Broncos insider Mike Klis expects TE Albert Okwuegbunam to open the season as Denver's starter but TE Greg Dulcich to potentially overtake him by the 2nd half of the season. Klis notes that Dulcich has been getting 1st-team reps from the very first day of OTAs -- rare for a rookie. "I think Dulcich will have a few more catches than Albert O when it's said and done [this season], but you might have to be patient to get there. The first 4 or 5 games I think might be Albert O," Klis told us. That prediction surely comes as a surprise for fantasy drafters, who are taking Okwuegbunam as a top-16 TE and largely letting Dulcich go undrafted. The rookie could turn out to be a gem of a late-round pick if Klis is right. We'll keep a close eye on the situation in training camp and preseason action. Check out our entire conversation with Klis, which also hit on Denver's backfield and WR corps.
The Seattle Times' Bob Condotta believes Rashaad Penny will be the Seahawks' "starter and the primary back." Condotta goes on to throw out a (ridiculous) 20-carry-per-game projection for Penny, adding that RB Kenneth Walker will get "most of the rest" of the carries. It's much more opinion than report, so we're not adjusting our projections for Seattle's backfield just yet. But it'll be a situation worth watching closely in training camp and preseason action.
ESPN's Jeff Darlington reports that contract talks between the Cardinals and QB Kyler Murray are "going smooth and getting a deal before camp remains a very reasonable likelihood." It looked like the 2 sides might be heading for a divorce early this offseason, but cooler heads have prevailed. "The drama of February feels long in the rear view," Darlington adds. Expect Murray to be under center for Arizona in 2022 and likely beyond. He remains 1 of the highest-upside QBs in fantasy football.
The Dolphins and TE Mike Gesicki let Friday's deadline pass without a longer-term extension. That means the franchise-tagged TE will play out 2022 on his 1-year tender. We're not changing our fantasy football outlook for Gesicki, barring a training-camp holdout. The biggest issue facing Gesicki in 2022 is the challenge of drawing target share with WR Tyreek Hill and WR Cedrick Wilson joining WR Jaylen Waddle in a crowded passing offense. Concerns on that front, however, have pushed his ADP below where he sits in our 2022 fantasy football rankings.
The Cowboys and TE Dalton Schultz failed to agree on a longer-term extension before Friday's 4 p.m. deadline. That means Schultz will play out this season on the franchise tender. It shouldn't mean any alteration to Schultz's fantasy football outlook, though that could change if he holds out for any portion of training camp. Schultz has been going right at or a little ahead of where he belongs relative to other TEs in recent fantasy football drafts.
Denver’s new coaching staff views RBs Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon as “interchangeable, capable protectors and sure-handed receivers,” per The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider. “It’s kind of a similar situation to what we had in Green Bay with a speedier guy and a downhill guy,” new OC Justin Outten said. “You want to utilize those guys because it is a long season. You don’t want to bang them up. You want to be smart with them, use their strengths, put them out on the field, and make them work. We’re excited to have both those guys.” It’s further confirmation that the plan isn’t to fully unleash Williams in year 2. He still figures to be a highly efficient per-touch player, but hitting his ultimate ceiling likely hinges on whether Gordon misses time.
Bills insider Vic Carucci believes WR Jamison Crowder will earn the team's slot role. The 29-year-old signed for $2 million on a 1-year deal early in free agency. Carucci also believes WR Isaiah McKenzie will retain "more of a specialty role” for new OC Ken Dorsey. Crowder is the preferred fantasy target, but we'll keep a close eye on this battle come training camp.
Conditioning has been an offseason “point of emphasis” for Bears WR Darnell Mooney, per Dan Pompei of The Athletic. Mooney ranked 6th among WRs in snaps in 2021. “Last year, I think I struggled with just being there at all times when my number was called,” Mooney said. “I knew I was fatigued a little bit, but my mindset was not coming out of the game.” Mooney also gained about 10 pounds this offseason after playing the past 2 years in the low 170s. “Even though he’s a smaller guy, he’s not that guy that runs out of bounds like a lot of smaller receivers,” WR coach Tyke Tolbert said. “He’ll try to stick his foot in the ground, get upfield and make plays with the ball in his hand, try to break tackles. He’s not trying to save his body. He’s trying to get extra yardage.” With massive target potential, Mooney could inch up the WR2 ranks in 2022.
Steelers beat writer Brian Batko writes that “there’s no indication” the team is interested in trading WR Diontae Johnson. Recently, rumors popped up that Pittsburgh was interested in trading the contract-year WR, but there’s no substance here. While the Steelers are considered unlikely to re-sign the 26-year-old — he’ll command a pretty penny next offseason — the team will stick with a win-now approach. HC Mike Tomlin’s never gone worse than 8-8 in a given season.
