Power Rankings: Day 8

#1 Hillsy

 

 

Manager: Smooth

MVP: Tom Brady

Best Add: T.Y. Hilton

Breakout: Keanu Neal

 

2015: 3

2016: 1

2017: 6

2018: 1

 

Hillsy was ranked at #6 last year, but proved me wrong by winning a championship. This is Hillsy’s second time ranking at #1. What stood out to me from Hillsy’s team and the rest of the league, is the amount of superstars he has. The road to a championship is so much easier when you have more superstars than everyone else in the league. Brady, Gurley, and Gronk are umatchable. If these three are able to stay healthy I don’t see how anyone will beat him. The only worry I have here is his depth and wide receivers. His three megastars are backed up by Jared Goff, Alex Collins, and Tyler Eifert. These are giant drop offs, so he will have to pray he won’t need them. His wide receivers are also problematic. Hilton, Edelman, and Thomas are all solid, he has no #1 wide out. Losing Julio will make things much more difficult for Hillsy this year. However, I loved how he grabbed an elite kicker is Gostko and a solid defense. Martinez and Alexander are tackle machines. Smith and Barron produce great tackle numbers, and add some picks and sacks. Neal is a nice interception guy. When you matchup all of the league’s starting lineup’s, your delusional if you don’t think Hillsy is the clear favorite. He will just hope he won’t have the luck that 2017 #1 ranked Larry had last year with injuries.

Power Rankings: Day 7

#2 Smooth

Manager: Smooth

MVP: Odell Beckham Jr.

Best Add: Greg Olsen

Breakout: Christian McCaffrey

2015: 8

2016: 7

2017: 4

2018: 2

Smooth started from the bottom, but has improved his team every year. This is his highest ranking. Mike’s quarterback situation is not ideal. Despite his immense talent, Wilson is a risky play this season. Jimmy G is a nice backup. His running back situation is boom or bust. It’s very risky keeping two tiny running backs carrying heavy loads this season. Kamara and McCaffrey have stirred up a ton of buzz this off-season and are both expected to have huge seasons. The great thing about these two guys are they both catch a ton. Wide receiver is Mike’s biggest strength. Odell and Thomas is the second best wide out duo in the league, and Diggs is the second best 3rd string wide out. tight end isn’t a strength nor a weakness for Mike. Olsen is great, and Njoku is a nice sleeper. He’ll be fine for kicker with top tier kicker Justin Tucker. Mike’s defense is also a huge strength. Lee, Jones, and Kirksey are three tackle machines. Jones and Miller is arguably the most dangerous sack duo in the league along with Zuke’s Watt and Mack. Overall, Smooth is a clear title contender. He has a lot of talent and depth, and doesn’t have weaknesses. The reason he’s not at #1 is he doesn’t have enough superstars to compete with Hillsy.

Power Rankings: Day 6

#3 Mark

 

 

Manager: Mark

MVP: Antonio Brown

Best Add: Dalvin Cook

Breakout: Trey Burton

 

2015: 4

2016: 2

2017: 3

2018: 3

 

This is Mark’s second straight season coming in 3rd place. He has been awfully consistent with his rankings, ranking as an A-team member in all 4 years of the rankings, despite not yet being ranked at 1. Mark’s quarterbacks are okay. Stafford is very consistent, but is no Brees/Brady/Rodgers. Luck is a nice backup with very high upside. His running backs are a bit problematic. Having Gordon as a starter is not ideal as he’s barely a top 8 running back. However, his depth is amazing with having Cook as a backup who is another top 10 running back. Still not sure how a talent like Cook dropped that far?? Wide receiver is Mark’s main strength and is the main reason he is ranked this high. Brown and Allen create a lethal duo, and Jones is a solid 3rd stringer. No one is catching Mark in receiving. Tight end is another giant strength for Mark. Kelce is the second best tight end in the league and Burton is a terrific sleeper as a backup. Bryant is solid. Mark’s defense needs some help. Schobert is a solid tackle guy, and Ingram and Foster are two solid sack guys. These three players just aren’t good enough to lead a successful defense. His other two players suck. Overall, Mark is always going to be in the conversation for a championship, it runs in the Sullivan blood. Unfortunately, finishing business is only in mine. His receiving is off the charts, but will need one more elite position if he wants to bring home the trophy.

Power Rankings: Day 5

#4 Jimmy

 

 

Manager: Jimmy

MVP: Le’Veon Bell

Best Add: Jimmy Graham

Breakout: SaQuan Barkley

 

2015: 2

2016: 8

2017: 5

2018: 4

 

Jimmy has been sneakily rising up my rankings over the years, and hits his 2nd highest ranking this year at 4. Jimmy came into this years draft with keeper issues, but made the right moves on draft night, forming a lethal squad. Quarterback is Jimmy’s biggest problem. He has the worst starter and the riskiest backup. Jimmy’s running backs are the complete opposite. He has the best starter and most talented backup. His wide receivers are solid and rank in the middle of the league. Julio and Green are a nice duo, and Hill is an okay backup with high potential. His tight end situation is also middle of the pack. Graham is solid, but is a boom or bust candidate in a usually wide receiver heavy offense. However, having Walker as a backup is very helpful, as he’s the top backup lineup in the league. Jimmy has the best kicker in the league hands down. Defense is another potential problem. David, Buchanon, and Kendricks are all he’s got. I’m not sure these three are good enough for an elite defense. Overall, this ranking was extremely difficult. Jimmy has a very strong team with strengths in many positions. I don’t see Jimmy as a favorite to win the championship, but he has the talent to compete for one.

