Draft Guide: New Faces in New Places

Thomas saw a dip in production in 2014, as he was limited to just 13 games due to injury, but still managed to haul in 43 passes for 489 yards and 12 

touchdowns. There was plenty of hype around Thomas entering the season after his breakout 2013 campaign but despite his reception and yardage totals taking a hit, he proved that he is a force in the red zone. Thomas will join a young Jaguars offense in 2015 where he will be looked upon to offer a security blanket for Blake Bortles as the rest of the young receiving core in Marqise Lee, Allen Hurns and Allen Robinson continue to develop. Seeing that Thomas should see plenty of targets in the Jaguars offense and with better health in 2015, he could easily repeat his productive 2013 totals of 65 catches for 788 yards.

Jeremy Maclin, WR KC

Maclin turned in a career year in 2014, catching 85 passes for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns. What makes those numbers even more impressive is that it comes after missing the entire 2013 season as he recovered from a torn ACL. The high-powered Eagles offense certainly had plenty to do with Maclin’s overall production and he used it to his advantage as he cashed in during free agency, but where he ended up has prospective fantasy owners cringing.

Maclin signed in the off-season with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he reunites with former head coach Andy Reid, but also joins an offense that did not have a single touchdown reception by a wide receiver last year and their leading receiving (Dwayne Bowe) caught just 60 passes for 754 yards. Quarterback Alex Smith is a notorious game manager that does not take many shots downfield so it’s possible a receiver like Maclin who can run underneath slant routes can have more success than a downfield receiver like Bowe, but make no mistake, the Chiefs offense is focused around getting the ball in Jamaal Charles’ hands. At best, Maclin becomes a WR3 this season unless he finds himself constantly in the end zone.

Brandon Marshall, WR NYJ

Marshall is coming off a disappointing season with the dysfunctional Chicago Bears where he caught 61 passes for 721 yards and eight touchdowns over 13 games. Marshall saw a 7-year streak with at least 1,000 yards receiving come to an end as an injured ankle, along with the struggles of Jay Cutler and the Bears offense, limited his overall production. Unfortunately for Marshall, things are not looking much better for 2015 as he joins a Jets offense that has boasted one of the worst passing attacks in football over the past few seasons and even with the inconsistencies of Jay Cutler in Chicago, the QB situation in New York fails in comparison. The Jets added game manager Ryan Fitzpatrick into the fold as an insurance policy but have already named Geno Smith the starting QB heading into camp despite his awful play since entering the league. Marshall will be starting opposite of Eric Decker who did find success in his first season with the Jets in 2014 but with Marshall being more of a downfield threat, it’s more likely that his production for the upcoming season will more closely resemble what it was in 2014 than the 1,000 yard receiver of years past.

Andre Johnson, WR IND

There may not be a happier free agent than Andre Johnson, who after years of requesting a trade and threatening to hold out due to the poor quarterback play in Houston packs his bags and heads north to Indianapolis to play with Andrew Luck and the high-powered Colts passing attack. For all intents and purposes, Johnson comes in and replaces the departed Reggie Wayne, who despite the emergence of T.Y. Hilton was still able to put up productive seasons. Johnson is coming off a season where he caught 85 passes for 936 yards and three touchdowns, which is impressive given who the Texans were starting at the quarterback position. Johnson should not see much of a drop-off in production even though he will likely find himself as the No.2 WR option behind Hilton in the Colts passing attack, but at 33 years old and now re-energized and motivated, he very well could be a surprise WR1 given that just two years ago he finished with 109 catches for 1,407 yards.

Frank Gore, RB IND

The decline of Frank Gore has been echoed from fantasy experts in each of the past few seasons as his “handcuff” is always considered among the top to own. Despite all that pessimism around his production, Gore continues to be incredibly consistent as he finished 2014 with his fourth straight season with at least 1,100 rushing yards and 255 carries. The 49ers finally opted not to bring Gore back which allowed him to join a Colts team that has been in dire need for a running back for the past few seasons. Gore finds himself going from a run-heavy offense in San Francisco to a pass first offense with Indy, which will likely result in fewer carries coming his way but he could benefit from opposing defenses having to protect against the high-powered passing attack rather than stacking the box to stop him.

The Colts have not had a 1,000-yard rusher since 2007, but seeing as Gore has topped that mark in eight of his last 10 seasons, it’s very likely he ends that drought. The Colts also like to use their running backs in the passing game and while Gore had been less involved in the 49ers passing attack over the past few seasons, he topped 40 receptions in each of his first five seasons in the league and if he can find that additional role in the Colts offense, his value will certainly go up. Gore has done little to make fantasy owners think he is washed up and in this high-powered offense, he should find plenty of opportunities to see the end zone and offer up RB2 value for the upcoming season.

C.J. Spiller, RB NO

Spiller carried the ball 78 times for 300 yards and added 19 catches for 125 yards and a touchdown in 2014 after being limited to just nine games due to injury. Buffalo traded for LeSean McCoy this offseason which spelled the end of Spiller’s tenure with the Bills. Spiller joined the high-powered Saints offense in free-agency where he will offer a change of pace to starter Mark Ingram. The Saints have long been a pass-first offense with Drew Brees at quarterback and Spiller will likely be used as the Saints receiving back, which should instantly boost his fantasy value given his pass catching ability, explosive speed and elusiveness in open space. Daren Sproles proved that being the primary receiving back in the Saints offense is a role that offers plenty of fantasy appeal in both standard and PPR leagues. Couple that with Spiller’s ability to also run the ball effectively and the likelihood for a bounce back season in New Orleans should be pretty high.

Reggie Bush, RB SF

Bush finds himself coming off an injury plagued 2014 where he played just 11 games and lost his starting role to Joique Bell, limiting him to 76 carries for 297 yards and 40 catches for 253 yards. Bush signed with the 49ers in the offseason and he will head to San Francisco and backup Carlos Hyde while also being used as a receiver out of the backfield in certain packages. Injuries have long hindered Bush’s upside, but he does have two 1,000 yard rushing seasons under his belt and if Carlos Hyde struggles, Bush would be next in line to see the majority of the carries.

Percy Harvin, WR BUF

Harvin is coming off a disappointing 2014 season, which saw him traded by the Seahawks to the Jets following Week 6 and finish with 51 catches for 483 yards and a touchdown while adding 33 carries for 202 yards and a score. Harvin is an explosive player and will join an offense that boasts some other homerun hitters like Sammy Watkins and LeSean McCoy, but has serious question marks at the quarterback position with both E.J. Manuel and Matt Cassel competing for the starting job. His versatility will always bring fantasy appeal with Harvin also including his playmaking ability in the return game, but knowing that he is not the No.1 option in Buffalo in the passing game, prospective fantasy owners might want to temper their expectations.

Kenny Stills, WR MIA

Stills is coming off a career year during which he lead the Saints in receiving with 931 yards on 63 receptions, but he finds himself with a new home heading into the 2015 season after being traded to Miami in the offseason. In Miami, Stills will find himself essentially replacing the role vacated by the departed Mike Wallace in the Dolphin passing attack. He will join 2nd-year receiver Jarvis Landry who leads the Dolphins with 84 catches for 758 yards during his rookie season. The Dolphins will look to use Stills’ downfield capabilities to add a different dimension to their offense that was sometimes lacking even when Mike Wallace was on the field. Though Stills will no longer be catching footballs from Drew Brees as part of the Saints high-powered passing attack, Ryan Tannehill himself is coming off a career year where he completed 66.4 percent of his passes for 4,045 yards and 27 touchdowns. Should he take another step forward in his development, it could mean big things for somebody like Stills.

Dwayne Bowe, WR CLE

Bowe made the interesting choice this offseason to leave a Chiefs offense where no wide receiver caught a touchdown pass in 2014 but featured a stable quarterback in Alex Smith and head to Cleveland, a team notorious for its turmoil at the quarterback position. The Browns will currently head into the 2015 season with a competition between Johnny Manziel and Josh McCown.

Despite failing to catch a touchdown last season, Bowe still hauled in 60 passes for 754 yards which would have ranked second among Browns receivers had he been playing in Cleveland. Bowe previously flashed the ability of a true WR1 in fantasy but given the team he currently plays for and the uncertainty as who will be getting him the ball, it seems like a safer bet to avoid Bowe until the later rounds in the draft and hope that he can click in his new surroundings.

Michael Crabtree, WR OAK

Crabtree finds himself heading across the bay from San Francisco to Oakland in 2015 as he joins a young Raiders team lead by second-year quarterback Derek Carr. The Raiders wide receiving core was lead last year by Andre Holmes, who finished with a team-high 693 yards and James Jones, who finished with a team-high 73 receptions. With Jones no longer on the roster, Crabtree will step in and look to take over as the No.1 receiving option for Carr. The 49ers poor passing attack last year limited Crabtree to 68 catches for 698 yards as he found himself as the No.2 option behind Anquan Boldin. With a young quarterback in Carr at the helm of the Raiders offense, Crabtree will have a chance to assert himself as the No.1 receiving option in Oakland and return to being the guy who caught 85 passes for 1,105 yards in 2012.

Torrey Smith, WR SF

Smith is coming off a 2014 season with the Ravens where he finished with a career-low in receptions (49) and yards (767), but managed to set a new career-high with 11 touchdowns. Smith will find himself wearing some new digs in 2015, as he signed with the 49ers in the offseason, where he will be reunited with Anquan Boldin as the top two receiving options for Colin Kaepernick. The 49ers have been a run first offense over the years as their passing attack under Kaepernick has been underwhelming with him averaging just 3,283 passing yards per season since becoming a starter. This could limit Smith’s fantasy value given that he will also be the No.2 receiving option behind Boldin in the passing attack.

Owen Daniels, TE DEN

Daniels continues to follow head coach Gary Kubiak from team to team as he joins the Denver Broncos for the 2015 season. Daniels spent his first eight seasons in Houston under Gary Kubiak, where he was one of the better fantasy tight ends due to his offensive involvement. In 2014, Kubiak joined the Ravens staff as the offensive coordinator and Daniels signed with the intention of backing up Dennis Pitta, but a season-ending injury to Pitta forced Daniels into the starting lineup. Daniels caught 48 passes for 527 yards and four touchdowns while making 13 starts at the tight end position. His move to Denver also allows him the benefit of having Peyton Manning at the quarterback position, which is an upgrade over the likes of Joe Flacco and Matt Schaub. Daniels is slated as the Broncos No.1 tight end entering the season with only Virgil Green behind him on the depth chart and given the offense and depth at the tight end position in fantasy, Daniels could end up being quite the sleeper pick.

Jordan Cameron, TE MIA

Concussions limited Cameron to 10 games in 2014, but he enters 2015 with full health and a new team. Expectations were high for Cameron last year after his breakout 2013 campaign which saw him catch 80 passes for 917 yards and seven touchdowns. He will join the Dolphins improving passing attack led by quarterback Ryan Tannehill and receivers Jarvis Landry and Kenny Stills. Cameron is replacing Charles Clay who over the past two seasons in Miami averaged 64 catches for 682 yards and 4.5 touchdowns, placing him towards the back end of the top 10 fantasy tight ends. With good health, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to think Cameron finds himself catching somewhere in the range of 70 passes for 800 yards and a handful of scores given his ability and the fact that Tannehill is a better quarterback than anything Cleveland trotted out over the past few years.

Nick Foles, QB STL

Foles was traded by the Eagles to the Rams in the offseason and he will take over the starting gig from Sam Bradford. Foles had a breakout 2013 season which saw him throw for 2,891 yards, 27 touchdowns and two interceptions over 13 games, causing many to be excited to see what he could do with a full season under center in the up-tempo Chip Kelly offense. Unfortunately, Foles season ended after eight games due to a broken collarbone, but his production prior to the injury was very inconsistent, totaling only 13 touchdowns versus 10 interceptions. The Rams have had their own QB problems over the past few seasons with Sam Bradford tearing his ACL in both 2013 and 2014, so they are hopeful that Foles will be able to stay healthy enough to give their team a chance to compete in the tough NFC West division. The Rams have plenty of young talented receiving options for Foles to throw to but it will be interesting to see how quickly he can adapt to his new surroundings, learn the playbook and then perform in the toughest defensive division in football.

Sam Bradford, QB PHI

Bradford has torn his ACL in consecutive seasons, which has kept him off the field since 2013. He was traded by the Rams in the offseason to the Eagles in exchange for quarterback Nick Foles, who will be taking over as the Rams starter. Bradford will join the up-tempo Eagles offense under Chip Kelly and while he’s expected to be the Week 1 starter, he does have some camp competition in Mark Sanchez, who excelled last season after taking over for the injured Nick Foles, and the ever so popular Tim Tebow, who was surprisingly signed by the Eagles this offseason as well.

Bradford’s last full season came in 2012 where he threw for a career-best 3,702 yards with 21 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He was off to an even better start in 2013, throwing 14 touchdowns to just four interceptions, but suffered a torn ACL after just seven games and was forced to miss the remainder of the season. The Eagles signed the NFL’s leading rusher in DeMarco Murray in the offseason, but also let go of Jeremy Maclin, their leading receiver in 2014. Philly used their first round pick this season on wide receiver Nelson Agholor out of USC with the expectation that both he and Jordan Matthews will be great receiving options for Bradford in this offense. Matthews is coming off an impressive rookie season where he caught 67 passes for 872 yards and eight touchdowns and showed signs of even greater things to come. Bradford will be available in the later rounds of most fantasy drafts due to his injury history, but the fast-paced Eagles offense could quickly vault Bradford up the fantasy ranks if he can stay healthy.

Shane Vereen, RB NYG

Vereen signed with the Giants in the offseason and will likely become their third-down and backfield receiving threat, which is a role he filled while playing in New England. Vereen put up some impressive receiving totals over the past two years, catching 99 passes for 874 yards and three scores. In 2013, Vereen caught 47 passes for 427 yards in just eight games, as an injury suffered in Week 1 kept him out until November. With the Giants last season, Rashad Jennings led the running backs with 30 catches for 226 yards but dealt with injuries that likely limited his overall effectiveness. Vereen finds himself third on the rushing depth chart so his fantasy value will be limited to PPR formats where if he can find a role big enough to generate sufficient production necessary to fill a utility spot.

Darren McFadden, RB DAL

McFadden joins the Cowboys running back ranks after seven uninspiring seasons plagued by injuries and inconsistent performances. The Cowboys have already stated they plan to use a committee of running backs consisting of McFadden, Julius Randle and Lance Dunbar, but the hope will likely be that one of the three will take the job and run with it. McFadden has the upside to be an effective dual threat running back as evidenced by his 2010 season during which he carried the ball 223 times for 1,157 yards and added 47 catches for 507 yards and 10 total touchdowns. The Cowboys are looking to fill the void left by the departed DeMarco Murray and maybe they can catch lightning in a bottle with McFadden as he finally finds himself on a team that is capable of winning and providing him with motivation. Potential fantasy owners will want to monitor McFadden during camp to see how he performs and to see if he can stay healthy as he likely has the most upside at the position on their roster.