Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth has shown a ton of promise in his NFL career so far. He finished last season as the TE11 in PPR points per game (9.3) in a less-than-stellar offense. Though he logged nine top-12 weekly finishes with a pair of top-24 finishes, Freiermuth finished as a TE3 or worse in his other five games in 2022. But when you look under the hood, his production profile looks much better. Among 27 TEs who received 50+ targets in 2022, Freiermuth ranked sixth in Pro Football Focus receiving grade, sixth in target share (19.6%, sixth in air yards share (19.7%), and sixth in yards per route run (1.68). Better yet, he led the Steelers in targets per route run rate (23%), ranked sixth among all TEs in targets per game (6.2), and seventh in target share (20.9%) following the Week 9 trade that sent WR Chase Claypool to the Bears. What makes Freiermuth's feats in that stretch of time even more impressive is that he ranked 22nd in snaps player per game among TEs (47.8) during that period. Whether or not fantasy managers believe in the strength of the Steelers' offense, QB Kenny Pickett developed a strong relationship with Freiermuth that puts him in fairly high standing in our current TE rankings. Take a chance on him in the later rounds of your drafts this season.
New Texans TE Dalton Schultz has thrived on target volume over the past three seasons. He racked up the fifth most PPR points among TEs as Dallas' starter over the past three years, while ranking fourth in targets, seventh in yards, ninth in yards per game and 27th in yards per catch (among 27 TEs with 50+ receptions over that span). Schultz ranked 27th, seventh and 17th among TEs in Pro Football Focus receiving grade in those three seasons, among players with 40+ targets by season. Schultz landed in a Houston offense with no defined target hierarchy. But he also managed just a one-year, $6.25 million deal on the open market ahead of his age-27 season. All told, he doesn't look like a player to bet strongly on or against in fantasy football drafts. Schultz's TE14 ADP helps the case for drafting him by minimizing the risk. See where he sits in our 2023 fantasy football rankings.
Jets QB Aaron Rodgers had high praise for WR Garrett Wilson as training camp opened on Thursday. "Davante [Adams] is in a category by himself still, but Garrett Wilson reminds me of him, as far as his ability to get in and out of breaks, and his quick twitch at the line of scrimmage," Rodgers said. It's especially noteworthy since Rodgers has never been one to artificially compliment his teammates. (Just ask Marquez Valdes-Scantling.) Wilson is coming off a 1,103-yard rookie season catching passes from QBs Zach Wilson, Joe Flacco, and Mike White. He could really explode with Rodgers at the helm.
Lions QB Hendon Hooker has been placed on the active/Non-Football Injury list. No surprise as he continues to work back from November's torn ACL. This figures to be a redshirt rookie season for Hooker, who is only worth rostering in keeper and dynasty leagues.
The Lions released K Michael Badgley. That leaves K Riley Patterson atop the depth chart. We'll see if Detroit brings in new competition ahead of Week 1, but Patterson is clearly the odds-on favorite to open the season as the starter. If he hangs onto that role, he'll be squarely on the fantasy radar kicking for an above-average offense with domed home games.
Matt Schneidman of The Athletic says he thinks Packers rookie Luke Musgrave "will be the TE1 by Week 1." Schneidman adds: "The Packers think he can be the true No. 1 pass-catching tight end that Robert Tonyan was at times but not consistently enough, someone like Jermichael Finley in his prime perhaps." The Packers reportedly hope Musgrave can develop into a player they can move around the formation as "almost a wide receiver." We like the long-term upside on the athletic rookie. For 2023, though, Musgrave sits low in TE3 territory in our rankings.
Vikings WR Jordan Addison was cited for speeding and reckless driving by Minnesota Stat Patrol early Thursday morning. NFL Network's Clayton Holloway reports that he was caught driving 140 mph at 3 a.m. Addison wasn't arrested, and traffic stops don't tend to produce league discipline. So we're not concerned about this event affecting the rookie's playing time. We'll see, however, if it's a signal that fantasy managers should be generally concerned about Addison's off-field manor.
Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco was on the field for the start of training camp on Wednesday. He was sporting a non-contact jersey after undergoing offseason labrum and hand surgeries. But there was otherwise "no sign of injury," according to insider Pete Sweeney. We'll continue to keep an eye on Pacheco, but it looks like he'll be back to 100% ahead of Week 1.
The Lions acquired WR Denzel Mims and a 7th-round pick from the Jets in exchange for a conditional 6th-rounder. That return tells you all you need to know about how Mims' career has gone so far. The 2020 2nd-round pick totaled just 42 catches, 676 yards, and 0 TDs across three seasons in New York. He turns just 26 in October and boasts a 6'3, 207-pound frame with sub-4.4 speed. But consider Mims a long shot for 2023 fantasy value. He at least finds opportunity for a Lions team looking for an outside-the-numbers, vertical threat.
Jets RB Breece Hall will begin training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. Following an October ACL tear, the team will surely take it slow with Hall. Michael Carter figures to open camp with the starters.
Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Patriots hosted free agent RB Leonard Fournette for a workout on Wednesday. It's unclear as of this writing whether an impending deal is in place. While it's too soon to overreact to this news, the hypothetical addition of Fournette would make this Pats' backfield a complicated mess. The current depth chart behind RB Rhamondre Stevenson is somewhat barren following the offseason departure of Damien Harris via free agency and the quick cup of coffee James Robinson had with the team before being released in early June. Stevenson stands to lose the most by an addition to the backfield, as he’s the only Patriots RB to lead the team in carries and target share in the same year over the last five seasons. Replicating this feat from 2022 would be considerably more challenging with a player like Fournette in tow and knock him down further in our RB rankings.. We'll be sure to stay on top of this story as any updates come to light.
