than expected. Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, and Christian Kirk have a terrible history with injuries, as does George Kittle. As one who has experienced PCL replacement surgery, I know it takes a very long time to recover. Sadly, Pearsall’s dynasty value takes a huge hit with this season-ending injury. I believe he’ll have a very hard time making a fantasy impact again for dynasty teams. Even at their age, Evans and Samuel’s managers have to be excited about the increased opportunities these old veterans will have with Pearsall out. Evans’ expectations for this season rise a little bit, but his manager already expected a strong season from him. Samuel’s expectations, however, increase significantly with this signing. There is not a better landing spot and situation for him.

Jordan James

• In other 49ers’ news, Jordan James will miss weeks after fracturing a rib. Camp reports had him as the definitive backup behind McCaffrey, but now Kaelon Black will get more looks in camp. This is great news for his dynasty managers whose highest hopes for him were that he could earn the RB-2 role behind the aging and often injured McCaffrey. Their hopes are more possible after this injury, though Samuel may have been signed to take some reps at running back, as he did so well with the 49ers a few years ago. Under coach Shanahan, the backup running back has always produced for dynasty managers with the backup on their team. It will take until the end of camp or maybe an injury to know which back or receiver, in Samuel’s case, will secure that important role. I’ve hedged my bets with James and Black on several of my teams. Perhaps I ned to inquire about trading for Samuel as well.

Chris Brazzell

• Brazzell was the other player lost for the season last week after sustaining a knee injury. His role with the team was very uncertain, but his dynasty managers were hopeful to see him play as a rookie. Now they have to wait a year, and that could set him far behind with an even less likely chance to earn a starting role in the future. Though I never root for injuries, as a Xavier Legette believer, this gives me optimism that he can earn a bigger role in the offense in what I deem to be a “last-chance” year for his dynasty value. This injury also puts a wrench in the plans Carolina had for moving Tetairoa McMillan around the formation more this season. It does not affect his dynasty stock in the long run, but it could affect his productivity this season unless Legette can fill the clear-out role on the offense, which I believe he can do well. Carolina’s offense is one of the most questionable offenses in the league this year at every position except Tetairoa McMillan. They are a team to follow closely during training camp and in the preseason.

Tucker Kraft

• Kraft is my most rostered tight end. Last week I demoted him to PUP so that I could add players in those leagues, but was more pleased to promote him later in the week and drop the players I picked up days before. The Packers and Kraft have said all along that he’s on pace to start week one, and I have believed them. The fact that he’s already practicing and not wearing a brace makes me even more confident. He’s still undervalued in dynasty rankings in my opinion since I have him ranked as the third tight end, ahead of the three breakout rookies from last year. I believe other dynasty analysts will see things my way by midseason as Kraft becomes a dominant part of the Packer passing game, maybe even their leading pass catcher.

Jaylin Noel, Jayden Higgins, and Tank Dell

• Higgins role in the Texans’ offense is secure, and I believe his role will be expanded this season. He will become a more consistent part of the offense and a reliable starter in dynasty leagues with deeper starting lineups. The question is who will take over the WR-3 role for the Texans, and will the role even matter for dynasty managers? Tank Dell has been one of my most added players off waivers this offseason as the news about his recovery has gotten better and better. I like Noel, but believe his role will be very limited if he earns the WR-3 role, even though he will make some big plays. However, if Dell gets back to 100% and earns the WR-3 role, I think he’s capable of becoming the second-most productive wide receiver for the Texans, as he was twice before he was injured. CJ Stroud loves Dell and would love to help Dell become a comeback player of the year candidate. I’m excited to have a few shares of Dell to see if he can do something special this year.

Daniel Jones

• This was news I did not believe, even though they have said so all offseason. Now, I guess, I have to believe it. I’m thrilled if it’s true, because I am eager to see if Jones can keep the offense as productive as he did last year before his injury. I have a hard time believing he will, but I know one thing for certain – he will make Jonathan Taylor and Tyler Warren far more productive than a backup quarterback would, and that’s what matters most. Hopefully his likely top receiver will get healthy to play alongside him.

Alec Pierce

• This does not look good for Pierce. What a disappointment after signing a massive contract a few months ago. I expect Josh Downs to have a career year this season, but believe he’ll be far more productive with Pierce in the lineup. I don’t think he can handle a WR-1 role with the Colts. As stated above, either way the offense will run through Taylor and Warren this season, but a healthy Pierce will make them better too. I have picked up a few shares of Ashton Dulin in a few deep leagues this week in case Pierce’s injury lingers. If so, Dulin will have to take on a heavier role.

MarShawn Lloyd

• Okay. I’m finally willing to buy the Lloyd hype, even though I have never been a believer. The health hype has been building all offseason. If he’s healthy, I am confident he will have a significant role this season and even have an opportunity to surpass Josh Jacobs in the lineup. Chris Brooks was placed on IR this week, too, and Jacobs’ legal issues are yet to be fully resolved. The Packers have no one else to turn to this season except for Lloyd. If he stays healthy throughout training camp and preseason, his dynasty managers may finally get the chance to see what he can do. Since I was lower on him than other dynasty managers in his rookie class, I never drafted him. I looked to pick him up off waivers this offseason, but he was rostered in every league, which made it easier to do since he could be stashed on IR for the last two years.

