Time for some peak offseason discussions!

Yeah yeah all I hear about is Cyrus Allen and I need some new opinions here.

Who are some of your favorite picks for underrated rookies? I’m talking about players who will most likely have gone undrafted in your average 4-round rookie draft.

Been hearing some positive preseason and training camp buzz about players like Malik Benson, Barion Brown, and Matt Hibner. Who else are you calling your shot on based on early reports?

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.

Broncos

• Jaylen Waddle: "Hello, Jaylen Waddle. Just caught a ~60 yard bomb from Bo Nix. Good on good, with PS2 right there with him. Up there with the best plays of camp. A clear example of why the Broncos’ made the splash trade this offseason." (source: Aric DiLalla)

Browns

Did not practice today: Quinshon Judkins, Cedric Tillman

Buccaneers

Did not practice today: Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin Jr., Jalen McMillan, Cade Otton

• Kenny Gainwell: "Kenny Gainwell was the running back who stood out most the following morning. Gainwell has started to settle in taking carries out of the backfield, but it is his receiving ability that continues to be the most impressive part about what he brings to the offense. He had a solid showing throughout practice whether as a ballcarrier or receiver. His biggest play was a catch down the left sideline that went for about 15-20 yards." (source: Adam Slivon)
• Ted Hurst: "Ted Hurst made the most of his chances on Wednesday. With Chris Godwin Jr., Emeka Egbuka, and Jalen McMillan remaining out of practice, Hurst was the No.1 wide receiver by default. He sure looked the part with three big catches during practice. The theme throughout camp is the third-round pick looking “Mike-like” at times, and his first big catch of the day sure fit that description." (source: Adam Slivon)

Chiefs

• Rashee Rice: "It’s still early with Rice coming off a knee cleanup, but he has yet to show consistent separation this camp." (source: Pete Sweeney)

Colts

vs. Falcons in joint practice today

• Tyler Warren: "Tyler Warren left practice with an apparent groin injury. He’s now back with his teammates on the sideline, still in uniform, but without a helmet. Assuming he’s done for at least today." (source: Stephen Holder)
• Tyler Warren: "It’s a groin injury for Colts TE Tyler Warren, per Shane Steichen" (source: Jake Arthur)
• D.J. Giddens: "DJ Giddens opened practice in uniform, but after individual he left with a trainer and appeared to be indicating his hamstring, which has kept him out the last couple weeks" (source: Joel A. Erickson)
• Daniel Jones, Seth McGowan: "The ball did not hit the turf for Daniel Jones after kind of a rocky week for the passing offense. Flawless, not one incompletion from him today. I had him about 14 of 14. A lot of Ashton Dulin, a lot of Seth McGowan making some plays out of the backfield as well." (source: Kevin Bowen)

Commanders

Did not practice today: Rachaad White (undisclosed), Jeremy McNichols (quad)

Cowboys

vs. Saints in joint practice yesterday

• George Pickens: "George Pickens continues to have a strong camp. He was the Cowboys’ best offensive player in their practice with the Rams and it appeared to be the same on Tuesday. Catching passes across the middle or hauling in deep balls, Pickens looks ready for a big season." (source: Jon Machota)
• Ryan Flournoy: "Wide receiver Ryan Flournoy continues to build on what he did last season. It’s clear that Prescott has a lot of trust in him. His best play Tuesday was a catch in the back of the end zone in red zone work where he not only made the leaping grab but quickly got both feet in bounds. The Cowboys have themselves an excellent No. 3 wide receiver." (source: Jon Machota)
• Jake Ferguson: "It’s interesting to see that the Cowboys have been doing more shovel passes to tight end Jake Ferguson coming in motion in short yardage and red zone situations." (source: Jon Machota)

Eagles

vs. Patriots in joint practice today

Did not practice today: Grant Calcaterra (back), Dameon Pierce (hamstring), Johnny Wilson (knee)

Limited: DeVonta Smith, Makai Lemon

• Makai Lemon: "For the first time since he suffered a hamstring injury on Aug. 3, Makai Lemon was listed as a limited participant. Lemon didn’t participate in early drills and wasn’t even in uniform, but he was on the field running routes after practice in cleats. It looks like Lemon is nearing a return after missing a ton of reps in training camp." (source: Dave Zangaro)
• Saquon Barkley: "Saquon Barkley looked fast and explosive running wide zone and the Patriots couldn’t match his speed. Barkley also had several big plays on receptions, first a screen behind blocks from Landon Dickerson and Dontayvion Wicks and then on a couple wheel routes. Barkley only has 70 catches in his two seasons with the Eagles, but when he gets the ball in space like he did Wednesday good things happen." (source: Dave Zangaro)

