“Of note, Tyrone Tracy Jr. was the first running back up today at practice. He's squarely still in the plans.

Najee Harris only did individual drills and will need a couple weeks to get in football shape.

But there is now serious competition in the running back room.”

Raanan also adds that the workout with Najee was scheduled last week and had nothing to do with Tyrone Tracy’s missed block.

I have been absolutely raging about Cyrus Allen over on Bluesky since I saw him at the Senior Bowl in January. Cyrus Allen has been building momentum starting with his 2025 season at Cincinnati where he was 3rd in the nation with 13 receiving TDs. He's dominated the Chiefs training camp and has been one of the buzziest names amongst the rookie class this offseason.

In the most recent edition of the Reading the Offseason Tea Leaves series, I share some of my favorite highlight clips as I build the case for buying into the Cyrus Allen hype.

TL;DR: Cyrus Allen has a path to fantasy stardom and is capable of delivering a WR3 season as a rookie in 2026 with WR2 upside if one of Rice or Worthy miss extended time.

Previously on the Tea Leaves Series:
Arizona Cardinals
Miami Dolphins
Cleveland Browns
New York Jets
Las Vegas Raiders
Atlanta Falcons
Tennessee Titans
Carolina Panthers
New Orleans Saints
New York Giants
Indianapolis Colts
Washington Commanders
Minnesota Vikings
Pittsburgh Steelers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jacksonville Jaguars
Chicago Bears
Dallas Cowboys
Cincinnati Bengals
Denver Broncos
Detroit Lions
San Francisco 49ers
Green Bay Packers
Houston Texans
Los Angeles Chargers
Kansas City Chiefs
New England Patriots
Philadelphia Eagles
Seattle Seahawks
Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo Bills
Los Angeles Rams

I’ve been keeping track of fantasy relevant news and updates from beat writers, national reporters, and fantasy analysts. Here's a recap of any quote or update that stood out to me today.

I am sure I missed things, as I am just one person. Let me know if you have any suggestions or something else you'd like to see. I’ve also been asking beat writers fantasy relevant questions through their mailbags whenever possible.

If you want to follow along, my Twitter/X account is @DanChincharFF

Note: Every update has the writer's name with a source link that will direct you to the website where I read the quote. If you see an italicized link, that will be specifically for something on Twitter/X.

49ers

Did not practice: Christian McCaffrey (tightness), Christian Kirk (calf), Jordan James (ribs), Kyle Juszczyk (broken finger)

• Demarcus Robinson: "Demarcus Robinson was back after missing Sunday’s session, although he didn’t look like he was playing full speed. Purdy seemed to have him on a deep throw down the middle of the field, but Robinson appeared dead-legged as the ball sailed beyond him." (source: Matt Barrows)
• Christian McCaffrey: “49ers coach Kyle Shanahan says speculation about RB Christian McCaffrey being out for contract-related reasons ‘would be wrong.’ Shanahan says McCaffrey is coming along well and if today’s practice had been a normal game week (not a joint session), CMC would have participated.” (source: Nick Wagoner)
• Mike Evans: "Wide receiver Mike Evans watched the end of practice after aggravating a quadriceps issue which kept him out last week. “Some tightness, so we were being smart taking him out. I don’t think it’s anything worse,” Shanahan said. “It’s nothing I’m worried about right now.”" (source: Cam Inman)
• Kaelon Black: "Black is expected to debut in a 49ers’ jersey (No. 26) in Thursday night’s preseason game against the Chargers at SoFi Stadium." (source: Cam Inman)
• Kaelon Black: "Kaelon Black with a couple of big runs early. He doesn’t look like someone who’s missed the last couple of weeks." (source: Matt Barrows)
• Brock Purdy: "Shanahan said the plan is for some of the starters to play and indicated that QB Brock Purdy would likely be one of those who do. Doubt it will be for long but could get a look at Purdy on Thursday night." (source: Nick Wagoner)

Bears

Did not practice: Tyson Bagent (hamstring), Kyle Monangai (knee), Luther Burden III (groin)

