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20 NFL Training Camp Winners & Losers ('26 Fantasy Football)

STACKED extracted the fantasy-relevant player signal from this video and kept the full transcript here for context.

34 min
Duration
Estimated from transcript
Aug 8, 2026
Published
Sat, August 8, 2026
32
Player insights
31
Players mentioned
Topics
Omarion HamptonBijan RobinsonCaleb DouglasChigoziem OkonkwoChris OlaveChristian McCaffreyChristian WatsonDeebo SamuelDenzel BostonDeVonta SmithDontayvion WicksElijah MitchellGarrett WilsonHarold Fannin
Player analysis

Player insights

32

Bijan Robinson

PositiveProjection50:27

Bijan Robinson is considered a top-tier running back option, with Luther Burden explicitly stating he is targeting him at the top of drafts.

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Caleb Douglas

PositiveBreakout20:41

Caleb Douglas is a deep league target to monitor; he has positive training camp buzz, decent size, and is expected to see significant playing time as a third-round rookie.

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Chigoziem Okonkwo

PositiveRole13:43

Luther Burden labels Chig Okonkwo a fantasy loser, noting that the argument for him serving as the team's number two target has effectively ended following the arrival of Stefon Diggs and the established role of Terry McLaurin.

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Chris Olave

PositiveProjection9:48

Chris Olave is a high-confidence, easy draft pick for fantasy managers. Luther Burden highlights his proven high-volume production from last year, which serves as a solid baseline, including over 100 catches and 150 targets.

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Christian McCaffrey

NegativeProjection49:03

Despite being considered an older player by NFL standards, Christian McCaffrey remains a high-level contributor for the 49ers.

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Christian Watson

PositiveValue25:35

Christian Watson is in a great spot following his offseason contract extension. He currently holds a late fifth-round ADP in formats like FFPC and is considered a strong value pick.

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Deebo Samuel

PositiveValue48:27

Deebo Samuel is seeing positive buzz and rising ADP, currently steaming into the 11th round of drafts; beat reporters note he looks leaner and in good shape, benefiting from his familiarity with Kyle Shanahan and Brock Purdy.

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Denzel Boston

PositiveSleeper5:18

Denzel Boston is a high-priority sleeper for Theo Greminger, who is consistently drafting him in the 15th-16th round. Beat reporters have identified Boston and Casey Concepcion as the two best wide receivers at camp by a clear margin, casting doubt on the idea that Jerry Jeudy will limit the rookies' playing time. His training camp buzz suggests his current price will look cheap by late August.

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DeVonta Smith

PositiveProjection15:54

DeVonta Smith is locked in as the clear WR1 for the Eagles. He is expected to receive alpha-level usage, and there is high confidence in his production based on established splits without A.J. Brown and his chemistry with Jalen Hurts.

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Dontayvion Wicks

PositiveSleeper16:36

Dontayvion Wicks is a player to monitor in very deep formats. Every week that Mekhi Lemon misses due to injury provides Wicks with an opportunity to establish a role in the Eagles' offense.

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Elijah Mitchell

NegativeValue54:10

Elijah Mitchell remains a late-round target (16th-17th round) but is currently in a battle with Omar Cooper for a spot in the target hierarchy.

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Garrett Wilson

PositiveUsage53:49

Garrett Wilson is projected to command a 30% plus target share, with positive camp drumbeats suggesting he will return value this season.

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Harold Fannin

PositiveRole5:18

Harold Fannin Jr. is highlighted as a player to target within the current offensive scheme.

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Isaiah Bond

NegativeRole5:09

Isaiah Bond is being heavily featured in the offense during training camp, though he may primarily serve as a speed-based, deep-threat receiver.

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Ja'Kobi Lane

PositiveBreakout22:28

Jacobi Lane is a third-round rookie in Baltimore receiving high praise, with comparisons to Michael Thomas; he is in a position to compete for the WR2 role due to his size and athletic ability.

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Jahmyr Gibbs

PositiveProjection50:28

Luther Burden is targeting Jahmyr Gibbs at the top of drafts, viewing him as a top-tier running back option.

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Jayden Daniels

PositiveBreakout12:54

Luther Burden has moved Jayden Daniels up in his rankings following the signing of Stefon Diggs. Daniels is now viewed as a strong post-hype sleeper in the eighth round, supported by his best receiving corps to date, which includes Terry McLaurin, Diggs, and Antonio Williams.

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Jayden Higgins

PositiveBreakout7:20

Jayden Higgins is a post-hype sleeper candidate receiving significant training camp buzz; he is projected as the number two target in Houston with potential to reach 100 targets and beat his WR52 ADP.

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Jonathan Taylor

PositiveValue50:18

Jonathan Taylor is a strong value pick when he falls to the 10-12 range in drafts; he is 27 years old and has historical precedent for 27-year-old backs finishing as the overall RB1.

