Bears wide receiver Dante Pettis was placed on injured reserve Friday.

Pettis was vying for the fifth wide receiver job in Chicago and had been under consideration for the primary punt return role. He started seven games and played in all 17 with the team in 2022.

Pettis has played in 50 career games and spent his first four seasons in the NFL mostly with the New York Giants outside of five games with the San Francisco 49ers in that time.

The Bears also waived wide receiver Joe Reed with an injury designation. Reed played in 11 games for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020.

–Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Tarell Basham was waived.

The seventh-year pro signed with the Bengals in April, but he missed most of training camp with a leg injury.

–Sixth-year safety Dane Cruikshank was released by the New York Jets.

Cruikshank was a fifth-round draft pick in 2018 and appeared in 52 career games, including four starts, for the Titans and Bears.

Cruikshank signed with the Jets on July 20.

–The Houston Texans released veteran cornerback Darius Phillips, waived offensive tackle Jacky Chen and signed punter Ty Zentner.

Houston’s regular punter, Cameron Johnston, tweaked his calf muscle, multiple reports said, so the team needed to pick up a replacement for the preseason finale against the New Orleans Saints. Zentner, an undrafted free agent out of Kansas State, was waived by Philadelphia this month.

Phillips, 28, spent last year with the Denver Broncos after his first four NFL seasons with the Bengals. He has five career interceptions and 75 tackles in 56 games (10 starts).

–Field Level Media

Rookie kicker Jake Moody reportedly will miss the San Francisco 49ers’ preseason finale with a quad strain.

Zane Gonzalez will handle the kicking duties against the visiting Los Angeles Chargers on Friday night.

The 49ers selected Moody in the third round in April, parting ways with Robbie Gould after six seasons.

Moody, 23, has missed two field goals and one extra point during the preseason.

He made 82.1 percent of his field-goal attempts (69 of 84) at Michigan from 2018-22, including 29 of 35 in 2022.

Gould, 40, still hopes to latch on with another team for a 19th NFL season. He entered free agency in March.

“I would’ve loved to have gone back there (San Francisco),” Gould said at the American Century Championship last month, per NBC Sports. “I told them I wanted to go back there. We never got an offer from the team. We never had a conversation about coming back.”

Gonzalez, 28, previously played with the Cleveland Browns (2017-18), Arizona Cardinals (2018-20) and Carolina Panthers (2021).

–Field Level Media

Not getting Travis Kelce in your fantasy football draft comes with permission to wait for the right tight end.

We’re ready to endorse a slight reach for Mark Andrews given his consistent production for the Ravens, and we might be able to buy into your affinity for George Kittle despite a string of injuries.

But waiting stands as the more likely strategy for a strong return than reaching with fingers crossed that this is the year T.J. Hockenson gets it done.

Here are our top 15 fantasy tight ends for the 2023 season:

1. Travis Kelce, Chiefs

A seventh consecutive 1,000-yard season came in a season in which Kelce had 152 targets. The Chiefs continue to feed Kelce in the red zone and scheme to spring him for big plays. Do it, and don’t look back.

2. Mark Andrews, Ravens

Andrews likely won’t put up another 100-reception season as he did in 2021 now that Odell Beckham Jr. and Zay Flowers are on the scene, but his targets aren’t likely to decrease as much as some anticipate.

3. George Kittle, 49ers

Kittle was on the receiving end of seven of QB Brock Purdy’s 13 touchdown passes during the regular season and the only reason to doubt that connection will thrive again is injury woes for both players.

4. Dallas Goedert, Eagles

With Miles Sanders gone, Goedert healthy and teams consistently shading help toward A.J. Brown, Goedert has breakout potential as Jalen Hurts’ security blanket.

5. Darren Waller, Giants

Many moons ago — ok, 2020 — Waller had 107 receptions for 1,196 yards and nine TDs with the Raiders. We’re betting he’ll be a threat for the Giants, who want to bring balance to a run-heavy offense.

6. T.J. Hockenson, Vikings

Traded from the Lions, Hockenson amassed 60 receptions on 86 targets while racking up 519 yards in 10 games with the Vikings last season. It wouldn’t be shocking for Minnesota to increase its percentage of play calls higher than 64.4 percent passes last season.

7. Evan Engram, Jaguars

The third-most targeted pass-catcher on the roster last season, Engram might see his total target share drop but the Jaguars should continue to look his way in the red zone.

8. Pat Freiermuth, Steelers

Too much is asked of Freirmuth to expect 100-yard games every week, but he’ll be one of the primary options when the Steelers get inside the 20.

9. David Njoku, Browns

Njoku had 164 yards and two scores on 17 catches in five games with Deshaun Watson at quarterback. If he gets Watson for 17 games this season, 50-600-7 isn’t a reach.

10. Kyle Pitts, Falcons

Pitts returns from a season-ending knee injury with a mixed bag of results. That includes 68 catches and some signs of a breakout during his 2021 rookie season. If he puts it all together, he has Kelce-type production potential.

11. Cole Kmet, Bears

12. Dalton Kincaid, Bills

13. Dalton Schultz, Texans

14. Greg Dulcich, Broncos

15. Chigoziem Okonkwo, Titans

16. Tyler Higbee, Rams

17. Dawson Knox, Bills

18. Juwan Johnson, Saints

19. Gerald Everett, Chargers

20. Irv Smith, Bengals

–Field Level Media

Offseason narratives focused on the devalued running back position are mostly moot in fantasy football.

