WR coaching camp battles to observe

• The Chiefs’ WR1 function is up for grabs: Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Marquise Brown will battle for the spot in a large receiver room with tons of query marks.

• Could a rookie be close to the entrance of the pecking order in New England? Kyle Williams might be able to unseat Demario Douglas, Mack Hollins and Ja’Lynn Polk with a powerful coaching camp.

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Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes

NFL coaching camps are upon us, which suggests positional battles are formally underway. Detailed beneath are three fantasy-friendly passing offenses whose huge receiver rooms are absolutely in flux. Fantasy managers ought to comply with every group all through coaching camp to effectively exploit mispriced common draft positions.

Kansas City Chiefs: WR Rashee Rice, WR Xavier Worthy and WR Marquise Brown

Third-year huge receiver Rashee Rice and second-year huge receiver Xavier Worthy enter coaching camp jockeying for place forward of presumed No. 3 wideout Marquise Brown. Among 154 NFL huge receivers with at the very least 155 offensive snaps in 2024, Rice’s 85.1 PFF total grade ranked twelfth, Worthy’s 72.4 mark positioned forty ninth and Brown’s 65.5 mark tied for 76th. 

Rice suffered a season-ending knee damage in Week 4 final season, however Chiefs head coach Andy Reid informed reporters that he will probably be a full coaching camp participant after absolutely collaborating in voluntary organized staff actions and obligatory minicamp. 

Pending good well being, Rice profiles as Kansas City’s de facto No. 1 move catcher, lining up out huge in two-wide receiver units and within the slot in three-wide receiver units whereas incomes targets voluminously through short-to-intermediate depth routes. Historically, he operates at a 5.0-yard common depth of goal. 

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ 2023 and 2024 common goal depths (6.9 and seven.0 yards, respectively) and yards per passing try (7.0 and 6.9, respectively) all register as the 2 lowest averages of his eight-year profession. His 85.5 PFF passing grade in 2024 was simply his fifth-best season-long PFF passing grade. Both Reid and Mahomes declared that producing explosive move performs by growing the staff’s downfield throwing frequency and quantity is a 2025 precedence, which leaves Worthy with a path to the No. 1 move catcher function. 

Worthy operated at a 9.2-yard common goal depth and recorded an 18.4% deep-target price throughout the complete season, finally breaking out from Week 15 on by rating first amongst Chiefs skill-position gamers in targets (51), receptions (40), receiving yards (477), receiving touchdowns (5), first downs and touchdowns (24), missed tackles compelled receiving (5) and explosive move performs (9). Among Chiefs ability place gamers with at the very least 10 targets throughout that span, Worthy’s 2.28 yards per route run ranked first, and each his 24.4% goal price and 13.7% deep-target price ranked second.

Brown debuted in Week 16 after dislocating his SC joint throughout preseason play. The 28-year-old veteran is not an above-average starter, however he ought to produce a flex-worthy season, working in his No. 3 huge receiver, field-stretching function. 

Fantasy managers ought to carefully monitor Rice and Worthy’s battle for No. 1 move catcher duties whereas drafting Brown late as a matchup-based flex choice. 

San Francisco 49ers: WR Brandon Aiyuk, WR Jauan Jennings, WR Ricky Pearsall and Demarcus Robinson

The 49ers enter coaching camp with important availability issues concerning three of their prime 4 huge receivers, which may depress the three gamers’ ADPs. Fantasy managers ought to carefully comply with the shifting pecking order.

Brandon Aiyuk is a candidate to start the season on the reserve/bodily unable to carry out (reserve/PUP) record, with a tentative return-to-play timeline falling in Weeks 5-6, although a Week 1 return is feasible. He suffered a torn ACL and MCL in Week 7 final yr.

Per Edwin Porras’ 2024 Injury Prone Draft Guide, 61.0% of huge receivers failed to achieve 90.0% or extra of their pre-injury, per-game points-per-reception common following ACL reconstruction. Aiyuk earned a 74.1 PFF receiving grade whereas averaging 1.74 yards per route run in his age-26 season final yr, the previous being a profession low with the latter rating third amongst his 5 NFL seasons. While Aiyuk may return fantasy worth, based mostly on a theoretical mid-round ADP, he needs to be approached with at the very least gentle warning throughout summer season drafts. 

No. 2 huge receiver Jauan Jennings reportedly requested a brand new contract on July 14, seemingly utilizing Aiyuk’s anticipated absence as leverage, and requested to be traded if the entrance workplace is unwilling to fulfill his calls for. Jennings is at the moment obtainable through a 5.09, WR36 PPR ADP after ending because the PPR WR25 final season whereas posting profession highs in PFF receiving grade (83.7 PFF receiving grade) and yards per route run (2.26). Should the contract state of affairs be resolved rapidly, he has a case for being probably the most dependable 49ers huge receiver.

Second-year move catcher Ricky Pearsall suffered his second recorded hamstring pressure on May 29. He is predicted to be prepared for coaching camp and will operate because the de facto No. 1 huge receiver indefinitely, pending Aiyuk’s well being and Jennings’ standing. Pearsall made his rookie season debut in Week 7 final season after efficiently recovering from a gunshot wound to the chest. He carried out erratically by means of Week 16 however caught 14 of 17 targets for 210 receiving yards and two touchdowns whereas averaging 2.63 yards per route run in Weeks 17-18.

Pearsall may assume No. 1 huge receiver duties even with Aiyuk and Jennings energetic. Among 154 NFL huge receivers with at the very least 155 offensive snaps in 2024, Pearsall’s 63.9 PFF total grade tied for 83rd.

49ers No. 4 huge receiver Demarcus Robinson faces a possible suspension after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor DUI cost, coming into his age-31 season. Robinson might be thought of a matchup-based flex choice have been he to fill in as a top-three huge receiver. Among 154 NFL huge receivers with at the very least 155 offensive snaps final season, his 65.0 PFF total grade ranked eightieth.

New England Patriots: WR Stefon Diggs, WR Kyle Williams, WR Demario Douglas, WR Mack Hollins and WR Ja’Lynn Polk

The Patriots will use coaching camp and preseason play to find out their revamped huge receiver corps’ pecking order. Fantasy managers ought to carefully comply with the No. 2 huge receiver battle, that includes third-round rookie Kyle Williams, incumbent slot receiver Demario Douglas and free-agent signee Mack Hollins. New England’s new offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels, runs a comparatively fast-paced, fantasy-friendly passing offense.

Stefon Diggs underwent ACL reconstruction in early November, and New England’s Week 1 sport in opposition to the Las Vegas Raiders comes simply over 10 months into his restoration. Per Edwin Porras’ 2024 Injury Prone Draft Guide, the “common return to sport time for gamers coming off an ACL tear within the NFL is roughly [11-to-12] months,” although 8-10 months is widespread and retear charges are secure from 9-12 months. Diggs is penciled in because the staff’s prime huge receiver for Week 1.

The desk beneath exhibits the next:

• Receiving and deployment knowledge for Diggs, Douglas and Hollins amongst 80 NFL huge receivers with at the very least 55 targets in 2024. Diggs’ deployment knowledge is calculated from Houston Texans knowledge from Weeks 1-8.
• Williams’ receiving and deployment knowledge amongst 28 Power Five huge receivers with at the very least 95 targets in 2024.

Diggs’ two-wide receiver set snap share ranked first amongst Texans huge receivers final season. Hollins’ qualifying snap share ranked second amongst Bills huge receivers.

Williams’ two-wide receiver set snap share tied for his staff’s positional staff excessive. He is likely one of the 2025 rookie huge receiver class’ most intriguing prospects. Among 28 Power Five huge receivers with at the very least 95 targets in 2024, Williams ranked 14th in common goal depth (11.5 yards), tenth in catch price (69.4%), tied for eighth in explosive move performs (26), tied for fifth in missed tackles compelled (21), second in yards per reception (17.1) and first in yards after the catch per reception (8.4).

New England second-year huge receiver Ja’Lynn Polk earned a forty five.4 PFF receiving grade in his 2024 rookie season, and ESPN’s Mike Reiss believes he isn’t a lock to make the 2025 roster.

McDaniels beforehand served because the Las Vegas Raiders’ head coach from Week 1 of 2022 by means of Week 8 of 2023. 

The desk beneath exhibits knowledge for McDaniels’ 2022-2023 seasons with the Raiders amongst regular-season NFL groups from Week 1 of 2022 to Week 8 of 2023.

Should Douglas stay caught in a slot-dependent function, he’ll proceed to attain fantasy factors unreliably. While Hollins gives the requisite downfield velocity to sufficiently stretch the sphere, the 31-year-old huge receiver can’t be anticipated to enhance his pass-catching play. 

Williams possesses immense upside if he can safe the first beginning function reverse Diggs and field Douglas out of two-wide receiver units. Williams’ year-one potential is enhanced by dangers related to Diggs’ damage restoration, creating an injury-based path to the No. 1 huge receiver function. Fantasy managers ought to notably monitor Williams this summer season in coaching camp.