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Eric MoodyESPN
Read ESPN’s fantasy football daily notes every weekday to stay caught up on the news you need to know and get a head start on the fantasy football content coming today and tomorrow to ESPN.com and the ESPN Fantasy App.
The news: Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott hinted at a new role for Tony Pollard in 2022 and recently praised Pollard’s abilities as a receiver, ESPN’s Todd Archer wrote.
What it means in fantasy: Dallas may have a plan for Pollard as a wide receiver. It has been made abundantly clear by Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore that Pollard will see more touches this season. Pollard is the RB30 in our live draft trends. He’s firmly on the flex radar, and if Elliott misses time, he’d be an RB1.
Going deeper: Pollard knows how to play wide receiver. At Memphis, from 2016 to 2018, Pollard had 104 receptions for 1,292 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. For the Cowboys last year, he caught 39 of his 46 targets for 337 yards. These are career highs.
The news: J.K. Dobbins‘ status and workload for Week 1 is uncertain.
What it means in fantasy: Dobbins is a popular bounce-back candidate, but he is slowly recovering from an ACL tear and hasn’t played any 11-on-11 drills this preseason. It is unclear if Dobbins will play in Week 1, but he will play early this season, along with Mike Davis and Gus Edwards, who has been placed on the PUP list while he recovers from a torn ACL. Dobbins is the RB20 in our live draft trends. Due to the uncertainty surrounding his status, fantasy managers may want to target Breece Hall (RB19), Elijah Mitchell (RB23) or Antonio Gibson (RB26) in drafts.
The news: David Montgomery rushed for 28 yards on nine rushing attempts and dominated the first-team snaps after sitting out earlier preseason games against the Chiefs and Seahawks.
What it means in fantasy: For fantasy managers worried that Khalil Herbert might steal Montgomery’s touches, this performance was a good sign. Montgomery is the RB18 in our draft trends and is firmly on the RB2 radar. Last season, the Bears’ offensive line ranked 11th in run block win rate. It is possible that this trend will continue in 2022.
Going deeper: Montgomery has averaged 19.6 touches per game in his past two seasons with the Bears.
The news: Diontae Johnson exited the Steelers’ final preseason game with a shoulder injury.
What it means in fantasy: Fantasy managers are left scratching their heads and wondering why the starters were on the field so long. Johnson was having a great game with a highlight reel 38-yard reception from Mitch Trubisky. Evan Washburn of CBS Sports reported that Tomlin said, “Look it this was a regular-season game, we might see those guys back in this game.” So there’s no long-term concern now for either player. Johnson is the WR16 in our live draft trends and is someone to prioritize. We have him projected for 142 targets.
The news: Najee Harris confirms he had a sprained Lisfranc in training camp.
What it means in fantasy: Harris played his first preseason game against the Lions on Sunday and revealed the injury to reporters. Harris is the RB5 in our live draft trends, but fantasy managers may want to avoid proactively targeting Harris in drafts if there is any chance he will lose some of his volume and considering he’s running behind a Steelers offensive line that ranked 30th in run block win rate. Dalvin Cook (RB6), Alvin Kamara (RB7) and Joe Mixon (RB8) look like better options.
The news: Treylon Burks scored his first touchdown with the Titans, catching all three of his targets for 33 yards.
What it means in fantasy: Whether the former Arkansas Razorbacks wide receiver is able to fill the void left by former Titans receiver A.J. Brown is one of this season’s big storylines. At least for now, he appears to be gaining momentum, and as he is the WR53 in our live draft trends, you don’t have anything to lose by adding him to your roster.
The news: Ty Montgomery was carted from the field in the Patriots preseason game against the Raiders with an ankle injury.
What it means in fantasy: Montgomery is a capable runner and receiver and signed a two-year contract this offseason with New England. Since James White retired, Montgomery has played ahead of rookies Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris. Bill Belichick said Montgomery will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury after returning to New England. Rhamondre Stevenson and Damien Harris would likely be counted on even more in Montgomery’s absence. It was reported last week that Belichick views both running backs as every-down options, so managers looking for RBs or flex options can feel confident drafting either.
The news: Cameron Brate caught both of his targets for 10 yards in the Buccaneers’ preseason game against the Colts.
What it means in fantasy: Tampa Bay used both of its tight ends for the first time this preseason and Brate played more snaps and ran more routes than Kyle Rudolph and looks like the Buccaneer to prioritize at the position in fantasy drafts.
Going deeper: In his two seasons with the Buccaneers, Rob Gronkowski averaged 6.0 targets per game.
The news: Robert Tonyan will participate in team drills for the first time this summer.
What it means in fantasy: Following his recovery from a knee injury, Tonyan was activated from the PUP list less than two weeks ago by the Packers, and this is a very good sign he’ll be ready for the regular season. Tonyan is the TE23 in our live draft trends and could be a valuable streamer for fantasy managers. The Packers have 248 available targets from last year’s receiving corps, and as Green Bay looks to fill Davante Adams‘ receiving void, Tonyan may be more valuable than people think.
Today on ESPN.com/Fantasy and in the ESPN Fantasy App
• Eric Karabell’s preseason weekend wrap: a deeper look at some quarterbacks
• Fantasy Focus podcast: Double Trouble with the Browns and Ravens Listen | Watch
Tomorrow:
Field Yates’ favorite fantasy draft picks
• Fantasy Focus podcast: Double Trouble with the Bengals and Steelers
In case you missed it:
•Tristan H. Cockcroft’s best picks for each slot in Rounds 1 and 2
• Mock Draft: 10-team non-PPR
• Fantasy Focus podcast: Double Trouble with the Lions and Bears Listen | Watch
Matt Bowen’s 18 favorite draft targets
• Fantasy Focus podcast: Double Trouble with the Packers and Bears: listen | watch
• Sign up for a team or start a new league
Source: www.espn.com