Arizona Cardinals: Ricky Seals-JonesSeals-Jones burst onto the scene during the second half of the 2017 season, posting a pair of top-five fantasy weeks in Weeks 11-12. He failed to post a finish better than 20th from that point forward, which isn't shocking considering his situational role. The encouraging news is that his playing time increased as the year progressed. He ended up catching only 12 of 28 targets, but averaged 16.8 yards per reception and caught three touchdowns. Seals-Jones' receiving chops shouldn't be too shocking considering he worked with the wide receivers at last April's combine. He is massive at 6-foot-5, 243 pounds and made the conversion to tight end after signing with Arizona as an undrafted free agent. Arizona's tight end situation is weak, which barring a big offseason acquisition, means he should be positioned to make a run at the top of the depth chart.
Atlanta Falcons: Austin HooperHooper was a popular 2018 breakout candidate, but he simply didn't emerge as a quality TE1 option. The 2016 third-round pick caught 49 of 64 targets for 526 yards and three touchdowns. He managed four top-10 fantasy weeks, but none came after Week 10, and finished 17th at the position in fantasy points. Hooper ran a route on 69 percent of the team's pass plays and handled 4.0 targets per game. It's very possible, if not likely, that he takes another step forward in his third year with the team in 2018. A boost in usage would be enough to get him into the TE1 discussion and is enough to make him a viable late-round flier in 2018 drafts.
Baltimore Ravens: Kenneth DixonDixon had a disastrous 2017, missing the entire season with a knee injury while also being suspended twice for violations of the PED and substance abuse policies. Dixon now enters 2018 without a clear path to a job. The 2016 fourth-round pick will need to emerge in a backfield that includes 2017 breakout Alex Collins, passing-game specialist Danny Woodhead and do-it-all backup Javorius Allen. On the plus side, Dixon was terrific as a rookie. He averaged 4.3 yards per carry, including 2.22 after contact, which ranked sixth among backs who carried the ball at least 40 times. Per Pro Football Focus, Dixon forced a missed tackle on 26 of his 88 totes. That 0.30 rate was best in the league among backs with at least 40 attempts. The 24-year-old's progress should be monitored throughout the offseason.
Buffalo Bills: Zay JonesJones was selected in the second round of the 2016 draft and Buffalo's weak wide receiver unit forced him into a massive rookie-season role. He was on the field for 79 percent of the team's offensive plays and handled 4.5 targets per game, but caught only 27 of 68 targets for 316 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the season. That 40 percent catch rate is shocking when you consider that he set an NCAA record with 158 catches (72 percent catch rate) at East Carolina in 2016. Buffalo's quarterback situation is up in the air for 2018, but with only Kelvin Benjamin currently ahead of him on the depth chart, Jones figures to again be in line for a significant role. His rookie season wasn't particularly inspiring, but Jones was super-productive in college, impressed at the combine and is positioned for a big 2018 role.
Carolina Panthers: Curtis SamuelWhereas Carolina's 2017 first-round pick Christian McCaffrey touched the ball 197 times as a rookie, the team's second-rounder, Samuel, managed only 19 touches in nine games. He played a minimal role early, but finally was promoted when the team traded Kelvin Benjamin to Buffalo. The increased workload didn't last long, as he went down with a season-ending ankle injury in Week 10. Samuel, who managed 97 carries and caught 74 passes during his final season at Ohio State, was expected to be more of an "offensive weapon" than pure wide receiver, but lined up in the backfield on only six of his 217 rookie-season snaps. He carried the ball four times for 64 yards and caught 15 of 26 targets for 115 yards. Despite somewhat of a lost rookie season, Samuel's outlook remains bright. He's only 21 years old and has world-class speed, having run a 4.31 40-yard dash at last year's combine. Carolina seems dedicated to utilizing Samuel primarily as a wide receiver, as opposed to a situational gadget player, which is very good news for his Tyreek-Hill-like fantasy upside. Samuel will enter the offseason second on the Carolina's wide receiver depth chart.