Welcome to the weekly Fantasy Notebook, the must-stop spot for keeping your finger on the pulse of Fantasy Nation. NFL news and developments drive fantasy values. The Notebook is here to keep you in the loop on all of it throughout the season.
Mandatory Updates
This year, NFL mandatory minicamps ran from June 10 to 12 for most teams. However, there are a few exceptions: the Chicago Bears had theirs earlier (June 3-5), while the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, New York Giants, and Seattle Seahawks will have theirs next week, from June 16 to 17.
The Detroit Lions canceled their mandatory minicamp and will instead open training camp early. The Eagles mandatory minicamp only lasted one day.
With 27 teams now done, there will be fewer opportunities for injuries, signings, and other developments that might impact and influence fantasy values before training camps open next month.
I'll have any necessary updates on the remaining five teams in next week's Fantasy Notebook.
For now, however, I have plenty of tidbits from the initial wave of minicamps, including some follow-ups on items we touched on in this space last week. Check the This And That and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly sections below for those . . .
And with that, shift to our weekly look at this year's changing offensive coordinators and play callers. For those just catching up, the Fantasy Notebook has covered the changes in Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, and Jacksonville over the last month and a half.
Let's dive into the next one . . .
Getting Coordinated: Raiders Getting It Right
The Las Vegas Raiders finished last in the AFC West with a 4-13 record, which included a 10-game losing streak -- the franchise's longest such skid in 10 years.
The Raiders haven't won a playoff game since 2002, which was their last Super Bowl appearance. The only two seasons they've had a winning record since then -- in 2016 and 2021 -- were the only two seasons they have made the postseason in the past 22 seasons.
It's no wonder owner Mark Davis told reporters in early April, "I say it every year: This is my favorite time. We are undefeated."
The Raiders have their third head coach and general manager pairing in three years. It's a big reason they are 18-33 in that time.
"I just didn't get it right," Davis said after cutting former head coach Antonio Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco loose. "That's all there is to it . . ."
Shifting The Paradigm
This time around, Davis has Tom Brady as a minority owner and confidant, as well as Brady's long-time friend and former teammate, John Spytek, as general manager and a Super Bowl-winning head coach in Pete Carroll.
Carroll's veteran presence is expected to mesh well with Spytek and help the team compete in an AFC West division boasting coaching heavyweights in Kansas City (Andy Reid), Denver (Sean Payton), and Los Angeles (Jim Harbaugh).
Davis knows the rebuild could take more than one offseason.
"You always want to compete, but you have to be honest," Davis said. "Are we going to win the Super Bowl this year? I don't know. It's possible . . ."
He's Not Wrong
Carroll won Super Bowl XLVIII and a pair of NFC titles and made 10 playoff appearances in 14 years while going 137-89-1 in the regular season and 10-9 in the postseason to become the winningest coach in Seahawks history.
Including his head coaching stints with the New York Jets, with whom he went 6-10 in 1994, and the New England Patriots, where he went 27-21 in three seasons with a playoff appearance from 1997 to 1999, his career record is 181-131-1.
So, no. Davis' hope isn't baseless.
As for the offense?
We have a pretty good idea of where this is heading . . .
Chipping Away At Opposing Defenses
Carroll hired Chip Kelly as his new offensive coordinator, marking the former NFL head coach's return to the pros after eight years away.
Kelly first made a name for himself as the head coach at Oregon, where he pioneered a fast-paced offensive style that earned him both team success and interest from the NFL. He ultimately took on the head coach role for the Eagles in 2013, leading the team to a pair of 10-win seasons before being fired during his third campaign.
That was followed by a one-year stint as the 49ers head coach in 2016 before being fired and stepping away from the pros.
After a year off, Kelly spent the last seven years in the college world, first as the head coach at UCLA for six years and then this last year as the offensive coordinator at Ohio State, where he helped guide the Buckeyes to the National Championship.
But when Carroll came calling, it was hard to resist.
Kelly has long been regarded as a gifted play caller, even as his scheme evolved from a breakneck tempo to a more deliberate NFL style . . .
