Do you feel it? The electricity in the air? That sizzle that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end?

No, it's not the Apocalypse. At least I don't think it is. Hope it's not. That would ruin everything.

Because with each passing hot summer day, the beginning of the NFL season draws closer. And the closer we get to Week 1, the closer we get to fantasy draft season—the best time of year in our little pastime.

Now, unless you're really antsy, your fantasy draft is a little ways off (although the Scott Fish Bowl will begin drafting before you know it). But just because you aren't drafting yet doesn't mean you shouldn't be working. This can be the time of year when leagues are won and lost, same as August or December. The managers who spend the summer doing homework on players are the ones who have successful drafts.

And a successful draft is a big step toward hoisting a trophy at season's end.

This column aims to help fantasy managers get their research on. To learn 32 facts about the fantasy campaign to come—one for each team.

So, let's get started in the desert—where a young receiver is receiving quite a bit of preseason hype.

A bit too much, in fact.

Fantasy Scoring Data courtesy of FF Today

Average Draft Position Data courtesy of Fantasy Pros.

Arizona Cardinals: WR Marvin Harrison Jr. Is Being Overdrafted

Listen, you won't find a bigger fan of rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. than this analyst. Harrison is wildly talented and one of the most NFL-ready wideouts to enter the league in some time. In dynasty leagues that start one quarterback per week, Harrison is a no-brainer pick as the first overall selection in rookie drafts.

Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray told reporters he expects the sky to be the limit for Harrison in 2024.

"I know there is evaluation fatigue when it comes to the draft process and they want to nitpick what he can do and what he can't do," quarterback Kyler Murray said. "But he's been good at football his whole life. He's been groomed by one of the best, his pops, Hall of Famer, and there's not much to think about. He plays the game at a high level. It's a new level for him, but I have no doubt he'll do his thing this year."

Harrison is all but certainly going to be a star. But in the early going at least, Harrihype has gotten out of hand. The former Ohio State standout is being drafted ninth among all wide receivers, ahead of the likes of Davante Adams of the Las Vegas Raiders, Chris Olave of the New Orleans Saints and Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He might outproduce all three in his second season, but in his rookie year, it's unlikely.

Atlanta Falcons: WR Darnell Mooney Has Some Sleeper Appeal in 2024

With the arrival of quarterback Kirk Cousins in Atlanta this offseason, fantasy enthusiasm about the Falcons passing game has been rekindled. Wide receiver Drake London is being drafted as a top-10 fantasy option. Kyle Pitts is coming off draft boards sixth among tight ends. But fellow newcomer Darnell Mooney is flying under the radar—the fifth-year veteran is barely being taken inside the top 70 at the position.

Falcons wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard told reporters that he's been impressed by what he's seen from Mooney in workouts.

"He's everything as has been advertised and more," Hilliard said. "We know, personally, how good he is. Whether the world knows that or not, we're looking forward to him reintroducing himself to everybody that's out there because that guy's extremely talented."

Mooney's last two seasons were relatively quiet—71 receptions for 907 yards and three scores on 122 targets over 27 games. But the Chicago Bears passing game was among the worst in the NFL over that span, and back in 2021 Mooney surpassed 80 receptions and 1,000 yards on the way to a WR23 finish in PPR points.

Expecting top-25 numbers from Mooney in his new home may be pushing it. But with London and Pitts drawing coverage away and running back Bijan Robinson keeping opposing safeties honest, Mooney has the potential to significantly out-perform his meager asking price.

Baltimore Ravens: Derrick Henry Is One of the Most Polarizing RB1s This Season

For most of the past eight seasons, Derrick Henry has been one of the most productive running backs in fantasy football. And after leaving the Tennessee Titans for the Baltimore Ravens in the offseason, some fantasy pundits like Dan Schneier of CBS Sports expect the veteran bulldozer to have another big year in 2024.

"Fun stat: Before 2023, Henry had been RB4 or better per game in all formats for four straight seasons," he said. "In four of the five seasons since Lamar Jackson took over as the Ravens starting quarterback, a Baltimore running back has finished inside the top 11 in total rushing yards. In 2023, Ravens running backs scored 13 rushing touchdowns combined. Derrick Henry has scored 12, 16, 17, 10, 13 and 12 rushing touchdowns in each of his last six seasons, respectively. He has played 15 or more games in every season except 2021 when he played 8 games and missed half the season with a foot injury. Henry is one of my favorite Round 2 targets due to his touchdown upside and the potential for positive game script on a contending Ravens roster."

However, Henry is also a 30-year-old with a lot of mileage on his tires—over 2,000 career carries. Henry has led the league in carries four times—including each of the past two years. Last season, Henry tied a career low with just 4.2 yards per carry.

Henry's potential upside in Baltimore's offense can't be denied. But neither can the risk involved with drafting an aging back who has taken quite a pounding over his career.

Buffalo Bills: Let Someone Else Make Josh Allen the First Quarterback Drafted

It's been quite an eventful offseason for the Buffalo Bills and quarterback Josh Allen. Wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis are gone, replaced by veteran Curtis Samuel and rookie Keon Coleman.

That's over 240 targets, 150 catches and 1,900 receiving yards vacated. But fantasy managers don't appear overly concerned—thanks largely to his rushing ability (which helped propel him to a QB1 fantasy finish in 2023), Josh Allen is the first quarterback being drafted on average this season, with an ADP in the middle of Round 2.

For Nick Caron of FF Today, the turnover in Buffalo creates substantial questions with Allen this season.

