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Arizona Cardinals
Trey Benson coming on slowly
Trey Benson has been taken in fantasy drafts as a role-player with late-season upside. It’s not clear he even has a backup job locked down to start his rookie season. Emari Demercado has been subbing in on passing downs in camp. Jonathan Gannon has also noted that there’s not one specific area of improvement that could get Benson on the field more. PHNX Cardinals’ Johnny Venerable speculated that the Cardinals might use a back other than Benson on passing downs as well.
Benson could still put up elite fantasy numbers if something happens to Conner, but it’s not clear if he’ll offer any usable weeks until that happens.
Atlanta Falcons
Tyler Allgeier has a big role
The Falcons have talked up Bijan Robinson all offseason but OC Zac Robinson gave Tyler Allgeier his flowers last week.
#Falcons OC Zac Robinson on Tyler Allgeier:
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) July 30, 2024
“Certainly, Tyler’s gonna have a big role. And, certainly — at certain points of the season — we’re gonna be leaning on him.” pic.twitter.com/UgiAD9usrc
I wouldn’t read into this too much given the draft capital behind Bijan. It is possible that Allgeier will have a goal line role, which would be painful for Robinson’s fantasy outlook. But it’s hard to move Robinson down the rankings much (if at all) based on this.
Baltimore Ravens
Justice Hill viewed as a starting back
Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Justice Hill is viewed as a starting back and will see a lot of snaps. Like the previous item, this can’t be written off entirely, but it shouldn’t move us from our prior conviction that Derrick Henry is going to carry the ball early and often. Hill could play a role similar to that of Tyjae Spears last year. Spears played the exact same number of snaps as Henry and nearly doubled him up in targets. But you’re not drafting Henry for his role through the air.
Buffalo Bills
Ray Davis with the inside track to RB2 duties
The Bills have been without Ty Johnson at practice for a couple of days. James Cook also missed a day, giving rookie Ray Davis even more reps with the first-team offense. Davis has shown well, especially as a pass-catcher. Bills reporter Matthew Bové believes Davis “may have the inside track at the backup running back job.” Davis can confidently be taken as a handcuff option in the final rounds of drafts.
Carolina Panthers
Jonathan Mingo stock up
The Athletic’s Joe Person named Jonathan Mingo as a player whose stock has risen through the start of camp, saying, “Mingo is running crisp patterns, getting open and grabbing everyone’s attention.” First-round rookie Xavier Legette was on his stock down list. Legette has had a quiet camp and is now dealing with a foot injury. Fantasy managers should not count on getting any fantasy production from Legette early in the year.
Chicago Bears
D’Andre Swift gets the night off
The Bears faced the Texans in the first preseason action of the year. The starters got the night off for the Hall of Fame Game and D’Andre Swift was among them. Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson both played with the backups. Johnson picked up 24 yards on six attempts. Herbert, per usual, looked explosive. He totaled 35 yards on four attempts. The Bears seemingly want Johnson to emerge as the RB2, but Herbert isn’t making it easy.
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Cincinnati Bengals
Andrei Iosivas stacking practices
According to The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr., second-year receiver Andrei Iosivas has been the standout receiver among the group of candidates to fill the No. 3 role left by Tyler Boyd. Per Dehner Jr., “The more Iosivas stacks practices, the more you wonder whether he won’t just soak up nearly all of Boyd’s 824 vacated snaps from last season.” The drumbeat behind Iosivas has been strong all offseason and doesn’t appear to be going anywhere.
Cleveland Browns
Cedric Tillman stepping up
Jerry Jeudy had been sidelined with a knee issue and is back in team drills now but Elijah Moore recently suffered a concussion. The pair of injuries has ensured plenty of playing time with the first-team offense for Cedric Tillman. He has consistently made big plays including this bomb from Deshaun Watson.
QB1 with long dart to CED 🎯 @deshaunwatson | @Ctillman04 pic.twitter.com/eA6T4WzggH
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 1, 2024
Elijah Moore didn’t find his stride in his first season with the Browns and is now missing crucial practice reps. Tillman could shut him out of the receiver rotation with a strong camp.
Dallas Cowboys
Royce Freeman is a thing?
Cowboys Vice President Stephen Jones called Royce Freeman “a great complement” to Ezekiel Elliott and said the Cowboys were surprised he was still available when they signed him. The Dallas backfield is in flux with Rico Dowdle attempting to take on a larger role and Zeke returning as the grizzled veteran. Though Freeman has become a journey without much fantasy value in recent years, if there is any backfield he can make some noise in, it’s this one.