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Jordan Addison

PositiveValue9:38

Jordan Addison is a training camp riser and a bargain seventh-round pick in competitive formats. Luther Burden notes his immense talent as a former top-10 draft pick and suggests the Kellen Moore offense in its second year, paired with Tyler Shuck's development, could lead to a more reliable passing game.

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Josh Downs

PositiveRole27:46

Josh Downs is set for a full-time role, with Shane Steichen confirming he will be on the field in two-receiver sets. He is poised to compete for the team lead in targets, though a potential signing of Keenan Allen could complicate his path to value.

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Luther Burden

PositiveBreakout0:23

Luther Burden is a major breakout candidate whose ADP is rising into the WR20-22 range, with some drafts seeing him go in the third round. Ben Johnson has praised his competitive edge and physical play style, comparing his potential to Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jarvis Landry. Burden benefits from vacated targets following the departures of DJ Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus, and he previously ranked among the NFL leaders in yards per route run.

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Malik Nabers

PositiveBreakout27:18

Malik Nabers is crushing injury expectations and is considered one of the biggest winners of early training camp. His ADP is currently undergoing a correction as drafters react to his positive health status.

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Malik Washington

PositiveUsage20:03

Beat reporters indicate Malik Washington is clearly the number one wide receiver for the Dolphins and will be heavily utilized, making him a viable best ball target in the 17th or 18th round.

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Malik Willis

PositiveValue17:01

Malik Willis is a viable late-round dart throw in the QB21-24 range, specifically for best ball formats. He offers rushing production upside, making him a useful pairing with another quarterback to capitalize on his potential spike weeks. Additionally, he can be used as a stack option to build correlation with Malik Washington.

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Omar Cooper Jr.

PositiveBreakout53:28

Omar Cooper Jr. is the primary beneficiary of Kanyon Sedeek's injury, receiving positive training camp buzz and offering YAC ability that may rival or exceed Sedeek's.

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Omarion Hampton

PositiveBreakout14:26

Omarion Hampton is a high-growth running back and a clear touchdown producer in the Los Angeles offense. Despite a high ADP, he is an easy target due to strong coaching staff praise, including specific comments from Mike McDaniel regarding his growth, and his proven receiving efficiency from last year.

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PositiveProjection14:39

Omarian Hampton is considered an easy bet to make as the primary touchdown producer in a potentially explosive Los Angeles offense. Despite high ADP, he has strong support from beat reporters and coaching staff, including specific praise from Mike McDaniel regarding his growth. He demonstrated high-level receiving efficiency last year and remains a strong fantasy asset even with Keaton Mitchell and Camani Vidal in the mix.

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Quez Watkins

PositiveRole3:47

Theo Greminger highlights Quez Watkins as a training camp standout who has exceeded injury expectations and is now projected by running backs coach Duce Staley to serve as a three-down workhorse. Despite concerns regarding the Browns' quarterback situation, Watkins' role appears secure, and he is currently being drafted around RB20 in ADP. Dillon Sampson is viewed as a contingent upside player rather than a primary threat to Watkins' workload.

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Travis Etienne

NegativeUsage10:32

Travis Etienne's ADP is trending downward, falling behind players like Cam Akers, Javonte Williams, and Josh Jacobs. Luther Burden cites the presence of Alvin Kamara—who received a contract extension and continues to take first-team reps—as a major factor that limits Etienne's receiving upside and overall fantasy ceiling.

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Tucker Kraft

PositiveInjury24:58

Tucker Kraft has been activated from the PUP list and is trending confidently toward playing in Week 1. Despite missing time last year, he averaged 14.7 PPR points per game and is currently being drafted as a TE5 to TE8, offering significant value.

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Zay Flowers

PositiveValue23:18

Zay Flowers is a high-value target in the 3rd or 4th round following a massive contract extension. He is projected for a career year with potential to increase his target share from near 30% to 33% in the current offense. His outlook is bolstered by positive touchdown regression, end-zone target potential under Declan Doyle, and established chemistry with Lamar Jackson.

