Dallas Cowboys padded practice reveals a brutal audition for nearly two dozen roster spots as competition heats up for the final preseason week. Jerry Jones framed the scene as young players showing they belong, with about 20 jockeying for jobs in the coming days before Friday’s Cowboys-Falcons tilt.

Health is a concern: at least 13 players were sidelined or limited, and Micah Parsons sat through portions in a hold-in stance while Earnest Brown IV joined the casualty list with a right-leg issue, intensifying the depth questions on both edges and the rotation ahead of Week 1 fantasy implications.

For fantasy managers, the practice trenches are where value can appear. The depth players stepping up in padded drills and the injury reshuffles could unlock sleeper targets on defense and in the Cowboys’ surrounding units. Track practice reports closely for punt- and kick-coverage, pass rush, and rotational snaps that could carve out real-season roles, especially if Parsons’ workload remains managed into the opener.

Dallas Cowboys leadership remains a focal point off the field as fans and media debate whether Charlotte Jones Anderson could steer the franchise toward a different future. Her NFL Network comments on Micah Parsons’ contract holdout echo a family-wide business mindset, and critics say the pie metaphor highlights a salary-cap reality fans don’t enjoy hearing. Netflix’s America's Team: The Gambler and his Cowboys has refocused attention on ownership and branding at the expense of Super Bowl chatter, underscoring a risky balance between business optics and on-field results.

The piece argues the Cowboys’ public-facing strategy prioritizes visibility and branding over immediate competitive wins, with cap space and roster construction becoming talking points that overshadow the field. The aftermath of a rough 2024 offseason and a tepid 2024 campaign fuels skepticism about leadership continuity, even as Parsons remains central to the team’s defensive identity.

Overall, the article frames a franchise at a crossroads: keep chasing headlines and the “brand” machine or reset with a more player-centric approach that could translate into better in-game performance. The Netflix doc and the contract saga catalyze a broader conversation about what fans value in a team led by the Jones clan.

RotoBaller drops an updated, August-leaning 2025 WR rankings cut, spotlighting Ja'Marr Chase, CeeDee Lamb, and Justin Jefferson at the very top and layering in a tiered map that helps fantasy managers plot early-round targets. The WR landscape shifts through tiers, with Tyreek Hill, Puka Nacua, Nico Collins, and Drake London perched for sustained volume, while sleepers like Davante Adams and Tee Higgins are placed for upside based on offense and quarterback situations. Injury chatter from camp and PRE season chatter is folded into the narrative, and readers are nudged toward complementary rankings for best ball, dynasty, and rookie formats. The article emphasizes planful drafting: identify safe high-floor plays, then scoop ceiling bets in later rounds as rosters tighten.

In this edition, the front tier is built around Chase, Lamb, and Jefferson, whose sheer target totals and efficiency give them elite weekly floors. Amon-Ra St. Brown slots into a heavy-volume tier with yak potential, while Tyreek Hill anchors a high-output group with explosive playmaking. Puka Nacua’s rise, Nico Collins’ volume base, and Davante Adams’ veteran floor add nuance for managers across formats. Drake London sits as a strong mid-first-round option in PPR formats, and Calvin Ridley’s rest-and-recovery notes shape risk assessment ahead of Week 1. The ranking roster also nods to Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka as potential 2nd-year breakers, underscoring how offense and quarterback development can tilt upside in 2025.

RotoBaller’s updated 2025 fantasy football kicker rankings spotlight a tight top tier led by Brandon Aubrey, Jake Bates and Cameron Dicker. The Kicker Tier table places these game-changing specialists at the front, followed by a solid second tier that includes Harrison Butker, Matt Gay, Ka'imi Fairbairn and Chris Boswell. The list also notes depth in later tiers with kickers like Jake Elliott and Will Reichard offering stable floor in varied scoring settings. This piece doubles as a practical map for early-round kicker targets and tier-based drafting for 14 formats, including PPR and standard.

Preseason headlines fuel the narrative: Tyler Loop seized the Ravens’ starting job after calibrating five preseason makes; Jake Moody delivered a strong SF showing, though fantasy managers remain cautious about pendulum-like consistency; Younghoe Koo’s Falcons job remains a talking point amid an unclear offensive outlook; Tyler Bass’s health updates shape Bills’ Week 1 planning; Panthers’ Ryan Fitzgerald is pushing for the job as undrafted rookie hype grows. The takeaway for fantasy players is to treat kickers as position-differentiators with explicit tier strategies, injury tracking and roster depth planning driving draft-day decisions.

Bottom line: lock in a top-tier option, monitor preseason turnover, and align your kicker picks with offense quality and red-zone efficiency to maximize weekly upside in 2025.

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.