It’s the first Monday of training camp folks which means the first fully padded practice for a lot of these teams. There’s nothing quite like the cracking of pads echoing through a field on a warm summer’s day. And this is where roster spots are actually won and lost which can determine our fantasy football future, not just for this year, but for years to come in the fantasy dynasty rankings. 

We’ve already hit on the quarterback battles and the running back battles that we’re paying attention to. Now time to hit on arguably the most important battles out there for fantasy football purposes: wide receivers. Who will get the starting job? Will it be a full-time job? Will there be enough targets for everyone? 

Last year, a fifth round rookie in Puka Nacua won a full-time job in camp opposite of Cooper Kupp and parlayed that into a top five fantasy season. Let’s take a look at who could put in the work this summer that leads to WR stardom this fall!

 

 

 

Indianapolis Colts - Adonai Mitchell vs. Alec Pierce vs. Josh Downs

After a massive extension this offseason, we can be fairly confident that Michael Pittman will be the starting split end for the Indianapolis Colts. Based on comments from Colts Offensive Coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, we can glean that Josh Downs is likely in the slot with Adonai Mitchell and Alec Pierce battling on the outside:

Pierce led all wide receivers in snaps last year yet didn’t capitalize on the opportunity, finishing as the WR73 in PPR. That has us leaning on the rookie Adonai Mitchell as the unknown upside play in that head-to-head matchup. 

But this is where it gets interesting. There is also a world where the role of Josh Downs grows. In 2022, the Colts opted to use Parris Campbell as the full-time player. He would play slot for three-WR sets but then move to the outside for two-WR sets with Alec Pierce coming out. 

If Adonai Mitchell beats out Pierce, there is a world where Downs is the full-time player with the rookie in a part-time role. That hybrid slot/flanker role is how guys like Cooper Kupp, Keenan Allen, CeeDee Lamb, Chris Godwin, etc. are used, which creates a lot of upside for Downs if he indeed gets that gig. 

New Orleans Saints - Rashid Shaheed vs. A.T. Perry vs. Cedrick Wilson

The new offense that Klint Kubiak is bringing over from SF utilizes a fullback. That could create snap and target consolidation among the top two targets on the team like we see in SF, MIA and HOU who all run a similar scheme. We know Chris Olave will be one, but that other chair isn’t necessarily decided yet. 

Cedrick Wilson has the advantage of coming over from Miami – he actually mentioned that he’s already familiar with the scheme and it’s a big reason he signed. They could also go with a configuration similar to what Houston ran with A.T. Perry in the Nico Collins role as the big split end with Chris Olave in the Tank Dell flanker role. 

But I’ve already done a full write-up on why I am hoping it will be Rashid Shaheed out there opposite Chris Olave and why he could have BIG upside at his current fantasy ADP if that is the case.

 

 

 

Cleveland Browns - Jerry Jeudy vs. Elijah Moore vs. Cedric Tillman

Last year, it was Elijah Moore out there opposite Amari Cooper. In fact, Moore led the team in snaps with 966. He also got roughly ~100 targets depending where you look and was easily the least efficient wide receiver in fantasy getting that level of targets. He finished outside the top 50 wide receivers in PPR.

That may have prompted the trade for Jerry Jeudy this offseason. The battle will be fought on two fronts and Jeudy will fight Moore for those slot snaps with the winner going up against Cedric Tillman to be an every down player. There was a five-game stretch midseason where Tillman played more than Moore, though he was equally inefficient. 

This one is tough for fantasy because you already have Amari Cooper at the top. So, you then not only need someone to separate themselves from the other receivers, but they’ll then be competing with tight end David Njoku to be the second target. If I’m going to pick anyone from this group, I’m going with former first round pick Jerry Jeudy, hoping that he and Deshaun Watson can help each other bounce back.

