NFC East
Dallas
Ceedee Lamb has been everything the Cowboys could ask for in a first-round pick. Joe Looney looks like he’ll be a suitable replacement for Travis Frederick. There’s a little worry for Tyron Smith and La’el Collins missing practices, but they should be ready for Week 1 vs. the Rams. Blake Jarwin has gotten some praise from Mike McCarthy and should be given every opportunity to soak up most of Jason Witten’s vacated targets. McCarthy has said he has to learn the most, so it doesn’t appear he will meddle too much in Kellen Moore’s offense after retaining Moore. Aldon Smith looks like his old self according to onlookers, so with the signing of Everson Griffen, all of the sudden the Cowboys have an imposing edge rush trio with Demarcus Lawrence, but they also lost Gerald McCoy for the year in camp, which could leave their run defense as the soft underbelly.
Action Items: Lamb is worth a look at ADP as the most versatile receiver on the team likely drawing the best matchups. Jarwin should remain prominent on your late round tight end target list with Herndon, Irv, and Jonnu. This offense could create a lot of overachievers if the offensive line holds up.
NY Giants
There’s no reason to think Daniel Jones' acclimation to Jason Garrett’s offense will be especially rocky - other than the opening schedule of the Steelers, Bears, and 49ers. Dion Lewis will be the #2 back and Wayne Gallman is on the roster bubble. Sterling Shepard has been the best receiver in Giants camp, but that isn’t because Golden Tate is starting to fall off or Darius Slayton looks like his development is stalling out. Cameron Fleming should be fine at right tackle with #4 pick Andrew Thomas at left tackle following the Nate Solder opt-out before camp. The defense should be strong against the run up front, but the pass defense has some big holes after DeAndre Baker’s armed robbery charges took him off the depth chart and second-round pick Xavier McKinney went down with a broken foot.
Action Items: Avoid Jones as a QB1 unless you want to try an even cheaper quarterback as your QB2, but start them for the first few weeks because of a soft schedule. Jimmy Garoppolo and Tyrod Taylor qualify. If you’re going to try a Giants receiver as a bench growth pick, make it Shepard.
Philadelphia
The Eagles lost a second starter on the offensive line - left tackle Andre Dillard - to a torn biceps after losing guard Brandon Brooks. Jason Peters was originally signed to replace Brooks but now will likely move back to left tackle with Matt Pryor in at guard. It’s certainly not a good development for the offense. If the offense underachieves early, offensive line play could be the culprit, especially if they suffer any more injuries. The Washington defensive line with five first-round picks will be a good test Week 1. Miles Sanders is going to get to be “the man” in the backfield, but he’s entering the season with a lower-body injury. The team hasn’t made any moves to indicate that they are worried about his Week 1 availability. Boston Scott is behind Sanders, but Corey Clement has had a great camp and will be the #3 back. Desean Jackson is still Desean Jackson, but the story of the wide receiver group is first-round pick Jalen Reagor, who has been lining up at two positions and should have a large opportunity right away. JJ Arcega-Whiteside has had a redemption second training camp and has a chance to reverse the negative trend established in his rookie year. Rookies Quez Watkins and John Hightower have also had good camps and might be on the fast track to playing time. Jalen Mills has taken well to his transition to safety and the team brought back Vinny Curry to bolster the defensive end depth, but the linebacker group is inexperienced and could be the Achilles heel of the defense.
Action Items: If you were already on the fence about taking Sanders, this injury can give you permission to pass on him in the first. Wentz has lost a little shine as a mid-round quarterback. Clement should be on our waiver wire watch list and Scott is a free square late in PPR leagues. Reagor’s ADP is going up by the day and you might need to reach for him to be sure of getting him. Jackson is still too cheap for a player with his recent track record, injuries and all.