Rams insider Cam DaSilva told us to expect a big bounce-back season from WR Allen Robinson. "I love the fit of Allen Robinson as the #2 receiver opposite [Cooper] Kupp," DaSilva said. "He's a different type of receiver than the Rams have had over the years ... bigger, physical receiver. He can stretch the field a little bit ... He can do pretty much everything in the offense. He's not gonna be strictly an 'X' receiver ... He can run the routes that Cooper Kupp can run. He's gonna run probably screen routes, too, and these little hitches ... I think he's gonna have probably one of his best seasons in the NFL this year with Matthew Stafford." DaSilva also noted that Stafford has gotten big seasons out of other big-bodied receivers like Calvin Johnson and Kenny Golladay. We're buying the bounce-back for Robinson, who cracks the top 20 WRs in our current PPR rankings. Check out the full interview with DaSilva -- also talking Stafford, Cam Akers and the Rams offensive line -- right here.
According to Jon Machota of The Athletic, Cowboys rookie WR Jalen Tolbert "is expected to start Week 1." Machota said right after the draft that the 3rd-round pick had a chance to compete for a significant role right away. Tolbert worked with the starters in spring workouts, helped by the absences of Michael Gallup and James Washington. Gallup isn't expected to be ready for the opener, coming off his end-of-season ACL tear. Washington has yet to deliver in the NFL and arrived on a small, 1-year contract in free agency. The uncertainty with Gallup and departure of Amari Cooper also leaves room for Tolbert to remain a factor even once Gallup returns. Tolbert presents intriguing upside -- especially in Dak Prescott best-ball lineups -- from a WR68 ADP in Underdog drafting.
RB Le'Veon Bell said Tuesday that he won't be playing football this season because he's shifting his focus to boxing. Bell made the announcement at a press conference to promote his match with Adrian Peterson at the end of this month and says he plans to box beyond that. Although he only addressed the coming football season, it's tough to imagine the 30-year-old finding NFL opportunities beyond that. Bell totaled just 39 carries and 7 targets across stints with the Ravens and Buccaneers last season.
Tony Rizzo of ESPN Cleveland says Browns QB Deshaun Watson may miss less than half the upcoming season as discipline for the mountain of sexual-misconduct allegations against him. "Right now, I'm hearing 4-6 games ... from reliable sources," Rizzo says. Watson has sunk into QB3 territory in best-ball tournament drafts on Underdog recently, with most people expecting a full-season suspension. If a mere 4-6 game ban materializes, he'd be a tournament-tilting value anywhere in that range. It's still tough to know, of course, just how much longer we'll have to wait to get the official word. So there will remain plenty of risk to Watson in the meantime.
"I'm done with football," TE Rob Gronkowski said Tuesday, adding that he wouldn't return even if QB Tom Brady called to ask. The interview made headlines -- but we wouldn't expect Gronk to say anything else less than a month after announcing his retirement. We still believe there's at least a small chance he returns to the Bucs at some point this season.
The Patriots have traded WR N'Keal Harry to the Bears for a conditional 7th-round pick in 2024. This is clearly a signal of New England giving up on the WR rather than Chicago going to get him. Harry gets a fresh start in a WR-needy situation. We still wouldn't bet on fantasy relevance going forward, though.
Panthers GM Scott Fitterer called the team’s QB situation “an open competition” on Tuesday. As such, Fitterer anticipates the reps being divvied up “fairly evenly” at the start of training camp. While competition might be a point of emphasis, Baker Mayfield enters camp as the clear favorite to start Week 1 over Sam Darnold. Current QB projections have the former Brown slated for 15 games.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson has packed on about 15 pounds this offseason and looks noticeably bigger in the upper body. "I just wanted to do it, see how it looks and see how it feels," Jackson said. "And I feel good." We'll see if Jackson decides to play the season at the 220 pounds he's currently at. It'd probably help his mobility while hopefully not sapping him of any speed.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, “the expectation within the league” remains that 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo will be traded by August 1. A recent report suggested that the Bucs made a play for Garoppolo, but his agent (Don Yee) shot that down. Unsurprisingly, Yee also claimed that his client is “progressing well and on schedule” from offseason shoulder surgery.
QB Lamar Jackson shared that he’s hopeful he can reach a long-term deal with the Ravens by training camp. “I'm not going to say 'yeah' right now,” Jackson said regarding a potential agreement. “Hopefully. But it's God's timing.” Talks are ongoing — and remember that Jackson is negotiating a new contract without an agent. Ultimately, Jackson's contract situation isn't a reason to value him differently in 2022 drafts. He's a clear-cut top-5 fantasy passer.
Jets beat writer Connor Hughes gave a progress update on WR Garrett Wilson post-OTAs and minicamp. “This was a guy that didn't really know what he was supposed to do, or kind of knew what what he was supposed to do, and was trying to figure it out as he went," Hughes observed. He did call Wilson “the most physically gifted” WR on the roster and believes the rookie will benefit from his time off before training camp. Ultimately, we’re not alarmed by a slow start from the 10th overall pick. Only 22 (later this month), Wilson remains a candidate to pace this deep Jets WR corps in targets.
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