1. Overall Rankings

    If there's one thing to take away from any fantasy football preview, it's that it is imperative to be flexible. Anyone who goes into a draft with a set strategy — "I'm taking a running back in the first round, a wide receiver in the second and a second running back in the third" — is setting themselves up for failure.

    The simple fact is, there's no "way" to succeed in a draft. Last year, you could have waited on running back, stumbled into Justin Forsett or Jeremy Hill or C.J. Anderson at some point over the season, and been golden. Ryan Tannehill could have been your late quarterback. Most people thought Antonio Gates was on his way out, and instead he finished second among tight ends.

    All you have to do is draft well, and know your situations. The running back you wanted in the first round got taken before your pick? No one else of similar quality left? Don't reach for an inferior option; go to a different position and circle back later.

    Flexibility is key. Multiple strategies will get you there. And with that in mind, below, you'll find our Top 150 consensus rankings entering the 2015 NFL season.

    Rank Daniel Kelley Dan Ciarrocchi Alex Welch John Daigle Kenneth Arthur Scott Kaliska Mike Gallagher
    1 Eddie Lacy RB, Packers Adrian Peterson RB, Vikings Le'Veon Bell RB, Steelers Adrian Peterson RB, Vikings Adrian Peterson RB, Vikings Adrian Peterson RB, Vikings Eddie Lacy RB, Packers
    2 Jamaal Charles RB, Chiefs Jamaal Charles RB, Chiefs Adrian Peterson RB, Vikings Eddie Lacy RB, Packers Andrew Luck QB, Colts Le'Veon Bell RB, Steelers Le'Veon Bell RB, Steelers
    3 Le'Veon Bell RB, Steelers Le'Veon Bell RB, Steelers Jamaal Charles RB, Chiefs Marshawn Lynch RB, Seahawks Aaron Rodgers QB, Packers Eddie Lacy RB, Packers DeMarco Murray RB, Eagles
    4 Aaron Rodgers QB, Packers Eddie Lacy RB, Packers Marshawn Lynch RB, Seahawks Le'Veon Bell RB, Steelers Marshawn Lynch RB, Seahawks Jamaal Charles RB, Chiefs Dez Bryant WR, Cowboys
    5 Rob Gronkowski TE, Patriots Marshawn Lynch RB, Seahawks DeMarco Murray RB, Eagles Jamaal Charles RB, Chiefs Jamaal Charles RB, Chiefs Marshawn Lynch RB, Seahawks Jamaal Charles RB, Chiefs
    6 Andrew Luck QB, Colts Antonio Brown WR, Steelers Eddie Lacy RB, Packers Dez Bryant WR, Cowboys Le'Veon Bell RB, Steelers Antonio Brown WR, Steelers Rob Gronkowski TE, Patriots
    7 Dez Bryant WR, Cowboys Rob Gronkowski TE, Patriots Antonio Brown WR, Steelers Demaryius Thomas WR, Broncos Calvin Johnson WR, Lions Dez Bryant WR, Cowboys Antonio Brown WR, Steelers
    8 CJ Anderson RB, Broncos Dez Bryant WR, Cowboys CJ Anderson RB, Broncos Rob Gronkowski TE, Patriots Antonio Brown WR, Steelers Rob Gronkowski TE, Patriots Demaryius Thomas WR, Broncos
    9 Antonio Brown WR, Steelers CJ Anderson RB, Broncos Dez Bryant WR, Cowboys Antonio Brown WR, Steelers Rob Gronkowski TE, Patriots CJ Anderson RB, Broncos Calvin Johnson WR, Lions
    10 Jordy Nelson WR, Packers Demaryius Thomas WR, Broncos Julio Jones WR, Falcons Julio Jones WR, Falcons Eddie Lacy RB, Packers Demaryius Thomas WR, Broncos Julio Jones WR, Falcons
    11 Matt Forte RB, Bears Matt Forte RB, Bears Demaryius Thomas WR, Broncos Calvin Johnson WR, Lions Odell Beckham Jr. WR, Giants Julio Jones WR, Falcons Adrian Peterson RB, Vikings
    12 Demaryius Thomas WR, Broncos Calvin Johnson WR, Lions Rob Gronkowski TE, Patriots Odell Beckham Jr. WR, Giants Dez Bryant WR, Cowboys Odell Beckham Jr. WR, Giants Odell Beckham Jr. WR, Giants
    13 Jeremy Hill RB, Bengals Odell Beckham Jr. WR, Giants Jeremy Hill RB, Bengals CJ Anderson RB, Broncos LeSean McCoy RB, Bills Calvin Johnson WR, Lions Marshawn Lynch RB, Seahawks
    14 Julio Jones WR, Falcons DeMarco Murray RB, Eagles Odell Beckham Jr. WR, Giants Jeremy Hill RB, Bengals Julio Jones WR, Falcons DeMarco Murray RB, Eagles CJ Anderson RB, Broncos
    15 Marshawn Lynch RB, Seahawks Julio Jones WR, Falcons Matt Forte RB, Bears Matt Forte RB, Bears A.J. Green WR, Bengals Jeremy Hill RB, Bengals Matt Forte RB, Bears
    1
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Eddie Lacy RB, Packers
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Adrian Peterson RB, Vikings
    AW:Alex Welch: Le'Veon Bell RB, Steelers
    JD:John Daigle: Adrian Peterson RB, Vikings
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Adrian Peterson RB, Vikings
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Adrian Peterson RB, Vikings
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Eddie Lacy RB, Packers
    2
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Jamaal Charles RB, Chiefs
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Jamaal Charles RB, Chiefs
    AW:Alex Welch: Adrian Peterson RB, Vikings
    JD:John Daigle: Eddie Lacy RB, Packers
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Andrew Luck QB, Colts
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Le'Veon Bell RB, Steelers
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Le'Veon Bell RB, Steelers
    3
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Le'Veon Bell RB, Steelers
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Le'Veon Bell RB, Steelers
    AW:Alex Welch: Jamaal Charles RB, Chiefs
    JD:John Daigle: Marshawn Lynch RB, Seahawks
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Aaron Rodgers QB, Packers
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Eddie Lacy RB, Packers
    MG:Mike Gallagher: DeMarco Murray RB, Eagles
    4
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Aaron Rodgers QB, Packers
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Eddie Lacy RB, Packers
    AW:Alex Welch: Marshawn Lynch RB, Seahawks
    JD:John Daigle: Le'Veon Bell RB, Steelers
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Marshawn Lynch RB, Seahawks
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Jamaal Charles RB, Chiefs
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Dez Bryant WR, Cowboys
    5
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Rob Gronkowski TE, Patriots
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Marshawn Lynch RB, Seahawks
    AW:Alex Welch: DeMarco Murray RB, Eagles
    JD:John Daigle: Jamaal Charles RB, Chiefs
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Jamaal Charles RB, Chiefs
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Marshawn Lynch RB, Seahawks
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Jamaal Charles RB, Chiefs
    6
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Andrew Luck QB, Colts
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Antonio Brown WR, Steelers
    AW:Alex Welch: Eddie Lacy RB, Packers
    JD:John Daigle: Dez Bryant WR, Cowboys
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Le'Veon Bell RB, Steelers
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Antonio Brown WR, Steelers
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Rob Gronkowski TE, Patriots
    7
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Dez Bryant WR, Cowboys
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Rob Gronkowski TE, Patriots
    AW:Alex Welch: Antonio Brown WR, Steelers
    JD:John Daigle: Demaryius Thomas WR, Broncos
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Calvin Johnson WR, Lions
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Dez Bryant WR, Cowboys
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Antonio Brown WR, Steelers
    8
    DK:Daniel Kelley: CJ Anderson RB, Broncos
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Dez Bryant WR, Cowboys
    AW:Alex Welch: CJ Anderson RB, Broncos
    JD:John Daigle: Rob Gronkowski TE, Patriots
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Antonio Brown WR, Steelers
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Rob Gronkowski TE, Patriots
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Demaryius Thomas WR, Broncos
    9
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Antonio Brown WR, Steelers
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: CJ Anderson RB, Broncos
    AW:Alex Welch: Dez Bryant WR, Cowboys
    JD:John Daigle: Antonio Brown WR, Steelers
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Rob Gronkowski TE, Patriots
    SK:Scott Kaliska: CJ Anderson RB, Broncos
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Calvin Johnson WR, Lions
    10
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Jordy Nelson WR, Packers
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Demaryius Thomas WR, Broncos
    AW:Alex Welch: Julio Jones WR, Falcons
    JD:John Daigle: Julio Jones WR, Falcons
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Eddie Lacy RB, Packers
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Demaryius Thomas WR, Broncos
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Julio Jones WR, Falcons
    11
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Matt Forte RB, Bears
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Matt Forte RB, Bears
    AW:Alex Welch: Demaryius Thomas WR, Broncos
    JD:John Daigle: Calvin Johnson WR, Lions
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Odell Beckham Jr. WR, Giants
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Julio Jones WR, Falcons
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Adrian Peterson RB, Vikings
    12
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Demaryius Thomas WR, Broncos
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Calvin Johnson WR, Lions
    AW:Alex Welch: Rob Gronkowski TE, Patriots
    JD:John Daigle: Odell Beckham Jr. WR, Giants
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Dez Bryant WR, Cowboys
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Odell Beckham Jr. WR, Giants
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Odell Beckham Jr. WR, Giants
    13
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Jeremy Hill RB, Bengals
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Odell Beckham Jr. WR, Giants
    AW:Alex Welch: Jeremy Hill RB, Bengals
    JD:John Daigle: CJ Anderson RB, Broncos
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: LeSean McCoy RB, Bills
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Calvin Johnson WR, Lions
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Marshawn Lynch RB, Seahawks
    14
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Julio Jones WR, Falcons
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: DeMarco Murray RB, Eagles
    AW:Alex Welch: Odell Beckham Jr. WR, Giants
    JD:John Daigle: Jeremy Hill RB, Bengals
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Julio Jones WR, Falcons
    SK:Scott Kaliska: DeMarco Murray RB, Eagles
    MG:Mike Gallagher: CJ Anderson RB, Broncos
    15
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Marshawn Lynch RB, Seahawks
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Julio Jones WR, Falcons
    AW:Alex Welch: Matt Forte RB, Bears
    JD:John Daigle: Matt Forte RB, Bears
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: A.J. Green WR, Bengals
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Jeremy Hill RB, Bengals
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Matt Forte RB, Bears

    Full Rankings ➤

  2. Quarterbacks

    The quarterback position isn't one that fantasy owners labor over too much on draft day due to its depth. However, owners wouldn't be doing their due diligence if they didn't explore how to get even the slightest edge on their opponents by weighing projections with average draft positions, and determining how to get the best leg up on the competition.

    Our fantasy staff at SB Nation carefully ranked the top 32 quarterbacks and came up with a consensus, and there isn't much debate at the top of the ranks. Andrew Luck never ranked lower than second among our experts, as the staff clearly feels great about his talent and the new weapons surrounding him.

    But if you go down the list, it's intriguing to find names like Ryan Tannehill, Russell Wilson and Ben Roethlisberger firmly in the QB1 conversation. These aren't exactly sleepers, given the high visibility of the players-- especially with Wilson's meteoric rise over the last two seasons. But just one summer ago, they were viewed as mere QB2s with upside. That's far from the case these days, and the staff makes a point to hammer that home.

