The Daily Blitz: May 2018

Thursday, May 31, 2018

2018 Fantasy Football Projections: Chicago Bears

In addition to viewing our 2018 Fantasy Football Projections by position, we will post our preseason projections per team.

Below you will find our 2018 fantasy football projections for the Chicago Bears.

Quarterbacks

Player	Att.	Comp.	Yards	TD	INT	Rush	Yards	TD	FL	Points
Mitchell Trubisky	473.6	296	3220	22	12.8	48.3	251.2	2.4	1.2	228.32
There is plenty of reason for optimism going into Trubisky's second NFL season. Upgrading their pass-catchers and offensive line in free agency and the draft, the Bears also signed ex-Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy as head coach. Even if we don't see the same type of second-year jump we saw from Jared Goff, we have seen the difference better coaching and an improved supporting cast can make going into a quarterback's second season.
Chase Daniel	2.4	1.5	15	0	0	1.3	0.7	0	0	0.67

More Fantasy Football QB Resources:

Running Backs

Player	Att.	Yards	TD	Rec.	Yards	TD	FL	Points
Jordan Howard	276.6	1230.9	9.4	25.9	168.4	0.8	1	199.13
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. Handling the ball 299 times in 2017, Howard was less efficient than his rookie season, but he finished with 1,247 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns.
Tarik Cohen	92.2	391.9	0.2	53.1	377	1.1	1.5	88.89
Owner of one of the best nicknames (The Human Joystick) in all of sports, Cohen became the first since Gale Sayers to score a rushing, receiving, passing and punt return touchdown in a 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.
Benny Cunningham	14	49	0.1	7.2	64.8	0.2	0.3	12.58
Mike Burton	3.1	6.2	0	2	9	0	0	1.52

More Fantasy Football RB Resources:

Wide Receivers

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Rush	Yards	TD	FL	Points
Allen Robinson	69.6	988.3	7	0	0	0	0.2	140.43
Lost for (almost) all of 2017 with a torn ACL, Robinson made his practice debut and that bodes well for him being full strength before training camp. Still only 24 years old and with an 80/1,400/14 season (2015) under his belt, there's a good chance my projections for Robinson continue to get bumped up.
Anthony Miller	38.6	482.5	3.1	0	0	0	0.2	66.45
I expect the second-round rookie out of Memphis to be second on the team in targets and production behind A-Rob. Expected to start as the team's slot receiver, Miller had 95-plus catches for 1,400-plus yards with double-digit touchdowns in each of his past two collegiate seasons.
Taylor Gabriel	32.5	455	2.9	3.5	21.7	0.1	0.3	65.07
Gabriel is coming off a down year (33/378/1) after finishing with 35/579/6 the prior season.
Kevin White	9.7	89.2	0.6	0	0	0	0.2	12.12
Going into his fourth season, White has played a total of five NFL games. Given the three new additions (Robinson and Gabriel in free agency and Miller in the draft), White is not on the re-draft radar.
Josh Bellamy	5	69.5	0.4	0	0	0	0	9.35
Bennie Fowler	4	50	0.3	0	0	0	0.1	6.6
Javon Wims	1.4	15.7	0.1	0	0	0	0	2.17

More Fantasy Football WR Resources:

Tight Ends

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Rush	Yards	TD	FL	Points
Trey Burton	43.4	481.7	4.8	0	0	0	0.1	76.77
Burton had 23 catches for 248 yards and five touchdowns as the second tight end behind Zach Ertz for the Super Bowl champs last season. Signed to a four-year deal this offseason, Burton has plenty of breakout potential in the "U" role that Travis Kelce had in Matt Nagy's offense in Kansas City.
Adam Shaheen	20.2	216.1	3	0	0	0	0.1	39.41
Dion Sims	10	102	1.2	0	0	0	0.1	17.2

More Fantasy Football TE Resources:

Keep track of our updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) LIKE us on Facebook and/or (3) add us to your Google+ circle.

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

2018 Fantasy Football Projections: Carolina Panthers

Quarterbacks

Player	Att.	Comp.	Yards	TD	INT	Rush	Yards	TD	FL	Points
Cam Newton	496.5	305.3	3376	22.8	15.4	103.7	487.4	6.4	0	282.58
Since entering the league in 2011, Newton has finished as a top-four fantasy quarterback in all but two seasons (2014 and 2016). Of course, a huge part of his fantasy success is generated by his rushing production. Averaging 7.7 rushing scores per season, Newton has 100-plus rush attempts and 500-plus rushing yards every year except for 2016.
Garrett Gilbert	1.5	1	11	0.1	0	0	0	0	0	0.84

More Fantasy Football QB Resources:

Running Backs

Player	Att.	Yards	TD	Rec.	Yards	TD	FL	Points
Christian McCaffrey	143.3	558.9	3.4	82.4	675.7	5.4	1.2	173.86
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). The signing of C.J. Anderson deals a blow to what appeared to be a massive opportunity for McCaffrey, but the second-year back has a chance to post better year-over-year numbers in 2018.
C.J. Anderson	177.8	729	5	14.6	113.9	0.4	0.8	115.09
Released by the Broncos this offseason, Anderson has a legitimate shot to lead the team in carries even though McCaffrey should be the team's most productive fantasy running back. CJA should get the most goal-line opportunities among the team's running backs, but in essence, Cam Newton is the team's goal-line back.
Cameron Artis-Payne	42	174.3	1.5	2.3	21.2	0	0.1	28.35
Kenjon Barner	7.9	30.8	0.1	3.3	23.8	0	0.1	5.86
Elijah Hood	9.9	39.6	0.2	0.8	5.6	0	0	5.72

More Fantasy Football RB Resources:

Wide Receivers

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Rush	Yards	TD	FL	Points
Devin Funchess	56.5	796.7	6.2	0	0	0	0.1	116.67
In a breakout season, Funchess had 63 catches for 840 yards and eight touchdowns to finish with the 21st-most fantasy points (22nd-most in PPR) in 2017. Tight end Greg Olsen missed more than half of 2017 and the Panthers used their first-round pick on D.J. Moore, so it's possible that Funchess posts similar (but not much better) numbers in 2018.
D.J. Moore	39.7	484.3	3	1.5	10.5	0	0.4	66.68
Despite poor quarterback play at Maryland, Moore had a school-record 80 catches for 1,033 yards and eight touchdowns and was named the Big Ten Wide Receiver of the Year last season. The first wide receiver off the board in this year's draft, Moore ran a 4.42 forty with a 39.5-inch vertical and 11-foot broad jump at the NFL Combine and is outstanding after the catch.
Curtis Samuel	17.9	134.3	0.9	6.9	44.9	0.1	0.1	24.92
Torrey Smith	11.6	150.8	1.4	0	0	0	0.1	23.28
Jarius Wright	9.3	91.1	0.8	0	0	0	0.1	13.71

More Fantasy Football WR Resources:

Tight Ends

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Rush	Yards	TD	FL	Points
Greg Olsen	57.7	678	4.6	0	0	0	0.1	95.2
Signing a two-year extension that keeps him under contract through 2020, Olsen missed more than half of last season. Before that, however, the 33-year-old tight end had three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and finished as fantasy's TE4, TE4 and TE2, respectively, during that span.
Ian Thomas	10.4	124.8	1	0	0	0	0.1	18.28
Chris Manhertz	1.6	14.4	0.1	0	0	0	0	2.04

More Fantasy Football TE Resources:

Keep track of our updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) LIKE us on Facebook and/or (3) add us to your Google+ circle.

Friday, May 25, 2018

2018 Fantasy Football Projections: Buffalo Bills

Quarterbacks

Player	Att.	Comp.	Yards	TD	INT	Rush	Yards	TD	FL	Points
A.J. McCarron	400.2	250.1	2781	14	10.8	18	43.2	0.2	0.4	150.36
Signed to a two-year, $10 million contract, McCarron should enter 2018 as the team's starter and may even finish all of 2018 as the starter. That said, it's only a matter of time before the team transitions to Josh Allen, the seventh-overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. With one of the league's least impressive group of pass-catchers, tight end Charles Clay led the Bills in receiving yards (558) and running back LeSean McCoy led the team in targets (77) and receptions (59) in 2017.
Josh Allen	63.8	37	459	2.9	2.6	9	40.5	0.2	0.3	29.41
While there are more important attributes in quarterback play, few, if any, quarterbacks in the league have a stronger arm than Allen. That said, he's also the most raw out of the first-round rookie quarterbacks and could end up sitting all of 2018, especially if the Bills unexpectedly challenge for a playoff berth once again.
Nathan Peterman	27	14.9	165	0.8	0.8	2.3	7.4	0	0.1	8.74

More Fantasy Football QB Resources:

Running Backs

Player	Att.	Yards	TD	Rec.	Yards	TD	FL	Points
LeSean McCoy	279	1143.9	5.6	46.7	343.2	1.9	0.7	192.31
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) and was second to only Charles Clay in receiving yards (448). Going into his age-30 season, Shady will remain the focal point of Buffalo's offense.
Chris Ivory	101.3	369.7	2.5	11.5	90.9	0.3	1.3	60.26
Travaris Cadet	24.8	86.8	0.1	22.1	168	0.7	0.3	29.68
Marcus Murphy	9.9	42.1	0.2	1.9	9.5	0	0	6.36
Patrick DiMarco	3.2	3.2	0.1	4.5	31.5	0.3	0	5.87
Taiwan Jones	2.3	9.2	0	0.8	8.8	0	0	1.8

More Fantasy Football RB Resources:

Wide Receivers

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Rush	Yards	TD	FL	Points
Kelvin Benjamin	56	778.4	5.6	0	0	0	0.2	111.04
Traded during the season to the Bills, Benjamin finished the full season with 48 receptions, 692 yards and three touchdowns. With only 16/217/1 in his six games with the Bills, Benjamin wasn't 100 percent during that time, but he should lead the team in receiving assuming good health in 2018.
Zay Jones	39.6	443.5	2.8	0	0	0	0	61.15
Following a bizarre offseason incident, Jones will look to improve upon a less-than-mediocre rookie campaign (27/316/2).
Jeremy Kerley	41.1	402.8	2.1	0	0	0	1.5	49.88
Andre Holmes	15.4	150.9	1.5	0	0	0	0	24.09
Rod Streater	10.6	121.9	1.1	0	0	0	0.1	18.59
Ray-Ray McCloud	2.9	34.8	0.2	0	0	0	0	4.68
Austin Proehl	0.7	6.7	0	0	0	0	0	0.67

More Fantasy Football WR Resources:

Tight Ends

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Rush	Yards	TD	FL	Points
Charles Clay	50.2	547.2	4	0	0	0	0.1	78.52
Leading the team in receiving yards (558) last season, Clay is the team's most reliable pass-catcher outside of LeSean McCoy, who led the team in targets and receptions. With more than 500 receiving yards in all three of his seasons in Buffalo, Clay is a borderline TE1 for 2018.
Nick O'Leary	18.6	260.4	1.3	0	0	0	0.2	33.44

More Fantasy Football TE Resources:

Keep track of our updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) LIKE us on Facebook and/or (3) add us to your Google+ circle.

Thursday, May 24, 2018

2018 Fanatsy Football Projections: New Orleans Saints

Quarterbacks

Player	Att.	Comp.	Yards	TD	INT	Rush	Yards	TD	FL	Points
Drew Brees	539	385.4	4339	25.3	10.2	33.2	26.6	1.7	1.2	264.82
After throwing more than 625 pass attempts in each of the previous seven seasons, Brees threw it only 536 times for 4,334 yards and 23 touchdowns, both of which were lows of his 12 seasons in New Orleans.

More Fantasy Football QB Resources:

Running Backs

Player	Att.	Yards	TD	Rec.	Yards	TD	FL	Points
Alvin Kamara	187.9	1024.1	7.5	70.7	682.3	3.2	0.8	235.64
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 won't be sustainable, 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 in 2018.
Mark Ingram	190.1	912.5	8	41	289.1	0.8	1.9	169.16
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. To a certain degree, Ingram's four-game suspension creates more fantasy appeal. Granted, his full-season production will be lower, but filling his RB2 spot without the burden of bye weeks isn't difficult and there is a discount given the level of strong production from Weeks 5 to 16.
Zach Line	6.2	19.2	0.3	2.7	16.2	0.3	0	7.14
Trey Edmunds	10.2	45.9	0.3	0	0	0	0	6.39
Jonathan Williams	8	33.2	0.2	1.8	11.7	0.1	0	6.29
Boston Scott	1.3	5.6	0	2	16.4	0.1	0.1	2.6

More Fantasy Football RB Resources:

Wide Receivers

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Rush	Yards	TD	FL	Points
Michael Thomas	91.9	1121.2	6.9	0	0	0	0.8	151.92
With 196 receptions for 2,382 yards and 14 touchdowns through two NFL seasons, Thomas has at least 92 catches and 1,137 yards each season. No player has more receptions through his first two NFL seasons than Thomas.
Cameron Meredith	51.3	654.1	3.6	0	0	0	1.5	84.01
While he missed all of last season with a torn ACL, Meredith had 66 catches for 888 yards and four touchdowns over 14 games in 2016. Even though he's the WR2/3 on the team behind Thomas, Meredith has some upside in a better offense with a much better quarterback.
Ted Ginn	33	478.5	2.1	6.6	33	0.1	0.1	64.15
Finishing as a top-35 fantasy wide receiver, Ginn Jr. nearly set career highs with 53 receptions and 787 yards in his first season with the Saints. Given the team's acquisition of Meredith, duplicating last year's numbers seems unlikely as I expect Meredith to be the team's second-most productive wide receiver.
Brandon Coleman	17.4	245.3	1.7	0	0	0	1	32.73
Tre'quan Smith	4.9	74.5	0.4	0	0	0	0.1	9.65
Tommylee Lewis	5.7	65.6	0.3	0.9	3.6	0	0.4	7.92

More Fantasy Football WR Resources:

Tight Ends

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Rush	Yards	TD	FL	Points
Benjamin Watson	48.5	485	3.9	0	0	0	0.1	71.7
Watson's last season (2015) in New Orleans was the best from a fantasy perspective (TE8) of his career. Another 74/825/6 season on 110 targets is unlikely for the 37-year-old tight end, but there is a chance he turns into a fringe TE1/TE2 option in his return to the Saints.
Josh Hill	9.7	82.5	0.8	0	0	0	1	11.05
Michael Hoomanawanui	3.3	24.8	0.3	0	0	0	0.1	4.08

More Fantasy Football TE Resources:

Keep track of our updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) LIKE us on Facebook and/or (3) add us to your Google+ circle.

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

2018 Fantasy Football Projections: Arizona Cardinals

Quarterbacks

Player	Att.	Comp.	Yards	TD	INT	Rush	Yards	TD	FL	Points
Sam Bradford	281.8	193	2085	11	5.6	12.6	28.4	0.1	1.5	116.64
Playing for his fourth team in five years, Bradford played just two games last season and durability has obviously been his biggest problem. With the Cardinals trading up to No. 10 for rookie Josh Rosen, it wouldn't be a huge surprise if the team transitions to Rosen following their Week 9 bye, if not sooner.
Josh Rosen	270.3	168.9	1960	9.7	7.3	14.7	45.6	0.1	1.5	104.76
Some believe Rosen was the best quarterback prospect in the draft (including Rosen himself). Given the durability history of Bradford and the potential of the Cardinals to trail the Rams, Seahawks and 49ers, all of whom have better Super Bowl 52 odds than the Cardinals, a switch to Rosen seems likely to occur at some point within the 2018 season.
Mike Glennon	23	14.5	150	0.9	0.6	0.4	0.9	0	0	8.49
One offseason removed from an opportunity to start, it's unlikely Glennon gets an opportunity to make any starts even if Bradford misses time due to injury.

More Fantasy Football QB Resources:

Running Backs

Player	Att.	Yards	TD	Rec.	Yards	TD	FL	Points
David Johnson	287.7	1251.5	11.2	61.6	689.9	3.1	2.5	274.94
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.
Chase Edmonds	58.8	258.7	1.6	24.3	206.6	1.2	0.8	61.73
Arizona's fourth-round selection, Edmonds set Fordham's record for career rushing yards (5,862) as a four-year starter.
D.J. Foster	16.8	58.8	0.5	8.1	60.8	0.2	0.1	15.96
T.J. Logan	14.7	60.3	0.4	3.8	30.4	0.2	0.1	12.47
Derrick Coleman	2.1	6.3	0	2	18.4	0	0.1	2.27

More Fantasy Football RB Resources:

Wide Receivers

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Rush	Yards	TD	FL	Points
Larry Fitzgerald	102.4	1054.7	6.7	0.8	3.2	0	0.3	145.39
Returning for (at least) another season, Fitzgerald has finished as a top-20 fantasy wide receiver in each of the past three seasons and four of the past five. Incredibly consistent, Fitz has 100-plus receptions and 1,000-plus yards in three consecutive seasons. Going into his age-35 season, he's a solid WR2.
Christian Kirk	43.1	439.6	3.2	4.2	23.1	0	0.4	64.67
Without much competition for wide receiver targets beyond Fitzgerald, Kirk will have a chance to make an immediate impact for his hometown team.
J.J. Nelson	23.5	427.7	2.8	2.9	30.5	0.3	0.4	63.62
Brice Butler	23.2	385.1	2.3	0	0	0	0.1	52.11
Butler has a good combination of size/speed and has averaged 16.1 Y/R over his five-year career. It wouldn't be a surprise if the 28-year-old receiver set career highs, but he's never had more than 21 catches, 317 yards or three touchdowns in his five-year career.
Chad Williams	10.8	114.5	0.8	2.1	16.8	0	0	17.93
Cobi Hamilton	2.6	33.5	0.2	0	0	0	0	4.55

More Fantasy Football WR Resources:

Tight Ends

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Rush	Yards	TD	FL	Points
Ricky Seals-Jones	30.8	446.6	3.7	0	0	0	0.2	66.46
Seals-Jones had a productive three-game stretch from Weeks 11 to 13 -- nine catches for 170 yards and three touchdowns. (He had 3/31/0 over the rest of the season.) With little competition at tight end, RSJ has some upside going into 2018.
Jermaine Gresham	17.6	179.5	1.4	0	0	0	0.1	26.15

More Fantasy Football TE Resources:

Keep track of our updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) LIKE us on Facebook and/or (3) add us to your Google+ circle.

Sunday, May 20, 2018

2018 Fantasy Football Projections: Jacksonville Jaguars

Quarterbacks

Player	Att.	Comp.	Yards	TD	INT	Rush	Yards	TD	FL	Points
Blake Bortles	509.4	311.8	3617	21.6	13	55.1	325.1	2.2	3.5	243.79
In an ideal world (according to Doug Marrone), Bortles may not throw a single pass all season. In Marrone's first full season as head coach, however, the Jags were balanced -- 527 pass attempts and 527 rush attempts -- with Bortles throwing it more than 100 times less in 2017 than 2016. Despite five interceptions in the last two regular-season games, Bortles played extremely well down the stretch with multiple passing scores and 300-plus yards in three of the four games through Week 16. Over the past three seasons, Bortles has finished as the QB4 (2015), QB10 (2016) and QB13 (2017) and he has the potential to once again outperform his ADP.
Cody Kessler	2.6	1.7	18	0.1	0.1	0	0	0	0	0.92

More Fantasy Football QB Resources:

