We have officially made it through the first week of training camp, and this is the time of year when fantasy managers are flooded with player news. Some reports are meaningful—especially when they reinforce what we already believed about a player—while others are nothing more than camp hype. We also start to uncover a few sleeper candidates, while concerns surrounding struggling players can either be overreactions or confirmation of previous suspicions.
In this article, we’ll break down some of the biggest story lines from the first week of training camp. This isn’t meant to cover every headline—that would take 20-plus scrolls—but rather the news that stood out the most and could have the biggest impact on dynasty managers heading into the 2026 season.
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Marvin Harrison Jr. | Drops = Buy Opportunity
Marvin Harrison Jr.‘s training camp drops have some dynasty managers concerned, but don’t let that scare you away from an elite talent. He has just eight drops through his first two NFL seasons, and even Davante Adams struggled with drops early in his career before becoming one of the league’s best receivers. If anyone in your league is panicking, this is a great opportunity to buy low on Harrison in dynasty.
Mark Andrews | Seeing Plenty of Targets
Mark Andrews has reportedly been one of the standout performers during the first week of training camp and is seeing plenty of targets. That’s an encouraging sign under offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, who spent last season working under Ben Johnson, whose offenses helped maximize tight end production with Sam LaPorta and later Colston Loveland. Andrews has a legitimate chance to re-emerge as a top fantasy tight end in 2026 and is a strong buy for dynasty contenders.
Malik Nabers | Ready for Week 1?
Training camp reports have been overwhelmingly positive for Malik Nabers, who has looked sharp and explosive while running routes. While his Week 1 status is still uncertain, seeing him move this well is an encouraging sign and likely closes the buy-low window that many dynasty managers were hoping for. If you were waiting for a panicked contender to sell at a discount, that opportunity may be slipping away.
James Cook | Seeing More Work as a Pass Catcher
Training camp reports suggest the Bills are getting their running backs more involved in the passing game, which could be a major boost for James Cook and the rest of the backfield. That expanded receiving role could help Cook reach another level of fantasy production during his prime. While Joe Brady remains the play-caller, offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael has a long history of featuring running backs in the passing game from his time in New Orleans, making this a trend worth watching.
Jacksonville Jaguars | Backfield Headaches
The Jaguars backfield will be one of the most intriguing battles to watch throughout August. Bhayshul Tuten has generated plenty of hype and looked good early in camp, while LeQuint Allen has consistently worked with the first-team offense even before Chris Rodriguez returned from injury. Most dynasty managers will focus on Tuten and Rodriguez, but don’t overlook Allen; his pass protection and all-around skill set give him a Kyren Williams-like path to earning a significant role. He’s a sneaky buy-low target in dynasty before his value potentially climbs.
Rookie Wide Receivers | Camp Standouts
A few rookie receivers have generated plenty of buzz during the first week of training camp, with Chiefs wide receiver Cyrus Allen and Dolphins wide receiver Caleb Douglas drawing positive reviews. While it’s encouraging to see, dynasty managers should consider using the hype to sell high for future 2027 draft capital if someone in your league is buying into the camp reports. Allen has made several highlight-reel catches despite not being an elite college producer and is already dealing with a shin bruise, while Douglas has earned first-team reps and flashed big-play ability—but both remain better long-term bets to cash out on than to assume they’ve already broken out.
Blake Corum | Looking Explosive
Sometimes the best training camp news comes from players you were already high on. Blake Corum has reportedly looked explosive throughout camp, and after finishing 2025 on a strong note, it’s another encouraging sign for his long-term dynasty outlook. If he continues to carve out a larger role behind—or alongside—Kyren Williams, Corum’s dynasty value could climb significantly during the 2026 season.
Jaxson Dart | Struggling
Second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart has gotten off to a shaky start in training camp. After an impressive first practice, he has struggled, completing just 26 of 51 attempts (51%) since then. It’s not time to panic; his top target has missed practice, he’s learning a new offense, and there’s plenty of time to improve, but it’s a situation worth monitoring, especially with Matt Nagy coordinating the offense and a breakout season expected from Dart.
Romeo Doubs | A Fade in Dynasty
New Patriots receiver Romeo Doubs has had a relatively quiet first week of training camp, although he did make some noise on Saturday by hauling in five catches. There are at least some early concerns for the presumed WR2 after the addition of A.J. Brown, especially with Kayshon Boutte continuing to generate positive buzz throughout camp. It’s still too early to draw major conclusions, but dynasty managers should watch closely to see if this turns into a buy-low opportunity or the start of more significant red flags for a receiver who just landed a new contract.
Cade Klubnik | Back up Quarterback to Roster
I may be in the minority, but I love stashing backup quarterbacks in dynasty, and Jets rookie Cade Klubnik is giving managers a reason to pay attention. Early training camp reports suggest he’s on track to win the backup job behind Geno Smith, and with how highly I graded him during the pre-draft process, it’s encouraging to see him performing well. If the Jets fall out of contention later in the season, Klubnik could get an opportunity to start in the second half of 2026 and some value heading into 2027.
Seattle Running Backs | Backfield Confusion
The Seahawks’ backfield is one of the more confusing situations to monitor this preseason. Rookie Jadarian Price has been used like a potential three-down back, including plenty of work in the passing game, which is an encouraging sign for his PPR upside. However, reports that Zach Charbonnet could be ready for Week 1 may create some concern and cause Price’s dynasty value to dip, making this a great opportunity to buy low if managers in your league start to panic.
Elic Ayomanor | Year 2 Jump
Second-year receiver Elic Ayomanor has been one of the early standouts in Titans training camp, making several impressive catches with both the first- and second-team offense. While it’s always encouraging to see a young player flash, this is one of those training camp hype stories I’d look to sell. The Titans have invested heavily in their receiving corps, and Ayomanor is likely capped as the WR4 on the depth chart, making now a good time to capitalize on the positive buzz.
Injuries to Know
- Kyle Monangai (RB, Bears) – Currently dealing with a soft tissue injury.
- Alec Pierce (WR, Colts) – Has opened camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. His timeline for returning to practice remains uncertain.
- Xavier Worthy (WR, Chiefs) – Nursing a shoulder injury, the same shoulder that gave him problems last season. While the team doesn’t appear overly concerned, it’s something fantasy managers should keep an eye on.
- Chris Brazzell (WR, Panthers) – Suffered a knee injury that required season-ending surgery, ending his 2026 campaign before it began.
- Ricky Pearsall (WR, 49ers) – Underwent season-ending surgery to address an ongoing PCL issue, creating a significant opportunity in San Francisco’s receiving corps.
Deebo Samuel | Returns to San Francisco
One of the biggest signings early in training camp was Deebo Samuel returning to the 49ers after Ricky Pearsall was lost for the season. While Samuel is still a recognizable name, he’s no longer the dynamic player he was during his prime. Now 30 years old, he projects for roughly 80-90 targets and another 30 rushing attempts, giving him more of a high-end WR4 or weekly flex ceiling than a true fantasy difference-maker.
Samuel can still create after the catch, ranking seventh in yards after the catch last season, but the overall efficiency has started to decline. He ranked 53rd in first downs per route run and 38th in yards per route run, suggesting he still has enough speed to make plays but isn’t consistently creating the impact he once did. In dynasty, I wouldn’t be looking to acquire Samuel, even as a contender. His name value will likely keep his trade price higher than his actual fantasy outlook. It’s also worth noting that he’s finished as a top-30 fantasy wide receiver just three times in seven NFL seasons.
The bigger dynasty takeaway is what this means for rookie De’Zhaun Stribling. The 33rd overall pick has the speed and open-field ability to fit exactly what San Francisco’s offense needs. With Pearsall out, Stribling has a legitimate opportunity to carve out a meaningful role much earlier than expected. If you took a chance on him in rookie drafts, there’s a realistic path for him to emerge as a fantasy WR3 in 2026 if everything breaks in his favor.
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