UA-59049186-1 2016 Fantasy Football Guide - Good if it Goes

2016 Fantasy Football Guide

Well folks, it’s that time of year again. Football season is almost here but more importantly, it’s almost time for fantasy football! Draft season is quickly approaching and it’ll be time to make those oh so critical decisions such as standard or PPR, auction or regular draft, team defenses or IDPs. Hell, nowadays there’s the decision of standard league or daily fantasy. The choices and various ways to play fantasy football continue to grow. Don’t worry. As the resident fantasy football expert here at GIIG, I’m here to help and give you the expert advice, analysis, and rankings you need to win your leagues.

Standard Rankings 

These are my position and overall rankings for standard fantasy leagues that use default scoring and position settings. Make sure you scroll all the way down the page as there is a large break between the end of the standard rankings and the start of the PPR rankings.

Position Rankings

Quarterbacks Running Backs Wide Receivers
1. Cam Newton, Car 1. LeVeon Bell, Pit 1. Antonio Brown, Pit
2. Russell Wilson, Sea 2. Todd Gurley, Stl 2. Julio Jones, Atl
3. Aaron Rodgers, GB 3. Adrian Peterson, Min 3. Odell Beckham Jr, Nyg
4. Drew Brees, NO 4. Ezekiel Elliott, Dal 4. DeAndre Hopkins, Hou
5. Ben Roethlisberger, Pit 5. Jamaal Charles, KC 5. A.J. Green, Cin
6. Carson Palmer, Ari 6. LeSean McCoy, Buf 6. Allen Robinson, Jac
7. Andrew Luck, Ind 7. Lamar Miller, Hou 7. Dez Bryant, Dal
8. Tom Brady, NE 8. Thomas Rawals, Sea 8. Alson Jeffery, Chi
9. Blake Bortles, Jac 9. David Johnson, Ari 9. Jordy Nelson, GB
10.  Tyrod Taylor, Buf 10. Doug Martin, TB 10. Demaryius Thomas, Den
11. Eli Manning, NYG 11. Devonta Freeman, Atl 11. Brandon Marshall, Nyj
12. Phillip Rivers, SD 12. Jonathan Stewart, Car 12. Brandin Cooks, NO
13. Derek Carr, Oak 13. Demarco Murray, Ten 13. Kennan Allen, SD
14. Kirk Cousins, Wsh 14. Mark Ingram, NO 14. Sammy Watkins, Buf
15. Jameis Winston, TB 15. Eddie Lacy, GB 15. Mike Evans, TB
16. Matt Ryan, Atl 16. Melvin Gordon, SD 16. Kelvin Benjamin, Car
17. Tony Romo, Dal 17. Latavius Murray, Oak 17. Amari Cooper, Oak
18. Marcus Mariota, Ten 18. Ryan Matthews, Phi 18. T.Y. Hilton, Ind
19. Andy Dalton, Cin 19. Matt Forte, NYJ 19. Golden Tate, Det
