Fantasy Football News

According to Nick Shook of nfl.com, the Minnesota Vikings are fielding trade calls for Pro Bowl edge rusher Danielle Hunter. (Source: Nick Shook, nfl.com)

Fantasy Impact: Despite struggling defensively, the Vikings have not been afraid to make moves with their players. The Vikings already traded Za'Darius Smith to Cleveland, and Hunter could be next. Hunter is in the last year of his deal and has a cap hit of roughly $13 million in 2023. Hunter returned from injury to make his third Pro Bowl in 2022 and is still just 28 years old. If the Vikings are facing a potential retooling down the line with Dalvin Cook trade rumors and Kirk Cousins' aging, the Vikings could just try to accrue value. Hunter had 10.5 sacks in 2022 and has 71.0 in his career.

DeAndre Hopkins is scheduled to fly out to Nashville to meet with Mike Vrabel and the Titans. After much speculation and rumors, Hopkins visit is the first true show of interest by another team. (Source: Tom Pelissero on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: If Hopkins were to join the Titans, it completely changes the landscape of the team. While they will still be run heavy and operate through Derrick Henry, the projected breakouts of Treylon Burks and Chig Okonkwo take big hits with Hopkins operating as the clear alpha dog.

According to Paul Gutierrez of ESPN NFL Nation, Las Vegas Raiders RB Josh Jacobs is still yet to sign his franchise tag tender and is the lone player not present at the Raiders' Wednesday mandatory minicamp as he is not yet under contract. (Source: Paul Gutierrez on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Wednesday is Day 2 of the Raiders' mandatory minicamp, and Jacobs is the only player not there. Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels says he respects the process and is looking forward to seeing Jacobs in July after the tag's signing period's deadline. While this is worth monitoring — especially with Jacobs' current average draft position being a price of RB7 in half-PPR formats — it could just be a matter of time before things are resolved. Cowboys RB Tony Pollard is the only player yet to sign his franchise tender.

According to Chris Mason of MassLive, RB Rhamondre Stevenson knows he's "the guy" at running back for the New England Patriots following RB Damien Harris' departure, and he's preparing his body for the workload. (Source: Chris Mason, MassLive)

Fantasy Impact: Stevenson was top 10 in the NFL in touches in 2022, picking up 1,461 scrimmage yards in the process. Now, Harris and his 123 touches are in Buffalo, opening up space for Stevenson to have less competition to worry about. The Patriots also have RBs James Robinson, Kevin Harris and Pierre Strong, but the third-year running back out of Oklahoma is expected to get the lion's share of touches out of the backfield as a runner and receiver. Stevenson currently ranks as the half-PPR RB10, according to FantasyPros' Expert Consensus Rankings.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Atlanta Falcons are losing RB and return man Avery Williams for the 2023 season after he tore his ACL in practice Wednesday. (Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Williams was entering his third NFL season after being drafted in the fifth round out of Boise State. Williams has served as the Falcons' return specialist, returning 38 punts and 39 kickoffs in two seasons. Williams also doubled as a rotational cornerback in Year 1 before converting to a rotational running back in 2022, rushing for 109 yards on 22 carries. Williams will miss the 2023 season, and RB Cordarelle Patterson will likely take over Williams' role as the team's main returner.

According to an article by Michael Baca of nfl.com, San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel said that his contract negotiations distracted him in the 2022 offseason and that he's ready to bounce back from an "awful" and "sluggish" season. (Source: Michael Baca, nfl.com)

Fantasy Impact: Samuel said he had a long film session with head coach Kyle Shanahan where the two reviewed his 2022 film. Samuel's response was that he would "never put nothing on tape like that again." Samuel's production was cut in half in 2022, totaling 864 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns. Heading into 2023, Samuel seems to have a new focus and motivation for self-improvement, as he aims to build on a season he called "awful." He's currently priced as the half-PPR WR18, according to FantasyPros' Expert Consensus Rankings.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, QB Jimmy Garoppolo is expected to be ready "long before" training camp begins for the Las Vegas Raiders, barring any setbacks. (Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Garoppolo's chapter in Las Vegas has already been wild even before setting foot on a field, receiving needed foot surgery after signing his deal. The two parties restructured the deal so that Garoppolo's guaranteed money would only be given after he passes a physical. Garoppolo has been present with the team but not practicing, according to Rapoport, and should be good to go by training camp's beginning. If that's the case, the Raiders will be ready to take the field with Garoppolo as QB1 and he will get his money, no rumored releases required.

Michael Thomas is expected to be ready for training camp and was present for OTAs Tuesday. (Source: Saints on Twitter )

Fantasy Impact: Thomas was limited to just three games in 2022 due to a toe injury. The veteran wide receiver is focused on being ready for training camp as he will look to build rapport with new QB Derrick Carr. Thomas currently ranks as the WR52 in ECR, according to FantasyPros.

Zay Flowers is dealing with a minor hamstring tweak but is expected to participate in minicamp next week. (Source: Jeff Zrebiec on Twitter )

Fantasy Impact: Coach John Harbaugh does not seem to concerned about Flowers availability for minicamp next week. Flowers is expected to be a key contributor in the Ravens’ offense this season and will likely start alongside Rashod Bateman and Odell Beckham Jr. The rookie wide receiver is currently ranked at WR53 in ECR, according to FantasyPros.

