Los Angeles Rams running back Jarquez Hunter was a fourth-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft after a fantastic final season at Auburn. This offseason, the Rams coaching staff is pleased with his attention to detail and the way he has picked up the team's playbook. "He's a young man that's very focused on making sure he's doing exactly what we need him to do in order for him to take that next step," running backs coach Ron Gould said. "And then I was just very surprised at how quickly he picked up everything." The rookie will surely begin the season behind Pro Bowl running back Kyren Williams, but Williams struggled with explosiveness in 2024, posting just two 20-plus-yard runs on 316 carries. Meanwhile, Hunter ranked second nationally in runs of 10-plus yards per carry in 2024. With Blake Corum struggling to make an impact last year, Hunter could be the favorite to win the RB2 role. And if Williams continues to lack big-play upside, we could see a healthy mix of Hunter as a change-of-pace back. If he's the clear RB2 in Los Angeles, he has potential league-winning upside in the case of Williams injury.

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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins said in an episode of the Netflix series "Quarterback" that he felt "a little bit misled" when the Falcons took Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall in the 2024 NFL draft. It came just after Atlanta signed Cousins to a contract worth at least $100 million guaranteed to be their starter in 2024 and beyond. "I had no reason to leave Minnesota with how much we loved it there if both teams are going to be drafting a quarterback high," Cousins said. The 36-year-old led the team to a 6-3 start before injuring his right shoulder. After that, the Falcons lost four straight games, with Cousins throwing eight interceptions and no touchdowns in that stretch. He was eventually benched in Week 16 for Penix, who heads into 2025 as the unquestioned starter, with Cousins backing him up. Cousins could get traded during training camp, but for now he's useless in fantasy as a backup.

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Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson said that the team has "outlandish goals" for the rushing totals in 2025, even after they lost 20% of their starting offensive line from last year. Robinson was third in the league in rushing in 2024 with 1,456 yards on 304 carries, and he's just one of four RBs with more than 2,400 rushing yards the last two seasons. Tyler Allgeier was 32nd in the NFL with 644 yards on 137 carries last year. If the Falcons' ground game is going to improve, it will primarily need to come through the air, and the coaching staff is optimistic that quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will make strides in his second year in the league. "As many times as we can get the ball in his hands, we're going to do it," Penix said about Robinson. Saquon Barkley is going to be the first RB drafted in most fantasy leagues, but Robinson should be right behind him as the workhorse for a likely run-first offense in Atlanta.

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Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson seems confident that rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III (undisclosed) will be good to go for the start of training camp later this month, according to The Athletic's Kevin Fishbain. Burden was unavailable to take part in any of OTAs or minicamp this offseason after the Bears took him at No. 39 overall in April's NFL draft. The 21-year-old pass-catcher lost valuable development time heading into his first year in the NFL, but the good news is he should be ready to go when training camp kicks off this summer. Burden will be competing for the WR3 role in Chicago behind DJ Moore and second-year wideout Rome Odunze. The Bears also have tight ends Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland, too, so there are plenty of mouths to feed in head coach Ben Johnson's offense. Burden was very productive in college, but don't expect a heavy workload in his first year in the NFL.

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Folks have speculated that Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet is a potential trade chip ever since the team took Colston Loveland in the first round back in April. The Bears' depth chart at TE might look top-heavy right now, but The Athletic's Kevin Fishbain says he's unsure why the Bears would trade Kmet at this point. Kmet is only 26, his contract isn't in the top 10 at his position, and new head coach Ben Johnson hasn't been coy about his excitement to use 12 personnel with Kmet and Loveland on the field together. Kmet had career-highs in yards per target and catch percentage in 2024 with 47 receptions, 474 yards and four touchdowns in 17 games (16 starts). He was efficient, but the overall numbers regressed from his 2023 campaign. The addition of Loveland certainly adds more competition for targets and gives Kmet less fantasy intrigue, but he could still be a big part of Chicago's offense.

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Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan is hoping for a more balanced approach to the running game in 2025 between running backs Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears, writes ESPN's Turron Davenport. Pollard had a career-high 260 carries -- more than twice as many as Spears -- and gained 1,079 yards on the ground in 2024. "In a perfect world, it's a healthier division of labor [between Pollard and Spears]," Callahan said. Spears was expected to contribute much more alongside Pollard last year, but he missed five games due to a concussion, ankle sprain and hamstring injury. Some of the Titans' distribution in the backfield in 2025 will include either Julius Chestnut or rookie Kalel Mullings. Pollard has never been more efficient than when he shared the load with Ezekiel Elliott in Dallas, but an inevitable drop in workload this year means fantasy managers need to target him as an RB2 and not as an RB1.

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Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver is "going to have to earn his chances," according to Daniel Popper of The Athletic. Popper notes that the team added significant competition at outside receiver this offseason, signing veteran Mike Williams as well as drafting Tre' Harris (second round) and Keandre Lambert-Smith (fifth round). Popper previously reported that Johnston was working with the first-team offense during mandatory minicamp, so it appears as though he's still entering training camp as a starter. Johnston tallied 55 receptions for 711 yards and eight touchdowns in 15 games for the Chargers last season. He'll need regular playing time to be relevant in fantasy, so his role in Los Angeles is one to monitor over the remainder of the summer.

