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Howdy Reader,
Welcome to the Weekend.
We know this is the “quiet” time on the NFL calendar. But you wouldn’t know it around here. You’re here. We’re here. And we’re still grinding. That’s what makes this community special.
We’ve got a packed lineup today: A full look at the Tennessee Titans with Team Vibes, Sleepers, Busts, and the IDPs that could quietly win you weeks.
Clayton Gray has a sharp breakdown of how high-stakes ADP is shifting in the real money leagues. These are insights you can use today. Our Classic Drafting Apps are freshly updated and ready to guide you all the way to draft day. And a thoughtful piece from Jason Wood on this year’s new offensive play-callers. And what history tells us about the fantasy ripple effect.
And of course, Cecil Lammey has your News and Notes to make sure nothing slips through the cracks.
Thanks for letting us be part of your weekend. Let’s go.
J
PS. Time is almost up to pre-order your Footballguys Draft Guide Magazine. When the Magazine hits mailboxes in early August, 12 lucky copies will have a Golden Ticket inside - good for a Lifetime Premium Subscription to Footballguys.
If you’ve already ordered, you’re in. If not… now’s the time.
Don’t miss it. 👉
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What's New At Footballguys
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What to Expect from the New Play-Callers – Jason Wood profiles 12 fresh play-callers and explores where experience, risk, and upside collide for fantasy managers.
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Drafters Best Ball Report 2.0 – James Brimacombe breaks down all the Drafters risers and fallers this week — Will Shipley’s up. Tyjae Spears is down.
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NFFC ADP Movement: How High-Stakes ADP Is Changing – Clayton Gray reveals what high-stakes ADP is really saying — George Pickens is up. Lamar Jackson is down.
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Jacksonville Jaguars Fantasy Overview – Can Calvin Ridley carry this offense? Will Tony Pollard fade? Our Footballguys Staff has the early answers — including which Titans are draftable and which are best left alone.
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Footballguys Classic Drafting Apps – The Footballguys Classic Apps are back with a fresh update — and Bruce Henderson shows how to put them to work.
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What to Expect from the New Play-Callers
By Jason Wood - 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.
The NFL Coaching Carousel is Constantly Spinning
This year, twelve teams will feature new offensive play-callers, including a mix of first-timers and veterans returning to the role. Each situation carries its own mix of risk and reward. For fantasy managers, understanding where those changes will most impact player value is essential.
Evaluating coaches is difficult, but we can try to handicap the fantasy impact by focusing on three lenses:
- What is their play-calling experience?
- How have they performed in the past?
- Are they implementing a new system?
The Seasoned Veterans: Josh McDaniels (NE) and Brian Schottenheimer (DAL)
In a league where the average play-caller lasts just over two seasons, the Patriots and Cowboys took a different path by hiring two coaches with deep NFL résumés. Josh McDaniels is only 48 years old but has logged 23 seasons in the league, including an impressive 18 as a play-caller. His experience includes two stints as a head coach, but he is best known for his previous runs as New England's offensive coordinator under Bill Belichick. Brian Schottenheimer brings 25 years of experience, with 12 as a play-caller. Ironically, he was the play-calling offensive coordinator in all three of his prior stops (Jets, Rams, Seahawks), but spent the last two seasons in Dallas as the non-play-calling OC before being elevated to head coach this offseason.
Josh McDaniels – New England Patriots
- New system? YES (Erhardt-Perkins)
- Experience as an NFL play-caller? YES, 18 seasons
- Past performance? Elite with New England, poor elsewhere
The Situation: McDaniels returns to New England for a third time, though this stint is markedly different. He’ll be working under a new head coach, Mike Vrabel, and with a new starting quarterback, Drake Maye. That makes it tough to draw clear parallels to his earlier Patriots runs. It’s obvious owner Robert Kraft values continuity with the Belichick era, as this is the second straight year he has hired a former Patriots assistant to lead the team. Fortunately, Vrabel arrives with a more proven track record than Jerod Mayo did a year ago. McDaniels inherits a team with one of the league’s worst offensive lines and a young quarterback who has elite tools but lacked the supporting cast and infrastructure in 2024 to build confidence about his long-term ceiling.
The Verdict: Optimism is understandable given McDaniels' previous success in Foxborough, but nothing is guaranteed. His Patriots offenses never finished worse than 8th in points scored, though most of those seasons were with Tom Brady. In his six years calling plays elsewhere, McDaniels’ offenses averaged a much less inspiring 22nd-place finish. The one bright spot was 2021, when his offense with rookie Mac Jones finished 6th in scoring. Expect a balanced attack that uses a versatile ground game to set up play-action shots for Maye. The challenge will be patience. McDaniels runs a complex system that can overwhelm young players. If he has learned from past missteps, he will build the foundation first and ramp up complexity later, likely making this more of a 2026 breakout offense than a 2025 one.
Brian Schottenheimer – Dallas Cowboys
- New system? YES (Run-heavy Air Coryell)
- Experience as an NFL play-caller? YES, 12 seasons
- Past performance? League-average with wide seasonal dispersion
The Situation: The Cowboys’ offensive evolution has been strange. Kellen Moore remained the play-caller under Jason Garrett and initially carried over under Mike McCarthy, until McCarthy took back play-calling duties himself. That move may have ultimately led to McCarthy’s dismissal. After striking out on a few external candidates, the team promoted Schottenheimer to head coach. This marks his first NFL head coaching opportunity, coming after 25 years in the league. Dallas had the NFL’s best offense in 2023 under McCarthy’s play-calling, but fell to 21st in 2024 as Dak Prescott missed half the season, the offensive line crumbled, and the running back room offered nothing of value. Owner Jerry Jones believes his roster is ready to compete for a Super Bowl, and that puts serious pressure on Schottenheimer to turn things around immediately. Since taking over, he has promised a run-heavy identity that uses pre-snap motion to create mismatches and open lanes for Dallas' playmakers.
The Verdict: Some positive regression is expected simply because the 2024 version of this offense underperformed its talent level. Schottenheimer has produced four top-10 offenses during his play-calling tenure, but those teams were often run-heavy to a fault. The real question is whether the current roster can support a ground-first approach, especially when the top three offensive players are Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and George Pickens. We know what Schottenheimer wants the offense to be. What remains to be seen is whether the personnel and weekly game scripts will allow him to stay on script.
CONTINUED...
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San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey 'looks incredible ... and so explosive,' according to FB Kyle Juszczyk.
Our view: It's a small quote, and these are the type of things often heard in the offseason. "Player A" in the best shape of his life! "Player B" going to be better than ever! That's all nice and well, but with McCaffrey everyone already knows how talented he is at full strength. Fantasy GMs who are taking McCaffrey near the end of the first round (current ADP of RB5) will have to have a plan in place if he misses more time. Isaac Guerendo is in line to be McCaffrey's primary backup in 2025.
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Updating previous reports, Los Angeles Chargers RB Najee Harris (eye) is likely to miss the start of training camp due to the eye injury suffered from a fireworks mishap.
Our view: Harris will be ready to go by the start of the regular season. If he misses time at the beginning of camp that gives rookie first-round pick Omarion Hampton a larger chance to impress. The Chargers are going to have a full-fledged RBBC in a Jim Harbaugh run-heavy offense. That means Harris and Hampton will share the workload, frustrate Fantasy GMs, and likely each produce as flex options due to this split.
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3. SF: Brandon Aiyuk ahead of schedule
Source: 49ersWebZone.com - David Bonilla
San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk (knee) could be ahead of schedule in his rehab, and there's a small chance he could be ready for Week 1, according to team insider Matt Maiocco on KNBR 680. 'I hear he's doing really well,'I hear that the knee is even ahead of schedule,' Maiocco said. 'Also, from what I understand, is it's not out of the question that he could be ready Week 1. I think the feeling inside the organization has always been don't take any chances, start him off on PUP when they report to training camp July 22, and then more than likely, just have that carry over into the regular season.'
Our view: We should see Aiyuk begin training camp on the PUP list, which gives the team the option to begin Aiyuk on the PUP list to begin the regular season. The veteran receiver is working his way back from the torn ACL and MCL he suffered in Week 7 last season. He's unlikely to look like himself until the midway point of the 2025 regular season - at the earliest. Aiyuk has a current ADP of WR47.
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4. JAX: Odds stacked against Travis Hunter being full-time player?
Source: JaguarsWire - Paul Bretl
Jacksonville Jaguars WR/CB Travis Hunter 'may be that special guy that we have never seen before ... but there is so much detail in (the Jacksonville) offense that he has to learn,' according to long-time NFL analyst Greg Cosell.'Liam Coen's offense, assuming he's a wide receiver first, which apparently he is, there is a ton of motion, there's a ton of formations, he's got to learn all of that. So, again, he may be that special guy that we've never seen before. I'm not going to sit here and say he can't do it, but there is so much detail in that offense that he has to learn. He can't sit in two meetings at the same time,' Cosell said recently on The Ross Tucker Podcast.
Our view: Cosell is essentially saying what everyone else does; Hunter is a special player, but it's a lot to ask for anyone to play full time on both sides of the ball. He was able to do that at Colorado, but the NFL is a more intense game. We assume Hunter will be primarily used on offense as a rookie, and as the Jaguars no.2 receiver, he's got flex appeal for Fantasy GMs.
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5. DET: Aidan Hutchinson pleased with recovery
Source: NFL.com - Nick Shook
Detroit Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson (leg) is 'exactly where I need to be (physically)' in regards to his recovery from the broken fibula and tibia he suffered in October of 2024.'I'm exactly where I need to be. Every year I've been able to improve on my own physical attributes along with the mental ones, so I feel like every year I take a step. Despite having that rehab this offseason, I feel like I'm in the perfect spot and exactly where I need to be going into Year 4,' Hutchinson told CBS Sports' Ryan Wilson recently.
Our view: Hutchinson went down with this serious leg injury in Week 6 and missed the remainder of the season. At the end of May 2025, Hutchinson was “fully cleared” to return from the fractured tibia and fibula he suffered in 2024. With two years left on his contract, the Lions may get in front of the situation with a potential extension. Now that he's healthy, Hutchinson should again be one of the best rushers in the NFL.
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6. WAS: Terry McLaurin has been talking with coach
Source: Commanders Wire - Bryan Manning
Washington Commanders WR Terry McLaurin has been talking with head coach Dan Quinn this offseason even though he skipped offseason workouts and the mandatory minicamp, according to Bleacher Report's James Palmer.
Our view: Palmer said McLaurin is not believed to be looking to reset the receiver market. This is a good sign, and deals tend to get done at deadlines. McLaurin is entering the final year of a three-year extension he signed in 2022, and he's on the books with a $25.5MM cap hit (and $14MM in dead money). Reports suggest McLaurin may be seeking a contract that pays him around $30MM annually. Training camp for the Commanders begins on July 22.
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7. NYG: Little changes for WR Robinson's role?
Source: Dan Duggan - The Athletic
Dan Duggan, from The Athletic, reports there were no indications of any changes to New York Giants WR Wan’Dale Robinson’s usage during offseason practices.
Our view: Robinson played almost 78 percent of his snaps last year from the slot, and that's where he seems to be again in offseason workouts. Fantasy GMs don't buy what Robinson suggested earlier this year when he said he expects to move around a lot more in 2025. He's currently going off the board at WR68 after finishing last year as WR44 in PPR leagues.
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8. CHI: GM Poles Given 3-Year Extension
Source: Adam Schefter - ESPN
Adam Schefter, from ESPN, reports the Chicago Bears have reached a three-year contract extension with GM Ryan Poles.
Our view: Now both Poles and new HC Ben Johnson are under contract through the 2029 season. Ownership is giving these two time to put together a championship roster, and this offseason, there have been some impressive moves on paper. Poles has his fair share of misses as general manager, so tying him to Johnson and seeing what these two can do makes sense.
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That’s a wrap for today, Friends.
Thanks for reading, and thanks for being part of Footballguys. Whether you’ve been with us since the dial-up days, or you just found us this season, we're glad you’re here.
We’ll be back tomorrow with more draft ammo, more insight, and more of that old-school Footballguys magic. Same as always.
In a world of hot takes and scrolling feeds, we’re grateful you make time for us.
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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