One Burning Fantasy Question For All 32 Teams

One Burning Fantasy Question For All 32 Teams

Have you ever hung out with young children? Whether you’re a parent, an aunt/uncle, etc. we’ve all spent some amount of time around children that are curious about anything and everything.

What comes with the blessing and joy of hanging out with young children in this phase though? Questions. A lot of them.

Why is grass green? Why do dogs bark? Why do birds fly?

Whatever the question is, you know that there’s going to be another one that closely follows it. And chances are that you have absolutely no idea how to answer it correctly. These questions are important for kids because it’s one of the greatest ways for them to learn. If there’s something that they’re unsure of, they don’t hesitate to ask the question in an attempt to understand it.

It’s time to revert back to when you were a kid now and ask questions in an attempt to understand the upcoming NFL season. Below, you’ll find a list of 32 questions (one for each NFL team) and my attempt to answer it and help guide you. Just like 90% of your responses to a young child, I’m not going to have the definitive answer for these questions, but I’ve done the research to attempt to answer them to the best of my ability.

With all that being said, it’s time to jump in the time machine and go back to your days as a young kid. Get ready to ask some questions…

One Burning Fantasy Question For All 32 Teams

Arizona Cardinals: Can DeAndre Hopkins Finish As A Top-10 WR Again in 2020?

In arguably the most surprising move of the NFL offseason, the Houston Texans shipped Deandre Hopkins off to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for David Johnson and draft picks. Hopkins has been a fantasy superstar over the past few seasons in Houston, but it’s now a question of whether or not he’ll continue to be a top-tier option in this offense. There are a lot of mouths to feed and some very talented players surrounding Hopkins now. He’s unlikely to see anywhere close to the same target share that he saw in Houston, but what does that mean for his fantasy outlook?

My Advice: Hopkins will be fine. He’s currently slotted as my WR7 on the season.

Atlanta Falcons: Can Calvin Ridley Surpass Julio Jones?

Calvin Ridley has been the subject of essentially unanimous hype across the industry this offseason. There is certainly an argument to be made that this bears resemblance to Chris Godwin and Mike Evans in 2019. Ridley has outproduced Jones from a touchdown perspective his first two seasons in the NFL and there’s the potential that Ridley can take an even bigger step this upcoming season.

My Advice: Ridley’s going to be a fantasy darling this season, but as long as Julio is fully healthy, he’s the lead dog in this WR room.

Baltimore Ravens: Will JK Dobbins Outproduce Mark Ingram?

The Baltimore Ravens chose to look at their roster and push other needs down the road when they selected JK Dobbins with the 55th overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft. Dobbins is an extremely talented running back that is in line to be the future at the position in this dynamic offense. Mark Ingram is still on this roster though, so the question for fantasy football centers around how much Dobbins will be involved in the gameplan.

My Advice: Ingram is still going to be the lead back in this offense, but Dobbins won’t be far behind him in total touches. Dobbins could have some standalone fantasy value in 2020.

Buffalo Bills: Will Stefon Diggs Repeat As A Top-24 Option In Buffalo?

Stefon Diggs talked his way out of Minnesota and now joins an underrated receiving corps in Buffalo. John Brown and Cole Beasley performed well in their roles last season and adding Diggs to this unit makes them a respectable trio. Diggs finished as the WR21 last season in Minnesota, so the question now becomes whether or not Diggs will take a step backwards in his new city.

My Advice: Diggs is going to be the de facto WR1 in this offense, but the targets will be split out pretty evenly. I currently have Diggs projected to finish just inside the Top-24 at the WR position.

Carolina Panthers: How Many Pass Attempts Will Teddy Bridgewater Have?

The Panthers experienced a ton of change this offseason with choosing to move on from Cam Newton and now having Matt Rhule as the head coach. They also saw several key pieces from their defense depart and will attempt to piece things back together on the fly. While they have a bright future, it’s unlikely that this defense is going to keep the Panthers in many games in 2020. If that’s the case, the offense may be forced to throw the ball a lot more than they would prefer. This leads to an immense opportunity for the Panthers receiving options due to the surplus of targets that will be forced their way.

My Advice: I currently have Bridgewater projected for 615 pass attempts. While the TD totals may not be extremely high, DJ Moore and Robby Anderson are going to see all the targets they can handle this season.

Chicago Bears: Can David Montgomery Be A Top-24 RB In 2020?

