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Texans RB Joe Mixon destined for reserve/NFI list with foot injury that’s sidelined him most of the summer, will miss at least the first four games

• ‘At least’ may be perhaps the most important note to make regarding Mixon, who has been unable to make substantial progress in his recovery since initially going down with the injury in July. With the first four games officially ruled out of the question for 2025, the focus now shifts to just how much value Mixon will be able to return even once he’s back. Given the apparently serious nature of the injury (he’ll be two months into ‘recovery’ from the injury come late September), it’s probably safe to assume there will be a ramp-up and re-acclimation period after having missed the majority of the core of Houston’s offseason training program. That makes even his already deflated (and falling) 8th-round consensus ADP on ESPN and Sleeper difficult to stomach, as fantasy managers who are bold enough to draft him could be looking at 8+ weeks without Mixon at full strength. That’s a worst-case scenario, of course, but given that the Texans have been radio silent about the nature of Mixon’s injury, it’s impossible to gauge just exactly what the full recover timeline could look like. In relief of Mixon, veteran RBs Nick Chubb and Dameon Pierce are set to shoulder the load with Chubb being the favorite as of today to take on the early down role. Pierce could reasonably find his way onto the field if Chubb isn’t the same RB as he was in his heyday with the Browns, making him an intriguing dart throw especially if Mixon would miss more than the allotted four games for his stint on the NFI list. Rookie RB Woody Marks, meanwhile, could wind up taking some third down snaps, but it’s unlikely his role is large enough even in that capacity as of today to make him worth a pick in drafts or a claim off waivers.

Titans RB Tyjae Spears set to miss first four games of the year on IR while dealing with ankle injury

• It’s a disappointing development for Spears and his prospective managers, especially considering the hot streak he ended the 2024 season on with Tony Pollard banged up for the final few weeks of last year. The hope is that Spears is able to return sooner rather than later from his injury, at which point he’s likely to re-assume a third-down role while Pollard occupies the early down role. As for the ramifications these first four weeks of 2025, Tony Pollard is set to be the clear workhorse back in Tennessee on what is a clearly improved offense on paper. Pollard fulfilled a similar role last year, notching 20+ touches in 10 of his 16 starts before being hampered by injuries down the line that significantly limited his snaps in the home stretch (a time when the Titans were also mathematically eliminated from the playoffs). With no challengers for work behind him besides Julius Chestnut and and rookie Kalel Mullings, the early down and short yardage role is set to be all Pollard’s in the early going. Pollard also racked up 3 or more receptions in nine games last year, as well, demonstrating his ability to cover the Titans in the receiving game out of the backfield, as well. As long as Spears is out, Pollard profiles as a mid-high RB2 with upside – and even once Spears makes his return, Pollard’s attachment to the early down role should keep him squarely in the RB2 conversation as long as he’s healthy.

Raiders WR Jakobi Meyers requests trade from Raiders in the 11th hour as contract extension negotiations remain stalled

• With kickoff to the 2025 fantasy season just eight days away, Jakobi Meyers has pulled the rug out from underneath the Raiders by requesting a trade from the team. (Seemingly) immediately in response, the Raiders went ahead and reunited with free agent WR Amari Cooper and made it clear that they have no intention to trade Meyers at this time. It has all the makings of a classic stalemate, and given how close we are to the season, it’s a situation that bears monitoring as we count down the days to the start of the new year. Part of what’s holding the Raiders back from signing Meyers to a big-money deal could be the emergence of 4th-round rookie wide receiver Dont’e Thornton, who has flown up the depth chart to become the presumptive starting X receiver. He scored a touchdown on a pretty back-shoulder fade from Geno Smith in the Raiders’ final preseason game, and with Brock Bowers in the fold at TE, as well, Vegas could be satisfied to bide their time when it comes to extending Jakobi. Should Meyers ultimately be available for trade, he should have a sizable market - he’s been one of the most continually underrated receivers and route runners in the game. A landing spot on a team with a hole at WR2 (think Jets, or even the Steelers) could serve immediate fantasy returns for Meyers - though both situations would be a downgrade at QB compared to him sticking with the Raiders.

Harold Fannin Jr emerging with starters

• Harold Fannin seems to be very much in the plans for the Browns, and it seems like that plan is to run a lot of routes alongside David Njoku. Kevin Stefanski was historically a 2-TE coach - and we could see that play out again this year with two talented pass catchers. This could hurt Njoku’s route participation, similar to what Isaiah Likely did for Mark Andrews last year. If you listened to our interview with beat writer Daryl Ruiter from three weeks ago, you would have already had this edge.

Dameon Pierce battling for RB1

• If you want to grab a RB with your last round pick who could see a big role on a good offense, stash Pierce through Week 1 to see how it plays out. He was the clear early down back ahead of Woody Marks this past weekend, with Nick Chubb resting (presumed RB1 for now). Reports out of camp aren’t glowing for Chubb, and there’s a chance Pierce finds his way once again in a scheme he’s more accustomed to.

Isaac TeSlaa continues to shine

• No one had a better preseason showing this summer than TeSlaa. He looks the part, and could easily win the WR3 job for the Lions. He has a ton of competition to get targets with all of the Lions weapons healthy, but if there are any injuries, TeSlaa could have some opportunities. His dynasty stock is as high as it can be for a third round rookie this early in a career.

Broncos WR core set after Vele trade?

• With the starters all playing, it looks like we have another gave with Marvin Mims playing the outside role opposite Courtland Sutton, with Troy Franklin as the primary slot receiver. Pat Bryant didn’t play with the first team. Despite Mims playing more of a full-time role in multiple weeks this preseason, he hasn’t really been targeted, while Franklin has - I would lean towards Franklin latter as the late round flier.

Chris Olave featured in slot

• A 70% slot rate for Olave through three drives with the starters - this is extremely significant if this continues into the regular season. Why? Because Kellen Moore has a history of feeding his slot WRs. Both Shaheed and Olave were full time players with the first team offense, and they were both targeted at the same rate. Olave has the higher ceiling between the two because of his ability to be a team’s true WR1. I’d consider drafting either in drafts, but Shaheed is an even better value.

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