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Player Notes

  • Played through injury in 2023
    Smith-Schuster said Monday at the start of OTAs that he never reached 100 percent health during the 2023 season, Chris Mason of The Springfield Republican reports.

    Advice: Smith-Schuster said the last 12 months have made a "big difference," and he estimated that last offseason he was only at 60 percent health due to a lingering knee injury. Across 11 games in 2023, he was an afterthought in New England's offense, finishing with just a 29-260-1 receiving line despite little established competition at the position. If truly healthier and now able to move better, Smith-Schuster could earn more consistent targets from Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye, though the Patriots' wide receiver corps has gotten more crowded with the additions of rookies Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, plus free-agent addition K.J. Osborn. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 1:22 pm
    Week 1 Projected Rank
    310th
  • Could take slot snaps?
    Vaughn (ankle) is a candidate to earn more work out of the slot this offseason, Reid Hanson of USA Today reports.

    Advice: Vaughn only suited up for seven games as a rookie before landing on IR, across which he totaled just 80 yards from scrimmage without a touchdown. Now presumably healthy, the 5-foot-6 running back could have a clearer path to backfield opportunities with Tony Pollard having moved on to Tennessee, even with Ezekiel Elliott now back atop the depth chart. The slot could be a more natural fit for Vaughn, though to emerge as an actual fantasy contributor in Year 2, he'll need to earn more than the occasional designed play. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 1:14 pm
    Week 1 Projected Rank
    292nd
  • Absent for start of OTAs
    Jefferson is not present for the start of OTAs on Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

    Advice: Jefferson is amid contract negotiations with Minnesota, so it won't be surprising if he doesn't show up for voluntary workouts with the team. The Vikings' mandatory minicamp won't begin until June 4, at which point Jefferson will incur fines if he isn't in attendance. The star wideout currently is heading into the final year of his rookie contract with a fifth-year option that will pay him $19.7 million. In just 10 games last season, Jefferson still managed to surpass 1,000 receiving yards, his fourth straight such campaign to begin his NFL career. His value to Minnesota's offense and his help in the development of rookie first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy, are impossible to overstate, so the team has every incentive to agree to a new long-term extension with haste. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 12:41 pm
    Week 1 Projected Rank
    25th
  • Sitting out OTAs
    Coach Jerod Mayo said Monday that Bourne (knee) will not participate in OTAs, Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald reports.

    Advice: Bourne is working his way back from a right ACL tear that forced him to miss the final nine games of the 2023 campaign, and while he said back in March that he expects to be a "full go" for training camp, it looks like spring activities would be too early a benchmark. That will cost Bourne an early chance to build chemistry with new quarterbacks Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye, but as long as he's indeed able to get on the practice field for training camp, there shouldn't be real concerns about his availability for Week 1. Bourne re-signed with the Patriots on a three-year, $33 million contract this offseason, though it only contains $5.5 million guaranteed at signing with a $19.5 million base value. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 9:09 am
    Week 1 Projected Rank
    249th
  • More competition emerges
    Hollins, who was signed as a free agent by the Bills in March, has seen the receiver room fill out in the time since, with the Bills drafting Keon Coleman in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft while also adding veterans Curtis Samuel, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Chase Claypool.

    Advice: For a very brief period, Hollins was a starter on the otherwise lethal Buffalo offensive depth chart, but things have changed, and it now looks as if the Bills will let several journeymen duke it out for slotting. With Buffalo being likely to feature running back James Cook and tight end Dalton Kincaid heavily in the passing game, it's difficult to envision Hollins having anything more than a depth role as a receiver that offers good size in the red zone, though it should be noted that he's never caught more than four touchdowns in an NFL season. Rotowire.com Sunday, 10:32 am
    Week 1 Projected Rank
    466th
  • Michael Mayer (toe) has made ‘complete recovery’
    Raiders TE Michael Mayer said he’s made a “complete recovery” from the toe injury that sidelined him the final three games of 2023.

    Advice: Mayer has been a full participant in the Raiders’ offseason program. His attention now turns to how to co-exist with new first-round teammate Brock Bowers. Mayer, of course, has said all the right things about his new position group mate, but Bowers’ presence is going to make it virtually impossible for Mayer to crack the top 20 at tight end despite his promising rookie campaign. Rotoworld Sunday, 7:18 am
    Week 1 Projected Rank
    279th
  • Waived by KC
    Perine was waived by the Chiefs on Friday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

    Advice: Kansas City is parting ways with Perine after he rushed for 77 yards on 22 carries while adding three catches for 33 yards in 2023. The 2020 fourth-round draft pick of the Jets spent his first two seasons in New York. Perine will look to latch on with another team prior to training camp. Rotowire.com Friday, 5:23 pm
    Week 1 Projected Rank
    609th
  • No timetable for return
    Hockenson (knee) said "they haven't really put a timeline on it" when asked Wednesday about a potential date for his in-season return to action, Grant Gordon of NFL.com reports.

    Advice: Hockenson was specifically asked on the NFL Schedule Release '24 show whether he expects to be playing Week 5 versus the Jets in London. The standout tight end said of his recovery from a right ACL and MCL tear he's "kinda taking it day by day, week by week," and that "the progression has been incredible" even though a specific return timetable remains uncertain. Hockenson underwent surgery late January and doesn't seem likely to be ready for Week 1, but Week 5 could be within the realm of possibility. The Vikings have a Week 6 bye, however, so it's possible that a more realistic target for Hockenson's debut could be Week 7 and beyond. Rotowire.com Friday, 2:35 pm
    Week 1 Projected Rank
    187th
  • Dropping weight for contract season
    Harris' trainer said Friday the running back has dropped to around 235 pounds this offseason after playing at 242 during the 2023 season, and that he's increasingly motivated after the Steelers declined his fifth-year option, Kevin Patra of NFL.com reports.

    Advice: Harris is heading into the final season of his rookie deal with Pittsburgh, so there's no doubt about his motivation to log a productive year and earn sizeable payday for 2025. Playing at a lower weight could help Harris' efficiency metrics, and there's also some reason to be optimistic that he now finds himself in a better scenario than 2023, when he set new career-high marks with eight rushing touchdowns and 4.1 YPC. Rookie first-round pick Troy Fautanu should represent an upgrade to the O-line, and while there are question marks surrounding Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, both have the potential to command a more effective offense than Kenny Pickett did. Harris is capable of handling 20-plus touches but also dependent on volume to produce, making the emergence of Jaylen Warren the biggest threat to his fantasy prospects. Rotowire.com Friday, 7:12 am
    Week 1 Projected Rank
    84th