The RotoWire Blog has been retired.

These archives exist as a way for people to continue to view the content that had been posted on the blog over the years.

Articles will no longer be posted here, but you can view new fantasy articles from our writers on the main site.

NFL Training Camp Notes: Baldwin's Back, But For How Long?

One more set of preseason games to go, when guys you've never heard of leave it all on the field to try and win spots on another team's practice squad. Then, finally, the 2018 season can begin. Huzzah!

  • Eagles coach Doug Pederson says he'll decide by Friday whether Carson Wentz or Nick Foles will be under center for Week 1, although he coyly suggested he might not publicly announce that decision until right before the team's Week 1 tilt against the Falcons. Somehow I don't think it'll be a big mystery, since one of them will have to take the first-team snaps in practice next week, but hey, let Pederson have his fun. Philly beat writers seem to think Wentz will get medical clearance and be the starter right out of the gate, but chances are we'll know one way or the other by Monday, if not over the weekend.
  • Sony Michel was able to return to practice Monday after getting his knee drained earlier in the month, and he made a solid impression on Pats RB coach Ivan Fears. Given the time he's missed through camp it's hard to imagine the first-round pick seeing much of a workload in Week 1, but talent-wise he still looks like the team's best option, at least as a runner. His snaps and touches will primarily depend on how quickly he can earn the trust of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, though, not how fast or nimble he looks. The team also doesn't get its bye until Week 11, so the usual "give the rookie reps after the bye week" scenario isn't in play here, either. It could be a while before we have a clear picture of Michel's role in the New England backfield rotation.
  • after a big performance in Saturday's preseason game, Alfred Morris looks to have locked up a spot on the 53-man roster for the Niners. That doesn't necessarily mean he'll have a big role in the Week 1 game plan, however. Both Jerick McKinnon (calf) and Matt Breida (shoulder) still seem on track to suit up for the opener, which might leave Morris stuck as the short-yardage back, or even just as an insurance policy. If you're looking at him as a late-round target in drafts this week, be aware that the odds of him being off the roster entirely a month from now are probably just as good as the ones he makes a fantasy impact in that time.
  • Adam Thielen turned his left ankle in Tuesday's practice, but the injury doesn't seem to be serious and shouldn't be an issue by Week 1. What is serious is how little respect he gets. He's coming off a great season and got an offseason upgrade at QB, but in too many drafts this year I've seen him get selected behind guys like Amari Cooper or even his own teammate Stefon Diggs, who has yet to put together a 1000-yard campaign, rather than being right alongside Mike Evans in the "not quite a WR1" club.
  • after taking part in position drills Monday, Doug Baldwin acknowledged that his knee issue is something he'll be dealing with all season. Russell Wilson's favorite target does look like he'll play Week 1, and he hasn't missed a game since 2012, but this still casts a pall over his fantasy value for 2018. Increasingly, he's looking more like a best-ball play rather than a player you can rely on in regular formats, and if Baldwin does break down there's no clear answer to the question, "Who will Wilson throw to instead?" No. 2 wideout Tyler Lockett has had more kickoff return yards than receiving yards every season of his career and is battling a foot injury of his own, and beyond him the Seahawks will be relying on retreads Jaron Brown and Brandon Marshall. Third-year tight end Nick Vannett is looking better and better as a sleeper.
  • another injured WR whose ADP is overdue for a correction is Alshon Jeffery, who should come off the PUP list this weekend but may not suit up until Week 3 at the earliest due to a slow-ish recovery from February shoulder surgery. He did play all 16 games last season -- the first time he'd done so since 2014 -- but they came with a career-low 6.6 yards per target, and it's not at all clear he has the same upside in Philly that he did at his peak in Chicago.
  • finally, in more encouraging news, George Kittle was able to return to practice Tuesday and seems on track to play Week 1. The second-year TE had a surprisingly productive rookie campaign -- he caught more passes last year for San Francisco than he did in his final two seasons of college combined -- and he has the athleticism to take a big step forward if he gets the targets. Whether he gets those targets is the biggest question -- Kyle Shanahan's offense in Atlanta didn't generate much production for its tight ends, but Jordan Reed's rookie season under Shanahan in 2013 looks remarkably similar to Kittle's stat line last year (45-499-3 on 60 targets for Reed vs. 43-515-2 on 63 targets for Kittle).