Ravens fans were dealt a difficult blow before a preseason game was even played while other teams are trying to get previously-injured players back in action as quickly as possible.
In one of the first huge news items of the training camp season, Kenneth Dixon will miss the entire 2017 season after undergoing surgery to repair his medial meniscus. It would appear that Terrance West will likely face little competition for early-down and short-yardage work while Danny Woodhead shouldn't have to worry about losing any passing-down work. Both of those RBs have certainly seen an increase in their fantasy value over the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, Dixon will need to set his sights on preparing for the 2018 campaign.
Although much of the fantasy community immediately considered Eric Decker as a player on the rise after signing with the Titans, Jim Wyatt of Titansonline.com reported that Decker will compete with the team's third-round draft choice, Taywan Taylor, to be the team's primary slot receiver. Although it's difficult to believe that Decker would have any problem winning this job, those participating in early fantasy drafts should at least have this idea in the back of their minds.
For those who are concerned that Greg Olsen might have a slight reduction in his fantasy value due to a potential holdout, which should no longer be an issue, as the Panthers official site reports that the tight end will participate in training camp. He'll continue to be a top-5 option at the TE position as he tries to post a fourth-straight 1,000 yard season.
With preseason work being very important, especially for rookie wide receivers, Jay Morrison of Cox Media Group announced that John Ross (shoulder) is expected to see game action at some point during the preseason. Obviously, it would be better if he saw a full complement of preseason snaps, but this news would indicate that he's clearly on track to be ready for the start of the regular season. For now, fantasy owners will want to see how much work he can put in with Andy Dalton before deciding how much stock to place in the speedy rookie WR.
Many people in the fantasy community are expecting a breakout season from Marcus Mariota, and the Titans official site is reporting that he'll be a full-go during training camp as he recovers from the leg injury he suffered in 2016. This news is especially important, as the young QB will be trying to gain chemistry with a number of new receiving weapons obtained by the Titans in the off-season. The fact that he'll be healthy for camp will give him a realistic chance of having that big season that many are hoping for.
Speaking of QBs, Cam Newton is expected to be limited at the start of training camp as he recovers from surgery to repair his rotator cuff on March 30, as reported by Joe Person of The Charlotte Observer. For a quarterback who's dealt with questionable accuracy at times, it's fair to wonder how his recovery will factor into his 2017 performance. In the short term, he may not have an optimal situation in terms of gaining chemistry with rookies Christian McCaffrey and Curtis Samuel. For now, this news shouldn't impact where he'll be selected in fantasy drafts, but Newton is clearly a player to watch closely during the preseason.
That's all for today as we close the books on another of the first days of this year's training camps.