Tag: Fantasy Football

How will RB David Johnson joining the Texans affect fantasy football in 2020?

Running back David Johnson joining the Houston Texans improves his stock value in fantasy football for 2020.

It was just a short time ago Houston Texans running back David Johnson was all the hype in the fantasy football community.

In the 2017 offseason, after Johnson tallied 2,110 scrimmage yards and 20 total touchdowns in 2016 to earn his only All-Pro to date, the former 2015 third-round pick from Northern Iowa was slated to go No. 1 overall in many a fantasy football draft.

Now, not so much.

Johnson has since rushed for 1,308 yards and scored a total of nine touchdowns. This is in large part because the former Arizona Cardinal has battle availability issues ranging from staying healthy to being phased out of coach Kliff Kingsbury’s offense.

With a fresh start with a new team and a new coach, Johnson is looking to reboot his career. Not only would his career be back on track at 28 years old, but his fantasy football value would be primed for a renaissance as well.

Last season Texans running back Carlos Hyde rushed for 1,070 yards for the first time in his six-year career. While Hyde is not as an elite player in terms of the speed and skill sets that Johnson possesses, it still says a lot about the scheme the Texans and coach Bill O’Brien ran in 2019.

Johnson’s fantasy outlook should be equal if not greater than Hyde’s. With better speed and pass-catching abilities than Hyde there is no reason Johnson shouldn’t have over 1,000 rushing yards and north of 500 receiving yards this season.

Johnson isn’t going to command the same No. 1 overall spot that he did in fantasy football drafts three years ago. However, he is a good candidate for a sleeper who becomes a sure RB1 in people’s lineups throughout the season. And unlike the Cardinals, Johnson will also play in an offense with a quarterback in Deshaun Watson that will help take the pressure off the running back so he can be one of many weapons as opposed to the lone artillery in the offense.

Rookie Rundown: QB Jacob Eason, Washington

A cannon arm and towering stature cannot be taught, and Eason has both in spades.

(Jennifer Buchanan, USA TODAY Sports)

Washington Huskies quarterback Jacob Eason was the starter at Georgia before a 2017 Week 1 injury cost him his job to Jake Fromm, so a 2018 transfer brought Eason back to his home state. He’d go on to post respectable numbers in 2019 after being forced to sit out the ’18 season due to the transfer, so Eason missed nearly two full years before getting back on the field.

Coming out of high school in Washington, he was recruited as the top pro-style quarterback. As a starting true freshmen for Georgia, Eason would flash elements of why he earned such a distinction. He picked it up nicely in 2019 and started all 13 contests for the Huskies.

Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 231 pounds
40 time: 4.89 seconds

There’s a great deal about Eason to like at the next level, but it is impossible to watch him and not see glaring deficiencies in some areas of his game that may not be correctable through coaching.

Table: Jacob Eason NCAA stats (2016-17, 2019)

Year
Team
Comp
Att
Comp%
Yds
Avg
TD
INT
Long
Att
Yds
TD
2016
UGA
204
370
55.1
2,430
6.6
16
8
77
33
-45
1
2017
UGA
4
7
57.1
28
4.0
0
0
10
3
-12
0
2019
WASH
260
405
64.2
3,132
7.7
23
8
57
46
-69
1

He’s a project in the NFL, and even in the best of settings, Eason’s peak performance may not materialize quickly enough before a team moves on. Physical tools can be intoxicating to some coaches and general mangers, however.

