Because of this, it's never too early to begin considering who the top players for next year may be. There are already a bunch of preliminary rankings, including ESPN's Matthew Berry, who's Top 150 you can see here. I'm going to stick to the top 20 for now. That should provide you with enough brain food to munch on.
My ranking structure is tiered. Within a tier, any player is a reasonable selection and likely comes down to personal preference and strategy.
1. Jamaal Charles
2. LeSean McCoy
2. LeSean McCoy
3. Adrian Peterson
Charles gets the edge over McCoy and Peterson because he's the only one returning to the same offense. It's unknown how the presence of Sproles and departing of Desean Jackson will effect the Eagles offense. I expect Shady to remain a stud, but I have a tick more confidence in Charles. I never bet against All Day, but I'd feel more comfortable with his value at #3 than #1 or #2.
4. Eddie Lacy
5. Marshawn Lynch
6. Matt Forte
These three are a toss up. In the Green Bay offense, Eddie Lacy will have the most opportunities to score of these guys. Marshawn Lynch's is the least dynamic, but receives an abundance of touchdown opportunities as well. Matt Forte can do it on the ground and in the air, so yardage won't be an issue, but with Marshall and Jeffrey also present in the red zone, Cutler has tall, strong options to consider when trying to punch it in from close.
7. Peyton Manning
8. Jimmy Graham
9. Calvin Johnson
Even if you shave off 15% of Manning's scoring stats from last year (accounting for natural regression from career highs, the loss of Decker, and a body one year older), he'd finish next year with 4,675 passing yards and 47 touchdowns. Jimmy Graham is the league's second best receiving option behind Calvin Johnson, but, like Peyton, is head and shoulders above his competition at the same position. With Graham, you have an every-week advantage over your opponent at TE. There is no safer bet at RB or WR to finish next year as the position's highest scorer than Megatron.
10. Drew Brees
11. Aaron Rodgers
12. Demaryius Thomas
These 3 are the last of the sure-locks to finish at the top of their respective positions. Brees has the edge over Rodgers because he's always healthy. In the absence of Decker, I see a lot more passes going D.T.'s way and wouldn't be surprised if he finishes next year as the best WR.
13. A.J. Green
14. Doug Martin
15. Zac Stacy
16. Le'Veon Bell
If Andy Dalton had shown more consistency to this point, Green very well could be the second best receiving option in the league. Unfortunately, he's still waiting for his QB to take the next step. Regardless, he's a threat for 100 yards and a touchdown every single game. Doug Martin wasn't having a great year even before he blew his shoulder out in 2013, but I think he's the real deal and will bounce back strong. If he does, he's tremendous value at this spot. Stacy and Bell both showed in their rookie years that they can carry the load and get the job done. I'm still a bit skeptical and not sold on either one, but I don't see them regressing this year either.
17. Josh Gordon
18. Arian Foster
19. Brandon Marshall
20. Alshon Jeffrey
11. Aaron Rodgers
12. Demaryius Thomas
These 3 are the last of the sure-locks to finish at the top of their respective positions. Brees has the edge over Rodgers because he's always healthy. In the absence of Decker, I see a lot more passes going D.T.'s way and wouldn't be surprised if he finishes next year as the best WR.
13. A.J. Green
14. Doug Martin
15. Zac Stacy
16. Le'Veon Bell
If Andy Dalton had shown more consistency to this point, Green very well could be the second best receiving option in the league. Unfortunately, he's still waiting for his QB to take the next step. Regardless, he's a threat for 100 yards and a touchdown every single game. Doug Martin wasn't having a great year even before he blew his shoulder out in 2013, but I think he's the real deal and will bounce back strong. If he does, he's tremendous value at this spot. Stacy and Bell both showed in their rookie years that they can carry the load and get the job done. I'm still a bit skeptical and not sold on either one, but I don't see them regressing this year either.
17. Josh Gordon
18. Arian Foster
19. Brandon Marshall
20. Alshon Jeffrey
Josh Gordon has Calvin Johnson upside, which is why he's ranked at 17. However, I wouldn't be surprised to see him regress this year into the 1,200 and 7 TD range because of poor QB play. I may bump him out of my top 20 in future updates. Arian Foster is the most interesting player in my top 20. The question comes down to his health, as he has a lot mileage on those wheels. If he doesn't bounce back, than he likely burns owners in consecutive years. If he regains his 2012 form, though, he's an absolute steal. As a second pick, I think he's worth the risk. I've never ranked teammates at the same position this high and next to one another, but Marshall and Jeffrey in the Chicago offense are that good. They proved for the majority of last year that they can co-exist at a high level. In a keeper league, I'd prefer Jeffrey because of his youth.
No comments:
Post a Comment