Team news: Buffalo Bills | Page 72

The Titans drafted Dorial Green-Beckham to be a game-changer, and he had his moments in 2015. Green-Beckham finished the year with more catches (32), yards (549) and touchdowns (4) than six of the seven receivers selected in front of him, with the lone exception being Oakland’s Amari Cooper, the fourth overall pick of the draft. The Titans now need DGB to step up and be more consistent in his second NFL season. Green-Beckham dropped some weight from last season, but he’s one of the receivers who needs to return to Nashville in better shape. At the end of June’s minicamp, Green-Beckham vowed to be ready.

DGB had a solid fantasy points per target (1.18) and is slated for a larger target share in his sophomore season. He averaged 5.9 T/G over his final nine games and played at a 44-791-3.5 pace in that span. In offseason activities, Green-Beckham has been passed on the depth chart by rookie Tajae Sharpe, so it's no sure thing that he's starting Week 1. Risk-adverse owners may want to proceed with caution, though this may simply be a motivational tool to ensure that DGB reports to camp with a sense of urgency.

Seth Roberts knows his role and how to thrive in it. He's expected to be the Raiders slot receiver in 2016, a role earned last year and kept with a solid campaign that featured 32 receptions 480 yards, five touchdowns and several clutch catches.

Who could forget the game-winning touchdowns caught against Baltimore and Tennessee? He was a red zone target, clearly trusted by Derek Carr to make big plays even with Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree on the pitch.

Big plays didn’t build chemistry with his quarterback. Consistency was the key there.

“I always go back and study last year’s film, one thing I continued to see over and over again is when he was man-to-man, he won his route,” Carr said. “That is huge. And he’s not just winning, he’s creating separation.”

“We don’t number our receivers but when he comes in, he’s the third guy in,” Carr said. “When you have that and the third corner guarding him or a safety coming down guarding him and have that guy consistently winning, it just opens up so many things. … It just takes pressure off of everybody. His role is huge, then you put a guy like (Andre Holmes), knowing the big play ability he has and you put Seth next to him, now safeties and defensive coaches have to make decisions because Seth continues to win on his routes.”

Roberts finished as the #62 WR in PPR formats as a 24-year-old rookie. He's a player to consider on the waiver wire if anything were to happen to Amari Cooper or Michael Crabtree.

Amari Cooper received praise for his performance during the Raiders offseason program.

It was deserved. The second-year receiver was excellent in practices open to the press, working in precision with quarterback Derek Carr.

There’s clearly growth between passer and receiver, but Cooper himself has a spring in his step. He’s confident, comfortable with the Raiders and his place in the NFL.

Cooper suffered a foot injury in practice after Week 13. Prior to the injury, he was playing at an 83-1243-5.3 pace, and was the #18 receiver in standard and #17 in PPR. Over the final four games, he only managed 10 catches for 150 total yards and two touchdowns. Now that he’s back to full health, we’re expecting the early-season version of Cooper, and he may make further strides in his second season.

Hue Jackson was among those watching Duke Johnson's pro day at the University of Miami before the 2015 draft. His quickness allows him to run outside and be a weapon in the passing game. His 61 receptions set a Browns rookie record for a back, and were the second-highest total by any Browns rookie. Only Oakland's Amari Cooper -- a receiver -- had more receptions as a rookie.

Jackson sees Johnson as an every-down back. The previous coaching staff actually felt the same. They started training camp intending to make Johnson the starter. But a hamstring pull set him back, and then he was sidelined by a concussion.

The overall season was disappointing for the running game, but the Browns and the backs can point to the final four or five games when a greater commitment to the run led to more production.

Isaiah Crowell averaged 5.2 yards over the final five games, when he had three of his four touchdowns. Johnson averaged 5.6 yards in the final four.

Crowell outscored Johnson in standard formats, but Johnson (61 catches) had the edge in PPR, finishing #24 on the year. We can glean new HC Hue Jackson's playcalling tendencies from his usage of Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill last year in Cincinnati. When the Bengals were trailing by a field goal or more, Bernard saw 33 touches to Hill's 32. When the Bengals were trailing by two points or less, tied or leading, Hill saw 206 touches to 170 for Bernard. Since the 2016 Browns are likely to be trailing far more often than the 2015 Bengals, Johnson has a chance at an even larger share than Bernard, who finished #17 in PPR formats last season. Given Johnson's 6th-round ADP in early PPR drafts, he looks like a nice target for the "wait on RB" crowd.

San Diego Chargers

OUT
T King Dunlap (ankle), LB Kyle Emanuel (concussion), DT Sean Lissemore (shoulder)

QUESTIONABLE
TE Ladarius Green (ankle), WR Stevie Johnson (groin)

PROBABLE
T Chris Hairston (abdomen), CB Steve Williams (hip)

Oakland Raiders

OUT
S Nate Allen (knee), DE Mario Edwards (neck)

QUESTIONABLE
CB Neiko Thorpe (neck)

PROBABLE
WR Amari Cooper (foot), DE Khalil Mack (knee), WR Seth Roberts (abdomen), S Charles Woodson (shoulder)

Stevie Johnson was listed as doubtful last week, so this is an upgrade. He's not a great start after a long layoff, but would probably see 7-10 targets as the team's primary receiver. His return would put a dent in Dontrelle Inman's upside.