X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

NFL Coaching Changes - Which Players Will Thrive?

A new NFL season naturally means new head coaches across the league. There will be seven new coaches roaming the sidelines next season, with four of them--Matt Nagy for the Bears, Frank Reich for the Colts, Pat Shurmur for the Giants, and Jon Gruden for the Raiders--coming in with backgrounds as offensive coaches.

We have a good amount of evidence from their past work as head coaches and coordinators that suggests how their new roles will affect the players on their new teams, so let's take a look at how these four coaches will increase the fantasy prospects of their new teams.

Below, you'll find one player from each of these four teams that should see an increase in their fantasy output next season due to their new role. These are players who are already on everyone's fantasy radars but might be worth grabbing a little earlier in drafts after 2017 seasons that might not have been representative of the heights these guys can reach.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Chicago Bears

Jordan Howard, RB

The Bears hired former Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy. While the popular opinion would be to say that quarterback Mitchell Trubisky ends up benefiting the most, I want to instead highlight a player who has hyped heading into the 2017 season and then ended up as a bit of a disappointment. Jordan Howard will bounce back in 2018 because of the Nagy hiring.

Nagy handled play calling duties for the last five games of Kansas City's season. In the six games before that, the Chiefs rushed for over a hundred yards just once. Over the five games where Nagy handled those duties, the team rushed for 100 or more yards in all five games. Nagy's background as a quarterbacks coach comes into play here as well; even modest improvement by Trubisky should push more defenders back into pass coverage. Among running backs with 200 or more rushing attempts last season, Howard faced a stacked box on the second most percentage of his runs. It's part of why Howard seemed to always get hit at the line of scrimmage. With Nagy on board, expect Howard to break off big plays more often and to find his yards per carry trend upwards.

 

Indianapolis Colts

Whoever The Colts Quarterback Is

Look, I'm not going to sit here and confidently type something about how Andrew Luck is going to be back in 2018 because last season proved that something is definitely up with the franchise QB. Maybe he'll be back and will be fine. Maybe he won't. Maybe Jacoby Brissett will be the quarterback. Maybe they'll draft someone and throw him into the fire.

Here's what I do know. Reich was either quarterback coach or offensive coordinator for the Chargers for three years. Those years featured Philip Rivers leading the league in completion percentage one time and passing for a career high 4792 yards in 2015. Maybe the most important thing about those years, though, is the fact that in 2012, Rivers passed for his fewest yards and touchdowns since 2007. Reich's presence on the coaching staff helped steady Rivers.

Then there's the story of Carson Wentz, who was an MVP candidate last season before going down with a knee injury, and his replacement, Nick Foles, who looked washed up as a Ram and then went on to be the Super Bowl MVP. Reich doesn't get all the credit for that, but he should get some of it. Whoever winds up as the Colts quarterback should have a strong season under Reich's tutelage. Who knows--maybe Jacoby Brissett learns some of Reich's comeback moves and leads the NFL in fourth quarter passing yards.

 

New York Giants

Evan Engram, TE

Kyle Rudolph caught eight touchdowns in 2017, tying him with Rob Gronkowski for the second most touchdown receptions by a tight end. In fact, let's take a quick look at how tight ends have performed on Shurmur teams in recent years.

2011 (Cleveland): Ben Watson finished with 410 yards and two touchdowns while starting just 11 games and playing in 13. That was good enough for the third most receiving on the team that season.

2012 (Cleveland): Watson again finished third on the team in receiving yards and third in receiving touchdowns.

2013 (Philadelphia): Brent Celek and Zach Ertz combined to catch 68 passes for 971 yards and 10 touchdowns.

2014 (Philadelphia): Ertz had 58 receptions for 702 yards.

2015 (Philadelphia): Ertz had 75 catches for 853 yards.

2016 (Minnesota): Shurmur served as the tight end coach. Kyle Rudolph caught 83 passes for 840 yards and seven touchdowns. Rudolph nearly doubled his yardage total from the previous season.

2017 (Minnesota): Rudolph saw his yardage total drop to 532, but that can partly be blamed on injuries that lowered his effectiveness late in the season. He still caught eight touchdowns.

Important Facts to Know

  1. Pat Shurmur uses his tight ends frequently in the passing game.
  2. Evan Engram looked like a potential top-tier tight end at times during his rookie season.
  3. Engram's target share is likely to benefit greatly with Shurmur in New York.

 

Oakland Raiders

Derek Carr, QB

I don't want to use statistical data from Jon Gruden's last stint as an NFL head coach for this because it came so far back that I'm not sure how well it even applies here, but I will say this: Gruden turned around the career of Rich Gannon. The veteran had never thrown for 20 touchdowns in a season before coming to Oakland in 1999 and did it for four straight seasons, the first three of which came under Gruden's tutelage. He also coached a late-career Brad Johnson to a couple of his best seasons. In 2005, he made Chris Simms and Brian Griese look serviceable. In 2007, he coached a 37-year-old Jeff Garcia and made him into a Pro Bowler. There's something about Gruden and quarterbacks. Maybe it isn't to the level that ESPN hyped it to with their years-long focus on Gruden as a QB whisperer, but he has rejuvenated the careers of veteran quarterbacks multiple times.

