TAP FOR 6 MONTHS OF PREMIUM FREE 💰
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
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 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.

Featured Promo: Looking for some more fantasy football action? Adopt a dynasty orphan team over at FFPC. Sign up today and get $25 off any FFPC league. Sign Up Now!

 

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
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Brandon Williams

Downgraded to Questionable
Anthony Edwards

a Late Addition to Injury Report
Keyonte George

Won't Play Thursday
Cooper Flagg

Cleared to Return Thursday, Will Have Minutes Restricted
Spencer Strider

Shows Increased Velocity on Thursday
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena has Finger Fracture, to be Re-Evaluated in Two Weeks
Cade Smith

Emerging as an Elite Source of Saves
Xavier Edwards

Exits With Calf Tightness on Thursday
Jordan Lawlar

Could Jordan Lawlar Finally Be Ready for a Breakout?
Kyle Bradish

Is Kyle Bradish Going Too High in Drafts?
Jayson Tatum

Expected to Play on Friday
Robert Stephenson

to Face Live Hitters on Friday
DJ Moore

Bears Working to Finalize Deal to Send DJ Moore to Buffalo
Francisco Lindor

Takes Swings on Wednesday
Josh Hader

to Throw Off a Mound Early Next Week
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena to Visit With Hand Specialist
Andrew Kittredge

Shoulder a "Little Cranky," Not a Serious Issue
Tyler Freeman

Making Cactus League Debut on Thursday
Brenton Doyle

Thinks he Can Play on Friday
Andrew McCutchen

Signs One-Year Deal With Rangers
Spencer Strider

Will Spencer Strider Bounce Back?
Curtis Lazar

Out Four Weeks
Aaron Judge

Is Aaron Judge Worth the First Overall Pick?
Nick Blankenburg

Avalanche Add Nick Blankenburg From Predators
Blaze Alexander

Remains the Front-Runner to Replace Jackson Holliday
CHI

Andrew Mangiapane Traded to Blackhawks
Kyle Nicolas

Traded to the Reds
Jason Dickinson

Oilers Bring in Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach From Chicago
Tyler Callihan

Traded to the Pirates
Tyler Myers

Moves to Dallas
MacKenzie Weegar

Mammoth Acquire MacKenzie Weegar
River Ryan

in Serious Consideration for Starting Role
Kevin McGonigle

Making Strong Case to Crack Opening Day Roster
Trey Murphy III

Iffy for Thursday
Zion Williamson

Could Miss Thursday's Tilt
Dejounte Murray

Sits Out Thursday's Action
Amen Thompson

Tagged as Questionable for Matchup With Warriors
Jabari Smith Jr.

Listed as Questionable for Thursday
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Questionable for Thursday Due to Illness
Kyshawn George

to Be Re-Evaluated in Three Weeks
Mitchell Marner

Collects Three Points on Wednesday
Tomas Hertl

Scores the Overtime Winner
Coby White

is Available on Wednesday
Kelly Oubre Jr.

Won't Play on Wednesday
VJ Edgecombe

is Ruled Out on Wednesday
Isaiah Hartenstein

to Play on Wednesday
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

is Cleared for Wednesday's Contest
Collin Murray-Boyles

to Remain Sidelined on Thursday
Egor Demin

Ruled Out for Thursday's Game
Brandon Ingram

Considered Questionable For Thursday
Kyshawn George

Slated to Miss Thursday's Matchup With Jazz
Stefon Diggs

Patriots Releasing Stefon Diggs
Trent McDuffie

Chiefs Sending Trent McDuffie to Rams in Blockbuster Deal
Taylor Moore

Looking to Build on Cognizant Classic Finish
Robert MacIntyre

Brings Solid Form to Bay Hill
Scottie Scheffler

the Tournament Favorite at Bay Hill
Jonathan Drouin

Ready to Go Wednesday
Xander Schauffele

Trending Well Ahead of API
Jake Walman

Avoids Major Injury Tuesday
Marcus Johansson

Makes Early Exit Versus Lightning
Cole Smith

Golden Knights Pick Up Cole Smith From Nashville
Michael McCarron

Sent to Wild for Second-Round Pick
Ryan O'Reilly

Sustains Eye Injury Tuesday
Artturi Lehkonen

Deemed Week-to-Week
Si Woo Kim

Looking to Return to Top Form at Bay Hill
Leon Draisaitl

Dominates With Five-Point Game
Ben Griffin

Looking to Return to Form at Arnold Palmer Invitational
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks to Build on Cognizant Classic Win at Arnold Palmer
Sam Burns