20. Matthew Stafford, Det 20. Ameer Abdullah, Det 20. Doug Baldwin, Sea
21. Ryan Tannehill, Mia 21. Dion Lewis, NE 21. Julian Edleman, NE
22. Jay Cutler, Chi 22. Justin Forsett, Bal 22. Jeremy Maclin, KC
23. Joe Flacco, Bal 23. C.J. Anderson, Den 23. Jarvis Landry, Mia
24. Alex Smith, KC 24. Chris Ivory, Jac 24. Larry Fitzgerald, Ari
25. Mark Sanchez, Den 25. Carlos Hyde, SF 25. Randall Cobb, GB
26. Brock Osweiler, Hou 26. Matt Jones, Wsh 26. John Brown, Ari
27. Geno Smith, Nyj 27. Jay Ajayi, Mia 27. Allen Hurns, Jac
28. Teddy Bridgewater, Min 28. Jeremy Langford, Chi 28. Emmanuel Sanders, Den
29. Colin Kaepernick, SF 29. Jeremy Hill, Cin 29. Jordan Matthews, Phi
30. Robert Griffin III, Cle 30. Duke Johnson, Cle 30. Eric Decker, NYJ
31. Paul Perkins, Nyg 31. Corey Coleman, Cle
32. Frank Gore, Ind 32. Steve Smith, Bal
33. Giovanni Benard, Cin 33. Michael Crabtree, Oak
34. Danny Woodhead, SD 34. DeVante Parker, Mia
35. Theo Reddick, Det 35. Markus Wheaton, Pit
36. Charles Sims, TB 36. Kevin White, Chi
37. LeGarrette Blount, NE 37. Stefon Diggs, Min
38. Ronnie Hillman, Den 38. Tyler Lockett, Sea
39. Rashad Jennings, NYG 39. Kamar Aiken, Bal
40. DeAngelo Williams, Pit 40. Desean Jackson, Wsh
41. T.J. Yeldon, Jac 41. Sterling Sheppard, Nyg
42. Isaiah Crowell, Cle 42. Willie Snead, NO
43. Chris Johnson, Ari 43. Torrey Smith, SF
44. Darren Sproles, Phi 44. Michael Floyd, Ari
45. Darren McFadden, Dal 45. Donte Moncrief, Ind
46. Kenneth Dixon, Bal 46. Kendall Wright, Ten
47. Charcandrick West, KC 47. Tavon Austin, Stl
48. Ka’Deem Carey, Chi 48. Vincent Jackson, TB
49. Derrick Henry, Ten 49. Travis Benjamin, SD
50. Robert Turbin, Ind 50. Tedd Ginn Jr, Car
51. Will Fuller, Hou
52. Dorial Green-Beckham, Ten
53. Marvin Jones, Detn
54. Mohammed Sanu, Atl
55. Laquon Treadwell, Mi
56. Josh Doctson, Wsh
57. Phillip Dorsett, Ind
58. Pierre Garcon, Wsh
59. Danny Amendola, NE
60. Jermaine Kearse, Sea
61. Terrance Williams, Dal
62. Robert Woods, Buf
63. Rishard Matthews, Ten
64. Sammie Coats, Pit
65. Kenny Britt, Stl
66. Brandon Lafell, Cin
67. Nelson Agholor, Phi
68. Mike Wallace, Bal
69. Rashad Greene, Jac
70. Justin Hardy, Atl
71. Michael Thomas, NO
72. Victor Cruz, Nyg
73. Davante Adams, GB
74. Bruce Ellington, SF
75. Stevie Johnson, SD

