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| Tuesday, August 18, 2020 |
| If you made it through Monday without getting hurt, you did better than some of the biggest names in the NFL. Luckily, we've managed to avoid any serious injuries in the early going, but the first few days of training camp have predictably led to some injuries we'll need to keep an eye on. There's plenty else to catch up on from around the NFL this morning, so here's what we'll be focusing on today: |
| 👀Early injuries to watch ↗ADP Review: Stock up, stock down 🤼Rankings disputes 📰Player news you may have missed |
| Early injuries to watch |
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| The first few days of camp have mostly been absent of significant injuries for big Fantasy names, but there were a few we'll need to keep an eye on: |
| DeAndre Hopkins missed his second straight practice with a hamstring injury. He has yet to get in a full practice with Kyler Murray. Nick Chubb was evaluated for a concussion. He was tackled awkwardly up around the neck, and the results of testing are not yet known. A.J. Green left practice with a hamstring injury. His absence was apparently just a precaution, but after Green missed all of last season with an ankle injury suffered during the first practice session, it's definitely a concern. |
| In each instance, the issue doesn't seem to be significant, though Chubb's concussion is probably the biggest concern, given the unpredictable nature of those injuries. For all three players, however, it's the knock-on affects you worry most about right now: Hopkins switched teams this offseason and has to develop rapport with Murray; Chubb has a new coach and offensive coordinator to mesh with; Green has a rookie QB and has never played (or even really practiced much) under second-year coach Zac Taylor. |
| Given the context of these changes and an offseason without many opportunities to get work in, the concern isn't just about them being healthy for Week 1 — it's also about whether they'll be up to full speed when Week 1 gets here. |
| Of course, let T.Y. Hilton serve as the positive side of the coin, as he hasn't looked any worse for the wear in early practices after dealing with his own hamstring issue. As Stephen Holder of the Athletic put it, "if you had any concerns about his physical state after missing six games last season, don't waste your time worrying." |
| 🔈We talked about these injuries on Tuesday's episode of Fantasy Football Today, where the guys also talked about their favorite sleepers for the 2020 season. |
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| ADP Risers and Fallers |
| Jamey Eisenberg took a look at the latest trends in CBS Fantasy ADP data, focusing on who has seen the biggest changes in value over the past week. Here are some of the biggest changes so far: |
| Risers |
| Cam Newton (108th) James Conner (35th) Will Fuller (92nd) Chris Herndon (179) |
| I'll buy each of these players at their current price, though Conner is the one I'm most wary of. It's entirely possible that offense just isn't all that good, and if the Steelers opt to use a backfield committee -- something they've barely ever done in the past -- Conner could be just a fringe-y option. |
| Fuller probably needs to rise another 20 picks before I'll consider him a bad buy. Fuller's teammate Brandin Cooks has an ADP of 99th overall, and I'll buy him at that price too. Both could be a solid No. 2 WR this season. |
| Fallers |
| Josh Allen (55th) Jonathan Taylor (54th) DeVante Parker (76th) Austin Hooper (107th) |
| I'm on record as being very skeptical of this Bills offense for 2020 — I think Allen follows in Mitchel Trubisky's footsteps in 2020 — and I think it makes sense that he's falling. That being said, he probably shouldn't go much further than this — the QBs being drafted right after him are Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Matt Ryan, all within the next round. None has Allen's rushing abilities, and you shouldn't be paying up for quarterbacks who can't run. |
| I'm certainly wary of Hooper's role in a crowded Cleveland offense, but at some point he becomes a value, and TE12 might be that point. Looking at the tight ends going off the board behind him, I'd rather just pay up for Hooper than draft Noah Fant (123rd) or Jonnu Smith (144). |
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| Settling some rankings disputes |
| We've got everyone's rankings updated for the real start of training camp, so it's time to see where Jamey Eisenberg, Dave Richard, Heath Cummings and Ben Gretch disagree. I'll help you figure out who is right. |
| Biggest RB rankings disputes |
| Clyde Edwards-Helaire (Consensus RB6) |
| Everyone vs. Heath (RB10) I side with: Everyone. I'm not even particularly convinced Edwards-Helaire is all that good — he had one great season in college and he's undersized. But it doesn't matter, he's the lead back in Andy Reid's offense. You don't fade that. |
| Austin Ekeler (Consensus RB10) |
