2018 NFL Draft Guide: Old Faces in New Places

The NFL offseason is always ridiculously busy and it’s imperative that you pay very close attention to any and all roster moves. We’ve got several new head coaches and even more changes at the coordinator positions, so not only is the personnel changing everywhere, but so are the playbooks and offensive schemes. What you will find here is a list of all the offensive players who have not only changed uniforms this year but are also expected to have some level of fantasy impact for the upcoming season.

As with any piece in this Draft Guide, players will be updated throughout training camp if there is any change which may impact their playing time or situations.

Quarterbacks

Sam Bradford , ARI – The knock on Bradford’s health is low-hanging fruit, but it’s tough not to give it a mention immediately after he appeared in just two games last season. It was obviously foremost on the Cardinals minds as they also added Mike Glennon and then drafted Josh Rosen , so while the confidence in him to run the offense may be high, no one seems to be expecting a 16-game season out of him. He’ll play in Mike McCoy’s west coast offense which relies on short, quick passes, so if the offensive line can keep him well-protected, maybe he lasts long enough to keep Larry Fitzgerald flush with targets and helps David Johnson achieve that 1,000-yard receiving mark he wants to hit.

AJ McCarron , BUF – A perpetual bridesmaid to Andy Dalton in Cincinnati, McCarron finally gets a chance to spread his wings as a starting quarterback. Unfortunately, that chance comes in Buffalo and an initial look at new OC Brian Daboll’s tendencies puts the focus on a strong power-running game with a mix of jet sweeps. How much that puts the ball in the hands of McCarron and his suspect group of receivers is yet to be determined, but let’s face it, if he couldn’t surpass Dalton on the depth charts, what makes us think he can be a shining success in Buffalo?

Tyrod Taylor, CLE – While he may only be a placeholder for Baker Mayfield in Cleveland, Taylor is still expected to be the starting quarterback and run this offense. He’s got substantially better receiving weapons in Cleveland than he ever had in Buffalo and the addition of Jarvis Landry will give him that security blanket on short passes to help move the chains consistently. He also uses his legs which, if the Browns let him loose, can help open things up downfield more. In a vacuum, it’s a great situation for him, but with Mayfield perpetually looking over his shoulder, Taylor may not be the most secure pick in fantasy.

Case Keenum , DEN – Overall, this is probably a lateral move for the veteran journeyman, save for the fact that he probably won’t have Vance Joseph or Bill Musgrave incessantly mentioning that Paxton Lynch is waiting in the wings like Mike Zimmer did to him with Teddy Bridgewater last year in Minnesota. Keenum should have no worries working in Musgrave’s system and he’s got two very strong receivers once again in Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders . He’s not a QB1 in fantasy, but when looking for your late-round back-up, he should be on the list.

Kirk Cousins , MIN – The move to the Vikings should easily prove to be a strong one for Cousins who leaves behind a lackluster Redskins offense that failed to provide him with the weapons he needed to succeed. He’s now got a supportive ground game behind him, two star wideouts in Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen and a strong pass-catching tight end who isn’t made of glass. New OC John DeFilippo, the former QB Coach for the Eagles, should have no problem pushing the right buttons to enable Cousins to finish as a top-10 QB in fantasy this season.

Alex Smith , WAS – The system Jay Gruden and Matt Cavanagh run in Washington is fairly similar to the one Smith used in Kansas City, and the fit should be as good now as it was then. The weaponry isn’t bad if you believe Jamison Crowder can work in the same fashion as Tyreek Hill , but if Jordan Reed breaks, Smith loses the security blanket he had with Travis Kelce . At best, this looks like a lateral move for Smith, so keep your expectations in check.

Running Backs

C.J. Anderson , CAR – While Panthers fans are still questioning the Norv Turner hire at OC, his version of the Air Coryell system (to be further discussed in the upcoming Coaching Systems article) suits Anderson just fine. He’ll work as the power-runner in Turner’s offense, a job formerly handled by Jonathan Stewart , but because he is actually a more versatile player, he could end up with some pass-catching work as well. That obviously belongs to Christian McCaffrey but isn’t limited to him exclusively. Anderson should post a decent value in standard leagues but won’t be as tasty a play in PPR formats.