Searching for Consistency at Arnold Palmer Invitational
Daniel Berger

Offers Sneaky Upside at Bay Hill
Jack Hughes

Contributes With Two Assists
Dougie Hamilton

Picks Up Two Points in Win
Jacob Markstrom

Cruises to Win
Dylan Guenther

Picks Up Two Points on Tuesday Night
Jeremy Swayman

Defeats the Penguins
Justin Thomas

Making Season Debut at API Following Lower-Back Surgery
NASCAR

Collin Morikawa Hopes To Better Last Year's Runner-Up Finish at API
Tommy Fleetwood

Isn't As Confident of a Start at Bay Hill as Previous Weeks
Kyler Murray

Will be Released
Trey Hendrickson

Bengals Not Using the Franchise Tag on Trey Hendrickson
Daniel Jones

Colts Place Transition Tag on Daniel Jones
Adam Scott

Might Endure Tough Times at Bay Hill
Aldrich Potgieter

Extremely Risky When it Comes to Bay Hill
PGA

Sungjae Im to Make Season Debut at Arnold Palmer Invitational
Jordan Spieth

an All-or-Nothing Option at Bay Hill
Harry Hall

Trying to Rebound After the Genesis Invitational
Ryan Gerard

Needs Better Start at Bay Hill
Kenneth Walker III

Won't Get the Franchise Tag
Patrick Cantlay

Still Plagued by Bad Putting Ahead of Arnold Palmer Invititational
Daniel Jones

Colts Expected to Use Transition Tag on Daniel Jones
Breece Hall

Jets Placing Franchise Tag on Breece Hall
CFB

Mark Stoops Joining Texas Coaching Staff
Jason Day

Attempts to Bounce Back from The Genesis Invitational
Jacob Bridgeman

Rolling into Arnold Palmer Invitational
Russell Henley

Looks to Defend Title at the Arnold Palmer Invitational
Khalil Mack

Will Play in 2026
MMA

Lone'er Kavanagh Gets Back In The Win Column
Brandon Moreno

Gets Outclassed
Marlon Vera

Loses Fourth Fight In A Row
Daniel Jones

Colts Have "50/50" Chance to Get a Deal Done With Daniel Jones
David Martinez

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Daniel Zellhuber

Loses Third Consecutive Fight
King Green

Gets Second-Round TKO Win
Felipe Bunes

Drops Decision At UFC Mexico City
Édgar Cháirez

Edgar Chairez Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Ryan Blaney

Falls to Eighth Despite Running Most of the Race in the Top Five At COTA
Ty Gibbs

Wins A Stage and Finishes Fourth At COTA
Christopher Bell

Earns First Top-Five Finish of the 2026 Season at COTA
Kyler Murray

"Repeatedly" Linked to Jets
Shane Van Gisbergen

Falls Short of Victory At COTA
Tyler Reddick

Wins At COTA and Makes NASCAR History
David Montgomery

Texans Acquire David Montgomery From Lions
Kyler Murray

Likely to be Released
Travis Etienne Jr.

Not Expected to be Franchise-Tagged
Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Planning to Release Aaron Jones Sr.?
Tyler Reddick

Could Make History at COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Still the Favorite at COTA
Christopher Bell

Will Be Tough to Beat at COTA
AJ Allmendinger

Could Contend at COTA
Connor Zilisch

Carries Plenty of Upside for DFS at COTA
Chase Elliott

May be A Strong Contender Again at COTA
Chris Buescher

Is Nothing But Consistent at Road Courses
Ross Chastain

May Be An Underrated Competitor for the Win at COTA
William Byron

Is William Byron a Viable DFS Option for COTA?
Carson Hocevar

Needs Clean Race at COTA
Kyle Larson

Could be A Decent DFS Option for COTA Lineups
Ryan Blaney

Could Ryan Blaney be A Sleeper DFS Option for All Formats for COTA?
Chase Briscoe

Should DFS Players Roster Chase Briscoe at COTA?
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Is A Favorable Value Option for COTA DFS Lineups
Ty Gibbs

Could Ty Gibbs Be A Rosterable DFS Play for COTA?
A.J. Brown

Patriots "Have Explored Trade Talks" Involving A.J. Brown
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF