The Minnesota Vikings made a sizable investment in running back Jordan Mason by signing him to a two-year contract worth $10.5 million this past offseason. According to ESPN's Kevin Seifert, Mason's playing time split with incumbent running back Aaron Jones will be "much closer" to 50-50 than previous RB1/RB2 splits in Minnesota under head coach Kevin O'Connell. In 12 games for the San Francisco 49ers last season, Mason logged 153 carries for 789 yards and three touchdowns. He wasn't utilized much as a receiver (11 catches), but Vikings offensive coordinator reportedly referred to him as a "natural catching the ball." If Minnesota views Mason as a three-down back, he could be in a fairly even time share with the 30-year-old Jones, whom O'Connell has spoken openly about reducing the workload for. Now might be the time for fantasy managers to invest in Mason, as more buzz about his usage could send him rocketing up draft boards.

From RotoBaller

New York Jets running back Braelon Allen (knee) is battling knee soreness and will be re-evaluated before the team's practice on Thursday, according to Andy Vasquez of NJ Advance Media. The second-year back served as the backup to Breece Hall last season, rushing for 334 yards and two touchdowns on 92 carries as a rookie. While Allen is still projected to be behind Hall on the Jets' RB depth chart, early reports have indicated that New York plans for a more committee-style backfield in 2025. At 235 lbs., Allen could be the primary goal-line and short-yardage back for the Jets this season, putting him in a position to potentially lead the backfield in rushing touchdowns. While this injury doesn't seem particularly serious, it's worth monitoring to see how much practice time it causes Allen to miss. With a new coaching staff in place for the Jets this year, every preseason rep will be valuable for Allen to build trust.

From RotoBaller

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (shoulder) walked off the field from Tuesday's practice with the team's head trainer, according to Paul Schwartz of The New York Post. Schwartz reports that Nabers "might have tweaked his shoulder blocking on a running play." The severity of this injury is unclear at this point, but any significant missed time for Nabers would be a major concern for New York. The second-year wide receiver recorded 109 receptions for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games as a rookie in 2024. Nabers is the undisputed top weapon in the Giants' offense and profiles as a first-round fantasy selection in PPR leagues, provided he is healthy for the start of the regular season.

From RotoBaller

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (back) is sitting out of practice again on Tuesday with back tightness. Smith also missed practice on Monday with the ailment, although there's nothing to suggest that he is dealing with anything serious. The Eagles are likely taking it easy with the veteran as he looks to gear up for his fifth NFL season. Smith caught 68 passes for 833 yards and eight touchdowns in 13 games for the Eagles in their Super Bowl-winning season. Assuming his back tightness isn't anything more serious, he sets up as a solid low-end WE2/high-end WR3 heading into fantasy draft season.

From RotoBaller

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell has been getting work in the team's passing game thus far in training camp. Gainwell, who signed with the Steelers this past offseason after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles, has caught more passes (6) than he has had carries (5) through four practices. That may be a sign of things to come as the Steelers could opt to utilize him in a pass-catching role while rookie Kaleb Johnson handles the early downs and short-yardage situations. Gainwell showed skill in the passing game while with the Eagles, catching 102 of 138 targets across 66 career games. The veteran back is worth a look as a dart-throw option in the later rounds of fantasy drafts this summer.

From RotoBaller

Philadelphia Eagles running back Will Shipley is locked in a training-camp battle to emerge as the team's RB2 behind star Saquon Barkley. Shipley, who the team has been high on, rushed 30 times for 82 yards and caught all four of his targets for 35 yards last season as a rookie. Whoever wins the RB2 role in Philly is unlikely to see much work behind Barkley, who handled 345 carries last year. That being said, the Eagles' RB2 would set up as one of the top fantasy handcuffs available if Barkley were to miss time in 2025. If he ultimately wins the job, Shipley is worth a look as a late-round dart throw as a handcuff and a must-draft for the manager who uses an early pick on Barkley.

