Houston Texans

The obvious choice is the Texans, they made it to the Divisional Round with a rookie quarterback. C.J. Stroud is now heading into his second year. The acquisition of Stefon Diggs certainly boosts the offensive firepower. If Stroud continues on this track I certainly expect Super Bowl contention.

Cleveland Browns

The Browns have had an elite defense for a couple years now. The problem has been offensive production, with Deshaun Watson struggling a bit and the injury to Nick Chubb it wasn’t very good last year. This year Watson can deliver and make this team a Super Bowl caliber one. Kevin Stefanski will find a way to bring some sort of production out of Watson.

Chicago Bears

By no means is Chicago a sure-fire Super Bowl contender. I do think they have the pieces to be a serious playoff contender and even in a weak NFC conference anything can happen. Caleb Williams has all the tools needed to perform in Keenan Allen, D.J. Moore, D’Andre Swift and two stud tackles. Regarding the defensive the Bears locked down cornerback Jaylon Johnson earlier this year. 

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Caleb Williams to Chicago

After the block buster move to send Justin Fields to Pittsburgh, it’s more clear than ever that Caleb Williams will be the guy in Chicago. In years past, this would be considered a bad situation to go to, but with one of the best WR duos in the league (Keenan Allen and D.J. Moore) the pressure is on for Williams to perform. Williams is the most NFL ready QB and the clear #1 prospect in this draft.

Drake Maye to Washington.

Drake Maye is one of my favorite prospects in the draft. His big arm and big production makes him a Josh-Allen esque talent. More teams everyday are taking a chances on big talent big risk guys after seeing how well it has worked out. Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson should produce very well for Maye.

The only downside to his game is the turnovers, 9 INT’s and 4 particularly in the last 3 games of 2023 is definitely concerning, but it would be criminal to pass on him at 2. 

Marvin Harrison Jr. to the Patriots.

Marvin Harrison is probably the best non-QB prospect in this draft. The patriots having many holes to fill in this roster should just take the best player available. The route of going QB is interesting but the question remains if you want to throw a rookie QB into a bad situation so early on. 

Malik Nabers to the Cardinals

Nabers would be an electric addition to the WR-needy Cardinals. Kyler Murray’s production would skyrocket with Nabers and could seriously upgrade the Cardinals offensively, the option of trading down always remains of course, but going with Nabers seems like the smart choice.

Jayden Daniels to the Vikings (Trade)

Here is the blockbuster trade of the evening, Minnesota trades up 6 places to grab their franchise guy at 5. Daniels had a career year at LSU winning the Heisman and skyrocketing his draft value. Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Daniels have the potential to be the best offense in the league and would make this a crazy good pick.

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Quarterbacks

Start ‘Em

Will Levis (@ TB) – In a move that surprised nobody, the Titans officially named rookie Will Levis the starter going forward this week. Levis cooled off a bit in last week’s loss to Pittsburgh but has a plus matchup in week 10. The Buccaneers have given up 71.9 fantasy points in the last two games to opposing quarterbacks including 794 passing yards. Rookie C.J. Stroud shredded this Tampa Bay defense on Sunday and Levis will also have success against this secondary.

Sit ‘Em

Russell Wilson (@ Buf) – The last time we saw Wilson and the Broncos they upset the Chiefs at home. Wilson finished that game with 3 touchdowns on just 114 passing yards. It was an impressive day for Denver which has won two in a row. Up next they get to face the Bills in Buffalo coming off the bye. Buffalo is looking to put last week’s struggles behind them and I expect their defense to own this contest. Look for Buffalo to control the clock and run the ball taking the pressure off of Josh Allen.

Running Backs

Start ‘Em

Brian Robinson Jr. (@ Sea) – Robinson Jr. and the Commanders will be on the road again this time heading to Seattle. Washington squeaked by New England last Sunday and Robinson scored his 5th rushing touchdown of the season. The Seahawks were shredded on the ground last week by the Ravens for 298 total rushing yards. Expect the Commanders to feed Robinson early and often in this contest. Fellow running back Antonio Gibson is also worth considering as both could be in for big days.

Sit ‘Em

Jerome Ford (@ Bal) – Jerome Ford could be in for another tough day in Baltimore. The last time the Browns faced the Ravens, Ford was held to just 26 rushing yards on 9 carries. Baltimore’s defense has looked dominant, especially at home. Last week they held Kenneth Walker III to just 16 rushing yards and 1.7 total fantasy points. Sit Ford this week and most of the Browns offense.

