Fantasy Football

4 Comments Posted on July 4, 2016July 4, 2016 Fantasy Football

2016 Fantasy Football Rankings: Tight Ends 1.0

The tight end position is evolving immensley in recent years, especially for Fantasy Football owners. If you don’t have a viable pass catcher lining up on your offensive line, you’re behind the curve in today’s NFL.

The prototypical #1 tight end in the league today causes absurd matchup problems for opposing defenses. They are too fast for most linebackers and too tall for most safeties to cover. After some movement in the offseason, let’s take a look at the landscape and how you should prioritize the position in your upcoming draft. The fact a tight end is on this year’s Madden cover is more than enough evidence you should take it seriously.

The #1 may be an obvious choice, but there are plenty of big bad weapons who can be big difference makers for your fantasy team this Fall.

1. Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots

Over 6 seasons in the league, Rob Gronkowski has taken the position that Tony Gonzalez redefined and elevated it for all to stare in awe. In the 5 seasons Gronk played near full schedules and mostly healthy, he scored 10+ touchdowns. He has 65 total over his career and that’s almost 30 more than Gonzalez did (37) at this point. For more perspective, Antonio Brown has played as many seasons and 9 more games and only has 38 touchdowns.

2. Jordan Reed, Washington

If you were wondering why Kirk Cousins was so hot in different stretches last season, look no further than Jordan Reed. Over two separate 3-game spans (Weeks 5-7 & Week 11-13), Reed caught 5 touchdowns. 10 touchdowns in 6 games isn’t just a flash but potential for powerhouse status. As Cousins looks capitalize during his franchise-tenured season, expect him to do so with Reed in the end zone.

3. Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans

Since joining the Titans in 2013, Delanie Walker has become more and more trusted as an offensive weapon. At the of 31, Walker led all tight ends in targets (133) and receptions (94) over 15 games for 1,088 yards and 6 touchdowns. It may be hard to expect that kind of production in his 11th season, but he is the go-to guy for budding sophomore star Marcus Mariota.

4. Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers

While the touchdown numbers weren’t particularly gaudy, Greg Olsen enjoyed one of his best seasons playing pitch and catch with Cam Newton in 2015. Olsen accomplished career highs in targets (124) and yardage (1,104) with 77 catches and 6 touchdowns. With Kelvin Benjamin returning to the reigning NFC Champs, Olsen should get even more open in the red zone as attention should float the WR’s way.

5. Gary Barnidge, Cleveland Browns

Gary Barnidge was one of my favorite story’s in the NFL last season. He caught exactly as many passes (79) as times he was targeted over the previous 5 seasons. Add 1,043 yards and 9 touchdowns, and the lowly Browns find themselves a Pro Bowl diamond in the rough. The Browns are obviously committed to the soon-to-be 31-year-old tight end, as they extended him for 3 years last December. He has strong chemistry with Josh McCown, could be key in Robert Griffin III’s comeback, and has a new head coach (Hue Jackson) who loves throwing to the tight end in the end zone (see Tyler Eifert next).

6. Tyler Eifert, Cincinnati Bengals

Tyler Eifert was a monster in the red zone in 2015, scoring 13 touchdowns in 13 games. He had a huge 3rd season, recording 4 multi-touchdown games and being named to his first Pro Bowl. Unfortunately, Eifert left the Pro Bowl with an ankle injury that he had to get surgery for at the end of May. The risk in drafting Eifert is to anticipate that he’ll miss the start of the season and could be fragile, having missed his entire sophomore season to injury. Plan to have a solid backup ready to draft a few rounds later or handcuff Eifert to high-ceiling Bengals prospect C.J. Uzomah.

7. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

Travis Kelce touchdown dances are a thing of sports entertainment beauty. Although he was named for his first Pro Bowl in 2015, he didn’t find the end zone enough to do more than 5 dances. Kelce has Gronkowski’s measurables (nearly the same height and weight) and is as athletic as anyone. After promoting former Vikings head coach Brad Childress to offensive coordinator, the Chiefs would be smart to further utilize Kelce’s size and athleticism.

8. Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles

As former Chiefs OC Doug Pederson takes over as HC in Philadelphia, Zach Ertz may be his most reliable receiving weapon. While the Eagles work on developing 2nd overall pick Carson Wentz, Sam Bradford will be managing the offense again and should be depending heavily on Ertz to get down the field. In his final 4 games of the 2015 season, Ertz averaged 8.75 catches and 112.5 yards for momentum going into this year.

9. Ladarius Green, Pittsburgh Steelers

Chargers fans (and some Fantasy experts) wished, hoped and waited for Ladarius Green to become the heir apparent to Antonio Gates. During Gates’ 4-game suspension to start 2015, Green caught 19 passes for 224 yards and 2 touchdowns. It was serviceable, but not wowing. Signing with Pittsburgh may have been the biggest boost to his potential, as Ben Roethlisberger will be looking to fill the void that always-reliable Heath Miller leaves. Expect him to be targeted plenty with Antonio Brown demanding double-coverage and Martavis Bryant serving a year-long suspension.

10. Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers

Antonio Gates awarded those who stashed him after their 2015 Fantasy drafts with 9 catches and 90+ yards in back-to-back games, plus 2 touchdowns, following his suspension. The Chargers offense was plagued terribly by injuries though after that point and nobody after Danny Woodhead could manage to produce much. The Chargers are very committed to Gates after giving him a 2-year deal this past Spring. At 36-years old, he’s still as dangerous a red zone weapon as anyone in the high-octane, pass-happy Chargers offense. Better drafted as a late TE1/early-backup but the 12 touchdowns he recorded in 2014 aren’t out of the question in 2016.

11. Zach Miller, Chicago Bears

Like Gary Barnidge, Zach Miller was another feel good story last season…maybe even more so. He’s been in the league since 2009, but only has 4 official seasons in that span. Miller is an impressive athlete. He converted from playing quarterback after his college career ended at Nebraska-Omaha and impressed scouts enough to be drafted in the 6th round by Jacksonville. Unfortunately, injuries have kept him off the field, and out of the league at times, until the Bears gave him a shot in 2015…

Miller broke out after his brilliant one-handed touchdown catch in San Diego and followed it up with a 5 catch, 107 yard and 2 touchdown performance in St Louis (*skypoint St. Louis professional football*). He also became Jay Cutler’s most trusted target as his starting receivers fell further and further back in the depth chart. If he stays healthy and the Jeffery/White combo stretches out defenses, Miller could be a solid producer in 2016.

12. Coby Fleener, New Orleans Saints

Coby Fleener showed a lot of promise in 2014, scoring 8 touchdowns on top of 774 yards off 54 catches. He didn’t overcome the adversity at the quarterback position in 2015, taking steps back in all statistical categories. Joining Drew Brees in New Orleans could be the best thing for the fast and athletic tight end. Sean Payton’s pass-happy offense raises the ceiling on Fleener’s potential for targets and yardage.

13. Julius Thomas, Jacksonville Jaguars

After scoring 12 touchdowns in each of the 2 seasons prior, 2015 was a bit of a letdown for Julius Thomas. Battling injuries and getting used to a new team, Thomas caught just 46 passes for 455 yards and 5 touchdowns in 12 games. Thomas has never played an entire season, but his body of work shows he can get into the end zone. As #BorttlesKombat improves in his young career, so should his chemistry with Thomas.

14. Jimmy Graham, Seattle Seahawks

Which Jimmy Graham should fantasy players expect to see in 2016? The one that recorded 10+ touchdowns in 3 of the previous 4 years before joining Seattle, and 2 seasons of 1,200+ yards…or the one who disappeared from stat columns, scoring just 2 touchdowns in 11 games? Hopefully another offseason practicing me with Russell Wilson will help remind Graham of the force he used to be.

15. Austin Serafin-Jenkins

Austin Serafin-Jenkins has the size and athleticism of red zone monster, but he needs to stay healthy for more than half the season to show it. The 2 touchdowns he scored in the last 3 games of the season were a glimpse at his potential. Hopefully Jameis Winston can unlock more of it in 2016.

16. Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings

When Norv Turner joined the Vikings staff 2 seasons ago, the hope was that Kyle Rudolph’s numbers would just explode because of the OC’s success with other tight end’s like Antonio Gates and Jordan Cameron. That hasn’t been the case yet, as Rudolph only scored 7 touchdowns in that span. The Vikings bolstered their offensive line and added arguably the best wide receiver in the draft which should improve Rudolph’s opportunities in 2016.

17. Dwayne Allen, Indianapolis Colts

Like Fleener, Dwayne Allen’s numbers were victim to turmoil under center for the Colts and health as well. He went from scoring 8 touchdowns in 2014 to only 1 a season ago. The Colts are all in on Andrew Luck, after extending him for 6 years and $140 million, and that means they expect more seasons like 2014…which should bode well for Allen.

18. Eric Ebron, Detroit Lions

Calvin Johnson’s retirement means more opportunities for the rest of the Lions offense to step up, and that includes Eric Ebron. Ebron was targeted 7+ times in just 3 games while still improving on all his numbers in his sophomore season. If the Lions are going to improve on the offensive momentum they had from Week 7 and beyond in 2015, they will want to utilize their uber-athletic tight end.

19. Martellus Bennett, New England Patriots

The Patriots got a lot more dangerous in the red zone by adding Martellus Bennett. He can block, jump, catch and weird you out in any given interview. Bennett proved he has Pro Bowl potential, catching 90 passes for 916 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2014, but wore out his welcome in Chicago by complaining about his contract situation (with 2 years left on it) and dropping too many key balls.

Bennett should be a heck of a weapon in 2 TE situations and backing up Gronk. Hopefully Belichick doesn’t get sick of him.

20. Jared Cook, Green Bay Packers

If Richard Rodgers could catch 8 touchdowns with Aaron Rodgers throwing in 2015, imagine what Jared Cook’s ceiling could be in Green Bay…

21. Jordan Cameron, Miami Dolphins

Jordan Cameron should like new head coach Adam Gase’s offense, which is aggressively dependent on play-action and using the tight end. Gase’s offense helped Julius Thomas score 24 touchdowns in 2 years and brought Zach Miller’s career to life after the age of 30.

22. Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys

Jason Witten could be more valuable than where he is ranked here, but that’s dependent on both he and Tony Romo staying healthy. Even with Brandon Weedon in the mix at quarterback, Witten’s targets were up from 90 to 104 in 2015. Most of the Cowboys’ offensive optimism is based on the success of 1st round draft pick RB Ezekiel Elliott and how he’ll open the offense for everyone. That logic makes Witten worth a late round flyer, plus the lack of competition and Gavin Escobar returning from an achilles injury.

23. Benjamin Watson, New Orleans Saints

If Coby Fleener does his disappearing act, as he’s been known to do, Drew Brees has a soft landing spot in Benjamin Watson. The 6 touchdowns Watson caught last season tied the most of his 12-year career, but he also recorded career highs in targets (110), receptions (74), and yards (825).

24. Charles Clay, Buffalo Bills

Charles Clay’s numbers have been sliding since his 2013 breakout, notably after leaving Miami for Buffalo. There was some promise shown in Clay’s first quarter of the season, and hopefully a healthier and more experience Tyrod Taylor can help that in 2016.

25. Clive Walford, Oakland Raiders

The Raiders offense is on its way toward juggernaut status with a great offensive line, a star quarterback, an extremely athletic running back and a pair of top-end wide receiver. Enter potential Year 2 Tight End breakout Clive Walford. His targets rose in the 2nd half of his rookie season and he should see plenty more as Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree command attention in 2016.

More Position Rankings:

Running Backs (2.0)

Quarterbacks (2.0)

Wide Receivers (2.0)

Follow for more and ask questions on Facebook and Twitter.

3 Comments Posted on May 6, 2016 Fantasy Football

2016 Fantasy Football Rankings: Wide Receivers 2.0

Following free agency, the NFL draft, and unfortunately a few suspensions, there’s a disturbance in the balance of the force at wide receiver. #2’s change teams, top prospects get selected, and Martavis Bryant gets busted for violating the league’s substance policy.

With new players in the mix, the rankings have changed significantly since our original list. Checkout who’s moved where and joined the Top 40.

1. Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons

Julio Jones led the league in catches (136) and receiving yards (1,871) last season and was neck-and-neck for best overall at the position with Antonio Brown. Helping put Jones over the top were some free agent additions that should give him more chances in the end zone. The Falcons signed All-Pro center Alex Mack to sure up the middle of their offensive line and give Matt Ryan more time to find Jones getting open. Then they picked up Mohamed Sanu, who should draw some attention away from Jones down the field.

2. Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants

Odell Beckham Jr. has video game ability. In two seasons, he has scored nearly as many touchdowns (25) as games played (26). Down the stretch from Weeks 8-13, OBJ averaged 7 catches and 132 yards while scoring 8 touchdowns over that span. In the “Josh Norman incident” that eventually led to a one-game suspension, Beckham still caught 6 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown. His quarterback, Eli Manning, challenged OBJ to get better. If this dude gets any better, he’ll easily be in the Julio/Antonio discussion…maybe better. Getting a healthy Victor Cruz back and adding Oklahoma slot WR to a group with Dwayne Harris should open things up for Beckham to excel to that level.

3. Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers

Losing Bryant for the season doesn’t help Antonio Brown. Although Brown tied the league lead for receptions (136), was 2nd in yards (1,834), and scored a few more touchdowns than Jones (10), Bryant took a lot of pressure off of him to get open deep and over the middle. That’s not to say the running back combo of Le’Veon Bell and DeAngelo Williams won’t keep defenses honest, but they’ll be able to scheme for Brown better than in the past unless Markus Wheaton and Darrius Heyward-Bay can step up in Bryant’s absence. Brown’s return ability is an X-Factor that will still set him apart from Jones and OBJ for production.

4. DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans

Besides Brock Osweiler, DeAndre Hopkins is the next biggest winner from the Texans’ 2016 NFL Draft. They added a burner in Notre Dame WR Will Fuller, who will take the top off defenses while Hopkins works the outside and middle of the field. They also selected Braxton Miller from Ohio State, who will need some polishing while converting from QB to WR but will draw attention away from Hopkins in the red zone. The new Texans offensive weapons should help him build on the 111 catches, 1,521 yards and 11 touchdowns he recorded in 2015.

5. Allen Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars have had a great offseason so far, improving their defense mightily in the draft and free agency. They also added strength to their offensive line and Chris Ivory who should help the ascending Blake Bortles stay upright in 2016. That only helps Allen Robinson, who broke out in 2015 with 80 catches, 1,400 yards and a league leading 14 touchdowns.

6. AJ Green, Cincinnati Bengals

AJ Green saw his #2 and #3 WRs, Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu, walk in free agency. They may not have had the talent of Green, but they did have similar builds and commanded attention. To replace them, the Bengals added New England WR Brandon LaFell and 2nd round pick Tyler Boyd from Pitt. It will be interesting to see how the new supporting cast benefits Green but you know for sure he’ll get most of Andy Dalton’s targets after a nice resurgence in 2015 for 86 catches, 1,297 yards and 10 touchdowns.

7. Jarvis Landry, Miami Dolphins

Jarvis Landry was Miami’s best player in 2015. In the right scheme, Landry could jump to former LSU teammate Odell Beckham Jr.’s level. Enter new head coach Adam Gase, who is committed to utilizing Landry’s freakish speed and catching ability downfield. Despite scoring just 5 touchdowns and another from returning, Landry recorded 110 catches last season 1,157 yards. If Ryan Tannehill can improve like Jay Cutler did under Gase, you can expect those touchdown numbers to do the same.

8. Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos

Demaryius Thomas didn’t put up the double-digit touchdown totals that we were used to for the 3 seasons before. Part of that was thanks to a weird quarterback situation with deteriorating Peyton Manning and newbie Brock Osweiler. The other part was adjusting the scheme to run more to makeup for the quarterback issues. Thomas still caught 105 balls and racked up 1,304 yards. Whether it’s Mark Sanchez or 1st round pick Paxton Lynch throwing to him, I would anticipate Thomas’s touchdown numbers will normalize to 10+ coming off a Super Bowl winning season.

9. Doug Baldwin, Seattle Seahawks

Doug Baldwin and Russell Wilson did some special things in the second half of last season. During that crazy Week 10-15 stretch where Wilson threw 21 touchdowns, 11 of them went to Baldwin. My optimism for Wilson in 2016 is the same for Baldwin as I hope the Seahawks coaching staff realizes they have something good chucking downfield. Baldwin only recorded 3 games for 100+ yards in 2015. I expect him to have plenty more this season.

10. Alshon Jeffery, Chicago Bears

The best wide receiver that could’ve hit free agency this offseason is staying with the Bears thanks to the franchise tag. He’s being a little suspicious by not joining the team for voluntary practices but it’s a serious “prove it” year if he wants to make #1 WR money with the Bears or another team. We saw both Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas do big things in similar circumstances in 2014. It’s not hard to imagine Jeffery to do the same when he averaged 105.6 yards and 8 catches for the 6 games he was healthy last season. Kevin White should also help draw coverage away from Jeffery this year too.

11. Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys

There’s going to be a chain reaction of positives for the Cowboys offense after selecting Ezekiel Elliott 4th overall in the draft. When the Cowboys get their running game going, like they did in 2014 with DeMarco Murray, Tony Romo gets set up to make big plays passing and Dez Bryant is go-to target when he does. As long as he stays healthy, I would feel more confident in seeing the 2014 version of Bryant, who caught 88 passes for 1,320 yards and 16 touchdowns, than the one that averaged just 44 yards per game in 2015.

12. Sammy Watkins, Buffalo Bills

If there’s a team I don’t feel great about in 2015, it’s the Buffalo Bills. Their head coach is in full “Sideshow Rex” mode and I’m worried he’s going to crash and burn the whole thing if they don’t come out hot to start the season. However, Sammy Watkins will do his best to make things interesting as one of the most athletic offensive weapons in the league. He turned just 60 catches into 1,047 yards and 9 touchdowns last season. If Tyrod Taylor can stay in one piece with his dual-threat style (same goes for RB duo LeSean McCoy and Karlos Williams), those numbers should greatly improve as Watkins is far and away Buffalo’s best receiving option.

13. Brandon Marshall, New York Jets

The Jets drafted a quarterback in the second round and Ryan Fitzpatrick is still a free agent. Start the clock on the Brandon Marshall time bomb. Marshall has bristled at any thoughts of bringing in other quarterback instead of Fitzpatrick and fans of his past 3 teams should know when negativity starts, a bad atmosphere in the locker room will follow. Marshall’s feelings aside, he did have arguably his best statistical season as a pro in 2015 – 109 catches, 1,502 yards and a league/career high 14 touchdowns. Do you trust a rookie who was very inconsistent at Penn State, Geno Smith or someone other than Fitzpatrick to help him repeat?

14. Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers

Before having to miss all of 2015, Jordy Nelson was coming off the best season of his career. In 2 of the 4 seasons before his injury, Nelson recorded 13+ touchdowns. 3 of those 4 seasons, he racked up 1,250+ yards. His absence effected everyone in the receiving core. Randall Cobb didn’t benefit from Nelson drawing coverage away. James Jones was fine for a few touchdowns but wasn’t setting the world on fire. The younger receivers had moments too but kept getting hurt. If Nelson is right, it should feel like 2014 again (98/1,519/13) and that boosts Rodgers’s value.

15. Amari Cooper, Oakland Raiders

The Raiders upgraded their offensive line in Free Agency, in turn upgrading everything. They’ve been compared to the vaunted Cowboys line so if we go by that model, we project a stronger season for Latavius Murray. If Murray is running well, that sets up Derek Carr better. And if Carr is making big plays, that’s great news for 2nd-year WR Amari Cooper. It’s fair to assume the QB/WR combo is going to grow and expand on Cooper’s already lethal 14.9 yards per catch.

16. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals

Larry reached Legend status last year when he won the divisional championship game with 8 catches, 176 yards and the go-ahead touchdown. He was a monster in that game and back to himself during the season, as the Cardinals had him positioned all over the field to make plays. It helps that every skilled position player on the field can score from anywhere too.

17. Allen Hurns, Jacksonville Jaguars

Allen Hurns and Robinson makeup one of the deadliest WR duos in football. While Robinson was putting up All-Pro type numbers, Hurns was taking advantage of the attention he drew – scoring a touchdown in 7 straight games, 9 total and recording 1,031 yards. Much like Robinson’s case, Hurns’s numbers should only improve as long as Bortles can be protected better.

18. Jeremy Maclin, Kansas City Chiefs

Jeremy Maclin brought the surge in production from his final year in Philadelphia to his first season in Kansas City. Maclin ended the streak of WRs unable to catch a touchdown in Week 3 and added 7 more throughout the season. If Jamaal Charles can stay healthy, Maclin should be able to continue the arial success as defenses load the box to stop the run game.

19. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Mike Evans saw his reception and yardage numbers rise in his sophomore season for Tampa Bay, but his touchdown total dropped by 75%. I’m going to go ahead and say that trading up to draft a kicker won’t fix that for Evans, but Year 2 of Jameis Winston may as long as his

20. Keenan Allen, San Diego Chargers

Before going on IR after 8 games last season, Keenan Allen was on pace for 178 targets and 134 catches. He and Danny Woodhead are Philip Rivers’s safety blankets in the passing game, and that’s a good thing for Fantasy Football. Coverage should soften on him after the Chargers added Travis Benjamin and the best pass catching TE in the draft, Hunter Henry. Also worth considering is the fact that Allen had his most productive season (2013) when the last time Ken Whisenhunt was Chargers offensive coordinator.

21. T.Y Hilton, Indianapolis Colts

T.Y. Hilton’s numbers over the first 3 seasons of his career had him on track for “Top 10 receiver” status. However his growth was stunted due to Andrew Luck’s struggles and eventual season ending injury. He caught just 5 touchdowns (4 in just 2 games) and topped 100 only twice. If Luck is right, Hilton may be a great value pick as your draft progresses. Theoretically, Donte Moncrief and Phillip Dorsett should stretch secondaries out for Hilton to take advantage downfield and over the middle.

22. Brandin Cooks, New Orleans Saints

In his sophomore season, Brandin Cooks proved to be the explosive player that we expected after he was drafted. He stayed healthy all season and racked up 84 catches, 1,138 yards and 9 touchdowns. His potential was most evident down the stretch, as he topped 100 yards and scored in 3 of his final four games. Drafting WR Michael Thomas from Ohio State will only help Cooks shake coverage, as will the growth of Brandon Coleman and Willie Snead.

23. Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers

We saw the best and the meh-est of Randall Cobb the past 2 seasons. Paired with a healthy Nelson in 2014, Cobb caught 91 passes for 1,287 years and 12 touchdowns. When thrusted into the #1 role after Nelson was ruled out in the preseason, Cobb caught just 79 passes (with the same number of targets) for 829 yards and 6 touchdowns.

24. Michael Crabtree, Oakland Raiders

As mentioned regarding Cooper, the Raiders offensive line makes everyone else better and that includes Michael Crabtree. 2015 was Crabtrees best season since 2012, with 85 catches for 922 yards and 9 touchdowns. Those numbers should only improve as Derek Carr does.

25. Emmanuel Sanders, Denver Broncos

Emmanuel Sanders and Thomas have been one of the best WR duos in the league in the past but with a really big question mark at the quarterback position, it’s difficult to project what either wide receiver will do in 2016. With turmoil at the position in 2015, Sanders recorded 30 less catches, nearly 300 less yards, and 3 less touchdowns than in 2014. Most of the offense coming off a Super Bowl win is returning, except for the quarterbacks, and the Broncos added Russell Okung at left tackle. Sanders has the ability to be an excellent possession target, no matter who lines up under center.

26. Kelvin Benjamin, Carolina Panthers

The Super Bowl runner-ups didn’t have a healthy #1 quality WR on the roster and Cam Newton still threw 35 touchdown passes. Now he gets his big bad red zone target, Kelvin Benjamin, back. Look for his rookie stat line of 73 catches, 1,008 yards and 9 touchdowns to only grow in 2016.

27. Golden Tate, Detroit Lions

Golden Tate is the #1 WR in Detroit and picked up AJ Green’s #2, Marvin Jones. I hadn’t figured Tate to be a #1 but when thrust into the role in 2014 (with Calvin Johnson dealing with injuries), he had a Pro Bowl season catching 99 passes for 1,331 yards and 4 touchdowns. He continued being a quality PPR with 90 catches in 2016, and should be back in the spotlight this season in year 2 of the Jim Bob Cooter offense.

28. Julian Edelman, New England Patriots

I love Julian Edelman, but I start to worry if the wear and tear of being the grindy Patriots g0-to WR is catching up with him. He missed 7 games last season, missed 2 the season before and gutted through injuries for their Super Bowl run then. However, he’s the man you trust most in the receiving core and should benefit from the emphasis of double TEs with Rob Gronkowski and Martellus Bennett terrorizing defenses. You wonder if he’ll suffer though potentially without Tom Brady in the first quarter of the season.

29. John Brown, Arizona Cardinals

John Brown recorded two definitive boom or bust games of the season last year. In Week 6 against the Steelers, he caught 10 passes for 196 yards. Two weeks later, he gave fantasy owners a goose egg with 0 catches on 3 targets. We learned more about how Bruce Arians will use information in the media and his lineup as decoys and misdirection, as Brown was clearly hurt in the game. When Brown is healthy, he’s one of the best deep ball threats in football. He’ll be a savvy WR3 pick following up his 65 catches, 1,003 yards and 7 touchdowns last season.

