📝 News & Notes

• Isaiah Likely carted off field after rolling his ankle and according to Harbaugh “it’s going to be a few weeks” [Jeff Zrebiec]

  My take: While Likely can survive missing the practice time, ankle sprains can have lingering impacts even once back on the field. And them announcing a “few weeks” timeline immediately after could hint towards an absence extending into the regular season. I wasn’t drafting much before but even if I were, I’d hold off until we get more info or see how his ADP adjusts.

• Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason are reported to have a more even split than the Vikings have used in the past [ESPN]

  My take: Aaron Jones is a 30-year old RB coming off one of his least efficient seasons, including only scoring three times on 24 carries inside the 10-yard line. The expectation is Mason will immediately become the goal line back but if he can manage to steal some of the receiving work (which reports have been positive), I think he can significantly outperform his 8th round ADP.

• DJ Giddens emerging as the #2 RB in Indy [Colts Wire]

  My take: This time of year, some of the most valuable information we can get is around who are the true RB handcuffs that are one injury away from major roles. I was a big Giddens fan before the NFL draft and while draft capital wasn’t ideal, if he can claim the #2 behind Jonathan Taylor, with potential opportunity to earn a pass catching role given his skill set, he becomes a top late-round target in all draft formats.

• Anthony Richardson putting together a string of strong practices, increasing chances of getting the starting QB nod [Jake Arthur]

  My take: Richardson winning the starting job would likely be bad for all Colts except for Alec Pierce and Richardson himself. We’d likely see fewer passing attempts and less goal line work for Jonathan Taylor. But that said, if Richardson is the Week 1 starter, he could be the best value in fantasy drafts at his current price. There’s still substantial risk but the upside outweighs it.

• Ladd McConkey, Marquise Brown, Michael Pittman, DeVonta Smith, Cade Otton, and Malik Nabers have all sustained supposedly minor injuries but not expected to keep them out substantial time. We’ll continue to monitor these before we raise our concerns.

📺️ Wanna Watch Me Draft?

You can either catch the replay of me drafting a $500 Big Dog with Davis Mattek from last Friday or today at 3pm ET I’ll be joining Neil Orfield on his channel. If you’re not already, follow me @JustinHerzig where I’ll post links to these and other shows.

📊 Poll of the Day

Yesterday’s poll: If Joe Mixon were declared out for the season, what is the earliest round you'd be willing to draft Nick Chubb?

Let’s start with the positives. Nick Chubb has minimal current competition besides Dameon Pierce who the team has given up on and Woody Marks who profiles as a third-down back. Chubb is the classic veteran who may not have juice but can be trusted in the backfield. That all has to count for something.

Now for the negatives. Nick Chubb had one of the worst seasons of all RBs last year, including finishing dead last among RBs in explosive run rate. His fantasy production is limited as he’s never been much of a pass-catcher and will be running behind one of the leagues worst offensive lines. Oh yeah, and his coach had this to say about him: “Guys age. He’s been through a lot. It’s not always gonna be the same as his early years in the NFL, but what I hang my hat on with him is that this guy loves football. He’s physical, he plays and prepares the right way, really sharp guy in the protection scheme.”

My vote would be in about the 12th or 13th round as he would be the favorite for volume and goal line work but I think rookie Woody Marks would have substantially more upside.