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Fantasy football rankings: Top 150 for 2015

Seven writers chimed in to create the official SB Nation fantasy football rankings. Here are the rankings, plus some notes on draft strategy.

By Daniel Kelley

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 him- or herself 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. Below, our seven rankers offer a few thoughts on their own strategies entering the drafts this year. Choose one of them, create your own, do whatever. Just know that sometimes they won't work out and you'll have to think on the fly.

Below the strategies, you'll find our top-150 consensus rankings entering the season, along with each expert's personal rankings as well.

Daniel Kelley

It hasn't been talked about as much as I expected, but to me, running back is deeper this year than it has been in several. What the position lacks at the top end (after the top four or five, there are question marks), it more than makes up for in depth -- there are almost 30 running backs that could potentially be viable starters this year.

What that means is that 2015 is no longer the season of the "must go running back first" draft. Aaron Rodgers, Dez Bryant and even Rob Gronkowski make for perfectly viable first-rounders this year, and the rankings of wide receivers and running backs level off by the end of the second round. You're used to a first round full of running backs, but that just isn't the reality of 2015, and don't get so stuck in your ways that you proceed that way.

Alex Welch

There is no sacred rule to follow as far as strategy goes for your fantasy draft. You have to pay attention to ADP, how your draft is playing out and a variety of other factors. Ignore those articles that say "here's what to do in [Round X]." You can't apply a blanket statement like that to fantasy football.

Supply and demand is a concept drafters must take into account. Quarterback and tight end are two positions that offer value in the later rounds of every draft. I rarely take a quarterback before the sixth round.

Running backs and wide receivers don't typically pan out in the later rounds. Load up on these two early while you can. It's difficult to sum up strategy briefly, but knowing your league format and pinpointing value will go a long way. Study up.

John Daigle

My only suggestion would be to avoid the No. 1 overall pick at all costs. Of course, that isn't as easy as it sounds, and if you're involved in serious leagues like I am, winning the first pick is more of a privilege or feat that involves scrapping together the worst team from the year prior and hearing your franchise's name called once your commissioner begins pulling small bits of paper out of a hat in April. And that's exactly what it would be if this were any other year: a privilege. But in 2015, when every candidate has a lingering question mark that's just begging to be avoided, it's best to sit towards the end of the first round and pick from the heap of remains. Fortunately, there is a glimpse of hope if you are "forced" to draft the likes Adrian Peterson, Le'Veon Bell, Eddie Lacy, etc.

For the sake of argument, let's assume you take Bell No. one. Once the draft snakes back around and it's your turn to pick again, it is possible to secure your backfield with a combination of Bell and C.J. Anderson/Jeremy Hill/Justin Forsett. If that isn't your cup of tea, some form of Odell Beckham Jr/Calvin Johnson/Jordy Nelson are sure to be there. By drafting Bell (or one of those other aforementioned backs) first, you've now secured both your RB1 and potentially your WR1. From there, simply your skill positions and wait on tight end. No, really. WAIT.

Get Ready for Your Draft

SB Nation's big 2015 fantasy football draft guide

Check out overall player rankings, position rankings, potential busts and much more.

Get Ready for Your Draft

SB Nation's big 2015 fantasy football draft guide

Kenneth Arthur

The biggest difference between my list and everyone else is how I value quarterbacks. I just think that with someone like Andrew Luck or Aaron Rodgers, I feel completely comfortable believing they're going to give me 16 great games this year. I have a harder time trusting any running back or wide receiver to do the same. So while I'm at the top of the draft, I play it safe, then take my risks later down the road.

Scott Kaliska

Sometimes I think we concentrate too much on filling positional slots and forget about value. I'm looking this season to grab stars or potential stars first and then worry about positions. This means I'll look to stream or hit the waiver wire for positions like quarterback, tight end, kicker and defense. Unless someone like Luck, Rodgers or Gronk comes available at a bargain.

A strategy like this requires reliance on my player evaluation. I may be going in a certain direction, while the rest of my league is going in the complete opposite direction. Staying the course and not deviating can be difficult at times, but there is value to be had later in drafts or on the wire. No one knew that C.J. Anderson, Odell Beckham Jr. and Justin Forsett were going to blow up in 2014. They were all available late in drafts or on waivers.

Streaming can sometimes be overlooked at positions beyond kicker and defense. Maybe you use Derek Carr and Sam Bradford as your quarterback duo. After that, you choose the stronger matchup each week and roll with it. Your tight end position could be Eric Ebron and Charles Clay. Some weeks might end up being weaker than others, but your running back and receiver positions should be strong enough to carry you through. The perfect team might not happen in August, but a championship team doesn't just happen.

Mike Gallagher

Fantasy football information is everywhere. If one of your league mates is adept at finding the info, he or she could be well-prepared for a draft with just a couple of hours of research. With that in mind, you can't let your favorite late-round fliers fall too far. If you really think a particular second half draft target of yours is going to break out, don't be afraid to take him a round or two early. Unless you know for sure there are donkeys in your league, you have to assume everyone is aware of who hot draft targets are. And no, public mock drafts won't help you there.

As for the crop of players this season, it also has a lot to do with the skill and depth of your league. If you know you're going to be a stronger team on the waiver wire and have confidence in your depth, it makes sense to be more aggressive on quarterback and tight end. You can take Rob Gronkowski in the top eight picks and maybe even grab Andrew Luck or Aaron Rodgers on the way back -- quarterback is pretty deep this year. If you feel strongly that you're going to make the playoffs, take a look at which teams will have solid matchups in the playoff weeks. For the easier leagues, can I have an invite?

As for those of you in competitive leagues, make sure you get your backs and receivers. One of the worst feelings in fantasy football is starting a scrub running back in a must-win game for you in Week 11 or so. Unless you're in a PPR league, you almost have to come away with at least one running back in your first two rounds.

As a general rule of thumb, I like to play it safe early and roll the dice later in drafts. Seriously, who cares if you draft a WR4 who can help you on your bye weeks? Look for the talented backs and receivers on bad teams who are set for a big opportunity. The WR2 on a solid team is nice, but the inconsistency could be more trouble than it's worth.

Finally, don't go into your draft with a concrete plan. Best-laid plans blah blah blah. It really helps to make tiers on your quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers because you can address the supply vs. demand. If there is one receiver left in a tier and four backs, go ahead and grab that receiver unless you're really in need of a back. It also helps to know who the people behind you have on their team. For example, say you pick 10th of 12 in the seventh round and you could use both a receiver and running back on your next two picks. If you notice both owners behind you really need a back, then make sure you get your back with the first pick and then you can grab a receiver on the way back. It's okay. They'll eventually forgive you for taking their player in front of them.

Overall Top 150

(DK: Daniel Kelley; DC: Dan Ciarrocchi; AW: Alex Welch; JD: John Daigle; KA: Kenneth Arthur; SK: Scott Kaliska; MG: Michael Gallagher)

Rank Consensus Team DK DC AW JD KA SK MG
1 Le'Veon Bell PIT 3 3 1 4 6 2 2
2 Jamaal Charles KAN 2 2 3 5 5 4 5
3 Eddie Lacy GB 1 4 6 2 10 3 1
4 Adrian Peterson MIN 19 1 2 1 1 1 11
5 Marshawn Lynch SEA 15 5 4 3 4 5 13
6 Antonio Brown PIT 9 6 7 9 8 6 7
7 Dez Bryant DAL 7 8 9 6 12 7 4
8 Rob Gronkowski NE 5 7 12 8 9 8 6
9 Demaryius Thomas DEN 12 10 11 7 19 10 8
10 C.J. Anderson DEN 8 9 8 13 17 9 14
11 Julio Jones ATL 14 15 10 10 14 11 10
12 Calvin Johnson DET 18 12 16 11 7 13 9
13 DeMarco Murray PHI 16 14 5 17 18 14 3
14 Odell Beckham Jr. NYG 17 13 14 12 11 12 12
15 Jeremy Hill CIN 13 16 13 14 20 15 16
16 Matt Forte CHI 11 11 15 15 25 16 15
17 Jordy Nelson GB 10 18 17 16 21 18 18
18 LeSean McCoy BUF 23 17 19 20 13 17 17
19 Andrew Luck IND 6 21 24 33 2 21 23
20 A.J. Green CIN 24 19 18 21 15 19 19
21 Aaron Rodgers GB 4 23 27 34 3 23 24
22 Alshon Jeffery CHI 21 20 20 22 30 22 20
23 Justin Forsett BAL 26 22 23 19 27 20 22
24 Mike Evans TAM 31 25 21 18 26 25 21
25 Randall Cobb GB 29 24 22 24 23 24 26
26 T.Y. Hilton IND 25 26 25 25 22 26 28
27 DeAndre Hopkins HOU 20 28 28 26 29 29 25
28 Jimmy Graham SEA 39 30 31 41 16 31 29
29 Lamar Miller MIA 33 32 30 23 43 27 39
30 Emmanuel Sanders DEN 34 33 34 28 28 34 38
31 Mark Ingram NO 28 27 29 36 53 30 31
32 Alfred Morris WAS 43 29 35 35 36 32 41
33 Kelvin Benjamin CAR 35 34 36 30 51 39 27
34 Melvin Gordon SD 45 31 32 27 56 33 32
35 Brandin Cooks NO 51 35 33 32 39 35 45
36 Frank Gore IND 58 36 26 40 44 28 42
37 Carlos Hyde SF 22 39 40 49 40 46 40
38 Jordan Matthews PHI 38 47 37 29 60 37 30
39 Jonathan Stewart CAR 46 38 38 44 46 41 36
40 Travis Kelce KAN 56 48 47 47 35 44 35
41 Latavius Murray OAK 48 40 48 58 52 36 33
42 Andre Ellington ARI 59 43 41 39 38 43 55
43 DeSean Jackson WAS 36 44 62 37 41 54 50
44 Russell Wilson SEA 30 37 43 65 58 38 54
45 Joseph Randle DAL 47 58 45 43 48 52 37
46 Keenan Allen SD 61 46 44 38 50 45 49
47 Peyton Manning DEN 50 42 63 57 33 42 53
48 Amari Cooper OAK 63 55 52 31 37 50 61
49 Todd Gurley STL 57 56 39 66 32 65 34
50 Julian Edelman NE 49 50 42 56 49 48 74
51 T.J. Yeldon JAC 66 49 46 52 61 51 43
52 Andre Johnson IND 71 41 51 46 75 40 48
53 Golden Tate DET 67 53 57 45 42 53 65
54 Drew Brees NO 98 52 59 53 31 56 51
55 Jeremy Maclin KAN 27 61 53 79 45 64 73
56 Brandon Marshall NYJ 40 45 56 90 72 47 62
57 Rashad Jennings NYG 44 72 74 48 57 76 47
58 Greg Olsen CAR 55 54 60 82 66 49 68
59 Vincent Jackson TAM 69 63 50 55 63 61 75
60 Allen Robinson JAC 41 64 58 62 81 68 66
61 Martavis Bryant PIT 96 77 64 42 54 63 44
62 Sammy Watkins BUF 80 60 66 68 47 60 60
63 LeGarrette Blount NE 54 59 55 51 95 58 70
64 Ben Roethlisberger PIT 88 57 84 83 24 59 52
65 Ameer Abdullah DET 73 74 54 60 89 57 46
66 Joique Bell DET 32 71 71 67 65 79 76
67 Eric Decker NYJ 37 80 68 54 78 75 72
68 Matt Ryan ATL 87 70 85 70 55 62 56
69 Cam Newton CAR 77 65 78 73 69 67 58
70 C.J. Spiller NO 130 51 49 64 68 55 79
71 Roddy White ATL 60 69 69 72 71 70 95
72 Tevin Coleman ATL 84 102 61 59 59 91 57
73 Chris Ivory NYJ 65 89 73 63 82 74 71
74 Tony Romo DAL 92 67 72 77 62 69 85
75 Eli Manning NYG 42 76 97 92 70 73 83
76 Brandon LaFell NE 68 82 70 81 74 77 88
77 Isaiah Crowell CLE 64 79 88 78 67 94 81
78 Martellus Bennett CHI 95 66 65 94 107 66 78
79 Giovani Bernard CIN 83 62 79 100 100 72 77
80 Steve Smith BAL 62 83 90 89 97 81 90
81 Jarvis Landry MIA 72 84 93 80 85 83 96
82 Anquan Boldin SF 81 90 95 50 76 85 125
83 Nelson Agholor PHI 82 92 81 91 106 89 64
84 Tom Brady NE 94 85 92 116 34 78 107
85 Ryan Tannehill MIA 89 73 92 84 109 71 120
86 Jason Witten DAL 90 93 80 85 84 93 115
87 Jordan Cameron MIA 97 87 77 103 92 84 108
88 Arian Foster HOU 93 91 111 87 90 123 59
89 Devonta Freeman ATL 149 68 67 86 87 102 99
90 Doug Martin TAM -- 94 87 75 77 82 105
91 John Brown ARI 120 108 102 61 105 88 91
92 Zach Ertz PHI 140 78 76 93 117 95 82
93 Delanie Walker TEN 76 99 96 99 73 101 140
94 Tre Mason STL 74 112 118 76 96 110 98
95 Shane Vereen NYG 78 101 75 141 110 100 80
96 Larry Fitzgerald ARI 127 100 94 97 88 86 94
97 Breshad Perriman BAL 108 103 82 108 99 122 67
98 Julius Thomas JAC 103 96 98 105 79 96 116
99 Torrey Smith SF 117 81 86 119 103 98 93
100 Matthew Stafford DET 138 75 110 101 83 80 114
101 Charles Johnson MIN 110 95 103 102 132 97 63
102 Mike Wallace MIN -- 97 106 69 108 87 89
103 Philip Rivers SD 137 88 104 112 101 92 84
104 Marques Colston NO 119 98 83 95 121 90 128
105 Victor Cruz NYG 53 120 141 96 98 115 130
106 Bishop Sankey TEN -- 111 89 74 93 116 131
107 Michael Floyd ARI 118 86 101 -- 126 99 87
108 Pierre Garcon WAS 146 106 115 71 102 106 129
109 Colin Kaepernick SF -- 105 113 104 86 108 112
110 Charles Sims TAM 111 113 122 107 114 134 86
111 Kenny Stills MIA 52 123 147 124 94 125 127
112 Ryan Mathews PHI 100 107 100 143 128 105 110
113 David Cobb TEN 75 119 127 137 149 121 69
114 Teddy Bridgewater MIN 136 105 114 118 111 104 119
115 Duke Johnson CLE 129 116 99 88 -- 133 101
116 Kendall Wright TEN 126 109 126 98 135 107 133
117 Davante Adams GB -- 115 109 120 120 113 106
118 Owen Daniels DEN 91 121 142 110 123 112 --
119 Danny Woodhead SD 99 134 112 144 91 127 145
120 Joe Flacco BAL -- 111 124 127 125 111 113
121 Fred Jackson BUF 79 -- -- 113 80 -- 142
122 Alfred Blue HOU 114 -- -- -- 64 135 103
123 Larry Donnell NYG 104 135 108 123 142 130 139
124 Marvin Jones CIN 70 140 138 -- -- 141 92
125 Antonio Gates SD 109 131 107 150 104 131 --
126 DeVante Parker MIA 107 136 105 131 122 138 147
127 Jay Cutler CHI 112 118 119 135 -- 120 134
128 Josh Hill NO 113 125 135 128 115 126 --
129 Dwayne Allen IND 105 117 144 -- 124 117 141
130 Terrance Williams DAL -- 124 117 121 143 119 124
131 Eddie Royal CHI 85 -- -- 106 -- 109 --
132 Darren McFadden DAL 101 128 -- -- 119 146 109
133 Sam Bradford PHI -- 114 120 149 -- 103 117
134 Reggie Bush SF 147 126 121 142 -- 124 100
135 Knile Davis KAN -- 150 137 114 112 -- 97
136 Coby Fleener IND 102 146 -- 117 118 147 138
137 Brian Quick STL 106 -- 140 130 131 140 126
138 Doug Baldwin SEA 116 -- 139 132 113 142 137
139 Carson Palmer ARI -- 122 125 -- -- 114 118
140 Chris Polk HOU 132 -- -- 109 -- -- 102
141 Tyler Eifert CIN 139 127 116 -- 148 118 --
142 David Johnson ARI -- 129 123 115 147 143 144
143 Austin Seferian-Jenkins TAM -- 139 130 111 141 132 --
144 Percy Harvin BUF 115 137 -- -- 127 144 136
145 Jerick McKinnon MIN 85 -- -- -- 145 -- 132
146 Kyle Rudolph MIN -- 132 136 133 -- 129 143
147 Rueben Randle NYG -- -- 131 129 -- 128 135
148 Dan Herron IND 121 -- -- -- -- -- 104
149 Roy Helu Jr. OAK 133 145 128 136 -- -- 149
150 Terrance West CLE 131 130 -- -- 129 -- --
-- Vernon Davis SF -- -- 129 134 130 -- --
-- Jay Ajayi MIA -- 141 132 -- -- -- 122
-- DeAngelo Williams PIT 134 -- -- -- -- -- 111
-- Darren Sproles PHI 148 148 -- 148 116 -- 146
-- Stevie Johnson SD -- -- 148 126 -- 136 --
-- Heath Miller PIT -- 143 133 -- 137 148 --
-- Dwayne Bowe CLE -- 138 149 -- 133 145 150
-- Devin Funchess CAR -- -- -- 140 -- -- 123
-- Eric Ebron DET -- -- -- 125 140 -- --
-- Jameis Winston TAM -- -- 146 -- 134 139 --
-- Cecil Shorts HOU 122 -- -- -- -- -- 148
-- Andy Dalton CIN -- 133 -- -- -- 137 --
-- Stevan Ridley NYJ -- -- -- -- -- -- 121
-- Andrew Hawkins CLE 128 -- -- -- 144 -- --
-- Jared Cook STL -- -- -- 122 -- -- --
-- Lorenzo Taliaferro BAL 123 -- -- -- -- -- --
-- Denard Robinson JAC 124 -- -- -- -- -- --
-- Marqise Lee JAC 125 -- -- -- -- -- --
-- Charles Clay BUF 141 149 143 -- 146 -- --
-- Robert Griffin III WAS -- 150 145 -- 136 -- --
-- Alex Smith KAN -- -- 134 -- -- -- --
-- Andre Williams NYG -- 147 -- 138 -- -- --
-- Lance Dunbar DAL 135 -- -- -- -- -- --
-- Jordan Reed WAS -- -- -- -- 138 149 --
-- Harry Douglas TEN -- -- -- 139 -- -- --
-- Tavon Austin STL -- -- -- -- 139 -- --
-- Malcom Floyd SD 142 -- -- -- -- -- --
-- Michael Crabtree OAK 143 -- -- -- -- -- --
-- Cody Latimer DEN 145 -- -- -- -- 150 --
-- Nick Toon NO -- -- -- 145 -- -- --
-- Jarius Wright MIN -- -- -- 146 -- -- --
-- Josh Huff NO -- -- -- 147 -- -- --
-- Khiry Robinson NO 150 -- -- -- -- -- --

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