I’ve been taking a little more time off than usual this year, having retired from the SiriusXM radio show, and given the fact that we’ve got a full-time staff that’s breaking everything down as it happens, it’s a great opportunity to rest up and relax, which I did for a couple of weeks between the Super Bowl and the start of free agency.
The problem is that I’m into decade four of covering the NFL for fantasy, and when the player moves started coming down the line earlier this month, I broke out in hives because I wasn’t analyzing the moves for fantasy. I took a day last week to step away from the NFL news cycle, and it felt like I was in a coma for six months, so with the bulk of the key moves in the books, I thought it was time to chime in with my thoughts, for those wondering where I’ve been.
I talked a lot already about these moves in the Fantasy Points Podcast, which I’m doing every week, but for those who prefer reading, I have my thoughts in article form below. I’ve got my top-20 player moves to new teams ranked in order of fantasy significance, as well as my top-10 players who stayed put.
Note: I’ll drop any needed additions or tweaks here from now up until the NFL Draft.
Guru’s Top-20 Player Moves
1. Davante Adams (LAR, 33) — Sean McVay plucked an all-time great in Cooper Kupp in the third round and quickly turned fifth-rounder Puka Nukua into a star, so knowing he lobbied for Davante by sending the receiver cutups of his game, I’m already convinced Adams in LA is a great fit. The future HOFer would be a good fit anywhere, and McVay can get All-Pro production from later-round picks, so it’s the perfect environment for Adams to age gracefully. He actually had a lower A.S.S. than Kupp last year (.101>.057), but he’s had fewer physical concerns than Kupp, and Adams is still passing my eyeball test pretty well and was especially brilliant down the stretch. He should get more opportunities to line up inside, which should help production toward the end of his career, a la Larry Fitzgerald. I see him commanding 8-10 targets a game on the receiver-poor Rams in a plug-and-play situation with the savvy veteran Matthew Stafford still slinging it well.
2. Deebo Samuel (Was, 29) — I matched Deebo to DC before the trade went down on the Fantasy Points Podcast because Samuel is a manufactured touch receiver who relies on RAC, which fits in perfectly in DC, where OC Kliff Kingsbury called a screen pass on 16.1% of their attempts last season (fourth-highest rate). Many of those designed looks had to be funneled to Terry McLaurin, which is not exactly his game. But Deebo was fifth in designed target rate (25.3%) among 85 WRs who saw 50+ targets last year, so he’ll take a lot of the schemed-up stuff near the line of scrimmage, which should open up more downfield chances for Scary Terry. I’d expect some weeks to be Deebo weeks when they’re up against zone-heavy teams, and some weeks it’ll be McLaurin games against man-heavy teams, so DC’s receiving corps got better and more versatile. Deebo came into the season out of shape and heavy, and he finished 107th in A.S.S. (-.008) among 113 WRs who ran 200+ routes, which is horrible. But among 85 WRs who saw 50+ targets, Deebo still ranked second in YAC/REC (8.35) and in YACO/REC (3.14), and he’s already working his tail off ahead of the 2025 campaign, which is the final year of his current deal. Deebo is no longer a foundational player in the explosive 49ers offense, so his upside has taken a hit. However, he can still deliver a solid ROI if he’s affordable enough as he guns for one more big payday.
3. Evan Engram (Den, 31) — HC Sean Payton needed a Joker in Denver, and Engram will fit the bill for this season — and perhaps next season if things go relatively well. He doesn’t score a lot, is getting up there at 31, and isn’t as dynamic as he once was, ranking only 34th in YAC/Rec last year at 3.49. But he’s ranked 10th at TE in A.S.S. the last two seasons, so he probably still has enough gas in the tank to be impactful in Denver this year with a healthy role. That role may not be massive, since he’s undersized and can be a liability in the run game, so I don’t see him as Payton’s next Jimmy Graham with Engram’s snaps down to a 60-65% range. But Payton wants a moveable chess piece who lines up all over the field, and the promising Greg Dulcich didn’t work out, so Engram, by default, will likely settle in as the #2 option in the passing game behind Courtland Sutton. TE1 production is entirely possible, but I’d rather view him as a high-end #2.
