Fantasy: Gerhart, Richardson and other must-watch storylines from AFC South training camps

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 SOUTH

Can Toby Gerhart be the next Michael Turner?

Toby Gerhart has scarcely been relevant in fantasy football since entering the NFL in 2010. That's what happens when you're behind a generational talent like Adrian Peterson on the depth chart. 

Now out of Peterson's shadow, Gerhart is poised to become a fantasy stud. The Jaguars made him a top target in free agency, telling the world they view him as a possible focal point for their offense. Considering the Jaguars' lack of weapons in the passing game (Chad Henne, Cecil Shorts and Marqise Lee aren't scaring anyone), Gerhart should touch the ball a lot. It won't be a surprise if he leads the league in rushing attempts.

It's hard to look at Gerhart's situation and not be reminded of Michael Turner's first years in Atlanta. Turner toiled behind an in-his-prime LaDainian Tomlinson in San Diego and then exploded into fantasy relevance with 1,699 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns in his first season with the Falcons.

Gerhart is similarly built. He's a big, bad man with very impressive leg strength. And, like Turner in his prime years, he has surprising wiggle in open space.

If the Jaguars can manage to stay in games and not be forced to abandon the run, Gerhart has a great chance to outperform his late third-round ADP by a significant margin. He's a great target for owners who miss on a top running back in the first two rounds.

Do the Texans have a quarterback who can keep their receivers productive in fantasy? 

The short answer is no and the long answer is no, but...

... Andre Johnson will probably still produce strong numbers. He's just that good, and Ryan Fitzpatrick or whoever is behind center in Houston (expect to see several passers get meaningful snaps this season) will know that the best plan is to throw Johnson the ball regardless of whether he's covered.

Can a combination of Fitzpatrick, Case Keenum and Tom Savage be any worse than the Matt Schaub-Keenum split the Texans used last year? Probably not. Johnson managed 109 catches for 1,407 yards and five touchdowns with that unit throwing to him. He's 33 now, so his numbers could take a bit of a dip, but he's still locked in as a WR2.

Don't expect anything from the rest of the Texans' receiving corps, though; Fitzpatrick and company can't support more than one productive receiver. DeAndre Hopkins showed a few flashes of brilliance as a rookie, but he's probably still a year away from being a reliable fantasy option. Behind him on the depth chart is a fantasy wasteland.

The Texans have some intriguing options at tight end, but that's bad news for fantasy owners. Garrett Graham will probably emerge as the leader in targets, but second-year pro Ryan Griffin has tantalizing upside and the team just used a third-round pick on C.J. Fiedorowicz. Expect all three to eat into each other's production. Avoiding this logjam is probably the smartest strategy.

Is Bishop Sankey this year's star rookie running back? 

The Titans made Bishop Sankey the first running back selected in the NFL draft, using a second-round pick to grab the former Washington rusher. Fantasy owners are making Sankey the first tailback off the board, too, selecting him in the early fourth-round on average.

Can Sankey live up to the hype? It's easy to believe he can. First and foremost, there's the immense opportunity he's facing. The Titans figure to be a run-heavy team as new head coach Ken Whisenhunt seeks to limit quarterback Jake Locker's mistakes. The only roadblock between Sankey and a role as the Titans' feature running back is an injury-ridden Shonn Greene. In other words, bet on Sankey being winning the starting job.

It's also easy to get excited about the Titans' offensive line. Left tackle Michael Roos is always reliable, guard Andy Levitre got a huge contract in free agency, guard Chance Warmack was a first-round pick and tackle Taylor Lewan was also a first-rounder. This is a talented unit.

Don't give Sankey the Rookie of the Year award just yet, though. Adrian Peterson he is not. Giovani Bernard is a better comparison in terms of size and skill set. Some viewed Bernard as a change-of-pace back coming out of college, and it's unclear if he can hold up to a full workload.

Whisenhunt's history of rotating running backs is also a concern. A year ago, Whisenhunt was the offensive coordinator in San Diego. Ryan Mathews was a solid fantasy performer, but Danny Woodhead and Ronnie Brown vultured far too many carries (including valuable touches at the goal line) to allow Mathews to become a top RB1. In Tennessee, Dexter McCluster will play the Woodhead role and Greene will act as Brown. 

How many viable fantasy starters can Andrew Luck's offense produce?

The Colts are one of fantasy football's most confusing units. 

Everyone agrees Andrew Luck is a strong QB1. Only Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Matthew Stafford are being drafted ahead of him on average, meaning it will take a premium pick to lock him up. 

But is Luck worthy of his fifth-round ADP? Three years ago, the answer would have been a resounding yes. Now, it's far less clear. The depth at quarterback is ridiculous this year. Players like Phillip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger and Andy Dalton are available outside the first 10 rounds in many leagues. 

If you believe Luck is ready to take the next step and become a player at the same level as Manning and Rodgers (or perhaps even above them), as many people do, then this will probably be your last chance to draft him outside the first two rounds. If you don't believe it, you're probably better off waiting and selecting a roughly equivalent quarterback much later.

At receiver, the Colts have plenty of options but no clear-cut fantasy studs. Reggie Wayne is coming off a torn ACL, and the list of players who returned to fantasy relevance after such an injury in their mid-30s isn't exactly pages and pages long. If anyone can do it, Wayne can. But you can't feel confident when drafting him.

T.Y Hilton has an ADP in the fifth-round, but there are serious concerns about whether the coaching staff views him as more than a deep threat. Can you live with a WR2 who will produce huge numbers in the weeks he catches a deep pass (or two) but gives you nothing in other weeks? 

Hakeem Nicks is a wild card. The Colts gave him a one-year "prove it" deal. Maybe we'll see a motivated and healthy Nicks become the target and touchdown monster he briefly was early in his career. Or, maybe a long list of injuries means the 26-year-old's best days will stay in the past.

At running back, the Colts offer risk-seeking fantasy owners the chance to roll the dice on one of this year's biggest boom or bust players. Trent Richardson was awful last season, but he claims his struggles were due to a mid-season trade and unfamiliarity with the offense. If you believe an offseason to get acclimated will allow Richardson to become the superstud he was at Alabama, he's easily worth his fifth-round ADP. If you believe what we saw on the field last year is what he truly is, he deserves to go undrafted. 

Whatever Richardson is, we'll probably get to see a lot of it. With Vick Ballard's recent injury, only the fragile Ahmad Bradshaw is a threat to steal carries.

At tight end, Dwayne Allen returns from hip surgery. Big things were expected of him a year ago, but he's flying under the radar this summer. Allen is going undrafted in most leagues, but he's worth a shot for owners who like to live dangerously. Try pairing him with another high-upside tight end like Ladarius Green or Zach Ertz.