The Beastly NFC North & Jahmyr Gibbs Preview

Aaron Jones is ranked 38th among running backs but is not trustworthy health-wise; the source notes he is an older player and something is going to happen injury-wise, which is why his ranking is low. Despite looking really good when healthy, his injury history makes him unreliable.

Harris notes that Robinson, along with Jonathan Taylor and other explosive backs, has a greater claim than Gibbs to goal-line touchdown work, though Gibbs remains Harris's number one overall running back due to superior explosiveness and massive-play generation.

The source questions whether Blake Corum will take over more of the workload from Kyron Williams in the Rams backfield, but expresses skepticism that training camp will provide clarity on this question, suggesting the backfield roles will remain relatively stable barring injury.

Under Ben Johnson's offensive scheme, the Bears run the ball very well and Johnson is an excellent run game designer, which means the passing game may not see the dramatic target increase some fantasy players are hoping for from the offense.

Harris lists McCaffrey among the explosive running backs (alongside Bijan Robinson, Jonathan Taylor, Dalvin Cook, and Saquon Barkley) but notes that none of them match Gibbs' level of explosiveness and massive-play generation.

Christian Watson has a physical issue where one leg is slightly longer than the other, which the source suggests is contributing to his hamstring issues. This is part of broader durability noise around Watson that affects his fantasy outlook.

Christian Watson is mentioned alongside Jaden Reed as one of two remaining Packers wide receivers, with both players having health concerns. The context is that Wicks and Dobbs are gone, leaving a thinner receiver room.

The source is a notable D'Andre Swift enthusiast (referring to him as 'zero' from his Eagles jersey number), believing Swift will maintain significant usage in the Bears backfield alongside Montauk Guy rather than being displaced. The source has good distance between Swift and Montauk Guy in terms of talent evaluation, favoring Swift.

The source does not view Swift as a superstar-level talent, positioning him as a solid but not elite running back option; this assessment informs the source's draft ranking of Swift at 23.

Harris lists Cook among the explosive running backs (alongside Bijan Robinson, Jonathan Taylor, Christian McCaffrey, and Saquon Barkley) but notes that none of them match Gibbs' level of explosiveness and massive-play generation.

Montgomery has departed Detroit after the 2025 season. Harris describes him as having 'typewriter feet,' suggesting limited explosiveness. His exit clears the way for Jahmyr Gibbs to become the primary back, though Isaiah Pacheco joins as understudy. The Gibbs-Montgomery partnership, which Harris likens to 'Sonic and Knuckles,' had run its course, particularly as the Lions' offensive line deteriorated.

Claiborne is ranked 75th and compared to Brashard Smith; the source warns against buying camp hype on this tiny (5'10", 188 lbs) converted wide receiver. Historical comps (Dre Archer, Chris Rainey, Naheem Hines, Leon Washington, Garrett Wolfe, Chad Morton) all failed to produce fantasy value despite speed and slot usage. Unless Claiborne becomes a feature back like Alvin Kamara, he will not be useful for fantasy. He is expected to be a nonsense August riser who will be drafted around the 100th overall pick despite limited upside.

Pacheco joins the Lions as Gibbs' understudy after departing Kansas City. Harris notes that in Kansas City, Pacheco was routinely pulled for Kareem Hunt near the end zone, suggesting he may not be the primary goal-line back in Detroit either. His role will likely be secondary to Gibbs.

Harris ranks Gibbs as his number one overall running back pick in most formats, primarily because he is the most explosive player at the position. While bigger backs like Bijan Robinson and Jonathan Taylor have greater claim to goal-line work, Gibbs' elite cutback ability and massive-play generation differentiate him in a league where fantasy production is increasingly spread out; he had six runs of 40-plus yards in 2025, most in the league, and made three separate home runs in Week 12 against the Giants including the overtime game winner.

Gibbs hunts big plays to an uncomfortable degree, creating volatility in his fantasy output. In 2025, as the Lions' offense became less consistent, he produced stinker stat lines; he exceeded 97 scrimmage yards in only half his games but failed to reach 70 yards six times and was mostly a no-show in the fantasy playoffs, illustrating the downside of his boom-or-bust profile.

With David Montgomery departed and Isaiah Pacheco joining as understudy, Gibbs has become the clear choice inside the opponent's five-yard line by season's end of 2025. However, Harris cannot promise that will hold for the entire upcoming season, noting that Pacheco was routinely pulled for Kareem Hunt near the end zone in Kansas City, suggesting Gibbs may get first try at goal-line work but with some uncertainty.

The source ranks Gibbs significantly higher than Monique Guy in draft order (Swift at 23, Monique Guy at 37), indicating strong confidence in Gibbs' fantasy value relative to the Lions' other running back options; the source notes this gap is unlikely to change barring injury.

With David Montgomery gone, Gibbs becomes a no-doubt top-two running back in fantasy. The source has him ranked at 1 among running backs, though it is totally understandable to have Bajan at 1. There are no people ranking Gibbs lower than three or four among running backs unless they are doing the wide receiver thing.

The source is significantly higher on Jameson Williams than before, ranking him 16th in standard and 18th in PPR (compared to 25th on the other ranker's list). His usage became much more interesting in the second half of last year when Dan Campbell took over play calling; he was able to run dig routes and showed promise beyond just deep balls. He is a primary speed threat who can now do other things too. The source watched all 65 of his catches and found the best part was that it wasn't just deep balls in the second half. However, there is a risk that his improvement was strictly a Sam Laporta thing, and he could be a Laporta merchant.

Harris notes that Taylor, along with Bijan Robinson and other explosive backs, has a greater claim than Gibbs to goal-line touchdown work, though Gibbs remains Harris's number one overall running back due to superior explosiveness and massive-play generation.

