I'm not going to keep finicking with my rankings and trying to perfect them up to draft day. The rankings were changed twice, once before the start of training camps and again after 2 weeks of preseason (which is Today at the time of writing). I'm linking rankings posts I already posted below, but this post will expand on some changes based on what we've seen in training camps and preseason.
*Update 8/24 - God damn it i finnicked with it.
Wide Receivers Rising
George Pickens : DAL (WR8 -> WR6)
Everything around Pickens suggests he's leading this receiving room. After Pickens took off last year, it became clear to the Cowboys staff that Pickens was the best target, and Lamb was taking advantage of the space Pickens was creating. All offseason, Pickens has been dominating Cowboys training camp and gathering praise as he tries to get a massive contract. I’m considering his potential to finish WR1 overall this year.
Zay Flowers : BAL (WR17 ->WR12)
Big contract in hand and not much target competition. I’ve fought against the tide of Zay Flowers for years, but I'm finally ready to accept that regardless of my feelings, he's set up once again to produce. Ja'Kobi Lane could be the best counterpart he's had in years on the other side of the field, but he will still be a rookie trying to get his game together. Meanwhile, Elijah Sarratt is falling behind on the depth chart, leaving the rest of this receiving corps as barren as usual, all while a new playcaller/head coach might be willing to open up the offense to better passing concepts.
Mike Evans : SF (WR30 -> WR23)
I still think Evans might have one foot in the grave (metaphorically) at this point in his career, but who else can they throw to? Evans has supposedly looked great in practice when healthy (if you're willing to believe beat writers), and now he's also lacking target competition. Evans will earn most of the targets downfield, along with the end-zone targets he’s always been fed throughout his career. Only a really strong season out of De’Zhaun Stribling can change that.
Parker Washington : JAX (WR36 -> WR21)
Parker Washington gets training camp hype every year. It's clockwork, as he takes practice very seriously, like many elite players of yesteryear who were focused on their craft. This year is the first he’s gotten that hype while playing with the 1st team. I've always been a believer in the player; now everything is aligning around Parker as the team leader in targets through a versatile role out of the slot and outside. There's a chance he finishes in the top 15 if he can stay healthy.
De'Zhaun Stribling : SF (WR100 -> WR36)
With Pearsall's season-ending injury, Kittle's ongoing recovery, and Christian Kirk's absence from all the 49ers offseason activities, there aren’t enough bodies stopping Stribling from getting a piece of this offense. Preseason has been nothing but good for him, and additionally, he was a constantly mentioned "top performer" throughout training camp. How much production this translates to is up for debate, but he will inevitably have a role and a strong chance of crossing 800 yards on the season, possibly making him playable if he hits his stride.
*Update - I moved him up more. The more i think about it, what is making us believe that Stribling can't surpass Evans this year? Evans got injured last season, wasn't good, and is currently injured too. It's possible Evans opens the gates as the WR1, but he might not end the season as the top player here.
Adonai Mitchell : NYJ (WR64 -> WR51)
Every time Mitchell is mentioned in Jets training camp, it’s been about the growing chemistry between him and Geno Smith, with him completely overshadowing first-round pick Omar Cooper. I don't think it's fluff at all, but I'm not sure if it offers more upside than, say, Zay Jones would in a #2 role. Mitchell might be able to reach FLEX starter status in the right type of leagues with depth, but I’m expecting his best-case scenario to be only 800 yards this year.
Caleb Douglas : MIA (Unranked -> WR65)
Douglas is the only Dolphins receiver to make a strong statement about his spot in the starting lineup and, other than holdover Malik Washington, should be expected to start week 1. Is that good enough when you’re on one of the worst offensive rosters in the league? Probably not every week, but at least sometimes. Ultimately, he might cede targets to Chris Bell, who I personally think is the best receiver amongst the group, but that might not happen this year if Bell still needs time to acclimate to the NFL. The upside here doesn't feel like it has 1000 yard potential, but there isn't anyone else on the team to stop him from doing it either.