30. Corey Coleman, Cleveland Browns

First rookie on the list is Corey Coleman because he’s immediately projected to be Cleveland’s #1 WR and he’s the most explosive player at his position from the draft. The All-American out of Baylor finished 2015 with the most touchdowns in college football (20) and also won the Biletnikoff Award. The Browns drafted 5 WRs and some will make the roster, but Brian Hartline and Andrew Hawkins will be the guys taking pressure off Coleman to let him do big things.

31. Eric Decker, New York Jets

Eric Decker was excellent in 2015 and plays like an excellent #2 wide receiver, having recorded 10+ touchdowns 3 times. I’m just not sure about the Jets’ quarterback situation. I don’t have much confidence in Geno Smith and even less in Christian Hackenberg. If they sign Ryan Fitzpatrick though, he shoots up the list.

32. Travis Benjamin, San Diego Chargers

Travis Benjamin may not be the #1 man in San Diego like he was in Cleveland, but at least he has a much better quarterback throwing to him (Rivers > McCown + Manziel) and one who throws at a much higher volume. Rivers threw more passes than anyone in 2015 and Benjamin makes a better receiving option than Danny Woodhead. If by chance Allen were to get hurt again, he would easily have Top 20 value. Being a returner with a knack for scoring helps too.

33. Marvin Jones, Detroit Lions

Besides scoring 10 touchdowns in 2013, Marvin Jones has never produced like a #1 wide receiver. He was still the highest valued unrestricted free agent WR and he landed in a Top 10 passing offense. Fortunately, he doesn’t have to be the #1 option in Detroit as Golden Tate has had enough experience in the role. As the #2 in the Detroit last season, Tate was targeted 128 times. Jones would love that kind of attention in his new uniform.

34. Tyler Lockette, Seattle Seahawks

In his rookie season, Tyler Lockett was an All-Pro. Not necessarily for receiving, but because he was the best return specialist in football. He scored touchdowns on both kick and punt returns, then added 6 more through the air. Twice he scored multiple TDs and he’s capable of doing it many more times in 2016…especially if Wilson keeps chucking it like he did in the second half of 2015.

35. DeSean Jackson, Washington

The 3-time Pro Bowler is coming off an injury plagued season, but his potential as a home run threat in 2016 improved immensely with the selection of TCU’s Josh Doctson in this year’s draft. With Pierre Garçon, Doctson and newly extended Jordan Reed commanding coverage, D-Jax should be freed up to burn opposing defenses down the field. It’s worth noting that Jackson has only played all 16 games twice in his 6-year career, but he’s very capable of monster games with Kirk Cousins vying for a long-term deal.

36. Steve Smith Sr., Baltimore Ravens

Take 2 on Steve Smith Sr.’s farewell tour. Not too many people expected Smith to put up the 79 catches, 1,065 yards and 6 touchdowns that he did in 2015, moving to Baltimore. He’s a crazy person who runs on pride and physicality. There isn’t much logic to having him ranked here besides his penchant for defying odds and being the most proven WR weapon that Joe Flacco has on the roster this year. This season will be his swan song and you know he’ll try to make it count.

37. Laquon Treadwell, Minnesota Vikings

Laquon Treadwell wasn’t the first to go but the Vikings may have selected the best all-around wide receiver in the 2016 draft. He won’t beat you with speed, but he’s the best pure route runner and will catch anything within his radius. Stefon Diggs will be cutting the top off defenses while Treadwell can be a PPR machine over the middle for Bridgewater.

38. Jordan Matthews, Philadelphia Eagles

As it stands, the Eagles roster is not built to run very much, despite new HC Doug Peterson coming from a running system in Kansas City. Jordan Matthews is the #1 WR in Philadelphia and has better company with the addition of Rueben Randle and will be the best option for rookie quarterback Carson Wentz. His catch numbers and yardage are trending upward his young 2-year career, and has scored 16 touchdowns over that time.

39. Mohamed Sanu, Atlanta Falcons

Mohamed Sanu landed in a better situation than his former teammate, Marvin Jones. Coverages will lean Julio Jones’s way which should open things up on Sanu’s end. He’s also young and has all the measurables to do some big things, especially in the end zone.

40. Victor Cruz, New York Giants

Victor Cruz makes this installment of the Top 40 after hearing he is 100% healthy. The Giants added Sterling Shepard for the slot receiver role and we know what OBJ can do, but that just gives Cruz the Rueben Randle targets. It’s doubtful he has the same wheels, but Cruz had a nose for the end zone in 2012 and could find it again without double coverage.

Anyone too high or too low? Was anyone left out? Let me know on Facebook or Twitter.

More Position Rankings:

Running Backs (2.0)

Quarterbacks (2.0)

Wide Receivers (1.0)

4 Comments Posted on April 28, 2016 Fantasy Football

2016 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterbacks 2.0

On the day of the 2016 NFL Draft, let’s revisit the current Fantasy quarterback landscape. One of the biggest moves in Free Agency came at the position, but there were other moves that both helped and hurt the value for multiple QBs. See who rises or falls as you prepare WAY TOO EARLY for your draft this summer.

1. Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers

Save your Super Bowl 50 hot takes. It’s highly probable you reached your Fantasy Championship last year because you had Cam Newton starting down the stretch. The 13 touchdowns he threw in weeks 12-14 would suggest so. The offseason moves the Panthers made prior to this week would suggest they are committed to continue running with him and Jonathan Stewart. Letting Josh Norman walk freed up $14 million more of cap room to work with. Let’s see what else is added to Newton’s offense, on top of a returning Kelvin Benjamin.

2. Tom Brady, New England Patriots

(For now, Brady stays here until we know for sure that his suspension will hold up for the season)

Last year’s biggest steal for many (before his suspension was lifted) just added another scary red zone target in Martellus Bennett. Tom Brady was a magician last year with a depleted receiver group, yet threw the 3rd highest touchdown total of his career (36) and averaged 298 yards per game. He’ll be 39 as the 2016 season starts, but there wasn’t much evidence of him slowing down yet.

3. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Okay, I’ve come to my senses. Aaron Rodgers is good at football, I know. I still wouldn’t recommend spending a 1st or early 2nd round pick on him, but adding Jared Cook to Rodgers’ arsenal helps in the red zone. The Packers aren’t particularly known for 2-TE looks, but they have that option now from 25 yards and in. If Eddie Lacy meets his “comeback” hype too, the Packers offense could be devastating and that would benefit Rodgers owners the most.

4. Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals

Carson Palmers numbers were very similar to Tom Brady’s last season. The Cardinals also brought the band back together, re-signing Jermaine Gresham, Chris Johnson, and Jaron Brown. They are 5 deep in quality WRs, and the Top 3 stack up with any group in the league. As long as the 36-year old can be held upright, you should get the consistent 2 touchdowns and 290 yards per game at least.

5. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks

Russell Wilson’s 21/2 TD-to-INT ratio from Week 10-15 are exactly why you put him in the Top 5. He put up his highest touchdown total in 2015 (34), which was 14 more than the season prior. What makes you hesitant is his annual slow start. Since being drafted in 2012, Wilson has averaged 1.3 touchdowns and 210.25 yards per game through through first 5 weeks of the season. What’s nice is that he hardly turned the ball over, but you’re hoping Seahawks play-callers stick to the formula they found last season, attacking downfield with Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett.

6. Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars

In his first two seasons, Blake Bortles was the most sacked quarterback in the league. Improving his touchdown total by 24 (35 in 2015) was pretty encouraging though, as was finding chemistry with two of the game’s most consistent receivers. The Jaguars added some offensive line help picking up former Steelers tackle Kelvin Beachum and improved their defense by signing Malik Jackson and Tashaun Gipson. Having Chis Ivory in the backfield too should also help forcing opposing defenses to fill the box. It’s safe to assume #BortlesKombat will continue to heat up.

7. Eli Manning, New York Giants

Eli Manning, of all people, has challenged Odell Beckham Jr. to improve for next season. I guess a quarterback and captain is responsible for that, but Beckham continued to be the best thing going for the Giants offense having scored 25 touchdowns in 2 seasons. Manning seems to finally be getting a healthy Victor Cruz back and Dwayne Harris made solid strides as the #3 guy. Coming off the highest touchdown total of his career (35), Manning should build on it with another year of OBJ and the same offensive play-calling should make.

8. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

Drew Brees missed his first game since 2009 last season and still finished the season with 32 touchdowns and 4,870 yards (324 yards per game). He’s younger than Brady but might have a bit more wear-and-tear. However, the extension Sean Payton received makes me think he’s going to come out firing with his QB this year. Brees has an elite deep option in Brandin Cooks, two other solid receivers in Brandon Coleman and Willie Snead, a new red zone threat in Coby Fleener and two effective pass catching running backs…Things are looking bright.

9. Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders

After adding Donald Penn, the Raiders offensive line is now one of the best in all of football. When he wasn’t under pressure, Derek Carr had a passer rating of 96.4 last year. That and the 32 touchdowns he threw should improve as his chemistry with Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree do as well.

10. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers

Losing Martavis Bryant hurts the Steelers offense a lot. He is a top tier talent and Ben Roethlisberger wasn’t necessarily his best during his 5-game suspension last season, 7 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Roethlisberger’s longtime go-to tight end also retired. However, the Steelers upgraded at the position by signing Ladarius Green and they still have Antonio Brown, plus Le’Veon Bell returns. I don’t know if you can trust Big Ben to stay in one piece all season, but his knack for 3+ touchdown games and average of 328 yards per last season make him Top 10 worthy.

11. Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts

Which Andrew Luck will we get this year? The one who went 2-5 and threw just 15 touchdown passes last season, or the one who threw 40 the year before? The Colts didn’t add much to their offensive line to protect him but they do still have speedsters T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief to throw downfield to. It will be interesting to see how Luck bounces back.

12. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers

Philip Rivers could be had for great value. With a healthy Keenan Allen through 8 games, Rivers averaged 344 yards and 2 touchdowns per game. Then Ken Whisenhunt rejoined the Chargers staff, who helped Rivers get his groove back in 2013, and they added the Cleveland Browns’ #1 receiver, Travis Benjamin. If everyone stays healthy, the Chargers could have a very high powered offense.

13. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals

Andy Dalton had a great season before his injury last year. 25 touchdowns and 7 interceptions are much better than the 19 and 17 before then. His #2 and #3 receivers, Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu, left via free agency but it doesn’t hurt to have weapons like AJ Green, Tyler Eifert and Giovani Bernard. Brandon LaFell also joins the Bengals offense and possibly a first round quality receiver too from this year’s draft.

14. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions

Matthew Stafford is coming off his 2nd 30+ touchdown season of his career (32), but he’s going to be doing so without Calvin “Megatron” Johnson. The Lions did their best to fill the need at WR by picking up Marvin Jones, the best WR on the market after Alshon Jeffrey was franchised tagged, and Golden Tate has proven he can shine without Megatron. What’s also encouraging are the 17 touchdowns Stafford threw in the final 6 weeks of the season. His two running backs, Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick, are strong in the passing game as well.

15. Kirk Cousins, Washington

I’m not sure how Kirk Cousins is supposed to feel about getting franchise tagged and then seeing Josh Norman get a $75 million contract after. If he wants to get paid more somewhere though, it would be in his best interest to play like the guy who threw 11 touchdown passes and zero interceptions over his last 3 games. He finished the season with a 101.6 passer rating and a healthy Jordan Reed can only help that continue in 2016.

16. Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears

It’s taken a long time but it finally appears the Chicago Bears are putting a proper offense around Jay Cutler. The franchise tagged the best WR in free agency, Alshon Jeffrey. They sured up the right side of their offensive line by adding tackle Bobby Massie and kicking Pro Bowler Kyle Long back to guard. They also get to find out what Kevin White is made of. Continuity in offensive scheme and better coaching should keep the arrow pointing up for Cutler.

17. Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins

We go from one Adam Gase project to the next. Ryan Tannehill was on a steady track, improving on touchdown totals for his first 3 seasons, but took a step back in 2015 with a coaching staff that really didn’t seem to know what they were doing. He can throw and he can run. His new head coach specializes in utilizing quarterbacks with Tannehill’s talent in play-action, minimizing their mistakes. His Top WR, Jarvis Landry, also looks ready to explode.

18. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

Matt Ryan should be much higher, but his 2015 season makes it very fair to doubt his abilities. With arguably the best WR in football, Julio Jones, and an emerging star at running back, Devonta Freeman, Ryan only threw 21 touchdowns last year. Only once did he throw 3 or more touchdowns in a game. Only ONCE in his career has thrown 30+ touchdowns in a season. Too often did you see him turn the ball over on scoring drives or get stopped because of his own inaccuracy. The Falcons upgraded his protection this year by adding Alex Mack at center and replaced Roddy White with Mohamed Sanu. It’s now or never, Matty Ice.

19. Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

While Marcus Mariota started out hot, Jameis Winston may have finished the 2015 season looking like the better rookie quarterback. Despite losing 5 of his last 7 games, Winston’s numbers improved after a 5 touchdown performance against the Eagles. He also gets back the best RB that was available in free agency, Doug Martin, and hopefully Mike Evans finds a cure for “the drops”. It will be interesting to see how the team handles itself without Lovie Smith and with Dirk Koetter in charge.

20. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys

It’s really tough to feel confident in Tony Romo as the #1 Fantasy quarterback on your roster. The backfield situation looks better with a committee of Darren McFadden, Alfred Morris and a healthy Lance Dunbar. If those guys get going, you might get the 34-TD Romo. If they don’t, then you have to worry about another season ending injury. Health will be key for both Romo and Dez Bryant in 2016. If by chance they draft Ezekiel Elliott though, you can feel a lot better about the Cowboys in general.

21. Brock Osweiler, Houston Texans

There was one quarterback signing in the offseason that made serious waves and that was Brock Osweiler to Houston. He traded throwing to Demaryius Thomas for DeAndre Hopkins and an offensive scheme that earned Brian Hoyer a 100+ passer rating in 5 of his 11 games started. It’s hard to predict how good Osweiler will be after such a small sample size. He threw 10 touchdowns and 6 interceptions in 7 games with Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders as his options. Do Hopkins, Cecil Shorts III, Jalen Strong and fellow signee Lamar Miller help him improve those numbers?

22. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens

“Is Joe Flacco a elite?” – One of my favorite Twitter jokes in sports.

Flacco’s never thrown more than 27 touchdowns in his career. He followed up his highest season total with a season-ending injury and just 14 TDs in 10 games. The Ravens are committed to Flacco though, extending him for another 3 years in the offseason. He’ll have Steve Smith Sr. playing his final season and wanting to go out with a bang. They also added Mike Wallace and Benjamin Watson to improve the receiving corps and prepare for for the annual Dennis Pita injury.

23. Marcus Mariota, Tenesse Titans

Marcus Mariota had probably the most impressive start to his career you could ask for, throwing 4 touchdowns in the opener against his rookie counterpart, Jameis Winston. He’d match that total again vs. the Saints while adding 371 yards. However, he was shut out in the TD column 5 times and was only healthy for 12 games. Trading for DeMarco Murray shows the Titans are very committed to the run for 2016, which should help take pressure off Mariota in his sophomore season and set up his passing game better.

24. Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs

Alex Smith is a very good game manager, at this point in his career and he can at times be a decent waiver pickup when your #1 guy is on a bye. Twice in 2015, Smith threw 2 touchdowns and ran for another and he was finally back to finding wide receivers in the end zone again (that’s progress, considering the year and half long streak of not throwing TDs to WRs). Smith will also be getting Jamaal Charles back, who is monster when catching the ball out of the backfield.

25. Teddy Bridgewater

In year 3 of the Teddy Bridgewater era, the Vikings bulked up their offensive line by adding Andre Smith and Alex Boone. After being sacked 44 times last season, that’s a welcomed upgrade for Bridgewater. He’s thrown only 14 touchdowns in each of his first 2 seasons and the Vikings have yet to improve their receiver depth, but more attention to Adrian Peterson by defenses should open things up for Bridgewater this time around.

Anyone too high or too low? Was anyone left out? Let me know on Facebook or Twitter.

More Position Rankings:

Running Backs (2.0)

Quarterbacks (1.0)

Wide Receivers (1.0)

4 Comments Posted on March 30, 2016 Fantasy Football

2016 Fantasy Football Rankings: Running Backs 2.0

The first and second waves free agency are over, and a lot has changed since our first draft of running back rankings.

Some players signed elsewhere, others were released or traded. Oh, and Marshawn hung up his spikes…literally.

✌🏿 pic.twitter.com/wesip4IhOR

— Shawn Lynch (@MoneyLynch) February 8, 2016

With shakeups in NFL backfields, that equates to an even bigger shakeup in our Fantasy Football rankings. Backups are now starters, starters are on better teams, and some teams improved themselves to make their running backs more valuable.

Lets see who ranks where, as you prepare way too early for your Fantasy drafts this summer.

1. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings

AP should still be the first running back taken in your league. He led the league in rushing for the 3rd time of his career, after almost an entire year off from suspension, and was tied for the league’s lead in rushing touchdowns. The Vikings also upgraded their offensive line by adding former Bengals tackle Andre Smith and Chiefs guard Alex Boone. What they didn’t add was a a WR, so Peterson will still be heavily depended on.

2. Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers

Le’Veon Bell, when right, is arguably the league’s best running back. In the 6 games Bell played (after suspension and before injury), he scored 6 touchdowns and averaged 115 yards from scrimmage per game. Given the health history, you would be wise to handcuff him with DeAngelo Williams. Either one in the Steelers’ backfield is a Top 3 back. The Steelers will be without Martavis Bryant too so you could picture Bell being used more in the passing game, even spread out with Williams in the backfield.

3. Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams

Todd Gurley only started in 12 games and still ranked 3rd in rush yards and 10 touchdowns as well. A full season at that rate could have eclipsed AP in both yards and easily touchdowns. Unfortunately, the Rams haven’t upgraded anything else on their offense that would draw attention away from Gurley. He has next-level talent. Lets hope the Rams don’t run him into the ground.

4. Devonta Freeman, Atlanta Falcons

In his second season and with just 13 starts, Devonta Freeman led the league in total (rush/receiving) touchdowns (14) and rushing touchdowns (11), while ranking 5th in yards from scrimmage (1,634), 7th in rush yards (1,056) and 2nd in touches (338).The Falcons also added 3-time Pro Bowl center Alex Mack to pave the middle of the line of scrimmage wide open for Freeman to bust through.

5. Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Bucanneers

Count me as one of Doug Martin’s biggest doubters before the 2015 season, and I was very wrong. He only went over 100 yards on 4 different occasions, but he was consistent enough down the stretch to finish 2nd in rushing with 1,402 yards. His scoring was average with just 6 rushing touchdowns, but you can feel better after he lasted an entire season for the first time since his rookie year. Now re-signed with the Buccaneers, will Martin still run hungry after his big payday? Will new head coach Dirk Koetter use him more or be as pass happy as he was calling plays for Atlanta not long ago?

6. Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs

Jamaal Charles is coming off his 2nd early season ending injury, but he’s a proven scorer when healthy. In the 5 games he played in 2015, he averaged 108 yards from scrimmage with 5 total touchdowns. He may go later in most drafts, coming off the injury, but he will give you some of the best value if he can stay healthy.

7. David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals

Bruce Ariens annoyed the hell out of me with his coy approach to using David Johnson. When he said the rookie wouldn’t see any carries, DJ2K (that’s what I’m calling him) scored 6 touchdowns in 5 weeks. Then when he got his chance in a starting role, Johnson went off on his opposition. The fact that Chris Johnson could lead the league in rushing for a time in the Cardinals system makes me more intrigued in the younger DJ2k in that spot. The Cardinals did re-sign Chris, but DJ should be the #1 back…if Ariens was as smart as he wants us to think.

8. Lamar Miller, Houston Texans

Before Free Agency opened at the start of March, I felt Houston would be the best landing spot for Lamar Miller. Look at Arian Foster’s numbers in Bill O’Brien’s first season. Now picture a healthier, younger, and faster running back in that scheme. Miller could be 1st round value in the 2nd round for you.

9. Latavius Murray, Oakland Raiders

The Raiders have a pretty awesome young core on the offensive side of the ball. In his first full season, Latavius Murray held his own with the 6th most rushing yards in the league. His usage was certainly there too as as he was 4th in touches and 3rd in carries. If Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree are taking the tops off opposing defenses, Murray should take advantage of front 7’s on their heels. You should also take into consideration that their new offensive line is being compared favorably with the Dallas Cowboys.

ICYMI: Better O-line in 2016—Cowboys or Raiders? @PFF_Matt's position-by-position look here: https://t.co/L12UczGfC8 pic.twitter.com/9RRaGbKWFi

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) March 30, 2016

10. Thomas Rawls, Seattle Seahawks

With Marshawn stepping aside, “Deputy Commissioner” Rawls (for The Wire fans) is officially the #1 man in the Seahawks backfield. Rawls averaging 118.6 yards per game and 5 touchdowns in 6 starts would justify it. You just hope he can last a full season running as hard at defenders the way he does.

11. Jeremy Langford, Chicago Bears

Jeremy Langford is the #1 man in Chicago now with Matt Forte’s skill set, and a so-far improved offensive line (adding Bobby Massie at tackle, moving Kyle Long back to guard). There’s question as to whether the Bears are looking to add another #1 quality back, as they attempted to sign Broncos RFA CJ Anderson and Top prospect Ezekiel Elliott looks mighty attractive. For now, you should like Langford in your lineup with Jay Cutler continuing to play in a play-action/read offense and the potential of the Alshon Jeffery/Kevin White duo stretching the field.

12. Matt Forte, New York Jets

I did not expect Matt Forte to land with New York Jets. He replaces Chris Ivory with very different strengths now has a backup, Bilal Powell, with a similar game. Forte had to fight through injuries in 2015 and still accumulated 1,287 yards from scrimmage and 7 touchdowns in 13 games. He’s obviously the #1 back, but his value may fluctuate by the time the Jets figure out their quarterback situation.

13. Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints

Mark Ingram started the most games of his young career before having it cut down by an injury. I think one factor in his sudden shut down were the playoffs being so far out of reach. 1,174 yards from scrimmage, 6 touchdowns and 50 receptions in 12 games is a solid showing for a higher PPR pick. I don’t think anyone should worry about CJ Spiller taking his starting role anytime soon either.

14. Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers

Jonathan Stewart had a slow start to 2015 while Cam Newton was doing most of the work. He exploded in Week 6 though for 2 touchdowns, and never looked back. Stewart has never gone a whole season healthy as a feature back, but the 13 he started last season were encouraging enough for an early-mid round pickup. One would hope the Panthers try preserving Newton a little better and focus on handing the ball off to Stewart more.

15. DeMarco Murray, Tennessee Titans

I was puzzled to see DeMarco Murray get moved from Philadelphia, given their new HC’s reputation running the football. At least now we know who the #1 man in Tennessee is, and Mike Mularkey has publicly stated they will use the bell-cow back “extensively”.

16. Jeremy Hill, Cincinnati Bengals

Jeremy Hill never rushed for more than 100 yards all season long, but he did accumulate the league high 11 rushing touchdowns…7 of which came after Week 10. We’ll see how new OC Ken Zampese distributes the ball in 2016. He was quarterbacks coach under Hue Jackson. The Bengals lost their #2 and #3 WRs in free agency without adding anyone to fill their places, which leads me to believe Giovani Bernard will get more work spread out.

17. Dion Lewis, New England Patriots

Two things are encouraging about Dion Lewis: His extension that the Patriots gave him midseason and James White’s usage after his injury. Lewis showed he has playmaker ability and a nose for the end zone too. Hopefully injuries don’t continue to be an issue going forward, but he currently sits as New England’s #1 back with Donald Brown added to back him up.

18. Chris Ivory, Jacksonville Jaguars

The East Coast version of Marashawn Lynch started out hot in 2015, with 460 yards in his first 4 games. Then he only went over 87 yards 3 separate times the rest of the way. It was Ivory’s first time going over 1,000 yards though and his highest touchdown total (8). Now in Jacksonville, he’ll be splitting carries with their 2nd year RB, T.J Yeldon.

19. Justin Forsett, Baltimore Ravens

I was rooting for Justin Forsett before the season started. His touches theoretically could’ve been through the roof with Marc Trestman calling plays. Instead everyone in Baltimore got injured, and his 10 starts were less than stellar. His 320 total yards for Weeks 4 and 5 were encouraging though, as is the fact that the Ravens haven’t added anyone to challenge his #1 status…yet.

20. DeAngelo Williams, Pittsburgh Steelers

I wouldn’t usually rank a backup running back so high, but this one tied the league high in rushing touchdowns (11) and 1,274 yards from scrimmage. Your best move would be to handcuff him to Le’Veon Bell, knowing what they both are capable of.

21. LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills

LeSean McCoy’s status (and ranking here) is a little up in the air. The Philadelphia D.A.’s office is still investigating Shady’s case, where he was arrested for assaulting multiple off duty police officers. The ruling there could effect his standing in the NFL. Football wise, he missed 4 games and ran 112 yards 3 times. Those were the only times he ran for 100+ and it’s kinda weird that it was exactly 112 each time. If you take him, have Karlos Williams on standby.

22. C.J. Anderson, Denver Broncos

CJ Anderson made a nice run late in the season, not as crazy as his 2014 campaign, and his post season work is redeeming him for the rocky start to 2015. His Super Bowl performance convinced the Broncos to match an RFA offer from the Miami Dolphins, and he currently stands as their #1 running back. Anderson also doesn’t have to look over his shoulder for Ronnie Hillman, who remains on the FA market.

23. Frank Gore, Indianapolis Colts

Frank Gore will be 33 in May and hoping to improve on a 1,200+ total yard 1st season in Indy. At least you know he’s the go-to guy, with Jordan Todman and Robert Turbin added to back him up, as Andrew Luck tries to bounce back from a dreadful 2015 season. Gore in the red zone is almost as attractive in 2016 as he was in 2015.

24. Danny Woodhead, San Diego Chargers

Death, Taxes, and Danny Woodhead PPR. 80 catches in 2015 actually, and that was no surprise when Philip Rivers lost his go-to guy, Keenan Allen. The Chargers improved their WR depth by adding Travis Benjamin and hope their young RB Melvin Gordon improves under the returning OC, Ken Whisenhunt. Woodhead still continues to shock the world with plenty of #pointage to warrant a higher pick than most #2 backs, and even some #1s.

25. Arian Foster, Free Agent

Despite turning 30 by the start of the season and not going a full season since 2012, Arian Foster’s upside is worth a mid round pick, depending on the team that signs him. His 1,573 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns in 2014 suggest so. Foster appears to be high on Miami’s radar, but would fit nicely in a low pressure RB situation anywhere. Definitely something to keep an eye on.

26. Darren McFadden, Dallas Cowboys

Darren McFadden may have finished the season as the league’s 4th leading rusher, but I’m not sure he’s destined to be the Cowboys’ #1 back and his lowly 3 touchdowns are why. He does have some competition now after the Cowboys signed Alfred Morris to a 2-year deal. Whoever gets the #1 spot of the 2 will be running behind one of the Top 3 o-lines in football.

27. Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati Bengals

Gio’s yardage in 2015 was very similar to his breakout rookie season, but unfortunately Jeremy Hill got most of the touchdowns down the stretch. As I noted earlier, his role may be increasing significantly with a lack of WR depth behind AJ Green. I see Bernard as a better complete back than Hill, but we won’t know how either back will be used until they put the pads back on.

28. Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers

As we’ve pointed out multiple times on here, Eddie Lacy was the biggest bust of 2015. The Packers are hoping there was a fire lit under his ass, and James Starks re-signing will provide real competition this summer. Maybe the improvement in the passing game, getting Jordy Nelson back and adding Jared Cook, will help take pressure off the run game too.

29. Carlos Hyde, San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers haven’t really done anything to their roster…at all. Right now, Carlos Hyde is their #1 running back and there isn’t anyone out there to challenge him for the spot. Health concerns and whatever Chip Kelly does (or doesn’t do) have me puzzled as to how you can value him.

30. Ameer Abdullah, Detroit Lions

So many people wanted Ameer Abdullah to be a big deal in his rookie season but Lions play-callers had other plans. With Calvin Johnson retiring, maybe they’ll actually run the ball with their best running back. Joique Bell won’t be in his way, and the additions to Marvin Jones and Jeremy Kerley don’t scream “high power passing attack” to me.

31. Karlos Williams, Buffalo Bills

Karlos Williams should be on-call and ready to go in case McCoy goes down (or to jail). His streak of scoring a touchdown in each of the first 6 games of his career was promising too.

32. T.J. Yeldon, Jacksonville Jaguars

I was surprised by the Jaguars’ decision to add Chris Ivory because T.J. Yeldon had a sturdy rookie season. He was fine. Fine doesn’t win games but he wasn’t really depended on to do it as the Jaguars were content throwing it like crazy. Now that the Jags have spent some serious coin to improve their defense, the running backs will get more touches to maintain leads and control possession time. If Ivory’s mileage the past couple seasons have caught up with him, Yeldon could benefit greatly from that.

33. Charcandrick West, Kansas City Chiefs

Pretty decent Jamaal Charles substitute, in the case you need one. Although Spencer Ware got admirable work as well, the Chiefs seem to think highly enough of West after tendering his exclusive rights as a free agent.

34. Rashad Jennings, New York Giants

The Giants simply don’t run the ball very often…but when they do, Rashad Jennings is getting his number called. A career high in yards from scrimmage (1,159) didn’t hurt last year either. All their money was spent on the defensive side of the ball this month too.

35. Matt Jones, Washington

After letting Alfred Morris go, Washington appears to be all in on Matt Jones. He has big play potential but only averaged 3.7 yards per carry and fumbled the ball way too often to be comfortable with. If he remains the #1 back through training camp, he’ll be worth a late round pickup.

36. Alfred Morris, Dallas Cowboys

Speaking of Alfred Morris…he could easily flop spots with Darren McFadden, if he does so on the Cowboys’ depth chart.

37. Duke Johnson Jr., Cleveland Browns

In Hue Jackson’s system, Duke Jr. is your Gio Bernard. He was also a pass catching machine with 61 receptions in his rookie season.

38. Darren Sproles, Philadelphia Eagles

Sproles is gonna Sproles, no doubt there…The question is whether or not he’ll be a 3rd down guy with special teams prowess, or relied on even more in Doug Pederson’s system. It seems pretty evident the Eagles want to draft a running back.

39. Bilal Powell, New York Jets

In the last 4 games of the season, Bilal Powell became even more dependable than Ivory but with a very different game. During that span, he caught 25 passes. That was more than half his total for rest of the year. He’ll now rotate in with Matt Forte, who would benefit more from splitting carries at this stage of his career.

40. Jay Ajayi, Miami Dolphins

We have too small a sample size to know how valuable Jay Ajayi is, rushing for 187 yards and 1 touchdown on 49 carries, but the Dolphins don’t appear to be content as they continue looking at free agents. As for now, Ajayi is Miami’s #1 back on the depth chart. We’ll see how long that lasts though.

Anyone too high or too low? Was anyone left out? Let me know on Facebook or Twitter.

Stay tuned for 2.0 updates to the original

Quarterbacks and Wide Receivers lists too.

1 Comment Posted on March 7, 2016March 7, 2016 Fantasy Football, sports

Best Fantasy Landing Spots For Top NFL Free Agents

Beginning Monday, March 7th, teams will be permitted to speak with unrestricted free agents and may begin contract negotiations. On March 9th at 3 PM CT, free agency officially begins and new contracts can be made official.

There seem to be more impact players on the defensive end this year, but playmakers are still to be had that can make a serious difference on your fantasy team…as long as they’re on the right NFL team.

As the free agency vastly approaches, lets take a look at some of the best destinations for the top free agents from a Fantasy Football perspective.

Jessica Kleinschmidt of FanDuel and I had a similar discussion weeks ago on The Piffcast. Click here to check it out.

Running Back

Doug Martin

Doug Martin tops the list for sought after offensive players this offseason. The 4-year vet and 2-time Pro Bowler went from injury prone running back to the league’s 2nd leading rusher last year. At the age of 27, Martin has some mileage on him but a few more years before the dreaded “wrong side of 30” tag that plagues most veteran running backs. Tampa Bay is in the Top 5 for available cap space this season, but Martin could be destined to run for a bigger market club and behind bigger offensive linemen.

Dallas

In the last 2 seasons, the Cowboys proved they are a much better team when they can effectively run the ball and set up the pass after forcing opponents to load up the box. It would be in their best interest to sign a premiere back like Martin if they want to preserve Tony Romo for a full season too. With the same play-callers and top tier offensive line for the past few seasons, you can project similar production for Martin as DeMarco Murray’s in 2014. Maybe not Murray’s 392 carries from that season, but leading the league in rushing (1,845 yards) and rushing touchdowns (13) is very attractive.

New York (Jets)

The Jets were just one game away from making the playoffs and a big part of their success was the dependability of their running game. Chris Ivory provided the punch between the tackles and Bilal Powell was reliable as an easy target on passing downs. Neither are under contract but Martin’s skill set accounts for both their talents. Ivory put up the best numbers of his career in 2015 behind an O-Line manned by Nick Mangold and D’Brickashaw Ferguson, even was a Pro Bowler. One would think Martin could perform even better and would be depended on even more with Brandon Marshall and Ryan Fitzpatrick not getting any younger.

Matt Forte

It’s weird knowing that we’ll be seeing Matt Forte in a different uniform this season. It makes sense for both sides though as the Bears are a team in transition, trying to get younger, and Forte deserves an immediate shot at a championship. Even at 30 years old, Forte is a proven dynamic back who can run, catch and block. Ideally, you would like to see him in an offense that succeeds throwing more and could share his touches.

New England

Something tells me Bill Belichick and Tom Brady would love to have a dependable running back between the 20’s, and that’s Forte’s specialty. The Patriots do have Dion Lewis under contract but he’s coming off a season ending injury and would benefit greatly from being a compliment to Forte, especially in the red zone. The Patriots are a fast paced team that are at their best when Brady is a rhythm passing and Forte is the best pass catching back on the market who can also block. He would be PPR machine again in New England.

Green Bay

Speaking of teams that are better when they chuck it…

The Packers may be losing James Stars to free agency, so why not upgrade with someone with his skill x 10? This move would probably kill Bears fans, but Forte would be perfect in an offense with Aaron Rodgers. When firing on all cylinders, Rodgers shares the wealth between his receivers and his lead back and they are always in the red zone. The Packers are also much less trusting of Eddie Lacy these days, so Forte would certainly get #1 back touches. Sorry, Chicago. Still love you.

Lamar Miller

Lamar Miller had a strange season last year. The Dolphins were 6-1 when they gave him 13 or more touches, but that means he was well underused in more than half a season’s worth of games. 19 touchdowns in the last 2 years and the ability to score from anywhere on the field, running and catching, would be pretty sexy to a team looking for a #1 quality back.

Houston

The Texans made the choice to move on from Arian Foster and I don’t think they are particularly sold on Alfred Blue. When Foster was healthy for a whole season playing for Bill O’Brien, he totaled 1,573 yards and 13 touchdowns. Picture Miller, younger and faster, in O’Brien’s scheme and attacking defenses that are already on their heels trying to defend DeAndre Hopkins. Then consider the defenses that the Texans face in their division (Colts, Jaguars, and Titans). I would like Miller in my lineup, if that were the case.

Miami

It sounds like the Dolphins are high on bringing Miller back and I don’t blame them, for the reasons I listed earlier. Miller would also probably like to play in Adam Gase’s system too. Knowshon Moreno, CJ Anderson, Matt Forte and Jeremy Langford all benefitted well with Gase utilizing play-action. If Gase is going to get Ryan Tannehill back on track, getting the ball to Miller will be more helpful than not.

Wide Receiver

Marvin Jones

The better wide receivers these don’t often hit the open market anymore. When you look at the best in this class, it would appear that Marvin Jones tops the list. He was the #2 man to AJ Green for his entire tenure in Cincinnati but he showed that he could produce like a #1 when called upon, like the 10 touchdowns he scored in 2013. Now he has a chance to prove it and someone is going pay him to try…more than likely overpaid because the market will dictate it.

Los Angeles

The Rams are heading back to California with a very good defense and an elite running back. What they don’t have is a quarterback or a legit wide receiver. Marvin Jones would fit one of those needs and it’s hard to believe they won’t try to fill the other. Getting a shot as a #1 receiver would be huge for Jones’s value, especially when defenses are more focused on Todd Gurley.

Baltimore

It’s pretty common in the AFC North for players to flip to their rivals. The Ravens have Steve Smith Sr. for one more year and Kamar Aiken, but Jones would jump ahead of both on a depth chart and give Joe Flacco better target than he’s had since Anquan Boldin. Flacco’s never thrown 25+ touchdowns twice in his career, but somebody has to catch that deep ball of his. Jones has the talent to do it consistently.

Anquan Boldin

He turns 36 in October but Anquan Boldin is still a badass. The reigning Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winner is one of the best possession receivers in the game. He’s not the fastest anymore, but he is durable and would compliment any #1 or speedster perfectly.

Detroit

With Calvin Johnson retiring, the Lions need a reliable red zone target. Golden Tate performed well while Megatron dealt with injuries in the past, but Matthew Stafford needs someone who can pull double coverage away from him. Boldin is a savvy veteran who would bring experience to a thin position group and a lot of production with Stafford targeting him.

Atlanta

Like the Lions, the Falcons parted ways with one of their all-time great receivers. However, Roddy White wasn’t their top receiver anymore…Julio Jones is. Boldin would take advantage of all the attention Jones gets and would provide Matt Ryan with reliable target in the end zone. Hopefully Ryan can get the ball out of his own hand.

Quarterback

Brock Osweiler

With Kirk Cousins signing his franchise tag, there aren’t many other sexy quarterbacks available. Brock Osweiler got a chance to showcase his skills and whatever he learned from backing up Peyton Manning this year seems to have attracted somebody though.

Denver

The reports out of Denver say the Broncos made Osweiler a 3-year extension offer, but he has yet to reach a deal with them. It might be in his best interest to stick with somewhere and a system he knows. It also doesn’t hurt having Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders to throw to.

Houston

Of the teams that need a starting quarterback, the Texans have the best receiver. Heck, DeAndre Hopkins even made Brian Hoyer relevant again. If the Texans were to go out and sign any of the 3 running backs mentioned earlier, that would only add to Osweiler’s value as they are all key for a potent passing attack.

