And Matthew Berry's Ride Or Die Is ...
If you missed the Hall of Fame game last night, first of all, how dare you? Second, we finally got an answer to who Matthew Berry's Ride or Die will be this season, and it is none other than rookie Chargers running back Omarion Hampton!
There's no question that Hampton is NFL-ready, and with question marks around Najee Harris' availability, a full Hampton backfield takeover is now a huge possibility. Hampton earned a 79 rating in the Rookie Super Model, and last season, the Chargers were top-six in the NFL in running back carries inside the five-yard line.
We knew Hampton was going to be a special player, but now he should be a priority target because we're riding with Matthew Berry!
Other NFL News You Need To Know
We got news yesterday that Jauan Jennings suffered a setback with his calf injury, and head coach Kyle Shanahan said there is no expected return date yet for the wide receiver. This isn't great news for Jennings, who is entering the final year of his contract and has been very vocal about wanting a new contract before the season begins. While that injury is not expected to be long-term, it is an injury that drafters will need to keep a close watch on.
The 49ers are still hoping that Brandon Aiyuk can be ready for Week 1, but no timeline for his return has been given either. With each week that passes, it feels more likely that we could see Aiyuk start the season on PUP and miss the first four games of the season. Ricky Pearsall was back at training camp after coming off the physically unable to perform (PUP) list due to a hamstring injury, so at least that's good news, right?
Just like other training camp news, we should try not to overreact, but an aggravation to a calf injury that bothered Jennings in the offseason is surely not the way the 49ers envisioned training camp going.
Packers: Marshawn Lloyd is dealing with a groin injury and head coach Matt LaFleur said he doesn't anticipate Lloyd returning to practice this week. I was taking Lloyd late in drafts not only as a handcuff to Josh Jacobs, but with the potential for him to have potential standalone value. With the injuries he suffered during his rookie season, this is not a great sign for Lloyd.
Bengals: Noah Fant found himself a new home with the Cincinnati Bengals and is expected to sign a one-year deal. This doesn't move the needle too much for us in fantasy land with Mike Gesicki still in town, but in case an injury happens, it's good to know that Fant is on the roster.
Tool Of The Week: Rankings HQ
Are you starting to get ready for the fantasy football draft season ahead, but don’t know where to start?
Well, first thing you can do is bookmark our Fantasy Life Rankings HQ.
Dwain McFarland, Ian Hartitz, Matthew Freedman, Kendall Valenzuela, Paul Charchian, and Rob Waziak update their rankings regularly as news hits. They even have rankings for Week 1! That’s the level of sicko thorough that we are talking about! Kick off your studying by following the work of those who have been studying the league year-round. ⬇️
Fantasy
Will JJettas’ Tweaked Hammy Drop His Ranking?
All offseason, we clamor for “real” NFL news, and not the coachspeak where an OC talks about a running back catching passes out of the slot. We know now that just never happens. Then training camps open and the floodgates unleash a torrent of news from all 32 camps, and as good fantasy football managers, we drink out of that firehose with the hope that some drops of information lead us to fantasy titles. And sometimes that information can impact our own rankings.
That’s where Ian Hartitz steps in. As one of our fearless rankers, Ian reacted to some of the latest news and moved some players in his rankings. Was Justin Jefferson one of those players after he suffered a hamstring strain that will sideline him for the early part of training camp? He does not appear to be in danger of missing Week 1, but does it now make sense to pick one of the high-end RBs ahead of him? Check out the latest from Ian. ⬇️
Fantasy
Training Camp Updates To Monitor
Sifting through the noise is the name of the game when it comes to fantasy football and NFL Training Camps.
We’ve talked endlessly about coachspeak, 15-second highlight clips, and players getting carted off the field (and the anxiety-inducing verbiage around it). There’s a lot to ignore. But there’s also a lot to pay close attention to, and that’s why Matthew Freedman is here.
He rounded up pertinent updates from all 32 teams that you should be monitoring ahead of fantasy draft season (P.S. If you haven’t tried our free mock draft simulator to prep for your draft, you’re falling behind!)
Speaking of falling behind, you might have missed …
Marvin Harrison Jr. is making a lotttt of highlight-reel catches again, but Freedman noticed something concerning …
Everyone’s favorite Falcons tight end is “as healthy as he’s ever been.” :,)
Luther Burden’s outlook under Ben Johnson is pretty, pretty good …
There are 29 more teams to get to. Catch up on the chaotic week of training camps and stay a step ahead of your leaguemates.
Fantasy
Around the Watercooler
We actually had REAL NFL FOOTBALL! Sorta. Still, plenty of reason to celebrate.
😴 Don’t fall asleep on these 12 players.
🎤 Year 4 for Matthew. YLTSI.
💸 ICYMI: Auction drafters, make sure to catch Ronis’ article on positional budget strategy, while Ian joins him for another round of auction talk.
📺 Some news on Terry that’s a little scary.
💪 Jahmyr Gibbs vs. Ashton Jeanty? It’s an ADP battle.
👀 Jake and Pete doing impersonations and improv lyrics. Can’t make this up.
🚗 Brock Purdy, Jordan Love, and a few other NFL players are urging you to ... stop autodrafting.
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