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Pros

  • Arguably the strongest arm in the draft — can rip it from anywhere on the field and make all of the NFL throws (including a few that coaches won’t recommend attempting)
  • Sturdy frame to take hits in the pocket
  • Ideal fit for a play-action system with a strong running game
  • Showed improved accuracy in 2019 and maintains it at all levels
  • Can overcome issues with timing and anticipation based on his arm strength (which also can work against him)
  • Understands how to change his trajectory and arm angles
  • Showed he can overcome injury and transfer adversity

Cons

  • That arm strength can get him into trouble by being overly reliant on it
  • Too much “deer in headlights” against the blitz and tends to look for an escape or eat a sack before making it through his reads when feeling pressure
  • Mechanics could use some refinement, which is likely a product of having so much natural arm talent
  • Lacks functional athleticism in the running game — through and through a pocket passer, which limits his system fits
  • Inconsistently uses his eyes to look off defenders and struggles to see the whole field with regularity

Fantasy football outlook

Eason will attract some teams during the middle rounds of the draft, and it’s not crazy to think he could go late in the second round, but it will require the right situation.

He’s an ideal project for Bruce Arians in Tampa Bay, because he’ll have two years to learn behind the best QB the game has seen, and Arians’ coaching style complements Eason’s traits.

The likelihood Eason starts in the first two years (or even three) of his career appear to be low. He offers coachable traits that “wow” on tape but also makes far too many mental mistakes that may be borderline impossible to coach out of someone. There’s more Brock Osweiler than Joe Flacco here in the poise department, and it’s going to be a battle to overcome. In Eason’s case, he has the best of Flacco’s physical traits, plus a desire to go down the field, and the worst of Osweiler’s “Bambi on ice” moments.

There is no immediate fantasy football value to be found here, and even dynasty leaguers may want to think twice before investing in Eason’s future success.

Brandin Cooks is in for a fantasy football rebound as a Texan

A proven veteran weapon, Brandin Cooks will be a fantasy football asset once again after being traded to Houston.

(Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY Sports)

There it is … the kind of move everyone has been waiting for from the Houston Texans. Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Brandin Cooks was acquired via trade to help replace DeAndre Hopkins. Note the emphasis on “help.” Few players can do it alone, and the well-traveled veteran doesn’t belong to that exclusive club.

Cooks has proven to be one of the most adaptable wide receivers in the NFL in recent memory. His talent transcends quarterback situations and offensive systems, but the “go” button is still want butters his bread. Few receivers have the jets Cooks boasts. When healthy, he’s as dynamic is anyone — a weird thing to see from someone who is on his fourth in the past five seasons.

At just 26 years of age, Cooks is still in his prime and is one season removed from a career-best 1,204 yards on 80 grabs. He missed a pair of games last year but struggled all season in an offense that was largely unproductive and inconsistent. Cooks suffered two concussions in a 25-day span, and another one is a legitimate concern, so it’s not all roses. Barring an injury, however, his addition shapes up as one of the more exciting of the offseason.

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Quarterback Deshaun Watson gets another piece of the receiver puzzle to run free with the oft-injured Will Fuller, whose game isn’t terribly different from that of Cooks. The latter is more versatile in the route tree, though, and we’ve see him stay healthy four straight years entering 2019.

Watson’s fantasy prospects were looking awfully grim after Hopkins was traded for running back David Johnson (which still isn’t official). Bringing Cooks mitigates the loss of Nuk about as well as anyone could have hoped for without breaking the bank, which was the driving force behind trading Hopkins in the first place, according to head coach Bill O’Brien.

The projected top receivers now will be a 1a-1b situation between Cooks and Fuller, while Kenny Stills nestles into a versatile role that puts him all over the field. He lined up in the slot 31 percent of his snaps last year. That is where we should expect to see newcomer Randall Cobb do most of his damage. He also can line up all over. Cooks has seen vast majority of his work has come on the outside in recent years. Interchangeability is starting to look like Houston’s approach as it attempts to cover bases through a group effort of proven role players.

A few things should be granted off of the top: He has proven capable of digesting a playbook in a hurry, and Cooks can generate strong fantasy returns with limited touches. This offense could be tough to predict from week to week, especially if Johnson can return to being reminiscent of his former self. But there’s also potential for a more traditional WR1 role for Cooks if (when?) Fuller is lost to injury.