    Let's take a look at how everyone stacks up. If you think we got anything wrong, let us know in the comments:

    Rank Daniel Kelley Dan Ciarrocchi Alex Welch John Daigle Kenneth Arthur Scott Kaliska Mike Gallagher
    1 Aaron Rodgers Aaron Rodgers Andrew Luck Andrew Luck Andrew Luck Andrew Luck Andrew Luck
    2 Andrew Luck Andrew Luck Aaron Rodgers Aaron Rodgers Aaron Rodgers Aaron Rodgers Aaron Rodgers
    3 Russell Wilson Peyton Manning Russell Wilson Drew Brees Ben Roethlisberger Russell Wilson Drew Brees
    4 Eli Manning Russell Wilson Drew Brees Peyton Manning Drew Brees Peyton Manning Ben Roethlisberger
    5 Peyton Manning Ben Roethlisberger Peyton Manning Russell Wilson Peyton Manning Drew Brees Peyton Manning
    6 Cam Newton Drew Brees Tony Romo Matt Ryan Russell Wilson Ben Roethlisberger Russell Wilson
    7 Matt Ryan Cam Newton Cam Newton Cam Newton Tony Romo Cam Newton Matt Ryan
    8 Ben Roethlisberger Tony Romo Ben Roethlisberger Tony Romo Philip Rivers Matt Ryan Cam Newton
    9 Ryan Tannehill Matt Ryan Matt Ryan Ben Roethlisberger Eli Manning Tony Romo Eli Manning
    10 Tony Romo Matthew Stafford Ryan Tannehill Ryan Tannehill Tom Brady Eli Manning Philip Rivers
    11 Tom Brady Eli Manning Tom Brady Eli Manning Matt Ryan Ryan Tannehill Tony Romo
    12 Drew Brees Philip Rivers Eli Manning Matthew Stafford Cam Newton Matthew Stafford Tom Brady
    13 Jay Cutler Ryan Tannehill Philip Rivers Colin Kaepernick Matthew Stafford Philip Rivers Colin Kaepernick
    14 Teddy Bridgewater Tom Brady Matthew Stafford Philip Rivers Ryan Tannehill Tom Brady Joe Flacco
    15 Philip Rivers Sam Bradford Colin Kaepernick Tom Brady Colin Kaepernick Colin Kaepernick Matthew Stafford
    1
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Aaron Rodgers
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Aaron Rodgers
    AW:Alex Welch: Andrew Luck
    JD:John Daigle: Andrew Luck
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Andrew Luck
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Andrew Luck
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Andrew Luck
    2
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Andrew Luck
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Andrew Luck
    AW:Alex Welch: Aaron Rodgers
    JD:John Daigle: Aaron Rodgers
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Aaron Rodgers
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Aaron Rodgers
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Aaron Rodgers
    3
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Russell Wilson
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Peyton Manning
    AW:Alex Welch: Russell Wilson
    JD:John Daigle: Drew Brees
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Ben Roethlisberger
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Russell Wilson
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Drew Brees
    4
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Eli Manning
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Russell Wilson
    AW:Alex Welch: Drew Brees
    JD:John Daigle: Peyton Manning
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Drew Brees
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Peyton Manning
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Ben Roethlisberger
    5
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Peyton Manning
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Ben Roethlisberger
    AW:Alex Welch: Peyton Manning
    JD:John Daigle: Russell Wilson
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Peyton Manning
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Drew Brees
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Peyton Manning
    6
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Cam Newton
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Drew Brees
    AW:Alex Welch: Tony Romo
    JD:John Daigle: Matt Ryan
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Russell Wilson
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Ben Roethlisberger
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Russell Wilson
    7
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Matt Ryan
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Cam Newton
    AW:Alex Welch: Cam Newton
    JD:John Daigle: Cam Newton
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Tony Romo
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Cam Newton
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Matt Ryan
    8
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Ben Roethlisberger
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Tony Romo
    AW:Alex Welch: Ben Roethlisberger
    JD:John Daigle: Tony Romo
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Philip Rivers
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Matt Ryan
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Cam Newton
    9
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Ryan Tannehill
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Matt Ryan
    AW:Alex Welch: Matt Ryan
    JD:John Daigle: Ben Roethlisberger
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Eli Manning
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Tony Romo
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Eli Manning
    10
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Tony Romo
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Matthew Stafford
    AW:Alex Welch: Ryan Tannehill
    JD:John Daigle: Ryan Tannehill
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Tom Brady
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Eli Manning
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Philip Rivers
    11
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Tom Brady
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Eli Manning
    AW:Alex Welch: Tom Brady
    JD:John Daigle: Eli Manning
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Matt Ryan
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Ryan Tannehill
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Tony Romo
    12
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Drew Brees
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Philip Rivers
    AW:Alex Welch: Eli Manning
    JD:John Daigle: Matthew Stafford
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Cam Newton
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Matthew Stafford
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Tom Brady
    13
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Jay Cutler
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Ryan Tannehill
    AW:Alex Welch: Philip Rivers
    JD:John Daigle: Colin Kaepernick
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Matthew Stafford
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Philip Rivers
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Colin Kaepernick
    14
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Teddy Bridgewater
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Tom Brady
    AW:Alex Welch: Matthew Stafford
    JD:John Daigle: Philip Rivers
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Ryan Tannehill
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Tom Brady
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Joe Flacco
    15
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Philip Rivers
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Sam Bradford
    AW:Alex Welch: Colin Kaepernick
    JD:John Daigle: Tom Brady
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Colin Kaepernick
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Colin Kaepernick
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Matthew Stafford

    Full Rankings ➤

  3. Running Backs

    For several years now in fantasy, it has been de rigueur to fill the first round almost entirely with running backs. Sure, maybe the occasional dominant Calvin Johnson or Peyton Manning would sneak into the first round, but by and large, we've spent a long time drafting running backs first, and then moved on from there.

    There's been a reason for that, of course. More than any other position in recent years, running backs have followed a hierarchy, with fairly clear tiers. Get the 30th wide receiver and you had a shot; get the 30th running back and you're having a sad season.

    It's happened enough years in a row now that I worry we've entered a rut — when we rank players and strategize our draft, we fill almost the entire first round with running backs because heck, it's how we've drafted since LaDainian Tomlinson was a thing.

    This year, though? This year I might (and do) dispute that strategy. Running backs are great. But running backs aren't the whole first round this year.

    Remember what I said? About the tiers, the hierarchy? The top tier or two filled the first round in the past because they were (relatively) sure things, and because the position fell off a cliff after that group. Well this year, we can't remotely say that.

    For one thing, the top group this year runs no more than three, four running backs deep. And for another, bigger thing, running back this year might be as deep as it's been in half a decade. Think back just a year, when Doug Martin was drafted in the top 10 at the position, and by the 20th pick we were diving on Toby dang Gerhart. This year, you might be able to get someone like Joseph Randle, running behind an elite Dallas offensive line, or Jonathan Stewart, now clear of his positionmates in Carolina, or Latavius Murray, who flashed some incredible moments, in the 20s among running backs. The position this year is as deep as it has been in years.

    Back to that first point, though. We want to fill a 10-person first round with, what, eight, nine running backs? Who? The only sure things in the league right now, to me, are (in some order) Eddie Lacy, Jamaal Charles and Le'Veon Bell — and Bell's only around for 14 games. Don't believe me? Here, I'll hit on some weaknesses of the rest of the top group (not that I necessarily buy into all these, but they do exist, and flaws matter):

    Adrian Peterson: Look, I know I'm lower than everyone on him. But this is a 30-year-old running back who has played 16 games in a season once since 2009. His last full season was his worst for touchdowns as a pro, and his second-worst in yards per carry. His team showed it can manage successful running backs in his absence, and Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata will still be involved this year. There are too many black marks for me.

    Marshawn Lynch: Well, 29 isn't exactly the prime of a running back's aging arc. Do yourself a favor sometime and look at the Seahawks' yards per carry with and without Max Unger on the field of late. There's one hell of a difference. And Unger? Well, he's in New Orleans now.

    Arian Foster: Sad face.

    C.J. Anderson: That is exactly two games of more than 90 yards rushing in his career. That is at most eight games of being relevant in fantasy at all. That is a team that still has Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman, for better or worse. That is a quarterback that, if he's back at full strength, might not give Anderson 20-plus carries every game again.

    DeMarco Murray: Well, last year was his first of a full 16 games, after years of injury issues. And while the Philadelphia offensive line is stout like Dallas', it's not like Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles aren't going to be contributors. Also, dude touched the ball 497 times last year. Four. Hundred. Ninety. Seven.

    Matt Forte: Marc Trestman's gone. That could mean Forte's targets — he had 130 last year, 25 more than Bell and 40 more than third-place Fred Jackson — go way down. He's 29 as well, and turns 30 in December, and this Bears team might not be special at all this year.

    LeSean McCoy: He was good-not-great in Philadelphia last year, and now moves to a Buffalo team that doesn't appear to have any kind of quarterback or offensive line. I could go on, but that's about it.

    I could continue. Jeremy Hill. Justin Forsett. Mark Ingram. These are all decent running backs — the list of decent-to-better running backs goes almost 30 deep — but there isn't anyone you'll look at there to be exciting, to be a sure thing.

    Below, you'll find our consensus rankings of running backs across our seven rankers. The mishmash of rankings — no player was ranked in the same spot by more than four people, and that was only one guy — shows the varying levels of confidence in the running backs this season. Heck, we had a tie at the top of the rankings for the position, which is rare enough in its own right. No one really knows what to expect.

    All the more reason to consider more creativity in the first round.

    Rank Daniel Kelley Dan Ciarrocchi Alex Welch John Daigle Kenneth Arthur Scott Kaliska Mike Gallagher
    1 Eddie Lacy Adrian Peterson Le'Veon Bell Adrian Peterson Adrian Peterson Adrian Peterson Eddie Lacy
    2 Jamaal Charles Jamaal Charles Adrian Peterson Eddie Lacy Marshawn Lynch Le'Veon Bell Le'Veon Bell
    3 Le'Veon Bell Eddie Lacy Jamaal Charles Marshawn Lynch Jamaal Charles Jamaal Charles DeMarco Murray
    4 CJ Anderson Marshawn Lynch Marshawn Lynch Le'Veon Bell Eddie Lacy Eddie Lacy Jamaal Charles
    5 Matt Forte Le'Veon Bell Eddie Lacy Jamaal Charles LeSean McCoy Marshawn Lynch Adrian Peterson
    6 Jeremy Hill CJ Anderson DeMarco Murray CJ Anderson DeMarco Murray CJ Anderson Marshawn Lynch
    7 Marshawn Lynch Jeremy Hill CJ Anderson Jeremy Hill Le'Veon Bell Matt Forte CJ Anderson
    8 DeMarco Murray Matt Forte Jeremy Hill Matt Forte Jeremy Hill DeMarco Murray Matt Forte
    9 Adrian Peterson DeMarco Murray Matt Forte DeMarco Murray CJ Anderson Jeremy Hill Jeremy Hill
    10 Carlos Hyde LeSean McCoy LeSean McCoy Justin Forsett Matt Forte LeSean McCoy LeSean McCoy
    11 LeSean McCoy Alfred Morris Justin Forsett LeSean McCoy Lamar Miller Justin Forsett Justin Forsett
    12 Justin Forsett Mark Ingram Frank Gore Lamar Miller Melvin Gordon Frank Gore Mark Ingram
    13 Mark Ingram Justin Forsett Mark Ingram Melvin Gordon Carlos Hyde Mark Ingram Melvin Gordon
    14 Joique Bell Lamar Miller Lamar Miller Alfred Morris Alfred Morris Alfred Morris Latavius Murray
    15 Lamar Miller Frank Gore Melvin Gordon Mark Ingram Justin Forsett Lamar Miller Todd Gurley
    1
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Eddie Lacy
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Adrian Peterson
    AW:Alex Welch: Le'Veon Bell
    JD:John Daigle: Adrian Peterson
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Adrian Peterson
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Adrian Peterson
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Eddie Lacy
    2
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Jamaal Charles
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Jamaal Charles
    AW:Alex Welch: Adrian Peterson
    JD:John Daigle: Eddie Lacy
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Marshawn Lynch
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Le'Veon Bell
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Le'Veon Bell
    3
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Le'Veon Bell
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Eddie Lacy
    AW:Alex Welch: Jamaal Charles
    JD:John Daigle: Marshawn Lynch
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Jamaal Charles
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Jamaal Charles
    MG:Mike Gallagher: DeMarco Murray
    4
    DK:Daniel Kelley: CJ Anderson
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Marshawn Lynch
    AW:Alex Welch: Marshawn Lynch
    JD:John Daigle: Le'Veon Bell
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Eddie Lacy
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Eddie Lacy
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Jamaal Charles
    5
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Matt Forte
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Le'Veon Bell
    AW:Alex Welch: Eddie Lacy
    JD:John Daigle: Jamaal Charles
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: LeSean McCoy
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Marshawn Lynch
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Adrian Peterson
    6
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Jeremy Hill
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: CJ Anderson
    AW:Alex Welch: DeMarco Murray
    JD:John Daigle: CJ Anderson
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: DeMarco Murray
    SK:Scott Kaliska: CJ Anderson
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Marshawn Lynch
    7
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Marshawn Lynch
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Jeremy Hill
    AW:Alex Welch: CJ Anderson
    JD:John Daigle: Jeremy Hill
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Le'Veon Bell
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Matt Forte
    MG:Mike Gallagher: CJ Anderson
    8
    DK:Daniel Kelley: DeMarco Murray
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Matt Forte
    AW:Alex Welch: Jeremy Hill
    JD:John Daigle: Matt Forte
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Jeremy Hill
    SK:Scott Kaliska: DeMarco Murray
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Matt Forte
    9
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Adrian Peterson
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: DeMarco Murray
    AW:Alex Welch: Matt Forte
    JD:John Daigle: DeMarco Murray
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: CJ Anderson
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Jeremy Hill
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Jeremy Hill
    10
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Carlos Hyde
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: LeSean McCoy
    AW:Alex Welch: LeSean McCoy
    JD:John Daigle: Justin Forsett
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Matt Forte
    SK:Scott Kaliska: LeSean McCoy
    MG:Mike Gallagher: LeSean McCoy
    11
    DK:Daniel Kelley: LeSean McCoy
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Alfred Morris
    AW:Alex Welch: Justin Forsett
    JD:John Daigle: LeSean McCoy
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Lamar Miller
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Justin Forsett
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Justin Forsett
    12
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Justin Forsett
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Mark Ingram
    AW:Alex Welch: Frank Gore
    JD:John Daigle: Lamar Miller
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Melvin Gordon
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Frank Gore
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Mark Ingram
    13
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Mark Ingram
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Justin Forsett
    AW:Alex Welch: Mark Ingram
    JD:John Daigle: Melvin Gordon
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Carlos Hyde
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Mark Ingram
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Melvin Gordon
    14
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Joique Bell
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Lamar Miller
    AW:Alex Welch: Lamar Miller
    JD:John Daigle: Alfred Morris
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Alfred Morris
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Alfred Morris
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Latavius Murray
    15
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Lamar Miller
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Frank Gore
    AW:Alex Welch: Melvin Gordon
    JD:John Daigle: Mark Ingram
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Justin Forsett
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Lamar Miller
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Todd Gurley

    Full Rankings ➤

  4. Running Backs - PPR

    If you skimmed over the rest of the guide in search of the PPR section, you're probably not alone. Fantasy caveats such as daily leagues and super-flex positions are the fantasy football community's fastest growing commodities (though I hear some play kick-return leagues, and if you do, please don't tell me about it in the comments).