| Everyone vs. Heath (RB6) I side with: I'll make it up to Heath here. We know what the upside is here because Ekeler was one of the best backs in football with Melvin Gordon out last season. Even if he doesn't see that same role, Ekeler is going to be the primary option here, and we know how valuable his all-around game is. |
| Jonathan Taylor (Consensus RB23) |
| Everyone vs. Ben (RB15) I side with: Both sides? On the one hand, I think it's sort of unlikely Taylor finishes the season as the 15th-best running back when he won't even start at the beginning of the season. However, it goes without saying there is significant upside here, and there will be long stretches of this season where Taylor is a must-start back. |
| Biggest WR rankings disputes |
| JuJu Smith-Schuster (Consensus WR8) |
| Dave (WR17) vs. Jamey (WR8) I side with: Jamey. Of course I do, Smith-Schuster is arguably my favorite breakout pick for 2020. He's a No. 1 Fantasy WR, and you should be thrilled if you can get him as a No. 2. |
| Mike Evans (Consensus WR 13) |
| Ben (WR8) vs. Heath (WR16) I side with: I'm somewhere in the middle, but I guess I'm more on Heath's side if I have to pick one, given my concerns about the Buccaneers offense as a whole. Evans is someone I haven't drafted yet in 2020. |
| Adam Thielen (Consensus WR10) |
| Jamey (WR10) vs. Ben (WR20) I side with: Ben for sure. The Vikings probably have to throw the ball more than they did last season, so I'm certainly expecting Thielen to top 100 targets, something nobody else on this offense managed. However, he's a 30-year-old coming off a season ruined by a hamstring injury, so there's just too much risk here to invest so heavily in a low-volume offense. |
| Training camp notes |
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| T.J. Hockenson (ankle) has no limitations — There were some headlines that indicated Hockenson's ankle was still an issue, but he is practicing without limitations, so it doesn't seem like this is a real problem. He's taking training camp as an opportunity to knock the rust off, but he has looked good so far, according to those present. Frank Gore will help "lessen" Le'Veon Bell's load — Bell is still the top option, and Gore isn't going to displace him by any means, as he acknowledged in talking to ESPN. However, we probably won't see Bell logging snap shares in the 80-90% range every week. The volume won't be quite what it was last year, so Bell will just have to play better. If Gore really is part of the game plan, Bell's ceiling just gets even lower. Melvin Gordon is struggling with the altitude in Denver — Playing in his first year in Denver, Gordon admitted he has been "struggling a little bit," which could explain why he has split work pretty evenly with Phillip Lindsay so far in camp. It will probably take Gordon a few weeks to acclimate to the thinner air, but the expectation is still that he'll be the lead back. However, Lindsay, who added 10 pounds of muscle this offseason, will still be a significant factor, by all accounts. Jalen Hurd likely suffered a torn ACL — Hurd was a deep sleeper, especially with Deebo Samuel likely to be sidelined for the start of the season. Now, the 49ers are suddenly pretty shallow at wide receiver. Rookie Brandon Aiyuk might be the top option after George Kittle, and a rookie season similar to Samuel's — 802 receiving yards, six total touchdowns — isn't out of the question. Keep an eye on slot receiver Trent Taylor, who is recovered from last season's foot injuries. However, in all likelihood, if Aiyuk doesn't emerge as a viable starter, nobody will until Samuel is healthy. |
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| More quick notes from around the NFL |
| Ben Roethlisberger has thrown the ball well so far, but long-time Steelers reporter Mark Kaboly noted his mechanics look a bit different, as the veteran seems to be short-arming longer throws. Preston Williams (knee) is on the field with no restrictions, and is already working with the punt team. He was arguably the team's No. 1 receiver before the injury, and is a viable late-round sleeper at wide receiver. Jalen Reagor is working with the first-team offense, lining up on the outside opposite DeSean Jackson. Reagor has every opportunity to be a contributor as a rookie and should be drafted in all leagues. The Ravens are reportedly set to work out Dez Bryant this week. Corey Davis was activated from the PUP list. He's a deep-league option as a sleeper. Denzel Mims is out with a hamstring injury, and it seems like he's a long shot to be a real contributor to start the season. He's falling down the list of late-round WR sleepers. Jaguars TE Josh Oliver broke his foot. Tyler Eifert is a Week 1 streaming option vs. the Colts. |
| The Fantasy Football Today Draft Guide is here, and I promise, you'll want to have it by your side on Draft Day. We've boiled down everything you need to draft in one place, with consensus expert rankings and auction values, tiers, a round-by-round walkthrough, and Draft Day strategies and rules from Jamey, Dave, Heath and Ben. It's the next best thing to having them next to you while you draft. Head here to sign up for it, because it's absolutely free — which seems like a good value to me. |
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