This article is part of our NFL Barometer series.
RISING
Doug Martin, RB, TB
Martin reportedly is healthier and more explosive than he's been in two years, leading some to speculate that he might be returning to the form he showed in 2012, when he ran for 1,454 yards and 11 touchdowns and caught 49 passes for 472 yards and a 12th touchdown as a rookie. NFL Network's Mike Mayock and Jeff Darlington both said as much, though Darlington was quick to hedge by mentioning the risk of re-injury. A shoulder injury ended Martin's 2013 season, but in 2014 it was a combination of knee and ankle troubles that undid him. The secret of Martin's resurgence is out now, so he might not be particularly cheap in drafts after taking into account his injury history, but his rookie season says there's RB1 upside if he can just stay on the field.
Sam Bradford, QB, PHI
Two left ACL tears in two years isn't easily moved past, but the Heisman Trophy winner and 2010 No. 1 overall pick is earning extremely promising reviews for his training camp showings. NJ.com writer Eliot Shorr-Parks has Bradford's training camp stats as the following: 138-of-181 for 14 touchdowns and two interceptions. Granted, it is just practice and the Eagles secondary is unproven if not dubious, but those are quite encouraging for a guy coming off back-to-back ACL tears. With his skillset seemingly not in question, Bradford is poised to provide a big return to fantasy owners in Philadelphia's uptempo offense -- one
RISING
Doug Martin, RB, TB
Martin reportedly is healthier and more explosive than he's been in two years, leading some to speculate that he might be returning to the form he showed in 2012, when he ran for 1,454 yards and 11 touchdowns and caught 49 passes for 472 yards and a 12th touchdown as a rookie. NFL Network's Mike Mayock and Jeff Darlington both said as much, though Darlington was quick to hedge by mentioning the risk of re-injury. A shoulder injury ended Martin's 2013 season, but in 2014 it was a combination of knee and ankle troubles that undid him. The secret of Martin's resurgence is out now, so he might not be particularly cheap in drafts after taking into account his injury history, but his rookie season says there's RB1 upside if he can just stay on the field.
Sam Bradford, QB, PHI
Two left ACL tears in two years isn't easily moved past, but the Heisman Trophy winner and 2010 No. 1 overall pick is earning extremely promising reviews for his training camp showings. NJ.com writer Eliot Shorr-Parks has Bradford's training camp stats as the following: 138-of-181 for 14 touchdowns and two interceptions. Granted, it is just practice and the Eagles secondary is unproven if not dubious, but those are quite encouraging for a guy coming off back-to-back ACL tears. With his skillset seemingly not in question, Bradford is poised to provide a big return to fantasy owners in Philadelphia's uptempo offense -- one that made Mark Sanchez a borderline QB1 last year. The injury risk is, of course, always present, but there might not be a quarterback poised to give a greater return on fantasy draft investment than Bradford.
Brandon Coleman, WR, NO
Jimmy Graham is gone, and Marques Colston took a $3.2 million pay cut in the offseason. The Saints added C.J. Spiller to pick up a lot of the passing-game work, and 2014 first-round pick Brandin Cooks is certainly in for a promotion, but there should be room for another new pass catcher in a Drew Brees offense. The previous presumption was that it would be Nick Toon, a 2012 fourth-round pick and the son of former Jets great Al Toon, but according to early camp reports Coleman might be just as viable a candidate. Coleman went undrafted out of Rutgers in last year's draft, but ESPN Saints reporter Mike Triplett said Coleman has looked "great" throughout OTAs, minicamps and training camp in 2015.
Chris Johnson, RB, FA
Andre Ellington (hamstring) returned to practice Monday, but history says he'll be on the shelf again soon enough. Meanwhile, David Johnson has missed almost all of training camp with his own hamstring injury, and Darren McFadden has missed training camp with two bad hamstrings. Throw in Arian Foster's groin injury and you've got a situation where Johnson not only has received contract offers, but one where the previously unwanted Johnson has the luxury of waiting for the bids to go up. According to CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora, Johnson already has an offer on the table from the Cardinals. He's waiting to see what else comes up, but Johnson would be more than slightly likely to see the field if he should sign in Arizona, where Ellington is likely to see continued durability issues.
FALLING
Geno Smith, QB, NYJ
The news is old by now, but Smith is out for six to 10 weeks with a broken jaw after former Jets defender and recent Buffalo Bills addition IK Enemkpali let a fist fly. The prognosis is not the sort to end a season, but it might have been timed just right to permanently end Smith's time as a starter with the Jets. Ryan Fitzpatrick will begin the year as starter and, while he obviously isn't even an average NFL starter, Fitzpatrick could play surprisingly well with Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall to throw to, and especially with the pragmatic Chan Gailey running the Jets offense. Gailey somehow coaxed 21 touchdowns out of Thigpen as a 11-game starter in 2008 and, while Fitzpatrick would never be taken for a world-beater, he's clearly a level above Thigpen. It's a frustrating if not unfair turn of events for Smith, but the tide of fate might be difficult for him to withstand with the Jets.
David Johnson, RB, ARZ
At 6-foot-1, 224, with 4.50 speed and a good agility drill score (11.09), Johnson's athletic profile hints at a strong complement to speedy but small lead back Andre Ellington. Unfortunately, Johnson's game film hinted at a player who didn't run naturally between the tackles and showed questionable burst in short spaces, making him project poorly as a short-yardage, "big back" as traditionally seen in the NFL. In addition to these concerns, the rookie has been out since early training camp with a hamstring issue, leading Bruce Arians to hint that an imminent return will be necessary for Johnson to be an early season consideration for snaps. AZCardinals.com writer Darren Urban quoted Arians as saying "There's no way in hell I'll put him out there [if he misses training camp]."
Jordan Reed, TE, WAS
Coach Jay Gruden recently referred to Niles Paul as a "more complete tight end" than Reed. That would be the same Niles Paul who was once a receiver and return specialist at Nebraska. It's obviously not a good look for Reed, who clearly has talent as a pass catcher, but also hasn't shown the ability to handle a full-time role at tight end. Paul is ahead of Reed on the depth chart and, given that Reed came down with a hamstring tweak Tuesday, it seems as if Gruden's mind won't change any time soon.
Melvin Gordon, RB, SD
Gordon might be more of an "on notice" entry than a true faller, but it's worth noting that Gordon's pass protection work has been marked as an area that needs improvement. CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora mentioned that, while Gordon has "come on the last few days," he has "some big adjustments to make" as a pass blocker in general. This would be less concerning if San Diego didn't have one of the best passing-down backs in the league but, alas, Danny Woodhead still plays for the Chargers. If Woodhead is more trusted than Gordon in blitz pickup, Woodhead will probably lay claim to more passing down snaps than Gordon's fantasy owners would like to think. Even if he's a dynamic first- and second-down player in a Philip Rivers offense, omission from passing down and hurryup situations would definitely be a setback for Gordon's fantasy value.