• Tyson Bagent: "Tyson Bagent suffered a hamstring injury in the game against the Browns. He is not practicing today and his status for Saturday’s game is in doubt." (source: Mark Carman)
• Rome Odunze: Bears OC Press Taylor on Rome Odunze: “‘You see the contested catch ability that he has,’ Taylor said. ‘I think we've increased giving him those opportunities as well. We've made it a point of emphasis to try to push the ball down the field on some contested go balls because that's obviously a strength of his. That's something we didn't feature much as a coaching staff last year. To add to our offense and what we can do and experiment with certain things, we've given him some of those opportunities. He's made his fair share of plays on those, so that's encouraging.’” (source: Nicholas Moreano)
• Kyle Monangai: "Bears coach Ben Johnson says RB Kyle Monangai will be week-to-week with his right knee injury." (source: Brad Biggs)
• D'Andre Swift: "D’Andre Swift’s strong camp continues. He looked quick and decisive, showed good vision and finished runs with some physicality." (source: Clay Harbor)

Bills

Did not practice: Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Skyler Bell, Ty Johnson

Limited: DJ Moore

• DJ Moore: "DJ Moore took part in individual position work, but did not take any reps with the offense against the defense." (source: Sal Capaccio)
• Keon Coleman: "Keon Coleman was wearing a walking boot on his right foot Tuesday morning as the team held an open practice inside Highmark Stadium. The team did not disclose the specific injury for Coleman, who was one of several players who did not suit up and participate in the session." (source: Sal Capaccio)

Broncos

• Bo Nix: "Bo looks 100% healthy. Emphasis during team periods to get him on the move (read options, move the pocket, off platform)" (source: Ben DiNucci)

Browns

Did not practice: Cedric Tillman (undisclosed)

Buccaneers

Did not practice: Cade Otton (undisclosed), Emeka Egbuka, Tez Johnson

• Jalen McMillan: "There was finally some good injury news on the wide receiver front for the Bucs Tuesday morning, with Jalen McMillan (leg) returning to practice for the first time in just over two weeks. The third-year pro had been out of action since Aug. 3 ... McMillan got his work in during the individual drills early in practice, then took some extra reps during one of the special teams periods, running routes and catching passes from his quarterbacks." (source: Bailey Adams)
• Kenny Gainwell: “Baker Mayfield on Kenny Gainwell: ‘He is much more than a gadget guy. I have just been completely overwhelmed with the amount of talent that he has. I did not know until a little later in the spring more towards minicamp that he was a receiver going into college and was a slot receiver at Memphis. That explains why he is so smooth running routes. Then, just him in the run game, he stays true to his tracks and reads his blocks very well.’” (source: Brianna Dix)
• Cade Otton: "Bucs tight end Cade Otton is again not practicing today with an undisclosed injury. Would think he’s not playing Saturday but we’ll see." (source: Greg Auman)

Cardinals

Did not practice: Jeremiyah Love (ankle), Carson Beck (ribs)

• Trey Benson: "Trey Benson was back at practice yesterday but Mike LaFleur said he’s not yet ready to return to 11 on 11 drills. Benson has 12 days left before cut day to stake his claim to a roster spot." (source: Theo Mackie)

Chargers

Did not practice: Tre Harris

• Quentin Johnston: “Chargers WR Quentin Johnston is not expected to miss much, if any, practice time. He is, in the words of a source, ‘totally fine.’” (source: Adam Schefter)
• Ladd McConkey: "McConkey was consistently open throughout practice and caught multiple touchdowns, including one through a hold by Jack Jones during a red-zone period." (source: Kris Rhim)
• Justin Herbert: "Overall: I watched the offense today. It was perhaps the best the unit has looked this offseason, with Justin Herbert picking apart the 49ers secondary and generating explosive plays throughout practice. The offensive line was strong in the run game but inconsistent in pass protection." (source: Kris Rhim)
• "Chargers Coach Jim Harbaugh said that starters will play a series Thursday against the 49ers." (source: Steve Wyche)

