TuckerKraft

News: 3 hours agoKraft (knee) has been impressive in 11-on-11 drills since the Packers cleared him Sunday to take part in them at practice, Bill Huber of SI.com reports

Spin: Since that point, Kraft has been making plays on the Packers defense, recording four catches Sunday and five more Tuesday. One of those grabs occurred on a deep ball down the right side from QB Jordan Love, who arced a pass over CB Keisean Nixon that Kraft hauled in with one hand and then sprinted for a would-be touchdown. This comes on the heels of Kraft telling Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com on Sunday that he hopes to not be on a snap count to begin the season but acknowledged that the Packers may place him on one following last November's ACL tear. Meanwhile, Kraft and the Packers still are aiming to lock in a contract extension before Week 1.

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.