Wide Receivers

Start ‘Em

DJ Moore (vs. Car) – Since his week 5 explosion vs. the Washington Commanders, Moore has yet to break 10 fantasy points (Half PPR). Some of that has to do with the injury to Justin Fields and an inconsistent Bears offense. Up next Moore gets his revenge game as Chicago welcomes the Panthers on Thursday night. I see Moore finding the end zone this week vs. a surprisingly stingy Panthers secondary.

Sit ‘Em

Davante Adams (vs. NYJ) – Despite the coaching and quarterback change last week, Adams had another dud of a game. In fact Adams hasn’t broken double-digit fantasy points since week 4. Up next he gets to face the Jets defense who have locked down opposing wide receivers all year. Eventually, Adams’s numbers will pick up again just not this week.

Tight Ends

Start ‘Em

Kyle Pitts (@ Ari) – It’s been another disappointing season for Kyle Pitts owners. Pitts has only found paydirt once this season and has struggled to produce much of anything. If you’re going to start Pitts this is the week to do it. The Falcons head west to take on the woeful Cardinals. I see Pitts finally get back in the end zone vs. an Arizona defense that has given up touchdowns in back-to-back games to opposing tight ends. The change at quarterback to Taylor Heinicke should help this offense overall which has been lackluster under Desmond Ridder.

Sit ‘Em

David Njoku (@ Bal) – As I stated earlier the entire Browns offense is due for a tough day vs. Baltimore. On top of that, Njoku is also dealing with a knee injury that is keeping him out of practice. Even if he were fully healthy I would still sit Njoku in this one. The Ravens are allowing an average of just 4.1 fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends.

Start of the Week

Tony Pollard (vs. NYG) – What happened to Tony Pollard this season? To say Pollard has been underwhelming is and understatement. He hasn’t found the end zone since week 1 and has only broken the 100-yard rushing mark once this year. Thankfully for Pollard and the Cowboys, they get to face the lowly Giants this week at home. The last time these two teams faced Pollard had 2 rushing touchdowns and Dallas hammered New York 40-0. Pollard will finally get back in the end zone this week as the Cowboys will look to control the clock. Dallas is a massive 16.5 favorite in this one and the point spread still may not be enough.

The post 2023-24 Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Week 10 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

The Good

All aboard the Justin Fields hype train. It’s hard to ignore the hype around the future of Fields after last season. Fields carried the Bears offense for much of the year as he developed as an NFL quarterback. Fields wowed on several occasions with his legs, making highlight reel plays. 2023 is a big year for Fields and the Bears have shown they are all in on the former Buckeye when they decided to trade the #1 pick. They now have a true #1 wide receiver in D.J. Moore to finally give a boost to the Chicago passing game. There is a lot to like about Justin Fields’ game and if he can continue to develop as a passer the sky’s the limit.

The Bad

The Chicago Bears led the league in rushing yards last season thanks in large part to Fields. Still, you can’t discount David Montgomery and his 801 yards that helped balance the Bears offense. Montgomery is no longer with the Bears as he signed a 3-year deal with the rival Detroit Lions this past offseason. The Bears will now rely on Khalil Herbert and D’Onta Foreman, who they recently brought in.

Herbert and Foreman are both solid running backs but neither of them has shown they can be the full-time starter. While it may not seem like a big deal due to Fields rushing ability it may come back to hurt them in the long run. Defenses will now start to take away Fields rushing ability and make him throw more from the pocket. This will make the play-action game that much more important and in order for it to work defenses will need to respect it. If I were the Bears I would be looking at bringing in one of the FA vets like Ezekiel Elliott before the season starts.

The Prediction

There is no doubt the Chicago Bears will improve upon last year’s 3-14 record. The problem is the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings are also trending up and will keep the Bears from competing in the division. I predict Chicago will finish with 8 wins and will come close to a Wild Card berth. To me, the 2024-2025 season is the year the Bears will make the playoffs and make some noise.

2023 Record: 8-9 (3rd in the NFC North)

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The Good

One of the biggest reasons Frank Reich failed in Indianapolis was due to the quarterback position. Reich had to deal with Andrew Luck‘s early retirement along with mediocre quarterback play from players past their prime. It all came crashing down last year when the Matt Ryan experiment failed miserably and Reich was let go. It’s important to look past that as Reich has shown he can run a successful NFL offense. Expect Reich to get back to his roots in Carolina and that includes the triangle read passing game along with the zone run game.

The Panthers have a lot of new faces on the roster, especially on the offensive side of the ball. One of those pieces is former Philadelphia Eagles running back Miles Sanders. Sanders signed a 4-year, $25 million dollar contract with the Panthers this offseason. He is now in a perfect system and I expect him to excel as the Panthers #1 back. Sanders is coming off a Pro Bowl season in Philadelphia in which he amassed 1,347 total yards from scrimmage. Expect Sanders to be a workhorse early on as Young gets accustomed to the speed of the NFL.

The Bad

In order for the Panthers to pull off a trade for the #1 pick they needed to part ways with D.J. Moore. Moore has been a franchise player for Carolina since he was drafted in 2018. Now the Panthers have a giant hole on offense that is likely to hurt them this year.

They did attempt to address this by bringing in Adam Thielen this offseason on a 3-year deal. Thielen has shown he can be an excellent wide receiver but I don’t like him in the #1 role. He is better suited for a number 2 role similar to his position in Minnesota. The wide receiver group for the Panthers will be their weak spot going into next season. The hope is that they can get immediate results from rookie Jonathan Mingo but I expect him to take his rookie lumps.

The Prediction

In any other division, the Panthers would likely be an under .500 team. Thanks to the weak NFC South they will finish their first season under Frank Reich with a winning record. Bryce Young will take some time to learn the pro game but things should start clicking from him mid-season. The future is bright for the Panthers and expect them to be competitive for years to come.

2023 Record: 9-8 (2nd in the division)

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The NFL has laid out these specific guidelines for teams to be exempt from the Hard Knocks show. If a team appeared on Hard Knocks in the last decade they are exempt. Also if a team has a first-year Head Coach or has reached the playoffs in the last two years they are also excluded. With those requirements in mind that leaves us with four candidates for Hard Knocks 2023. Let’s break down each team and what makes them compelling.

Chicago Bears

When you look at the Chicago Bears, they are probably the least compelling of the teams eligible. If they are chosen, all eyes will be on quarterback Justin Fields. The Bears also traded this year’s #1 pick to the Carolina Panthers. As part of the deal, they received D.J. Moore in return. Chicago has lacked a real true #1 receiver in recent years and they are hoping Moore can fill that role.

New York Jets

If you want to garner a large audience then the New York Jets are your answer. They have a head coach on the hot seat and just traded for Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers alone will have fans locked into the show as we want to see how well he adjusts to his new team. The Jets also have a young talented nucleus that could set them up for years of success. The key will be how well the new faces mesh together with the up-and-coming roster. One thing is for sure, if the Jets are chosen it will not lack drama.

Washington Commanders

Washington has had arguably the best offseason of any NFL team and it has nothing to do with on-the-field moves. They will soon have a new ownership group as Dan Snyder is weeks away from being gone. Could the NFL be waiting on the final approval before picking them? Possibly, as we are now in June and a team has yet to be chosen for the show. The Commanders certainly don’t lack drama and a new era in Washington would be compelling to watch.

New Orleans Saints

The Saints made quite the splash this offseason when they signed Derek Carr to a four-year deal. Carr has to have a new level of motivation given what happened with the Raiders. On paper the Saints have the potential to be an explosive offense with Carr, Michael Thomas coming back and of course Alvin Kamara. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Saints end up being the choice for Hard Knocks. They may not be as captivating as the other teams but should offer enough intriguing storylines to keep us watching.

The post Breaking Down the Candidates for Hard Knocks 2023 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Chicago Bears: How Big Is The Jump Of Justin Fields This Season?

The Chicago Bears killed the offseason. Fresh off a regular season where Justin Fields looked electric, the future seemed bright for the Bears. They traded the top overall pick for multiple picks and D.J. Moore. They signed big names on defense such as Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards. Their offense was reloaded with the signings of D’Onta Foreman and Robert Tonyan. All these transactions positively impacted the offense and defense. Giving Fields all these weapons will make the Bears look much improved and will be a stepping stone for the future.

Detroit Lions: Are The Lions The Best Team In The Division?

