Fantasy Football: Looking back at early season bold predictions and how they turned out
By Ryan McCloy
Hayden Hurst will be a top 5 TE
Incorrect. Hurst had a stretch in the early- to mid- stretch of the season that saw him ranked in the top 5 among TEs, but a brutal stretch after his bye week 10, averaging a mere 3.1 points per game over the next 4 weeks, dropped him down to a TE10 finish. Still, a starting option and a name to keep an eye on in 2021.
Josh Allen finishes with more total fantasy points than Dak Prescott or DeShaun Watson
Correct, and correct with gusto. Not only did Allen finish with more points than Prescott (injury) or Watson, he finished with more points than any other QB in fantasy. In fact, Josh Allen finished with more points than any other player in fantasy football in 2020, scoring over 396 fantasy points and averaging 24.75 points per game. If you drafted Allen at his ADP of 70+, he very well could have carried your team to the playoffs, or even a championship.
Raheem Mostert will be a top 12 Fantasy RB
Incorrect. Mostert only played 8 games this season, finishing as RB48 in terms of overall points. He finished as RB28 in points per game, and RB25 in points per game of RBs who played at least half of their team’s games.
AJ Brown will finish the season as a top 10 WR
This one I’m calling correct. Brown missed two games early in the season, and finished as WR12 overall. That isn’t top 10, but his per-game average of 17.68 points was good for 6th best in the league. With Corey Davis likely out the door this offseason, look for AJ Brown as a strong WR1 in 2021.
Jonnu Smith will be a top-12 TE
Incorrect, but still not bad here. Smith finished as TE16 in overall scoring, and TE15 in overall points per game. However, of TEs who played at least 9 games this season, Smith checked in at TE12, within the range of my prediction. I’m not giving myself a win here, but I’m still pleased with this one.