The NFL season is officially upon us. Both the Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears started training camp last week and the rest of the NFL teams start some time this week. We are going to give you a run down of the biggest storylines coming out of camps and what the fantasy impacts are. Be sure to check back each week for our weekly NFL Training Camp Fantasy Reviews.
1. Joe Mixon has reportedly lost weight and is down to 225 pounds from 238 pounds last year.Â
Fantasy Impact:Â Mixon was an extremely shifty back coming out of college and he didn’t quite show it in his first season in the NFL. Slimming down fits his play style and helps improve his elusiveness. We have seen running backs in the past lose weight and perform better the following year such as Le’Veon Bell following his rookie year. Mixon is set to enter the season as the Bengals lead back with Giovani Bernard being the third down back.
2. Matt Nagy said Jordan Howard has the talent to be a three down player not just an early down back.
Fantasy Impact:Â Howard is viewed as the Bears first and second down back by most of the fantasy community with Tarik Cohen being the primary receiving/third down back. Howard posted 29 receptions on 50 targets his rookie year and 23 receptions on 32 targets in 2017. We have yet to see Howard show he is a viable pass catcher out of the backfield, but if he can improve in that area he would be a locked in RB1 on the season. My view is that this is Nagy not wanting to put down his starting running back and I expect Cohen to be the primary receiving back this season.
3. Second-round wide receiver Anthony Miller is impressing early in Bears camp and is running routes in the slot, outside, and even out of the backfield
Fantasy Impact:Â The Bears brought in both Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel this offseason to rebuild their wide receiver corps. They also drafted Miller in the second round and he should not be forgotten. Miller set school records at Memphis in college and has the talent to come in and produce in the NFL right away. He has just as much time to build a connection with Mitchell Trubisky as the other receivers the Bears brought in and could become his favorite target in camp with Robinson still banged up.
4. Alex Collins reportedly is being seen as the unquestioned feature back for the Baltimore Ravens
Fantasy Impact:Â There wasn’t too much concern that the starting gig wasn’t Collins to lose, but Kenneth Dixon returning from injury has been a story all offseason. Collins has reportedly put on five pounds of muscle and is playing at 205 pounds this year. He finished strong last year with 49 or more rushing yards in all but one of the final seven weeks of the season. He also scored a touchdown in five of those seven final games. Collins fantasy value is dependent on Dixon being nothing more than a third down back.
5. Lamar Jackson has reportedly looked good in camp so far, but this is Joe Flacco‘s team
Fantasy Impact:Â Jackson had a different draft experience with some NFL teams wanting to draft him to play wide receiver. The Ravens however drafted him to be their future quarterback, but that still seems a ways off. While Jackson has looked good in camp there is reportedly only been talk of how this is Flacco’s job and the Ravens don’t expect him to lose it anytime soon. Jackson would be a major fantasy value with his running ability, but for now he should be undrafted in fantasy leagues.
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