In our final training camp update, the AFC South comes into play. There has been plenty of drama surrounding running back Jonathan Taylor and the Indianapolis Colts. But where do the teams and players fall into place as Week 1 of the preseason wraps up?
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are led by rookie quarterback CJ Stroud; and the team is hoping that he can be a mainstay in the offense for a long time. Stroud only played one series against the New England Patriots on Thursday night, where he threw one interception on a bad read. When it comes to his fantasy football value, Stroud can be a safe pick in dynasty drafts or a late-round stash in redraft leagues or Super Flex leagues.
Perhaps the biggest fantasy surge comes in the form of rookie wide receiver Tank Dell, who had an unbelievable touchdown catch Thursday night. Dell’s current ADP is 212 overall in PPR leagues, according to FantasyPros. He is a player to keep an eye on as training camp and preseason progresses.
5 catches
65 yards
1 TD@HoustonTexans rookie WR @tankdell4 made the most of 1st half action in his #NFLPreseason debut 🙌 pic.twitter.com/W1dDLTf2Pk— NFL (@NFL) August 11, 2023
The biggest question for the Texans at this point of training camp is this: How will the workload look between running backs Dameon Pierce and Devin Singletary?
Pierce’s ability should lead to a higher workload, but Singletary is a new face for the Texans this season after he signed a one-year, $2,750,000 contract with them this offseason. Pierce is ranked as RB23 and Singletary is RB44, per FantasyPros, so it appears pretty straightforward how this should look. Pierce should not be threatened by Singletary much this season, but workload should be monitored for the first couple of games.
Indianapolis Colts
Set aside the drama surrounding Jonathan Taylor and his contract situation; the Indianapolis Colts are hoping for their rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson to lead them for years to come. Much like the Texans, the Colts need solid production from Richardson – and fantasy managers are looking for the same.
Fantasy managers should feel comfortable taking Richardson late in redraft leagues. His talent has the ability to translate well in the NFL, but he is one of the bigger boom or bust candidates this season.
Every snap from Anthony Richardson’s debut. Let me know your thoughts below ⬇️#ForTheShoe pic.twitter.com/1CnlV876RC
— Landon Oliver (@Landon3MR) August 12, 2023
In terms of Taylor, he is still going in the first or second round in redraft leagues, and is ranked as RB6 currently on Sleeper. Colts’ owner Jim Irsay has said that the team is not going to trade the 24-year old running back, and Taylor should return to training camp this week. Choosing him in drafts is a high-risk, high reward pick due to his demands and the contract situation.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The youth movement at quarterback in the AFC South continues with the Jacksonville Jaguars, as Trevor Lawrence looks to build on his success from last season. The addition of wideout Calvin Ridley, who’s coming off of a year-long suspension, only adds to the receiver depth on the Jaguars.
Ridley joins fellow receivers Christian Kirk and Zay Jones this season, and the Jaguars might have one of the best receiver corps in the NFL. Ridley should be an early-round pick or you can wait a few rounds to select Kirk. Jones’ target share is likely to take a hit with the addition of Ridley this offseason, but any of the three receivers are a good stash in deep leagues.
Calvin Ridley makes his debut with the Jaguars pic.twitter.com/8aJdyvm2fa
— Wyatt Fulton (@FultonW_) August 12, 2023
Running backs Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby will attempt to coexist this season, but Etienne should get the majority of carries coming off a pretty good season in 2022. Etienne ran for 1,125 yards and five touchdowns last season but did have five fumbles as well. The only way he loses carries to Bigsby is if he has trouble hanging onto the football.
Tennessee Titans
The biggest signing this offseason — as far as within the AFC South — belongs to the Tennessee Titans. Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has joined the Titans and bolsters an offense that really misses A.J. Brown.
Hopkins comes in and will be the team’s WR1, and he has the ability to rack up the yards and receiving touchdowns this season. Even at the age of 31, look for Hopkins to build off of his 29.4% target-share, even with him being on a new team.
Can running back Derrick Henry continue to produce at a high level in 2023? The answer is a resounding yes, and he looks to build off of a very successful 2022 season that saw him end as RB4. Draft Henry as you normally would, as this is a no-brainer at running back in fantasy.
Derrick Henry talks about preparing for Year 8 👑
📺: Inside Training Camp Live on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/xSfrccYme0
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) August 9, 2023
AFC South Training Camp Conclusion
The AFC South, much like the NFC South, has a ton of youth at the quarterback position. However, it also includes several veteran superstars that will look to build on successful previous seasons and lead their teams to victory.
King Henry and DeAndre Hopkins have teamed up and look to lead the Titans to the divisional crown. But, young guns CJ Stroud, Anthony Richardson, and Trevor Lawrence have their eyes on the prize also. This should be a fun division to watch this season, and the action will likely deliver like a Derrick Henry stiff arm.
Dustin Brown
Dustin Brown is a writer for The League Winners. He enjoys hanging out with my family and friends when not trying to delivering NFL news or fantasy content to win your league. There is no sports stone left unturned when it comes to what he will watch.