4. D.K. Metcalf (Pit, 28) — The Steelers acquired Metcalf from the Seahawks, and they quickly locked him into a new five-year, $150 million deal, which begs the question: will they look to trade George Pickens now? Pickens has one more year left on his rookie deal, so a trade makes sense because there’s redundancy in his and Metcalf’s game. And as of publication, they have Mason Rudolph atop their QB depth chart, and he’s (rightfully) being paid as only a backup. DK can still perform at a high level, as evidenced by his solid 1.97 YPRR on the season, and he was seventh in air yards share (41.5%) and fourth in outside route share (87.1%). But he’s coming off an injury-marred season, and I view Pickens as being a little more dangerous, so if George is on the roster this summer, both players will see a hit to their target shares, leaving me with little interest in either player (and that’s even if they add Aaron Rodgers). If they add Rodgers and move on from Pickens, that would be ideal for DK, but a Pickens departure does not seem imminent.
5. Justin Fields (NYJ, 26) — I completely understand the Jets’ interest in Fields, and he should be productive for fake football as long as he has the job. After all, the guy is top-7 in terms of FP/DB in each of the last three seasons. But let’s be real: the Jets have been looking for a high-end franchise QB for over half a century, and the 26-year-old Fields, the 11th pick of the 2021 Draft, is now on his third team in three years, which means he stinks. Fields has showcased some of the worst body language I’ve ever seen on a QB (right up there with Josh Rosen), and now he’s in the toughest media market in the country playing for one of the worst organizations in the league, so he’ll need planetary alignment for things to go relatively well from a real football perspective. I have Fields in a high-stakes dynasty FFPC Superflex league, so I’m glad he has a job and will give me some production in 2025, perhaps top-12 production on a per-game basis. Top wideout Garrett Wilson is an elite option, and the pair played two seasons together at Ohio State. Otherwise, NY’s supporting cast on offense is suspect. If they’re losing and losing ugly later in the season, which would surprise no one, the veteran Tyrod Taylor could be enlisted to close out the season as he did with the Giants in 2023 and for a game in 2024. That’s how lame Fields is.
6. Christian Kirk (Hou, 29) — I still think Kirk is a very good receiver, but while he can play outside if needed, he really thrives when he can camp out in the slot. Most of his production comes from the inside, and he never dipped below a 72% slot rate in any of his three seasons with the Jaguars (and he was at 81% last year). He was miscast as the top receiver when he signed with the Jags back in 2022, but he put up an impressive 84/1108/8 that season, ranking as the WR12 in overall scoring (WR19 in PPG), thanks to volume. Kirk was 15th in WR targets that year (7.8 per game), and he’s looking good in terms of looks in Houston, with the Texans losing 145 targets from last year with Stefon Diggs off the roster and Tank Dell unlikely to play until 2026. Kirk’s looking at another 7-8 targets a game, and he’s more explosive than Diggs (Kirk’s aDOT was 13.6 yards, Diggs’ was 8.6) with a better A.S.S. (.145, 14th-best, Diggs was .113, 22nd-best). Kirk won’t likely crack the top-40 at WR in terms of ADP, and with an upgrade at QB in CJ Stroud, the veteran slot looks like a nice value in ‘25.
7. Najee Harris (LAC, 27) — Harris can be sluggish and frustrating, but availability is an asset, and he’s never missed a game in four seasons with 18.5 touches/game in 71 games. He lands in a voluminous situation under OC Greg Roman, as LA was 12th in RB rush attempts last year, so he should exceed 2024’s 51% snap share. He’s a much bigger threat in the passing game than the departed Gus Edwards, and with 187 receptions in 71 career games, he could lead their backfield in targets, which would be huge. It’s a deep RB group this year, so they’ll probably draft one, but as of now, Harris is competing for touches with only Hassan Haskins and Kimani Vidal, who combined for only 8/111/1 receiving last year. Harris wasn’t as good last year as a runner, but among 46 RBs who logged 100+ carries, he was a decent 26th in explosive run rate and 15th in MTF/Att. He was 35th YBC/Att, which is not good, but Jaylen Warren was 33rd, so that was likely an OL issue in Pittsburgh. LA runners had the highest stuff percentage in the league last year at 49%, and among RBs with 100+ carries, Najee ranked 42nd out of 46 in stuff rate (52.3%), so he may remain a little volatile. But he was clearly more successful on those gap concepts than zone concepts last year, and LA is gap-heavy under Roman, so it’s a good schematic fit. Roman got 13 TDs and 296 carries from castoffs JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards last year, so if Harris can haul in 2-3 balls a week, he should be able to compile his way to a top-20 finish in total scoring if he continues to show elite availability.