Denver Broncos
Audric Estime standing out
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer called rookie running back Audric Estime “one of the stars of camp thus far.” Sean Payton has also praised the young back along with Javonte Williams and Jaleen McLaughlin. If all three continue to show well in camp, the team could move on from Samaje Perine and save $3 million in the process.
Detroit Lions
WR3 battle continues in Detroit
Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson talked about the importance of consistency when discussing what the team is looking for in a No. 3 receiver. He said Antoine Green has shown growth since the spring but emphasized the need for consistency. A pair of bigger receivers in Donovan Peoples-Jones and Daurice Fountain are also in the mix. Most importantly, Johnson said Kalif Raymond is going to be a big part of the offense.
#Lions OC Ben Johnson on the WR3 competition:
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) August 1, 2024
“We need smart and we need reliable. And if we had to be picky, we want a little bit of length.”
Johnson and HC Dan Campbell have both stated that Kalif Raymond will play a big role in Detroit’s offense pic.twitter.com/FYJFuChZ3D
Green Bay Packers
Snap count SZN
The Packers hold a yearly Family Night which is a training camp session heavy with 11-on-11 drills, giving us an early look at the depth chart two weeks into camp. Justis Mosqueda was sick enough to chart the first-team snap counts for the offense and we love him for it. The breakdown for the receivers was the most insightful:
- Romeo Doubs: 21
- Christian Watson: 19
- Jayden Reed: 16
- Dontayvion Wicks: 6
- Bo Melton: 5
- Grant DuBose: 2
Dontayvion Wicks played a distant WR4 role and Jayden Reed appears to be the odd man out for two-receiver sets. Romeo Doubs, though not the most exciting of the group, is the clear favorite to lead Green Bay in routes.
Houston Texans
Pierce rested RB2
The Texans rested their starters for the Hall of Fame Game and Dameon Pierce was among that group. He won’t play ahead of Joe Mixon, but it’s notable that he may have already cemented himself as the RB2.
Indianapolis Colts
Adonai Mitchell vs. Alec Pierce
Per Colts reporter Destin Adams, Alec Pierce and Adonai Mitchell are splitting the WR3 reps in training camp so far. Adams noted that Mitchell is looking more comfortable in the offense every day. Though Mitchell may not be a viable fantasy option early in the year, this still paints the picture of a rookie who could ice out the veteran ahead of him by midseason.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Tank Bigsby looking good
Reviews on Tank Bigsby’s second offseason as a pro have been mixed but are trending in the right direction after two weeks of camp. Head coach Doug Pederson has also talked about using Bigsby more to ease Travis Etienne’s workload. Tank’s rookie season was nothing short of a disaster, but we’re getting all of the signs that suggest he remains the clear RB2 for Jacksonville.
Kansas City Chiefs
Deneric Prince hype train rolls on
Deneric Prince has consistently run ahead of Clyde Edwards-Helaire in training camp. If we had to base our projections solely on the training camp rotation, Prince would be locked in as the RB2. Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, however, praised CEH’s understanding of the protections and timing on screens. The Chiefs may want Prince to step up as their backup running back, but he still needs to prove he has the fundamentals locked down to surpass CEH.
Las Vegas Raiders
Brock Bowers ahead of the curve
Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce said Brock Bowers is already ahead of the curve when CBS’s Jonathan Jones asked him about the difficulty many tight ends experience as they transition to the NFL. Bowers’ play-making has been a steady theme of Raiders training camp. If anyone is going to break the rookie tight end mold, it will be him.
Los Angeles Chargers
J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards run with the ones
Things can change quickly in camp, but, as of last week, Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins are the two LA backs working with the first-team offense. Kimani Vidal was working with the backups. For Week 1, fantasy managers should expect a two-back committee with Edwards and Dobbins.
Los Angeles Rams
Demarcus Robinson remains the WR3 leader
According to the Rams Wire’s Cameron DaSilva, the Rams’ WR3 battle hasn’t been much of a competition. Demarcus Robinson is the clear frontrunner for the gig and Tutu Atwell isn’t making a run at the job. Fantasy managers can continue assuming Robinson will run plenty of routes in an offense we want to target.
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Miami Dolphins
Mike McDaniel hints at more TE production
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters he thinks there’s an opportunity to get more production out of his tight end room. The only notable addition the team made in the offseason was Jonnu Smith. The former Patriot signed a two-year, $8.4 million deal with Miami this year. Smith remains a high-upside bet at the end of Best Ball drafts.
