NFL Training Camp Primer: What You Need To Know For Fantasy Football

Veterans joined rookies yesterday (Wed. 7/16) at Chargers training camp, and all NFL veterans will report to their respective team facilities within the next week, which means that the NFL preseason is officially underway.

As training camps kick off, here are the storylines/questions for each team that I'll be paying attention to most as it pertains to fantasy football

2025 NFL Training Camp Storylines To Monitor For Fantasy Football

Arizona Cardinals

Rookies Report: July 22
Veterans Report: July 22
Storyline: The development of second-year WR Marvin Harrison

He's the WR15 at Underdog (per our Fantasy Life ADP Tool), but he's the consensus WR20 in our 2025 fantasy football rankings. We're skeptical—but will he be able to outperform expectations?

Atlanta Falcons

Rookies Report: July 23
Veterans Report: July 23
Storyline: The QB room

Michael Penix flashed in a three-game sample to close the 2024 season … but it was just three games. Does he look good in training camp? And what is going on with Kirk Cousins???

Baltimore Ravens

Rookies Report: July 15
Veterans Report: July 22
Storyline: The role of WR DeAndre Hopkins

The 33-year-old veteran once racked up three straight first-team All-Pros … but in the half decade since then, his skills have markedly declined (last year he had a lowly 48 Utilization Score with the Chiefs, per our Fantasy Life Utilization Report). Are the Ravens actually going to give Hopkins a full-time role?

Buffalo Bills

Rookies Report: July 15
Veterans Report: July 22
Storyline: The progress of third-year TE Dalton Kincaid

In 2023, the Bills selected the big-bodied pass catcher with the No. 25 pick, but he has done little (117-1,121-4 receiving) in two seasons with the team. Will he finally become the explosive playmaker QB Josh Allen needs?

Carolina Panthers

Rookies Report: July 21
Veterans Report: July 22
Storyline: The chemistry between QB Bryce Young and WR Tetairoa McMillan

Young improved in the second half of last season (210.4 yards passing, 22.3 yards rushing per game), and the Panthers selected McMillan at No. 8 this offseason to give their young passer another receiver. Can the two establish a meaningful connection this summer?

Chicago Bears

Rookies Report: July 19
Veterans Report: July 22
Storyline: The offense under new HC Ben Johnson

After a successful three-year stint as the Lions OC, Johnson defected to the division rival Bears this offseason, and now he has the opportunity to show what he can do with second-year QB Caleb Williams. How quickly will Johnson be able to install his offense in Chicago—and how good will it be?

Cincinnati Bengals

Rookies Report: July 19
Veterans Report: July 22
Storyline: The contract situation for EDGEs Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart

Hendrickson has had 17.5 sacks in each of the past two years, and last season he was a first-team All-Pro. He wants (and deserves) a new deal, but the Bengals seem uninterested in negotiating. Meanwhile, Stewart (the team's 2025 first-rounder) is yet to sign his deal because the team is haggling over basic protection clauses. As a result, Stewart is considering sitting out this year and reentering the draft in 2026. Will the Bengals get this stuff figured out before the season starts?

Cleveland Browns

Rookies Report: July 18
Veterans Report: July 22
Storyline: The QB room

I imagine that veteran Joe Flacco will win the starting job, given that he already knows HC Kevin Stefanski's system from his short 2023 CPOY stint with the Browns … but what if should-have-been first-rounder Shedeur Sanders balls out in training camp?

Dallas Cowboys

Rookies Report: July 21
Veterans Report: July 21
Storyline: The backfield situation

This offseason, the Cowboys drastically rebuilt their RB room with the offseason additions of veterans Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders and rookies Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah. Will one of these guys emerge as the backfield leader this preseason?

Denver Broncos

Rookies Report: July 16
Veterans Report: July 22
Storyline: The backfield situation

HC Sean Payton hyped up second-rounder RJ Harvey after the team drafted him in April—but then last month the Broncos signed veteran J.K. Dobbins, who last year had a career-best campaign with 1,058 yards and nine TDs from scrimmage in 13 games. Will either RB seize control of the No. 1 role by Week 1?

Detroit Lions

Rookies Report: July 16
Veterans Report: July 19
Storyline: The offensive line

The team lost four-time Pro Bowl C Frank Ragnow to retirement this offseason, and now there's uncertainty about who will serve as the OL pivot. Veteran G Graham Glasgow has two years with the Lions and significant NFL experience at C, but the team seems to want second-round rookie Tate Ratledge in the middle, even though he played RG for his entire college career. Who will be C in 2025—and will the OL withstand Ragnow's departure?