Enter Derek Carr, who isn't quite a veteran yet but will enter his fifth year and is coming off a season that saw him a lower completion percentage, fewer yards, fewer touchdowns, and more interceptions than in 2016. That regression is part of what turned the Raiders from a playoff team into a team that missed the playoffs. Gruden should be able to create schemes that help Carr out. The one question mark right now involves who Carr will be throwing the ball to, as the team is likely to move on from veteran Michael Crabtree and has Amari Cooper coming off a disastrous season. The Raiders need to hope Cooper looks more like he did during his first two seasons, especially with him having to be the focal point of the receiving game. The Raiders will also need to grab either a veteran receiver in free agency or spend a draft pick on someone that they think can be a stud next to Cooper.

For what it's worth, I considered Cooper for this spot. I think he'll bounce back next season as the undisputed top receiver on the Raiders, but I think natural regression to the mean and an increase in opportunities will have more to do with that than Gruden's coaching style will.

 

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Ketel Marte

Likely To Return This Weekend
A.J. Puk

Won't Need Surgery, Won't Throw For 2-3 Weeks
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Could Be Forced To Injured List With Oblique Injury
Jeimer Candelario

Placed On 10-Day Injured List With Spine Strain
Patrick Rodgers

A Solid Value Play At TPC Craig Ranch
Jamal Murray

Explodes For 43 Points In Game 5
Carson Young

Looking To Recapture Form At CJ Cup
Jayson Tatum

Fires In 35 Points In Series-Clincher
Matt McCarty

An Intriguing Value Play At CJ Cup
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Logs Massive Triple-Double In Game 5
Maxi Kleber

Listed As Questionable For Game 5
Will Zalatoris

Searching For Putting Form At CJ Cup
Rob Dillingham

Out On Wednesday
Jae'Sean Tate

Still Out On Wednesday
Jimmy Butler III

Listed As Probable For Wednesday
Jack Eichel

Notches Two Assists In Game 5 Victory
Sam Stevens

A Risky Play With Upside At CJ Cup
PGA

Sungjae Im Riding Momentum Into CJ Cup
Sebastian Aho

Sends Hurricanes To Round 2
Ben Griffin

Looking To Stay Hot After First Career Win
Jake Knapp

Looking For More Success At TPC Craig Ranch
Linus Ullmark

Records Shutout In Elimination Game
Brady Tkachuk

Extends Point Streak To Four Games
Mackenzie Hughes

Is An Interesting Option At CJ Cup
Pavel Dorofeyev

Doesn't Finish Game 5
Filip Gustavsson

Exits Early Due To Illness
Aaron Ekblad

Slapped With Two-Game Suspension
Aldrich Potgieter

Trending Downward For CJ Cup
Taylor Pendrith

Plays Well In Houston Recently
PGA

Niklas Norgaard May Not Be Cut Out For Texas
Rasmus Hojgaard

Could Be Up Or Down In Texas
Ben Rice

Smacks Two Homers To End Slump
Jorge Polanco

Hits Two More Homers, Drives In Five
Scottie Scheffler

The Untouchable Favorite At CJ Cup
Tom Kim

A Popular Name To Avoid At TPC Craig Ranch
Austin Eckroat

Looking To Find Success Again At TPC Craig Ranch
Cristopher Sánchez

Cristopher Sanchez Set To Start Wednesday
Shota Imanaga

Exits With Leg Cramps
Ben Kohles

Finishes Tied For 59th At Corales Puntacana Championship
Joel Dahmen

Finishes Tied For Second At Corales Puntacana Championship
Beau Hossler

Finishes Tied For 60th At Valero Texas Open
Doug Ghim

Finishes Tied For 18th At the Valero Texas Open
Jordan Spieth

Finishes Tied For 18th At RBC Heritage
George Kirby

"Feeling Great," Could Throw Again On Sunday
Tyler Fitzgerald

Returning To Starting Nine
Josh Lowe

Progressing Well, Could Play In Rehab Games On Saturday
Shane McClanahan

Begins "Throwing-Like" Activities
Patrik Laine

Remains Day-To-Day
Gabriel Vilardi

On Track To Return Wednesday
Brandon Hagel

Ruled Out For Game 5
Marcus Johansson

Returns To Action Tuesday
Cole Ragans

Won't Start On Wednesday
Dylan Moore

Placed On 10-Day Injured List With Hip Inflammation
Jonas Siegenthaler

Considered A Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Brett Pesce

A Game-Time Call Tuesday
Yordan Alvarez

Back In Tuesday's Lineup
Frederik Andersen

Unavailable Tuesday
Aaron Nesmith

Upgraded To Available
Las Vegas Raiders

Jack Bech A Strong Candidate To Be An Immediate Starter
Las Vegas Raiders

Zamir White Competing For Depth Role
New York Jets

Mason Taylor To Immediately Be Atop Jets Tight End Depth Chart
Bennedict Mathurin

