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Training Camp Preview: NFC South

Tue Jul 16 10:16am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

Related photo caption below

Godwin is moving to the slot


This is the second in a series of training camp previews. The previews give you a quick look at each team, going over position battles and injuries to watch in camp. The season is right around the corner.

Saints

The Saints were a bit of a surprise last year, winning their division. Expectations will be high for this team again, mainly because of the veteran players on the team. Their window might be closing sooner than later. There are not a ton of questions to be answered with this squad, but keeping their veterans healthy might be a big key to training camp. New Orleans gets camp started on July 16 at the University of California-Irvine in Irvine, Calif.

Position battle: Chris Olave is the clear No. 1 receiver for the Saints, but things aren’t quite as clear after him. Rashid Shaheed had his chances last year but wasn’t too consistent. He won’t be handed anything this year. A.T. Perry, Cedrick Wilson and Bub Means should be in the mix for the starter spot, opposite Olave. The job is Shaheed’s to lose, but don’t discount the other guys by any means.

Injury watch: Chris Olave is dealing with a shoulder injury he suffered in the weight room this offseason. The injury is considered pretty minor but still something to monitor. He is the top target in this offense and sporting a non-contact jersey for a lot of the offseason workouts. Olave might be brought along slowly in camp to make sure he is completely healthy for the start of the season.

Bucs

The Bucs were a playoff team last season and should have a similar competitive squad this season. Tampa has some good pieces on both sides of the ball. Much of the season might hinge on starting quarterback Baker Mayfield, who played his best football last season. He will need to continue to make strides if the Bucs hope to make another playoff run. Mayfield and his teammates open camp on July 23 at the AdventHealth Training Center in Tampa, Fla.

Position battle: The starting receivers are clear in Tampa, but the No. 3 is up in the air. There are three similar players looking to get that job. Trey Palmer, Jalen McMillan and Sterling Shepard are the top candidates to play alongside Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. And with Godwin moving to the slot this year, the player winning that No. 3 job could have some big games in Tampa, getting some chances to stretch the field.

Injury watch: Chris Godwin was able to play a full season last year but injuries have been an issue in recent seasons. And the Bucs are moving him to the slot this year because they want to avoid him getting injured. So his health is something to watch this training camp, making sure he can remain upright and on the field. Godwin can be a fantasy difference maker when all is right with him.

Falcons

The Falcons have a lot of new this training camp, which should be the focus of camp. The new coaching staff will install a new offense for the new starting quarterback. How quickly can everyone get up to speed with the new system? This will be what fantasy owners should be watching during camp. The new offense should be a lot more exciting than last year, which should be a welcome sight for fantasy owners. All this new for the Falcons gets going on July 23 at the IBM Performance Field in Flowery Branch, Ga.

Position battle: We wouldn’t call this a position battle, but the Falcons used a first-round pick on quarterback Michael Penix, surprising everyone. He should sit behind Kirk Cousins this year but you have to wonder a little what would happen if Penix tore it up in camp and preseason action. It might put a little heat on Cousins. Penix could make things really interesting for Atlanta.

Injury watch: Kirk Cousins is returning from a torn Achilles’ tendon. This is a major injury to come back from, but he has made good progress. Expectations are he should be ready for the start of the year, but nothing is 100 percent certain. We should get a good idea of his health after watching him in camp and preseason action. 

Panthers

The Panthers did a much better job this offseason of trying to surround second-year quarterback Bryce Young with more talent. Young had his struggles his rookie season, so something needed to be done to help him get it going. We will see if the Panthers did enough to help Young take some steps forward, starting in camp on July 19 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.

Position battle: The Panthers upgraded at receiver this offseason, adding Diontae Johnson and rookie Xavier Legette to the mix. Adam Thielen is already on the roster, though, as is Jonathan Mingo and Terrace Marshall. This is a suddenly crowded receiver room with a lot to be sorted. You will want to see how this all shakes out before drafting any Panthers receiver to your team.

Injury watch: Jonathan Brooks would have been a higher draft pick if not for a torn ACL, suffered late in his college career. There is a good chance he is not ready for the start of camp or the regular season. The Panthers are likely to bring along their future starting running back slowly, making sure he doesn’t have any setbacks. But once he is healthy, Brooks will be the three-down back for the Panthers, getting plenty of playing time in that role.

Jeff Paur is a two-time finalist for FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year and won the FSWA award for Best Fantasy Football Article on the Web in 2011. He also was the most accurate expert in 2012, winning the FSTA Fantasy Football Accuracy Award. If you have any questions for Jeff, email him at [email protected]. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffpaur.

