Fantasy Football Player Notes

Thomas turned in a sublime rookie season, catching 87 passes for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns. He thrived even when backup QB Mac Jones was forced to fill in for injured starter Trevor Lawrence. And Thomas passed every eye test: running crisp routes, making touch catches, and doing heavy damage after the catch. There was nothing fluky about this performance. Expect more of the same.

Will WR-CB Travis Hunter be the Shohei Ohtani of the NFL, providing rare two-way value? Hunter is a ridiculously fluid athlete with extraordinary ball skills. His route running needs refinement, but it's scary to think about how good he could become once he develops that part of his game. The big question is Hunter's role. He played both wide receiver and cornerback in college, and some people believe he's better as a cornerback. The Jaguars, who traded up to select Hunter second overall in this year's draft, say they intend to use Hunter primarily as a wide receiver in his rookie year, though Hunter has made it clear he wants to play both ways. Does double duty end up limiting Hunter's offensive snaps? Abbreviated offensive usage could crush Hunter's fantasy value. It makes Hunter a fascinating case study, and he'll pose a major dilemma for fantasy managers in this year's drafts.

The rock-steady Jakobi Meyers established single-season highs in receptions (87) and receiving yards (1,027) last season despite missing two games. Although the Raiders added WRs Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton in the draft, Meyers is likely to remain the No. 2 target in Las Vegas behind star TE Brock Bowers. The arrival of QB Geno Smith, who threw for more than 4,300 yards last season, and new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, who favors a brisk pace, could boost Meyers' fantasy value. Just don't expect a TD bonanza. Meyers has scored 20 touchdowns in 91 career games. Meyers has tried to renegotiate his contract with the Raiders and recently requested a trade, so this is a situation that bears watching during fantasy draft season.

Dyami Brown quietly broke out late last season with the Washington Commanders and parlayed that strong finish into a one-year, $10 million deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars. It's a notable signing by the new Jacksonville regime - especially since GM James Gladstone mentioned he was high on Brown coming out of UNC, believing he offered more than just vertical speed. While all the buzz surrounds Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter, Brown could carve out a larger role than most expect. Hunter's potential two-way deployment (WR/DB) could open the door for Brown to function more prominently as the Jaguars' No. 2 wide receiver - particularly if injuries strike. The Jaguars' acquisition of Tim Patrick does pour some cold water on Brown's true breakout potential as another WR who could see snaps on the perimeter/red zone.