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  • Workload to decline?
    Doug Pederson said during OTAs that the Jaguars want to lean on Etienne less during the 2024 campaign in order to keep him healthy, Michael DiRocco of ESPN reports.

    Advice: Pederson said it's "hard to put necessarily a rep count" on Etienne's weekly touches, but that looking ahead to 2024 season the coaching staff is "making sure [Tank Bigsby] gets opportunities to get out there and take some of the pounding off of [Etienne]." As DiRocco notes, Etienne finished 2023 accounting for 76 percent of the running back touches for Jacksonville, a high workload that coincided with a disappointing rookie showing for Bigsby. If either D'Ernest Johnson or Bigsby can emerge as a more consistent backup, fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if Etienne's total touches do indeed decrease this season. While that would certainly represent a blow to Etienne's fantasy ceiling, the 2021 first-round pick does his damage more with efficiency and speed than grinding out carries between the tackles. Jacksonville picked up Etienne's fifth-year option earlier this offseason, which keeps him under contract through 2025. Rotowire.com 28 minutes ago
    Week 1 Projected Points & Rank
    14.13 (53rd)
  • Texans hope Mixon and Pierce can be ‘1-2 punch’
    Texans HC DeMeco Ryans said he thinks of Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce “as a one-two punch.”

    Advice: Pierce continues to gain offseason steam in the coach-speak department despite the Texans trading for Joe Mixon and signing him to a three-year, $27 million contract extension. Ryans praised Pierce for his work this offseason, saying he “changed his body” and “has everything it takes to be a really good running back” for the Texans. Pierce struggled mightily in his second season as a pro, rushing for 145-416-2 while averaging a dismal 2.9 YPC. He eventually lost the starting role to Devin Singletary, seeing just 40 touches over the final seven regular season games. Mixon will be 28 at the start of the season. While he’s expected to handle the majority of backfield touches, he’s on the wrong side of the running back age cliff and could be spelled frequently for Pierce in hopes of keeping both backs fresh. Pierce doesn’t have much fantasy upside as long as Mixon is healthy and playing well, but he’s worth rostering as a handcuff if Mixon were to miss time. Rotoworld 31 minutes ago
    Week 1 Projected Points & Rank
    4.63 (279th)
  • Making improvements
    Coach Dan Campbell said Thursday that Williams is "a man on a mission" and has made notable improvements this offseason, Eric Woodyard of ESPN.com reports.

    Advice: Williams hasn't yet lived up to his 12th overall draft capital from back in 2022, but he's also faced unique hurdles to begin his NFL career. His big-play ability is undeniable, as is the opportunity for a third playmaker to emerge in Detroit's passing game behind standouts Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta, though plenty of targets should be distributed to running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. Potential for a year-three breakout is still there, but it depends on Williams truly logging an impressive offseason and earning consistent targets in a crowded offense. Rotowire.com Today, 9:34 am
    Week 1 Projected Points & Rank
    9.72 (143rd)
  • Daniel Jones expects to be ready for Week 1
    Daniel Jones (knee) said he doesn’t “have any doubt” about being ready to play in Week 1 against the Vikings.

    Advice: Jones continues to recover from a torn ACL suffered last November. The Giants’ QB1 has already been active at OTAs and was participating in 7-on-7 drills earlier in the week. Jones is in the second year of a four-year, $160 million contract that he signed last offseason, but is walking into a “prove-it” year after throwing for just 909-2-6 in six games last season. A porous offensive line and underwhelming receiving corps did little to help Jones and the offense, but the team went out and added Malik Nabers with the No. 6 overall pick in this year’s draft in hopes of giving him additional weapons to work with. What remains to be seen from Jones is how his rushing upside — one of the plus sides to his fantasy outlook — will be impacted in his return from injury. If he and the Giants can get back to their 2022 form, Jones could have some upside as a low-end QB2. Rotoworld Today, 9:11 am
    Week 1 Projected Points & Rank
    15.55 (38th)
  • Campbell: Jameson Williams a ‘man on a mission’
    Lions HC Dan Campbell said Jameson Williams is a “man on a mission” and has been the most improved player since the start of spring practices.