Buffalo Bills - Keon Coleman vs. Curtis Samuel vs. Khalil Shakir

This one isn’t so much of a “head-to-head” battle as simply trying to figure out how the entire thing shakes out. One thing we do know is that this team is going to use a bunch of two-TE sets with Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid. And Kincaid, like last year, will be playing a lot of his snaps at wide receiver. So, we’re looking at two full-time wide receiver roles at best, but it may be one – or even none. Teams like the Ravens in the past have rotated players so much that no one plays more than ~60% of the snaps, so that’s something to keep in mind.

In terms of a big split end, it’s actually Keon Coleman vs. Chase Claypool. And, despite some positive rumblings on Claypool, he left Sunday’s practice with a foot injury. So, we’ll take the rookie in that one. As for the flanker role opposite him, Curtis Samuel has more experience on the outside.

So, we expect Khalil Shakir to remain as a part-time slot guy that also contributes on special teams. With Kincaid and Samuel also capable in the slot, that doesn’t make Shakir super appealing to me. Mack Hollins could also operate as a field stretcher, but it’s hard to see him offering any kind of consistency.

The way I’m approaching things in fantasy drafts is this: I like grabbing Dalton Kincaid at his ADP because, if all things are equal, I can start him in a TE spot, which is a positional scarcity advantage. After that, I might take a stab on the rookie Coleman. Samuel might be the “safer” play but at this stage, we’ve seen enough of what the veteran can do, and I’d rather go with the high risk, high reward play with my fantasy bench spots.

 

 

 

Green Bay Packers - Christian Watson vs. Jayden Reed vs. Romeo Doubs vs. Dontayvion Wicks

This one actually would have been pretty simple – if Dontavyion Wicks didn’t burst onto the scene with some big plays while Christian Watson was hurt. Now, the Packers have a “good problem to have” with not only a bunch of stud wide receivers but also two young tight ends (which we’ll get into next article).

Jayden Reed is likely the “safest”. He’ll certainly have that slot role. The question for him is whether he becomes a full-time guy, playing slot in three-WR sets and flanker in two-WR sets, or if he remains a pure slot player like last year. When everyone was healthy, he rarely played in two-WR sets, which would cap his upside. They have already told us they plan to use two-TE sets with Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave, which means two-WR sets.

If we assume Reed remains in the slot, that leaves two full-time jobs on the outside. The starters last year when everyone was healthy were Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs. Health has been a problem for Watson and arguments could be made that Doubs wasn’t super efficient, so Wicks should play over him, but Doubs was the playoff hero. Plus, it wasn’t like Wicks cracked 100 yards at any point. We’ve done a full article already on why Watson being proactive about his health could lead to a big year for him in fantasy at his ADP.

New England Patriots - Ja’Lynn Polk vs. Kendrick Bourne vs. Javon Baker vs. DeMario Douglas vs. Tyquan Thornton vs. K.J. Osborn

This one is completely up in the air. Early camp reports suggest that JuJu Smith-Schuster does not look like he’ll ever be his old self again after multiple knee injuries, but everyone else is likely in the mix here. And we’re really going to have to monitor this one closely.

The Patriots have been giving veterans the nod in the pecking order so far – they’ve already said QB Jacoby Brissett will likely start. However, Kendrick Bourne starting on the PUP list and DeMario Douglas being sidelined with an injury has allowed Ja’Lynn Polk to run with the first team offense where he has popped at times. So has fourth round rookie Javon Baker, making a couple impressive catches:

Our approach right now is simple: if there’s going to be this much uncertainty, why not lean into it? We know what kind of players Kendrick Bourne and K.J. Osborn are. The upside isn’t super appealing. DeMario Douglas is interesting in full PPR but could end up more of a low aDot gadget player. Since the ADPs are crazy late for all of these guys, why not lean into the unknown upside of the rookies? It certainly worked out for those going with Puka Nacua last year.

