Fantasy football analyst Sal Vetri compiles all of the NFL training camp news YOU need to know with Week 1 of the preseason in full swing.
He’s expected to miss a few weeks and not participate in the preseason games … but odds are McCaffrey wasn’t playing in the preseason anyway, so that’s not a big deal. What does matter is his availability for Week 1.
A calf strain could heal within 1-2 weeks if it’s not considered major. As of now, the 49ers have not shown concerns that this is a Grade 2 strain (3–6-week recovery). According to Edwin Porras, this injury has only an 8% reinjury rate for running backs once they return.
The takeaway? Continue to draft McCaffrey as the No. 1 overall player in fantasy.
But don’t read too much into this. This is an unofficial depth chart, and we aren’t certain the coaching staff had any input into it.
What matters more is the reports we’re getting out of camp about Chase Brown. He’s showing he can pass protect, which seems to be the final piece of the puzzle for coach Zac Taylor to trust him. Brown is a big, athletic back who can catch passes and create explosive plays. Expect even more RB1 reps these next few weeks in camp.
No. 8: Josh Downs will miss 4-6 weeks
Downs suffered a high-ankle sprain in practice on Wednesday. There’s a chance he can make it back in time for Week 1, but it’s more likely he misses a game or two. Downs had a productive rookie season for the Colts, earning 98 targets and producing 771 yards.
Fifth-round rookie Anthony Gould filled in for Downs once he left practice. Gould has 4.39 speed and produced 718 yards last year at Oregon State. He could be Josh Downs’ short-term replacement in slot, but early reports believe it’ll be a team effort to replace Downs.
No. 7: Ray Davis is winning the Bills’ RB2 job
This matters more than you may think. Davis is the Bills’ fourth-round rookie who’s known for his reliability, especially in the red zone. At 211 pounds, he gives the Bills a bigger frame to work with in the red zone compared to James Cook at 199 pounds.
Buffalo was hesitant to give Cook a larger red-zone role last season. More often, they opted to use bigger veteran backs like Latavius Murray and Damien Harris. If Davis is able to win the RB2 job, he could earn a key role right away in this offense.
Davis currently goes in Round 17 of fantasy drafts.
No. 6: The Cowboys haven’t decided their RB1
It’s unclear who Dallas will feature as its lead back. Currently, the backfield is split between Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle and even veteran Royce Freeman.
As of now, Dowdle has been the face of the committee in camp. Dowdle is coming off an efficient season but there are questions about his role.
Dowdle is an inexperienced back who has never started an NFL game. Will this lead to coach Mike McCarthy trusting the veteran Elliott more in key situations like third downs and the red zone? Whoever becomes the lead back in Dallas is a valuable asset in fantasy, making both Dowdle and Elliott targets in the later rounds of your draft.
No. 5: Isiah Pacheco is ready to do it all
Coach Andy Reid stated this week that Pacheco “is ready to be able to do all that.” Reid would go on to add how Pacheco is good with protections and can run all the routes.
Pacheco should see one of the larger workloads in the NFL this year. Over the second half of last season, he averaged 23 opportunities per game and finished as a top-five fantasy back. Entering 2024, he has even less competition with Jerick McKinnon gone, and Pacheco will continue to run behind a top-10 offensive line.
He’s a great pick in Round 2 or 3 of your drafts.
This makes sense given the Giants paid him $9.5 million in guarantees this offseason. However, it’s good to know he’s the clear back, and no one is threatening him for RB1 snaps right now.
Singletary is re-united with his former coach Brian Daboll. During their three years together in Buffalo, Singletary averaged over 1,000 total yards per season. Daboll has spoken glowingly of Singletary this offseason. The veteran back is a nice option in Round 8 of drafts.
The Packers held their annual Family Night Game this past week. The starters played 26 scrimmage snaps, but Wicks only saw six of them. He was well behind Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson and Jayden Reed in snap count, and Wicks played just one more snap than Bo Melton.
This was only a scrimmage, but it’s historically shown who the Packers view as their starters entering the season. Wicks had a strong rookie year ranking top 10 at the position in open rate vs. man coverage, but it appears he may start the season in a more limited role.
No. 2: Jonathon Brooks may not be ready until Week 3 or 4
The Panthers rookie running back won’t play in the preseason and might end up on the PUP List as he recovers from a November torn ACL. However, Coach Dave Canales later clarified the goal is to have Brooks back by Week 3 or 4 if he’s ready.
Canales also stated this was something the team expected, meaning this news isn’t indicating a setback. Brooks will likely fall 1-2 rounds in fantasy drafts now, which makes him an even better value. The expectation was never for Brooks to have a full-time role in Week 1, so this news shouldn’t impact his outlook too much.
But once Brooks is ready, he has the three-down skill set to be featured in this offense, similar to how Canales featured Rachaad White for 336 touches last year in Tampa.
No. 1: Puka Nacua is dealing with a knee injury
Nacua left practice earlier this week with a knee injury and was quickly considered week-to-week. This led to concerns about a potentially more serious injury, but Sean McVay has since quieted those concerns.
McVay let Jourdan Rodrigue know the injury was from landing on a bursa sac, and it’s not a structural issue. This means Nacua could return to practice as soon as next week and his Week 1 status shouldn’t be in jeopardy.
Nacua is being selected as the 13th overall player in drafts right now …