For more, follow along on Facebook or Twitter.

2 Comments Posted on February 2, 2016 Fantasy Football

2016 Fantasy Football Rankings – Wide Receivers

My draft strategy changed significantly last year when it came to valuing consistent scorers and drafting them early for my teams. I also think there is a changing of the guard when it comes to big scorers in a league that relies heavily on passing. That was evident with contending Fantasy owners who had 2 of the top 7 wide receivers from this list.

Wide receivers 1) Have the best chance and big scoring plays that can change a game for you and 2) add a whole new dynamic in PPR setting leagues. Here are the 40 I will consider drafting at this point in the year.

1. Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers

On an team full of playmakers, it’s amazing how Antonio Brown racks up the numbers he does. Brown’s numbers were very close with Julio Jones’s as they tied for first in receptions (136). He ranked second in receiving yards (1,836), just 37 behind Jones. Brown did get the edge scoring more touchdowns than Jones, 10-8. He also averaged 10.5 catches per game in the second half of the year.

2. Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons

While I think Antonio Brown is the best athlete in the NFL right now, I do believe Julio Jones is the best wide receiver. You know the numbers and his measurables, but the only thing that may be holding back from breaking single season records may be Matt Ryan. Maybe Ryan needs more time in the pocket, but Julio did beat the best corner in the league, Josh Norman, for 9 catches, 178 yards and a touchdown. Throw it up and the man will get it.

3. Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants

If you took Odell Beckham Jr. with your late-1st/early-2nd round pick, you were treated to a 6 game stretch (Week 8-14, a Week 11 bye) averaging 132 yards and scoring 8 touchdowns. Similar to Julio Jones, a better quarterback would help him get to astronomical numbers but at least Eli is getting the ball into the open field. His speed and unreal catching ability lead me to think the production will be there again in Week 3.

4. DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans

When you watch Hard Knocks each year, it’s easy to fall in love with the one offensive player that you’ll eventually target in your upcoming Fantasy draft. DeAndre Hopkins was clear and away THAT GUY in 2015 and lived up to the hype, ranking 3rd in receiving yards (1,521), 3rd in receptions (111), and adding 11 touchdowns.

5. Allen Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars

Allen Robinson was a touchdown machine in 2015. Led the league with 14 TD catches and was only held scoreless 4 times during the regular season. He also racked up a nice 1,400 yards to go with that scoring, and it’s hard not to imagine his connection with Blake Bortles will improve in 2016…which is scary.

6. AJ Green, Cincinnati Bengals

AJ Green has never been a 100 catch guy, but he’s still one of the best athletes at the position. Andy Dalton’s improvement in the last year only bodes well for a guy who finishes Top 10 in yards and touchdowns year in, year out. Green also always seems to be the benefactor of big heads up plays on tipped balls that result in touchdowns scored by him.

7. Brandon Marshall, New York Jets

Yes, Marshall is the first player to record over 100 catches in a season for 4 different different teams…but that’s not necessarily a good thing. There’s a reason he’s been moved to 3 different teams via trade, and I’m not certain you can bank on Ryan Fitzpatrick repeating his performance from last season. When things go awry, so does Marshall. His production from last season is tough to argue against though.

8. Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos

The only reason people still talk about Tim Tebow as an NFL player is because of Demaryius Thomas practically beating the Steelers in OT by himself. The Broncos #1 WR saw a dip in his TD numbers go from double digits to 6 last season, but that may have more to do with the issues at quarterback than him. 1,304 yards and 105 catches make him still valuable in the mid-2nd/early-3rd round.

9. Jarvis Landry, Miami Dolphins

Amidst the mess in Miami, Jarvis Landry was the standout on the team catching 110 passes and accumulating 1,947 total yards (receiving, rushing, returning). New head coach Adam Gase is going to love using Landry and it will be fun to see him continue to compete for the national limelight with former LSU teammate, Odell Beckham Jr.

10. Doug Baldwin, Seattle Seahawks

It’s hard for me to doubt a guy who caught the most touchdown passes (14) in the league and had a run down the stretch of your fantasy season like Doug Baldwin. When the Seahawks finally let Russell Wilson sling it, Baldwin caught 11 touchdowns in 5 games (Week 12-16). If the Seahawks want to build on the success that made them look like the best 6th seed ever, keep throwing it downfield to guys like Baldwin.

11. Sammy Watkins, Buffalo Bills

In his sophomore season, Sammy Watkins dealt with injuries but still busted out some serious speed and big play ability on opposing defenses. 17.4 yards per reception was enough proof of that, as were the 6 catches,158 yards, 2 TDs against KC and the 11 and 136 on the Jets. If the Bills are going to make any noise in the AFC East, it’s going to be from putting the ball in Sammy’s hands.

12. Alshon Jeffery, Chicago Bears

In the 6 games Alshon Jeffery was mostly healthy (2 less than the games he played), he averaged 105.6 yards and 8 catches per. Unfortunately, that’s all Bears could get from him and that’s why he slides on my list for now. There were a lot of questions around how hurt he was and whether the missed time had to do with his contract status, but when he’s on the field he’s too good to just pass up.

13. Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys

Health and effort issues last season were pretty eye-opening for Dez Bryant. He got his big pay day, got hurt, and then was a complete non-factor without Romo playing. The 41 total touchdowns from the 3 seasons before make it hard to let Dez slide too much further though.

14. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals

Larry Fitzgerald had a great bounce back year with 109 catches (5th in the league) for 1,215 yards. A big reason for it was his use in the slot position, as John Brown and Michael Floyd occupied the outside, and making the most of his size, hands and speed. Another season like that is not out of the realm of possibility.

15. Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers

I don’t think people realized how much Jordy Nelson would be missed when the season started. We all assumed that Aaron Rodgers just made everybody better. Randall Cobb couldn’t fill Nelson’s shoes or match his route running ability. Not sure what Nelson will be like coming off a knee injury, but the 1,500+ yards and 13 touchdowns from the year before are an upside worth hoping for.

16. Allen Hurns, Jacksonville Jaguars

Don’t know if you’ve heard, but the Jaguars wide receivers are REALLY good. Robinson got his, but Allen Hurns scored touchdowns in 9 of his 16 games, 7 of them in a row. Add 1,031 yards and you’ve got a solid WR2/WR3.

17. Brandin Cooks, New Orleans Saints

Brandin Cooks is the definition of a home run threat. When Brees needs to dial up the deep ball, there’s Cooks underneath a floater downfield. He averaged 13.3 yards per catch, and caught 84 passes and 9 touchdowns in 13 starts last season.

18. Martavis Bryant, Pittsburgh Steelers

Martavis Bryant’s numbers were hampered by his early season suspension and injury, but he was still capable of looking like Antonio Brown WITH Antonio Brown on the field with him. I rate him higher based more on potential, but the guy has as much ability as anyone on very talented offensive squad.

19. Jeremy Maclin, Kansas City Chiefs

Remember when the Chiefs went a whole year without throwing a touchdown to a wide receiver? Enter Jeremy Maclin, who caught 8 of them along with 87 receptions and 1,102 yards from scrimmage. While I don’t particularly trust the arm of Alex Smith, I do trust Maclin’s talent and knack for getting open.

20. Amari Cooper, Oakland Raiders

Amari could and should move up this list, as he looked like about as natural a pro receiver as there is. We’ll see how he builds on his rookie effort of 72 catches, 1,067 yards and 6 touchdowns. He and Michael Crabtree did a heck of a job working the sidelines for Derek Carr.

21. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Count Mike Evans as another player who has the talent to move up this list. He improved on both his reception and yardage numbers, but his touchdown total between his rookie and sophomore years dropped from 12 to 3. If he fixes his drop rate, he could be devastating paired with Jameis Winston’s deep ball game.

22. Keenan Allen, San Diego Chargers

Paired with Philip Rivers, Keenan Allen was the most targeted player in football before going down for the season with a kidney laceration. Through 8 games, Allen was on pace to almost match Antonio and Julio for the league lead in receptions too. If he comes back healthy, as expected, Allen’s 90 yards and 11 targets per game will be a nice pickup in the middle rounds.

23. Emmanuel Sanders, Denver Broncos

Similar to Thomas, I think Sanders had his numbers effected by the weird goings on under center for the Broncos. When used in underneath and possession routes, Sanders is a killer, and that could be huge in the Super Bowl this week…as well as next season with either Brock Osweiler or Peyton Manning’s heir.

24. Eric Decker, New York Jets

Eric Decker’s production in 2015 (80 catches, 1,027 yards, 12 touchdowns) suggests he should be higher on this list, but I’m sticking to my bad feeling that Ryan Fitzpatrick’s “Fitzmagic” isn’t going to be all that next season. Still a very solid W3/Flex option though.

25. T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts

T.Y. Hilton’s stock is only as good as whoever is throwing to him. If Andrew Luck is back and in “40 touchdown” form, then you could Hilton as a steal. He’s as good a deep threat as there is in the league. Just needs someone to get the ball down there.

26. Michael Crabtree, Oakland Raiders

Michael Crabtree was a nice story, statistically, in 2015. He had bounced back after injuries and being associated with the San Francisco sinking ship that led to Jim Harbaugh’s departure. He caught 85 passes for 922 yards and 9 touchdowns. He won’t ever be the Heisman candidate type that he was in college, but he’ll get plenty of looks while Amari Cooper draws double-coverage.

27. Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers

The other player besides Rodgers who could benefit the most from Jordy Nelson’s return is Randall Cobb. When put into Nelson’s role, Cobb saw his touchdown total cut in half, as well as his catches and yardage drop dramatically as well because of tougher coverage. James Jones might have had a comeback, but nobody else was freeing up Cobb like Jordy used to.

28. John Brown, Arizona Cardinals

John Brown made big strides in 2015, improving in every category from his rookie season. His 65 catches, 1,025 yards and 7 touchdowns would have increased too if it weren’t for a couple goose eggs in his box score, which were attributed to injuries. Excited to see him play better in his 3rd season with a sick WR group.

29. Julian Edelman, New England Patriots

Getting knocked out for 7 games with a foot injury hurts Edelman’s stock a little, but you remember how much of a grinder the guy is. You also can’t forget the Welker-esque amount of targets he gets either.

30. Golden Tate, Detroit Lions

With Calvin Johnson retiring, Golden Tate is currently the #1 receiver in Detroit. You may remember that Tate’s numbers spiked in 2014 when Megatron was out for much of the time, with 99 catches for 1,361 yards and 4 touchdowns. I don’t expect the Lions to be satisfied with Tate as their top guy, so we’ll see what roster moves are made in the offseason.

31. Stefon Diggs, Minnesota Vikings

Stefon Diggs showed flashes of being a #1 caliber receiver in Minnesota last year, but was weirdly inconsistent down the stretch. The Vikings offense still lives and dies by Adrian Peterson, but Diggs is capable of taking the top off opposing defenses…as long as Teddy Bridgewater can throw it that far.

32. Kelvin Benjamin, Carolina Panthers

The Panthers are heading to the Super Bowl. Cam Newton is coming off an MVP caliber season. A band of no-name wide receivers and Greg Olsen proved they can hang with anyone. And then…

*glass shatters*

“It’s Kelvin Benjamin’s music!”

Yes, Kelvin is Stone Cold Steve Austin in this analogy. But seriously, the Panthers are getting back one of the best red zone targets and rookie WRs from 2014.

33. Jordan Matthews, Philadelphia Eagles

Jordan Matthews improved on his rookie season but not as dramatically as he was expected to. Blame Chip for that. He has size, speed and a new offensive minded head coach coming in.

34. Tyler Lockette, Seattle Seahawks

Tyler Lockett is a burner, and definitely faster than Baldwin. He’ll make a strong late round pick that should improve on a Pro Bowl rookie season where he scored 6 touchdowns receiving and 2 returning.

35. Michael Floyd, Arizona Cardinals

When healthy, Michael Floyd is as effective as Fitzgerald. However, it’s his health that is usually a question. The Cardinals go about 5 deep in quality receivers, so having their #3 (with #1 talent) isn’t too shabby.

36. Travis Benjamin, Cleveland Browns

The Browns and Travis Benjamin need a quarterback. Not Josh McCown. Not Johnny Manziel. An actual starting quarterback. Benjamin clearly has talent having recorded 1,302 all-purpose yards last season. His next season will depend greatly on who is throwing him the ball.

37. Steve Smith Sr., Baltimore Ravens

Steve Sr. decided that he wasn’t going to let his career end on injury and will come back for one more go in 2016. I’m not certain how good he’ll be or if his body will hold up, but he does have a knack for proving people wrong.

38. Willie Snead, New Orleans Saints

Other than Cooks, Brees has another deep threat option in Willie Snead. After being cut by the Browns and the Panthers, Snead made the Saints practice squad…then he played 15 games and caught 69 passes for 984 yards and 3 touchdowns. An offseason training with Brees in San Diego should build a rapport to be confident in.