Bryce Lance : NO (Unranked -> WR70)
One of my personal favorite receivers in this draft class has shot up the rankings following an injury to his highly drafted counterpart (Jordyn Tyson). Lance is also coming off a red-hot end to training camp as his hype continues to blossom. He might be higher in my rankings if not for the presence of Chris Olave and Juwan Johnson. The Saints could run a replacement-by-committee approach with Lance and Barrion Brown, but I’m willing to bet on Lance’s talent winning out.
Treylon Burks : WAS, Roman Wilson : PIT, Ja'Kobi Lane : BAL, Dontayvion Wicks : PHI
To not waste too many words on this page, all of these players rose and are listed together because they're expected to start week 1 for their teams. In the right type of league, they may have value, but I’m assuming all of these players are maxing out at 700 yards.
Wide Receivers Falling
Tee Higgins : CIN (WR15 -> WR22)
Every year Higgins is seen as a "WR1 in waiting". Well, Pickens came into Dallas and solidified a WR1 spot beside CeeDee Lamb. That’s what i would expect from a “WR1 in waiting”. After looking at Higgins' career (who hasn't had a 1000 yard season since 2022), I'm ready to accept that he might not be who I thought he was.
*Update - I moved him up slightly after doing some more "theorycrafting" aka talking to a friend who convinced me otherwise.
Emeka Egbuka : TB (WR22 -> WR31)
The preseason news around Egbuka hasn't looked great. Early reports were mostly about him not making plays, failing to look explosive, being inconsistent, and generally not impactful. Meanwhile, the opposite news was coming around for teammate Chris Godwin, returning from a lost year and looking dominant. After a rookie year where Egbuka feasted and famined on deep shots, there's a lot of belief that his game can/should expand. I agree with that based on his overall profile, but I’m getting the sense it isn't happening this year. Godwin might ultimately lead this team in targets and receiving yards, and Egbuka might be a prime bounce-back candidate in 2027. But I'm pulling him down for this year.
Alec Pierce : IND (WR40 -> WR56)
Pierce was already in a weird spot given his usage and supporting cast; the injury only made things worse as he’ll now have Keenan Allen to compete with, who refuses to stop stealing PPR value. I don't think it damages Pierce's upside, but it really hurts his floor and might stop him from having an expanded route tree.
Germie Bernard : PIT, Antonio Williams : WAS, Jordyn Tyson : NO
All of these receivers were expected to win a job out of camp (at least by me), but are no longer looking that way. Tyson will probably step back into the starting role when he returns, but he may face more competition than before if Bryce Lance or Barion Brown can put together strong performances.
Running Backs Rising
Bucky Irving : TB (RB20 -> RB15)
I've never stopped believing in Bucky's talent, but I was a little scared by Gainwell and even more so by the idea that Bucky's rookie efficiency was a one-time thing. This offseason has been nothing but good news for Bucky since he returned from an early injury, with not nearly as many positive notes about Gainwell, who is looking more and more like a handcuff from my perspective than a threat.
Travis Etienne Jr : JAX (RB19 -> RB16)
The injury to Alvin Kamara is big for Etienne. Despite Kamara's age, he was getting a lot of opportunity throughout training camp and was mentioned with the first team nearly as often as Etienne was. Without him, it's more likely that Etienne gains early-season receiving opportunities and maybe holds onto that afterwards. Kellen Moore has a weird habit of using his starting running backs less often in the receiving game and keeping that role split. Hopefully he won't have a choice but to stick with Etienne for it now.
Quinshon Judkins : CLE (RB23 -> RB19)
The biggest drawback for Judkins is the Browns' offense, and I would think that any game that fell out of reach might also see fewer touches for Judkins. But this offseason, the Browns are regularly working Judkins into the receiving plan, lining him up at slot and using him out of the backfield. While that's all just practice and the fruit might not be ripe come fall, it's a sign of upside that could be taken advantage of if things come together just right.
Jonathan Brooks : CAR (RB43 -> RB34)
At this point, everyone likely knows the deal with Brooks and his rise in the rankings, so to keep this short: he seems healthy while Chuba Hubbard is not. Brooks' usage in preseason has looked good, but he may still split carries once Chuba returns..
