Hey guys, Nicky's back and so is fantasy football. A lot of drafts are already in progress, but some people still need some help with finding prospects. I did pretty well in last year's draft, so now I actually feel qualified to help with this. So without further ado, on with rankings.
RB:
1. Mako Mendonca
2. Mathias Hanyadi
3. Ashley Owens
4. Marcella Toriki
5. Forrest Gump
6. Baby Yoda
7. Dax Frost
8. Acura Skyline
9. Sam Torenson
10. Rando Cardrissian
11. Darrel Williams
12. Julio Tirtawidjaja
13. Ke?oke?o K?ne-Maika?i
14. Ruff Ruff
15. Apollo Reed
16. Tatsu Nakamura
17. Fuzzy Dotson
18. Kichwa Jones
19. Running Back
20. Jamar Lackson
Last year, Mako Mendonca finished third in fantasy points among all non-QBs, and that was while he was splitting time with Ryan Leaf Jr. This year, he’s the undisputed lead back with only rookie Kichwa Jones to contend with. I think he’ll post better stats across the board, now that he doesn’t have to contend with the do-everything Leaf. Mathias Hanyadi was close to the #1 for me, as he led all non-QBs in points, but the emergence of last year’s Rookie of the Year, Acura Skyline, makes me wonder if Hanyadi will see as many touches as he did last year. Ashley Owens is another person who I think we see serious points this year. I don’t see the retiring Michael Vincent or rookie Richard Gilbert poaching too many carries from Owens, although he does lose a bit to QB Wolfie McDummy. Last among the elites are the Second Line duo of Marcella Toriki and Forrest Gump. Toriki has finally gained the lead in terms of TPE, and I feel like we’re finally going to get to see her as a #1 back. Gump will still be a strong factor in both the rushing and receiving game, but it’s now Toriki’s time to shine.
Next we have three sophomores looking to improve on strong rookie seasons: Baby Yoda, Dax Frost, and Acura Skyline. You could honestly put these three in any order, I think they’ll be about similar. The deciding factor for me was the other people in their respective RB corps: nobody in Arizona, rookie Running Back in Sarasota, and Mathias in Yellowknife. Sam Torenson is still a top flight back, but he’s just entered regression, and now has to deal with the emerging Fuzzy Dotson. Plus, I think Philly’s QB, Brock Phoenix, has reached the point where the Philly passing attack can be the focal point of the offense, so their running game as a whole could take a step back.
After that, we have another group of three: three lead backs who’ll be on offenses with inexperienced QBs who may stifle the offense as a whole, but could still be great by sheer volume: Rando Cardrissian in San Jose, Darrel Williams in Baltimore, and Julio Tirtawidjaja in Chicago. On a Sabercat offense that’s lost a lot of its sharpness from last season, Cardrissian will now be the focal point. Same for Darrel Williams on a team where Apollo Reed is plummeting and Errol Maddox just retired. And in Chicago, their only other running back, Farley Hank is primarily a receiver, so Julio is their only traditional RB. And then there’s the Honolulu pairing of Ke?oke?o K?ne-Maika?i and Ruff Ruff. I would have them higher, but I honestly don’t know which one will be the better back. I have a feeling these two will split the carries pretty evenly, and since I don’t think Honolulu’s offense can sustain two viable fantasy RBs like New Orleans’s can, I think they’ll both be just outside of solid FLEX numbers. Just keep your eyes on the waiver wire if either one separates from the other.
And finally, we come to some players who may not be draft-worthy, but could still make an impact and be waiver darlings. The sim has always seemed to have a soft spot for Apollo Reed, even while he’s getting up there in years. Tatsu Nakamura could be a solid late-rounder, but OCO is traditionally a pass-centric team, and even when they do run, Franklin Armstrong could swipe a lot of carries from him, plus they still have Ludicolo Bigby. Fuzzy Dotson is starting to gain traction, but I don’t think he’ll take enough carries from Sam Torenson to be very useful here, but that may change by next season. Finally, we have three rookies, and I don’t see a path for many of them to get a ton of reps. Austin’s offense is the best of the three in question here, so Kichwa Jones might be able to get some solid flex-back work.
