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DJ Giddens: Competing for backup role
Sunday, June 28, 2026 10:01 AM
After a quiet rookie season, Giddens will compete against Seth McGowan for the backup running back role behind Jonathan Taylor for the 2026 season, Paul Pretl of USA Today reports.
Giddens was a fifth-round selection of the Colts in the 2025 NFL Draft. He finished his rookie year with 26 carries for 96 yards across nine regular-season games, though 20 of those touches came in Weeks 1 and 18. Per Bretl, Colts head coach Shane Steichen told reporters in early June that Giddens' growth and knowledge of the team's offensive scheme puts the latter ahead of McGowan for the RB2 job heading into training camp.
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Tre Tucker: Remains key cog in WR corps
Sunday, June 28, 2026 9:44 AM
As his fourth season as a pro approaches, Tucker is set to reprise his key role in a Raiders WR corps that also includes free-agent addition Jalen Nailor, 2025 draftees Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton as well as rookie sixth-round rookie Malik Benson, Levi Edwards of the team's official site reports.
Per Edwards, there's also been speculation that Las Vegas will consider adding a veteran free agent in the coming weeks, but as things stand, Tucker, who caught 57 passes (on 92 targets) for 696 yards and five TDs in 17 regular-season games in 2025, is in line to serve as a key target for QBs Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza. In that context, the 2023 third-rounder should continue to see enough volume to merit lineup consideration in deeper formats, while his fantasy upside in 2026 is linked to the possibility of improvements in the Raiders' passing game, with both a new head coach (Klint Kubiak ) and a new starting signal caller on board.
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DJ Moore: Settling in as Allen's top target
Saturday, June 27, 2026 6:04 PM
Quarterback Josh Allen said in late June that Moore has been "a pretty seamless fit" and is "going to be a huge help" for Buffalo's offense in 2026, Nick Shook of NFL.com reports.
Moore was acquired by the Bills from Chicago in March for a second-round pick, and the 29-year-old veteran steps into a new wide receiver room alongside Khalil Shakir to provide Allen a true proven No. 1 receiver for the first time since Stefon Diggs' departure back in 2024. Catching passes from one of the NFL's premier quarterbacks will aid Moore as he looks to bounce back from a down 2025 season with the Bears, in which he totaled a career-worst 50-682-6 receiving line despite suiting up for all 17 regular-season games. Moore faces less competition for targets in Buffalo, as behind Shakir and tight end Dalton Kincaid, the likes of Joshua Palmer, Keon Coleman and Skyler Bell fill out the team's receiver corps. If Moore can demonstrate that he hasn't lost a step at age 29, he'll be in position to bounce back in 2026 even if his best days are behind him.
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Malik Benson: Impressing early
Saturday, June 27, 2026 12:45 PM
Benson turned heads during the Raiders' mandatory minicamp, Levi Edwards of the team's official site reports.
Edwards identified Benson as one of the biggest standouts of the Raiders' offseason program, noting that the rookie connected with multiple quarterbacks on deep passes during practices open to the media. The sixth-round pick enters training camp in what Ryan McFadden of ESPN reports to be an open competition at wide receiver, and his speed and ability to stretch the field could help him carve out a role if he builds on that momentum. Tre Tucker, Jalen Nailor, Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton represent Benson's main competition for snaps.
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Ricky Pearsall: Poised to start opposite Evans
Saturday, June 27, 2026 12:02 PM
Pearsall is expected to enter training camp as San Francisco's starting wide receiver opposite Mike Evans, Kyle Madson of USA Today reports.
Pearsall is positioned for a significant role after injuries limited him to nine regular-season appearances in 2025. With Jauan Jennings having signed with the Vikings and Brandon Aiyuk seemingly out of the picture, the 25-year-old clearly projects as Brock Purdy's No. 2 wide receiver behind Evans. Christian Kirk is expected to handle slot duties, while rookie second-round pick De'Zhaun Stribling and Demarcus Robinson provide depth, but it's Pearsall and Evans who project to see the field in 21 personnel sets, which the 49ers deployed at a league-high rate in 2025. A healthy season would position Pearsall for the biggest workload of his NFL career.
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Isiah Pacheco: Embracing complementary role
Saturday, June 27, 2026 11:51 AM
Pacheco appears locked into Detroit's No. 2 running back role behind Jahmyr Gibbs as training camp approaches, Ben Raven of MLive reports.