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Full transcript

Episode Transcript

283
0:05>> Breaking down early NFL training camp winners and losers and breaking news that fantasy managers need to know. I'm Theo Greminger, Rotowire lead fantasy
0:15analyst.
0:17We got a lot to talk about and we have no time to waste. We're going to jump right into it. Let's first off talk
0:23about Luther Burden.
0:25Luther Burden is already a player that fantasy managers are pushing up in drafts. And Ben Johnson and the Chicago beat reporters are doing nothing to help
0:35us get any sort of a discount. We're seeing Luther Burden going right off the board around wide receiver 20 to 22
0:42range and it feels like you're going to start seeing occasional Luther Burden third-round exposure. Right now you're seeing him going in the fourth round,
0:52but recently we've had Ben Johnson sort of throw out words like Amon-Ra St.
0:58Brown, Jarvis Landry, and a lot of this sort of a taken a little bit out of context, but Ben Johnson talked about
1:06the approach and Luther Burden's desire to be fantastic and his competitive edge, his physical play style, and he called it a desire to
1:18be great and evoked Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jarvis Landry. And if we remember, Landry was like a PPR monster when we
1:28went back to the Miami days when Ben Johnson was there as an offensive assistant. Amon-Ra St. Brown has been one of the best wide receivers in
1:36fantasy football. Romeo Doubs is healthy, Kalif Raymond is awesome, but at the end of the day I think drafters really want to gravitate towards Luther
1:46Burden.
1:48Was one of the leaders in the NFL in terms of yards per route run last year.
1:52Very limited sample size, but we talked about the run out. Olamide Zaccheaus, gone. Most significantly, DJ Moore, gone. And it's just been this slow drip
2:03of Ben Johnson hype quote after hype quote after hype quote with Luther Burden, a player who was a terrific college player at Missouri. Unbelievable
2:12season in 2024 there. 2025, the lower A dot season, but still great great production. Luther Burden has everything it takes to be a huge breakout candidate
2:24at the wide receiver position this season.
2:27Continuing our discussion, let's talk about Quez Watkins. Watkins, it's uh been a slow drip here where Watkins has had a terrific run out where Watkins we
2:38thought would be banged up potentially even for training camp. Uh really blew injury expectations out the door.
2:46Participated in OTAs, and there was a ton of positive buzz with him at OTAs.
2:51Now we look at training camp, and Watkins has been terrific. We're seeing him inside of the fourth round way more often. He's going off the board right
3:01around running back 20 in ADP. There's some question marks about the Browns offense because of the lack of clarity and quality at the quarterback position.
3:11But there really shouldn't be any sort of a question mark about Quez Watkins' role.
3:16We had Duce Staley, the running backs coach in Cleveland, come out and say that Watkins can be a three-down workhorse for them
3:23this year. And it's very significant because there's a ton of buzz on Quez Watkins and a lack of buzz when it comes to any
3:32other back on that roster, including Dillon Sampson. And Dillon Sampson early on in the process, we talked about Sampson potentially being a a player
3:41that really worked in a great deal. But it sounds like Sampson is more of a contingent upside guy than someone who's
3:48going to take away significantly from Watkins. Now, Watkins uh being a a highly utilized pass catcher, that would be a big leap of faith. We we
3:57really didn't see that a whole lot his rookie year, but let's remember that at this time last year, Judkins was dealing
4:04with off-the-field issues that kept him out of the start of the NFL season.
4:08He's been with the team all off-season, so this is really his first time with a full normal off-season in the NFL.
4:16Judkins has the potential to take a massively forward this year. I've moved him up in my rankings. You can go check
4:22those out at rotowire.com.
4:24Use the code Theo20. I've been a Judkins and Theo20 will get you 20% off of any of our packages. We've got a ton of
4:32amazing stuff coming out over at rotowire.com, but I've been a Judkins guy for for years. He was a tremendous college player, and it feels like the
4:41Browns are going to make him an offensive focal point. Another player we need to point out for the Browns, it's like steady drumbeats. Denzel Boston,
4:50Denzel Boston, Denzel Boston.
4:52We've had beat reporters coming out and saying that the two best wide receivers at camp, by a clear margin, are Denzel Boston and Casey Concepcion.
5:01So, really the idea that Jerry Jeudy was going to hold back these rookie wide receivers, it looks way less and less
5:09likely at this point. You're also having year two wide receiver Isaiah Bond being heavily featured in this offense, but he could end up being more of a
5:18speed guy, more of a get down the field type player with Boston and Casey Concepcion taking on early prominent roles alongside Harold Fannin Jr. Again,
5:30we have question marks about the offense, but Denzel Boston's talent level is shining in a major way. Was a standout at OTAs, continues to do it at
5:39NFL training camp. Just makes play after play after play after play, and the drumbeats for Boston are steadily growing. Still going in like the 15th,
