Good Saturday to you and I hope you're headed into a fun weekend. Things are starting to roll and we've got the News and Notes you need so let's get to it.
Our Draft Dominator Classic is our tried and true downloadable and tweakable drafting software. It's update with all the latest projections here and ready for you.
Our Draft Dominator Classic is our tried and true downloadable and tweakable drafting software. It's update with all the latest projections here and ready for you. This one is for Mac users.
Make the Footballguys Projections work the way you want them to. Our Projections Dominator is our answer.
For the guys who love the Old School VBD Excel App, it's updated and ready for you with new projections.
Our Matt Williamson looks at some late-round players who could surprise. Could Joe Williams be a key to your season? Matt explains.
Fantasy Football boils down to finding the undervalued players in your draft while avoiding the overvalued guys. One of the most powerful features we do each summer is poll our Footballguys Staffers to get their opinion on Undervalued, Overvalued and Deep Sleeper players. We then tally up the results to see where we have consensus. It's one of the best things we do. We did this yesterday with WRs. In this one, we dive into TEs who are undervalued.
Footballguys staff members discuss tight ends who are overvalued.
Footballguys staff members discuss tight ends who we see as deep sleepers.
Our Jeff Tefertiller with strategies on how to attack your Superflex draft.
13. ATL - QB B.J. Daniels the No. 3 RB in Atlanta?
17. MIN - WR Jarius Wright's roster spot in danger?
Cincinnati Bengals CB Adam Jones was suspended one game by the NFL on Friday, July 21, for violating the personal conduct policy. He has the right to appeal the decision.
Same old, same old. Jones can't have many choices left to go at this point. Not only is he in trouble on a consistent basis, but he isn't as good as he once was.
Dallas Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott will not learn of any potential discipline from the league Friday, July 21, or over the weekend, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The best hope for the Cowboys is they hear something one way or the other before the start of camp so they can plan for the opening week or two. We don't expect a long suspension, if one at all. Given how mercurial the league is in levying penalties, your guess is as good as ours. If he misses just a game or two, you can survive it though and he remains a strong choice for your first pick if he is available.
Free-agent RB Ronnie Hillman (Vikings) worked out with the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, July 20.
Hillman has never returned to the level of play he showed during a nice 2015 in Denver. Even if Ezekiel Elliott is suspended for a game or two, Hillman will be stuck behind Alfred Morris.
Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton (shoulder) may not be 100 percent healthy going into camp, according to head coach Ron Rivera.
Expect them to be cautious with Newton because without him this offense is in real trouble. His ADP of 69 overall, 7th quarterback off the board is more about the shaky talent around him than it is him or his injury, and if healthy (and if the line is improved) we think he could outperform that. Right now, though, caution is a good thing.
Tennessee Titans QB Marcus Mariota (leg) has done 'everything' for the last two weeks and will arrive at training camp in a week planning to play at 215 pounds, roughly 10 pounds lighter than his usual weight.
We love the sound of this. Given he was on a tear last year before his injury, we have a lot of faith this will be a great season for him. Early drafts have him as the 13th quarterback off the board and we think that makes sense. Expect his ADP to rise as we see him in action in August.
Pittsburgh Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell hasn't committed to reporting to training camp on time, but he plans to play in every regular season game.
Playing in games is the bigger deal, but we're always cautious about a guy who skips a lot of camp. Sometimes, even though they try to keep themselves in shape, they can't stay in game shape. We think Bell ends up in camp for at least part of the time, and he is without a doubt one of the top - if not THE top - running back in fantasy.
Free-agent WR Anquan Boldin (Lions) is scheduled to meet with the Buffalo Bills on Monday, July 24.
An interesting signing if it happens, and it could hurt rookie Zay Jones' stock a bit. While Boldin's better days are behind him, he is a good enough possession receiver that we could see Tyrod Taylor leaning on him quote a bit. He would also be good insurance against yet another Sammy Watkins foot injury.
Free-agent RB Denard Robinson (Jaguars) worked out with the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, July 20.
Do the Cowboys know something we don't regarding Ezekiel Elliott's availability? Maybe. Maybe not. If nothing else, it makes for good watercooler talk.
Buffalo Bills second-round WR Zay Jones 'performed well in spring practices' and 'looked the part of a top three wideout,' according to BuffaloBills.com contributing correspondent Jake Hamilton.
As banged up as Sammy Watkins is, short term Zay Jones could have some value at some point this season. Long term, the Bills didn't pick up Watkins' extension which could mean a bigger role for Jones in 2018. Right now he's tracking as the 66th receiver off the board in early drafts. He has value, but clearly the market is cautious, as it should be.
Well, the Patriots sure weren't in a rush to get rid of him, so we believe it. Garoppolo was impressive as far back as the 2014 Senior Bowl, with a strong arm and a sharp football mind. The question was whether he could learn to do all the little things and adjust his game. From what we saw last season before he was injured, the answer is yes. He's not likely to have fantasy value this year barring an injury to Brady, but he should be on your dynasty rosters without a doubt.
Updating a previous report, free-agent WR Griff Whalen (Chargers) signed an undisclosed deal with the Baltimore Ravens on Friday, July 21.
Whalen is going to be buried on the depth chart. This is camp depth and nothing more.
New York Giants TE Will Tye could be made available via trade late this summer as long as the rest of the position group stays healthy, according to ESPN.com's Jordan Raanan.
We're not expecting teams to line up. Tye has had moments, but unless the Giants are willing to take very little - maybe a pack of gummy worms and part of a six pack of soda - expect him to be cut rather than traded.
