Our 2025 NFL Training Camp News articles are intended to be a one-stop shop for the most important news from around the NFL during training camp. I’ll post a new Market Report every week during August to help our subscribers keep the pulse of what’s happening in the fantasy marketplace. I’ll update this article daily throughout the week, so be sure to check back for the latest training camp news.
This article will primarily focus on news, beat reports, and injuries emerging from team practices. Be sure to check out Graham Barfield’s Preseason Game Reviews for key takeaways on player performances and playing time implications from preseason action.
ADP in this article is based on our ADP tool’s PPR setting, which pulls from Sleeper drafts over the last 14 days.
UPGRADES
Players I’m feeling more optimistic about based on training camp reports and injury news.
Quarterbacks
Justin Fields (NYJ) — Fields gave Jets fans and his fantasy owners a scare when he was carted off the field for a leg injury on July 24. He suffered a relatively minor injury, dislocating a toe, and he returned to practice on July 28. Fields needs as many reps with his new teammates as he can get, and it’s good to see him back to practicing so quickly. Fields finished fourth in FP/DB at .62 last season behind only the overall QB1 Lamar Jackson (.81), the QB5 Jalen Hurts (.74), and the QB2 Josh Allen (.72). Fields is on the radar as a high-end QB2 because of his rushing ability, and he’s being drafted as more of a mid-QB2 (126, QB17) early in draft season. (Added July 28)
Baker Mayfield (TB) — The Buccaneers reworked Mayfield’s contract to give him $30 million guaranteed in 2026, which is the final year of his current contract. He previously had no guaranteed money in his contract for 2026, so the Buccaneers are now committed to Mayfield as their quarterback for at least the next two seasons. Baker set career-best marks in passing yards (4500), TD passes (41), completion rate (71.4%), and YPA (7.9), but he’s a reach at his ADP (71, QB7) since the odds are stacked against him maintaining his blistering pace from last season. (Added July 28)
Anthony Richardson (Ind) — Richardson is back to being the odds-on favorite to open the season as Indianapolis’ starter after Daniel Jones jumped ahead of him in June because of A-Rich’s throwing shoulder issue. Both quarterbacks got off to slow starts in training camp, but Richardson has been the sharper of the two quarterbacks in the first two padded practices, according to The Athletic’s Zak Keefer. Richardson has shown off cleaned-up throwing mechanics at training camp after working with the same coaches who fixed Josh Allen’s mechanics early in his career. The Colts spent the fourth overall pick on Richardson in 2023, and they should be invested in getting another look at the raw but talented quarterback. He’ll have an extremely short leash this season, but Richardson has top-12 fantasy upside when he starts. Richardson hasn’t locked up the job yet, but he’s back to being a swing-for-the-fences pick in 2-QB/Superflex leagues. (Added July 30)
Running Backs
Jahmyr Gibbs (Det) — Gibbs has routinely been the first back on the field with the starting offense, according to The Athletic’s Colton Pouncey. That’s a change from the last two seasons, when David Montgomery would routinely be the first back on the field with the first-team unit. It’s not a massive surprise given how Gibbs played at the end of last season, but it’s an indication that new playcaller John Morton won’t be married to splitting the backfield evenly between his top two backs like Ben Johnson was at times the last two seasons. Gibbs is locked in as a top-six pick and in the top tier of fantasy RBs behind Saquon Barkley and Bijan Robinson. (Added July 30)
Chase Brown (Cin) — The Bengals made it official by releasing Zack Moss on July 30. Moss told The Athletic’s Paul Dehner that he was a “couch potato” since breaking his neck in three different places last season, and he discussed retirement with Zac Taylor before ultimately deciding to return to the team at a reduced salary. His pay went from $3.5 million to $1.8 million, but he received an extra $375K in guaranteed money, which was a sign of what Moss thinks about his lack of a playing future. It’s looking more and more likely that Brown will handle a large workload like he did in the second half of the season, with Samaje Perine ($400K guaranteed) and Tahj Brooks (2025 sixth-round pick) behind him. Playing in Cincinnati’s high-scoring attack next to Joe Burrow, Brown has legitimate upside to finish as the top fantasy RB if he sees a similar workload to what he saw in the second half of last season. (Updated July 30)
Wide Receivers
Courtland Sutton (Den) — Sutton and the Broncos agreed to terms on a four-year, $92 million extension, which locks him in with the franchise through the 2029 season. He’s coming off his finest season in Year 7, turning in his second 1000-yard campaign with then-rookie Bo Nix taking over at quarterback. His season took off starting in Week 8 once Nix settled into being an NFL quarterback, averaging 79.9 receiving YPG in his final 11 contests (postseason included). Sutton will face more target competition after the Broncos signed Evan Engram, but he’ll be in the WR2/3 mix if he stays out of a rotation at the position, which should be the case based on his new contract. (Added July 28)