5:4716th round. He's been an auto pick for me. I drafted an FFPC Big Gorilla $350 entry contest with Jacob Gibbs. I took
5:57Denzel Boston in that draft with Jacob.
6:00I took Denzel Boston in my Pros vs. Joes FFPC draft. I took Denzel Boston in a recent NFFC 350. I'm
6:08I'm pounding the the draft button when he's available to me in like round 15 and 16. It feels like it's a it's a a price tag that's going
6:18to look cheap when we get to the end of August based on the drum beats at camp.
6:22And I think you can like both of these players. I like Casey Caucepion as well.
6:25I think it's a reasonable double bet to make right now in your drafts based on the buzz out of training camp with
6:30Boston, the talent level with Casey Caucepion, that one of these players could become fantasy viable. And I think there's going to be weeks potentially
6:39potentially this is like a lower percentage chance cuz the quality offense that we get to the later portion of the season and maybe they're both
6:46flex viable players. Harold Fannin Jr. I like as well. And I like Judkins. Am I going to get in trouble with with liking
6:52Cleveland Browns? I think based on the fact that they're all sort of affordable, I'll take my shots. And it's a franchise that I think is getting more
6:59and more things correct when it comes to NFL evaluation. We saw it last year. So if we can get okay quarterback play out
7:07of Cleveland, not not good quarterback play, just okay. Don't be dead last. Be something like the 25th best team in the
7:14in the NFL and in terms of quarterback production instead of 32nd, and I think we're going to be all right. Speaking of
7:20wide receivers, we're getting a ton of buzz coming out of Houston with year two wide receiver Jaden Higgins. And Jaden Higgins is an interesting one because
7:30he was a high draft pick last year. He was selected in the early portion of the second round coming out of Ohio excuse
7:39me Iowa State last year.
7:41And Jayden Higgins has been like the buzz guy at Houston training camp. We even had Nico Collins coming out and saying that he's like going to be the
7:50future face of the franchise.
7:52This is a post-hype sleeper opportunity.
7:55Higgins is going off the board somewhere around wide receiver 52, which feels like a huge discount for a player that I
8:02think we're going to project as the number two target in Houston. Now, how good could that passing game be? We obviously [snorts] have some question
8:09marks about that. We know David Montgomery's going to have a prominent role at running back, but Higgins is a bet on talent situation. Could we get
8:16him in the wheelhouse of a 100 targets this year? I think we could. I think it could be a situation where it's a little
8:24bit more consolidated than some people think. We know that Tank Dell is trying to make a comeback here. We know that
8:30Jaylen Noel is dealing with some injuries. And we know that Dalton Schultz was utilized last year. Schultz was actually 80-plus catches last year,
8:38which felt feels like almost like a Mandela effect where we don't really remember just how productive he was.
8:45But I think Higgins taking a big step forward, there's a non-zero percent chance that Higgins can be like a top-three-ish wide receiver this year, and I think
8:55he'll easily beat his ADP. But coming out of camp, the buzz is very, very, very solid for Higgins. Every single day
9:02it seems like he's making catches, being utilized. And remember, this was a top-40 draft pick. He was a standout at the Senior Bowl, standout at Iowa State.
9:12Th- This player, you know, maybe it's sort of a a year-two breakout that we're not factoring in. Everybody's sort of focused in on the
9:21Tetero McMillan, Emeka Egbuka, Luther Burden trio, but Jayden Higgins, 34th overall pick in the same draft class, is going to potentially make a statement
9:32this year. We're going to keep an eye on what he does rest of camp. Another wide receiver that is running pure in terms
9:38of training camp is Jordan Addison.
9:40Addison is fully healthy and he's getting opportunities sort of as a wide receiver one on certain days with Olave missing a little bit of time. Chris
9:49Olave should be it should be an easy click for you. I mean I you've talked heard me talk about Chris Olave this year. Olave last year
9:56100 plus catches, 150 targets.
9:59Enthusiasm for Jordan Addison should not diminish our confidence levels in Chris Olave. But when it comes to Addison, I'm able to get him in the seventh round
10:08right now in competitive formats. Feels like a bargain for a top 10 overall draft pick and a player with immense talent level.
10:16I think the Kellen Moore offense in year two with Tyler Shuck taking a step forward, there's a chance that this passing game becomes even more reliable
10:24for us in fantasy football. Jordan Addison a really fun upside bet and the vibes are very good right now coming out
10:32of New Orleans. We'll see how the the situation goes. One player who we've got to keep an eye on is Travis Etienne and
10:38we've started to see Etienne trend down a little bit in ADP falling now behind Cam Akers, behind Javonte Williams, behind Josh
10:47Jacobs. It's not a massive gap, but Travis Etienne could fall to below running back 20.
10:54The annoying presence of Alvin Kamara and the fact that New Orleans extended Kamara Alvin Kamara being there like even as an older player, it sort of