39. Rueben Randle, New York Giants

While ODB got most of the attention from defenses, which he’ll get more of, Rueben Randle scored 8 touchdowns and made 57 catches for 797 yards. His numbers dipped a little after 2014, and that’s to be expected when a majority of the targets go to Beckham. He might be better for a spot start, but he still has back end of the draft talent.

40. Kamar Aiken, Baltimore Ravens

If Steve Sr. is healthy, Kamar Aiken becomes another option for Flacco if he’s double covered. If Steve Sr. gets hurt, Aiken is his #1 option (unless they suddenly feel good about Breshad Perriman)…until Baltimore adds more viable options.

Anyone too high or too low? Was anyone left out? Let me know on Facebook or Twitter.

For more position rankings:

Quarterbacks / Running Backs / Wide Receivers

Leave a comment Posted on February 2, 2016February 2, 2016 Fantasy Football

2016 Fantasy Football Position Rankings – First Draft

Is the season even over yet?

No.

Do you even know where everyone is going to be next season?

Not a clue.

Can you wait until summer to start thinking about your next Fantasy Draft?

HELL NO!

I promised ongoing positional rankings this year for Fantasy Football, and this is where I start. As players are released, Free Agents get signed, and draft picks are made, I’ll update the rankings as to how I value each player that I see worthwhile at every position.

Quarterbacks – Click Here

Running Backs – Click Here

Wide Receivers – Click Here

Tight Ends – Coming Soon

Defenses – Coming Soon

Kickers – STOP IT.

For more, follow along on Facebook or Twitter.

3 Comments Posted on February 2, 2016February 2, 2016 Fantasy Football

2016 Fantasy Football Rankings – Quarterbacks

Not sure if you noticed, but the quarterback position in 2015 across the league got thin in a hurry. The fact that Brian Hoyer and Matt Hasselbeck were relevant was a HUGE problem.

Most of the quarterbacks below got the job done in 2015 and should be poised to do the same or more in 2016. Some, like Andrew Luck and Tony Romo, are looking for a healthy comeback.

(You’ll notice that Joe Flacco isn’t one of them. Year 2 of Marc Trestman’s play-calling and a lack of talent at wide receiver keeps him out of the Top 20)

1. Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers

I’ve harped on it here enough in the past 4 months, but Cam Newton was winning you multiple weeks in fantasy by himself in 2015. His 35 touchdown passes were tied for 2nd in the league…and then he added 10 more rushing. Newton also gets at least one more weapon next season with Kelvin Benjamin returning.

2. Tom Brady, New England Patriots

Tom Brady is just a year younger than Peyton Manning, yet led the league in touchdown passes a year ago. Brady also chipped in nearly 300 yards per game, and made the most out of depleted receiving group. Heck, he even made Scott Chandler relevant for a week or two.

3. Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals

Almost as reliable as Brady was Carson Palmer. He didn’t look great in the post season, but his loaded offense allowed him to average 291 yards and at least 2 touchdowns per game. Another healthy year like 2015 would warrant a much higher pick than where he was drafted on average a year ago.

4. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks

Russell Wilson is weird. Yes for those reasons you just thought of, but also because of his streaky production. Through the first 10 weeks of the season in 2015, Wilson had just one game of multiple touchdown passes. Then he gave you 5 straight weeks of no less than 3 TDs per game. As the Seahawks look to probably move past Marshawn Lynch, it would be much more beneficial for them to let Wilson throw it and have Thomas Rawls compliment him.

5. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

There are a lot of people who probably don’t like me having Aaron Rodgers this far down the list, but the truth is that the discount-double check got checked down last season. Rodgers was a different player without his old-reliable Jordy Nelson and his running game wasn’t bailing him out either when he needed it. Yes, the 2 Hail Mary’s proved he can still do whatever he wants when it matters most, but you should be able to get him with better value in the 3rd or 4th round…as of now.

6. Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars

Blake Bortles jumped from throwing just 11 touchdown passes his rookie season to 35 in his sophomore year. #BortlesKombat has some room to grow, and probably will with a pair of very consistent scoring receivers like Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns. The Jaguars are a team that plays in a lot of comeback situations and shootouts that make Bortles excellent for Fantasy garbage points.

7. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers

Ben Roethlisberger led the league with 328 pass yards per game, and you’d think it’s hard not to replicate that kind of production when you have Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, Markus Wheaton, Le’Veon Bell and DeAngelo Williams to work with. The only question is whether or not he can stay in one piece.

8. Eli Manning, New York Giants

I’m always skeptic about Eli Manning, as he seems to regularly fold in high pressure situations during the regular season. His 35 touchdown passes were no joke though, and having Odell Beckham Jr. there to make him look better is also hard to argue with. As his offensive coordinator from the past 2 years takes over the reigns as head coach, the offense shouldn’t look terribly different.

9. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals

Andy Dalton was as good as anyone in the first half of the season last year. He likely went undrafted in most leagues and became the hottest free agent in a hurry in yours. He went from throwing 19 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in 2014 to 25/7 in 2015. Had he been healthy down the stretch for the Bengals, there’s a good chance they would have beaten the Steelers over Wild Card weekend. His offensive coordinator, Hue Jackson, might be elsewhere but it’s hard to imagine he’ll take a step back with AJ Green and Tyler Eifert still there to throw to.

10. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

Drew Brees paired with Sean Payton as head coach will always get you the yardage. “Breesus” averaged 324 yards per game. The crazy numbers don’t kick in until around mid-season though, like ya know…7 touchdowns and 505 yards in Week 8. The fact Luke McCown made an appearance makes you nervous though and wonder if he can keep it up (NOT LIKE THAT, YA JERKS).

11. Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders

Derek Carr made solid strides in 2015, throwing multiple TDs in 11 of the 16 games he started. Throwing 32 touchdowns after 21 in his rookie season and growing with Amari Cooper makes his projection in 2016 even more exciting.

12. Kirk Cousins, Washington

I don’t know which Kirk Cousins you’re going to get in 2016. The one that was just okay through Week 14, or the one that tossed 11 touchdowns in 3 games to will Washington to an NFC East title and will get him paid big time for it. The upside with a healthy Jordan Reed, and that 158.3 QB rating game in Week 10, has him ranked higher than he probably is….for now.

13. Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears

I don’t think there was a quarterback who did more with less than Jay Cutler.

No 1st Round draft pick Kevin White
Only 8 games with Alshon Jeffery, 9 games with Eddie Royal
Marc Mariani, Josh Bellamy, and Cameron Meredith as a his only WRs multiple games

Yet he still played one of his best seasons as a Chicago Bear. Having continuity in playcalling next year and healthy receivers makes me feel better about Cutler than most next season.

14. Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts

Andrew Luck probably went in the first or 2nd round in most leagues last year. Those who drafted him that high got 7 games, 15 touchdowns and 12 interceptions to show for it. As of this moment, I’m not sure if you’re going to get the 40 touchdown guy from 2014 or the injury plagued/turnover happy QB of 2016. His talent and ability will keep him higher though.

15. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers

For the first 8 games of the season, Philip Rivers averaged 344 yards and 2 touchdowns per game. Then he lost Keenan Allen for the year and it was 254 yards and 1.4 touchdowns per game the rest of the year. Rivers still got paid big money and his head coach Mike McCoy was extended through 2017, so the organization seems to be banking on next year looking like the first half of 2015.

16. Tony Romo

There’s been more talk about who will replace Tony Romo than his potential production when he returns in 2016. If you draft Romo next season, it’s to backup your #1 guy and the possibility he stays upright for 34 touchdowns like he did in 2014. If the Cowboys pick up a DeMarco Murray-like running back, maybe he will.

17. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

I don’t know how you can trust Matt Ryan anymore, coming off the worst statistical year of his career since his rookie season. However, he does have arguably the best wide receiver in football, Julio Jones, and Devonta Freeman can set him up better if his offensive coordinator can figure out how to use play-action.

18. Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins

Before last season, Ryan Tannehill was improving every season. Then his coaches forgot how to coach. It’s cliche now, but Adam Gase worked wonders with Peyton Manning and Jay Cutler. So you can hold onto hope one more year with Ryan Tannehill as a backup.

19. Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Bucanneers

I get a feeling Jameis Winston is going to jump up this list a bit, and could very well be a starter for you if Mike Evans can avoid dropping the ball. What’s going to be key is seeing how his newly elevated head coach, Dirk Koetter, does handling the personnel after getting Lovie Smith launched.

20. Ryan Fitzpatrick, New York Jets

Ryan Fitzpatrick brought the “Fitzmagic” last season, throwing more than 30 touchdowns for the first time in his career. The Jets utilized their running game to set him up greatly in the red zone, and the Brandon Marshall/Eric Decker combo ate because of it. Can you bank on Fitzpatrick doing it again though when couldn’t any of the 10 years before?

Anyone too high or too low? Was anyone left out? Let me know on Facebook or Twitter.

For more position rankings:

Quarterbacks / Running Backs / Wide Receivers

2 Comments Posted on February 2, 2016February 2, 2016 Fantasy Football

2016 Fantasy Football Rankings – Running Backs

The running back position was the most unpredictable in 2015. Just 1 (Adrian Peterson) of the first 5 drafted (Marshawn Lynch, Jamaal Charles, Le’Veon Bell and Eddie Lacy) were healthy or reliable.

That makes you wonder who is worth taking in the first round and who will give you better value later in your next draft.

1. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings

It’s hard to imagine AP won’t be the first running back taken in your league. He led the league in rushing for the 3rd time of his career, after almost an entire year off from suspension, and was tied for the league’s lead in rushing touchdowns.

2. Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams

Todd Gurley only started in 12 games and still ranked 3rd in rush yards and 10 touchdowns as well. A full season at the rate he went could have eclipsed AP in both yards and easily touchdowns. Gurley will be a superstar in Los Angeles as long as he stays healthy, and hopefully the Rams find a quarterback that can alleviate the attention defenses will give him.

3. Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers

If you’re wondering if Le’Veon Bell is worth a first round pick again, the answer is “yes, yes he is.” In the 6 games Bell played (after suspension and before injury), he scored 6 touchdowns and averaged 115 yards from scrimmage per game. He’s as good an athlete as anyone in the league and Pittsburgh would be smart to preserve some of his mileage with a proven DeAngelo Williams. Either one in the Steelers’ backfield is a Top 3 back.

4. Devonta Freeman, Atlanta Falcons

5. Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Bucanneers

6. Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs

7. David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals

Bruce Ariens annoyed the hell out of me with his coy approach to using David Johnson. When he said the rookie wouldn’t see any carries, DJ2K (that’s what I’m calling him) scored 6 touchdowns in 5 weeks. Then when he got his chance in a starting role, Johnson went off on his opposition. The fact that Chris Johnson could lead the league in rushing for a time in the Cardinals system makes me more intrigued in the younger DJ2k in that spot. This ranking is based on the assumption Ariens plans to start DJ…They should considering he was the only one with any fight in their playoff game with Carolina.

8. Matt Forte, Chicago Bears (FA)

Wherever Matt Forte lands in 2016, he’s going to be solid get for whoever signs him. Much like the 2015 Bears season, Forte had to fight through injuries and still accumulated 1,287 yards from scrimmage and 7 touchdowns in 13 games. If he doesn’t re-sign with the Bears, I would expect either New England or Dallas to be great places for him.

9. Lamar Miller, Miami Dolphins (FA)

Like Forte, Lamar Miller is a free agent this offseason. He’s weighing whether or not to return to Miami and I think he’d benefit from Adam Gase’s play-calling. Whoever does pick him up will probably use him better than the last coaching regime in Miami. The Dolphins were 6-1 when they handed the ball off to Miller 13+ times. Miller young and underutilized, but has 19 touchdowns in his last 2 seasons and can score from anywhere on the field.

10. Latavius Murray, Oakland Raiders

11. Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints

12. Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers

13. Thomas Rawls, Seattle

As a huge fan of The Wire, I’m tempted to call him “Deputy Commissioner Rawls”. But for now, Thomas looks like a front runner for the starting running back job in Seattle. If they were to move on from Marshawn Lynch, Rawls would jump up much further on this list. Rawls averaging 118.6 yards per game and 5 touchdowns in 6 starts would justify it.

14. DeAngelo Williams, Pittsburgh Steelers

15. Arian Foster, Houston Texans

There are reports that Arian Foster may be released by the Texans, but Coach Bill O’Brien is still commenting on his progress working to get back. I’ll keep an eye on his status but despite turning 30 by the start of the season and not going a full season since 2012, his upside is worth a mid round pick. 1,573 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns in 2014 say so.

16. Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks

Considering the money Seattle would save releasing Marshawn Lynch and their backup plan in Dep. Commander Rawls, I don’t see him in a Seahawks uniform next season. I do think Lynch might have another run in him though and would benefit great behind a veteran offensive line. Only a year ago, Lynch led the league in total touchdowns (17) and recorded the 5th most yards from scrimmage (1,673).

17. Chris Ivory, New York Jets

18. Jeremy Hill, Cincinnati Bengals

Jeremy Hill went pretty high in most drafts, between the end of the 1st and 2nd round. Hill never rushed for more than 100 yards all season long, but he did accumulate the league high 11 rushing touchdowns…7 of those came after Week 10. His backup, Giovani Bernard, was much better between the 20s and he may be better built for it. We’ll see how new OC Ken Zampese distributes the ball in 2016. He was quarterbacks coach under Hue Jackson.

19. DeMarco Murray, Philadelphia Eagles

How does DeMarco Murray go from being the league’s leading rusher to barely running a third of that total the year after? For starters, being started just 8 of the 15 games he played…Doug Pederson comes in as head coach after calling plays for the 6th best running offense that also ranked 1st in rushing touchdowns. If Sam Bradford (or whoever’s the next Eagles QB) is going to be managed like Alex Smith, Murray should be better depended on.

20. LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills

Any worry you had about Shady McCoy’s mileage is warranted. He missed 4 games and ran 112 yards 3 times. Those were the only times he ran for 100+ and it’s kinda weird that it was exactly 112 each time. If you take him, have Karlos Williams on standby.

21. Dion Lewis, New England Patriots

22. T.J. Yeldon, Jacksonville Jaguars

T.J. Yeldon had a sturdy rookie season. He was fine. Fine doesn’t win games but he wasn’t really depended on to do it as the Jaguars were content throwing it like crazy. If the Jags improve their defense and Dante Fowler pans out next season, Yeldon will get more touches to maintain leads and control possession time.

23. Justin Forsett, Baltimore Ravens

I was rooting for Justin Forsett before the season started. His touches theoretically could’ve been threw the roof with Marc Trestman calling plays. Instead everyone in Baltimore got injured, and his 10 starts were less than stellar. His 320 total yards for Weeks 4 and 5 were encouraging though.

24. Danny Woodhead, San Diego Chargers

Death, Taxes, and Danny Woodhead PPR. 80 catches in 2015 actually, and that wasn’t surprise as Philip Rivers lost his go-to guy Keenan Allen.

25. Frank Gore, Indianapolis Colts

Frank Gore getting multiple goal line chances in 2015 seemed like a dream. Without Andrew Luck getting it there regularly, that’s all it was. Maybe it’ll work in try #2, but the 5-time pro bowler isn’t getting any younger. He’ll be 33 in May and hoping to improve on a 1,200+ total yard 1st season in Indy.

26. Darren McFadden, Dallas Cowboys

Darren McFadden may have finished the season as the 4th leading rusher, but I’m not sure he’s destined to be the Cowboys’ #1 back and his lowly 3 touchdowns are why. He’ll move up if they don’t add any of the possible moving backs.

27. Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers

As we’ve pointed out multiple times on here, Eddie Lacy was the biggest bust of 2015. The Packers are hoping there was a fire lit under his ass, and maybe the improvement in the passing game getting Jordy Nelson back will help take pressure off the run game.

28. Jeremy Langford, Chicago Bears

Jeremy Langford has many of the same tools as Forte, like running, catching and blocking, and he also has breakaway speed. If Forte walks, and very well could, Langford will shoot up these rankings.

29. Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati Bengals

Gio went back to putting up similar yardage numbers that he had as a rookie, but unfortunately Jeremy Hill got most of the touchdowns down the stretch. 49 catches are nice for PPR though.

30. C.J. Anderson, Denver Broncos (FA)

CJ Anderson is made a nice run late in the season, not as crazy as his 2014 campaign, and his post season work is redeeming him for the rocky start to 2015. His Super Bowl performance may decide whether the Broncos bring him back or if he gets paid well elsewhere. Worth following for sure.

31. Carlos Hyde, San Francisco 49ers

I have no clue what’s going to happen to Carlos Hyde in Chip Kelly’s system but for now he’s #1 on the 49ers depth chart.

32. Karlos Williams, Buffalo Bills

Karlos Williams should be on-call and ready to go in case McCoy goes down. His streak of scoring a touchdown in each of the first 6 games of his career was promising too.

33. Ameer Abdullah, Detroit Lions

34. LeGarrette Blount, New England Patriots

Things we know about LeGarrette Blount:

Best with the Patriots
Free Agent in 2016
Devastating in the red zone
Tends to get in trouble

Maybe a late round flyer depending where he lands.

35. Charcandrick West, Kansas City Chiefs

Pretty decent Jamaal Charles substitute, in the case you need one. Although Spencer Ware got admirable work as well, the two may switch places here in coming months when we see what KC does with their personnel.

36. Rashad Jennings, New York Giants

The Giants simply don’t run the ball very often…but when they do, Rashad Jennings is getting his number called. A career high in yards from scrimmage (1,159) didn’t hurt last year either.

37. Duke Johnson Jr., Cleveland Browns

In Hue Jackson’s system, Duke Jr. is your Gio Bernard. He was also a pass catching machine with 61 receptions in his rookie season.

38. Darren Sproles, Philadelphia Eagles

Sproles is gonna Sproles, no matter who he plays for next season.

39. Bilal Powell, New York Jets

In the last 4 games of the season, Bilal Powell became even more dependable than Chris Ivory but with a very different game. During that span, he caught 25 passes. That was more than half his total for rest of the year.

40. Alfred Blue, Houston Texans

During Fosters’s absence the past two seasons, Blue has shown he can handle heavy workloads with some production. If Foster is released, Blue becomes much more relevant on this list…until Houston replaces Foster with someone else.

Anyone too high or too low? Was anyone left out? Let me know on Facebook or Twitter.

For more position rankings:

Quarterbacks / Running Backs / Wide Receivers

1 Comment Posted on January 4, 2016January 4, 2016 Fantasy Football

Fantasy Football Awards 2015

Has your Fantasy Football withdrawal kicked in already? Are you already thinking about next year’s draft? Yeah, me too…That’s why I’ll be frequently updating my draft boards on MichaelPiff.com starting next week.

But first…

We have some awards to hand out from the 2015 season!

We see you @gregolsen88! pic.twitter.com/eY2nur3acu

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) January 4, 2016

This season was wild. Injuries, suspensions, surprises, Gary Barnidges, backup quarterbacks, drama and more drama…We’ll look at all the impact players, and some of the worst, that dictated your fantasy season this past season.

MVP

Cam Newton, Panthers

Every year you do your Fantasy draft, who usually goes off the board first?…Running backs. Then someone drafts Aaron Rodgers (probably Andrew Luck this year too) ridiculously high and some wide receivers will round out your first round. Quarterbacks don’t typically start to go in bulk until the 4th round and Cam Newton wasn’t even being considered until the 8th. His average draft position was 77.1 overall, average round was 8.4.

Those who rolled with Newton, and weren’t afraid of the lack of hype around his wide receivers, reaped ALL the benefits of #1 scoring quarterback in football. He finished the season leading the league in total touchdowns with 45 (35 passing, 10 rushing) and added 4,473 yards from scrimmage (3,837 passing, 635 rushing). Newton’s stretch from Week 11-15 (19 total touchdowns) likely helped carry you to your league’s championship too.

Next Best: Carson Palmer

Hard not to consider Carson Palmer as an MVP as well since he regularly gave you at least 290+ yards and 2-3 touchdowns through the air.

Biggest Bust of the Year

Eddie Lacy, Packers

I can’t fault players who miss time or underperform due to injury. The top tier of the running backs almost all suffered this, besides Adrian Peterson. Eddie Lacy wasn’t hurt though. Lacy was a Top 5 pick in most leagues, and he gave you just 3 rushing touchdowns and 758 yards on the ground in 15 games. He was out of shape, missing curfews, and just simply…bad. If any of his 3 games of 100+ yards helped you, I imagine it was because you were desperate at running back. It took Lacy until Week 11 to do so.

Next Worst: Dez Bryant

I’m probably breaking my injury rule here, but you likely picked Bryant late 1st or early 2nd round, held on to him while he was injured, and got just 3 touchdowns and 401 yards in 9 games for your patience. Tony Romo or not, Bryant is supposed to be a game changer…not THAT.

Draft Steal

Devonta Freeman, Falcons

If you paid close attention to the Falcons in the offseason, you were weighing your options of taking rookie Tevin Coleman or 2nd year RB Devonta Freeman as one of your flier picks. If you picked Freeman, you CHOSE WISELY. Freeman went 119th overall on average, 2 rounds or so after Coleman, and he gave you 1,639 yards from scrimmage and 14 total touchdowns (most in the league). He also helped you stack up some wins from Weeks 2-6 with 10 touchdowns (9 rushing, 1 receiving).

Next Best: Tom Brady

If you picked Tom Brady before his suspension was lifted, you got him at backup value in later rounds. If you took him after, you still enjoyed his #RevengeTour with 36 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions.

Waiver Wire Pickup of the Year

DeAngelo Williams, Steelers

While Le’Veon Bell served his 2 game suspension to start the year, DeAngelo Williams filled in with 204 yards and 3 touchdowns (all in one game). After Bell went on IR following Week 8, Williams gave you high-end RB1 production, averaging 125 yards from scrimmage and finishing tied with Freeman for the league’s lead in rushing TDs.

Next Best: Gary Barnidge

Might gut went with Gary Barnidge initially, but Williams’s value after Bell went down was just too strong…Barnidge was certainly the breakout player of the year, posting 1,043 yards and 9 touchdowns on 79 catches at the age of 30. Before this year, Barnidge’s career totals were 604 yards, 44 catches and 3 touchdowns over 7 years.

Comeback Player of the Year

Doug Martin, Buccaneers

I’ll admit it. I wrote off the Muscle Hamster. After recording nearly 2,000 yards yards from scrimmage his rookie season, the guy barely hit half of that total over the next 2 years because of injuries, bad offensive lines and worse offensive coordinators. Bucs OC Dirk Koetter figured it all out though and made Doug Martin into the league’s 2nd leading rusher, picking up 1,402 yards on the ground. For someone who went in the 9th round on average in most fantasy drafts, I think you’d take that.

Next Best: Ryan Fitzpatrick

Ryan Fitzpatrick is the definition of a journeyman quarterback. 6 teams in 10 years, never making the playoffs and a career high of 24 touchdown passes in both the seasons he started all 16 games…until this year. Surround his beard with 2 excellent possession receivers, a quality offensive line, and 2 viable running backs and Fitzpatrick turns into FitzMagic throwing 31 touchdowns. He threw multiple touchdowns in 12 of his 16 starts…Who figured Geno Smith getting punched in the face would benefit them so well?

Rookie of the Year

Todd Gurley, Rams

It’s hard not to picture Todd Gurley being drafted in your first round next season. In 12 starts, the rookie out of Georgia 1,106 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground (2nd highest in the league). Gurley was the Rams’ only source of offense, which explained some of the slow down in production down the stretch as opposing defenses keyed in on him. Expect Gurley to just get stronger and scarier now that he’ll have a full offseason without rehabbing an injury.

Next Best: Jameis Winston

It’s easy to compare Jameis Winston with Marcus Mariota, both rookie QBs with Heisman trophies in their mantles. Winston separated himself from Mariota with big play ability, ranked 2nd in yards per completion (13), and was more consistent for scoring in the 2nd half of the season.

Best Lineup

QB: Cam Newton, Panthers – 3,837 yards, 35 TD passing / 636 yards, 10 TD rushing

WR: Antonio Brown, Steelers – 1,834 yards, 136 catches, 10 TD

WR: Julio Jones, Falcons – 1,871 yards, 136 catches, 8 TD

WR: DeAndre Hopkins, Texans – 1,521 yards, 111 catches, 11 TD

RB: Adrian Peterson, Vikings – 1,485 yards, 11 TD rush / 30 catches, 222 yards receiving

RB: Devonta Freeman, Falcons – 1,061 yards, 11 TD rush / 73 catches, 578 yards 3 TD receiving

FLEX: Odell Beckham Jr, Giants – 1,450 yards, 96 catches, 13 TD (15 games)

TE: Rob Gronkowski, Patriots – 72 catches, 1,176 yards, 11 TD

K: Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots – 33/36 FG, 52/52 PAT

DEF – Denver Broncos – 52 sacks, 14 INT, 16 fumble recoveries, 5 TD

Rising Lineup

QB: Kirk Cousins, Washington

WR: Allen Robinson, Jaguars

WR: Doug Baldwin, Seahawks

WR: Brandin Cooks, Saints

RB: Todd Gurley, Rams

RB: David Johnson, Cardinals

FLEX: Lamar Miller, Dolphins

K: Brandon McManus, Broncos

DEF: Minnesota Vikings

Who are your picks for our Year-End Fantasy Awards? Let me know on Facebook or Twitter! Stay tuned for year-round Fantasy Football info for next year’s draft!