- George Kittle will likely open the season as the 49ers starting tight end. Vance McDonald was traded to the Steelers opening the door for Kittle to get to the top of the depth chart. In standard 12-team leagues this news doesn't mean too much but in leagues that start 2-tight ends it's worth noting. Vance McDonald will now compete with Jesse James for playing time in the Steel City.
- Corey Davis returned to practice today after missing most of the preseason with a hamstring injury. Obviously this is good for his fantasy value but as a rookie it'll be tough to trust him on a week-to-week basis. If anything this helps the value of Marcus Mariota who in addition to Davis got added Eric Decker to the fold as another receiving weapon to the offense.
- With Spencer Ware out for the season Kareem Hunt is expected to handle the bulk of the workload. Keep in mind both Charcandrick West and C.J. Spiller are in the mix as well and knowing blocking schemes/pass protection is critical for rookies to staying on the field.
- Devonta Freeman is out of the concussion protocol. His owners can breathe a sigh of relief but it's worth noting that once a player has a concussion they're more likely to get another one as opposed to someone who's never had one. That being said, Freeman is still worth a late first/early second round pick in all formats playing for one of the better offenses in the league.
- Joe Flacco has thrown passes in back-to-back days and appears to be ready to start the season when the Ravens play on September 10th. It's worth noting that Baltimore added Jeremy Maclin this offseason and Breshad Perriman is poised to make an impact, finally. Ben Watson as well as Nick Boyle and Larry Donnell head up the tight end corps and bring some good red zone targets to the fold for Flacco as well.
- Leonard Fournette is ramping up his workload and should be ready to carry a full workload Week 1. He returned to practice over the weekend and appears to be on track to get the lion's share of carries for Jacksonville this season. Look for him to only come off the field when he's in need of a breather; outside of that he'll get all the work he can handle.