Footballguys training camp reports kick in next week and they will keep you up to date on everything you need to know. In the meantime, there is information coming in from camps around the league that may, should, and will affect ADP, range of outcomes, and your willingness to take a player. Let’s get caught up
John Brown ascending Buffalo’s depth chart - There was some question who Josh Allen and the coaches would favor at wide receiver after Robert Foster and Zay Jones flashed at times last year and the team added Cole Beasley and John Brown in the offseason. Brown has answered that with his play in practice, and at least one beat writer believes Brown has elevated himself to #1 status with his performance thus far in camp.
Kalen Ballage making a run at Dolphins starting running back job, committee likely in the works - Kenyan Drake looked like one of the best backs in the league for a month in 2017, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll get to show off his feature back chops under the new staff, and he might not even start. 2018 fourth-round pick Kalen Ballage has gotten the first rep of practice with the first team more than once, and the buzz is that offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea will employ a committee similar to the one his former employer the Patriots have. This team will be in negative game scripts more often than not, so Drake being in the “James White” role will make him more valuable than Ballage, but ADP has them 10+ rounds apart, which is sure to self-correct as this information leeches out into the fantasy hive mind.
Sony Michel stay on PUP list is short - Michel starting camp on the PUP list after another knee procedure was worrisome, but he was taken off the PUP list promptly, although he is going to sit for some practices to rest his knee if the first week is any indication. There is hope that he can be a bigger part of the passing game this year with more training camp participation than 2018, which will create multiple paths to value for him and third-round pick Damien Harris, who is competing with Michel for playing time. This continues to be a fluid situation with a lot more for us to learn over the next month.
Todd Gurley “veteran plan” - The good news is that Todd Gurley didn’t start camp on the PUP list and he is able to practice. The (bad?) news is that Gurley will be on a veteran plan in a camp that will see him celebrate his 25th birthday, which will include no preseason games, some missed practices, and some sitting during practices he does participate in. In other words, we’re not going to get any more hard information about the condition of his knee before the season. Fantasy players are basically going to get dug even deeper into their offseason position on one of the most important questions in fantasy drafts.
Derrick Henry injury - Henry isn’t practicing because of a lower leg injury, and one report had him in a walking boot. The team won’t give a timetable for his return, but they also aren’t expressing any worry about the injury. It’s never good for a player to miss time in camp, and if Henry misses all or most of camp and the preseason, it’s fair to wonder if he can hold up under the 300-carry load that some are envisioning under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Stay tuned.
AJ Green ankle injury - Green was falling to the third round in a scenario that seemed too good to be true in early drafts, and it was. He suffered torn ligaments in his ankle and is likely to miss Week 1 if not more. Surgery is not the current plan, but the last we heard, Green was seeking a second opinion on the injury, which is not encouraging. He is falling to the fifth or sixth round, where his new heightened risk balances out with his well-known reward - as long as he can get back something near 100% this year.
Theo Riddick released by Lions - In a move that was telegraphed by some covering the team, Theo Riddick was released from the Lions roster. Kerryon Johnson should get more passing down snaps in a development that should move him up in the third-round RB2 with RB1 upside tier. Speedy sixth-round rookie Ty Johnson has a path to make the team and get on deep league radars now.
Jarran Reed six-game personal conduct suspension - While not technically a camp item, Reed’s suspension was announced last week, and it shouldn’t be overlooked. The Seahawks traded away their best pass rusher - Frank Clark - during the offseason, and Reed was their best hope for generating consistent pressure on the quarterback. They also signed Ezekiel Ansah, who could be ready for the season, but this is a significantly weaker unit without Reed. The Seahawks have the Bengals, Steelers, Cardinals, Saints, Rams, and Browns in the games Reed will miss, which might mean that Russell Wilson will be the centerpiece of the offense through most of September and October in high-scoring games despite the best-laid plans of Seattle’s coaches.
Golden Tate four-game PED suspension - He’s appealing it, but Tate currently faces a four-game suspension for performing-enhancing drug use. He had a high floor, but modest ceiling in Giants passing game this year. If he misses the first four games, he’s not worth more than a late-round pick in typical leagues.
Taylor Lewan four-game PED suspension - The Titans are losing their left tackle and best offensive lineman for the first four games because of a performance-enhancing drug use violation. The team has solid depth at the position with Dennis Kelly and Jack Conklin better than some teams starting duos, but they need to stay healthy or this offense could become even more fragile with Derrick Henry and AJ Brown missing time early in camp.
Keesean Johnson leading Cardinals rookie wide receivers - After generating some buzz that he could start during the spring, Johnson has led Arizona’s rookie wideouts in first-team snaps and earned praise from the staff for his grasp of the offense. This could be one of the most productive pass offenses in the league, featuring a ton of three and four-wide sets, and comfort level in the scheme will dictate playing time behind Christian Kirk and Larry Fitzgerald. Second-round pick Andy Isabella is running with the second team, and fourth-round pick Hakeem Butler has alternated drops and spectacular plays with the backups.
Maurice Harris impressing, running with ones - The Patriots spent a first-round pick on N’keal Harry, but it has been footnote signing Maurice Harris who has been called the best receiver in camp so far. Harris had some highlight moments with Washington in limited action and could take advantage of the vacuum at outside receiver for the team at the moment if he keeps this up. He should be on your late-round pick and early season waiver wire watch list.
Damien Williams hamstring - Williams has only missed a few days with this injury at press time, but any sign that he might not hold up this year under a feature-back load is worth watching. The Chiefs offense has routinely produced RB1 numbers since Spencer Ware took over in 2016, and if Carlos Hyde or Darwin Thompson get a shot, they could just continue that streak. Hyde wasn’t considered a roster lock by some after signing a modest one-year contract, so this is his chance to impress the staff.
