Fantasy Football News

Rico Gathers has been suspended by the NFL as a result of his arrest for marijuana possession in September of 2018.

Fantasy Impact: There was a time when Gathers looked like a potential dynasty stash and upside TE to roster in dynasty formats. However, he's currently irrelevant for fantasy purposes as he's buried on the Cowboys' depth chart behind Jason Witten, Blake Jarwin, and Dalton Schultz.

The Detroit Lions have traded TE Michael Roberts to the New England Patriots for a conditional 2020 seventh-round pick. (Source: Mike Reiss on Twitter )

Fantasy Impact: Roberts becomes another acquisition for the Patriots in the passing game, and he may have some late-round fantasy upside. At 6-5, 265 pounds, he’s a matchup problem in the red zone and could make an impact around the goal line. Matt LaCosse is likely to open the season as the starting TE, but with Benjamin Watson suspended the first four games of the season, Roberts could see his number called regularly. Although he’s accumulated just 13 receptions for 146 receiving yards and three TDs in two NFL seasons, the change of scenery will surely boost his outlook.

Chris Herndon IV could face a two-game suspension this season, per an ESPN report. (Source: Mike Clay on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: The suspension stems from Herndon IV pleading guilty to driving while intoxicated in January. Herndon looked impressive at times during his 2018 rookie campaign, finishing with a 39-502-4 line. The depth chart behind him is paper thin, with offseason standout Daniel Brown and 2019 fourth-round pick Trevon Wesco the most likely benefactors of a Herndon suspension.

Bears coach Matt Nagy says he feels good about Trey Burton being ready for the start of training camp. (Source: Jeff Dickerson on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Nagy added that he can't 100% guarantee Burton will be ready after undergoing sports-hernia surgery this off-season, however. If he's healthy entering 2019 Burton could be a post-hype sleeper. His health will be a situation to monitor this summer.

Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports the Vikings are challenging Kirk Cousins in practice this spring with a lot of looks defenses showed last season. (Source: Tom Pelissero on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Cousins was a bit of a disappointment last year, throwing 30 touchdown and 10 interceptions while playing all 16 games. His offensive line was abysmal, however, so he does get a bit of a free pass for that. Still, we expect Minnesota to be a run-first team in 2019, which caps Cousins' fantasy upside.

The Detroit Free Press predicts Kerryon Johnson will catch "at least 60" passes this year. (Source: Detroit Free Press)

Fantasy Impact: Johnson caught 32 passes in 10 games as a rookie last season, so 60 isn't that outlandish. Johnson showed major flashes last season and Detroit has been outspoken this off-season about their intent on being a run-first offense. There's potential here for a major breakout.

Marqise Lee won't be ready for the start of Jaguars' training camp, according to head coach Doug Marrone. (Source: Phillip Heilman on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Lee continues to recover from the knee injury he suffered during the 2018 preseason. This isn't a setback, as this was the expectation since the early offseason. Still, it would be good to see Lee on the field sooner or later during training camp as he has an opportunity to lead the team at wide receiver given the lackluster results in his absence in 2018.

Leonard Fournette will be a “big part of the pass game” in 2019, according to reports. (Source: Michael DiRocco on Twitter )

Fantasy Impact: According to the report from ESPN’s Michael DiRocco, Leonard Fournette will see a lot of work in the passing game in 2019. New Jaguars QB Nick Foles expressed how much he likes throwing to his backs. Fournette has caught just 58 passes in 21 career games, and his bump in usage in the passing game adds to his fantasy value in 2019, especially in PPR-scoring formats.

Talking to reporters about his role in 2019, Steelers RB James Conner said that he expects backfield touches to be "spread out pretty evenly.” (Source: Pittsburgh Tribune Review)

Fantasy Impact: The Steelers have alluded to this, and given Conner's struggles late in 2018 and the presence of rookie Benny Snell as well as the returning Jaylen Samuels it wouldn't be surprising to see a more even split in 2019. That would negatively impact the value of all of the runners in the Steelers' backfield, especially on a team that has been one of the few bell-cow offenses in the league. Conner's stock could be negatively impacted the most as he's currently sitting at the RB8 in our expert consensus rankings.

Bears coach Matt Nagy praised the route-running skills of rookie RB David Montgomery. “We always knew he had great hands. You don’t know how great of a route runner a college back is, but he’s a really good route runner. . . . This kid can’t wait. [Neither can] Mike Davis and these other backs. They want to put the pads on.” (Source: Chicago Sun Times)

Fantasy Impact: The Bears moved up in the third round to draft Montgomery, and there are signs that he could move into the role vacated by Jordan Howard. And then if Montgomery takes on more passing-game work as well he could really carry RB1 upside. This wouldn't be great news for Tarik Cohen, either. At Montomgery's current ranking of RB29 among our experts, he provides a lot of value potential entering the new season.