8. Joshua Palmer (Buf, 26) — I did not see the Quentin Johnston emergence coming last year, but frankly, his stats were padded by a couple of big plays on broken coverages. Palmer dealt with multiple injuries that seriously disrupted his season, but Palmer may have played better than Johnston overall last year, at least down the stretch. Palmer’s not exactly a quick-twitch or speed guy, but he still ranked fifth in aDOT (15.6 yards) among 85 WRs who saw 50+ targets, and he ranked 17th in A.S.S. (.132) among 113 WRs with 200+ routes. A lot of that can be attributed to his strong route-running, which enables him to beat man coverage, and that’s exactly why he’s now in Buffalo. The ability to beat man is why they traded for Amari Cooper last year, so with Palmer added, it doesn’t look like they have a ton of confidence in Keon Coleman, also a man-beater. I like Palmer in Buffalo, where he could be more valuable than the markets expect, but this still looks like a “superspreader” offense, with the recently-extended Khalil Shakir leading with a low 71% route share last year. Palmer is at least dirt cheap early on, and there’s a lot to be said about a quality player in a quality offense at an Econo-buy price.
9. Sam Darnold (Sea, 28) — GM John Schneider is taking a shot that Darnold’s raised level of play in Minnesota is for real, but he’s placing him in a less appealing environment, so the odds are stacked against him. Darnold will be familiar with new OC Klint Kubiak, whom he worked with in San Francisco, and Kubiak will utilize a lot of play-action passing, which Darnold excels at, ranking fifth in YPA (9.70) on PA passes last season. That ranked just behind Derek Carr, who was Kubiak’s quarterback last year. But when you compare Seattle’s receiving corps to Minnesota’s … well, there is no comparison. They’ll need Jaxon Smith-Njigba to line up outside more, which he can do, but JSN as your No. 1 outside with an aged Cooper Kupp as the #2 with the likes of outside guys Jake Bobo and Marquez Valdes-Scantling behind them is not very encouraging, and it’s not a great wideout class in the draft. Over 80% of JSN’s production last year came out of the slot, but Kupp, if healthy, will rack up most of the slot snaps, so JSN will be a small leap of faith with a big bump in cost this year in drafts. Even if they use their top pick on a wideout and/or acquire a big TE upgrade, Darnold is still looking at a downgrade at both outside receiver spots, at TE, and on the OL, so I don’t think it will go particularly well. If it doesn’t, Seattle can move on after one season, so it’s not a huge commitment to Darnold.
10. Jordan Mason (Min, 26) — Given the excellent situation and Aaron Jones’ injury history, I’m ranking this move a little higher on my list than some may expect. I doubt they use a notable draft pick on a back now, and given the solid salary on a two-year, $12 million deal (including $7 million guaranteed), I think the Vikes are looking for Mason to be no worse than an active #2 the next two seasons. If they don’t add another back of note this year, Mason will be a Jones injury away from a bell-cow role, and keep in mind they just made two major moves to bolster the interior of their OL, which has been their main weak spot up front. Jones is also a lead back who’s never been a big volume guy, so they may eye a solid role for Mason behind Jones with 8-10 carries most weeks, since he brings a different look than Jones with more downhill power.
11. Geno Smith (LV, 35) — Thanks mainly to his extremely low price, I liked Geno as a pick last summer, and he crushed his ADP with a QB16 ranking on the season with 16.5 FPG in 17 games. Smith should see better protection in Vegas, and he should stabilize their passing game, so his signing is a positive for Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers. But I’m underwhelmed by a conservative HC Pete Carroll, and by Chip Kelly, who failed as a head coach in Philly a decade ago. Both coaches are into running the football, so we should expect a lower-volume passing attack. A 24-year-old Nick Foles actually ran the ball 5+ times per start in Kelly’s offense back in 2013, but Geno posted only 13/50 rushing in his final seven games, so I don’t think we can count on rushing from Smith. Foles that season did have an incredible year throwing it, putting up 27 TDs vs. 2 INTs in his 10 starts, and Geno can still play, ranking third in adjusted completion percentage (79.9%), fourth in CPOE (5.3%), and fifth in catchable throw rate (78.2%) last year. The durable Smith obviously has a supporter in his former Seahawks coach in Carroll, and he’ll probably beat his ADP in terms of total points if they can add another weapon or two (like Stefon Diggs). But overall, my level of FOMO with Geno is not going to be as high as last year.
