With the regular season kicking off Thursday, this will be the last of this year's training camp notes, but there's plenty of news for us to look at today.
• Much to the chagrin of those who recently had a top pick in recent drafts, Le'Veon Bell didn't show up to practice today, and as Wednesday is typically the traditional first day of practice in a game week, this begins to cast serious doubt as to his Week 1 availability. Furthermore, his agent, hinted that Bell may not sign his franchise tender in short order, so there's no firm timetable on his return. Those still drafting will need to weigh more risk assessment than usual in terms of when to draft Bell.
• And since Bell may not play, the clear recipient of additional playing time would be James Conner. Although Conner is unlikely to see the other-worldly workload that Bell typically see, it's difficult to imagine he'd be lower than a RB2 should Bell not report to the team in the next day or two.
• Over in San Francisco, Matt Breida has been listed ahead of Alfred Morris on the 49ers Week 1 depth chart. Regardless of the listing, Morris seems likely to handle the majority of early-down work while Breida serves as both a change-of-pace as well as the passing-down back. Both should be rostered in most fantasy leagues, but Breida likely has more value in PPR leagues while Morris is likely the better option in standard scoring systems.
• It sure seems that the Saints are planning on giving Alvin Kamara a massive work load in Week 1, as they just cut Boston Scott, who had been the only RB behind Kamara after the team cut Jonathan Williams. However, the team did add Mike Gillislee last Sunday, but it's tough to imagine he'll be an integral part of the offense this week. The main takeaway is that Kamara may be nearly impossible to fade this week in DFS if he's in line for over 20 touches against the Bucs.
• Although he seems to be progressing well in his recovery from an irregular heartbeat, Curtis Samuel isn't expected to be in the Panthers' Week 1 lineup. It does look as if the team expects him back in the near future, but fantasy owners will need to keep an eye on updates to get a better feel for when he may return to action.
• In news that's been expected for the last few days, it's now official that Carson Wentz will be inactive for Thursday's game against the Falcons. Despite his absence, recent reports seem to indicate that he should return in the next week or two. For those yet to draft, it may be a good time to take advantage of his falling draft stock, especially if playing in a league in which most owners take two QBs. Just be sure not to pair him with Jameis Winston, who'll be suspended for three games to start the year.
• At least the news isn't all bad for the Eagles, now that Jay Ajayi has no injury designation going into Thursday's game against the Falcons. Expect the veteran RB to see his typical role in the offense.
• After a month and a half of mostly negative reports, Josh Gordon proclaimed his ailing hamstring to now be at 100 percent, and he'll be fully ready for Week 1. That said, head coach Hue Jackson has said that Gordon won't start, so without knowledge as to whether that means he'll see 20 or 50 snaps, means there'll be plenty of risk to go along with his massive upside.
• Earlier in the preseason, DeVante Parker broke a finger, and he's now expected to miss Week 1, which should open up work for Albert Wilson, who's expected to see increased playing time, especially when the Dolphins go to three-wide sets, though it may require a leap of faith to count on him in fantasy lineups until he shows how well he fits into the offense.
• Unfortunately, Marlon Mack missed Wednesday, as he tries to shake a hamstring injury he suffered early in the preseason, and he's iffy for Sunday's matchup with the Bengals. Should he be forced to miss the game, Jordan Wilkins is the most likely candidate to see additional work, though both Christine Michael and Nyheim Hines could also be in the mix, making this a difficult backfield to handicap for fantasy purposes.
• With Ronald Jones III having completed a very disappointing preseason, it's no surprise that he's fallen behind Jacquizz Rodgers on the depth chart. Rodgers is now the backup to Peyton Barber, and Rodgers will have some fantasy appeal, especially in PPR leagues. Especially with Charles Sims no longer on the roster, Rodgers is easily the team's best receiving back.