2022 ROOKIES

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

CHRISTIAN WATSON
WR, GREEN BAY PACKERS

Christian Watson (knee surgery) remains sidelined at Packers camp.

ESPN's Dan Graziano did say on television Wednesday that the team hopes the No. 34 overall pick is back "within another week." The closest we have to an official timeline for Watson is GM Brian Gutekunst saying he would miss "a little bit of time" when he was first placed on the active/PUP list. For what it's worth, coach Matt LaFleur said Wednesday that Watson has been doing a great job of "staying up to speed" (via WFRV's MK Burgess). As Watson sits, fellow rookie Romeo Doubs continues to impress.
SOURCE: NFL.com

Aug 10, 2022, 5:51 PM ET

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GEORGE PICKENS
WR, PITTSBURGH STEELERS

George Pickens caught 3-of-5 targets for 43 yards and one touchdown in the Steelers' preseason opener Saturday.

Aug 13, 2022, 10:12 PM ET

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KENNY PICKETT
QB, PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Kenny Pickett completed 13-of-15 passes for 95 yards and two touchdowns in the Steelers' preseason opener Saturday.

Mitch Trubisky got the start for the Steelers, and Mason Rudolph was the second quarterback in the game before Pickett got the entire second half. The rookie was playing against Seattle's deep reserves, but he delivered against the weak competition. All three quarterbacks actually played well, as Trubisky and Rudolph each had touchdown throws. But Pickett is going to be the talk of the town after leading a game-winning touchdown drive as time expired, hitting Tyler Vaughns for the winning 24-yard score. Pickett had the whole Pittsburgh crowd going, and fans are going to be calling for him to start.

Aug 13, 2022, 10:06 PM ET

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SAM HOWELL
QB, WASHINGTON COMMANDERS

Commanders QB Sam Howell completed 8-of-15 passes for 129 yards in Washington's 23-21 preseason loss to Carolina, adding three carries for 19 yards and two rushing touchdowns.

Howell looked limber and didn't necessarily seem to be scrambling just to run for most of the game. It was the second half against Carolina's D-Team backups, but perhaps Howell can use this as a stepping stone to challenge Taylor Heinicke for the No. 3 job. He certainly has pedigree on his side. One of his scores was on a sneak, the other on a scramble.

Aug 13, 2022, 4:18 PM ET

[Cactus Jack]

GEORGE PICKENS
WR, PITTSBURGH STEELERS

George Pickens caught 3-of-5 targets for 43 yards and one touchdown in the Steelers' preseason opener Saturday.

Aug 13, 2022, 10:12 PM ET

Pickens is going to be a stud. Might end up being the best WR from this rookie class.

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CHRISTIAN WATSON
WR, GREEN BAY PACKERS

Packers activated WR Christian Watson (knee) and TE Robert Tonyan (ACL recovery) from the active/PUP list.

This doesn't necessarily mean they will be ready to play right away, as Packers coach Matt LaFleur said they'd "start out" doing individual drills. But it's a good sign that they could be ready for the start of the regular season.
SOURCE: Tom Silverstein on Twitter

Aug 14, 2022, 3:16 PM ET

[Jikkle]

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Too bad he got his shoulder dinged up but at least it's nothing serious and he'll probably be fine for the regular season.

Looks like he could develop into a steal and I'm hoping he could provide at least some quality situational pass rush this season while he develops.

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

KHALIL SHAKIR
WR, BUFFALO BILLS

Bills WR Khalil Shakir caught 5-of-5 targets for 92 yards in Buffalo's 27-24 preseason win over Indianapolis.

The Athletic's Joe Buscaglia notes that Shakir played on the boundary and in the slot, and he could be "quickly turning himself into an option to be their fourth receiver and their-go-to backup boundary receiver for Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis." It says something about Shakir's status that he played as most of the Bills starters sat out in the preseason, but he was legitimately impressive in his preseason debut and has been getting plenty of hype in camp.
SOURCE: The Athletic

Aug 14, 2022, 1:55 PM ET

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JAHAN DOTSON
WR, WASHINGTON COMMANDERS

The Washington Post reports "buzz has been building" for first-round WR Jahan Dotson in Commanders camp.

Beat writer Sam Fortier reports the No. 16 overall pick has displayed "polished routes" and "big-play ability." We have heard a steady drumbeat of praise, as well, though the fact remains Dotson will be no better than the No. 2 passing-game option in an offense quarterbacked by Carson Wentz. Fantasy managers ignore real life draft capital at their own peril, but we doubt Dotson will rise above WR4 status in 2022, and even that could be a stretch.

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SOURCE: Washington Post

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

Wow. I thought he would have been better than this. I actually thought that he would have been a better scheme fit in Kyle’s offense than TDP.

PIERRE STRONG
RB, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

NBC Sports Boston's Phil Perry reports fourth-round RB Pierre Strong has been the "invisible man" of Patriots camp.

"Even as he's progressed physically and played more, he hasn't stood out," Perry observes. This would certainly explain why Ty Montgomery and Rhamondre Stevenson are generating so much pass-catching hype out of the Patriots' deep backfield. We haven't seen anything to suggest Strong is worth a PPR flier in 12-team leagues.
SOURCE: NBC Sports Boston

Aug 18, 2022, 4:29 PM ET

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CHRISTIAN WATSON
WR, GREEN BAY PACKERS

Packers beat reporter Tom Silverstein reports Packers WR Christian Watson (knee) participated in warmups ahead of Friday's preseason game against the Saints.

Watson isn't expected to play in this game, but it's an encouraging sign for the rookie who just came off the PUP list on Sunday. The 2022 second-round pick has a lot to catch up on after missing the last several weeks while recovering from knee surgery, but he should see opportunities to contribute at some point this season. He'll also have to overcome the training camp hype for Romeo Doubs, who seems to have stolen the hearts of fantasy managers over the last several weeks. Watson brings tremendous size and athleticism to the wide receiver position but is nothing more than a bench stash in redraft leagues at this time.
SOURCE: Tom Silverstein on Twitter

Aug 19, 2022, 7:38 PM ET

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TYQUAN THORNTON
WR, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Longtime Patriots beat writer Tom Curran has called second-round WR Tyquan Thornton his "biggest surprise" of Pats camp.

Thornton has been drawing consistently solid reviews. "Not just a straight-line blur, he’s outstanding at changing speeds and setting up sudden breaks which a lot of fast guys struggle with," Curran observed. "He’s shown physicality and toughness despite being shaped like a Q-tip. He’s got excellent body control. He’s mature. I’m excited to watch him." Thornton's 4.28 speed was definitely a missing element for the Patriots' receiver corps. Now we will just have to see if it can earn him consistent early-season snaps in a crowded group. The WR85 on Yahoo, Thornton is essentially free in fantasy drafts.

Aug 18, 2022, 4:14 PM ET

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ISAIAH LIKELY
TE, BALTIMORE RAVENS

Ravens TE Isaiah Likely caught 8-of-8 targets for 100 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's preseason game against the Cardinals.

All of the fourth-rounder's production came in the first half. Likely is now up to 12 grabs for 144 yards through two exhibition tilts and is beginning to look like he might make some regular season noise. Likely has flashed intriguing stop/start ability and done damage after the catch. Perhaps most encouragingly, Pro Football Focus' Nathan Jahnke charted much of Sunday's production coming in two-TE sets. That will be Likely's key to getting on the field and commanding targets in an offense that has All-Pro TE Mark Andrews but is desperately low on receivers.

Aug 21, 2022, 10:18 PM ET