12. Cooper Kupp (Sea, 31) — The soon-to-be 32-year-old is from Washington state and went to Eastern Washington, so it’s no surprise to see him land on the receiver-poor Seahawks. I have been out on him the last two years, and Kupp’s missed five or more games in each of the last three seasons, but he has been his dominant self in spots in 2023-2024, and he still averaged a strong 2.14 YPRR in 12 games last year. He did show more downside than usual and he faded down the stretch and finished with a career-worst 7.1 YPT, but he still ranked sixth in TPRR (.29) among 85 WRs who saw 50+ targets. Both Kupp and Jaxon Smith-Njigba are slot specialists, but while JSN led all receivers with an 84% slot share, I’d have to think he’ll be asked to line up outside a lot more, which is uncharted territory for him. Kupp can and will line up outside at times, especially in 12 personnel, but the younger Smith-Njigba is the better outside option. I’d probably prefer Geno Smith starting for Seattle over Sam Darnold for these two, but Darnold is comparable, and he certainly supported excellent production in Minnesota last year. I can see Kupp milking another productive season or two out of his body, and he might not even crack the top-50 at WR ADP-wise, so barring any injury hiccups this summer, I’ll be less down on him than I’ve been, for what it’s worth.
13. Javonte Williams (Dal, 25) — Javonte has not been the same since his devastating knee injury in October of 2022, and at this point, it’s hard to be optimistic. I thought he came back a little too quickly in 2023, so I gave him a small pass for a sluggish season that year. But Williams didn’t look great last year, ranking only 42nd in YPC (3.69), 40th in explosive run rate (2.9%), and 43rd in YACO/ATT (2.03) among 46 RBs who logged 100+ carries last season. He signed only a one-year, $3 million “prove-it” contract that’s worth only $3.5 million if he hits all his incentives, so it’s another contract year. He’s still just 25 years old (in April), and he’s caught three passes per game in his career (54 games), so he should have a chance to own a third-down role, and there’s a sliver of hope that he can regain some of the juice/explosiveness he lost due to the injury in 2022. Of course, they could still pick up a stud back in the draft, and they also signed Miles Sanders, who can also be a three-down threat. I’ll give Javonte the edge for now, but if you’re drafting either of them, it’s mostly about their discounted pricing.
14. Rico Dowdle (Car, 27) — Dowdle proved plenty last year after he finally got a lot of volume, and he more than doubled his career carry total (96) with 235 totes of the rock while increasing his YPC average from 3.75 to 4.6. The Dowdle signing likely signals that ‘24 draftee Jonathon Brooks will need another whole season to heal, but Dowdle is not making a lot of money with his one-year deal worth only $3 million guaranteed, and I do not see the needed volume with the recently-signed Chuba Hubbard locked into a brand new $33 million contract for the next four years. I could see Dowdle in a similar role to 2023, when he played behind Tony Pollard, with Dowdle getting about 7-8 carries and 1-2 targets per game. More than anything else, this signing adds some cloudiness to the Panthers' backfield, but I wouldn’t want to overreact and necessarily fade Chubba this year because of it.
15. Elijah Mitchell (KC, 27) — I was not a fan of Isiah Pacheco coming out, and while I’ve been wrong about him over a stretch of about 25 games, I believe my original take is aging fairly well, since Pacheco’s already wearing down and is coming off an injury-marred season. I have to give him credit for bringing it in the run game, and he has long speed once he gets going (he ran a 4.37 40 at the Combine). But he’s not much of a creator, lacks explosiveness, and has not improved in the passing game, so he’s very replaceable. KC did also re-sign Kareem Hunt (for now), and might dip into this RB draft class because it’s so deep, but if they don’t add another RB of note, Mitchell looks like an intriguing late-round dart throw. Granted, Mitchell is as fragile as they come, but the former Niner has more juice and versatility as a runner and receiver, and he’s got better patience and instincts in the running game than Pacheco. He’s also a good scheme fit, having excelled on inside and outside zone runs, and he brings a legit perimeter threat to KC’s running game, so 150+ touches will likely be there for Mitchell, if he can stay healthy.
16. Raheem Mostert (LV, 33) — I can’t believe I have a 33-year-old RB in my top-15, but we’re here because the Raiders are going to run the rock, and they have skank on the roster at the position otherwise right now. Mostert actually opened his career by excelling in the preseason as a UDFA under Chip Kelly in Philly in 2015, so there is a connection here. But coming off a 21-TD season the year before, he was an easy regression candidate last summer, and he went from 21 scores to two. He’s seemingly hurt every bone in his body, but he has only 870 touches in his decades-long career, so I’d consider him a “young” 33, and I’d expect up to a third of the snaps if things go relatively well. But I could argue they have the biggest RB need in the league, so I’m also expecting the Raiders to use an early pick on a back in a loaded class, so Mostert won’t be on any of my teams. As for Miami, shedding Mostert from their roster bodes well for the promising Jaylen Wright.