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Cordarrelle Patterson could be "on the outside looking in" in regards to the team's backfield mix, according to Mike DeFabo of The Athletic. The 34-year-old Patterson appeared in 13 games for Pittsburgh last season, serving as both a kick returner and a gadget piece on offense (215 yards from scrimmage on 44 total touches). The Steelers added rookie Kaleb Johnson in the draft and former Philadelphia Eagles' back Kenneth Gainwell in free agency, so there is increased competition in the running back room. Patterson does have a history with Pittsburgh play-caller Arthur Smith dating back to their time together in Atlanta, which might make it more likely that he's still in the Steelers' 2025 plans.

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Cleveland Browns rookie quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel may be battling each other "potentially for a roster spot," according to Zac Jackson of The Athletic. Although the Browns have an open competition for starting quarterback duties entering training camp, Jackson writes he would be "stunned" if either rookie can win the job. Cleveland used a third-round pick on Gabriel and a fifth-round pick on Sanders in this year's draft, so it would be surprising to see either player fail to make the roster. However, the Browns have two veteran options in Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett who both appear to be ahead Gabriel and Sanders on the depth chart.

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New York Giants wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson wants more opportunities to line up on the outside and make plays downfield, according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic. Robinson almost exclusively received short-area targets in 2024, finishing the year with 93 receptions for just 699 yards. His 4.8-yard ADOT ranked 138th out of 141 receivers with a minimum of 100 routes run. For what it's worth, Duggan notes that Robinson's role did not appear to be much different during the Giants' spring workouts. Even if the 24-year-old Robinson gets a few more chances down the field, he still figures to be significantly more valuable to fantasy managers in PPR than in standard-scoring formats. He finished the 2024 season as WR46 in PPR per-game scoring but WR65 in standard leagues.

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Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams is known to be looking for a contract extension, but the team "will not pay top-market for a running back," according to Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic. Williams is entering the fourth and final year of his rookie contract in 2025. He's coming off a highly productive 2024 in which he gained 1,481 yards from scrimmage and scored 16 total touchdowns. The Rams also leaned on Williams quite heavily, as he played over 700 more snaps than the team's next-highest usage back (Blake Corum). Los Angeles used a fourth-round pick in this year's draft on former Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter, but he seems unlikely to push Williams for RB1 status as a rookie. Rodrigue notes that Rams management has signed players to extensions during training camp in the past, so this is one to continue to monitor as the summer wears on.

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Houston Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk was dealt from the division rival Jacksonville Jaguars for a late-round NFL Draft pick this offseason. The 28-year-old had a fantastic first season with Jacksonville in 2022, but injuries and offensive woes limited his production in 2023 and 2024. Last year, he tallied just 27 receptions for 379 yards and one score in eight games while Brian Thomas Jr. took over the WR1 role. Now in Houston, he is seemingly competing with rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel for the WR2 job behind Nico Collins. ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime believes Kirk might be the favorite to win that job. "The best way to step into the No. 2 or No. 3 role is building chemistry with CJ.. Stroud," Bien-Aime wrote. "And Kirk looked like a potential safety blanket for the third-year signal-caller." While this is promising for Kirk's fantasy prospects, the veteran has eclipsed 800 yards in just two of his seven NFL campaigns, and Houston's acquisitions of Higgins and Noel could suggest they were not comfortable with Kirk in the clear WR2 role. That said, his cost in drafts outside the top 50 WRs makes him an interesting dart throw in all formats.

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According to Zac Jackson of The Athletic, Cleveland Browns veteran running back Jerome Ford is likely to open the 2025 season in the RB1 role. The team just selected former Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins and former Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson in the first four rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, so this backfield could be difficult to navigate for fantasy football purposes. However, Ford's familiarity with Kevin Stefanski and his pro experience could give him the early nod. The 25-year-old has flashed at times over the last two seasons, compiling 308 carries for 1,378 yards and seven touchdowns. However, the Browns' selecting two rookie running backs should tell us they are not all that satisfied with Ford as the unquestioned RB1. Even if he starts the season as the touch-leader in the backfield, this will likely be a fluid situation based on which Cleveland ball carrier performs well in the preseason and during the regular season. With the Nick Chubb era officially over, the Browns backfield is being reshaped, and one of Ford, Judkins, or Sampson could be a tremendous value pick.