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Hot Plays, Fades and Sleepers: Week 6

Player Notes
Hunter Henry Oct 11 11:50pm CT
Hunter Henry

New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry lacks much fantasy appeal heading into Week 6 against the Houston Texans, but he could see a slight boost in his value with Drake Maye installed as the team's new starting quarterback over Jacoby Brissett. Tight ends are typically productive when playing with backup or rookie quarterbacks because their height, physicality, and shorter routes make them a valuable security option for signal-callers who need some help in the short passing game. As a result, even though Henry has more than two catches in just one game this season, he should jump into the low-end TE2 tier as he supports Maye in his first NFL start.

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Aaron Rodgers Oct 11 11:50pm CT
Aaron Rodgers

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (ankle) was limited in Friday's practice. He was also limited on Thursday because of a sprained ankle suffered during the loss to the Minnesota Vikings. However, barring a setback, the signal-caller should be good to go for Monday's divisional clash with the Buffalo Bills. Rodgers hasn't had the best 2024-25 campaign, throwing for 1,093 yards, seven touchdowns, and four interceptions while completing 61.0% of his throws. With the Jets looking for answers, the team resorted to firing Robert Saleh and naming Jeff Ulbrich as the interim head coach. But unless things change on the offensive side of the ball for New York moving ahead, Rodgers is a shaky fantasy option in any format.

From RotoBaller

Tyler Conklin Oct 11 11:50pm CT
Tyler Conklin

New York Jets tight end Tyler Conklin (hip) logged another limited practice on Friday. The 29-year-old picked up a hip injury during Sunday's loss to the Vikings in London. However, he is expected to suit up in the Monday night divisional clash with the Buffalo Bills, barring a setback. Conklin hasn't been a consistent fantasy tight end this season. Yet, he's had five or more catches in two of the Jets' five games this season. Although he's still a risky fantasy option in any format, especially if Aaron Rodgers (ankle) doesn't play, the upside is there for those in need of a streaming option in Week 6.

From RotoBaller

Joey Slye Oct 11 11:50pm CT
Joey Slye

New England Patriots kicker Joey Slye finds himself off the fantasy radar heading into Week 6 against the Houston Texans. Slye had a promising start to the season, but now he's 9-for-11 on field goals, averaging fewer than two made three-point tries per game. He does have a powerful leg that can generate plenty of distance, which could be helpful this week if New England's Drake Maye-led offense can't get too far beyond midfield. On the other hand, the Texans are a powerful team and enter this weekend as heavy favorites, so scoring opportunities could be few and far between for New England. All in all, Slye has shown flashes of promise, but his field goal percentage and matchup make him tough to trust as a streamer heading into Sunday's contest.

From RotoBaller

Demario Douglas Oct 11 11:40pm CT
Demario Douglas

New England Patriots wide receiver Demario Douglas has been peppered with targets lately, and that trend should continue when he faces the Houston Texans at home in Week 6. The 23-year-old receiver has nine targets in two of his last three games, and he's averaging seven targets per game over the last three weeks. His production has been solid while catching passes from Jacoby Brissett, and he figures to get a boost with Drake Maye taking over as the Patriots' starting quarterback this Sunday. While wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk has started to emerge as the top wide receiver in New England, Douglas remains a high-volume pass-catcher with significant appeal in PPR leagues. He remains a WR3/FLEX play in leagues with at least 14 teams.

From RotoBaller

Antonio Gibson Oct 11 11:30pm CT
Antonio Gibson

New England Patriots running back Antonio Gibson will start against the Houston Texans in Week 6 with Rhamondre Stevenson (foot) already ruled out. Gibson is on track to make his second consecutive start, but this time, he won't have to worry about Stevenson overtaking him early in the game. The former Commanders running back has the top role in the backfield all to himself, and his versatility as a runner and pass-catcher make him an appealing option in all fantasy leagues, regardless of scoring format. Gibson is averaging 69 scrimmage yards per game over the last four weeks but is still looking for his first touchdown of the 2024 season. It should be noted that the Patriots made a quarterback change this week, replacing Jacoby Brissett with No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye. While Maye is less proven and could face some adversity behind a porous offensive line, he also has higher upside while leading New England's offense. Gibson ranks as a RB3/FLEX in fantasy football this week.

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Christian Kirk Oct 11 11:30pm CT
Christian Kirk

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk is still a decent starting option in a Week 6 trip to London, but is a bit risky of a play against a tough Chicago Bears secondary. With the potential returns of wide receiver Gabe Davis and tight end Evan Engram, Kirk could suddenly have much more competition for targets. He still should serve as a good intermediate passing option for Trevor Lawrence, but he doesn't quite have the big play potential of Brian Thomas Jr., or the ability to be a mismatch like Engram. Kirk seems to have a decent floor after settling in over the past three weeks, but his upside should be limited. As long as Trevor Lawrence can move the ball somewhat, he should be fine fantasy-wise. Kirk fantasy managers should try to find higher upside options for their flex if they can, but they can do much worse than the veteran receiver in Week 6.