17. Mike Williams (LAC, 31) — Williams, at this point, is a year-to-year guy, and we’ve clearly already seen the best of him. But I like how he fits into this offense with Justin Herbert, who had a big season back in 2021 with Big Mike, who put up 76/1146/9. They just lost Josh Palmer and their receiving depth is terrible, but Williams and Quentin Johnston will be twin towers on the outside, with the slippery Ladd McConkey inside, and that’s a nice triumvirate for Herbert. It’ll be a run-heavy offense, but their size and downfield acumen on the outside should help them run the ball effectively. Williams has to prove he can still win those contested catch situations downfield, but he should be better off another year removed from his 2023 knee injury, and he’s in a better environment back in LA. At the very least, I feel better about Herbert and the overall offense, with Williams’ skill set added to the mix.
18. DeAndre Hopkins (Bal, 33) — While 33 years old isn’t ancient, it appears as such when a players’ production drops dramatically, and Hopkins’ production has dropped dramatically. D-Hop last year ranked only 84th in YAC/REC (1.98) among 85 WRs who saw 50+ targets, which is a clear sign of slippage. Hopkins will be very TD-dependent and will be an afterthought in fantasy drafts, but much like the Derrick Henry addition last year, I like the culture fit, and Lamar Jackson has been as good or better than Patrick Mahomes throwing the ball the last few seasons. Mark Andrews was a rumored cap casualty, but he’s back for ‘25, and I’d expect Zay Flowers to remain the top threat at wideout, so Rashod Bateman’s upside should take a hit with Hopkins in the mix. But he is another toy and red-zone threat for Lamar.
19. Mac Jones (SF, 27) — I loved this signing for the Niners, since Jones may have still been their starter, had they drafted him back in 2021. I’m not sure if they would have picked up his fifth-year option as a former No. 1 pick, and I do think Brock Purdy is better, but at the very least, I like the added stability to the 49ers’ QB room, since Purdy has had some injury problems. Jones in 2021 had the eighth-best completion percentage in the league as a rookie (better than Tom Brady that season), and he acquitted himself pretty well in Jacksonville last year, all things considered. Wideout Brian Thomas led all rookies in receiving yards, and he posted a strong 50/675/5 in the season's final seven games, mostly all with Jones at QB, so I certainly feel better about drafting all the Niner receivers after this pickup.
20. Daniel Jones (Ind, 28) — I don’t think I was ever “all-in” on Jones as a prospect, but I’ve been into him as a pick in the past, often due to low pricing. He does have a QB1 season in total scoring on his short resume in 2022, and the 2023 ACL injury didn’t help. I tried to keep an open mind with Jones, but I’d have to say, his pre-draft detractors were correct, and I’d chalk his specific struggles up to poor processing, since Jones runs like a deer and has a good arm with a solid track record in terms of ball placement. Of course, I also think he got shell-shocked in 2023 due to their horrendous protection, and he did not seem inclined to get the ball downfield last season. Among 43 QBs who attempted 150+ passes, Jones ranked 38th in YPA (6.07) and 41st in highly accurate throw rate (44.3%), which is repugnant. Indy just lost two starters on the OL, but they are good at OT, and in Jones, HC Shane Steichen gets a QB with a similar skillset to Anthony Richardson, and Steichen knows Jones well from his two seasons in Philly. If AR flops or is knocked out again, Jones will have a chance to produce top-20 totals as the starter in this solid environment, assuming he can regain something close to his 2022 form (which may not be a fair assumption).
Bumped from the original top-20 for Cooper Kupp
Kenneth Gainwell (Pit, 26) — Gainwell hasn’t really been a needle-mover thus far, but he endears himself to his coaches, especially HC Nick Sirianni, and he’s a handy changeup and pass-catching specialist. The problem is, they already have a better version of that guy in Jaylen Warren, who is better equipped to handle a large role than Gainwell. That leads me to believe the Steelers will draft one of the top backs in this loaded class, and if they do, then Gainwell is out of luck. I’d have to assume they will draft a back, but if they don’t invest in a top prospect, they could try Warren out in a lead role, which would give Gainwell a path to a role larger than what he had in Philly.
Players Staying Put
There have been some notable re-signings so far, so here’s a quick look at those moves and their ramifications.