Washington
Alex Smith has been a great story but he’s not going to credibly compete to play this year. The quarterback battle between Dwayne Haskins and Kyle Allen never materialized. Adrian Peterson will be the starter after Derrius Guice was released, with Antonio Gibson getting enough opportunity in the running and passing games to make his mark. JD McKissic will also have a role on passing downs, with Bryce Love waiting in the wings for opportunity after a camp that showed he still might have the juice he had at Stanford. Terry McLaurin is the undisputed #1, Steven Sims Jr will be the slot receiver, and Dontrelle Inman has settled in as the #2 outside receiver after Kelvin Harmon went down with an ACL tear before camp. Former Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas will be the #1 tight end and has displayed good chemistry with Haskins in camp. Ronald Darby has had a good camp to give hope for this ragtag secondary, and Troy Apke might beat out Sean Davis to start next to Landon Collins. Good luck figuring out how snaps are going to be divvied up at linebacker.
Action Items: Gibson’s camp justifies a very optimistic ADP now that we can assume he’ll have the opportunity to assert himself into an even larger role. Love was generating some buzz but is just waiver wire watch list material. McLaurin has only solidified himself as a fifth-round pick, if not fourth, and Sims should be an essential PPR endgame pick. Thomas should be added to your waiver wire watch list. He has always looked natural and athletic on his targets.
NFC North
Chicago
Nick Foles and Mitchell Trubisky are locked in one of the more underwhelming quarterback battles in recent memory, which doesn’t bode well for the offense in general. Foles might be surging into the lead for the Week 1 start, but neither quarterback is seizing the job. David Montgomery went down with a non-contact groin injury, which could affect his availability in Week 1. The Bears haven’t signed anyone, so could be going into the opener against the Lions with Tarik Cohen, Artavis Pierce, Ryan Nall, and Cordarrelle Patterson in the backfield. Anthony Miller was eased in at camp, but it doesn’t appear that his surgically repaired shoulder will be an issue. Fifth-round pick Darnell Mooney has been a hit and should slide into the Taylor Gabriel role. Jimmy Graham was the best player in camp by some estimates. The battle between Deon Bush and Tashaun Gipson to start next to Eddie Jackson may go down to the wire with Gipson nursing a back issue.
Action Items: Allen Robinson is hard to like at ADP even though with average quarterback play he could be a top 10 receiver. Miller is still worth an endgame pick, but Montgomery should be avoided unless he falls to the double-digit rounds, and Cohen isn’t more attractive than the receiving backs going well after him like Duke Johnson Jr or Nyheim Hines. Graham should be on waiver wire watch lists, but a bounce-back year from him would only muddy the water in what will likely be an underachieving offense.
Detroit
Matthew Stafford has been as sharp as ever. Kerryon Johnson has been playing with a knee brace and says he’s at one with it, but it can’t be seen as a positive. He’s still been healthier than second-round pick D’Andre Swift, who is trying to get over a leg injury that has cost him multiple practices. Bo Scarbrough is also banged up, which opens the door for Ty Johnson to make the team and maybe even play some in Week 1. Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones are good as ever. Fifth-round pick Quintez Cephus has the look of a player who will be a starter sooner than later. TJ Hockenson has shrugged off worries about his ankle injury and should be a big part of the pass offense, sometimes making the play of the day in camp.
Action Items: Stafford and Jones remain undervalued at ADP. It’s probably best to avoid the Lions backfield altogether in drafts. Hockenson has done enough to justify a pick as a high ceiling TE2 or breakout TE1 at ADP.
Green Bay
Jordan Love hasn’t looked like a first-round pick or future starter in his first camp. A.J. Dillon’s thighs made headlines, but it is still Aaron Jones' backfield. Tyler Ervin has won a role as a receiving scatback. Allen Lazard has secured the #2 wide receiver role. Jace Sternberger hasn’t pushed ahead of Robert Tonyan Jr to start at tight end. Kamal Martin has a chance to start at inside linebacker next to Christian Kirksey. Rashan Gary is making strides in his second camp to intensify an already top-end pass-rush unit.
Action Items: Keep Lazard on your late-round target list. Jones is worth consideration in the third round and Dillon has faded a bit in the sleeper running back ranks. Eliminate Sternberger from your late-round tight end list.
