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Over the last 24 hours, these 5 players have the highest % of their total mentions in the Breakout Watch category:

All article and podcast links go to a summarized Dynasty Pulse page where you can see quick insights and also get the link to the original article/podcast if you want the full content:

• FantasyPros (Article): 14 Preseason Studs (2026 Fantasy Football)

• Blitz Sports Media (Article): The Ultimate Draft Round-by-Round 2026 Fantasy Football Strategy

• NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal (Podcast): Rookie Risers and Fallers and Everything We Learned in Training Camp

• The Audible (Podcast): Preseason Risers and Fallers To Target and Avoid in your Fantasy Football Draft

• Fantasy Focus Football (Podcast): League Sleepers NOBODY Is Talking About | Fantasy Focus

• Fantasy Football Today (Podcast): 8 Riskiest Players + Late-Round Tight Ends, Injury Updates & More! (08/27 Fantasy Football Podcast)

Tetairoa McMillan (WR, CAR): (56 mentions last 7 days): Ran just 15% of his routes from the slot as a rookie and is at 41% through two preseason games, after 70 catches for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns on a 25.4% target share. Analysts say the new alignment gives him easier targets, but Bryce Young averaged 188 yards per game.

Nico Collins (WR, HOU): (83 mentions last 7 days): Ran 261 routes with Jayden Higgins off the field last season and posted a 29% target share on those plays, fourth in the league. Analysts say Higgins being out for 2026 clears a runway past 120 targets, though several note his concussion and hamstring history.

George Pickens (WR, DAL): (60 mentions last 7 days): Caught 93 passes for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns but was targeted on 22.6% of his routes, while every other top-10 PPR receiver was at 25.8%. Analysts note he was ninth in expected fantasy points per game against a WR5 finish, off career highs in touchdowns and targets.

Derrick Henry (RB, BAL): (73 mentions last 7 days): Has 34 touchdowns in 34 games for Baltimore and is averaging 5.6 yards a carry over those two seasons. Analysts say he shows zero sign of slippage, but note only two backs in the past decade have run for 1,000 yards in an age-32 season.

Travis Etienne (RB, NO): (61 mentions last 7 days): Finished as the half-PPR RB10 but broke off explosive runs on only 3.5% of his carries, and moves from a Jacksonville line that ranked 15th in run-blocking grade to a Saints line that ranked 31st. Analysts say Alvin Kamara's knee injury still makes 20-plus touches plausible.

Jaylen Waddle (WR, DEN): (98 mentions last 7 days): Ranked 12th in targets per route run, 12th in yards per route run and seventh in first downs per route run last season, and moves from an offense that ranked 29th in neutral passing rate to one that ranked 4th.

DeVonta Smith (WR, PHI): (96 mentions last 7 days): Has run 252 routes without A.J. Brown on the field since 2022 and averaged 2.6 yards per route run on those plays, a 99th percentile mark. Analysts say he is a WR1 this year now Brown is gone, and he returned to full practice this week after a hamstring injury.

Ja'Marr Chase's knee injury has been consistently described as minor, with the Bengals still withholding an official diagnosis or timeline.

Multiple outlets reported that Chase came down awkwardly on a route Tuesday and had to be examined by trainers before leaving practice. In separate interviews picked up across several reports, Chase described the injury himself as a "little hyperextension" and said he was "fine," adding he could have finished a game if it had happened in one. The Bengals have not issued an official diagnosis or return timeline, and he was held out of the next practice as a precaution.

Our take: I would still confidently draft him as the WR1 despite the injury scare.

Calvin Austin III's season-ending ACL tear has reshaped the Giants' receiver room, and Jalin Hyatt now looks likely to follow him to injured reserve.

Multiple outlets reported that Austin tore his ACL on a non-contact injury during a one-on-one practice drill Tuesday and was carted off the field, ending his season before it began. Separately, several Giants-focused shows described Jalin Hyatt as buried on the roster and not practicing, and one podcast went further, predicting he's headed to injured reserve after missing two to three weeks of practice. Analysts connected Austin's opening at receiver to Odell Beckham Jr.'s roster chances, saying the loss increases his odds of making the team.

Our take: I don’t expect OBJ to be super relevant this year, but maybe this opens up some more snaps for Malachi Fields. Seems like the expectation is that the Giants will use a slot-role committee approach, which could open up more outside snaps for Fields.

Kenneth Walker III's swollen ankle will keep him out of Kansas City's preseason finale, with Emmett Johnson viewed by one analyst as the Chiefs' backup plan if he were to miss real time.

Multiple outlets reported that Walker has a swollen ankle, attributed by head coach Andy Reid to his cleat, and will not play in Friday's finale against Seattle; Reid said he's expected to be fine and not sidelined long-term. One analyst said that if Walker were to miss time during the season, Johnson would be the Chiefs' choice at running back, citing his three-down ability, pass protection, and full workhorse role at Nebraska. A separate report said Johnson rushed 12 times for 59 yards against the Rams for a 71.7 PFF grade and was running as the team's No. 2 back at a recent practice, after spending most of camp with the fourth-string offense. His passing-down role behind Walker specifically is still described as unsettled.

Our take: While the Walker injury doesn’t seem too serious, it’s nice to see Emmett earning more and more reps in camp. Looks like he could be one of the best handcuffs to own this season.

Tonight’s Poll: