Tue Aug 11th 2026

Trainig Camp Report - Week Two

Jaylen Waddle

Broncos coach Sean Payton said WR Jaylen Waddle has a “strain” and will return within 4-5 days.

• There’s still a month until the regular season begins, so this injury is not too concerning. Waddle is a smart veteran who doesn’t need the practice reps to pick up his new offense in Denver. What’s noteworthy, though, is that Pat Bryant has shined this week at camp while Waddle has missed time. Bryant is no threat to Waddle, but I could see him emerge as a long-term threat to Courtland Sutton, and he could bury the dynasty value of Troy Franklin and Marvin Mims. Franklin, Mims, and Bryant’s dynasty stock fell significantly when the Broncos traded for Waddle. Still, one of the three could see their value rise again if they can earn a more consistent role or prove capable of production if Waddle or Sutton get injured. Right now, all signs point to Bryant.

Kenyon Sadiq

Jets coach Aaron Glenn said Kenyon Sadiq (hernia surgery) is only expected to miss “a couple of weeks.”

• Unlike Waddle, Sadiq needs the valuable practice reps to learn the Jets’ offense and to acclimate to the NFL. On paper, this injury is a three-week setback, but in reality it is much more. Sadiq will have a much slower start to his rookie season than his dynasty managers expected, which is a bummer. Obviously, he’ll be fine from a dynasty perspective, but he’ll need time to get ramped up this season.

Jalen McMillan

Bucs coach Todd Bowles said he is not sure how long Jalen McMillan (knee) will be out.

• Poor McMillan, a player I have many shares of, just can’t stay healthy. His injury could set him back in his first year when he was projected to be a starter in three-receiver sets. Dynasty managers with Ted Hurst can now get more excited about him seeing more reps with the first team in training camp, with an opportunity to surpass McMillan in the lineup this season, especially if the injury lingers. The Buccaneers sent out one hype video of Hurst making an excellent contested catch for a touchdown this week. His dynasty managers hope to see more of that with McMillan missing time. Hurst was already likely to press for playing time this season. Now his window to earn it is even more open with McMillan and Tez Johnson injured this week.

Xavier Worthy

• Oh no! Not the shoulder again for Worthy! I fully expect Worthy to have a breakout third season with the Chiefs this season. He began his breakout in his rookie season during the playoffs, but then was injured in the first game of his second season and was never the same last year. He’s an unconventional NFL receiver with his small stature, but I’m convinced he can become a very productive player if he can just stay healthy. This injury does not appear as serious as last year, but it’s enough to make me wonder if he can endure the physical contact in the NFL. I still believe he can, but this week’s news is one more feather in the cap of those dynasty managers who think he cannot.

Stefon Diggs

• Diggs landed in the perfect and most predicted spot last week when he signed with the Commanders. He’ll be an instant starter and produce right away in his 32-year-old season. I traded away a 2027 second-round pick for him in a deep league where I am a top contender. I’m confident that Diggs will be an every-week starter for me in that league with three starting receivers and two flex spots. What hurts most about this trade is the setback it will be for Antonio Williams, a rookie I drafted four times already with the confident expectation that he’d become a starter in his rookie season. I traded up twice to draft him, too. Still, I am not concerned for his long-term dynasty value, though he’s far less likely to have a productive rookie season with Diggs on the team. I now believe Treylon Burks, a player I added to the back of my rosters a lot this offseason, is now a dropable candidate when roster cut dates approach.

Carson Beck

Cardinals QB Carson Beck completed 15-of-19 passes for 188 yards and a touchdown in Thursday’s Hall-of-Fame Game against the Panthers.

• What a fantastic start for Carson Beck, who looked in complete command of the new Arizona offense in his first preseason game! It’s not wise to read too much into a game when backups to the backups were playing, but rookie quarterbacks have looked a lot worse in their debuts than this. If he continues to play well in the preseason, he will no doubt become a starter by midseason since the Cardinals have every reason to see what they have in Beck before picking early, if not first, in next year’s draft. If Carson starts games for half the season or more, I cannot imagine that he will make his pass catcher more productive than Jacoby Brissett could, so dynasty managers with Cardinals on their teams need to lower expectations this season, unfortunately. Or maybe Beck will become one of the biggest surprises of the year.  

