Don’t get me wrong – I really want to see Quentin Johnston figure it out and be a good wide receiver. But another part of me really wants to see what kind of damage D.J. Chark can do with Justin Herbert at QB… especially at his WR84 ADP.

What’s in store:

• Chase Brown making noise as Cincy’s RB1a. He’s reportedly handled a majority of the first team touches so far in camp.

• ANOTHER breakout fantasy star in Detroit? 🦁 After watching LaPorta and Gibbs burst onto the scene last year, could there possibly be room for Jameson Williams?

• Does Stroud deserve to be drafted over Richardson? Faraz makes the case against the star second-year QB at his price.

• Week 1 Training Camp fantasy football nuggets 📓 For those of us who have better things to do over the summer.

• Bengals RB Chase Brown seems to have the edge over veteran free agent acquisition Zack Moss for the No. 1 role in Cincy

  • The Bengals signed Moss to a two-year, $14M deal in free agency, but the current reports indicate that the more lucrative fantasy role could belong to the second-year back out of Illinois. Brown has reportedly led the way in first-team work over Moss by a substantial margin despite being drafted three rounds later than Moss in most drafts. While fantasy managers should be enticed by the prospect of additional work in the ground game, it’s always been about what Brown can bring to the table in the receiving game to put him on the fantasy map in 2024. Brown was one of the league’s most efficient pass-catching running backs on a per-route and per-catch basis, ranking top-5 among all RBs to run 30 or more routes in targets per route run, yards per route run, missed tackles forced per reception, and first downs per route run. With Joe Mixon – who quietly gobbled up 60+ targets in each of his final two seasons in Cincinnati – out of the picture, the runway is clear for Brown to establish a monopoly on RB targets from Joe Burrow in 2024. Zack Moss remains likely to play a significant role, as well, but with Brown’s price not reflecting his apparent status as the 1a in the Bengals backfield, fantasy managers can take advantage of that deflated price in drafts today. Speaking of which…

• Lions WR Jameson Williams reportedly shining in training camp this offseason, could have substantial role in 2024

  • On an offense that already features the likes of Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, and others, it’s worth noting that Williams has been pegged as the standout of that stalwart group early in training camp. Of course, there have been rumblings about a potential bounce back for the former first-round pick since the earliest days of the offseason, but now that rubber is meeting the road, it’s encouraging to hear that Williams is backing up the talk on the field heading into his third NFL season. He’ll have his target-earning work cut out for him with just 51 career targets to his name in 18 games played, but on an offense as dynamic as Detroit’s, he should have no trouble posting a boom game here and there as long as he stays healthy. Williams’ dynasty managers have been patiently waiting for him establish himself since he was selected 12th overall in 2022, and this is officially the closest they’ve come to seeing those dreams realized. The current WR48 on both Underdog and Sleeper, Williams offers enticing weekly upside at a relatively affordable price. However, whether or not he’s able to avoid being a volatile, headache-inducing player remains to be seen, especially given the amount of elite competition around him for touches.

• Saints HC Dennis Allen suggests that QB/TE hybrid Taysom Hill could have an expanded role in 2024

  • If you’re drafting Alvin Kamara or Chris Olave in your leagues this year, this report might make your skin crawl – and potentially even drum up PTSD of stolen touchdowns, goal line carries, and red zone targets. In somewhat comical fashion, Taysom Hill racked up career highs in total opportunities (121) and scrimmage yards (692) in his seventh professional season while adding six total touchdowns to his docket. The Swiss army knife has scored at least six touchdowns in four of his last five seasons, with the lone exception coming in 2021 when he missed five games. Despite being a gadget player, Hill has finished as a top-12 fantasy TE in each of the past two seasons thanks to a handful of boom games in 2022-23. An even further expanded role for Hill could pay legit dividends for his fantasy prospects in 2024, as a lack of consistency in opportunity has hamstrung his efforts to become a truly reliable option at the position. While it’s unlikely that Hill ever approaches a full time role in the Saints even after these reports (he played 50% or more of the team’s snaps in just three games last season), he remains one of the best value picks in best ball drafts thanks to a high scoring ceiling despite a very low floor. And since we love to hate on Derek Carr’s ability on the field, let’s do it some more: Maybe Dennis Allen wants to replace Carr with Hill 🤷‍♂️.

