Fantasy Football NFL Training Camp Roundup: Keenan Allen returns for Chargers, Ashton Jeanty has quiet debut

Yahoo

5 hours ago

Depth charts are dumb. We go into NFL training camps every August before fantasy football draft season and we overreact to players being buried down a depth chart that isn't anywhere near finite. For example, we were all jacked up for rookie RB RJ Harvey to take over the backfield in Denver. Instead, the Broncos' depth chart has him as the 5th-string back despite being a clear No. 2 behind veteran JK Dobbins.
We all knew that situation would be a bit murky and that talent overcomes at the end of the day. With that bit of info, we can at least gain an advantage in drafts later in the month if this trend continues and people get scared off Harvey. What we're getting at here is 1) don't overreact to depth chart news and 2) use that patience to gain an advantage in your draft.
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Below we're going to go over the latest news from this week coming out of training camps and from around the league. News that could have a fantasy football impact as we approach draft SZN.
Fantasy Football NFL Training Camp Roundup
Anthony Richardson injured in Colts' preseason opener
The Indianapolis Colts opened the preseason against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night, losing 24-16. Richardson dislocated his pinky finger in the first quarter after being sacked. Daniel Jones replaced Richardson at QB. After the game, Richardson said he was fine and is considered day-to-day. He was able to throw on the sideline, which is a good sign.
Jones would go on to throw for 144 yards on 10-of-21 attempts for a 70.3 passer rating — nothing spectacular. So, for now, as long as Richardson is OK, there's no reason for this to sway the Colts' QB battle in one direction or the other. We'll see how Richardson does at practice and if he plays extensively in the second preseason game vs. the Packers next week.
Other notes from Thursday's preseason action
Seahawks vs. Raiders: This game gave us a few notable rookie performances. RB Ashton Jeanty took his first carries in the NFL — three to be exact. He totaled -1 yard and that was it for him. Not much we can gather there. For Seattle, however, rookie WR Tory Horton had three catches for 31 yards and a TD from Drew Lock in the second quarter. Horton has been getting praise in camp and the rookie could jump Marquez Valdes-Scantling as the WR3 on the depth chart behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp. Horton is looking like a great late-round, upside pick in fantasy.
Bengals vs. Eagles: Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase started where they left off last season. No surprise there. The big surprise, however, was from TE Tanner Hudson, who caught six passes for 62 yards and two TDs in the loss to Philly. Back in 2023, Hudson was used more extensively in the offense, so maybe we see more targets go his way in 2025? People will likely overreact to this game, so we'll see how much Hudson is involved the rest of preseason. Still, he's not a bad name to note as a potential TE streamer during the season. Bengals rookie RB Tahj Brooks is also worth noting with 10 carries and one catch for a total of 29 yards. The production is modest but the usage is there. Brooks has a path to being the RB2 behind Chase Brown, making him a potentially appealing backup.
Keenan Allen returns to Chargers
We love a good reunion but some dynasty managers who drafted Tre Harris (me) can't be too happy about this news. The Los Angeles Chargers have brought back the veteran wideout to add depth at the position heading into 2025. If all goes well, Allen should line up opposite Ladd McConkey as the starting WRs for Los Angeles. Quentin Johnston and Harris should be in the mix for the WR3. Derius Davis, Jalen Raegor and rookie KeAndre Lambert-Smith will all be competing for a roster spot.
In terms of fantasy, Johnston and Harris take a slight hit with Allen in town. He finished his lone season in Chicago last year with 70 catches on 121 targets for 744 yards and seven touchdowns. That landed him as the WR35, producing OK numbers in what was a miserable situation on the Bears. If Allen is healthy and gets the snaps, he could become a reliable target for QB Justin Herbert again. Allen is only a few years removed from having arguably his best NFL season with Herbert back in 2023 (108-1,243-7).
Side note: The Chargers also lost LT Rashawn Slater for the season due to a ruptured patella tendon he suffered at practice on Thursday. This could have a big impact on both the rushing and passing games. Monitor practice reports on how the line replaces Slater. This is something we may not be able to get a gauge on until Week 1.
Josh Allen sounds off on James Cook situation
It seems like every training camp we've got multiple top backs seeking a new contract. We recently saw the Rams give Kyren Williams a three-year, $33 million extension before this season. Might we see the Bills give Cook a similar deal? It seems the back wants more than what Williams got, though Cook doesn't have as much leverage. He's posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and led the NFL in rushing TDs last year with 16. Other than the TDs, while Cook has been a productive back, he doesn't have earth-shattering numbers.
Allen was lobbying a bit for the two sides to get a deal done this week, per NFL.com.
We'll see if a deal gets done but the longer this drags out, the worse it becomes for fantasy managers looking to draft Cook. He could continue to hold-in and that could mean he's not in the best shape at the start of the season. Ray Davis feels like a running back to mark down going into any draft if this situation drags into the end of the month and draft season. For now, just continue to monitor the two sides for updates.