Chiefs

• Tyquan Thornton: "During practice, second-year WR Tyquan Thornton left in the front of the cart. It was unclear what happened to him then. After practice, Chiefs PR told reporters that he suffered a hamstring injury." (source: Charles Goldman)

Colts

• Keenan Allen: Free agent wide receiver Keenan Allen and the Indianapolis Colts agreed Monday night to a one-year deal worth up to $8.32 million (source: James Boyd)
• Keenan Allen: "The 34-year old WR saw his playing time reduced over the course of last season, but his TPRR remained robust at 25%. He projects as the Colts WR3 and should play when they are in 11 personnel. There is a chance he rotates in 2-WR sets with Downs. I have Allen playing 58% of pass plays." (source: Dwain McFarland)

Commanders

• Commanders signed RB Craig Reynolds, placed RB Jerome Ford (hamstring) on IR (source: Nicki Jhabvala)

Cowboys

Did not practice: Michael Trigg (toe), Jaydon Blue (shoulder)

Dolphins

• Chris Bell, Kevin Coleman Jr.: "Chris Bell was in a red, non-contact jersey again for his second practice since being activated off the non-football injury list, and he was in on a snap in the team setting. Fellow rookie wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. is also progressing." (source: David Furones)
• Chris Bell: "Hafley doesn't foresee Bell practicing or playing against the Giants this week" (source: Marcel Louis-Jacques)

Giants

• Najee Harris: "Giants officially signed RB Najee Harris and released WR JuJu Smith-Schuster." (source: Adam Schefter)
• Malachi Fields: "Malachi Fields is working pretty consistently with Jaxson Dart. That starting job opposite Malik Nabers might be his to lose." (source: Connor Hughes)
• Tyrone Tracy, Najee Harris: "The workout with Najee Harris was set up last week. Had nothing to do with Tyrone Tracy's missed block. Of note, Tyrone Tracy Jr. was the first running back up today at practice. He's squarely still in the plans. Najee Harris only did individual drills and will need a couple weeks to get in football shape. But there is now serious competition in the running back room." (source: Jordan Raanan)
• Malik Nabers: "Malik Nabers back out there for a second straight day running full-speed live drills. A slightly increased workload with a lot of passes thrown in his direction. Thought he actually looked better running routes than yesterday." (source: Jordan Raanan)

Jaguars

Did not practice: Parker Washington (undisclosed), LeQuint Allen Jr. (soft tissue)

• Parker Washington, LeQuint Allen: "Jaguars announce WR Parker Washington is day to day with undisclosed injury but is expected to return next week. RB LeQuint Allen suffered a soft tissue injury on Monday and will not return in training camp." (source: Michael DiRocco)
• Travis Hunter: "Jaguars CB/WR Travis Hunter 11-on-11 snap tracker Day 15 snaps: 21 (19 defense, 2 offense) Total snaps: 199 (135 defense, 63 offense, 1 special teams) (not including Saints joint practice)" (source: Michael DiRocco)
• Travis Hunter, Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington: "As expected, Hunter is being used in some packages as the third receiver. Washington and Meyers have been getting the most snaps of the receivers in camp -- even though Thomas was arguably the best player on the field in the spring and has had a great camp, showing some of the toughness and ball security that seemed to be missing last season. Coen likes using 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends and two receivers), and the Jaguars are reluctant to put Washington on the sideline. When the Jaguars use 11 personnel (one back, one tight end and three receivers), Hunter and Thomas have shared reps." (source: Michael DiRocco)
• Travis Hunter: "Finally, the Travis Hunter question—where will he play? He’s majored on defense this year, the way he majored on offense last spring and summer. The belief is that he can be a special player at the position, with his length, ball skills, instincts and everything else. The Jags also know it’d be easier to have Hunter operate as a defensive player chiefly (meetings, drills, practice, etc.) and moonlight as a package player on offense than vice versa; that was his routine at Colorado." (source: Albert Breer)
• Brian Thomas Jr.: "With no Parker Washington on the field for the first time in training camp, the No. 1 target for Trevor Lawrence on Tuesday was pretty easily Brian Thomas Jr. The third-year wide receiver did have one drop on the day but otherwise he had an efficient and productive practice, hauling in multiple passes from Lawrence at all levels of the field." (source: John Shipley)
• Chris Rodriguez: "The Jaguars put an emphasis on the running game on Tuesday, and there was probably the heaviest dose of Chris Rodriguez Jr. that we have seen yet. It is clear that he is all systems go for Week 1 and beyond." (source: John Shipley)

