Training Camp is Here!
Welcome back!
Training camp is finally here! Get ready for all the coachspeak, beat reporters throwing around superlatives, and other fun stuff.
That means it’s also the perfect time to get in on our Patreon rankings and Discord chat! Access the rankings built by Coop (one of the sharpest analysts out there), and get in on the Discord chat, where we’ll be discussing the best headlines daily and talking strategy to help each other win some championships this season.
It’s also a good time to note that headlines this time of year should be taken with a big grain of salt. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pay attention, though. Being able to notice repeated, positive trends coming out of camp and reading between the lines is one of the biggest advantages in fantasy. But most importantly, this stuff is fun.
So let’s get to the headlines!
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News & Notes:
Aaron Rodgers has officially showed up to Packers training camp.
Michael Thomas may miss up to 5 games after ankle surgery.
“NFL just informed clubs that if a game cannot be rescheduled during the 18-week season in 2021 due to a COVID outbreak among unvaccinated players, the team with the outbreak will FORFEIT and be credited with a loss for playoff seeding.”
The Texans have traded Randall Cobb to the Packers.
Dak Prescott could be out a couple weeks with a shoulder injury.
The Giants have released TE Kelvin Benjamin.
Odell Beckham Jr. has passed his physical and won’t start training camp on the PUP list.
The Washington Football Team gave TE Logan Thomas a 3 year extension.
The Bears traded Anthony Miller to the Texans.
Coachspeak and Beat Reports:
“Jerry Jeudy has been the receiver on both Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater’s longest passes of practice so far.” … “Drew connecting with Jeudy many times today”
“Jerry Jeudy with another nice play. Creates separation, reaches up to make the catch and is off to the end zone. He’s picking up where he left off.”
“Brandon Aiyuk making catches all over the place during this first camp practice.”
“Joe Burrow with a perfect 7-on-7 period. Highlights was an out to Ja'Marr Chase.”
On Parris Campbell: “Reich loves what he can bring to this offense from the slot position, and if Campbell is on the field, the coach is going to use him.”
“There’s no open competition right now,” Kyle Shanahan confirms. Jimmy Garoppolo is the 49ers’ QB1. Trey Lance is competing for QB2” … “Jimmy (Garoppolo) is our best quarterback in the building right now,” Kyle Shanahan says.
The Patriots offensive line could be a serious wrecking crew if they stay healthy this year.
“Lions tight end coach Ben Johnson has had [T.J.] Hockenson studying Calvin Johnson, Travis Kelce, George Kittle and Darren Waller over the offseason. Hockenson was also named ‘heavyweight champion’ at the new offseason gathering of NFL tight ends known as ‘Tight End U’”
“Joe Mixon finishes every run at practice. Even after the whistle blows he sprints another 30-40 yards down the field”
“Jalen Hurts plans to meet with the WRs and TEs after every practice and address what worked well, what didn't, and what they need to work on. DeVonta Smith said Hurts is the type of guy you want leading a team.” … “Jalen Hurts and DeVonta Smith are still on the field putting in extra work after practice. Wasting no time getting that chemistry going!”
"[Laviska] Shenault's skill set is among the rarest in the NFL, as he has the short-area quickness, change of direction and balance of a much smaller player. He combines all of this with his size and strength to win at every level of the field as a pass-catcher."
Pete Carroll : "We have to run the ball better... not even better, we have to run it more." “He mentions that he understands fans won't like hearing that.”
“One reason to be encouraged about [Jalen] Reagor is how much more comfortable he looked with Hurts than with (Wentz). Reagor played nearly twice as many snaps with (Wentz), but he had only 48 fewer yards with Hurts and nine of his 18 catches of at least 10 yards came with Hurts at QB”
Ronald Jones “Showing absolutely zero hesitation in hitting holes and turning the corner on outside runs. Looks primed for a big season in his contract year.”
Mark Andrews on Marquise Brown: “He’s the type of player who is going to shock the world.”
Christian McCaffrey “appears to be healthy and back to full speed. On the team’s first day of training camp at Wofford College, McCaffrey took a pass from new quarterback Sam Darnold over the middle, made a smooth cut and exploded into a full sprint toward the end zone.”
Analysis & Hype:
This Ryan Tannehill vs. Patrick Mahomes graphic boggles the mind.
PSA on San Francisco’s week 14-17 schedule: * at CIN * vs. ATL * at TEN * vs. HOU
Allen Robinson finished as the wr9 (ppr) in 2020:
- 3rd targets
- 4th receptions
- 8th receiving yards
- 36th target quality
- 82nd target accuracy
Robinson is being drafted as the wr12
“Devontae Booker saw 93 carries for the Raiders last year and Josh Jacobs still finished as the RB8. How many touches are people expecting Kenyan Drake to get? Whatever it is, I don’t think it’s enough to justify his recent free fall in fantasy football drafts.”
“Michael Pittman Jr had a better success rate vs man coverage than Tee Higgins, Kenny Golladay, and Chase Claypool. He finished barely behind Mike Evans, DK Metcalf, and DJ Moore. (via @RecepPerception)”
Alvin Kamara’s target counts in eight games sans Michael Thomas last year: 9, 14, 4, 10, 8, 13, 6, 5.
Top RB Seasons by Fantasy Points per Touch (Since 1970)
1. ALVIN KAMARA, 2017 (1.59)
2. ALVIN KAMARA, 2020 (1.40)
3. Austin Ekeler, 2019 (1.38)
4. Marshall Faulk, 2000 (1.38)
5. Herschel Walker, 1986 (1.38)
6. Maurice Jones-Drew, 2006 (1.31)
7. ALVIN KAMARA, 2018 (1.29)
“Evan Engram was one of only five TEs to get 100+ targets. He finished with 1 TD as TE16 in half PPR. If he caught…
2 TDs: TE13
3 TDs: TE9
4 TDs: TE8
5 TDs: TE7
TDs are a fluky stat and no one projected Daniel Jones to throw 11 TDs with 21 turnovers.”
Coop’s Ultimate TE Draft Guide is here and it’s pretty ultimate.
Interesting article about “Stacking” in best ball.
/r/DynastyFF thread discussing potential 2nd year WR breakouts.
/r/fantasyfootball thread: “The case for drafting RBs early and often (and let the other guy reach on Travis Kelce)”
Deep (Mostly Dynasty) Sleepers:
“Bruce Arians says rookie WR Jaelon Darden is “flashing” in practice and is getting reps with Tom Brady.”
49ers rave about Mohamed Sanu: ‘He’s looking (expletive) good, man’
“[Lions’ Rookie WR] Amon-Ra St. Brown looked surprisingly polished for a rookie during the early portions of the offseason program. He’s also drawn rave reviews for his work ethic, and that was on display again today. St. Brown stayed after practice to catch a couple hundred footballs...”
Cold Water:
Odell Beckham Jr. has topped 100 receiving yards once in his last 21 games.
Ezekiel Elliott's career yards/game:
2016: 108
2017: 98
2018: 95
2019: 84
2020: 65
The Fun Stuff:
There’s already a lot of Dak to CeeDee Lamb highlights popping up out there.
“I love this team, I love the or—you know, the fans.” — Aaron Rodgers
AJ Brown got jokes.
J’Marr Chase with the one-handed grab.
One again, Nick Chubb lifting a ridiculous amount of weight.
👋 That’s it for now. Join our community on Patreon and get all our rankings and access to our Discord chat! You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram where I browse over 1,000 analysts and beat writers and retweet/post all the good stuff.