NFL Training Camp: Xavier Worthy, Jameson Williams, Ladd McConkey (Fantasy Football)

It’s important to not get too carried away with NFL training camp news. But there are certainly nuggets to be mined this time of year as you prepare for your fantasy football drafts. Let’s take a look at a few players showing out in NFL training camp, increasing their value in fantasy football drafts.

NFL Training Camp Studs

It remains true that NFL training camp is one of the most misleading times of the year for fantasy managers. Impressive highlights are being spread across social media at an alarming rate. Coaches are constantly endorsing their players and hinting at a breakout season. Fantasy managers must recall not to value a player solely based on positive speculation of NFL training camp.

With that being said, NFL training camp can confirm pre-existing opinions. For instance, managers may be particularly bullish on a player due to the potential for volume in their offense. Beat reports indicating a player is emerging as a focal point would suggest the manager was correct in their assessment.

The following list features players monitored by industry experts since the beginning of the offseason. Positive NFL training camp reports have provided further indication these players could be valuable fantasy assets this season. Fantasy football managers should actively target these players who will prove worthy of the NFL training camp buzz they’ve generated this summer.

Xavier Worthy (WR – KC)

It’s hard not to be skeptical of a high-profile WR drafted by the Chiefs. They’ve been notoriously bad at acquiring weapons for Patrick Mahomes through the draft (see Skyy Moore and Mecole Hardman). At any rate, this team traded up in the first round to acquire Xavier Worthy. If nothing else, this goes to show the Chiefs are firm believers in Worthy’s abilities and will give him every opportunity to succeed.

From a fantasy football perspective, Worthy’s attachment to three-time Super Bowl MVP winner Mahomes is certainly enticing. The two have been developing a great rapport and continue to combine for explosive plays in training camp:

GET USED TO IT ????

Mahomes scrambles to find Xavier Worthy DEEP for the touchdown pic.twitter.com/qqEQrwSuyO

— KC Sports Network (@KCSportsNetwork) July 21, 2024

The question is whether Worthy will be able to win the competition for targets alongside the likes of Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown. The Chiefs signed Brown to a one-year, $7 million contract in free agency. Given this relatively cheap and short-term financial commitment, there is no guarantee Brown will play a featured role in this offense. He’ll need to earn every target he receives, a feat he hasn’t been able to accomplish throughout his five-year career. As the primary WR in Lamar Jackson and Kyler Murray-led offenses, Brown is yet to eclipse a Pro Football Focus (PFF) receiving grade of 70.6. What’s more, he’s coming off the least prolific year of his career. Among WRs with at least 50 targets, he ranked 57th in receiving grade and 61st in yards per route run, per PFF.

Rashee Rice showed great promise during his rookie season. His PFF receiving grade of 85.1 shows the extent to which Rice was a key component of the Chiefs’ passing game in 2023. However, he and Worthy will occupy drastically different parts of the field. Rice profiles as a yards-after-catch specialist who will see most of his targets near the line of scrimmage. His average depth of target (aDOT) of 5.2 yards and slot route percentage of 49.8%, per PFF, are indicative of this. On the other hand, Worthy has been most effective when employed as more of a field stretcher. During his final year at Texas, he earned a PFF receiving grade of 94.2 when targeted 10-19 yards downfield.

Another factor to consider is Rice’s pending suspension. The Chiefs will be forced to cater their offensive game plan to Worthy and Travis Kelce‘s strengths when the sophomore WR inevitably misses time.

The Chiefs’ passing attack as a whole is due for positive regression. Mahomes’ 2023 tally of 27 passing touchdowns was his lowest since 2019. Given the lack of downfield weapons, the team opted for more of a run-heavy offensive approach. With the emergence of Worthy and Rice as solid complementary pieces to Kelce, this offense should make strides in 2024. Worthy’s touchdown upside is higher than most players drafted in his range.

The bottom line is that Worthy’s training camp hype is warranted and fantasy managers should adjust accordingly. The rookie has every opportunity to carve out a significant role in this offense.