Coach Dave Canales said Brooks could be a starter, which the source treats as meaningful coach speak that changes the equation for his fantasy outlook. The source tried to get ahead of the hype before it took place, and notes that Brooks has college hype and is being drafted with real expectations, unlike some other backup running back prospects.

Addison has a specific skill set as a speed guy and polished route runner; the source ranks him higher than Juwan Jennings barring injury because he has the ability to make one big play that changes the box score, whereas Jennings is more of a reliable short-yardage option. Training camp is unlikely to meaningfully change receiver ranks given the Addison-Jennings dynamic.

Mason is ranked 41st among running backs and is not a pass catcher or pass pro player; he doesn't play on third down. His efficiency rushing is slightly lower than the prior year but still more efficient than Aaron Jones. He is a passenger in fantasy and needs a good environment to become a fantasy starter, but if the Vikings offense turns around, Mason is the one most likely to benefit given his goal-line role and ability to handle big workloads.

Josh Jacobs faces legal uncertainty that could impact his 2025 fantasy value; assault charges have not yet been filed but remain a possibility, and if charges are filed before Labor Day, his draft value will drop further due to increased suspension risk; there is also a scenario where suspension comes in 2027 and does not affect the 2025 season, but the uncertainty looms over his current draft price.

Jacobs faces suspension risk that will loom over his draft value; the source notes this uncertainty is a major concern despite Jacobs being a really good player who could provide value if the suspension doesn't materialize. The Packers could also trade for another legitimate running back (James Conner or Alvin Kamara mentioned as examples) if bad news emerges about Jacobs, which would completely change the equation for his fantasy outlook.

The source is willing to make a leap of faith that Justin Jefferson can still be a second-round pick despite the Vikings' offensive struggles last year, suggesting confidence in his ability to bounce back with a new quarterback and improved offensive line.

The source questions whether Blake Corum will take over more of the workload from Kyron Williams in the Rams backfield, but expresses skepticism that training camp will provide clarity on this question, suggesting the backfield roles will remain relatively stable barring injury.

Erickson ranks Burden at 18 among wide receivers, slightly ahead of Odunze at 24. Harris ranks Burden at 25, below Erickson's ranking. Harris cautions against the 'Ben Johnson mapping' narrative where analysts try to project Burden as the Bears' equivalent to Amon Ra St. Brown, noting that nobody is as talented as Amon Ra and that camp highlights alone cannot determine such outcomes. Harris will not adjust his rank based on camp hype unless material changes occur.

Marshawn Lloyd has attended the hamstring institute during the offseason, addressing a potential injury concern; the source views this as a positive step that should have been taken earlier in his career, suggesting Lloyd is taking proactive measures to improve his durability and availability for the Packers.

The source characterizes Marshawn Lloyd as a poor man's Jonathan Brooks, meaning Lloyd has less college hype and is not being drafted the same way as Brooks. The source notes that fantasy value for Lloyd is banking on the idea of him as a prospect rather than anything he's done as a professional, and there's uncertainty about his durability given hamstring issues and physical concerns similar to those affecting other receivers.

The source is skeptical of Matthew Golden as a training camp riser despite the Packers' 79-year drought without a first-round WR. Golden looked awful last year, with Aaron Rodgers throwing some of his worst passes to him, including an underthrown deep ball in a Thursday night game. The source explicitly rejects the bait of raising his rank based on beat guy hype and will not draft him above round 14 as a total flyer, rating him 54th among wide receivers.

Odunze's recent comment about his foot being his 'new normal' has created concern among fantasy analysts. Harris notes this is the first time Odunze has made such a statement about his foot, and while Harris assumes he is fine, the quote could indicate lingering issues. Harris will monitor whether Odunze practices every day and participates fully in joint practices; if he sits out more reps than other receivers, Harris will become concerned. Odunze has downward mobility if he misses practice time.

Harris ranks Odunze at 21 among wide receivers heading into camp, while Erickson has him at 24. Harris is slightly higher on Odunze than Erickson, and Erickson indicates he has Luther Burden ahead of Odunze at 18 and 30 respectively. Harris will adjust Odunze upward if he participates fully in training camp and joint practices without missing time.

Rome Odunze's draft range is wide but has significant upside potential; currently ranked around 31st among receivers, he could move up substantially into the Zay Flowers and Lad McConkey range, though the source notes the range spans from Terrell McMillan to Khalil Shakir (approximately 45 players), meaning he could also drop. The source is monitoring how high he can climb in receiver rankings.

Laporta did not have a serious injury, although as someone with ruptured discs in his back, it is not unserious. He is apparently in better shape now. The source notes that there was a before-and-after difference when the Lions lost him last year; his absence changed their offense considerably. Pay extra attention to Laporta's health in August. There is a risk that Jameson Williams' improvement in the second half was due to Laporta's absence rather than Dan Campbell's play-calling changes.

Harris lists Barkley among the explosive running backs (alongside Bijan Robinson, Jonathan Taylor, Christian McCaffrey, and Dalvin Cook) but notes that none of them match Gibbs' level of explosiveness and massive-play generation.

Harris notes that as of his recording, Diggs does not have a team. Harris was waiting to write Diggs' profile in the 2026 Harris Football Player Profile Almanac until his team situation was resolved, but could wait no longer and wrote the profile without a team assignment. Harris acknowledges that Diggs' team situation will change between now and Labor Day weekend.

Tucker Kraft is the source's tight end three ranking after producing at a high level before his injury. He has no upward mobility at the position and only downward mobility if he remains unavailable. The source is not panicked about his absence from early camp, noting the team indicated this is a second-half camp situation. He will be monitored through mid-August ADP time, with a potential rank drop if he remains unavailable.