Saints WR A.T. Perry was placed on the non-football injury list. Team insider Nick Underhill calls it a “small injury” for the rookie Round 6 pick. Perry’s off the redraft radar, but we’ll let you know when he hits the field for training camp.
Jaguars WR Calvin Ridley has played just five NFL games since 2020. But he delivered WR1 production the last time he reached double digits. That 2020 campaign found him ranking fourth among WRs in PPR points per game. Ridley also checked in 11th among WRs in target share that season, fourth in receiving yards, eighth in TD catches and seventh in yards per route. It marked a third-year breakout for Ridley, in a season that saw then-teammate Julio Jones miss seven games with injury. Ridley is now 28, coming off a full missed season and a five-game 2021 with a new team. He joins a Jacksonville offense that supported WR Christian Kirk ranking 23rd at his position in target share, WR Zay Jones at WR33, and Evan Engram at TE14. Ridley hits 2023 as an enigma, with questions none of us can answer before the season starts. But he sits significantly lower in our WR rankings than he does in early ADP.
Chiefs HC Andy Reid isn't yet sure when RB Isiah Pacheco will be ready to get back on the field. He underwent offseason surgeries to repair a broken hand and a torn labrum. “We’ll just make a decision with Pacheco as we go forward here,” Reid said. “I think we’ll have enough time, but let’s see how this all goes. I’ll be curious to talk to [Pacheco]. I haven’t seen him yet. [Head trainer] Rick [Burkholder] is likewise going to talk to him.” We'll keep a close eye on Pacheco over the next month and a half. The situation adds some intrigue to RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire as an end-of-draft flier. Undrafted rookie RB Deneric Prince reportedly had a strong spring and is worth monitoring in camp. Jerick McKinnon is seemingly locked in as Kansas City's pass-catching back.
The Saints have placed rookie RB Kendre Miller on the non-football injury list to begin training camp. That doesn't knock Miller out for any specific length of time, and we'd be surprised if he misses much. The third-round pick suffered a knee injury in his final college game in January, but he has worked out with New Orleans since the draft. We'll watch Miller's status in camp. Any significant absence would hinder his chance siphoning touches from RBs Jamaal Williams and Alvin Kamara.
Cardinals WR Rondale Moore continued to struggle with injuries last year, missing nine games and most of a 10th. But he was busy and productive in the other seven, averaging 8.0 targets, 5.6 catches, 59.1 yards, and .14 TDs. Moore ranked 17th among WRs in PPR points and 29th in non-PPR over that seven-week stretch. Durability remains a concern here. And the Cardinals offense figures to struggle at least until QB Kyler Murray returns from his knee injury. But, with WR DeAndre Hopkins gone, Moore could be a cheap source of strong volume this season. His current ADP sits in Round 11 as the 54th WR off the board. He lands considerably higher than that in our PPR WR Rankings.
Falcons TE Kyle Pitts missed the offseason program following rehab for a November MCL tear. Tori McElhaney of the Falcons’ official site writes that Pitts’ rehab “will lead him right up to the start of training camp.” It’s been a slow process for Pitts, but we’re not sounding alarm bells. He took to Instagram Monday to say he’ll at least avoid the PUP list. Still, this will be one storyline to monitor closely over the next few weeks. He sits top-5 in our TE rankings.
The Giants and RB Saquon Barkley failed to agree to a long-term contract ahead of Monday's 4 pm ET deadline for franchise-tagged players. That means Barkley is set to play out 2023 on a 1-year, $10.1 million deal. It remains unclear when he'll report to the team, though. Barkley can't be fined for skipping training camp since he's not officially under contract. "Barkley is not expected to report to training camp with the rest of his team," ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted Monday. "The Giants are not expected to see Barkley until later this summer, if then. Barkley will have decisions to make as to when he is willing to report." ESPN's Dianna Russini said last week that Barkley's status for the start of the season would be "in serious question" absent a long-term deal. We'll keep you updated on the situation. Barkley comes with elevated risk in fantasy drafts until he reports to the team.
"The Raiders are not expected to see [RB Josh] Jacobs until later this summer, if then," ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted on Monday. Jacobs and the Raiders failed to agree to a long-term contract ahead of Monday's 4 pm ET deadline for franchise-tagged players. Since he hasn't signed the franchise tag yet, Jacobs can't be fined for skipping training camp. "Jacobs will have decisions to make as to when he is willing to report," Schefter adds. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero suggested back in June that Jacobs' holdout could extend into the regular season. We'll continue to keep you updated on the situation, but Jacobs clearly carries elevated risk in upcoming fantasy football drafts.
Browns WR Amari Cooper immediately became an impactful player in this offense following a trade from the Cowboys. He finished as the WR10 in PPR with 14.5 points per game in 2022. Digging into the numbers a bit, Cooper led the Browns in targets (133), target share (26.2%), air yards share (38.7%), and Weighted Opportunity Rating. Additionally, Cooper ranked 12th in PFF receiving grade, 12th in yards per route run (2.06), and 16th in receiving yards (1,160) among 34 WRs who saw 100+ targets last season. Granted, most of his production last year came with QB Jacoby Brissett under center. Cooper logged six top-12 weekly finishes in 2022, with only one coming in the six games that QB Deshaun Watson started from Week 13 on. Watson spent nearly two years away from the game of football due to off-field conduct and didn't play up to the previous level of performance he displayed as a member of the Texans. Should he improve, Cooper might be one of the best value picks in fantasy this season. The Browns' offense finished last year 22nd in pass rate, though they should improve upon that somewhat now that Watson has reacclimated himself to the NFL game after being away from the sport. If the Browns pass more and Cooper plays like his dominant self, he'll be a precious asset for fantasy managers. Take a peek at where Cooper appears in our current WR rankings.
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