New Orleans is slicing the quarterback competition down to the wire, with Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler splitting first-team reps as a Denver preseason clash looms. Both have flashed at different angles in camp, leaving the Week 1 decision as a true coin flip and giving fantasy managers plenty to monitor in the final days of camp.

Rattler has delivered 71.4% accuracy for 252 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception, while Shough has gone 70.6% for 231 yards, 1 TD and 1 interception; sacks have highlighted offensive-line and schematic questions. The tight gap in reps and results keeps the outcome fluid and the Saints' passing volume uncertain early in the season.

Moore indicated the decision will come after three days of practice and a game, joking about a deadline tied to facing the Cardinals. The winner’s control over cadence, play-action and shot plays will shape the Saints’ fantasy upside in September, with targets and volume swinging based on who wins the job.

FanDuel’s new-user promo launches with a high-upside, low-risk play: bet $5 and if your first wager wins, you get $300 in bonus bets. The bonus arrives within 72 hours of the winning bet settlement and can be used in seven-day increments, making Week 1 an air-tight window to seed your bankroll for the season. The offer is open to adults in states where FanDuel operates and carries a few caveats, including a seven-day expiry on bonus bets and a limit of one bonus per person.

Week 1 stacks the NFC West and a marquee Kickoff matchup: 49ers at Seahawks headline the division duel, Rams sit as +200 NFC West odds, and Cardinals at +380 sit further down the pecking order. Cincinnati meets Cleveland in a season-opening clash, while Dallas hosts Philadelphia in the Kickoff Game. Those matchups shape early futures and fantasy angles, especially with Burrow leading CIN and a Browns club still evaluating QB options. The promo and schedule together set up a useful early-season bankroll-angle for savvy bettors and fantasy players alike.

Denver inventories an ACL setback for Nick Gargiulo after a preseason collision, sidelining a seventh-round rookie who had been pushing for a swing guard/center role. Sean Payton confirmed the season-ending injury to Gargiulo, compounding Denver’s alignment questions along the interior line. Gargiulo’s absence tightens the Broncos’ path to roster decisions and creates immediate depth concerns as cuts loom.

Meanwhile, the injury report also notes others not practicing, with Mathis listed as undisclosed but deemed fine by Payton. On the brighter side, Bonitto, Greenlaw, Perry, and Pickett returned to practice. Adkins’ ankle loss signals a potential waiver-wire search for a blocking tight end/fullback, and the Broncos may lean on depth pieces or a short-term add as they finalize roster plans.

Week 2 of the NFL preseason offered clarity on early-season backfield plans and slot roles that fantasy managers crave. Arizona rotated veterans, with James Conner as the clear early-down favorite and Trey Benson watching from the sidelines, hinting Benson’s upside only if Conner were to miss time. In Buffalo, Elijah Moore has carved a slot-centric profile, but Khalil Shakir still clamps the primary slot role while Dalton Kincaid and the rookie mix into Col col slots. Carolina’s Rico Dowdle split passing-downs with Chuba Hubbard, hinting at a real third-down role for Dowdle behind Hubbard’s early workload. Across other backfields, rookie and depth-chart shifts signal a handful of dart choices for Best Ball and late-season handcuff streams.

Key takeaways for fantasy: Conner’s job security looks solid unless injury intrudes; Moore’s slot-heavy usage could push targets toward Bills' other receivers if Shakir or Kincaid stay healthy, keeping Moore as a risk/reward Week 1 flier. Dowdle’s growing passing-down role makes him a speculative late-round add in deeper rosters. Jets’ backfield remains a committee question mark with Breece Hall involved but not a slam-dunk workload; Tahj Brooks’ burst makes him a name to monitor for insurance behind Cincinnati’s offense.

Blake Grupe leads Saints countdown to kickoff with the Week 1 opener vs. Arizona looming in 19 days. No. 19 has emerged as a trusted weapon for New Orleans, fresh off a rookie season that mixed boom-or-bust moments with clear range and leg strength. He was undrafted in 2023, beat out Wil Lutz, and then leaned into big kicks from beyond 50 yards—six makes, longest 57—in 2024 while escalating his kickoff power. Yet competition remains alive with Charlie Smyth nipping at his heels, keeping Grupe’s spot honest as New Orleans aims to maximize every opportunity in a potentially unsettled offensive start. Grupe’s consistency and clutch range could be the Saints’ best chance to rack up points early, especially if drives stall in the opening weeks against a defensively capable Cardinals squad.

Grupe’s journey from Missouri’s Smith-Cotton to Arkansas State and Notre Dame, then into the NFL as an undrafted free agent, underscores a profile built on power and improving accuracy. A late-season 46-yard miss at Green Bay in his rookie year haunted a playoff-clinching tie-breaker, but his 2024 numbers told a different story: clean extra points, 87.1% field goals, and a reliable long-range tool that should keep Saints fans optimistic about their scoring ceiling in the early going. With the offense expected to be dynamic enough to threaten from inside the red zone, Grupe’s leg could become the difference-maker in a few nail-biters, especially in a home opener against Arizona where every three points count.

As New Orleans leans on Grupe’s range to put points on the board, fantasy managers should watch the Week 1 setup closely. If the offense stalls, Grupe could become a high-floor, high-ceiling kicker play early in the season, offering steady points from field goals and occasional multi-kick games. His performance will also shape how aggressively the Saints deploy him in tight spots—whether as a weekly staple in standard leagues or a risk-reward option in deeper formats.