Seattle hosted free agent guard Dalton Risner for a visit, a veteran with six NFL seasons who has spent time with Denver and Minnesota. His consistency is underscored by PFF grades of 60 or higher in five of six years, making him a rare, sacks- and penalties-averse option on the open market. Risner is expected to evaluate multiple suitors, with Cincinnati and Pittsburgh also in the mix, right as Seattle aims to fortify an interior line built largely on rookie deals.

If Risner lands with Seattle, he would likely slot at right guard, pushing Anthony Bradford to the second unit. Bradford flashed upside but also limitations early in his career. New OL coach John Benton has a track record working with bigger blockers, and Risner would bring immediate veteran leadership and a stabilizing presence to Seattle’s young upfront core. The move would address short-term questions while providing a high-floor option for the 2025 season, potentially lifting the team’s run game and pass protection posture.

Beyond the on-field fit, the market signals matter for fantasy. An upgrade at guard can elevate quarterback comfort, improve run blocks for Kenneth Walker, and create cleaner edges for outside zone concepts. Risner’s decision could also impact Bradford’s timeline and the development curve of Seattle’s interior line, making this a key situation to monitor for dynasty and seasonal rosters alike.

Trey Hendrickson’s extension talks with the Bengals have become a test of value in an evolving edge-rush market. Cincinnati let Hendrickson explore a trade to prove he wouldn’t fetch market-rate, but market moves since then have raised the stakes. Crosby’s $35.5M APY, Garrett’s $40M, and Watt’s $41M markers set a new floor for top-tier pass rushers. Hendrickson now faces a tricky choice: accept market value with Cincinnati, or test the market again and risk a season-long uncertainty. With the season looming, the decision could ripple through both the Bengals’ defense and fantasy projections for sack-heavy players in the AFC North and beyond.

For fantasy-minded followers, the saga matters because a Hendrickson departure or raise reshapes lineups and defensive rosters. If he stays at market value, his sack upside remains strong but crowded by higher salaries on the market; if he moves, teams with aggressive edge plans could boost their defenses while creating new targets and value adjustments around Cincinnati’s pass rush depth chart. Either outcome tightens the podium for fantasy edge players and shifts win-probability narratives around Cincinnati’s line of scrimmage.

Joe Burrow starred in a record-setting year on paper, throwing for 4,918 yards with 43 TDs and 9 INTs, posting a career-best 74.7 QBR as Cincinnati went 9-8 and missed the playoffs. Yet the betting market is bullish on an MVP rebound, with Burrow tied for the third-best odds at +600 behind Jackson and a growing crowd of public bets. The big-money action isn’t just on Burrow; Lamar Jackson has become the consensus MVP favorite based on liability and popularity, with ESPN Bet and Westgate seeing two $50,000 bets on him. All this creates a quarterback-dominated MVP narrative that matters for fantasy managers tracking pass-heavy lines and schedule-adjusted projections.

Beyond Burrow, the market shows Jackson surging due to public sentiment, Josh Allen remaining a threat, and Patrick Mahomes snagging attention as a perennial contender. A rookie-tinged storyline sits with Jayden Daniels (+750) from the Commanders, a club still navigating a McLaurin contract situation, while Mahomes remains a stable anchor at +700. The column notes the historical trend of MVPs among QBs since 2012 and the way heavy public bets shape the odds, offering a fantasy bettor a lens on which players carry downside risk versus ceiling upside.

Washington faces a high-stakes week as two of its top three receivers sit out practice with roster cut-downs looming and the opener a little more than two weeks away. Terry McLaurin is on a hold-in, nursing an ankle while chasing a new contract, and Noah Brown has missed most of the preseason with a lower-leg issue. With both question marks lingering, the Commanders are rotating reserves like Chris Moore, Ja'Corey Brooks, and Jacoby Jones into first-team reps, and their offensive line has been shuffled by injuries. The offense has been pieced together by Kliff Kingsbury, who’s trying to gel his unit with Jayden Daniels at the helm, but the lack of practice time shows. Washington will practice again before a Saturday finale with the Ravens and must trim to 53 by Tuesday. The fantasy implications are clear: McLaurin and Brown’s statuses are the two biggest x-factors for Week 1, and the ripple effects could push targets toward the remaining pass-catchers and waiting backs in the short term.

Meanwhile, Brian Robinson Jr. is sidelined as trade chatter swirls, adding another layer of uncertainty to a backfield that’s already navigating offense-line contingency. If McLaurin and Brown don’t return promptly, reserve receivers will have to step up, and the Commanders’ signal-caller needs consistency from Daniels and the surrounding cast to keep the interior timing intact. For fantasy managers, this is a week to monitor practice reports closely, lean toward depth-chart bets at pass-catching positions, and stage potential Week 1 pivots early in the week as rosters finalize.