 

Tight Ends Defense/Special Teams Kickers
1. Rob Gronkowski, NE 1. Arizona Cardinals 1. Stephen Gostkowski, NE
2. Greg Olsen, Car 2. Denver Broncos 2. Dan Bailey, Dal
3. Tyler Eiffert, Cin 3. Seattle Seahawks 3. Justin Tucker, Bal
4. Delanie Walker, Ten 4. Houston Texans 4. Graham Gano, Car
5. Jordan Reed, Wsh 5. Kansas City Chiefs 5. Steven Hauschka, Sea
6. Coby Fleener, NO 6. Los Angeles Rams 6. Chris Boswell, Pit
7. Gary Barnidge, Cle 7. Minnesota Vikings 7. Chandler Catanzaro, Ari
8. Jimmy Graham, Sea 8. Cincinnati Bengals 8. Mason Crosby, GB
9. Travis Kelce, KC 9. Carolina Panthers 9. Adam Vinatieri, Ind
10. Martellus Bennett, NE 10. New England Patriots 10. Brandon McManus, Den
11. Julius Thomas, Jac 11. Washington Redskins 11. Josh Brown, Nyg
12. Ladarius Green, Pit 12. New York Jets 12. Blair Walsh, Min
13. Zach Ertz, Phi 13. Oakland Raiders 13. Roberto Aguayo, TB
14. Eric Ebron, Det 14. Baltimore Ravens 14. Matt Bryant, Atl
15. Antonio Gates, SD 15. Philadelphia Eagles 15. Matt Prater, Det
16. Zach Miller, Chi 16. Buffalo Bills 16. Kai Forbath, NO
17. Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TB 17. Green Bay Packers 17. Jason Myers, Jac
18. Charles Clay, Buf 18. Jacksonville Jaguars 18. Nick Foles, Nyj
19. Jason Witten, Dal 19. New York Giants 19. Sebastian Janikowski, Oak
20. Jared Cook, GB 20. Pittsburgh Steelers 20. Dan Carpenter, Buf
21. Dwayne Allen, Ind 21. Detroit Lions
22. Jordan Cameron, Mia 22. Miami Dolphins
23. Ben Watson, Bal 23. San Diego Chargers
24. Larry Donnell, Nyg 24. Chicago Bears
25. Jace Amaro, Nyj 25. Dallas Cowboys
26. Kyle Rudolph, Min 26. Atlanta Falcons
27. Vance McDonald, SF 27. Tennessee Titans
28. Clive Walford, Oak 28. Indianopolis Colts
29. Niles Paul, Wsh 29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
30. Hunter Henry, SD 30. San Francisco 49ers
31. New Orleans Saints
32. Cleveland Browns
Top 150 Overall
1. WR. Antonio Brown
2. WR. Julio Jones
3. RB. LeVeon Bell
4. RB. Todd Gurley
5. WR. Odell Beckham Jr
6. RB. Adrian Peterson
7. WR. DeAndre Hopkins
8. WR. A.J. Green
9. RB. Ezekiel Elliott
10. WR. Allen Robinson
11. TE. Rob Gronkoswki
12. RB. Jamaal Charles
13. RB. LeSean McCoy
14. WR. Dez Bryant
15. WR. Alson Jeffery
16. RB. Lamar Miller
17. RB. Thomas Rawals
18. RB. David Johnson
19. RB. Doug Martin
20. WR. Jordy Nelson
21. WR. Demaryius Thomas
22. WR. Brandon Marshall
23. WR. Brandin Cooks
24. WR. Kennan Allen
25. QB. Cam Newton
26. WR. Sammy Watkins
27. RB. Devonta Freeman
28. WR. Mike Evans
29. WR. Kelvin Benjamin
30. WR. Amari Cooper
31. QB. Russell Wilson
32. QB. Aaron Rodgers
33. WR. T.Y. Hilton
34. RB. Mark Ingram