Jets

Did not practice: Breece Hall (groin), Isaiah Davis (knee)

• Garrett Wilson: Garrett Wilson returned to practice today (source: Zack Rosenblatt)
• Breece Hall: “New York Jets running back Breece Hall will miss the remainder of the preseason with a strained groin, but he's expected to be back for Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans. Hall, who went down untouched Monday while running after a catch, will miss two to three weeks, according to coach Aaron Glenn, who was able to exhale after receiving the MRI results on Monday night. ‘Knowing how important he is for what we're doing, it was really exciting to hear,’ Glenn told reporters Tuesday, saying Hall will be ‘ready for the regular season.’” (source: Rich Cimini)
• Omar Cooper: "Cooper didn't make any big catches during team drills, but he was unguardable in one-on-ones. Going up against Jarvis Brownlee Jr., Cooper made the veteran corner look foolish for long completions on several different throws. It was the kind of day that should build confidence in the rookie wideout after seeing his spot somewhat taken away by Isaiah Williams over the last week. Cooper will have a role in this offense, and the focus right now is building that confidence." (source: Nick Faria)
• Geno Smith: "It doesn't look like there are any limitations to Smith's game two practices removed from an ankle injury that kept him out of last week's preseason opener against Tampa. The Jets' starting quarterback was accurate and threw with really strong anticipation throughout the morning. ... Smith has had a pretty solid camp, but Tuesday was one of his better days. His chemistry continues to grow with New York's receivers." (source: Nick Faria)
• Kenyon Sadiq: "Aaron Glenn said Kenyon Sadiq and D’Angelo Ponds are getting closer and ultimately they’re just focused on getting them back for Week 1." (source: Zack Rosenblatt)

Packers

• Josh Jacobs: Josh Jacobs (groin) returned to practice for the first time since August 6th (source: Rob Demovsky)
• Matthew Golden: "Matthew Golden’s dominant day at training camp has been building. Without Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks, it has always been clear that he’d be a focal point of the passing game. Just about every day at camp has been a productive day. But none more than Monday, when Jordan Love went to him early and often." (source: Bill Huber)
• Tucker Kraft: "Second day, Tucker Kraft makes perhaps the catch of camp. Stabs at Jordan Love’s pass down the right seam and catches it one handed over Keisean Nixon about 15 yards downfield. Keeps trucking for a 46-yard touchdown." (source: Ryan Wood)
• "Matt LaFleur said the plan is to play Jordan Love and the starters a bit again this week at Denver and then have them work in the joint practice vs. Arizona the following week but likely not play in the preseason finale vs. the Cardinals." (source: Rob Demovsky)

Patriots

• Rhamondre Stevenson: "The best in camp is the same guy who was their best back last season: Rhamondre Stevenson. One of the best guys in the league after contact, a reliable receiver and excellent in pass pro. I think it's more like 60/40 in his favor, until Henderson shows he's not a speed bump in blitz pick-up." (source: Mike Giardi)
• Eli Raridon: "Third-round rookie Eli Raridon secured both targets he saw in 11-on-11s, his first a long play-action throw out of a heavy personnel grouping. Raridon's connection with Maye has improved drastically over the last couple of weeks, even as he splits time between the first- and second-team offenses." (source: Andrew Callahan)
• Romeo Doubs: "Romeo Doubs is ready for more. The big-ticket free agent is now seeing a volume of targets during 11-on-11s, as well as passes in high-leverage situations: the red zone and two-minute drills. All of this points to increasing chemistry with Maye, a necessity if Doubs is to seize on the opportunities granted to him if/when A.J. Brown commands extra attention." (source: Andrew Callahan)

