Ja'Lynn Polk will miss the 2025 season after shoulder surgery, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz. The Patriots’ 2024 second-round pick suffered the injury in training camp and will undergo surgery to accelerate a full recovery with an eye toward a 2026 return.

Polk appeared in 15 games last year, recording 12 receptions for 87 yards and 2 touchdowns as a rookie. He was expected to grow into a larger role in the passing game in 2025, but the setback opens the door for other Patriots receivers to step up while Polk rehabs, with a long-term fantasy upside hinging on his health and role in 2026.

For fantasy managers, Polk’s absence in 2025 creates opportunity in the Patriots’ pass-catching corps and shifts attention to the 2026 return timeline, making Polk a speculative late-round or keeper target if he returns close to full strength and the offense stabilizes around him.

Xavier McKinney broke out in 2024 after joining Green Bay, posting 88 tackles, 11 passes defensed and a career-high eight interceptions, plus a sack and a fumble recovery. The breakout earned his first Pro Bowl nod and a spot at No. 30 on the 2025 NFL Top 100. Analysts credit his middle-field IQ and ball-hawking ability for lifting Green Bay’s defense into the league’s top-six and earning first-team All-Pro recognition. Week 1 with Detroit looms as a test for his fantasy upside in IDP formats.

The piece notes McKinney’s seven-figure payday and growing peer respect, including praise from peers like Patrick Surtain II. The narrative centers on McKinney’s fit in Green Bay’s scheme, his ceiling for turnovers, and how his emergence could drive sustained fantasy value for safeties who can both tackle and pick off passes in 2025.

The Cowboys are chasing a reliable Dak Prescott backup as training camp unfolds, with Joe Milton III and Will Grier battling for the No. 2 slot while Dak’s health history keeps the QB room in focus. Milton starts Dallas’s final preseason game against Atlanta, but coach Brian Schottenheimer says nothing is decided yet and Milton remains the player they know the least about. Grier is solidified as the No. 3 option, though his NFL track record is slim and largely shaped by practice-squad stints. Dallas traded for Milton in the spring, weighing development vs. cost as they steered clear of re-signing Cooper Rush or Trey Lance. The club’s long-term plan included signing two younger QBs through 2027, with Milton and Grier costing roughly 4.395 million combined. In two preseason games, Rush flashed a veteran floor in contrast to Milton and Grier, while Lance’s time with Dallas’ QB room has been scrutinized after his move to the Chargers. Milton’s strong arm and mobility are often cited, but the debate centers on whether a true No. 2 exists at this moment or if Dallas must lean on Prescott’s health trajectory.

Buffalo remains the AFC East’s heavy favorite, and the fantasy implications start with Josh Allen’s ceiling. A 11.5-win line keeps the Bills atop the division and makes Allen a must-play weekly, with red-zone volume and extended plays a weekly edge.

Miami carries the "health first" question mark. If Tua Tagovailoa stays healthy and Hill and Waddle stay explosive, the offense can deliver boom weeks, but Buffalo’s track record suggests a high floor for Bills’ fantasy assets as the division’s anchor. Drake Maye offers Patriots fans a glimmer, but his path to division champs is steep, while the Jets lean on Fields to spark a turnaround, a tall task in Year 1.

In short, the AFC East remains Bills-led, but value exists beyond Buffalo if Maye, Hill, Waddle, and Fields connect and teams stay healthy.