Training camp is up and running for all 32 teams, and with it, camp hype is real. The NFL news cycle is hot and heavy, with injuries, incredible catches, and muscular quads all over your social media timeline. It’s easy to get lost in the weeds with every “news” blurb that’s being reported. What’s real? What’s fake? What matters? What doesn’t?
Join Julia Papworth and me reacting to the biggest news of the third week of training camp, giving our thoughts on how to adjust in the fantasy football market, and discussing who truly is in the best shape of their life.
Without further ado, here are the biggest storylines we’re currently monitoring from Week 3 of training camp and Week 2 of the preseason.
Editor’s Note: For continuously updated Rankings and Projections from Andy, Mike, and Jason, with context around those rankings, be sure to check out the 2025 Ultimate Draft Kit.
1. The Commanders have been shopping RB Brian Robinson Jr.
Jordan Schultz reports that the Commanders “have been shopping RB Brian Robinson Jr. to teams around the NFL.”
Julia – News. Although Robinson has been decent through his first three years in the league, he has been nowhere near incredible, and with the hit the Commanders made on Jayden Daniels, the desire to transition to more of a pass-happy offense is palpable. Betz hits the nail on the head with the fact that Washington can’t be expecting much in return for Robinson, so this might be a test-the-waters sort of situation. I am a little confused here, because if Robison is shipped out, you are left with a rookie in Jacory Croskey-Merritt and an older back in Austin Ekeler. Bill is getting good buzz, but remember, he only played one game during his final year in college due to eligibility issues. There is a puzzle piece missing here. If I can grab Bill or Ekeler late in drafts, I am doing it on the chance that those two could be the only act in town.
Betz – News. I want to be careful with how I interpret this. Yes, it’s notable that B Rob has been shopped by the Commanders. That said, this is an average talent at the RB position (no disrespect, Brian!), so it’s not like the Commanders can expect to get anything more than a Day 3 pick in return, especially with B Rob in the final year of his rookie deal. What is notable about this nugget is that the Jacory Croskey-Merritt drum beat does look quite real, and this update from Schultz is only going to add fuel to that fire. When it’s all said and done, I’d be surprised if the Commanders don’t just keep Robinson, considering that behind Ekeler and Bill Merritt, they’ve got Chris Rodriguez Jr., Jeremy McNichols, and scat back/special teamer Demetric Felton. This team has hopes of making a run in the NFC. Why wouldn’t they just keep B Rob for some depth? Either way, JCM is an awesome late-round RB target in drafts over the next two weeks. We talked bout him on this episode of the Dynasty Podcast.
2. DeVon Achane to miss between “days and weeks” with lower-body soft tissue injury.
Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel said he’s not concerned about Achane’s (soft tissue lower-body injury) Week 1 availability against the Colts.
Julia – News. The delicate balance of the Miami Dolphins seems to be hanging by a thread with all of the news about injuries in South Florida. There is a big difference between days and weeks, and Achane being a smaller back makes me even more cautious with soft tissue issues.
Betz – News. Without any specifics from McDaniel on the degree of injury, this has to be taken as news with less than three weeks until the start of the regular season. Hopefully, this is just a grade 1 strain that sidelines Achane for the next 1-2 weeks, but there’s a chance this lingers into the regular season, and of course, there’s always re-injury risk with hamstring strains. I’m not fading Achane per se, but I think it’s fair to use this as a tie breaker in drafts when comparing similarly ranked/tiered players in the second round.
3. Malik Nabers has not practiced in over a week due to “normal back tightness.”
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reports Malik Nabers is dealing with a back injury that’s been described as “normal back tightness.”
Julia – News. The “injuries” are stacking up for Nabers, who has been dealing with a toe issue since college. Beat reporters have said that the Giants are being overly cautious and he should be good to go in Week 1 with no limitations, but my ears are still pricked up with this report. I am not lowering him in my rankings, but I am slightly more concerned than I was last week.
Betz – Noise for now. It’s obviously not great that Nabers has missed a decent chunk of camp with a variety of injuries, but I’m not all that concerned about this back “tightness,” assuming that’s actually what’s going on. I’m more worried about Nabers’ lingering toe injury that dates back to his time in college at LSU. Obviously, he’s played through it and played at a very, very high level, but Nabers himself has already acknowledged this off-season that he may need surgery eventually. That adds a lot of volatility to a player who’s going off the board in the first round of fantasy drafts. Hopefully Nabers can return to the practice field soon and continue to build rapport with his new QBs.
4. Commanders WR Terry McLaurin was activated off the Physically Unable to Perform list on Saturday.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Commanders are moving WR Terry McLaurin off the PUP List. Per Schefter, the move is the next step in his progression, but unrelated to negotiations.
Julia – Noise. McLaurin is trying to get the bag, as the kids call it these days, and the PUP was part of his “look at me” plan. Especially with the Brian Robinson chatter, the Commanders need to get this contract situated, demonstrating how much they value the WR heading into this season. I expect a deal to be done soon, but I am still a little lower than consensus on McLaurin, as I expect those TD numbers to regress to the mean.
Betz – Noise. I’m calling this noise because, as we all know, McLaurin was never on the PUP List for an actual injury. After a career year, the man wants to be paid, and I think he gets some sort of contract before the start of the season. McLaurin is just too valuable to this Commanders team, and they’ve got Jayden Daniels on a rookie deal. When push comes to shove, I expect McLaurin to be on the field Week 1. Hopefully, he can ramp up quickly because, as we’ve seen with other players in previous seasons, missing the majority of camp can lead to a slow start.
5. Colts close to naming a starting QB.
Colts HC Shane Steichen said he’s “very close” to a decision on the starting quarterback.
Julia – Noisy News. Welcome to Indianapolis, where no one really wants to be the starting QB! Daniel Jones is a slightly more stable choice, but Anthony Richardson, of course, offers the upside, but like Betz said, whoever gets the job in Week 1 will likely not have it the entire season. Richardson is that perfect dart throw at the end of your draft; if he starts the season, you will know what you are working with fairly quickly, and otherwise, you can drop him. Here’s hoping that Richardson can figure out a way to be a competent NFL QB, as a 48-yard rushing average in the games he started last season (10), paired with six TDs, is a delightful bonus in fantasy.
Betz – Noise (Kinda). It sounds like it’s been an up-and-down camp for both Indy QBs, with neither QB really running away with the job. The reason I’m calling this noise is because the starting QB in Week 1 is very unlikely to be the starting QB in, let’s say, Week 10. The front office and HC Shane Steichen are basically fighting for their jobs at this point, so if the Week 1 starter begins to show signs of poor/inconsistent QB play, I suspect we’ll see a pretty quick hook in an effort to keep this thing on the rails. Of course, if Anthony Richardson is the Week 1 starter, he’s very much in play as a late-round QB target, as this is one of those fantasy ≠ reality situations. Despite Richardson’s issues as a real-life NFL QB, the man puts up fantasy points when he’s under center. Last year, among QBs with 5+ starts, Richardson was tied for seventh in fantasy points per drop-back. In redraft leagues, we can take him late if he’s named the starter and then drop him if things go sideways.