Detroit Lions

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs has been working in wide receiver drills early in training camp. The young back was banged up due to a soft-tissue issue but that appears to be behind him. At the moment, Gibbs is taking part in receiving drills but is focusing on his route running. He has been learning alongside All=Pro teammate Amon-Ra St. Brown which is never a bad idea. The former 12th overall pick could end up being a dual-threat option heading into next season. Fellow back David Montgomery figures to handle a larger workload in the backfield, so more looks as a receiver is good news for the fantasy value of Gibbs.

The Detroit Lions activated wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones (undisclosed) from the active/Non-Football Injury list on Wednesday. Acquired from Cleveland in 2023 for a 2025 sixth-round pick, Peoples-Jones primarily served as a depth receiver last season, recording five receptions for 58 yards across eight games. This year, he will maintain a similar role, positioned behind Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Kalif Raymond on the wide receiver depth chart. With Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, and Sam LaPorta also contributing, Peoples-Jones is unlikely to see significant involvement in the Lions' offense. Unless Detroit faces substantial injuries, he remains off the fantasy radar.

The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner writes that Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams looks like a completely different player from a year ago early in training camp. Williams looks stronger through the middle and more explosive with better body control in the air and near the sidelines. Head coach Dan Campbell already said earlier this offseason that the 23-year-old former first-rounder looks like "a man on a mission" in 2024. The former 12th overall pick was recovering from a torn ACL heading into his rookie season and missed time due to a suspension in 2023, so he's been a first-round bust to this point. Williams' big-play ability is undeniable, though, and he has a chance to solidify the WR2 role in Detroit this year behind Amon-Ra St. Brown, which would make him an interesting WR4/flex play in standard-scoring fantasy formats.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick (Achilles) has had an unfortunate run of injury luck. He suffered a torn ACL during the 2022 offseason before a devastating Achilles tear leading up to the 2023 campaign. However, the 30-year-old said he's feeling back to full strength this year. "I felt like myself," Patrick said after practice "I felt twitchy. I felt like I was running [full speed]. Honestly, I think I'm right there where I was three years ago, right now." Patrick was a decent fantasy football contributor in his last full season (2021), as he racked up 53 receptions for 734 yards and five touchdowns. He posted a WR42 finish in PPR leagues. The last time he was on the field for a regular season game, Teddy Bridgewater was his quarterback. A lot has changed since then, and it will be interesting to see if he has any ability left after two major injuries. All that said, Denver has one of the weakest wide receiver groups in the NFL, so he could make at least a small impact in 2024. He should be left on waivers in traditional fantasy leagues, but fantasy managers in ultra-deep leagues can get him in the late rounds of drafts, as he's being selected outside the top 130 wide receivers.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick (Achilles) was one of the standout performers at minicamp practice earlier this week and is recovered from last summer's torn Achilles, the second straight season he suffered a season-ending injury in training camp. "[He brings] those intangibles," head coach Sean Payton said of Patrick. Patrick is 30 years old and hasn't played in the NFL since 2021, so he won't be drafted in most single-year leagues. Also not going in his favor is the uncertainty at the quarterback position for the Broncos entering training camp. However, with Jerry Jeudy now in Cleveland, Patrick has an opportunity to step into the No. 2 role behind Courtland Sutton if he can stay healthy. In his last season in 2021, Patrick was serviceable in fantasy with a career-high 53 catches, 734 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 16 starts.