One of the best rushers of the modern era, Chubb retires with four Pro Bowl appearances and one second-team All-Pro nod on his resumé. The Browns drafted Chubb with the No. 35 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He spent seven seasons with them, clearing 1,000 yards on the ground four times, and spent his final NFL season with the Texans. Chubb retires with 7,349 rushing yards, 54 rushing touchdowns, 141 receptions, 1,109 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns.

What exactly does this mean? It probably means that Stribling is a clear-cut starter in three-wide receiver sets, but Barrows did not expand on the matter. Barrows recently reported that WR Deebo Samuel will take over “a portion” of the Z-receiver role, while also contributing as a “wide back.” The remaining portion of the Z-receiver role in two-wide receiver sets could end up going to Stribling. He’s certainly made a strong case with his preseason play, but coach Kyle Shanahan is sometimes hesitant to feature rookies right away. Regardless, Stribling can be viewed as a FLEX starter with easy WR3 upside in the season opener.

The AFC West showdown takes place on September 14th, giving Mahomes just over three weeks to fit in a little extra rehab. Schefter adds that Mahomes has “cleared every hurdle” in training camp this summer. He has missed zero reps and reportedly “looks strong” on the practice field. Mahomes can be treated as a fantasy football QB1.

Kittle reportedly had “an encouraging visit” with his orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, today. According to Schefter, Kittle’s recovery is ahead of schedule, and he has a real chance to take a seat on the team plane when his team flies to Australia roughly one week before their Week 1 game kicks off. This is the second positive report regarding Kittle’s recovery this week. He remains a TE1 entering his age-32 season, coming off a season-ending injury.

LaPorta mysteriously missed practice on Wednesday. Lions HC Dan Campbell told reporters Thursday that the 25-year-old tight end is dealing with a hip injury. They’re letting him rest. Campbell told reporters he doesn’t believe it’s a long-term injury and that LaPorta could be ready for the start of the regular season, but he isn’t sure. Already coming off a back injury that required season-ending surgery last year, LaPorta has picked up another red flag with a preseason injury.

Lemon was back at practice for the first time in weeks. The first-round receiver missed most of minicamp and training camp up to this point with a hamstring injury. While Lemon is playing from behind, there’s plenty of time for him to work his way into the offensive game plan ahead of the Eagles’ Week 1 matchup against the Commanders.

It’s a devastating blow for the second-year pro and the Houston offense. Higgins was set to be the team’s No. 2 wideout behind Nico Collins this season after posting 525 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie operating mostly as a downfield threat. Higgins’ absence in the Texans offense leaves the team without much depth at the position. Expect Xavier Hutchinson to take on a much more prominent role in the balanced Houston offense while Tank Dell and Jaylin Noel see a bump in snaps and routes. It’s hard to say any Texans receiver not named Nico will have much in the way of fantasy value in 2026.

Pollard had missed two practices with a foot issue he picked up in the Titans’ preseason game against the Niners over the weekend. Pollard went for 22 yards and a touchdown on four carries against San Francisco while Tyjae Spears had 35 yards on four rushes. Spears caught one pass in the game while Pollard was not involved in the pass game. Pollard profiles as a flex option in 12-team leagues, though he could be touchdown dependent with Spears taking on much of the pass-catching role.

Black had missed two weeks with a thigh injury before emerging as the clear top running back with McCaffrey sidelined. Barrows said Black “certainly didn’t look rusty, taking an early carry to the left for 50 yards and showing violence and strength on several ensuing runs. Black also had a catch at the goal line in a red zone drill.” Niners players and coaches were impressed by Black, who was taken with the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. “I thought he looked good hitting the hole and running hard,” Brock Purdy said. “You could tell there was a different level of intensity when he touched the ball.” With Jordan James struggling through a broken rib, Black will have a real chance to establish himself as the Niners’ RB2 ahead of the regular season. Black should be stashed in deeper fantasy formats in case CMC, 30, misses time in 2026.

Biadasz sustained a major knee injury this week in joint practices with the 49ers. Schefter said Biadasz sustained “damage to his ACL and additional injuries to his left knee,” and will seek second opinions on how to deal with the injury. That’s never a good sign, and likely means Biadasz is done for the 2026 season. His absence could be a blow for Omarion Hampton and the Chargers’ run game under new OC Mike McDaniel.