Fantasy NSFL season is starting up, and it’s time to pick the players you think will light up the scoreboards with huge numbers. I’m going to be participating along with a lot of you guys, and I want you all to be prepared. So today, I’m ranking each player in terms of how many yards and scores they’ll put up. Let’s start with the ball throwers.
QB Rankings:
1. Easton Cole
2. Franklin Armstrong
3. Wolfie McDummy
4. Cooter Bigsby
5. Corvo Havran
6. Jay Cue
7. Stan Francisco
8. Brock Phoenix
9. Zack Vega
10. Dan Wright
11. Rose Jenkins
12. Chika Fujiwara
Everyone seems to think that Franklin Armstrong should be the first QB off the board, or maybe even the first player off the board in some instances. But, no. Easton Cole should be the first QB on your board. Both Armstrong and Wolfie McDummy have lost key players (Dexter Banks II and Laszlo Fourty-Two, respectively), while Cole gained Ryan Leaf Jr., one of the best receiving backs in the league. Cole is also a year away from regression, while Armstrong is suffering from Stage 2 regression. Throw in the fact that both Rod Tidwell and Net Gaines are coming off of 1000-yard campaigns, with only Tidwell hitting Year 1 of regression, the fact that Eddie Jeeta is doing big things with the Copperheads in practice drills and will be called up as well, and the fact that they still have one of the best tight ends in the game, Peter Larson, and this team just looks loaded on the offensive end, and Cole should be right at the top of your boards.
That’s not to say that Wolfie or Franklin shouldn’t be on said boards, because they both still have a lot to offer. Franklin is still an elite quarterback in this game, and last year he flung the rock with surgical precision, throwing 26 TDs and only two picks en route to his third straight MVP. The loss of Dexter Banks II and Johnny Blaze is distressing, but they also traded for Jammerson Irving, and have some strong rookies on their way up, with Jeffrey Phillips already on the team and Garfield Despacito Jr. and Daniel George coming soon. And plus Armstrong, like McDummy, has some wheels on him, and can add rushing yards to their scores. As for McDummy, losing Laszlo Fourty-Two, one of the most underrated receivers in the game, will definitely hurt, and his shoes probably won’t be filled by just one player. That being said, he put up the most points of any player last season. He has the highest TPE of any quarterback this season. And he still has Earl Sauce and Ashley Owens, two big earners with a lot to give, and James Bishop is returning and put up strong numbers in his tenth season, so if they have anything to give Wolfie, he should take it pretty far.
If you miss out on the first three QBs, there’s going to be a bit of a drop off before you get to the next group. Cooter Bigsby put up big yardage last season, but kinda skimped on the touchdowns, finishing 8th in that category. Unfortunately, he also lost a major part of his offense as well, leading receiver Rayne Gordon to Sarasota. They signed Willie B. Hardagain from Arizona, but I’m not sure he’ll be able to contribute what Gordon provided for the team. But he still has plenty of good receivers and a healthy chunk of TPE to get the job done. Corvo Havran was a pretty good scorer in fantasy last season, finishing 4th at his position, and the dropoff to Honolulu’s new receiving corps isn’t as bad as you’d think it would be for an expansion team. He has a collection of young receivers who can still produce for him, but there still may be some growing pains. Plus, like Bigsby, Havran is taking his second round of regression, so his own abilities may not be as sharp as in years’ prior.
Next we have Arizona’s Jay Cue and New Orleans’s Stan Francisco. These are the quarterbacks to target if you decide to wait until the end of the draft to address quarterback. Jay Cue is cultivating TPE at an alarming rate, and is probably the best young quarterback in the league. However, his receiving corps is even younger, and aside from Saba Donut, they’re all unproven at the pro level. Throw in an equally inexperienced running game, and Cue will be the focal point of the Arizona offense, which could mean big numbers. But one of those numbers may be interceptions. He’s the biggest boom-or-bust play at the position, so take a shot on him if you’re feeling bold. If you’re feeling less bold, maybe Stan Francisco is more your speed. The Second Line run through their running game with Forrest Gump and Marcella Toriki. However, both of them are also competant receivers along with their tight end, Austin McCormick. He’s also very protective of the ball, and won’t throw games away, which has been useful in the real fantasy game, but maybe not so much in the fantasy fantasy game (ow my head). But still, he’s a safe-late round selection, if you’re not sold on Cue.
