Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

2021 record: 7-10

Notable coaching and system changes

Entering the second season of the Arthur Smith era as head coach, only one significant change was made to the staff in terms of fantasy interest. In February, the team announced it was parting ways with receivers coach Dave Brock. The team shifted the role of T.J. Yates, who moves from passing game coordinator to receivers coach.

Key free-agent additions

• QB Marcus Mariota (Las Vegas Raiders)
• WR Bryan Edwards (acquired from Las Vegas)
• RB Damien Williams (Chicago Bears)
• TE Anthony Firkser (Tennessee Titans)
• WR Damiere Byrd (Chicago Bears)

Key free-agent departures

• QB Matt Ryan (Indianapolis Colts)
• WR Russell Gage (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
• TE Hayden Hurst (Cincinnati Bengals)

Key draft additions

• WR Drake London (Round 1)
• QB Desmond Ridder (Round 3)
• RB Tyler Allgeier (Round 5)
• TE John FitzPatrick (Round 6)

Quarterback preview

The Falcons offense not that long ago was as explosive as any in the game. That was then. This is now. For 14 years, a Falcons season began with Matt Ryan under center. Not only did Atlanta trade Ryan to the Colts for magic beans, but they have yet to sign backups Josh Rosen or A.J. McCarron to return. As it currently stands, the organization has put all its eggs in the basket of Marcus Mariota as the lone veteran QB on the roster.

Mariota has not lived up to being the No. 2 overall pick. In seven seasons, he has never thrown for 3,500 yards or rushed for 400 yards. He is a late QB2 pick only because rookie Desmond Ridder is likely going to need time to develop. The Cincinnati product was a third-round selection and will challenge for the job in camp, but he’s expected to open as a reserve, barring a lights-out performance this summer.

Running back preview

Another mess. Cordarrelle Patterson is the lead dog in the backfield after the team cut Mike Davis … or, is he? Rookie fifth-rounder Tyler Allgeier has a legit shot at taking on the early-down role, but he offers nothing in the passing game. Veteran Damien Williams is on his third team in three seasons and didn’t look strong at the end of his run in Kansas City or in Chicago. He’s certainly is no lock to make the final roster.

The team finished 31st in the league in rushing last year and has been at or near the bottom in rushing the last two years. Patterson is a plug-and-play flex pick, at best, after a breakout year in his age-30 season. There’s a viable scenario in which CP could move into the third-down role if Allgeier takes the bull by its horns in the offseason program. Such an outcome would make him a low-upside flex consideration with excessive dependence on scoring touchdowns — something this offense likely won’t do too frequently.

All told, the line isn’t great, the quarterback situation is unsettling, and a lack of proven receiving threats will keep the box stacked against either back.

Wide receiver preview

With Calvin Ridley suspended for the entire 2022 season at a minimum, the hits just keep on coming. In the last year, the team has lost Ridley, Julio Jones and Russell Gage. All that they have to show for their efforts are a trio of WR3 signings — not fantasy No. 3s, roster WR3s.

The team made a huge investment in USC’s Drake London in the first round of April’s draft and, almost by default, he will likely be the No. 1 receiver when the season begins. The Falcons have had great success with first-round wide receivers, like Jones and Ridley. London has the ability to be another, but, for 2021, about the best you can expect is a fringe WR2 with as many “miss” weeks as “hit” weeks.

The rest of the corps is comprised of Olamide Zaccheaus, a returning fourth-year player coming off a career line of 31-406-3 on 53 looks. Former Cincinnati wideout Auden Tate brings size to the table at 6-foot-5, and Damiere Byrd (26-329-1) couldn’t parlay his 2020 mini-breakout in New England into much with Chicago a season ago. WR Bryan Edwards was acquired from the Las Vegas Raiders and will have some familiarity with Mariota, which can’t hurt. Khadarel Hodge and a few other warm bodies will attempt to make the roster.

In a run-heavy design with suspect quarterback play, only Zaccheaus and Edwards are worthy of even a sniff in fantasy, and it would have to be in a best-ball setting to justify it.

Tight end preview

Kyle Pitts is a generational athlete who, when taken last year with the fourth pick of the draft, was the highest drafted tight end in the history of the modern NFL draft. He caught 64 passes for more than 1,000 yards and four TDs last year while sharing time with Hayden Hurst, who left via free agency. Pitts and Drake may have to do the lion’s share of the receiving, so Pitts is a TE1 with big upside.