Jaguars

vs. Panthers in joint practice today

• Travis Hunter: "Jaguars CB/WR Travis Hunter 11-on-11 snap tracker. Day 16 snaps: 30 (28 defense, 2 offense). Total snaps: 229 (163 defense, 65 offense, 1 special teams) (not including Saints joint practice)" (source: Michael DiRocco)
• Brian Thomas Jr.: "I thought Brian Thomas Jr. had a strong practice. He was the most-targeted Jaguars receiver on the day with Parker Washington out, and he caught every target until the last two. One of those looked like a potential DPI, while the other was an overthrow from Lawrence. Thomas' best play came when settling into a zone over the middle of the field and making an adjustment to catch an off-target pass for a big chunk gain." (source: John Shipley)
• Tanner Koziol: "Tanner Koziol had an impressive day. He caught a touchdown from Nick Mullens in the red-zone, and then completely ran over Panthers safety Zakee Wheatley." (source: John Shipley)

Jets

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

Lions

Did not practice today: Sam LaPorta (undisclosed)

• Jameson Williams: "Wide receiver Jameson Williams missed the last two Detroit Lions practices with a minor shoulder injury, but was back on the Meijer Performance Center field Wednesday. He made his presence felt immediately on the first play of the first team period." (source: Tim Twentyman)

Packers

• Josh Jacobs: "Josh Jacobs is practicing for a second straight day after missing nearly two weeks because of a groin injury." (source: Rob Demovsky)

Panthers

vs. Jaguars in joint practice today

Did not practice today: Chuba Hubbard (hamstring), Darren Waller

• John Metchie: "In that move-the-ball period, Young started with a quick throw to the flat for John Metchie III, who has been getting more and more reps with the first team in recent practices." (source: Darin Gantt, Kassidy Hill)
• Xavier Legette: "Carolina only sustained one injury on Wednesday, according to Canales. That was receiver Xavier Legette, who got “rolled up on” during an 11-on-11 rep. Canales said the third-year receiver will probably be available for Friday night’s regular-season game; he was held out of the end of team drills as a precaution." (source: Alex Zietlow)

Patriots

vs. Eagles in joint practice today

• Drake Maye: "Only four of Maye’s passes hit the ground during competitive drills, which was especially impressive given how often he pushed the ball downfield." (source: Taylor Kyles)
• DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams: "DeMario Douglas and Kyle Williams proved to be tough covers during 1-on-1s to start practice. Douglas went 3-3 against Cooper DeJean, highlighted by a corner where he had DeJean going the opposite direction at the top of the route. Williams went 3-3 against Kelee Ringo, with his best rep coming on a curl where he stacked Ringo before separating again while coming downhill." (source: Taylor Kyles)

Saints

vs. Cowboys in joint practice yesterday

• Alvin Kamara: "Alvin Kamara avoided a major knee injury. Didn’t tear anything. Will be out for a few weeks, per source" (source: Nick Underhill)
• Chris Olave: "Tyler Shough was efficient and moved the ball well, particularly when targeting Chris Olave. The Cowboys had no answer for the Saints' star WR, and that connection is all the more important now that we know the team will have to, at the very least, play the first portion of the season without Tyson." (source: Jeff Nowak)
• Travis Etienne: "Kamara's injury probably means a heavier workload for Travis Etienne early on and opens the door for someone on the roster to step into a larger role as the backup. Audric Estime was the leading candidate until a recent ankle injury. Kendre Miller and Devin Neal are next men up." (source: Jeff Duncan)
• Tyler Shough: "While Olave was the star of the show, Shough was on the money no matter who he threw the ball to. Shough completed 18 (or 19, on the debatable Olave catch) of his 23 passes. He threw one interception in the middle of the field when he appeared to get fooled by the Dallas zone, but outside of that he was nearly perfect." (source: Luke Johnson)
• Bryce Lance: "Rookie wideout Bryce Lance put together another strong practice, catching three of his four targets from Shough — one of which was an explosive play when Lance beat his man on a double move to catch a hole shot down the right sideline." (source: Luke Johnson)

Steelers

Did not practice today: Michael Pittman Jr., DK Metcalf

• DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr.: "DK Metcalf said he's 'fine' with an injury that has kept him out the last week and a half. No long-term concern for Week 1. Injury still undisclosed. Michael Pittman Jr. has a minor hamstring injury that has held him out for a week and a half, but no concern for Week 1." (source: Nick Farabaugh)
• Roman Wilson: "Mike McCarthy thinks Roman Wilson has not only done a good job in the slot, but has showcased he can play on the outside. McCarthy noted multiple explosive plays Wilson has produced from the outside during the spring and summer as reason to believe he can do both." (source: Nick Farabaugh)
• "Second-year signal-caller Will Howard will start against the New York Jets, while 2026 fourth-round pick Drew Allar will follow. Neither Aaron Rodgers nor Mason Rudolph will play in the second preseason game." (source: Brooke Pryor)

Texans

• Jayden Higgins: "Texans WR Jayden Higgins suffered a torn ACL yesterday during the joint practice against the Raiders" (source: Ian Rapoport)
• Jaylin Noel: "While he mainly operates out of the slot, Jaylin Noel has gotten a significant bump with Higgins sidelined, per Dwain McFarland. He's handled the starting slot duties in camp, but has the traits to play outside as the Z receiver opposite Collins. There will be a three-way battle for playing time between Noel, Dell and Xavier Hutchinson, but Dwain's initial read is that we'll see a three-way rotation with Noel getting the slight overall edge in playing time thanks to an already established slot role. His route participation has been bumped up to 65%." (source: Joe Metz)
• "The Texans will NOT play their starters against the Raiders. DeMeco Ryans feels the Tuesday’s practice was plenty enough work per a team spokesperson." (source: DJ Bien-Aime)

Titans

Did not practice today: Carnell Tate, Nick Singleton

• Tony Pollard: "Running back Tony Pollard returned to practice on Wednesday after missing a few days." (source: Jim Wyatt)
• Carnell Tate: "Receiver Carnell Tate did not practice, but coach Robert Saleh said it was not related to the hit he took (from Winston) in Monday's session. "He woke up feeling some stiffness, hopefully we get him back on Friday," Saleh said. "Nothing to be concerned about."" (source: Jim Wyatt)
• Wan'Dale Robinson: "Wan'Dale Robinson had a practice-high eight catches on Wednesday, and he now has a team-high 48 catches so far in training camp. I've said this before: Robinson is going to catch a lot of passes this season." (source: Jim Wyatt)

Vikings

vs. Ravens in joint practice today

• J.J. McCarthy: "McCarthy took all of the second-team reps. His performance was up and down. He sailed a pass to his left. Multiple hitches on another snap ended in the pass getting deflected at the line of scrimmage. He completed several other balls to Price, but few targeted the middle of the field." (source: Alec Lewis)
• Jordan Mason: "Running back Jordan Mason continues to stand out. Even on a day when there was little running room, Mason slashed through pockets with burst. He and veteran Aaron Jones split carries for the most part. But Mason’s progression — in a run system that mirrors what he grew accustomed to in San Francisco — has earned the staff’s acknowledgment." (source: Alec Lewis)
• Demond Claiborne: "Rookie running back Demond Claiborne showcased his explosiveness and vision Wednesday with a between-the-tackles run. He hop-stepped past defenders, evoking the juice the Vikings coveted when they drafted him in the sixth round. At the end of the run, however, the ball squirted out of his hands. Ball security warrants a mention, considering Claiborne fumbled five times in 179 attempts last season at Wake Forest. His teammates and coaches have raved about his potential, but the reliability and consistency must improve for the team to involve him once the season begins." (source: Alec Lewis)

Extras/Observations/Conjecture

• Tetairoa McMillan reportedly had a nice day vs. Jags at camp, was lined up in a variety of ways. (source)
• “I thought Bhayshul Tuten had his best practice of the summer, and probably of his Jaguars career thus far.” (source: John Shipley)
• Lane Johnson asked about Saquon Barkley’s productive day: “We'll see the Saquon of two years ago. We'll see the big plays. We’ll see him flexed out at receiver. We’ll see him in the screen game. You saw a bit of it today.” (source)
• “Quarterback Cam Ward had another solid day and continued his momentum heading into the joint practices with the Seahawks. Ward completed 21-of-31 passes.” (source: Jim Wyatt)
• Drake Maye was 21/25, AJ Brown had 7 catches on 8 targets at joint practice vs Eagles, AJ Brown according to multiple Eagles reporters looked really good and back to his old self
• Jets practiced today but there wasn't much to note other than I saw Connor Hughes say that Geno Smith over the last few weeks has been more passive than he expected, not giving his receivers chances to make plays down the field. He’s been doing a ton of checkdowns.

Previous Recaps

8/7 | 8/8 | 8/9 | 8/10 | 8/11 | 8/12 | 8/13 | 8/14 | 8/15 | 8/16 | 8/17 | 8/18

Year of the groin continues, this time it's Colts TE Tyler Warren went down on a route in 11-on-11. Got up clutching at his groin area. He’s now on the sideline not practicing. Talking to a trainer.

Can't wait for preseason/camp to come to an end, this has been an absolutely brutal off-season so far.

“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.

Welcome to the Price Check Megathread.

This mega will be posted every Wednesday at 8am. Interested in what a player's value is, especially in the offseason where things can change day to day? You are in the right place. Just post a player's name and other members can respond with what they feel the player is worth. You can get as specific as an individual pick or just talk in more general terms such as "two early firsts."

The most common league size is 12 team, so expect to see values running under that assumption. If you are in a smaller or larger league, it is easy enough to adjust per your league settings.

Megathread Schedule:

Sunday: Rate My Team

Monday: Mock Draft/Draft Results

Tuesday: Find-A-League

Wednesday: Price Check

Thursday: Find-A-League

Friday(Every other week): App/Platform Sharing

Saturday: Mock Draft/Draft Result

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

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?

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?

Breaking down some of the buzz we've seen from five of the most talked about rookie receivers here in training camp and preseason! Who did we miss?

1:01 - De'Zhaun Stribling, San Francisco 49ers
4:15 - Ja'Kobi Lane, Baltimore Ravens
7:15 - Caleb Douglas, Miami Dolphins
11:08 - Denzel Boston, Cleveland Browns
14:25 - Cyrus Allen, Kansas City Chiefs