Running backs coach Tashard Choice has challenged Pacheco during spring activities to "love every possession," emphasizing the importance of maximizing a complementary workload behind Gibbs rather than focusing on snap counts. After injuries slowed Pacheco over the past two seasons in Kansas City, the 27-year-old is embracing his new opportunities and is expected to play a key role in Detroit's backfield. While Gibbs remains the Lions' clear workhorse, Pacheco's physical running style should earn him steady touches and give him significant fantasy upside if he's forced into a larger workload. Sione Vaki is also in the mix for reps behind Gibbs.
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Mike Gesicki: Back for Year 3 with Bengals
Saturday, June 27, 2026 10:16 AM
As the coming season approaches, Gesicki profiles as the main receiving option in a Bengals tight end corps that also features Drew Sample, who makes most of his impact as an inline blocker, John Sheeran of A to Z Sports reports.
Also competing for TE slotting are Erick All (knee), Tanner Hudson, Jack Endries, Cam Grandy and Josh Kattus. Gesicki saw his production drop last season to 28 catches (on 42 targets) for 307 yards and two TDs in 13 regular-season games, down from the 65-665-2 line he posted in 2024, his first year with Cincinnati. Four missed games of his own, along with injuries limiting star QB Joe Burrow to eight regular-season appearances in 2025, didn't help Gesicki's cause, but with Noah Fant (34 catches on 41 targets) no longer in the mix, Gesicki has a chance to rebound as a secondary target with some streaming utility in a 2026 passing attack that will continue to lean heavily on WRs Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, as well as RB Chase Brown.
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Eli Heidenreich: Works mostly at RB during OTAs
Friday, June 26, 2026 8:26 PM
Heidenreich, who is currently listed as both a running back and wide receiver on the Steelers' official website, "overwhelmingly lined up in the backfield" in team drills and worked mostly with the running backs for individual drills during OTAs, Mike DeFabo of The Athletic reports.
Heidenreich excelled as both a wideout and running back in college with Navy, and Steelers running backs coach Ramon Chinyoung Sr. has fittingly referred to the rookie as a "Swiss Navy knife." That seemingly boosts Heidenreich's chances of making the opening 53-man roster, but DeFabo still sees the seventh-round draft pick as more likely to begin his NFL career on the practice squad. Still, Heidenreich is an intriguing young player due to his unique skill set, which also includes the ability to return kicks. Should Pittsburgh decide to open up the playbook more, Heidenreich could fit in as a change-of-pace weapon, though he's probably going to need to prove capable in pass protection -- something he was rarely asked to do while at Navy.
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Parker Washington: Candidate for extension
Friday, June 26, 2026 7:56 PM
Washington could be the next Jaguars players to receive an extension, Paul Bretlof Jaguars Wire reports.
Bretl cites ESPN's Michael DiRocco, who speculates that Washington is "next in line" to be extended by Jacksonville. DiRocco has also noted that the Jaguars and Washington had "preliminary discussions" about an extension shortly after the end of the 2025 season, so getting a deal done seems to already be on the minds of both the player and the team. Washington was quiet over his first two NFL campaigns before breaking out last year, when he posted career-high marks with 58 catches, 96 targets, 847 receiving yards and five touchdowns while also returning two punts for scores. Washington is expected to remain Jacksonville's top punt returner during the upcoming campaign, and he's slated to be part of a potentially potent wide-receiver trio alongside Brian Thomas and Jakobi Meyers.
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David Montgomery: Central to Texans' plans on offense
Friday, June 26, 2026 7:30 PM
Houston's offseason acquisition of Montgomery should help the team have a more punishing running game and improve in the red zone as well as in play action, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 reports.
The Texans struggled on the ground last season, ranking fourth-worst in the league with an average of 3.9 YPC and tying for second-worst with just nine rushing TDs. The team brought in Montgomery via a trade with Detroit in early March to add power to the position while cutting Joe Mixon (foot) and presumably parting ways with Nick Chubb, who remains a free agent. Montgomery is thus set to lead the team's RB corps alongside Woody Marks, who took hold of the top job as a rookie last season but is slated to work in more of a pass-catching role in 2026. Offensive coordinator Nick Caley has stated that he's also interested in having Montgomery and Marks on the field together in split-back sets at times, per Wilson.
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