Eli Stowers

The Athletic’s Brooks Kubena reports that Eagles TE Eli Stowers “has yet to move up the depth chart.”

• This is no surprise, and it has become a steady drumbeat throughout the offseason. Stowers will not have a productive rookie season. I was much lower on Stowers in my rookie rankings than almost any analyst. I don’t see him as a capable true NFL tight end, but more like a gadget guy at tight end or a power slot player. Thus, I reasoned, he will not get enough snaps and opportunities to be productive in the NFL as he was in college. I’m sticking with my prior take, which is thus far proven true. He’ll have plenty of years to prove me wrong, but it won’t be this year.

Malik Benson

Raiders WR Malik Benson operated as the team’s WR2 with WR Jalen Nailor and WR Dont’e Thornton “nicked up” on Friday.

• I have to admit that I was late to the party on Benson. Savvy dynasty managers added Benson to their deep rosters weeks ago. Now he’s hard to pick up. He’s certainly still a long shot, much like his teammate Dont’e Thornton was at this time last season. What’s most perplexing and sad for me, and my favorite Raiders receiver, is that Jack Bech is getting squeezed out. I was very confident that coach Kubiak would find a way to utilize his talents and that he’d be on the field a lot, if only because he is the biggest receiver and best blocker they have. Sadly, if this Benson hype continues and he does become a starter on their depth chart, Bech, one of my most rostered players, will become a drop candidate, and I will admit my mistakes drafting him last year and even trading up to get him twice.

Malachi Fields

The Athletic’s Dan Duggan believes Giants WR Malachi Fields “has made an early claim for the No. 2 receiver spot” in camp.

• If I missed on Bech, I hope I did not miss on Fields, since I drafted him three times so far. I grew more interested in Fields after my first two or three rookie drafts as I learned more about how the Giants targeted him in the drafts and considered more carefully his unique role in the offense given his size compared to the rest of the Giants’ wide receivers. He’s a perfect power slot for a team without one, and that’s the role I expected him to earn quickly, but with this report, it may be even sooner than I thought.

Emmett Johnson

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reports that Chiefs RB Emmett Johnson “is swiftly earning a role as an explosive, decisive runner.”

ESPN’s Dan Graziano believes Emmett Johnson “has a shot” to be Kansas City’s No. 2 back.

• I was so frustrated when the Chiefs drafted Johnson because he was one of my favorite running backs in the class, but landed on a team with a strongly established starter whom the team traded to get. I dropped him far enough in my rankings that I was unable to get a share of him. Other managers routinely drafted him a round earlier than I would have. Additionally, I added Emari Demercado to many of my rosters this offseason, expecting him, as a veteran, to earn the backup role behind Kenneth Walker. These reports are good news for Johnson’s managers who drafted him ahead of me, and make Demercado a player for me to cut if these reports prove true. I’m eager to see how both players look in the preseason as they fight for the RB-2 role behind a starter that gets injured often.

Dontayvion Wicks

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports people around the Eagles are “really excited” about Dontayvion Wicks.

• This is not the only positive report on Wicks this offseason and during training camp. The Eagles seem to like Wicks even after they drafted Makai Lemon. In a shallow league, I recently dropped Wicks to pick up Tank Dell. I still don’t regret the move, but I could regret it later. I’m much higher on Lemon, since he was my #1 ranked wide receiver in the class, and I am very high on Dallas Goedert, at least for this season. I expect Goedert or Lemon to be the second-most targeted player for the Eagles behind DaVonta Smith. Thus, my expectations for Wicks are lower than those hyping him at Eagles’ camp.

Tre’Veyon Henderson

The Athletic’s Chad Graff reports Tre’Veyon Henderson has struggled with pass blocking in training camp.