Power Rankings: Day 4

#5 BS

 

 

Manager: BS

MVP: Ezekiel Elliot

Best Add: Luke Kuechly

Breakout: Myles Garrett

 

2015: 1

2016: 6

2017: 2

2018: 5

 

BS has been all over the place in my rankings; twice in the top 2, and twice qualifying as a B-team squad. BS is in a risky position for quarterback. Wentz is injured and has a lack of receivers. Smith is a solid backup who had a sneakily awesome season last year, despite the downside of being in a different jersey this year. Running back is a big strength for BS, with a top 4 back in Zeke and a risky but top 3 backup running back with McCoy. BS also has a strong receiving corps. Hopkins is a top 3 wide out in the NFL, Evans is a solid WR2, and Fitz is the best #3 receiver in the league. Tight end is an issue for BS. Rudolph and Doyle both have high potential, but usually under produce. The addition of Cousins should help Rudolph’s stock, but Minnesota is still a run-heavy team with a handful of talented receivers. Elliot is okay. His defense is also solid. Kuechly and Garrett will be terrific, but the other three are question marks. Overall, BS has a good-looking roster and should end up in the middle of the pack by the end of the year.

Power Rankings: Day 3

#6 Larry

 

 

Manager: Larry

MVP: Aaron Rodgers

Best Add: ReShad Jones

Breakout: Doug Baldwin

 

2015: 6

2016: 3

2017: 1

2018: 6

 

Larry was ranked #1 in my 2017 rankings, creating a dominant fantasy squad that unfortunately encountered season changing injuries. In 2018, Larry still has the best quarterback in the league in Aaron Rodgers. He should also thrive in running back with stud David Johnson coming back. However, it would’ve been helpful if he took a stronger backup in case of re-injury. Wide receiver is a major problem for Larry. Baldwin as a #1 receiver is problematic. Tight end is another issue. Evan Engram has a terrific 2017 season, but is bound to fall in the sophomore slump with OBJ and Sterling Shepard coming back, and the addition of SaQuan Barkley. Engram will struggle to find targets in a crowded receiving corps. Boswell is a boom or bust. Larry’s defense is his strongest position and is the best in the league. All 5 defensive players are flat out stars. Larry absolutely thrives in some positions, but really struggles in others. Aaron Rodgers and David Johnson should help Larry stay competitive, but his receiving may restrict him from going far.

Power Rankings: Day 2

#7 Zuke

 

 

Manager: Zuke

MVP: Zach Ertz

Best Add: JJ Watt

Breakout: Davante Adams

 

2015: 5

2016: 5

2017: 8

2018: 7

 

Zuke moved up one ranking this year. His starting quarterback is average, but having a reliable backup in Matt Ryan helps. His running back situation is the main problem here. While Fournette has strong potential to improve on an already impressive 2017 campaign, he is the worst starting running back. Drake is an average backup. His wide outs aren’t a strength, but they’re not a weakness either. Adams is primed for a huge season, while Landry and Hogan could have sneaky good seasons. Tight end is Zuke’s strongest position. Ertz is a top 3 tight end and Kittle is a great sleeper pick. Butker is average. His defense is also very strong. He has two spectacular sack guys in Mack and Watt and Mosley and Collins are both studs who produce in all categories. This was a tough decision because Zuke doesn’t have a “usual” #7 ranked team. Running back is his only real weakness, but it also doesn’t help that he doesn’t have any offensive studs. I could see Zuke ending the year anywhere from 3-7.

Power Rankings: Day 1

#8 Frankie

 

 

 

 

Manager: Frankie

MVP: Drew Brees

Best Add:  Devonta Freeman

Breakout: Jordan Reed

 

2015: 7

2016: 4

2017: 7

2018: 8

 

This is Frankie’s lowest ranking to date. However, it is important to note that he was ranked at #7 last year and finished directly in the middle at 4. Frankie’s quarterback situation is his big strength. He has a top 3 QB with Brees and drafted the best backup in Philip Rivers. Running back situation is okay. Hunt isn’t one of the top tier running backs, but Freeman is an elite backup. He has excellent depth at running back, but will need injuries to a few of the top tier guys for running back to be a strength for Frankie. Wide receiver is a major issue here. While Cooper could have a big bounce back year, his 2017 statistics are way too risky for a #1 wide receiver. Reed is a giant question mark and will most likely dictate how Frankie’s season will go. He has potential to be a top 3 tight end with his phenomenal talent and tight end happy passer in Alex Smith, but his health is a major risk. He has one of the low-tier kickers in a less important position, and also struggles in defense. Bosa and Jack must not decline at all for his defense to be solid. Overall, the season hasn’t even started yet, so not giving a team a chance is just idiotic. Currently on paper, Frankie could have a difficult time making the A team.