David Montgomery’s hype may have reached unhealthy levels last offseason, but there were certainly reasons to be optimistic. The Bears had just come off of a 12-4 season and their offense had been humming all season long. Jordan Howard was no longer on the roster and the Bears moved up in the 3rd round to select the talented RB out of Iowa State. Unfortunately, the Bears offense crumbled in 2019 and Montgomery failed to live up to expectations. This season, Nick Foles is in town and he and Mitch Trubisky will battle it out in training camp to determine who will be the starting QB. This offense can only go up from where it was last season and few RBs are going to see the type of workload that Montgomery will have in 2020.

My Advice: I currently have David Montgomery ranked as my RB13. This offense should bounce back to what we saw in 2018 and Montgomery showed enough in 2019 for me to buy in this year. He’s an incredible value at his current ADP.

Cincinnati Bengals: Can Joe Burrow Support Multiple Fantasy Options?

Joe Burrow is coming off of one of the best CFB QB seasons we may have ever seen. He was drafted with the No. 1 overall pick and now walks into an amazing situation with the receiving options he inherited. A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd, Joe Mixon, Tee Higgins, John Ross, and Giovani Bernard are going to take the pressure off of Burrow in year one, but the question becomes whether or not Burrow can support all of these weapons from a fantasy football perspective.

My Advice: Joe Burrow is going to drastically outperform his ADP this season. He’s going to able to support these weapons and there’s a very good chance that every Cincinnati Bengals player outperforms their ADP.

Cleveland Browns: What Will The Team’s Rushing Percentage Be?

Kevin Stefanksi comes over from the Minnesota Vikings to assume the position as the Cleveland Browns head coach and there are questions regarding the exact offensive philosophy he’ll deploy. Last season, the Vikings were one of three teams that finished with more overall rush attempts versus pass attempts. While Stefanksi certainly could’ve been the mastermind behind that, there’s reason to believe that Gary Kubiak, the assistant head coach, was the one calling the shots last season. If the Browns do take on the rushing mindset that the Vikings deployed last season, Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt are in line for huge production. Meanwhile, it could mean limited ceilings for the Browns receiving options.

My Advice: I currently have the Browns projected for 510 pass attempts and 455 rush attempts. This means that Chubb and Hunt will see plenty of work, but Austin Hooper and David Njoku may be left on the outside looking in when it comes to targets.

Dallas Cowboys: How Much Will CeeDee Lamb Affect Michael Gallup?

Last season, Michael Gallup saw 113 targets. Meanwhile, Randall Cobb saw 82 targets and produced when he was given the opportunity. CeeDee Lamb now enters the Cowboys receiving corps, while Cobb signed in Houston, and there are questions surrounding how this target split will shake out. Amari Cooper will still be the WR1 on this team from a target share perspective, but who fills in the No. 2 spot?

My Advice: I currently have Gallup projected for 92 targets and Lamb projected for 97 targets. This is going to be a close split and they may end up cancelling out each other from a fantasy perspective.

Denver Broncos: Can Drew Lock Take The Next Step Forward?

The Denver Broncos believe that they have finally found their QB of the future and they’re going all in. With the additions of Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler, Melvin Gordon, and Albert Okwuegbunam, they are signaling that they have faith in Drew Lock progressing going into year two. Unfortunately, everything hinges on Lock for the fantasy options in this offense. If he struggles, they all struggle.

My Advice: Lock should continue to progress nicely, but it’s important to temper expectations. This is still going to be a team that leans heavily on the ground game and there are going to be limited passing opportunities with Vic Fangio as the HC.

Detroit Lions: Can Matthew Stafford Stay Healthy?

Last season, Matthew Stafford was the QB6 from a fantasy perspective through the first 9 weeks. This offense was doing very well with him behind center, but everything fell apart as soon as he got injured. While Kenny Golladay was able to stay relevant and perform well above expectations, the offense sputtered without Stafford. If Stafford can stay healthy this year, there are reasons to be optimistic about this team’s weapons from a fantasy perspective.

My Advice: There’s value to be had in the Lions receiving weapons if Stafford stays healthy, but at this point of his career, that’s no guarantee. Potentially think about using this as a tie-breaker if you’re caught between two players in the same range of ADP on draft day.

Green Bay Packers: How Much Will AJ Dillon Affect Aaron Jones?

The Packers coaching staff apparently does not know how talented of a running back they have in Aaron Jones. While the fantasy community is screaming for Jones to receive more touches, the Packers go out and draft AJ Dillon in the second round. Dillon’s a 245 pound running back that profiles as a prolific goal-line back in the NFL. There’s a strong possibility that instead of Jones receiving the majority of the goal line touches in 2020, Dillon is the main recipient and beneficiary.