"Allen might be a unicorn at the position, but it's hard to argue that his forecast for the 2024 season is looking a bit murky," he wrote. "With both Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis leaving, Allen is now left with a group of highly inexperienced pass-catching weapons, most of whom lack the physical ability to be one-for-one replacements for either Diggs or Davis, let alone both. Sure, Allen has shown the ability to make do with inferior weapons when Diggs and Davis have been banged up, but what happens when defenses know that those players are gone and can instead allocate more resources to preventing him from scrambling, particularly in the red zone?"

Frankly, drafting any quarterback in the second round is unwise—it's fantasy's deepest position, and taking a signal-caller that early means digging a hole at running back or wide receiver.

Taking one who will be more reliant on rushing scores than ever and is a prime candidate for regression this season is that much worse an idea.

Carolina Panthers: The Panthers Backfield Has the Makings of a Muddied Mess

Last year, the Carolina Panthers ranked 20th in the NFL in rushing, averaging 104.1 yards per game. Chuba Hubbard paced the team with 902 yards on the ground but averaged just 3.8 yards per carry. Miles Sanders was a disaster after inking a four-year free-agent deal, managing just 432 yards on the ground and averaging just 3.3 yards per tote.

The Panthers tried to add some pop to the backfield in the offseason, using a Day 2 pick on Texas back Jonathon Brooks. While speaking to reporters, head coach Dave Canales talked up the explosiveness that Brooks brings to Charlotte.

"[Brooks is] a bigger back. He's got range," Canales said. "There is so much that he brings from a versatility standpoint. Then just vision, patience, contact balance, acceleration; like he's got it all. Best back in this class."

However, Brooks is also rehabbing an ACL tear that ended his 2023 campaign, and Canales said that all of Carolina's backs will see work this season.

"All of these guys are going to play,'' Canales said. "Every team I've been on, we used all of our running backs at different points because it's such a violent position. It's going to be a non-negotiable for us.''

The Panthers will likely be an improved team in 2024, if only because there's nowhere to go but up. But this team isn't likely to be swimming in positive game scripts this year. With a rookie rehabbing from major injury and two uninspiring veterans, the Carolina backfield has the makings of a true committee.

A truly uninspiring committee.

Chicago Bears: WR Keenan Allen is Undervalued

The Chicago Bears completely overhauled their offense in 2024. There's a new quarterback in rookie Caleb Williams. A new running back in D'Andre Swift. Two new wide receivers in veteran Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Odunze.

It's a whole new ballgame in the Windy City.

While addressing the media, Bears general manager Ryan Poles lauded what an accomplished vet like the 32-year-old Allen will be able to do to help Williams develop.

"I thought it was an absolute perfect fit," Poles said. "I don't think there's a better receiver in the league that can be better for a young quarterback in terms of understanding the NFL, timing, space, reading defenses."

Allen has been consistently productive for fantasy managers—last year's 108 catches for 1,245 yards marked the fourth time in five years that the six-time Pro-Bowler logged 100 receptions. Allen's WR8 finish in PPR points in 2023 was his fourth top-12 fantasy finish since 2019.

However, fantasy drafters appear to be somewhat skeptical that Allen can approach that production in 2024. Maybe it's his age. Or playing with a rookie quarterback. Or the presence of Odunze and DJ Moore. But Allen is coming off the board as a high-end WR3—almost two full rounds behind Moore.

Poles was spot on about Allen serving as a safety net for Williams—when a scramble drill starts, Allen is a master of finding an open spot and bailing his quarterback out.

Allen is a steal at his current ADP (52nd in PPR leagues)—and there's a very real chance he leads all Bears wideouts in PPR points this season.

Cincinnati Bengals: Zack Moss Is a Potential Bargain at RB

There's a big change in the backfield in the Queen City this offseason—after seven seasons in Cincinnati (and four 1,000-yard seasons), veteran running back Joe Mixon was dealt to the Houston Texans.

The team replaced Mixon with fifth-year pro Zack Moss, who logged just under 1,000 total yards on 210 touches a year ago in Indianapolis. Per Laurel Pfahler of the Dayton Daily News, Moss understands that he has big shoes to fill.

"I've never been in a position where you come in after a guy who's had so much success and means so much to the fanbase," Moss said. "I mean, I remember watching Joe, just throughout the league, college and stuff like that. So, you know, definitely, I think it is big shoes to fill in that sense of things. But like I said, my job is not to worry about the past and things like that, it's to go out there and do my job at a high level, and whatever my job looks like, that's what I'm trying to do and be as consistent as I can be at that."

Youngster Chase Brown will figure into the mix as well, but Moss showed last year with the Colts that he can be a lead back—he averaged a respectable 4.3 yards per carry and topped 100 total yards in three of eight starts.

In early drafts, Moss is being drafted outside the top 25 players at his position—a spot that is much closer to his fantasy floor than his ceiling.

Cleveland Browns: RB Nick Chubb Could Be a League-Winning Steal This Year

As things stand right now, Nick Chubb's average draft position is RB43. He's being drafted toward the end of Round 12. It's a staggering fall for a player who didn't make it out of the first round last season.

Of course, Chubb's 2023 season didn't even make it to October before he suffered a serious knee injury that required multiple surgeries. Reports regarding Chubb's rehab have generally been positive, but head coach Kevin Stefanski acknowledged to reporters that the team isn't sure when Chubb will be ready to return to the field.

"I just know Nick is working like crazy," Stefanski said. "He's working like crazy, and I get to witness it. I know everybody wants to know 'when' and all that, but he's a huge part of what we do."

The uncertainty surrounding Chubb cannot be denied. This is the second time he has torn the ACL in that knee. Chubb will turn 29 during the 2024 season—an age when many running backs begin to decline. And the Browns apparently have concerns about his early-season availability—the team signed veteran journeyman D'Onta Foreman as depth behind Jerome Ford in free agency.

