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The 4th of July is almost here (bring on the fireworks and questionable hot dog decisions), but we’re still all in on helping you stay one step ahead while the rest of your league is watching the grill instead of the news.
Today, we’re digging into the Carolina Panthers. With sleepers, busts, andIDPpicks to help you see the full picture. Whether you're building for redraft, dynasty, or just trying to win the group chat this season, we’ve got you.
And don’t miss Gary Davenport’s brand new feature: 10 Must-Have League Winners. These are the kinds of players that tilt leagues. And you’ll want to grab them before the hype catches up.
Plus, Bob Harris has the News and Notes that keep you locked in.
Drafters Best Ball Report 1.0 – James Brimacombe explains what’s fueling the rise of Justin Fields and the drop for Jordan Addison as ADP shifts fast.
Carolina Panthers Fantasy Overview - With Our Footballguys Staff thinks Bryce Young, Tetairoa McMillan, and Demani Richardson might define Carolina’s fantasy fate.
NFL Team-By-Team Fantasy Overviews – Our Footballguys Staff preview each NFL team by division — with daily drops of vibes, sleepers, busts, and IDPs. See the full list and track the journey here.
The 10 Must-Have League-Winners as Fantasy Draft Season Opens
By Gary Davenport - Exclusive to Footballguys
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League-Winning Fantasy Picks
Even if your fantasy draft won't be taking place for some time, it's still time to begin preparing for the big day. Fantasy managers who are best prepared for their drafts are the ones who (generally) have the most successful ones. It's time to start sifting through rankings. Checking out position previews. Searching for potential sleepers and busts.
This piece is a list of fantasy assets this analyst believes are either grossly undervalued or at least available in a spot where they have an excellent opportunity to exceed expectations.
Assemble a roster comprised of players like that, and odds are the 2025 campaign is going to go pretty well.
The first NFL season for the No. 1 pick in last year's draft was admittedly, um, yeah--just over 3,500 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns, an NFL-high 68 sacks, and a QB16 finish in fantasy points. But everything the Bears have done this offseason has been laser-focused on putting Williams in a position to succeed in 2025.
The Bears hired one of the most well-respected offensive minds in the NFL as head coach in Ben Johnson. The team overhauled the offensive line. Added tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden III to a passing game that already included DJ Moore and Rome Odunze. If you believed in Williams as a talent in 2024, it's time to believe in him as a viable fantasy starter with top-5 upside.
The 2025 season was a downer for the Bengals as a team, but there were a number of breakout offensive performances, including Brown--in his second professional season, Brown gained 1,350 total yards, caught over 50 passes, and scored 11 total touchdowns.
Once Brown took over as Cincinnati's featured back, he was consistent and productive. From Week 8 on, Brown posted double-digit PPR points in every game he played. From Week 9 on, he tallied at least 90 total yards in every game he played. From Week 8 on, Brown was sixth in PPR points among running backs. And there's no reason to think he won't sail past 300 touches in 2025--on an offense where opponents don't dare stack the box.
Brown won't stay a third-round pick all summer--for good reason.
Carolina Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard finished with 250 carries in 2024 - the 11th most in the league and second most among all running backs who played 15 games or fewer. It is a number that will drop in 2025 in part because the Panthers want Hubbard to be fresh for four more seasons at a minimum, according to Alex Zietlow of the Charlotte Observer.
Our view: With Jonathon Brooks slow to return from his 2023 ACL tear, Hubbard was the starter from Day 1 last season. He was fed a ton as the team tried to figure out how good he could be and whether he was worth an extension. He was good enough to earn a four-year deal. Zietlow acknowledges Hubbard will still receive a majority of the touches -- most notably at the goal line, where Hubbard running behind Robert Hunt was one of the most reliable plays in the Dave Canales playbook. Even with a slightly lighter workload, Hubbard's priced right at RB18.
New England Patriots WR DeMario Douglas is the leading candidate for the slot receiver job entering training camp, in the opinion of PatriotsWire's Jordy McElroy.
Our view: According to local observers, Douglas was a favorite target of Drake Maye as OTAs wound down last month. Douglas' WR73 Average Draft Position is appealing in PPR formats, given the potential volume. At the very least, he'll turn out to be a bargain at that price if he handles the kind of role we've seen slot receivers handle under Patriots coordinator Josh McDaniels in the past.
New England Patriots WR Efton Chism III is 'posing a serious threat' to WRs Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker for a roster spot, in the opinion of Patriots Wire's Jordy McElroy.
Our view: Chism, who broke Cooper Kupp's Eastern Washington school single-season record for catches with 120 last year, quickly became a favorite of Drake Maye, who estimated he found the 5-10, 195-pound target for "like 50 catches" in organized team activities. That only means so much before the start of training camp. Still, it unquestionably highlighted Chism's potential value, given the Patriots' desire to put Drake, the 2024 No. 3 overall pick, in more favorable positions after a rookie year marked by challenges. Chism isn't fantasy-relevant yet. But he's worth watching.