WR:
1. Saba Donut
2. Nacho Varga
3. Bender B. Rodriguez
4. Hugh Mongo
5. Deondre Thomas-Fox
6. Net Gaines
7. Jed Podolak
8. William Lim
9. Sean O’Leary
10. Rayne Gordon
11. Randy Vuxta
12. Jah Bur’berry
13. Future Trunks
14. Action Jackson
15. Rod Tidwell
16. Asher Quinn
17. Michael Witheblock
18. Ed Barker
19. Tychondrius Hood
20. Nate Swift
Last season, Saba Donut finished 4th among WRs in fantasy points, but all of the people ahead of him are either getting old, or will be a part of a less potent offense. And with Arizona’s offense being as exciting as it is, I think this is Saba’s year to really shine. Nacho Varga may be a stretch to put this high, but I have high hopes for the Philadelphia passing attack, and he’s still one of the best receivers in the league in TPE, so I think this’ll be a very strong season for him. Bender B. Rodriguez is now in the driver’s seat as Yellowknife’s #1 receiver, which is a slot that always seems to produce huge numbers. And finally, Hugh Mongo is still the top receiver in Franklin Armstrong’s offense, which means only good things. I feel like these four are in a tier all of their own, and there’s a drop-off after that, so get these guys while they’re available.
Deondre Thomas-Fox really caught fire last season, and while some may think the departure of Dan Wright will hurt the offense, San Jose has always managed to produce at least one solid receiver, even in the years when Wright was trash, whether it be Cameron Olsen or Action Jackson. Net Gaines seems to be in line to take the lead receiver role in Austin. He was miserable last season, but I’m expecting a bounceback season from him to somewhere around his S21 numbers (over 1000 yards). Jed Podolak is running away with the Honolulu #1 spot, so even as Corvo Havran declines, they should be able to maintain at least one good receiver. William Lim is now in the lead role in Colorado, and James Bishop showed that that’s a position where someone can really thrive, even if they don’t have a ton of TPE. (Lim has about the same TPE that Bishop did at the start of last season, so expect similar numbers.) Sean O’Leary is back to having a QB situation that is only subpar instead of outright toxic, so expect stats similar to what he did back in S21, when he led the league in touchdowns. Last in this group is Rayne Gordon, who now will be catching passes from Dexter Banks II instead of splitting receptions with him, and I think Banks will be good enough for Gordon to improve on last season’s solid season under his stewardship.
After that is a lot of second-stringers and leads on weak offenses who I’m just not sure at all about. We’ll start with Randy Vuxta, who did about as well as Nacho Varga last season, and with the improvement their offense is going through, I think he could be a strong player if you wait on a second receiver. Jah Bur’berry is still very young, but is in a very enticing position, #2 on an elite passing offense. Same for Future Trunks, although he might see more competition from his tight ends. People seem to be really high on Action Jackson, but I’m not so sure. He’s Yellowknife’s #2 receiver, but last year, BBR and Willie B. Hardagain split #2 reps, and neither were really viable in fantasy with Rodriguez being a big bust last year, so I’m skeptical of his value, especially since Hardagain, Nate Swift, AND Mike Lee are there to compete with him. Same for Rod Tidwell, who was second among receivers last year, but regression hit him hard, and he’s been usurped by Gaines, who greatly underperformed last year. And now Tidwell finds himself in Gaines’s role, alongside an improving Gaines and Eddie Jeeta. Red flags are in the air. Finally, maybe I could imagine Asher Quinn having a breakout season. But last year, no Baltimore receiver cracked 500 yards, so this isn’t an offense to get excited about.
Among the bottom tier, we have Michael Witheblock and Ed Barker, two young #2s on middle-of-the-road offenses. They both have potential to grow, but they’re firmly behind Rayne Gordon and Austin McCormick (TE), respectively. I think Tychondrius Hood will be the league’s best rookie receiver, but I don’t know if that’ll be enough to put him on the fantasy radar. And finally, Nate Swift was just too good last season to completely take him off my board, even though he’s at best Yellowknife’s #3 receiver. Willie B. Hardagain did alright in that role last year, so maybe he’s got one more good season left in him.
QB:
1. Franklin Armstrong
2. Jay Cue
3. Wolfie McDummy
4. Easton Cole
5. Dexter Banks II
6. Brock Phoenix
7. Cooter Bigsby
8. Corvo Havran
9. Chika Fujiwara
10. Stan Francisco
11. Monterey Jack
12. George O’Donnell
When looking at who the best quarterback will be this season, Franklin Armstrong, even in his ninth season, still makes a strong case for that honor. Armstrong is still maxed out in all of the major attributes, his receiving corps is stronger than ever with the emergence of Future Trunks and Jeffrey Phillips, and he still has plenty of speed and agility to rack up those rushing stats. Behind him is Jay Cue, who’s also maxed, has tons of great weapons, and has free reign to sling the rock with reckless abandon. He led the league in attempts last year, which equals lots of chances for yards and scores, which I think could both be on the rise this season.