35. TE. Greg Olsen
36. RB. Eddie Lacy
37. TE. Tyler Eiffert
38. WR. Golden Tate
39. RB. Melvin Gordon
40. RB. Doug Baldwin
41. QB. Drew Brees
42. QB. Ben Roethlisberger
43. QB. Carson Palmer
44. QB. Andrew Luck
45. TE. Delanie Walker
46. RB. Latavius Murray
47. WR. Julian Edleman
48. WR. Jeremy Mcalin
49. WR. Jarvis Landry
50. WR. Larry Fitzgerald
51. WR. Randall Cobb
52. TE. Jordan Reed
53. RB. Ryan Matthews
54. WR. John Brown
55. WR. Allen Hurns
56. WR. Emmanuel Sanders
57. QB. Tom Brady
58. TE. Coby Fleener
59. QB. Blake Bortles
60. WR. Jordan Matthews
61. RB. Matt Forte
62. RB. Ameer Abdullah
63. TE. Gary Barnidge
64. WR. Eric Decker
65. TE. Jimmy Graham
66. RB. Dion Lewis
67. QB. Tyrod Taylor
68. TE. Martellus Bennett
69. WR. Justin Forsett
70. RB. C.J. Anderson
71. RB. Chris Ivory
72. RB. Carlos Hyde
73. WR. Corey Coleman
74. WR. Steve Smith
75. TE. Julius Thomas
76. TE. Ladarius Green
77. RB. Matt Jones
78. RB. Jay Ajayi
79. RB. Jeremy Langford
80. WR. Michael Crabtree
81. WR. DeVante Parker
82. WR. Markus Wheaton
83. WR. Kevin White
84. WR. Stefon Diggs
85. RB. Jeremy Hill
86. RB. Duke Johnson
87. WR. Tyler Lockett
88. WR. Kamar Aiken
89. TE. Zach Ertz
90. TE. Eric Ebron
91. QB. Eli Manning
92. QB. Philip Rivers
93. QB. Derek Carr
94. RB. Paul Perkins
95. WR. Desean Jackson
96. RB. Frank Gore
97. WR. Sterling Sheppard
98. RB. Giovanni Benard
99. WR. Willie Snead
100. WR. Torrey Smith
101. WR. Michael Floyd
102. WR. Donte Moncrief
103. WR. Kendall Wright
104. RB. Danny Woodhead
105. WR. Tavon Austin
106. WR. Vincent Jackson
107. TE. Antonio Gates
108. WR. Travis Benjamin
109. WR. Tedd Ginn Jr
110. TE. Zach Miller
111. D/ST. Arizona Cardinals
112. D/ST. Denver Broncos
113. D/ST. Seattle Seahawks
114. D/ST. Houston Texans
115. D/ST. Kansas City Chiefs
116. RB. Theo Reddick
117. RB. Charles Sims
118. QB. Kirk Cousins
119. QB. Jamies Wintston
120. QB. Matt Ryan
121. D/ST. Los Angeles Rams
122. D/ST. Minnesota Vikings
123. TE. Austin Seferian-Jenkins
124. RB. LeGarrette Blount
125. D/ST. Cincinnati Bengals
126. D/ST. Carolina Panthers
127. RB. Ronnie Hillman
128. QB. Tony Romo
129. D/ST. New England Patriots
130. TE. Charles Clay
131. WR. Will Fuller
132. WR. Dorial Green-Beckham
133. QB. Marcus Mariota
134. RB. Rashad Jennings
135. WR. Marvin Jones
136. WR. Mohammed Sanu
137. WR. Laquon Treadwell
138. WR. Josh Doctson
139. WR. Phillip Dorsett
140. QB. Andy Dalton
141. QB. Matthew Stafford
142. QB. Jason Witten
143. TE. Jared Cook
144. WR. Pierre Garcon
145. WR. Danny Amendola
146. WR. Jermaine Kearse
147. WR. Terrance Williams
148. WR. Robert Woods
149. RB. DeAngelo Williams
150. RB.T.J. Yeldon