The rest of this lineup really doesn’t need to be on your radar unless you’re feeling really ballsy. Brock Phoenix has one elite receiver in Nacho Varga, and a couple of players on the rise, but Mako Mendonca is the backbone of that Philly offense, and isn’t much of a receiving option. Zack Vega is another high-risk move, and could surprise some people, thanks to a killer combo of Dexter Banks II and Rayne Gordon, but I think he’s still a year away from really breaking out. Dan Wright has a couple of good, young receivers, and has a dash of mobility for bonus points, but he just doesn’t do enough with the ball. Rose Jenkins has lost several key pieces of her offense that was already sputtering beforehand (Ryan Leaf traded, Osiris Firestorm-Fjord changed position, Ahri Espee ragequit). And finally Chika Fujiwara will be the youngest QB in the majors this season, and won’t have the personal attributes nor the receiving corps to really let her shine.
RB Rankings:
1. Sam Torenson
2. Mathias Hanyadi
3. Ashley Owens
4. Forrest Gump
5. Darrel Williams
6. Ryan Leaf Jr.
7. Marcella Toriki
8. Mako Mendonca
9. Baby Yoda
10. Apollo Reed
11. Quintarius Tyerucker
12. Rando Cardrissian
13. Dax Frost
14. Ke’oke’o Kane-Maika’i (formerly White Goodman)
15. Acura Skyline
16. Farley Hank
17. Tatsu Nakamura
18. Ruff Ruff
19. Ludicolo Bigby
20. Julio Tirtawidjaja
Right now, Sam Torenson is the consensus #1 pick, and this is one time when I think the public is dead on. Torenson is one of the very few true bellcows in the league. He led the league in rushing attempts and rushing yards last season, and with no active teammates at the position, and a limited passing attack, Torenson can seemingly get as many carries as he wants. The only downside to his game is that he contributes next to nothing in the receiving categories, but he makes up for it in rushing yards. If you get the #1 pick or someone decides to get cute ahead of you and he falls to you, take Torenson and be happy.
Right behind him are a couple of players who’d easily be #1 if they didn’t have other players to contend with for touches. Mathias Hanyadi has been putting up really good numbers for years and even has the receiving numbers that Torenson lacks. The only problem is that he has competition. Acura Skyline will be Yellowknife’s #2 back and depending on how much the sim likes him, he could be a real throne in the side for Hanyadi owners. But still, Yellowknife won’t let Hanyadi be fazed out of the offense, and he should still get the lion’s share of the carries. Ashley Owens is in a really favorable position, potentially being Colorado’s top rushing and receiving option. He’s got the best hands on the team and more agility than he knows what to do with. His only competition in town is Michael Vincent, who seems like a situational back. So Owens is another guy who’ll likely see the bulk of the carries. Forrest Gump may not be as fortunate, but even still he should still be a great early round play. New Orleans’s offense is designed to handle two elite running backs, and Gump has typically gotten a little more action than Marcella Toriki. Gump is only just entering regression, and barely felt it this season, so he should still be a strong RB1.
A player on the rise this season will probably be Darrel Williams of the Hawks. Apollo Reed isn’t as active as he once was, and even though he had a terrific season last year (last year’s #1 RB), he could see a deminished role to the ascending Williams. Williams put up stats comparable to Reed in just his second season. It seems like Williams is really getting it together, and this could be a breakout season for him, so if he’s available in the second or maybe even later, he might be the guy who wins you your league. The Copperheads adding Ryan Leaf Jr. may seem like it would torpedo his value and that of his new teammate Mako Mendonca. But they both play radically different roles on offense, and seeing as how the Copperheads only have five skill position players on their roster, they’ll both see a lot of action. Leaf’s skill as a receiving back is unparalleled, and Mendonca is one of the most consistent rushers in the league. I think they’ll still both put up similar numbers to last season, meaning fringe top five rushers, decent RB1s and terrific RB2s. Finally to round out this tier is Marcella Toriki, who I have just a bit above Mendonca. She’s a terrific receiver, and has days where she’s among the best rushers in the game. She may not be the hot hand all the time, but she’ll still be a pretty good play.
There are going to be a lot of rookies this season who’ll be entering big roles in the majors, and sometimes that can lead to big things. The most likely to see a breakout rookie season is Baby Yoda. Yoda’s a super smart player, and will be a big receiving threat for them too, along with being their lone running back. If they can bring back some of that magic that made Ruff Ruff a rookie sensation in Season 19, Baby Yoda could be a star on arrival. Next we have two players who were terrific last season, but might see a reduced role due to inactivity issues, Apollo Reed and Quintarius Tyerucker. Both players are absolutely beloved by the sim, but with Darrel Williams and Rando Cardrissian on their way up, they might be fazed out, but they’ll still be utilized on the right day, and could be decent plays. Speaking of Rando Cardrissian, he was last season’s top rookie rusher, and could be in line for a big increase in carries.