Minnesota
Dalvin Cook showed up for camp, but Adam Schefter raised some cryptic concerns about him in fantasy this year. Mike Boone is in even better shape and would still figure into the backfield picture along with Alexander Mattison if Cook goes down. Justin Jefferson has been quiet and Olabisi Johnson is in line to start the season as the #2 receiver. Irv Smith has gotten some looks as an outside receiver and should at least overtake Kyle Rudolph as the #1 receiving tight end. Danielle Hunter has been out for at least 10 practices with a “tweak”, which should at least make us concerned about his ability to play Week 1 against Green Bay. The cornerback situation is calming down with rookies Jeff Gladney and Cam Dantzler and 2018 first-rounder Mike Hughes practicing well enough to allay concerns about the position featuring three new starters.
Action Items: Just take Derrick Henry over Cook. Cross Jefferson off of your endgame pick list. Smith should remain prominent on your late-round tight end list. If Hunter isn’t anchoring the pass rush and the corners don’t click, Kirk Cousins could have to throw a lot more this year, giving the offense more passing volume upside than we are probably factoring into our rankings.
NFC South
Atlanta
Todd Gurley looked good in a scrimmage and has had a no news is good news camp regarding his knee. There’s no clarity behind him, but Brian Hill and Qadree Ollison both got praise from the team for their development. Russell Gage has done what the team wanted from him to be the clear #1 slot receiver. Chris Lindstrom is having a great camp and the team is trying to get back to outside zone running. John Cominsky has also been much improved to give the team more pass rush depth.
Action Items: Gurley has a good opening schedule and might get off to a strong start. He’s still tough to consider until the fifth round, and he usually doesn’t make it there. Gage should be on PPR waiver wire watch lists in case Hayden Hurst busts or Julio/Ridley get hurt.
Carolina
Teddy Bridgewater hasn’t lit up Panthers training camp, but he has done enough to be excited about improvement to the pass offense. Mike Davis is emerging as the clear backup to Christian McCaffrey. D.J. Moore and Christian McCaffrey will be targeted more frequently than Curtis Samuel, but there’s some hope that the new regime will embrace Samuel’s versatility and give him more snaps and touches as a runner. Ian Thomas has had a good enough camp to keep our interest in fantasy leagues. Jeremy Chinn has had a terrific camp and should start right away in this rebuilding defense.
Action Items: Samuel and Bridgewater are still late-round targets. Davis and Thomas are on our waiver wire watch list.
New Orleans
Emmanuel Sanders is already riffing with Drew Brees. Ty Montgomery has had a great camp and should make the team, if not have a role in the offense. Adam Trautman is also on the fast track to getting snaps as a third-round rookie after a terrific camp. The talk of Deonte Harris having a role on offense after a great rookie season as a returner has seen some follow-through. The Saints are also happy with third-round pick Zack Baun, who is lining up at strongside linebacker and getting some edge rush snaps.
Action Items: Montgomery could take a little shine off of Latavius Murray as a handcuff, but considering that Murray was at a league winner level when Alvin Kamara was out, there’s plenty of shine to spare. Sanders presents a good risk/reward package at his relatively cheap ADP.
Tampa Bay
Tom Brady has commanded the respect and attention that we expected and the offense has a fresh start. Mike Evans has had a better camp than Chris Godwin in their first go-round with Brady, and #3 receiver Scotty Miller has been a constant star of practices. Ronald Jones II has a strong hold on the #1 running back job although he had a foot injury at the end of a recent practice that we should monitor and he has struggled with drops again at times. Dare Ogunbowale and newest Bucs back LeSean McCoy should handle passing down work. KeShawn Vaughn has been a training camp bust, and he’ll probably start out on special teams. Rob Gronkowski’s role might be more specialized than his Patriots years as O.J. Howard is having a good camp. Tyler Johnson joins Vaughn as a huge disappointment in his first camp.
