Fantasy Football 2024: Training Camp Roundup (7/26)

Training camps provide our first look into NFL players and teams as we prepare for the upcoming fantasy football season. Information will now begin to flood our social media timelines, leaving us to determine the subsequent fantasy impact. It’s a matter of knowing which information matters, and which should be ignored.

So each weekday in this space, we’ll take a trip through the top news and takeaways around the league’s training camps to offer up what fantasy managers need to know as we head through draft season and into the 2024 NFL regular season.

Today, let’s review the major news for Friday.

Training Camp Roundup (7/26)

J.K. Dobbins Believes 

Running back J.K. Dobbins, who has played in just 24 of a potential 73 potential games since being drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in 2020, joined the Chargers this offseason and still believes he can be an elite NFL rusher. Per FTN StatsHub, Dobbins averaged 6.0 yards per carry on 134 attempts as a rookie, and 5.7 YPC on 92 attempts in 2022. The problem has been the litany of injuries throughout his career. They include: 

• ACL tear in 2021
• ACL surgery in 2022
• Achilles tear in 2023 (Week 1)

Per Kris Rhim of ESPN, Dobbins feels “fresh out of college” and is optimistic a big season is on the horizon.

Javonte Williams RB1; Courtland Sutton Restructured

Reports of Javonte Williams’ demise seem to have been greatly exaggerated. Williams has started training camp as the clear lead running back for the Broncos and has drawn rave reviews each day. Williams talked about his offseason regiment, which included eliminating late-night snacks.

Denver also inked leading wide receiver Courtland Sutton to a new deal, clearing the way for a smooth training camp. 

Arthur Smith Loves Multiple Tight Ends

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth has already seen big changes under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Per Nick Farabaugh of Penn Live, Freiermuth ran a multitude of routes at Thursday’s practice, a much more diverse route tree than he ever experienced under Matt Canada.

It’s been a robust news cycle in Pittsburgh, where defensive end Cam Heyward is still hoping for a long-term deal, the rumors of trading for a wide receiver still linger, and Justin Fields made the most of a deep-ball opportunity in practice. 

Jahmyr Gibbs Versatile Weapon

Per FTN StatsHub, Detroit running back Jahmyr Gibbs was one of only three running backs to see 70 or more targets last year while playing fewer than 50% of his team’s offensive snaps. He also saw the sixth-most targets per game (4.7) but only the 17th-most receiving yards per game (21.1). It appears the Lions coaching staff plans to improve on that production.

In Detroit’s first week of training camp, Gibbs is already being featured in multiple ways in passing drills. Gibbs joined the receivers for position drills and ended practice working with leading wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown. Gibbs said he and St. Brown worked on releases to get him open in the short to intermediate area of the field. 

The Lions had one of the most consolidated target shares in the NFL last season with St. Brown (119 receptions), tight end Sam LaPorta (86 receptions) and Gibbs (52) accounted for 63% (257 of 408) of the team’s receptions. Increasing Gibbs’ presence in the passing game would be music to the ears of fantasy players. 

How Will Brock Bowers Be Used? Is There a QB1 in Las Vegas?

The Raiders shocked the NFL when they selected tight end Brock Bowers with the 13th overall pick in the draft. The rookie’s speed and footwork are already impressing on social media. 

In my interview with beat reporter Adam Hill, there was speculation that Bowers could be used as a rusher in goal line packages. It’s clear that despite a crowded positional battle with Michael Mayer, the Raiders have big plans for Bowers. 

The Las Vegas quarterback situation continued to be muddied, with both Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell failing to separate this week. 

Anthony Richardson: Run, Forrest, Run!

Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen made it clear that second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson will still be encouraged to run as much as possible. 

Ja’Marr Chase Not Practicing

The negative vibe around Ja’Marr Chase’s absence from practice continues to grow. Jay Morrison of Pro Football Network explained how Chase has now put head coach Zac Taylor in a tough spot.

Aaron Rodgers is Back

Aaron Rodgers showed no signs of injury or deteriorating skills with a strong first week at Jets practice. 

Curtis Samuel Shining at Bills Camp

Buffalo wide receiver Curtis Samuel has experience in a Joe Brady offense, having worked with the Bills OC during the 2020 season in Carolina. Samuel posted 77 catches for 851 yards, both career-best marks, along with 41 rushing attempts and five touchdowns during that campaign. That experience has certainly transferred over with the Bills already. 

Bryce Young to Diontae Johnson

Most fantasy drafters are down on the entire Carolina offense, after a disappointing 2023 season. But it’s clear that quarterback Bryce Young is already developing chemistry with new wideout Diontae Johnson. Along with rookie Xavier Leggette, the Panthers attack is already looking improved.