Then there’s Dax Frost, a lightning bug of a back who’ll probably see a bulk of Sarasota’s rushing stats, but doesn’t appear to be much of a receiver and may be on a team playing from behind a lot. Similarly, Ke’oke’o Kane-Maika’i will probably get a lot of action in Honolulu but still needs some time to put it all together. Conversely, Acura Skyline will be the definite #2 back in Yellowknife, but is in a much better situation, and could see results much quicker. Breaking up this run of rookies is Farley Hank, a solid but less than active runner, who also happens to have some of the best hands in Chicago. Orange County doesn’t put a ton of stock into their running game, but maybe Tatsu Nakamura can change that. Nakamura is one of the fastest players in this draft class, and may be able to turn on the jets in the major level. If that doesn’t happen, they still have Ludicolo Bigby who’s the better receiver at the moment, and could be used more on passing downs. Ruff Ruff hasn’t been able to replicate his rookie season success, but perhaps a change in scenery can bring that S19 magic back, although he’ll likely be splitting time with White Goodman, and might lose touches as Goodman improves. And finally Julio Tirtawidjaja is a big shot in the dark. He doesn’t currently have the best attributes, but what he does have is a path to major reps. If Farley Hank continues to be inactive, Julio could get a starting role on the Butchers, and that could mean a lot of carries, and if you can find that on the waiver wire, you might be in great shape.
WR Rankings:
1. Nate Swift
2. Saba Donut
3. Sean O’Leary
4. Errol Maddox
5. Hugh Mongo
6. Jed Podolak
7. Rod Tidwell
8. Bender Rodriguez
9. Net Gaines
10. Action Jackson
11. Nacho Varga
12. James Bishop
13. Dexter Banks II
14. Rayne Gordon
15. Remon Kurisoto
16. Bona’beri Jones
17. Red Arrow
18. Jah Bur’berry
19. Chris Kross
20. Deondre Thomas-Fox
If you want to find yourself at the top of the receivers list, you had better be the #1 receiver on a pass-happy team, and the top four players here fit that description well. Nate Swift is #1 on my board because he put up big stats last season and he’ll be picking up some of the slack from losing their other 1000 yard receiver, Rayne Gordon. He is fighting regression, but receivers seem to be able to last longer than some other positions. Saba Donut is Arizona’s only skill position player who’s been there for longer than a cup of coffee, and with how much Arizona likes to air it out, Saba will be on the receiving end of a lot of passes. Similarly, Sean O’Leary will be the primary target for Chicago’s many comeback attempts this season. He tied for the most receiving touchdowns last season, and that was with Ahri Espee spending half the season as Chicago’s #1 receiver. Expect Sean to be a garbage time king this year. Finally in this tier, Errol Maddox is losing another step in regression, and will be going from Corvo Havran to Chika Fujiwara at quarterback, but Maddox is still one of the best red zone threats in the game, and if they can get down there, Maddox can still get on the other side of his competition for six.
Hugh Mongo had a relatively underwhelming season, aside from his touchdown numbers, but with the departure of Dexter Banks and Johnny Blaze, Mongo has a chance to be a serious earner this season. Jed Podolak is a great candidate for breakout potential. He’s got a good quarterback, he’s the undisputed #1 receiver, and Honolulu’s less than stellar defense will make shootouts likely. Bender B. Rodriguez has a lot of those same traits, except he’ll be Yellowknife’s #2 receiver. However, we saw last year that that’s a pretty solid place to be, as Rayne Gordon put up huge numbers in that role last year. It’s tough to tell who’ll be the bigger earner between Rod Tidwell and Net Gaines, but they should both be pretty solid, even though they may lose some catches to Ryan Leaf Jr. And last in this tier is Action Jackson, who put up big yardage numbers, but had trouble finding the endzone. If the San Jose offense can be a bit more productive, Jackson could be a great sleeper pick.
Nacho Varga is the best receiving option on a run-happy team which makes him a solid WR2 option. Someone has to be on the receiving end of Wolfie McDummy’s passes and I can’t remember a time when that wasn’t James Bishop, but he’s eating regression really hard. Dexter Banks II and Rayne Gordon are both really good, but they might cannibalize each other’s receiving numbers, and they’ll have a rookie throwing to them. Remon Kurisoto is a bit of a dark horse, but with a lot of the bigger options departing from Orange County, he has a good chance to make a statement in his sophomore season.
