Gross Bombs: NFL Props for Week 16
Josh Gross
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 day 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 as we start from Thursday into Friday.
Jahan Dotson Joins the Philadelphia Eagles
A rare in-division trade saw the Washington Commanders flip former first-round pick Jahan Dotson to the Philadelphia Eagles. As mentioned below, this kills any value Dotson had and opens up the door for rookie Luke McCaffrey to have a larger role in year one than expected. We could even see Dyami Brown take a step forward in his fourth year in the NFL.
Jermaine Burton Catches 4 Passes for 56 Yards in Preseason Game
Burton had 5 targets in the Bengals’ 27-14 loss to the Colts Thursday. It was Cincinnati’s final preseason game, so the Bengals didn’t play any of their starters on offense. Jay Morrison, who covers the Bengals for Pro Football Talk, joined me on FTN Fantasy at SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio this week to discuss Cincinnati’s new-look offense. He mentioned that Burton was probably the fifth or sixth wideout on the team, well behind Andrei Iosivas. I believe Iosivas will carve out a role as the third option in the passing game and Burton is more of a deep-league, dynasty stash. Jay also put some cold water on the Chase Brown rise as he gave a lot of love to Zack Moss. You can go back and listen to the episode here.
Deshaun Watson Practices in Full Thursday
Watson resumed throwing Thursday after being limited Wednesday. He took his normal full complement of reps with the first-team offense, which is a great sign for his outlook. The Browns’ QB has been limited to 12 games in his first two seasons with Cleveland. There’s a chance Watson gets a few snaps in Cleveland’s final preseason game on Saturday.
Curtis Samuel Has a Good Chance to Play in Week 1
According to HC Sean McDermott, there’s a chance Samuel (turf toe) could suit up when the Bills open up the season against Arizona. Samuel has fallen down draft boards, behind teammates Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir. McDermott also said there’s a chance Marquez Valdez-Scantling (neck) could be ready for Week 1 as well. MVS has very little to offer fantasy managers. Coleman and Shakir are the two Bills’ wideouts you should be after in drafts. Samuel had the best season of his career with Joe Brady in Carolina, but his ceiling is limited.
Bryce Young to Suit Up in Final Preseason Game
Young is set to make his 2024 preseason debut. New Panthers HC Dave Canales says he would like Young and the starters to get some good work in Saturday’s game. Carolina and Young struggled on offense last season, but there are reasons to be optimistic with the additions at wide receiver. Young is getting drafted as the 30th QB off the board, and that’s where he should be going.
Seahawks HC Mike Macdonald Optimistic Noah Fant Will Play Week 1
Fant has been sidelined for days with an unknown injury, but the Seahawks don’t seem to be that concerned with his injury. Fant isn’t worth your time in shallow leagues, but he’s an interesting target in 2 TE leagues with new OC Ryan Grubb in Seattle. The Seahawks figure to pass-happy in 2024, but Fant will be the fourth target at best for Geno Smith.
