Posted By:Bretsky on September 6, 2022

It is impossible to believe that the NFL season kicks off this week! We are heavy into the thick of drafting this week ion an effort to squeeze in as many leagues as possible, it is the best time of the year after all.

This is how I am ranking players at each position heading into the draft, broken into tiers.

Posted By:Bretsky on August 28, 2021

It is no surprise that Travis Kelce once again sits atop the tight end rankings. Kelce has ripped off five straight 1,000+ yard season, topping out at 1,416 yards in 2020 while trailing only Stefon Diggs in receiving yards across the league. Kelce is unlikely to make it into the second round in many league and he’s fair game outside the top six in standard scoring formats. The top tier also serves up a couple of more affordable options in George Kittle and Darren Waller and if you are lucky enough to have a pick early in the first round, these guys both make sense in tail end of the second before diving into the wide receiver position.

ADP Targets

Mark Andrews (54.3) regressed a bit with the first half struggles on Lamar Jackson, but still managed 58 catches for 701 yards and seven scores. He remains a focal point in the banged up Ravens receiving corp and is threat to get back to double digit touchdowns… Tyler Higbee (108.4) flashed down the stretch in 2019 and could see a new bump in value with Matthew Stafford taking over at QB… Once Rob Gornkowski (119.2) got his legs under him with the Bucs last year he proved to be a still viable red zone threat… Evan Engram (154.2) has always looked the part despite rarely putting it all together. His discounted draft cost is now worth the risk… Pat Freiermuth (161.5) doesn’t get the hype of fellow rookie Kyle Pitts, but the Steelers rookie was a red zone machine in college and let’s face it, Eric Ebron stinks.

Top 40 Tight End Rankings

Posted By:Bretsky on August 25, 2021

Davante Adams proved in 2020 to be the most reliable touchdown threat in the fantasy game, reeling in 18 touchdowns in just 14 games played. He was held out of the end zone in just three of his 14 starts, while posting multiple scores on five different occasions. Only Stefon Diggs, Deandre Hopkins and Allen Robinson saw more than Adams’ 148 targets last season and with Aaron Rodgers looking to run it back in Green Bay, a repeat year as the top wideout in fantasy is well within reach.

Despite this effusive praise for Adams, the first tier contains 12 studs who all could find a path to the overall top spot and even though I’m more likely to snare a running back or tight end with a first round pick, I’d like to leave the draft with two receivers from this elite tier.

ADP Targets

Among the elite, Chris Godwin (46.1) and DJ Moore (63.0) leap off the page as values at the top end of the position. Godwin has scored 23 times over 42 games since 2018 while averaging 5 catches for 72 yards per game over that span. Moore has returned back-to-back 1100 yard seasons playing with a myriad of mediocre quarterbacks and while Sam Darnold hasn’t necessarily done anything to separate himself from that description, he certainly has a bigger arm than Teddy B.

Digging a little deeper, both Diontae Johnson (51.3) and Chase Claypool (66.8) in Pittsburgh make for fine draft day selections… Antonio Brown (86.9) showed an improved comfort with Tom Brady late in season and during the playoffs and will benefit from a full year in the system if he can keep his head on the field… Jerry Jeudy (77.8) is the receiver you want in Denver… Michael Pittman (102.6) flashed elite after-the-catch ability last season and could make a leap.

In the end game, everyone forgets about Marvin Jones Jr. (133.4) and he just continues to put up numbers… I guess I’m back on board with Sammy Watkins (200+) one more time if he’s the only healthy WR for Lamar…. Marquez Callaway (148.1) is sure to shoot up draft boards after his pre-season heroics, but he’ll still represent a discount as the top target in New Orleans (at least for now)… Take a shot on Quez Watkins (200+) with your last pick, you’ll know if the Eagles offense has any juice real quick.

Top 100 Wide Receiver Rankings

Posted By:Bretsky on August 24, 2021

The top spot in the running back rankings this year is closer than many others. Christian McCaffrey gets the slight nudge over Dalvin Cook, but the gap is razor thin. Arranging the rest of the top tier is a fun but futile exercise. Sure, Derrick Henry‘s pass-game usage is troubling, but he just keep on producing. Aaron Jones and Ezekiel Elliott get the bump over Alvin Kamara as we are a little more confident in the quarterback play and overall scoring output in Green Bay and Dallas.

ADP Targets

While you love leaving round one with a top tier option, it’s really not up to you if picking outside the top six. Among the next group, Austin Ekeler (10.6) and his target volume makes him the prime target at the back end of the first round for me. Clyde Edwards-Helaire (16.4) and Najee Harris (13.5) can both slip deep in the second round but should be in consideration at the 1/2 turn.

Deeper into the draft, Darell Henderson (34.0) and Miles Sanders (36.3) stand out as the third round running backs that we are most likely to take the dive on. James Robinson’s (45.5) ADP is likely to skyrocket following the news that Travis Etienne is going to miss the season, but perhaps he remains a value as some fail to adjust quickly enough… Raheem Mostert (53.7) is one of the best home run hitters in the league when healthy… Phillip Lindsay (105.9) has the most juice in the Texans’ backfield and while the team is likely to be awful, there is value in volume… Ty Johnson (200+) looks like he may lead the Jets’ running back committee… Jerrick McKinnon (200+) is an interesting athlete and should he be needed for a larger role in KC, it could be a very productive one.

Top 100 Running Back Rankings

Posted By:Bretsky on August 24, 2021

The Quarterback position is extremely fun heading into the 2021 season. We all know rushing equity can vault an inconsistent passer into the top-10 on regular basis, but the reliable touchdown throwers Pat Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady continue to make their presence felt in the first two tiers.

Russell Wilson gets the second spot here and while he faded down the stretch in 2020, we saw QB1 upside continually over the season’s first half. Dak Prescott sneaks into Tier 1, but his health remains a situation to monitor as the season approaches.

ADP Targets

With Rodgers ranked third on the board, his ADP as QB6 would seem attractive, but at 52 overall, that is still usually a but earlier than I’d like to dive in on a quarterback. Wilson is a similar case and while I can’t fault anyone for taking the plunge on Russ in round six, I’m likely trying to hang on just a little longer. If either slips into round seven, it’s time to pounce.

Ryan Tannehill (92.3) is a very solid target and a good bet to build off of a strong 2020 season in which he tossed 33 touchdowns to just seven interceptions and now adds Julio Jones to his set of targets… Jalen Hurts (95.8) put up together a run of useful fantasy games down the stretch despite the fact that he did not play particularly well. His status as the Eagles starter, rushing usage and week-winning upside–that 400+ total yard/4 TD, 37.8 point performance in Week 15 last year–make Hurts a target… Matt Ryan doesn’t get anyone too excited on draft day, but he’s 4,500 yards and 26 TDs in the bank… Trey Lance is the top rookie target here, even if he doesn’t get the starting job day one. The rushing ability and talent on that Kyle Shanahan offense is much easier to trust than anything you will see in Chicago or Jacksonville… Digging at the bottom of the barrel, Ben Roethlisberger (159.4) continues to put up numbers, Sam Darnold (200+) has some really nice targets, as does Teddy Bridgewater (200+) should he be able to hold off Drew Lock.

Top-40 Quarterback Rankings

Posted By:Bretsky on August 25, 2020

From our little corner of this crazy world, it’s hard to believe that we are already in the THICK of fantasy football drafting season. The lack of preseason games has limited the football action for those of you that thirst to watch second and third stringers duke it out for roster position, but in the fantasy world, that hasn’t stopped the hype and, unfortunately, the injuries from piling up.

As I sit here preparing for my first official draft of the 2020 season, this is how our rankings shake up. Things are changing with the news on an almost daily basis, so be sure to check back frequently as we tweak our ranks ahead of the season kickoff.

Have fun drafting and stay safe everyone!

Posted By:Bretsky on September 5, 2019

The season is upon us. Here’s how we see the value stack up across the fantasy football universe.

Posted By:Bretsky on August 22, 2018

Draft season is once again upon us!

Team BretskyBall is gearing up for another fine fantasy football season with our initial draft rankings. Got issue with the ranking below, let us hear it in the comments.

Posted By:Bretsky on August 22, 2017

It’s that time again. Heading into the busiest fantasy football draft weekend of the 2017 season, we are all prepped up and ready to go.

Ezekiel Elliot remains one of the most difficult players to rank, but remains a top-20 play. While my deep rooted Cowboys’ hate may prevent me personally from spending a second round pick on the second-year back, the potential for game changing numbers over even half of a season make him an intriguing risk.

We’re also confident in a number of bounce-back performances with Lamar Miller, CJ Anderson, Cam Newton and Jeremy Maclin appearing much higher in our list than FantasyPro’s consensus rankings.

Though it sounds like a bit of a broken record year to year, we’re fading the rookie running backs once again, ranking Leonard Fournette, Christian McCaffery and Dalvin Cook a solid 20 spots below each of their consensus positions. Yeah, I get it, there were a number of high-impact fantasy rookies who helped teams last year, each of these backs is faced with an uncertain role to open the season behind (or beside) veterans who really aren’t all that bad. I’m certain that one of these guys will contribute, I’m just not spending a 3rd round pick to find out which one it will be.

We’ll be back tweaking and updating this list as the draft season progresses. Let the games begin!

Posted By:Bretsky on October 1, 2016

A jam packed Sunday of football brings of NFL action across two continents with the Jacksonville Jaguars facing off with the Indianapolis Colts in Wembley Stadium. We’s also got a couple of intriguing matchups highlighted by an AFC showdown between the Chiefs and Steelers on Sunday night. Look for the Jets to get back on track and “upset” the Seattle Seahawks who are taking a trip across the country to play an early game.