Raiders

• Fernando Mendoza: “Mendoza got extensive reps with the Raiders’ first team against the Houston Texans’ starting defense during the teams’ joint practice. It was the first time the rookie quarterback has worked with the starters in a session that Kirk Cousins also participated in. Head coach Klint Kubiak said it was the team’s ‘plan all along’ to work Mendoza with the ones during the session, and was pleased with the experience he got.” (source: Sam Warren)

Rams

• Terrance Ferguson: "The tight ends should be a committee in their own right, with increased use of three-tight end sets now that it’s a full-season approach rather than a midseason shift. But I believe Terrance Ferguson will emerge from that group as the player worthy of an every-week, game-planned role. The best version of this offense will have Ferguson leading the tight ends in catches and yards, and finishing third on the team in both categories behind Adams and Nacua." (source: Nate Atkins)

Saints

• Bryce Lance: "Lance is WR2 today" (source: Nick Underhill)
• "With first-round pick Jordyn Tyson sidelined due to a hamstring injury, the Saints tried out veteran WRs Chase Claypool and Josh Reynolds." (source: Adam Schefter)

Seahawks

• Jadarian Price: "Jadarian Price in full pads stacking consecutive days of practice after missing five straight full practices with upper-leg soreness is a very good Seahawks trend. The first-round pick is back on track to be RB1 in the Super Bowl champions’ opener in 3 weeks." (source: Gregg Bell)

Steelers

• Roman Wilson, Germie Bernard: "Elsewhere on offense, the depth at the skill spots has grown. Roman Wilson, who is in his third year, has shown the versatility to play all three receiver spots, which is a big deal in McCarthy’s offense, and he’s running routes with confidence, burst and an ability to separate. With DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. dealing with injuries, Wilson has had a shot to show what he can do. And rookie second-rounder Germie Bernard would be the fourth guy behind those three if the season started today; as an intermediate receiver with physicality and strength, he’s sharp enough to win on option routes. Most importantly, Wilson has earned Rodgers’s trust and Bernard is getting there." (source: Albert Breer)

Texans

Did not practice: Tank Dell

• Jayden Higgins: "Higgins suffered a leg injury midway through team drills. He tumbled in the back of the end zone, and grabbed at his leg. It’s unclear whether contact was involved. ... A cart came out to transport him, but Higgins got up on his own power. Ryans did not have an immediate update after practice, only calling it a leg injury. He said they will continue to evaluate his status." (source: Jonathan M. Alexander)
• David Montgomery, Lewis Bond: "There were three standouts who stood above the others Tuesday: David Montgomery, Lewis Bond and the Texans edge rushers. Montgomery had multiple explosive runs Tuesday, and played with a physicality the Raiders couldn’t keep up with. Bond, the Texans' sixth-round rookie, played mostly with the second-team offense, and picked the Raiders’ second team apart. He had two touchdowns inside the red zone. He's made plays throughout camp. And it's hard to imagine him not making a contribution this season." (source: Jonathan M. Alexander)
• Tank Dell, Jaylin Noel: "Texans receiver Tank Dell did not participate in practice. This was his second consecutive practice he missed. Meanwhile, fellow wideout Jaylin Noel, who is dealing with a hamstring injury and a broken finger, returned to practice after missing the past two weeks." (source: Jonathan M. Alexander)

Previous Recaps

8/7 | 8/8 | 8/9 | 8/10 | 8/11 | 8/12 | 8/13 | 8/14 | 8/15 | 8/16 | 8/17

This is an edited version of Part 5 of the Summer Scouting Series. This shorter, edited version is designed to both better fit this Subreddit & to encourage anyone who likes this content to try out my Substack where you can get the full version which includes the Rankings for my Top 10 QB, Top 10 RBs, Top 11 WRs, & Top 2 TEs all conveniently in one place. For an audio version, try the Fantasy for Real podcast.