Setting The Tone
Over Kelly's three seasons in Philadelphia, the Eagles offense was among the league's best, ranking:
- Third in the NFL in points per game (26.9)
- Third in total offense (392.8 yards per game)
- Fourth in rushing yards per game (131.3)
- Second-most running plays of 10 or more yards (175)
- Fourth-most passing plays of 25 or more yards (109).
In Kelly's first year in Philly, the Eagles set an NFL record with 99 plays of 20 yards or more while leading the NFL in rushing yards per game and ranking fourth in points per game (27.6). In 2014, Kelly's team scored a team-record 474 points after setting the franchise record with 442 points a year prior.
In 2016, the 49ers improved from the league's 21st-ranked rushing attack in 2015 to the fourth-best rushing offense under Kelly.
But even with a strong rushing attack . . .
It All Runs Through The QB
The first order of business was upgrading the quarterback position.
Geno Smith was acquired in a trade with the Seahawks in March with the expectation he would provide the stability Las Vegas has sought in the position since Derek Carr left in 2022. The move also reunites Carroll and Smith, who helped Seattle to the eighth-most passing yards and 14th-ranked total offense last season compared to the Raiders' 13th and 29th-ranked groups.
The Raiders will have to wait until the regular season to see if Smith was truly worth trading a third-round pick and giving the two-time Pro Bowler a two-year, $75 million extension. Still, Kelly called Smith a "blessing" for coaches, saying Smith provides a wealth of experience due to playing for multiple coordinators throughout his 11-year career.
Smith is coming off an up-and-down 2024 season in which he passed for a career-best 4,320 yards, a franchise record, with 21 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. While starting all 17 games, he also posted a completion rate of 70.4 percent, carrying an offense with an overmatched line and no consistent run game.
There were issues. Smith's 15 interceptions last year were the third-most in the NFL. Four picks came in the red zone (most in the NFL). He was sacked 50 times (third-most).
Still, Smith completed 68.5 percent of his pass attempts while throwing for 12,961 yards, 76 touchdowns, and 36 picks in 54 games (52 starts) in Seattle. He's an immediate improvement over Gardner Minshew II, Aidan O'Connell, and Desmond Ridder, all of whom got starts last year. Only O'Connell remains on the roster . . .
Don't Get Too Excited
Let's not get carried away here. While Smith is an upgrade for the Raiders, fantasy investors should temper expectations.
Smith's 2025 Footballguys Projection is QB22, while his Average Draft Position (ADP) is QB25.
As our own Gary Davenport reminded readers in his 4 Free-Agent Movers Who Could Be Busts in 2025, "Smith produced top-12 fantasy numbers in two of three seasons in Seattle, including a QB5 fantasy finish in 2022. But outside second-year tight end Brock Bowers, the pass-catchers in Vegas aren't giving any opposing defensive coordinators nightmares, and the Raiders have produced all of one top-12 fantasy season from a quarterback in the past two decades."
There's a reason for that beyond the receiving corps . . .
The Tip Of The Offensive Spear
While job security makes him an interesting option as a QB2 or Superflex-viable floor play, fantasy investors will be most interested in Smith's ability to keep the offense on schedule, maximizing the pieces we'll be more invested in than the quarterback.
As FOXSports insider Jordan Schultz framed it immediately after April's NFL Draft, "Carroll gets a new Marshawn Lynch -- it's Beast Mode 2.0" in Ashton Jeanty, a three-down back selected at No. 6 overall.
Jeanty demonstrated his ability to make an impact on the ground and as a receiver while picking up more than 2,700 yards from scrimmage at Boise State last season. The pick lent further credence to the belief that Carroll will try to re-create a run-first style offense similar to the one he used in Seattle.
That should make Kelly happy as he puts together the plan for the 2025 season . . .
We've Seen This Before
In 2014, Eagles running back LeSean McCoy finished third in the NFL with 1,319 rushing yards. The year before, McCoy set single-season franchise records and led the NFL in rushing yards (1,607) and yards from scrimmage (2,146). Heck, journeyman Carlos Hyde rushed for 988 yards in just 13 games under Kelly in San Francisco.
Jeanty ran for 2,601 yards in his final season at Boise State, and Spytek called him a "foundational piece" at a position that they "really value." He went on to call Jeanty "the perfect player" for the team.