According to Jamison Hensley of ESPN, Baltimore Ravens RB Gus Edwards is expected to be ready for training camp. He is currently being held out of minicamp for rehab. (Source: Jamison Hensley on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Edwards has a long history of dealing with injury, which kept him off the field at the start of 2022. Once he returned to the field, though, Edwards was back to form rushing for 5.0 yards per carry with 433 yards in nine games with four starts. When healthy, Edwards has always been an effective running back but is a more valuable player in real life than in fantasy as the bruising complement to J.K. Dobbins and Lamar Jackson; and if the Ravens phase away from the run-centric offense of the Greg Roman era, Edwards likely won't have much more than TD-dependent flex appeal in 2023.

According to Doug Kyed of AtoZ Sports, the New England Patriots have been using former Louisville QB Malik Cunningham as a slot receiver during offseason workouts. (Source: Doug Kyed on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: The position switch could actually make a lot of sense for the undrafted QB. His sub-6-foot height made it an uphill battle for him at QB, but Cunningham, who was one of the nation's best runners, has the feet to move as a wide receiver. The Patriots have never been shy to move players to a receiver, and Cunningham is best suited to play in the slot rather than outside with his 4.53-second 40-yard dash. There's no guarantee that the undrafted rookie makes the roster, but a position change could be his best shot to make an immediate impact in New England.

Commanders coach Ron Rivera said it's still a competition between Sam Howell and Jacoby Brissett. (Source: Sam Fortier on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Rivera added that it's a discussion whether or not Brissett will get first-team reps in camp. It contradicts recent reports that suggested it was Howell's job to lose as the starter. This will be a situation to monitor throughout minicamp and training camp.

Jeremy Ruckert has reportedly gotten off to a strong start in OTAs. (Source: Harrison Glaser on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: "Jeremy Ruckert looks awesome," Jets head coach Robert Saleh said. "He's hungry. He looks like a guy on a mission. He's got a nasty streak to him. Excited about him & the direction he's going." Ruckert is entering his second season in the league. Tyler Conklin and C.J. Uzomah currently sit atop the depth chart for the Jets in the tight end room.

Isaiah Rodgers Sr. issued a statement Monday night admitting to gambling and accepting responsibility. (Source: Adam Schefter on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Rodgers is entering the fourth year of his rookie contract this season. He'll face some sort of suspension that will likely be announced soon by the NFL. He has played in 45 games over the past three seasons with the Colts.

According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston, the Atlanta Falcons are signing veteran DB Breon Borders. (Source: Aaron Wilson on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Borders went undrafted in 2017 and has bounced around from team to team since then, suiting up for six different teams. Borders most notably started five games for Tennessee in 2020, catching his first career interception, forcing five pass deflections and totaling 27 tackles. Borders will compete for a roster spot in an already fairly deep Atlanta DB room.

According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston, the Atlanta Falcons are releasing DB Jamal Peters. (Source: Aaron Wilson on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Peters was a 2022 CFL All-Star cornerback for the Toronto Argonauts before signing a reserve contract with Atlanta in January. Peters is now being released to make room for DB Breon Borders. Peters, a Grey Cup champion, could look toward a return to the CFL which starts on June 8, unless he finds another deal with an NFL team.

According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, veteran WR Laquon Treadwell has signed a one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens (Source: Tom Pelissero on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Treadwell has played seven seasons in the NFL, suiting up for four different teams. However, Treadwell has never found solid footing with one team, totaling 110 career catches, though he showed promise in 2021 with the Jaguars. His deal with the Ravens will give him a chance to compete during minicamp for a roster spot in Baltimore. The Ravens have Andy Isabella, James Proche II, Tylan Wallace and Dontay Demus Jr., all of whom may compete with Treadwell for an active roster spot in 2023.

According to Jon Machota of The Athletic, QB Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys are working toward a contract extension, but owner Jerry Jones said that "it's not imperative" to get it done soon. (Source: Jon Machota on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Prescott has two years left on his deal with the Cowboys with an out after the 2023 season. However, the Cowboys could look to extend Prescott not only to keep him but to spread out the money in a more manageable manner. The team does not seem to be in a rush to do so, but an extension could facilitate the process of extending young stars CeeDee Lamb and Trevon Diggs. An extension will likely come at some point though, given the close history between the parties, it's just unsure when it will happen.

According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, the Dallas Cowboys are leaving the door open for a reunion between the team and long-time RB Ezekiel Elliott. (Source: NFL.com)

Fantasy Impact: The initial decision to cut Elliott was one made out of 'caponomics,' not any issues between the two parties. Elliott was cut to create cap space, but the Cowboys could still use a player like Elliott. The seven-year Cowboy was toward the top of the league in rushes that converted for positive yards, often avoiding rushes for negative gain. This made him an effective goal-line back, accruing 12 TDs in 2022. The Cowboys do not have a body type that can provide what Elliott does, and with a potentially smaller financial obligation, the Cowboys could move Elliott into more of an efficient, rotational role.

Treylon Burks has received praise from Titans wide receiver coach Rob Moore and Quarterback Ryan Tannehill. After enduring an poor offseason in 2022, Moore said “he’s been a different player.” Tannehill praised his work ethic and drive. (Source: Nashville Post)

Fantasy Impact: It’s early in the off-season, but it’s a night and day comparison to the reports coming out about Burks this time last year. Burks was one of the top wide receiver prospects in last year’s draft, and if he can make a second year leap, he’s easily the Titans top option in the passing game in 2023. If he lives up to his potential, a WR2 season is in the cards for Burks, who should still have a stable floor of a WR3 at worst if he stays healthy.