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2015 NFL Return Men

By Matt Schauf | Updated on Tue, 23 May 2023 . 1:27 PM EDT

            

There still aren't many fantasy football leagues that count individual return statistics, but we've heard in recent days from some DS Insiders who do. So we figured now would be a good time to update the list of kick and punt returners throughout the league.

Most of these guys will -- and should -- probably still go undrafted in your league even if your scoring includes return yards. But there are a few gems mixed in -- most notably: Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett -- who should leap up your board on the strength of their return value.

One potential sleeper could be Panthers veteran Ted Ginn Jr., who likely faces a bigger offensive role than the team planned when it signed him -- thanks to Kelvin Benjamin's ACL tear and uninspiring preseasons from WRs Devin Funchess and Corey Brown.

These are primarily based on the depth charts from the team websites. For the few teams without depth charts on their sites, we used ESPN.com and Ourlads depth charts.

Edit: We've updated some situations after Saturday's roster cuts around the league.

Arizona Cardinals
WR Brittan Golden (both)

Atlanta Falcons
WR Devin Hester (both)

Baltimore Ravens
WR Michael Campanaro (both) -- The Ravens cut S/KR Asa Jackson on Saturday. CB Lardarius Webb and WR Steve Smith could factor into the return game as well, if Baltimore doesn't sign another returner.

Buffalo Bills
WR Percy Harvin (kick)
WR Robert Woods (punt)

Carolina Panthers
WR Ted Ginn Jr. (both)

Chicago Bears
WR Marc Mariani (both)

Cincinnati Bengals
WR Brandon Tate (kick)
CB Adam Jones (punt)

Cleveland Browns
WR Marlon Moore (kick)
WR Travis Benjamin (punt)

Dallas Cowboys
RB Lance Dunbar (kick)
WR Cole Beasley (punt)

Denver Broncos
CB Omar Bolden (kick)
WR Emmanuel Sanders (punt) -- HC Gary Kubiak announced this plan Saturday.

Detroit Lions
??? -- The Lions cut Jeremy Ross on Saturday after listing him as the lead kick and punt returner through the preseason. RB Ameer Abdullah, WR T.J. Jones and CB Josh Wilson figure to factor into the return game now. WR Golden Tate could also return punts at times.

Green Bay Packers
WR Ty Montgomery (kick)
CB Micah Hyde (punt)

Houston Texans
WR Keshawn Martin (both)

Indianapolis Colts
RB Dan Herron (kick)
WR Phillip Dorsett (punt)

Jacksonville Jaguars
RB Denard Robinson (kick)
WR Rashad Greene (punt)

Kansas City Chiefs
RB Knile Davis (kick)
RB De'Anthony Thomas (punt)

Miami Dolphins
RB LaMichael James (both)

Minnesota Vikings
WR Cordarrelle Patterson (kick)
CB Marcus Sherels (punt)

New England Patriots
WR Danny Amendola (kick)
WR Julian Edelman (punt)

New Orleans Saints
RB C.J. Spiller (both); WR Brandin Cooks or RB Marcus Murphy could fill in if Spiller misses time early

New York Giants
WR Dwayne Harris (both)

New York Jets
WR Chris Owusu (kick)
WR Jeremy Kerley (punt)

Oakland Raiders
RB Taiwan Jones (kick)
CB T.J. Carrie (punt)

Philadelphia Eagles
WR Josh Huff (kick)
RB Darren Sproles (punt)

-- RB Kenjon Barner could factor into the return game as well -- and perhaps even serve as the lead returner -- after making the 53-man roster Saturday.

Pittsburgh Steelers
WR Markus Wheaton (kick)
WR Antonio Brown (punt)

San Diego Chargers
WR Jacoby Jones (both)

San Francisco 49ers
RB Jarryd Hayne (kick)
RB Reggie Bush (punt)

Seattle Seahawks
WR Tyler Lockett (both)

St. Louis Rams
RB Benny Cunningham (kick)
WR Tavon Austin (punt)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
RB Bobby Rainey (both) -- The team cut rookie WR Kaelin Clay and then signed him to the practice squad. The Bucs' website currently lists no one on the depth chart for kick or punt returns. ESPN and Ourlads both list Rainey.

Tennessee Titans
RB Dexter McCluster (both)

Washington
RB Chris Thompson (kick)
WR Andre Roberts (punt)

Matt Schauf Author Image
Matt Schauf, Editor
Matt has earned two Fantasy Pros accuracy awards for IDP rankings and won thousands of dollars as a player across best ball, dynasty, and high-stakes fantasy formats. He has been creating fantasy football content for more than 20 years, with work featured by Sporting News, Rotoworld, Athlon, Sirius XM, and others. He's been with Draft Sharks since 2011.
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