Fantasy football takeaway

Cooks finished WR13 in 2018, WR15 in 2017, WR11 in 2016, and WR14 in 2015 using PPR scoring … that’s an average of WR13 spread over three teams. Even if he gets lost in the mix some weeks, we’re still talking about a borderline WR2/WR3 floor in a healthy season — someone who really shouldn’t leave a fantasy lineup.

The top concerns are another concussion and a lack of an offseason to build a rapport with his quarterback. Neither of those things are really within Cooks’ control. Sure, he could shield himself better at times, but history shows us that when a receiver starts hearing those proverbial footsteps, it’s time to hang ’em up. Cooks finished the season playing some of his best ball in 2019, and there is no reason to be fearful of him being afraid.

Value will be the name this game, and if Cooks is available sixth or seventh rounds, he will look awfully attractive. Safety-minded gamers will opt for him as a WR3 and bypass if it costs more. Everyone else should not hesitate to value him as a low-end WR2 and build out running backs, tight ends and quarterbacks prior to adding Cooks.

ESPN analyst projects 2020 fantasy football stats for individual Saints players

The New Orleans Saints have the NFL’s best projected win total from one ESPN analyst, buoyed by a few standout fantasy football performances

[jwplayer 3OI9y8mE-ThvAeFxT]

Few teams have as high of expectations as the New Orleans Saints do in 2020. Having come so-close to a Super Bowl berth in each of the last three years and with Drew Brees weighing post-retirement job offers from television networks, this might be their final shot at winning it all with No. 9 directing the offense from under center (his two-year contract isn’t what it appears on the surface).

And the Saints will be a big focus of the fantasy football community so long as Brees is running the show. That’s reflected in the latest projections from ESPN’s Mike Clay, who estimates individual stats for each team every year. On Thursday, he released his updated look at the Saints.

Clay anticipates another good-but-not-great year from Brees, finishing at a hair under 4,100 yards with a nice score-to-turnover ratio with 31 touchdown passes against 9 interceptions. While he didn’t specify whether Taysom Hill or another quarterback would fill in for Brees during a game, he does expect an unremarkable performance during what’s likely mop-up duty in a meaningless regular season finale.

On the ground, Clay isn’t betting on a big increase in touches for veteran running back Latavius Murray (with 145 carries for 602 yards and five touchdowns) against the all-star starter, Alvin Kamara (who has 191 attempts for 862 yards and seven touchdown runs). But as we saw last year, Clay anticipates a larger discrepancy through the air with 78 receptions for Kamara and just 26 catches for Murray.

However, the gap between Michael Thomas, the Saints’ number-one receiver, and the free agent slotted in at the number-two spot, Emmanuel Sanders, is not nearly as start as last year’s gap between Thomas and the runner-up (Ted Ginn). In 2020, Clay expects Thomas to again draw 150-plus targets, catching 116 of them (for 1,343 yards). But this year he’ll have better help in Sanders and his 56 receptions (for 737 yards). Tre’Quan Smith, Deonte Harris, and Lil’Jordan Humphrey round out the group with a meager 27 catches.

The contributions from the tight ends can’t be overlooked. Clay anticipates Jared Cook to reel in 46 of his 70 targets for 653 yards and seven touchdown scores, with Josh Hill and Taysom Hill combining for another 34 catches. However, Cook should beat those expectations with more time spent catching passes from Drew Brees than Teddy Bridgewater.

On defense, edge rushers Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport are expected to lead the team in sacks (11 for Jordan, 6.5 for Davenport) while Sheldon Rankins (593 snaps), David Onyemata (532), and Malcom Brown (409) dominate playing-time in the middle of the line.

Linebacker Demario Davis should have another productive year (Clay estimates 941 snaps resulting in 113 tackles), with Alex Anzalone (481 snaps, 61 tackles), Kiko Alonso (409, 51), and Craig Robertson (379, 43) platooning next to him. Lengthy injury histories for Anzalone and Alonso could forecast more playing-time for Robertson, barring a late-offseason addition through the draft or free agency.