Green Bay Packers

Rookies Report: July 18
Veterans Report: July 22
Storyline: The hype of WR Matthew Golden

Golden enters the league with Round 1 draft capital, and he lands with a good Packers offense, but on Underdog, he's only the WR42—just one spot ahead of teammate Jayden Reed. On the one hand, Reed might be the better player (1,932 yards, 17 TDs from scrimmage in two seasons). On the other hand, if Golden gets positive reviews in training camp, wouldn't we expect his ADP to rise?

Houston Texans

Rookies Report: July 22
Veterans Report: July 22
Storyline: The impact of WR Jayden Higgins

In case you're unaware, 30 of the 32 second-round rookies remain unsigned and are collectively poised to sit out the start (if not all) of training camp—and it's because Higgins (and then Browns LB Carson Schwesinger) got a guaranteed contract, something a second-round rookie had never received before. Before even playing an NFL snap, Higgins has become a trailblazer for his peers. In the preseason, will his reported impact on the field match his impact off it?

Indianapolis Colts

Rookies Report: July 21
Veterans Report: July 22
Storyline: The QB room

Third-year first-rounder Anthony Richardson's career has been marred by passing inefficiency and a shoulder injury. Will he be able to hold off the castoff Daniel Jones in a competition for the starting job?

Jacksonville Jaguars

Rookies Report: July 19
Veterans Report: July 22
Storyline: The usage of WR Travis Hunter

The Jags traded up in the draft to select the 2024 Heisman Trophy, Bednarik Award, and Biletnikoff Award winner at No. 2—but now the question is how the team plans to use the two-way dynamo. If Hunter plays consistently on defense, will he also see enough snaps on offense to meet expectations as the WR30 on Underdog?

Kansas City Chiefs

Rookies Report: July 21
Veterans Report: July 21
Storyline: The passing offense

In 2018—his first year as a starter—QB Patrick Mahomes had an outrageous 5,097-yard, 50-TD passing campaign thanks in part to a willingness to attack aggressively downfield (9.1 intended air yards per pass attempt). But over the past two years, Mahomes has ranked Nos. 30 (6.5) & 34 (6.2) in IAY/A. In training camp, will the Chiefs finally get back to pushing the ball deep?

Las Vegas Raiders

Rookies Report: July 17
Veterans Report: July 22
Storyline: The rookie WRs

After Jakobi Meyers, the WR depth chart is unsettled. Will any of the rookies—Jack Bech, Dont'e Thornton, and Tommy Mellott—forge a meaningful connection with QB Geno Smith this preseason?

Los Angeles Chargers

Rookies Report: July 12
Veterans Report: July 16
Storyline: The injury to RB Najee Harris

Harris suffered a fireworks-related eye injury on the Fourth of July, but it's "superficial" (per Ian Rapoport). Still, we'll want to "see" (nailed it) how he looks in training camp. Will he be healthy enough to hold off rookie first-round RB Omarion Hampton?

Los Angeles Rams

Rookies Report: July 22
Veterans Report: July 22
Storyline: The contract for RB Kyren Williams

Since 2023, Williams has piled up 2,831 yards and 31 TDs from scrimmage in 28 games—but the team has also drafted RBs Blake Corum and Jarquez Hunter over the past two offseasons. Even so, the Rams are looking to give Williams a contract extension (per Jourdan Rodrigue), which could clarify his role in the offense. Will the Williams deal get done by the time most home leagues draft?

Miami Dolphins

Rookies Report: July 15
Veterans Report: July 22
Storyline: The return of TE Darren Waller

In the 2019-20 seasons, Waller put up back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns and looked like one of the league's best TEs—but he drastically underwhelmed in 2021-23 and didn't even play in 2024, so I'm skeptical he'll do much in 2025. That said, he's still just 32 years old, which isn't geriatric for the TE position, and maybe the time away from football last season did him good. In training camp, will Waller once again look like a difference-making player?

Minnesota Vikings

Rookies Report: July 20
Veterans Report: July 22
Storyline: The status of QB J.J. McCarthy

McCarthy missed all of his rookie campaign last year because of a knee injury, but he has tremendous upside because of his draft capital (No. 10 pick), recruitment pedigree (five stars), young age (still just 22 years old), athleticism (6.82-second three-cone drill), college production (72.3% completion rate, 9.8 AY/A in final season), winning makeup (CFB and HS national champion), and elite supporting cast (HC Kevin O'Connell, WRs Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, TE T.J. Hockenson, and RB Aaron Jones).