PPR Rankings

PPR leagues are becoming more and more popular every year in fantasy football. However, most sites still don’t provide rankings, analysis or much acknowledgement of any kind towards this scoring system. Here at GIIG, we cater to what your wants and needs. So the next thing I want to bless you good people with is actual PPR rankings. For those of you new to fantasy football, PPR means points per reception. Points for reception are taken into account and the rankings of the skill positions will slightly differ from my standard rankings. The quarterback, defense/special teams, and kicker positions are all unaffected by PPR so I made no changes to those position rankings.

Running Backs Receivers Tight Ends
1. LeVeon Bell, Pit 1. Antonio Brown, Pit 1. Rob Gronkowski, NE
2. Ezekiel Elliott, 2. Julio Jones, Atl 2. Delanie Walker, Ten
3. Dal Todd Gurley, Stl 3. Odell Beckham Jr, Nyg 3. Greg Olsen, Car
4. Adrian Peterson, Min 4. A.J. Green, Cin 4. Tyler Eiffert, Cin
5. Jamaal Charles, KC 5. DeAndre Hopkins, Hou 5. Coby Fleener, NO
6. Lesean McCoy, Buf 6. Allen Robinson, Jac 6. Gary Barnidge, Cle
7. David Johnson, Ari 7. Jorday Nelson, GB 7. Jordan Reed, Wsh
8. Devonta Freeman, Atl 8. Dez Bryant, Dal 8. Jimmy Graham, Sea
9. Lamar Miller, Hou 9. Alson Jeffery, Chi 9. Martellus Bennett, NE
10. Doug Martin, TB 10. Demaryius Thomas, Den 10. Travis Kelce, KC
11. Thomas Rawals, Sea 11. Kennan Allen, SD 11. Julius Thomas, Jac
12. Mark Ingram, NO 12. Brandin Cooks, NO 12. Ladarius Green, Pit
13. Eddie Lacy, GB 13. Brandon Marshall, Nyj 13. Anonio Gates, SD
14. Matt Forte, Nyj 14. Jarvis Landry, Mia 14. Eric Ebron, Det
15. Dion Lewis, NE 15. Sammy Watkins, Buf 15. Zach Ertz, Phi
16. Demarco Murray, Ten 16. Julian Eldleman, NE 16. Charles Clay, Buf
17. Jonathan Stewart, Car 17. Mike Evans, TB 17. Jason Witten, Dal
18. Ryan Matthews, Phi 18. T.Y. Hilton, Ind 18. Zach Miller, Chi
19. Melvin Gordon, SD 19. Amari Cooper, Oak 19. Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TB
20. Carlos Hyde, SF 20. Golden Tate, Det 20. Jared Cook, GB
21. Ameer Abdullah, Det 21. Larry Fitzgerald, Ari 21. Dwayne Allen, Ind
22. Latavius Murray, Oak 22. Randall Cobb, GB 22. Jace Amaro, Nyj
23. Jay Ajayi, Mia 23. Jeremy Maclin, KC 23. Ben Watson, Bal
24. Giovanni Benard, Cin 24. Kelvin Benjamin, Car 24. Jordan Cameron, Mia
25. Duke Johnson, Cle 25. Doug Baldwin, Sea 25. Larry Donnell, Nyg
26. C.J. Anderson, Den 26. Allen Hurns, Jac 26. Kyle Rudolph, Min
27. Justin Forsett, Bal 27. Emmanuel Sanders, Den 27. Vance McDonald, SF
28. Jeremy Langford, Chi 28. Jordan Matthews, Phi 28. Clive Walford, Oak
29. Matt Jones, Wsh 29. John Brown, Ari 29. Niles Paul, Wsh
30. Danny Woodhead, SD 30. Eric Decker, NYJ 30. Hunter Henry, SD
31. Paul Perkins, Nyg 31. Michael Crabtree, Oak
32. Theo Reddick, Det 32. Steve Smith, Bal
33. Frank Gore, Ind 33. Stefon Diggs, Min
34. Jeremy Hill, Cin 34. DeVante Parker, Mia
35. Chris Ivory, Jac 35. Markus Wheaton, Pit
36. Charles Sims, TB 36. Kevin White, Chi
37. Rashad Jennings, Nyg 37. Willie Snead, NO
38. LeGarrette Blount, NE 38. Tyler Lockett, Sea
39. Darren Sproles, Phi 39. Kendall Wright, Ten
40. Ronnie Hillman, Den 40. Donte Moncrief, Ind
41. DeAngelo Williams, Pit 41. Corey Coleman, Cle
42. Isaiah Crowell, Cle 42. Sterling Sheppard, Nyg
43. Chris Johnson, Ari 43. Michael Floyd, Ari
44. T.J. Yeldon, Jac 44. Desean Jackson, Wsh
45. Darren McFadden, Dal 45. Travis Benjamin, SD
46. Kenneth Dixon, Bal 46. Kamar Aiken, Bal
47. Charcandrick West, KC 47. Tavon Austin, Stl
48. Ka’Deem Carey, Chi 48. Vincent Jackson, TB
49. Robert Turbin, Ind 49. Marvin Jones, Det
50. C.J. Promise, Sea 50. Mohammed Sanu, Atl
51. Torrey Smith, SF
52. Tedd Ginn Jr, Car
53. Dorial Green-Beckham, Ten
54. Laquon Treadwell, Mi
55. Will Fuller, Hou
56. Danny Amendola, NE
57. Phillip Dorsett, Ind
58. Pierre Garcon, Wsh
59. Jermaine Kearse, Sea
60. Josh Doctson, Wsh
61. Rishard Matthews, Ten
62. Terrance Williams, Dal
63. Nelson Agholor, Phi
64. Robert Woods, Buf
65. Kenny Britt, Stl
66. Brandon Lafell, Cin
67. Sammie Coats, Pit
68. Michael Thomas, NO
69. Davante Adams, GB
70. Justin Hardy, Atl
71. Victor Cruz, Nyg
72. Rashad Greene, Jac
73. Stevie Johnson, SD
74. Bruce Ellington, SF
75. Mike Wallace, Bal

