Player News

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce hopes to prove he's more than just a "deep threat." "I think there's a lot more to my game," Pierce said recently. "I just want to have the chance to be able to showcase that." The 24-year-old has displayed brief glimpses of promise in his first two seasons in the league, amassing 73 catches for 1,107 yards and four touchdowns in 33 games. Michael Pittman Jr. is the No. 1 wideout on the depth chart. However, Pierce seems eager to show everyone that he's more than a one-dimensional player, so he could be in line for his most productive season to date, especially if quarterback Anthony Richardson can play at a high level. He'll be competing for the No. 2 spot primarily with Adonai Mitchell, who the Colts selected in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey was selected at the beginning of the second round in the 2024 NFL Draft, and he has a chance to make a significant impact right away after the organization moved on from Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Austin Ekeler this offseason. The veteran trio was responsible for most of L.A.'s receiving production over the last few seasons, so there are big holes to fill in Justin Herbert's offense. According to Herbert, McConkey has excelled right away. "He's just picked up the offense so easily. It's like he's been a four- or five-year vet," Herbert said. "He understands the game." The Georgia product didn't have impressive numbers in college, but he was sharing the field with standout tight end Brock Bowers in a run-heavy offense and dealt with several injuries. If he becomes Herbert's go-to target right away, he has at least weekly flex appeal and WR2 upside in 2024.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill signed a four-year, $120 million contract with the organization after he was traded from the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2022 offseason. However, he is seeking a new deal after Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown, and Amon-Ra St. Brown each signed new contracts this offseason that each exceed Hill's $30 million average salary. "I'm very proud of those guys, for guys like me, that's great," Hill said. "I'm 30 years old.. also looking for a new deal. I'm excited to see where I fit in." Hill's 3,509 receiving yards since 2022 are the most among all wideouts by 401 yards, so while he has the right to ask for more money, it could make the contract situation with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa more tricky to navigate.

Former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver K.J. Osborn, who is heading into his fifth NFL season in 2024, has positioned himself as an early leader among New England Patriots receivers this offseason. Osborn will need to build on his offseason progress in training camp this summer, but he was usually first through drills during organized team activities and mandatory minicamp. ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss believes that Osborn, slot receiver Demario Douglas and rookie second-rounder Ja'Lynn Polk could easily be the team's top three targets to open the year if everyone is healthy. And Kendrick Bourne (knee) is expected to be healthy as he returns from a torn ACL and should be part of the mix as well. The 27-year-old Osborn should be used as more of a traditional receiver in New England, but he still has a ways to go to become fantasy relevant in standard 12-team redraft leagues.

The New England Patriots tried to trade into the end of the first round of April's NFL draft for a wide receiver, according to multiple NFL sources, but they eventually settled on Washington's Ja'Lynn Polk at No. 37 early in the second round. Polk's toughness and relentless mentality reflected well on the culture that executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and first-year head coach Jerod Mayo hope to create. The 22-year-old's toughness and physicality have stood out since his days in high school. He caught 69 passes for 1,159 yards and nine touchdowns with the Huskies in 2023 and has a chance to carve out an immediate niche role in New England's receiving corps in his rookie season. Mayo referred to Polk as a "self-starter." Polk will probably go undrafted in most single-year fantasy leagues, but he's a name to watch in training camp this summer.

New York Jets running back Breece Hall (lower half) missed some organized team activities and mandatory minicamp this offseason with an undisclosed "lower-half" injury, but Hall said it was out of precaution and he now feels "back to my old self." Hall was mostly rehabbing his torn left ACL last offseason and he admitted he returned a little tentative in 2023, but he still managed nearly 1,000 yards rushing and caught 76 passes for a league high 591 receiving yards in 17 games after quarterback Aaron Rodgers (Achilles) suffered a season-ending injury early in Week 1. The 23-year-old finished with 507 scrimmage yards in the final three games and is on the rise heading into 2024, especially with Rodgers now back healthy. In most fantasy formats, Hall is going to be the second RB off the board in drafts this fall after Christian McCaffrey.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas has put in extra work this offseason, hoping to be more productive in his second year in the National Football League. "I would say Andrei and Chase (Brown) made the fastest improvement of any players I've ever had in the program," said head coach Zac Taylor. "I've never had two players improve faster." The 24-year-old showed flashes of promise during the 2023-24 campaign, finishing the season with 15 catches for 116 yards and four touchdowns. With Tyler Boyd no longer in the equation and Tee Higgins uncertain to remain in Cincinnati beyond this season, Iosivas could find himself lining up opposite Ja'Marr Chase at some point in the near future. While he has a way to go before earning the trust of redraft fantasy participants, he's worth stashing in dynasty formats.

San Francisco 49ers star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk said he wants to stay with the team this season despite a contract stalemate with the Niners. Aiyuk is entering the final season of his rookie deal but told TMZ Sports at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday that he's ready to play for the 49ers although the two sides have yet to agree on an extension. In a video on TikTok this month, Aiyuk told Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, his former Arizona State teammate, that "they said they don't want me back." ESPN's Jeremy Fowler also reported that talks between Aiyuk and the Niners "have stalled a bit." He's slated to count $14.124 million against the 2024 salary cap. Coming off a 75-catch, 1,342-yard, seven touchdown season, Aiyuk should stick around in the Bay Area for at least this season and should be viewed as a low-end WR1 in fantasy.

ESPN's Sarah Barshop lists Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp as one of the team's most surprising offseason standouts, which even she admits is odd. Kupp, who was the 2021 receiving triple-crown winner, has played through significant injuries in each of the past two seasons. He finished 2023 with 59 catches for 737 yards and five touchdowns, his fewest receiving yards since 2018, when he played in only eight games. However, Kupp is healthy this offseason, and it showed on the practice field. Head coach Sean McVay said during organized team activities that he doesn't think "anyone really understands the amount of things [Kupp was] working through last season" with his injury and that the receiver has been able to build his body "from the ground up." Fantasy managers shouldn't be expecting the 2021 version of Kupp anymore, especially with Puka Nacua in the fold, but if he's healthy, he can still deliver value as a low-end WR2/high-end WR3 in 2024.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy received a three-year, $52.5 million extension from the Browns less than a week after being acquired from the Denver Broncos in a trade this offseason. Jeudy didn't participate in the on-field portion of minicamp due to an undisclosed injury. He may not have been taking on-field reps during offseason practices, but he was at the facilities and has been seen as the receiver who could benefit the most from choice routes in offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey's scheme. Receivers coach Chad O'Shea said Jeudy has "made so much progress learning the offense" despite not getting on the field yet. The former first-rounder was a bust in his four years with Denver and will be the clear No. 2 behind Amari Cooper in Cleveland. He should see plenty of time in the slot and has a chance to bounce back with the Browns, but he's currently being drafted as more of a WR5/6 in fantasy.