Denver Broncos

The Broncos RB situation is beginning to crystallize. Monte Ball is the obvious RB1 and is expected to get more than 250 touches this season. Last season, Knowshon Moreno finished as the No. 5 fantasy RB in the league. He amassed 60 receptions, 1,586 yards from scrimmage and 13 TDs. There is no reason the younger and more talented Ball cannot eclipse those numbers. With limited touches last season, Ball’s 4.7 YPC was better than Moreno’s 4.3. He was also was a monster in college. The former Wisconsin Badger set both the NCAA single season TD record (39) and the career TD record (83). Look for Ball to be an elite RB1 this season, as long as he protects the ball and protects his QB. Ronnie Hillman has earned the role of RB2. He should be drafted as Ball’s handcuff. Hillman is currently the only other back taking any first team reps. As of now, C.J. Anderson will have to compete with Juwan Thompson just to get on the field.

When it comes to the receiving corps, the Broncos already know what they have in Demaryius Thomas and Wes Welker. The intrigue lies within free agent acquisition Emmanuel Sanders. Sanders is coming off a career year in which he caught 67 passes for 740 yards and six TDs. Broncos coaches are projecting Sanders to catch over 80 balls. He is already lining up as the starter opposite Thomas. Even in two WR sets Sanders is on the field over Welker. He is expected to fill the void left by Eric Decker. In 2013, Decker totaled 87 receptions, 1,288 yards and 11 TDs. Those statistics were good enough to make him the number eight fantasy WR. Sanders’ talent level is on par with Decker, and he could quite possibly match his output. He actually has a slight edge on Decker because he possesses more versatility.

Oakland Raiders

Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew are expected to split carries this season. McFadden is said to have the “starting edge”. If both stay healthy (which is extremely unlikely) McFadden should see more touches. The issue with Run DMC has always been health. He’s never played more than 13 games in a season and has only managed to play 29 games over the past three. His numbers were always very impressive when healthy early in his career, however over the past two seasons he averaged only 3.3 YPC. Jones-Drew wasn’t much better last year. He averaged only 3.4 YPC. The amount of touches Jones-Drew has accumulated in his career appears to be catching up with him. The 29-year-old has dealt with injuries and poor play over the past two seasons. After three straight seasons of rushing for well over 1,000 yards, he totaled only 1,217 over the two most recent seasons. A player to watch is sophomore back Latavius Murray. He missed all of his rookie season with an ankle injury. The 6-foot-3, 230-pounder recorded a 4.38 40 at his pro day last year. Marcel Reece is also in the discussion. He is reportedly in great shape and every year seems to find a way to earn playing time. He has a career average of 4.8 YPC.

The WRs are nothing to write home about. Free agent signing James Jones, who led all WRs in TDs (14) in 2012, is the most coveted fantasy option as WR58 off the board (ADP 145.71). Rod Streater is currently WR1 on the Raiders unofficial depth chart. He led the Raiders with 60 receptions, 888 yards and four TDs last season. The speedy receiver could very well lead the way again. Denarius Moore will be manning the slot. He has shown flashes of greatness but has been inundated with inconsistency. He does however have a 15.8 YPR average and has scored a minimum of five TDs (6, 7, 5) each year of his career. The Raiders will also have Greg Little in the mix this season.

Despite the fact Mychal Rivera had a somewhat impressive rookie season in 2013. On a terrible offense he caught 38 passes for 407 yards and four TDs. It appears that the starting TE job is David Ausberry’s to lose. Ausberry was expected to be the starting TE last season, but he was put on IR after suffering a shoulder injury he couldn’t bounce back from.

San Diego Chargers

The Chargers rushing game is beginning to shape up. Ryan Matthews will be used as the RB1 and should be given another 250+ carries. Last season, Matthews had 285 carries for 1,255 yards and six TDs to go along with 26 catches, 189 yards and a TD. If he can manage to stay healthy again, his numbers should be similar. His workload may be slightly decreased due to the arrival of serviceable RB Donald Brown. Brown’s versatility is expected to allow him to fill in for both Matthews and Danny Woodhead when needed. In 2013, Woodhead tallied 76 receptions, 1,034 yards from scrimmage and eight TDs. His numbers should also be similar. Although Brown is now in the mix and is a capable back, the Chargers will most likely utilize their RBs a bit more this season. Brown is the favorite to return kicks and will spell Matthews and Woodhead in order to keep them fresh. Matthews is being drafted as the No. 20 RB (ADP 56.44) off the board. This is a fair draft position if health does not become an issue. Woodhead may be a better value pick as RB No. 38 (ADP 104.59). Unless injuries become a factor, Brown is worth keeping an eye on but not draft worthy.

Malcolm Floyd has returned from a near career ending neck injury. He has reportedly been fantastic in camp and is competing for the WR1 job. It would be shocking if he wrestled the job away from 2013 rookie standout Keenan Allen. Allen finished as the No. 17 WR last season and was the only rookie to crack the top 30. He had 71 receptions for 1,046 yards and eight TDs. Vincent Brown has also put on a strong performance this summer. This may be the year he finally plays up to his potential.

Antonio Gates has been showing in camp that he still has something left in the tank. With the impending emergence of third-year TE Ladarius Green, Gates is not yet ready to relinquish his TE1 role. He managed to play 16 games last season for the first time since 2009. The 11-year veteran had an impressive 77 receptions, 872 yards and four TDs. Green was only targeted 30 times last season, nevertheless he showed flashes of potential, including back-to-back 80 yard games and an explosive 60 yard TD. It is very hard to predict the demise of Gates and the rise of Green. It may or may not happen this season. Gates is the safer pick, while Green has great upside.

Kansas City Chiefs

Rookie De’Anthony Thomas has been tremendous throughout camp. He has looked great both carrying and catching the ball. He is still currently third on the depth chart behind Jamaal Charles and Knile Davis but could make a push to become the handcuff to own in KC. Thomas is becoming a must-draft in dynasty leagues.

The TE battle is heating up in Kansas City. Anthony Fasano is still the TE1 on the Chiefs official depth chart, however it is widely expected that the Chiefs are hoping Travis Kelce supplants Fasano as the top TE. Kelce has playmaking ability, while Fasano’s disappointing career has been plagued with mediocrity. If Andy Reid can maximize Kelce’s potential, he could be a big time difference maker on a Chiefs offense that could really use the help.

Veteran Kicker Ryan Succop may be in serious jeopardy of losing his job to rookie kicker Cairo Santos. Santos has proven to have a consistently strong leg and has been extremely accurate in camp. Succop has performed well in his own right.