Draft Do’s & Don’ts

Do

  • Draft receivers, draft receivers, and most importantly draft receivers.
  • Draft a MINIMUM of 2 receivers with your first 4 picks.
  • Draft a kicker with your last pick. Most leagues are 8-12 teams. If you checked my kicker rankings, my 12th ranked kicker was Blair Walsh. He actually led all kickers in points a few years ago. You’ll be just fine with him if you can’t snag Bailey or Gostkowski. You’re always better off trying to find the next great sleeper than picking a kicker in those late rounds. Don’t be the guy who picks a kicker with their 9th pick just to “fill the starting lineup.”
  • Spend big and get multiple elite players if you’re doing an auction draft. In my experience, the team that goes all in on 3 elite players and surrounds them with a cheap but well thought out supporting cast wins over the more even spending rosters. If you can get Antonio Brown, Cam Newton and Adrian Peterson then dammit, go ahead and do it and the rest of the roster be damned.
  • If you draft an elite RB that gets the bulk of his team’s carries and isn’t in a time share (like Adrian Peterson, Todd Gurley, etc), draft their backup (better known as a handcuff in fantasy terms). Chances are back up RBs behind those guys aren’t gonna go very high anyway so you can get them without having to reach. For example, if you draft Gurley, who has a injury history, you definitely want to get Tre Mason (who isn’t even ranked in the top 75 RBs on ESPN.com’s rankings) at some point in your draft.
  • Draft your back up QB based on your starting QBs bye week. For example, if you draft Cam Newton (universally recognized as the top fantasy QB), then you probably don’t need to be looking for a backup QB until late. Even if Cam never gets hurt, his bye week is in week 7 and you’ll need somebody to start at QB that week. You should choose your backup QB based on which of the QBs available at the time you’re ready to draft a backup QB has the best matchup for week 7. Great backup options for Cam Newton would be Andy Dalton (Bengals play the Browns in week 7), Alex Smith (Chiefs play the Saints in week 7) or Jameis Winston (Bucs play the 49ers week 7). Of those choices, Winston would be my choice because not only does he have an easy week 7 matchup but he has more upside to break out and if Cam Newton does get hurt (God forbid), Winston might give my team a better shot at winning week in and week out.

Don’t

  • Draft two running backs with your 1st 2 picks. (it’s not 2006 bro)
    • (There is an exception to this rule but that’s a personal strategy of mine that I’m not at liberty to just give out all willy nilly).
  • Draft more than four running backs. You only really need 3 running backs and maybe 1 handcuff (see draft do’s for more on handcuffs)
  • Draft a defense early. (see my kickers point, remember 8-12 teams) Unless you’re in a freakishly large league everyone is gonna get a great or good defense no need to rush. In a 12 team league or larger, you’d want to draft one slightly higher than normal but with 10 teams or less you could be the last team to draft a defense and end up with the Patriots or Jets, not bad.
  • Draft two defenses or two kickers. Yes it’s true every team has a bye week and at some point you’ll need to play another kicker and a another defense. That is why you really should try to draft kickers and defenses with bye weeks later in the season. If you get them with later bye weeks, you can carry extra offensive sleepers on your roster in the hopes of hitting the lottery or as a plan B in case one of your picks suffers a serious injury. If you have kickers and defenses with late bye weeks, you can wait till later in the year to cut offensive players that you don’t need and picked up bye week options then.
  • Be cheap in auction drafts. Every year there’s one or two guys that haven’t spent a dime by the time all the elite players are off the board. They end up having to over pay for lesser players and ultimately end up with money left once the draft is over. You can’t take it with you so you always want to spend as close to all of the money in your budget as possible in an auction draft.
  • Go by a draft sites rankings create your own. Going by a sites default rankings will only fool you into thinking you can wait and try a steal a player you really like because he’s low on the default board. Other players in your draft won’t give a damn about those rankings and neither should you. Of course there will be some steals you can get but your best bet is to make your own rankings and take the highest player on your board.

Overrated/Underrated

Overrated

  • Jordan Reed is ranked too high – Don’t get me wrong, he’s a fine football player but he’s probably gonna get hurt and even if he doesn’t the Redskins have 4 good receivers and 3 tight ends that will play. There’s only so many catches to go around.
  • Devonta Freeman – If we’re talking PPR, then go ahead and take him but in standard leagues his rushing production alone won’t be enough to justify a late 1st early 2nd draft pick. His production during the 2nd half of last season was very poor.
  • David Johnson – I think Johnson is gonna play very well this year but I don’t think he’ll get the work load that justifies his top 10 ranking on almost every fantasy draft site I’ve seen. Chris Johnson actually ran well last year before he got hurt and the Cardinals brought him back for another year. He won’t get more touches than Johnson but don’t expect them to completely phase him out either.
  • Carlos Hyde, Jaye Adai, Kendall Langford, and Matt Jones – Don’t get suckered into the “theres value because’s he’s a starting back” idea. There is some truth to that but 2 of those backs (Adai & Langford) are completely unproven, Hyde is a decent NFL back but is a victim of his surroundings as he runs behind a mediocre O-Line complimented by an even worse passing attack. And Matt Jones simply isn’t very good. He averaged just 3.4 yards per carry and only had 3 TDs last year on 144 carries.
  • Andrew Luck – I’ve seen him ranked as high as 3 in some rankings and top 5 in most. On what grounds does Luck have to be ranked top 5 after the year he had last year. Even before he got hurt he was stinking up the joint and if you want to blame the offensive line that’s cool I would agree but guess what? The O-Line doesn’t figure to be much better in 2016. No way in hell am I drafting Luck over Wilson, Brees, Big Ben, or Carson Palmer.
  • Frank Gore – Gore wasn’t that good last year and now he’s a year older and Luck is back to throw the ball more which most likely means less carries for Gore. He might have a few good games but they’ll be a lot of weeks where he rushes for 50 and 60 yards with no TD.
  • Dion Lewis – I love Lewis for PPR but a top 20 RB ranking in standard leagues give me cause to pause. It’s a little to high risk high reward for my taste. He definitely balled out last year but the sample size was so small. Quite frankly the Patriots RB situation hasn’t been stable enough for consistent fantasy use since the Corey Dillon days. There are some weeks it seems they don’t even run the ball and then there’s a week some guy named Stevan Ridley rushes for 200 yards.
  • Jordy Nelson – I’ve seen him ranked as high as top 5 receiver. Fresh off ACL surgery after a year his QB had the worst season of his career there are just a few other options I’d rather go with than Nelson this year. I’m fine with him in the top 10 but top 5-8 is definitely too rich for my blood.