My Advice: Whether we like it or not, Jones is going to be affected negatively by Dillon’s presence this season. While I don’t expect it to affect Jones much in-between the 20’s, we have to be concerned that Jones is going to see insane TD regression in 2020.

Houston Texans: Can Deshaun Watson Succeed Without Deandre Hopkins?

Deshaun Watson has been extremely successful his first few years in the NFL, in large part due to the presence of an elite WR like Deandre Hopkins. With Hopkins now in Arizona, Watson is looking at a WR corps filled with guys like Brandin Cooks, Will Fuller, Randall Cobb, Kenny Stills, and Keke Coutee. Will this be enough for Watson to continue his sustained success?

My Advice: Watson is going to be just fine from a fantasy football perspective. While his TD production might take a bit of a hit, his ability to create plays on his own is going to keep his fantasy points up near the top.

Indianapolis Colts: What Will The Backfield Look Like?

The Indianapolis Colts have relied heavily on Marlon Mack over the past couple of seasons, but they hit the upgrade button in the 2020 NFL Draft and selected the former Wisconsin RB, Jonathan Taylor. Taylor has the chance to be special in the NFL and he’s now going to be running behind arguably the best offensive line in football. With all that being said, Mack is still in town, so the question now moves to how much he’ll be involved in the game plan.

My Advice: I currently have Taylor and Mack with a 50/35 percent RB Carry split projection. Taylor will see the majority of the carries, but Mack will still have a role.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Will Gardner Minshew Build Upon A Solid Rookie Season?

Not many people are talking about how solid of a rookie season Gardner Minshew had last season. While it’s easy to forget the fact that he was a 6th round pick, we have to bring that into the conversation. Minshew threw 21 passing TDs last season to only 6 interceptions, while being in and out of the lineup as Nick Foles was coming back off IR. Minshew’s certainly underrated, but can he continue improving going into 2020?

My Advice: Minshew’s going to be a fine option for fantasy that you can stream in plus matchups. However, this defense got a lot worse over the offseason and it’s easy to see a world in which the Jaguars hold a top-5 overall pick in the draft next offseason.

Kansas City Chiefs: Will Clyde Edwards-Helaire Be The Starting Running Back?

Right now, the conversation surrounding the Kansas City Chiefs is all about CEH and whether or not he’ll be the starting running back right away. While Damien Williams performed well in the playoffs, particularly the Super Bowl, there’s no denying CEH’s draft capital. A first-round RB is going to be utilized, so the question now moves to what extent Williams will be involved on a weekly basis?

My Advice: This is CEH’s job. Edwards-Helaire is simply too talented to not be given the lead job right out of the gates. Williams will still be involved, but as more of a compliment to CEH.

Los Angeles Chargers: How Many Pass Attempts Will The Chargers Have in 2020?

The Chargers were towards the top of the league last year in overall pass attempts. The Chargers want to move away from Rivers’ propensity for turning the ball over and are looking to commit to the run game this upcoming season. With this being the case, there is going to be less overall volume for the receiving options in this offense. Will the Chargers be towards the bottom of the league in pass attempts?

My Advice: I currently have the Chargers projected for 510 pass attempts, which slides in towards the bottom of the NFL. Additionally, this isn’t going to be a high passing TD volume offense with Tyrod Taylor or Justin Herbert at QB. I recommend fading all Chargers receivers, outside of Austin Ekeler.

Los Angeles Rams: Will Darrell Henderson or Cam Akers Be The Lead Running Back?

When the Rams moved on from Todd Gurley this offseason, it seemed like the carries were going to be split amongst Darrell Henderson and Malcolm Brown. However, the Rams surprised everyone and selected Cam Akers in the second round. Due to the significant draft capital, there are now questions on whether or not Akers will be given Gurley’s workload from a couple of years ago.

My Advice: Henderson is going to be involved in this offense. They drafted him in the 3rd round a year ago and he has the talent to be a factor in the NFL. This may be a situation where Akers and Henderson cancel each other out from a fantasy perspective, but keep in mind that this offensive line isn’t stellar. It may not be as pretty as some people are hoping.

Las Vegas Raiders: Will Josh Jacobs Be More Involved In The Passing Game?

Anyone who watched Josh Jacobs at Alabama knows that he has a high proficiency when it comes to catching the ball out of the backfield. However, the Raiders don’t seem intent on using him in this way and continuously took Jacobs off the field for guys like Jalen Richard. Fantasy owners would love to see Jacobs more involved in the passing game, but is that going to happen this season?

My Advice: It’s unlikely that Jacobs receives significantly more targets in 2020. With Jalen Richard back in town and the addition of Lynn Bowden in the draft, it looks like more of the same for 2020.

Miami Dolphins: Will Jordan Howard or Matt Breida Be The Lead Running Back?

Jordan Howard currently has an ADP of RB39 in Half PPR, while Matt Breida has an ADP of RB36. This indicates that the majority of fantasy players don’t see either back returning significant value in Miami this season. However, one of these players is going to receive the majority of the touches in an offense that is going to be vastly different than what they rolled out last season, particularly on the offensive line. If that’s the case, one of them is going to significantly outperform their ADP.

My Advice: Before last season, where he dealt with injuries, Howard had never seen less than 250 carries. Meanwhile, Breida has never seen more than 153 carries in a season. Howard’s going to be the main option in this backfield, while Breida rotates in as the pass-catching option.

Minnesota Vikings: Will Dalvin Cook Holdout?

All eyes are on this developing situation in Minnesota. Cook has threatened to holdout if he doesn’t receive the contract that he wants and this may extend far into the NFL season. If that’s the case, this has huge fantasy football ramifications.

My Advice: If you’re sitting on the clock early in the first round and Cook still hasn’t received his contract, it’d be smart to look elsewhere. Additionally, Alexander Mattison is a screaming value in ADP right now. We’re all in wait-and-see mode right now, but I do expect Cook to receive his contract eventually.

New England Patriots: Can Jarrett Stidham Carry This Offense?

This 2020 New England Patriots team is going to look incredibly different than what we’ve seen in years past. Tom Brady is no longer leading this offense and Jarrett Stidham is now tasked with keeping this team competitive. Stidham has shown flashes throughout his college career, but he wasn’t selected until the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft for a reason. Can Stidham step in right away and provide value to these receiving options from a fantasy perspective?

My Advice: It’s very difficult to see how Stidham can perform well enough to provide fantasy value to players outside of Julian Edelman and James White. This offense isn’t going to be high-powered enough to support players like N’Keal Harry, Jakobi Meyers, etc.

New Orleans Saints: Will Jared Cook Finish As A Top-10 Tight End?

Last season, Jared Cook finished as the TE7. He did this on the back of 9 receiving TDs on only 65 targets. A tight end, on average, scored a TD on every 130.67 yards in 2019. Meanwhile, Cook scored a TD on average every 78 yards. It’s difficult to see Cook maintaining that sort of high TD rate, especially when you factor in the addition of Adam Trautman to the TE room in New Orleans.

My Advice: Stay far away from Cook at his current ADP of TE9. He certainly has the skillset to finish as a top-10 tight end again in 2020, but everything has to go his way again this season. You’re betting on TD production from him and that’s one of the least reliable stats to bet on.

New York Giants: Will Evan Engram Finish Around His Current ADP?

Evan Engram finished as the TE5 in 2017 and has been riding that wave ever since. Despite his inability to stay healthy, Engram has been drafted as a top-7 TE or higher each of the past two seasons. This is still after finishing as the TE12 and TE18 in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Now, Engram has a surrounding cast that is going to demand targets. Will there be enough for the talented and athletic tight end to return value?

My Advice: With Engram’s inability to stay healthy and the fact that Darius Slayton, Saquon Barkley, Golden Tate, and Sterling Shepard are all healthy going into the 2020 season, it’s hard to find a way that Engram finishes as the TE7 or higher. Engram is going to have to stay healthy, while some of the other guys miss time or see their skills decline in order for him to return value on his draft cost.

New York Jets: Who Will Be The Leading Receiver?

Adam Gase joined the New York Jets in 2019 and they saw their overall offensive scoring rank fall from 23rd in 2018 to 32nd. Looking at the Jets receiving corps doesn’t exactly instill confidence that things are going to be much different in 2020, unfortunately. Breshad Perriman, Jamison Crowder, and rookie Denzel Mims will attempt to help carry this offense. One of them has to finish as the leading receiver though, so which one will it be and will it equate to fantasy stardom?

