Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman spoke highly of J.K. Dobbins (Achilles), saying he is "as good as anybody" when healthy, according to Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Dobbins has endured several major season-ending injuries before, but his offseason recovery has gone quite well and he's in the mix for the lead-back role with Gus Edwards. Both Edwards and Dobbins showed flashes of promise during their time together in Baltimore, but neither should be viewed as anything more than an RB3/FLEX option heading into the 2024 fantasy football season. As it stands, managers favor Edwards (Yahoo ADP of 100) over Dobbins (Yahoo ADP of 168) in redraft leagues.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Taylor Heinicke was 4-for-11 in pass attempts Friday night in a 20-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins. The veteran quarterback was the second to enter the game after rookie sensation Michael Penix Jr., with 6:34 remaining in the second quarter. The veteran signal-caller was partly victimized by playing with second and third-string offensive linemen and skill players, making his poor passing line slightly more understandable. Nevertheless, Heinicke still has a clear lead in his battle with recent signee Nathan Rourke for the No. 3 quarterback job.

Dallas Cowboys running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle have both gotten their share of first-team reps in training camp this summer. In the joint scrimmage with the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday, Dowdle looked very good with his opportunities. With that said, it might've been the best day of camp so far for Elliott, who was decisive in his cuts. His burst was on display as well to hit running lanes and quickly make it to the second and, at times, to the third level of the defense. Dallas' backfield is becoming a compelling storyline to watch for fantasy managers entering 2024, and Sunday's preseason opener against the Rams should help provide some clarity on this situation. As it stands, Elliott should be deemed the early favorite to lead Cowboys backs in snaps and carries this season, as his value in pass protection figures to be invaluable, while Dowdle remains a late-round sleeper with plenty of upside.

Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey (lower body) returned to training camp practice on Thursday and was seen in a helmet and in uniform. McConkey returned to the practice field for the first time since getting injured on Saturday. Because of the injury, it seems unlikely that the Chargers will run the 22-year-old out there for the preseason opener on Saturday against the Seattle Seahawks. With Keenan Allen and Mike Williams no longer in town, McConkey, a second-round pick in this year's draft, is fully expected to start in three-receiver sets right away alongside Joshua Palmer and DJ Chark. McConkey's route-running skills could help him excel at the next level, but there are concerns about target volume in an offense that's expected to be much more run-heavy under new head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman.

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Joshua Palmer appears in position to be the team's No. 1 target to begin 2024. After that on the depth chart, it appears to be an open competition between former first-rounder Quentin Johnston, rookie second-rounder Ladd McConkey, and veteran deep threat DJ Chark. Palmer is a bit of a WR4/5 sleeper pick in fantasy drafts this summer; he produced a solid 9.5 yards per target over 61 targets and 15.3 yards per reception across 38 catches for the Chargers in 2023. In LA's wide open receiving corps and with the most experience in this offense of the bunch, the 24-year-old former third-round pick out of Tennessee figures to be quarterback Justin Herbert's (foot) favorite target during the early going of the season.