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Howdy Reader,
Welcome in.
It’s late June. The "quiet" stretch on the NFL calendar. But not for you. Not for the ones who stay plugged in while the rest of the league is on cruise control.
You’re here, putting in the work now so you can dominate later. And we’re right here with you.
Today, we’re kicking things off with a Team Vibe Check on the Washington Commanders. And the vibes are good. We’ll show you why it matters and where the value might be hiding.
We’re also diving into Sleepers and Busts for several teams. Because knowing what (and who) to fade is just as important as spotting a breakout.
And there’s plenty more to come. Plus our Dave Kluge has the News and Notes you need.
Let’s keep stacking the edge.
Let’s roll,
J
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What's New At Footballguys
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Team Vibes: Washington Commanders – The Commanders shocked the league last year. Can Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin do it again? Our Footballguys Staff sees only good vibes.
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NFL Team-By-Team Fantasy Overviews – Every NFL team. Every angle. One new breakdown per weekday - Our Footballguys Staff has you covered through August 1.
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Sleepers By NFL Team - Not every player can be undervalued — but when they are, Our Footballguys Staff finds them. Here's who could beat ADP.
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Busts By NFL Team - Who’s being drafted too early? Our Footballguys Staff goes team-by-team flagging the names most likely to disappoint at their ADP.
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Eyes of the Guru IDP Info, Part 4: Washington Commanders – Jer’Zhan Newton has DT2 upside. Mike Sainristil could break out. John Norton sorts through this evolving Washington defense.
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Dynasty Buckets, A Different Look at Tiers: Tight Ends – Why is Colston Loveland rising? What do we do with Kyle Pitts? Josh Fahlsing revisits the tight end buckets after a month of shakeups.
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Team Vibes: Washington Commanders
By Our Footballguys Staff - Exclusive to Footballguys
The following feature is a free preview of our content. If you like it, click here to sign up for access to our Footballguys Premium Subscriptions, and you'll get all of our content. We're so sure you'll love it that we have an industry-leading 30-day MoneyBack Guarantee, so there's zero risk.
As we race toward August, Footballguys.com will examine one team per weekday with our quick-hitting Team Vibes feature, which explores the overall mood toward each team's offense.
Go Deeper: See in-depth projections for every Commanders player here.
Looking for IDP? Dive into what the Eyes of the Guru see here.
Washington is coming off a season that exceeded almost everyone's expectations. What's the vibe for 2025?
Spoiler alert: All good.
Commanders, Team Vibes
- Good - 13 votes
- Neutral - 0 votes
- Bad - 0 votes
Staffers with Good Vibes
- Tripp Brebner: The Commanders exceeded expectations and feel like they're rising stars. If head coach Dan Quinn can fix a leaky defense, they might push Philly.
- Maurile Tremblay: Jayden Daniels enters Year 2 with Kingsbury, a fortified line, and Deebo/McLaurin weapons, so volume and efficiency trends look bullish.
- Kyle Bellefeuil: Last year, Jayden Daniels was a rookie sensation who helped propel the Commanders to the NFC Championship game. Things are good and promising in Washington.
- Phil Alexander: Washington landed a franchise quarterback. That was the hard part. Sustained success should come more easily.
- Jason Wood: Washington got the quarterback refresh right and is now poised to be one of the NFC's contenders for years to come.
- Hutchinson Brown: The Commanders dramatically exceeded expectations last season and now with Jayden Daniels, they are built for a bright future if they can add the right pieces.
- Jeff Haseley: The Commanders took down the mighty Lions in the playoffs last year. Good things are happening with Kliff Kingsbury and Jayden Daniels.
- Jeff Bell: The Commanders were the biggest surprise of 2024, going from the second pick to the NFC title game.
- Jeff Blaylock: Jayden Daniels won the same number of playoff games last year as Dak Prescott has won in his career.
- Andy Hicks: Jayden Daniels gave this franchise an instant shot in the arm. Is there upside? Can the team handle adversity? All signs point to Yes.
- David Zacharias: Having a dynamic young quarterback with a deep supporting cast and the second-easiest division schedule bodes well.
- Ben Cummins: Jayden Daniels is a superstar who elevates the entire offense.