Sleeper/breakout candidates

There is always an excitement surrounding the arrival of an elite receiver, but the Falcons won’t have any other choice than make London the No. 1 guy. If nothing else, he will be on the field an awful lot. On a team that will struggle to have star players, London has the best chance (by design) to make the biggest impact.

Bust potential/overvalued players

Ryan was a “Hall of Very Good” candidate. Mariota has been a mid- to low-level starter — fantasy or otherwise. Suddenly believing he can revive an offense with a wide receiver as its featured running back is insanity, and he’s the ringleader of this circus. Pass!

Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

2021 record: 5-12

Notable coaching and system changes

After finishing 5-12 in Matt Rhule’s second season, he let eight assistant coaches go. Former Giants head coach Ben McAdoo is in as the new offensive coordinator, bringing a West Coast system with him. Joe Dailey comes from the college game (most recently Boston College) to coach wide receivers. Kevin M. Gilbride, 42, was elevated from an offensive assistant to tight ends coach, and James Campen is coaching his third offensive line in three years after spending 2020 with the Los Angeles Chargers and 2021 with Houston. The leash on Rhule is getting tight, and the next change won’t be a slew of assistants. It will start at the top.

Key free-agent additions

• RB D’Onta Foreman (Tennessee Titans)
• WR Rashard Higgins (Cleveland Browns)

Key free-agent departures

• QB Cam Newton (free agent)

Key draft additions

• QB Matt Corral (Round 3)

Quarterback preview

As quarterbacks were moving in the offseason and others (Baker Mayfield) being offered up, the Panthers stood pat. They may have pulled a major coup by standing their ground in the draft and getting Matt Corral, who many viewed as a first-round prospect given the way QBs rise up draft boards.

For now, the Panthers are content with Sam Darnold, but, if they struggle, he’s on a really short leash. He’s not the future. Corral is … at least for a legitimate attempt to win the job. As such, both aren’t even close to a QB2 role and are a one-week waiver pickup for a desperate weekly play, outside of superflex.

Running back preview

Christian McCaffrey has played in just 10 games over the last two years but is still viewed as one of the most lethal dual threats in the game — despite having pedestrian quarterbacks in that span. McCaffrey is a risk-reward decision that gamers will have to make much earlier than anyone should be comfortable doing. His average draft placement suggests a top-10 pick is the price for admission, and he went as high as No. 3 in a recent industry draft The Huddle participated in.

Last year, when he went down, Chuba Hubbard stepped in and stepped up, earning his stripes as a strong second option in the backfield.

D’Onta Foreman adds a new element to the mix as a pure power guy. Anyone who takes McCaffrey does so knowing the risk — the knock on him coming out of college was that he would struggle to stay healthy long term. That said, McCaffrey is a clear RB1, but the owner who ends up with him will likely have to invest to make Foreman or Hubbard a handcuff pick to provide insurance for the Run CMC investment. It’s a frustrating situation not yet clearly knowing the direct replacement, which hopefully gets resolved before the bulk of fantasy drafts are underway.

Wide receiver preview

The Panthers have had many ups and downs at quarterback, but the combination of DJ Moore and Robby Anderson was outstanding in 2020 but took a dip last year, largely due to quarterback deficiencies. Moore has topped 1,000 yards three straight seasons with different QBs and earned a lucrative contract extension. He has earned his way to WR2 status, and Anderson is a solid WR3/flex option.

In 2021’s draft, Terrace Marshall Jr. was chosen in Round 2. He didn’t accomplish a great deal as a rookie, and it wasn’t all his fault. While he has talent to start in this league, Marshall’s quarterback situation and spot on the depth chart will require a few breaks to go his way before he’s relevant outside of best-ball.

Beyond the top three, the team was painfully thin at depth and added a couple of team-friendly signings in Andre Roberts (a special teamer) and Rashard Higgins (who couldn’t catch on with Cleveland). If McCaffrey stays healthy, this team will struggle to consistently field even two fantasy-viable wideouts most weeks.

Tight end preview

The Panthers made a serious investment in Ian Thomas in the offseason, despite coming off a dismal 18 catches for 188 yards last season. That was barely more yardage and fewer catches than fantasy legend Tommy Tremble.

Thomas a borderline TE2, at best, and Tremble an occasional daily fantasy consideration. The latter isn’t a prototypical tight end, so he’ll be moved around to create mismatches, which also limits his playing time. There simply isn’t enough volume in this offense to make either of them worth drafting.