11:04limits the true ceiling case for for Etienne. And Etienne still could produce a very solid fantasy season because again if this New Orleans offense sort
11:14of rises all tides, then it's a chance that multiple players just hit at ADP because of the quality of the offense. I
11:21get it. But Alvin Kamara being involved and being mixed in in first team reps in NFL training camp, it's annoying. It's really annoying for
11:31Travis Etienne and it limits the receiving upside case for him more so than anything. I don't think that Kamara is going to come in and rip off a
11:40900-yard rushing season like he did in 2024. I think that's that ship has sailed for Kamara. But when we look at
11:47Alvin Kamara back-to-back 80-plus catch seasons in 2023 and 2024, high 70s in 2022 and even last year in 11 games
11:57played or excuse me, I that was targets.
12:00It was a 68-catch season in 2024, 75-catch season in 2023.
12:06And that was in only 13 and 14 games played. Last year 11 games played, Kamara had 33 catches. So like we can
12:14sort of say that the floor for Kamara if he plays all 17 games, which is a huge reach at this point. He hasn't
12:21done that in forever. He always seems to miss some time. But let's say he plays his usual 13-14 games. If Kamara gets 14
12:30games in, he's going to catch 35 passes and that sort of limits the upside outcome for Etienne. So it's just a
12:37little bit annoying. I think Etienne makes sense as a structural pick, but if we're looking at the huge huge upside outcome for him, it would take Kamara
12:46missing some time. So it's a little bit annoying right now. Good vibes with the pass catchers, a little bit annoying when it comes to Kamara right now.
12:54Let's talk about Washington. Jayden Daniels, look going into the season right now, this is the best I think set of receivers that he's ever had to deal
13:03with. And I don't think that's a big hyperbolic statement. Daniels year three post-hype sleeper year where you last year everybody was in on Jayden Daniels
13:14at like the three-four turn in drafts.
13:16Now you're able to draft him in the eighth round. He's another player I moved up in my rankings at Rotowire after the Stefon Diggs signing.
13:24Jayden Daniels now has Terry McLaurin, Stefon Diggs, Antonio Williams, the third-round pick out of Clemson, as well as a bunch of guys with pretty steady,
13:35solid buzz out of training camp that can fill in as role players here like Trey Lon Burks, Luke McCaffrey, and that's
13:43not to mention Chig Okonkwo, who they signed as a free agent. Okonkwo's the loser here because the the argument that Okonkwo
13:52could be the number two target on the team that ship sailed. It's going to be Stefon Diggs and Terry McLaurin as the
13:59top two targets there, sort of battling each other for hierarchy there. The best bet is probably McLaurin. He's got the chemistry with Jayden Daniels. He had
14:08the big 2024 season, but Stefon Diggs obviously landed very well here. His ADP is going to trend up, but really Jayden
14:15Daniels good vibes with this offense, good vibes with David Blow right now, and Stefon Diggs coming in there, we have to like Jayden Daniels with the
14:24best set of weapons that he's ever had.
14:26Talking about running backs, let's quickly mention Omarian Hampton.
14:31Mike McDaniel specifically said that Omarian Hampton has had the most growth we've had of any player, signaling him out. So, there's been all this great
14:39buzz about Keaton Mitchell. Camani Vidal was mentioned as well by the coaching staff, but Omarian Hampton it's it's just a it's an easy bet to make.
14:49And I realize the ADP is very expensive, but there's good vibes with the beat reporters, good vibes with the coaching staff there, and Mike McDaniel
14:57specifically calling out his growth.
15:00Hampton's the touchdown guy in this offense. So, if LA is going to end up being this huge offense explosion, a team that could be a top three scoring
15:08offense, Omarian Hampton is obviously going to benefit from this one. We also saw he's very effective as a receiver multiple games last year where he was
15:16highly targeted. I think Hampton's in a great spot even with Keaton Mitchell being a weekly role type manufactured touch guy and even with the team being very
15:27confident in Camani Vidal as a depth piece, I think that Omarion Hampton, the vibes are very strong right now.
15:34Uh vibes in Philly, interesting for Mekhi Lemon because he's missing more time now with a hamstring injury. A little bit disappointing considering
15:43that Mekhi Lemon also missed time at OTAs with similar leg injuries. So, Mekhi Lemon missing these valuable reps, missing these valuable snaps. Devo-
15:54Devonta Devonta Smith also missing some time um in in training camp. We have way fewer question marks when it comes to
16:02Devonta Smith. I mean, he's locked in.
16:04He's the wide receiver one there. He's going to get an alpha-like usage and we have all the familiarity, all the splits
16:11of him without A.J. Brown playing alongside Jalen Hurts. We're not worried about that one, but Lemon missing time, a player that they drafted in the first
16:19round, we don't like to see that. So, we want to see Lemon get back on the field.
16:23I've still been drafting Lemon. I'll take the discount, but if we get to a few more weeks in and he's still missing
16:29some time, I'm going to have to adjust my rankings with him. I love betting on the talent of Mekhi Lemon and him taking