Minnesota Vikings
McCarthy not getting first-team reps
According to The Athletic’s Alec Lewis, J.J. McCarthy had not taken a single rep with the first-team offense through one week of training camp. The first-round rookie entered the NFL with a limited resume and the team has treated him as a project so far. It looks like Sam Darnold will be the team’s starter for Week 1 and possibly for multiple months.
New England Patriots
Drake Maye’s ups and downs
The Boston Globe’s Ben Volin believed Joe Milton outplayed Drake Maye through one week of camp. According to Volin, Maye separated from Milton through three more practices. However, Maye’s rocky camp all but ensures that Jacoby Brissett will start Week 1.
New Orleans Saints
Taysom Hill package grows
Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Saints are “leaning into the Taysom Hill experience.” Dennis Allen has talked up Hill this offseason and the team is in need of talent at running back and receiver. Hill isn’t going anywhere and remains the greatest grift fantasy managers can execute.
New York Giants
Malik Nabers dominance
Every single report from Giants camp includes some account of Malik Nabers’ excellence.
Just looking at my notes: Rookie WR Malik Nabers was targeted eight times at Monday's joint-practice against the Lions. He caught all eight passes (although it was debatable whether one was inbounds).
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) August 5, 2024
The guy is a stud. #Giants #Lions
He has dominated the looks in training camp so far and is a strong WR2 bet based on his potential for absurd target volume.
New York Jets
Jets list Braelon Allen as RB2
The Braelon Allen drumbeat has been strong all offseason and it continued when they released their first depth chart of training camp. Allen has been the front-runner for the backup job in New York through two weeks of camp and got the RB2 nod on the first depth chart.
Philadelphia Eagles
Johnny Wilson getting first-team reps
Parris Campbell has been out of practice, paving the way for a new WR3 to emerge in Philly. Rookie Johnny Wilson has stepped up, making several big plays over the past week. This camp battle is far from settled, but Wilson would be a strong stacking option with Jalen Hurts if he cements himself as the Eagles’ WR3.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Jaylen Warren impressing Mike Tomlin
Jaylen Warren was so impressive in pass protection that Mike Tomlin used him as “a measuring stick with some of his best defenders.” Warren already has elite rushing metrics. Earning the trust of the coaching staff on passing downs would make him an even greater threat to Najee Harris.
San Francisco 49ers
Ricky Pearsall struggling to separate in camp
Sports Illustrated’s Grant Cohen believes first-round rookie Ricky Pearsall has struggled to separate during training camp. This is a normal story of a rookie taking time to get up to speed, but it could also be a reason the 49ers hold onto Brandon Aiyuk, who is currently the subject of rampant trade rumors. The 49ers are in a win-now window and, if they can’t immediately replace Aiyuk, it would be hard to justify moving on from him.
Seattle Seahawks
Sam Howell roller coaster
Geno Smith got banged-up in practice and Sam Howell has since taken over as the starting quarterback. Smith isn’t guaranteed to be the team’s starter in Week 17, making him a slightly risky bet in Best Ball drafts. The good news for him is that Howell hasn’t been dominant in training camp in Smith’s absence. According to The Athletic’s Michael Shawn-Dugar, Howell has had his moments but has also made his fair share of mistakes. Shawn-Dugar summarized it with, “Howell performed like a backup Thursday.” If Smith is healthy, he is the starter.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jalen McMillan continues to impress
Rookie wideout Jalen McMillan is competing for the WR3 spot in Tampa Bay and has given his coaches no reason not to let him have the job.
Jalen McMillan catches a touchdown in the corner of the end zone from Baker Mayfield during red zone, working against Tyrek Funderburk, who was in pretty tight coverage on the play.
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) August 3, 2024
McMillan was featured in this article last week as a riser and the hype hasn’t slowed at all. He is a strong late-round pick in deep redraft and Best Ball leagues.
Tennessee Titans
Treylon Burks has a good start to camp
Titans head coach Brian Callahan said Treylon Burks has had a “good start to camp.” This isn’t anything special. Coaches complement their players all the time. But we should keep note of how the Titans view Burks in light of DeAndre Hopkins suffering a knee injury that is expected to sideline him for several weeks.
Washington Commanders
Zach Ertz is still a thing
The Athletic’s Ben Standig said Zach Ertz has been Jayden Daniels’ best red zone target so far in training camp. Ertz, who played under Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury in Arizona, is now showing up in camp. Ben Sinnott is still the long-term play for Washington but Ertz could hold him off early in the season.