Fantasy Football 2020: Training Camp Standouts to Target in Drafts

The 2020 NFL offseason has been unusual, to say the least. However, the league is scheduled to kick off the season Sept. 10. This means the fantasy football world is gearing up.

It's not quite business as usual in this fantasy draft season, though. With no preseason to provide film and box scores, managers have to rely on training camp reports to guide their draft choices. Well, we're here to break down some of the latest camp buzz and what it means for some promising fantasy prospects.

Players will be separated into three categories: studs, sleepers and late-round fliers. Studs should be targeted early. Sleepers are middle-round targets with upside, while fliers are boom-or-bust prospects worth gambling on at the end of drafts.

Let's get to it.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Kenny Golladay led the NFL with 11 touchdown receptions in 2019. He also racked up 1,190 yards on 65 catches, despite only playing half the season with starting quarterback Matthew Stafford, who suffered a back injury in Week 9.

If Stafford can remain healthy, Golladay could be one of the top two or three receivers in fantasy.

The fourth-year standout has been making highlight-reel plays in training camp and is eager to build on his best season as a pro.

"Each year I want to keep going up and up, and I just want to build off last year," Golladay said, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. "I felt like last year I built off the year before that, and I just want to keep improving, just being a better receiver, a better teammate."

Golladay has the upside of a first-round fantasy pick, but with an average draft position of 24 (WR7), he's still being undervalued.

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones flashed plenty of fantasy upside as a rookie in 2019. In 12 starts, he averaged roughly 251 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Entering year two, he could be even better.

Not only has Jones bulked up for his sophomore campaign, he's also impressed coaches in camp with his veteran-like preparation and approach.

"He has all the tools you're looking for. But the thing that really jumps out is the approach that he takes every day," offensive coordinator Jason Garrett said, per Dan Salomone of the team's website. "Like I said, he's a ball guy. He loves ball. He works very hard at it, and he's always trying to refine his skills."

Jones has a plethora of weapons at his disposal—including Saquon Barkley, Sterling Shepard, Golden Tate and Darius Slayton—and should be a viable fantasy starter. With an ADP of just 104 (QB14), he's worth targeting anywhere from Rounds 6 to 10.

The Los Angeles Rams traded wide receiver Brandin Cooks in the offseason, which leaves a vacancy in their fourth-ranked passing attack. It's looking like rookie second-round pick Van Jefferson has a good shot at filling it.

The Florida product has been a quick study in camp, according to quarterback Jared Goff.

"He's really picking things up fast. He's obviously extremely athletic, but I think his ability to be able to pick up the offense mentally and understand the little intricacies of it has been really impressive, and I'm excited to play with him," Goff said, per NFL Media's Kevin Patra.

While Jefferson isn't likely to be a high-end fantasy starter as a rookie—he'll be competing for targets with Robert Woods, Josh Reynolds and Cooper Kupp—he's worth a late-round flier as a potential flex sleeper or handcuff to one of the other Rams receivers. He's likely to push Reynolds for the third-receiver role and could be starting by midseason.

With an ADP of just 306 (WR101), Jefferson can be had at the bottom of most drafts.

Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was a major fantasy disappointment in his first season with the Cleveland Browns. He finished with just 74 catches for 1,035 yards and four touchdowns—poor numbers for the three-time Pro Bowler.

However, his struggles were largely the product of a core muscle injury and the play-calling of ill-prepared head coach Freddie Kitchens. Beckham should fare better under Kevin Stefanski, and he's looking healthy and explosive in training camp.

"He's healthy and back to the Odell Beckham everyone remembers: an electric, acrobatic receiver capable of producing a highlight-reel play on every target," Anthony Poisal of the team's website wrote. "He's already made several of them so far in training camp, and he's shown early how big of a weapon he can be when healthy, hungry and confident."

This should be a bounce-back season for Beckham, and one that sees him return to the ranks of the fantasy elite. With an ADP of 29 (WR10), Beckham is a great player to grab in the second or third round.

Like Beckham, Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield should be in store for a bounce-back season. Not only does he have a healthy Beckham at his disposal, but he also has an upgraded offensive line and a new tight end in Austin Hooper, and has shown a great grasp of his new offense and improved footwork in camp.

"He's operating getting in and out of the huddle, has great feet, great tempo, and he's even able to speed up or kind of tempo, slow down his drop at certain times, too, depending on the concept and where it is down the field," backup quarterback Case Keenum said, per Nate Ulrich and George M. Thomas of the Akron Beacon Journal. "I've been very impressed with how quickly he's picked it up."

Improved play-calling and the addition of offensive tackles Jack Conklin and Jedrick Wills Jr. should put Mayfield in a better position to succeed. Expect him to be closer to what he was as a rookie—when he averaged roughly 266 yards and two touchdowns per game—than what he was in 2019.

With an ADP of just 106 (QB14), Mayfield is a starting-caliber fantasy signal-caller who can be had in the middle rounds of most drafts.

Plenty of hype has surrounded Las Vegas Raiders rookie receiver and first-round draft pick Henry Ruggs III—and rightfully so. However, fellow rookie Bryan Edwards has been arguably even more impressive in camp and could be slated for a starting role.

Wideout Tyrell Williams has a torn labrum, and while he'll try to play through the injury, it could open the door for Edwards.

"Now that [Williams is] injured, there's a real chance that Edwards could prove worthy of starting throughout the remainder of camp," The Athletic's Tashan Reed wrote. "Edwards has been my most impressive rookie so far and will now receive even more reps at the 'X' spot."

Edwards caught 71 passes for 816 yards and six touchdowns for South Carolina last season, and he could have similar numbers with Las Vegas if he sees significant playing time. With an ADP of 193 (WR65), he should be available in the final rounds of most drafts.