There will be adjustments, however.
Jeanty noted in a recent interview that Kelly wanted him to change his running back stance.
In college, Jeanty famously stood straight up in the backfield. Kelly asked him to bend more at the knees -- likening the adjustment to a basketball stance.
"So, I don't think it's that big a deal," Kelly said . . .
What Is A Big Deal?
The rookie's superpower is breaking tackles and gaining yards after contact.
And Kelly knows it.
“He’s as talented a young back as I’ve seen come into this league.”
— Taylor Rocha (@TaylorRochaTV) May 30, 2025
Chip Kelly didn’t hold back when asked about Ashton Jeanty’s potential.
Get excited, #RaiderNation ? pic.twitter.com/EGu3usv8wm
"His ability to sustain runs after contact, his contact balance is kind of a really rare quality," Kelly said of the youngster. "It's tough to get him down, and normally the first guy doesn't."
Jeanty forced 126 missed tackles last season, the most in FBS, while his 1,733 yards after contact were 590 more than any other FBS player in 2024. His total rushing yards after contact are the most by any FBS player in a season over the past five years.
Kelly noted that Jeanty forced 35 missed tackles against Penn State last year. "Now, Penn State's defense, we played against them [at Ohio State], they're outstanding," Kelly said. "That was a little bit different league for Boise at that time, but not for Ashton in terms of what he did.
"So, excited to see him . . ."
But Wait . . . There's More
Kelly also credited Jeanty for being a quick learner and having the skill set to contribute in the passing game.
That's no surprise.
Jeanty played wide receiver in high school, and during his 2023 season at Boise State, he totaled 569 yards -- the most by any FSB running back -- on 43 catches.
As Footballguy Matt Waldman wrote in the 2025 Rookie Scouting Portfolio, "Jeanty sells his routes well with pacing changes. He doesn't tip off his attack of the ball to defenders, and he earns good position between the defender and the ball."
He's especially effective on screens and dump-offs . . .
But Wait . . . There Are More
Carroll reiterated this week that he will not rely on one player at running back. He anticipates multiple players contributing at the position, which could lead to an intriguing battle during training camp to see who fills out the rotation.
"I love having multiple guys play," Carroll told reporters Thursday at the conclusion of the team's mandatory minicamp. "I'm not relying on one guy, you know."
Beyond Jeanty, the running back room includes free-agent addition Raheem Mostert and holdovers Zamir White and Sincere McCormick.
Asked how the carries would be divvied up, Carroll said the RBs would make the decision with their play. "They're gonna show us that, you know," he said, "when they get their chance to compete."
It's fair to wonder what this means for fantasy . . .
It Doesn't Mean Much
Mostert is 32 years old and coming off a quiet season in which he totaled 278 yards on 85 carries in 13 games in Miami. White and McCormick were limited by injuries in 2024.
Though Carroll doesn't want to rely on just one guy, Jeanty is a one-man wrecking crew.
The job is his to lose -- and he won't.
Given the talent and a clear path to workload, Jeanty will be the first rookie off the board in your fantasy drafts this summer. His Footballguys Projection is RB4, which is also his ADP. Jeanty is being drafted with the seventh pick overall.
I might not build my strategy around Jeanty, but I'd like some shares . . .
About That Wide Receiver Room
While it's easy to overlook him, all Jakobi Meyers does is keep producing.
In his first two seasons in Las Vegas, the former Patriot has recorded 1,834 receiving yards in 158 receptions. He has played in at least 15 games in each season, remaining a healthy option for the offense. Meyers was WR21 in points per game over those two years.
Last year's totals came despite Bowers' record-setting rookie output and with Minshew, O'Connell, and Ridder as his triggermen.
While I'm not arguing Davenport's point on Smith, he is competent enough to have left Seattle with three straight seasons of 3,500-plus passing yards and 20-plus passing touchdowns.
Footballguy Sigmund Bloom, in his 12 Fantasy Football ADPs That Don't Make Sense, noted that both Kelly and Smith have been singing Meyers' praises.