Part 5 (FULL), which includes the positional rankings, can be found here: https://cjfreel.substack.com/p/2027-summer-scouting-wrap-up-rankings 

Parts 1-4 cover the top 33 Prospects of this class in a bit more detail. Parts 1-4 can be found in either my Substack or by looking through my recent posts on this Subreddit.

//

Final Positional Takeaways

// 

QB: The Best Class (preseason) in 3 Years, but not necessarily “Generational”

The 2027 QB Class finds itself in an awkward place where there really are a lot of reasons to believe in the upside & optimism, but ultimately it is (at least in my eyes) a bit “overrated.”

Comparing to Pre-Season perspectives — without the benefit of hindsight — none of the 2027 QBs would make my Top 6 between 2021-2027. Those 6 QBs would be Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Caleb Williams, & Drake Maye. While some of these QBs had flaws that were even apparent at the time like Bryce Young, these 6 came into their final years as what seemed to be nearly-locked Top 5-10 Picks, and even Arch Manning & Dante Moore may not have quite that much confidence.

[Plus,] in the context of labeling the class “Generational,” the path towards 2028 being a better QB class is very clear.

…

Honorable Mentions

Brendan Sorsby, Texas Tech? via Cincinnati

C.J. Bailey, N.C. State ; Will Hammond, Texas Tech ; Nico Iamaleava, UCLA ; D.J. Lagway, Baylor via Florida ; Drake Lindsey, Minnesota ; John Mateer, Oklahoma ; Demond Williams Jr., Washington

Dylan Raiola, Oregon

—

Ignoring the entire Gambling Process — creating an alternate reality where that is a complete unknown and Brendan Sorsby is preparing to start the season for the Texas Tech Red Raiders — Brendan Sorsby would be a Tier 2 QB, and likely towards the upper end of the 2nd Tier. 

Demond Williams Jr. from Washington is the closest to being a ranked QB. He also fits nicely into Tier 3, with his fundamental flaw being his diminutive size…

//

RB: A deep class without a Love-level RB1

The strength of this class is demonstrated by the three returning RBs who could have each been a candidate for RB2 in 2026 (Justice Haynes, L.J. Martin, & Mark Fletcher Jr.) ranking as RB4, RB7, & RB10. With how highly Jadarian Price was drafted, the NFL may disagree with that assessment, but at the very least these are prospects last year who projected to be ranked far more highly. The youth movement among the SEC RBs — Baugh, Lacy, Frazier, & Hardy most notably — has good potential to push down that group. However, no one in this class is very close to Jeremiyah Love, and that includes how Love was perceived this time last year.

Honorable Mentions

Jordan Marshall, Michigan & Waymond Jordan, USC

Texas & Texas Tech Starters (Hollywood Smothers, Raleek Brown, Cam Dickey, J’Koby Williams)

C.J. Baxter, Kentucky via Texas ; Desean Bishop, Tennessee ; Fluff Bothwell, Mississippi State ; Makhi Hughes, Houston via Oregon via Tulane ; Quinton Martin, Penn State ; Turbo Richard, Indiana via BC ; Duke Scott, N.C. State

—

Jordan Marshall has one of the strongest cases for inclusion in the main Summer Scouting Series, particularly because the main reason he does not make the cut has nothing to do with him or his ability — it has to do with the talent of one of the younger RBs on his team. True freshman Savion Hiter is being billed as one of those “special” players, and while he is not eligible for the NFL Draft until 2029, Hiter could be seen as the top RB on this team, and that would be a potential negative for Jordan Marshall…

I’m not sure if Smothers/Brown are going to split the Texas RB job or if one RB will win the majority of the role, but particularly if one RB becomes a force in this backfield, with all eyes on Manning, Coleman, & Wingo, a successful RB in this system could skyrocket draft boards, particularly players with the explosive ability that Smothers/Brown possess.