After all the jokes and miserable seasons, the Detroit Lions may be the best team in the NFC North. The Bears and the Packers still have their young QBs so a rough road is expected. The Vikings are dealing away key players left and right. That leaves the Lions. They ended the season winning eight of their last ten games. Jared Goff is probably the most competent QB in the division and HC Dan Campbell is making them believe. They improved their team by signing David Montgomery and C.J. Gardner-Johnson and drafted a strong group that can make an impact. Now might be the time Lions fans. The 2023 season could be a special one.

Green Bay Packers: Will Jordan Love Be The Future Of The Packers?

The Aaron Rodgers era is over and the Packers move on to their next QB. It was amazing luck that they went from a Hall of Fame QB to another Hall of Fame QB. Now, all eyes are on Jordan Love. He signed a one-year extension worth up to $22.5 M. The Packers did add some help by drafting three offensive weapons with their first four picks of the draft. He’ll still have Aaron Jones and Christian Watson to aid him. If Aaron and the Packers felt he was ready, they wouldn’t have traded away Rodgers. Love hopes to show the promise scouts saw him when he was drafted.

Minnesota Vikings: Is A Rebuild On The Way?

The Minnesota Vikings were disappointed with the way they finished their season. A sad loss in the Wild Card round to the Giants may have shown that Minnesota’s regular season may have been just a fluke. Now, there are a lot of questions, especially with the recent moves of the front office. They released Adam Thielen, Eric Kendricks and traded Za’Darius Smith. All three are high-level players for the Vikings last year. There are rumors that Dalvin Cook will be waived if no one will trade for him. Amidst all the chaos, it feels like a shakeup is on the way and more names will be on the move in the future.

The post NFC North: Biggest Question to be Answered Per Team appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Las Vegas Raiders

One of the biggest moves of the day was the Raiders signing quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. This move made sense for a bunch of reasons. The obvious one is the connection with head coach Josh McDainels. On top of that the Raiders offense is full of weapons. Josh Jacobs is coming back on the franchise tag. You have one of the best receivers in the game in Davante Adams and if Darren Waller is healthy watch out. The Raiders also made another sneaky good move this morning acquiring former Patriots stand out Jakobi Meyers. Adams, Meyers and Hunter Renfrow on paper can be one of the best wide receiver groups in the league.

Chicago Bears

The Bears are having an excellent offseason. Not only did they get a haul of picks for the #1 pick in this year’s draft they also acquired stud WR D.J. Moore in the deal. On Monday the Bears worked to sure up one of their biggest weaknesses by acquiring two stud linebackers. Tremaine Edmunds was arguably the best linebacker available and he signed a 4 year deal with Chicago. They also signed LB T.J. Edwards who was a solid piece for the Eagles defense last year. I still expect the Bears to pick up some offensive lineman in the coming weeks.

Atlanta Falcons

Another team that impressed on day 1 of NFL free agency was the Falcons. Early in the day they acquired TE Jonnu Smith from the Patriots while only giving up a 7th round pick. I am really intrigued on how Smith will fit with Kyle Pitts and expect the duo to work well together. Later in the day the Falcons signed former Bengals S Jessie Bates. Bates is underrated in my opinion. He is an excellent safety whom is great against the run. The Falcons were not done as early this morning they picked up QB Taylor Heinicke on a 2 year deal. Heinicke showed in Washington he is an excellent back up that can be called upon if needed to win big games.

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By: Justin Frye

Jerry Jeudy, despite being a disappointment from a results standpoint, is still viewed extremely favorably by the dynasty community. In his 26 games, Jeudy’s produced just 90 catches, just over 1,300 yards, and just 3 TDs (all as a rookie). This is similar to a typical DJ Moore season but in 9 extra games. So is it just take lock, or does the dynasty community have it right?

Coaching Change

The first place to look with Jeudy in 2022 is the head coach. Vic Fangio is out and in is offensive-minded Nathaniel Hackett. That move alone inspires confidence. Over the last few seasons, Hackett has worked in Green Bay to build a strong balanced offense. In his three seasons there, the Packers finished 15th, 1st, and 10th in points per game, averaging at least 23.5. The best team under Fangio was at 20.2 and hasn’t been better than 23rd in points.

