Fantasy News

Nyheim Hines could have a Dexter McCluster/Darren Sproles type of role for the Colts.

Andrew Walker of Colts.com notes that new Colts head coach Frank Reich had Darren Sproles in Philadelphia, while new Colts offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni had Dexter McCluster in Kansas City, and Hines could have a similar role to them to start his career. Reich previously said the team had their eye on Hines “from the very start” and added, “the history of what our offensive staff has done together with some elite speed guys, it was very easy to picture him in our offense.” There’s certainly a chance Hines becomes a guy that carries the ball more than McCluster and Sproles; but McCluster’s career-high in carries was 114, and Sproles has never topped 100 carries in a season. However, if Hines is heavily involved in the passing game—and he’s lined up all over the place during the offseason—a lot of his fantasy value could come through the air. So the rookie is a very explosive player that could potentially do a lot of damage this season, but he might not be a big threat to Marlon Mack and others as the team’s leading ball-carrier. A lot can change throughout training camp, though, and Indy’s backfield is one to keep a close eye on.

Via: Colts.com 7/11/18 - 08:57 AM ET

Adam Gase says Frank Gore “looks exactly the same” as he did ten years ago.

Gase and Gore were together in 2008, when Gore was still with the 49ers and Gase was an offensive assistant with the team. Clearly, Gase does not care about Gore’s age, as he says he’s “irrelevant” because Gore is “a different dude.” The production of the veteran running back is undeniable, as the 35-year-old has had over 1,200 yards from scrimmage every season since 2006, his second year in the NFL. Gore wasn’t just brought in as a good veteran presence for a young running back room, as he’ll help take some of the pressure and workload off Kenyan Drake. In an offense that could run the ball a lot this season, Gore has some potential FLEX or even RB2 upside in 2018.

Via: Palm Beach Post 7/9/18 - 09:09 AM ET

Jordan Howard says he’s going to fix his catching issues.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Howard said: “It started being a problem in high school, just not having my hands in the right position. I didn’t work on it that much in college because we didn’t really throw to the backs that much. But I’m going to fix it.” Howard has a respectable 52 receptions through two NFL seasons, and this talk of him not being able to catch the ball is probably a bit overblown; however, it’s still great to hear he thinks it’s an area he can improve at and intends to work at. Howard’s role as a runner in Chicago’s offense isn’t in question, and improved ability as a receiver would help him stay on the field more.

Via: Chicago Tribune 7/10/18 - 08:03 PM ET

The Dolphins don’t want Kenyan Drake to have to handle most of the carries.

Dolphins head coach Adam Gase said they’ll figure out the workload between their running backs in what is a long season: “We got caught in a couple of situations last year where Kenyan was the only guy we had and he had to take the majority of the carries. Really, that’s not what we want over a 16-game season. That’s going to be tough. We’ll make sure that we spread this thing out well. We’ll use both guys the right way.” Hal Habib of the PalmBeachPost does say that Drake is expected to be the feature back, but clearly Gore is going to get work. Gase says Gore’s age (35 this season) is “irrelevant” because “he’s a different dude.” Miami also brought in Kalen Ballage, who has apparently impressed so far, with a fourth-round pick in this year’s draft. The Dolphins probably want to run the ball a lot this season in an up-tempo attack, so there should be enough work for Drake to make a big fantasy impact. However, it’s unlikely he’s a true workhorse in 2018 as long as everyone in the backfield stays healthy.

Via: Palm Beach Post 7/9/18 - 09:02 AM ET

Mike Jurecki of AZCardinals.com says Ricky Seals-Jones is his breakout pick this season.

Jurecki tweeted: “My #AZCardinals breakout offensive player this upcoming season. His targets should be a lot higher this year with an expanded role. He’s still working on becoming a better blocker.” Seals-Jones flashed major upside as an undrafted free agent last season, and he could be set to be Arizona’s lead tight end in 2018, especially with veteran Jermaine Gresham’s status for Week 1 uncertain because of an Achilles injury. The 23-year-old could have TE1 upside this season, and he’s worth owning in dynasty leagues.

Via: Mike Jurecki 7/8/18 - 11:35 AM ET

Kelvin Benjamin has looked “night and day” compared to last season.

Dominic LoVallo of BuffaloBills.com outlined why he believes Benjamin could have a big jump in production in his first full season with the Bills. LoVallo writes that the fourth-year receiver is now healthy and that “during OTAs Benjamin looked leaner, faster, stronger and he looks like he can jump a lot higher.” Benjamin says he couldn’t even bend his right leg last season and “it was bad,” but he would tough it out and do his best. LoVallo also says Benjamin “will get number one receiver targets” this season. In 2017 between Carolina and Buffalo, Benjamin had just 78 targets, catching 48 passes for 692 yards and three touchdowns. In his first two NFL seasons (aside from 2015 when he missed the year due to a torn ACL), Benjamin had lines of 73/1,008/9 and 63/941/7. If Benjamin is indeed night and day compared to last season, he should his numbers a lot closer to starting fantasy WR production in 2018.

Via: BuffaloBills.com 7/6/18 - 07:49 AM ET

Arizona’s new offense could be similar to the Patriots’ offense.

Mike Jurecki of AZCardinals.com tweeted that new offensive coordinator Mike McCoy “installed a new playbook will be committed to the running the ball, 3-step drops, protecting the edges with FB/TE. It could be similar to Patriots/McDaniels offense. Quality hire by Wilks.” Running the ball is something the Cardinals have said they are going to really emphasize this season, but this offense potentially being similar to New England’s is really interesting. New Cardinals quarterback Sam Bradford is a perfect fit for a Patriots-type of offense, as he fits a similar mold to Tom Brady as a guy that can stand in the pocket and slice up defenses as well as get rid of the ball quickly with pinpoint accuracy. The Cardinals might really surprise some people this season, and Bradford could put up bigger numbers than most expect if he stays healthy.

Via: Mike Jurecki 7/5/18 - 11:44 AM ET