Player News

Running back David Johnson officially announced his retirement on Sunday. The 32-year-old was taken in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He played for three teams, suiting up for the Cardinals, Texans, and Saints. However, Johnson's most productive years were in Arizona, where he had his best season in 2016 by rushing for 1,239 yards and 16 touchdowns off 293 carries and adding 80 catches for 879 yards and four touchdowns. Unfortunately, injuries didn't allow him to recapture the same magic from the 2016 season, although he still had a productive career, ending with 4,071 rushing yards, 2,805 receiving yards, and 57 total touchdowns.

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer, who is heading into his second year in the NFL, is excited to work with rookie tight end Brock Bowers, who the Raiders selected in the first round this year. Bowers fell to the Raiders at No. 13 overall. "He's fast. He's got great hands. He can block. He can do it all. I feel like we can both do it all," Mayer said. Mayer wasn't all that involved in the Raiders' offense in his rookie campaign, catching just 27 passes for 304 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games played. Given Bowers' pedigree, Mayer figures to be the No. 2 TE in 2024, even in 12 personnel, which the Raiders ran just 14.2% of the time last year. Unless Bowers misses time due to an injury in his first year in the league, Mayer is going to have a hard time standing out for fantasy managers.

Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (leg) has made a speedy recovery from a gunshot wound, and his trainer Delfonte Diamond posted videos of him running routes and performing drills at the University of Houston on Saturday. Dell suffered a flesh wound in a mass Florida shooting, with the bullet piercing the back of his leg and going through the front of his leg, according to sources. The 24-year-old looked explosive on Saturday and appears to be full go as the offseason continues on. Despite Dell looking good, Diamond said he thinks head coach DeMeco Ryans and team officials will hold Dell out for the most part this offseason until training camp at the end of July. After catching 47 passes (75 targets) for 709 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games (eight starts) in his rookie season in 2023 before suffering a season-ending injury, Dell's fantasy arrow is firmly pointing upward.

Free-agent wide receiver Michael Thomas remains without a team. However, that could change, with Zachary Smith of the Steelers Afternoon Drive reporting that Pittsburgh has been in contact with the veteran. Thomas was once the NFL's top wideout. He's appeared in 83 regular season games, totaling 565 catches for 6,569 yards and 36 touchdowns. Unfortunately, Thomas hasn't had a productive season in years. But there could still be gas left in the tank of the 31-year-old, and he might get plenty of work for the Steelers if he signs. With that said, there should be more updates, so fantasy managers should continue to monitor the situation moving ahead.

According to 33rd Team's Marcus Mosher, Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. is still viewed by some as the No. 1 option on the depth chart. Without question, Austin Ekeler's presence has many believing Robinson's role will significantly reduce. However, Mosher indicated this might not be the case, especially with a change in the coaching staff, including new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who helped James Conner remain a viable fantasy threat during his time as the head coach in Arizona. Robinson has appeared in 27 games for the Commanders over the last two seasons. Although the 25-year-old wasn't always consistent, he still amassed 1,530 yards and seven touchdowns off 383 carries. He also scored five times on the receiving end. Surely, Ekeler will get his touches. Yet, fantasy managers shouldn't dismiss Robinson, with his ceiling rising even more if Ekeler goes down with an injury at some point in the year.

Free-agent running back Cam Akers appears to be looking to return to the National Football League, with the 24-year-old posting a video on X of himself working out. Akers was once considered one of the NFL's most promising young players. His best season was in 2022, where he finished with 786 yards and seven touchdowns off 188 carries. Unfortunately, after struggling to remain healthy during his career, the Rams, the team he played on for four seasons, cut ties by trading him to Minnesota. Yet, he barely made a blip on the fantasy radar before the Vikings eventually declined to offer him a new contract. With that said, Akers could find himself on a new team for the 2024-25 campaign. However, while his talent has never been much of an issue, he won't do anything for fantasy managers if he can't stay on the field, no matter where he potentially signs.

Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (leg) is making progress after suffering a gunshot wound as an innocent bystander roughly three weeks ago. The wideout, who also suffered a broken fibula at the end of the 2023-24 campaign, posted a video to the social media platform Instagram of him running routes. This is an excellent sign for Dell, and it appears he's moving in the right direction toward being ready to suit up for Week 1. Of course, fantasy managers will feel better once he's officially cleared. The 2023 third-round pick had 47 catches for 709 yards and seven touchdowns before his year abruptly ended. But besides the injuries, he'll battle with Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins, among others, for the attention of C.J. Stroud in 2024-25, which isn't good news regarding his fantasy outlook.

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts called himself a "super rookie" as he enters the fourth year of his NFL career in 2024. "I'm not a rookie rookie. But we're all in this new offense, new regime, new schedule. We're all in this fresh," Pitts said. The former first-round pick has a new head coach in Raheem Morris, a new offensive coordinator in Zac Robinson and a new quarterback in Kirk Cousins this year. Pitts had 1,027 receiving yards in his rookie year in 2021 but suffered a season-ending knee injury in Year 2, and he wasn't 100% in 2023 despite playing in all 17 games. The 23-year-old is fully healthy now and taking part in OTAs this offense as he works to learn the new offense and gain chemistry with Cousins. Pitts could easily have his best season to date in 2024 if both he and Cousins (coming off a torn Achilles) can stay healthy.

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson caught 19 passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie in 2022, but he enters the 2024 season as the team's top tight end after catching 71 passes for 761 yards and five touchdowns in 2023. "To me, I think I'm not even scratching my surface," Ferguson said. He has taken part in the Tight End University program led by Greg Olsen, George Kittle and Travis Kelce, and TEs coach Lunda Wells thinks Ferguson can go for 1,000 yards receiving. Ferguson is trying to add a little more bulk to his 252-pound frame this offseason to help him as a blocker. Not only does Ferguson have the skills to continue ascending, but he has great chemistry with quarterback Dak Prescott. There's uncertainty at the No. 3 receiver position behind CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks in Dallas, too, so Ferguson could take another step forward as a TE1 in 2024.

The car of Kansas City Chiefs rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy was stolen this week, according to a spokesperson for the Kansas City Police Department. The car was reported stolen around noon on Monday, according to Sgt. Phil DiMartino. Worthy was not with the vehicle when it was taken and he is unharmed. The Chiefs took Worthy in the first round (28th overall) of last month's NFL draft after trading up with the Buffalo Bills. The speedy pass-catcher set a record at this year's NFL scouting combine with a time of 4.21 seconds in the 40-yard dash. The 21-year-old could have a key role in KC's offense in his rookie year, especially if Rashee Rice is handed down a suspension for his off-the-field situation this offseason. At just 5-foot-11, 165 pounds, there are questions about Worthy's durability, and he's also had issues with dropped passes, but his speed element alone in the Chiefs offense could make him worth a late-round flier in fantasy drafts this fall.