    The fact remains standard scoring just isn't enough in most cases anymore, and because of that we're "stuck" watching Matt Jones in the third quarter of preseason games while attempting to determine whether he's worthy of becoming our RB7 in the 21st round. Needless to say, PPR leagues (or any additional scoring antecedents) require both your roster and knowledge to be deep.

    For example:

    • Last season, 16 of the top 20 scoring leaders in standard leagues were quarterbacks. With a propensity to favor receptions, PPR leagues tend to inflate those players that, well, receive. It should come as no surprise that only eight of the top 20 in PPR leagues were quarterbacks. On average, a quarterback will contribute only 17 percent of the fantasy points scored among the four skill positions in PPR leagues. And since we take replacement value into account, running back depth and top-tiered receivers still manage to hold the most value towards the top of drafts.
    • Two-game suspension be damned, the projections still agree: this is Le'Veon Bell's world and we're all just living in it.
    • As I'm sure you'll notice, there's a fair amount of variance between our standard and PPR rankings. 75 percent of this is due to an extra point per reception. The remaining percentage is how much leeway we give in order to spar back and forth with one another until someone is proven correct.

    But the questions surrounding the most sought after players in PPR leagues are no exception to those in standard leagues. In fact, with a higher scoring model in place, those questions might be considered more crucial than ever.

    Will Andre Ellington return to his 2013 form and once again reign terror by accumulating 5.5 yards per carry, or will the 2014 version rear its ugly head, allowing for David Johnson to steal carries?

    Will Marc Trestman continue his propensity to create top-10 PPR running backs with Justin Forsett, or will the soon-to-be 30-year-old crumble under the workload of a possible 90-plus targets?

    Will Joe Philbin continue to hate Lamar Miller, or will he finally sit down and realize that A) It's his contract year, so give him all the carries, and B) In the four games he received over 15 carries, Miller was on pace for 1,800 total yards?

    Will C.J. Spiller continue to average 5.9 yards per carry indoors now that fantasy owners can finally take advantage of that useless stat?

    Is Rashad Jennings really playing special teams at camp, or is this a ploy to overdraft Shane Vereen and watch him falter back to his New England snap count?

    Why was Matt Jones mentioned at all?

    You thought you were engaging in an entirely new and exciting experience when you decided to join this whole PPR Revolution, but clearly you had no idea what you were getting yourself into. Welcome to the dark side.

    P.S.: You are never going back.

    Rank Daniel Kelley Dan Ciarrocchi Alex Welch John Daigle Kenneth Arthur Scott Kaliska Mike Gallagher
    1 Le'Veon Bell Jamaal Charles Le'Veon Bell Le'Veon Bell Jamaal Charles Le'Veon Bell Le'Veon Bell
    2 Jamaal Charles Adrian Peterson Adrian Peterson Adrian Peterson Le'Veon Bell Adrian Peterson Jamaal Charles
    3 Eddie Lacy Le'Veon Bell Jamaal Charles Eddie Lacy Adrian Peterson Jamaal Charles Eddie Lacy
    4 Matt Forte Eddie Lacy Marshawn Lynch Jamaal Charles Eddie Lacy Eddie Lacy DeMarco Murray
    5 CJ Anderson Marshawn Lynch Eddie Lacy CJ Anderson Marshawn Lynch Matt Forte CJ Anderson
    6 Adrian Peterson CJ Anderson DeMarco Murray Matt Forte Matt Forte Marshawn Lynch Matt Forte
    7 Marshawn Lynch Matt Forte CJ Anderson Marshawn Lynch DeMarco Murray CJ Anderson LeSean McCoy
    8 DeMarco Murray DeMarco Murray Matt Forte Jeremy Hill CJ Anderson LeSean McCoy Jeremy Hill
    9 Jeremy Hill Jeremy Hill Jeremy Hill Justin Forsett Jeremy Hill Justin Forsett Justin Forsett
    10 Justin Forsett LeSean McCoy Justin Forsett DeMarco Murray LeSean McCoy DeMarco Murray Adrian Peterson
    11 LeSean McCoy Andre Ellington LeSean McCoy LeSean McCoy Lamar Miller Jeremy Hill Marshawn Lynch
    12 Joique Bell Lamar Miller Frank Gore Lamar Miller Andre Ellington Frank Gore Mark Ingram
    13 Lamar Miller Justin Forsett Lamar Miller Andre Ellington Justin Forsett Lamar Miller Melvin Gordon
    14 Mark Ingram Alfred Morris Mark Ingram Melvin Gordon Melvin Gordon CJ Spiller Lamar Miller
    15 Carlos Hyde CJ Spiller Andre Ellington Alfred Morris Joseph Randle Andre Ellington Andre Ellington
    1
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Le'Veon Bell
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Jamaal Charles
    AW:Alex Welch: Le'Veon Bell
    JD:John Daigle: Le'Veon Bell
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Jamaal Charles
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Le'Veon Bell
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Le'Veon Bell
    2
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Jamaal Charles
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Adrian Peterson
    AW:Alex Welch: Adrian Peterson
    JD:John Daigle: Adrian Peterson
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Le'Veon Bell
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Adrian Peterson
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Jamaal Charles
    3
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Eddie Lacy
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Le'Veon Bell
    AW:Alex Welch: Jamaal Charles
    JD:John Daigle: Eddie Lacy
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Adrian Peterson
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Jamaal Charles
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Eddie Lacy
    4
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Matt Forte
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Eddie Lacy
    AW:Alex Welch: Marshawn Lynch
    JD:John Daigle: Jamaal Charles
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Eddie Lacy
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Eddie Lacy
    MG:Mike Gallagher: DeMarco Murray
    5
    DK:Daniel Kelley: CJ Anderson
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Marshawn Lynch
    AW:Alex Welch: Eddie Lacy
    JD:John Daigle: CJ Anderson
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Marshawn Lynch
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Matt Forte
    MG:Mike Gallagher: CJ Anderson
    6
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Adrian Peterson
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: CJ Anderson
    AW:Alex Welch: DeMarco Murray
    JD:John Daigle: Matt Forte
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Matt Forte
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Marshawn Lynch
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Matt Forte
    7
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Marshawn Lynch
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Matt Forte
    AW:Alex Welch: CJ Anderson
    JD:John Daigle: Marshawn Lynch
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: DeMarco Murray
    SK:Scott Kaliska: CJ Anderson
    MG:Mike Gallagher: LeSean McCoy
    8
    DK:Daniel Kelley: DeMarco Murray
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: DeMarco Murray
    AW:Alex Welch: Matt Forte
    JD:John Daigle: Jeremy Hill
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: CJ Anderson
    SK:Scott Kaliska: LeSean McCoy
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Jeremy Hill
    9
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Jeremy Hill
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Jeremy Hill
    AW:Alex Welch: Jeremy Hill
    JD:John Daigle: Justin Forsett
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Jeremy Hill
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Justin Forsett
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Justin Forsett
    10
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Justin Forsett
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: LeSean McCoy
    AW:Alex Welch: Justin Forsett
    JD:John Daigle: DeMarco Murray
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: LeSean McCoy
    SK:Scott Kaliska: DeMarco Murray
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Adrian Peterson
    11
    DK:Daniel Kelley: LeSean McCoy
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Andre Ellington
    AW:Alex Welch: LeSean McCoy
    JD:John Daigle: LeSean McCoy
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Lamar Miller
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Jeremy Hill
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Marshawn Lynch
    12
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Joique Bell
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Lamar Miller
    AW:Alex Welch: Frank Gore
    JD:John Daigle: Lamar Miller
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Andre Ellington
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Frank Gore
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Mark Ingram
    13
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Lamar Miller
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Justin Forsett
    AW:Alex Welch: Lamar Miller
    JD:John Daigle: Andre Ellington
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Justin Forsett
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Lamar Miller
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Melvin Gordon
    14
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Mark Ingram
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Alfred Morris
    AW:Alex Welch: Mark Ingram
    JD:John Daigle: Melvin Gordon
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Melvin Gordon
    SK:Scott Kaliska: CJ Spiller
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Lamar Miller
    15
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Carlos Hyde
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: CJ Spiller
    AW:Alex Welch: Andre Ellington
    JD:John Daigle: Alfred Morris
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Joseph Randle
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Andre Ellington
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Andre Ellington

    Full Rankings ➤

  5. Wide Receivers

    The pass-happy NFL has changed the way we look at receivers. Last season, there were 23 receivers with 1,000 receiving yards while only 13 running backs hit 1,000 rushing yards. What’s more,15 receivers had double-digit receiving touchdowns while just two backs ran the ball in for a score at least 10 times (DeMarco Murray and Marshawn Lynch). Yes, backs can also help out in the passing game, but the days of thinking you can sneak by with mediocre receivers in your fantasy league are over.

    Another important aspect of fantasy leagues is how many starting receiver spots you have. If you only start two in a standard league, you can possibly get away with not going with a receiver in the first two rounds. On the other hand, three-WR leagues almost force your hand to grab one in the first 30 picks.

    First tier of elite guys

    In a standard league, the first tier is somewhat deep. Dez Bryant and Antonio Brown are both solid first-round picks while owners could certainly consider Demaryius Thomas at the tail end. There’s also nothing wrong with grabbing Julio Jones, Calvin Johnson or even Odell Beckham Jr. — OBJ does carry some risk with Victor Cruz coming back and his balky hamstring, though.

    Second tier of elite guys

    You could throw Jordy Nelson, A.J. Green and Alshon Jeffrey into the first tier because any of those guys could easily be the top receiver in the NFL. Nelson and Jeffery both hit double-digit TDs and were top seven in targets while Green could bounce back from injuries with what could be a high-powered offense.

    Let’s take a quick look at how our rankings compare beyond the top 10 to others out there. This is based on our rankings vs. the average ADPs on FantasyPros.com.

    Who we like

    DeAndre Hopkins - He had one of the biggest games of the season with 238 yards and two scores against the Titans last season. The Texans do not have Andre Johnson anymore, so Cecil Shorts and Jaelen Strong are the biggest threats for targets. Plus, with Arian Foster down with a groin injury, we should see a ton of targets going to Hopkins.

    Keenan Allen - He burned a lot of fantasy owners last year after a very impressive 2013. The Chargers won’t have tight end Antonio Gates to start the season due to suspension, so expect Allen to get some extra red-zone targets. He’ll need those after hitting pay dirt just four times last season.

    Who we don’t like

    Julian Edelman - His ADP is the 19th receiver off the board and we have him at While Edelman could prove to be a solid WR2 in PPR leagues, it’s a little tough to count on him in that role in a standard. The Patriots are going to lean on Rob Gronkowski a ton while Brandon LaFell came on last year, too.

    Sammy Watkins - We have him at 28 while his ADP is 22. There are a lot of reasons to like Watkins: He is the no-doubt WR1 on his team and he is reportedly destroying his teammates in camp. The downside? He’s on the Bills, who figure to be one of the worst offenses in the NFL. Watkins will certainly have his big games, but expect him to have multiple games with less than five fantasy points in a standard league.

    Mike Wallace - For some reason, he’s the 30th receiver going off the board. Yeah, a change of scenery could help, but Wallace graded out as one of the worst receivers in the NFL last season. None of our six writers have him at 30 or higher.