But two years ago, Chubb rushed for a career-best 1,525 yards and 12 scores on the way to an RB6 finish in PPR leagues. He has surpassed 1,000 yards on the ground four times in six seasons and has averaged a robust 5.3 yards per carry for his career.

At his current asking price, if Chubb plays even half the season and comes anywhere close to his pre-injury form, he'll win folks leagues.

If he doesn't? No one's draft was ever ruined by a bad pick in Round 12.

Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott Looks Like One of Fantasy's Top Values at QB This Year

Last season, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was third in the NFL in passing yards with 4,516. His 36 touchdown passes paced the NFL. Only Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills and Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles had more fantasy points at the position.

Prescott's 590 pass attempts last season were fourth in the league as well, and as Adam Pfeifer of FTN wrote, there's little reason to think he won't be among the league leaders in that regard again in 2024.

"With the Cowboys struggling to establish much of a run game last year, they heavily relied on Prescott's arm," he said. "Dallas ranked fourth in early-down pass rate (59.3%) and seventh in neutral-script pass rate (60.4%). Entering the 2024 season, Dallas has Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle leading its rushing attack, which tells me they will once again be dropping back to pass quite often. We could also see them throw the ball a lot when in close, despite Elliott being better at converting short-yardage carries than Tony Pollard was a season ago. In 2023, Prescott comfortably led the NFL in end-zone pass attempts with 67. The ball is going to be in his hands a lot, as it should."

Prescott's current ADP among quarterbacks is ninth—he's being drafted after Anthony Richardson of the Indianapolis Colts and Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers. At that price point, the risk involved with drafting Prescott is minimal—he's the poster guy for exercising a measure of patience when drafting a starting quarterback.

Denver Broncos: RB Javonte Williams Is a Bust Waiting to Happen

Javonte Williams was a major disappointment last year—in his third season, Williams averaged a career-low 3.6 yards per carry and finished 29th in PPR points at the position. As Josh Shepardson wrote at Fantasy Pros, the advanced stats weren't any kinder to the 24-year-old.

"According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), among 50 running backs with at least 100 rush attempts last season (including the postseason), Williams was 46th in PFF's run grade (64.9), 42nd in yards per attempt (3.6), 36th in yards after contact per attempt (2.71 YCO/A) and 40th in PFF's elusiveness rating (40.0)," he said. "The poor rankings didn't stop there. Per Sumer Sports, Williams was tied for 38th in Expected Points Added (EPA) per rush (-0.17 EPA/Rush), 42nd in tackles-for-loss rate (11.4 TFL%), 31st in explosive run rate (6.4%) and 40th in first down rate (18.7%) among 49 running backs with at least 100 rush attempts in the regular season. Williams's receiving work was mixed. According to Fantasy Life, Williams was tied for 41st in route rate (28%), tied for 50th in long-down-and-distance rate (9%) and 51st in two-minute rate (3%) among 51 running backs with at least 300 snaps last season. Williams's limited receiving role undercut his 32% targets per route run rate."

There has been speculation that Jaleel McLaughlin could be on the verge of supplanting Williams as Denver's lead back, and if that occurs, Williams could also lose early-down work to rookie Audric Estime.

Add in that Denver's offense isn't exactly going to be the "Greatest Show on Turf" in 2024, and drafting Williams as a low-end RB2 isn't drafting at ceiling.

It's wishful thinking.

Detroit Lions: Jameson Williams Has Real Breakout Potential This Year

The first two professional seasons for Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams have been underwhelming. An ACL tear at the end of Williams' time at Alabama limited him to just one reception as a rookie. Last year, a gambling suspension wiped out a large chunk of the campaign.

However, Lions wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El said Williams showed up to workouts this season with the look of a man on a mission.

"Yeah, I mean just about everything that we talked about for him improving and helping our offense, he's hit," Randle El told reporters. "One of the biggest things was just his strength in terms of route running and not getting pushed off the spot. You see that show up more and more, which will benefit us as an offense. You see him kind of taking it to another level, and it helps him even getting out of his routes, the strength he's built in his legs. You can see a difference. Just where he was at the end of the year to where he is now, how he's gotten there, he's really worked on it."

There's no denying that Amon-Ra St. Brown is the top dog in the Detroit passing game. Or that tight end Sam LaPorta was a revelation as a rookie. But Williams was a first-round pick in 2022 for a reason, and the Lions have a chance to field one of the league's most explosive offenses in 2024.

With an ADP barely inside the top 50 at his position, Williams is an excellent late-round upside target.

Green Bay Packers: WR Christian Watson Is a Big-Time Bounce-Back Bet

When Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson has been able to stay on the field, his potential has been obvious—he has averaged 15 yards per reception and posted multiple big games. But staying on the field has been an issue—Watson has missed 11 games over two seasons, mainly due to hamstring injuries.

However, after offseason medical testing at the University of Wisconsin, Watson believes he has found the key to staying healthy—and posting the best season of his career.

"For me, it really was the asymmetry between the legs," Watson told reporters. "It comes from a lot of things. Obviously, the issues I've had in the past with hamstrings, not fully recovering from those strength-wise. I've been attacking the strength side of it, trying to get that symmetry back, and it's been huge for me. I feel really, really good. I gotta continue grinding at it."

Now, being healthy in June isn't the same as being healthy in September, and while Watson was sidelined last year, young receivers like Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs stepped into significant roles on the Packers offense.

But Watson still led the Pack in yards per reception last season, and he was second on the team in touchdown catches despite missing nearly half the season. It's simple, really—if you believe that Watson's injury issues are behind him, he's a value at his current ADP of WR42.

Houston Texans: WR Stefon Diggs Has WR1 Upside with a WR2 Price Tag

It's been a long time since Stefon Diggs wasn't the first wide receiver drafted on his team on average.

