There are big draft weekends on the horizon. So let’s review some late-breaking news from training camps that’s not yet fully factored into current ADPs.

Daniel Jones to start for Colts

There’s a lot of complaining in the fantasy football community about what they see as the unjust benching of Anthony Richardson in favor of Jones. And it’s not just a week-to-week thing; head coach Shane Steichen said Jones was the starter “for the season.” This shouldn’t be a surprise. The die was cast when Jones was signed for $14 million this year. That’s not backup money. But the decision to go with Jones is a windfall for most of the Colts’ top skill players.

Let’s start with Jonathan Taylor, who moves from RB10 to RB6 in my rankings. Why? While a running quarterback like Richardson improves a back’s yards per carry, that’s outweighed in this case by expected catches. While playing together in New York, Jones averaged about three more targets per game to Saquon Barkley than Richardson did last year to Taylor. That’s 50 more expected targets and about 35-40 more expected catches (250-300 yards), which equals 60 points minimum, not including touchdowns. Taylor averaged 0.3 more yards per carry with Richardson as his QB than with Joe Flacco. Even though Jones remains somewhat of a running threat, let’s be pessimists and say Taylor loses 0.5 YPC. At 300 carries, that’s 150 lost yards, or 15 lost points. We’re still 45 points ahead.

I’ve had Michael Pittman inside my top 40 receivers all summer in my rankings. He’s clearly the No. 1 receiving weapon. He averaged only 8.0 PPR points per game with Richardson. With Flacco, it was 11.1. And if Jones is better than Flacco, that could go to 13.0 or so — huge. Pittman’s ADP is WR49. He’s up to just WR46 in the days since the switch was announced. You may have to reach, but WR40 gets him, and that is very likely a winning pick.

I’m not a rookie TE guy, so I’m not really moving Tyler Warren. But Alec Pierce averaged 10.9 PPR per game with Flacco vs. just 7.4 with Richardson. Before researching, I assumed Pierce’s big-play ability would be muted with the loss of Richardson and his big arm, but that’s clearly false. Pierce also should get an upgrade.

With no Najee Harris news, Omarion Hampton rises

Jim Harbaugh on whether RB Najee Harris will begin the season on NFI: “When Najee is ready to play, Najee will be ready to play. Right now, to take it past today would be going over the legal limit. That would take your over the legal limit of what-ifs.”

— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) August 21, 2025

Najee Harris is still out. (Don’t play with fireworks, people.) There’s still no timetable for his return. Jim Harbaugh said that Harris’s practice now would be “going over the legal limit,” whatever that means. But Harris is doing better every day, we’re told. Hampton is all the way up to RB13. I’m going to pass. I understand the thinking, but unless Harris is out long term the value isn’t there. I expect him back at some point in the reasonably near future, but the Chargers need to make a decision on him by 1 p.m. PT on Aug. 26 when final cuts are due. He was signed to be part of a 1-2 punch, according to Harbaugh, though he never was clear on who was 1 and who was 2. I’m more inclined to take Harris at his price today of RB47, though I prefer to pass entirely on this weirdness. If Hampton were RB20, I’d bite. But I can’t burn a third-round pick on a back who could still be in a timeshare Week 1. That’s less likely now than in mid-July, but it’s still possible.

Matthew Stafford completes a full week of practice

I’ve refused to downgrade Rams in my rankings all summer because of Stafford’s back issue. Sean McVay said he would be playing if it were the regular season. Stafford doesn’t need more than three weeks of practice to get acquainted with Davante Adams.

I’m well over market on Adams and sticking to that (WR13 for me). I’m down on Puka Nacua (he’s not a red zone receiver, for some reason, and now has one of the best TD makers ever beside him in Adams). I love Kyren Williams at his ADP (RB12; he’s my RB10). I expect the Rams to have a top-5 scoring offense.

Darren Waller activated off PUP list

I have to note this as news, but I’m out. Waller, of late, is still only TE32. I’ll have to see it to believe it. But if I end up basically punting tight end (I’d have to miss on George Kittle in Round 4 and Tucker Kraft at around TE12), I’ll be watching Waller intently for any signs of life. We saw the Dolphins basically run their offense through their tight end last year. Waller may have recaptured some of his lost athleticism and speed with his time off – very unlikely but possible.

De’Von Achane out “days to weeks”

The Dolphins seem to be the team that’s lost the most mojo this summer. All the news seems to be bad. And Achane, who people liked drafting in Round 1, is now well into Round 2 on average at RB7. His calf injury could be nothing come Week 1, or he could end up on the PUP list again.

How much are you willing to pay to gamble?

I would never take him at his price. Achane will not be the goal-line back since he gets stuffed so frequently, almost as frequently as teammate Jaylen Wright (also injured). Achane was the third-worst with 17.2% of his carries going for zero or minus yards. Wright was the worst at 22.2%, according to Stats, LLC. Achane lost 1 yard total on his 12 attempts inside the five in 2024. Egads! The only back I like at ADP on this team is rookie Ollie Gordon, who should make the team and will probably be the goal-line back. He’s RB61 the past week — basically a last pick.

Commanders RB room in flux

Update: Brian Robinson was traded to the San Francisco 49ers Friday, so that leaves a running back room of everyone’s summer fantasy darling, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Chris Rodriguez (one of my favorite sleepers all summer), maybe Jeremy McNichols (I expect he’ll be cut) and the forgotten Austin Ekeler.

Do not forget about Ekeler, who was extremely productive last year as a runner (4.8 per carry) and receiver (8.9 per target). If he gets 200 touches, that’s ZeroRB gold. Ekeler is in my top 40. His ADP since the team started shopping Robinson is up to only RB46. Sure, it’s boring, but Ekeler’s floor is high if he’s healthy in his age-30 season. Croskey-Merritt was actually backing up Rodriguez in the second preseason game. While JCM will win you plaudits in the draft room, it’s the totally free Rodriguez who is my choice at RB71 vs. the absurd RB35 price for JCM.

Please, for the love of god, do not pay that price. For what it’s worth, through the first two preseason games, Rodriguez averaged 7.0 yards on his carries vs. 3.9 for Croskey-Merritt — 12 and 18 carries, respectively. Rodriguez’s success rate in 2024 (small sample, I know) was an absurdly good 74.3%.

Buccaneers receiving corps decimated

I keep moving Emeka Egbuka up my draft board as there’s some real witchcraft working to clear the runway for him to excel in 2025. Chris Godwin (dislocated ankle/torn ligaments, broken leg) looks like he’s toast for six games, possibly more. That’s not that big of a shock, but it’s still longer than we expected in June. Then Jalen McMillan gets flipped headfirst, sprains his neck and is now out indefinitely (if you saw the play, you’d have thought it could have been much worse). So he’ll be out for multiple weeks.

Right now, Egbuka is WR31 in ADP. I have him at WR34 because there is still a lot of in-season uncertainty, but I can’t knock someone for that pick, and I worry it can beat me. Godwin, who is 30 and coming off a catastrophic injury, should not be drafted—and he’s still WR50.

(Photo of Chris Rodriguez: Geoff Burke / Imagn Images)