Next are a couple of S16ers getting their first taste of regression, Wolfie McDummy and Easton Cole. McDummy is the better rusher with a permanent green light to tuck and run, but Cole is the better passer with a more exciting receiver corps. You could go either way here, but I like McDummy for those tasty rushing yards more. Dexter Banks II is the wildcard, because in terms of TPE, he’s right up there with the elite of the position. But his receiving corps is sketchy, and we just have no tape on him as a quarterback, and therefore, no clue on how useful he’ll be. I think he’s worth a gamble if you miss the obvious names. Brock Phoenix is in a position where I think he can make a solid jump from last season with an elite Nacho Varga. Cooter Bigsby is really starting to feel regression hard, but still has enough in the tank to be a viable fantasy option, thanks in no small part to his electric receiver corps.
Corvo Havran is a lot like Bigsby, just with a worse receiving corps, which greatly kneecaps his value. Chika Fujiwara may be on the verge of getting better after a rough first season, but she’s very much a dark horse. Stan Francisco is a boring pick, and you should only select him if you A) have no interest in winning and just want to rep the Second Line (you know who you are) or B) just want to not come in last. He’s on a rush-first, second and third team, and should be avoided at all costs. Finally, Monterey Jack and George O’Donnell are rookies on rebuilding teams and rookie QBs almost always struggle in both fantasy and reality, so definitely no.
TE:
1. Austin McCormick
2. Jeffrey Phillips
3. Heath Evans
4. Jammerson Irving
5. Leon McDavid
6. Daniel George
7. Earl Sauce
8. Avon Blocksdale Jr.
9. James Angler
10. Tree Gelbman
There’s only one tight end in the league right now who is basically the #1 receiver on their team and that’s Austin McCormick. No tight end is a bigger focal point of their offense than McCormick, who put up more fantasy points than Hugh Mongo and Sean O’Leary. Drafting McCormick is like getting a second WR2, but someone always tries to get him in like the second round, because the dropoff after him is so vast. Jeffrey Phillips is close to that same tier and had an amazing rookie season, but once he’s gone, the value you’ll get from your tight ends will just plummet.
Heath Evans will give you solid value, especially if you can snag him in the later rounds, but is still Arizona’s third best receiver, a role that a lot of these tight ends find themselves in. Jammerson Irving will likely be put into the slot receiver role in San Jose, while Leon McDavid takes the traditional tight end spot, and they should both be fine for the spots they’re at. Lastly, Daniel George is in an interesting position. The Otters love their tight ends, and last year, Jammerson was third among TEs, despite being OC’s second stringer. George could slide into that role, and be a late round snag.
You’d think that based on their TPE that Earl Sauce and Avon Blocksdale Jr. would be bigger parts of their respective offenses, but both of them struggled mightily last year. Sauce barely cracked 200 yards and never found the end zone despite being very highly rated, and Blocksdale wasn’t much better. I only have Sauce this high because he’s too good to just be wasted, and could break out at any time and be Colorado’s best receiver, but he just hasn’t. Blocksdale could be in a similar boat, but I’ll have to see it first. James Angler and Tree Gelbman are both rookies going to teams that don’t traditionally have big tight end numbers, but last year’s emergence of Phillips and Evans has made me rethink how I feel about rookie tight ends. Maybe these guys (along with Daniel George) will help disprove some thoughts about the position.
K:
1. Alex D
2. Dougie Smalls
3. Silver Banana
4. Jacob Small
5. J.J. Jay-Jaymison
6. Lefty Louis
7. Alfredo Crisco
8. ForThe Brand
9. Venus Powers
10. Matthew McDairmid
11. Sam Sidekick
12. Herbert Prohaska
Kickers are always tricky to track, but your best bet is to find players who get a lot of opportunities as a way to narrow it down. Whether they connect on those opportunities will help you narrow it down more, but there’s your starting line. Alex D had the most field goal tries, and 4th most extra point tries. Dougie Smalls is also up there, with the most extra points and the 4th most field goal tries, and both of them were over 90% accurate in both categories. Both are excellent candidates for early kicker selection. Just don’t be that guy who goes overboard, sixth round is plenty high enough.