Jack Doyle was seen at minicamp running routes at full speed. He underwent hip surgery this offseason. (Source: Zak Keefer on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Doyle has struggled to remain healthy over his career, and this opened the door for Eric Ebron to take over the reins as the team's leading TE in 2018. Still, the Colts have shown that they can maintain two fantasy-relevant TEs in the past, and a healthy Doyle could become a TE1 this season. He's currently the TE15 based on our expert consensus rankings.

Travis Kelce plans to be fully ready for training camp. (Source: Around the NFL on Twitter )

Fantasy Impact: In a recent interview, Kelce said that he “plans to be 100 percent” when Chiefs camp opens at the end of July. He’s sitting out now due to offseason ankle surgery and isn’t taking any chances on his health. Kelce will be needed greatly this season, especially if Tyreek Hill is suspended for any length of time.

Rookie WR D.K. Metcalf has drawn high praise from QB Russell Wilson. (Source: Around the NFL on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: When asked about D.K. Metcalf on Wednesday morning, Wilson said the receiver is “looking really really special,” adding, “he can do anything and everything and he’s tremendous.” That’s promising news for Metcalf, who should get plenty of opportunities immediately, with Tyler Lockett his only real competition for targets.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling is likely to start opposite Davante Adams, according to a report from ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. (Source: Rob Demovsky on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: According to the report, Valdes-Scantling has impressed in training camp and looks poised to be the Packers’ No. 2, opposite Davante Adams. The former has received praise from Adams, who said, “I think this offense is really catered for a guy like him.” Valdes-Scantling was impressive in limited action last season as a rookie, catching 38 balls for 581 yards and two scores, and notching a pair of 100-yard games. His role as the No. 2 comes at the expense of Geronimo Allison (who is likely to play primarily in the slot) and Jake Kumerow. With a healthy Aaron Rodgers and the support of coaches and teammates, Valdes-Scantling could be in for a big leap in production in his second year, making him a value pick at his current ADP of WR57.

Carlos Hyde is listed behind start Damien Williams at running back, but he's been sharing the backfield with Williams at minicamp and has seen extensive work as a receiver. (Source: ESPN)

Fantasy Impact: Hyde is excited about the role, and fantasy owners should also be happy to get their hands on a potential starter in the later rounds. While Williams has been named the starter, he hasn't proven able to handle a full workload over the course of the season like Hyde has. Should Hyde get a shot at being the team's starting RB, he would carry RB1 upside in this Andy Reid offense. Given that upside, Hyde is someone to strongly consider at his current consensus ADP of 117 overall and RB45.

Marquise Brown won't fully participate in Ravens' workouts until training camp as he continues to recover from his foot injury. (Source: Jamison Hensley on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Specifically, Brown is recovering from Lisfranc surgery. As we've seen with several other receivers, it's difficult to return and produce in your first year back. That will be especially true for the rookie wide out on a run-first offense. While Brown could provide plenty of boom if he's healthy, and should have a solid career, he's currently off many draft boards as the WR75 in our latest consensus rankings.

LeSean McCoy told reporters that he expected to play the same role that he did in 2018. McCoy said, "I mean, I'm a dominant player. I think that speaks for itself. But I'll be in the same role as last year. And I look forward to putting some numbers up and bouncing back from that last season." (Source: Buffalo News)

Fantasy Impact: By this, McCoy is insinuating that he'll be the leader of the Bills' backfield. While he could enter the season as the team's starter on the depth chart, he should face competition for carries from a number of sources, including veterans Frank Gore and T.J. Yeldon as well as rookie third-round pick Devin Singletary. While McCoy was considered a solid RB2 by many entering 2018 drafts, he's now a fringe RB3 as the RB34 in our latest consensus rankings.

Nelson Agholor is sidelined at minicamp due to a "lower body injury". (Source: Zach Berman on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Agholor is expected to be fine for training camp. The 26-year-old hauled in 64 catches last year for 736 yards and four touchdowns.

Jeff Howe of The Athletic reports Sony Michel missed the final portion of the Patriots' off-season program due to a knee scope. (Source: Jeff Howe on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Michel has had a history of knee issue but this should be considered good news since it's a minor cleanup procedure that explains his absences lately. Damien Harris has reportedly had a strong spring and is expected to challenge Michel for touches in training camp.

Jeff Howe of The Athletic believes rookie running back Damien Harris has a chance to earn a "prominent role" with the Patriots this season. (Source: The Athletic)

Fantasy Impact: Harris' off-season hype continues to grow as Sony Michel has not been on the practice field much this spring. Howe writes that Harris has had a "strong spring", so he's worth taking a flier on in best-ball drafts right now. The New England backfield will once again be a situation to monitor throughout training camp.