Carlos Hyde , CLE – When he first landed in Cleveland there was definite buzz from the fantasy community. But then the Browns went and drafted Nick Chubb and signed Duke Johnson to a three-year extension. Then, Browns RB Coach Freddie Kitchens recently said that the Browns would ride the hot hand out of the backfield this season, so now we’re all throwing our hands up in the air. New OC Todd Haley has a long history of leaning on a dominant running back, so if Hyde shines brighter in camp over the other two, he could have himself a breakout season. Of course, if they opt to continue using Johnson as their third-down back, Hyde’s value takes a hit.

LeGarrette Blount , DET – While the Lions may have drafted Kerryon Johnson, their decision to use him as a return man may actually mean Blount’s value stays relatively strong. Rookies who work the return game usually have to focus more of their attention to special teams so they don’t botch things up, so the Blount/Theo Riddick tandem could remain in-play for at least the start of the regular season. Blount will handle the short-yardage and goal-line work, so as long as he stays their top option in that role, he’ll have solid value in standard leagues, especially with where he is currently being drafted.

Frank Gore , MIA – A depressing signing for Kenyan Drake owners, but if you’re looking to add a late pick in a standard league, Gore could fit the bill. Something a lot of people may have overlooked (especially Marlon Mack owners) was that Gore was pushing towards the top-5 in NFL rushing yards and head coach Chuck Pagano was determined to have him reach that milestone while in a Colts uniform. This year, Gore is just three rushing touchdowns from tying Edgerrin James and reaching the Top-20. Nine will put him in the Top-15, but no one is even remotely expecting that. Either way, Adam Gase is certainly going to help him reach his career goals this year.

Jonathan Stewart , NYG – It’s no secret that Saquon Barkley will be the No. 1 for the Giants this season and he will likely be an every-down back. However, Stewart will serve in a complementary role for short-yardage situations, so he won’t be completely devoid of value. Unfortunately, we don’t know how much complementary work there will be for him, so he’s not really worth drafting unless you have a deep bench and need/want to handcuff Barkley.

Isaiah Crowell , NYJ – The Jets promoted QB Coach Jeremy Bates to OC and he is expected to implement a west coast style offense with a power-running game based in zone blocking. That actually suits Crowell’s running style very well and the veteran back could enjoy a nice renaissance in New York this season if he maintains control of the lead spot and fends off both Bilal Powell and Elijah McGuire . Obviously this is still the Jets we’re talking about so expectations can never be too high, but when Bates is expected to emulate the 2008 Broncos offense, the hope for a 1,000-yard rusher gets a little stronger.

Doug Martin , OAK – If we’re reading the John Gruden tea leaves correctly, Marshawn Lynch is still the lead back in the Raiders offense with Martin serving as a change-of-pace back and potential pass-catcher. However, injuries and a PEDs suspension have derailed whatever career Martin could have had and there’s really not a whole lot of confidence in him as a fantasy point producer here. In addition to Lynch’s presence, the Raiders still have DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard, so Martin is going to need a BIG training camp to make his presence felt.

Jerick McKinnon , SF – We always preach systems here at Fantasy Alarm and there is no better system in which a running back thrives than in a Kyle Shanahan-led offense. While Matt Breida and Joe Williams linger on the roster, the 49ers did not draft a running back this year which should tell you just how confident Shanahan is in McKinnon. He’s a strong pass-catcher and showed last year that he is fully capable of taking it between the tackles when needed. His ADP continues to climb in fantasy drafts already, but there are few reasons to believe he won’t earn that value back.

Dion Lewis , TEN – Much to the chagrin of Derrick Henry owners, Lewis is ready to carve himself out a nice chunk of touches in this Titans rushing attack. We can expect the same “thunder and thunder” nonsense talk we endured when it was DeMarco Murray , so this is still a shared backfield with Henry being the power-runner and Lewis being the guy who handles both between-the-tackles work and pass-catching duties. It’s going to be difficult for Lewis to maintain his production from last season, but he’s still a worthy selection in all formats.

Wide Receivers

Michael Crabtree , BAL – The move to Baltimore should prove positive for Crabtree overall. He’s the No. 1 wideout on the team and should see considerable volume in the Ravens passing attack. The Ravens had the highest number of pass attempts per game in both 2015 and 2016 while dropping down the 11^th last season. OC Marty Mornhinweg took over midway through the 2016 season and while he’s pulled back the shooting gallery a little bit, we still expect Joe Flacco to sling the rock often. Crabtree has always had great hands and been a strong route-runner, so we expect a big improvement on his numbers this season.

John Brown , BAL – He’ll be in his usual supporting role in Baltimore and there’s little to believe Brown will see any kind of bump in overall production. While you hate to cite a medical issue, you cannot ignore the sickle-cell trait and what that does to a player’s stamina and ability to stay on the field. He’ll have his moments, so maybe you can draft him in a best-ball format, but keep your interest elsewhere in seasonal leagues.

Willie Snead , BAL – Between a suspension and a case of the drops, Snead fell out of favor in New Orleans and was never able to grab a hold of regular snaps. If he keeps his head on straight, he could be in for a slight bump in production with the Ravens who are clearly lacking a strong No. 2 option on the outside or even a quality slot receiver. Track the pre-season stuff closely as he’s not even being looked at in most 12-team drafts.

Jeremy Kerley , BUF – It’s never too exciting when having to talk about a wide receiver in Buffalo, but who knows…? Maybe Kerley can actually do something productive here? Kelvin Benjamin is the clear No. 1, but it’s not like Zay Jones or Andre Holmes have done much to distinguish themselves in this offense. Now, of course, we’ve got a new OC and a new QB, so there are a lot of questions we need to be asking throughout camp, but we won’t write Kerley off just yet.

Torrey Smith , CAR – This feels very similar to the situation Smith just came from in Philly. Cam Newton has his No. 1 in Devin Funchess , his highly-targeted, pass-catching tight end in Greg Olsen and a fringe new toy in D.J. Moore . Where does Smith fit in? The Panthers say Moore will learn all three receiver positions so maybe he works well in the slot, leaving the Z-receiver spot for Smith, but this just doesn’t seem like anything to get jazzed about. We’re not even sure Smith is someone you even bother with in best-ball.

Allen Robinson , CHI – While the buzz on Robinson’s knee recovery has been positive and Robinson is slated to be the No. 1 wideout in Chicago, he will have to deal with the ups and downs of a sophomore quarterback in Mitchell Trubisky . Obviously, that’s not the end of the world after coming out of Jacksonville and having Blake Bortles as his QB, so we’re still fairly bullish on his upcoming performance. The reward should easily outweigh the risk and you can expect plenty of volume for him both between the 20’s and inside the red zone.

Taylor Gabriel , CHI – He’ll work out of the slot in Chicago, a role he grew very comfortable with while in Atlanta. However, you can probably expect the targets to be limited as Trubisky gets comfortable with all his receivers, including tight end Trey Burton . He’s got some wheels, but with the potential of being third or even fourth on the targets list, his upside is very limited.

Jarvis Landry , CLE – Expectations are high for Landry as he is expected to reprise his role as not just the starting slot receiver but also as the go-to, move-the-chains guy for Tyrod Taylor and, eventually, Baker Mayfield . We may see some growing pains as the Browns figure everything out in Todd Haley’s new offense, but overall, it’s hard not to love Landry’s potential this season.

Allen Hurns , DAL – The passing attack for the Cowboys is a bit of a head-scratcher here in late June, but we expect things to unfold throughout training camp and into the pre-season games. Overall, the offense obviously runs through Ezekiel Elliott , but Dak Prescott is going to need to get comfortable with the receiving corps he has or Dallas could have some serious issues this year. Hurns could end up the team’s No. 1 wideout this season and if he does, the targets could be plentiful. We won’t get excited about him being a volume play just yet, but there’s at least a splash of promise for the time being.

Ryan Grant , IND – As you can imagine, there are plenty of questions regarding the Colts’ passing game right now. Will it be Andrew Luck under center and if so, will his shoulder stand the wear-and-tear? If not, then Jacoby Brissett steps back in as the starter and the questions will then pile up regarding how much volume other wideouts will see behind T.Y. Hilton . Grant will battle with Chester Rogers for the No. 2 spot, a job he should win handily, but just how many looks come his way will be a different story.

Donte Moncrief , JAC – You can’t say “touchdown dependent” without immediately thinking of Moncrief who found himself a highly-targeted red zone option for Andrew Luck , but faded into oblivion with Jacoby Brissett under center. He signed a $9.6M (guaranteed), one-year deal with the Jaguars, so you can expect him to be the No. 2 opposite Marqise Lee , but he still needs to out-shine Keelan Cole and Dede Westbrook to prove he’s worthy of the targets up and down the field. Keep tabs on how things unfold, but we aren’t excited enough to consider him as anything more than a middle-round depth option for seasonal fantasy formats.