Bona’beri Jones is still probably the best deep-threat in the league, and luckily for him, this isn’t a PPR league, but the Second Line has morphed into a power running team, and Jones just doesn’t get a ton of work anymore. Red Arrow could pick up the slack from Laszlo Fourty-Two’s departure and seems like Colorado’s receiver of the future. Jah Bur’berry will be Jay Cue’s #2 target and while he’s not as developed as Donut, he’ll likely see less coverage, and could take advantage. Chris Kross had a great rookie season, but will have to adjust to a new quarterback, and that may take some time. And finally Deondre Thomas-Fox had decent receiving yardage, but like most of San Jose’s offense needs more touchdowns.
TE Rankings:
1. Jammerson Irving
2. Austin McCormick
3. Peter Larson
4. Earl Sauce
5. Johnny Blaze
6. Avon Blocksdale Jr.
7. Leon McDavid
8. Heath Evans
9. James Lewandowski
10. Rainier Wolfcastle
Jammerson Irving has led the league in receiving yards for the last two seasons, and even though he just lost some of his skills in regression, he’s going to Orange County, who used their former tight end in a nearly identical way that Irving was used in Arizona, so the transition should be seamless. The only other tight who I think is worth going in the first four rounds is Austin McCormick of the Second Line. New Orleans relies heavily on his catching, and with Bona’beri Jones sliding down just a little bit, McCormick seems to be the centerpiece of the Second Line passing attack.
Peter Larson is a top-flight tight end who just so happens to have two top-flight receivers and two top-flight running backs around him, so it might be hard for him to find catches, but he should do plenty with them when he gets them. Earl Sauce has the opposite problem and may be Colorado’s best receiver, so he could be a guy on the rise. A guy on the decline is Johnny Blaze, who has maybe one year of being a solid tight end left, but if he can be used similarly to how he was used in Orange County, he’ll have another strong season.
Then comes the procession of young guys who still need some work. Avon Blocksdale is a big body who can get open when he needs to, but he has slightly suspect hands. Leon McDavid had a couple rookie campaign and just needs more reps. Heath Evans is heading to Arizona, who turned Jammerson into a stud, so they can make him work, but rookie tight ends usually take some time to get up to major-league speed. Same for James Lewandowski and Rainier Wolfcastle, who both come into slightly worse positions than Evans.
K Rankings:
1. Alfredo Crisco
2. Herbert Prohaska
3. Alex D.
4. Silver Banana
5. J.J. Jay-Jaymison
6. Sam Sidekick
7. Venus Powers
8. Matthew McDairmid
9. Lefty Louis
10. Dougie Smalls
11. ForThe Brand
12. Diego Espinosa
For kickers, what you’re looking for above all else is opportunities to score, and Austin and New Orleans provided plenty of those opportunities. Kicker is another one of those position, like in the real game, that can seemingly stay in it forever, so Alfredo Crisco will stay as my top kicker, with Herbert Prohaska not far behind. Orange County’s offense was around the same level, but they seem to punch it in too often, and don’t leave many field goal tries, but at least all three of these teams have accurate kickers, including Orange County’s Alex D.
Silver Banana and J.J. Jay-Jaymison both had terrific rookie seasons, and if Arizona’s offense can get down the field better, than Quad J should be even better next season. Colorado is already in good shape, so Banana should just stay the course and be fine. Sam Sidekick is going to Chicago and they gave their previous kicker plenty of chances, but he didn’t follow through on them, so it’ll be up to Sam to make good on those chances. Venus Powers has the highest TPE among specialists, but there’s no telling if the Honolulu offense will give her chances to put up points. Everyone below Powers would be a huge risk and might not be worth a selection.
DEF Rankings:
1. Colorado Yeti
2. Yellowknife Wraiths
3. Orange County Otters
4. New Orleans Second Line
5. Austin Copperheads
6. Sarasota Sailfish
7. San Jose Sabercats
8. Honolulu Hahalua
9. Philadelphia Liberty
10. Baltimore Hawks
11. Arizona Outlaws
12. Chicago Butchers
Last year in the league, turnovers were down across the board, so if you wanted a good fantasy defense, sacks were where it was at, and no team sacked better than Colorado. Mo Berry and Bubba Thumper had double-digit sacks, and Defensive Rookie of the Year Immanuel Blackstone had seven. The Hawks didn’t have a ton of sacks, but really came through with the turnovers, leading the league with 18. New Orleans and Orange County also racked up the sacks with the second and third most on the season, but OCO gets a slightly nod with a few more turnovers, and a little less turnover in player personnel.
Austin had some turnover magnets last season in Chase Jensen and Awkward Sexjoke. Sarasota has a surprisingly high defensive TPE for an expansion team, and they have some shutdown corners. San Jose has Tyron Brackenridge, who’s a one man fantasy point machine. And finally Philly has some real star power in its secondary and can do some serious damage with their safeties.
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QB Rankings:
1. Easton Cole
2. Franklin Armstrong
3. Wolfie McDummy
4. Cooter Bigsby
5. Corvo Havran
6. Jay Cue
7. Stan Francisco
8. Brock Phoenix
9. Zack Vega
10. Dan Wright
11. Rose Jenkins
12. Chika Fujiwara
Everyone seems to think that Franklin Armstrong should be the first QB off the board, or maybe even the first player off the board in some instances. But, no. Easton Cole should be the first QB on your board. Both Armstrong and Wolfie McDummy have lost key players (Dexter Banks II and Laszlo Fourty-Two, respectively), while Cole gained Ryan Leaf Jr., one of the best receiving backs in the league. Cole is also a year away from regression, while Armstrong is suffering from Stage 2 regression. Throw in the fact that both Rod Tidwell and Net Gaines are coming off of 1000-yard campaigns, with only Tidwell hitting Year 1 of regression, the fact that Eddie Jeeta is doing big things with the Copperheads in practice drills and will be called up as well, and the fact that they still have one of the best tight ends in the game, Peter Larson, and this team just looks loaded on the offensive end, and Cole should be right at the top of your boards.
That’s not to say that Wolfie or Franklin shouldn’t be on said boards, because they both still have a lot to offer. Franklin is still an elite quarterback in this game, and last year he flung the rock with surgical precision, throwing 26 TDs and only two picks en route to his third straight MVP. The loss of Dexter Banks II and Johnny Blaze is distressing, but they also traded for Jammerson Irving, and have some strong rookies on their way up, with Jeffrey Phillips already on the team and Garfield Despacito Jr. and Daniel George coming soon. And plus Armstrong, like McDummy, has some wheels on him, and can add rushing yards to their scores. As for McDummy, losing Laszlo Fourty-Two, one of the most underrated receivers in the game, will definitely hurt, and his shoes probably won’t be filled by just one player. That being said, he put up the most points of any player last season. He has the highest TPE of any quarterback this season. And he still has Earl Sauce and Ashley Owens, two big earners with a lot to give, and James Bishop is returning and put up strong numbers in his tenth season, so if they have anything to give Wolfie, he should take it pretty far.
If you miss out on the first three QBs, there’s going to be a bit of a drop off before you get to the next group. Cooter Bigsby put up big yardage last season, but kinda skimped on the touchdowns, finishing 8th in that category. Unfortunately, he also lost a major part of his offense as well, leading receiver Rayne Gordon to Sarasota. They signed Willie B. Hardagain from Arizona, but I’m not sure he’ll be able to contribute what Gordon provided for the team. But he still has plenty of good receivers and a healthy chunk of TPE to get the job done. Corvo Havran was a pretty good scorer in fantasy last season, finishing 4th at his position, and the dropoff to Honolulu’s new receiving corps isn’t as bad as you’d think it would be for an expansion team. He has a collection of young receivers who can still produce for him, but there still may be some growing pains. Plus, like Bigsby, Havran is taking his second round of regression, so his own abilities may not be as sharp as in years’ prior.
Next we have Arizona’s Jay Cue and New Orleans’s Stan Francisco. These are the quarterbacks to target if you decide to wait until the end of the draft to address quarterback. Jay Cue is cultivating TPE at an alarming rate, and is probably the best young quarterback in the league. However, his receiving corps is even younger, and aside from Saba Donut, they’re all unproven at the pro level. Throw in an equally inexperienced running game, and Cue will be the focal point of the Arizona offense, which could mean big numbers. But one of those numbers may be interceptions. He’s the biggest boom-or-bust play at the position, so take a shot on him if you’re feeling bold. If you’re feeling less bold, maybe Stan Francisco is more your speed. The Second Line run through their running game with Forrest Gump and Marcella Toriki. However, both of them are also competant receivers along with their tight end, Austin McCormick. He’s also very protective of the ball, and won’t throw games away, which has been useful in the real fantasy game, but maybe not so much in the fantasy fantasy game (ow my head). But still, he’s a safe-late round selection, if you’re not sold on Cue.
The rest of this lineup really doesn’t need to be on your radar unless you’re feeling really ballsy. Brock Phoenix has one elite receiver in Nacho Varga, and a couple of players on the rise, but Mako Mendonca is the backbone of that Philly offense, and isn’t much of a receiving option. Zack Vega is another high-risk move, and could surprise some people, thanks to a killer combo of Dexter Banks II and Rayne Gordon, but I think he’s still a year away from really breaking out. Dan Wright has a couple of good, young receivers, and has a dash of mobility for bonus points, but he just doesn’t do enough with the ball. Rose Jenkins has lost several key pieces of her offense that was already sputtering beforehand (Ryan Leaf traded, Osiris Firestorm-Fjord changed position, Ahri Espee ragequit). And finally Chika Fujiwara will be the youngest QB in the majors this season, and won’t have the personal attributes nor the receiving corps to really let her shine.
RB Rankings:
1. Sam Torenson
2. Mathias Hanyadi
3. Ashley Owens
4. Forrest Gump
5. Darrel Williams
6. Ryan Leaf Jr.
7. Marcella Toriki
8. Mako Mendonca
9. Baby Yoda
10. Apollo Reed
11. Quintarius Tyerucker
12. Rando Cardrissian
13. Dax Frost
14. Ke’oke’o Kane-Maika’i (formerly White Goodman)
15. Acura Skyline
16. Farley Hank
17. Tatsu Nakamura
18. Ruff Ruff
19. Ludicolo Bigby
20. Julio Tirtawidjaja
Right now, Sam Torenson is the consensus #1 pick, and this is one time when I think the public is dead on. Torenson is one of the very few true bellcows in the league. He led the league in rushing attempts and rushing yards last season, and with no active teammates at the position, and a limited passing attack, Torenson can seemingly get as many carries as he wants. The only downside to his game is that he contributes next to nothing in the receiving categories, but he makes up for it in rushing yards. If you get the #1 pick or someone decides to get cute ahead of you and he falls to you, take Torenson and be happy.
Right behind him are a couple of players who’d easily be #1 if they didn’t have other players to contend with for touches. Mathias Hanyadi has been putting up really good numbers for years and even has the receiving numbers that Torenson lacks. The only problem is that he has competition. Acura Skyline will be Yellowknife’s #2 back and depending on how much the sim likes him, he could be a real throne in the side for Hanyadi owners. But still, Yellowknife won’t let Hanyadi be fazed out of the offense, and he should still get the lion’s share of the carries. Ashley Owens is in a really favorable position, potentially being Colorado’s top rushing and receiving option. He’s got the best hands on the team and more agility than he knows what to do with. His only competition in town is Michael Vincent, who seems like a situational back. So Owens is another guy who’ll likely see the bulk of the carries. Forrest Gump may not be as fortunate, but even still he should still be a great early round play. New Orleans’s offense is designed to handle two elite running backs, and Gump has typically gotten a little more action than Marcella Toriki. Gump is only just entering regression, and barely felt it this season, so he should still be a strong RB1.
A player on the rise this season will probably be Darrel Williams of the Hawks. Apollo Reed isn’t as active as he once was, and even though he had a terrific season last year (last year’s #1 RB), he could see a deminished role to the ascending Williams. Williams put up stats comparable to Reed in just his second season. It seems like Williams is really getting it together, and this could be a breakout season for him, so if he’s available in the second or maybe even later, he might be the guy who wins you your league. The Copperheads adding Ryan Leaf Jr. may seem like it would torpedo his value and that of his new teammate Mako Mendonca. But they both play radically different roles on offense, and seeing as how the Copperheads only have five skill position players on their roster, they’ll both see a lot of action. Leaf’s skill as a receiving back is unparalleled, and Mendonca is one of the most consistent rushers in the league. I think they’ll still both put up similar numbers to last season, meaning fringe top five rushers, decent RB1s and terrific RB2s. Finally to round out this tier is Marcella Toriki, who I have just a bit above Mendonca. She’s a terrific receiver, and has days where she’s among the best rushers in the game. She may not be the hot hand all the time, but she’ll still be a pretty good play.
There are going to be a lot of rookies this season who’ll be entering big roles in the majors, and sometimes that can lead to big things. The most likely to see a breakout rookie season is Baby Yoda. Yoda’s a super smart player, and will be a big receiving threat for them too, along with being their lone running back. If they can bring back some of that magic that made Ruff Ruff a rookie sensation in Season 19, Baby Yoda could be a star on arrival. Next we have two players who were terrific last season, but might see a reduced role due to inactivity issues, Apollo Reed and Quintarius Tyerucker. Both players are absolutely beloved by the sim, but with Darrel Williams and Rando Cardrissian on their way up, they might be fazed out, but they’ll still be utilized on the right day, and could be decent plays. Speaking of Rando Cardrissian, he was last season’s top rookie rusher, and could be in line for a big increase in carries.
Then there’s Dax Frost, a lightning bug of a back who’ll probably see a bulk of Sarasota’s rushing stats, but doesn’t appear to be much of a receiver and may be on a team playing from behind a lot. Similarly, Ke’oke’o Kane-Maika’i will probably get a lot of action in Honolulu but still needs some time to put it all together. Conversely, Acura Skyline will be the definite #2 back in Yellowknife, but is in a much better situation, and could see results much quicker. Breaking up this run of rookies is Farley Hank, a solid but less than active runner, who also happens to have some of the best hands in Chicago. Orange County doesn’t put a ton of stock into their running game, but maybe Tatsu Nakamura can change that. Nakamura is one of the fastest players in this draft class, and may be able to turn on the jets in the major level. If that doesn’t happen, they still have Ludicolo Bigby who’s the better receiver at the moment, and could be used more on passing downs. Ruff Ruff hasn’t been able to replicate his rookie season success, but perhaps a change in scenery can bring that S19 magic back, although he’ll likely be splitting time with White Goodman, and might lose touches as Goodman improves. And finally Julio Tirtawidjaja is a big shot in the dark. He doesn’t currently have the best attributes, but what he does have is a path to major reps. If Farley Hank continues to be inactive, Julio could get a starting role on the Butchers, and that could mean a lot of carries, and if you can find that on the waiver wire, you might be in great shape.
WR Rankings:
1. Nate Swift
2. Saba Donut
3. Sean O’Leary
4. Errol Maddox
5. Hugh Mongo
6. Jed Podolak
7. Rod Tidwell
8. Bender Rodriguez
9. Net Gaines
10. Action Jackson
11. Nacho Varga
12. James Bishop
13. Dexter Banks II
14. Rayne Gordon
15. Remon Kurisoto
16. Bona’beri Jones
17. Red Arrow
18. Jah Bur’berry
19. Chris Kross
20. Deondre Thomas-Fox
If you want to find yourself at the top of the receivers list, you had better be the #1 receiver on a pass-happy team, and the top four players here fit that description well. Nate Swift is #1 on my board because he put up big stats last season and he’ll be picking up some of the slack from losing their other 1000 yard receiver, Rayne Gordon. He is fighting regression, but receivers seem to be able to last longer than some other positions. Saba Donut is Arizona’s only skill position player who’s been there for longer than a cup of coffee, and with how much Arizona likes to air it out, Saba will be on the receiving end of a lot of passes. Similarly, Sean O’Leary will be the primary target for Chicago’s many comeback attempts this season. He tied for the most receiving touchdowns last season, and that was with Ahri Espee spending half the season as Chicago’s #1 receiver. Expect Sean to be a garbage time king this year. Finally in this tier, Errol Maddox is losing another step in regression, and will be going from Corvo Havran to Chika Fujiwara at quarterback, but Maddox is still one of the best red zone threats in the game, and if they can get down there, Maddox can still get on the other side of his competition for six.
Hugh Mongo had a relatively underwhelming season, aside from his touchdown numbers, but with the departure of Dexter Banks and Johnny Blaze, Mongo has a chance to be a serious earner this season. Jed Podolak is a great candidate for breakout potential. He’s got a good quarterback, he’s the undisputed #1 receiver, and Honolulu’s less than stellar defense will make shootouts likely. Bender B. Rodriguez has a lot of those same traits, except he’ll be Yellowknife’s #2 receiver. However, we saw last year that that’s a pretty solid place to be, as Rayne Gordon put up huge numbers in that role last year. It’s tough to tell who’ll be the bigger earner between Rod Tidwell and Net Gaines, but they should both be pretty solid, even though they may lose some catches to Ryan Leaf Jr. And last in this tier is Action Jackson, who put up big yardage numbers, but had trouble finding the endzone. If the San Jose offense can be a bit more productive, Jackson could be a great sleeper pick.
Nacho Varga is the best receiving option on a run-happy team which makes him a solid WR2 option. Someone has to be on the receiving end of Wolfie McDummy’s passes and I can’t remember a time when that wasn’t James Bishop, but he’s eating regression really hard. Dexter Banks II and Rayne Gordon are both really good, but they might cannibalize each other’s receiving numbers, and they’ll have a rookie throwing to them. Remon Kurisoto is a bit of a dark horse, but with a lot of the bigger options departing from Orange County, he has a good chance to make a statement in his sophomore season.
