Eclipsing the 300-yard mark in 11 of 15 games, Ryan finished 2019 with 4,466 yards, 26 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. The veteran signal-caller has alternated seasons between finishing outside the top 10 (QB19 in 2015, QB15 in 2017 and QB11 in 2019) and top two (QB2 in both 2016 and 2018). Currently drafted as the QB10 based on his ADP, Ryan more potential upside than downside risk.
Racking up 3,924 scrimmage yards and scoring 40 touchdowns the previous two years combined, Gurley barely exceeded the 1,000-yard rushing mark (1,064 YFS) in his age-25 season. Obvious durability concerns persist about Gurley's arthritic knee, but he enters 2020 as the clear lead back in Atlanta's potent offense. In terms of workload for Gurley, OC Dirk Koetter told ESPN that "I think a minimum of 15 touches and a high of [25]."
Smith has been inefficient on his 150 career touches with averages of 3.76 yards per carry and 6.29 yards per reception. The 195-pound back would likely only serve as a part of a committee backfield if Gurley were to miss any time.
The obvious knock on Jones has been his lack of red-zone production as he still has just one season (2012) with double-digit touchdowns. That said, Jones now has 1,394 receiving yards in six consecutive seasons; the only other active streak is two (Michael Thomas, WR1). Over the past six seasons, Jones has averaged a receiving line of 103.8/1,564.7/6.2.
Ridley posted per-game career highs in targets (7.2), receptions (4.8) and yards (66.6) in 2019, although his season was cut short (Week 14) by an abdominal injury. Through Week 14, Ridley was a top-15 receiver across the board -- WR13 in half-PPR, WR14 in full PPR and WR10 in non-PPR. With a lack of depth behind starters, Ridley is poised for a big season as long as his health cooperates.
In the nine games following the Mohamed Sanu trade to New England, Gage hauled in 45 receptions (5.0/G) for 402 yards (44.7/G) and a touchdown on 66 targets (7.33/G). While he averaged only 8.93 Y/R, Gage had at least four catches in seven of those nine games. The third-year receiver is a worthwhile late-round target, especially in deeper PPR leagues.
Hurst doubled his production in 2019 to 30/349/2, but that paled in comparison to (now former) teammate Mark Andrews. Hurst's trade to Atlanta does wonders for his fantasy outlook as Austin Hooper signed a free-agent deal with Cleveland. Before Hooper's mid-season injury, he was fantasy's top-scoring tight end and finished second behind Julio Jones in team targets.
The best way to become good at something is to practice. So, what should you do if you want to draft a better fantasy football team?
Practice, of course!
Leading up to the start of the 2020 NFL season, we will use the 2020 Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator (powered by FantasyPros) to complete fantasy football mock drafts.
We will use a variety of scoring formats -- PPR, half-PPR, standard scoring and even 2-QB leagues, league sizes and draft slots. The goal is to give you a good representation of the team that you may be able to construct given your league settings and the rationale of why we made the picks we did.
Drake's midseason trade to Arizona erased fantasy owner's frustrations over his usage as most felt that he was under-utilized during his time in Miami. With virtually no time to prepare, Drake rattled off 162 scrimmage yards and a touchdown in his Arizona debut and was one of the most productive backs in the second half of the season. From Week 9 (his debut with the Cardinals) to Week 17, Drake was fantasy's RB4 behind CMC, Derrick Henry and Ezekiel Elliott.
The obvious knock on Jones has been his lack of red-zone production as he still has just one season (2012) with double-digit touchdowns. That said, Jones now has 1,394 receiving yards in six consecutive seasons; the only other active streak is two (Michael Thomas, WR1). Over the past six seasons, Jones has averaged a receiving line of 103.8/1,564.7/6.2.
Racking up 3,924 scrimmage yards and scoring 40 touchdowns the previous two years combined, Gurley barely exceeded the 1,000-yard rushing mark (1,064 YFS) in his age-25 season. Obvious durability concerns persist about Gurley's arthritic knee, but he enters 2020 as the clear lead back in Atlanta's potent offense. In terms of workload for Gurley, OC Dirk Koetter told ESPN that "I think a minimum of 15 touches and a high of [25]."
In the year that the Ravens drafted Andrews, they used a first-round pick on a tight end except it wasn't Andrews. While that first-rounder (Hayden Hurst) was traded this offseason to Atlanta (and the move provides a boost for Hurst's outlook), Andrews is coming off a breakout season where he posted career highs in receptions (64), yards (852) and touchdowns (10). Andrews is a consensus top-three TE option behind Travis Kelce and George Kittle in 2020.
Injuries derailed what could have been another productive season for Hilton, who missed a total of six games and played with a calf tear down the stretch. When healthy, Hilton, fourth on the Colts all-time receiving list, is a WR2 with upside. Offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni has said that he "expect(s) the 2018 version" of Hilton.
Green has missed at least six games in three of the last four seasons including the entire 2019 season. The obvious risks are Green's durability history as well as the difficulty of establishing chemistry with a rookie quarterback in such an unorthodox offseason, but there is upside from his low-end WR2/high-end WR3 ADP as well. In 2018, Green averaged 5.1/77.1/0.7 per game, equivalent to a full-season pace of 82/1,234/11.
Perennially undervalued in fantasy drafts, it was White, not Sony Michel, that has led the Patriots running backs in fantasy scoring in both of Michel's first two seasons. One of the league's best pass-catching backs, White has more than 70 catches in back-to-back seasons and that trend should continue in 2020.
Given his lack of durability (only 18 of 32 games played), Johnson essentially enticed the Lions to invest a high pick for his competition (D'Andre Swift). While Johnson was less efficient as a runner in 2019 (3.6 YPC) than 2018 (5.4), a near 50-50 split in workload could materialize between Johnson and Swift with Johnson potentially getting a few more carries and Swift getting a few more targets.
Gibson possesses a superior combination of athleticism (4.39 forty) for his size (228 pounds) and broke tackles at a ridiculous rate (33 on 77 career touches) at Memphis. With both Derrius Guice and Adrian Peterson released, the opportunities could be more plentiful than most expect for the third-rounder out of Memphis. Earlier this offseason, Ron Rivera said Gibson has "a skill set like Christian (McCaffrey)."
Coming off multi-year lows in completion percentage (60.8, six-year low), TD% (3.9, 11-year low) and Y/A (6.6, 18-year low), things are looking up for Brady in terms of his fantasy outlook as he replaces Jameis Winston in Tampa's high-powered offense. While the team should play with more leads and Brady likely won't lead the NFL in pass attempts (like Winston did in 2019), he inherits a supporting cast loaded with talented pass-catchers -- Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, O.J. Howard, (an unretired) Rob Gronkowski, etc. In addition, we have argued that Brady is undervalued in 2020 drafts.
Gesicki is athletic freak -- 4.54 forty and 41.5" vertical -- at tight end and he had a breakout second season, aided by additional opportunities with the season-ending injury to UDFA receiver Preston Williams. Gesicki had five-plus targets in all eight games without Williams but only five-plus in just three of eight with him. More big slot than tight end, Gesicki finished his sophomore campaign as fantasy's TE11. Especially considering the team's WR3/WR4 are sitting 2020 out, Gesicki has the potential to take another significant step forward in year three.
Edmonds played 60 snaps (94%) against the Giants in Week 8 and exploded for 150 YFS and three touchdowns on 29 touches. Missing all of November and playing only 15 offensive snaps in December, the third-year back out of Fordham enters 2020 as Kenyan Drake's primary handcuff.
Leonard Fournette's release opens up a huge opportunity for the rest of the team's backs as his 341 touches are no longer on the roster. With Ryquell Armstead added back to the reserve/COVID-19 list, Ozigbo could handle the bulk of the early-down work early in the season and is certainly worth a dart throw this late in the draft.
Eclipsing the 300-yard mark in 11 of 15 games, Ryan finished 2019 with 4,466 yards, 26 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. The veteran signal-caller has alternated seasons between finishing outside the top 10 (QB19 in 2015, QB15 in 2017 and QB11 in 2019) and top two (QB2 in both 2016 and 2018). Currently drafted as the QB10 based on his ADP, Ryan more potential upside than downside risk.
Racking up 3,924 scrimmage yards and scoring 40 touchdowns the previous two years combined, Gurley barely exceeded the 1,000-yard rushing mark (1,064 YFS) in his age-25 season. Obvious durability concerns persist about Gurley's arthritic knee, but he enters 2020 as the clear lead back in Atlanta's potent offense. In terms of workload for Gurley, OC Dirk Koetter told ESPN that "I think a minimum of 15 touches and a high of [25]."
Smith has been inefficient on his 150 career touches with averages of 3.76 yards per carry and 6.29 yards per reception. As Gurley's primary backup, the 195-pound back would likely only serve as a part of a committee backfield if Gurley were to miss any time.
The obvious knock on Jones has been his lack of red-zone production as he still has just one season (2012) with double-digit touchdowns. That said, Jones now has 1,394 receiving yards in six consecutive seasons; the only other active streak is two (Michael Thomas, WR1). Over the past six seasons, Jones has averaged a receiving line of 103.8/1,564.7/6.2.
Ridley posted per-game career highs in targets (7.2), receptions (4.8) and yards (66.6) in 2019, although his season was cut short (Week 14) by an abdominal injury. Through Week 14, Ridley was a top-15 receiver across the board -- WR13 in half-PPR, WR14 in full PPR and WR10 in non-PPR. With a lack of depth behind starters, Ridley is poised for a big season as long as his health cooperates.
In the nine games following the Mohamed Sanu trade to New England, Gage hauled in 45 receptions (5.0/G) for 402 yards (44.7/G) and a touchdown on 66 targets (7.33/G). While he averaged only 8.93 Y/R, Gage had at least four catches in seven of those nine games. The third-year receiver is a worthwhile late-round target, especially in deeper PPR leagues.
Hurst doubled his production in 2019 to 30/349/2, but that paled in comparison to (now former) teammate Mark Andrews. Hurst's trade to Atlanta does wonders for his fantasy outlook as Austin Hooper signed a free-agent deal with Cleveland. Before Hooper's mid-season injury, he was fantasy's top-scoring tight end and finished second behind Julio Jones in team targets.
The best way to become good at something is to practice. So, what should you do if you want to draft a better fantasy football team?
Practice, of course!
Leading up to the start of the 2020 NFL season, we will use the 2020 Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator (powered by FantasyPros) to complete fantasy football mock drafts.
We will use a variety of scoring formats -- PPR, half-PPR, standard scoring and even 2-QB leagues, league sizes and draft slots. The goal is to give you a good representation of the team that you may be able to construct given your league settings and the rationale of why we made the picks we did.
One of just three backs with 275-plus touches in each of the past two seasons, Mixon started slowly last year but finished strong -- RB4 over final eight weeks with 177/817/5 (4.62 YPC) rushing and 16/177 (11.06 Y/R) receiving. Both the offense overall and the offensive line should be better in 2020, which should help to carry over his second-half momentum into 2020.
The obvious knock on Jones has been his lack of red-zone production as he still has just one season (2012) with double-digit touchdowns. That said, Jones now has 1,394 receiving yards in six consecutive seasons; the only other active streak is two (Michael Thomas, WR1). Over the past six seasons, Jones has averaged a receiving line of 103.8/1,564.7/6.2.
Racking up 3,924 scrimmage yards and scoring 40 touchdowns the previous two years combined, Gurley barely exceeded the 1,000-yard rushing mark (1,064 YFS) in his age-25 season. Obvious durability concerns persist about Gurley's arthritic knee, but he enters 2020 as the clear lead back in Atlanta's potent offense.
Ridley posted per-game career highs in targets (7.2), receptions (4.8) and yards (66.6) in 2019, although his season was cut short (Week 14) by an abdominal injury. Through Week 14, Ridley was a top-15 receiver across the board -- WR13 in half-PPR, WR14 in full PPR and WR10 in non-PPR. With a lack of depth behind starters, Ridley is poised for a big season as long as his health cooperates.
Earlier this offseason, GM Ryan Pace talked about Montomgery's ability to "carry a heavier load" if the team runs more often in 2020. While the former Cyclone averaged only 3.7 YPC, he finished his rookie campaign with 242 carries and 25 receptions.
Despite all the fanfare generated by the reunion with his former LSU teammate, it was Landry that outproduced Beckham across the board with 83 catches for a career-high 1,174 yards and six touchdowns as fantasy's WR13. Given a timetable of 6-8 months of rehabilitation time for his February hip surgery, it's not a lock that Landry will be ready for the start of the season, but early signs have been positive.
Returning from suspension for the final eight games, Hunt was heavily involved, especially as a receiver, as he averaged 10 touches (5.4 carries and 4.6 receptions) per game. Hunt (RB19) and Chubb (RB15) weren't all that dissimilar in terms of fantasy production from Weeks 10-17.
Serving a four-game PED suspension to begin the year, Tate performed as fantasy's WR28 from Weeks 5 to 17. Tate averaged 7.7 targets, 4.5 receptions and 61.5 yards per game and scored six touchdowns, tied for the second-most in his career.
The Dolphins made a number of roster improvements through free agency and the draft, but there were no significant additions in terms of pass-catchers. In fact, the group is worse off with Wilson and Hurns opting out. More talented (four-star high school recruit) than his UDFA status (due to off-field reasons) would imply, Williams made an immediate impact for the Dolphins with 32/428/3 in eight games before tearing his ACL. Expected to be ready for Week 1, Williams should pick up where he left off in year two.
One of the league's most talented tight ends, Henry has played just 26 games over the past three seasons combined. That said, he set career highs in his age-25 season in targets (76), receptions (55) and yards (652) in just 12 games.
The Eagles have a dynamic one-two punch at tight end with Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert, but their receiving corps was decimated by injuries last season. Wentz became the league's first 4,000-yard passer without a 500-yard (wide) receiver. The front office turbo-charged the receiving corps with the addition of speed and lots of it this offseason.
Despite missing three games, Hooper posted career highs across the board with 75 catches, 787 yards and six touchdowns. Before missing any time, Hooper was fantasy's top-scoring tight end through Week 8. As he transitions to a new team and offense, however, Hooper is a back-end TE1, at best, in what should be a run-heavy offense.
Edmonds played 60 snaps (94%) against the Giants in Week 8 and exploded for 150 YFS and three touchdowns on 29 touches. Missing all of November and playing only 15 offensive snaps in December, the third-year back out of Fordham enters 2020 as Kenyan Drake's primary handcuff with David Johnson now in Houston.
Eclipsing the 300-yard mark in 11 of 15 games, Ryan finished 2019 with 4,466 yards, 26 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. While he has finished as a top-two fantasy quarterback in two of the past four seasons, Ryan is more of a back-end QB1 with some upside.
Racking up 3,924 scrimmage yards and scoring 40 touchdowns the previous two years combined, Gurley barely exceeded the 1,000-yard rushing mark (1,064 YFS) in his age-25 season. Obvious durability concerns persist about Gurley's arthritic knee, but he enters 2020 as the clear lead back in Atlanta's potent offense.
Smith has been inefficient on his 150 career touches with averages of 3.76 yards per carry and 6.29 yards per reception. As Gurley's primary backup, the 195-pound back would only serve as a part of a committee backfield if Gurley were to miss any time.
The obvious knock on Jones has been his lack of red-zone production as he still has just one season (2012) with double-digit touchdowns. That said, Jones now has 1,394 receiving yards in six consecutive seasons; the only other active streak is two (Michael Thomas, WR1). Over the past six seasons, Jones has averaged a receiving line of 103.8/1,564.7/6.2.
Ridley posted per-game career highs in targets (7.2), receptions (4.8) and yards (66.6) in 2019, although his season was cut short (Week 14) by an abdominal injury. Through Week 14, Ridley was a top-15 receiver across the board -- WR13 in half-PPR, WR14 in full PPR and WR10 in non-PPR. With a lack of depth behind starters, Ridley is poised for a big season as long as his health cooperates.
In the nine games following the Mohamed Sanu trade to New England, Gage hauled in 45 receptions (5.0/G) for 402 yards (44.7/G) and a touchdown on 66 targets (7.33/G). While he averaged only 8.93 Y/R, Gage had at least four catches in seven of those nine games. The third-year receiver is a worthwhile late-round target, especially in deeper PPR leagues.
Hurst doubled his production in 2019 to 30/349/2, but that paled in comparison to (now former) teammate Mark Andrews. Hurst's trade to Atlanta does wonders for his fantasy outlook with Austin Hooper signing a free-agent deal with Cleveland. Before Hooper's mid-season injury, he was fantasy's top-scoring tight end.
We will use a variety of scoring formats -- PPR, half-PPR, standard scoring and even 2-QB leagues, league sizes and draft slots. The goal is to give you a good representation of the team that you may be able to construct given your league settings and the rationale of why we made the picks we did.
That said, nothing beats practicing yourself so (check out the simulator) and complete a mock in a matter of minutes.
2019 Mock Draft: 12 Teams, 11th Pick
Without further ado, here are the picks of our 12-team 2019 fantasy football mock draft using standard scoring:
1.11 - Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
While he missed two games last season, Mixon was an efficient workhorse when he was on the field. The second-year back averaged 20.0 touches per game and 4.9 yards per carry as he finished fourth in the NFL in rushing (1,168 yards). Unfortunately, the Bengals have already lost first-round pick Jonah Williams for the season, but the increased offensive creativity that the new coaching staff brings should only boost Mixon's outlook going into his age-23 season.
2.02 - Todd Gurley, RB, Los Angeles Rams
Last year, Gurley was the no-brainer No. 1 pick in fantasy drafts and he delivered. Even though he missed two games, no running back scored more fantasy points than Gurley, who has 3,924 scrimmage yards and 40 total touchdowns over the past two seasons combined.
Going into 2019, however, there is concern (perhaps less by Gurley himself) over his knee and specifically what it means to the workload he will get (or not get). But I feel comfortable with his upside as the RB2 (on this team), especially given that Aaron Jones (fourth-pick) is a high-upside RB2 himself.
3.11 - A.J. Green, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
Before missing (almost all of) the second of the season, Green was off to a fantastic start with a 45/687/6 line through Week 8. On a per-game basis, he was fantasy's WR8 through Week 8. The only concern is durability as Green has now missed three-plus games in three of the past five years, but I love his value 35 picks into this draft.
4.02 - Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers
Injuries and/or suspensions have cost Jones eight games in his first two seasons (four each). Missing Weeks 1 and 2 and 16 and 17, Jones averaged 5.5 yards per carry on his opportunities in between for a second consecutive season. During that span, he was a top-15 back. This is a pretty ideal start through Round 4.
5.11 - Robby Anderson, WR, New York Jets
Anderson's numbers were down year-over-year, but he finished strong when Sam Darnold returned from a foot injury. Over the final four games of the season, Anderson had 23 catches for 336 yards and three touchdowns. During that span, Anderson was the WR5. With improvement and more consistency from Darnold, Anderson has the potential to perform as a WR2 (even though I'd generally prefer him to be my WR3).
6.02 - Kenyan Drake, RB, Miami Dolphins
Drake finished second on the team in carries (120) to Frank Gore (156) and in targets (73) to Danny Amendola (79) last season. With Gore in Buffalo and a new coaching staff in town, perhaps Drake will see the year-over-year bump in usage that we expected from 2017 to 2018. Despite the less-than-expected workload, Drake was efficient as he averaged 4.5 yards per carry and 9.0 yards per catch while scoring nine total touchdowns on his 173 offensive touches last season.
7.11 - Marvin Jones, WR, Detroit Lions
Jones missed roughly half of 2018, but he had 61/1,101/9 in 2017 as he led the NFL in Y/R (18.0). In his nine games last season, Jones had at least 50 yards and/or a touchdown in eight of them. While I expect Kenny Golladay to outperform Jones, he's a solid WR3 with upside for much better.
8.02 - Christian Kirk, WR, Arizona Cardinals
As bad as Arizona's 32nd-ranked pass offense was last season, Kirk was a consistent producer down the stretch before a foot injury prematurely ended his rookie season. With at least 40 yards in seven of his final eight games, Kirk was a top-30 receiver from Weeks 5 to 13. Even though the team drafted three receivers in the 2019 NFL Draft, Kirk has "a good feel" for the new offense and is poised for a major step forward in an offense that should generate more volume and productivity overall.
9.11 - Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
Once again, Ekeler averaged more than five yards per carry and 10 yards per reception. But as he nearly doubled his workload (74 to 145 touches), MG3's complementary back finished as the RB27 last season. Ekeler has stand-alone value even if Gordon stays healthy.
10.02 - Jared Cook, TE, New Orleans Saints
Oakland's passing game had virtually nothing last season and Cook paced the team in targets (101), receptions (68), yards (896) and touchdowns (six). Setting career highs across the board, Cook finished as fantasy's TE5 last season. Perhaps his year-over-year target share dips, but there is also a major offensive boost with Drew Brees and the Saints over Derek Carr and last year's Raiders offense.
11.11 - Carson Wentz, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
The obvious concern with Wentz is durability as the fourth-year quarterback has now missed at least three games in back-to-back seasons. If he can stay healthy, however, he has a ton of upside. Wentz showed how good he could be in 2017 when he was the QB2 through Week 14 before missing the final three weeks of the season. The addition of DeSean Jackson gives Wentz the best and most complete group of weapons that he has had in his young career.
12.02 - Kenny Stills, WR, Miami Dolphins
Stills has finished as a top-30 receiver in two of the past three years and inside the top-50 every season except 2015.
13.11 - Mitch Trubisky, QB, Chicago Bears
After the team's Week 5 bye, we got a glimpse of how good Trubisky could be in this offense. From Weeks 6 to 10, only Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes (26.5) scored more fantasy points per game than Trubisky (24.9). Consistency eluded the second-year signal-caller, but Trubisky offers plenty of upside as a high-end QB2 that could take a big step forward in 2019.
15.11 - Darwin Thompson, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
There is plenty of sleeper appeal with Thompson as Damien Williams has never had more than 50 regular-season carries and Carlos Hyde has now been on four different rosters in the past 18 months.
Outperforming his ADP in each of his first two seasons in Sean McVay's offense, Goff currently sits as fantasy's QB11 in terms of Fantasy Football ADP. Last year, he entered the season with an ADP of QB16 and finished as fantasy's QB7. The year before that, Goff was outside the top-24 fantasy QBs in ADP yet finished as a top-12 quarterback. With such a talented trio of wide receivers, it wouldn't be a surprise if Goff finished as a top-10 fantasy quarterback and outperformed his ADP once again.
Last year, Gurley was the no-brainer No. 1 pick in fantasy drafts and he delivered. Even though he missed two games, no running back scored more fantasy points than Gurley, who has 3,924 scrimmage yards and 40 total touchdowns over the past two seasons combined.
Going into 2019, however, there is concern (perhaps less by Gurley himself) over his knee and specifically what it means to the workload he will get (or not get).
Darrell Henderson
92.9
418.1
2.79
22.3
187.3
1
83.28
Les Snead talked about Henderson giving the Rams a "Kamara element." While expecting an Alvin Kamara-type rookie season from Henderson is perhaps too lofty of an expectation, the team obviously likes Henderson a lot to make him a top-70 pick and make that comparison. Given the uncertainty around Gurley's knee, could Henderson have a couple C.J. Anderson-like games down the stretch?
Arguably, no team has a better trio of wide receivers than the Rams and their presence helps and perhaps hurts each other in terms of fantasy production. Even if they would individually see a larger share of targets in a different situation, the trio maximizes their opportunities in L.A.'s high-octane offense. No longer with Drew Brees (2017) or Tom Brady (2018), Cooks didn't miss a beat in 2019 with Jared Goff as he had 80 catches for a career-high 1,204 yards and five touchdowns in his first season with the Rams.
Woods led the Rams in targets (130), receptions (86), receiving yards (1,219) and receiving touchdowns (six) last season. Whether he leads the team in those categories or not again in 2019, Woods, Cooks and Cooper Kupp are all excellent options as a fantasy team's WR2.
Cooper Kupp
65
890.5
6.5
10.5
63
0.21
135.61
Off to a great start, Kupp (knee) had 30 catches for 438 yards and five touchdowns in his first five games of the season. He suffered a knee injury the following week, only to eventually return for a couple more weeks before tearing his ACL. Kupp appears to be on track for a Week 1 return from his ACL injury, but the second-year wide receiver had the second-most fantasy points behind Minnesota's Adam Thielen over the five-week healthy span last season.
The problem with Everett (or Tyler Higbee) is that the team has four weapons -- Todd Gurley and their trio of wide receivers -- ahead of the tight ends in the team's offensive pecking order. So, at best, Everett is the team's No. 5 option in most weeks. ESPN's Lindsay Thiry recently wrote that "Everett was a clear standout as a target" for Goff and McVay said "[t]he game is slowing down for him."
Have (more) fantasy football drafts for the upcoming NFL season? With all of the roster moves over the past 24 hours, we have updated our 2018 fantasy football rankings.
Here are our 2018 fantasy football running back rankings (standard scoring):
What a difference a year (coach) makes! Leading all running backs in fantasy points scored, Gurley compiled 2,093 yards from scrimmage and 19 touchdowns, both of which led the NFL. Repeating those lofty numbers in back-to-back seasons may be unreasonable for Gurley (or any NFL player). That said, Gurley tops my standard rankings and is second overall in my PPR rankings to Le'Veon Bell.
Referring to reports as "fake news," Bell has denied that he will report on Labor Day, but it's unlikely that he misses any regular-season games. A six-game 2015 season being the exception, the three-down workhorse has 1,200-plus rushing yards, 75-plus receptions and 600-plus receiving yards in three of his past four seasons.
Missing all but part of Week 1 last year, Johnson is two seasons removed from 2,118 yards from scrimmage, 80 catches and 20 touchdowns. The ambitious goals he set for himself in 2017 -- 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards -- remain his goals for 2018. The order may be debatable, but Johnson is a top-four fantasy back along side Todd Gurley, Le'Veon Bell and Ezekiel Elliott and you could still argue that he's worthy of the top-overall pick.
The 2016 rushing champion, Elliott served a six-game suspension in 2017 but led the league in rushing yards per game (98.3) with a larger workload (24.2 carries per game). With limited weapons in the passing game, Zeke and the Cowboys will face many eight-men fronts, but the former Buckeye should get north of 300 carries with a chance for another rushing title.
Over the past two years, a rookie running back -- Ezekiel Elliott (2016) and Kareem Hunt (2017) -- has led the NFL in rushing. Could Barkley extend the rookie streak to three straight? Arguably the most talented back to enter the league in years, Barkley has a rare combination of size (233 pounds) and athleticism (4.4 forty and 41-inch vertical) with elite college production (3,801 YFS and 43 TDs over past two seasons).
Missing three games as a rookie, Fournette was less than 100 percent for several others but managed to finish as fantasy's RB8 (RB10 in PPR) in Jacksonville's run-first scheme. Down to his lowest weight (223 pounds) since high school, Fournette's drop in weight should help with explosiveness and durability. An NFL rushing champion-to-be based on my statistical projections, Fournette could be even more involved in the passing game in 2018 as well.
Due to efficiency (6.1 YPC and 10.2 Y/R) and 14 touchdowns (eight rushing, five receiving and one return), Kamara finished as a top-four fantasy back (RB3 in PPR) as a rookie. Even though that level of efficiency isn't sustainable (for anyone), Kamara was slated for a larger workload even before Mark Ingram was suspended for four games. An increase to 250-plus touches (from 201) could mean that Kamara repeats as a top-five fantasy back, especially in PPR formats.
Yet to average 4.0 yards per carry in any season, Gordon rushed for 1,105 yards last year and added 58 catches for 476 yards, all of which were career highs. And after not scoring on 217 touches as a rookie, MG3 has scored exactly 12 touchdowns in each of the past two seasons. Ex-Chargers HOFer LaDainian Tomlinson said "the first thing I thought about when Hunter [Henry] went down, is Melvin is going to have to become a weapon in the passing game. Hunter makes easy throws for Philip, easy first downs and easy red zone targets. Now somebody has to pick up that role, and that can be Melvin."
The 2017 rushing champion, Hunt started and finished his rookie season strong with a bit of a slump in the middle. Racking up 100-plus YFS first seven games of his career, Hunt posted full-season numbers of 1,782 YFS, 53 receptions and 11 touchdowns.
Before having his rookie season cut short by a torn ACL, Cook carried the ball 74 times for 354 yards (4.78 YPC) and two touchdowns with 11 catches for 90 yards. His start was equivalent to a 16-game pace of 1,776 yards from scrimmage, 44 catches and eight touchdowns. If he's able to stay healthy, Cook has top-five upside in what should be a run-heavy offense.
Missing two-plus games last season, Freeman still managed to finish as the RB13 after much better seasons in 2015 (RB1) and 2016 (RB6). Over the past three seasons, only Todd Gurley (4,599), Le'Veon Bell (4,522) and LeSean McCoy (4,396) have more yards from scrimmage than Freeman (4,357) and his 35 touchdowns are tied with Gurley for the most over that stretch.
Down to 218 pounds, Mixon is poised for bigger things in his sophomore campaign. The versatile back averaged just 3.5 yards per carry last season behind one of the league's worst offensive lines, but offseason upgrades at left tackle and center should help.
As a rookie, McCaffrey finished with 80 receptions, 1,086 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns as he scored the 15th-most fantasy points (ninth-most in PPR). How much will the signing of C.J. Anderson cut into a boost in opportunities for the second-year back? Coach Ron Rivera (unrealistically) said that it would be "ideal" for McCaffrey to get 25 to 30 touches per game. Of course, McCaffrey won't get 400-480 touches on the year, but his preseason usage (along with the comments) suggests a major increase in workload is ahead for his sophomore campaign.
A top-10 fantasy back in both seasons to start his career, Howard has rushed for 1,100-plus yards in back-to-back seasons. Through his first two seasons with the Bears, Howard has a franchise-high 2,435 rushing yards. [Matt Forte (2,167), Gale Sayers (2,098) and Walter Payton (2,069) are next on the list.] Some have concerns about Howard's ability as a receiver, but apparently new coach Matt Nagy does not belong to that group."
Averaging a career-low 4.0 yards per carry, McCoy was a do-it-all option for the Bills last season. Not only did he rush for 1,138 yards and six touchdowns, but he led the team in targets (77) and receptions (59). Coach Sean McDermott says McCoy looks "quicker, faster and more powerful than last year." While it's unclear what may result from the off-field incident earlier this summer, there remains potential for league discipline.
With double-digit carries in the final 12 regular-season games, Collins was just 27 yards shy of the 1,000-yard rushing mark. Although he didn't get his first reception until Week 8, he had multiple receptions in eight of the final nine games. Moreover, the second-year back had the eighth-most fantasy points among running backs from Weeks 8 to 17.
Getting limited regular-season touches (70 carries and 10 receptions in seven games), Ajayi averaged 5.8 yards per carry and 9.1 yards per reception in Philadelphia. Ajayi saw a postseason workload bump with 42 carries and six receptions over three playoff games and he's poised for a (much) larger workload heading into 2018 with LeGarrette Blount now in Detroit.
Miller has two 1,000-yard seasons since 2014, but he was even less efficient in 2017 (career-low 3.7 YPC) than he was in 2016 (4.0). The Texans have one of the league's worst offensive lines (actually the worst if you go by PFF rankings) and the line won't be markedly better in 2018. On a positive note, Miller has shed a few pounds and entered training camp at his lowest weight since signing with Houston.
Compared to his rookie season (123 touches in 2016), Henry saw a significant bump in his workload (187 touches) in 2017. With DeMarco Murray out and Dion Lewis in, Henry should see another boost to his workload. Even with last year's increase, Henry (187) was still out-touched by Murray (223) last season. A big, bruising back (with excellent speed), Henry can wear down defenses as the game progresses.
Over the final five games of the 2017 season, Drake ran for a league-high 444 yards on 91 carries (4.88 YPC) with two touchdowns and added 17 receptions for 150 yards. While his December workload (21.6 touches per game) won't carry over into 2018 as the co-starter with Frank Gore, Drake could still finish as a top-20 fantasy back in 2018.
Even with rookie Alvin Kamara finishing as fantasy's RB4, Ingram set career highs in 2017 with 1,124 rushing yards, 12 touchdowns, 58 receptions and 416 receiving yards. Playing full 16-game seasons in back-to-back years, Ingram has rushed for 1,000-plus yards and scored double-digit touchdowns in consecutive seasons. Although he'll miss the first four games due to a PED suspension, that creates more fantasy appeal (to a certain degree) as there is a discount for his strong production from Weeks 5 to 16.
Burkhead scored eight touchdowns (in 10 games) as he rushed for 264 yards and added 30 catches for 254 yards in his debut season with the Patriots. Even though the Patriots used a first-round pick on Sony Michel, Burkhead currently tops the depth chart and has been my highest-ranked Patriots running back all summer. Dealing with a "slight tear" in his own knee, Burkhead's ADP has been on the rise given that Michel had a procedure on his knee earlier in camp.
Even if he's the 2 to Devonta Freeman in the team's 1-2 rushing attack, Coleman has finished as a top-24 running back and exceeded 900 yards from scrimmage in each of the past two seasons with 19 total touchdowns since 2016.
After taking a year off, Lynch returned to the NFL and rushed for 891 yards and seven touchdowns and added 20 catches for 151 yards in 2017. Now 32 years old, there's the possibility another Oakland native assumes the lead-back role, but Beast Mode should still pace the backfield in workload and production.
With Lewis likely to be more involved on passing downs, Henry and Lewis should form a 1-2 punch for the Titans backfield. Even though I expect Henry to lead the duo in touches, I see somewhere in the neighborhood of a 55-45 split between the two backs. Lewis had 212 touches for the Patriots last season and finished as fantasy's RB12 (RB13 in PPR), but his week-to-week role should be even more secure in Tennessee.
It seems likely that Freeman will become the lead guy at some point during the season even if he doesn't begin the season in that role. A four-year starter for the Ducks, the 230-pound back rushed for 5,621 (5.9 YPC) yards and 60 touchdowns in his career while adding 79/814/4 receiving.
Due to other injuries at running back, only three running backs had more carries than Williams (122) from Week 10 on -- Melvin Gordon (137), Frank Gore (134) and LeSean McCoy (130). That said, Williams averaged only 3.6 yards per carry as a rookie. With Aaron Jones suspended the first two games and Ty Montgomery dealing with a foot injury, Williams will have a chance to pick up where he left off.
Only 25 years old, Crowell signed a three-year deal in free agency with the Jets this offseason. With 850-plus rushing yards in each of the past two seasons, Crowell does not necessarily get an offensive upgrade with his new club, but I expect at least similar production in 2018.
Expectations would be through the roof for most running backs selected in the first round. For the Patriots, however, it's anyone's guess how the workload will be allocated in any given week. Given his draft pedigree (and talent, of course), Michel figures to be heavily involved more often than not and it wouldn't surprise me if he finished as the team's most productive fantasy back (although I have Burkhead ranked ahead of him).
Penny had a good combination of size (5-11, 220) and speed (4.46 forty) before recently ballooning to 236 pounds. Gaining so much weight between the NFL Scouting Combine and the start of the regular season is alarming. Given his draft pedigree, Penny could eventually be used as a three-down back for the Seahawks. For now, however, Chris Carson is clearly ahead of him on the depth chart heading into the 2018 NFL season.
Tampa's leading rusher in 2017, Barber had 335 rushing yards (15th-most in the NFL) on 78 carries (4.29 YPC) from Weeks 13 to 17. Even though the Bucs used a high second-round pick on Ronald Jones, it's Barber -- not Jones -- that will enter the season as the team's starter. Coach Dirk Koetter recently said: "He's doing everything he should be doing right now, and I think if we went out there and gave it to Peyton 20 times, we'd like what he does. But we're not going to do that in a preseason game.''
A sleeper pick in 2017, Carson was off to a promising start before his injury forced him to miss the final 12 games of the season. Even though the Seahawks drafted Rashaad Penny in the first round, Carson is still a potential breakout candidate. Penny has missed time with a broken finger, but Carson was already atop the depth chart prior to the injury.
Without a 100-yard rusher since Reggie Bush (2013, three times) and ranking last in rushing offense last year, the Lions traded up in the second round for Johnson. The SEC Offensive Player of the Year and conference rushing champion, Johnson rushed for 1,391 yards and scored 20 total touchdowns for Auburn last season. Ultimately, I expect Johnson to lead the backfield in production, but LeGarrette Blount will steal early-down work and goal-line opportunities while Theo Riddick will get plenty of work as the team's third-down back.
