AFC East
Buffalo Bills – Robert Foster had an exciting rookie season for Buffalo. In a seven-week stretch he had 511 yards and three touchdowns with at least 94 yards in four of those games. But the Bills brought in John Brown , and Brown figures to be the primary guy on the left side of the formation, which is where Foster played last year. Is Foster going to move over to the right and displace Zay Jones ? It will be interesting to see how that situation shakes out because all of a sudden, the Bills have several good receivers.
Miami Dolphins – Ryan Fitzpatrick shouldn’t stop Josh Rosen from being the starter Week 1, but there is some version of this where Rosen struggles mightily in camp and Fitzmagic gets another go early in the season. That seems unlikely, but we should keep an eye on the reports about Rosen’s camp.
New England Patriots – Julian Edelman will be lined up in the slot, but who knows what New England’s outside receiver situation will look like this season. Phillip Dorsett is still there, N’Keal Harry was their first-round pick, and they’ve brought in veterans Demaryius Thomas and Dontrelle Inman . Hell, Josh Gordon could be in the mix at some point. Odds are Brady will spread it around and none of them end up being a reliable performer like Edelman.
New York Jets – The Jets depth chart is surprisingly set. Sam Darnold at QB, Le'Veon Bell at back with Robby Anderson and Quincy Enunwa on the outside while Jameson Crowder is in the slot and Herndon is at tight end. The only unsettled spot is really who sees the most work behind Bell. Elijah McGuire and Bilal Powell both had 90-plus touches last season, Trenton Cannon got a little work, and Ty Montgomery has been brought in. Powell feels like the odd man out with one of the other guys possibly seeing some third down work.
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens – While it’s unclear who will line up on the outside opposite Willie Snead , the Ravens tight end situation is more interesting. Mark Andrews could be a very useful fantasy tight end if he gets enough work. He had 552 yards on 50 targets last season along with three touchdowns. The problem is that Nick Boyle got 37 targets last year, and 2018 first-round pick Hayden Hurst could become more involved in his second season. It would be nice for us fantasy players if they let Andrews be the guy.
Cincinnati Bengals – The Bengals are another team that’s relatively set at all positions. Perhaps C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Eifert could compete after Uzomah was decent in Eifert’s absence last year, but that’s Eifert’s job if healthy. A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd are an excellent 1-2 punch at receiver, but the third option behind them is unsettled. John Ross , Alex Erickson and Cody Core are the options there, but it’s unlikely any of them becomes a big part of the offense.
Cleveland Browns – Once again, the third receiver is the unknown here. Odell Beckham Jr. will be outside and Jarvis Landry will be in the slot, but it’s unclear who lines up opposite Beckham. Antonio Callaway got some run last year, but right now its Rashard Higgins that’s atop the depth chart at that spot. Higgins finished 2018 strong with 13 targets in his last two games with 146 yards and a touchdown.
Pittsburgh Steelers – Donte Moncrief , James Washington and Diontae Johnson are competing for the WR2 job behind JuJu. Johnson got first team reps at OTAs per the Post-Gazette, but a recent article from The Athletic says Moncrief “looks like the slam dunk No. 2.” With Antonio Brown gone, there are 169 targets from last year unaccounted for, so this is one of the more important training camp battles.
AFC South
Houston Texans – The Texans spent first- and second-round picks on offensive linemen, which was borderline necessary after surrendering a league-high 62 sacks last season. Tytus Howard and Max Scharping have both practiced at guard and tackle this offseason, but it’s unclear what position they’ll play or when they’ll play. Their progression is worth watching, and if they can help improve that line, all of Houston’s skill position players would be better for it.
Indianapolis Colts – This team is remarkably set at the skill positions. Andrew Luck is a top-notch starter and has four solid receiving options in T.Y. Hilton , Devin Funchess , Jack Doyle and Eric Ebron . He actually has five sold receiving options if you count receiving back Nyheim Hines who caught 63 balls last year for a total of 148 touches behind lead back Marlon Mack who has 212 touches. There’s not a lot to watch for in camp with this team.
Jacksonville Jaguars – The Jags are another team that’s relatively set, which is a bit surprising. There’s some competition for the pass-catching back role, but the main concern on the depth chart is whether Marqise Lee will be healthy Week 1. He tore his PCL and ACL in the preseason last year, and it’s possible he starts the year on the PUP list. If he does, DJ Chark, Chris Conley and Terrelle Pryor will be competing for his reps.