Rashid Shaheed (NO) — Shaheed said he’s back to full strength after the knee injury that ended his season after six games. He’s also aiming to play at 190 pounds while keeping his speed after playing at 180 pounds last season. Shaheed has yet to show he can maintain a high level of production over an entire season, which is why his ADP (129 ADP, WR55) is lower than expected. He has concerns at quarterback with second-round pick Tyler Shough expected to lead the league’s worst QB room. Shaheed is still a worthwhile investment as a WR5 because of his big-play ability, and he could surprise if Shough and New Orleans’ offense is better than expected. (Added July 28)
Joshua Palmer (Buf) — The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia wrote that the early indications are that Palmer will be a “staple” on offense and a sneaky candidate to lead Buffalo’s receivers in snaps. Buscaglia noted that Palmer is a plus route runner who specializes in separation. Josh Allen was clearly checking out Palmer’s A.S.S. this spring when he told reporters, “he creates a lot of separation, and there’s a lot of advanced stats that show that.” Palmer ranked 16th in A.S.S. (.132) and 12th in win rate (19.8%) among 180 receivers who ran 200+ routes last season. No Bills receiver posted a 71% route share or higher, and Khalil Shakir’s team-best 70.8% route share ranked 74th overall among all receivers. Palmer is a free pick (186, WR69) in deeper leagues, but he’s worth a look as a WR6 just in case Keon Coleman and Dalton Kincaid continue to underwhelm. (Added July 28)
Elic Ayomanor (Ten) — Treylon Burks’ run of bad luck continued at the start of training camp when he suffered a fractured collarbone in practice, which prompted the Titans to sever ties with the 2022 first-round pick. Burks tore his ACL last season, which ended his season after just five games. The passing-game pecking order is up for grabs behind Calvin Ridley. Tyler Lockett and Van Jefferson are the top remaining veteran WRs behind Ridley, so there’s room for some upward mobility. Ayomanor was selected a little later than anticipated, but he landed in an excellent spot to make some early noise as the X receiver spot in this thin receiving corps. He’s a player to take a flier on late in drafts (229 ADP, WR81) in case he emerges as the #2 receiver behind Ridley. (Added July 28)
Tight Ends
Mark Andrews (Bal) — ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Isaiah Likely suffered a “small foot fracture” in a July 29 practice. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported he’ll need surgery with a six-week recovery, but there’s a chance he could be ready for Baltimore’s Sept. 7 opener against the Bills. Likely will see his ADP (142, TE18) fall by multiple rounds in the upcoming weeks, and he’ll be off the redraft radar in all but deeper formats and TE-premium leagues. Andrews posted 6/68/1 receiving on an 87% snap share against the Bengals in his lone game without Likely last season. His ADP (81, TE7) will rise with less target and snap competition early in the season, and he could push Travis Kelce to be the TE6 in drafts. (Added July 30)
Jake Ferguson (Dal) — The Cowboys and Ferguson agreed to terms on a four-year, $52 million contract, which includes $30 million in guaranteed money. The deal locks Ferguson into the #3 receiver role in what should be one of the league’s more pass-heavy offenses. It also indicates the Cowboys are committed to Ferguson as the lead TE after his snap share dipped to 61.2% and his route share fell to 59.7% in the final four games last season. Ferguson finished as the TE10 (10.4) in his last full season with Dak Prescott in 2023, and he averaged 10.4 FPG in Dak’s nine contests last season. He has more competition for looks with George Pickens added to the mix, but his price tag (122 ADP, TE15) is at least cheaper than last year. (Added July 28)
Elijah Arroyo (Sea) — The Seahawks surprisingly released Noah Fant just two days before the start of training camp, which is a strong indication of their belief in Arroyo and second-year TE A.J. Barner. Arroyo has been lining up all over the formation and running a wide variety of routes with the first- and second-team offenses. HC Mike Macdonald said, “We drafted Elijah because we thought he was going to be a great football player and a great tight end…This guy’s just a heck of a player.” He’ll compete with Barner for snaps and targets, and he’s the far more intriguing receiving prospect to bet on late in deeper drafts. There’s even an outside chance he’s the #2 receiver behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba late in the season if Cooper Kupp’s recent struggles continue in his age-32 season. (Added July 29)
DOWNGRADES
Players I’m feeling less optimistic about based on training camp reports and injury news.
