Fantasy Football News

Luke McCown announced his retirement after 10 NFL seasons. A 2004 fourth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech, McCown made 10 NFL starts and finishes his career with nine touchdowns and 15 interceptions. (Source: Ian Rapoport via Twitter )

Fantasy Impact: Seven of McCown's starts and all nine of his touchdowns came in his first two seasons in the league. McCown, 36, played for the Browns, Buccaneers, Jaguars, Falcons, and Saints.

Restricted free agent wide receiver Willie Snead has signed an offer sheet from the Baltimore Ravens reportedly for two-years and up to $10.4 million. The Saints have five days to match the offer, or Snead will officially become a Raven. (Source: Adam Schefter on twitter )

Fantasy Impact: Snead averaged 70.5 receptions and 940 receiving yards per year in his first two seasons in New Orleans before a disastrous 2017 which included a suspension and Snead plummeting down to eight catches. The Saints already signed Cameron Meredith to an offer sheet and re-signed Brandon Coleman, leaving very little role for Snead. There's almost no chance that New Orleans will match Baltimore's offer, which means Snead would be the favorite to wind up as the Ravens' slot receiver. Baltimore has rebuilt their wide receiving corps by signing veterans Michael Crabtree and John Brown. Snead is an upgrade for the Ravens but is unlikely to approach his gaudy 2015-2016 numbers while stuck in an offense that is hampered by Joe Flacco. If he winds up in Baltimore, Snead is in the WR4/5 mix.

The New York Giants have informed 34-year-old veteran wide receiver Brandon Marshall that he will be released. Marshall, who has racked up 959 catches, 12,215 receiving yards, and scored 82 touchdowns in 12 seasons with the Broncos, Dolphins, Bears, Jets, and Giants, will become a free agent and the Giants will free up over $5 million in cap space. (Source: Adam Schefter on twitter )

Fantasy Impact: A dependable source of receptions and yards, Marshall had a disastrous 2017 season with the Giants, catching only 18 passes in five games before being placed on I.R. with an ankle injury. The days of Marshall racking up 100+ receptions season are likely over, but he can still produce solid PPR value if he lands in the right situation. Meanwhile, speculation is rampant that the Giants released Marshall in anticipation of signing Dez Bryant, who has openly stated his desire to play in New York, as their WR2.

New head coach Matt Nagy went on record during the Bears mini-camp saying, "Forget about the whys of what happened. What matters is about right now. He’s young. He has a big ceiling." (Source: Chicago Tribune)

Fantasy Impact: If you can close your eyes for a moment, you can likely picture thousands of Bears fans rolling their eyes after they've been continually told that White "has a high ceiling." But if you take a step back and look at it - there's a reason he was the No. 7 pick in the draft. His size/speed combination is something that cannot be taught, though you have to wonder if he lost some of his burst with the lower-body injuries. The odds are stacked against him after playing just five games in his first three seasons, but if there's anyone who gets another shot, it's a former top-10 pick. Playing opposite Allen Robinson, the pressure is now off White to become the franchise player, but rather someone who simply contributes to the franchise.

Spotrac.com is reporting that Jarvis Landry's contract extension that was reported at 5 years with $75.5 million and $47 million in guarantees is essentially just a two-year deal with $34 million guaranteed. (Source: Spotrac on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: It was previously thought that he got more guaranteed money than even Mike Evans, but that doesn't seem to be the case now. The Browns have an out if they were to release him prior to the deadline of March 2020, though they'd still take a $4.5 million cap hit by doing so. Whatever the case, it's unlikely that the Browns would release a player they clearly wanted enough to pay him $16 million under the franchise tag. Landry is going to be a big part of shaping their No. 1 pick, whether that be Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield, or Sam Darnold.

Former sports agent Joel Curry is reporting that star interior lineman Aaron Donald will not be an unrestricted free agent in 2019 like some have suggested. (Source: Joel Curry on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: He states that even though Donald will have played five seasons, he doesn't get a year towards unrestricted status because he didn't report to the team 30 days prior to their first game in 2017. With that being the case, Donald would become a restricted free agent in 2019, a position that is a lot better for the Rams than most initially thought. It may be a moot point, though, as the Rams continue to work on a long-term contract with Donald, who just might be the best defensive player in the game.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport is reporting that wide receiver Brandon Coleman has re-signed with the Saints. (Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: He was a non-tendered restricted free agent, so this is odd considering the Saints now have Coleman, Willie Snead, and Cameron Meredith competing for one spot. Meredith was paid the most and should be considered the favorite to win the job, but the Saints all of a sudden have a bevy of wide receivers on the roster. It's no guarantee that Coleman even makes the roster at this point, so feel free to ignore in standard leagues.