  • Fantasy Football Draft Pick: Ja’Lynn Polk, Javon Baker

 

 

 

Pittsburgh Steelers - Van Jefferson vs. Roman Wilson vs. Calvin Austin

We know George Pickens has one job locked down. And, if Arthur Smith wants to run the weird offense he ran last year, that honestly might be the only job that matters. Last year for the Falcons, Drake London played 76% of the snaps on the season and the next highest wide receiver played 33%.

There were sporadic times where guys like Mack Hollins or Van Jefferson did play 60%, even 70% at times. So, maybe the right guy could make it work. Calvin Austin is the incumbent, Van Jefferson came over with Smith and Roman Wilson was drafted in the third round of this year’s draft.

As we wrote already, we really like the idea of Pat Freiermuth in this offense. George Pickens is obviously a pretty decent bet at ADP. After that, we’re leaning into the same philosophy we’ve been using here. If we are going to take a late stab, let’s go high risk, high reward with the rookie. We’ve seen what Van Jefferson looks in this offense behind a top WR and TE, and it is uninspiring, to say the least.

Kansas City Chiefs - Rashee Rice vs. Hollywood Brown vs. Xavier Worthy

With Travis Kelce here, there is really room for ONE fantasy-relevant wide receiver at best. Last year, with Rashee Rice, we had the most relevant Chiefs wide receiver since Tyreek Hill. But he’s potentially facing a suspension which could open the door.

The Chiefs led the league in wide receiver screens last year with 53. In fact, if you combine WR and TE screens, the Chiefs threw 17 more than any other team. It’s hard to say that’s a bad move as they did win the Super Bowl again, but they clearly want to add a deeper element, which is why Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy came in.

As far as that battle goes, there are arguments for both. They enticed Hollywood to sign a cheap “prove it” deal as he attempts to stay healthy, pad his stats and get paid next year. That type of motivation could offer intriguing upside. But they also took Xavier Worthy who is the fastest wide receiver there’s been at the combine.

It might be a bit of a copout, but here is how I’m navigating it: in actual redraft leagues with waivers and lineups, I’m going with Hollywood Brown. In best ball, where upside down the stretch matters more than anything else and you can’t make add/drops, I’ll take shots on Xavier Worthy.

 

 

 

New York Giants - Darius Slayton vs. Wan’Dale Robinson vs. Jalin Hyatt

Given the draft pick they spent on Malik Nabers, he is locked into a full-time job. They might just rotate after that, but there could be another full-time wide receiver opposite him. And, when things are wide open like this, there’s room for upside.

Last year, Darius Slayton was the most consistent option, and he led the team in snaps. Wan’Dale Robinson profiles as more of a slot player while Jalin Hyatt operates on the outside in a field-stretching capacity. 

For me, Slayton opposite Nabers is a little too boring of a pick – if he wins the gig, I think it’s a “Nabers then who cares” situation. The most intriguing for me is Wan’Dale Robinson. If he can carve out a Cooper Kupp-type role where he plays outside opposite Nabers, then slides into the slot of three-WR sets, maybe this team can have two fantasy relevant wide receivers. Probably not, but maybe. 

Denver Broncos - Josh Reynolds vs. Marvin Mims vs. Troy Franklin vs. Tim Patrick

Jerry Jeudy is gone which creates a void opposite of Courtland Sutton. And it’s yet another familiar situation for fantasy football. You have the journeyman veterans in Josh Reynolds and Tim Patrick. Then you have the explosive young wildcards in Marvin Mims and Troy Franklin.

When you consider what Joe Lombardi likes to do with all the dump downs to the RBs, it doesn’t leave a ton of upside for anyone besides Sutton. Guys like Reynolds and Patrick really don’t have the profile to be able to take advantage of that. I do like the idea of Troy Franklin playing with his college QB Bo Nix, but Nix hasn’t even been named the starter yet. 

So, for now, I’m taking my stabs on the explosive Marvin Mims, who was able to rip off big plays last year on offense, punt return and kick return. Give me upside or give me nothing from this team.

2024 NFL Training Camp Battles: Fantasy Football