Cleared For Game 5
Buffalo Bills

Dalton Kincaid Setting Up As Post-Hype Sleeper In 2025?
Denver Broncos

Dre Greenlaw Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
Seattle Seahawks

Sam Darnold To Take Over 90% Of The Snaps
Tennessee Titans

Titans In No Rush To Trade Will Levis
Daulton Varsho

Reinstated From Injured List And Starting On Tuesday
Minnesota Vikings

J.J. McCarthy Says He Knows He's Ready To Start For Vikings
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Picking Up Fifth-Year Option On Dax Hill
Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers Apply Unrestricted Free-Agent Tender To J.K. Dobbins
Seattle Seahawks

Jaren Hall Cut Loose By Seahawks
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs Compare Josh Simmons To Christian Darrisaw, Rashawn Slater
Denver Broncos

Pat Bryant Compared To Michael Thomas
Denver Broncos

RJ Harvey Could Do It All For Broncos
Carolina Panthers

Tetairoa McMillan Likely To Man The X Spot For Panthers
Green Bay Packers

Packers, Jaire Alexander Continue To Discuss Potential Reunion
Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Discussed George Pickens With Steelers
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs To Pick Up Fifth-Year Option On Trent McDuffie, George Karlaftis
Washington Commanders

Matt Gays Signs One-Year Deal With Commanders
San Francisco 49ers

George Kittle Signs Four-Year Extension With 49ers
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Records Third Consecutive Double-Double
Brandin Podziemski

Hits Six Treys During 26-Point Performance
Jimmy Butler III

Leads Warriors In Scoring Monday Night
Jarrett Allen

Has Double-Double, Six Steals In Blowout Win
Brandon Boston Jr.

Recovering From Ankle Surgery
Kelly Olynyk

Undergoes Heel Procedure
Aaron Nesmith

Probable For Tuesday's Action
Nathan MacKinnon

Has Two Points In Losing Effort
Martin Necas

Records Two Assists In Game 5 Loss
Mikko Rantanen

Tallies Three Points In Monday's Win
Wyatt Johnston

Leads Stars To Game 5 Victory
Sergei Bobrovsky

Returns To Winning Ways
Anton Lundell

Earns Two Points Monday
Brandon Hagel

Departs Loss Early
Riley Greene

Homers Twice On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

Exits Monday's Win Early
Los Angeles Chargers

Tre Harris Expected To Fill X Role For Chargers
Jimmy Butler III

Officially Active For Game 4
Isaiah Stewart

Uncertain For Game 5
Michael Porter Jr.

Expected To Play In Game 5
Brandon Nimmo

Has Career Game
Russell Westbrook

Questionable For Tuesday Night
Tyler Glasnow

Going On The Injured List
Jaylen Brown

Back On The Injury Report
Luis Arraez

Expected To Return On Tuesday
William Byron

Ends With A Strong Top-Five Finish At Talladega
Ryan Blaney

Bad Luck Continues With Talladega Crash
Kyle Larson

Has A Career-Best Performance At Talladega
Ian Machado Garry

Gets Back On Track With UFC Kansas City Win
Brad Keselowski

Talladega Run Ends Early After Crashing
Carlos Prates

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Zhang Mingyang

Still Undefeated In The UFC
Anthony Smith

Retires After UFC Kansas City Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous Decision Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous-Decision Loss
David Onama

Extends Win Streak At UFC Kansas City
Michel Pereira

Drops Decision At UFC Kansas City
Abus Magomedov

Extends His Win Streak
Nicolas Dalby

Gets Finished For The First Time
Randy Brown

Gets Back In The Win Column
Ikram Aliskerov

Gets First-Round TKO Finish At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Gets TKO'd At UFC Kansas City
Chase Elliott

Recovers from Speeding Penalty to Finish Fifth
Joey Logano

Finishes Last at Talladega After Disqualification for Missing Spoiler Brace
Ryan Preece

Loses Talladega Race First in Photo Finish Then in Post-Race Inspection
NASCAR

Poor Toyota Strategy Arguably Cost Bubba Wallace Winning Chances at Talladega
Christopher Bell

Unhurt After Hard Contact with Inside Retaining Wall
Chase Elliott

Is One OF The Top Overall DFS Picks Of The Week
Joey Logano

Could Joey Logano Finish A Race With A Top Finish At Talladega?
NASCAR

DFS Players Should Like Bubba Wallace For Talladega This Week
Christopher Bell

Should DFS Players Roster Christopher Bell At Talladega?
Austin Cindric

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Talladega DFS Lineups?
Shane Van Gisbergen

Is A Solid, Safe, DFS Choice For Talladega Lineups
Austin Dillon

Is Austin Dillon A Viable DFS Play At Talladega This Week?
Josh Berry

Qualifies Too High At Talladega To Be Worth Rostering In DFS
Michael McDowell

Should DFS Players Take A Shot On Michael McDowell At Talladega?
Noah Gragson

Could Be A Sneaky DFS Play For Talladega
Denny Hamlin

Probably Qualified Too Well for DFS Consideration
Kyle Larson

Increasingly Undervalued Due to His Crashing, but Still a Great DFS Option
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF