Fantasy football analyst Sal Vetri compiles all of the NFL training camp news YOU need to know ahead of Week 2’s action of the NFL preseason.
No. 9: Alvin Kamara leaves practice with back tightness
The injury isn’t considered serious right now, but Kamara had to leave practice on August 13 and a back injury is something to monitor as you head into your drafts. Especially considering that Kamara is now 29 years old, which is a relatively old age for the position.
Back tightness could be gone the next day or can linger for some time. As of now it doesn’t appear to be serious, so Kamara won’t be dropped in my rankings. He’s currently trending to be the Saints’ clear RB1 as second-year back Kendre Miller is still battling a hamstring injury.
No. 8: Jordan Mason is pushing to be the RB2
Mason is getting a lot of first-team reps with both Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell injured. McCaffrey’s injury doesn’t appear to be serious, but Mitchell’s hamstring may take more time to heal.
Mason has been making the most of his opportunities and even getting some praise from coach Kyle Shanahan. Mason is a bigger back at 223 pounds with limited speed — not the typical Shanahan RB. But Mason makes up for his lack of high-end speed by breaking tackles and picking up yards after contact. He’s a worthwhile pick late in deeper drafts.
Lloyd injured his hamstring in the Packers’ first preseason game and is not currently practicing. It’s been a tough offseason for Lloyd so far. He picked up a hip injury at the start of camp and once he returned, he experienced a case of the fumbles!
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This hamstring injury is another knock against the rookie who has had trouble getting into a groove. All of this bodes well for Josh Jacobs, who has recently received more praise from his head coach, Matt Lafleur.
No. 6: Ja’Lynn Polk is emerging as the Patriots WR1
Despite not playing a snap with the starters in their first two preseason games, Ja’Lynn Polk is still live to be the Patriots’ top receiving option according to Charles Robinson.
Polk is the Patriots’ second-round rookie out of Washington. He was known for his reliable hands in college, rarely dropping the ball and often winning at the catch point. By all reports, this has translated to the NFL as Polk has been the most consistent receiver in New England’s camp. He remains a strong target in Round 17 of your drafts.
No. 5: Tyrone Tracy is dealing with an ankle injury
The Giants’ fifth-round rookie was carted off the field on Tuesday. There was an immediate fear that this was a serious injury, but thankfully that doesn’t appear to be the case. Tracy has a low-ankle sprain and is now considered week-to-week.
Based on the first preseason game, Tracy appears to have won the Giants RB2 job behind Devin Singletary. The low ankle sprain should be fully healed by Week 1, as this is typically a 1–2 week recovery timeline. Tracy remains a strong late-round target in your drafts.
Parkinson rested with the Rams starters for their first preseason game. This is an indication that Parkinson is viewed by Sean McVay as the Rams starting TE over Davis Allen, who played a lot in the preseason.
Parkinson is a versatile tight end who can win both out of the slot and downfield. He’s a nice replacement for the Rams as they won’t have veteran Tyler Higbee until the middle of the season at best as he recovers from knee surgery. Parkinson is an appealing option late in your drafts.
No. 3: J.J. McCarthy undergoes season-ending surgery
The Vikings’ first-round rookie quarterback’s season has ended. He underwent surgery to repair his meniscus on Wednesday. This opens the door for Sam Darnold to be the projected Vikings starter for the whole season.
Darnold doesn’t give us much to get excited about. He’s completed less than 60% of his passes in his NFL career which ranks in the bottom five among starting QBs since Darnold entered the NFL. Justin Jefferson drops a few spots in Round 1 for me, while the rest of the Vikings passing-game options are now off my board.
The early reports on Wednesday were that Addison was carted off the field. While this is true, it needs more context. Addison hopped to the cart and rode off the field. It wasn’t as bad as the initial reports suggested and it appears to just be an ankle injury for Addison.
He was later seen in a boot which is standard protocol for foot/ankle injuries. The goal is to take as much pressure off the injury as soon as possible.
That said, between Addison’s ankle, legal issues and Sam Darnold as his QB (as mentioned), it’s hard to get excited about him in drafts. I prefer Xavier Worthy and Christian Watson over Addison in Round 9.
No. 1: Jahmyr Gibbs injures his hamstring
Gibbs went down with what was first reported as a leg injury on Monday. But we later got news that it was a mild hamstring strain. This was the best-case scenario. A mild hamstring strain should take only 1-2 weeks to heal.
Gibbs is currently expected to play in Week 1 of the regular season. This injury does have him dropping a few spots in my rankings. I now prefer Jonathan Taylor and Saquon Barkley over Gibbs, due to the risk of reinjury if Gibbs comes back too soon. But assuming he’s healthy Week 1, Gibbs is one of the best backs in fantasy who gets to run behind the No. 1 offensive line in football.
