Winner: Isaiah Crowell, Running Back, Cleveland Browns
With Duke Johnson still sitting out due to a hamstring injury and Terrance West acting as a frustrating presence in camp, Crowell's status as the lead dog here has been strengthened. It only took a few days of camp for clarification to come from Browns' camp, but it sure looks like this second-year running back is primed to touch the ball a whole heck of a lot. And behind one of the top offensive lines in football, the production will most definitely be there.
While we did run a piece earlier this week focusing on running back by committee approaches and what they mean to individual fantasy values, the Browns' situation has turned like a tidal wave in Crowell's direction. If that continues throughout the remainder of camp and entering into the preseason, he could be an under-the-radar RB1 option. Crowell's current ADP has him as the 32nd running back off the board. If you are drafting now, take him to the bank and be happy with it.
Loser: Arian Foster, Running Back, Houston Texans
This isn't going to be good for anyone involved. Foster's current ADP has him as the seventh overall player off the board. If he's placed on short-term IR with a designate to return, those who have drafted him are already in trouble. It's a sickening blow at a time in the preseason when hopes are high that your team will contend for that championship. For those who are in the process of preparing for the draft, this is obviously a big red flag. The terms "major groin injury" and "surgery" don't necessarily flow well when coupled with this position.
If Foster is indeed placed on short-term IR, Alfred Blue will likely get first-team reps. It also means that Houston will scour the veteran free-agent market for a potential short-term replacement. That's where the Steven Jacksons and Chris Johnsons of the world come into play.
Winner: Amari Cooper, Wide Receiver, Oakland Raiders
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Loser: Charles Clay, Tight End, Buffalo Bills
Not a single target in four days of practices? It makes little sense that Buffalo would pay Clay the cash they paid him only to have him acting as a block-first tight end. It could be a combination of the Bills' quarterback situation being up in the air. It could also have a direct correlation with Clay's uneasiness in a new offense. Whatever the case may be, it's shocking to see him play this small of a role in the team's passing game. And while we fully understand it's hard to take much out of the early stages of training camp, this is something to definitely keep an eye on. Clay's current ADP has him as the 19th tight end off the board, so it's not necessarily panic time unless you went late-round tight end for your starting option.
Winner: Eddie Royal, Wide Receiver, Chicago Bears
Royal is back catching passes from Jay Cutler, who helped the receiver put up a career year when they were teammates with the Denver Broncos back in 2008. He's also going to likely be the starter opposite Alshon Jeffery when Week 1 of the regular season comes calling. Considering Royal tallied 62 receptions and seven touchdowns while bringing in 68 percent of the passes thrown in his direction with San Diego last year, there is a ton of upside as it relates to him being an under-the-radar fantasy performer in 2015. The eighth-year pro's ADP currently has him as a waiver-wire option in standard 12-team leagues. Let that sink in for a bit.
Loser: Kevin White, Wide Receiver, Chicago Bears
On the other end of the spectrum is this rookie top-10 pick. White is expected to remain sidelined for the next four-to-six weeks with a shin injury. It doesn't take a genius to realize just how much that will impact his ability to gel with Cutler out of the gate. Chicago's preparation for the regular season isn't going to suddently come to a stop with White injured. Instead, the aforementioned Eddie Royal will find himself running with the first team. White's current ADP has him as the No. 30 wide receiver off the board, in between Vincent Jackson and Mike Wallace. Avoid this dude at all cost unless he drops to the later rounds. It's just not realistic to think White will play a major role in this offense as a rookie. Such is the nature of the beast for a first-year receiver who is already under the proverbial eight-ball due to an off-season injury.
Winner: Colin Kaepernick, Quarterback, San Francisco 49ers
While some on the 49ers offensive line have been struggling with the team's new up-tempo offense, this type of schematic change will only improve Kaepernick's ability to succeed in 2015. Getting to the line with 22-25 seconds remaining on the clock is a much different ball game than what we saw from the 49ers under former head coach Jim Harbaugh. It will enable Kaepernick to read the defensive package and change the play accordingly. Equally as important, this new scheme was seemingly put in place to enable Kaepernick the ability to run more. You don't have to be a genius to realize what that means from a fantasy perspective. Overall, San Francisco ran less than 69 plays per game last season. If that number increases to 80 due to a faster tempo, Kaepernick's opportunity for fantasy production increases with it.