Will Howard's hand injury has the Pittsburgh Steelers navigating a critical QB for Week 1 and beyond. A fracture to a small bone in his right hand, suffered August 5, has him practicing with a brace and catching passes only with his left, casting doubt on his availability for Carolina’s game and the season opener. Initial timelines pegged at a minimum of three weeks, but exact clearance remains uncertain as Pittsburgh balances roster decisions.

With Howard sidelined, Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson have ramped up reps. Rudolph could see a third preseason start vs. the Panthers, while Thompson showed flashes across exhibitions. The team even floated IR consideration if Howard isn’t ready by September 7. Howard’s Buckeye season highlighted elite accuracy and TDs, so fantasy managers will track practice velocity and grip recovery for any late-season upside.

As Pittsburgh weighs its Week 1 plan, the fantasy lens will focus on who seizes control of the backup role and how the QB rotation affects pass targets and rushing opportunities. The Panthers matchup adds urgency, and the team’s long-term health calculus will influence whether Howard returns in time for opening night or slides into IR, altering the depth chart for fantasy rosters and streamer decisions.

Howard’s Ohio State marks—high completion percentage and TDs—underline upside if he returns in peak form. The storyline centers on practice tempo, grip strength, and how Pittsburgh balances development with immediate needs as the season approaches.

Miami added Cameron Dantzler in a bid to fortify its cornerback room ahead of final cuts, joining four veteran signings aimed at stabilizing a thin group after injuries to Kader Kohou and Artie Burns. The Dolphins’ corner corps now features Dantzler alongside Mike Hilton, Jack Jones and Cornell Armstrong, with Storm Duck, Cam Smith, Kendall Sheffield and Jason Marshall Jr. among the contenders for Week 1 roles. Dantzler’s track record in Minnesota—37 games and 26 starts with 3 interceptions—gives Miami a proven option as it navigates the 90-man to 53-man transition.

In the same week, Miami also announced Matthew Judon in a surprising move, waived Tarik Black and Ryan Stonehouse to free roster space, and pressed ahead with a preseason evaluation that has Ethan Robinson, undrafted cornerback from Minnesota, and several other youngsters in the mix. The competition centers on who can form the first and second teams at cornerback as the Aug. 26 deadline looms, while the Lions and Hooker provide a parallel preseason storyline that underscores the urgency of depth at the position for fantasy managers monitoring Miami’s defensive rotations.

Rosters are being trimmed to 53 after a brutal week of summer practice and one final preseason showcase. The Chargers sit at the center of quarterback intrigue behind Justin Herbert, with Trey Lance’s mobility and explosiveness offering a compelling path to a bigger ceiling than the veteran Heinicke—who hasn’t flashed consistently this August. Several veteran names across the league are fighting for their NFL lives on the bubble, from Cole Strange and Tommy DeVito to Ja’Lynn Polk and Hunter Renfrow, as teams weigh leadership and youth in a rebuild-heavy landscape.

For fantasy managers, the Lance-HEINICKE dynamic in Los Angeles is the marquee storyline. Lance’s ability to generate chunk plays with legs could juice Chargers’ overall upside even if Herbert remains the clear starter. Giants landfalls at Daniel Bellinger and Jameis Winston add TE and depth considerations, while Adoree’ Jackson’s status in Philadelphia and Hendon Hooker in Detroit hint at late-roster suspense that could ripple into Week 1 depth charts. The coming days will crystallize who truly belongs on 53-man rosters and who gets stashed on practice squads, with real fantasy implications tied to every cut and every caretaker decision.

Russell Wilson lands with the New York Giants for 2025, serving as mentor to Jaxson Dart. He starts the year, but fantasy upside is capped by patience for the rookie and a fragile Giants offense. Malik Nabers adds a spark, yet NYG’s offense remains limiting, making Wilson a speculative QB3 with occasional boom weeks if Dart lags.

Dart’s trajectory and Nabers’ playmaking shape the season. Projections slot NYG at 2,627 passing yards, 15 TDs, 10 INT, plus 139 rushing yards and 2 rushing TDs, roughly 172 PPR points. If Dart stalls, Wilson can spike as a low-end QB2; if Dart accelerates, Wilson’s role could shrink, with Jameis Winston as insurance and a potential late-season pivot for fantasy.

Miami’s rookies provided the splash without the starters in a 24-17 win over Detroit, signaling positive momentum for the depth chart. Quinn Ewers looked steadier, connecting with Theo Wease Jr. for two touchdowns on an 11-for-17, 116-yard day, while Wease racked up 80 yards on nine targets as the primary rhythm target. Ollie Gordon II kept his stock rising with 50 rushing yards on 10 attempts and two catches, showing juice in the second half. Up front, Savaiinaea and Addison West offered solid, if not flawless, showings, and Kenneth Grant anchored interior rushes alongside Jordan Phillips, who posted 1.5 sacks. The secondary flashed, including an eye-catching pick by Ethan Robinson to seal the win. This trio of rookies—on offense and defense—boosts Miami’s late-season roster drama and provides intriguing fantasy-soaked threads for dynasty and deeper-league rosters.