Fantasy Football – Page 276 – Syndication Server

Projecting Philip Rivers’ stats for the 2020 season

What does the 2020 season hold for Rivers?

The Indianapolis Colts brought in veteran quarterback Philip Rivers on a one-year deal in free agency hoping he can be a spark for the offense after a dismal year of passing in 2019.

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Though Rivers himself is coming off of a down year, he projects well in the Colts offense. His connection with head coach Frank Reich and offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni bode well for a seamless transition while the offensive line and plethora of weapons should help him plenty.

Rivers should provide the Colts with a boost in the passing game even if there is a higher risk of turnover rate from 2019.

It’s early in the offseason and things could change but based on historical data, the situation he’s walking into and what he brings to the offense, here’s my early projection for Rivers’ season in 2020:

Attempts	Completions	Comp. %	Passing Yards	TDs	INTs	YPA	TD%	INT%
560	382	68.2%	4,278	27	15	7.64	4.8%	2.7%

Rivers likely won’t see the same passing volume he saw during his time with the Chargers. The Colts are still going to throw the ball plenty, and they should be expected to do so more than they did in 2019 (513 attempts). But they are still a team that wants to run the ball.

With Andrew Luck under center in 2018, the Colts had a 62:38 ratio favoring the pass in neutral game scripts. With Jacoby Brissett under center in 2019, that flipped completely on its head as they had a 54:46 ratio in neutral game scripts, per Sharp Football.

Historical data shows that teams in the 9–10 win range have a pass-to-run ratio of roughly 55:45. The Colts are projected by most to be in that range of wins for 2020. So while the ratio will be the same as when Brissett was under center, I’m projecting the Colts to be much more efficient with their passing volume.

Rivers is stepping into a position that should be beneficial in terms of his numbers. He has a stout offensive line to work behind, a borderline elite run game and plenty of weapons to target in the passing game.

He just now needs to prove he isn’t losing any arm strength and that he can cut down on the turnover-worthy throws from 2019.

Those factors along with his fit in Reich’s offense and the historical trends he has shown in recent seasons has his projection looking like an upgrade for the Colts at the quarterback position in 2020.

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5 Raiders deemed fantasy draftable and QB Derek Carr not among them

Fans who play fantasy football have to be careful. It’s tempting to load up on players on your favorite team, but letting your bias color your drafting habits can bite you.

There are a few players on the Raiders who are worthy of being on your fantasy team though. Some of them as high picks and starters.

Pro Football Focus put together a top 200 fantasy ranking and there were four Raiders in the rankings. Here is where they were ranked with their position ranking in parenthesis:

24. Josh Jacobs (14)
54. Darren Waller (5)
96. Henry Ruggs III (41)
162. Hunter Renfrow (67)
181. Jalen Richard (59)

Running backs in fantasy hold the highest value which is why despite being the 24th best player in the fantasy rankings, Jacobs is 14th at his position. That’s still a second-round pick and fantasy starter.

I might actually put Waller higher than No. 54 if I were the one drafting, depending on who is on the board. That’s about a fifth-round pick. Waller had 90 catches for 1145 yards and 3 touchdowns. If he were a wide receiver with these numbers, he’d be ranked higher. And in Gruden’s offense, he may as well be a wide receiver.

Ruggs, Renfrow, and Richard are in the depth part of the rankings which is about right for a rookie, a slot receiver, and a receiving back.

Interesting to note that there were 24 quarterbacks in the rankings and Derek Carr is not one of them. The final three QB’s came back-to-back-to-back in Philip Rivers (No. 190), Gardner Minshew (No. 191), and Sam Darnold (No. 192).

Other notable Raiders omissions include WR Tyrell Williams and TE Jason Witten.

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Is Michael Pittman Jr. in the best situation among rookie WRs?

Michael Pittman Jr. can make an instant impact.

The Indianapolis Colts used their first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft to address arguably their biggest need entering the offseason. They did so by using the No. 34 overall pick in the draft on wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. out of USC.