Tennessee Titans – Apparently the Titans have designs on turning Derrick Henry into a three-down back, and Henry was used more in screen drills than Lewis at OTAs. Lewis was a top 30 back in PPR leagues last season, so he’s certainly someone that’s in play during drafts. But if the Titans keep pushing Henry’s usage and limiting Lewis, his value could disappear.
AFC West
Denver Broncos – There’s probably not much doubt that Joe Flacco is going to be Denver’s quarterback, but you have to at least wonder about when Drew Lock might be an option. If it happens at all, it would presumably be well into the season if Flacco underperforms, but a good training camp could put Lock in a better position to take over sooner rather than later.
Kansas City Chiefs – Andy Reid and OC Eric Beiniemy have both said Damien Williams is the starter at running back and is prepared for a featured role. They signed Carlos Hyde in the offseason and spent a pick on a back, so it’s possible that more of a committee develops. But hopefully the coaches are being honest about Williams’ role because he would be a fantasy stud if he gets a bulk of the usage in that offense.
Los Angeles Chargers – Per an article from The Athletic recapping San Diego’s OTAs, head coach Anthony Lynn is “inclined” to spread touches around in the backfield. If that happens, Austin Ekeler ’s value would be on the rise, and he has plenty of value already last year as a borderline RB2 in PPR leagues. Ekeler is going outside the top 40 among backs in PPR leagues currently, so he has real value potential.
Oakland Raiders – The Raiders have a solid group of outside receivers in Antonio Brown , Tyrell Williams and JJ Nelson. The question is whether Ryan Grant or rookie Hunter Renfrow will win the slot job. Per beat writer Vic Tafur, Grant is currently in the lead for that job. Everyone knows Renfrow from his time at Clemson, but he’ll have to beat out Grant to start right away.
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys – This is another offensive group that’s pretty concretely set, but there is room for some work behind Ezekiel Elliott . Darius Jackson , Tony Pollard and Mike Weber are the backs behind Zeke on the depth chart. Of the three, Pollard has the most obvious path to a role as a pass-catching back. He apparently got some work like that and on jet sweeps in OTAs.
New York Giants – The battle here is really between Eli Manning and Daniel Jones. The Giants have a solid group of skill position players for the QB to work with between Saquon Barkley , Evan Engram , Sterling Shepard and Golden Tate . It doesn’t make a ton of football sense for the Giants to stick with Eli much longer, but from a fantasy perspective, it might not be so bad if he stuck around. He was QB17 last season, so he’d be stream-worthy in good matchups. The same might not be true for Jones.
Philadelphia Eagles – If you follow a bunch of fantasy football writers on Twitter, do a search of “Dallas Goedert ” and set the filter to “people you follow.” You’re going to see a lot of positive tweets, and you’ll likely be convinced to move him up your board. If he really does have an increased role, he could take a bit away from Zach Ertz , but this really has more potential to be a situation where the team has a clear fantasy TE1 and a streamable second tight end.
Washington Redskins – There’s quite a bit to pay attention to with the Redskins. Most interestingly, will Dwayne Haskins start right away or will veteran Case Keenum begin the season as the starter? After OTAS beat writer Rhiannon Walker has Keenum in the lead. Also, interesting will be how a healthy Derrius Guice splits the backfield with Adrian Peterson . It also looks like Trey Quinn may have an inside track on the slot receiver job per comments from coach Jay Gruden.
NFC North
Chicago Bears – David Montgomery was arguably the biggest story from OTAs out of Chicago, and he’s someone to watch in training camp. At some point last season, I mentioned Montgomery’s name on a podcast and mentioned he was someone I liked in the college game, and that opinion remains. There are 270 Jordan Howard touches to be replaced, and Tarik Cohen probably isn’t going to see too much of an uptick from his 170 touches.
Detroit Lions – The Lions running back situation has been a mess for years, and it could be again this season. Kerryon Johnson should be the man after averaging 5.4 yards per carry on 118 attempts and adding 213 yards on 32 receptions. But they’ve brought in C.J. Anderson , and Theo Riddick and Zach Zenner are still there. Here’s hoping Johnson shapes up to be a featured back.