Miles Boykin standing out, Marquise Brown on NFI - Lamar Jackson has been up and down as a passer in camp, but there is positive buzz coming from the team about evolution of the offense, and they should pass enough to support at least one fantasy-relevant receiver with Greg Roman, who made Colin Kaepernick and Tyrod Taylor efficient passers, calling the shots on offense. After missing some time due to a hamstring issue in the spring, the third-round pick Boykin has been garnering praise. Spring star Chris Moore has been quieter according to observers, and first-round pick Marquise Brown is working his way back off of the NFI list. Boykin is the Ravens wide receiver to target in redraft leagues until further notice.
Melvin Gordon holding out - Gordon wants to be paid near the top of the market on a long term extension, the Chargers offered a contract about 2-3 million per year below that. Don’t expect the Chargers to splurge on a back after the team experienced no slowdown without Gordon last year. It’s up to Gordon to decide whether to swallow his pride and play for a contract that is about half or less of what he thinks a year of his play is worth. This one could stretch well into the season and is the most worrisome of the holdouts.
Ezekiel Elliott holding out - Elliott, unlike Gordon, has only three years of service in the league and would not become an unrestricted free agent next year if he decides to hold out into the season and sour his relationship with the team in hopes of getting his freedom next year a la LeVeon Bell. He has to report by August 6 or will not get his fourth year accrued this year, and the tone around the situation is positive. No back is worth more to his team than Elliott, and the Cowboys will likely find a number that works for both parties even though they also have to pay Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper soon.
Michael Thomas holding out - This one came as more of surprise, with the two sides somewhat close on a long term deal, but Thomas doesn’t want to play for a little over a million dollars this year, and the Saints don’t appear to be eager to pay him 20 million dollars a year. With Drew Brees in possibly his last year with the team, the Saints will do whatever they have to. Don’t move Thomas down unless he misses the entire preseason, and then only within his tier if you feel worried about lack of camp practices increasing his chance of early-season injury. The worry factor here is much closer to the Elliott situation than the Gordon one. UPDATE: Thomas and the Saints came to an agreement on Wednesday July 31.
Emmanuel Sanders ahead of schedule - Not only did Emmanuel Sanders open camp without need for PUP status, but he was participating in 7 on 7 drills in the first week of camp. Meanwhile, DaeSean Hamilton has been missing time with a hamstring injury. Courtland Sutton hasn’t created a lot of momentum after a disappointing second half of the 2018 season, so the runway is getting cleared for Sanders to have the most value of the Broncos receivers if he can hold up.
Broncos backfield in motion - Both Royce Freeman and Phillip Lindsay have gotten more work as receivers in camp to date than they have in the past, and the team has also had Theo Riddick in for a physical. New offensive coordinator compared the Freeman/Lindsay combination to Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. Everything here is pointing towards more of a committee approach than we saw last year, albeit with more targets to running backs.
Parris Campbell starring and a little banged up - It appears the Colts were right about Campbell being able to do a lot more than he did in the Ohio State offense, just as the Saints were right about Michael Thomas, and the Panthers about Curtis Samuel. Beat writers are buzzing about him, and even head coach Frank Reich said he made “I’m gonna be a stud receiver” plays in practice. He also suffered a hamstring injury that bears watching. Deon Cain has also been the subject of positive items in his return from an ACL tear.
Cooper Kupp, Will Fuller, Chris Carson, Derrius Guice, Cam Newton looking good - Sometimes the best camp news is no news. All of these players avoided the PUP list and seemed to hit the ground running in camp. Fuller and Kupp have no restrictions, Carson was running with the first team in the first practice, Guice is over his hamstring issue, and Newton threw a few dozen balls in his first practice after his second shoulder surgery, including a handful farther than he could throw while the shoulder was ailing last year. Unless we see the current trend reverse, all of these players can be treated as healthy entering the 2018 season.
Jerick McKinnon on PUP - McKinnon’s early camp is going the opposite of Kupp and company. He had a flare-up in his surgically repaired knee and had to start camp on the PUP list. This isn’t good news, but it’s even more worrisome considering that McKinnon is months more removed from his ACL tear than Kupp and Fuller since his occurred before the season started. He might not make the team if he struggles to get healthy before Week 1 because of his 3.7 million dollar price tag
Trent Williams still away from Washington - The well appears to be poisoned here, as the team’s cornerstone left tackle is staying away from camp and some reports say the relationship is “fractured” after the team mishandled a health scare. He could be traded a la Duane Brown, and a new contract probably won’t patch things up. Washington is looking to the future and might not want to invest more money in a 31-year-old anyway. The Washington offense is not going to be pretty this year.
Russell Okung pulmonary embolism - The Chargers offensive line is also facing the possibility of being without their cornerstone left tackle, as Okung revealed that a test showed a pulmonary embolism that was potentially life-threatening and could cost him all of training camp. He said he’ll be back when the doctors clear him, but it is unclear when that can and will happen. There’s no sign that it will cost him regular-season games, but if it does, the Chargers have a weak and inexperienced group of tackles behind him.
Mike Daniels released - While it doesn’t affect fantasy more than making the Lions team defense more potent and in turn making it easier for them to lean on Kerryon Johnson and the run, it was surprising to see a play as accomplished as Daniels released by the Packers at the open of camp. The division rival Lions swooped in and now can boast Daniels and Trey Flowers being added to a line that already had a stout set of tackles in Damon Harrison and AShawn Robinson.