    Rank Daniel Kelley Dan Ciarrocchi Alex Welch John Daigle Kenneth Arthur Scott Kaliska Mike Gallagher
    1 Dez Bryant Antonio Brown Antonio Brown Dez Bryant Calvin Johnson Antonio Brown Dez Bryant
    2 Antonio Brown Dez Bryant Dez Bryant Demaryius Thomas Odell Beckham Jr. Dez Bryant Antonio Brown
    3 Jordy Nelson Demaryius Thomas Julio Jones Antonio Brown Dez Bryant Demaryius Thomas Demaryius Thomas
    4 Demaryius Thomas Calvin Johnson Demaryius Thomas Julio Jones Antonio Brown Julio Jones Calvin Johnson
    5 Julio Jones Odell Beckham Jr. Odell Beckham Jr. Calvin Johnson Julio Jones Odell Beckham Jr. Julio Jones
    6 Odell Beckham Jr. Julio Jones Calvin Johnson Odell Beckham Jr. AJ Green Calvin Johnson Odell Beckham Jr.
    7 Calvin Johnson Jordy Nelson Jordy Nelson Jordy Nelson Demaryius Thomas Jordy Nelson Jordy Nelson
    8 Alshon Jeffery AJ Green AJ Green Mike Evans Jordy Nelson AJ Green AJ Green
    9 AJ Green Mike Evans Alshon Jeffery AJ Green TY Hilton Alshon Jeffery Alshon Jeffery
    10 TY Hilton Alshon Jeffery Mike Evans Alshon Jeffery DeAndre Hopkins Randall Cobb Mike Evans
    11 DeAndre Hopkins Randall Cobb Randall Cobb Randall Cobb Mike Evans Mike Evans DeAndre Hopkins
    12 Jeremy Maclin TY Hilton TY Hilton TY Hilton Alshon Jeffery TY Hilton Randall Cobb
    13 Randall Cobb DeAndre Hopkins DeAndre Hopkins DeAndre Hopkins Emmanuel Sanders DeAndre Hopkins Kelvin Benjamin
    14 Mike Evans Emmanuel Sanders Brandin Cooks Emmanuel Sanders DeSean Jackson Emmanuel Sanders TY Hilton
    15 Emmanuel Sanders Kelvin Benjamin Emmanuel Sanders Jordan Matthews Kelvin Benjamin Brandin Cooks Jordan Matthews
    1
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Dez Bryant
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Antonio Brown
    AW:Alex Welch: Antonio Brown
    JD:John Daigle: Dez Bryant
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Calvin Johnson
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Antonio Brown
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Dez Bryant
    2
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Antonio Brown
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Dez Bryant
    AW:Alex Welch: Dez Bryant
    JD:John Daigle: Demaryius Thomas
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Odell Beckham Jr.
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Dez Bryant
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Antonio Brown
    3
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Jordy Nelson
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Demaryius Thomas
    AW:Alex Welch: Julio Jones
    JD:John Daigle: Antonio Brown
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Dez Bryant
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Demaryius Thomas
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Demaryius Thomas
    4
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Demaryius Thomas
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Calvin Johnson
    AW:Alex Welch: Demaryius Thomas
    JD:John Daigle: Julio Jones
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Antonio Brown
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Julio Jones
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Calvin Johnson
    5
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Julio Jones
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Odell Beckham Jr.
    AW:Alex Welch: Odell Beckham Jr.
    JD:John Daigle: Calvin Johnson
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Julio Jones
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Odell Beckham Jr.
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Julio Jones
    6
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Odell Beckham Jr.
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Julio Jones
    AW:Alex Welch: Calvin Johnson
    JD:John Daigle: Odell Beckham Jr.
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: AJ Green
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Calvin Johnson
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Odell Beckham Jr.
    7
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Calvin Johnson
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Jordy Nelson
    AW:Alex Welch: Jordy Nelson
    JD:John Daigle: Jordy Nelson
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Demaryius Thomas
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Jordy Nelson
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Jordy Nelson
    8
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Alshon Jeffery
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: AJ Green
    AW:Alex Welch: AJ Green
    JD:John Daigle: Mike Evans
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Jordy Nelson
    SK:Scott Kaliska: AJ Green
    MG:Mike Gallagher: AJ Green
    9
    DK:Daniel Kelley: AJ Green
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Mike Evans
    AW:Alex Welch: Alshon Jeffery
    JD:John Daigle: AJ Green
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: TY Hilton
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Alshon Jeffery
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Alshon Jeffery
    10
    DK:Daniel Kelley: TY Hilton
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Alshon Jeffery
    AW:Alex Welch: Mike Evans
    JD:John Daigle: Alshon Jeffery
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: DeAndre Hopkins
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Randall Cobb
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Mike Evans
    11
    DK:Daniel Kelley: DeAndre Hopkins
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Randall Cobb
    AW:Alex Welch: Randall Cobb
    JD:John Daigle: Randall Cobb
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Mike Evans
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Mike Evans
    MG:Mike Gallagher: DeAndre Hopkins
    12
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Jeremy Maclin
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: TY Hilton
    AW:Alex Welch: TY Hilton
    JD:John Daigle: TY Hilton
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Alshon Jeffery
    SK:Scott Kaliska: TY Hilton
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Randall Cobb
    13
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Randall Cobb
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: DeAndre Hopkins
    AW:Alex Welch: DeAndre Hopkins
    JD:John Daigle: DeAndre Hopkins
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Emmanuel Sanders
    SK:Scott Kaliska: DeAndre Hopkins
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Kelvin Benjamin
    14
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Mike Evans
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Emmanuel Sanders
    AW:Alex Welch: Brandin Cooks
    JD:John Daigle: Emmanuel Sanders
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: DeSean Jackson
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Emmanuel Sanders
    MG:Mike Gallagher: TY Hilton
    15
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Emmanuel Sanders
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Kelvin Benjamin
    AW:Alex Welch: Emmanuel Sanders
    JD:John Daigle: Jordan Matthews
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Kelvin Benjamin
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Brandin Cooks
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Jordan Matthews

    Full Rankings ➤

  6. Wide Receivers - PPR

    The PPR craze around the fantasy football landscape has changed the value of receivers. More often than not, receivers are going to outscore running backs in PPR and successful fantasy owners need to have production out of their receivers. Plus, leagues with a flex spot should absolutely be using a receiver over a running back or a tight end for higher floors and ceilings on lower-end players.

    Because of the value of receivers, a lot of fantasy owners will go into a draft with a zero-RB plan, which is dangerous territory. Basically, owners won’t take a running back until the middle rounds and try to dominate everywhere else, hoping they hit on a lottery ticket or on the waiver wire. While that isn’t the most plausible plan, going zero-WR in a PPR is just foolish. The upside is too high and they’re too valuable.

    Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Antonio Brown has quickly become the most valuable PPR asset for receivers. In fact, you could argue he will outscore any running back this season in PPR leagues. He’s also less likely to get hurt, so there’s a case to take him first overall in PPR. To nobody's surprise, all seven of us have Brown as the No. 1 receiver, which is a testament to his sky-high ceiling and elite floor.

    Other possible First-round targets for PPR

    After Brown, none of us are in agreement on the top three, but Dez Bryant, Julio Jones, Demaryius Thomas, Odell Beckham Jr., Jordy Nelson and Calvin Johnson all seem to be somewhat close. Most of these guys have some injury concerns, especially Johnson. Megatron was basically everyone’s No. 1 receiver for drafts last year, but numerous injuries led to decreased production. He and Beckham figure to be the biggest boom-or-bust guys in this tier. Personally, I don’t see how you can let Demaryius, Dez or Julio fall out of the first round.

    Let’s take a quick look at how our rankings compare beyond the top 10 to others out there. This is based on our rankings vs. the average ADPs of MyFantasyLeague.com and Fantasy Football Calculator.

    Who we like

    Jeremy Maclin, Kansas City Chiefs -- A couple of our rankings have Maclin in the top 15, but only one of us has him outside of the top 23. Maclin’s ADP is WR29 right now, which would be a steal. Yes, we all know how much trouble the Chiefs had with their receivers scoring the ball last year, but Maclin is much more talented than Dwayne Bowe. He should be a popular red zone target with coach Andy Reid while getting some production between the 20s.

    Eric Decker, New York Jets -- We have him at WR28 compared to WR44 on the ADP. Most people don’t like the Jets offense, but they have a great offensive line and quarterback Geno Smith did show some flashes. Decker is going to have some big games this year.

    Who We Don’t Like

    Andre Johnson, Indianapolis Colts -- This one is a little tough for me to write because I have AJ as WR18, which is the highest among our writers. Presumably, there is some concern about receiver T.Y. Hilton taking away his targets and maybe Johnson’s age is a factor. For me, the Colts are going to score a ton, be pass-happy and they play in a dome. We have him as WR26 compared to the ADP sitting at WR18.

    Jarvis Landry, Miami Dolphins -- His ADP is WR26 and we have him at WR31. The Dolphins are tricky. With tight end Jordan Cameron around, it’s going to be a little tougher to project who gets the targets between the numbers. Plus, don’t forget about DeVante Parker, Kenny Stills and even Greg Jennings. The inconsistency is a little too scary to take him as a high-end WR3.

    Martavis Bryant, Pittsburgh Steelers -- Most of us are fans of Bryant, but we have a couple guys who aren’t ready to ante up for a wide receiver with little experience. He could be an absolute superstar, but you’ll basically have to pay a WR2 price to get him. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has said Bryant won’t start, but it sure sounds like a smokescreen. He’s arguably the most popular pick for breakout receiver. His ADP is WR23 and he’s just WR34 for us. For what it’s worth, WR23 in PPR is really, really high. He may be worth that in standard, though.

    Rank Daniel Kelley Dan Ciarrocchi Alex Welch John Daigle Kenneth Arthur Scott Kaliska Mike Gallagher
    1 Antonio Brown Antonio Brown Antonio Brown Antonio Brown Antonio Brown Antonio Brown Antonio Brown
    2 Dez Bryant Dez Bryant Julio Jones Dez Bryant Julio Jones Julio Jones Demaryius Thomas
    3 Julio Jones Demaryius Thomas Dez Bryant Demaryius Thomas Jordy Nelson Demaryius Thomas Dez Bryant
    4 Demaryius Thomas Calvin Johnson Demaryius Thomas Julio Jones Demaryius Thomas Dez Bryant Julio Jones
    5 Jordy Nelson Odell Beckham Jr. Odell Beckham Jr. Jordy Nelson Dez Bryant Odell Beckham Jr. Jordy Nelson
    6 Odell Beckham Jr. Julio Jones Calvin Johnson Odell Beckham Jr. Calvin Johnson Calvin Johnson Calvin Johnson
    7 Calvin Johnson Jordy Nelson Jordy Nelson Calvin Johnson Odell Beckham Jr. AJ Green Odell Beckham Jr.
    8 DeAndre Hopkins AJ Green AJ Green Mike Evans Emmanuel Sanders Jordy Nelson Randall Cobb
    9 Alshon Jeffery Emmanuel Sanders Randall Cobb AJ Green Randall Cobb Randall Cobb AJ Green
    10 AJ Green Mike Evans Alshon Jeffery Randall Cobb Golden Tate Alshon Jeffery Alshon Jeffery
    11 Jeremy Maclin Randall Cobb Mike Evans Alshon Jeffery DeAndre Hopkins Mike Evans Mike Evans
    12 TY Hilton Brandin Cooks Brandin Cooks DeAndre Hopkins AJ Green TY Hilton DeAndre Hopkins
    13 Randall Cobb Alshon Jeffery TY Hilton TY Hilton Alshon Jeffery DeAndre Hopkins Kelvin Benjamin
    14 Kelvin Benjamin DeAndre Hopkins DeAndre Hopkins Jordan Matthews Jeremy Maclin Brandin Cooks Brandin Cooks
    15 Mike Evans Kelvin Benjamin Emmanuel Sanders Julian Edelman TY Hilton Emmanuel Sanders TY Hilton
    1
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Antonio Brown
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Antonio Brown
    AW:Alex Welch: Antonio Brown
    JD:John Daigle: Antonio Brown
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Antonio Brown
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Antonio Brown
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Antonio Brown
    2
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Dez Bryant
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Dez Bryant
    AW:Alex Welch: Julio Jones
    JD:John Daigle: Dez Bryant
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Julio Jones
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Julio Jones
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Demaryius Thomas
    3
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Julio Jones
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Demaryius Thomas
    AW:Alex Welch: Dez Bryant
    JD:John Daigle: Demaryius Thomas
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Jordy Nelson
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Demaryius Thomas
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Dez Bryant
    4
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Demaryius Thomas
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Calvin Johnson
    AW:Alex Welch: Demaryius Thomas
    JD:John Daigle: Julio Jones
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Demaryius Thomas
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Dez Bryant
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Julio Jones
    5
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Jordy Nelson
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Odell Beckham Jr.
    AW:Alex Welch: Odell Beckham Jr.
    JD:John Daigle: Jordy Nelson
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Dez Bryant
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Odell Beckham Jr.
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Jordy Nelson
    6
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Odell Beckham Jr.
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Julio Jones
    AW:Alex Welch: Calvin Johnson
    JD:John Daigle: Odell Beckham Jr.
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Calvin Johnson
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Calvin Johnson
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Calvin Johnson
    7
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Calvin Johnson
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Jordy Nelson
    AW:Alex Welch: Jordy Nelson
    JD:John Daigle: Calvin Johnson
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Odell Beckham Jr.
    SK:Scott Kaliska: AJ Green
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Odell Beckham Jr.
    8
    DK:Daniel Kelley: DeAndre Hopkins
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: AJ Green
    AW:Alex Welch: AJ Green
    JD:John Daigle: Mike Evans
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Emmanuel Sanders
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Jordy Nelson
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Randall Cobb
    9
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Alshon Jeffery
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Emmanuel Sanders
    AW:Alex Welch: Randall Cobb
    JD:John Daigle: AJ Green
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Randall Cobb
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Randall Cobb
    MG:Mike Gallagher: AJ Green
    10
    DK:Daniel Kelley: AJ Green
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Mike Evans
    AW:Alex Welch: Alshon Jeffery
    JD:John Daigle: Randall Cobb
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Golden Tate
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Alshon Jeffery
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Alshon Jeffery
    11
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Jeremy Maclin
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Randall Cobb
    AW:Alex Welch: Mike Evans
    JD:John Daigle: Alshon Jeffery
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: DeAndre Hopkins
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Mike Evans
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Mike Evans
    12
    DK:Daniel Kelley: TY Hilton
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Brandin Cooks
    AW:Alex Welch: Brandin Cooks
    JD:John Daigle: DeAndre Hopkins
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: AJ Green
    SK:Scott Kaliska: TY Hilton
    MG:Mike Gallagher: DeAndre Hopkins
    13
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Randall Cobb
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Alshon Jeffery
    AW:Alex Welch: TY Hilton
    JD:John Daigle: TY Hilton
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Alshon Jeffery
    SK:Scott Kaliska: DeAndre Hopkins
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Kelvin Benjamin
    14
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Kelvin Benjamin
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: DeAndre Hopkins
    AW:Alex Welch: DeAndre Hopkins
    JD:John Daigle: Jordan Matthews
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Jeremy Maclin
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Brandin Cooks
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Brandin Cooks
    15
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Mike Evans
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Kelvin Benjamin
    AW:Alex Welch: Emmanuel Sanders
    JD:John Daigle: Julian Edelman
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: TY Hilton
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Emmanuel Sanders
    MG:Mike Gallagher: TY Hilton