That's where we are in 2024—while Diggs is coming off draft boards 18th among wide receivers, Texans teammate Nico Collins is being selected four slots (and about a round) earlier.

On some level, that's understandable. Diggs faded badly down the stretch with the Buffalo Bills last year, while Collins posted 80 catches for almost 1,300 yards and eight scores—numbers that landed the third-year pro 12th among wide receivers in PPR points and won more than a few fantasy managers leagues.

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud told reporters that he's been impressed by what he's seen from Diggs in their short time together so far.

"Diggs is fitting in great. He's come in with his head down and just working," Stroud said. "He's helping me out a lot. He's come in and been a leader, which I'm proud of him for. He's been unselfish and wanted to see other guys eat. That was his main thing: He wanted to be around dogs. He stepped into that role where there's a dog everywhere."

After reworking his deal, Diggs has any number of reasons to both be a model teammate and have a rebound season—the 30-year-old will be a free agent after the season. Diggs has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in each of the past six seasons. In five of those years, he hauled in 100-plus passes—including a year ago, when he finished inside the top 10 for the year despite that late fade.

Even in a crowded Texans passing attack, Diggs is a better bet to match his asking price than Collins this season.

Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Richardson Is the Ultimate Wild-Card Pick at Quarterback

Fantasy managers were salivating over Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson before the youngster ever took the field—uber-athletic signal-callers with a cannon for an arm tend to do that to this crowd. And to be sure, there were flashes of elite fantasy upside when Richardson was on the field as a rookie.

The issue was the whole "on the field" thing—Richardson played in just four games and finished just two. However, some fantasy pundits are very much on the Richardson train. In fact, Dalton Del Don of Yahoo Sports has Richardson as his No. 1 fantasy quarterback—overall.

"Richardson is in the fantasy sweet spot of his career, as there's no way he runs this frequently once he eventually develops into a better passer/processor down the road," Del Don said. "In other words, while Richardson is sure to become a better QB for the Colts in the future, this is what a fantasy apex might look like (48% of his fantasy production came from running as a rookie!)."

There's no getting around what Richardson is capable of—in his two full games last year, he threw for at least 200 yards, logged 10 carries and found the end zone both on the air and on the ground. He has also bulked up to 255 points in an effort to better absorb punishment running.

However, Richardson is also being drafted as a top-six quarterback and often late in the fourth round—not an insignificant asking price. If Richardson can stay out there, he has a shot to be that No. 1 quarterback overall.

But managers who draft him would be well-served to invest in a higher-end fantasy backup under center.

Jacksonville Jaguars: TE Evan Engram Is Significantly Undervalued

Last season, no tight end in the NFL saw more targets or caught more passes than Evan Engram of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Engram was third at the position in receiving yards and led all AFC tight ends in PPR fantasy points.

Despite those gaudy numbers, Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor told reporters he thinks Engram still has room to grow entering his eighth professional season.

"He'll do anything we ask," Taylor said. "As we go and look at our offense, attacking all parts of the field, whether it be vertically or horizontally, he's certainly the guy that can give us that. Evan is such a dynamic ball carrier. A lot of it is get him the ball as quick as you can running away from people."

Fantasy drafters appear to be leaning the opposite direction—that Engram's 2023 explosion was an outlier. The question is why?

Yes, the Jaguars added a pair of wide receivers in the offseason in veteran Gabe Davis and rookie Brian Thomas Jr. But Jacksonville also lost Calvin Ridley. Even if you believe that the Jags wideout room is better, it isn't markedly so.

No player for the Jaguars had more targets last year than Engram. His 114 catches were almost 40 more than that of Ridley, who was second on the team in receptions. Trevor Lawrence isn't going to suddenly start ignoring a player he threw at over 140 times in 2023.

With an early ADP of TE7, Engram is a fine middle-round target for fantasy managers who want top-five fantasy upside without having to pay retail for it.

Kansas City Chiefs: Marquise Brown Is the Chiefs WR to Roster This Summer

That the Kansas City Chiefs won a second straight Super Bowl last year with a wideout room that was, um, less than imposing is a testament to the greatness of Patrick Mahomes. But as the Chiefs began their quest to become the first NFL team to ever three-peat, it was clear the franchise wasn't happy with the group.

Now, Kansas City's receiver room contains a pair of new faces in veteran Marquise Brown and rookie first-rounder Xavier Worthy.

Brown topped 1,000 receiving yards in 2021 with the Ravens, but his two-year stint with the Arizona Cardinals was disappointing. With that said, Mahomes told reporters that the Brown he's seen on the practice field has been anything but.

"He's done a great job," Mahomes said. "It's hard to learn this offense, and I feel like he's done a great job picking it up very fast. And then, obviously, you see the ability. Honestly, I don't know how he's here in our place because of how talented he is. I can just see that it's going to be a great season for him and just take pressure off other guys. I think it's going to help get Trav (Travis Kelce) open, help get Rashee (Rice) open, it's going to help get all these guys open because you're going to have that speed threat that can run routes and do all those different things. I'm very excited to get him out there in the regular season."

Worthy is a talented young prospect, but his next NFL catch will be his first. Rice had a rock-solid rookie year, but he's staring at a personal conduct suspension after multiple off-field incidents.

Brown has the talent. Now he's playing with the best quarterback of his career.

Brown's sixth season will be his best.

Las Vegas Raiders: Avoid the Vegas Backfield—Period

The Las Vegas Raiders enter the 2024 season with a revamped backfield. With Josh Jacobs now in Green Bay, third-year pro Zamir White enters training camp as the presumptive starter, with veteran Alexander Mattison serving as his backup.