The secondary appears set with Clay anticipating Marshon Lattimore and Marcus Williams leading the team in snaps played (972 each), and Malcolm Jenkins (962) and Janoris Jenkins (870) not far behind. C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s role is yet to be determined, but for now Clay projects him to play more often at cornerback, ranking fourth on the depth chart behind Lattimore, Jenkins, and P.J. Williams. However, Gardner-Johnson should do that and also place higher in the pecking-order at safety than D.J. Swearinger.

As for their win probability: Clay’s projections have the Saints winning 50% or more of their games in every contest on their schedule. Their toughest games are road trips against the Philadelphia Eagles (55%), Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers (56%), the Atlanta Falcons (61%), the Detroit Lions (62%), and Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs (63%). That all shakes out into an NFL-best projection of 11.3 wins.

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Rookie Rundown: WR Gabriel Davis, Central Florida

Central Florida’s Gabriel Davis has been a big-play machine but comes with questions on the next level.

(Reinhold Matay, USA TODAY Sports)

Central Florida wide receiver Gabriel Davis is coming off of a fantastic junior season in which he snagged a dozen touchdown passes. After opting to forgo his senior season, Davis finds himself as an intriguing risk-reward prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 198 pounds
40 time: 4.54 seconds

After starting 13 games as a true freshman in 2017, Davis would go on to earn first-team All-American Athletic Conference honors as a sophomore, a feat he replicated thanks to his dominant junior 2019 season.

Table: Gabriel Davis NCAA stats (2017-19)

Year
Team
Rec
Yds
Avg
TD
Long
2017
UCF
27
391
14.5
4
80
2018
UCF
53
815
15.4
7
75
2019
UCF
72
1,241
17.2
12
73

Pros

  • Long-armed frame with a big catch radius
  • Natural hands catcher and rarely allows the ball to get into his body
  • Impeccable body control in traffic — easily his best attribute
  • Improved across the board statistically throughout his collegiate career
  • Vertical threat with the ability to challenge defenders down the field — ball-tracking skills are on par with the best wideouts of this class
  • Noticeably talented with hand placement and strength in short area to create separation against smaller defenders one on one
  • Athletic enough to pull off convincing double moves and has enough burst to get out of breaks efficiently
  • “Gets it” in jump-ball situations — obviously understands body placement, timing, and vertical extension techniques
  • Quality effort blocker whose frame and functional strength should promote growth as a pro
  • Considerable upside with the proper coaching around him

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Cons

  • May struggle to gain separation consistently in the NFL, especially vs. cornerbacks near his size and strength
  • Doesn’t always play hard or with consistency when he isn’t involved in the play — needs to prove he is competitive enough for the NFL
  • Lacks explosiveness and could struggle to be as much of a big-play guy in the pros as he was at UCF
  • Can get wasteful with his footwork early in routes and coming into breaks — certainly fixable with proper coaching

Fantasy football outlook

Despite all of Davis’ success in college, and his consistent upward trajectory in the box scores, he is somewhat of a project at the next level.

Most prognosticators place a third-round grade on Davis, but he could go slightly higher or lower, depending upon system fit and the like. It is tough to envision him making a substantial difference as a rookie, and fantasy footballers should tuck his name away as a player to watch develop throughout the season. Davis’ has the makings of being a seldomly used situation player in Year 1.

Rookie Rundown: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, LSU

RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire draws comparisons to several standout NFL backs.

(Matthew Emmons, USA TODAY Sports)

LSU junior running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (pronounced “EE-laire”) entered the 2020 NFL Draft class after a strong 2019 campaign with the Tigers. “CEH” didn’t see the field much as a freshman in 2017 but experienced a significant increase in playing time as a sophomore, waiting for his time as a junior to showcase everything in the tool chest.

As a child, Edwards-Helaire lost his father to a 30-year prison sentence on a cocaine arrest, and it brought Shannon Helaire into his life as a stepfather. CEH’s biological dad is out of prison on good behavior after serving 14 years, and Edwards-Helaire’s respect for both men led to the creation of the hyphenated last name. No stranger to adversity in his personal life, Edwards-Helaire had to overcome a procession of coaches telling his family he wouldn’t amount to much due to his stature, something that became a source of motivation for him.