    Full Rankings ➤

  7. Tight Ends

    There's Gronk and then there's everyone else. The fantasy world has seen some dominant talent at the tight end position, but no one compares to Rob Gronkowski. I've seen him go as high as the second pick in some expert drafts this season and that's not even surprising. If you have the chance to grab him after the first round, don't even second-guess yourself. The Tom Brady mess and potential suspension shouldn't have any effect on the numbers that Gronk will put up.

    The second and third tier contain value at the tight end position, but you're smart to wait until after you grab your running backs and wide receivers. Jimmy Graham may not have Drew Brees throwing him the ball, but it's not a complete loss having Russell Wilson as your quarterback. He'll be the main target in the Seattle Seahawks' passing game but may need some time to get acclimated to the offense. Travis Kelce is like Gronk Lite. If Kelce was part of the New England Patriots' offense, he would be the second tight end off the board. His upside is limited by the Kansas City Chiefs' offense, but I think he'll surpass his fantasy numbers from last season.

    Greg Olsen is a mainstay in the Carolina Panthers' offense. Cam Newton loves his reliability and having Kelvin Benjamin taking some of the pressure off certainly helps reduce the double teams. You know what you're going to get with Olsen and you don't have to spend a high draft pick to get him. Martellus Bennett should have another great year, as long as Adam Gase uses him like he did Julius Thomas. Bennett doesn't have to carry the passing game with Matt Forte, Alshon Jeffery, while Kevin White's injury means more targets for Bennett.

    One last strategy is to stream your tight end position. This strategy opens up your roster to more receivers and running backs, while leaving the tight end position until right before defense and kicker. If you have the roster space, grab two tight ends late and then play the matchups. Also, you have the waiver wire to back you up. If the matchups are bad one week, grab a high-upside tight end off the wire. Jacob Tamme, Jared Cook and Eric Ebron should all be available late and would be perfect streaming targets to start the season.

    Rank Daniel Kelley Dan Ciarrocchi Alex Welch John Daigle Kenneth Arthur Scott Kaliska Mike Gallagher
    1 Rob Gronkowski Rob Gronkowski Rob Gronkowski Rob Gronkowski Rob Gronkowski Rob Gronkowski Rob Gronkowski
    2 Jimmy Graham Jimmy Graham Jimmy Graham Jimmy Graham Jimmy Graham Jimmy Graham Jimmy Graham
    3 Greg Olsen Travis Kelce Travis Kelce Travis Kelce Travis Kelce Travis Kelce Travis Kelce
    4 Travis Kelce Greg Olsen Greg Olsen Greg Olsen Greg Olsen Greg Olsen Greg Olsen
    5 Delanie Walker Martellus Bennett Martellus Bennett Jason Witten Jason Witten Martellus Bennett Martellus Bennett
    6 Jason Witten Zach Ertz Jason Witten Zach Ertz Jordan Cameron Zach Ertz Zach Ertz
    7 Owen Daniels Jordan Cameron Zach Ertz Martellus Bennett Delanie Walker Jordan Cameron Jordan Cameron
    8 Martellus Bennett Julius Thomas Jordan Cameron Delanie Walker Coby Fleener Julius Thomas Jason Witten
    9 Jordan Cameron Dwayne Allen Delanie Walker Jordan Cameron Josh Hill Jason Witten Julius Thomas
    10 Coby Fleener Jason Witten Julius Thomas Julius Thomas Julius Thomas Delanie Walker Coby Fleener
    11 Julius Thomas Delanie Walker Larry Donnell Owen Daniels Antonio Gates Dwayne Allen Larry Donnell
    12 Larry Donnell Tyler Eifert Tyler Eifert Austin Seferian-Jenkins Zach Ertz Antonio Gates Delanie Walker
    13 Dwayne Allen Owen Daniels Vernon Davis Coby Fleener Martellus Bennett Josh Hill Dwayne Allen
    14 Antonio Gates Austin Seferian-Jenkins Austin Seferian-Jenkins Jared Cook Kyle Rudolph Tyler Eifert Kyle Rudolph
    15 Josh Hill Antonio Gates Heath Miller Larry Donnell Eric Ebron Owen Daniels Owen Daniels
    1
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Rob Gronkowski
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Rob Gronkowski
    AW:Alex Welch: Rob Gronkowski
    JD:John Daigle: Rob Gronkowski
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Rob Gronkowski
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Rob Gronkowski
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Rob Gronkowski
    2
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Jimmy Graham
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Jimmy Graham
    AW:Alex Welch: Jimmy Graham
    JD:John Daigle: Jimmy Graham
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Jimmy Graham
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Jimmy Graham
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Jimmy Graham
    3
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Greg Olsen
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Travis Kelce
    AW:Alex Welch: Travis Kelce
    JD:John Daigle: Travis Kelce
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Travis Kelce
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Travis Kelce
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Travis Kelce
    4
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Travis Kelce
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Greg Olsen
    AW:Alex Welch: Greg Olsen
    JD:John Daigle: Greg Olsen
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Greg Olsen
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Greg Olsen
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Greg Olsen
    5
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Delanie Walker
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Martellus Bennett
    AW:Alex Welch: Martellus Bennett
    JD:John Daigle: Jason Witten
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Jason Witten
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Martellus Bennett
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Martellus Bennett
    6
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Jason Witten
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Zach Ertz
    AW:Alex Welch: Jason Witten
    JD:John Daigle: Zach Ertz
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Jordan Cameron
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Zach Ertz
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Zach Ertz
    7
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Owen Daniels
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Jordan Cameron
    AW:Alex Welch: Zach Ertz
    JD:John Daigle: Martellus Bennett
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Delanie Walker
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Jordan Cameron
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Jordan Cameron
    8
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Martellus Bennett
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Julius Thomas
    AW:Alex Welch: Jordan Cameron
    JD:John Daigle: Delanie Walker
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Coby Fleener
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Julius Thomas
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Jason Witten
    9
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Jordan Cameron
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Dwayne Allen
    AW:Alex Welch: Delanie Walker
    JD:John Daigle: Jordan Cameron
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Josh Hill
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Jason Witten
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Julius Thomas
    10
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Coby Fleener
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Jason Witten
    AW:Alex Welch: Julius Thomas
    JD:John Daigle: Julius Thomas
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Julius Thomas
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Delanie Walker
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Coby Fleener
    11
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Julius Thomas
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Delanie Walker
    AW:Alex Welch: Larry Donnell
    JD:John Daigle: Owen Daniels
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Antonio Gates
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Dwayne Allen
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Larry Donnell
    12
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Larry Donnell
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Tyler Eifert
    AW:Alex Welch: Tyler Eifert
    JD:John Daigle: Austin Seferian-Jenkins
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Zach Ertz
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Antonio Gates
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Delanie Walker
    13
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Dwayne Allen
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Owen Daniels
    AW:Alex Welch: Vernon Davis
    JD:John Daigle: Coby Fleener
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Martellus Bennett
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Josh Hill
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Dwayne Allen
    14
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Antonio Gates
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Austin Seferian-Jenkins
    AW:Alex Welch: Austin Seferian-Jenkins
    JD:John Daigle: Jared Cook
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Kyle Rudolph
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Tyler Eifert
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Kyle Rudolph
    15
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Josh Hill
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Antonio Gates
    AW:Alex Welch: Heath Miller
    JD:John Daigle: Larry Donnell
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Eric Ebron
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Owen Daniels
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Owen Daniels

    Full Rankings ➤

  8. D/ST

    There are ceilings and floors to every position in fantasy. Sure, you could draft Matt Moore as your quarterback and have a floor of zero (and a ceiling of the same), but among likely draftees, you have a rough idea of your range of outcomes, and you're just trying to maximize your return.

    By now, most everyone knows to take a kicker in the last round. Heck, there are more and more game providers that have excised the kicker from the game altogether, because there's no real skill there. Stephen Gostkowski will get you points, but can you with any real confidence rank Sebastian Janikowski, Matt Bryant and Dan Bailey over the course of a season? Heck, over the course of a week? A bad offense might kill a kicker's value by never giving him a chance, or it might maximize that value by only ever reaching field goal range.

    Your job as a fantasy player is, as I said, to maximize return. It's why people go running back first -- Aaron Rodgers will get more points than Eddie Lacy, but Philip Rivers will outscore Jonathan Stewart by a lot, and you can get Rivers way later than you can get Stewart.

    You know all this already. Just consider it a quick review. Because despite all this knowledge, many fantasy players completely drop the ball in maximizing return at one position in particular: Defense/special teams.

    Most fantasy players use one of two strategies to pick a fantasy defense. The first is to draft one of the elite defenses (this is code for "Seattle") in, say, Round 10. The other is to draft one of the remaining defenses ("someone else in the NFC West") in the second-to-last round, leaving kicker for the end. You'll find some variance to that, but by and large that's how it goes more often than not.

    The latter method is fine, if lazy and perhaps not targeting full potential. The former is downright criminal.

    The Seattle Seahawks were the first defense off the board in fantasy drafts last year, and not by a little; according to the average draft position on The Huddle, the Seahawks went off the board in the middle of the eighth round last year, with the San Francisco 49ers going about 30 picks later.

    Speaking as someone who had to answer chat questions throughout the Seahawks' underwhelming first half of the season, "Is it time to drop the Seattle D?" still haunts my dreams. While it's true that they got the kinks worked out as the schedule eased up, the Seattle defense finished the season as only the No. 3 unit, scoring 150 fantasy points. It certainly could have been worse, but those who drafted Seattle's defense and stuck with them survived and did okay.

    "Okay." Is that really what you're looking for out of a draft pick, out of a starting position? Because while the Seahawks defense scored 150 fantasy points a year ago, The Buffalo Bills (170 points) and Philadelphia Eagles (153) bested them at Nos. 1 and 2. Funny thing is, I could've gotten you 230 fantasy points at defense in the same season.

    Wait, what? Beating the top defense by 60 points? If I'm being totally up front, that total would have been difficult to achieve (though possible, sure). But equaling the Seattle defense's production on the foundations of a pick in the second-to-last round is certainly on the table. All it requires is about five minutes more work than it took you to click "St. Louis Rams defense" at your draft.

    To prove it, I dove into last year's results, identifying the three worst offenses entering each week (where "worst" was defined as "lowest three-week point total entering a given week" -- one- and two-week totals were used for Weeks 2 and 3, and for Week 1 I just used league-wide fantasy scoring) and seeing how fantasy defenses fared against them. Notice there that which defense it was was irrelevant -- it could've been Buffalo, it could've been Oakland. In fact, it was both of those -- Buffalo faced Cleveland in Week 13, Oakland in Week 16 and the New York Jets in Week 8, while Oakland faced San Francisco Week 14. Over the course of the season, every defense except Cincinnati, Green Bay, New Orleans and the Jets was included at some point.