Sammy Watkins , KC – Oh, Sammy! What to do with you, big guy? Eight touchdowns with the Rams last year would be a nice number to repeat this season, but under 600 yards? That number needs to climb higher. Can he do it in Kansas City? That’s going to be a tall order, though the Chiefs haven’t had a No. 2 wideout of Sammy’s caliber in quite some time. Still, we’ve got a rookie QB in Patrick Mahomes and both Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce should see the majority of targets, so while the hope is him getting more than the 4.7 targets per game he saw with the Rams, nothing is set up yet to guarantee that.

Brandin Cooks , LAR – He’s a different type of receiver than Sammy Watkins , so making any kind of comparison regarding targets or performance is pointless. Cooks managed to clear the 1,000-yard threshold in New England last year and he joins an equally dynamic offense in Los Angeles that should benefit from his speed. Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp will maintain their roles this season, but if Jared Goff and Cooks can get on the same page quickly enough, he should pull some targets away from them. Todd Gurley is still the focal point of this offense, but the addition of Cooks should help increase the level of the passing attack.

Albert Wilson , MIA – Interestingly enough, Wilson’s move from Kansas City to Miami should prove fruitful for fantasy owners in 2018. He was highly underutilized by the Chiefs as both Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce saw the majority of targets, but he’s now replacing the Dolphins’ No. 1 target in Jarvis Landry who worked out of the slot. Ryan Tannehill has his limitations, so relying on the slot for all those short, quick passes could push Wilson into a much more fantasy-friendly role. While DeVante Parker and Kenny Stills remain the team’s top two wideouts, Wilson’s biggest competition for targets could come from rookie tight end Mike Gesicki. He may want to bribe Tannehill and Adam Gase with some Edible Arrangements at camp or something.

Jordan Matthews , NE – He’s a bit of a reclamation project for Bill Belichick as never really reached his potential with the Eagles and was then a complete bust in Buffalo due to a variety of injuries. He had both ankle and knee surgery in December and is expected to be fine for training camp, so the real question now is where does he fit in? He could play both the outside and the slot while Julian Edelman is serving his expected suspension, but then things get a little more confusing after that. Matthews has been most productive out of the slot, but Edelman seems to own that spot for the most part. Edelman has been productive on the outside, so Matthews may just end up in the slot as a result, but these questions will likely be asked right up to Week 1 as Belichick never tips his hand.

Cameron Meredith , NO – He’s making his way back from surgery to repair both a torn ACL and MCL, but head coach Sean Payton seems to believe that Drew Brees ’ new toy should be ready for training camp. We’ll wait to see as he didn’t participate in any OTA drills, but there’s still plenty of time before the season begins. It’s a decent situation for him in New Orleans as he has a stud, veteran QB throwing to him, but keep in mind that these are not your father’s Saints. They’ve become a much more run-heavy team in the past year, though we’ll have to see what they do while Mark Ingram is out through the first four weeks.

Terrelle Pryor , NYJ – He’s got some familiarity with Josh McCown as the two played together for six games with the Browns back in 2016, but overall, his role with the Jets is far from defined. Pryor is still recovering from a foot procedure he underwent at the beginning of the offseason and he finally shed the walking boot back in early June. We know there’s talent and we know there’s versatility, but he’s going to have to really step up his game if he wants to work his way past Quincy Enunwa and Jermaine Kearse on the depth chart.

Jordy Nelson , OAK – Ask anyone from Green Bay and they’ll tell you Nelson is done. Those in Oakland, particularly John Gruden, speak of him differently, though they are far from hailing him as the Jordy of old. Nelson struggled throughout the season last year and while some of the blame can be put on Brett Hundley being a lousy option under center, we can’t help but think some of his issues stemmed from not being able to cut-and-run as he did in the past. He’s learning a new offense and he needs to build a rapport with Derek Carr before we can assign any level of confidence, but the overall feeling is that he’s not going to be someone upon whom you can rely for consistency.

Martavis Bryant , OAK – We’re all still waiting on whether Bryant will be suspended, so we’ll keep any past enthusiasm in check for the time being. Apparently, he may suffer from disciplinary action for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. If so, he could actually be looking at missing the entire season once again – just like 2016. If he is then he’s useless and we can move on. If he isn’t, he does find himself in a better situation than he had in Pittsburgh. Hard to imagine a better situation than the Steelers offense, but he could end up the No. 2 target in Gruden’s passing attack. Stay tuned for more details.

