Today I’ll take a broad look across the fantasy landscape. What NFL teams are loaded with fantasy potential? Below are the rankings of all 32 NFL teams in terms of their fantasy value.
Note: This study only analyzes offense and doesn’t include defense or kicker talk.
Note: You will notice a trend early that QB play is very important on these teams.
1. New England Patriots – This team is loaded with fantasy potential, mainly because of Tom Brady. Not only will Brady himself be one of the highest scoring players in fantasy, but the players he throws the ball to will produce as well. Gronk set a new standard for TE production last year, and Aaron Hernandez is a high-end TE also. Wes Welker produces in any fantasy league, but is a dynamo is PPR. New addition Brandon Lloyd should be a WR1 and could put up Moss like numbers from a few years back. This team also has some dynamic backs that are worthy of looks on your team.
2. New Orleans Saints – I don’t care about the coaching situation when it comes to fantasy; they will still be great with Drew Brees. He will once again put up massive stats, as will his receivers Marques Colston, Lance Moore, and Devery Henderson. TE Jimmy Graham is the only person who can challenge Gronk at the TE position too. Darren Sproles emerged as a great fantasy contributor, particularly in PPR leagues. Expect Mark Ingram to produce even more this year too.
3. Green Bay Packers – When Aaron Rodgers runs your offense, chances are that you will score a lot of points. Rodgers could receive the number one overall pick in many drafts. Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson are great picks for any team. James Jones is even a sleeper. Jermichael Finley is a redzone favorite and will produce well at the tight end spot. I would stay away from the running back position though.
4. Houston Texans – May seem a bit high for a team that isn’t known for offense. But this team has legitimate fantasy stars at multiple positions. Foster is not only the best RB in fantasy, but he is my top overall player this year. Plus, a healthy Andre Johnson may be the best WR in football. Matt Schaub is the guy who gets him the ball, and he is expected back healthy this year. He is great value in any draft this fall. And don’t sleep on Owen Daniels. Last year, they used two tight ends a lot, but with Joel Dressen now in Denver, he will get a lot of targets.
5. Philadelphia Eagles – This team may actually be the most talented fantasy lineup in the league. The problem though is health. If Michael Vick is healthy, he can easily score more fantasy points than any player in the game. But he hasn’t’ played a full season in… His health will also affect guys like DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. Even a guy like Brent Celek would be a solid tight end with Vick healthy all year. One guy that won’t be totally affected is LeSean McCoy. This guy will be great again this year and is a top 3 pick in my opinion.
6. Dallas Cowboys – This team is oozing with fantasy talent. If you are ever in a pickle on draft day, go with a Cowboy. Tony Romo leads this team and is a top ten QB easy. His top receivers Miles Austin and Dez Bryant will both have big seasons. Romo’s security blanket is Jason Witten and he will produce once again. Demarco Murray came on big late last year, and all signs points toward a monster season for him if healthy. I’d risk it!
7. Denver – In Peyton Manning I trust. If there is one guy who has been a consistently dominant fantasy player, it’s Manning. Now that he’s healthy again, I expect nothing less from him. That means you should target guys like Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker. Jacob Tamme and even Joel Dressen are nice sleepers also for the TE spot. Willis McGahee should be solid like last year, and don’t forget Ronnie Hillman in PPR leagues.
8. Detroit Lions – In fantasy drafts around the country, Calvin Johnson will most likely be the top WR taken in drafts and possibly in the top 5 overall. Matt Stafford will also be a very high choice and he is worthy of it. TE Brandon Pettigrew should continue to be a great TE starter. Plus, whoever emerges as the second WR opposite Johnson, should be worthy of starts on your fantasy team. Keep your eye on the RB situation because somebody will emerge into greatness. I like Jahvid Best, especially for PPR leagues.
9. Chicago Bears – The Bears are a team that could be higher on this list or lower. There is uncertainty here both in injuries and contract situations. Jay Cutler and Matt Forte are both coming back from injuries that kept them out during the second half last year. Forte also has a contract holdout situation going on. I’d still draft both fairly high at their positions come fantasy drafting though. If Forte holds out, go with Michael Bush who they added during the offseason. Another new addition Brandon Marshall should be one of the top WR’s in football this year. And don’t sleep on Alshon Jeffery and Earl Bennett.
10. San Diego Chargers – Despite having an off year last season, Philip Rivers is still a great fantasy player. That makes many of his receivers threats also (Gates, Floyd, Meachem, Royal, Brown). The real gem on this team though this year is Ryan Mathews. After a couple of disappointing seasons, he is primed to break out. Many believe he is a top 5 RB and a definite first round draft pick.
11. New York Giants – The Super Bowl Champs have many players worthy of your attention. Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz are WR’s to target very early. Ahmad Bradshaw is a guy that produced for me most of last year. Keep an eye on David Wilson though whom they drafted in the first round. Eli Manning certainly became elite last year and is great value in drafts this season.
12. Atlanta Falcons – There isn’t a guy on this team that makes your eyes light up when it comes to fantasy. But there are a lot of guys who are good enough to start across the league. WR’s Roddy White and Julio Jones will be taken early in most drafts. Tony Gonzalez is old but is still a great option at TE. Michael Turner has produced consistently and has a nose for the endzone. Matt Ryan will become elite soon, so why not this year?
13. Carolina Panthers – Opposite than Atlanta, this team isn’t deep with talent but has top guys at a couple positions. Cam Newton may have led your fantasy team to greatness last year, even off the waiver wire. You can only get him early this year. Steve Smith has made a resurgence due to Newton, and was one of the best WR’s last year too. The RB’s produce, but it’s by committee, which hurts their individual value. But I love Greg Olsen this year as an amazing value pick for a tight end.
14. Pittsburgh Steelers – For a team known for its defense, the Steelers have a lot of weapons on the offensive side of the ball. Ben Roethlisberger has become a very good throwing QB. Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown should both be coveted assets in 2012. Their best back is Rashard Mendenhall, but he is dealing with a lingering injury. Isaac Redman though may fill in nicely.
15. Baltimore Ravens – The fantasy production on this team is all about the little guy: Ray Rice. Rice will be a top 3 picks in most drafts this season, particularly if it’s a PPR league. The problem with this team is that Joe Flacco is inconsistent which makes their receivers boom or bust.
16. Tennessee Titans – I truly believe that Chris Johnson will return to greatness this year. There will not be a holdout to slow him down nor a true back there to threaten his touches. Kenny Britt is another player that could bounce back. The difference is he will be bouncing back from an injury, which may be harder.
17. Buffalo Bills – The success of this team depends on how much “Fitz-magic” they get from their starting QB. If Fitzpatrick can produce, WR Steve Johnson will be a monster in fantasy. Last year, the monster was Fred Jackson and he may be that again. CJ Spiller will also receive more touches so grab him late.
18. Cincinnati Bengals – Last year these guys made the jump to the playoffs. This year, certain players could lead your fantasy team to a championship. AJ Green is a guy to target early in all formats. He will be a breakout star. Speaking of breaking out, target Green’s buddy Jermaine Gresham who will up his production also. Their QB Andy Dalton is a fine late round pick too. This team will run a lot but through a committee. They have talent there so look to see who benefits the most.
19. Oakland Raiders – The addition of Carson Palmer last season took this dead offensive team into a dangerous squad. He has made a guy like Darius Heyward-Bay somebody to target in fantasy. The stud though is RB Darren McFadden. Bush is gone so he’ll see tons of touches. The key is how he will bounce back from injury.
20. San Francisco 49ers – This team has the skill position players to climb way up on this list. The problem is that I’m not sold on Alex Smith. If he throws it well, the whole team will benefit. Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis were there last year, but new guys Mario Manningham and Randy Moss may steal the show. Old standby Frank Gore should contribute well again, but there is depth at RB too.
21. Washington Redskins – This is a team that was only missing one piece last year. They drafted RGIII to fill that void so this team could be a sleeping giant. He, along with his targets Pierre Garcon, Santana Moss, and Fred Davis, are guys that will have great value in drafts this season. You know Shanahan kills fantasy teams with his screwy RB changes, but look for a good year from Roy Helu.
22. Arizona Cardinals – It will be interesting to see who emerges as the starting QB this season but Kevin Kolb has all the talent in the world. Larry Fitzgerald will produce no matter who is there though. Rookie Michael Floyd could also be huge but that depends again on the QB situation. Every year people get hyped about the RB potential here, I guess for me it's wait and see.
23. Seattle Seahawks - If Marshawn Lynch is in “Beast Mode” all year, he is worthy of a very high draft pick. The passing game remains a mystery... If new QB Matt Flynn lives up to his hype, he could be a real steal late. Sidney Rice is another guy that will benefit from better QB play.
24. Kansas City Chiefs - Just like the Bears last year, the Chiefs were hit hard by injuries last season. We hope Jamaal Charles can get back to his dominant self. And if Matt Cassel is back okay, you can expect big numbers from Dwayne Bowe too.
25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – This team really failed to live up to expectations in 2011. That could help them in 2012 though. Josh Freeman has tons of talent, it’s just a matter of cashing in on it. Additions Vincent Jackson and Dallas Clark could help him and produce themselves. Mike Williams may benefit from their arrival also. Blount vs. Martin is a RB battle that will determine who you want on your team.
26. New York Jets – This has to be the best normal team without fantasy stars. In fact, the best fantasy player on the roster is their backup QB: Tim Tebow. Unless Mark Sanchez throws consistently (which will lead to good production) or gets injured (which means Tim Tebow is a guy to target), tread lightly with any player here outside of probably Santonio Holmes and maybe Dustin Keller. And if Shonn Greene ever stepped into his skillset, then he’d be a solid fantasy player also.
27. Jacksonville Jaguars – This team has nobody on their roster worthy of grabbing except for Maurice Jones-Drew. This little guy can carry your fantasy team to wins, unlike his real team.
28. Minnesota Vikings – How the mighty have fallen. To think this was a great team just a couple years ago. Adrian Peterson is still a star but will he be fully healthy? Percy Harvin could be a great contributor but will he be traded?
29. Cleveland Browns – I could say the same thing here I said for Jacksonville. This guy’s name though is Trent Richardson. He is a rookie so I don’t trust him as much as Jones-Drew. But I like him a lot for fantasy still.
30. Indianapolis Colts – They were the worst NFL team for a reason. I will say though that they have potential now with Andrew Luck. If he breaks out like Cam Newton did last year then look out for Reggie Wayne and Coby Fleener. I just don’t see it in his rookie year though.
31. St. Louis Rams – Sam Bradford had a great rookie season but regressed last year. That makes him and his WR’s shaky. Steven Jackson is always worth a spot on your fantasy team but will his age ever stop him?
32. Miami Dolphins – The passing game is a wasteland except for Davone Bess (unless Ryan Tannehill shocks me). The good news is that Reggie Bush finally asserted himself last year and could do it again.
There you have it. Stay tuned for more fantasy blogs, including player rankings, as we inch towards the season. Make sure to get signed up, start researching, and do some mock drafts for practice.
Andrew
No comments:
Post a Comment