Silver Banana was close to that same range and is improving, so he could totally rise up the board. Jacob Small is a huge upgrade over Diego Espinosa, who squandered many chances last year. J.J. Jay-Jaymison is on an improving offense, so will likely see more chances to attempt kicks. And if the Philly offense improves like I think it will, then Lefty Louis could be a value pick.
After that are three popular names in kicking circles, Alfredo Crisco, ForThe Brand, and Venus Powers, but they are not the scoring magnets you might think they are. Crisco’s offense scores a ton, but extra points aren’t worth as much, so that makes their kicker less useful. Brand and Powers have the opposite problem. Their offenses can’t even get them into scoring range, so fewer of everything, although Brand will get you a few more field goals. Finally Matthew McDairmid, Sam Sidekick and Herbert Prohaska are part of clunky offenses, and should be avoided. Prohaska in particular missed a ton of field goals, and shouldn’t be trusted on a fantasy team.
DEF:
1. Yellowknife
2. Colorado
3. Orange County
4. Philadelphia
5. New Orleans
6. Arizona
7. Sarasota
8. Austin
9. Chicago
10. Baltimore
11. San Jose
12. Honolulu
For a fantasy defense, sacks are king. And no team was better at sacking last year than Yellowknife. They accrued 50 sacks as a team, with no departures. They are on the older side, but they’re still pretty active, so I don’t see them slowing down. Colorado is up there as well, and also gets a ton of turnovers, and regularly gets into the endzone, so Colorado is low-risk, high reward.
Orange County is a little below Colorado in each stat, but replaced the falling apart David Ginsberg with the up-and-coming Inspectah Deck, so that’s a solid improvement. Philly is really good at popping out the ball, and are welcoming Tycker Om to the foray to replace the again Ricardo Morris. New Orleans is solid enough, with good stats across the board. And like with many things, Arizona is high-risk, high-reward. They don’t get an average amount of sacks and TOs, but they manage to take it back surprisingly often, so they’re an enticing team.
Sarasota has a ton of new blood entering the team and could be a team on the rise. Austin doesn’t have a serious strength on the team, but they could be bumped up by the addition of Colt Mendoza. Chicago may scare some players off, but they’re totally revamped with a very young defense who could make some noise. The rest of the teams though are not on my radar.
3316 words .
RB:
1. Mako Mendonca
2. Mathias Hanyadi
3. Ashley Owens
4. Marcella Toriki
5. Forrest Gump
6. Baby Yoda
7. Dax Frost
8. Acura Skyline
9. Sam Torenson
10. Rando Cardrissian
11. Darrel Williams
12. Julio Tirtawidjaja
13. Ke?oke?o K?ne-Maika?i
14. Ruff Ruff
15. Apollo Reed
16. Tatsu Nakamura
17. Fuzzy Dotson
18. Kichwa Jones
19. Running Back
20. Jamar Lackson
Last year, Mako Mendonca finished third in fantasy points among all non-QBs, and that was while he was splitting time with Ryan Leaf Jr. This year, he’s the undisputed lead back with only rookie Kichwa Jones to contend with. I think he’ll post better stats across the board, now that he doesn’t have to contend with the do-everything Leaf. Mathias Hanyadi was close to the #1 for me, as he led all non-QBs in points, but the emergence of last year’s Rookie of the Year, Acura Skyline, makes me wonder if Hanyadi will see as many touches as he did last year. Ashley Owens is another person who I think we see serious points this year. I don’t see the retiring Michael Vincent or rookie Richard Gilbert poaching too many carries from Owens, although he does lose a bit to QB Wolfie McDummy. Last among the elites are the Second Line duo of Marcella Toriki and Forrest Gump. Toriki has finally gained the lead in terms of TPE, and I feel like we’re finally going to get to see her as a #1 back. Gump will still be a strong factor in both the rushing and receiving game, but it’s now Toriki’s time to shine.
Next we have three sophomores looking to improve on strong rookie seasons: Baby Yoda, Dax Frost, and Acura Skyline. You could honestly put these three in any order, I think they’ll be about similar. The deciding factor for me was the other people in their respective RB corps: nobody in Arizona, rookie Running Back in Sarasota, and Mathias in Yellowknife. Sam Torenson is still a top flight back, but he’s just entered regression, and now has to deal with the emerging Fuzzy Dotson. Plus, I think Philly’s QB, Brock Phoenix, has reached the point where the Philly passing attack can be the focal point of the offense, so their running game as a whole could take a step back.