San Francisco 49ers All-Pro Christian McCaffrey, the highest-paid player at the position, stands as the most coveted in leagues awarding points for receptions. Durability questions aside, McCaffrey fits perfectly in coach Kyle Shanahan’s scheme even if it means sacrificing goal-line touches for wide receiver wizardry and the occasional Deebo (Samuel) dive.

Nick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns stands to receive more third-down work this season with Kareem Hunt gone. Based on his track record of consistency and top production, he could be the back that stands out.

But because Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler’s resume shows a TD machine who just so happened to finish tied for fifth in the NFL with 107 receptions, going headlong for Chubb is a massive leap of faith.

Here are our top 30 fantasy running backs in 2023:

1. Nick Chubb, Browns

If not for falling four yards shy of the millennium mark as a rookie, Chubb would have had 1,000 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns in each of his first five pro campaigns.

2. Christian McCaffrey, 49ers

Let’s go with 1A instead of 2 on the ratings scale. McCaffrey remains an acceptable choice for the No. 1 pick. For reference, he had more receptions than Seattle Seahawks wideout Tyler Lockett last season, and 52 of them came after being traded to the 49ers from the Carolina Panthers in October.

3. Austin Ekeler, Chargers

Can you say contract year? With 107 receptions last season, Ekeler tied Dallas Cowboys wideout CeeDee Lamb for fifth and the Chargers, while part of the pay-your-running-back narrative we discussed up top, added only change-of-pace options in the offseason.

4. Saquon Barkley, Giants

Barkley comes with some injury worry but his floor in Brian Daboll’s offense looks likely to be as a 1,000-yard, 10-touchdown performer.

5. Jonathan Taylor, TBD/Colts

Oh pay, you say? Taylor’s ankle wasn’t right after Week 4 and he hasn’t strapped on a helmet in August while pining for a relocating in a standoff with the Colts. Trade or no trade, Taylor will get on the field at some point and don’t forget he led the NFL in rushing with 1,811 yards in 2021.

6. Josh Jacobs, Raiders

Right, the money thing. Franchise-tagged and a no-show during camp, Jacobs averaged almost 100 rushing yards per game in 2022 and set a career high with 340 attempts. When he returns, he’s the centerpiece of a rebuilt offense.

7. Bijan Robinson, Falcons

A dynamic back with speed and agility with open-field skill to thrive as a receiver, Robinson could jump into the top five of the position rankings as the bell-cow in Arthur Smith’s scheme.

8. Derrick Henry, Titans

Henry has scored double-digit touchdowns five seasons around as the one constant in a tattered Tennessee offense that was starting a practice squad signee at quarterback late last season.

9. Najee Harris, Steelers

Harris ranked fifth in the NFL in carries in 2022 and had 39 touches in the red zone. If he gets the same opportunities this season as Kenny Pickett proves a polished passer, Harris could be in the 1,500-yard range.

10. Kenneth Walker III, Seahawks

Walker has to share the opportunities that made him a breakout fantasy back in 2022 as a rookie. The Seahawks picked a running back in the second round for the second straight year, adding Zach Charbonnet from UCLA to form a clear thunder-and-lightning tandem. Charbonnet likely is to be the goal-line back.

11. Travis Etienne Jr., Jaguars

Jacksonville added more backs, but Etienne brings the big-play ability and built-in chemistry with former college teammate Trevor Lawrence to trust he’ll be the RB1.

12. Tony Pollard, Cowboys

A first-time starter, the only thing holding us back on buying higher on Pollard is head coach Mike McCarthy’s desire to spread the load among multiple ballcarriers.

13. Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots

14. Dalvin Cook, Jets

15. Aaron Jones, Packers

16. Rachaad White, Buccaneers

17. Dameon Pierce, Texans

18. Miles Sanders, Panthers

19. Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions

20. Cam Akers, Rams

21. James Conner, Cardinals

22. J.K. Dobbins, Ravens

23. Breece Hall, Jets

24. Joe Mixon, Bengals

25. Isiah Pacheco, Chiefs

26. Brian Robinson Jr., Commanders

27. Javonte Williams, Broncos

28. Alvin Kamara, Saints

29. Jamaal Williams, Saints

30. AJ Dillon, Packers

–Field Level Media

Defensive tackle Jamal Woods signed a contract with the Miami Dolphins on Friday.

Terms were not disclosed, but KPRC2 reported Woods inked a two-year deal on the heels of a successful workout with the team.

Woods, 24, was signed by Indianapolis on May 8 as an undrafted free agent out of Illinois. He was waived by the Colts on Aug. 1.

Woods recorded 78 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble in 49 career games with the Fighting Illini.

–Field Level Media

Indianapolis Colts first-year coach Shane Steichen said rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson put forth a “solid” performance in Thursday’s preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles, even if his passing stats say otherwise.

Richardson, the fourth overall draft pick this year out of Florida, played the first half and led the Colts on three scoring drives in a 27-13 victory over the Eagles. He connected on just 6 of 17 throws for 78 yards, but he also ran for a game-high 38 yards on five carries.

“Shoot, I thought he did a solid job. We scored three out of the first four drives, which is good,” Steichen said. “The two-minute drive wasn’t what we wanted, but we’ll go back, look at the tape. I thought he did some really good things and some things we’ve got to clean up as well.”

Richardson was named Indianapolis’ starting quarterback on Aug. 15. He will be under center on Sept. 10 when the Colts host the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Richardson, 21, played in 24 games over three seasons at Florida. He started 12 games last season, posting a 6-6 record. He completed 176 passes for 2,549 yards with 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He ran 103 times for 654 yards with nine scores.

–Field Level Media