This article is part of our Training Camp Notes series.
Starting out in Dallas camp, Amari Cooper (ankle) expects to run the full route tree in Wednesday's practice in preparation to play in Saturday's preseason contest, citing that he feels completely healthy, with Wednesday being the test run before he decides whether to take the field this weekend. That said, the Cowboys' official site notes that he'll play about 10 snaps before calling it a day. Regardless, Cooper is being drafted as a top-15 WR, and this news solidifies that ranking.
Although fantasy gamers may have held their collective breath when hearing that Chase Claypool suffered an injury, follow-up reports quickly resulted in a sigh of relief when the receiver's initial diagnosis was a low-ankle sprain. Despite the fact this may cost him some practice time, there should be little concern about his availability against the Bills in Week 1.
As this week progresses, Saquon Barkley (knee) is expected to do a little more in practice than he did last week. Until he logs full practices, it'll be difficult to expect him to be a factor in at least the early part of the regular season. Although a fully healthy Barkley can perform as a top-three RB, it's clear he's currently not operating at full capacity, and that adds definite risk for fantasy gamers looking to select him early in drafts.
Good news coming out of Chicago, as Allen Robinson returned to practice after missing time with a hamstring injury. As long as there's no setback, he should be considered a borderline top-12 WR with upside for more, especially if the QB play is upgraded from last year, which is the expectation of most fantasy players.
After missing significant time with an ankle injury, Darren Waller was back at practice on Tuesday. As a result, fantasy managers should have little hesitation selecting the star TE as the second or third one off the board in typical leagues.
Despite the fantasy community showing concern over Dak Prescott's shoulder injury, coach Mike McCarthy is optimistic that his QB will be ready to roll in Week 1, even though there's 'no urgency' to have Prescott play in this week's preseason game, and as a result, he wouldn't end up playing at all in the preseason. That said, many players don't suit up in the practice games, yet are fine in Week 1. As long as Prescott is practicing leading up to the season opener, it's reasonable to expect him to perform at close to 100 percent. However, fantasy managers who are risk averse, may be wise to move Prescott down a bit in their rankings.
Don't look for Justin Jefferson (shoulder) to be on the field this week, but coach Mike Zimmer indicated that the receiver is doing 'good,' meaning there's a strong chance he's ready for Week 1. As a result, fantasy managers should be safe valuing him as they did before the injury occurred.
While going through a somewhat slow return to action from last year's Week 1 knee injury, Courtland Sutton could play in Saturday's preseason game. With three additional weeks until the regular-season opener, this is an encouraging sign. But another big question is which QB the Broncos will start this year, as Teddy Bridgewater may not be able to get as much production out of Sutton's downfield ability as Drew Lock would, so it's possible that the QB choice could be a key to properly valuing Sutton in fantasy drafts.
Even though DJ Chark is dealing with a broken finger, he was on the field in pads, but not catching any passes in Tuesday's practice. Just the fact that he's able to run routes means that he can still build some chemistry with Trevor Lawrence, which could help Chark start the season as a productive part of the offense. And with the Jaguars likely to trail in many games, they may be forced to throw often, so Chark could be in line to see solid target volume from the first solid QB he's played with in his career.
As he recovers from a knee injury, DeVonta Smith will get reps in team drills on Tuesday, and coach Nick Sirianni said the rookie could play in a preseason game. Although Smith missed some valuable practice time with QB Jalen Hurts, Smith has a few weeks to develop chemistry, but fantasy managers who have been bullish on Smith may want to see him string together some consecutive practices before spending a mid-round draft selection on him.
Going into his first season in Houston, not only is Phillip Lindsay expected to have a spot on the Week 1 roster, but he may lead the Texans in carries. Despite this great news for Lindsay, David Johnson is likely to be the the main receiving RB on the team that's likely to be playing from behind most weeks, so Lindsay's receptions may be limited. Also, if the Texans struggle to move the football consistently, there may not be ample opportunities to get red-zone carries. Regardless, this is an upgrade on Lindsay's fantasy value.
After a long absence, Tre'Quan Smith (undisclosed) returned to practice on Tuesday, giving him a few weeks to get ready for the regular season. While he was out, camp reports have been glowing for Marquez Callaway, so if Smith hopes to be the lead receiver to start the year, he may need to have an impressive set of practices. As it stands now, Smith can typically be selected in fantasy drafts outside the top-120 players, but his role in the offense seems unclear, adding risk for fantasy GMs who select him.