So even with Kelly installing a run-heavy offense that will lean on Jeanty as the primary weapon, and with Bowers still likely to be the busiest receiving asset in Vegas, expecting Meyers to return value at his WR43 ADP (an eighth-round investment) seems perfectly reasonable with a proven, steady veteran under center . . .
Other Possibilities
There is the guy that no one is talking about: Tre Tucker, who is going into his third season with the team.
Tucker possesses the elite speed needed to stretch the field and score quickly. As AtoZSports.com's Justin Churchill noted, Tucker has consistently been the only guy on the offense the last two years who has been able to create problems downfield.
And, for a guy who's his size, that's not good for the Raiders. However, after seeing the transformation he made, Tucker could take his game to an entirely new level in 2025.
Listed at 5-9, Tucker came into the league around 182 pounds, which is pretty small.
#Raiders WR Tre Tucker looks JACKED pic.twitter.com/RtJZKGMTWV
— Justin Churchill (@ChurchillAtoZ) June 9, 2025
He's not as small this year.
Meanwhile, Jack Bech was considered a late Day 3 pick when the 2024 season started. But after becoming only the fifth TCU player to have a 1,000-yard receiving season, Bech, who showed smooth, precise routes and impeccable hands throughout last season, lands in an offense with only Bowers and Meyers locked into roles ahead of him.
Yes, I realize those roles are robust. But the path to playing time is undoubtedly there for Bech.
In addition, rookie Dont'e Thornton Jr., a fourth-round pick out of Tennessee, is a player who has "some real receiver capabilities to him" and "not just a guy that can run fast," according to Meyers.
That said, he can absolutely run fast.
"Dont'e is unique in terms of he's just a hair under 6-5, and he ran 4.3," Kelly said. "There's not a lot of humans on this planet that do that."
So, it's no surprise that Thornton led the FBS with 25.4 yards per reception for Tennessee last year.
For now, Thornton is a field stretcher with a limited route tree. Still, Footballguy Cecil Lammey advised readers this week to keep an eye on the rookie speedster in dynasty formats . . .
Worth The Premium?
Bowers was the best tight end in the NFL in his first season. He closed out a historic season with 112 catches in 2024, passing Malik Nabers to officially secure the NFL record for most receptions by a rookie at any position in NFL history. In Week 17, he broke Mike Ditka's 63-year-old NFL record for receiving yards by a rookie tight end (1,076).
Bowers finished the season with 1,194 yards. He also finished as TE1 with a 15.5-point per-game average.
Again, that rookie success came with less-than-ideal quarterback play.
So it's no surprise that Bowers is the first tight end off the board in early best-ball drafts.
But is the 16th pick overall, his current ADP, more than you should pay?
This is where I remind you how important leverage over the field is in fantasy football. It's even more critical at positions of scarcity. And there isn't a position in the game where high-end talent is as hard to come by as it is at tight end.
But here's the thing: I'm not keen on paying the premium that comes after a historic season.
Historic seasons, by definition, are hard to repeat.
Still, there aren't many tight ends who will serve as their team's WR1, and Bowers is still that . . .
This And That: Backfield Shifts, Breakouts, And Buzz
Time to get a feel for some players and situations of interest as teams start getting to work in advance of the 2025 NFL season . . .
Seismic Shift In Denver's Pecking Order?
The roles in the Broncos' running back room are suddenly much less certain after J.K. Dobbins signed with the team this week.
J.K. Dobbins looks GOOD in a Broncos uniform! ???https://t.co/9xImAUZpH7 pic.twitter.com/67cIv0xm5V
— Broncos Wire (@TheBroncosWire) June 13, 2025
Denver has a stable of running backs that will compete for snaps, and head Sean Payton said Wednesday the rotation will become clear when those roles are earned.
"We'll see how training camp goes, see how all the carries go," Payton said. "You know what? When that time comes, you guys are going to know just like I'm going to know. You're going to see it."
What is already clear, though, is the Broncos have added a talented option in Dobbins.
"[He's] another good football player," Payton said. "We're interested in those guys."
Sources told ESPN on Tuesday that Dobbins' deal is for one year and $2.75 million and could rise to over $5 million with incentives.
Payton said Dobbins' running balance and instincts are among the traits that stand out on film, and the sixth-year veteran has proven that ability as he's averaged north of five yards per carry in his career.