Cyrus Allen

• Allen has been one of the most hyped up players in all of training camp, and he’s on the waiver wire in many of my dynasty leagues. With this much hype, he should be added in all dynasty leagues to see how long it lasts. However, when his hype was building, he got injured in camp, but his injury appears to be only a shin bruise, which is enough to keep him quiet for most of the rest of camp. This can be good for dynasty managers savvy enough to pick him up this week. I know I will try to add him in all the leagues where he went undrafted. Managers who did draft him in the fifth round of rookie drafts now have to decide if they want to keep the sleeper they may have found or sell based on the hype. I can’t wait to see what happens in my leagues this week.

Tory Horton

• Horton was a huge surprise early in his rookie season before getting injured. Sadly, for his dynasty stock’s sake, the Seahawks traded for Rasheed Shaheed as they made their playoff run and then extended his contract. Reports from camp are positive on Shaheed, too, so I see Horton’s dynasty stock as falling even though he’s returning healthy. All signs point to Shaheed playing the WR-2 role in Seattle, which will lead to very little production for Horton. That said, I’m hesitant to buy stock in Shaheed either, since I think his weekly production will be of the boom-or-bust variety, even as the WR-2 in Seattle.

Brenen Thompson

• This is also great news for dynasty managers who drafted him late in rookie drafts. I know I did in two and even traded up to select him in one. Still, he has a robust depth chart to climb and will very likely be only a gadget guy in year one unless one of the Chargers’ starters gets injured. I still love his talent long-term, and the compliments about his football IQ by coaches and his quarterback make me hopeful for some involvement this season and more in the years to come.

Eli Rairdon

• I read many positive reports about Rairdon this week that were even more glowing than this one. Henry is stiff competition, but if Rairdon can earn a role in two-tight end sets and make some plays this season, his future could be bright with Drake Maye, who resurrected Hunter Henry’s production and dynasty stock last year. What if both can do well this year? The Patriots offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniel, was the coach when Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez blew up fantasy football. I seriously doubt he can do that again with these guys, but I’ll be more open to believing Rairdon can replace Henry sooner, rather than later, if such reports continue and he gets some good reps as a rookie. I am a big fan of Henry, so I had Rairdon much lower in my rookie rankings than other dynasty managers, but I am open to being proven wrong on him.

Quinson Judkins

• This report is great news for dynasty managers like me with shares of Judkins, but I’ll need to see it to believe it. Todd Monken has a history of sharing backfields, so I expect some of the same, though I’d love coach Staley to talk him out of it. Still, I have high expectations for Judkins this season, even if he is less involved in the passing game with Dylan Sampson receiving the bulk of that work. He’s a big-play guy that can make his production from yardage and touchdowns even if they are all on the ground. Last season he averaged a modest 2.25 receptions per game. That’s still enough to be a productive RB-2 on dynasty rosters. I’m expecting great things from Judkins this season, because I expect Monken to make the offense better no matter who wins the starting quarterback role.

Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson

• I was very confident that Watson would win the starting job, but after several negative reports from beat writers, I think it is a true toss-up. I just found it hard to believe that a player who once showed such greatness, Watson, would lose it all, but perhaps the weight of the injuries and suspensions and the two years away from football just got the best of him. Sanders was hit-or-miss last year, mostly missing, and has so much to improve on to become a starting NFL quarterback, but maybe he can improve. There’s certainly been less of a boastful and entitlement spirit to him in training camp this season, which is respectable and a sign of improvement. I hope whoever does earn the job can make the offense respectable and their very talented young pass catchers productive, because they will not be the problem in the passing game. I’m trusting in Monken to figure it out.

Jadarian Price

• I was skeptical that Price would earn a starting role immediately in Seattle, but I’m beginning to believe he might. You cannot read too much into training camp videos, but seeing Price catch a difficult pass on a wheel route for a touchdown last week was impressive. If he can earn passing-downs reps with the Seahawks, he could very well start the season as a full-time starter. This offseason, I hedged my bets on George Holani and picked him up in several of my leagues not to be a future starter on my team but a capable flex player if I needed him in PPR leagues. These were definitely back-of-the-roster kind of offseason moves I made, so I have no regrets, but now Holani may be looking like a player I can easily cut when roster cuts approach in most of my leagues. The only thing Price needs to prove in practice and preseason games is that he can protect the quarterback on passing downs.

Jahan Dotson and Zachariah Branch

• Dotson was my most added player this offseason. I’m eager to give him one more chance to live up to his incredible collegiate production and play. I know it’s in there somewhere, and this is his last chance. I was far lower on Branch in this rookie class and saw him drafted a full round above where I would be willing to take a chance on him. He was a gadget guy for Georgia last season after losing targets and production at USC with Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane. That alone made me dock him greatly in my rankings. I’m 100% willing to be proven wrong on Branch and believe it is a possibility, but my bets are still on Dotson, who is a much better all-around receiver. I’m hopeful, but not confident, that he will earn a starting role this season and a future role with the Falcons.

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