Mike Wallace , PHI – Even in a prolific offense like that of the Eagles, it’s tough to get excited about Wallace’s prospects this season. After a 10-touchdown season in Miami back in 2014, Wallace washed out with the Vikings and Ravens over the last three seasons. He did post a 1,000-yard season with the Ravens in 2016, but with just four touchdowns, his fantasy value was pretty bland. He’ll work opposite Alshon Jeffery , but will be behind, Jefferey, Nelson Agholor and Zach Ertz for targets, so think of him as a slightly better player than Torrey Smith was for the Eagles last year, but with similar targets and numbers. Yeah, Mike, we get it. Your game is a vertical one. But no one trusts you enough anymore to just throw it up there for you in the end zone.

Brandon Marshall , SEA – The oft-injured veteran wideout was a bust with the Jets and Giants over the last two seasons and it seems very unlikely that he’s going to rebound to his 2015 form with the Seahawks. He’ll compete for a role in the passing game, but we expect him to sit behind both Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett for targets. If he’s healthy AND has a positive attitude, then maybe we give him a bump up in the rankings, but for now, we’ll just tuck him into the back end and see what he brings to the table in camp.

Paul Richardson , WAS – He’s out of the shadows of Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett , but does that put a potential No. 1 target on him in Washington? Maybe. Maybe not. We’re all still waiting for Josh Doctson to step it up, Jamison Crowder is highly-targeted working out of the slot and Jordan Reed , when healthy, always seems to garner extra work. But there doesn’t seem to be any real competition for Richardson in his fight for the other outside receiver position and with Alex Smith now under center, everyone is going to be jockeying for position as his new favorite target. Check him out in the middle rounds, but keep your expectations in check.

Tight Ends

Trey Burton , CHI – He goes from being the back-up to Zach Ertz to being the new No. 1 in an emerging Chicago offense, so right off the bat, he should see a boost in both production and fantasy value. New OC Matt Nagy has said that incumbent tight end Adam Shaheen will still see work in the offense, but you don’t sign a guy like Burton to keep him as a back-up. Young quarterbacks are notorious for leaning on their tight ends, so while Allen Robinson , Anthony Miller and Taylor Gabriel will see their targets, you can expect plenty of looks come Burton’s way, particularly inside the red zone.

Luke Willson , DET – The tight end position hasn’t been all that useful in Detroit for some time, though Eric Ebron finally saw some red zone looks last year. Willson is probably a better blocker than he is a pass-catching option, so don’t expect the Lions to suddenly turn around and start utilizing the position as any sort of a focal point in their offensive scheme. This is probably more of a lateral move for Willson than anything else.

Jimmy Graham , GB – His days of being a prolific yard-monster between the 20s are likely behind him, but he could prove to be a strong red zone threat for Aaron Rodgers who lost his best buddy in Jordy Nelson . The problem, however, is that Rodgers rarely looks for the tight end when he’s marching up and down the field. Now maybe that changes a little with Graham in-house, but it’s tough to bank on anything until we see how Mike McCarthy, Joe Philbin and Jim Hostler set things up. Some pundits are expecting double-digit touchdowns for Graham, but we’re a little less bullish here…for now.

Marcedes Lewis , GB – He’ll likely serve as the blocking tight end for the Packers if/when they opt for 2-TE sets. It seems highly unlikely that he will have any real value in the passing game unless Graham gets injured. So basically, move along…nothing left to see here.

Eric Ebron , IND – A chronic bust in Detroit, Ebron takes his game over to Indianapolis where he’ll serve as the second tight end behind Jack Doyle . That puts Ebron on the field in more blocking situations, however, if Jacoby Brissett is the guy under center, we could see more 2-TE sets with Ebron adding to the target list. Can’t say we’re really that into Ebron with the Colts, but hey, maybe he’ll get his name whispered again this year.

Virgil Green , LAC – Green has always been more of a blocking tight end, so it’s difficult to believe that he could replace Hunter Henry in the Chargers’ offensive game plan. There are five other tight ends who will be in camp this offseason, so Green is no better or worse than any of them at this point.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins , JAC – So long as the referees don’t job him out of touchdowns again this season, ASJ could have some decent value in Jacksonville this season. He’s a better pass-catchers than Marcedes Lewis was and the Jags are certainly looking for some decent red zone passing options. As with anyone not named Gronk, Kelce or Ertz, though, his value is minimal and he shouldn’t even be looked at until very late in your draft.