• This report is terrible news for Henderson’s managers, and it’s baffling. Henderson was supposed to be the best pass-protection back in his rookie class last season but could not do so last year. If that’s the case again in year two, his snaps will be limited yet again. Rhamondre Stevenson was the back the Patriots trusted the most in the playoffs last season. Dynasty managers fully expected the torch to be passed this season, but I don’t think it will happen, even if Henderson improves as a pass protector. They trust Stevenson too much and they are very good as complementary backs. Sadly, for both of their dynasty managers, a shared backfield is their fate.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Commanders reporter Ben Standig believes Jacory Croskey-Merritt “is flashing enough as a pass catcher to position himself for the largest role in the backfield.”

• As my super sleeper last year, JCM disappointed, but one year does not doom a player. He finished the season well and has every chance to be the Commanders’ lead back this season, especially if he can become reliable in the passing game. Rachaad White is steady and reliable, but he lacks big-play ability, which is where JCM shines the most.  He’s the TreVeyon Henderson type in the Washington backfield, while White is the Stevenson. Only, I have higher hopes that JCM can run away with the job this season. I wouldn't say I expect him to, but I believe he can more than I believe Henderson can. I’m glad I held on to a few shares of JCM to wait and see.

Kayshon Boutte

The Athletic’s Chad Graff believes Kayshon Boutte has been the “star” of Patriots training camp.

• These reports have been so steady throughout camp that I can’t help but be suspicious that the Patriots are trying to trade Boutte. He was reportedly a tradeable player headed into camp since the Patriots added Romeo Doubs and A.J. Brown. If he’s truly showing up and balling out, that speaks well of his character and his future with the team. Brown, Doubs, and Boutte could be an excellent trio of receivers for Drake Mate and the Patriots. Sadly for dynasty managers hoping for Kyle Williams to crack the starting lineup, his opportunities have dwindled away.

Isaiah Likely

SNY’s Connor Hughes said “the Giants appear intent on featuring (Isaiah Likely)” this season.

• Likely’s signing, his compensation, and his old coach make this report the expectation, so it’s not quite breaking news. Still, it is good to have confirmation for those who expected Likely to produce as a starter this season. I, on the other hand, expect Theo Johnson to be a thorn in the side of Likely and his dynasty managers. Jaxson Dart loved Johnson last season, even though Johnson struggled a lot with drops. I’m on an island with this belief for sure, but I’m sticking to it for now. I’ve kept Johnson on my dynasty rosters with the hopes of him emerging as the more productive tight end. Other dynasty managers don’t see things that way. One manager in a one-quarterback, tight-end premium league traded Trevor Lawrence for Likely last week.

Parker Washington

Sports Illustrated’s John Shipley reports that Jaguars WR Parker Washington “has routinely been the top target” for QB Trevor Lawrence at training camp.

• Washington has been one of the most talked-about guys in training camp this year, with many reports by reporters and coaches alike stating that Washington is Trevor Lawrence’s top target. I’m still not willing to buy it wholesale, but it is a distinct possibility that he will lead the team in targets this season. I’ve long been a believer in Jakobi Meyers and see him as the WR-1 in Jacksonville, but the steady reports from camp have changed my thinking, and preseason games, if we get to see the starters, will cause me to flip my rankings. For now, I have Meyers #35, Washington #38, and Brian Thomas Jr. #39 in my dynasty wide receiver rankings. I could see a scenario where the ball is shared almost equally between the three, so I will keep them close until one emerges as the apple of Lawrence’s eye.

Ja’Kobi Lane

ESPN’s Jamison Hensley believes Ja’Kobi Lane has been “the star” of Ravens training camp.

• I’ll close the article by boasting of the hype around my most-drafted rookie this season. I have two more drafts to go and hope to draft him even more, but I already drafted Lane in four of my eight rookie drafts thus far. I fully expected it to take a couple of years before he earned a significant role on the team, but the news from camp makes me believe he can earn a starting role in his rookie season. This is just one of many reports that broke last week about Lane. He may have been the most tweeted-about player last week, in fact. I was baffled by how many times Elijah Sarratt was drafted ahead of Lane, even though Lane was drafted by the Ravens a round earlier than Sarratt. I did not see things that way. Lane, in fact, was my 14^th-ranked rookie who routinely fell to the third round of rookie drafts. Let’s see if “my guy” this year can make me look like a genius.

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