Those who spent a premium draft pick on Kelvin Benjamin won't be happy to hear that head coach Ron Rivera said his receiver may play fewer snaps than he did as a rookie in 2014. If any team is equipped to go with a wide receiver by committee, it just might be the Panthers, who have plenty of interchangeable parts at the position. This certainly isn't a huge problem for Benjamin's value, but those who have him similarly ranked with another player in upcoming drafts should consider making this news a tiebreaker.
With the opening season kickoff less than two days away, plenty of news is surfacing that will help fantasy owners start making early lineup decisions:
• There no longer seems to be a reason to worry about Ezekiel Elliott getting into trouble with the league in regards to his alleged domestic violence incident in July, as the Columbus prosecutor's office will not file charges against him. For now, disciplinary issues going into the season seem to be behind the rookie after a very strange summer off the field.
• If anyone was worried about Rob Gronkowski's lower body injury, they'll be happy to hear that he returned to practice on Tuesday, and is fully expected to smash on Sunday night, at least as long as Jimmy Garropolo can get him the football.
• If any coach is about competition, it's Pete Carroll. Remember a few years back when the team signed Matt Flynn to a big-money deal, only to have third-round draft choice Russell Wilson win the job in camp. Well, Christine Michael is sitting atop the Seahawks' depth chart entering Week 1. Sure, this may simply be because Rawls isn't in game-shape yet, but if Michael blows up in the opener, it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility for him to take over the lead role. It's not advisable to make any changes to pre-draft lists based on this news, but it's worth noting for now.
• On the most recent depth chart in Washington, Chris Thompson (shoulder) is listed as the number two running back. He does his best work as a receiver out of the backfield, and he'll likely see much of his work on third downs, or when the team is playing from behind. He's a good player to target as a bench option in PPR leagues with the intention of using him as an injury or bye-week replacement.
• This will come as no surprise to anyone who watched the Texans' preseason games, but Will Fuller is listed as a starter on the team's current depth chart. Even though Brock Osweiler had plenty of struggles throwing the deep ball in 2015, he looked improved in the practice games, making Fuller an attractive option as a depth receiver on fantasy teams. He also could be an excellent choice in best-ball leagues.
• It shouldn't be a surprise to see that Jared Cook is opening the season as second on the depth chart at tight end for the Packers behind Richard Rodgers. Cook will likely be used primarily as a receiving tight end while Rodgers should be called upon more to block. When the Packers sign a free agent, they typically have big plans for him, making Cook a great target as an upside TE2 in fantasy drafts.
• Looking for a kicker on a high-octane offense who'll be a sneaky pickup? Wil Lutz is now expected to be the Saints' kicker after signing with the team Tuesday. In addition, the team has reportedly released Kai Forbath, which takes away potential competition for the job. As long as he can make enough kicks to keep the job, any kicker playing on a Drew Brees' team is always a strong weekly option.