Training Camp Daily Dose: Dose: Zeke Nursing Hamstring
After a long, fairly quiet offseason, the NFL is finally back. All 32 squads are in training camp preparing for the upcoming season meaning the exhaustive wait for games is nearly over. Even though camps have just begun, depth chart battles, injuries and preseason games will shake up the fantasy landscape in the coming days and weeks. The best part of the year is right around the corner.
In Thursday’s Dose, we’ll cover all pertinent training camp news with a forward slant on how it affects the fantasy-scape.
Let’s get to it.
Editor’s Note: For updated rankings, projections, player profiles, positional tiers, mock drafts, sleepers and busts, exclusive columns and plenty more, check out our Draft Guide!
The Headlines
Fantasy football’s second costliest back per current ADP had a bit of a scare on Wednesday. Cowboys’ rookie rusher Ezekiel Elliott’s right hamstring is “sore” and he’ll miss “some time” nursing the injury. Dallas will be extremely cautious in the next days and weeks with their No. 4 overall investment, especially this early in camp. Granted, Elliott’s sore hamstring isn’t viewed as serious at the moment, however it does add a slight element of extra risk for the top-2 fantasy back. Per numberFire’s analytics, 37.1 percent of running backs who have soft tissue (tendons/ligaments) injuries in the preseason miss at least one week of playing time during the regular season with the same injury. Elliott’s slight hamstring issue will be one of the biggest news items to follow in the coming days.
In somewhat surprising news, Bucs’ coach Dirk Koetter mentioned that third-year tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins was one of the players on Tampa’s roster that is “fighting for a job” during camp. The Bucs’ have TE Cameron Brate directly in tow. Seferian-Jenkins’ offseason has been a roller coaster ride after battling a shoulder injury for most of the 2015 campaign. After returning to full health this offseason, Seferian-Jenkins was kicked off of the practice field in June for disagreeing with coaches. Tensions can run hot in Florida’s summer heat, but there has been a steady negative drum beat all offseason surrounding the talented tight end. Last season, Seferian-Jenkins led all tight ends in fantasy points per snap and was second in yards per route run. Usually off of the re-draft board by the mid-14th round, hopefully Seferian-Jenkins can turn it around after a poor early start to the season.
Despite varying reports for a return timetable, Josh Doctson is expected to miss “no more than two weeks” while he nurses a “sore” Achilles’. Doctson has been sidelined since May with the injury. Battling an Achilles’ injury — even a minor one — is a obviously a suboptimal start for 2016’s No. 22 overall draft pick. In Doctson’s absence, Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson have been taking first team training camp reps split outside while Jamison Crowder mans the slot. Not surprisingly, Doctson’s re-draft average draft position (WR58) has started to dip in wake of the news. Look for Josh Doctson’s cost to continue to sink in the next few weeks while Jamison Crowder’s stock rises:
In Other News…
Early camp reports surrounding Steelers’ WR Sammie Coates have been overwhelmingly positive. Coates has been a “regular” in Pittsburgh’s three-wide receiver sets so far, which is absolutely crucial for his value because the Steelers run their base offense out of three wide receiver sets. Per ESPN’s Mike Clay, the Steelers have three wideouts on the field 74 percent of the time when passing over the past five years. Coates has a ton of upside in the double-digit rounds of drafts as Ben Roethlisberger has supported two top-30 (PPR points/game) receivers in four of the last five years.
Adrian Peterson returned to practice on Wednesday after missing the first few days of Vikings’ camp nursing a hamstring injury. The ailment is not considered overly serious. Peterson has signaled he wants to play some during the 2016 preseason — which is not par for his course — but Minnesota may have other plans to keep their star rusher healthy. Preseason DFS enthusiasts can safely fire up Jerick McKinnon for the next month.
Quick Hits
Eagles 5th-rounder Wendell Smallwood (quadriceps) missed practiced on Wednesday… Cowboys’ backup QB Kellen Moore (ankle) is expected to miss 3-4 months… Bears’ RG Kyle Long (calf) returned to practice Wednesday… Three years of hamstring issues continue for Jags’ WR Marqise Lee… Five months removed from ankle surgery, Browns’ cornerback Joe Haden is expected to be ready for the start of the season… Panthers’ WR Stephen Hill not only tore his ACL in last year’s training camp, he also tore two additional ligaments in his knee… Packers’ 2015 third round pick Ty Montgomery (ankle surgery) remains without a timetable for return.