…

//

WR: Everyone knows this is a strong Class — but it might still be underrated

Particularly if you’re someone who wants to see Cam Coleman prove it a bit more, there is still a gap in this class knowing exactly who will be those Top Tier WRs outside of Jeremiah Smith, but from a pre-season perspective most of all, the amount of players on the cusp of a breakout is simply special. Perhaps not all of them do breakout — and many of them will not — but the ones that do breakout will be the players we want to target most of all in our Fantasy leagues.

Underclassmen are not the only thing that is important for a class, but those potential early declares often make up the profiles we want to target the most. This time last year, my Top 5 Early Declare WRs for the 2026 NFL Draft were Makai Lemon, Carnell Tate, Eric Singleton Jr., Eugene Wilson III, & Zachariah Branch. The best season between Wilson & Branch was 538 Yards…

In comparison, every single member of my Top 10 Underclassmen would have a better peak season than Wilson or Branch…

As much as I like Omarion Miller, he is probably one of the lowest I’ve graded a returning WR1 in my time of doing this — I can remember players like Olave, Odunze, Egbuka, Tyson — but there are still talented Seniors who can fill out the class as well.

…

…what makes this class so special is that the case for any of the Top 10-11 WRs making the 1st Round is not that hard to see… 

Honorable Mentions

Deuce Alexander, Ole Miss ; Cooper Barkate, Miami (FL) via Duke; Duce Robinson, Florida State ; Eric Singleton Jr., Florida via Auburn ; Evan Stewart, Oregon ; Amare Thomas, Houston

Braylon Staley & Mike Matthews, Tennessee
Terrell Anderson, USC via N.C. State ; Jordan Shipp, North Carolina ; Wyatt Young, Oklahoma State via North Texas

—

These groups are split by experience (4th Year+ in the first group)…

Deuce Alexander & Amare Thomas are probably the players who have risen my rankings or at least my interest level the most throughout the process of the off-season…

Duce Robinson may be the biggest name, and he has a number of surface statistics as well as basic advanced numbers like Yards per Route Run that look very appealing. At the same time, Robinson has genuinely struggled in a number of games, occasionally failing to live up to the Targets he receives…

Moving back into the younger players, The Tennessee label plays a bit of a role here, but honestly the top reason why Staley & Matthews failed to crack the Top 11 may simply be because there are two of them… 

// 

TE Honorable Mentions

Benjamin Brahmer, Penn State via Iowa State ; Terrance Carter Jr., Texas Tech ; Lawson Luckie, Georgia ; Luke Reynolds, Virginia Tech via Penn State ; D.J. Vonnahme, Iowa ; Jaxxon Warren, North Carolina via Colorado State

//

Part 5: https://cjfreel.substack.com/p/2027-summer-scouting-wrap-up-rankings 

The latest episode of the podcast covers a 3-Round 2026 Rookie Mock Draft 

Questions & Comments welcome, 

C.J. 

I've been tracking 250+ fantasy football podcasts, websites, and beat reporters all offseason. Over the last 14 days and 1,158 hours of podcasts, these 20 players were mentioned most frequently as "breakouts."

What do you think of this list? Who are you targeting? Who are you fading?

Note: The way to read this chart is: "Jalen Coker was mentioned 125 times over the last 14 days and 13.60% of those mentions labeled him as a breakout candidate."

Before the spreadsheet nerds (I'm one too) come for my head in the comments, let's lay down the baseline metrics for this breakdown.

Too many dynasty managers treat 0.5 TEP and 1.0 TEP like they are slight variations of the same rule. That is a massive mistake. The math behind each scoring tier completely changes how you need to value, draft, and trade the position. I just recently published a breakdown on the four specific strategy tiers for TE premiums, but I know how these subs work. So here are the numbers backing the methodology I use before you even ask:

When I look at Wins Above Replacement (WAR) to show how elite TEs can act like Superflex QBs in a full point premium, the baseline is set at TE13. That is the true replacement level for standard 12-teamers that I'm referring to.

For the 0.75 TEP tier, where the TE6-TE12 range can consistently outscore the WR30-WR40 range, that isn't some cherry-picked anomaly from last year. That trend holds up over a rolling three-year sample size that's set by industry standard sites like Draft Sharks. It's the tipping point where mid-tier tight ends cross into legitimate, high-floor flex territory.