Check out our latest video over on YouTube: QB and TE Breakout Watch!

I think there are two obvious names at the top of the fantasy breakout radar - Anthony Richardson and CJ Stroud. These are the two guys everyone is calling for breaking out this year - Stroud had some of that his rookie year, was definitely on that trajectory, and now they’ve gone ahead and added Stefon Diggs to his arsenal. It’s official: the sky is now the limit for the Texans offense. I think he is 100% in line for a breakout (I think most people would agree with that), but the question I have is whether or not he should be drafted at his ADP?

According to Sleeper ADP, he’s going off the board as the QB5 – that’s ahead of Anthony Richardson in the 4th round. If you’re drafting CJ Stroud there, you’re drafting him because you believe he will give you a positional advantage over a typical QB1 - which means Stroud would need to average maybe around 22 fantasy points/game. After all, that’s typically what a Top-6 QB gives you. The biggest thing standing between him and those 22 points/game is that he’s not a rushing QB. To put things in perspective, just six non-mobile QBs have hit 22 fantasy points/game since 2000: Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Justin Herbert, and Matt Ryan (that one year).

That’s it - over the last 25 years.

Now don’t get it twisted – Stroud is definitely on a solid trajectory. He’s set up big time, and he’s going to have a great year - but we’re drafting him at his ceiling. The way you really get an advantage is if you draft a mobile QB early or another one late who hits, or a non-mobile QB you draft later with 30+ passing TD upside – like Stroud did last year, like Jordan Love did last year, like Brock Purdy did. The bottom line is that Stroud’s going off the board two picks after Lamar Jackson. That’s in the same range as Rachaad White, Cooper Kupp, Trey McBride, DeVonta Smith, James Cook, Joe Mixon, Mark Andrews, Dalton Kincaid. I just can’t do it.

I think Anthony Richardson is in line for a big year, as well – obviously. I much prefer him to Stroud because of the fact that he’s mobile - and he has legit overall QB1 upside - and he has the ability straight up break fantasy football this season and be the most valuable fantasy player overall.

1. According to his HC Mike McDaniel, De’Von Achane’s role has expanded and he has new ways to get the ball. There was already word from the beat that his receiving usage will get a real bump this year, and this report corroborates that.

2. Colts HC Shane Steichen and GM Chris Ballard are raving about WR Josh Downs, and the word is he and Anthony Richardson are building a serious connection in camp.

3. WR Ladd McConkey is the pass catcher who seems to be building the biggest rapport with Herbert. The second-round rookie is being heavily targeted so far in camp.

4. Kendre Miller has a hamstring injury, and HC Dennis Allen is not happy about it. “Hard to make the team when you’re in the training room all the time.”

5. It looks like Giants HC Brian Daboll is set on Devin Singletary being the Giants’ starter at RB. He says there is a competition for the backup spot, which suggests that Singletary has command of the No. 1 job.

6. TE Pat Freiermuth is looking like the clear No. 2 pass catcher in camp behind George Pickens, and he’s making the most of his opportunities.

7. 2nd-round rookie WR Ja’Lynn Polk is emerging and making plays running with the first team offense. His teammate, 4th-round rookie WR Javon Baker, is also making strides and plays but is not running with the first team just yet.

8. Giants rookie WR Malik Nabers is looking like an emerging superstar in camp. Daniel Jones is a bit of a limiting factor, but the offense is being built around Nabers – which is a good thing.

9. Jameson Williams is having his best camp, is consistently getting open, and has formed a strong connection with Jared Goff so far.

10. Dawson Knox is not going away. He’s still very involved with the first team offense as a dual-threat, despite Dalton Kincaid having a great camp himself.