Fantasy football D/ST rankings for 2016

Though not crucial, it is always helpful if you have a defense that consistently puts up 10+ points and sometimes 20+ points. For that type of defense, you will need to go with a DEF as early as Round 10 when most teams are still looking for backup RBs and WRs. Here is my list of defenses to consider.

 

Team Name, Bye Week:

1. Seattle Seahawks 5 – Seattle’s game is strong. Their offense will keep their defense off of the field so they will be fresh and likely will not winded late in a game. They have a lot of big play ability but they are far from the Legion of Boom that they were 2-3 years ago.
2. Carolina Panthers 7 – CAR defense will continue to be strong with Kuechly and Peppers leading the way.
3. Cincinnati Bengals 9 – Atkin’s motor never stops running and they picked up a number of talented defensive players in the draft.
4. Houston Texans 9 – If J.J. Watts is healthy, Texans will continue to be a dominant defense.
5. Kansas City Chiefs 5 – KC has one of the best front 7 defensive players in the league when healthy. Last year, they were not very healthy. If they health, they are a top 5 DEF.
6. Denver Broncos 11 – Ranked pretty low for the defending Superbowl Champions. This is only because they are no longer solid at QB but don’t let them fool you. Paxton Lynch looks really good and they have a great offense. Their Defense will not suffer.
7. Arizona Cardinals 9 – Arizona has a high powered offense that should give their defense a lead to defend and the ability to make risks. This means turnovers, expect lots of them.
8. New York Jets 11 – Jets have been solid defensively and no matter how rocky the offense looks, the defense always has a good showing.
9. Green Bay Packers 4 – As long as Clay Matthews is not indicted on PED charges, we should see a stout DEF weekly by the Packers.
10. Oakland Raiders 10 – The MACK-Truck and Raiders defense looks prime for a great year but need their offense to come up big as well.

 

 

Fantasy football TE rankings for 2016

There are definitely a limited amount of Tight Ends to select from. Most fantasy football teams will only carry one TE and either leave the position empty or pickup a free agent as required. This position is not typically known to put up big points. Here is the top 10 TE rankings according to ESPN.com. As usual, I am listing them with Name, Team, Bye Week…

1. Rob Gronkowski NE 9 – Gronk is by far the best TE and is the only one worth considering drafting anytime earlier than 5th round. Need to be aware that Brady will be serving suspension first 4 games so that will likely affect his numbers to begin the season.
2. Jordan Reed WAS 9 – Reed had a breakout year last year and Washington is hoping for much of the same this year.
3. Greg Olsen CAR 7 – Olsen is a great receiving TE on a team that will find him in the red zone. Carolina has Benjamin returning to solidify the WR core but Olsen will still get his touches.
4. Delanie Walker TEN 13 – LOVE Walker. As a Niner fan, I really wish we kept Walker and let Vernon Davis go. If you look back to the time we let Delanie go, his stats in TEN went through the roof while Vernon Davis went through the ground like a jackhammer….aka Kam Chancellor.. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgtGmkJ-Tvk) – This was the beginning of the end of Davis’ career!
5. Travis Kelce KC 5 – Kelce is a great value TE that will put up good numbers. He plays with a QB that does not throw to WRs very well but has had great success throwing to TEs, specifically Kelce over the last few years. I expect the same this year and would consider him a #2 TE, not #5.
6. Coby Fleener NO 5 – Fleener is definitely capable but he never put up stats in IND with Luck as his QB. Brees is known for his past with TEs (Jimmy Graham). Coulld Fleener fill those shoes?
7. Tyler Eifert CIN 9 – Eifert is a strong TE that will give you solid points. Do not expect a lot of breakout performances though. Dalton likes to go to his WRs.
8. Gary Barnidge CLE 13 – Barnidge is a serious talent. Put him on a team with a solid QB and I would put Barnidge in top 5 TEs to pick from but his QB is likely going to be Robert Griffin III to start the year. It all depends on how the offense does. If QB is able to get the ball out, Barnidge will make plays.
9. Zach Ertz PHI 4 – QB controversy or not, Ertz has always been a good TE and put up solid numbers.
10. Antonio Gates SD 11 – Gates is a great TE but he is getting old and will be on the injured list often, guaranteed! Picking up his backup would not be a bad idea, I believe it will be Jeff Cumberland.