I can't wait to draft McCarthy in my home leagues—but the question remains: Is he fully recovered and ready to rock?

New England Patriots

Rookies Report: July 19
Veterans Report: July 22
Storyline: The health of WR Stefon Diggs

Second-year QB Drake Maye flashed as a rookie, and the offense should improve with the return of prodigal playcaller Josh McDaniels—but Maye needs a true No. 1 WR. Maybe four-time Pro Bowler Diggs can be that guy … as long as he's recovered from last year's season-ending ACL injury. Will Diggs be healthy enough to be Maye's go-to receiver?

New Orleans Saints

Rookies Report: July 22
Veterans Report: July 22
Storyline: The competence of QB Tyler Shough

Despite being a second-round rookie, Shough will almost certainly play Week 1 if he proves himself capable in training camp. I think Shough is an ADP value because of the support around him (offensive HC Kellen Moore, WRs Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and Brandin Cooks, TE Juwan Johnson, and RB Alvin Kamara) … but is he actually good enough to be an NFL starter?

New York Giants

Rookies Report: July 15
Veterans Report: July 22
Storyline: The QB room

Boring Russell Wilson. Inexplicable Jameis Winston. First-rounder Jaxson Dart. And spaghetti-loving Tommy DeVito. Inject the drama directly into the veins in my eyeballs. Wilson enters camp as the frontrunner to start, but can the rookie outcompete him in training camp?

New York Jets

Rookies Report: July 19
Veterans Report: July 22
Storyline: The WR2 job

WR1 Garrett Wilson is locked in (especially after the team extended him a couple of days ago with a four-year, $130M deal), but the depth chart after him is uncertain. Will Josh Reynolds, Allen Lazard, Malachi Corley, or Tyler Johnson become a reliable No. 2 option in training camp? And if not—how many targets could Wilson see in 2025?

Philadelphia Eagles

Rookies Report: July 22
Veterans Report: July 22
Storyline: The new offensive coordinator

The Eagles enter 2025 with their sixth offensive playcaller in six years—and 44-year-old OC Kevin Patullo has never called plays at any level of football, but he at least has been with the team since 2021 and with HC Nick Sirianni since 2018. Will the offense and Patullo experience any transitional pains in training camp?

Pittsburgh Steelers

Rookies Report: July 23
Veterans Report: July 23
Storyline: The connection between QB Aaron Rodgers and WR DK Metcalf

What else is there to say?

San Francisco 49ers

Rookies Report: July 15
Veterans Report: July 22
Storyline: The WR drama

Brandon Aiyuk (knee) is likely to open the season on the PUP. Deebo Samuel got traded away in March. Jauan Jennings wants the team to give him a new deal or trade him to a new team. And although he's one of the 32 players I want to draft this year, second-year first-rounder Ricky Pearsall did almost nothing last year outside of his four starts. How will this end?

Seattle Seahawks

Rookies Report: July 15
Veterans Report: July 22
Storyline: The passing attack

This offseason, the Seahawks rebuilt their aerial offense by replacing QB Geno Smith, WRs DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, and OC Ryan Grubb with QB Sam Darnold, WRs Cooper Kupp and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and OC Klint Kubiak. The question I have: Are these actually good changes?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Rookies Report: July 21
Veterans Report: July 22
Storyline: The new offensive coordinator

Fantasy managers are drafting Bucs players as if the offense is highly likely to replicate its 2024 success—and it might—but the team is now on its fourth playcaller in four years, and new OC Josh Grizzard has never called plays at any level. Following immediately in the footsteps of Liam Coen and Dave Canales (both of whom left for HC gigs), Grizzard might not be able to fill their shoes. Can Grizzard keep the Bucs offense on schedule?

Tennessee Titans

Rookies Report: July 22
Veterans Report: July 22
Storyline: The passing attack

This offseason, the Titans selected QB Cam Ward at No. 1, and they added veteran WRs Tyler Lockett and Van Jefferson and rookie WRs Chimere Dike, Elic Ayomanor, and Xavier Restrepo. The pass offense will almost certainly be better this year—but how much better?

Washington Commanders

Rookies Report: July 18
Veterans Report: July 22
Storyline: The continued meteoric rise of QB Jayden Daniels

Last year, Daniels was my preferred late-round QB target, and he delivered an OPOY campaign with 3,568 yards and 25 TDs passing and 148-891-6 rushing. In his second season, with the additions of LT Laremy Tunsil, RT Josh Conerly, and WR Deebo Samuel, could he be even better?