With training camp about to open, there hasn’t been much in the way of news over the last month, so in this report we will look at some of the training camp battles, questions, numbers, and storylines to follow over the next few weeks.

QB: Last year, QB Matthew Stafford was quietly 3^rd in the NFL in passing yards and 4^th in TD passes. Stafford has been in the top 10 in passing yards for 7 straight years, in part due to the fact that he has not missed a game in that span. It’s true that he is not as much of a running threat as some other guys around the league. Last year he only had 98 rushing yards and 0 TDs on the ground, but this was due to battling various injuries during the year. With better health there should be a slight bump up in that department. I feel like he is one of the safest picks in fantasy football, with a very high floor based on his toughness and consistency. We’ve seen two full years of Stafford without Calvin Johnson and it’s clear Stafford still has fantasy value. While some might wonder about the fact that the Lions have a new head coach, note that Jim Bob Cooter is still here as the offensive coordinator, so the scheme on offense that Stafford is comfortable with, is not changing. I tried to come up with a 53 man roster projection and as of now I think QB Jake Rudock and QB Matt Cassel will both make the team, but that will be worth watching in camp.

RB: The big question here is how quickly will rookie RB Kerryon Johnson get on the field? He carried the ball 285 times for Auburn last year. He won’t get that many carries this year. A realistic projection would be that he gets the same number of carries per game RB Ameer Abdullah had last year which was around 12 per game. If he stays healthy and also contributes in the passing game he could approach 1000 total yards. RB Theo Riddick is still set to be the receiving back, but he is trending down a little after last year. In 2015 he broke out with 80 catches, then in 2016 he got more playing time but got hurt. Last year he played all 16 games but only caught 53 passes. RB LeGarrette Blount turns 32 this year. Can he still get the job done as a short yardage back? It was only 2 years ago that he had 18 TDs, but last year he only had 2, plus 3 more in the playoffs. He played less down the stretch, but that’s because the Eagles acquired Jay Ajayi. I think Blount will still be able to get the job done this year, but he will only have fantasy value in TD leagues. Abdullah will be fighting to stay on the roster, or perhaps show enough where he could have some trade value.

WR/TE: Last year, TE Eric Ebron (86) and TE Darren Fells (24) combined for 110 targets. They are both gone, and I don’t expect that many targets to go to the tight ends in 2018. It’s an uninspiring group. Perhaps TE Luke Willson or TE Michael Roberts will emerge and have some fantasy value, but it the wide receivers that have the value here. WR Marvin Jones averaged 18 yards per catch last year and scored 9 TDs. He was a top 10 receiver in most formats. There could be some regression in the TD number, but another 1000 yard season is likely. As for WR Golden Tate, he matches Stafford in the areas of durability and consistency. He hasn’t missed a game in his 4 years in Detroit, and look at his receptions by season since he came here: 99, 90, 91, 92. Tate turns 30 in a few days, but he is still going strong and should produce another season of about 90-1000-5. In my view, WR Kenny Golladay will see the biggest increase in targets that used to go to the tight ends. He had 48 targets in 11 games last year. If he plays all 16 games, he could see close to 100 targets, and if he can sustain his 17 yards per catch he averaged last year, he could be around 60 catches for 1000 yards, and he figures to see his fair share of red zone targets as well. So basically, I think his upside this year is putting up numbers similar to Jones. He is a great late round pick.

K/DST: On defense, no surprise as there was no long term deal for DE Ziggy Ansah by the deadline, so he will play under the franchise tag. In IDP leagues, LB Jarrad Davis could be a fantasy sleeper. The New England scheme will be installed here, and Patriots linebackers have put up good IDP numbers in the past. PK Matt Prater has made 7 field goals of 50+ yards for two straight years and is a reliable fantasy kicker. He had 31 field goals in 2016 and 30 in 2017.

The Lions have announced their full training camp practice schedule and some practices are open to the public. I may try to make plans to head out there to watch a practice if my schedule will allow it to happen. The first preseason game is Friday August 10 at Oakland against the Raiders. There will be plenty of things to discuss in the next report.

End.