Who's Actually Earning It This Preseason? | NFL Risers & Rookie Standouts (Ep. 2147)

August 22, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Who's Actually Earning It This Preseason? | NFL Risers & Rookie Standouts (Ep. 2147)

"One of the things I love the most about working for United Healthcare is that everybody matters. Every moment matters."

Wait—that's not the podcast. That's the ad. The actual episode opens with a moment of silence that isn't really a moment of silence because that's bad for podcasts: Jaden Higgins, torn ACL, out for the season. The Texans' promising third-year receiver went down, and the hosts spent the next hour sorting through the wreckage—not just of Higgins's knee, but of every ripple effect across NFL depth charts, fantasy draft boards, and trade markets.

The Injury Dominoes

The Higgins injury reshapes Houston's offense in ways that cascade through the entire AFC. Without him, C.J. Stroud loses a weapon behind a questionable offensive line. Derek Brown laid it out bluntly: "If Nico Collins misses any time, which is kind of like a yearly thing, who's leading that passing attack? Jalen Old, Dalton Schultz. Get ready to learn Xavier Hutchinson again, boys." Tank Dell offers cautious optimism, but only if he's healthy first.

Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.

Read Full Summary →

Free • No credit card required

Listen to Audio Summary Open in App

Never miss an episode of FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast

Get every new episode summarized in your inbox — free, ~5 minutes to read.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

What you'll learn

1 (00:35) **Welcome & Camp Headlines** - Hosts Alfredo Brown, Derek Brown, and Andrew Erickson set up the episode and dive into the latest injury news and training camp buzz.
2 (04:30) **Rashad White's Hamstring & Ice Bath Debate** - The crew discusses a bizarre injury to Rashad White that occurred during an ice bucket challenge and debates proper cold plunge technique.
3 (08:11) **Alvin Kamara's MCL & Saints Backfield** - Kamara is out for at least a month with an MCL injury, shifting the fantasy outlook for the Saints' running backs.
4 (11:22) **Colts WR Room Shuffle** - A wave of injuries and the signing of Keenan Allen creates uncertainty for the Colts' pass catchers.
5 (16:56) **Preseason Risers: Rookies** - The hosts identify rookie players who have boosted their stock the most during the preseason.
6 (28:06) **Preseason Risers: Veterans** - The hosts discuss a veteran who is proving he is not washed this preseason.
7 (32:26) **Roster Cuts: Defensive Backs** - The first matchup in a bracket-style segment pits Chiefs CB Mansor Delane against Cowboys S Caleb Downs.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Derek Brown Andrew Erickson

Show Notes

Find out who's actually earning it this preseason! Join Alfredo Brown, Andrew Erickson and Derek Brown for their top NFL risers and rookie standouts.

Is New England Patriots WR A.J. Brown about to blow up? Will Denver Broncos RB Jonah Coleman run away with the starting job? Plus, what makes Tennessee Titans WR Carnell Tate the favorite to be the most impactful rookie in 2026?

The Pros plug into the highs and lows coming out of camp!

Timestamps: (May be off due to ads)

Intro - 0:00:00
Trending NFL News & Notes - 0:00:16
Autographed LaDainian Tomlinson San Diego Chargers Jersey Giveaway - 0:16:18
NFL Preseason Rookies Risers - 0:16:52
NFL Preseason Veterans Risers - 0:25:46
Roster Cuts Rookie Game - 0:30:14
Round 1 - 0:30:52
Round 2 - 0:47:36
Round 3 - 0:48:45
Outro - 0:53:28

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.