Running Backs

Player	Att.	Yards	TD	Rec.	Yards	TD	FL	Points
Leonard Fournette	338.6	1371.3	10.2	34.6	273.3	1	0.5	230.66
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. With the league's best defense and a (historically) mistake-prone quarterback, the former fourth-overall selection has a chance to lead the NFL in carries if he can stay healthy for a full season.
T.J. Yeldon	86.6	376.7	1.7	42.2	306	0.8	0.9	81.47
Better in PPR formats, Yeldon had four-plus catches in four of his 10 games played. With good health, he has a chance to provide RB3 value in PPR formats.
Corey Grant	34.1	167.1	1.4	3.6	32.4	0.2	0.8	27.95
Tommy Bohanon	4.2	5	0.4	4.1	36.9	0.2	0	7.79
Brandon Wilds	1.6	5.6	0	0	0	0	0	0.56

More Fantasy Football RB Resources:

Wide Receivers

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Rush	Yards	TD	FL	Points
Marqise Lee	53.8	688.6	3.5	2.6	19.5	0	0.2	91.41
Re-signed to a four-year deal, Lee enters the season as the team's top returning wideout. Over an eight-game stretch from Weeks 6 to 14 before getting hurt in Week 15, Lee averaged 5.13 catches for 61.75 yards on 8.25 targets per game with three touchdowns over that span.
Donte Moncrief	29.1	366.7	3.5	0	0	0	0.2	57.27
Still only 24 years old (turns 25 in August), Moncrief received a one-year, $9.6 million deal from the Jaguars in free agency. Limited due to injuries (11 missed games over the past two seasons), Moncrief has an impressive combination of size and athleticism.
Dede Westbrook	33.2	421.6	2.5	0	0	0	0.1	56.96
As a rookie, Westbrook had 27 catches for 339 yards and a touchdown over seven games. There should be an opportunity for him to improve last year's numbers on a per-game basis in his second season.
Keelan Cole	25.5	369.8	2.3	0	0	0	0.8	49.18
A late-season waiver-wire pickup in 2017, Cole delivered several big fantasy performances down the stretch last year. In four games from Weeks 13 to 16, Cole had either 100-plus yards and/or a touchdown in all four games with a total of 19 catches for 442 yards (23.26 Y/R) and three touchdowns during that span.
D.J. Chark	10.4	187.2	0.8	1.1	6.6	0	0.3	23.58
Rashad Greene	8.2	69.7	0.4	0	0	0	0.2	8.97
Jaydon Mickens	4.2	52.5	0.4	0	0	0	1.2	8.25
Alan Lazard	3.1	34.7	0.4	0	0	0	0.1	5.67

More Fantasy Football WR Resources:

Tight Ends

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Rush	Yards	TD	FL	Points
Austin Seferian-Jenkins	44	444.4	3.5	0	0	0	0.1	65.24
Seferian-Jenkins had 50 catches for 357 yards and three touchdowns for the Jets and signed with the Jaguars in free agency. ASJ is worth a look as a streaming TE2.
Niles Paul	11.6	129.9	0.7	0	0	0	0	17.19
James O'Shaughnessy	4.7	47.9	0.4	0	0	0	0	7.19
Ben Koyack	3.8	31	0.3	0	0	0	0	4.9

More Fantasy Football TE Resources:

Keep track of our updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) LIKE us on Facebook and/or (3) add us to your Google+ circle.

2018 Fantasy Football Profile: Michael Crabtree, Baltimore Ravens

Forming a 1-2 punch with Amari Cooper for the Oakland Raiders, Michael Crabtree has scored 25 touchdowns over the past three seasons.

Only four players have more during that span -- Pittsburgh's Antonio Brown (31), Seattle's Doug Baldwin (29), Houston's DeAndre Hopkins (28) and New York's Odell Beckham Jr. (26).

MORE: Fantasy Profile for Hopkins teammate Will Fuller

Crabtree also ranks 12th in receptions (232) and 20th in yardage (2,543) as well as ninth in targets (392) over that stretch.

One positive as he joins the Baltimore Ravens, Crabtree goes from being one of the top guys to the top guy. In addition, the team's wide receivers are nearly completely turned over.

Not only did the Ravens sign Crabtree, but they also brought in John Brown and Willie Snead in free agency and drafted UCLA's Jordan Lasley (fourth round) and New Mexico State's Jaleel Scott (fifth).

Both Brown and Snead have had 900-yard campaigns in previous years, but they are each coming off disappointing seasons. Snead had just eight catches for 92 yards in 11 games last season while it's uncertain what the Ravens will get from Brown, who had 21/299/3 over 10 games last season.

With lots of new receivers on the roster, that means that most of the team's top receivers are gone.

All three of the team's leaders in receiving yards -- Mike Wallace (52/748/4), Ben Watson (61/522/4) and Jeremy Maclin (40/440/3) -- are no longer on the roster. Neither is Michael Campanaro (fourth among WRs in yards). Meanwhile, Breshad Perriman (fifth) may not be either if the Ravens decide to move on before paying him a $650,000 roster bonus due early in training camp.

Either way, the top returning wide receiver is Chris Moore (18/248/3 on 38 targets). Nearly 60 percent of the team's 2017 targets are no longer on the roster.

Crabtree missed two games in 2017 and had three-year lows in targets (101) last season. With a less talented "No. 2" receiver in Baltimore than Oakland, I project Crabtree to have close to his 2015/2016 target totals (146/145) in 2018.

Even though the Ravens used the last pick of the first round on former Heisman winner Lamar Jackson, I expect Joe Flacco to start the entire 2018 season. If Flacco and the offense struggles, an in-season switch to a rookie quarterback could lead to even more conservative play calling and more weekly inconsistency out of the passing game overall.

Fantasy Football Strength of Schedule

Based on the fantasy points allowed in 2017 of Baltimore's 2018 opponents, Crabtree and the Ravens wide receivers have the 21st-most favorable fantasy football strength of schedule. That said, no team has a more favorable schedule during the fantasy playoffs (Weeks 14 to 16) as Baltimore with matchups against the Chiefs, Buccaneers and Chargers. The Buccaneers (most) or Chiefs (second-most) allowed the most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers in 2017.

- View full Fantasy Football Strength of Schedule

Fantasy Football Average Draft Position (ADP)

Below is a chart of his ADP at Fantasy Football Calculator over the past month:

Fantasy Football ADP for Michael Crabtree

Based on current average draft position data from FFC, Crabtree is being selected at the end of Round 5 and as the 25th wide receiver off the board, on average. The other wide receivers off the board before/after Crabtree include Jarvis Landry (WR22), Jordy Nelson (WR23), Golden Tate (WR24) and Sammy Watkins (WR26).

Michael Crabtree: Full Season Projections

Below you will find full-season projections for Baltimore Ravens WR Michael Crabtree for the 2018 NFL season:

Rec.	Yards	TD	Rush	Yards	TD	FL	Points
82.1	894.9	8.2	0	0	0	0.9	136.89

- Baltimore Ravens 2018 Fantasy Football Projections
- More Fantasy Football Projections

Bottom Line

Perhaps I'm completely wrong, but Crabtree is 10 spots higher in my current rankings (WR16) than his FantasyPros Expert Consensus Ranking (WR26). In fact, no ranking (other than mine) is higher than WR18 (as of 5/19). Currently drafted as a high-end WR3 in Round 5, Crabtree offers plenty of profit potential for fantasy owners. Ideally I'll secure two stud running backs in the first two to three rounds of fantasy drafts. If so, I'd be more than comfortable if I land Crabtree as my WR2 in Round 5.

Relative value: Undervalued

Check out more of our content:

Good luck in your 2018 fantasy football leagues!
To keep track of our updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) LIKE us on Facebook and/or (3) add us to your Google+ circle.

Saturday, May 19, 2018

2018 Fantasy Football Projections: Atlanta Falcons

Quarterbacks

Player	Att.	Comp.	Yards	TD	INT	Rush	Yards	TD	FL	Points
Matt Ryan	530	344.5	4108	22.3	11.7	32.3	67.8	0.2	1.5	235.1
Over the past six seasons, Ryan has finished as fantasy's QB7, QB15, QB7, QB17, QB2 and QB15, respectively. So, perhaps he's due to finish as a top-seven fantasy QB this year? In the first season with Steve Sarkisian calling the plays, Ryan threw for 4,095 yards, a seven-year low, and 20 touchdowns, a nine-year low. On a positive note, the addition of Calvin Ridley in the first round gives a boost to an already talented group of pass-catchers. Even though I expect better year-over-year numbers, Ryan is unlikely to bounce back to his 2016 MVP-level production.

More Fantasy Football QB Resources:

Running Backs

Player	Att.	Yards	TD	Rec.	Yards	TD	FL	Points
Devonta Freeman	240.8	1095.6	10.8	43.7	380.2	2.2	1.2	223.18
Based on current ADP from Fantasy Football Calculator, Freeman is the 13th running back off the board in early fantasy drafts. 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.
Tevin Coleman	137.6	584.8	5.5	31.4	373.7	3.1	0.8	145.85
Even if he's the 2 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. The contract-year back has scored 19 total touchdowns since 2016.
Ito Smith	10.8	47.5	0.3	1.6	12.8	0	0.1	7.63
Terron Ward	6.5	28	0.1	2	15.6	0.1	0.1	5.36

More Fantasy Football RB Resources:

Wide Receivers

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Rush	Yards	TD	FL	Points
Julio Jones	88.5	1469.1	6.6	0	0	0	0.1	186.31
With 1,400-plus yards in each of the past four seasons, Jones has a total of 6,317 receiving yards during that four-year span. Only Antonio Brown (6,349) has more and both have more than 1,200 yards more than DeAndre Hopkins (5,063, third). Only Brown has more catches than Jones over that span. Of course, the problem is that Jones has just 23 touchdowns, tied for 21st in the NFL since 2014.
Mohamed Sanu	58.4	630.7	4.7	2.2	8.4	0	0.1	91.91
In his first two seasons with the Falcons, Sanu posted 59/653/4 and 67/703/5 statistical lines in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Barring an injury to Julio Jones, the first-round selection of Calvin Ridley limits upside above Sanu's recent level of production.
Calvin Ridley	39.7	484.3	2.8	0	0	0	0.2	64.83
Old'ish for a rookie (turns 24 in December), Ridley is neither the biggest (6-1, 189) or most-explosive athlete (31-inch vertical and 9-foot-2 broad jump), but he's an excellent route-runner with a chance to be the best rookie wideout in re-draft formats.
Justin Hardy	21.6	226.8	1.9	0	0	0	0.1	33.88
Marvin Hall	3.7	55.5	0.4	0	0	0	0	7.95
Russell Gage	1.5	18	0.1	1.3	5.2	0	0	2.92

More Fantasy Football WR Resources:

Tight Ends

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Rush	Yards	TD	FL	Points
Austin Hooper	51.7	579	4.4	0	0	0	0.1	84.1
In his second season, Hooper posted a 49/526/3 stat line and finished as fantasy's TE18 (TE17 in PPR), but it was all downhill after a 2/128/1 start to the season. Hooper exceeded 40 yards only once in his final nine games.
Logan Paulsen	9.3	78.1	0.5	0	0	0	0.1	10.61
Eric Saubert	6.4	68.5	0.5	0	0	0	0	9.85

More Fantasy Football TE Resources:

Keep track of our updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) LIKE us on Facebook and/or (3) add us to your Google+ circle.

Pages

Thursday, May 31, 2018

Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Wide Receivers

Tight Ends

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Wide Receivers

Tight Ends

Friday, May 25, 2018

Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Wide Receivers

Tight Ends

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Wide Receivers

Tight Ends

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Wide Receivers

Tight Ends

Sunday, May 20, 2018

Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Wide Receivers

Tight Ends

Fantasy Football Strength of Schedule

Fantasy Football Average Draft Position (ADP)

Michael Crabtree: Full Season Projections

Bottom Line

Saturday, May 19, 2018

Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Wide Receivers

Tight Ends

Fantasy Resources

NFL Draft Resources

More