Pro Football Talk is reporting Dallas Cowboys TE Jason Witten is committed to playing football in 2018. (Source: Pro Football Talk )

Fantasy Impact: Although Witten auditioned for a role with Thursday Night Football and garnered interest from Fox Sports, Witten quickly cleared the air and said that he is not only committed to playing in 2018, but he also intends to remain on the field until he turns 40. The future Hall of Fame tight end, who is entering his age-36 season, has been one of the most durable players in the NFL since entering the league in 2003. And while he put up the fewest amount of yards (560) since his rookie year last season, he still caught 63 passes and scored his most touchdowns (five) since 2014. From a fantasy perspective, he may not be the same player as he was in the past, but he remains a quality streamer in standard formats, a solid option in PPR scoring formats and a fine No. 2 option in tight end premium leagues.

ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting New England Patriots QB Tom Brady has yet to commit to playing in 2018. (Source: Adam Schefter on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Although Brady has yet to commit to playing in 2018, sources close to the future Hall of Fame signal caller told Schefter that they believe he will indeed be on the field for Week 1. Still, they'can not say that for sure," per Schefter. Schefter cites that while Brady has the want to play football for the foreseeable future, he also wants to spend more time with his family -- he turns 41 in August. Brady was not in attendance at the start of the Patriots offseason program, but I wouldn't read too much into it. He missed the program at three different points in his career. His plan is to spend more time working with his controversial body coach Alex Guerrero. As of now, I'd assume Brady will, in fact, play this season. Though from a fantasy perspective, it wouldn't surprise me if he finally began to regress. For the first time, there seems to be dissent within the Patriots organization and we all know how that can trickle down to the field when it matters most. Still, without question, he'll remain in the QB1 conversation. But similar to Drew Brees, we may have to taper him back a tier.

Nick Mangold is retiring from the NFL, the Longtime New York Jets center announced on Twitter early Tuesday morning. He will be signing a one-year deal with the Jets in order to retire with the only team he ever played for. (Source: Nick Mangold on Twitter )

Fantasy Impact: Mangold suffered a serious ankle and foot injury in 2016 that landed him on injured reserve. That offseason he was released by the Jets and ended up sitting out the entire 2017 season due to the injury. Now, the former Pro Bowler and First-Team All-Pro has decided to hang up his cleats for good.

Offensive tackle Joe Staley has agreed to rework his contract with the San Francisco 49ers for 2018 and beyond, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport on Twitter. According to Rapoport, "He was due to make $11M combined in ‘18-‘19, but he’ll now make $17.4M in all. He gets a raise in 2018, $8.72M instead of $5.5M." (Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: This is a nice raise for Staley, as the 49ers are locking up some protection for their new franchise quarterback. Staley was due to make $11 million over the last two years of his contract but will now make $17.4 million, with an increase from $5.5 million to $8.72 million this year.

Carson Wentz's rehab from last year's torn ACL and LCL has progressed to a running program, the young quarterback told the media on Tuesday. Wentz declined to give a timeline for his recovery but reiterated that his goal has always been to be ready for Week One of the regular season. (Source: ProFootballTalk)

Fantasy Impact: Wentz still has a long road ahead of him, but running is a big step in the rehabilitation process. He is unlikely to play in the preseason for Philadelphia, and it is no guarantee that he will be ready for the start of the season. With Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles still on the roster, the Eagles may elect to play it safe with Wentz's recovery.

Jameis Winston's fifth-year option is being picked up by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He will earn $20.922 million in the fifth and final year of his rookie deal, according to Rick Stroud. (Source: Rick Stroud on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Winston now carries a cap hit of $8,066,315 in 2018 and $20,922,000 in 2019 for the Bucs, who still have two years of affordable control over their young quarterback. Winston regressed slightly in 2017 and was involved in an off-the-field incident in which he was accused of groping an Uber driver, so the team will want to see a productive and issue-free 2018 before discussing a new long-term deal.

Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com is reporting that Joe Mixon reported to mini-camp at 225 pounds, down from the 238 pounds he came in at last year. (Source: Geoff Hobson)

Fantasy Impact: He apparently wants to drop five more pounds, though he's been described as "svelte" where he is right now. While some running backs look to add weight when going into a workhorse role, Mixon is choosing to go the Le'Veon Bell route and lose weight. If you recall, Bell weighed in at 244 his rookie season, but then checked in at 224 for his sophomore campaign. He looked like a different running back with the weight-loss and we're expecting similar results from Mixon. He was already one of the best buy-lows in all of fantasy football and this definitely doesn't hurt. If the Bengals add another offensive lineman on Day 1 of the NFL Draft, Mixon could be looking at RB1 status in 2018.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport is reporting the Denver Broncos have released RB C.J. Anderson. (Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Rapoport further reported that the Broncos tried to trade Anderson, but couldn't make it happen. For Anderson, since his hot start to his career in his second season back in 2014 in which he totaled 1,173 total yards and 10 TDs, he never lived up to his future expectations. And despite coming close last season, his time in Denver was up, which was the expected outcome. Look for Anderson to catch on with running back needy times like the Panthers or Giants. For the Broncos, this more than likely means they will target a running back early in the upcoming NFL Draft. Perhaps they have an intuition that Saquon Barkley falls. Denver is clearly rebuilding. It wouldn't shock me if they moved on from Emmanuel Sanders as well as the draft approaches.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport is reporting the Buffalo Bills have signed free-agent WR Jeremy Kerley to a one-year deal. (Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Following a career year with the 49ers in 2016, Kerely had one to forget last season with the Jets. After putting up a 22-217-1 stat line in eight games, Kerely was hit with a four-game PED ban, which led to his release. However, he'll have a chance to bounce back on a Bills team that needs help at wideout. Still, despite the opportunity, Kerley shouldn't be viewed a fantasy option at this point. He'll need a lot of help to get there.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport is reporting former New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers pass rusher James Harrison has announced his retirement. (Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Harrison is retiring for the second and "final time" after 14 seasons in the NFL. The All-Pro linebacker made the announcement via his personal Instagram account earlier this morning. Harris retires with 84.5 sacks, 573 tackles, and 34 forced fumbles, earning five trips to the Pro Bowl, two First-Team All-Pro Honors, and a DPOY award. Adding his two Super Bowl Championship wins with the Steelers, Harrison is in the conversation for the Hall of Fame.

The Seattle Seahawks have re-signed veteran QB Austin Davis to compete for the backup spot behind Russell Wilson. Davis played three games for the Seahawks last season but did not attempt a pass. (Source: Mike Garafolo via Twitter )

Fantasy Impact: Davis should be the front-runner over Stephen Morris for No. 2 duties in Seattle but it won't preclude the club from signing or drafting competition. Davis played for the Rams in 2013 and Browns the next season, totaling 2,548 passing yards and compiling a 13-to-12 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Davis entering the lineup would be a disaster for the Seattle offense.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport is reporting former Arizona Cardinals RB Kerwynn Williams has signed a one-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs. (Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Wiliams will head over to the Chiefs' crowded backfield, likely to provide an extra training camp body with an outside shot to make the final 2018 roster. While Kansas City already employs the hard-hitting tandem of Kareem Hunt and Spencer Ware, who likely eat up most of the running back opportunities, they also have quality depth behind them that include Charcandrick West, Akeem Hunt, and the recently signed Damien Wiliams. Unless the Chiefs move one of or move on from one of their running backs, I don't expect much out of Williams this year.

ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting the Chicago Bears and former Denver Broncos WR Bennie Fowler have agreed to terms on a one-year deal. (Source: Adam Schefter on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: After three underwhelming seasons in Denver, Fowler will add depth to a Bears wide receiver corps that recently lost Cameron Meredith to the Saints. Coming off of a career year in 2017 -- he produced a meager 29-350-3 stat line while appearing in the full 16-game slate, Fowler will look to compete for a roster spot entering 2018. Barring a significant injury to the WRs slated ahead of him, I can't see Fowler creeping up past the WR4 spot, limiting his fantasy upside.