Height: 5-foot-7
Weight: 207 pounds
40 time: 4.6 seconds

Edwards-Helaire, as mentioned, had to wait his turn at LSU, but when he finally was granted a chance, it was obvious he belonged in the starting role. CEH ran for just over 1,400 yards on only 215 totes and showed off his skills out of the backfield, snagging 55 passes for the national champs.

The junior was recognized as a Paul Hornung Award finalist for versatility and voted to the All-SEC team twice (first-team RB, second-team returner). That versatility was on display throughout his time at LSU. Edwards-Helaire was a kickoff returner in addition to his multifaceted chores as a running back, and he even threw a touchdown pass in 2018.

Table: Clyde Edwards-Helaire NCAA stats (2017-19)

Year
Team
Att
Yds
Avg
TD
Long
Rec
Yds
Avg
TD
2017
LSU
9
31
3.4
0
10
3
46
15.3
0
2018
LSU
146
658
4.5
7
47
11
96
8.7
0
2019
LSU
215
1,414
6.6
16
89
55
453
8.2
1

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Pros

  • Efficient producer due to combination of quick feet, elusive wiggle, deceiving strength, impressive vision, and a nasty jump cut … these traits make him unpredictable
  • Lateral quickness and cutback ability are excellent — immediately dials up burst after a downshift
  • Quality route-running skills and hands — chews up yardage after the catch
  • Low center of gravity and can disappear in a mass of humanity
  • Tremendous ball security
  • Hard worker, team-first guy with high character
  • Special teams experience in the return game
  • Limited mileage on his tires

Cons

  • Lacks top-end speed
  • May struggle in the pros to consistently challenge on the perimeter
  • Pass protection skills are in need of refinement — borderline functional strength vs. massive pass rushers
  • One year of elite production on an undefeated team full of NFL-caliber talent
  • Despite finding success in high school and in the toughest NCAA conference, size concerns will turn off some NFL scouting departments

Fantasy football outlook

A wide range of NFL comparisons are bandied about when it comes to Edwards-Helaire. Maurice Jones-Drew is the most obvious one, but comps to Devonta Freeman or even a smaller version of Mark Ingram may be more appropriate.

CEH’s draft stock is somewhat in question, partly because of possible limitations, a lack of premium placed on running backs, and a quality draft class. He is likely to be chosen on Day 2. The best locations for him can be boiled down to zone-blocking systems, but it doesn’t always work out that way, since coaches can convince the brass they’re capable of molding a player or system for a proper fit.

Given his special teams history, it’s quite possible he comes into an already established backfield and is used sparingly as a rookie. Edwards-Helaire could earn third-down work right away, but only if coaches are sure he isn’t going to be a liability in pass pro.

New Orleans, Buffalo, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Kansas City, Miami, Pittsburgh and the Los Angeles Rams are the most viable teams to draft him. Edwards-Helaire’s fantasy football value would be maximized in Tampa, LA and Miami, but he could serve as a useful spell to Todd Gurley or as a complement in Pittsburgh’s backfield. In the best-case scenario (Tampa), CEH is an RB3 or weak No. 2 in fantasy drafts.

Rookie Rundown: RB Lamical Perine, Florida

How does Florida’s Lamical Perine factor into the NFL draft and fantasy football plans?

(Steve Mitchell, USA TODAY Sports)

Florida senior running back Lamical Perine enters the 2020 NFL Draft with the chops to make a roster, but it may take every bit of his grinder mentality to stick around in the pros.

Perine led the Gators in rushing in 2019 and also landed 40 receptions, finding paydirt 11 total times on the season as a 13-game starter. It was the first year in which he was given an increased role in the passing game.

Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 216 pounds
40 time: 4.62 seconds

Perine was accused of allegedly assaulting a man trying to tow a vehicle owned by his mother last May, but no charges were filed, and he is known to have a quality reputation otherwise. Work ethic and a try-hard approach to the game will give Perine his best shot at sticking around in the NFL. System fit also will be imperative for his success, since Perine’s style is almost exclusively suited for a zone-blocking scheme.

Table: Lamical Perine NCAA stats (2016-19)

Year
Team
Att
Yds
Avg
TD
Long
Rec
Yds
Avg
TD
2016
FLA
91
421
4.6
1
59
9
161
17.9
1
2017
FLA
136
562
4.1
8
29
10
81
8.1
1
2018
FLA
134
826
6.2
7
74
13
170
13.1
1
2019
FLA
132
676
5.1
6
88
40
262
6.6
5

Pros

  • Quality character and work ethic — coachable and dedicated to improving
  • Quicker than fast and has decent enough short-area burst to get to the second level
  • Versatile skill set and catches the ball well despite not being utilized in such a manner until his senior year
  • One-cut-and-go mentality that fits into a zone-blocking scheme
  • Consistently found the end zone when given the opportunity — in an NFL with so much backfield compartmentalization, this may be his inroad to a stable role.
  • Tough runner who doesn’t shy away from contact to gain needed situational yardage
  • NFL bloodlines with cousins Samaje Perine and Myles Jack — his father played at Auburn
  • Displays adequate patience to let his blocks develop
  • Experienced on special teams
  • Effort blocker in pass protection with room to improve

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Cons

  • Almost no second gear to speak of and lacks breakaway ability
  • Needs to display more creativity to mask speed deficiency
  • Despite being a capable receiver, pass protection liability could keep him on the sideline for third-down chores.
  • Almost too eager to take on contact, which could be problematic in the NFL and lead to a shortened career.

Fantasy football outlook

Perine profiles as one of those NFL running backs who hangs around for years and fills in admirably off of the bench but never offers consistent fantasy football returns. He figures to be a Day 3 prospect and will likely be asked to carve out a role on special teams before getting a true shot at being more than a three on the depth chart. His 2020 fantasy football value is zilch at this point in time.

Rams plan to use Darrell Henderson in backfield committee

The Rams like Darrell Henderson’s potential but are also open to adding a running back in the draft.

For the last five years, Todd Gurley handled the bulk of the work at running back for the Rams. He carried the ball at least 223 times each season since 2015, and in the last four years, he never played fewer than 71% of the offensive snaps.

He’s been the definition of a workhorse in Los Angeles, leading all NFL players with 1,483 touches since 2015. But now with Gurley out of the picture, the Rams will move forward with a different plan at running back.

It involves the four dreaded words for a fantasy football owner: “running back by committee.”

The Rams no longer want to feature one player in the backfield and instead plan to use a committee approach in 2020, led by Darrell Henderson and Malcolm Brown.

General manager Les Snead said Henderson is “probably a player with a bullseye on his back based on us releasing Todd,” but he’s not going to take over as the bell cow for Los Angeles.

“What we do want to be, and this will progress naturally, is certainly be a team that utilizes more than just one workhorse running the ball, have a different genre of skill sets and a complementary-type running game,” Snead said on a conference call Monday. “With that being said, you could get in Week 4 and there’s only one singular running back on the team who is playing extremely hot and maybe that person starts getting more carries. We have this big-picture vision of Darrell being a part of it, but we do expect other pieces to be a part of it, as well.”

For fantasy owners banking on Henderson becoming a top running back in 2020, this is bad news. His potential is obvious and the Rams clearly love his skill set – enough to trade up and draft him in the third round last year – but unless he comes out and dominates from the start, he’ll likely be sharing touches with Malcolm Brown.

Furthermore, the Rams could add another running back to the mix in the draft. They’ve been doing their homework on the incoming class of runners, meeting with Zack Moss, Darrynton Evans and Johnathan Kelley at the combine.

Sean McVay likes the versatility of the running backs in the draft and indicated that the Rams could select one at some point if the opportunity arises.