Hackett prefers the pass more than Fangio did, as the Packers bested the Broncos in pass attempts in two of their three seasons in their previous roles. Fangio liked to run the ball and play defense to protect middling (at best) QB play. Hackett didn’t have the same issue with Aaron Rodgers in town. Unfortunately, Rodgers stayed in Green Bay and left Hackett scrambling to improve his QB play in Denver…

QB Upgrade

Enter Russell Wilson, the Broncos biggest offseason addition since Peyton Manning. Wilson seems primed to explode this year after wasting away in a conservative offense his entire career. If he does, expect multiple pass catchers to follow suit, with Jeudy being a popular pick.

Wilson loves to push it downfield but hasn’t had a true possession receiver since Doug Baldwin retired. In his peak years, Baldwin saw around 120 targets per season in the Seattle run-first offense, catching about 80 passes per season for over 1,000 yards and 9 touchdowns. Jeudy already earned 113 targets as a rookie, and likely would’ve again in 2021 if not for a bad high ankle sprain.

The Talent

As a reminder of how Broncos brass sees Jeudy, they drafted him over CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jefferson, and Brandon Aiyuk. Many in the dynasty community followed suit and took him (or Lamb) as the first or second WR in rookie drafts. Managers might be getting tired and worried about him. I get it, if he doesn’t perform this year expect his value to fall off.

People are quick to forget how good Jeudy was as a prospect though. Jax is such a great prospect evaluator, and I absolutely love the Stefon Diggs comp and still am excited about it. Diggs’ first two seasons aren’t all that dissimilar from Jeudy’s. Diggs had some solid seasons for a few years after that, kind of up and down though. Then he was traded to Buffalo…

What happened when Diggs got a massive QB and scheme upgrade with the Bills? First team an all-pro year of 127 catches, 1,535 yards, and 8 touchdowns. Now don’t get it twisted, this is unlikely as the talent around Jeudy is much better, but Diggs baseline is around 100 catches, 1,100 yards, and 6 touchdowns. Same with a healthy and playing Calvin Ridley. This could be the year Jeudy joins them.

What To Do With Jerry Jeudy?

Look I just sang his praises and absolutely think Jeudy has a shot to break out in a huge way this year. I want to say buy him, but the price on him really hasn’t dropped enough. He’s a tough sell too, as so many pieces valued similarly are other young potential breakouts.

It’s not a clear-cut buy or sell, I think I’d hold out to see if the other manager in a deal has a different valuation than the group, then try to take advantage. If firmly in win-now mode, think obtaining a Mike Evans or Mike Williams in a deal is possible, and it’s hard to pass on WR1 production.

The post Jerry Jeudy’s dynasty outlook right now appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

There are many NFL fans that believe Carolina Panthers wide receiver D.J. Moore is stuck on Sam Alcatraz Darnold island at this point in time. Moore is a quality football player, but the ultimate question is: how potent will the WR coming off three 1,000+ yard seasons be in the future?

Moore had a career-high 163 targets and he ranked fifth in target share last season with a healthy Robby Anderson and a porous 2021 passing attack. Nonetheless, the Panthers didn’t have Christian McCaffrey for 10 games last season. McCaffrey’s presence (100+ receptions in 2018 and 2019) should have a negative impact on Moore’s receiving game.

I still fully expect the Panthers QB situation to improve from last season. The Panthers gave up the fifth-most sacks last season and they should really benefit from the arrival of RB Austin Corbett and likely LG Bradley Bozeman. These two OL will be sure-fire upgrades over the prior LG/RG that left Darnold out to dry in 2021.

I love the floor of Moore and feel like he’s strongly attached to the hot seat that Matt Rhule is sitting on. I expect the Panthers to lean on Moore and CMAC a lot in 2023. He may not receive 150+ targets, but I still expect the 25-year-old to garner around 130 targets in each of the next few seasons. He signed a 3-year contract extension worth $61 million dollars this offseason.

It’s easy to not be a fan of Darnold with a million other peeps on social media, but I believe it’s honestly unclear if Darnold will be the future QB beyond 2022. He may burn out for the second straight season, but if he can have a “2018 Mitchell Trubisky-like season” with a stout OL, healthy McCaffrey, and his fantastic WR duo, he could be the starter for 1-to 2 more seasons at least. With that enunciated, I still am not the biggest fan of his ceiling. Moore might be underrated and a quality WR, but he will likely remain underrated for a couple of more seasons. The Panthers haven’t had a solid QB since a healthy Cam Newton and I don’t believe they will have a Top 10 QB in the near future. Assuming the Panthers don’t find a QB like Derek Carr in the next couple of seasons, I believe Moore is near the peak of his hype right now.

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