Fantasy football analyst Sal Vetri compiles all the NFL training camp news YOU need to know with Week 1 of the preseason in full swing.
He must miss a few weeks and not participating in preseason games…but McCaffrey probably wasn’t playing in the preseason anyway, so that’s not a big deal. What matters is your availability for week 1.
A calf strain may heal in 1 to 2 weeks if it is not considered serious. So far, the 49ers have not expressed concern that this is a Grade 2 strain (3-6 week recovery). According to Edwin Porrasthis injury only has an 8% recurrence rate for running backs when they return.
The conclusion? Continue to draft McCaffrey as the No. 1 player in fantasy.
But don’t read too much into it. This is an unofficial depth chartand we’re not sure if the coaching staff had any input into that.
What matters most are the reports we are getting from camp about Chase Brown. He’s showing he can pass protectwhich appears to be the last piece of the puzzle for head coach Zac Taylor to trust him. Brown is a big, athletic defender who can catch passes and create explosive plays. Wait even longer RB1 Repeats over the next few weeks at camp.
#8: Josh Downs will miss 4-6 weeks
Casualties suffered a high ankle sprain in training on Wednesday. There’s a chance he’ll return in time for Week 1, but it’s more likely he’ll miss a game or two. Downs had a productive rookie season for the Colts, scoring 98 targets and producing 771 yards.
5th round debutant Anthony Gould filled in to Downs as soon as he left practice. Gould has 4.39 speed and produced 718 yards rushing last year at Oregon State. He could be Josh Down’s short-term replacement in the slot, but first reports I believe it will be a team effort to replace Downs.
#7: Ray Davis is winning the Bills’ RB2 spot
This is more important than you might think. Davis is the Bills’ fourth-round rookie known for his reliability, especially in the red zone. At 211 pounds, he gives the Bills a bigger frame to work with in the red zone compared to James Cook at 199 pounds.
Buffalo was hesitant to give Cook a bigger role in the red zone last season. More often, they chose to use bigger veterans such as Latavius Murray and Damien Harris. If Davis is able to win the RB2 jobhe could immediately gain a key role in this offense.
Davis is currently in the 17th round of the fantasy draft.
#6: The Cowboys haven’t decided on their RB1 yet
It’s unclear who Dallas will present as its leader. Currently the backfield is divided between Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle and even veteran Royce Freeman.
From now on, Dowdle has been the commission guy at the camp. Dowdle is coming off an efficient season, but there are doubts about his role.
Dowdle is an inexperienced quarterback who has never started an NFL game. Will this make coach Mike McCarthy rely more on veteran Elliott in key situations like third downs and the red zone? Whoever becomes the leader in Dallas is a valuable asset in fantasy, making both Dowdle and Elliott targets in the later rounds of their draft.
#5: Isiah Pacheco is ready to do it all
Coach Andy Reid said this week that Pacheco ‘are you ready to do all this’. Reid would add how Pacheco is good with protections and can run all routes.
Pacheco is expected to have one of the biggest workloads in the NFL this year. In the second half of last season, he averaged 23 opportunities per game and finished in the top five in Fantasy. Entering 2024, he will have even less competition with the departure of Jerick McKinnon, and Pacheco will continue to chase a top 10 offensive line.
He’s a great pick in the second or third round of your drafts.
This makes sense, as the Giants paid him $9.5 million in guarantees this offseason. However, it’s good to know he’s a clean assand no one is threatening him for RB1 snaps right now.
Singletary reunites with his former coach Brian Daboll. During their three years together in Buffalo, Singletary averaged more than 1,000 total yards per season. Daboll has spoken with brilliance from Singletary this offseason. The returning veteran is a good option in the 8th round of the draft.
The Packers held their annual Family Night Game last week. The starters played 26 snaps from scrimmage, but Wicks only saw six of them. He was well behind Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson and Jayden Reed in snap count, and Wicks played just one more snap than Bo Melton.
This was just a scrimmage, but it is historically shown who the Packers see as their starter early in the season. Wicks had a strong rookie year ranked in the top 10 in position in open rate vs. open rate. men’s coveragebut it appears he could start the season in a more limited role.
#2: Jonathon Brooks might not be ready until Week 3 or 4
Panthers rookie running back will not play in pre-season and could end up on the PUP list as he recovers from an ACL injury in November. However, head coach Dave Canales later clarified that the goal is to have Brooks back by Week 3 or 4 if he’s ready.
Canales also stated that this was something the team expectedwhich means this news does not indicate a setback. Brooks will likely miss 1-2 rounds in fantasy drafts now, which makes him an even better value in drafts. The expectation was never for Brooks to have a full-time role in Week 1, so this news shouldn’t impact his outlook too much.
But once Brooks is ready, he will have the three-down skill set to feature in this offense. Similar to how Canales featured Rachaad White for 336 touches last year in Tampa.
#1: Puka Nacua is dealing with a knee injury
Nacua left training earlier this week with a knee injury and was quickly considered week to week. This raised concerns about a potentially more serious injury, but Sean McVay allayed those concerns.
McVay let Jourdan Rodrigue know the injury was caused by landing on a bursa and is not a structural problem. This means that Nacua could return to training next week and his status in Week 1 should not be in jeopardy.
Nacua is being selected as the 13th overall player in the draft right now…
