NFL Nation answers critical questions for your fantasy draft board

It’s football season. Oh, wait, it’s fantasy football season! What can we expect, and how will things play out?

ESPN Fantasy analyst Eric Moody will ask our NFL Nation reporters the most pressing questions each week during the NFL season to help provide all the information you need to get an edge as you make your fantasy decisions. Here’s what they had to say about some of the biggest storylines heading into the season.

Will Kyler Murray play this season?

It’s likely at some point this season that Murray will take the field for the Cardinals. When? That’s the tricky part. He’s out for, at least, the first four games because he’s starting the season on the PUP list, but it’s likely going to be more as he practices during his three-week window after getting activated. Is there the possibility he doesn’t play? Sure. But it’s much more likely that he plays at least half the season, so that, if anything, the Cardinals can evaluate how Murray works with the current coaching staff before deciding on his future in ArIzona. — Josh Weinfuss

How do you expect the wide receiver target shares to shake out between Odell Beckham Jr., rookie Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman?

The Ravens honestly don’t even know at this point. Throughout training camp, Lamar Jackson has had a strong chemistry with Beckham and Flowers. Beckham has continually made tough catches, and Flowers has repeatedly gotten open. The catches and receiving yards should be fairly similar for Beckham and Flowers by the end of the season. The wild card is Bateman. He looked like a No. 1 wide receiver before he injured his foot last season, and he has struggled to consistently practice since. It’s difficult to project Bateman as a major factor when he has missed a total of 16 games in his two NFL seasons. — Jamison Hensley

How will the injuries to the offensive line affect Justin Fields? And how do you expect the Chicago Bears‘ backfield rotation to play out?

Head coach Matt Eberflus provided a positive injury update on cut-down day that aside from left guard Teven Jenkins, who remains week-to-week with a leg injury, “everybody [else] looks to be healthy right now.” That means Cody Whitehair, Lucas Patrick and Nate Davis are in line to play Week 1. Whether Whitehair, who has a hand injury, moves back to center or stays at left guard is up in the air, but the pass protection in front of Fields at least appears to be trending in the right direction with additional depth on the interior after the Bears sent a sixth-round pick to Miami in exchange for Dan Feeney. As far as the backfield rotation, Khalil Herbert will be the Bears’ lead back, while D’Onta Foreman and Roschon Johnson will be squarely in the mix for carries. “We’re running back by committee,” Bears running backs coach David Walker said. “Saquon Barkley doesn’t wear a Chicago Bear helmet, Josh Jacobs doesn’t wear a Chicago Bear helmet. We’ve got a lot of good players, and those guys all complement one another, and they all will have roles within the room as we move forward.” — Courtney Cronin

Given Sean Payton’s history of backfield tandems, how do you expect Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine will be utilized for the Denver Broncos?

How Payton spreads out the workload early in the season might not be what it is as the season wears on, so there is a stay-tuned element to this. Williams is still just 10 months removed from his season-ending knee injury suffered in Week 4 last season. He played in one preseason game and got three carries. Williams is the RB1, but there is every indication the Broncos are still going to be winding him up to full strength as the season goes on. Williams and Perine will divvy up carries, with — if he continues to progress — Williams eventually getting more. Williams is a good blocker in pass protection, but Perine is one of the best backs in the league in pass protection, so some third-down snaps or longer down-and-distance action might go his way because of that. And if practices are any indication, Williams will be slightly more involved in the passing game. There is always a possibility Williams and Perine appear together at some point in the two-back sets, but that hasn’t been something Payton has shown in an open practice format yet. — Jeff Legwold

Do you expect Quentin Johnston to fill the WR3 role for the Los Angeles Chargers, or is Joshua Palmer still a factor?