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.

Early Disappointments

Matt Ryan- Atlanta Falcons quarterback

Matt Ryan has been one of the most talked about football players once again this year. The difference between last year and this year is that he was praised for winning an MVP and taking his team to the Super Bowl last year, instead of being acknowledged as a bust this year. Ryan was one of the highest drafted quarterbacks in most fantasy leagues this year, but has been a major let down. The former BC graduate has averaged a worrisome 13.00 fantasy points per game and ranks T-23rd in touchdowns, along with Jay Cutler. When one of your stat categories is tied with Jay Cutler, you know your having a tough season. Last week against the 32nd ranked Patriots defense was the perfect week for Matt Ryan and the Falcons offense to turn it around, but they stunningly didn’t. Many fantasy managers are going to wait the rest of the year for Ryan to get out of his slump, but I’m not confident he ever will. Ryan has yet to show any signs of heating up. He should benched in leagues consisting of 10 members or more, and cut in leagues under 10.

Jay Ajayi- Miami Dolphins running back

If you told me before the season started that I would writing about Jay Ajayi being a bust, I would laugh. I was very high on Ajayi coming into the season, so his poor play has been a shock to me. He’s only produced two double-digit performances this season, and has yet to score a touchdown! To be fair, Ajayi’s slow start isn’t totally his fault. The Dolphins passing offense is a disaster, so opponents are simply stacking the line and stuffing the run. This has limited the 24 year old’s opportunities for big plays. While I’d like to see him heat up, I’m not sure how he will. I don’t see the Dolphins offense getting any better in the future, so I’m not sure things are going to change here for Ajayi. In most cases, running backs need to score touchdowns to be relevant in fantasy and Ajayi doesn’t score. He’s carries too big of a name to drop in any leagues yet, but he should benched in all formats.

Jordan Reed- Washington Redskins tight end

Jordan Reed has missed one game this year, but you can’t blame injuries on poor delivery this season. Reed is one of the most talented tight ends in the league and is usually a high draft pick because of his intriguing upside. However, he has struggled to make an impact in the Redskins offense this year. His backup Vernon Davis has been out playing him! Before week 7, 4 points was his highest produced game. Last week in Philadelphia (week 7) was a different story. Reed went off, totaling 8 catches for 64 yards and 2 touchdowns, which amounted to 18 points. That is 6 more points than he had in his first 6 weeks combined. Reed finally looked like the explosive and productive Jordan Reed we’ve seen in recent years. Moving forward, Reed should be seeing more targets and regaining his connection with Kirk Cousins. It’s been a slow start for the young tight end, but week 7 proved that he’s ready to flip the switch. He’s a risky TE1 with giant upside in all formats.

 

 

 

 

Start/Sit

Start

Matt Ryan- Atlanta Falcons quarterback

Matt Ryan has seemed to catch the post-Super Bowl depression that Cam Newton had last year. Coming off of a season which included an MVP award and insane fantasy numbers, Ryan has taken a steep fall in production this year. The Falcons franchise star has averaged only 12.4 fantasy points a game this season and has been a major disappointment. So why start him this week? Ryan is playing against New England, which ranks dead last against quarterbacks. They have literally made every quarterback they have faced this year a safe start. If Ryan is going to flip the switch, this would be the most practical week it would happen. Matt Ryan is a high-upside QB1 against an atrocious defense.

Joe Mixon- Cincinnati Bengals running back

Mixon came into this year as one of the many intriguing rookies who could make an immediate impact on fantasy teams. While this has been a season of dominating rookies, Mixon hasn’t impressed. The young back has only averaged 37.4 rushing yards game and holds an ugly 2.8 YPC. The good news is that Mixon is getting a lot of touches, which means the coaches clearly like him, and he’ll probably breakout soon. Fresh off a bye, Mixon will be heading to Pittsburgh this week, a team that ranks 30th against opposing running backs. The Steelers have let up over 200 yards and 30 fantasy points to running backs in two games already. This is a great chance for Mixon to start producing with these touches. He’s a RB2 with high potential.

Sit

Martellus Bennett- Green Bay Packers tight end

The Packers big offseason addition hasn’t made much of an impact this season. Bennett has only averaged 3.17 fantasy points per game with 0 touchdowns. The Packers just don’t feature their tight ends enough for them to be relevant in fantasy. However, fantasy managers always think this year will be different and the Packers finally have an elite tight end on the team. That’s the reason Bennett has started in half of the leagues and owned in 81.7% of leagues, despite being the 27th ranked tight end in fantasy points. The possible season ending injury to the Packers top-tier franchise quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, only makes Bennett less of an intriguing option moving forward. The veteran TE should be benched this week and likely for the rest of the season.

Jordan Howard- Chicago Bears running back

Jordan Howard hasn’t been a popular name this year, but has put up great numbers. Despite being a bit inconsistent with his production, Howard has averaged 82.5 rushing yards and 12.17 fantasy points per game this season. He’s also coming off an incredible 167 rushing yard game against Baltimore this past week, which will make him one of the most started running backs in fantasy this week. Nevertheless, I think he should be benched and I will explain why. First of all, Howard has only had one set of back to back double digit fantasy point weeks. Secondly, The 22 year old is going to be banged up and tired after carrying the ball 36 times last week. Lastly, he’s playing Carolina, which has been awfully stingy against the run, ranking 3rd in fantasy points against running backs. While Howard is usually an elite option in fantasy, this might be a week to bench him.