“As we move forward, there’s a lot of depth in this draft,” McVay said on the Rams Revealed podcast. “There are a lot of different types of players, they’re all really good football players that provide different skill sets and I would say that if we feel like the value and the type of player that we’re looking to add is there when we pick, that’s certainly a conversation that’ll come up.”

Running back isn’t a pressing need for the Rams, since they did just select Henderson and have Brown also under contract, but it’s clear they’re looking to add depth to the roster at that spot.

Any further additions will hurt Henderson’s value, but if he stands above the rest in training camp and the preseason, the Rams will have no choice but to give him the bulk of the carries.

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2020 NFL Draft to proceed in a virtual fantasy football style format

The NFL Draft is set to proceed as scheduled on April 23-25, but it’ll be broadcasted in a totally unique format due to the COVID-19 crisis. The NFL just sent out a memo to all 32 teams preparing decisions for a virtual fantasy football style draft, …

The NFL Draft is set to proceed as scheduled on April 23-25, but it’ll be broadcasted in a totally unique format due to the COVID-19 crisis.

The NFL just sent out a memo to all 32 teams preparing decisions for a virtual fantasy football style draft, with all parties being isolated in a room outside of their team facilities.

“In response to developing conditions and the advice of medical and public health experts, authorities at all levels of government have expanded the scope and extended the duration of orders requiring residents to shelter-in-place (“stay at home” orders) and closing non-essential businesses. These orders now cover the vast majority of residents and include every NFL home community. In some locations, these orders extend as far as June, and we should expect that this trend will continue.

“As you know, our offices have been closed since March 13 and all Club facilities have been closed since March 26. These steps were taken to protect our players and staff, to model appropriate behavior, and to ensure competitive equity among all 32 clubs. Given current and expected conditions, and to ensure that we operate responsibly and in full compliance with current regulations, both League and Club facilities will remain closed indefinitely. We will reopen facilities when it is safe to do so based on medical and public health advice, and in compliance with government mandates.

“Because of these circumstances, Clubs have been advised to prepare to conduct the 2020 Draft entirely outside of their facilities and in a fully virtual format, with club personnel in separate locations and able to communicate with one another and Draft headquarters by phone or internet. We have reviewed this matter in the past few days with both the Competition Committee and CEC, and this will confirm that Clubs will conduct their Draft operations remotely, with club personnel separately located in their homes.

The NFL announced that all team facilities will remain closed indefinitely, to ensure the league is in compliance with regulations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Titans’ Derrick Henry projected to win another rushing title in 2020

Will The King reign supreme again in 2020?

Prior to the 2019 season, many experts believed that the ridiculous pace Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry finished the 2018 season on simply wasn’t sustainable.

Not only did he prove them wrong, he won a rushing title with 1,540 yards. Henry’s 16 rushing touchdowns was tied for the best in the league, also.

Going into 2020, Pro Football Focus believes The King will once again reign supreme and has Henry pegged as the rushing leader, with a projection of 1,239 rushing yards.

As PFF’s Jeff Ratcliffe notes, Henry was able to finish in the top five at his position in multiple scoring formats in fantasy football — including PPR — despite only catching 18 passes the entire season.

That was still possible because Henry bludgeoned opposing defenses to the tune of 102.7 yards per game — over nine yards per game better than any other back — on a league-leading 303 carries.

Henry should warrant first-round consideration in fantasy leagues in 2020, if for nothing else than the sheer volume he sees and an elite run-blocking group in front of him.

The only concern would be Henry’s rushing production regressing a bit from such a high number and him not being able to make it up in the receiving department.

Ratcliffe points out the departure of Dion Lewis as being a reason Henry could see more receiving opportunities, but Tennessee is eventually going to add another third-down back after cutting Lewis, who was wholly ineffective during his time in Nashville.

No matter what, Henry has a great chance to at least come close to replicating what he did in 2019 and should be considered an RB1 across all formats.

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