Atlanta Falcons RB B.J. Daniels is a wild-card to surpass Terron Ward as the third running back behind Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman, according to ESPN.com's Vaughn McClure.
Ward didn't do much behind Freeman and Coleman, so barring injury we would imagine it should be the same for Daniels. Worth keeping an eye on, but he's unlikely to make much of a splash this year.
New Orleans Saints RB Travaris Cadet and RB Marcus Murphy are projected as roster cuts with RB Alvin Kamara's versatility.
Cadet is adept at catching the ball out of the backfield but hasn't shown much as a runner, while Murphy isn't even special in that arena. Both of these potential cuts make a lot of sense. Kamara has excellent burst and good hands, which will make him the easy choice to keep over the other two. The rookie is going in early drafts as the 53rd running back off the board, with an overall ADP of 161.
New Orleans Saints QB Garrett Grayson and QB Ryan Nassib will need a strong preseason in order to earn a place as the third quarterback on the team.
Grayson was the heir to Drew Brees apparent when Chase Daniels was out, so we're not sure if that is still the case now that Daniels is back in the fold. Nassib had moments with the New York Giants, but it all happened in practice. The survivor won't have fantasy relevance this season, but is worth watching for down the road.
Updating previous reports, Detroit Lions OT Greg Robinson appears locked in at left tackle.
Well, good luck with that. We're hoping a change of venue helps Robinson but he was not good at his job with the Rams. We're a bit concerned that he is now covering Matt Stafford's blind side.
Minnesota Vikings WR Jarius Wright is no lock to make the team, according to ESPN's Ben Goessling, following the offseason signing of WR Michael Floyd and the selection of rookie WRs Rodney Adams and Stacy Coley in the draft. Wright signed a four-year extension before the 2015 campaign and carries a cap number of $3.138 million for the upcoming season.
We've liked Wright but he's never really been more than an occasionally productive player in both the NFL and fantasy. As it stands, he's a nice but easily replaceable piece of the offense and even if he makes the team, remains a fantasy non-factor.
Green Bay Packers WR Jeff Janis could be in danger of not making the team, according to ESPN's Rob Demovsky, after the Packers invested draft picks on WRs Malachi Dupre and DeAngelo Yancey as well as the emergence of WR Geronimo Allison. Janis did little as a receiver last season but has been one of their top performers on special teams.
Every couple of years there emerges a Packers wide receiver fans and fantasy owners are drawn to like a moth to flame. And like that moth, inevitably it all ends in flame and tears. Janis is a guy who Packers fans raved about for several years but who never fulfilled that promise. We have no real expectation that changes this year IF he makes the team, and that won't happen if a hungrier special teams ace emerges. You can safely stop moving towards the flame now otherwise you will get burned.
Jacksonville Jaguars WR Amba Etta-Tawo could claim the final receiver spot on the roster with a big preseason, according to Ryan O'Halloran of The Florida-Times Union.
A very raw prospect, Etta-Two showed improvement over his last year at Syracuse (moving from Maryland as a Graduate Student)and intrigues with his ability to get over the top and as well as work underneath. He was inconsistent though, and just showed one year of production, so we are pretty sure his impact will be minimal at least this year.
Jacksonville Jaguars WR Rashad Greene's roster spot could be in jeopardy because of the five new receivers added this offseason, according to Ryan O'Halloran of The Florida Times-Union.
There's very little room for error in Jacksonville with Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, and Marqise Lee assured roster spots and both Dede Westbrook and Arrelious Benn likely to hang on as well. Greene hasn't done much in his two years with the Jaguars, so this wouldn't come as a surprise.
New York Jets TE Jordan Leggett needs to improve a lot as a blocker in order to become an every-down player in the offense, according to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com.
Leggett has very little ahead of him, though Austin Seferian-Davis remains an intriguing option. If Leggett can get the blocking down though, we think he could be a good producer in a year or two. Like many on the Jets offense this year, though, we would avoid him.
New York Jets S Jamal Adams has reached an agreement on his rookie deal that will pay him $22.3 million guaranteed over four years.
The gem of the Jets' draft, Adams is a huge piece of the puzzle to get the Jets defense back to where it was in 2015. He's going to have his work cut out for him because the secondary continues to have some big question marks and he will have to step up early.
Detroit Lions WR Jared Abbrederis is well ahead of the competition for one of the final receiver spots on the roster because of his route-running ability, according to Justin Rogers of The Detroit News.
Abbrederis flashed with the Packers but was really inconsistent. Unless he can find a way to change that - while Golden Tate and Marvin Jones falter - we don't expect much from him this season.
Detroit Lions WR T.J. Jones' superior route-running ability has him in position to claim one of the final receiver spots on the roster, according to Justin Rogers of The Detroit News.
Don't be fooled by Jones' high average last year as that 18.6 yards per catch came on just 5 passes for 93 yards over three games. He's even if he makes the roster we don't expect big things from him.
Los Angeles Rams WR Cooper Kupp was listed as a preseason starter on the unofficial list provided to the media Wednesday, July 19.
We'll see what happens with the official depth chart but frankly, why not? The more time he gets to build chemistry with Jared Goff, the better. Kupp has tremendous skill and a wide array of moves to gain separation from coverage but while we like him, our enthusiasm is dampened by the tendency of rookie receivers to struggle and the expected slow advancement of Goff's game.
That'll do it for today, Buddy. Have a great Saturday and thank you for sharing some of it with us. We'll see you tomorrow with the Update.