Quarterbacks
Drake Maye (NE) — Maye told ESPN’s Mike Reiss that he liked to potentially run less than he did last season. Maye said, “Remaining a passer longer when I scramble, I think that's big. I feel like I had times last year where I had some guys deep that I may have missed them or took off running instead.” New England allowed league-worsts in pressure rate (40.1%) and pressure rate over expectation (11.52%) during Maye’s rookie campaign, which forced him to run for his life at times. Maye’s 31.3 scramble YPG ranked fifth-best in the Fantasy Points Data history, which increased to 35.2 scramble YPG across his full games. The Patriots called just 7 designed runs for him as a rookie, but OC Josh McDaniels could utilize his mobile QB more than former OC Alex Van Pelt did. Maye has top-12 fantasy upside because of his rushing ability, but his 3.5 scrambles per game could be curbed somewhat this season. (Added July 28)
Running Backs
Joe Mixon (Hou) — Mixon will miss multiple weeks of training camp because of a lingering foot injury (per Jordan Schultz). The Texans hope to have Mixon ready for the season opener, and Schultz wrote that the Texans are being cautious with their older back. Mixon was in a walking boot and sat out OTAs with what was described as a minor injury at the time, but this injury is worse than what was initially described. The Texans signed Nick Chubb as an insurance plan in early June, and Mixon notably played through two different ankle injuries last season. The Texans also drafted Woody Marks to go along with Dameon Pierce and Dare Ogunbowale, so they’re prepared if Mixon continues to struggle to get past his ankle/foot issues. I’m passing on Mixon at his current ADP (48, RB19), which is likely to drop in the next couple of weeks. (Added July 28)
David Montgomery (Det) — Jahmyr Gibbs has routinely been the first back on the field with the starting offense, according to The Athletic’s Colton Pouncey. That’s a change from the last two seasons, when Montgomery would routinely be the first back on the field with the first-team unit. It’s not a massive surprise given how Gibbs played at the end of last season, but it’s an indication that new playcaller John Morton won’t be married to splitting the backfield evenly between his top two backs like Ben Johnson was at times the last two seasons. Montgomery is unlikely to maintain his 16.3 touches per game from the last two seasons. He’ll need to reach double-digit touchdowns for the third straight year to pay off his price tag as a low-end RB2. (Added July 30)
Najee Harris (LAC) — Harris suffered what his agent called a “superficial” eye injury during a fireworks accident in early July, but the injury is worse than that after the Chargers placed him on the NFI list. Harbaugh said on July 22 that he doesn’t know if Harris will be back for training camp, adding that the team is “praying for healing.” GM Joe Hortiz wouldn’t put a timetable on Harris’ return, adding that he’s doing better every day and that it’s still early in camp. Harbaugh said on July 29 that there’s still no timeline for Harris’ return to practice. Omarion Hampton is the far superior talent and far more explosive than Harris, and he now has the early leg up on winning the job right out of the gates by running with the first-team offense while Harris heals. We’re also praying for the best for Harris, but there’s no reason to use a fantasy pick on him with his playing future uncertain. (Updated July 30)
Wide Receivers
Michael Pittman and Josh Downs (Ind) — Anthony Richardson is back to being the odds-on favorite to open the season as Indianapolis’ starter after Daniel Jones jumped ahead of him in June because of A-Rich’s throwing shoulder issue. Both quarterbacks got off to slow starts in training camp, but Richardson has been the sharper of the two quarterbacks in the first two padded practices, according to The Athletic’s Zak Keefer. Richardson has shown off cleaned-up throwing mechanics at training camp after working with the same coaches who fixed Josh Allen’s mechanics early in his career. The Colts spent the fourth overall pick on Richardson in 2023, and they should be invested in getting another look at the raw but talented quarterback. Richardson has more individual fantasy juice, but he murdered Indy’s passing attack last season by ranking last in completion percentage (47.7%), CPOE (-6.1%), and off-target throw rate (26.5%). Even if Richardson improves as a passer, this offense will be among the most run-heavy attacks when he’s at quarterback. (Added July 30)
Tight Ends
Isaiah Likely (Bal) — ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Isaiah Likely suffered a “small foot fracture” in a July 29 practice. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported he’ll need surgery with a six-week recovery, but there’s a chance he could be ready for Baltimore’s Sept. 7 opener against the Bills. Likely will see his ADP (142, TE18) fall by multiple rounds in the upcoming weeks, and he’ll be off the redraft radar in all but deeper formats and TE-premium leagues. Mark Andrews posted 6/68/1 receiving on an 87% snap share against the Bengals in his lone game without Likely last season. His ADP (81, TE7) will rise with less target and snap competition early in the season, and he could push Travis Kelce to be the TE6 in drafts. (Added July 30)
WATCH LIST
Players I’m not ready to upgrade or downgrade, but whose situations demand monitoring based on training camp reports and injury news.