While addressing the media, Raiders offensive coordinator Luke Getsy said he likes the makeup of the position group—while admitting that until the pads come on, running backs can be hard to judge.

"This isn't the time of the year for backs, right?" Getsy said. "Backs got to put the pads on, and then that's really when you find out. And yeah, it's fun to see them and they're fast, and they look the part, and they're getting better out there at all their assignments. But we know that those types of players, when they get the pads on a training camp, that's when you really start to find out how much you really like that group."

The issue is that the more times passes, the less fantasy managers are apt to like the Las Vegas backfield.

Yes, White has shown a flash or two, including a 145-yard effort in a late-season upset of the Chiefs last year. But White has logged all of 121 career carries, while Mattison was unimpressive in his lone season as Minnesota's lead back in 2023.

The Raiders aren't a Super Bowl contender by any stretch—Vegas is closer to a last-place team than a first-place one. The team's questions at quarterback make the entire offense hard to trust.

Once you get outside the top 20 running backs or so, the questions add up quickly. But there are too many with White to draft him ahead of the likes of Zack Moss and Raheem Mostert of the Miami Dolphins.

Los Angeles Chargers: Gus Edwards Is a Zero RB Drafter's Dream

There are a lot of changes in Los Angeles this year. There's a new coaching staff helmed by Jim Harbaugh. The wide receiver corps has been overhauled. And after the departure of Austin Ekeler, a new lead back in free agent-addition Gus Edwards.

As his ADP of RB36 indicates, the fantasy community is not exactly overwhelmed with enthusiasm at the idea of Edwards leading the Chargers ground game. That lack of excitement has only been reinforced by Edwards missing time in OTAs. But Edwards is expected to be ready for training camp, and new Chargers GM Joe Hortiz told reporters the Chargers view Edwards as a player who will touch the ball a lot.

"I think specifically with Gus, I've seen him deal with the adversity of the [ACL] injury two years ago and come back from it," he said. "Grind, be physical, continue to play the same brand of football he's always played. Really excited to have him. He's the bell cow, the goal line [guy], the finisher. The right mentality for what we're looking to do here. I told you we wanted to be bigger, play a physical style of football on both sides of the ball and he helps us do that."

Edwards has never rushed for 1,000 yards in a season. But he scored 13 times on the ground last year on the way to an RB26 finish in PPR points with the Ravens. Edwards has averaged 4.9 yards per carry for his career. With little behind him on the depth chart, so long as he's healthy Edwards should smash his career high in touches.

And if that's the case, even a bad Chargers team won't be enough to keep Edwards from being a fantasy value in 2024.

Los Angeles Rams: RB Kyren Williams Is a Disappointment Waiting to Happen

There may not have been a bigger surprise in fantasy football last year than Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams. Williams went from late-round flier or waiver pickup to fantasy league-winner after exploding for over 1,300 yards from scrimmage and 15 touchdowns in 12 games. He ended the season second among all running backs in PPR points per game.

This year, there's no surprise with Williams—he's being drafted as a fantasy RB1 with the expectation that he will once again be a top-10 fantasy option.

There are a couple of reasons that may not happen. The first is genuine durability concerns after he missed five games last year. But the bigger concern might be the guy behind Williams on the depth chart.

The Rams used a third-round pick on Michigan star Blake Corum, who has already been making quite an impression on the practice field.

"I've been pleased with a lot of guys, but Blake Corum has really stood out," head coach Sean McVay told reporters. "Mature beyond his years. I love the way that he handles himself. I love even more how when there's been a couple of things that didn't go the way we wanted, how he responded the next play. The mental toughness that you see in him."

There isn't a more fickle head coach in the league where running backs are concerned than McVay, whose tenure has featured a revolving door at the position. Pundits are already questioning when Corum could usurp Williams as the Rams' lead back.

Miami Dolphins: RB Raheem Mostert's Demise Has Been Greatly Exaggerated

Much like Kyren Williams, Raheem Mostert was one of last season's bigger surprises at running back. The 32-year-old topped 1,000 yards on the ground for the first time, led the NFL with 18 rushing scores and finished third among all running backs in PPR points per game.

Per Jamey Eisenberg of CBS Sports, of the 657 running backs to gain 1,000 yards on the ground since 1970, just 50 were 30 or older. That stat, coupled with the presence of second-year pro De'Von Achane on Miami's roster, has many fantasy managers "out" on Mostert—he's being drafted as a mid-range RB3, while Achane is a top-10 back.

Derek Brown of Fantasy Pros sees serious value in that ADP.

"Mostert thrived as the Dolphins' primary back, playing 15 games and finishing with 234 touches and almost 1,200 total yards," Brown said. "Yes, Mostert played in an explosive offense with plenty of touchdown opportunities propping up his fantasy value, but he was also stellar on a per-touch basis. Mostert finished 17th in yards per touch, sixth in explosive run rate, and 11th in missed tackles forced per attempt (per Fantasy Points Data). We'll see if he can hold off De'Von Achane for another season as Miami's workhorse, but he should still be a consistent contributor with RB1/2 upside."

Yes, the Dolphins added yet another back on Day 3 of the 2024 draft in Jaylen Wright. But there has been nothing to indicate that Miami plans to curtail the role of a player who had a huge role in the team's success last year.

Minnesota Vikings: WR Jordan Addison Is Where the Value Is in the Twin Cities

There is zero question that Justin Jefferson is one of the best wide receivers in both the NFL and fantasy football—the Vikes aren't giving him a staggering $35 million per season because he's fun to be around. There's also no question that Jefferson carries an elite price tag in fantasy drafts—the 25-year-old isn't making it out of the first round on draft day.