Playing a full 16-game slate for the first time in his four NFL seasons, Hyde set career highs in yards from scrimmage (1,288) and receptions (59) but a career low in yards per carry (3.9). The Browns used a top-33 selection on Nick Chubb, but Hyde sits atop the team's depth chart and is likely to get the most work amongst the team's backs.
With newcomer Jerick McKinnon tearing his ACL, Morris could lead the team in carries with Matt Breida continuing to serve as the team's backup running back. Shanahan was the coordinator in Washington in Morris' first two seasons -- 335/1,610/13 in 2012 and 276/1,275/7 in 2013. While Morris won't post that type of production, he instantly becomes fantasy-relevant.
Missing the final six games of the season, Thompson had 294 rushing yards, 39 catches for 510 yards and a total of six touchdowns through 10 games. Through Week 11 (his last game played), Thompson was the RB12 (RB10 in PPR) in fantasy football scoring. Even though he's said he won't be 100 percent until November, Thompson will be on the field Week 1 and should continue to handle the majority of the team's third-down snaps.
Playing a total of 10 games -- four with New Orleans and six with Arizona, it was a disappointing season for the future first-ballot HOFer. In his age-32 season, Peterson averaged just 3.4 YPC. With Derrius Guice (ACL) out for the season, however, Peterson should get sufficient early-down work to become fantasy-relevant in 2018. Making his debut in Washington's third preseason game, Peterson carried the ball 11 times for 56 yards.
With the Broncos releasing C.J. Anderson this offseason, Booker has a chance to enter the season as the starter even if he doesn't end the season in that role. The Broncos used a third-round pick on Royce Freeman, who should overtake Booker at some point during the season.
Mixon missed a couple of December games, but Bernard was highly productive down the stretch. Gio had 507 YFS, averaged 4.75 YPC with 24 receptions and two scores across five December games. Still drafted outside the top-50 running backs (via FFC), Gio offers late-round value as a back that could return flex value.
As a rookie, Breida had 126 touches for 645 yards from scrimmage (4.4 YPC and 8.6 Y/A) and three touchdowns. With McKinnon (ACL) out for the season, Breida and Alf get a boost heading into 2018.
Hauling in four receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown in Super Bowl 52, Clement saved his best game of the season for last. Heading into 2018, the second-year back should back up/mix in with Ajayi on early downs while also splitting third-down work with veteran Darren Sproles.
Set to play for his third team in as many seasons, Blount is two years removed from leading the NFL in rushing touchdowns (18). Even though the Eagles ranked third in scoring offense last year, Blount had just two rushing touchdowns last season. That said, Blount's 18 touchdowns in 2016 occurred with the Patriots, where new Lions head coach Matt Patricia was defensive coordinator.
While he may lack the size (205 pounds) of being a workhorse back, Jones has elite burst and explosiveness and has drawn comparisons to Jamaal Charles. That's the good news. In terms of fantasy outlook, Jones is a distant second in the team's 1-2 punch with Barber. The second-round rookie averaged just 0.78 yards per carry more than me this preseason as he gained 22 yards on 28 carries.
Owner of one of the best nicknames (The Human Joystick) in all of sports, Cohen scored a rushing, receiving, passing and punt return touchdown in his rookie season. The versatile back had 454 YFS in his first seven games and just 269 YFS over his final nine. That said, Cohen has the potential for a better second season with the offense that has seen Tyreek Hill thrive coming to Chicago.
Mack had 583 YFS, 21 receptions and four touchdowns with an average of 3.8 YPC as a rookie in 2017. With Frank Gore now in Miami, Mack should lead the team's backfield, but his Week 1 availability is "not a slam dunk." Colts owner Jim Irsay talked Mack up saying he "could see [Mack] approaching 1,500 yards" on the year.
White hauled in 56 receptions for 429 yards and three touchdowns last season after posting a 60/551/5 receiving line in 2016. With Michel added to the mix, the Patriots have a versatile group of backs, but I'd expect White to get 50 receptions for a third consecutive season.
Through three NFL seasons, Johnson has exceeded 50 receptions and 500 receiving yards every year and he set career highs last season with 74/693/3 receiving. With both Carlos Hyde and Nick Chubb replacing the free-agency loss of Isaiah Crowell, Johnson may get even fewer carries. Meanwhile, the addition of slot receiver Jarvis Landry could lead to fewer targets and receptions for the former Hurricane.
Before sustaining a Week 4 ribs injury, Montgomery had 59 touches (41 carries and 18 receptions), which was tied for eighth-most over the first three games of the season. Missing half of last season, Montgomery could be used more as a "hybrid player" in 2018, but it also wouldn't be a surprise if he were to get a much larger workload than I currently project.
Returning home to Miami, the 35-year-old Gore has been incredibly durable -- seven consecutive 16-game seasons. Remarkably consistent, Gore has finished as a top-20 fantasy running back every season except for his rookie campaign, although he has averaged less than 4.0 YPC in each of the past three seasons. Listed as the co-starter with Drake, it's possible that the veteran back once again exceeds expectations.
A top-20 fantasy back (standard-scoring formats) for three years in a row, Murray will need an injury to Dalvin Cook to extend that streak to four seasons. That said, Murray has 20 rushing touchdowns over the past two seasons and could vulture some goal-line carries from Cook.