After that, we have another group of three: three lead backs who’ll be on offenses with inexperienced QBs who may stifle the offense as a whole, but could still be great by sheer volume: Rando Cardrissian in San Jose, Darrel Williams in Baltimore, and Julio Tirtawidjaja in Chicago. On a Sabercat offense that’s lost a lot of its sharpness from last season, Cardrissian will now be the focal point. Same for Darrel Williams on a team where Apollo Reed is plummeting and Errol Maddox just retired. And in Chicago, their only other running back, Farley Hank is primarily a receiver, so Julio is their only traditional RB. And then there’s the Honolulu pairing of Ke?oke?o K?ne-Maika?i and Ruff Ruff. I would have them higher, but I honestly don’t know which one will be the better back. I have a feeling these two will split the carries pretty evenly, and since I don’t think Honolulu’s offense can sustain two viable fantasy RBs like New Orleans’s can, I think they’ll both be just outside of solid FLEX numbers. Just keep your eyes on the waiver wire if either one separates from the other.
And finally, we come to some players who may not be draft-worthy, but could still make an impact and be waiver darlings. The sim has always seemed to have a soft spot for Apollo Reed, even while he’s getting up there in years. Tatsu Nakamura could be a solid late-rounder, but OCO is traditionally a pass-centric team, and even when they do run, Franklin Armstrong could swipe a lot of carries from him, plus they still have Ludicolo Bigby. Fuzzy Dotson is starting to gain traction, but I don’t think he’ll take enough carries from Sam Torenson to be very useful here, but that may change by next season. Finally, we have three rookies, and I don’t see a path for many of them to get a ton of reps. Austin’s offense is the best of the three in question here, so Kichwa Jones might be able to get some solid flex-back work.
WR:
1. Saba Donut
2. Nacho Varga
3. Bender B. Rodriguez
4. Hugh Mongo
5. Deondre Thomas-Fox
6. Net Gaines
7. Jed Podolak
8. William Lim
9. Sean O’Leary
10. Rayne Gordon
11. Randy Vuxta
12. Jah Bur’berry
13. Future Trunks
14. Action Jackson
15. Rod Tidwell
16. Asher Quinn
17. Michael Witheblock
18. Ed Barker
19. Tychondrius Hood
20. Nate Swift
Last season, Saba Donut finished 4th among WRs in fantasy points, but all of the people ahead of him are either getting old, or will be a part of a less potent offense. And with Arizona’s offense being as exciting as it is, I think this is Saba’s year to really shine. Nacho Varga may be a stretch to put this high, but I have high hopes for the Philadelphia passing attack, and he’s still one of the best receivers in the league in TPE, so I think this’ll be a very strong season for him. Bender B. Rodriguez is now in the driver’s seat as Yellowknife’s #1 receiver, which is a slot that always seems to produce huge numbers. And finally, Hugh Mongo is still the top receiver in Franklin Armstrong’s offense, which means only good things. I feel like these four are in a tier all of their own, and there’s a drop-off after that, so get these guys while they’re available.
Deondre Thomas-Fox really caught fire last season, and while some may think the departure of Dan Wright will hurt the offense, San Jose has always managed to produce at least one solid receiver, even in the years when Wright was trash, whether it be Cameron Olsen or Action Jackson. Net Gaines seems to be in line to take the lead receiver role in Austin. He was miserable last season, but I’m expecting a bounceback season from him to somewhere around his S21 numbers (over 1000 yards). Jed Podolak is running away with the Honolulu #1 spot, so even as Corvo Havran declines, they should be able to maintain at least one good receiver. William Lim is now in the lead role in Colorado, and James Bishop showed that that’s a position where someone can really thrive, even if they don’t have a ton of TPE. (Lim has about the same TPE that Bishop did at the start of last season, so expect similar numbers.) Sean O’Leary is back to having a QB situation that is only subpar instead of outright toxic, so expect stats similar to what he did back in S21, when he led the league in touchdowns. Last in this group is Rayne Gordon, who now will be catching passes from Dexter Banks II instead of splitting receptions with him, and I think Banks will be good enough for Gordon to improve on last season’s solid season under his stewardship.