    Best possible outcome: 230 fantasy points

    Like I said, this would have been difficult. This would have involved not only identifying the worst offenses entering each week, but picking out the single best choice in each of those weeks. That's difficult, and you probably wouldn't have gotten there. Still ... 230 points? Beating the actual best fantasy defense by more than 35 percent? That's striking, and it underscores why drafting a single unit early is dumb.

    Average outcome: 137 fantasy points

    Still not using any strategy at all, just taking the average defense against the worst offenses each week, you'd have been the No. 5 fantasy defense, and less than a point a game worse than the theoretically best defense Seattle.

    And like I said, that's without any strategy or thought. Identify the worst offenses and see that one of them has just gotten its quarterback back from injury? Well, cross that one off. The defense in question is better at home than on the road and gets a cushy home matchup? Yeah, we'll leave it alone. Virtually any small bit of thought you attempt in this exercise is likely to help you maximize scoring.

    Which brings us back around. Sure, you could draft Seattle's defense in the middle rounds again this year. It's likely, once again, to be good. It'll require you to think less, research less. It's a draft-and-forget situation, and there's something to be said for that. On the other hand, you could wait until the second-to-last round to take a defense and use that earlier pick on, you know, anyone.

    Check back to last year's drafts. Remember, Seattle went in the middle of the eighth round. Behind Seattle's defense: Sammy Watkins, Eric Decker, Russell Wilson, Greg Olsen. Sure, relative disappointments Kendall Wright, Jordan Reed and Jay Cutler are also in that group. You aren't guaranteed a winning lottery ticket in the eighth round.

    But that's the point. Winning the lottery is hard. The only way to help your chances is to buy as many tickets as possible. Don't waste your time getting a ticket for the $1,000 lottery when there's a Powerball jackpot out there. Wait on the defense, and just plan to think a little.

    Rank Daniel Kelley Dan Ciarrocchi Alex Welch John Daigle Kenneth Arthur Scott Kaliska Mike Gallagher
    1 Seattle Seahawks Seattle Seahawks Seattle Seahawks Seattle Seahawks Seattle Seahawks Seattle Seahawks Seattle Seahawks
    2 Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills Houston Texans
    3 Houston Texans St. Louis Rams St. Louis Rams Denver Broncos Houston Texans St. Louis Rams Buffalo Bills
    4 Denver Broncos Denver Broncos Houston Texans St. Louis Rams Arizona Cardinals Houston Texans New York Jets
    5 St. Louis Rams Houston Texans New York Jets New York Jets Denver Broncos Arizona Cardinals St. Louis Rams
    6 Miami Dolphins Arizona Cardinals Denver Broncos Houston Texans Kansas City Chiefs Denver Broncos Arizona Cardinals
    7 Green Bay Packers New England Patriots Arizona Cardinals Philadelphia Eagles New York Jets New England Patriots Baltimore Ravens
    8 New York Jets Carolina Panthers New England Patriots Baltimore Ravens St. Louis Rams New York Jets New England Patriots
    9 Arizona Cardinals Green Bay Packers Miami Dolphins Miami Dolphins Miami Dolphins Baltimore Ravens Denver Broncos
    10 Baltimore Ravens Baltimore Ravens Baltimore Ravens Kansas City Chiefs Carolina Panthers Carolina Panthers Miami Dolphins
    11 Dallas Cowboys Miami Dolphins Carolina Panthers Arizona Cardinals Baltimore Ravens Miami Dolphins Green Bay Packers
    12 Philadelphia Eagles New York Jets Green Bay Packers Cincinnati Bengals Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers Carolina Panthers
    13 New England Patriots Kansas City Chiefs Philadelphia Eagles Green Bay Packers New England Patriots Kansas City Chiefs Philadelphia Eagles
    14 Kansas City Chiefs Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals New England Patriots Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals Pittsburgh Steelers
    15 San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers Detroit Lions Carolina Panthers Philadelphia Eagles Detroit Lions San Francisco 49ers
    1
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Seattle Seahawks
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Seattle Seahawks
    AW:Alex Welch: Seattle Seahawks
    JD:John Daigle: Seattle Seahawks
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Seattle Seahawks
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Seattle Seahawks
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Seattle Seahawks
    2
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Buffalo Bills
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Buffalo Bills
    AW:Alex Welch: Buffalo Bills
    JD:John Daigle: Buffalo Bills
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Buffalo Bills
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Buffalo Bills
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Houston Texans
    3
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Houston Texans
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: St. Louis Rams
    AW:Alex Welch: St. Louis Rams
    JD:John Daigle: Denver Broncos
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Houston Texans
    SK:Scott Kaliska: St. Louis Rams
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Buffalo Bills
    4
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Denver Broncos
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Denver Broncos
    AW:Alex Welch: Houston Texans
    JD:John Daigle: St. Louis Rams
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Arizona Cardinals
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Houston Texans
    MG:Mike Gallagher: New York Jets
    5
    DK:Daniel Kelley: St. Louis Rams
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Houston Texans
    AW:Alex Welch: New York Jets
    JD:John Daigle: New York Jets
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Denver Broncos
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Arizona Cardinals
    MG:Mike Gallagher: St. Louis Rams
    6
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Miami Dolphins
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Arizona Cardinals
    AW:Alex Welch: Denver Broncos
    JD:John Daigle: Houston Texans
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Kansas City Chiefs
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Denver Broncos
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Arizona Cardinals
    7
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Green Bay Packers
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: New England Patriots
    AW:Alex Welch: Arizona Cardinals
    JD:John Daigle: Philadelphia Eagles
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: New York Jets
    SK:Scott Kaliska: New England Patriots
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Baltimore Ravens
    8
    DK:Daniel Kelley: New York Jets
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Carolina Panthers
    AW:Alex Welch: New England Patriots
    JD:John Daigle: Baltimore Ravens
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: St. Louis Rams
    SK:Scott Kaliska: New York Jets
    MG:Mike Gallagher: New England Patriots
    9
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Arizona Cardinals
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Green Bay Packers
    AW:Alex Welch: Miami Dolphins
    JD:John Daigle: Miami Dolphins
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Miami Dolphins
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Baltimore Ravens
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Denver Broncos
    10
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Baltimore Ravens
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Baltimore Ravens
    AW:Alex Welch: Baltimore Ravens
    JD:John Daigle: Kansas City Chiefs
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Carolina Panthers
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Carolina Panthers
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Miami Dolphins
    11
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Dallas Cowboys
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Miami Dolphins
    AW:Alex Welch: Carolina Panthers
    JD:John Daigle: Arizona Cardinals
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Baltimore Ravens
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Miami Dolphins
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Green Bay Packers
    12
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Philadelphia Eagles
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: New York Jets
    AW:Alex Welch: Green Bay Packers
    JD:John Daigle: Cincinnati Bengals
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Green Bay Packers
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Green Bay Packers
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Carolina Panthers
    13
    DK:Daniel Kelley: New England Patriots
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Kansas City Chiefs
    AW:Alex Welch: Philadelphia Eagles
    JD:John Daigle: Green Bay Packers
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: New England Patriots
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Kansas City Chiefs
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Philadelphia Eagles
    14
    DK:Daniel Kelley: Kansas City Chiefs
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: Cincinnati Bengals
    AW:Alex Welch: Cincinnati Bengals
    JD:John Daigle: New England Patriots
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Cincinnati Bengals
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Cincinnati Bengals
    MG:Mike Gallagher: Pittsburgh Steelers
    15
    DK:Daniel Kelley: San Francisco 49ers
    DC:Dan Ciarrocchi: San Francisco 49ers
    AW:Alex Welch: Detroit Lions
    JD:John Daigle: Carolina Panthers
    KA:Kenneth Arthur: Philadelphia Eagles
    SK:Scott Kaliska: Detroit Lions
    MG:Mike Gallagher: San Francisco 49ers

    Full Rankings ➤

  9. Sleepers

    Every season, fantasy football features the usual list of notable names. Lately, that includes Le'Veon Bell, Andrew Luck, Dez Bryant, and so many more. You have to nail your early picks, but fantasy football championships are won or lost in the middle and late rounds of the draft. Sleepers can be an overused phrase, but every year there are players who will surprise everybody. A sleeper can be a complete unknown bursting out, or it could a mid-round pick putting together first or second round production. We went through the big four positions to find the best sleepers.

    Quarterbacks

    Eli ManningNew York Giants

    First off, we never know any football player is going to be healthy, but if there's anyone we can count on to be on the field, it's Manning, who still hasn't missed a game since becoming the Giants' starter in 2004. Just being on the field isn't everything, of course, but it counts a lot. Meanwhile, Manning might actually have the best assortment of weapons of any quarterback in the league this year. Odell Beckham Jr. you know about, plus he's getting Victor Cruz back. Rueben Randle is still there, and the Giants brought in James Jones earlier this month. Tight end Larry Donnell had a breakout last year. And a running back triumvirate of Rashad Jennings, Shane Vereen and Andre Williams offers ability and versatility. Manning had one of his best seasons in 2014, and 2015 could be even better.

    Cam NewtonCarolina Panthers

    Over the final eight weeks of last season, the only quarterback who averaged more fantasy points per game than Newton was Aaron Rodgers. If you limit that to seven weeks, Newton finishes at the top of the heap. Yes, that was largely on the back of a 35-point Week 14, and he missed a game because of a car accident, but still, the Newton who struggled through the first half of last season wasn't the Newton we got at the end of the year. A healthy (for now at least) Jonathan Stewart, a more experienced Kelvin Benjamin, adding Devin Funchess to the mix, and what should be a full season of health for Newton makes him a nice candidate to bounce back to his pre-2014 heights.

    Full qb Rankings ➤

    Running Backs

    Rashad JenningsNew York Giants

    Injuries are always going to be a part of the equation when considering Jennings, and that's why he's not an obvious early pick among running backs. He's never played 16 games in a season (though last year was his first as a starter, so his opportunity to play 16 games has historically been limited). But in 11 games last year, he reached double-digit fantasy scoring four times. He had at least five points in each of the first five games before injuries ruined his season (his one- and zero-point outings in Weeks 14 and 15 came when he was obviously still injured). Now, he gets to be part of what could be an incredible offense in New York, with Eli Manning, Odell Beckham Jr., Victor Cruz, Rueben Randle, Larry Donnell and Shane Vereen. A rising tide lifts all boats.

    David CobbTennessee Titans

    If you're drafting Bishop Sankey this year, good luck to you. He was capital-T Terrible last year, when his only real competition was Shonn Greene. Part of the problem was his poor work in pass protection, and now he has a rookie quarterback coming out of a system program, so pass protection will be even more important in 2015. Enter Cobb, who has his own problems -- he's not a jackrabbit-type runner, he won't catch a lot of passes -- but he should offer far more in pass protection, meaning he'll be on the field more. We know Sankey isn't good. Cobb? He might be.

    Full rb Rankings ➤

    Wide Receivers

    Vincent JacksonTampa Bay Buccaneers

    I promise the names from here won't be as renowned. I just couldn't pass up a chance to talk about Jackson. Last season was forgettable for the veteran. Only 11 percent of his fantasy points came from touchdowns in 2014, and he posted one of his lowest fantasy finishes since he became a coveted commodity in the industry.

    Here are Jackson's last three PPR finishes:

    2012: WR12
    2013: WR16
    2014: WR33

    Yikes. That's a bit of a drop-off. But Jackson's decline wasn't exactly his own doing. Poor quarterback play, and some bad luck if we're being honest, resulted in the poor season. According to Pro Football Focus, only 56 percent of Jackson's targets were catchable. He saw 15 targets in the end zone but only scored two touchdowns. That 13 percent conversion rate is prime for regression.

    Bucs offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter wants to use Jackson in the slot more. Jackson is a huge target who is easy to create mismatches, so this is the right move for Tampa's offense, and it's one that should beneficial for his fantasy value.

    Koetter had plenty of success with Julio Jones and Roddy White in Atlanta. White finished as the WR9 and Jones finished as the WR11 in 2012. Last year Jones was the WR6 and White was the WR21. Jackson and Evans will get along just fine.

    Jackson's ADP is hovering near Round 7 right now, putting him around the No. 30 wide receiver taken. Even with a rookie quarterback, Jackson should easily beat that mark.

    Leonard HankersonAtlanta Falcons

    They hype train has left the station for this guy. Hankerson stood out in OTAs, he continues to impress in training camp and reports suggest he's even pushing Roddy White for the WR2 job.

    The latter might be a stretch, but Hankerson is making noise. The 26-year-old's career was subjected to injuries from the start, which is why he doesn't have much to show after four seasons in the NFL. Could this be the year he finally holds up?

    Roddy White is 34. His knees are starting to give him more trouble. He needed one knee drained prior to minicamp, and he said there's a possibility that it'll need to be drained again during the season. Read his comments about the situation and tell me you don't come away at least mildly concerned.

    Surely you recall Julio Jones' injury issues as well. I'm not promoting any sense of the "injury prone" notion, but I'm telling you Hankerson could explode if either White or Jones misses time.