Bona’beri Jones is still probably the best deep-threat in the league, and luckily for him, this isn’t a PPR league, but the Second Line has morphed into a power running team, and Jones just doesn’t get a ton of work anymore. Red Arrow could pick up the slack from Laszlo Fourty-Two’s departure and seems like Colorado’s receiver of the future. Jah Bur’berry will be Jay Cue’s #2 target and while he’s not as developed as Donut, he’ll likely see less coverage, and could take advantage. Chris Kross had a great rookie season, but will have to adjust to a new quarterback, and that may take some time. And finally Deondre Thomas-Fox had decent receiving yardage, but like most of San Jose’s offense needs more touchdowns.
TE Rankings:
1. Jammerson Irving
2. Austin McCormick
3. Peter Larson
4. Earl Sauce
5. Johnny Blaze
6. Avon Blocksdale Jr.
7. Leon McDavid
8. Heath Evans
9. James Lewandowski
10. Rainier Wolfcastle
Jammerson Irving has led the league in receiving yards for the last two seasons, and even though he just lost some of his skills in regression, he’s going to Orange County, who used their former tight end in a nearly identical way that Irving was used in Arizona, so the transition should be seamless. The only other tight who I think is worth going in the first four rounds is Austin McCormick of the Second Line. New Orleans relies heavily on his catching, and with Bona’beri Jones sliding down just a little bit, McCormick seems to be the centerpiece of the Second Line passing attack.
Peter Larson is a top-flight tight end who just so happens to have two top-flight receivers and two top-flight running backs around him, so it might be hard for him to find catches, but he should do plenty with them when he gets them. Earl Sauce has the opposite problem and may be Colorado’s best receiver, so he could be a guy on the rise. A guy on the decline is Johnny Blaze, who has maybe one year of being a solid tight end left, but if he can be used similarly to how he was used in Orange County, he’ll have another strong season.
Then comes the procession of young guys who still need some work. Avon Blocksdale is a big body who can get open when he needs to, but he has slightly suspect hands. Leon McDavid had a couple rookie campaign and just needs more reps. Heath Evans is heading to Arizona, who turned Jammerson into a stud, so they can make him work, but rookie tight ends usually take some time to get up to major-league speed. Same for James Lewandowski and Rainier Wolfcastle, who both come into slightly worse positions than Evans.
K Rankings:
1. Alfredo Crisco
2. Herbert Prohaska
3. Alex D.
4. Silver Banana
5. J.J. Jay-Jaymison
6. Sam Sidekick
7. Venus Powers
8. Matthew McDairmid
9. Lefty Louis
10. Dougie Smalls
11. ForThe Brand
12. Diego Espinosa
For kickers, what you’re looking for above all else is opportunities to score, and Austin and New Orleans provided plenty of those opportunities. Kicker is another one of those position, like in the real game, that can seemingly stay in it forever, so Alfredo Crisco will stay as my top kicker, with Herbert Prohaska not far behind. Orange County’s offense was around the same level, but they seem to punch it in too often, and don’t leave many field goal tries, but at least all three of these teams have accurate kickers, including Orange County’s Alex D.
Silver Banana and J.J. Jay-Jaymison both had terrific rookie seasons, and if Arizona’s offense can get down the field better, than Quad J should be even better next season. Colorado is already in good shape, so Banana should just stay the course and be fine. Sam Sidekick is going to Chicago and they gave their previous kicker plenty of chances, but he didn’t follow through on them, so it’ll be up to Sam to make good on those chances. Venus Powers has the highest TPE among specialists, but there’s no telling if the Honolulu offense will give her chances to put up points. Everyone below Powers would be a huge risk and might not be worth a selection.
DEF Rankings:
1. Colorado Yeti
2. Yellowknife Wraiths
3. Orange County Otters
4. New Orleans Second Line
5. Austin Copperheads
6. Sarasota Sailfish
7. San Jose Sabercats
8. Honolulu Hahalua
9. Philadelphia Liberty
10. Baltimore Hawks
11. Arizona Outlaws
12. Chicago Butchers
Last year in the league, turnovers were down across the board, so if you wanted a good fantasy defense, sacks were where it was at, and no team sacked better than Colorado. Mo Berry and Bubba Thumper had double-digit sacks, and Defensive Rookie of the Year Immanuel Blackstone had seven. The Hawks didn’t have a ton of sacks, but really came through with the turnovers, leading the league with 18. New Orleans and Orange County also racked up the sacks with the second and third most on the season, but OCO gets a slightly nod with a few more turnovers, and a little less turnover in player personnel.
Austin had some turnover magnets last season in Chase Jensen and Awkward Sexjoke. Sarasota has a surprisingly high defensive TPE for an expansion team, and they have some shutdown corners. San Jose has Tyron Brackenridge, who’s a one man fantasy point machine. And finally Philly has some real star power in its secondary and can do some serious damage with their safeties.
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