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We scour the news around the NFL to bring you what matters most for you and your dynasty team: the most current news on players, both superstars and the relative unknowns, and analysis to decipher the respective situations.
Even before the game against the Patriots last Sunday, Buffalo Bills head coach Doug Marrone stated that rookie quarterback E.J. Manuel was "110 percent" healthy, according to beat writer Mark Gaughan. It was a farce that Manuel would miss the contest with the knee injury. Marrone has tied his boat to Manuel's sail and needs the youngster to play well in order to be successful. The rookie passer played well in his first career start, almost leading the Bills to the victory.
Coming into week two, keep an eye on the injury status of Dallas Cowboys running back Lance Dunbar. He was ruled out of the opener early on Friday, so he might still be a week or two away from coming back to action. Dunbar is rehabbing a foot injury and shed his walking boot a week ago. All signs are positive. Dunbar easily outplayed rookie Joseph Randle and Phillip Tanner in preseason. Given the injury history of starter DeMarco Murray, one of this trio could have value … and Dunbar has flashed the most talent. Tanner saw a few carries Sunday night, but Dunbar would have enjoyed a larger role.
Last Saturday, the Cleveland Browns waived newly signed rookie running back Dennis Johnson. The undrafted free agent was picked up after the Houston Texans waived him a week before. The loss of Dion Lewis has sent the Browns searching under every rock for options to back up starter Trent Richardson. For now, it will be the plodding Chris Ogbonnaya and speedster Bobby Rainey. It may not matter if there are so few running lanes.
In a recent article, the Detroit Free Press expressed belief that wide receiver Lions Ryan Broyles' role could increase as the season progresses. Let's remember that Broyles is coming off an ACL tear and has yet to get back to full speed. The former Oklahoma star is a solid route runner and could be a fantasy starter if he can ever remain healthy for an entire season.
Last Wednesday, Seattle Seahawks receiver Percy Harvin tweeted that "I'm starving so bad to get on this field … Keep an eye on Week 7." Harvin is on the PUP list while recovering from hip surgery. While week seven may be overly ambitious, it was great to see optimism from the talented pass catcher. He is a great player to target via trade from a team who had a disappointing week one. Harvin will likely not be back before Thanksgiving, but the goal in dynasty leagues is to acquire talent … and the new Seahawk is extremely talented.
Coming as little surprise, the Nashville Tennessean opined last week that Tennessee Titans rookie receiver Justin Hunter could be inactive on game days this season. The former second-round pick has drawn the ire of coaches and teammates during training camp and has a long ways to go to before becoming startable in fantasy leagues. Hunter was inactive on Sunday.
Late last week, Jacksonville Jaguars beat writer Mark Long gave dynasty owners a sleeper via Twitter, "This much is clear: Jaguars are in love with new WR Stephen Burton. They want to see what he can do in game after 2 stellar practices." Burton is very athletic and gets extended playing time while Justin Blackmon sits out his four-game suspension.
Baltimore Ravens receiver Jacoby Jones, who sprained his knee in Thursday night's game against the Denver Broncos, is expected to miss four-to-six weeks, a MRI revealed last Friday. Rookie Marlon Brown took over after Jones departed, and played well. He will see ample targets as opposing defenses double team Torrey Smith, the Ravens' long deep threat.
After he was released by the San Diego Chargers, many wondered if wide receiver Robert Meachem would get another shot. It did not take long for his former team, the New Orleans Saints, to ink Meachem to a one-year deal. We fully expect rookie Kenny Stills to keep his spot as the team's third receiver so this move is more about depth than upgrade. Stills was able to get open deep a couple of times in the win over Atlanta.
New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski practiced all five days last week, many in full pads. He looks to be close to a full return from the most recent back surgery. The Patriots did not need Gronkowski against the lowly Buffalo Bills Sunday so it was wise to hold him out of the season opener. He could return this week or next, and will help solidify the receiver corps. Let's keep in mind that New England is has all newcomers (Amendola, Thompkins, Boyce, Dobson, Sudfeld) catching Tom Brady passes, save for Julian Edelman.
The Cincinnati Enquirer reported last week that Bengals rookie Tyler Eifert was "spectacular" in training camp practices. The first round pick may need a few weeks to get going, so time is running out to acquire the talented youngster.
After an originally ominous diagnosis, it was a positive sign when the Baltimore Ravens placed tight end Dennis Pitta on the "injured reserve/designated for return" list while he recovers from hip surgery. While this designation allows Pitta to return to action in week nine, it will likely be December – if then – before the tight end is able to play again. The game against the Broncos illustrated how much the Ravens offense misses Pitta.
Arizona Cardinals tight end Rob Housler has yet to resume practicing since suffering a high-ankle sprain. On Friday, he was ruled out of the season opened against the St. Louis Rams. Against the Rams, the Cardinals used three-receiver sets to compensate for the loss of Housler. Usually, players ruled out early are a week - or longer - away from returning.
On Friday, Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Marcedes Lewis was ruled out for the opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. Lewis injured his calf in Wednesday's practice and could not practice the rest of the week. Given the void of pass catchers in Jacksonville, his presence was missed against the Chiefs. Lewis is also a strong blocker. The only other tight ends on the roster are Allen Reisner, and two recent waiver wire pickups: D.J. Williams, and Clay Harbor. Williams and Harbor are both talented, under-sized players who are better receivers than blockers, and who failed to display consistency at their respective former teams. Reisner was active in the passing game, but the Jaguars air attack was ineffective.
If you have questions of any variety, please feel free to reach out to me on Twitter (Twitter.com/JeffTefertiller), on Google+, or LinkedIn.