16:35on this wide receiver two role, but I don't love seeing him miss time. Keep an eye on Dontayvion Wicks in very deep
16:42formats. Uh for every week that Mekhi Lemon misses, it's another opportunity for Dontayvion Wicks to sort of establish a role there. Uh we'll keep an
16:52eye on that situation.
16:54Some positive buzz out of Miami and a little bit of clarity. It's a team that we're really not banking on, but we've
17:01had some positivity on Malik Willis recently uh saying he's done pretty well at the beginning of training camp. We know that this is a rushing production
17:09bet in the QB 21 to 24 range. Very late dart throw pick. Great to take Malik Willis when you're combining him with
17:18another quarterback. I've done that, and in best ball, it's a really easy proposition. Take the spike weeks, don't worry about the weeks that were that
17:25could be pushed down based on the lack of scoring production for Miami.
17:29But, we've had a lot of positive buzz when it comes to Ali Gordon, year two running back there, where Ali Gordon
17:37last year we had this like steam at this point in the summer, where Gordon sort of moved up and up and up. People got it kind of
17:48a little ahead of themselves when it came to Ali Gordon. I know there were drafts where I took Gordon, and he was a
17:53disappointment as a as a rookie in terms of his overall counting counting numbers, but we've had Jeff Hafley, the Miami Dolphins head coach, recently come
18:03out and say that he wants Ali Gordon to compete to be an every down back. He says that Ali Gordon is capable of being
18:11an every down back.
18:13Ali has flashed and knows what he's doing. He has great speed. He has great size. He can catch the ball out of the
18:18backfield, too.
18:20And he also complimented Ali Gordon's pass blocking. And I think this is interesting because Devon Achane is is that guy in Miami. Don't get it twisted.
18:29Ali Gordon is not going to take the job of 20 point per game Devon Achane, who just had 1,300 plus rushing yards and
18:36the team paid a huge contract. But, I think the door has been opened for Ali Gordon to be a late round dart throw and
18:43a guy you mix in late in best ball drafts because just add it up. Malik Willis, rushing quarterback, Devon Achane coming out and
18:52saying his goal is to lead the NFL in rushing yardage, and Achane obviously a very very successful back. And then you've got Jeff Hafley coming out and
19:00complimenting Ali Gordon. I think this should clarify the the hierarchy with a if if Devon Achane were to go down, Gordon is the next man in. So, we We the
19:10handcuff clarity there. I think Jaylen Wright this is not his guy. Jaylen Wright was drafted during, you know, Mike McDaniel's time there. Obviously, Gordon
19:19was as well, but it feels like Gordon has just a little bit more buzz, a little more positive coach speak. And I
19:25think when we look at what Gordon was able to do in college at Oklahoma State, incredible production there. Obviously, had a decline in 2025 from 2024, but we
19:35go back to 2024, Ali Gordon was mentioned as like potentially the second drafted running back in the 2025 draft class behind like Ashton Jeanty,
19:46alongside guys like Omarian Hampton and Quinton Johnson Judkins. Ali Gordon had a strong Senior Bowl last year, as well.
19:52So, we'll keep an eye on Ali Gordon.
19:54Also, with the Miami Dolphins, we're getting a little bit of clarity about the wide receiver position. And again, this is only for you deep leaguers, but
20:03the Dolphins, it seems like all the beat reporters are saying that the number one wide receiver is clearly Malik Washington. Malik Washington is going to
20:14be heavily utilized in this offense.
20:15What does that mean for us in fantasy?
20:17It's probably a best ball thing.
20:20But, if we are going to see a wide receiver sort of emerge and be any sort of Again, we're talking about really deep
20:27leagues here because we have question marks about the passing game, but Malik Washington is probably the bet. And Malik Washington is the player that I've
20:33been taking in best ball drafts. I've taken him in the 17th or eighth round a lot on like Underdog. The other wide
20:41receiver to keep an eye on that has had some positive buzz there is Caleb Douglas. Caleb Douglas is a player that
20:48internally I think they like.
20:51He was drafted this year, and he has really decent size, was a Senior Bowl participant. Third round draft capital, was a 75th overall pick.
21:02But, according to some of the beat reporters, he has a good chance to be on the field a lot. So, Miami Dolphins
21:08keeping an eye on again, only for you deep leaguers when it comes to some of these guys, but I'm taking shots on Ali
21:13Gordon in like the 18th through 20th round in NFFC FFPC type drafts. Going to mix him in a little bit as a late best
21:21ball dart throw. And then if you are drafting Malik Willis in best ball, you can look to build a little correlation
21:28with Malik Washington. I think that's the way to do it.
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22:28Talking about wide receivers, talk about Jacobi Lane in Baltimore. Another third round rookie pick where we had Declan Doyle compare him to Michael Thomas. I
22:38mean, what? Michael Thomas of the New Orleans Saints was one of the best fantasy football wide receivers for a multi-year period.