After that is a lot of second-stringers and leads on weak offenses who I’m just not sure at all about. We’ll start with Randy Vuxta, who did about as well as Nacho Varga last season, and with the improvement their offense is going through, I think he could be a strong player if you wait on a second receiver. Jah Bur’berry is still very young, but is in a very enticing position, #2 on an elite passing offense. Same for Future Trunks, although he might see more competition from his tight ends. People seem to be really high on Action Jackson, but I’m not so sure. He’s Yellowknife’s #2 receiver, but last year, BBR and Willie B. Hardagain split #2 reps, and neither were really viable in fantasy with Rodriguez being a big bust last year, so I’m skeptical of his value, especially since Hardagain, Nate Swift, AND Mike Lee are there to compete with him. Same for Rod Tidwell, who was second among receivers last year, but regression hit him hard, and he’s been usurped by Gaines, who greatly underperformed last year. And now Tidwell finds himself in Gaines’s role, alongside an improving Gaines and Eddie Jeeta. Red flags are in the air. Finally, maybe I could imagine Asher Quinn having a breakout season. But last year, no Baltimore receiver cracked 500 yards, so this isn’t an offense to get excited about.
Among the bottom tier, we have Michael Witheblock and Ed Barker, two young #2s on middle-of-the-road offenses. They both have potential to grow, but they’re firmly behind Rayne Gordon and Austin McCormick (TE), respectively. I think Tychondrius Hood will be the league’s best rookie receiver, but I don’t know if that’ll be enough to put him on the fantasy radar. And finally, Nate Swift was just too good last season to completely take him off my board, even though he’s at best Yellowknife’s #3 receiver. Willie B. Hardagain did alright in that role last year, so maybe he’s got one more good season left in him.
QB:
1. Franklin Armstrong
2. Jay Cue
3. Wolfie McDummy
4. Easton Cole
5. Dexter Banks II
6. Brock Phoenix
7. Cooter Bigsby
8. Corvo Havran
9. Chika Fujiwara
10. Stan Francisco
11. Monterey Jack
12. George O’Donnell
When looking at who the best quarterback will be this season, Franklin Armstrong, even in his ninth season, still makes a strong case for that honor. Armstrong is still maxed out in all of the major attributes, his receiving corps is stronger than ever with the emergence of Future Trunks and Jeffrey Phillips, and he still has plenty of speed and agility to rack up those rushing stats. Behind him is Jay Cue, who’s also maxed, has tons of great weapons, and has free reign to sling the rock with reckless abandon. He led the league in attempts last year, which equals lots of chances for yards and scores, which I think could both be on the rise this season.
Next are a couple of S16ers getting their first taste of regression, Wolfie McDummy and Easton Cole. McDummy is the better rusher with a permanent green light to tuck and run, but Cole is the better passer with a more exciting receiver corps. You could go either way here, but I like McDummy for those tasty rushing yards more. Dexter Banks II is the wildcard, because in terms of TPE, he’s right up there with the elite of the position. But his receiving corps is sketchy, and we just have no tape on him as a quarterback, and therefore, no clue on how useful he’ll be. I think he’s worth a gamble if you miss the obvious names. Brock Phoenix is in a position where I think he can make a solid jump from last season with an elite Nacho Varga. Cooter Bigsby is really starting to feel regression hard, but still has enough in the tank to be a viable fantasy option, thanks in no small part to his electric receiver corps.
Corvo Havran is a lot like Bigsby, just with a worse receiving corps, which greatly kneecaps his value. Chika Fujiwara may be on the verge of getting better after a rough first season, but she’s very much a dark horse. Stan Francisco is a boring pick, and you should only select him if you A) have no interest in winning and just want to rep the Second Line (you know who you are) or B) just want to not come in last. He’s on a rush-first, second and third team, and should be avoided at all costs. Finally, Monterey Jack and George O’Donnell are rookies on rebuilding teams and rookie QBs almost always struggle in both fantasy and reality, so definitely no.
TE:
1. Austin McCormick
2. Jeffrey Phillips
3. Heath Evans
4. Jammerson Irving
5. Leon McDavid
6. Daniel George
7. Earl Sauce
8. Avon Blocksdale Jr.
9. James Angler
10. Tree Gelbman
There’s only one tight end in the league right now who is basically the #1 receiver on their team and that’s Austin McCormick. No tight end is a bigger focal point of their offense than McCormick, who put up more fantasy points than Hugh Mongo and Sean O’Leary. Drafting McCormick is like getting a second WR2, but someone always tries to get him in like the second round, because the dropoff after him is so vast. Jeffrey Phillips is close to that same tier and had an amazing rookie season, but once he’s gone, the value you’ll get from your tight ends will just plummet.
Heath Evans will give you solid value, especially if you can snag him in the later rounds, but is still Arizona’s third best receiver, a role that a lot of these tight ends find themselves in. Jammerson Irving will likely be put into the slot receiver role in San Jose, while Leon McDavid takes the traditional tight end spot, and they should both be fine for the spots they’re at. Lastly, Daniel George is in an interesting position. The Otters love their tight ends, and last year, Jammerson was third among TEs, despite being OC’s second stringer. George could slide into that role, and be a late round snag.
You’d think that based on their TPE that Earl Sauce and Avon Blocksdale Jr. would be bigger parts of their respective offenses, but both of them struggled mightily last year. Sauce barely cracked 200 yards and never found the end zone despite being very highly rated, and Blocksdale wasn’t much better. I only have Sauce this high because he’s too good to just be wasted, and could break out at any time and be Colorado’s best receiver, but he just hasn’t. Blocksdale could be in a similar boat, but I’ll have to see it first. James Angler and Tree Gelbman are both rookies going to teams that don’t traditionally have big tight end numbers, but last year’s emergence of Phillips and Evans has made me rethink how I feel about rookie tight ends. Maybe these guys (along with Daniel George) will help disprove some thoughts about the position.
K:
1. Alex D
2. Dougie Smalls
3. Silver Banana
4. Jacob Small
5. J.J. Jay-Jaymison
6. Lefty Louis
7. Alfredo Crisco
8. ForThe Brand
9. Venus Powers
10. Matthew McDairmid
11. Sam Sidekick
12. Herbert Prohaska
Kickers are always tricky to track, but your best bet is to find players who get a lot of opportunities as a way to narrow it down. Whether they connect on those opportunities will help you narrow it down more, but there’s your starting line. Alex D had the most field goal tries, and 4th most extra point tries. Dougie Smalls is also up there, with the most extra points and the 4th most field goal tries, and both of them were over 90% accurate in both categories. Both are excellent candidates for early kicker selection. Just don’t be that guy who goes overboard, sixth round is plenty high enough.
Silver Banana was close to that same range and is improving, so he could totally rise up the board. Jacob Small is a huge upgrade over Diego Espinosa, who squandered many chances last year. J.J. Jay-Jaymison is on an improving offense, so will likely see more chances to attempt kicks. And if the Philly offense improves like I think it will, then Lefty Louis could be a value pick.
After that are three popular names in kicking circles, Alfredo Crisco, ForThe Brand, and Venus Powers, but they are not the scoring magnets you might think they are. Crisco’s offense scores a ton, but extra points aren’t worth as much, so that makes their kicker less useful. Brand and Powers have the opposite problem. Their offenses can’t even get them into scoring range, so fewer of everything, although Brand will get you a few more field goals. Finally Matthew McDairmid, Sam Sidekick and Herbert Prohaska are part of clunky offenses, and should be avoided. Prohaska in particular missed a ton of field goals, and shouldn’t be trusted on a fantasy team.
DEF:
1. Yellowknife
2. Colorado
3. Orange County
4. Philadelphia
5. New Orleans
6. Arizona
7. Sarasota
8. Austin
9. Chicago
10. Baltimore
11. San Jose
12. Honolulu
For a fantasy defense, sacks are king. And no team was better at sacking last year than Yellowknife. They accrued 50 sacks as a team, with no departures. They are on the older side, but they’re still pretty active, so I don’t see them slowing down. Colorado is up there as well, and also gets a ton of turnovers, and regularly gets into the endzone, so Colorado is low-risk, high reward.
Orange County is a little below Colorado in each stat, but replaced the falling apart David Ginsberg with the up-and-coming Inspectah Deck, so that’s a solid improvement. Philly is really good at popping out the ball, and are welcoming Tycker Om to the foray to replace the again Ricardo Morris. New Orleans is solid enough, with good stats across the board. And like with many things, Arizona is high-risk, high-reward. They don’t get an average amount of sacks and TOs, but they manage to take it back surprisingly often, so they’re an enticing team.
Sarasota has a ton of new blood entering the team and could be a team on the rise. Austin doesn’t have a serious strength on the team, but they could be bumped up by the addition of Colt Mendoza. Chicago may scare some players off, but they’re totally revamped with a very young defense who could make some noise. The rest of the teams though are not on my radar.
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