Every season in the NFL, there is a ton of turnover between head coaches and offensive coordinators. Coaching can have a huge impact on player performance, and that obviously extends to fantasy football and sports betting. Both of which are now widely available throughout the United States. Arizona just launched DFS and is shooting for September 9th, NFL Kickoff, to launch sports betting. You can use DraftKings Arizona to bet on sports come that launch date. You will also be able to play DFS games with DraftKings in the state.
The following is a breakdown of some of the most notable changes among head coaches and offensive coordinators and how it impacts their players for fantasy football production this season.
Atlanta Falcons
Arthur Smith is the new Falcons’ head coach after a couple of successful seasons as the offensive coordinator in Tennessee. The Titans ranked top ten in scoring in each of the past two seasons. Their offense was particularly focused on the rushing game, with Derrick Henry leading the NFL in rushing over the past two years. However, I wouldn’t necessarily expect Atlanta to be a run-first team just because of Smith’s history with Henry. I do like Mike Davis, but I wouldn’t advise treating him like anything more than a low-upside, viable RB starter. Smith is an adaptable offensive coordinator who will know how to get the most out of talents like Calvin Ridley and rookie tight end Kyle Pitts. Matt Ryan has been consistently a solid quarterback for fantasy under a number of different play-callers, and Smith isn’t going to elevate him. The biggest issue for Atlanta will be the poor offensive line, and no coaching will fix that right away.
Major takeaway: don’t overvalue Mike Davis due to Derrick Henry’s success
Detroit Lions
The Lions are a rebuilding team, but they aren’t going to be pushovers under Dan Campbell. The new Detroit head coach is going to introduce a brand of physicality that is desperately needed. The Lions have a sneaky-good offensive line – I recently ranked them #10 in the NFL – and that will be the backbone of the offense. Campbell, the former Saints’ assistant head coach and tight ends coach, spoke about how he wants D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams to form a one-two punch like Alvin Kamara had with Mark Ingram or Latavius Murray in New Orleans. Swift and Williams should both provide value on a run-heavy offense. The presence of Anthony Lynn as the offensive coordinator, a former running back and ground-and-pound coach, should also help Swift and Williams. The lack of proven pass-catching talent and Jared Goff’s hesitance to push the ball downfield at times also makes these running backs very valuable.
Major takeaway: D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams should both be valuable
Los Angeles Chargers
Joe Lombardi arrives as the new offensive coordinator joining Brandon Staley as the team’s new head coach. Staley is more of a defensive-minded coach, so Lombardi, the former quarterbacks’ coach for the Saints, will have full reign over the offense. I’m thrilled about the prospect of how Lombardi should help Justin Herbert develop early in his career. Lombardi is going to make this offense cater to Herbert in every way imaginable, and I’d call it a major boost to his fantasy prospects for this season. Perhaps most notably, Lombardi witnessed first-hand Alvin Kamara’s evolution into an elite pass-catching running back and now gets the opportunity to coach another great pass-catcher in the backfield in Austin Ekeler. The Chargers are going to be a pass-heavy offense, which helps Keenan Allen and the breakout case for Mike Williams, but that’s most notable for Ekeler. Lombardi’s Lions offenses in 2014 and 2015 had almost a third of all targets flow through the running back position, and Ekeler’s pass-catching role will help him deliver an elite season.
Major takeaway: confidence for Justin Herbert and Austin Ekeler
Miami Dolphins
2020 was a difficult rookie season for Tua Tagovailoa, but I have high hopes for him this season. Chan Gailey was the offensive coordinator last season, and he was hired to help Ryan Fitzpatrick more than Tagovailoa, but this new offense is going to be catered around the second-year passer. Eric Studesville (RBs) and George Godsey (TEs), two assistant offensive coaches from last season, were hired to help Tua’s transition to the NFL go smoother in his second season. Miami has a ton of pass-catchers between DeVante Parker, Will Fuller, Jaylen Waddle, and Mike Gesicki, so it could be hard to trust any player week-to-week, but that’s good news for Tua as defenses can’t key in on one guy. Tagovailoa was working his way back from a crazy hip injury and didn’t have time to mesh with his new teammates prior to the start of the season, but the odds that were stacked against him last year have shifted in his favor.