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The Colts have some intriguing players in the wide receiver room, but Pittman Jr. is likely the most exciting talent outside of T.Y. Hilton. With how quickly he can make an impact, he finds himself in a strong situation almost immediately.

Pro Football Focus believes Pittman Jr. is in the best situation among all rookie wide receivers.

Look at every receiver who has had success with Philip Rivers over his career and the body types he targets most:

Keenan Allen (6-foot-2, 211 pounds)

Tyrell Williams (6-foot-4, 205 pounds)

Malcom Floyd (6-foot-5, 225 pounds)

Vincent Jackson (6-foot-5, 230 pounds)

Michael Pittman Jr.* (6-foot-4, 223 pounds)

While it could very well be a coincidence, the fact remains that Rivers has had a ton of success with bigger-bodied wideouts. The Colts didn’t have anything resembling Pittman’s skillset on the roster before drafting him, so he slides immediately into the possession role that Rivers covets.

Though historically rookie wide receivers take time to make an impact during their first season, the Colts have a role for Pittman Jr. upon arrival.

With T.Y. Hilton leading the room and working as the Z receiver, Pittman Jr. will likely take the reigns as the X receiver in the room—a position they haven’t had all that much talent in recent seasons.

Pittman Jr. has all of the necessary skills to be a strong X receiver on the boundary and given Rivers’ history of targeting that type of receiver with success, it bodes well for the rookie.

The Colts need more production out of their wide receiver room in 2020 and while Hilton will be the alpha dog, Pittman Jr. will have every chance to turn into a steady contributor.

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Where do Vikings rank in PPR fantasy rankings?

Adam Thielen ranks ahead of former teammate Stefon Diggs.

With no live sports in America right now, here we are thinking about our make-believe fantasy football drafts.

We’re still about three months away from fantasy football drafts starting, but it’s never too early to research.

Jeff Ratcliffe over at Pro Football Focus released his top-200 fantasy football players for a PPR league.

In Ratcliffe’s rankings, the Vikings have six representives.

Running back Dalvin Cook, as you can guess, is the name you see first. Cook ranks as the sixth-overall player on the list, which would make him a mid-first-round pick.

Wide receiver Adam Thielen ranks 31st (22 spots ahead of former teammates Stefon Diggs).

Rookie wide receiver Justin Jefferson ranks 91st, quarterback Kirk Cousins ranks 143rd, running back Alexander Mattison ranks 151st and the team’s defense ranks 188th.

You can check out the full list here.

Parris Campbell listed as Colts’ biggest value in dynasty fantasy football

Fantasy Pros sees Campbell as a value in dynasty leagues.

The Indianapolis Colts offense is hoping to return to form in 2020 with some notable additions joining the roster. However, one player returning to the mix is wide receiver Parris Campbell, who might be becoming somewhat of an afterthought when discussing playmakers on the offense.

After a disappointing rookie season that was riddled with injuries, Campbell is working hard to make an impact in Year 2. He’s still young at 22 years old and his skillset blends perfectly with the offensive system.

Even with some other players ahead of him on the depth chart, Campbell was listed as the Colts’ biggest value in dynasty fantasy football, per Mike Tagliere of Fantasy Pros.

Injuries derailed his rookie season, but don’t forget how much the Colts loved him last year. With Chester Rogers no longer on the team, we’re going to see Campbell take over nearly a full-time role in the slot, which is incredible for a guy who’s 6-foot-tall and 205 pounds with 4.3-second speed. Now adding Philip Rivers to the offense, we should expect the pass attempts to rise for this offense. Rivers has always loved his targets over the middle of the field (see: Antonio Gates, Keenan Allen, Hunter Henry).

With T.Y. Hilton leading the way atop the wide receiver depth chart and second-round pick Michael Pittman Jr. likely taking the WR2 role upon arrival, Campbell will be battling it out for the WR3 spot with Zach pascal.

Campbell’s speed and sure hands make him an instant target for Philip Rivers in the short game and if he winds up grabbing that WR3 role, he could be in for a decent target share.

There will be a lot of mouths to feed, however. Along with his competition in the wide receiver room, Campbell has to deal with tight ends Jack Doyle and Trey Burton while running back Nyheim Hines will also eat into the target share.

It will be interesting to see if Campbell can break through in any type of way during his second season. If he does, he should hold value in dynasty leagues.

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4 Tennessee Titans primed for big fantasy football production in 2020

The Titans have four different players who could finish in the top 10 at their respective positions in fantasy football.

At the start of the 2019 season, the Tennessee Titans didn’t provide any fantasy football options outside of running back Derrick Henry, who even got off to a somewhat slow start himself.

But as the season progressed, the Titans began giving fantasy owners viable options to input into their starting lineup that they could find on the scrap heap.

The 2020 season should be different though, as four Titans players stand to make a big impact in fantasy football for the entirety of the 16-game schedule.

Without further ado, here are the four Titans who are primed for big fantasy production this coming season.

Ryan Tannehill

The 2019 campaign saw a resurgence in Ryan Tannehill’s career, as he led the NFL in passer rating and was second in completion percentage, numbers that helped earn him NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

Of course, those numbers don’t exactly help us out in fantasy football, but they do show his efficiency, which helps him produce impressive fantasy results even in a run-heavy attack.

Tannehill took the starting job in Week 7 last season, and from that point on he finished as QB3 in total points and QB4 in average points per week, per Fantasy Pros.

On top of his ability to sling it, Tannehill can also make plays with his legs, giving him a safe floor from week to week and the ability to produce elite fantasy quarterback numbers in any given game.

In 2020, Tannehill will get the chance to play a full 16-game slate, and if his 2019 numbers are any indication, the Titans quarterback could conceivably finish as a top-five fantasy signal-caller this coming season.

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Fantasy football rookie dynasty rankings for 2020

Ranking the rookies in dynasty.

The 2020 NFL Draft came and went without much of a hitch. Now after what seemed like a long offseason, fantasy football managers can begin preparing for their drafts. For those in dynasty leagues, the focus will be on the rookie class.

Though many have already had their rookie drafts, there are still plenty of us who haven’t. This year’s group features a lot of high-upside prospects in a deep class. Some of the landing spots aren’t as strong, but this year’s crop figures to feature some very productive fantasy assets both now and in the future.

Instead of linear rankings, this is tiered-based meaning players in the same tier have very similar value and are all worthy of being selected relative to the players next to them. So it isn’t simply “Player A is absolutely better than Player B.”

Here is a tiered ranking of the top-35 rookies for dynasty:

Tier 1

1. Clyde Edwards-Helaire | RB | Kansas City Chiefs | RB1

The new RB1 in almost every ranking, CEH shot up draft boards after he was selected with the No. 32 pick in the draft. The landing spot to the Chiefs is what makes him the top pick. Add in his pass-catching abilities coming from LSU and his production from his senior season to go along with the draft capital, CEH is rightfully the top rookie in the draft.

2. Jonathan Taylor | RB | Indianapolis Colts | RB2

While CEH gets all of the love, I recently wrote why fantasy managers shouldn’t be afraid to use that No. 1 pick on Taylor. The Colts traded up to get him in the second round and while he will be in a timeshare to begin his career, he has both short and long-term value. Taylor is one of the best running back prospects to come out of the draft in recent years. His statistical and athletic profiles make him worthy of the top overall pick in rookie drafts.

Tier 2

3. J.K. Dobbins | RB | Baltimore Ravens | RB3

Though Dobbins won’t be an immediate RB1 in the league, he certainly has that potential. The Ohio State product brought a strong statistical profile from college and now has the opportunity to take the lead role at some point for the league’s best rushing attack. Dobbins should be highly-coveted in rookie drafts and any manager who swipes him should be ecstatic.

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Which Broncos rookies should you draft in fantasy football?

The Broncos have four rookies worth considering in dynasty fantasy football leagues.

The Denver Broncos selected 10 players in this year’s draft, including four skill players on offense. Which members of the team’s draft class should you consider in your fantasy football league this year?

Jerry Jeudy isn’t going to be the top WR in Denver so you shouldn’t count on him to be a WR1 (or even a WR2) in traditional fantasy leagues. Consider Jeudy to be a decent WR3/flex option but don’t reach for him just because he’s a Bronco. In dynasty rookie drafts, consider him one of the top WRs.

KJ Hamler probably won’t have much fantasy value as a rookie because Denver has so many weapons to spread the ball around to. Only select him late in drafts to round out your roster. Consider him a potential future WR3 in dynasty leagues.

Albert Okwuegbunam will have some longterm TE2 value in dynasty leagues but he shouldn’t be considered more than a Noah Fant handcuff option in 2020. Only draft him in deep leagues and don’t plan to play him outside of emergency situations.

Tyrie Cleveland might not make the Broncos’ roster so he shouldn’t be drafted in fantasy. If he makes the team and emerges as a flex candidate, you can pick him up off the waiver wire.

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Colts see crowded backfield as ‘fantastic problem to have’

Fantasy football managers might not want to read this.

Much to the chagrin of fantasy football managers, the Indianapolis Colts don’t care that they will be splitting the workload amongst multiple players in the backfield.

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Despite having Marlon Mack coming off of a season in which he had nearly 1,100 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns, the Colts traded up for the uber-talented running back prospect in Jonathan Taylor.

Envisioning a 1-2 punch in the backfield, offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni sees this crowded backfield as an opportunity to get even more production from the No. 7 rushing attack in 2019.

“We know we want to run the football. We know we want to run the football. We know a lot of the good running teams in this league and in the past have had good one-two punches. It feels like it’s just a one-one punch though because we have two such exceptional backs,” Sirianni told reporters this week. “I think that’s a fantastic problem to have, is to have two guys like that you can feed the football to. It’s only going to help our running game.”

Behind the Colts’ elite offensive line, Mack and Taylor shouldn’t have any problem finding success in 2020. It might be difficult to figure out which player will be seeing the majority of work from week to week—a fantasy manager’s nightmare—but the unit as a whole will be successful.

It will be interesting to see if this might turn into a “hot-hand” approach between Mack and Taylor. Both have the capabilities to take over the backfield with a big game, but it truly remains a mystery right now what the approach will be.

The other problem that fantasy managers will run into is the passing game. While Mack and Taylor likely split the load on early downs, it’s hard to see them seeing a ton of targets with Nyheim Hines there. The latter of the three is far and wide a better pass-catcher and even Sirianni said to expect Hines to be targeted.

The Colts are going to lean heavily on the run game even with Rivers under center and while fantasy football managers are going to pull their hair out wondering which back to play each week, Indy couldn’t be happier with their backfield situation.

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An early fantasy football outlook for Patriots RB James White

With the 2020 fantasy football season approaching, we take a look at fantasy football expectations for running back James White.

James White has established himself as a valuable receiving back for the Patriots. Where Sony Michel has the power running style and the ability to fight for tough yards, White offers finesse out of the backfield.

Heading into his seventh season in the National Football League, White looks to provide that same stable presence in the backfield. Known for his sure hands and ability to make defenders miss, White has been a solid fantasy pick up for many over the course of the last few seasons. It will be interesting to see if he can keep up his normal level of production without Tom Brady.

ADP on Fantasy Pros: #94
Where we think you should take him: Eighth round
ESPN’s projected stats: 53 carries, 229 rushing yards, 63 catches, 559 receiving yards, four total touchdowns
Our projected stats: 60 carries, rushing yards 305 yards, 75 catches, 715 receiving yards, nine total touchdowns

The backfield will probably be featured heavily in this year’s edition of the offense. I’d expect Sony Michel to take over the majority of the carries. However, White should figure into the offensive equation quite a bit, especially on third downs. I wouldn’t make White my featured back in fantasy, but he is an extremely valuable late-round pick up.

In past years, I would have stayed away from any Patriots offensive player due to the Patriots’ flexibility with Brady in the offense. However, I would expect them to rely heavily on the running backs with a new quarterback under center. White is definitely a player worth picking up.

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