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Tennessee Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo has flashed on occasion during his three-year NFL career, but tight ends often take time to develop, and Tennessee's offense has been well below league average since the start of the 2022 campaign. The former fourth-round pick out of Maryland has tallied 138 receptions (193 targets) for 1,457 yards and six touchdowns in 51 career games. Heading into Year 4, Titans beat writer Jim Wyatt believes he is "poised" for his best season as a pro. He now has valuable experience, and he'll enter the year with momentum after finishing the 2024 season on a roll," Wyatt wrote. "Okonkwo finished the year third on the team with 52 catches for 479 yards and two scores. The Titans are counting on big things from Okonkwo after a solid offseason, when I charted him with a team-high 13 catches during the five open practices." While it's tough to get too excited about a mid-level tight end catching passes from a rookie quarterback, there is a low bar for Cam Ward to have the best season of any Tennessee signal-caller since Okonkwo arrived in Nashville. At his TE26 cost in preseason fantasy drafts, he's worth a dart throw given the lack of target competition behind receiver Calvin Ridley.

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The Atlanta Falcons selected former Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and many believed he could have been an early Day 2 pick after collecting 13 interceptions, 18 pass deflections, and two fumble recoveries in his final two collegiate seasons. Heading into his rookie campaign, it's safe to say the team is high on the 23-year-old. "X is one of the smartest players I have ever watched at safety," Falcons area scout Ryan Doyal said. "It's like, man, he's in the right place at the right time. But then he just keeps doing it. And then he comes back for another year, and he does the exact same thing again." Atlanta already has one of the premier safeties in the NFL, Jessie Bates III, so Watts panning out would form a dangerous duo for the Falcons' rebuilt defense.

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Tennessee Titans wide receiver Xavier Restrepo is working out with NFL star pass-catchers Ja'Marr Chase, Tyreek Hill, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and more at Chad Johnson's Wideout Workshop this week. The undrafted free agent out of Miami has impressed this offseason while catching passes from his college quarterback, Cam Ward, and learning from some of the best in the business can't hurt his chances to succeed. The 23-year-old logged back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons to end his Hurricanes career, but his poor NFL Combine performance led to him going undrafted. While any UDFA has an uphill battle to make a 53-man roster, having previous chemistry with Ward gives him a leg up, and the Titans' wideout room is arguably the worst in the NFL behind Calvin Ridley.

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Tennessee Titans WR Calvin Ridley moves and cuts in a way that rookie QB Cam Ward has never seen any receiver move and cut before. '(Ridley is) different. How he moves, everything. Now that I see what a receiver is supposed to be like, that's why I'm glad that Eli (Elic Ayomanor), Chim (Chimere Dike), Strep (Xavier Restrepo), Bryce (Oliver), all the guys in that room, I'm glad they got him because I ain't never threw to no receiver like him, who move like him, can cut like him ... he ain't selfish either. He wants the rookies, all of us, to do better than him because he's gonna end up getting his one-on-ones,' Ward said recently. Ridley's career has become a bit of an odyssey in recently, most of which is through no fault of his own. The primary thing that held him back last year was lackluster quarterback play. In 2023, he was forced into more of an X role due to injuries when his skill set is a better fit as a 'Z.' He missed 2022 due to a gambling suspension and only played five games the season before, making his 90-1,374-9 season in 2020 a bit of a distant memory. With Ward expected to raise the level of quarterback play in Tennessee, Ridley could easily be a top-20 receiver in fantasy this season.

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Pittsburgh Steelers CB Darius Slay (knee) has a knee issue that is enough of a concern that a source recently told insider Adam Caplan on Fox Sports Radio that it could impact how he runs this season. 'As I'm told, one of his knees is a concern. He actually had arthroscopic surgery on it late in 2023. He's got great length, and he was super fast coming out of Mississippi State. You have to wonder how well he can run. ... You never know when a guy's going to lose it, and they could lose it in an instant,' Caplan said.

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According to Broncos beat writer Cody Roark of Mike High Sports, recently acquired running back J.K. Dobbins "will likely be the starter" to open the 2025 campaign. Dobbins came back from a brutal run of injuries, including a torn Achilles, to rush for 905 yards and nine touchdowns for the Los Angeles Chargers last season. The Broncos signed him to a one-year deal following the 2025 NFL Draft. During the draft, the organization selected UCF running back RJ Harvey in the second round, and Roark said he will also have an extensive role. While this only adds more confusion to what could be a complicated backfield, early-offseason beat reports and camp information should be taken with a grain of salt. Both Broncos running backs have upside, but Harvey should be viewed as the high-ceiling pick. After all, Dobbins averaged just 3.8 yards per carry after Weeks 1 and 2 a season ago.

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The Miami Dolphins have officially agreed to send a 2026 sixth-round draft selection in exchange for former New York Giants tight end Darren Waller and a conditional 2027 seventh-round pick, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. This trade seemingly came out of nowhere, directly following the announcement that Miami had traded Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Waller posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2019 and 2020, but he did not eclipse 700 yards in 2021, 2022, and 2023 before taking the 2024 season off. While he should not be expected to be a high-end TE1, the tight end spot is always shallow, meaning he could find his way onto the fantasy football radar in 2025. A mid-range TE2 or even low-end TE1 season is not out of the realm of possibilities. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle present fierce target competition, but they also open the middle of the field up with their explosive skill sets.

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