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Fantasy: Manziel, Pitta and other must-watch storylines from AFC North training camps

Andrew Weber / USA TODAY Sports

With NFL training camps underway, theScore's Justin Boone and David P. Woods take a look at the biggest fantasy questions facing each team over the next six weeks. 

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AFC NORTH

Will Browns rookies Johnny Manziel and Terrance West win starting jobs in camp? 

Everyone will be focused on Johnny Manziel's battle with Brian Hoyer, but from a fantasy perspective, the starting running back in Cleveland will be a much more valuable player this season. 

Ben Tate is "penciled in" as the Week 1 starter, but using a third-round pick on Terrance West wasn't simply a luxury pick for the Browns. 

West is a small-school product (Towson University) who could be this year's Alfred Morris: a lesser known rookie back in a run-first offense perfectly suited to his skills. Even if Tate wins the starting job, his injury history makes one wonder whether he will break down. It’s important to note that Tate is also being drafted three rounds earlier than his rookie teammate in fantasy mock drafts. 

As for Cleveland's starting quarterback, the likely absence of Josh Gordon neutralizes any potential the position may have had for fantasy owners. Hoyer is the incumbent and has the early line on the job, but it's important to remember how little he played in 2013. 

Cleveland fans have fond memories of Hoyer's two 2013 starts, when he threw for 590 total yards and five touchdowns with three interceptions, leading the team to wins in both games. However, those were the only two appearances he made, as he suffered a season-ending knee injury early in his next outing. 

Regardless of who is named the starting quarterback, Browns receivers leave a lot to be desired outside of Jordan Cameron. The Browns also face the Steelers, Saints, and Ravens in the first three weeks of the season before a Week 4 bye. 

Who will emerge as the Steelers' second option in the passing game? 

Antonio Brown is coming off a 110-catch, 1,499-yard, eight-touchdown campaign. Any doubts about him or his ability to find the end zone were put to rest in 2013. However, the rest of the Steelers' receiving corps is one giant question mark. 

Markus Wheaton is expected to take over as the starting X receiver, but he will need to prove himself in training camp to hold off fourth-rounder Martavis Bryant. The 5'11, 182-pound Wheaton has the speed to stretch defenses, but Bryant's height could make him the better red zone option. Both young receivers are worth late-round fliers in fantasy drafts. 

Veteran Lance Moore joined the team after spending the first eight years of his career with the Saints. Moore is a reliable pass catcher, who plays primarily out of the slot and has been a plug-and-play fantasy option in the past. Training camp should give us a better idea of how he will fit in Pittsburgh, but he's a long shot to produce for fantasy owners. 

Darrius Heyward-Bey has yet to live up to the lofty expectations that came with being the seventh-overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. His main goal in Pittsburgh should be focusing on making the roster, but he has no place on yours. 

Fading but not forgotten is tight end Heath Miller, who is nothing more than a streaming option for weeks when he has a favorable matchup.  

Can Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta regain his 2012 form?

Do you remember Dennis Pitta? Prior to last year's lost season, Pitta was a rising star in 2012. Not only did he rack up 669 yards and seven touchdowns in the regular season, he was a force during the Ravens' Super Bowl run.

Then came a hip injury that sidelined him for 12 games. While he didn't blow the doors off in his return to the field, Pitta did have a touchdown in his first game back, and three weeks later he ended the season with an eight-catch, 63-yard performance. One important takeaway from his brief return: Pitta averaged more than eight targets over his final four games. 

New offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak loves two tight-end sets and already has Pitta splitting out wide and even lining up in the backfield to throw defenses off, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun

Pitta's current average draft position has him going off the board in the eighth round of 12-team drafts, in a pack that includes Jordan Reed, Greg Olsen, and Kyle Rudolph. If you don't snag one of the elite tight ends, this group of four is exactly where you should have your sights set. 

How will Jeremy Hill's presence impact Giovani Bernard's ascension in Cincinnati? 

The first step for rookie Jeremy Hill is beating out veteran BenJarvus Green-Ellis, a move that seems to already be in motion with Hill taking snaps ahead of Green-Ellis at OTAs. Hill was selected with a second-round pick in this year's draft and his style projects him to be a younger version of BGE, handling short yardage and taking valuable goal-line carries away from the electric Giovani Bernard

While Hill's path to production seems clear, ESPN Bengals reporter Coley Harvey is on record saying he believes Hill will break out this season

A breakout year may not take away from Bernard at all, as the team will likely transition to more of a run-first approach under new offensive coordinator Hue Jackson. This makes sense for a variety of reasons, including the fact quarterback Andy Dalton may be more successful in a game manager-type role. 

Like all rookie running backs, Hill will have to prove himself as a pass protector, but his size (6-foot-1, 238 pounds) already gives him an advantage over Bernard (5-foot-9, 208 pounds). 

Much like West with the Browns, Hill is being drafted much later in fantasy drafts and is a nice value in the eighth or ninth rounds. If he does beat out Green-Ellis, that ADP is sure to rise and will need to be re-evaluated before your draft day. 

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