Underrated

  • A.J. Green in the 1st round – The Bengals lost both their 2nd and 3rd best receivers in free agency and didn’t get a big name in the draft. Brandon Lafell isn’t very good which means Dalton is gonna be throwing to Green even more.
  • Thomas Rawals – There’s a lot of hype about a 2nd year NFC West RB but they got the wrong 1. Rawals was a flat out beast last year and did it behind a below average O-Line.
  • Demarco Murray – It was just 2 years ago when he was the top back in fantasy and now he’s barely in some people’s Top 20? Playing in Tennessee where they will run the ball and maybe even utilize some read option with Mariota should really open things up for Murray to return to form. Don’t be fooled by one season where he was misused by Chip Kelly.
  • Gary Barnidge – Many will steer clear of any Browns players but just because their win-loss record will suck doesn’t mean they can’t have any relevant fantasy players. Barnidge caught 79 balls for over 1,000 yards receiving and 9 TDs last season with nothing at QB. If RG3 actually plays well he could really be a steal for someone.
  • Ben Roethlisberger – Am I missing something? I’ve seen this guy rated around 7 or 8 at best and sometimes lower but how is he not higher? He has both the best receiver and running back in the NFL at his disposal and is protected by 1 of the best O-Lines in the NFL. Baring injury he should be a top 6 QB at the least.
  • Blake Bortles – Most people wouldn’t agree but I got him in my Top 10. It’s not even about his own ability but the ability of that loaded team around him. He’s got just enough talent to thrive with Robinson, Hurns, and Thomas to throw to.
  • Latavius Murray – Only 7 RBs rushed for over 1,000 yards last year and this guy was 1 of them. Yet he’s not even ranked in the top 20 on some sites. That’s fine with me, I hope opposing players take Matt Jones, Jay Ajayi, and Frank Gore ahead of him in every league I’m in.
  • Ryan Matthews – Another criminally underrated back. All Matthews did was rush for 5.0 yards per carry last season in a limited role for an unorganized team. He only started 6 games and rushed for over 500 yards and had 20 catches.

Sleepers

  • Corey Coleman – A little of the Kamar Aiken and Stefon Diggs effect here. Those guys did numbers last year in large part because their simply weren’t any other receivers worth throwing to on their teams. Coleman is in a similar predicament and has even more talent than both.
  • Paul Perkins – At some point, Perkins is gonna be the guy over Rashad Jennings. He’s just way more talented. The threat of the Giants passing game should open things up and give Perkins a nice standard box to run against.
  • Kirk Cousins – There are no elite defenses in the NFC East and the Redskins are absolutely loaded at their skill positions. (See my overrated list about Jordan Reed for more details)
  • Eric Ebron – Ebron showed a lot of improvement from his rookie to sophomore year. I expect the growth to continue in his third season. With Megatron retired, more opportunities for other guys and I fully expect Ebron to be one of the Lions best receiving options this year.
  • Markus Wheaton – The Steelers for years now have gotten production from receivers only to see them leave for whatever reason only to replace them and still get good production. Plaxico Burress was first to leave and then Mike Wallace came along. He and Ward were gone and then Emmanuel Sanders stepped up, following with Antonio Brown and Martavius Bryant. With Bryant out the picture for a year (due to being an idiot), the stage is now set for the next breakout Steelers receiver in Wheaton.

My Fantasy Hot Takes

  • Thomas Rawals will score more points than David Johnson in standard leagues
  • Don’t draft Andrew Luck (you’ll most likely have to pick him too high to draft him)
  • Todd Gurley will have more rushing yards and touchdowns than Adrian Peterson
  • Tyrod Taylor should be a top 10 QB (Rushing Yards & TDs count more than passing yards & Tds)
  • Tom Brady isn’t worth the trouble (I’m sure he’ll be great in the 12 games he plays but why pass up on a potential stud in round 4 or 5 to take a QB that will mist his 1st 4 games in such a loaded QB class?)
  • Tyler Eiffert will be the 2nd best Tight End in fantasy (IF he stays healthy)
  • Cleveland Browns will have 3 playable fantasy options (Coleman, Barnidge, Johnson)
  • Marcus Mariota could be a sneaky sleeper (If they turn him loose as a runner)
  • Year of the Jaguars

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