Targeting a rookie high in fantasy drafts can be risky, as they are unproven at the pro level. However, Kansas City Chiefs first-year back Clyde Edwards-Helaire is trending as a first- or second-round pick—he has an ADP of 14 (RB10)—and he appears worthy of that draft range.

With Damien Williams opting out of the 2020 season, Edwards-Helaire has been the primary ball-carrier in training camp, and he's been playing like a special one.

"I say he'll be a stud, a prime candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year," NBC Sports' Peter King wrote. "He appears a confident and sure runner who can make people miss, a better runner between the tackles than a 5'8", 209-pound guy should be, and a smooth and assured receiver."

It wouldn't be a surprise to see Edwards-Helaire put up similar numbers to those Kareem Hunt had as a rookie with the Chiefs in 2017—he racked up 1,327 rushing yards, 53 receptions, 455 receiving yards and 11 total touchdowns.

Edwards-Helaire has shown nothing in camp to suggest that he'll disappoint, and he should be valued as a top-five running back in fantasy.

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson missed the majority of the 2019 season after core muscle surgery. However, he showcased just how dangerous he can be alongside quarterback Carson Wentz in Week 1, catching eight passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns.

Jackson has been healthy and burning cornerbacks in training camp, and Wentz loves what the veteran receiver brings to the table.

"The thing about DeSean is he makes it easy for me," Wentz said, per Mike Kaye of NJ.com. "When you create the amount of separation that he does, he makes it easy."

With Nelson Agholor in Las Vegas and Alshon Jeffery on the PUP list because of a foot injury, Jackson could be Philadelphia's No. 1 receiver heading into Week 1. Yet, he still has an ADP of just 168 (WR62), putting him close to flier territory. Don't expect him to go quite that late, though, and target Jackson somewhere in the range of Rounds 7-12. Even there, he could be a steal, as he has 1,000-yard potential.

New England Patriots running back Damien Harris barely saw the field as a rookie, logging just four carries and 12 yards last year. However, the powerful Alabama product has taken a lot of the first-team work in camp, with both Lamar Miller (knee) and Sony Michel (foot) injured.

Harris could be pushing his way into a starting role.

"If the season were to start this week, there wouldn't be much doubt that Harris would be RB1 based on what we've seen so far," Ryan Hannable of WEEI wrote Tuesday.

It's worth noting that Michel did recently come off the PUP list and that Patriots backs are notoriously unpredictable in fantasy. With guys like James White and Rex Burkhead also on the roster, New England's starter might not be more than a mid-tier flex option.

However, it's worth grabbing such an option in the final few rounds of a draft, and with an ADP of 244 (RB74), that's where you're likely to find Harris. He's worth snagging on the off chance that he does steal the starting job.

Somebody is going to have to replace DeAndre Hopkins as the Houston Texans' No. 1 receiver. Brandin Cooks, who has topped 1,000 yards in four of the last five seasons, could be that guy, though his concussion history is a concern.

Cooks suffered a pair of concussions last season and was limited to 14 games and 583 receiving yards. If he can stay healthy, though, he can bounce back in a big way. He's been electric in training camp, as John Harris of the team's website recently noted.

"I want to see more every day from Cooks because I'm greedy that way. What I saw today, though, was enough for me to be giddy about what he can do for this Texans squad this year," Harris wrote.

Cooks is an explosive downfield receiver, and he should pair well with Deshaun Watson's elite deep-passing ability. Cooks could obliterate the 1,000-yard mark this season, especially if he becomes the go-to target.

Injuries are a legitimate concern, and Cooks' ADP of 86 (WR35) is fair. However, he should be targeted for a starting slot, and he could emerge as one of the top WR2s in fantasy.

Rookie quarterbacks aren't always reliable in fantasy, but they can yield positive results. Take Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray, for example, who racked up 3,722 passing yards, 544 rushing yards and 24 total touchdowns last season.

Cincinnati Bengals rookie Joe Burrow could be even more productive this season, at least as a passer. He's coming off a 5,671-yard, 60-touchdown campaign with LSU, and he's been impressing teammates with his work ethic and attitude in camp.

"You want your quarterback to be the hardest worker on the team and an extension of the coaching staff. He fits both those descriptions for us right now. He really breathes life into this offense, into this team," head coach Zac Taylor said, per NFL.com.

While Taylor's offense is still relatively unproven, Burrow will benefit from a quality collection of skill-position players—one that includes A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd, John Ross, Tee Higgins and Joe Mixon. Burrow could be a quality fantasy starter by midseason, and he's a solid middle-round target with an ADP of 121 (QB18).

The Pittsburgh Steelers have several talented receivers, including JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Washington and Diontae Johnson. However, rookie second-round pick Chase Claypool could be one of the most productive in 2020.

The Notre Dame product has been steadily building a buzz in training camp.

"Some reporters are getting criticized for constantly writing good things about Claypool," The Athletic's Mark Kaboly wrote. "Maybe you should take that up with Claypool because, practice after practice, the rookie is making non-rookie-like plays after running non-rookie-like routes and making non-rookie-like catches."

Assuming quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is healthy and back to 100 percent after an elbow injury limited him to two games in 2019, Claypool could be one of the most productive rookie wideouts. Despite the buzz, however, he's carrying an ADP of just 247 (WR83).

Do yourself a favor and take a flier on Claypool before your draft gets to the final few rounds. At worst, the 6'4", 238-pound receiver should be a touchdown vulture and viable spot starter in the flex spot. At best, he could be an Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate.

*Average Draft Positions from FantasyPros.