22:47Anybody who was playing at the time remembers that. So, for Jacobi Lane to get this sort of coach speak, I think it
22:52kind of says two things. It's that the wide receiver two role in Baltimore is up in the air. Rashid Bateman who's been
22:59a long time guy there. You've got Elijah Sorat who was the fourth-round pick.
23:03Then you've got Jacoby Lane. You've got other guys like Tez Walker entering his third year. But Jacoby Lane has some athletic ability. He's got size, and
23:14he's in a really decent spot to sort of compete with these guys and earn snaps.
23:18The other thing this does is we look at Zay Flowers, and Zay Flowers earned a massive contract contract extension um where the team is basically saying that
23:29Zay Flowers is one of the highest-paid receivers now in all of football.
23:34He gets a 4-year $140 million contract extension with $108 million in guaranteed money.
23:42Zay Flowers, your confidence level in Zay Flowers should be high. And when he's there in the fourth round, I think he's a really really great target.
23:50Consider him late in the third as well.
23:52But Zay Flowers, I think is in store for a career year this year. If we're searching for a guy who, dare I say it,
23:59could be this year's Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Emeka Egbuka's the guy, but Zay Flowers also is one that we could look at because similar to similar to JSN, it's
24:10an offense that's going to run the ball a lot with Derrick Henry.
24:12But the target competition at the wide receiver position is up in the air. We don't know who it's going to be, and
24:18none of those guys are going to carve out a really big target share. Could we see Zay Flowers, who was close to a 30%
24:23target share last year, up to like 33% in this offense, like a next-level target share? I think we could. Zay Flowers also the positive touchdown
24:33regression, the chance that he actually gets a few end-zone targets under Declan Doyle, uh the familiarity he has with Lamar Jackson, and the fact that the
24:41team just gave him this monster contract. I mean, the drumbeats are loud for Zay Flowers, and I think the fact that we're hearing buzz about guys like
24:48Jacoby Lane should make you even more confident that Zay Flowers is about as locked in as it gets in terms of a role at the wide
24:56receiver position in football right now.
24:58Tucker Kraft, tight end, Green Bay Packers. We've heard some a lot of potential a lot of attention being paid to the wide receiver position in Green
25:06Bay.
25:07The whole Jordan Love coming out and saying that Matthew Golden is the X receiver. We see the beat reporters dropping
25:19that Jayden Reed was used in two wide receiver sets and it was a early like depth chart for the day where
25:26the sort of the positivity for Reed, the positivity for Golden, it's sort of which one you're believing in that the hype or the news the news dump sort of
25:35matters to you the most. And then Christian Watson obviously got the bag this off season. He's in a great spot.
25:41Late fifth round ADP in formats like FFPC. I've talked about Watson way too many times. You know I like Watson and
25:48you can go check out where I have him ranked over at rotowire.com. But Tucker Kraft was activated from the pup list,
25:54which is interesting. And Tucker Kraft, who we had concerns about with just how quickly he could get back on an NFL
26:02field and how quickly would he return this season.
26:06It's been a great run out for Tucker Kraft. We have the injury to Luke Musgrave, who was the number two tight
26:12end last year.
26:14You've got Tucker Kraft who was very productive last year towards the very top of tight end points per game and then of course got injured. Now he's
26:24going to come back and it seems like Tucker Kraft is is trending very confidently into week one. He's going to play week
26:35one. I think that the idea of him missing time early in the season it's going to take a setback for that. But he
26:43averaged 14.7 points per game last year in PPR scoring. This year we're able to get him down somewhere in that tight end
26:53five through tight end eight range depending on where you're drafting. Um and in some for some of you, that's incredibly late in drafts, but played
27:01only eight games last year.
27:04There's been talk about how low his A dot was last year, but the a yak ability that he has is just fantastic and we
27:12know that Green Bay likes to get the ball in his hands. So, we have positivity when it comes to Tucker Kraft. Obviously, Malik Nabers will keep
27:19reminding everybody Malik Nabers crushing injury expectations. He's obviously possibly the biggest winner from early training camp. The fact that he's back
27:29out there and looks like he's trending upwards. His ADP is skyrocketing. I dropped an [snorts] ADP uh breakdown.
27:36I'm doing it quite often here on the podcast and the YouTube feed, but I talked about how we're seeing Malik Nabers ADP correction. Uh he's a given.
27:44He's a massive winner here.
27:46Talk about Josh Downs. Josh Downs, we've heard some comments from Shane Steichen that Josh Downs is going to be on the
27:53field in two wide receiver sets, which is really significant. Josh Downs poised to compete with Tyler Warren for the most targets on the Indianapolis Colts.
28:03Really, really an interesting one there.
28:06Then you've got the fact that Alec Pierce still banged up.