Jameson Williams (WR – DET)

The Detroit Lions cut ties with veteran Josh Reynolds and have made very minimal attempts to bolster their WR room. Reynolds performed admirably as this team’s primary field stretcher in 2023. Defenses mostly focused their attention on the likes of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta and, as such, Reynolds often found himself in favorable matchups. He produced at a high level, averaging 15.2 yards per reception and tallying a respectable five touchdowns.

One of the lingering questions in Lions camp has been whether Jameson Williams will finally deliver on the promise that made him a first-round pick in 2022. He’ll presumably occupy the field-stretching role that belonged to Reynolds for the past few years. With the increased potential for volume in 2024, Williams has never had a better opportunity to make his mark in the offense.

Thus far, it appears as though he’s on track to have a true breakout season. Beat reports surfacing from Detroit’s training camp have been overwhelmingly positive.

Jameson Williams is about to put the league on NOTICE ????

???? : @Lions pic.twitter.com/68KbznQPGv

— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) July 24, 2024

Williams has the talent to vastly outproduce Reynolds’ output over the years. While his career has been somewhat stunted by injury and off-the-field issues, he’s shown undeniable flashes. None were more impressive than the jaw-dropping 42-yard rushing touchdown he scored in the NFC Conference Championship.

Despite his struggles, certain 2023 statistical metrics suggest he has plenty of untapped potential. His 14.8 yards per reception were higher than the likes of D.J. Moore, Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith. These players are widely considered as some of the best deep threats in the NFL. Per PFF, he forced more missed tackles than Chris Olave and Tank Dell.

Williams’ case is simple: He’s an ultra-talented player who’s still in the early stages of his career. He’s likely to benefit from an increased target share. Therefore, the offseason hype is warranted. However, this comes with a caveat. Williams’ ceiling is limited due to the sheer quantity of playmakers in this offense. St. Brown, LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs are all above him on the pecking order of touches.

Ladd McConkey (WR – LAC)

The Los Angeles Chargers cleared house this offseason, letting go of several key pass-catchers. Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler and Gerald Everett were all key components of the Chargers’ passing attack in 2023. Their departures vacate a total of 309 targets heading into 2024. While it’d be unrealistic for this volume to be entirely allocated to an incoming rookie, Ladd McConkey is likely to become Justin Herbert‘s favorite target next year.

The other WRs on this depth chart include Joshua Palmer, Quentin Johnston and DJ Chark Jr. Coming off a disastrous rookie season which saw Johnston earn a PFF receiving grade of 58.7, he’ll need to get back into Herbert’s good graces before becoming a true threat to McConkey’s targets. On the other hand, Chark figures to be a mere depth addition. Across a respectable six-year career, the veteran has mostly operated as a secondary or tertiary option. The 2019 season was the only time he managed to eclipse 100 targets.

Admittedly, Palmer is a serviceable WR and will see work alongside McConkey. He showed the ability to step into a more voluminous role as Allen and Williams battled with injuries in 2023. His 67.6 PFF receiving grade was a career high. At any rate, he simply doesn’t possess the same athleticism and route-running ability McConkey does.

McConkey has been turning heads at training camp. He’s made many noteworthy plays and seems to have developed a solid rapport with Herbert.

#Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh on Ladd McConkey:

“He’s been off to a really good start. Really, really excellent route runner. We knew that, and he’s been really good, really dialed in, right from the beginning.” pic.twitter.com/TiMLaZBamz

— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) July 28, 2024

During McConkey’s final collegiate season, he had a catch rate of 83.9% despite being targeted an average of 12.3 yards downfield, per PFF. This reliability and sure-handedness will be coveted assets in the Chargers’ offense. McConkey has the skillset to inherit a Keenan Allen-esque role in 2024. Drafters should be actively targeting the former Georgia Bulldog in all formats.

NFL Xavier Worthy Patrick Mahomes Skyy Moore Mecole Hardman Rashee Rice Marquise Brown Lamar Jackson Kyler Murray Travis Kelce Jameson Williams Josh Reynolds Amon-Ra St. Brown Sam LaPorta D.J. Moore Jaylen Waddle DeVonta Smith Chris Olave Tank Dell Jahmyr Gibbs Ladd McConkey Keenan Allen Mike Williams Austin Ekeler Gerald Everett Justin Herbert Joshua Palmer Quentin Johnston DJ Chark Jr.