I’ll just start off by saying it is obviously too soon to put any trust in a regular start to the NFL regular season (with this bullshit going on), but no matter what the NFL is the NFL and will most likely continue on. With baseball owners finally voting to set a tentative start date and the fact professional football can spend or do whatever it takes to get its money, I’d say it’s about time to start looking at your fantasy draft this year.
Many leagues won’t know exact draft position for a bit longer (i.e. indefinitely), it is a good idea to know the board and think about what types of players you’d be willing to reach for or slide on. I’ll be starting with the first half of the first round and working down, with the second 6 coming at the end of the week.
Some quick notes:
Looks like ALOT of running backs this year, but remember it is usually safer to grab a wide receiver if you can’t get one of the few top-tier backs. First half of the first round is running back heavy besides Michael Thomas (very high on my board). Second half is mostly wide receivers besides Dalvin Cook.
1. Christian McCaffrey
If you’re a bitter NFC South fan who wants to find someone saying McCaffrey isn’t all he’s cracked up to be, keep searching. The Panthers workhorse is the runaway top pick this year following an insane 2019 season (1387 yards, 15 TD rushing; 1005 yards, 115 receptions, 4 TD receiving). McCaffrey doesn’t seem like the type of guy to sit back and relax after signing a contract which made him the highest-paid running back in NFL history. He’s the type of guy that screams stability and playability but you do have to wonder how long a guy can sustain the type of usage he has, which is rare in today’s league.
2. Michael Thomas
@CantGuardMike definitely stole the show last year, breaking a long-standing reception record (149), leading the league in reception yards (1,725) and adding 9 touchdowns to earn himself NFL Offensive PotY. Some may contest McCaffrey deserved the award, but the fact is Michael Thomas stood head and shoulders above the competition all year long, in a league which has no shortage of mind-blowing athletes at the position.
3. Saquon Barkley
I hate writing about Saquon. I want to believe he is healthy, but the fact is having an injury so early in his career seems like bad juju. At the same time, he is undoubtably one of the best damn athletes in the league and won’t have to carry the Giants offense as much as last season. Considering an upwards projection for Daniel Jones (and new coach Judge having a clue), I think Barkley will take a step to the next level. I am also going to put faith in the fact the Giants drafted a UConn player at tackle, which ended up pretty good the last time they did it.
3. Ezekiel Elliott
Falling…falling…falling. I had Zeke at No. 4 when I started this list (a month ago, I’ll admit, I’m fucking lazy), but the lack of security at QB for the Cowboys worries me. I know, that should mean they’ll rely more on Elliott, but considering the new offense coming in with McCarthy and Dak playing games with his contract, I see a tough season for the star running back in Texas. It’s also important to take a look at Zeke’s recent lawsuit over a dog-bite, although it does look like he is not totally at fault in the case (we’ll see).
Despite all those apprehensions, he is an absolute stud and will stay as a first round draft pick due to his volume and the number of Cow-fan-boys in the US of A.
In the end, his Corona scare makes me value him even more.
5. Derrick Henry
Okay listen. This guy for me is the definition of make-or-break. In 2018, he single handedly won me a league in crunch time. In 2017 and 2019, he put up huge numbers in weeks that didn’t matter while leaving me dry when I needed it. While I am obviously skeptical, I’m hitting buy this year considering he is one of the VERY few backs who gets workhorse reps and has a propensity for going OFF. While Cowboys fans will obviously take the next guy on the list, I think D. Henry at 4 makes sense, without a doubt if you are in a standard league.
I had the big boy ahead of Zeke when I first started writing this, but after considering the insane reps Henry has been taking these past few years, I think he needs to be discounted a bit. It’s a very common factor that workhorse RBs tend to regress in the next years. Coronavirus may have given these athletes some time to rest (it seems), but DH’s been going off on reps for three years in a row now, watch out!
If it is PPR (as most are nowadays), he honestly loses huge value considering his lack of ability when it comes to catching out of the backfield. After a great dark horse run last year, I see the Titans continuing to fight in the AFC and using Derrick Henry to his fullest.
5. DeAndre Hopkins
A clear choice, especially considering his move from a team which wasn’t using him enough to a Cardinals team that seems poised to compete with the powerhouses in the NFC West (no, I’m not including the Rams there). You can argue him and Deshaun Watson had great chemistry, but the fact Bill O’Brien got pissy and sold him for nothing is sure to light a fire under (in my opinion) the best wide receiver in the league. Kyler Murray has not gotten the praise I think he deserves for last season, and if he can earn some rep with Hopkins off the field I can see the two becoming a deadly combo for years to come.
6. Tyreek Hill
Cheetah fast. Cheetah strike. Patrick Maholmes. I think that about explains it?
Who do you see at 7-12? Leave a comment. Talk to y’all again soon.