DLF Staff 2019 NFL Training Camp Perspectives

Apparently, according to the coaches around the league, every player is in the “best shape of his life” or “added 15 pounds of muscle.” Some may have done both. Yes folks, training camp is in full swing.

In the interest of focusing on the right things, I asked some of the staff to let loose with what they were looking to see during camp. I hope their answers can help you direct your attention in some ways as well as formulate your own plan to get the most out of training camp.

Let’s hear what our writers had to say!

Jacob Feldman Author Page Twitter

“Every training camp, I watch the running back battles. Teams like Tampa Bay, San Francisco, and maybe even Kansas City have large roles still undecided in their backfield. Training camp news and the order they are used in games can tell us a lot.

“I tend to buy the underdog in those battles during the off-season for a very cheap price, sometimes just a waiver wire addition. If they end up winning the starting job or even a significant share of a committee, I come out way ahead with potentially an RB2 for almost no cost.”

This is a strong strategy from Jacob. You can find a lot of success as a fantasy owner if you can find pockets of value, and Jacob posits a way to do just that during training camp. There are some jobs that are at least somewhat open, and if you can pick the right player at the right time, it can really pay off.

Kyle Holden Author Page Twitter

“Antonio Brown‘s departure has left behind 168 vacated targets for the current Steelers’ group to soak up. JuJu Smith-Schuster might see a few additional targets, but he already saw 166 last year. Vance McDonald could very well see a bump as well.

“However, the big beneficiary is likely to be whoever the ‘WR2’ in Pittsburgh is this year. Will that be James Washington, Donte Moncrief, or someone else? I’m eager to see who is earning more first-team reps in training camp and the preseason. I currently lean towards Washington, but he has a few areas of his game he needs to develop before he earns Ben Roethlisberger‘s trust and beats out the veteran Moncrief.”

The Pittsburgh Steelers are quite an interesting team to watch in camp this season. It’s not often that two Hall of Fame-caliber players leave a team, and who knows what that will mean for the complexion of the offense moving forward. In any case, I think it’s a smart move to pay close attention to who gets those WR2 reps.

Dwight Peebles Author Page Twitter

“I am most excited to see the Oakland Raiders training camp – between having Hard Knocks as a distraction and the addition of one of the most outspoken players in the game in Antonio Brown, it should be a fun camp. The offense could be one of the best in the league. I actually believe Derek Carr is a good quarterback and Josh Jacobs will be an effective running back, Jalen Richard a perfect complement to him as well. I may actually get my spiked shoulder pads out of retirement!!”

Man, you gotta love the enthusiasm here from Dwight. I don’t think there’s any doubt there will be some very interesting storylines in Raiders camp this year – especially with the Hard Knocks cameras rolling. I don’t know if I share Dwight’s optimism for the Raiders offense, but I’m willing to be proven wrong. I know plenty of people have a lot of chips on the rookie Josh Jacobs, it will be great to see how he starts to fit into the offense. John Gruden is old-school in his mentality, will he be bringing out the “pound the rock” style this year?

Mike Havens Author Page Twitter

“The number of reps and feedback being given to either Karan Higdon and/or Damarea Crockett in Houston. One of them is likely to be the third-string runner in the Texans backfield, and with D’Onta Foreman still recovering from a torn Achilles, it’s possible that either of these deep sleepers have some significant playing time during the season. Whoever has the better camp is the sleeper I’m going to acquire in all my leagues.

“Also, the Packers wide receiver battle. Aaron Rodgers has a history of making two receivers relevant year in and year out. Whoever wins the job opposite Davante Adams will surely be a start-able option in fantasy.”

Two strong angles here from Mike. I’m watching the running back situation in Houston myself. I do often wonder how long Lamar Miller will be criminally under-valued, but perhaps this is the year where he finally loses the job. Mike also has a similar tactic in play as Kyle, only here Mike is looking for the WR2 in Green Bay.

Josh Brickner Author Page Twitter

“Even though Greg Olsen claims to be 100% healthy, the writing is on the wall for Ian Thomas to move up the Panther depth chart sooner rather than later. After overcoming some early-season struggles, Thomas caught 20 of 27 targets for 200 yards and a pair of touchdowns over the final five games of the season with the former Hurricane on the shelf. This analyst believes Olsen’s next serious injury will be his last, making the Indiana product a strong buy candidate at the current moment.”

Ian Thomas is a tight end with some nice physical traits along with some promise as a blocker. In my book, that’s a winning combination at the position. Josh is interested to see if the venerable Olsen steps aside for the young tight end out of Indiana.

Ken Kelly Author Page Twitter

“I’m looking at what I always do… the running back battles. This is the time to comb through all the camp reports to find sleepers and see which camp battles are real and which are simply coach speak. I’m looking specifically at Miami, Tampa Bay, Denver and Green Bay over the next few weeks to see just what seems to be happening.

“Can Kalen Ballage really emerge? Will Royce Freeman really take that many snaps away from Phillip Lindsay? Will Aaron Jones really emerge this year? Will Ronald Jones recover from a terrible rookie season and overtake a pedestrian Peyton Barber? These are just a few questions I want answered prior to the season beginning.”

If you didn’t know it already, Ken Kelly loves himself some running backs. It is a great area of focus during camp, as it can reveal some unexpected truths about who will get the work when the games begin. There are many specific situations to monitor which Ken points out nicely, and as an official Ronald Jones Apologist, I’m sure interested in how things turn out in the Bay.

Eric Hardter Author Page Twitter

“I’m watching to see how some of the sophomore running backs look, and whether they can ascend their respective depth charts. While we already have fantasy fixtures with players like Saquon Barkley, Nick Chubb, Phillip Lindsay, and even Sony Michel, other members of the 2018 class remain as enigmas.

“Can Derrius Guice stay healthy and surpass a surprisingly effective Adrian Peterson? Will Kerryon Johnson receive the Lion’s share (pun intended) of backfield touches, especially with the release of Theo Riddick, or will he continue to function in a committee? Will Rashaad Penny be able to sequester a reasonable proportion of touches, or is Chris Carson still the guy in Seattle? Has Ronald Jones improved, or will he continue on his “bust” trajectory? Will the Denver backfield turn into more of a timeshare?

“The emergence of even just a couple of these players could turn what was already a very good running back class into a legendary one.”

Eric closes us out with his suggestion to again pay attention to the running back position, specifically those sophomores who didn’t break out in their respective rookie seasons. You can get quite a few of the guys Eric mentions at a discount, and if you can identify the right guys, it can really turn in your favor.

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