From RotoBaller

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka has turned heads during his first NFL training camp. The first-round rookie out of Ohio State has shown precise routes, high football IQ, and the ability to play all three wide-receiver positions. He told reporters on Monday that he strives to be an overachiever and a perfectionist. "I think part of that has led me to get here," he went on to say. Egbuka has plenty of competition for targets as he will line up on the same field as Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, but the early signs are that his strong work ethic and dedication will lead to him having a successful NFL career. For now, he should be treated as a WR5 in redraft leagues for upcoming drafts, but he remains a blue-chip prospect in all dynasty formats.

From RotoBaller

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving was one of the biggest surprises from the 2024 draft class. He wrestled the lead-back role away from Rachaad White mid-season and rushed for 1,122 yards and eight touchdowns. Irving, who weighs under 200 pounds, told CBS Sports' Pete Prisco that he feels he can handle a large workload, but Prisco tweeted that he thinks the Bucs might try to limit him a bit to keep him fresh because of his small stature. While fantasy gamers would prefer for Irving to see all the work out of Tampa Bay's backfield, it is clear that the team still wants to give touches to White and Sean Tucker. That being said, Irving is still the lead back and showed last season he can be a dominant force at the running-back position. The team keeping him fresh is a positive in the long run and shouldn't deter fantasy managers from grabbing him as a low-end RB1 in upcoming drafts.

From RotoBaller

Indianapolis Colts running back DJ Giddens has had a strong start to training camp and looks like the RB2 behind workhorse Jonathan Taylor. Giddens has ripped off a few highlights on cutback runs as the pads have come on in practice. Head coach Shane Steichen has provided glowing reviews of the team's 2025 fifth-round pick, saying, "he's kind of a glider." He continues gushing about his burst and vision, as well as his ability to thrive on outside zone runs. The Kansas State product is seen as a potential third-down back who has the ability to be dynamic as a runner and as a receiver out of the backfield, with Steichen noting his "natural" hands. As part of a really strong 2025 running back class, Giddens has a strong collegiate profile with a career 6.0 yards per carry at Kansas State. He is one of the more valuable handcuffs in fantasy this year behind Jonathan Taylor.

From RotoBaller

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Parris Campbell suffered an MCL sprain in his knee, according to Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News. Campbell was helped off the field during Saturday's practice and appears set to miss some time. It could've been worse news for the 28-year-old, but unfortunate nonetheless. The former 2nd round pick has bounced around a few teams over the past few seasons, with the Cowboys being his fourth team in four years. His career high for yards and receptions came during his final season in Indianapolis, when he recorded 63 catches for 623 yards and three touchdowns. He currently projects as a depth piece battling for a spot in the Cowboys receiver room behind established studs in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.

From RotoBaller

Buffalo Bills kicker Tyler Bass (pelvis) is dealing with a pelvis injury that kept him sidelined at training camp practice on Monday, according to Bills beat writer Maddy Glab. It doesn't appear to be a serious injury for Bass, so he should be back in action at camp in a couple of days. The 28-year-old has been good but not great for fantasy purposes in his five seasons as the Bills' kicker. Bass went 24-for-29 on field-goal tries and 59-for-64 on his extra points in 2024 in 17 regular-season games. He has made anywhere from 24 to 28 field goals in all five of his seasons in Buffalo. Bass is in one of the best offenses in the league, but the Bills have been so efficient at punching it into the end zone that his fantasy ceiling has remained low. Still, if you wait at the position in fantasy drafts, you could do much worse than Bass as a low-end starting option in 12-team leagues.

From RotoBaller

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie fourth-round edge rusher David Walker (knee) will miss his entire first year in the NFL after suffering a torn ACL in training camp practice on Friday, according to head coach Todd Bowles. "He was making a big impact early," Bowles said. "Obviously, we were counting on him doing a lot of things, but other guys are going to have to step up. I told him he has to look at this like a redshirt year. It's unfortunate. It didn't look like it was too much on film, but it ended up being that." Walker was expected to serve in a depth role in his first year in the league behind starting outside linebackers Haason Reddick and Yaya Diaby. The 25-year-old will now look to begin a long and grueling rehab and hopefully be ready for training camp next summer.

From RotoBaller

New Orleans Saints TE Taysom Hill (knee) and TE Foster Moreau (knee) worked on the side during practice Monday, July 28.

