TuckerKraft

News: 2 days agoKraft (knee) ran routes on air in full pads while catching passes from QB Jordan Love at Monday's practice, Ryan Wood of USA Today reports.

Spin: Most notably for Kraft, he wasn't wearing the sleeve he'd been wearing on his right knee from the first nearly two weeks of training camp. He suffered an ACL tear in that knee Week 9 of last season, and while he sat out Friday's Family Night practice, he was back on the field as of Monday and continues to increase his reps as a Week 1 matchup at Minnesota on Sunday, Sept. 13 draws closer. It doesn't appear likely Kraft will play during the preseason, and the question remains whether or not he and the Packers will agree to a contract extension.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Kraft's steady career progression had him on the cusp of a full-on breakout last season, but all was derailed by a torn ACL in Week 9. Prior to the injury, Kraft had seen 10 targets in consecutive games, one of which included a career-high 33.3 fantasy points. Through Week 8, only Jake Ferguson had more fantasy points. Granted, Kraft was way over his head in the TD department (six TDs with an expected total of 1.8 and only two end zone targets), but his boost in usage and terrific RAC skills (he has led the position in the category each of his three seasons) were enough to get him into the weekly TE1 mix. Kraft's recovery will need to be monitored, but even if he's ready for Week 1, a dip in production is possible in his first year back from the major injury. He's a risky middle-round target.