- Craig Lakins: The Commanders struck gold and overachieved with rookie Jayden Daniels last season. I expect it to remain wheels-up in Washington.
Staffers with Neutral Vibes
Staffers with Bad Vibes
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Emeka Egbuka is going to 'have a big role in the offense - especially with Chris Godwin still recovering from ankle surgery - and even after,' according to ESPN.com's Jenna Laine.'The thing that sticks out is how cerebral he is. He's so smart. Right now, I think we could plug-and-play him at every (wide) receiver spot; he understands the offense that well. That's just him being a pro already,' quarterback Baker Mayfield said recently.
Our view: If Godwin can't play to start the season, Egbuka profiles for the slot role, one that has been very lucrative in this Tampa Bay offense. While many are expecting a slow career start due to the intense target competition, the Buccaneers run a lot of 3WR sets. Egbuka could be a near full-time player right out of the gate, and possesses league-winning contingent upside if Godwin or Evans miss any time.
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Indianapolis Colts TE Tyler Warren had a 'great spring,' one in which he erased any doubts about him having a notable role in the offense right away, according to Stephen Holder of ESPN.com.
Our view: Warren's versatility was one of the most intriguing strengths on his prospect profile, and reports out of Indianapolis are that he's being used all over the formation. While a comparison to Brock Bowers is lofty, Warren plays with a similar physical tenacity and can create consistent chunk plays after the catch. We've seen rookie tight ends find immediate success in recent years, and Warren could easily follow that path.
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3. IND: Daniel Jones in the lead
Source: The Athletic - James Boyd
Indianapolis Colts QB Daniel Jones has built a significant lead over QB Anthony Richardson for the starting quarterback job, according to The Athletic's James Boyd.
Our view: Considering Richardson has been missing time with a shoulder injury, this shouldn't come as a huge shock. Jones has his flaws, but he's at least proven capable of keeping a team afloat and providing his pass catchers with enough volume to be relevant in fantasy. Richardson has not. While Richardson would be the more exciting quarterback, Jones might be the one we want to see if we're investing in Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman, Josh Downs, and Tyler Warren.
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4. PHI: Will Shipley poised for bigger role?
Source: Inside the Birds - Andrew DiCecco
Philadelphia Eagles RB Will Shipley 'offers the dynamic qualities that ideally complement (Saquon) Barkley' and 'should add a nice flair to a new-look Eagles offense,' according to Andrew DiCecco of Inside The Birds.
Our view: Shipley was a pass-catching machine in college and could be helpful in a similar role in the NFL. With recently-acquired AJ Dillon now in Philadelphia as well, their fundamentally different skill sets allow the staff to lean on each of their strengths. Tying this in with reports that the Eagles want to lessen Barkley's load, Shipley should start to creep up draft boards.
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5. PHI: Less reliance on Saquon Barkley moving forward?
Source: Inside the Birds - Andrew DiCecco
Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley has been calculated when balancing training and recovery this offseason, ensuring he's as fresh as possible when players report to training camp. However, multiple players publicly expressed the need for the offense to evolve from last year's run-heavy attack, according to Andrew DiCecco of Inside The Birds.
Our view: Recovery only becomes more critical as we age. And Barkley, coming off 482 touches and heading into his age-28 season, knows that. The Eagles can spend all offseason talking about their plans. But when the games kick off, they'll likely lean on their superstar running back the same way they did last year.
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6. CAR: Tetairoa McMillan left an impression during spring
Source: ESPN.com - David Newton
Carolina Panthers WR Tetairoa McMillan was 'as advertised' prior to the collision that sidelined him for the final two days of mandatory minicamp, according to ESPN.com David Newton.'The goal is to get him comfortable with the system, the different types of plays, and the different formations. We're starting to make it more challenging in terms of moving him around in different spots. He's handling it great,'' head coach Dave Canales said recently.
Our view: Dave Canales focused his pre-Carolina passing attacks around DK Metcalf and Mike Evans, two prototypical X receivers. McMillan is cut from the same cloth. And while they tried shoehorning Xavier Legette into that role last year, McMillan should find much more success. Bryce Young was red hot down the stretch last year. And if he can carry that effortless play over into 2025, McMillan could smash his WR27 ADP.