From TheHuddle

New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner only covered an opponent's top receiver a handful of times each season in the team' previous zone-based defensive scheme, although he's quietly yearned for more of those chances. According to ESPN's Rich Cimini, Gardner said he could get many more chances to cover a WR1 in the new defensive scheme, which is expected to rely heavily on man-to-man coverage. In addition to trying to lock down another star wideout more, Gardner might get more blitzing opportunities under new defensive-minded head coach Aaron Glenn. Opposing QBs don't often target Gardner's side of the field, but that could change if he's guarding more top wideouts, which in turn could lead to more pass-breakup and interception opportunities for the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. Tackling hasn't really been his forte, but Gardner's coverage skills are elite.

From RotoBaller

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said on Monday that tight end Darren Waller is in "tremendous shape," but the team isn't allowing that to "trick us into thinking he's in football shape." Waller was "very active" with tight ends coach Jon Embree on Monday, according to ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques. The 32-year-old isn't dealing with any type of injury, but the Dolphins placed him on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list to start training camp after he retired and sat out all of the 2024 campaign. Waller is back now and should serve as the team's top pass-catching TE after they traded Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers. There's no guarantee that he'll be anything near the type of receiver he was in his peak seasons with the Raiders, but given the shallow fantasy position of TE, Waller is at least worthy of a TE2 dart throw.

From RotoBaller

New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (leg) left training camp practice on Monday early under his own power after covering wide receiver Stefon Diggs on a crossing route during 11-on-11 drills, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN. Reiss noted that Gonzalez appeared to have suffered some sort of leg injury. It's unclear exactly what the 23-year-old is dealing with, but the fact that he was able to walk off under his own power is hopefully a sign that it's nothing serious. Losing the former first-round defensive back for an extended period of time would be really bad news for New England's secondary. Gonzalez was a key defender for the Pats in 2025 in his second NFL season, and he finished with 59 tackles (50 solo), two interceptions, 11 pass breakups and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown in 16 starts.

From RotoBaller

Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen said that wide receiver Alec Pierce (foot) missed Monday's training camp practice due to a blister on his foot. Pierce is considered day-to-day with the minor injury and could return to the field in the next couple of days. The 25-year-old heads into his fourth NFL season in 2025 ranked as RotoBaller's No. 68 fantasy wideout after he had 37 receptions on 69 targets for a career-high 824 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 16 games (13 starts). Pierce led the league with 22.3 yards per catch as a downfield threat for quarterbacks Anthony Richardson Sr. and Joe Flacco. It remains to be seen if he can develop into something other than just a deep threat, but with the Colts having a QB competition between Richardson and Daniel Jones, most fantasy managers aren't trying to find out.

From RotoBaller

Dallas Cowboys rookie running back Jaydon Blue has impressed the coaching staff early in training camp despite the fact that veterans Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders have been given the majority of snaps with the first-team offense, writes K.D. Drummond of Cowboys Wire. Blue, who was taken in the fifth round of this year's draft, was impressive in pads over the weekend seems to have dispelled a recent report that a former coach labeled the 21-year-old as "borderline lazy." The 5-foot-9, 196-pounder doesn't really have the size to be a bell-cow back between the tackles, but there is room for growth in a Dallas backfield that could be a full on committee approach in 2025. Blue is still going to need to prove himself, but he could end up seeing decent playing time as a pass-catching option out of the backfield for Dallas.

From RotoBaller

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir is looking to take the next step in 2025 after bursting onto the scene in 2024 with 76 catches, 821 receiving yards and four touchdowns during the regular season. Bills beat writer Maddy Glab says that this year, Shakir is looking to be quicker and to find new ways to separate from defensive backs. "First step quickness, always trying to improve on that," Shakir said of what he worked on this offseason. "Speed, just withholding speed for a certain amount of time and that quick burst, as well as separation. Just finding new ways and new releases to get open against man coverage." The 25-year-old had a high target share and plenty of yards after the catch, but the Bills spread the ball around too much to make him anything more than a WR3/flex. It's likely to continue, and his lack of red-zone usage makes Shakir a low-ceiling WR4/flex target.

From RotoBaller

Free-agent WR Justyn Ross (Chiefs) and WR Willie Snead (Dolphins) recently worked out for the Buffalo Bills.

From TheHuddle