Major takeaway: bank on a bounce-back from Tua
New York Jets
There may be some lasting concerns with the Jets after heavily investing on their roster in their rookie quarterback, Zach Wilson, but hiring a defensive-minded head coach in Robert Saleh. However, Mike LaFleur is going to reinvent this offense. LaFleur comes from the Kyle Shanahan coaching system, and those San Francisco concepts could be making their way to the East Coast. LaFleur’s passing offense tended to feature one main receiver at a time, and I have high hopes for Corey Davis as the go-to receiver for Wilson. I’m also excited about Michael Carter’s potential as the top back in LaFleur’s offense; San Francisco’s running backs have been dominant in fantasy as of late. New York’s offensive line is also quickly improving with young players like Mekhi Becton and rookie Alijah Vera-Tucker. The one major issue holding back this offense will be its youth, as it is one of the youngest nuclei of top skill players in the NFL.
Major takeaway:: high upside for the young pieces
Philadelphia Eagles
New head coach Nick Sirianni comes from the Frank Reich coaching tree, and it’s important to note that Reich called the plays in Indianapolis, not Sirianni, but that offense was among the league’s best last year. Sirianni should help Jalen Hurts’s development as a starting quarterback. The biggest question for Philly will be whether or not Sirianni decides to feature one running back as Indy did – on 23 occasions in Indianapolis, as one running back got over 15 carries in a game. If Miles Sanders gets a role with 15+ carries per game as well as passing game involvement, he could be a steal at his current ADP. New offensive coordinator Shane Steichen was the offensive coordinator for the Chargers last season and helped Justin Herbert’s fast start to his career. He will be hoping to have a similar effect on Jalen Hurts. Philly will be hoping DeVonta Smith can hit the ground running and Jalen Reagor can improve in his second season to give the team a dynamic first-round receiving duo. If the offensive line can stay healthy, this offensive line could surprise some people this season.
Major takeaway: watch out for Miles Sanders if he gets a bigger role
Pittsburgh Steelers
Former Steelers’ quarterbacks’ coach Matt Canada has now been promoted to the offensive coordinator. Ben Roethlisberger has worked closely with Canada to engineer this offense the way he wants it, and it should be very exciting to watch. Pittsburgh should feature more pre-snap motion and varied formations under Canada. The Steelers will be hoping to improve its run game with the addition of first-round running back Najee Harris, but the offensive line is poor and could create issues for the offense overall. Canada’s fast-paced offense and pre-snap motion could help the offensive line, and I would also expect the Steelers to feature more 2-tight end sets. Still, all three of Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, and JuJu Smith-Schuster should have solid roles in the offense. Pittsburgh’s offense will definitely look different than last year, and I have high hopes despite the poor offensive line.
Major takeaway: pre-snap motion should help mitigate the poor offensive line
Seattle Seahawks
Seattle has a new offensive coordinator under Pete Carroll again, and the team will be hoping the former Rams’ passing game coordinator can bring the type of consistency that is needed to make this team a Super Bowl contender. Shane Waldron’s offense is likely going to be heavily based on play-action like Sean McVay’s has been in Los Angeles, particularly with the use of the wide receivers in D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Russell Wilson, Metcalf, and Lockett have all separately spoken about the fast pace this offense is hoping to play at, and that should help the team generate more offensive volume and more plays overall. The Seahawks will still have a lot of rushing volume this year as they look to set up the play-action, and that bodes well for Chris Carson. Overall, I’d expect a slight uptick in overall volume as well as the percentage of rushing plays. This offense under Russell Wilson will always be good, but I think the Waldron addition could prove to be a very strong one.
Major takeaway: increase in volume should help the Seahawks’ skill players
Tennessee Titans
There are going to be some fantasy managers with concerns over the departure of Arthur Smith from Tennessee as he had run a potent offense the past two years as the offensive coordinator. However, Smith was once promoted from the team’s tight ends coach, and Todd Downing is receiving the same promotion to offensive coordinator this year. The Titans have an elite trio with Derrick Henry, A.J. Brown, and Julio Jones, and that talent doesn’t disappear with the departure of Smith. Downing has been an assistant coach since 2005, and I have confidence in his ability to get the most out of his players. Ryan Tannehill’s re-emergence arguably had as much to do with his departure from Miami as his arrival in Tennessee, and he’ll be fine without Smith at his side.
Major takeaway:: don’t stress about the loss of Arthur Smith