    Matt Ryan attempted 628 passes in 2014, second most in the NFL. The Falcons offense has proven itself capable of producing two players in the WR1 to WR2 range. Hankerson does not cost you anything at this point. Keep him on your radar in all formats.

    Full wr Rankings ➤

    Tight Ends

    Jordan ReedWashington

    In a paragraph that was initially reserved for Niles Paul, Jordan Reed saw his opportunity suddenly flare during Washington's first preseason game as Paul hit the ground with a dislocated ankle, an injury that will unfortunately keep him out for the entirety of the 2015 season. Prior to his injury, Paul had vaulted atop the Washington depth chart and continued turning heads at camp. And admittedly, Paul is the better all-around player (always has been). But where there is life, there is hope (Michael Scott maybe said that) and now is the time for Reed to shine. Though his injury history remains a concern, there is no longer any competition at his position. His price tag alone makes Reed a sleeper worthy of your consideration.

    Jason WittenDallas Cowboys

    For seven consecutive seasons Witten finished as a Top 8 tight end, only failing to continue that streak last season when he slid all the way to No. 10. 2014 was the least targets Witten had seen since 2006. Though the Dallas Cowboys pieced together their highest run percentage since the Jason Garrett era began last season, a return to his typical 100-plus target form seems more likely than not for Witten. And given that you can currently draft him in double-digit round territory, I find it hard to believe that Witten won't return his value.

    Full te Rankings ➤

  10. Potential Busts

    Anybody who has ever played fantasy football has drafted a player that did not turn out the way they anticipated. A bust can happen for a variety of reasons. It can be a player who just turns out to be not nearly as good as some expected. It can also be a player who deals with injuries. Some busts are predictable, and others catch you completely off guard. We took a look around the league and figured out some players at each position that would not surprise us if they struggled this season.

    Quarterbacks

    Drew BreesNew Orleans Saints

    Brees put up his worst fantasy production since 2010 last year. Now, that does not mean he was bad — he still finished sixth at the position, still averaged 18.1 fantasy points a game — but it is true nonetheless. He lost Brandin Cooks, Mark Ingram and Jimmy Graham for multiple games, had a terrible defense, and wasn't his usual self in home games compared to past years. Some are calling for a bounce-back, and honestly, talent-wise that's on the table. Remember, though, that the Saints traded for Max Unger and signed C.J. Spiller in the offseason. Graham and Kenny Stills are gone, but the team retained Ingram and Khiry Robinson. The Saints might be surprisingly run-heavy in 2015. Combine that with the worries about Brees' production from last year, and I know I wouldn't want him as my starter.

    Matthew StaffordDetroit Lions

    It's easy to look at Stafford and still see that guy who threw for 5,038 yards and 41 touchdowns in a season. Heck, that was just a couple years ago, right? Wait, it was 2011. Since then, his passing yardage has dropped every year. He barely threw half that many touchdowns last year, with only 22. And while he had a full-season low of 12 interceptions in 2014, all of that added up to only the 15th-best fantasy quarterback. Injuries are increasingly becoming a part of Calvin Johnson's game, meaning you never know if/when Stafford will have his top weapon on the field. Golden Tate and the team's assortment of running backs and tight ends are fine, but without Megatron this isn't a special offense, and even with him Stafford is no longer a sure thing.

    Full qb Rankings ➤

    Running Backs

    Adrian PetersonMinnesota Vikings

    I know, I'm on an island alone here. Peterson, who is the first overall selection of several analysts, is barely a top-10 running back for me. There are just too many issues. He's 30 and coming off of a missed year. You say rest, I say rust. He has played 16 games once since 2009. His last full season was by most measures his worst as a pro. The Vikings have Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata, who both performed well enough last year that they aren't just going to disappear. If I can get Peterson in the second round or something? Sure, I'll consider it. But at the top of the draft? Way too dicey.

    Marshawn LynchSeattle Seahawks

    The saying always goes that you would rather bail a year early than a year late, and Lynch might be this year's poster boy. He scares me this year, even if next year might really be the start of his decline. Still, he's 29, even if he admittedly doesn't have quite the tread on his tires of a normal about-to-be-30-something. And Max Unger's departure from Seattle could have a big impact on Lynch; he averaged 5.0 yards a carry in Unger's six games last year compared to 4.4 in the games Unger missed. No matter how you slice it, the Seahawks' running game was far better with Unger on the field, and we could see that difference in Lynch's production this year.

    Full rb Rankings ➤

    Wide Receivers

    Calvin JohnsonDetroit Lions

    The top tier of wide receivers includes Dez Bryant, Antonio Brown, Demaryius Thomas, Julio Jones, Odell Beckham Jr., Jordy Nelson, A.J. Green and Johnson, in some order. Well, of that group of eight, four — Bryant, Brown, Thomas and Nelson — have played every game the last two seasons. Odell Beckham Jr. dealt with one injury, then looked fine afterward. So the injured guys are Jones, Green and Johnson. Johnson is the oldest of that group, and has seen his numbers decline the last two seasons in a row. He's still elite, still belongs in that top group, but he simply isn't all-caps CALVIN JOHNSON anymore.

    Mike EvansTampa Bay Buccaneers

    Take out a five-game season in 2010, and Vincent Jackson hadn't dipped below seven touchdowns in a season since 2007 before his two-score year last year. The rookie Evans caught 12. If you are taking your pick of a Tampa Bay wide receiver, it's obviously Evans over Jackson, but it seems unlikely to 12-to-two touchdown imbalance will maintain. On top of that, you'd have to think the team's running backs will score more than the paltry four rushing touchdowns they did over the course of last season. Other than Evans' 12, the only other Buccaneer who scored more than two touchdowns last season was Josh McCown, who ran for three scores. If Evans doesn't score the vast majority of the team's touchdowns again, he won't make as much sense as a WR1.

    Full wr Rankings ➤

    Tight Ends

    Jimmy GrahamSeattle Seahawks

    It bodes well for Graham that Seattle tight ends as a whole combined for 16 red zone targets in 2014, four more than their next highest receiver (Doug Baldwin). Unfortunately, the Seattle Seahawks also attempted the fewest red zone passes last season. With his current ADP nestled at the beginning of the third round, drafting Graham assuredly means missing out on a majority of top flight receivers, or that ever-so-important running back depth. He could potentially continue his dominance and post his fifth-consecutive year as a Top 3 TE, but the questions surrounding volume are enough to shy away and lean elsewhere with one of your first four picks.

    Dwayne AllenIndianapolis Colts

    Let's assume for a moment that Allen isn't the North pole to every football's South pole (magnet humor, anyone?) and that his baffling touchdown for every four receptions will surely regress. The most recent comp we can look to for such a feat is (gulp) Martavis Bryant, who accomplished the same on two fewer targets whilst recording 150 more receiving yards. If we forego Bryant -- mainly due to his forecasted caliber as an NFL receiver on the rise -- and instead use the next closest historical comp to project Allen's follow-up breakout year, it's even less exciting than imagined.

    Marc Boerigter was 24 (the same age as Allen) when he caught eight touchdowns on only 20 receptions. He finished the 2002 season tied for the sixth-most touchdowns in the league. In 2003, he followed up his surprising campaign with 15 fantasy points . . . total. Not to say Allen will fall that mightily from the heavens, but another Top 13 finish is highly unlikely.

    Full te Rankings ➤

  11. Second Year Breakout Candidates

    The fantasy football drafting season is getting underway, and everybody is looking for that next breakout player. While the focus is usually on rookie players this time of year, we shouldn't overlook last year's rookies. Whether they had promising starts or got new coaches over the offseason, a year of NFL experience goes a long way in projecting a player's fantasy value going forward.

    We take a look at 12 players who could have breakout fantasy campaigns in their second season.

    Quarterbacks

    Teddy Bridgewater, Minnesota Vikings

    Bridgewater's rookie year had a bit of a rough start -- he was thrown into the starting job midseason, and his inexperience led to some shaky performances in those first few games. However, he quickly learned the ropes and guided the Vikings to a respectable finish to the season.

    Bridgewater was knocked for his arm strength in the lead-up to the 2014 NFL Draft, and it showed even in his better games. But he also showed the same strengths scouts were raving about -- pocket poise, pinpoint accuracy and a sense of leadership that teammates could rally behind. Entering his second year in Norv Turner's offense -- and getting new weapons in Mike Wallace and a returning Adrian Peterson -- Bridgewater has a ceiling in the low-end QB1 level.

    Running backs

    Jeremy Hill, Cincinnati Bengals

    It feels like cheating to put Hill on this list, since he already broke out last year, racking up 1,339 total yards on just 249 touches and averaging 5.1 yards per carry. However, I feel like he's still being short-changed a bit, despite his ADP being in the early second round. Hear me out.

    The Bengals are facing a real crossroads with quarterback Andy Dalton and head coach Marvin Lewis. They also have one of the game's best playcallers in offensive coordinator Hue Jackson, who loves the running game and coached Darren McFadden to career-best numbers in Oakland. If the team is intent on hiding Dalton's flaws, then riding with Hill (and mixing in Giovani Bernard for 8-10 touches per game) is the right call. And if they ride with Hill, his fantasy value will jump from solid RB1 to weekly difference-maker, because he has that kind of talent.

    Hill was a made man after 2014. 2015 could make him a fantasy darling for life.

    Wide receivers

    Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

    Like Hill above, Evans already had a breakout rookie season but could be in for even bigger things in 2015. He piled up a 68-1,051-12 stat line with Josh McCown and Mike Glennon under center. Now the Bucs have Jameis Winston, who showed at Florida State that he's more than willing to throw the ball in tight windows. Built like a brickhouse at 6'5, 231 pounds, Evans can be a red zone monster for years to come and doesn't turn 22 years old until late August. His third-round ADP might be a touch expensive right now, but Evans is an obvious keeper in dynasty leagues.

    Brandin Cooks, New Orleans Saints

    The Saints set up Cooks to succeed early on, giving him a prominent slot role and peppering him with targets. While he showed some rough edges, he was still providing respectable production before a broken hand ended his season in Week 11. Cooks' final stat line of 53-550-3 projects out to around 85-880-5 over 16 games.

    With Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills gone, Cooks projects as Drew Brees' top weapon in the passing game -- his only competition is a declining Marques Colston. Even with New Orleans doubling down on the running game, I still expect Cooks to soak up a massive amount of targets, with WR1 upside in PPR leagues. He's a sleeper candidate to reach 100 catches.

    Full Rankings ➤

  12. Rookie Rankings

    Rookies are always a difficult subject in the world of fantasy football. On one hand, fantasy football owners welcome new talent for their rosters. Everyone wants to take pride in drafting the next big NFL playmaker. The NFL Combine, the NFL Draft, and training camps can stir up all sorts of speculation and excitement for prospective fantasy owners. On the other hand, the reality is that we're dealing with the unknown.

    Fantasy football itself is about projecting outcomes for any player, but rookies are a different breed. Until an NFL rookie takes his first steps onto the field, on the big stage, we're working off of collegiate accomplishments, situation and opportunity. With that said, let's take a look at the rookies with the the most potential heading in the 2014 NFL season.

    Melvin GordonSan Diego Chargers, Running Back

    To put it simply, the Chargers didn't draft Gordon in the first round of the 2015 draft just so he could ride the bench. As a team, the Chargers saw nearly 1,300 rushing yards when you take away Philip Rivers' contribution. In terms of big play ability, Gordon is the strongest option on San Diego's depth chart. However, most rookies struggle in pass protection, and according to reports, Gordon is no exception. Fellow running back Danny Woodhead may take away some of Gordon's receiving (PPR) production in 2015.

    T.J. YeldonJacksonville Jaguars, Running Back

    The Jaguars have been looking for a successor to Maurice Jones-Drew, and they're hoping that Yeldon can fill that void. Yeldon was drafted in the second round, and he's reportedly fast tracking his way into Jacksonville's offense. He's a versatile back who should find no problem getting plenty of opportunity in 2015. One of the biggest knocks on Yeldon during his college career was his ball security issues, but a handful of fumbles won't discourage fantasy owners if the production is there. The Jaguars will need Yeldon to produce in the passing game. If he can succeed out of the backfield, he could end up being one of the top rookies for fantasy owners.

    Amari CooperOakland Raiders, Wide Receiver

    Let's start with this: Cooper caught 124 passes for 1,727 yards during his senior year at Alabama. It's no wonder that Cooper was the fourth overall pick of the 2015 draft. He can be used inside and outside and has the makings of a perennial high-volume target on any team he plays for. The question remains: Can the Raiders take advantage of their talented rookie? If Derek Carr can take the next step in his sophomore season, Cooper could be a PPR goldmine. Unfortunately, Cooper isn't going to be a value pick in most fantasy drafts. His current ADP is averaging in the middle of the fifth round.