    Advice: Williams desperately needs a third-year leap after spending much of his rookie season recovering from a torn ACL and kicking off his second year with a six-game suspension for violating the league’s gambling policies. Williams played in 12 games last season, totaling 24 receptions for 354 yards and two scores while being targeted on 17.4 percent of his routes. The 6-foot-1 speedster is expected to be well behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta in the target pecking order but can add another element to a Lions’ passing game that has lacked a reliable WR2 during the Dan Campbell era. As far as fantasy is concerned, Williams could have fringe WR2/WR3 potential if he’s able to put everything together, making him a potential steal in drafts this summer. Rotoworld Today, 8:21 am
    Week 1 Projected Points & Rank
    9.72 (143rd)
  • Mulling retirement, Darren Waller absent from OTAs
    Giants HC Brian Daboll said Darren Waller has not been attending voluntary OTAs.

    Advice: Waller will likely remain away as he continues to contemplate his future. Giants GM Joe Schoen said last month that the team is not giving Waller a deadline to make a decision, but as training camp draws closer, we’d expect things to be finalized one way or another. Waller once again dealt injuries that limited him to 12 games last season and averaged just 10.6 YPR, his lowest total since breaking out with the Raiders in 2019. While he’s still the best tight end on the Giants’ roster, nagging injuries have followed him for three straight seasons, and he will turn 32 shortly after the start of the season. Waller’s uncertain future has made him virtually free to draft in early drafts, making him a low-risk, medium-reward player at a position that lacks upside outside of the top players. Rotoworld Today, 8:01 am
    Week 1 Projected Points & Rank
    7.68 (219th)
  • Darius Slayton absent from voluntary OTAs
    Giants HC Brian Daboll said Darius Slayton has not been attending voluntary OTAs.

    Advice: Slayton is entering the final year of his contract and is set to earn $8.15 million this season. The 27-year-old receiver is coming off a season in which he totaled 50 receptions for 770 yards — both career highs — and four touchdowns. A former fifth-round pick of the 2019 draft class, Slayton is hoping to earn a new contract from the Giants before reporting to camp, but there’s been little word on whether or not the Giants plan to give him a new deal at this time. Slayton is a solid field stretcher who has averaged 15.1 YPR for his career. A clear WR2 in an offense that is set to feature Malik Nabers, Slayton, is a near-replacement level player who the team could prefer to try to upgrade over once his current deal expires at the end of this season. Rotoworld Today, 8:00 am
    Week 1 Projected Points & Rank
    6.50 (240th)
  • Commanders to run more no-huddle offense in 2024
    Commanders RB Brian Robinson said the team is planning to run more no-huddle offense in 2024.

    Advice: Last season, the Commanders ran no-huddle at an eight percent rate in neutral game scripts, which ranked 10th-highest in the league. New offensive Kliff Kingsbury, who spent four seasons as the Cardinals’ head coach, ran no-huddle at an absurd 34 percent rate from 2019-2022 — the highest of any team in the league over that span. For perspective, second-highest team, the Giants, ran no-huddle on 19 percent of their plays over that same span. Robinson said the offense also plans to play at a faster pace, which could lead to solid fantasy production for multiple assets if everything clicks in year one under Kingsbury and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Kyler Murray finished as a top-10 fantasy quarterback in fantasy points per game in three of his four seasons under Kingsbury, but the offense never finished higher than 11th in points per game. Regardless, it’s an encouraging sign for the Commanders, who are looking to rebound from a 4-13 season, who ranked 25th in points per game and 24th in yards per game in their lone season under Eric Bieniemy. Rotoworld Today, 6:56 am
    Week 1 Projected Points & Rank
    8.29 (196th)
  • Deshaun Watson (shoulder) throwing every other day
    Browns HC Kevin Stefanski said Deshaun Watson is throwing every other day as he continues to rehab from last year’s shoulder injury.

    Advice: Stefanski said Watson “looked like himself to me” when asked about his recovery, adding that he’s “making great progress.” Watson underwent season-ending surgery last season to repair a fracture in his shoulder and played in just six games as a result. Watson said earlier that he’s already throwing at full speed, and GM Andrew Berry expects him to be ready for the start of the season, but we’ll see how things play out closer to training camp. Previous reports of Watson’s recovery have been mostly positive, giving us little reason to believe he won’t be ready by the start of the season. Jameis Winston will start in place of Watson should he miss any time. In addition to Watson, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who suffered a season-ending hip injury last December, has been present at OTAs but is not participating as he continues his recovery. Rotoworld Today, 6:31 am
    Week 1 Projected Points & Rank
    18.13 (28th)