Green Bay Packers – There are room for three receivers to be productive in an Aaron Rodgers offense, and Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling appear to be the starting outside receivers after OTAs. On the inside, Geronimo Allison has the inside track to that third spot. Per Adam Levitan of DraftKings, Allison has seen 40 or more snaps in nine games with Rodgers at QB. Jake Kumerow , Equanimeous St. Brown , et al will be playing from behind in camp.
Minnesota Vikings – There’s not a lot to discuss here. Kirk Cousins is the quarterback, Dalvin Cook is the lead back with Alexander Mattison looking like a clear backup, and Stefon Diggs , Adam Thielen and Kyle Rudolph are the primary pass catchers. Perhaps there’s room for a third receiver in the offense as Aldrick Robinson did have five touchdown receptions last season. But the WR depth chart behind the studs is jumbled with Chad Beebe , Jordan Taylor , Brandon Zylstra and Dillon Mitchell projected to make the roster at receiver after camp.
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons – We’ve come across quite a few teams who are pretty much set everywhere on offense, but most teams at least have some competition for the third receiver slot or backup running back. But Atlanta even has all that figured out. Julio Jones , Mohamed Sanu and Calvin Ridley are one of the league’s better groups of receivers, and Ito Smith will backup Devonta Freeman who should be featured heavily this season now healthy.
Carolina Panthers – With Devin Funchess gone and Greg Olsen aging, there are some targets to be had in Carolina behind DJ Moore and Christian McCaffery. Curtis Samuel was reportedly excellent at OTAs and is the favorite to be the second receiver behind Moore. Samuel saw 65 targets last season and should soak up plenty of the 79 being vacated by Funchess.
New Orleans Saints – Is anyone going to step up and be a significant part of the passing game other than Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara this season? Those two combined for more than 250 targets last year, and no one else on the team had more than 46. Ben Watson, who is no longer on the team, was third on the team with those 46, and Tre’Quan Smith was third in receiving yards with only 427. Smith might be the most obvious choice to increase his role, and Ted Ginn is still there. However, beat writer Larry Holder has written that Sean Payton has referenced Austin Carr and Simmie Cobbs Jr. as receivers he likes.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – The Bucs are set in the passing game with an excellent pair of receivers in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and a Philly-light set of tight ends in Cameron Brate and OJ Howard. The backfield, however, remains a mess. Peyton Barber led the team with 250-plus touches last season, but he was relatively unproductive with under 1000 total yards and only six touchdowns. Ronald Jones is still there and reports about the second year back are more positive than they were this time last year. The Bucs didn’t bring anyone else in, so they’ll probably run it back with those two. Hopefully, Jones can be more involved this season.
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals – You have to imagine a Kliff Kingsbury offense is going to make more than two receivers relevant, so it’s worth tracking who’s behind Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk . The Cards used three draft picks on receivers in Andy Isabella, Hakeem Butler and KeeSean Johnson. Kevin White is also around, though he reportedly didn’t have a great minicamp. Keep an eye on reports regarding those rookies in camp.
Los Angeles Rams – This is an easy one. Todd Gurley ’s health has been perhaps the most discussed topic of the offseason, and updates will continue to lead headlines. Even if he’s relatively healthy and we avoid the worst-case scenario, you have to imagine the Rams will want to do some Kawhi-style load management with him this year. That means rookie Darrell Henderson has a chance to play a large role. If for some reason Henderson has a bad camp, Malcolm Brown and John Kelly are other backs on the roster who could benefit.
San Francisco 49ers - Tevin Coleman is new in town, Jerick McKinnon is effectively new in town, and Matt Breida , who led the team in touches with 180 last year, is also around. This is one of the murkiest backfield situations in the league. It seems likely that Coleman will lead the team in touches this season, though McKinnon’s health is worth keeping an eye on. The guess is that this is going to be a frustrating backfield all year long.
Seattle Seahawks – The Seahawks don’t throw the ball much, but they do have 73 Doug Baldwin targets to replace. Number one option Tyler Lockett may see his usage bump up with Baldwin gone, but one of David Moore , Jaron Brown and DK Metcalf has a good opportunity. Moore and Brown along with Lockett were the top three receivers at OTAs, and Moore was third on the team with 53 targets last season.