Now a few TEs that are not rated in the top 10 to consider in the later rounds (10th round or later)…

1. Jimmy Graham SEA 5 – You cannot deny what he was able to do with Drew Brees just 2 years ago. It may be worth picking him up late as he may surprise by having a comeback year.
2. Jason Witten DAL 7 – Witten has been a great TE for many years. He is getting old so injury is a concern but he has amazing QBs this year that will make him look really good.
3. Kyle Rudolph MIN 6 – With the performance of Bridgewater last year and raised expectations this year, I suspect that Rudolph will benefit.
4. Vance McDonald SF 8 – I know SF is a mess… But I have watched the first few preseason games and the Chip Kelly offense is legit! Niners will definitely be able to move the ball and score, whether the QB is Gabbert, Kaepernick, Driskel OR Ponder who was amazing on Saturday after being signed three days before gameday. That said, McDonald is a special TE that is capable of blocking which means he will be on the field a lot and is a great route runner. He has proven already that he is a capable receiver as well. He would be a good late round pickup.

Fantasy football QB rankings for 2016

Quarterbacks are not really considered a prize possession in Fantasy Football like Running Backs. You can get away with an average Quarterback and still win it all if you are strong in other positions such as RB/WR/TE. Considering the Quarterback will still be putting up the third most points on average for you from your roster, you cannot completely ignore them.

during the NFC Championship Game at Bank of America Stadium on January 24, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Top 10 QBs (Ranking by ESPN.com)

(NAME/TEAM/BYE WEEK/IMHO)

1. Cam Newton CAR 7 – Certainly the best QB on the list. He is not only talented but he is coming off his best year and after reaching the Superbowl, he will be hungry to get back and win it all. His ability to run and get TDs himself inside the red zone makes him even more attractive.
2. Aaron Rodgers GB 4 – Rodgers needs to get back to 2014 form. Granted he did not have his favorite target (Jordy Nelson) last year and Eddie Lacy did not run well, he still put up good numbers… 3800+ yards, 31 TDs and only 8 INTs…SOLID! With Nelson back and Lacy looking good in preseason, all looks positive for Rodgers.
3. Russell Wilson SEA 5 – This is the safety zone. Wilson is smart and is capable of making big plays. He had his best year last year. He threw for over 4000 yards and 34 TDS with only 8 INTs. Those are better numbers than Aaron Rodgers statistically.
4. Andrew Luck IND 10 – Luck needs to leave the luck of the Irish behind him and start playing ball. He has been shooting himself in the foot in the past by throwing too many picks. He is not a young QB anymore and needs to cut down on turnovers (12 INTs in only 7 games in 2015).
5. Drew Brees NO 5 – It is hard to bet against Drew Brees but he continues to get older and the Saints do not have much of a run game. He has some fast WRs but only Brandin Cooks is a legit WR1. Could not pick the rest out of a lineup.
6. Ben Roethlisberger PIT 8 – Personally, I would have put Big Ben #4. I think he will post better numbers than both Luck and Brees. The only reason he may not is because Luck and Brees have less of a run game so they will be throwing a lot more. PIT has Le’Veon Bell and DeAngelo Williams. They will be bell cows (will have a lot of carries for the novice).
7. Carson Palmer ARI 9 – Palmer has always shown that he is capable of having big numbers. Add the fact that he gets to play against the Niners and Rams a total of 4 games and you have the making of a great year statistically.
8. Tom Brady NE 9 – Brady is the top QB, well at least top 3 QB but is ranked low because he will miss the first 4 games with a suspension due to the Deflategate scandal!
9. Eli Manning NYG 8 – Sorry, I cannot get on board with Eli. I do not think he is a very good QB. If it was not for his WRs (Odell Beckham Jr. and Victor Cruz), he would not be in top 10 and is not in my top 10 for sure. I could list 10 QBs that I would pick before Eli.
10. Blake Bortles JAC 5 – Bortles had a solid year last year and now he has a running game with DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry. This will only give Bortles more opportunities down the field.

Looking at the top 10 list above I see a number of QBs that either do not belong there or there are QBs ranked lower that should be considered top 10 QBs this year.

Top QBs that should be considered

1. Tony Romo DAL 7 – If healthy, Romo will put up great numbers as he always does and should be considered a top 10 QB. The problem is that he is unable to stay healthy. Whether it is his back, neck or collarbone, it seems something always happens which leads me to my next QB…
2. Dax Prescott DAL 7 – IF you draft Romo, YOU MUST PICK UP PRESCOTT for insurance in case Romo is hurt and based on what Prescott has done in the preseason so far (even against 1st team defenses), he looks to be the next big time QB.
3. Derek Carr OAK 10 – I really like Carr. I think he is smart and has a lot of talent but can he limit his mistakes and make the big throws. He has a running game (Latavius Murray) and two strong WRs… Amani Cooper and Michael Crabtree.
4. Marcus Mariota TEN 13 –  Mariota had a solid rookie year last year to make him a good mid to late round pickup, Low QB1 but a solid QB2 (backup).
5. Teddy Bridgewater MIN 6 – Bridgewater is ranked 26th on QB list but he will continue to improve as he did last year. He has the #1 RB in the league (Adrian Peterson). He should have a solid year.
6. Andy Dalton CIN 9 – Andy Dalton is always a solid QB with a number of options in the passing game. He always does well so long as you do not have to play him during the NFL playoff games. He always seems to choke!
7. Jameis Winston TB 6 – Winston had a solid rookie year last year to make him a good mid to late round pickup, low QB1 but a solid QB2.
8. Matt Ryan ATL 11 – What?!… ESPN seriously disrespecting Matt Ryan. They have him ranked 22, based on the rankings, I can see him ranked as high as 12. He Has a running game with Freeman and a top 5 WR in Julio Jones.

…stay tuned. There is more to come as I will go through Tight Ends, Defenses and Kickers next. Those should be brief and likely not take very long.

Fantasy Football WR Projections

RANKED WIDE RECIEVERS – 2016 DRAFT PREP

In this round, I will discuss Wide Receivers. I will not do top 20 ranked players like I did with RBs because that post got out of hand and was too long! The rest of my posts will stick to the same format… Top 10 position players, top 10 position players that you should be aware of which will include underrated players and players that may surprise you.

RANK, PLAYER, TEAM, BYE, MY OPINION:
1. Antonio Brown PIT 8 – Antonio Brown is a great receiver and is definitely Big Ben’s go to guy. He will continue to be a work horse and put up big numbers.
2. Odell Beckham Jr. NYG 8 – Odell is a rockstar as the picture above proves. He is an amazing athlete that will put up big numbers. His numbers will only be limited by how Eli does. Will he be the TD maker or will he continue to throw to the other team?
3. Julio Jones ATL 11 – Jones is in his prime and with his size and speed, few can keep up with him. Now that they have a ligitmate RB in Devonta Freeman, Matt Ryan will find Jones open more often.
4. DeAndre Hopkins HOU 9 – Hopkins has a lot of talent but he does not currently have a proven QB. Osweiler has a lot to prove and if he has trouble hitting his wide outs, DeAndre Hopkins, as well as Cecil Shorts III and Jaelen Strong, will see their stats suffer.
5. Dez Bryant DAL 7 – Dez is prime for an excellent year. If Romo stays healthy or not, Dez should put up solid numbers weekly. You may fear Romo’s health but their rookie QB Dak Prescott is a serious baller and will be able to pick up where Romo leaves off. I see a bright future for Prescott!
6. A.J. Green CIN 9 – Green is always a solid pick. He is Andy Dalton’s favorite target and is often getting 40+ yard catches which means bonus points.
7. Allen Robinson JAC 5 – Robinson is a strong pick. He had a breakout rookie year last year putting up 1400 yards catching and 14 TDs. Expect a possible sophmore slump where you see a dip in these numbers but he will likely still put up 1000 yards and 10 TDs.
8. Jordy Nelson GB 4 – Nelson is a great WR but comes with risk. He missed all of last year with a torn ACL and currently is not participating in preseason due to a knee injury (not severe). If he is healthy, Nelson will be a great 3rd-5th round pick but I do not consider him a top 10 WR because of his injury issues right now. If I am looking for a second WR in the 5th round and he is still available, I will be taking him for sure.
9. Brandon Marshall NYJ 11 – Marshall is getting older but he is still one of the best at his trade. He will continue to be consistent and there is no reason to doubt he will not put up another 1300+ yards and 12+ TDs.
10. Alshon Jeffery CHI 9 – Be wary of Jeffrey!  Jeffery missed seven games due to injury last season, but he was one of the most dominant WRs when active. Though he is the number one target in Chicago, he once again is fighting injury (hamstring) and has an inconsistent QB in Jay Cutler. Consider him a borderline WR1 with top-five potential if he can stay healthy

My Top WRs that are ranked lower than 30:

1. Josh Gordon CLE 13 – Gordon is currently hurt and will start the season serving a 4-game suspension but if the idiot can stay off the weed, he could get back to glory. Just 3 short seasons ago, he led all WRs in Fantasy points and had multiple 200+ games. He is still young and capable of being an Elite WR. Definitely comes with a risk.
2. Michael Crabtree OAK 10 – Crabtree is a possession receiver and and will not put up big numbers. But if you need a WR3/Flex/Backup, he is a good option. He will put up about 75 yards a game but will not hit the end zone a lot. Most red zone touches will go to Amari Cooper.
3. Travis Benjamin SD 11 – Benjamin almost went for 1000 yards last year and he did that in Cleveland where the QB position was anything but stable. Now he is in San Diego where he has a veteran QB so he may see a lot more touches and with his youth and quickness, could have a breakout year.
4. Danny Amendola NE 9 –  Amendola is one of the most fragile WRs in the league but you cannot deny that, when healthy and on the Patriots where Brady throws 50 passes a game, Amendola WILL have stats!
5. Pierre Garcon WAS 9 – Garcon continues to prove that he can put up statistics even with an average QB.

Fantasy Football 2016

WELCOME BACK FANTASY FOOTBALL!

Fantasy Football is back for the 2016 season and I am ready to put in my two cents on the upcoming season. As this pertains to fantasy football, I will start with the most important position… Running Back!

First, you will see the list of top 20 RBs as ranked by ESPN (dated Aug-19 2016). Now this will only give a fantasy league with 10 teams 2 RBs each and we all know every team needs 3-4 RBs on their roster at all times. It is important to pick players that do not have a bye week at the same time but sometimes that is unavoidable. Along with the default rankings, I will also provide you my opinion on their rank position as well as any sleepers you should possibly consider drafting in mid to late rounds that would be value picks.

Top 20 Ranked Running Backs (Source: ESPN.com). Provided is Name, Team Name and Bye week:

1. Adrian Peterson MIN 6 – Likely will be #1 on most boards
2. Todd Gurley LA 8 – Gurley is a beast and if he avoids injury, he will have a big year. Remember that he has a rookie QB (Goff) so Gurley will have a lot of touches both on the ground and quick dump offs on the flat for receptions. This is huge for PPR (Points Per Run/Reception) leagues. In case Gurley gets injured, consider picking up backup B. Cunningham.
3. Ezekiel Elliott DAL 7 – Elliott is positioned to be the starter for Dallas as long as he is healthy. Dallas has the best offensive line in the Pros and his numbers will benefit from that. One thing to note that Dallas also has Alfred Morris and Darren McFadden so Elliott likely will not get 20+ carries a game.
4. David Johnson ARI 9 – Surprising to me that David Johnson is ranked so high and in fact higher than teammate Chris Johnson who was the starter last year. D. Johnson did get most of the carries in the red zone so he had a lot of TDs. Also be aware that they have Ellington and Stephan Taylor. They carried 4 RBs last year and they may do the same this year. Understand that they are treated as a 3-headed monster so it is hard to get a read on who will get the most touches and when.
5. Devonta Freeman ATL 11 – Came out of nowhere in 2015 and made fantasy owners that picked Freeman up from free agency look like geniuses.
6. Le’Veon Bell PIT 8 – Well this is a risky one. On one hand, Bell is an incredible RB on a great team and when healthy, he is a top ranked RB. He is currently ranked at 6 but should be ranked second or third. The downside is his health. The last few years he has been injured a lot which has lowered his stock. If you take Bell, pick up DeAngelo Williams who had his best year since he was in his prime in Carolina years ago.
7. Lamar Miller HOU 9 – Miller is a safe pick but will not give you huge numbers. Miami does not have a great offense and his numbers tend to suffer. Also, be aware that they picked up Arian Foster who, when healthy, is one of the best RBs in the league… just cannot stay healthy.
8. Doug Martin TB 6 – Last year he made a comeback but I do not feel he is worth a first round pick. I see RBs lower in the rankings that are worth picking ahead of Martin. I would say Martin is a good 3rd round pick.
9. Mark Ingram NO 5 – Ingram is the primary RB for the Saints but with Drew Brees, they have always been more of a throwing team as many others trend this way as well. Ingram is small and is prone to injury and is similar to Martin where there are lower ranked RBs worth taking before Ingram.
10. Eddie Lacy GB 4 – Lacy is NOT a #10 RB this year, he should be ranked in the top 3. Lacy has lost weight in the off season and so far has run very well in the preseason. Add the fact that they will have their best WR (Jordy Nelson) back from achilles injury and it spells a big year for Lacy!
11. Jamaal Charles KC 5 – Charles is another RB that is ranked lower than usual because he was hurt last year. It was his second ACL injury but if returns healthy, he will put up big numbers. He has been a big touch guy in the past but I think that KC will limit him as he returns from his ACL injury. If you get Charles, be sure to get back up RB Knile Davis or Spencer Ware as they would be splitting time.
12. LeSean McCoy BUF 10 – Getting older and regularly battles injuries. Has not been a true #1 fantasy RB since he left Eagles. Also, young Karlos Williams is a great backup that may take touches away from McCoy as we get later in the season.
13. Thomas Rawls SEA 5 – With Marshawn Lynch gone, Rawls is the clear starter. He got hurt last year but before he did, he was putting up some impressive numbers… better than Lynch in fact! I would consider him a top 10 RB.
14. Jonathan Stewart CAR 7 – When healthy, Stewart is one the best RBs in the league. His touches typically not very high because Cam Newton likes to throw the ball and will take TDs away from Stewart when they are inside the 5 yard line with his desire and ability to dive  into the end zone.
15. Carlos Hyde SF 8 – This is an intriguing pick but risky. Niners will have an improved O-Line with rookie Garrett and return of Anthony Davis BUT… who will be the QB? Who will the QB throw to? Test time… name projected WR starters… I will give you one Torrey Smith, can you name the other? LMFAO… 😦 That aside and even if the defenses stack the box, I can see Hyde running for 1500 yards and 10 TDs this year.
16. C.J. Anderson DEN 11 – Anderson is a safe pickup but they do not  have a QB anymore so he will not have as much room to run. Plus, Denver does not use a true #1 RB, they share the duties between Anderson and Hilman but Anderson gets more touches.
17. Matt Forte NYJ 11 – Forte has been a solid pick over the last few years while with the Bears but is ranked as a RB2 not RB1. He is now with the Jets so I would not pick Forte earlier than round 3.
18. Jeremy Hill CIN 9 – Hill is an impressive RB that is only low on the ranking list because he loses touches to Bernard, a change of pace type of back that limits Hill’s touches.
19. Latavius Murray OAK 10 – Raiders are better but Murray is inconsistent. He will have a few 100+ yard games but he will have too many games where he does not even get 50 yards. Also, he needs to hold onto the ball. He fumbled way too much last year.
20. Dion Lewis NE 9 – Who? Come on, really… Patriots do not run, Brady throws ~50 times a game. No RB running for Pats is considered anything more than a FLEX player or a backup RB3

Running Backs not in top 20 

I also want to point out a few Running backs that you should be aware of that are flying under the radar and have the potential to make a difference this year.

1. Ryan Mathews PHI – He is the starting RB and other Darrent Sproles, I do not see a RB that will take away many touches.
2. DeMarco Murray TEN – Looks good in preseason so far but that can be smoke and mirrors. Good RB2 pick, not RB1 only because Tennessee has Sankey as well as rookie Derrick Henry from Alabama who could edge all RBs and take over the starter role.
3. Derrick Henry TEN – As mentioned above, great looking rookie RB with no ceiling for potential. He looks to be a great RB2/FLEX player that will likely be available as late as the 6th round.
4. Jeremy Langford CHI – Langford took over the starting job when Forte was hurt last year and never relinquished it. He is a strong runner and should be considered a strong RB2
5. Arian Foster MIA – If healthy, will run extremely well and you will see him out there more often than Miller.
6. DeAngelo Williams PIT – If you took Le’Veon Bell, Williams is an absolute MUST!
7. Giovani Bernard CIN – Bernard is limited in touches because Jeremy Hill is the starter but he is explosive and is capable of the long runs. Great FLEX player.
8. Ameer Abdullah – Abdullah will be the starter in DET. They do not have any OFF other than Abdullah so he will get a lot of touches. Good RB2
9. Chris Johnson ARI – Chris Johnson is ranked 55 while teammate David Johnson is ranked 4 because of the broken leg he suffered last year. If he makes a full recovery, he could take touches back from D. Johnson and make some noise.
10. Alfred Morris DAL – Picked up in Free Agency, Morris will be backing up Ezekiel Elliott and will get his fair share of touches and TDs thanks to the best offensive line in the league. I believe that McFadden will be traded or waived or simply see a lot of the bench this year.