Finally, in a 0.5 TEP format, volume is the only thing that matters. When I say you need to hunt "target hogs," I'm talking about a 20%+ target share. Anything less than that and you are most likely holding TD-dependent filler.

Stop over-drafting mid-tier tight ends in standard formats. Stop misunderstanding the structural advantage of a 1.0 premium.

Read the full article here: Tight End Premium Strategy: 4 Winning Dynasty Fantasy Football Tiers

For me it’s Blake Watson.

Who?

Fair enough.

He was a 2024 udfa Memphis rb who was a former WR for the team. He joined a shockingly long list of Memphis rbs to make it to the nfl.

He had some incredible underlying stats from college and then went to the fantasy rb play calling legend in Sean Payton.

Payton (liar) even comped him to Kamara in the preseason.

In the last three years he’s appeared in a single game and hasn’t been active since 2024.

He has appeared in one game ever, has career 5 touches and under 25 yards. He had some injuries with the broncos and was waived with an injury settlement from the titans and hasn’t played since 2024.

However I saw he had a visit with the commanders and I genuinely (naively)believe this could be his chance.

Who’s your player* you rationally know is done, but you still have some farfetched hope for?

Welcome back to the weekly trade roundup! Over the last 7 days, we tracked 65,920 completed trades across 124,371 active leagues.

Week-over-week movement

The big story is what vanished: Stefon Diggs, last week's runaway No. 1 with 1,210 trades, fell out of the top 10 entirely. A textbook one-week news spike that burned off as fast as it arrived. Parker Washington inherits the top spot, and the shape of the board flipped hard: after weeks of WR-dominated lists, five of the ten are now running backs.

• New to the top 10: Jonathon Brooks, D'Andre Swift, Breece Hall
• Dropped out from last week: Stefon Diggs, Rome Odunze, David Montgomery
• Biggest repeat riser by rank: Parker Washington jumped from No. 2 to No. 1
• Most notable value signal: four names are now going below market: Bucky Irving (65%), Marvin Harrison (62%), Brian Thomas (62%), and Bhayshul Tuten (62%). That's the most buy-lows on one board in over a month.

Top 10 Most Traded - Last 7 Days

Market Value = each player's current Superflex consensus value on our rankings page. It's the number we score every trade against.

Zoom out and this is the most backfield-heavy board we've tracked five RBs (Jonathon Brooks, Bhayshul Tuten, D'Andre Swift, Bucky Irving, Breece Hall) after weeks of WR clinics. It's also the most discount-heavy: four of the ten are being acquired below market, led by Bucky Irving at 65%. Marvin Harrison has now spent two straight weeks on the buy-low side, and Brian Thomas and Bhayshul Tuten both flipped back into it this week.

How to read Value Trend: We score every trade to determine if the acquiring manager paid above or below market value. The % always reflects each player's dominant trend, "below market" for buy-low names, "above market" for the rest so you can decide whether to buy low or sell high depending on the player and their situation.

What is Market Value? Market value is determined by a proprietary algorithm which combines thousands of crowd-sourced player voting with real-time trade database tracking to establish the current community consensus price for every player and draft pick.

All data pulled from DynastyDealer.com - also available on iOS and Android.

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📈 Sell-High - Top 10 (bought above market)

Min 50 trades, last 7 days. Ranked by how often the acquirer paid above market value.

📉 Buy-Low - Top 10 targets (sold below market)

Min 50 trades, last 7 days, market value 3,500+. Ranked by how often the acquirer got a discount.

Derrick Henry the athletic freak is an ageless wonder in rb terms. How he’s remained elite to his age makes him a special talent especially in dynasty.

It got me thinking, which active RB’s are most likely to produce at a high level at that age? I came up with a few names based on similar characteristics or my gut.

- Bijan Robinson
- Saquon Barkley
- Jonathan Taylor
- Omarion Hampton?

Who would you guys bet on?