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7. ARI: Heightened expectations for Marvin Harrison Jr.
Source: The Athletic - Doug Haller
Arizona Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr. is expected to 'make a jump' in his second season, according to The Athletic's Doug Haller, who notes that Harrison has bulked up and that QB Kyler Murray says that Harrison has a 'different confidence.'
Our view: Despite a common notion that Harrison struggled in Year 1, 885 yards and eight touchdowns are nothing to scoff at. Harrison wasn't afforded the quick, easy routes many young receivers see. He was immediately asked to run every route in the book and often struggled to get on the same page with Kyler Murray. But the talent flashed, and a jump to superstardom in Year 2 wouldn't surprise many people.
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8. WAS: Austin Ekeler a cut candidate?
Source: Bleacher Report - Alex Kay
Washington Commanders RB Austin Ekeler could be a cut candidate after the team selected RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt in the seventh round. The team would gain over $3.4 million in cap savings with a $1.5 million hit in dead money by releasing Ekeler.
Our view: Ekeler was decent as a pass catcher last year. And no other running back on the depth chart specializes in that role the way he does. While this would come as a bit of a surprise, there are a lot of RB-needy teams out there who would be quick to sign Ekeler.
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9. SEA: Cooper Kupp talks up Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Source: NFL Network - Good Morning Football
Seattle Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba 'plays a lot stronger than he gets credit for' and 'is incredibly competitive ... similar to what (Puka Nacua) was coming (into the league) as well,' according to new teammate and fellow receiver Cooper Kupp.'I think the first thing that struck me (about Smith-Njigba), he plays a lot stronger than he gets credit for. His decisiveness and belief in himself and what he can do. He's incredibly competitive. He knows he's not going to lose. It's similar to what Puka [Nacua] was coming in as well. Their competitiveness and play strength are very similar,' Kupp said.
Our view: Smith-Njigba broke out in a huge way in 2024. With DK Metcalf now in Pittsburgh, his ascension is set to continue. Kupp is right in saying that Smith-Njigba is strong, and his athleticism is one of his best traits. And Kupp's best traits are between the ears. If some of Kupp's cerebral play rubs off onto Smith-Njigba, he has the tools to be one of the league's best receivers.
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10. CLE: Joe Flacco the early frontrunner for QB1?
Source: The Athletic - Zac Jackson
Cleveland Browns QB Joe Flacco is the 'best pure thrower' among the team's four quarterbacks, in the opinion of The Athletic's Zac Jackson, who adds that the veteran's 'steadiness and experience' have made him a 'valuable addition.' Flacco has 'the respect of the locker room,' per Jackson, who writes that re-signing Flacco was a smart move no matter how many games he starts for the team in 2025.
Our view: Flacco has looked good over the last two years, with both the Colts and Browns. He's developed a tendency to be more of a gunslinger than he was in his younger days, raising the fantasy values of everyone around him. He's the complete opposite of Kenny Pickett, who can be careful to a fault. The outlooks for most of the pass catchers in Cleveland will be heavily skewed by who is playing quarterback, with Flacco likely being the most favorable option.
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11. PIT: Aaron Rodgers likely done after 2025
Source: The Pat McAfee Show - Pat McAfee
Pittsburgh Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers told The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, June 24, that he is 'pretty sure (the 2025 season) is my last season.'
Our view: It looks like the Aaron Rodgers retirement discourse is starting a year early. For dynasty managers rostering Rodgers, it already feels like he's on borrowed time. For redraft managers, we'll just have to reassess next year. Either way, Rodgers shouldn't be on the fantasy radar outside of superflex leagues.
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That’s it for today, Folks.
Thanks for showing up. Not just today, but during this quiet stretch when real fantasy players separate from the casuals. The work you’re putting in now? It’s what sets you apart when the drafts hit and the season kicks off.
We’ll be back tomorrow with more insights to help you stay sharp, make smart moves, and keep that edge your leaguemates won’t see coming.
Until then, stay hungry, stay curious, and keep loving the game.
Peace, Love, and Fantasy Football,
J
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Written By Joe Bryant. News by Sigmund Bloom, Bob Harris, and Cecil Lammey
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