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Training Camp Notes: Snead suspended three games

• Seemingly out of nowhere, the NFL suspended Willie Snead for the first three games of the season for violating the league's substance abuse policy. This news could impact Drew Brees, as the Saints don't appear to have a replacement to play in the slot with anywhere near the level of ability that Snead has shown, but Brees should continue to function as an elite fantasy performer. The top three WRs on the depth chart are Michael Thomas, Ted Ginn and Brandon Coleman, but none profiles well as an option in the slot. The team could lean a bit more on TE Coby Fleener and RB Alvin Kamara to help keep the passing game moving, but it's possible that the absence of Snead could make the Saints offense a bit easier for opponents to defend.

• As expected, the Steelers welcomed Le'Veon Bell back to the team after he signed his one-year contract, reported to the team and passed his physical. Based on the fact he's returned from absences in the past fully ready to assume a full workload while playing at a high level, fantasy managers should have no concerns starting him against the Browns in Week 1.
• Staying in Pittsburgh, Martavis Bryant has been officially cleared to be a full participant this season after his conditional reinstatement in April. His presence makes the Steelers' offense extremely dangerous, and he's capable of posting huge numbers as Ben Roethlisberger's best downfield threat. In addition, his presence will force defenses to carefully consider how much attention they can pay to Antonio Brown due to the fact that Bryant often requires a safety to shade his way to protect against big plays. Don't be surprised if Bryant ends up as a WR2 in all formats, though his weekly variance could be on the extreme side.
• Bengals' rookie John Ross suffered a sprained knee in practice and his status for the beginning of the season could be in doubt. It's been a rough offseason for him after missing time during August, and he hasn't gotten very much work with the starting offense, so he could struggle to make an impact this year, especially early in the season, as it's tough to imagine he'll have great chemistry with Andy Dalton.
• With the Bears losing Cameron Meredith for the year and also having cut Victor Cruz today, it's been reported that Markus Wheaton should be back within the next few weeks as he recovers from a broken finger, therefore he'll miss regular-season games. It would appear the team's top-two WRs going into the year are Kevin White and Kendall Wright. White hasn't looked great in camp, but Wright has been a pleasant surprise, as he performed very well in the preseason games. Wright could be a sneaky PPR lineup option, as the offense will have to throw the ball, and the yards have to go somewhere. He's starting to look like he's worth a late-round flier in fantasy drafts, as he could be able to carve out a significant role that lasts the entire season.
• Although Joe Williams was talked up earlier in the offseason as a possible starter at RB for the 49ers, he's had a rough preseason due to ball-security issues. With the team yet to officially announce who the backup will be, undrafted rookie Matt Breida's been generating plenty of buzz and could open the season with a role behind Carlos Hyde in the team's RB rotation. That said, Williams can't be considered out of the equation to be the primary backup. This is probably a situation to avoid in drafts unless clarity is provided quickly.
• Things were busy in Pittsburgh today between good news about key offensive components, but the team also released Knile Davis, who had looked solid throughout the preseason. The big news really isn't Davis, but it basically takes any guesswork out of the equation in regards to James Conner being Le'Veon Bell's handcuff. Although many fantasy managers seem to avoid handcuffing these days, it's not the worst idea in the world for Bell owners to grab Conner because not only does the team have a great OL, but defenses will then focus on the Steelers passing attack, giving Conner a great chance to succeed should Bell miss time.
• Speaking of handcuffing RBs, Chris Johnson was released by the Cardinals, so Kerwynn Williams will be expected to serve as David Johnson's backup. Williams may not be an excellent player, but he'd have clear value as a runner and receiver should Johnson be forced from the lineup.