Tyler Allgeier : ARI (RB42 -> RB35)
Allgeier's upside is in doubt as long as he’s in the presence of teammate Jeremiah Love, but he'll have startable weeks while the Cardinals are committed to splitting them. They've shown that commitment all offseason, which is a little scary since Love should be a far greater talent. But nonetheless, I would anticipate Allgeier to mostly have early-season starter weeks while the remaining backs on this roster are injured and start to cede more and more to Love once he gets going. That makes him a zero-RB target for early-season starts at minimum and, if injury luck holds his way, could make him a cheap season-long starter.
George Holani : SEA (RB76 -> RB46)
Holani will be splitting opportunities with Jadarian Price. If Charbonnet's recovery doesn't go well or Holani really impresses in the role, maybe he’ll even keep the role all season long.
Jeanty got hurt as i was writing this, so i'm not going to overreact but i would move him down to the dead-zone RB section, roughly around RB24, until we know what's going on. You're not missing out on much by drafting Jeanty over any of those players, but you'll gain a lot more by drafting him there if Jeanty is fine.
Running Backs Falling
Jeremiah Love : ARI (RB13 -> RB 17)
As mentioned in the earlier blurb on his teammate, the Cardinals' early hands are showing a committee. Maybe it's a bluff, but it's enough to take Love out of being borderline top 12 and make him a solidly RB2 option. I think by late season Love's talent will be too obvious to ignore, but he still might not own this backfield.
Cam Skattebo : NYG (RB16 -> RB21)
The Giants are another team showing an uncomfortable committee all season long. Skattebo has the 3-down skillset to be an elite fantasy player, but not if the Giants don't let him. With the injury history and his other questionable decisions, that might not be the worst idea. Maybe Harbaugh is even doing this just to punish him for not being committed in some roundabout way. Skattebo still carries the same upside as before, but his floor has gotten way worse if he's sharing.
Tight Ends Rising
T.J. Hockenson : MIN (TE11 -> TE8)
Kyler Murray winning the job is huge for all the pass catchers in Minnesota. He may not be one of the top 16 quarterbacks in the league, but he has a career full of feeding his receivers. Hockenson has been waiting to return to form for the last two years after being one of the top tight ends in the league for his first five seasons. I think he will do it this year as the guy taking advantage of the space created by Justin Jefferson.
Terrance Ferguson : LAR (TE27 -> TE21)
The hype around Ferguson is extraordinary. Supposedly during Puka's training camp absence, it's been Ferguson catching everything and making a big splash all over the field. I take those kinds of reports as more wishcasting than reality, but everything is pointing to him taking a much bigger part of the offense than before. A top-15 finish is reasonable to expect.
Charlie Kolar : LAC (Unranked -> TE28)
The Chargers are doing something weird with their tight ends, and Kolar is the big beneficiary. PFF's Nathan Jahnke (whose pre-season reporting on usage is very good) put Kolar on my radar when he noted that he was used with the starters and splitting the reps with Njoku, over Gadsden, who played with the backups.
Tight Ends Falling
Mark Andrews : BAL (TE8 -> TE11)
I was expecting to see more news of Mark Andrews' usage or just looking like his old self, but it hasn't come to fruition. He might still return to his former glory, but it's not looking like as easy a bet as it was before. Hopefully the volume improves without Likely beside him either way.
Isaiah Likely : NYG (TE10 -> TE19)
Harbaugh did weird things with Likely and Andrews during their time together in Baltimore, and he continues to find a way to do weird things with his tight ends with the Giants. Likely and Theo Johnson have been splitting reps. This doesn't make him unplayable but hurts his upside a lot. Theo Johnson is not good enough (in my opinion) to force a split with Likely, so maybe this changes by mid-season.
Oronde Gadsden II : LAC (TE22 -> TE38)
As the aforementioned news around Kolar suggests, Gadsden is now on the outside looking in. I was already questioning his future, and now i'm fine not considering him in the draft.
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