Quarterbacks
Caleb Williams (Chi) — Williams has been taking most reps in team drills under center in the early stages of training camp. Jared Goff led the league in under-center dropbacks with 229, with Ben Johnson calling plays last year, and 39.2% of his dropbacks came from under center. Williams finished with 88 dropbacks from under center as a rookie, which worked out to just 12.9% of his dropbacks. He’s primarily played in shotgun throughout his playing career, including at USC, and he could have growing pains settling into Johnson’s offense early in the season. (Added July 29)
Matthew Stafford (LAR) — Stafford is expected to sit out practice during the week of July 28 after dealing with back soreness and sitting out the first week of training camp. Sean McVay said Stafford hasn’t had a setback in his recovery from his back injury, and McVay told the Associated Press, “He’s doing really well. We’ve got a good plan in place. We are still going to take some more time with him, though.” The Rams are being extra cautious when it comes to their 37-year-old franchise quarterback, and there’s no reason to panic about Los Angeles’ passing game just yet. (Added July 28)
Kenny Pickett (Cle) — Pickett injured his hamstring during a July 26 practice, which will keep him out this week before he’s re-evaluated. Kevin Stefanski described Pickett as “day to day” with the injury on July 28. Adam Schefter reported that Pickett was coming off a strong couple of practices to start training camp. Pickett’s absence will create more reps for Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders, and Stefanski said Flacco would see most of the first-team reps. I’m hoping Flacco wins the job out of training camp to give this passing game more fantasy juice, but I’m still expecting Pickett to win the job out of training camp, barring an extended absence for his hamstring injury. (Added July 28)
Running Backs
None of note.
Wide Receivers
Terry McLaurin (Was) — McLaurin reported to training camp on July 26 and was placed on the PUP list for an “ankle injury”. I'll bet his injury will feel much better as soon as he gets a contract extension from the Commanders. He was subject to $50K daily fines for as long as he sat out in training camp, and he’s now holding in as he pushes for an extension. There’s always concern for a slow start or even worse, an injury, because of his lack of activity in training camp. Adam Schefter believes McLaurin is looking for more money than D.K. Metcalf, who owns a $33 million AAV. McLaurin scored 13 touchdowns after failing to top 5 TDs in each of his last four seasons, and he did it on the fewest targets (117) he’s seen in that span. He’s priced at his ceiling (33.5 ADP, WR16) unless he sees a significant uptick in his usage to nullify his incoming touchdown regression. (Added July 28)
Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall (SF) — The 49ers can’t seem to get their receivers healthy and on the field together, dating back to last summer. Pearsall opened training camp on the PUP list for a hamstring injury he initially suffered in the spring, but the 49ers quickly activated him on July 27. Unfortunately, Jennings went down with a calf injury in the same practice where Pearsall was activated. He previously sat out mandatory minicamp for a calf injury, and Kyle Shanahan said it could be related to his injury earlier this year. Jennings has been practicing despite requesting a new contract from the team. The 49ers will be cautious with Jennings so early in camp, which gives Pearsall some valuable reps as the #1 WR with Brock Purdy after he missed most of training camp last year. (Added July 28)
Darnell Mooney (Chi) — Mooney suffered a shoulder injury diving for a sideline pass on July 24, and the team announced he’ll be out for several weeks. Raheem Morris said July 29 that Mooney would be re-evaluated in a few weeks, and he didn’t have a clear answer about his availability for Week 1. It’s unclear if Mooney’s injury is related to the shoulder injury he suffered late last season, which forced him to sit out the season finale. He attended Falcons practice on July 26 without a shoulder brace, which is a positive sign that his injury isn’t too bad. The Falcons signed D.J. Chark the next day to improve their WR depth chart, which is down to Ray-Ray McCloud, KhaDarel Hodge, and Casey Washington behind #1 Drake London. Mooney will miss out on practice reps with Michael Penix, who is entering his first season as the full-time starter. I’m still targeting Mooney in the middle round of drafts (109 ADP, WR49) as a WR4/5, and his price could get more affordable over the next few weeks. (Updated July 30)
Tight Ends
None of note.