We got bad news last week that Saints rookie receiver Jordyn Tyson injured his right hamstring, and ESPN reported that it could linger into the season. Tyson could miss Week 1, which lowers his Fantasy stock, and this injury is a boost for Chris Olave.
Coach Kellen Moore said the Saints are "still in the collection mode" regarding Tyson's timeline.
"We've just got to let these experts evaluate this and then we'll put together a plan," Moore said. "Not going to jump to conclusions. I don't have a doctor in front of my name, so I'm not going to jump to put together a timeline on it."
Tyson struggled with hamstring issues in college, and it's not ideal that it could be a serious problem in the middle of August. He was reportedly having a strong training camp, but now Fantasy managers need to lower expectations for Tyson if he could miss time in the regular season. The earliest I would draft him is Round 10.
Olave will benefit if Tyson misses any games, and Olave is worth drafting in late Round 2 or early Round 3. Last season, in seven games after the Saints traded Rashid Shaheed to the Seahawks, Olave was a monster at 20.2 PPR points per game in seven outings. He averaged 9.9 targets per game over that span.
Olave is a riser in my rankings, while Tyson is a faller. Now, let's see other players who are moving up -- and down -- the rankings heading into the middle of August.
Risers
Kyler Murray
Murray is being drafted as QB18 in Round 12 based on his CBS Sports Average Draft Position, but we should see that rise now that he's been named the starter for the Vikings. He has the chance to be a top-12 Fantasy quarterback this season, and he's worth targeting as a high-end backup with upside. Murray averaged at least 20.3 Fantasy points for the first five seasons of his career in Arizona, and now he gets to play in a much improved offensive environment. This is the best coach of his career in Kevin O'Connell, and Murray has tremendous weapons in Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings and T.J. Hockenson. And it will be great if Murray continues to use his legs. He averaged 36.7 rushing yards per game in his career, with 32 rushing touchdowns. I would draft Murray ahead of Bo Nix and Patrick Mahomes.
Jordan Mason
Mason might be running away with the starting job in Minnesota, which makes sense. He's 27, which is younger than Aaron Jones (31), and Demond Claiborne is just a sixth-round rookie. Mason is worth drafting as early as Round 7 in all leagues. He likely won't play much on passing downs (he has 28 career catches in four seasons), but he has averaged 5.1 yards per carry in his career. In 2025, he had nine games with at least 10 carries, and he averaged 10.5 PPR points over that span. And in five games without Jones, Mason averaged 13.5 PPR points per game. The Vikings offense should improve with Murray at quarterback, and Mason should be considered a high-end flex, who could emerge as a starter in all formats as the season goes on.
KC Concepcion
The quarterback situation for the Browns is bad, but Cleveland has some quality young weapons in Concepcion, Harold Fannin Jr., Denzel Boston, Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson. We hope either Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders can make it all work, but I like that the Browns will make a concerted effort to get Concepcion the ball. That was evident in the preseason game against the Bears when he had three catches for 27 yards on four targets and one carry for a 14-yard touchdown. Concepcion likely won't be a consistent Fantasy option if Watson or Sanders struggle, but he could become a weekly starter in three-receiver leagues. His CBS Sports ADP is 126.1 in Round 11, but I would draft him as early as Round 9.
De'Zhaun Stribling
Stribling had a great preseason debut against Tennessee, and he should be on your radar as a No. 4 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. I would draft him as early as Round 9. He had seven catches for 63 yards on eight targets against the Titans, and this performance comes after reports of him having a strong training camp. Now, Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel and Christian Kirk didn't play Thursday, but the 49ers moved Stribling around to see him outside and in the slot. It's a good indication San Francisco wants to get Stribling on the field, and he could emerge as a solid Fantasy option as the season goes on. It also helps that Evans (quadriceps) and Kirk (calf) have missed practice time in training camp, and Ricky Pearsall (knee) is out for the season.
MarShawn Lloyd
Lloyd started the preseason game against the Steelers, and he's tracking to be the No. 2 running back for the Packers behind Josh Jacobs. That's important for two reasons since Jacobs is battling a groin injury in training camp, and he could face a suspension for his arrest in May, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Lloyd had four carries for 13 yards against Pittsburgh, and we're hopeful he can stay healthy since he's played just one NFL game since being taken in the third round of the 2024 draft. I'm ready to draft Lloyd as early as Round 10 as a lottery ticket with upside. Should Jacobs have to miss any time then Lloyd could be a No. 2 Fantasy running back in all leagues.