Sleeper/breakout candidates

Who were the choices here? McCaffrey? There will be somebody willing to take the risk to make him a top five or six pick, at worst. Moore? He isn’t flying under the radar anymore.

Marshall is about the only name worthy of even considering, and, as mentioned, will require something to happen to one of the two guys ahead of him — all while seeing competent quarterback play.

The best sleeper or value buy might end up being Foreman, should something yet again take McCaffrey off the field for extended action.

Bust potential/overvalued players

Nobody is climbing on Darnold’s bandwagon because he is in the worst of all possible scenarios. When a team has an established veteran at QB and they draft a replacement — even in the third round — it gets dicey. The first struggles Darnold has will get the fan base looking for change. By midseason, it may be the second town where he’s worn out his welcome.

Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

2021 record: 9-8

Notable coaching and system changes

Few teams were more surprised in the offseason than the Saints when Sean Payton abruptly retired after 16 years as head coach. The defensive coordinator of the last seven years, Dennis Allen, takes over as head coach, but it doesn’t change much on offense, where 13-year offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael remains the offensive showrunner, so things should not change considerably.

Key free-agent additions

• QB Andy Dalton (Chicago Bears)
• WR Jarvis Landry (Cleveland Browns)

Key free-agent departures

• RB Ty Montgomery (New England Patriots)
• QB Trevor Siemian (Chicago Bears)

Key draft additions

• WR Chris Olave, Ohio State (Round 1)

Quarterback preview

The Saints are now two offseasons out from the retirement of Drew Brees and very little has changed. Jameis Winston had his struggles, but the team went 5-2 in games he started. Taysom Hill went 4-1. Without either, the Saints went 0-5. Four of those losses fell on Trevor Siemian, who is gone.

Veteran Andy Dalton enters as the presumed backup to Winston after Hill was converted to tight end. Winston shouldn’t have any issues following a Week 8 ACL tear, particularly because of his position and natural mobility limitations prior to the injury. The former No. 1 overall pick by Tampa Bay is a midrange QB2 who’ll come fairly cheap for covering injuries or bye weeks.

Welcome to post-Brees New Orleans … again.

Running back preview

Alvin Kamara is one of the most consistent and productive dual-threat running backs in the league. He was at his best sharing time with Mark Ingram, who came back during the 2021 season, but he will be 33 this season — past the running back expiration date.

Should the NFL suspend Kamara for his alleged role in an off-field assault, Tony Jones and Ingram stand to benefit. As things currently stand, the Saints are willing to roll with them. Kamara is a little more volatile than most elite backs, but RB1 is the price you’ll have to pay. Whenever he takes the field, Kamara is a RB1 in high standing. At this point, Ingram is little more than a “feeling lucky” flex play in hopes of a belly-flop touchdown.

Wide receiver preview

The biggest question here is whether Michael Thomas will ever return to the form of his first four seasons, when he caught 470 passes for 5,512 yards and 32 touchdowns. Over the last two seasons (after being given a huge contract), he has played in just seven games, including missing all 17 games last year after waiting to have foot surgery until June. In that time, guys like Tre’Quan Smith and Marquez Callaway earned a chance to get a lot of reps, but the drafting of Ohio State’s Chris Olave changes everything. The best route runner of the 2022 draft class, he has the ability to make an immediate impact.

Given his reluctance to be a “team guy,” Thomas is a WR2 with upside. Olave is a WR3 or flex with potential to be the top rookie wideout, especially if Thomas continues to cash checks and not perform. The recent signing of Jarvis Landry dampens the rookie’s outlook, though. Landry is a PPR flex with a chance to creep into No. 3 territory.

Smith and Callaway can be ignored following the Landry addition.

Tight end preview

Adam Trautman and Nick Vannett are pedestrian fantasy tight ends, at best. It is difficult to project either of them — or their combined numbers — to be in the range of a TE2. Taysom Hill, as mentioned, will focus on playing tight end. He’s the wild card here, but he’s undraftable. An elite quarterback could make something of this situation. The Saints don’t have an elite quarterback. Nothing to see here … move on.

Sleeper/breakout candidates

The combination of coming to the league NFL ready and the opportunity to be the No. 2 option behind Thomas could lead to a lot of single coverage for Olave. For a player with his route-running skill and ability to get separation, he has the chance to be the Jaylen Waddle of this year’s class by catching a ton of receptions.

Bust potential/overvalued players

Thomas has missed that past 20 games the Saints have played and 26 of the last 33. Yet, he is going to come into this season as a WR1 on some boards because of what he is capable of when healthy. Treat him as a WR2 due to durability concerns … too much downside to make your No. 1 fantasy guy.

Kamara might fit this bill, too, but it really only applies to early drafters. Once we know whether he’ll be suspended and for how long, if so, the risk dissipates.

Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

2021 record: 13-4

Notable coaching and system changes

Like New Orleans, there was another surprise as Bruce Arians moved from head coach to the front office. In a strikingly similar scenario as happen with the Saints, defensive coordinator Todd Bowles ascended to head coach. Offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and his staff will have another year with Tom Brady and Co.

Key free-agent additions

• WR Russell Gage (Atlanta Falcons)

Key free-agent departures

• RB Ronald Jones (Kansas City Chiefs)
• TE O.J. Howard (Buffalo Bills)
• TE Rob Gronkowski (free agent)

Key draft additions

• RB Rachaad White (Round 3)
• TE Cade Otton (Round 4)

Quarterback preview

We’re not sure a lot needs to be said about Tom Brady. At age 44, he led the league in passing yards and passing touchdowns. TB12 returns from a roughly six-week retirement for what figure to be his last go of it. For the last three or four years, Brady has slid down draft boards because of the fear that the one big hit at his age will be his last hit — like Kurt Warner. But Brady is such a chess player that he knows to protect himself and get rid of the ball. Veteran Blaine Gabbert and 2021 second-round pick Kyle Trask wait in the wings, but Brady is a strong QB1 who makes it difficult to put too many QBs ahead of him on a fantasy draft board.

Running back preview

The Bucs finally allowed the two-headed backfield to be split up, re-signing Leonard Fournette and permitting Ronald Jones to leave for peanuts (one-year, $1.5 million deal with a bunch on incentives).

The team re-signed Giovani Bernard — a third-down specialist — and have Ke’Shawn Vaughn, who showed flashes in a limited role last year. Third-round rookie Rachaad White does a lot of things right as a runner and receiver and could climb the depth chart in a hurry.

Fournette is a high RB2. With Jones gone, he has RB1 potential when all is said and done. White is the best handcuff target here. Bernard may find his way into lineups here and there but remains barely worthy of a roster spot. Vaughn appears to be the odd man out following the third-round investment in White.

Wide receiver preview

The Bucs have an embarrassment of riches here that is going to stay together at least one more year. Mike Evans has eight straight 1,000-yard seasons, and Chris Godwin (knee) signed his franchise tag and is the most versatile receiver Brady has at his disposal. Evans is a surefire WR1, while Godwin is a No. 3 option with more worth in PPR as the season unfolds. He’s coming off a knee reconstruction after a Week 15 ACL tear, and may not be himself until midseason.

Add Russell Gage into that mix with a significant free agent deal and you three receivers who could be in weekly fantasy lineups. It will take injuries for guys like Tyler Johnson and Scotty Miller to get reps, because the depth chart is just too deep. Gage is one of the best flex plays in the league and has WR2 potential while Godwin is rounding into form. It doesn’t get much more imposing when all three are healthy.

Tight end preview

Unlike wide receiver, this position is in huge flux with the yet-to-be-made decision by Rob Gronkowski. That’s where the news is … O.J. Howard is out, having signed with the Buffalo Bills in free agency. That leaves Cameron Brate. The Bucs doubled down on the position in the draft — taking Cade Otton in the fourth round and Ko Kieft in the sixth.

The valuation is a guessing game until we know what Gronk intends to do with his time this autumn. He probably won’t decide publicly until close to training camp. The Bucs will lean on Brate if Gronkowski doesn’t come out, making him a matchup play in fantasy. Otton is a better receiver than Kieft but holds no 2022 utility in fantasy.

If Gronk returns, he’s mostly a fringe starter as a matchup play but has more value while Godwin is less than 100 percent.

Sleeper/breakout candidates

White is the most intriguing sleeper candidate here with Fournette and Bernard’s history of injuries. It’s rather safe to assume the Bucs aren’t thrilled with Vaughn after investing a Round 3 selection in White, and the rookie will see the field if he’s capable of holding up in pass pro. That said, he’s still nothing but a dart throw in the final few rounds.

Bust potential/overvalued players

It’s no secret Gronk is going to sign and show up for most or all of training camp. His hype will be on full display … and his weekly numbers won’t match it. This is presumably Brady’s last season, but Gronk’s next injury — and it’s coming because of his play style — will make this his last season as well.