1. Chris Godwin (TB, 29) — It’s not great for Jalen McMillan, but it’s huge for Baker Mayfield, as he attempts to excel this year without OC Liam Coen, who was excellent last year. With Mike Evans still balling, Godwin back, McMillon emerging, and the OL and running game looking good, the Bucs offense looks very good on paper.
2. Tee Higgins (Cin, 26) — Welp, they did it. The Bengals actually locked up Ja’Marr Chase and also Higgins, who agreed to a four-year, $115 million deal that is guaranteed for the first two years. It’s massive news for Joe Burrow, since Higgins is an elite outside receiver at 6 '4, and good enough to be a top No. 1, yet he’s only their No. 2. Chase and Higgins will dominate the targets, leaving week-to-week production and reliability for all the other receivers.
3. Aaron Jones (Min, 31) — Jones was a great culture fit in Minnesota, and he held up pretty well physically, so the Vikings re-signed him to a two-year, $20 million extension with $13 million in guaranteed money. I’m guessing they’re hoping to get by with Jones and Jordan Mason the next two seasons. Mason may cap Jones’ upside, but the Vikes will likely work Mason in liberally to help keep Jones fresh and healthy.
4. Marquise Brown (KC, 28) — It was only a one-year deal, but an $11 million contract is nothing to sneeze at, and I’m glad KC brought him back, since Brown and Patrick Mahomes showed good chemistry early on, which is a good sign. With Travis Kelce hanging on by a thread, they’re going to need more from their wideouts going forward, and they have a pretty dynamic trio in Brown, Rashee Rice, and Xavier Worthy.
5. Zach Ertz (Was, 35) — I joked all summer that Ertz, who was a complete afterthought in drafts, was going to be the TE9 for fantasy by midseason, and he crushed that optimistic projection by producing a TE7 season in total scoring. It’s no surprise that he’s back, since he was still effective and helpful for Jayden Daniels, but it is a buzzkill for those hoping to see a serious emergence from the promising Ben Sinnott this year. It may be a good idea to trade for Sinnott in a dynasty league because his potential as early as 2026 with Daniels is pretty massive.
6. Darius Slayton (NYG, 28) — The best receiver in the league that no one cares about and a good locker room presence, the Giants showed Slayton some love with a three-year, $36 million contract. Slayton has a career mark of 15.0 YPR, and he's a downfield threat and not a volume guy, so he’s a solid fit next to Malik Nabers. He’s not the best season-long option because he’s volatile, but when he hits, he hits big, so he’ll be a decent late-round flyer now that the Giants are backing him long-term.
7. Mike Gesicki (Cin, 30) — Somehow, the Bengals handed out new contracts to Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and also Gesicki, who got a three-year, $25.5 million deal. Gesicki’s production was heavily tied to whether or not Higgins was on the field, so I won’t be very interested in drafting the TE, but they are very, very loaded for Burrow. I’d expect a lot of passing volume on a Bengals team that is pretty darn light on talent on defense.
8. Tutu Atwell (LAR, 26) — The Rams clearly overdrafted Tutu, but he’s not a bust, and despite his route share falling from 64% in 2023 to 41% last season, his receptions and yardage totals have climbed over the last four years. He’ll battle for playing time with the sizable Jordan Whittington, but the 5’9” and 165-pounder has 4.39 speed, so Atwell should be on the field more than last year, and he’ll help Matthew Stafford’s YPA as their downfield shotplay guy.
9. Samaje Perine (Cin, 30) — I’m actually cheating with this one, since Perine was not on the Bengals last year. But he was drafted by Cincy, so I’ll include it. It would be unhealthy for Chase Brown to open the season in line for 25+ touches a week, so with Zack Moss’ status still iffy (neck injury), the Bengals re-acquired Perine, which might actually be good news for Brown. Perine tends to play in obvious passing situations, but that won’t likely preclude Brown from getting 4-5 targets each week, and Perine rarely merits more than 5-6 carries per game. But he could certainly also grab hold of the goal-line role, especially when they’re inside the five.
10. Ty Johnson (Buf, 28) — Some players are good, some are annoying, and some are annoyingly good, like Johnson. I say “annoyingly” because these are usually specialty players who are really good at their specialty, so they play and they make an impact, and often at a more prominent player’s expense. He’s essentially a receiving threat, which is an element that will keep him involved and will continue to cap backup Ray Davis’ potential. Johnson had a 27.9% snap share last year, which is not nothing. I’d still view Davis as the clear handcuff with Johnson, for now, limiting Davis’ chances of producing on a relatively consistent basis if James Cook is available all year.