 

Breakout Sleepers

Alex Smith- Kansas City Chiefs quarterback

Alex Smith was one of the least likely players to produce jaw-dropping numbers through the first month of the season. He’s been in the tier with Joe Flacco, Andy Dalton, and Sam Bradford who are consistently mediocre. This year has brought us a totally new and much-improved Alex Smith. Through the first 4 weeks of the year, the 33-year-old QB is averaging 21.5 fantasy points per game and carries a ridiculous 8:0 TD:INT ratio. He is currently the 2nd ranked fantasy quarterback, above Superstars Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and Russell Wilson. The real question is whether Smith can keep up this MVP-level play. I’m in the middle on this one. I don’t think Smith will continue on this pace, but I do think 2017 will be his career best season, and he’ll likely finish a top 10 fantasy quarterback. It’s hard to ignore these numbers, but it’s also hard to trust someone who has never ranked inside the top 15 in total fantasy points for quarterbacks at the end of a year.

DeShaun Watson- Houston Texans quarterback

Watson has been one of the most talked about football players these last few weeks. The College phenomenon was drafted after Mitchell Trubisky and Patrick Mahomes, but is already proving his superiority over them. Watson opened the season as the Texans backup, but it only took a week for Watson to take over. The elusive 22-year-old nearly won in New England in week 3, and has averaged an elite 23.3 fantasy points per game over the last 3 weeks. Quarterback has by far been the biggest issue for the Texans in recent years, but it looks like they found their long-term guy in the dynamic Watson. You know a player’s special when he scores 9 touchdowns in his first 4 games played as a pro, with 5 in one! Watson is not yet a trusted every week starter. However, that could change depending on his play over the next few weeks.

Kareem Hunt- Kansas City Chiefs running back

Get used to hearing about this guy’s name, whether you want to or not because he is making history. Hunt was drafted in the 3rd round of this year’s draft and got the opportunity to open the season as the Chiefs starting running back after Spencer Ware’s  late preseason injury. Hunt’s first NFL start was in New England, which is a tough place to play. The poor kid was set up for disaster, right? Hunt had other plans, which included embarrassing the defending champs by totaling 246 yards and 3 touchdowns. The 22-year-old then followed that up with 3 more stellar performances, putting himself in the early MVP running. Hunt leads all players in fantasy points, and has averaged a staggering 164.75 scrimmage yards per game. Someone who opens up their career with stats like this doesn’t just fall off, he’s the real deal. Expect top 5 numbers from Hunt by the end of the season.

Stefon Diggs- Minnesota Vikings wide receiver

Stefon Diggs has shattered defenses through the first month of the 2017 season. Diggs not only currently leads the NFL in receiving yards, but also ranks T-2nd in TD’s, and 1st in fantasy points for wide outs. It doesn’t matter who is throwing him the ball, Sam Bradford or Case Keenum, Diggs has proven he can thrive with either. The worry with Diggs is that he started the season off with a bang last season as well, but fell off fast. Will he do that again? Well, I believe he’ll cool down, but he won’t fall off nearly as bad as last season. I see Diggs as a strong WR2 moving forward who will end the year as a confident top 15 wide out.

4 Drops

Bilal Powell- New York Jets running back

Powell was a popular sleeper coming into this season, after a late season production surge last year. I wasn’t as intrigued by Powell because of how awful the Jets offense is. I didn’t think it would be worth taking any Jets players, especially with Matt Forte still being relevant. So far, I have been right. Powell is off to a very slow start, totaling only 89 yards and posting a treacherous 2.57 YPC through 3 games. Also, according to Rotoworld, “The Jets OC John Morton said the team plans to use a three-man running back committee going forward.” Powell is unlikely to heat up and is safe to drop in leagues that consist up to 10 members.

Jordan Matthews- Buffalo Bills wide receiver

Jordan Matthews caught the eye of many fantasy owners after his first two productive seasons in the NFL in 2014 and 2015. Last year was a set-back season for Matthews catching only 3 touchdowns and dropping 6 passes (T-8th most in the NFL). He was then traded to the Bills this offseason and surprisingly locked in as their #1 wide receiver. Even as Tyrod Taylor’s top target, Matthews value is hurt by the Bills run-heavy offense. The 25-year old wide receiver has yet to make a fantasy impact, averaging only 5.00 fantasy points per game through the first 3 games in the season. The Bills have been arguably the worst team to own receivers in, making Matthews only relevant in deeper 12-14 team leagues, as an emergency bench player.

Adrian Peterson- New Orleans Saints running back

Peterson was a controversial fantasy player coming into this season. His doubters think he’s well out of his prime at 32 years old, and coming off a season-ending knee injury. His believers think his ridiculous 2015 stats shouldn’t be taken lightly. I don’t like when doubters and haters win, but it seems that in this instance they’re right. Peterson has looked rusty to start the season, averaging only 25.67 rushing yards per game and 2.00 fantasy points per game through the first 3 games of the year. It also doesn’t help that the hall of fame lock is in a 3-man running back committee on one of the most pass-heavy offense in the league. Listed as the Saints #3 running back, it’s safe to say that Peterson’s days of excellence are clearly behind him. He has no upside and should be dropped in all leagues.

Martellus Bennett- Green Bay Packers tight end

Bennett broke out during his three-year stint in Chicago, and quickly became known as a top 10 tight end in the league. He was traded to New England last season, and continued his impressive play, producing 707 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns. Everyone was excited when he was signed by Green Bay and would team up with Aaron Rodgers this offseason. While the Packers are a top-tier passing offense, did anyone not notice how crowded the Packers receiving depth chart would be? Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams, Randall Cobb always dominate the targets in Green Bay, leaving the tight end few looks. Ask yourself this question; when was the last time a Packer tight end has had an elite season with Aaron Rodgers under center? The answer is never. Bennett has surprisingly had a lot of balls thrown his way this season so far, but has struggled to make a fantasy impact, totaling only 9 points through 3 games. Unlike the other players I wrote about above, Bennett is too talented to cut in most leagues. Nevertheless, he should be benched in all formats and traded if possible.