From RotoBaller

Rashod Bateman Oct 11 11:30pm CT
Rashod Bateman

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman (groin) will suit up for Sunday's matchup with the Commanders. The 24-year-old didn't practice on Wednesday and was limited in Thursday's session. Fortunately, he was back on Friday, clearing him for Week 6. Washington has struggled against opposing wideouts in 2024-25. Still, Bateman's fantasy success is contingent mainly on whether or not he'll find the end zone, considering he has three or fewer catches in four games this season. However, he at least garners flex consideration for the favorable matchup.

From RotoBaller

Ja'Lynn Polk Oct 11 11:30pm CT
Ja'Lynn Polk

New England Patriots wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk will look to capitalize on expanded opportunities while catching passes from Drake Maye, who was installed as the team's starting quarterback over Jacoby Brissett heading into Week 6. Polk got off to a slow start early in his rookie campaign but has come around strong lately, commanding 13 targets over his last two games. He played every single offensive snap last Sunday, caught his first career touchdown in Week 2, and almost had another score in Week 5 if not for his foot just barely stepping out of bounds. We don't know exactly what type of role Polk will have in his first game with Maye, but he's trending toward becoming the Patriots' No. 1 receiver. He's worth deploying as a WR3 in deep fantasy leagues, but managers must remember he has a low floor.

From RotoBaller

Drake Maye Oct 11 11:20pm CT
Drake Maye

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, who was the No. 3 overall pick in 2024 and is slated to make his first career start in Week 6 against the Houston Texans, has undeniable upside but is not yet a worthwhile option in most fantasy football leagues. Maye takes over the reins of the Patriots after Jacoby Brissett led them to a 1-4 start, but he could face some initial adversity throwing to an uninspiring wide receiver corps behind one of the NFL's most porous offensive lines. Rhamondre Stevenson (foot) is also sidelined this week, leaving New England without one of its most productive offensive playmakers. In the end, Maye, who played a few snaps at the end of Week 4 against the New York Jets, could inject some life into the Patriots' offense but doesn't project to play well enough to justify adding him in redraft leagues.

From RotoBaller

Gus Edwards Oct 11 11:20pm CT
Gus Edwards

Los Angeles Chargers running back Gus Edwards (ankle) won't suit up for Sunday's meeting with the Denver Broncos. He didn't practice on Wednesday and Thursday, so fantasy managers had a feeling things were heading in this direction. However, with his absence on Friday, the door was closed regarding his availability for Week 6. The 29-year-old played nearly as many snaps as J.K. Dobbins in Weeks 1 and 2. But his workload declined in the Chargers' previous two contests. With Dobbins the clear No. 1 option on the depth chart, Edwards' potential has significantly decreased, so he wouldn't have been a viable fantasy option even if he was healthy. With that in mind, his absence will allow Dobbins to get even more work, with Hassan Haskins expected to pick up the residual scraps from the backfield.

From RotoBaller

Kyle Pitts Oct 11 11:10pm CT
Kyle Pitts

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts is coming off a season-best output of seven catches for 88 yards versus Tampa Bay in Week 5, but the third-year player put up a goose egg the week before without recording a single catch, so he's a bit hard to trust. Still, with how poor tight end production has been so far in 2024, you likely need to keep starting him in season-long leagues. The good news is that his Week 6 opponent, the Carolina Panthers, has generally defended the pass poorly and allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to TEs so far. The bad news is that the only two touchdowns they've allowed to TEs both came in Week 1, so they've been a bit stingier the last four weeks, and with the Falcons as six-point favorites, there may not be as much of a need to go to the air in this game. Pitts profiles as low-end TE1 in Week 6, with as much upside as he has downside.

From RotoBaller

Justin Herbert Oct 11 11:10pm CT
Justin Herbert

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (ankle) no longer carries an injury designation heading into the AFC West clash with the Broncos. The signal-caller was limited at practice on Wednesday and Thursday because of an ankle injury. However, he's made progress and logged a full session on Friday, clearing the way for his availability. Herbert has struggled without Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Austin Ekeler no longer on the roster. While he's only thrown one interception, he hasn't tossed for more than 179 yards in a game this season. Unfortunately, Herbert doesn't have much fantasy value outside of multi-quarterback setups in Week 6. That will remain true unless he turns things around, although that may not happen soon.

From RotoBaller

Brian Thomas Jr. Oct 11 11:10pm CT
Brian Thomas Jr.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. is too talented to bench despite a tough Week 6 matchup with the Chicago Bears in London. BTJ is coming off a five-catch, 122-yard, and one-touchdown performance against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5. Although the Colts secondary is one of the worst in the league while the Bears secondary is one of the best, fantasy managers should not overthink it and bench the rookie receiver. Gabe Davis and Evan Engram might return from injury this Sunday, but given how well BTJ has been playing, it is hard to imagine Trevor Lawrence stops looking his way. Even if the offense struggles or Lawrence spreads the ball around more, the first-round pick out of LSU has proven he can produce chunk plays that can salvage his fantasy day instantly. After an 85-yard touchdown against the Colts, BTJ's fantasy managers should be eagerly awaiting another big touchdown in Week 6, even against a top Bears secondary.

