This might be a bit of an oversimplification here, but you will understand the point being made as you read through the rest of the way. There are a number of fundamental differences between fantasy football and fantasy baseball. In baseball, it’s hitter versus pitcher. Mano y mano. You can analyze a player’s track record and his peripheral stats to understand what kind of hitter or pitcher he is and decide whether or not you want him on your fantasy team. His overall game is independent of his team’s style of play and performance as we’ve witnessed numerous breakout seasons for players on crappy teams. Big home run hitters can still hit a ton of bombs even if their manager has an affinity for small-ball.
In football, it’s not quite so simple. You can have an amazing running back on your hands, but if the offensive coordinator is a pass-happy nut, that running back won’t see as many carries, thus stunting his overall fantasy value. Think about what Andy Reid did to Kareem Hunt throughout the middle of last season. If a quarterback has a great arm, a strong, supportive ground game and limited wide receivers, his coach is likely to push a run-first plan of attack. Think Carolina. You’d like to think a coach is going to try and build his offensive game plan around his personnel’s strong suits, but if the team employs an offensive scheme that doesn’t cater to a particular player’s talent, that player’s fantasy value drops.
Conversely, you can have a running back with mediocre talent, but if he’s in a run-heavy offense with a blocking scheme that caters to his strengths, he can soar like Icarus on wings made of wax and feathers. Case in point: DeAngelo Williams from two seasons ago. He never had the same level of talent as Le’Veon Bell, but with the Steelers’ offensive game plan and the way their blocking scheme was set up, Williams was able to thrive just as much as Bell when afforded the opportunity.
Understanding each team’s system is going to be vital for you in both your drafts and your in-season waiver work. Let’s stick with the running backs to illustrate the point further. While drafting Ezekiel Elliott had its risks last year, given the looming suspension, it wasn’t so far-fetched to believe you could take him early, grab his handcuff and still get rock-solid production. The Cowboys used single-back zone runs most of the time last season, a system in which Zeke thrived. Alfred Morris had also been successful in zone-blocking schemes and while he has never been near the same level of talent as Elliott, he was able to find some success within the system thanks to the strength of the offensive line. Well, ok, so the o-line had its injuries, but you understand the point being made here.
We actually saw it in a few places last year. Latavius Murray fared well in the absence of Dalvin Cook , the Packers running backs all seemed to fare similarly when each had their opportunity and even Austin Ekeler had his moments when replacing Melvin Gordon at times. Again, none of the reserve backs were considered better runners than their predecessors, but within their respective team’s system, they did just fine.
With most casual fantasy football owners not understanding how vital this knowledge is, you can absolutely dominate your competition. A firm knowledge of systems will allow you to make better choices as to which handcuffs to draft, which wide receivers and tight ends will be expected to thrive and even which defenses you want to stream each week. Don’t be dumb enough to just look at player names and depth charts. You should look at the personnel, for sure, but you also need to study the coaches, the coordinators and the style of game they like to run.
In order to better equip you for both your drafts and in-season efforts, this Draft Guide will contain a full breakdown of all 32 teams’ offensive and defensive systems. It will prove to be your one-stop shop for team analysis, so get ready to bookmark it. It should be arriving Tuesday, August 7th, so get ready for greatness.
Player News
Panthers released TE Jordan Matthews.
Matthews converted to tight end a few years ago and hasn’t made much noise at the position. The change has, however, likely kept him in the league for a few more seasons. He appeared in four games with the Panthers last year but didn’t record any stats on offense. The Panthers also released or waived WR Dax Milne, C Andrew Raym, and TE Colin Granger.
Dolphins released LS Blake Ferguson.
The team also waived CB Ryan Cooper Jr., DT Neil Farrell and OL Chasen Hines. Ferguson has been the team’s long snapper for five seasons and earned a three-year contract extension just before the 2023 season. He should be able to find work snapping footballs farther than the average snap elsewhere in the league.
DetroitLions.com’s Tim Twentyman believes rookie WR Isaac TeSlaa “could make his earliest impact on special teams.”
It’s not much of a surprise, as most rookies cut their teeth with special teams duties. Twentyman mentioned return duties as a possibility, though the former Razorback never returned kicks or punts in college. At 6'4/212 with 4.43 wheels, TeSlaa is an explosive athlete who never translated his physical traits to on-field production at Arkansas. The Lions clearly saw potential for him to do so in the pros and traded two future third-round picks to move up to No. 70 overall for him. It’s going to be a slow burn for TeSlaa in the pros, making him a dynasty-only fantasy option.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said the team does not “have any feelings on competition” when asked about the quarterback room.
O’Connell was asked about a potential quarterback competition on the Rich Eisen Show Wednesday and was unclear on whether J.J. McCarthy would have to compete to start. He said, “we’ve got an obligation as coaches to put our players in position to attack that competition phase.” O’Connell discussed first putting Brett Rypien and the newly acquired Sam Howell in a position to play before any competition would occur. He continued that McCarthy is “owning it” this offseason and is taking snaps from starting center Ryan Kelly. After missing last season with a torn meniscus, McCarthy has been ramping up workouts in the offseason and is the front-runner to start for the Vikings in 2025. As of now, Howell looks to be reinforcement at the backup spot in case it turns out McCarthy is not ready to start.
Texans re-signed DT Foley Fatukasi.
Fatukasi initially joined the Texans last offseason on a one-year contract. The 30-year-old was a rotational defensive lineman, tallying four tackles for loss and one sack. He returns to Houston for 2025, where he will be a part of a deep Texans front seven.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports Tyreek Hill’s second wrist surgery was part of the original plan and his timeline remains unchanged.
Hill announced the second surgery on social media and Pelissero quickly added some context to the situation. The speedy receiver suffered the wrist injury just before the start of the season and it lingered throughout the year, though he never missed a game because of it. If the second surgery truly is a non-story, an offseason to recover might be what Hill needs to return to form after a down 2024 season. On the other hand, Hill is 31 years old, played his worst football last year, and his offense prioritized targets for Jonnu Smith and De’Von Achane. As it stands, Hill might have the highest risk-reward split in fantasy drafts.