    Ameer AbdullahDetroit Lions, Running Back

    Abdullah is a shifty back whom many expect to fill the void of Reggie Bush. His size, burst and hands make him more similar to former Lions running back Jahvid Best. He may not be built for a full-time workload each week, but he has the talent to succeed in a limited role. The Lions will still lean on Joique Bell heavily, but Abdullah is going to complement the run game with enough touches to warrant a fantasy roster spot.

    Todd GurleySt. Louis Rams, Running Back

    In terms of pure talent, Gurley may be the No. 1 rookie option for fantasy leagues in 2015. However, Gurley will likely miss a few regular season games before taking the field. Coming off a torn ACL that he suffered in November, Gurley will be eased into a full-time role. He's as powerful as he is quick on the field, but it remains to be seen if he can return to form after his recovery. In the meantime, Tre Mason will likely start for the Rams. Mason started 12 games in 2014, rushing for a respectable 765 yards on 179 carries.

    Full Rankings ➤

    Fantasy football is a hobby which relies heavily on tendencies. It relies on data. Sometimes it simply relies on that "gut feeling" that makes for some of the best memories or biggest upsets. When rookies are brought into the picture, it makes the picture even cloudier. We know what they did in college. Oftentimes we know why NFL teams drafted them. But the reality is that we have no clue what they'll bring to the NFL until they lace up and take the field for the first time as a pro.

    We are in an era when quarterbacks are more prepared for professional football than ever. Alongside this fact is the apparent boom in passing production. Rosters are seemingly deeper at the wide receiver position because the targets are increasing by the year. Running backs are splitting duties in most backfields, and more coaches aren't hesitating to reward the "hot hand" on a weekly basis. It's an exciting time in fantasy football, but at times it's equally frustrating trying to figure out who will rise above the rest each week.

    But where does that leave us in 2015? Let's take a look at each skill position, and consider which rookies are the best poised to become fantasy assets for your roster.

    Rank Quarterback Running Back Wide Recevier Tight End
    1 Marcus Mariota Melvin Gordon Amari Cooper Maxx Williams
    2 Jameis Winston T.J. Yeldon Nelson Agholor Clive Walford
    3 Bryce Petty Ameer Abdullah Breshad Perriman Tyler Kroft
    4 Garrett Grayson Todd Gurley DeVante Parker Jesse James
    5 Sean Mannion Tevin Coleman Devin Funchess Blake Bell
    QB
    1: Marcus Mariota
    2: Jameis Winston
    3: Bryce Petty
    4: Garrett Grayson
    5: Sean Mannion
    RB
    1: Melvin Gordon
    2: T.J. Yeldon
    3: Ameer Abdullah
    4: Todd Gurley
    5: Tevin Coleman
    WR
    1: Amari Cooper
    2: Nelson Agholor
    3: Breshad Perriman
    4: DeVante Parker
    5: Devin Funchess
    TE
    1: Maxx Williams
    2: Clive Walford
    3: Tyler Kroft
    4: Jesse James
    5: Blake Bell

    Full Rankings ➤

  13. The Biggest Offseason Transactions

    I don't know about you, but when I picture Jimmy Graham, I still see him in a New Orleans Saints uniform. When I am labeling players with their team names, it takes a conscious effort to not write "CHI" next to Brandon Marshall. And the other day, I started to write about the DeAngelo Williams-Jonathan Stewart timeshare in Carolina.

    I heard somewhere once that it takes seven repetitions of information for it to lodge in your memory. Maybe it's three, maybe it's five. I don't know, I only heard it once, so it didn't lodge. Anyway, consider this your last warning entering fantasy drafts: A bunch of dudes who were on some teams last year are on some other teams this year.

    Below, we'll be running through 15 of the biggest player moves of the offseason, taking a look at the takeaways from each move, not just for the players who moved, but for the players who were left behind to fill the void.

    Here we go. Hope it lodges in your memory this time:

    Saints send TE Jimmy Graham and a fourth-round pick to Seahawks for C Max Unger and a first-round pick

    This one kind of came out of nowhere in early March, with New Orleans sending the three-time Pro Bowler Graham to Seattle in exchange for Unger, a center who has made two Pro Bowls himself. With Drew Brees in New Orleans, Graham was a fantasy force any time he was healthy, with 51 touchdowns and 4,752 receiving yards in five seasons. All that while being one of several mouths to feed in a potent New Orleans offense; every year the Saints had two or three potent wide receivers and another couple running backs. In Seattle, Graham becomes the mouth from a pass-catching perspective. He remains among the position's elite; a notch below Rob Gronkowski but a notch above the rest of the field. Luke Willson, who had a mini-emergence late last season as the Seahawks' tight end, sinks back to basic irrelevance, though Graham's injury history means Willson could have flashes of playing time over the course of the season.

    Back in New Orleans, Josh Hill and Benjamin Watson remain to fill whatever Graham role remains, with Brandin Cooks, Marques Colston and C.J. Spiller catching more passes as well. Hill will be the tight end you want in New Orleans if you're trolling deep, but he's a low-end TE2 at best.

    Now, Unger. The center was an elite run-blocker in Seattle, and his absence makes the Seahawks' O-line more of a work in progress entering this season. That could spell trouble for Marshawn Lynch out of the gate, at least until the Seahawks get everything ironed out. He's still a top-end running back, but this could ding him a few spots in the rankings. Conversely, Unger's move to New Orleans could spell big things for Mark Ingram and/or Spiller, while possibly also leaving Brees to throw a bit less than is his norm.

    Bears trade WR Brandon Marshall to Jets for fifth-round draft pick

    Marshall has always been a guy who wears out his welcome, as he left Denver, Miami and now Chicago with some level of hard feelings at each stop. Still, when healthy, he's never had fewer than 1,000 receiving yards in a season, and had back-to-back years with double-digit touchdowns before being held to 13 games last year (and still scoring eight even then). Marshall and Eric Decker make for a potent one-two punch for the Jets; I'd prefer Decker, but it's close enough between the two that either one is reasonable. Both are low-end WR2 plays or flex options.

    Back in Chicago, Marshall's departure means Alshon Jeffery will certainly be the featured receiver in that offense, solidifying him as a low-end WR1. Rookie first-rounder Kevin White looked promising coming into training camp, but he's injured and will miss at least the first six games. Free-agent signee Eddie Royal and holdover Marquess Wilson both could be interesting sleepers in a Chicago offense that has known how to make room for two receivers.

    Colts sign WR Andre Johnson, RB Frank Gore

    You'd be forgiven for thinking the Colts were really going for the 2010 title with these additions, as Gore enters the season at 32 years old and Johnson is 34. Still, there is reason to think both ex-stars still have that star value in them, and even if not, this is a Colts offense that promises to be deep enough that they don't have to be stars.

    Johnson slides in behind T.Y. Hilton and ahead of Donte Moncrief and Duron Carter among Colts receivers. With that receiving core, Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen at tight end, and Andrew Luck throwing the ball, there should be plenty of scoring from this unit. Johnson, while he's not the player he once was, could benefit. His days as a surefire WR1 are over, but as a high-end flex, he's fine. Gore, meanwhile, will slot ahead of Dan Herron and Vick Ballard as Indianapolis running backs, and should be a low-end RB2.

    With Gore gone from San Francisco, Carlos Hyde will take the reins, and he looks like a high-end RB2 with a shot at RB1 status. Meanwhile, in Houston, DeAndre Hopkins enters the season as the team's clear top receiver. Cecil Shorts III will catch some balls, but overall, Hopkins could threaten for WR1 status this season.

    Eagles trade QB Nick Foles to Rams for QB Sam Bradford

    This is an interesting trade, if not one that has tremendous fantasy impact. In St. Louis, Foles just needs to not be a disaster, as that could be a tremendous defense, and a quarterback who doesn't screw things up could be enough. Foles, for his failings, has historically avoided turnovers well. I wouldn't go anywhere near him in fantasy, but the Rams can at least hope for the best.

    Meanwhile, Bradford brings his considerable potential and considerable injury history to Philadelphia. If there's a team you think could make the most of a quarterback like that, it's the Eagles, with Chip Kelly's scheme and that offensive line. Bradford is still a scary proposition — health is not his strong suit — but his new location could give him some relevance as a mid-to-low QB2.

    Raiders sign WR Michael Crabtree

    The Raiders will see a full turnover at the top of their receiver depth chart, with Crabtree and draftee Amari Cooper replacing James Jones and Denarius Moore. If quarterback Derek Carr can continue to develop, those two, along with Andre Holmes and Kenbrell Thompkins, could be a decent group of receivers, but still a step below elite.

    Crabtree's career has stalled out since his strong 2012. He played all 16 games in 2014, but managed fewer than 700 yards and only four scores. Considering his question marks, you can't go into 2015 relying on Crabtree, though he could be an interesting late-round lottery pick.

    Full Rankings ➤

  14. Bye Week Implications

    There are a lot of underlying factors that come into play during your fantasy football draft. Drafting a running back may warrant picking up that player's backup to avoid being handcuffed. Injury risks or lingering ailments may also keep fantasy owners looking over their shoulder throughout a season. When you consider everything else weighing on your fantasy decision, it's no surprise that bye weeks are oftentimes at the bottom of your priority list.

    It's rare that a bye week can decimate your fantasy season. In fact, it's almost not worth dwelling on as you assemble your roster. However, it shouldn't be completely overlooked.

    As you enter your fantasy draft, awareness is the key. Don't let a bye week scare you from drafting a player that could be the difference maker on your roster, but don't completely ignore your bye weeks. It's important to be prepared. Have some idea of how you want to handle your player's bye week, and adjust accordingly.

    Bye weeks begin in Week 4 of the 2015 season and end after Week 11. We're here to break down the key players for each week.

    Week 4: Patriots, Titans

    Quarterbacks: Marcus Mariota, Tom Brady (returns from suspension in Week 5)
    Running backs:
    LeGarrette Blount, Bishop Sankey,
    Wide receivers:
    Julian Edelman, Brandon LaFell, Kendall Wright
    Tight ends: Rob Gronkowski, Delanie Walker

    Week 5: Panthers, Dolphins, Vikings, Jets

    Quarterbacks: Cam Newton, Ryan Tannehill, Teddy Bridgewater
    Running backs:
    Adrian Peterson, Lamar Miller, Jonathan Stewart
    Wide receivers:
    Kelvin Benjamin, Brandon Marshall, Mike Wallace, Charles Johnson, Eric Decker
    Tight ends:
    Greg Olsen, Jordan Cameron, Kyle Rudolph

    Week 6: Cowboys, Raiders, Rams, Buccaneers

    Quarterbacks: Tony Romo
    Running backs:
    Latavius Murray, Joseph Randle, Todd Gurley, Tre Mason
    Wide receivers:
    Dez Bryant, Mike Evans, Amari Cooper, Vincent Jackson
    Tight ends:
    Jason Witten

    Week 7: Bears, Bengals, Broncos, Packers

    Quarterbacks: Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, Jay Cutler, Andy Dalton
    Running backs:
    Eddie Lacy, C.J. Anderson, Matt Forte, Jeremy Hill, Giovani Bernard
    Wide receivers:
    Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, A.J. Green, Alshon Jeffery
    Tight ends:
    Martellus Bennett, Owen Daniels, Tyler Eifert

    Week 8: Bills, Jaguars, Eagles, Redskins

    Quarterbacks: Sam Bradford, Robert Griffin III
    Running backs:
    DeMarco Murray, LeSean McCoy, Alfred Morris, T.J. Yeldon
    Wide receivers:
    Jordan Matthews, DeSean Jackson, Sammy Watkins, Allen Robinson, Pierre Garcon, Nelson Agholor
    Tight ends:
    Julius Thomas, Zach Ertz

    Week 9: Cardinals, Ravens, Lions, Texans, Chiefs, Seahawks

    Quarterbacks: Russell Wilson, Matthew Stafford, Joe Flacco, Carson Palmer
    Running backs:
    Jamaal Charles, Marshawn Lynch, Justin Forsett, Andre Ellington, Joique Bell, Alfred Blue
    Wide receivers:
    Calvin Johnson, DeAndre Hopkins, Golden Tate, Jeremy Maclin, Steve Smith, Larry Fitzgerald
    Tight ends:
    Jimmy Graham, Travis Kelce

    Week 10: Falcons, Colts, Chargers, 49ers

    Quarterbacks: Andrew Luck, Matt Ryan, Philip Rivers, Colin Kaepernick
    Running backs:
    Frank Gore, Melvin Gordon, Carlos Hyde
    Wide receivers:
    Julio Jones, Andre Johnson, TY Hilton, Keenan Allen, Roddy White, Anquan Boldin, Torrey Smith
    Tight ends:
    Dwayne Allen, Antonio Gates

    Week 11: Browns, Saints, Giants, Steelers

    Quarterbacks: Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning
    Running backs:
    Le'Veon Bell, Mark Ingram, Rashad Jennings, C.J. Spiller
    Wide receivers:
    Antonio Brown, Odell Beckham Jr., Brandin Cooks, Martavis Bryant, Marques Colston, Victor Cruz
    Tight ends:
    Josh Hill

    Full Rankings ➤