My Advice: Crowder is the solid favorite to lead this Jets receiving corps in production in 2020. He’s shown that he can produce in a big way in this offense and Perriman and Mims are huge unknowns for different reasons. Crowder’s the player to target in your drafts, but as nothing more than a solid WR3.

Philadelphia Eagles: Will Zach Ertz Repeat As A Top-5 Tight End?

Last season, Zach Ertz dominated yet again due to the injury fallout the Eagles’ receiving corps experienced. This season, Ertz has Dallas Goedert breathing down his neck to take away targets, but Alshon Jeffery‘s absence may pave a path to Ertz finishing as a top-5 TE yet again.

My Advice: Ertz is going to get off to an incredible start to the season with Jeffery out of the lineup. If Jeffery comes back after being placed on the PUP list (for example) to start the season, that’s going to cause Ertz’s overall target share to diminish. It’s all dependent on whether or not Jeffery gets placed on IR.

Pittsburgh Steelers: What Version of Big Ben Will We Get in 2020? 

Big Ben has been one of the most underrated pure throwers of the football throughout his time in the NFL. With that being said, the beginning of the end has to be coming up soon for the future Hall of Famer. While Ben has been able to support multiple fantasy weapons throughout his career, last year’s injury has to be a concern moving forward. Will we see an aging Ben Roethslisberger behind center in 2020 or will we see a dynamic QB that’s able to provide fantasy relevancy to JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson, etc.?

My Advice: Until we truly see a drop-off from Big Ben, buy into this offense.

San Francisco 49ers: Will Raheem Mostert Be The Lead Running Back?

Raheem Mostert exploded onto the scene in San Francisco last year after spending time on multiple teams’ practice squads previously. Mostert was given the lead role in Week 13 last season against the Baltimore Ravens and he never gave it back. Moving into this season, will Mostert be the lead back and a fantasy darling?

My Advice: Mostert is likely the lead back in this offense, but he’s never going to be given 70% or more of the carries. Kyle Shanahan likes to split the carries amongst his running backs, but with that being said, Mostert is looking like a steal at his current ADP.

Seattle Seahawks: Will Chris Carson Be Healthy By Week One?

Carlos Hyde was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as injury insurance for Rashaad Penny, who seems destined to start the season on the PUP. However, Chris Carson is currently recovering from his own injury and there are questions on whether or not he’ll be ready for week one. If you’re drafting Carson where his current ADP is, you need him to be ready to start the season and contribute immediately for your roster.

My Advice: This is currently a wait-and-see situation, but there are reasons to be cautious about drafting Carson this season. If nothing else, this indicates that Hyde is someone that needs to be drafted everywhere with his current draft price.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Can Tom Brady Support Multiple Fantasy Options?

Tom Brady in a different uniform is something that might take me the whole 2020 season to get used to, if I’m being honest. He now has arguably the most talented receiving corps in the NFL with guys like Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Rob Gronkowski, OJ Howard, Cameron Brate, and Ke’Shawn Vaughn out of the backfield. This offense should be humming in 2020, but is it going to be enough to support all the players I just listed?

My Advice: Evans, Godwin, Gronkowski, and Vaughn are all going to be great options to own in fantasy this season. Howard is an intriguing name to hold in deeper leagues, while Brate is someone to monitor on the waiver wire if something were to happen to Gronkowski.

Tennessee Titans: Can Jonnu Smith Succeed Without Delanie Walker?

Jonnu Smith has always been on the precipice of breaking out, but Delanie Walker’s presence ahead of him on the depth chart prevented that from happening. Walker is no longer in town and there are plenty of targets that can be funneled Smith’s way this season. Is this the year that we see Smith break out in a big way?

My Advice: Yes. Draft Jonnu Smith everywhere you can.

Washington Redskins: Will Another WR Step Up Outside Of Terry McLaurin?

The Redskins offense might be one of the least enticing to invest in from a fantasy perspective in 2020. With that being said, someone else outside of Terry McLaurin has to step up and flirt with fantasy relevancy this season, so who will it be?

My Advice: Antonio Gandy-Golden isn’t someone that you should consider drafting in a redraft league right now, but remember the name and be watching him on your league’s waiver wire.


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Kyle Yates is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Kyle, check out his archive and follow him @KyleYNFL.

 

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Kyle Yates

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Kyle Yates is an independent content creator that's passionate about helping people dominate their fantasy football league. He's spent time previously as a writer for The Fantasy Footballers, was a full-time fantasy analyst for FantasyPros from 2020-2022, and was the Fantasy Football Content Director at Pro Football Network.

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