From RotoBaller

Tank Bigsby Oct 11 11:00pm CT
Tank Bigsby

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby has decent upside in Week 6 against the Chicago Bears in London. Bigsby is coming off 101 rushing yards against the Colts, and with Travis Etienne Jr. banged up, could be in for another big day this Sunday. He faces the Bears strong defense, but they are better against the pass than the run. The Jaguars may try to run the ball early and often, meaning utilizing Bigsby in what could be a timeshare with Etienne Jr. Bigsby's upside comes with the potential of Etienne Jr. missing the game altogether or at least being limited even more than last week. The young back out of Ole Miss has shown capable of producing with limited production, so fantasy managers should be intrigued to see what he can do with more opportunities. Bigsby serves as a high-risk, high-reward option for fantasy managers at the shallow running back position in Week 6.

From RotoBaller

Evan Engram Oct 11 10:30pm CT
Evan Engram

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram has a decent chance to return in Week 6 from a hamstring injury after limited practices all week. The Jaguars face the Chicago Bears, who bring an elite secondary to London. Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars offense haven't been great since the veteran tight end got injured in warmups before Week 2, so his presence as a mismatch should be a huge help. Engram is still questionable so fantasy managers should have a backup plan ready, such as Jacksonville backup tight end Brenton Strange, but if Engram does play, it would be hard to bench him given the lack of alternatives at tight end. The Jaguars may struggle to move the ball, but given their porous defense, they could be throwing the ball a lot. That likely means plenty of opportunities for Engram to make an impact. As long as he's healthy come Sunday, fantasy managers should be fine starting Engram in Week 6.

From RotoBaller

Chris Boswell Oct 11 10:10pm CT
Chris Boswell

Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Chris Boswell was not very involved in last week's loss to the Cowboys but could be in line for more opportunities against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 6. The Raiders are allowing the fifth-most points to opposing offenses as well as the third-most fantasy points to kickers this season. While the Steelers struggled offensively in Week 5, they should be able to move the ball and put Boswell in a position to score on Sunday. Despite his hot start to the campaign, it's clear at this point that Boswell is not going to put up elite numbers on a weekly basis, but he can be trusted in favorable matchups. The 33-year-old should be viewed as a solid starting option this week.

From RotoBaller

Drake London Oct 11 10:10pm CT
Drake London

After a dud opening week (2-15-0), Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London had exactly six catches in three straight games and averaged 62 yards per game over the three games leading up to last week's explosion versus Tampa Bay for 12-154-1. Through five weeks, the 23-year-old has tallied the seventh-most targets (44) in the league, third-most receptions (32), and a 26.35% target share as the No.1 receiver in the Falcons' air attack. The product out of USC goes up against the Panthers in Week 6, a defense that ranks in the bottom third in reception yards allowed and has surrendered a league-worst 11 touchdown receptions. Carolina recently yielded a 3-85-1 line to Ja'Marr Chase and 5-105-2 line to DJ Moore, but has also been vulnerable to receivers with height, such as Quentin Johnston and Tee Higgins. The Falcons are six-point favorites and should be playing with a lead, but London will garner enough attention to be considered a WR1 this week.

From RotoBaller

Pat Freiermuth Oct 11 9:40pm CT
Pat Freiermuth

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth (calf) was listed as a full participant for the Steelers' final practice of the week. Freiermuth popped up on the team's injury report on Thursday with a calf designation, but it appears to have only been a minor issue. The 25-year-old is set to resume his TE1 duties when Pittsburgh hits the road to take on the Raiders in Las Vegas. Despite having yet to clear 57 yards in any contest, the former second-round pick has at least four receptions in all but one outing and a touchdown in two straight, working his way to a TE7 ranking in PPR formats. Freiermuth ranks second on his team in targets (23), receptions (20), and yards (178) and has scored the most touchdowns (2) of any Pittsburgh pass-catcher. He'll be a back-end TE1 in the road matchup and is RotoBaller's TE10 in this week's rankings.

From RotoBaller

Tee Higgins Oct 11 9:40pm CT
Tee Higgins

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins missed the first two games of the 2024-25 campaign due to injury. He was quiet in Weeks 3 and 4. However, the wideout had a stellar showing in the Week 5 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, finishing with nine catches (14 targets) for 83 yards and two touchdowns. While Ja'Marr Chase is the top target for Joe Burrow, Higgins is still one of the best wide receivers in the National Football League. Keep him starting in Week 6 versus the New York Giants.

From RotoBaller