Blowing Up The Jaguars; Mahomes Looking Deep: The Fantasy Notebook
By Bob Harris - Exclusive to Footballguys
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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.
The Wait Is Over
​Aaron Rodgers officially has a new team. The veteran quarterback agreed to terms with the Steelers on Thursday and will join the team for a mandatory minicamp this coming week.
As I noted in a Fantasy Fallout article on Rodgers, "The outcome seemed predetermined, even if the timing wasn't."
Go check that article out for the full fantasy impact, but here's a spoiler: Steelers receiver DK Metcalf appears to be the big winner here . . .
Mandatory Minicamp Watchlist
Workouts that matter -- at least to the teams holding them -- begin this week, and we have some situations to monitor. With money, in the form of fines, on the line, we'll get a better feel for the approach of two fantasy-relevant players looking for new contracts:
- In Buffalo, James Cook hasn't taken part in voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) to help convey the message that he wants a new contract. The Bills haven't budged to this point, so it'll be interesting to see how invested Cook is in getting a new deal.
- The same goes for Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin. According to FOX Sports insider Jordan Schultz, McLaurin has made it clear to the team that he's frustrated with the lack of progress on a long-term deal.
Again, with fines of up to $100,000 possible, sitting out mandatory sessions can be expensive. . .
On The Injury Front
- Lions wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown told reporters Thursday that he underwent surgery on his knee after the season but expects to be ready for training camp.
- The Colts announced Anthony Richardson will miss this week's minicamp after suffering a shoulder injury. Daniel Jones is standing by, and the value of "Dimes" might be rising. Colts receiver Michael Pittman Jr. will likely be held out of minicamp after injuring a knee during Thursday's session.
I'll be following up on these as needed in coming weeks . . .
Leveraging the Average to Be Anything But
I want to highlight the Footballguys 2025 Average Draft Position Rankings, compiled by our own Clayton Gray.
So far this offseason, I've focused on data from early best-ball drafts on Underdog and BestBall10s as I've compiled my Fantasy Notebooks. But our new average draft position (ADP) rankings encompass a broader range of drafts (including those best balls) to give us an even more accurate understanding of how the draft public sees value.
ADP Is Important
It doesn't tell you when to draft. It tells you when players are being drafted.
There's an important distinction there.
You're still in charge of the draft. ADP just helps you game the room.
If you love a player and the consensus doesn't, ADP makes it easy to leverage the value. Conversely, it helps you know what players you might have to pay up to secure.
Either way, getting maximum value on players you're interested in is the path to fantasy success . . .
With that said, we'll transition into our weekly look at this year's changing play callers and offensive coordinators. In case you missed them, the Fantasy Notebook has covered the changes in Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, and Houston over the last five weeks.
Let's dive into the next one . . .
Getting Coordinated: Flipping Jacksonville
It was a complicated process, but Jacksonville landed their new coach -- albeit with some intrastate drama.
Two days after reportedly withdrawing his name from consideration in Jacksonville, Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen was hired as the Jaguars head coach.
Coen was set to remain with the Buccaneers on a new contract, making him one of the league's highest-paid coordinators. Instead, a year after their previous coordinator, Dave Canales, left for a head coaching job in Carolina, Tampa Bay will have to replace an offensive coordinator who became a head coach after one season on the job.
In turn, the 39-year-old Coen becomes the eighth head coach in Jaguars history, replacing Doug Pederson, who was fired after three seasons in Jacksonville.
The Jaguars went 4-13 in 2024, marking the 10th time in Shad Khan's 13 seasons as owner that his team has posted double-digit losses.
Coen, who will handle play-calling in Jacksonville, has spent 15 seasons as an assistant coach, including 10 at the collegiate level. He spent four seasons with the Rams under Sean McVay, serving as an assistant wide receivers coach, assistant quarterbacks coach, and offensive coordinator (in 2022), and then spent this past season with the Buccaneers under Todd Bowles.
According to ESPN's Dan Graziano, the Jaguars weren't the only team interested in Coen, who is respected around the league for his offensive scheme and ability to coach it effectively . . .
CONTINUED...