But youngster Jordan Addison had himself quite the rookie season as well—70 receptions, 911 yards, 10 touchdowns and a WR23 fantasy finish in PPR points. As Albert Breer wrote for Sports Illustrated, while Jefferson was away from most of OTAs angling for that megadeal, Addison was impressing the Vikings staff.

"With Jefferson away for most of the offseason program," Breer said, "Addison's progress really showed up—he came back physically stronger in April while maintaining the burst and body control that made him a first-round pick in 2023. And without Jefferson around, it was easy to visualize how Addison has the ability to be a real No. 1 down the line, and create a pick-your-poison problem for teams trying to defend the former USC standout, Jefferson and tight end T.J. Hockenson all at once."

There are legitimate questions in Minnesota. Either Sam Darnold or rookie J.J. McCarthy will be the team's Week 1 quarterback. Hockenson's early-season availability is very much in question after a late-season knee injury in 2023.

But those questions are baked into Addison's ADP of WR42, leaving him as another young pass-catcher with considerable potential who can be had in the middle rounds of drafts.

New England Patriots: Just Stay Away—Really

It's generally not a good idea to make blanket fantasy statements about NFL teams. Even the worst NFL teams usually have a fantasy-relevant player or two, even if he racks up much of his production in "garbage time."

But man, it's hard to find something to like for fantasy managers in Beantown this summer.

The Patriots were a complete disaster offensively last year, ranking 30th in yards per game and dead last in scoring. Chad Graff of The Athletic expects Alex Van Pelt's new offense to look very similar to the run-heavy scheme he ran in Cleveland—for better or worse.

"In the four years Van Pelt was the Browns' offensive coordinator, his unit ranked 29th in the NFL in early-down passing percentage, passing it just 51 percent of the time on first and second downs," he wrote. "Instead, the offense leans on a zone rushing attack where the offensive line moves as one unit and the running back finds a natural cut-back spot when linebackers overpursue. The way Stefanski and Van Pelt have taught it, the running game has been very successful. The Browns ranked second in the league in rushes over 10 yards in the four years Van Pelt was with the team."

That would be great for Rhamondre Stevenson—were it not for a shaky O-line and a 2023 season in which he missed five games and averaged a career-low 4.0 yards per carry.

And that's the story with the Pats. The quarterback will either be a journeyman backup or an untested rookie. The Patriots added a pair of receivers in this year's draft, but the wideout room remains one of the weakest in the league.

This team is going to struggle to move the ball—and score fantasy points.

New Orleans Saints: Chris Olave Is an Excellent Young WR Who Is Being Overdrafted

In his two professional seasons, Chris Olave of the New Orleans Saints has excelled. He topped 1,000 receiving yards both years, including a career-high 87 catches for 1,123 yards and five touchdowns in 2023.

This year, Olave will be playing for a new offensive coordinator in Klint Kubiak. Olave told NFL Network that he's loving the new offense—and expects it to translate into more offensive success this season.

"(Kubiak) brings a real dynamic offense, a lot of different plays, a lot of different schemes, a lot of different styles to the Saints," Olave said. "So, I'm excited to be able to play in that West Coast offense. He brings a different thing to us, and I'm excited to be able to work with him. It's been (going) really well in OTAs, and we're getting to work and we're starting off real good. Picking up the plays and doing all that, we're doing that stuff right now, so when it comes to the season, we're all ready."

However, while Olave's 2023 numbers look solid at first glance, in today's pass-wacky NFL, they were good for a WR17 finish in PPR points. Olave has yet to record a top-15 fantasy campaign. But his current ADP is WR11—inside WR1 territory.

The Saints' wide receivers aren't any better this year than last—Olave will be the focus of opposing defenses' coverages. We've seen a season of Olave and Derek Carr together—and it looked quite a bit like Olave's rookie season.

On this team, Olave is what he is—a solid WR2. Drafting him as more than that is seeing things that just aren't there.

New York Giants: Don't Sleep on Devin Singletary as a Zero RB Draft Target

Much like the aforementioned New England Patriots, the New York Giants do not inspire a ton of enthusiasm among fantasy drafters. The G-Men were 29th in total offense and 30th in scoring offense.

However, there are some glimmers of hope. A healthy Daniel Jones under center. An actual real-life No. 1 wide receiver in rookie Malik Nabers. The change from Saquon Barkley to Devin Singletary at running back.

OK, maybe not that last one so much. But here's the thing—Singletary isn't bad. The sixth-year veteran has surpassed 1,000 total yards in each of the last three seasons. Singletary has averaged 4.6 yards per carry over his five seasons in Buffalo and Houston. And Singletary told Steve Serby of the New York Post that he isn't shrinking away from the challenge of replacing a back who was drafted second overall.

"I've been in the league just like him," Singletary said. "He's only been in the league a year before me. I feel like I'm a playmaker like him, so I'm just gonna be me. It's been going well for me since I've been in the league, so that's what I'm gonna keep doing."

Is Singletary the same caliber of talent as Barkley? No. But he has shown he can be relatively productive, posting a pair of top-25 fantasy finishes over the past three years. He's caught 30 passes in four straight seasons. And there isn't much depth behind him.

If you're the type of fantasy manager who likes to fade running backs in the early rounds, Singletary should be on your later-round target list.

New York Jets: Aaron Rodgers Hype Is Making Jets Players Pricey Investments

If hype is hard to come by with the Giants in 2024, their Met Life Stadium roommates are having no such trouble. There has been talk of the Jets as a Super Bowl team. And while the hoopla goes beyond one player, there's one guy driving it.

Aaron Rodgers.

Of course, Rodgers will only be as good as the weapons around him, and he has several—including a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver in Garrett Wilson, who drew raves from backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor during OTAs.

"He has a veteran mindset. When I say that, just how he works, you don't really see a lot of younger guys that way. Super talented and he wants to get it right," Taylor told reporters. "Obviously, a key part of our offense, but I think his attitude and his approach, day-to-day, also lifts up that room and brings high expectations across the board."

Expectations aren't just high for Wilson, though. Not only does the third-year wideout have an ADP of WR8 (inside the first round of many drafts), but young running back Breece Hall is the third running back off the board on average.

That's two Jets players in the top 12 picks—and New York isn't exactly a team that has been an offensive powerhouse in recent years.

Now, maybe Rodgers will stay healthy. Maybe said healthy Rodgers will take full advantage of Wilson and newcomer Mike Williams. Maybe Hall will also stay healthy and thrive against defenses unable to stack the box.

But that's a lot of high-priced "maybes." And we saw four plays into the 2023 season how quickly things can come off the rails.

Philadelphia Eagles: Fantasy Beef Galore—at Retail Prices

Last year's late-season collapse aside, the Philadelphia Eagles are as loaded with fantasy-relevant talent as any team in the league. Quarterback Jalen Hurts had more fantasy points in 2023 than any quarterback in the NFC. Wide receivers A.J. Brown (WR5) and DeVonta Smith (WR16) both finished inside the top 20 at their position.

Running back D'Andre Swift was solid in his own right, finishing 19th in PPR points among running backs. But the Eagles went one step further in the backfield this offseason, luring Saquon Barkley away from the rival Giants. Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports expects Barkley to star in his new home.

"Last year, D'Andre Swift averaged 4.6 yards per (carry) and all of the Eagles reserve runners were over 4.2 yards per," Trapasso said. "And, vitally, Barkley isn't technically "old" by NFL running back standards in that he still hasn't hit the dreaded age-28 season yet. Philadelphia is going to want to run it with Barkley and Jalen Hurts. Often. I expect well over 1,000 yards for Saquon at well north of 4.0 yards per tote in 2024."

The problem (if you want to call it that) is that just about everyone expects Barkley to have a big year in 2024, And Brown. And Smith. And most assuredly Hurts. All four players are off the board by the middle of Round 3 on average.

Now, it's entirely possible that most (if not all) of the Eagles' offensive stars will live up to their lofty price tags. That Philly will again be an offensive buzzsaw.

But the higher the pick, the higher the damage to a fantasy squad if something goes wrong. Make no mistake, the Eagles are going to make (or break) a lot of fantasy squads in 2024.

Pittsburgh Steelers: A Russell Wilson-Led Offense Won't Be a Fantasy Gold Mine

Or Black and Gold mine—as the case may be.

In the Steel City this summer, all eyes are on the quarterback battle between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. There's a long way to go between now and Week 1, but per Mark Kaboly of The Athletic, this battle may already be all but over—and Wilson has won.

"Wilson did nothing through 12 practices to even slightly indicate he could lose the quarterback competition to Justin Fields," Kaboly said. "The work ethic, the experience, the arm talent and the fact he basically took all of the first-team snaps strongly suggest that nothing Wilson can do between July 24 and Sept. 8 would prevent him from starting."

On some level, it's understandable. Wilson is far more experienced. More polished as a passer. He's also likely going to make fewer mistakes than Fields. For a Steelers team with a competitive roster, Wilson's floor is likely highly appealing.

It's the lack of a ceiling that will be problematic for fantasy managers.

In two seasons at the helm in Denver, Wilson's offenses ranked 24th and 19th in yards per game and 19th and dead last in points per game. Some of that can be blamed on the Nathaniel Hackett disaster, but there's a reason the Broncos ate the largest dead cap hit in NFL history just to be rid of Wilson.

Last year's Broncos featured one player who ranked inside the top 20 in fantasy points at his position—Wilson, who was QB14. Those Broncos had a similar amount of skill-position talent and arguably a better offensive line than Pittsburgh.

If Wilson wins the job, there's one Steelers skill-position player this analyst would be interested in at cost—running back Jaylen Warren at RB30.

And the drafters taking wide receiver George Pickens ahead of players like Cincinnati's Tee Higgins and Washington's Terry McLaurin will live to regret it.

San Francisco 49ers: WR Deebo Samuel Is More Name Than Numbers at This Point

It's worth pointing out that the situation at the wide receiver position in San Francisco could change rapidly this summer. Deebo Samuel and/or Brandon Aiyuk continue to be mentioned in trade rumors.

For his part, Samuel noted that the trade speculation didn't escape his attention.

"Yeah, I heard it," Samuel said, per The Athletic's Tim Kawakami. "Had a conversation with my agent about it. They were going back and forth with it, whoever it was. It was a thing at first. But gonna move past it. We're here, and we're here to get better."

However, as things stand right now, both remain in the Bay Area. Both are also being drafted among the top 20 at the position.

And while Aiyuk's WR13 ADP isn't that out of whack, Samuel's ADP of WR17 feels a lot like drafting at ceiling—and as we've already discussed, that's generally a bad idea.

Back in 2021, Samuel was a force—he topped 1,400 receiving yards, averaged over 18 yards per catch and added 365 rushing yards and eight scores on the ground.

But things have changed. That season, Samuel touched the ball 136 times. Last season, that number fell under 100. Aiyuk has emerged as San Francisco's No. 1 wide receiver. The arrival of Christian McCaffrey put a major dent in his rushing stats.

Samuel is less an offensive Swiss Army knife now than simply an underneath wideout vying for targets with Aiyuk, McCaffrey and tight end George Kittle.

And that won't make it easy to live up to his draft-day price tag.

Seattle Seahawks: Kenneth Walker III Remains a Risky RB2 Pick

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith regressed in 2023 relative to the year before, but it wasn't for lack of weapons. Seattle's wideout corps is stacked with DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Kenneth Walker is a talented young running back when healthy.

However, as Derek Brown pointed out at Fantasy Pros, that "when healthy" caveat with Walker is a sizable one.

"Walker continues to hum along as a dependable RB2 in fantasy (RB22 last season) despite dealing with a myriad of injuries in 2023," he said. "Walker worked through a bruised shoulder, a strained oblique, a chest issue, and a tender calf last season. This didn't stop him from averaging 17.3 touches and 82 total yards in the 14 games that he played at least 41% of the snaps. Walker remains one of the best pure rushers in the game while sitting at fourth in missed tackles forced per attempt and 26th in explosive run rate last season (minimum 50 carries per Fantasy Points Data). Zach Charbonnet will continue to be a weekly worry as he siphons off red zone and pass game work, but Walker should still lead the backfield in touches this year."

This isn't a matter of talent—Walker is capable of posting top-12 weeks when the third-year pro is healthy. He has topped 1,100 yards from scrimmage in both of his pro seasons, and injury concerns exist for every running back.

But when a player is seemingly always nicked up and has a capable backup (as Walker does in Zach Charbonnet) behind him, it makes trusting the player as an RB2 difficult—especially when more proven players like Aaron Jones of the Minnesota Vikings and Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints are often available after him.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: WR Mike Evans Is Being Undervalued—Again

Ageism is very much a thing in fantasy football. As players get older, more and more fantasy managers tend to sour on them.

All Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has done is play a decade in the NFL without ever failing to post 1,000 yards. However, last year's WR7 in PPR points is being drafted outside the top 15 at his position—a fact that gives Andy Behrens of Yahoo Sports more than a little pause.

"It's likely that a few of you are dismissing Evans due to age — he turns 31 in August — but, again, he displayed zero signs of decline last year," Behrens said. "None whatsoever. It's not as if his best years were a pure product of a Tom Brady offense, either. This man has caught two-thirds of his career touchdown passes from a rogues gallery of QBs that includes Jameis Winston, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Josh McCown and Mike Glennon. When we last saw Evans in action just months ago, he was absolutely cooking the Lions in the postseason (8-147-1). Evans has been winning with size, strength, length and separation ability for the past 10 years, and there's no reason to think 2024 will look substantially different from any other season of his career. Fade this fantasy legend at your own peril."

While fading running backs early has become more popular in recent years, there remain managers who like to build their squads around a strong backfield. Old-school geezers like this analyst.

And if a "Robust RB" build sounds like your idea of a good time, Evans is a great target to anchor your wideouts around.

Tennessee Titans: WR1 Battle Between DeAndre Hopkins and Calvin Ridley Is a Toss-Up

The Tennessee Titans certainly made an effort to put young quarterback Will Levis in position to succeed in his second season.

Tony Pollard was added in the backfield to help offset the loss of Derrick Henry. The wideout room received a major infusion of veteran talent with the additions of both Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd.

Of course, those additions also muddied the waters. With veteran DeAndre Hopkins also in Nashville, target share for the trio is a question mark. In the opinion of Alex Ciulla of RotoBaller, Ridley will be Tennessee's WR1 in 2024—but it's a close call.

"Calvin Ridley projects as the Titans' WR1, if only by a small margin when we consider his route-running prowess," he wrote. "Because Levis isn't afraid to attempt any throw, Ridley should see more targets if he offers a more open window to have the ball thrown. Currently being taken in the same ADP range, I'm more likely to snag whichever WR falls farther. If faced with the choice of both, Ridley is the preferred option, as he offers a more reliable intermediate target."

Now, neither wideout is especially expensive—Ridley's ADP is WR36, while Hopkins checks in just after at WR38. Both players finished over 15 spots higher than their ADP in PPR points a year ago. But Ridley isn't catching passes from Trevor Lawrence in 2024, and Hopkins now has to compete with Ridley and Boyd for targets.

At least one of these receivers is probably going to be a major value in 2024. But we likely won't know who until folks are carving pumpkins.

Sadly, that's a fact.

Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels Will Lead All Rookie QBs in Fantasy Points

OK, so we're closing this less with a "fact" than a flag-plant.

But it's my party, and I want to play Pin the Tail on the Rookie Quarterback.

Caleb Williams is the first rookie quarterback being drafted on average. Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders isn't far behind—just one slot, in fact.

As Denny Carter wrote at Rotoworld, the allure with Daniels isn't hard to identify. Rushing quarterbacks have long been coveted by fantasy managers, and Daniels most assuredly fits that bill.

"Daniels in his final season at LSU had 65 rushing attempts in 12 games, or 5.4 per game," Carter said. "He was, shall we say, highly effective as a runner, averaging 10.4 yards per attempt on his way to 1,251 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. A truly baffling 65 percent of Daniels' 2023 rushes went for at least 10 yards. He was tough to bring down too, notching 4.7 yards after contact per rush (YCO/A). Only UCF QB KJ Jefferson had a higher YCO/A in 2023, per PFF. Daniels went for 1,071 yards on 80 carries in 2022 with similar rushing peripherals. His 682 yards after contact led all quarterbacks by a wide margin. Suffice it to say the speed-demon Daniels is a good runner."

Does Williams have better passing-game weapons? Yes, although the cupboard isn't bare in Washington. The Bears may well be the more competitive team this year as well. But teams who trail a lot throw a lot, and while Williams can scramble, he's not the runner Daniels is.

The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner will out-point Williams this year as a result—and top-10 numbers aren't out of the question if (as expected) he's the Week 1 starter.

Gary Davenport is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Follow him on X at @IDPSharks.