Early Fantasy Football Rankings (1-3)
The Top 3 Ranked Fantasy Players for 2016
Even though it is only June, the fantasy community is anxiously awaiting the start of the NFL season. Some (myself included), have already completed paid drafts, which is a tough task if you go into it unprepared. In order to help those with upcoming drafts, I’ll be doing fantasy football rankings over the course of this off-season. I’ll provide my analysis for why each player deserves their rank. However, a ranking is not telling you to draft these players where they are ranked.
For example; if I had Allen Robinson ranked as the number 24 player, that does not mean wait until pick 24 to pick him. Based on his ADP, picking him around pick 17-20 would probably be a smart move, since the players around him would presumably have lower upside and consistency. Here’s another way that will probably explain what I’m trying to say. Let’s say it’s the fourth round of your draft and you have three WR’s. Whether you were drafting off best available or you just loved those three guys, your next pick will not be a WR no matter what any rankings sheet tells you. Sometimes, you have to draft off need rather than want and that’s quite important. Well, here are my top three fantasy players for 2016, please feel free to comment with any suggestions or disagreements!
Next: Who Is The Best Fantasy Player for 2016?
Number one: Antonio Brown (Pittsburgh Steelers WR)
Well, no surprise here, right? I’ll go right to the numbers last year, they’re truly insane. In PPR scoring, Brown scored a whopping 388 fantasy points. That’s an average of almost 25 fantasy points per game. The only player (including QB’s) to beat out Antonio Brown, was 2016’s breakout player of the year, Cam Newton. Lucky year? The year prior he scored 387. When is the last time someone scored over 385 fantasy points as a RB/WR? 2010 when Arian Foster scored 392.
Brown is easily the safest bet in fantasy and the only potential issue is the health of Ben Roethlisberger. However, Julio Jones also had an outstanding year and only finished a few points behind AB. The issue with Jones and why he’s not my number one is the injury concerns. He seems to always be on the injury report but plays through the pain. Take Brown number one, and don’t look back.
Next: Who Is The Best RB?
Number Two: LeVeon Bell (Pittsburgh Steelers RB)
I know, two Steelers players in my top two. I promise, I’m a cheese head! Sadly, these are rankings so ties do not exist. Julio Jones and Bell are dead even in my mind, but I’ll give the slight edge to LeVeon since the RB position only hones a few elite options.
LeVeon, like Brown, is a PPR machine. In 2014, he racked up 83 catches for over 800 yards. If it wasn’t for his 2015 season being cut short, I’m sure he would’ve had a similar season in terms of statistical output. How many games did both Bell and Big Ben finish together last season? 0. Yes, you read that right.
Bell returned from suspension only to witness an injury to his star QB. Roethlisberger returned in week 8, but Bell tore both his PCL and MCL that game, but luckily avoided the ACL. When both are healthy, that offense is one of the best in the league and look for Bell to be a heavy contributor. He’s back to full strength, and though the injury history is slightly concerning, most players in the NFL are an injury risk at this point. Come draft day in your league, take a long look at Bell or Julio in any format.
Next: And Who Is Number 3?
Number Three: Julio Jones (Atlanta Falcons WR)
Julio’s talent has never been questioned and his stats speak for themselves. As stated earlier, the only thing holding him off is the injury concern. He only missed more than three games in one season and that was in 2013, where he missed 11 games. So how could injuries possibly be the issue? Well, I can’t remember the last healthy season he has.
Julio is extremely tough and fights through the pain. Because of this, I kept him in the top three and essentially in a tie for second. He was also the most targeted reciever in all of football last year, with an eye-popping 203. The addition of Mohamed Sanu can only help Jones, as teams cannot just focus on Julio. The emergence of Devonta Freeman helps him as well. In both formats, these are my top three fantasy players, and it’s not very close.
Next: Can Alfred Morris Bounce Back?
Thank you all for reading!