Pittsburgh Steelers

The Denver Broncos waived wide receiver Brandon Johnson on Tuesday, according to a source. In addition to Johnson, the Broncos also parted ways with Tim Patrick, who quickly signed with the Detroit Lions, Lil'Jordan Humphrey and David Sills to trim their roster down to 53 by the deadline. Johnson improved in Year 2 with Denver last year by catching 19 of his 30 targets for 284 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games (two starts), but he wasn't able to make the final cut this summer after the offseason additions of Josh Reynolds and rookie fourth-rounder Troy Franklin. The 26-year-old rejoin the Broncos practice squad to give the team additional depth during the regular season, though. Johnson joined Denver as an undrafted free agent out of Central Florida in 2022.

New York Jets wide receiver Mike Williams (knee) will begin doing team reps at training camp practice on Tuesday, according to head coach Robert Saleh. Williams wasn't among some of the names to be put on the Physically Unable to Perform list for the start of the 2024 regular season, giving more hope to the possibility that he will be active for the Week 1 regular-season opener on Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers. The 29-year-old tore his left ACL in Week 3 with the Los Angeles Chargers last year and has been rehabbing ever since. It's a good sign that he's returning to team reps this week, and he'll have just under two weeks now to build himself up for the start of the season. When healthy, Williams is expected to be the WR2 behind Garrett Wilson and could be one of quarterback Aaron Rodgers' primary red-zone targets because of his size.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (hamstring) said his hamstring is feeling much better and that he expects to play in Week 1 on Sept. 8 against the Atlanta Falcons in just under two weeks. Warren was seen at training camp practice on Monday, but he's not doing all the drills as the Steelers slowly get him back into the fold from a hamstring injury that he suffered in the second preseason game. When the 25-year-old is fully healthy, he's expected to once again operate as a co-starter in Pittsburgh's backfield in 2024 alongside Najee Harris. The third-year back's fantasy ceiling is limited as long as Harris remains healthy, but Warren looked like the better back more often in 2023, averaging 5.3 yards per carry while also catching 61 passes for 370 yards through the air. Warren is a fine fantasy target as an RB3/flex, especially if his draft price has fallen due to his injury in camp.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Johnson had a nice day at the office in the team's 38-12 blowout win over the Arizona Cardinals at Empower Field in Sunday's preseason finale. Johnson caught both of his targets in the contest for a team-high 83 yards and a touchdown. His touchdown came on a 46-yard bomb from quarterback Zach Wilson in the fourth quarter. The 26-year-old third-year pass-catcher also hauled in a 37-yard pass from Wilson a quarter earlier. Even with Johnson's big game to close out the preseason, he isn't guaranteed a spot on the final 53-man roster heading into the regular season. He's been competing with rookies Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele for the No. 5 role this summer after catching 19 of his 30 targets for 284 yards and four touchdowns for the Broncos in 13 games (two starts) in 2023.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens hauled in both of his targets for 26 yards in the team's 24-17 preseason loss to the Detroit Lions. Although he lost six yards on his first reception, the third-year pro made up for it on the very next play with a 32-yard gain on a perfect deep pass from quarterback Russell Wilson. The pair was pulled from the contest immediately following the opening drive, which resulted in a touchdown. Barring any last-minute surprises, Pickens appears primed to enter the regular season as Pittsburgh's undisputed WR1. He offers plenty of upside in the middle rounds of fantasy drafts with the Steelers' offense expected to improve in 2024.