Dobbins posted nine touchdowns and more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage as he was the runner-up for Comeback Player of the Year honors in 2024, and he ranked fourth in the NFL in percentage of rush attempts that resulted in a gain of at least 10 yards.
The Broncos return four running backs who had carries last season: Audric Estime, Jaleel McLaughlin, Blake Watson, and Tyler Badie.
Among those four, McLaughlin, whom Payton has said might be undersized for some of the work in pass protection despite his willingness to take on rushers, had the most rushing yards (430) on the team last season as well as most rushing touchdowns (four).
The Broncos also traded up in the second round of April's NFL draft to select Central Florida running back RJ Harvey.
Payton has lauded Harvey's offseason work and said he believes Harvey can eventually become a player who can play in every down and distance situation. The rookie has been working in the offense since the team's May rookie minicamp, followed by two sessions of OTAs to go with this week's minicamp.
Still, Lammey, who also covers the Broncos on a daily basis in Denver, expects Dobbins to serve as the 1A to Harvey's 1B this season.
For now, Footballguy Clayton Gray, in his How the Dobbins Signing Is Moving ADP, notes that both players' ADP moved in expected directions in the wake of this news.
Harvey dropped from the end of Round 4 to the middle of the fifth. Dobbins rose one and a half rounds from the top of the 16th.
Gray went on to predict that this is just the starting point. We should expect the current 108-pick gap to narrow.
But if you're in the middle of ongoing best-ball or other drafts, landing Dobbins before the shift becomes more significant could be a winning move. Conversely, Gray wrote, "Keep an eye out for Harvey to drop too low. He might also become a value pick soon . . ."
A Shift In Houston, Too
The Texans have signed four-time Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb, the team announced Monday.
Texans, RB Nick Chubb agree to 1-year, $2.5M deal that can be worth up to $5M. (via @Rapsheet) pic.twitter.com/Wwf3mJvgZ0
— NFL (@NFL) June 9, 2025
The former Browns running back joins a Texans rushing attack led by two-time Pro Bowler Joe Mixon, Dameon Pierce, Dare Ogunbowale, and fourth-round draft pick Woody Marks out of USC.
Chubb, a 2018 second-round pick out of Georgia, ranks third on the Browns' career rushing list with 6,843 yards after spending the first seven years of his career in Cleveland.
Injuries derailed Chubb's tenure in Cleveland.
He suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2 of the 2023 season against the Pittsburgh Steelers, forcing him to miss the first six games of 2024 before he returned in Week 7 and scored a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals.
But Chubb, 29, failed to regain his Pro Bowl form before his season ended prematurely because of a broken foot in Week 15.
In eight games, he ran for 332 yards and recorded career lows in yards per attempt (3.3) and percentage of carries that gained at least 10 yards (4.9 percent).
Houston hopes Chubb can recapture his pre-injury production and form a one-two combo with Mixon, who totaled 1,016 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns en route to earning a Pro Bowl selection in 2024.
This development will likely drive Mixon's RB15 ADP down, and Chubb's RB60 spot might rise some. Mixon remains a solid RB2 until further notice, while Chubb becomes a more interesting flier now that we know his destination . . .
Feeling Good In Philly, Curses Notwithstanding
Following up on last week's Fantasy Notebook, Saquon Barkley has gone from openly discussing his eventual retirement to telling us how good he feels.
Barkley set a career-high with 345 carries during the regular season and added 91 more during their Super Bowl run, but according to ESPN.com's Tim McManus, the star running back said his body isn't dealing with the effects.
"I feel really good," Barkley said as Philadelphia wrapped its one-day minicamp. "I feel like I'm entering my prime."
Barkley said he took some time off and made sure not to overdo it in his training post-Super Bowl to recover from the long season.
He set the all-time single-season rushing record, including playoffs, last season and capped the campaign by securing his first Lombardi Trophy, but he remains hungry for more.
"The thing that drives me is the same thing that's driven me since I was a little kid," he said. "I want to be the best running back to ever play, or at least one of the best."
Last season certainly put him in the conversation, but a repeat is going to be tough.