Action Items: If you were intrigued by Brady as your QB1, the buzz out of Tampa should be encouraging. Jones is a fine risk/reward proposition as long as he doesn’t cost more than a sixth-round pick.NFC West
Arizona
DeAndre Hopkins (hamstring) and Kenyan Drake (foot/ankle) have both been out with minor injuries, and Drake was even spotted in a walking boot, but the team doesn’t seem concerned. Chase Edmonds has created some buzz and might have value beyond a Drake injury upside. Andy Isabella got some praise for added maturity in his second camp, while Hakeem Butler remained quiet. Dan Arnold should be the team’s primary receiving tight end. The defense lost Robert Alford at corner but signed Dre Kirkpatrick, who isn’t a significant downgrade if he is a downgrade at all.
Action Items: If you were already wary of Drake near the 1-2 turn because of lack of a track record as a lead back, the walking boot can help you dig into that stance. Hopkins could also get off to a slow start with his new quarterback. Arnold should be on deep league waiver wire watch lists.
LA Rams
Darrell Henderson’s hamstring injury might not keep him out of Week 1, but it slowed any momentum he had to compete with Cam Akers for the lead back role, although some sort of committee will be in place in any event with Malcolm Brown also figuring in. Van Jefferson has had a terrific camp and should figure into the pass offense in some fashion, which is bad news for Josh Reynolds. Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, Tyler Higbee, and Gerald Everett are all in midseason form. Micah Kiser and Travin Howard are likely to start at inside linebacker.
Action Items: Put Jefferson on your waiver wire watch list. It looks like Tyler Higbee’s ADP might have been a little too optimistic and Gerald Everett should still be on our radar. Henderson has lost some late-round sleeper appeal while Cam Akers remains worth the cost as your boom/bust RB2 long he’s there in the 6th.
San Francisco
Raheem Mostert has been the closest thing there is to a lead back although the bigger story out of the backfield is Jerick McKinnon looking good and staying healthy. He’ll be the top back on passing downs and turn this into a three-headed backfield, with UDFA JaMycal Hasty possibly beating out Jeff Wilson for the #4 spot. Deebo Samuel has been sprinting on the side and is pushing to get ready for Week 1, but expect the 49ers to be conservative with his return. First-round pick Brandon Aiyuk was having a great camp and should be a starter outside, but he suffered a hamstring injury and might not be ready for Week 1 himself. Trent Taylor is looking good in the slot and Kendrick Bourne is still going to play a role in the passing game, so the wide receiver picture is murky right now. George Kittle has a slight hamstring injury and the team also signed Jordan Reed to join him in the tight end group. The team also lost Jalen Hurd to a torn ACL and they have signed a host of veteran receivers to try to fill out the wide receiver room after they also lost Richie James for Week 1. Dante Pettis has had an up and down camp in his big chance for redemption. The 49ers also have injuries to their #1 and #2 centers and Kyle Juszczyk in a hit to the run game. Nick Bosa is nursing a muscle strain on the defensive side of the ball as the 49ers get ready for a tilt with the Cardinals to open the season. Jason Verrett has stayed healthy as of this writing and might boost the secondary.
Action Items: Samuel is probably the better pick than Aiyuk right now, but neither is a strong play early in the season. Mostert’s ADP is rich for a committee back, but there’s a decent chance he picks up where he left off as the likely weekly leader in carries and first in line for rushing scores.
Seattle
The Russell Wilson to DK Metcalf connection has been center stage in training camp and Metcalf might be taking a big step forward after a strong rookie year. Carlos Hyde has looked great while Chris Carson has been tending to personal matters and he might limit Carson to closer to 250-260 carries this year, with fourth-round pick Deejay Dallas emerging as the passing down back already. Greg Olsen has looked good, but Will Dissly is healthy and will complicate the tight end picture. The team traded for Jamal Adams and Quinton Dunbar avoided legal problems in a big break for the defense. KJ Wright is also healthy, and rookie guard Damien Lewis looks like an instant hit of a third-round pick.
Action Items: Metcalf looks like a good target around the 4/5 turn and might end up being more valuable than Tyler Lockett. Carson might be slightly overpriced with the Seahawks looking to conserve him a bit to last in January this year.
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