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Hunt, in what could be his final game as the Chiefs’ lead back, did precious little with his 19 touches against a miserable Panthers defense. His pass game involvement (four targets) helped matters, but for a third straight outing, the veteran failed to find the end zone. Hunt could cede the starting job to Isiah Pacheco in Week 13 against the Raiders if Pacheco is able to return from his early-season leg injury. Hunt could still be treated as a flex option in deeper formats since the Chiefs will be heavy favorites against the Raiders.

A camp injury to Tyler Goodson (elbow) may be playing a bit of a role in this take, but Holder adds that “Giddens’ skills in the passing game complement Taylor nicely,” and Goodson has just 17 career receptions to his name in 22 games. It’s hard to imagine Giddens seeing enough work behind Taylor to have fantasy relevance as long as Taylor is active, but he could be the back fantasy managers want to stash later in drafts if they’re looking for handcuffs to round out their roster.

We have to take these reports with a grain of salt, but Monangai did handle all of the snaps on the Bears’ first two preseason drives against the Dolphins in the first week of the preseason. The rookie seventh-rounder has been praised for his physicality, and it sounds like he could quickly surpass incumbent backup Roschon Johnson on the depth chart — if he hasn’t already. Johnson averaged an underwhelming 2.7 YPC on 55 rush attempts last season and has done little to impress during his first two years in the league. Monangai is worth remembering for those who are looking for late-round running backs to stash in drafts over the next few weeks.

Taylor was dealing with an ankle injury earlier in camp, but returned to practice on August 12th. The rookie second-rounder was already emerging as a receiving threat early in camp, per Cimini, but now he believes Taylor will be a key player in the offense. According to Cimini, coaches believe Taylor’s blocking is “better than advertised” and that he can serve as a true two-way tight end this season. It’s not often that rookie tight ends make a meaningful fantasy impact, so we wouldn’t pound the table for Taylor this season. With that said, the Jets have a thin receiving corps behind Garrett Wilson, which could create more opportunities for Taylor than expected.

The Browns selected Sampson in the fourth round of this year’s draft, with the expectation being that he would see a split with Ford and fellow rookie Quinshon Judkins this season. Judkins did not participate in training camp and has yet to sign his rookie deal as a result of a domestic arrest from earlier this offseason. Even if he does eventually join the team, it will take a few weeks for him to get up to speed and he’s also at risk of serving a suspension. The possibility of Sampson pushing Ford for touches makes him a strong late-round value in fantasy drafts, as he could eventually emerge as the top back for the Browns if things break right.

It goes without saying that the rookie third-rounder can work his way up the depth chart as the season goes on, but any dynasty leaguers hoping for an early payoff will likely have to wait. Reiss projects Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte, and DeMario Douglas to open the season as the Patriots’ top three receiver, leaving Williams on the outside looking in. Williams shouldn’t be on redraft radars at this point.

Jordan Addison is set to serve a three-game suspension, and Jalen Nailor is sidelined with a hand injury. After reports that the Vikings were looking for help at receiver, Thielen becomes an interesting option. The 35-year-old vet spent the first 10 seasons of his career with the Vikings, and in 2022, played under head coach Kevin O’Connell, giving the two plenty of familiarity with one another. Thielen is currently a projected starter for the Panthers, but with a younger receiving corps emerging and Hunter Renfrow impressing in camp, the vet may prove expendable if another team comes calling. Should he land in Minnesota, Thielen would likely see a significant snap share for the first three weeks until Addison returns, and could remain a fixture in three receiver sets if he proves himself worthy of playing time over that span. While a deal is far from imminent, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the two sides reunite in the coming days.

Moton is now under contract through the 2027 season. The veteran tackle has spent his entire eight-year career with the Panthers, starting every game he’s appeared in since 2018. Moton missed three games in 2024 due to a triceps injury and a knee injury, but hadn’t missed a game in his career prior to Week 6 of last season. A true Iron Man of the sport, Moton earned a PFF pass-blocking grade of 80.6 last season, allowing just 14 pressures and one sack on 538 pass blocking snaps. His new deal comes with $40 million in guaranteed money.

It was a tough start for Warren, who split time with Gainwell through the first two drives. Gainwell played 3-of-3 third-down snaps, plus two more on early downs. Warren is in line to start in Week 1, but Gainwell appears to have locked up passing down duties and Kaleb Johnson could steal touches with quality play. Gainwell rushed two times for seven yards.

Skattebo played on 10-of-10 snaps through the Giants’ first two drives before hanging his cleats up for the day. The team released an unofficial depth chart shortly before the game, listing Tyrone Tracy Jr. as the starter, backed up by Devin Singletary. Skattebo was in the third spot with Dante Miller behind him. Both Tracy and Singletary were held out of Thursday’s game and Miller entered the game only after Skattebo was done. Unofficial depth charts can be unreliable but it appears as though this one does accurately reflect the running back pecking order for the time being. Skattebo forced one missed tackle. He will have chances to work his way up the depth chart in the coming weeks. His hamstring injury appears to be in the rearview.

Although Dart was cleared to return, we do not expect him to return. Dart took a tumble on a scramble and was summoned into the blue medical tent by medical staffers. Before that play, which nearly resulted in a lost fumble, Dart looked great against the Patriots’ defense. He completed 6-of-12 passes for 81 yards and one touchdown and rushed once for 23 yards. One has to wonder how long Russell Wilson can keep the starting job with Dart showing promise. The rookie passer would have had a much bigger stat line had WR Jalin Hyatt not botched two downfield opportunities. Hyatt let one pass bounce off his shoulder pads and later let another clang off his hands. He then, almost unbelievably, hauled in a 30-yard touchdown pass from Jameis Winston on the play immediately after Dart’s scramble. For fantasy managers wishing to stash a late-round dual-threat quarterback, Dart deserves consideration.