Davenport made a compelling case last week for Barkley being "fantasy's biggest bust" in 2025.
No, it's not that EA Sports selected Barkley to be the cover athlete for Madden NFL 26.
Saquon Barkley is featured on the cover of Madden 26 wearing the Nike LeBron 4 Cleat PE ?? @saquon pic.twitter.com/rv2j21jy1X
— KicksFinder (@KicksFinder) June 2, 2025
Last week, Footballguy Joe Bryant did a great job of putting the Madden Curse in historical context -- and pretty much laying it to waste in the process. But Davenport is more worried about last year's workload . . .
It's The Curse Of 370
"Since 1980," Davenport explained, "30 running backs have surpassed 370 carries in a season. Of that bunch, one back, Eric Dickerson in 1984 (when he set the NFL all-time rushing record), gained more rushing yards the next year. Most missed time. Forty percent saw their production drop by over half. The average decrease in production topped 40 percent."
Look, nobody is dialing back noticeably on Barkley. He's still this year's RB1, according to current ADP data, going with the second pick overall.
But there's an argument to be made for the next guy in line . . .
What Can No. 2 Do For You?
Falcons running back Bijan Robinson is currently going with the third pick overall as the RB2.
And he's identified an area he'd like to improve in during the 2025 season.
As Profootballtalk.com's Josh Alper reminded readers, Robinson ranked fourth in the league last season when it came to runs of 12 or more yards, but he was 17th when it came to runs of 20 or more yards. His career-long run is 39 yards, and a 71-yard catch was the only longer gain of his first two seasons.
Robinson said he wants more runs in that category and is working every day to make more plays like the ones that carried Barkley to offensive player of the year status in 2024.
"We all want it. We're all waiting for that Saquon-type of season when it comes to explosives," Robinson said. "But I've been working on it a lot this offseason. And, obviously, when it gets to the season, it's time to go show it and go do the work the right way."
The Good News?
There is apparently no Curse of 365, which is how many touches Robinson finished with last season.
I'll note that Robinson's usage increased gradually over time.
As ESPN's Mike Clay pointed out, Robinson averaged 17.0 touches, 87.2 yards, and 13.5 fantasy points from Weeks 1 through 5. He was RB24 in points per game over that span. From Week 6 on, Robinson averaged 23.3 touches, 120.9 yards, and 22.7 fantasy points -- the highest per-game average of any running back.
Robinson proved he can handle the workload, and the third-year man has shown us the upside that comes with it . . .
CMC Ready To Roll
Following up on a previous Fantasy Notebook, the 49ers wrapped up their offseason program Wednesday and did so with running back Christian McCaffrey feeling as good as he has in some time.
According to ESPN.com's Nick Wagoner, McCaffrey not only participated in every phase of organized team activities and the mandatory minicamp but was one of the few Niners stars to take reps in team drills. He has made it through well, a good sign for the Niners, given his importance to their success.
"I feel great," McCaffrey said. "I think this offseason I spent a lot of time kind of building back a base starting from scratch, so a lot of it was rehab and wanted to put myself in a position where I didn't miss a day of OTAs, and I could practice and play football again, be healthy and not miss a day, and I did that."
McCaffrey has quietly crept back into the tail end of the first round of drafts. He's going as RB6 with the 12th pick overall . . .
Too Far Under The Radar
The Chicago Bears have yet to play a game this season, but the impact of new head coach Ben Johnson has already been felt throughout the locker room.
Running back D'Andre Swift feels rejuvenated with the arrival of Johnson and his coaching staff, who are already establishing a better culture just during the offseason program. Swift is excited about this upcoming season and this team's potential.
"Another opportunity, first and foremost, with everybody new, the coaching staff," Swift said. "The culture, that's changing. You could tell that Ben has been doing a hell of a job so far. Day in and day out, everything he's doing is going to be for the better for this organization and this city."
Swift played for Chicago's new head coach during his time with the Detroit Lions.
That might not be the most encouraging news, though: Swift ran for just 542 yards and five touchdowns in his final season in Detroit before leaving for Philadelphia, clearing the way for the Lions to rebuild their backfield with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs.
As NFL.com's Nick Shook noted, Swift will need to produce a better season under Johnson's direction in 2025 than he did back then, mainly because the Bears can save all but $1.3 million of his $8.8 million cap number in 2026 by cutting him.
But in the short term, fantasy investors should take note: The Bears didn't make any significant moves in the backfield, and now, with Dobbins and Chubb off the market, there don't appear to be many options available that might be limiting factors for Swift, who's being drafted as RB29 right now.
That Round 6 price is quite appealing. . .
The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
Every week, the NFL delivers a remarkable range of stories. I like to use this spot to encapsulate that broad expanse here. This week, I'll use this section to follow up on some pre-mandatory minicamp stories from last week's Fantasy Notebook.
The Good: Money Talks
Bills running back James Cook reported for the team's mandatory minicamp Tuesday after sitting out the voluntary portion of the offseason program.
The fact that he's in attendance for minicamp could be a positive sign of negotiations.
Or it could be much simpler than that.
"I like my money. Definitely do," Cook told reporters. "So, that's why I'm here."
Though he wants a new contract after leading the NFL in rushing touchdowns last season, Cook reported to avoid fines for missing the mandatory minicamp that could've surpassed $100,000.
"I mean, why not? I'm here. I'm part of the team," Cook said when asked why he participated in team drills. "I'm a leader. So, just got to practice and get the job done."
He said he also plans to attend next month's training camp, though he wouldn't commit to practicing in pads without a new contract.
A second-round pick in 2022, Cook is entering the final year of his rookie contract. He has rushed for 1,000 yards in each of the last two seasons and led the league with 16 rushing TDs in 2024. Cook's RB14 ADP and the associated late-third-round price aren't far off his RB11 finish last season.
Knowing he'll show up is good news for investors eager to invest at a slight discount . . .
The Bad: Commanders Have It Backwards
After participating in offseason workouts until the start of organized team activities, wide receiver Terry McLaurin did not report to mandatory minicamp.
McLaurin signed a three-year, $68.2 million extension with Washington in 2022 but is entering the final year of that deal. He wants a new contract before he retakes the field.
At this point, McLaurin is protecting his greatest asset -- his health -- while money is still on the table.
For some perspective, with a $23.2 million-per-year average on his current deal, McLaurin is 16th in annual average among all NFL wide receivers -- but second on his team behind new addition Deebo Samuel Sr. ($23.8 million per year).
The Commanders paying Samuel more than McLaurin seems like bad business. Expect it to be rectified sooner rather than later . . .
The Ugly: Is There No Stopping The Rise Of Dimes?
Anthony Richardson remained without a timeline to return after visiting Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the surgeon who operated on Richardson's AC joint last year, in Los Angeles for a checkup, according to head coach Shane Steichen.
As Profootballtalk.com reminded readers, Richardson had surgery to repair the AC joint in his right shoulder after suffering an injury during his rookie season. Steichen noted last week that Richardson had reported soreness in the throwing shoulder during the offseason program.
Richardson is competing with Daniel Jones to be the Colts' starter to open the season.
While it seems likely Richardson will return at some point during training camp, perhaps even in time for the opening, Jones has already benefited from the opportunity to begin separating himself in the battle between the two former first-round picks.
As it stands now, Danny Dimes appears to be the early favorite to win this starting job.
Let that sink in.
That it's come to this is kind of ugly, but as is often the case, even the worst of situations can lead to value . . .
The Final Word
That's it for this week's Fantasy Notebook. First-time readers will be pleased to learn you're only scratching the surface of what's available at Footballguys. We're hard at work year-round to help our subscribers gain an edge on the competition.
Our 2025 Player Projections and Preseason Draft Rankings are live, along with the usual array of interesting strategy and news articles. Also, the free Daily Email Update has resumed. Get the biggest stories in football. Summarized, explained, and delivered straight to your inbox -- every day.
Remember: It's never too early to start, so head back next week for another edition of the Fantasy Notebook.
Bob Harris was the first-ever Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year and is a member of the FSWA Hall of Fame. You can catch Harris' "On The Hotseat" every Tuesday on the Footballguys Audible channel and listen to him starting July 7 on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio's The Football Diehards show on Sirius channel 87.
