Training Camp News and Updates for Fantasy Football: George Kittle, Sam LaPorta Trending in Opposite Directions

This is a massive weekend for fantasy football drafts, which means you need to be on top of all of the latest news and trends from the preseason. And, honestly, I can’t remember this many notable injuries this time of the year, so tracking updates is crucial.

Let’s break it all down.

Training Camp News and Updates for Fantasy Football

George Kittle (Achilles) Could Play Week 1

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, George Kittle is ahead of schedule in his recovery from last postseason’s Achilles tear. This time of year, I’m always skeptical when someone is “ahead of schedule,” because everyone seems to be.

But this feels different.

Kittle continues to receive encouraging updates and now seems very live to suit up in Week 1. He’s entering his age-33 season, but Kittle remained an elite tight end when healthy last year, ranking fourth at the position in yards per route run (2.18). There’s obvious top-five upside with Kittle, but even if you are worried about a slow start, you can easily pair him with a second tight end like Isaiah Likely, Dalton Kincaid or Dallas Goedert in the double-digit rounds for some insurance.

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Sam LaPorta’s Hip Injury Could Threaten Week 1 Status

Sam LaPorta didn’t practice on Wednesday, and it was later revealed that the Lions tight end is dealing with a hip injury. While head coach Dan Campbell doesn’t believe it to be serious, he wasn’t able to confirm that LaPorta will be good to go for Week 1. Hopefully it isn’t related to the back injury that ended his 2025 season prematurely.

If LaPorta is forced to miss any regular season time, it’ll lead to a noticeable spike in usage for Jameson Williams, who became a must-start fantasy wideout with LaPorta sidelined last year. Williams averaged 7.3 targets per game from Week 10 on, up from his 4.5 per game from Weeks 1-9. And with LaPorta off the field, Williams was targeted on 19% of his routes, compared to just a 14.7% TPRR with LaPorta on the field.

We’ll continue to track LaPorta’s status over the next few weeks. But this news is probably enough to move him below the likes of Harold Fannin, Tucker Kraft and Kyle Pitts in the tight end rankings.

Parker Washington to Return to Practice Next Week

Schefter reported on Friday that Parker Washington, who didn’t practice this week with an undisclosed injury, is expected to return to practice next week. It’s unclear what the exact injury is, but it clearly doesn’t appear to be anything that will jeopardize his Week 1 availability.

Washington continues to be one of the most steamed players in all of fantasy football, set to build on his stellar stretch to end last season. From Week 12 on, Washington posted a 25% target share and 26% TPRR, while averaging 7.7 targets and 17 PPR PPG. Entering the 2026 campaign, Washington has apparently established himself as the WR1 in Jacksonville, making him a fine WR3/FLEX target in drafts.