28:09So, Alec Pierce banged up. Josh Downs the really set for a large role. The only thing that would would sort of
28:17throw a wrench into Josh Downs returning immense value out of his eighth round ADP is Keenan Allen. If Indianapolis signs Keenan Allen, there's a little bit
28:26of overlapping skill sets. I think they could still coexist, but it would take more creativity from the offense to sort of make that thing happen. Uh
28:34let's hope that Keenan Allen doesn't end up there if you're holding Josh Downs bags. And if you're holding Josh Downs bags and you've been drafting him,
28:40you've got to feel really good about the situation because things are setting up for him to potentially have a career year. He's small. Like the sizes are
28:49anti-Josh Downs, but I don't think the Colts are viewing him that way. I think they're committed to using him in a
28:55full-time role. A lot of 11, but even having him on the field in 12 personnel, I think that's the way they're they're
29:02headed. We mentioned uh the Stefon Diggs signing in Washington.
29:07We'll remind everybody about the Deebo Samuel. Ricky Pearsall announced injured and the team signs Deebo Samuel. Samuel uh there's some buzz and positivity
29:18among drafters with him. We've seen him steam up into the 11th round of drafts.
29:22De'Von Achane Sribling also moving up.
29:24Sribling's been a little bit banged up though. Deebo has looked noticeably leaner uh where there's been some beat reporters in San Francisco talking about
29:32how he looks like he's in good shape uh and there's been positive buzz obviously with the reunion he has with Kyle
29:40Shanahan there, the familiarity with Brock Purdy.
29:43Bunch of old guys in San Francisco, but that seems like that's how they're doing it. Old guy at running back in Christian
29:48McCaffrey who's pretty good good old guy. Don't get me wrong, but he's an old guy in NFL standards. Way younger than
29:53me, but old guy for NFL. Mike Evans 30 plus, Deebo 30 plus, George Kittle 30 plus, and then you've got Sribling out
30:01there. So, an interesting team in terms of they're pushing the chips in. They're going old and they're going super old this year, but they're confident in
30:10these guys working out. Now, you've had a bunch of banged up 49ers. I mean, people obviously talk about the substation, all that stuff, but uh not
30:18sure what's going on there, but we'll keep an eye on it. Jonathan Taylor big extension, big contract extension. We saw Bijan Robinson get a ton of money.
30:28Jahmyr Gibbs is going to get a ton of money any day. Running back uh the whole like pay the running backs movement from
30:33a couple years ago. These guys are getting paid. Jonathan Taylor was got paid and now they're giving him an extension here where he's getting a huge
30:40amount of money. Jonathan Taylor, 27 years old. Jonathan Taylor scoring like the RB1 for a lot of last season until Philip Rivers took over.
30:50Jonathan Taylor's 27 years old. Three out of last four years, a 27-year-old running back has finished as the RB1 overall. Could Jonathan Taylor give you
31:00that RB1 overall this year? Tough. I'm on Jahmyr Gibbs, I'm on Bijan Robinson at the top, but Jonathan Taylor when he
31:07falls to like the 10 through 12 range in these drafts, pretty easy click right there. We covered pretty much everybody making
31:14sure that Oh, here we got a couple more.
31:16Kanyon Sedeek uh had a setback. It's a hernia injury with a setback. How many weeks is he out? I'm not sure.
31:23We've heard it's not like a catastrophic injury. What What does that mean though?
31:27Um obviously it's not catastrophic, it's a hernia. But Kanyon Sedeek missing time in the preseason obviously hurts him and the argument that he could put up some
31:37big weeks early on in the season.
31:38Obviously Kanyon Sedeek athletically gifted. Uh the team was excited to get him. They used uh very similar draft capital that Brock Bowers is drafted at,
31:47Colston Loveland, Tyler Warren. Uh they draft him at 16 overall. So the team making a big bet on him.
31:54But we've seen multiple instances when tight ends miss time in the preseason, rookie tight ends, it takes them a long time to ramp up. So Kanyon Sedeek we're
32:02looking at more of a probably a second half of the year bet if you want to make that bet. The big beneficiary here is
32:08probably Omar Cooper Jr. There's been positive buzz out of training camp with him and he offers the same sort of YAC
32:15ability, if not better YAC ability, than Sedeek. So if we're looking for a get the fast guy, the athletic guy, the ball
32:23and produce YAC, Omar Cooper's probably the guy there. Garrett Wilson's going to have a 30% plus target share.
32:30Positive drumbeats there. The The beat reporters, multiple beat reporters have talked up Geno Smith and how he's looked early on in camp. Not a fantasy football
32:39takeaway saying you need to draft Geno Smith, but I think the confidence level we have on this offense being a little
32:44bit more functional and guys like Garrett Wilson returning some value are there. I continue to draft out of my Mitchell when we get down to the 16th,
32:5117th round, but Mitchell versus Omar Cooper, this is a battle we need to keep an eye on in terms of the target
32:57hierarchy. Could a secondary pass catcher be viable this year for the New York Jets? Not sure, but we'll see. I'm Theo Greminger. Stick with us here at
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