Jacksonville Jaguars RB Bhayshul Tuten needs to improve his pass protection, according to head coach Liam Coen. 'From protection systems in college to the pros, that's usually where you see some of the tempo slow down for them - playing slower, thinking more - is when pass-pro starts to kind of bog the mind,' Coen said in June, explaining that teaching the 'why' for backs to learn several variations of footwork that pair with pass proection can slow down a back in that phase of the offseason.
Our view: Often compared to Miami's De'Von Achane, Tuten can take one cut and use his 4.32-second speed to explode down the field with ease. But he'll need to prove he can protect Trevor Lawrence -- and secure the football. Tuten fumbled the ball nine times over his last two seasons at Virginia Tech. Then, on Day 1 of Jaguars organized team activities, Tuten proved that it remains an issue, as he lost the ball on his first rep of the day. So, the athleticism and play-making ability are there. But Tuten has work to do.
Updating an earlier report, the Miami Dolphins acquired TE Darren Waller and a conditional 2027 seventh-round pick from the New York Giants in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick. Waller will come out of retirement to join the Dolphins.
Our view: Waller will fill the vacancy created when Jonnu Smith was traded to Pittsburgh. The 32-year-old Waller was one of the league's best tight ends in 2019 and 2020. In addition to missing 21 games over his past three seasons (2021, '22, and '23), Waller sat out last season altogether. He opens as TE31 on the Footballguys Projections.
Denver Broncos RB J.K. Dobbins will be needed to 'deliver a consistent presence in the backfield,' in the opinion of The Athletic's Nick Kosmider, who writes that Dobbins could be an 'every-down staple' for the offense.
Our view: 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 with the Chargers in 2024. He ranked fourth in the NFL in percentage of rush attempts that resulted in a gain of at least 10 yards. Head coach Sean Payton said Dobbins' running balance and instincts stand out on film. There is competition in Denver. Rookie RJ Harvey will play a prominent role and the Broncos return four running backs who had carries last season: Audric Estime, Jaleel McLaughlin, Blake Watson, and Tyler Badie.
Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff threw for 2,789 yards and 23 touchdowns during the second half of the 2024 season. He threw for 1,840 yards and 14 touchdowns during the first half.
Our view: Goff proved exceptional at reading defenses, making quick decisions, and letting his playmakers do the heavy lifting. Those attributes contributed to his QB7 finish last year. This year, he is being drafted as QB10 in the ninth round. A reminder: Goff has finished in the top 10 (including a QB7 finish in 2023 and winding up as QB10 in 2022) in the last three years. Although he has a new offensive coordinator this season, the price seems plenty reasonable.
Free-agent WR Odell Beckham Jr. (Dolphins) is not expected to be an option for the New York Giants, according to ESPN.com's Jordan Raanan.
Our view: Raanan conceded that maybe, somewhere along the line, Beckham signs a one-day contract and retires as a Giant. But Raanan added: "I don't see, based on talking to people, that Beckham coming back to the Giants this year is something that's realistic and makes a ton of sense." From a fantasy perspective, Beckham hasn't had a top-10 fantasy season at his position since 2016. He hasn't been relevant since 2019.
Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams threw for 1,108 yards and 10 touchdowns in the fourth quarter of games during the 2024 season. He finished the season with 20 passing touchdowns.
Our view: Although he finished 2024 as QB14, Williams had multiple weeks in QB1 territory. The then-rookie had three top-five weeks at his position. He scored well over 20 points in all three (24.9 points in Week 12, 26.1 points in Week 13, and 24.8 points in Week 16). So, we've seen Williams' upside, and the last three seasons offer ample evidence of new coach and play caller Ben Johnson's ability to get the most out of the position. Williams is being drafted as QB12 in Round 9.
Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson (Achilles) could be ready to practice sometime in October, according to a source via Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Our view: Cabot went on to note the Browns won’t even entertain the notion of activating Watson, who will start the season on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list, until doctors have cleared him to play. Even then, it seems like a long shot for him to land on the active roster this season, let alone see game action. In the meantime, sources tell Cabot that Watson has been awesome inside the quarterback and meeting rooms, helping the four quarterbacks vying for the starting job -- Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders.
As we head into the holiday, here’s to backyard games, good food, and getting just a little time to breathe before fantasy season really kicks into gear. And hey, if that league group chat starts popping off mid-BBQ, you’ll be ready with the sharpest takes at the table.
Thanks for being part of the Footballguys family. We’re honored to help you prep, plan, and outsmart your league one update at a time.
Have a great 4th. We’ll see you tomorrow with our usual celebration.
Peace, Love, and Fantasy Football,
J
Joe Bryant
Guide
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Written By Joe Bryant. News by Sigmund Bloom, Bob Harris, and Cecil Lammey
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We Help You Win More At Fantasy Football
We help you win more at Fantasy Football. Join 700,000+ others who are dominating their fantasy football leagues on our 100% FREE Daily Update newsletter