Jonah Coleman
Coleman looked good in his preseason debut against the Falcons with four carries for 24 yards, but he did not have a target. J.K. Dobbins sat out the game, and Coleman played behind RJ Harvey. Coleman will likely head into Week 1 as the No. 3 running back for the Broncos, but you should still consider drafting him as early as Round 10 as a lottery ticket. Dobbins has missed at least four games in each of the past four seasons, and I would expect Harvey and Coleman to share touches if Dobbins were out. I also expect Sean Payton to find a way to get Coleman on the field even when Dobbins and Harvey are active. Coleman is a physical presence at 5-foot-8, 220 pounds, and he could be a difference maker for the Broncos -- and Fantasy managers -- if given enough work.
Fallers
Christian McCaffrey
McCaffrey missed practice again Sunday with "tightness," which is now a full week of him being out with this vague injury. I'm concerned, and I dropped McCaffrey to the back end of Round 1. I was already worried about McCaffrey this season since he turned 30 in June, and he's coming off 450 total touches from 2025, including the playoffs. The last two times he had over 400 total touches in a season -- 2019 in Carolina and 2023 in San Francisco -- he missed significant time due to injury the following year. The 49ers so far have downplayed the injury, but that's what happened two years ago when McCaffrey had a calf injury in training camp and ultimately didn't play until Week 10 due to an Achilles injury. I'm hopeful McCaffrey will return to practice soon, but I'm not drafting him at his CBS Sports ADP of No. 6 overall.
Jeremiyah Love
I originally wrote a post about Love being a winner after his preseason debut against Las Vegas. He had 11 carries for 58 yards and caught three passes for 14 yards on three targets. Love played 16 of 22 snaps on the first two drives, and he looked great. But then we found out Love suffered a high-ankle sprain during the game, and now he could miss Week 1. We know high-ankle sprains can linger, and this is frustrating given Love's upside. Hopefully, he will return to practice before the Sept. 13 season-opener at the Chargers, and Love can still perform like a high-end No. 2 Fantasy running back. I would still draft him in Round 3, but I was ready to draft him in Round 2 prior to the injury. Keep in mind the Cardinals have a tough schedule, and Love is expected to be in a committee with Tyler Allgeier and potentially James Conner. This could be a rough start to Love's rookie campaign if he's not at 100 percent for Week 1.
TreVeyon Henderson
According to reports, Henderson has been inconsistent in training camp, while Rhamondre Stevenson has stood out. I'm not drafting Henderson in Round 5 based on his CBS Sports ADP at 59.2, and I'd rather have Stevenson at 86.1. The Athletic's Chad Graff said this about Henderson: "It's looked a bit like last season: big, explosive plays, but just enough mistakes in pass protection that it feels like a risk to use him on third downs. If he can improve in that skill, though, look out." We'd love to see Henderson improve. He has immense upside -- he scored at least 17.3 PPR points in five games last season -- but the Patriots trust Stevenson more. The only way I would draft Henderson in Round 5 is if Stevenson were injured prior to Week 1.
Terry McLaurin
I wasn't sure if I wanted to make McLaurin a faller or Stefon Diggs a riser. But Diggs joining the Commanders is clearly a problem for McLaurin, who might not lead Washington in targets. That was easily the expectation prior to Diggs' arrival, but the early reports for the Commanders suggest Diggs is drawing plenty of attention from Jayden Daniels. And while McLaurin has more upside, it could be risky to draft him as the No. 21 receiver off the board based on his CBS Sports ADP. I'd rather draft Jaylen Waddle, Luther Burden III and D.J. Moore, who are all being selected after McLaurin. As for Diggs, his CBS Sports ADP will skyrocket from 127.6. I would draft him as early as Round 8.
Carnell Tate
Tate will hopefully be fine once the season starts, but Cam Ward looked bad against San Francisco backups in Thursday's preseason game. Ward played three series and was 5-of-12 passing for 57 yards. He had 2 yards on one carry, an intentional grounding penalty and a near-interception. Tate is being drafted as WR34 based on his CBS Sports ADP, which is fine, and I don't plan to drop him in my rankings. But it could be hard for him to emerge as a must-start receiver in all formats if Ward continues to struggle like this. Tate has done well in training camp, but I was hoping to see more from this offense in the debut for offensive coordinator Brian Daboll.
Alec Pierce
I'm glad that Colts general manager Chris Ballard said that Pierce (ankle) is expected to play in Week 1. But we need to see him return to practice soon because his Fantasy stock is continuing to plummet. Pierce has been out all offseason following surgery in March on his ankle, and the Colts need him after trading Michael Pittman to Pittsburgh. Pierce's CBS Sports ADP is Round 6 at 67.4, but I won't draft him until Round 7 as of now. He could fall into Round 8 if he continues to miss practice time, and I'm not excited about his upside given his health. I would rather draft Josh Downs, who has a CBS Sports ADP of 106.5. Tyler Warren could be a monster if Pierce misses any games, and Warren's CBS Sports ADP is Round 5.
