Fantasy Football

After suffering a torn Achilles late last season, Jacksonville Jaguars running back James Robinson is set to return sooner than most might have expected.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson told reporters on Monday that Robinson "definitely" will play in the team's Week 1 matchup against the Washington Commanders on Sunday.

While Robinson's return is surely a welcome sight for the Jaguars offense, he's not expected to see a substantial workload in his first few outings. Pederson indicated in late August that he plans on easing Robinson back into team's rushing attack, saying, "I don’t think you go full steam ahead. I think you gradually increase his reps."

Robinson has been Jacksonville's lead back in his first two NFL seasons, but he will cede those duties this year to Travis Etienne Jr., who is fully healthy after missing his entire rookie year with a foot injury. Fantasy football managers are hoping for a big year from Etienne, but Robinson's presence could complicate things.

The third-year speedster has totaled 1,837 rushing yards over his first two seasons, so he's known to be a dependable ball-carrier. He's also a solid receiver out of the backfield. When healthy, Robinson could end up taking carries away from Etienne, who is considered more of a big-play threat.

It appears that the Jaguars don't have a set plan for splitting the workload among their running backs and will rather feed whoever has the hot hand on any given day.

"We have a vision for what we hope it is,” offensive coordinator Press Taylor said of the team's rushing attack. “You kind of always envision what you're going to do when everybody's healthy, but until we get to that point and we see everybody in there and everybody is available on game day, then you kind of just have to go with what you have in that particular availability for that game."

Fantasy managers keeping an eye on New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas can feel a little more optimistic about his prospects of playing in Week 1.

Per Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com, there is "positive news" about Thomas' hamstring injury.

Duncan noted he "would be surprised" if the veteran wideout isn't in the starting lineup against the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 11.

Saints head coach Dennis Allen said the 29-year-old was dealing with "a little bit of a hamstring" issue that caused him to be held out of practice on Aug. 21.

Arguably the best receiver in the NFL during his prime, Thomas has struggled to stay healthy in recent seasons. He last appeared in a game in December 2020 and was limited to only seven games that year because of an ankle injury. He missed the entire 2021 season while recovering from ankle surgery.

It was just three years ago that the Ohio State product set an NFL single-season record with 146 receptions and led the league with 1,725 yards while adding nine touchdowns. He was named 2019 AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year for his dominance that season.

A three-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro, Thomas is expected to be the focal point of the Saints passing attack when he's healthy.

Having him ready at the start of the season would be a boost to the offense, especially with Jameis Winston also in line to be ready for Week 1. Winston played in New Orleans' preseason finale after being questionable with a sprained foot. He went 4-of-4 for 59 yards in his lone series.

Rookie receiver Chris Olave, who was drafted 11th overall, should also see a high volume of targets. But the passing game still figures to be filtered through Thomas, at least early in the season.

Dameon Pierce's future is looking a lot brighter after the Houston Texans released Marlon Mack, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Pierce ran for 1,806 yards and 23 touchdowns and caught 45 passes for 422 yards and five touchdowns in 48 games over four seasons at Florida. Now, the 2022 fourth-round pick is poised to play a big role in Houston's offense.

Fantasy analysts see Pierce becoming a fantasy football threat right out of the gate:

Most fantasy managers have already drafted their teams by this point, and Pierce hasn't exactly flown under the radar this year. He's rostered in 85 percent of Yahoo leagues, so if you didn't draft him yourself, it's unlikely he's sitting there unclaimed.

If you've yet to hold your fantasy draft, then you'll want to calibrate Pierce's ranking accordingly.

Denzel Mims hasn't been shy about wanting a bigger role on the New York Jets. On Sunday, he showed why he might deserve one, torching the New York Giants to the tune of seven receptions for 102 yards and a score on eight targets.

The question for fantasy players is whether Sunday's performance should put Mims on their radar, and the answer has everything to do with whether he's traded.

If Mims remains in New York—a very real possibility—he'll likely enter the season as the No. 6 name on the depth chart at wideout behind Corey Davis, Elijah Moore, 2022 first-round pick Garrett Wilson, Braxton Berrios and solid special teamer Jeff Smith.

That would make his fantasy value nonexistent and is a major reason his agent, Ron Slavin, said publicly that Mims had requested a trade.

"It's just time," Slavin said. "Denzel has tried in good faith, but it is clear he does not have a future with the Jets. Denzel vowed to come back better than ever this season and he worked extremely hard in the offseason to make that happen. Still, he has been given very few opportunities to work with the starting offense and get into a groove with them.

"We feel at this point a trade is our only option since the Jets have repeatedly told us they will not be releasing him," he added. "Joe Douglas has always done right by Denzel and we trust that he will make every effort to find him a new home where he can be a contributor."

Even if Mims is traded, however, he hasn't proved much during his NFL career. Since being a second-round pick in the 2020 draft, he's caught just 31 passes for 490 yards in 20 games across his two seasons.

While some of that has been due to injuries, Mims also fell out of favor with Robert Saleh and his coaching staff last season.

But perhaps a change of scenery would benefit the young wideout, who certainly showed that he can perform when given the chance in what may have been a showcase game for potential trade suitors.

That makes him a player you could consider as a deep sleeper if he gets dealt, and someone whose situation you should continue to monitor. In that scenario, he's a very intriguing WR5 consideration.

If he remains in New York, however, he'll be a fantasy non-factor barring injuries to other players on the receiver depth chart.