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Training Camp Notes: Fuller Falls To Earth

We're one day away from football, as the Cowboys and Cardinals clash in the annual Hall of Fame Game on Thursday night. Of course, it won't be particularly good football, and it certainly won't be meaningful football other than to the handful of players who might never wear an NFL uniform again after being cut in the coming days and weeks, but it's still football.

In the meantime, training camps will march forward for the rest of the league, with all the accompanying injuries, improvements and depth chart shakeups that come with it. Here's the latest news from around the NFL on Wednesday.

  • the Texans suffered a blow to their receiving corps when Will Fuller broke his collarbone while landing awkwardly on the ground after a catch, and the second-year speedster will be sidelined for 2-3 months. Houston was hoping an offseason to get stronger would help Fuller develop some more consistency, but instead his regular season may not begin until late October or early November, as even after the bone has healed enough that he can resume practicing he'll need some time to ramp up into game shape. In his absence, Jaelen Strong (who played only eight games last year due to an ankle injury) and Braxton Miller (who missed six games last year with a shoulder injury) will compete for snaps opposite DeAndre Hopkins. Neither has tremendous fantasy appeal given the Texans' QB situation, but in deep leagues they should be on your radar in case one of them seizes the opportunity.
  • Sterling Shepard gave the Giants a scare when he was carted off the field, but the team currently thinks he just sprained his ankle rather than suffering a more serious injury. Slotting in as the No. 3 receiver behind Odell Beckham and Brandon Marshall isn't the most fruitful spot from a fantasy perspective, even in the high-volume offense like New York's, but if Shepard does end up missing significant time the biggest beneficiary might be rookie tight end Evan Engram, who might be more useful lined up on the outside rather than as a traditional TE anyway.
  • Laquon Treadwell, who already suffered through an injury-plagued rookie year, missed practice today for undisclosed reasons that head coach Mike Zimmer would neither confirm nor deny were the product of a scrap with defensive back Antone Exum on Monday. The 23rd overall pick in 2016 is already firmly behind Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen on the Vikings depth chart, and another serious injury would open the door for the likes of Jarius Wright to claim Treadwell's spot. It's way too early to call him a bust, but he's got a lot to prove, and another lengthy absence won't help him do it.
  • in happier news, preseason sleeper darling Cameron Meredith is already showing good chemistry with new Bears starting quarterback Mike Glennon and seems ready to take on the mantle of the team's top target. A healthy Kevin White could have something to say about that, of course, but after something of a breakout 2016, Meredith has the physical gifts to grow into the lead role despite having been an undrafted free agent. Chicago's passing game isn't expected to be particularly explosive, but Glennon, Meredith and White have the potential to be a dangerous trio if everything comes together.
  • another receiver who had a breakout performance last year, the Jets' Quincy Enunwa, continued to improve this offseason and has flashed a stickier set of hands through the early part of camp. Eric Decker's departure opens the door for Enunwa to be Gang Green's top wideout, but how much fantasy value that role actually carries is a big question given the team's shaky QB situation and clear intent to try and nab the first overall pick in the 2018 draft.
  • while most of the day's news centered on wide receivers, rookie running back Jamaal Williams has impressed the Packers' coaching staff enough to earn some first-team snaps in camp. Ty Montgomery is dangerous with the ball in his hands but hardly an established RB option, and Williams is already a better pass blocker than Montgomery is, so he's got a real shot of cutting into the starter's workload as the team looks to keep Aaron Rodgers upright first and foremost. Fantasy GMs utilizing a zero-RB strategy at the draft table may want to begin nudging Williams a little higher on their cheat sheets.