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This Top 100 list is to provide Fake Teams readers with a draft guide. You’ll find players far above ADP, who we want you to draft, and far below ADP, who we want you to avoid. To account for such suggestions, a small notes section has been supplied. Rankings are done with .5PPR scoring in mind.
Sourced material is marked with an asterisk in the notes. Links for sourced material can be found, listed consecutively, below the table. Leave comments in the in the comment section or shoot direct questions to @ginger__nic on twitter.
Fantasy Football: Top 100 for 2020
| Rank | Player | Position Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Player | Position Rank | Notes |
| 1 | Christian McCaffrey - CAR | RB1 | Likely decreased workload for injury prevention. Joe Brady's high-octane sheme may increase the value of CMC's touches though. He's the RB1. |
| 2 | Ezekiel Elliott - DAL | RB2 | An elite RB on an elite Jason Garrett-less offense. Dallas' analytics dept. has worked its way into playcalling. Team will live in opponent's redzone. |
| 3 | Saquon Barkley - NYG | RB3 | The Jason Garrett effect is a worry. NYG is a poorly run, anti-analytical team. Barkley will succeed on talent and touches but, schematically, will not be put in position for success, dropping him behind Zeke. |
| 4 | Michael Thomas - NO | WR1 | The only non-QB to outscore MT in 2019 (.5PPR) was CMC. The target monster is here to stay. |
| 5 | Derrick Henry - TEN | RB4 | Henry, a supremely talented rusher with underrated top-tier athletecism, is a surefire 20+ touch back. Expect a repeat of 2019's box score success. Per Sharp Football*, the Titans face the second easiest slate of run defenses in 2020. |
| 6 | Alvin Kamara - NO | RB5 | Positive touchdown regression is coming for Kamara. Played severely injured last season and still finished as the RB12 in .5PPR. |
| 7 | Miles Sanders - PHI | RB6 | We loved Sanders last season and we love him even more now. Sidekicked by a lesser, mirror image of himself in Boston Scott, Sanders is set for 18+ touches per week. The dual threat playmaker should pummel opposing defenses: Sharp Football's Strength of Schedule metrics have Philly facing the 9th-softest slate of run defense and 10th-softest slate of pass defenses*. |
| 8 | Dalvin Cook - MIN | RB7 | Talent and touch-wise, Cook should probably bump Barkley out of the RB3 spot. Through his career he's battled an ACL tear, and AC joint sprain, and recurring SC joint injuries (that last year lead to ball-security issues*) and hamstring pulls. It's likely Cook misses time in 2020*. As of now, we'll remain optimistic on his holdout ending (one way or another) before Week 1. |
| 9 | Davante Adams - GB | WR2 | Adams was a target hog even before Matt LeFleur's donkeydom lead to Adams as being Aaron Rodgers' lone trustworthy wide receiver. It's likely Rodgers throws less than 25 passes per game this year and Adams has a shot at receiving 40-50% of them. Were he on an intelligently run team, he would leapfrog MT as the top WR. |
| 10 | Joe Mixon - CIN | RB8 | The dual threat dynamo faces Sharp Football's 7th-softest slate of run defenses in 2020*. Notably, The back-half of the Bengals' schedule features teams with good offenses and bad defenses (WAS, NYG, MIA, and HOU), ensuring shootouts and inflated fantasy production. |
| 11 | Tyreek Hill - KC | WR3 | No. 1 WR on the NFL's top passing offense. Hill could finish as the overall WR1. |
| 12 | Nick Chubb - CLE | RB9 | The Browns face the 8th-softest slate of run defenses, per Sharp Football. New HC Kevin Stefanski brings his analytically-enforced scheme to Cleveland where Nick Chubb will operate as the prime mover of his offense. |
| 13 | Kenyan Drake - ARI | RB10 | Traded to the Cardinals in Week 9 of 2019, Drake lit up box scores for the remainer of the season as the lead dog in Arizona's lethal rushing attack. A full offseason to absorb the playbook bodes well for his 2020 outlook. The only question left unanswered if is Drake's body can handle 18+ touches for the duration of the year, having never been afforded the opportunity before. |
| 14 | Julio Jones - ATL | WR4 | The departure of Austin Hooper further solidifies Julio's stranglehold on an ungodly sum of targets. Per Sharp Football, Atlanta is set to face the toughest schedule of opponent's offensive efficiency*. 2020 will be The Year of The Shootout in Atlanta. |
| 15 | Clyde Edwards-Helaire - KC | RB11 | Update: With Damien Williams option out for 2020, CEH's prospect has drastically improved. DeAndre Washington will be a factor, but not to the extent that Williams would have been. KC is the perfect system to fully utilize CEH's pass catching abilities. Concerns over his speed are overblown. Although he ran a pedestrian 4.60 40-yard dash, his 1.60 10-yard split is sufficient*. He does lack downfield breakaway speed though, a trait not shared by backfield-mate Damien Williams who looked like an All Pro in last year's Super Bowl victory. Given the COVID-caused lack of a preseason, CEH will not be simply handed this job in Week 1. He's sure to be utilized but Williams isn't going anywhere. |
| 16 | James Conner - PIT | RB12 | Conner started 2019 by obliterating box scores but injuries derailed his campaign. Now, fully healthy and his starting QB returning from injury as well, the dual threat back faces the Sharp Football's easiest slate of both run and pass defenses in 2020*. Draft Conner aggressively in Round 3 or 4. |
| 17 | Amari Cooper - DAL | WR5 | Sharp Football places Dallas as facing the 11th-softest slate of pass defenses*. Dallas' analytics dept. has taken the decision-making reigns in both playcalling and team building. The addition of future X-receiver dynamo CeeDee Lamb should bump up Cooper's slot usage in 2020, making the latter's matchups all the more appetizing. |
| 18 | Travis Kelce - KC | TE1 | Established QB-pass catcher relationships will be more valuable than normal with the erasure of the pre-season, making Patrick Mahomes'/Travis Kelce's mindmeld all the more lethal. |
| 19 | George Kittle - SF | TE2 | The NFL's best all-around tight end has major positive touchdown regression coming. Last year's No. 3 Yards After Catch* finisher has never scored more than 5 touchdowns in a season, despite clearing 1,300 and 1,000 yards in 2018 and 2019, respectively*. |
| 20 | Adam Thielen - MIN | WR6 | Minnesota added top notch rookie slotster Justin Jefferson and jettisoned downfield dynamo Stefon Diggs in the 2020 offseason. Although Thielen will still command a heavy volume of slot usage, the personnel moves likely increase Thielen's reps on the outside, and more specifically, delivering a dearth of Diggs' vacated downfield targets. Thielen will absorb much of Diggs' team-leading 94 targets from last season, virtually guaranteeing Thielen's chances of clearing his career high 113-target mark from 2018. |
| 21 | Josh Jacobs - LV | RB13 | Jacobs earns this spot via rush volume and talent. An evidence-free ESPN report* asserted Jacobs' passing game usage would increase in 2020. The Raiders front office used the offseason to sign Devontae Booker (pass catching back), re-sign Jalen Richard (pass catching back), and drafted WR/RB Lynn Bowden and immediately announced he would definitively play running back. I see no signs of a significant increase in Josh Jacobs' passing game usage in 2020. |
| 22 | Aaron Jones - GB | RB14 | Jones is a "better than the rest" option. Severe negative touchdown regression is coming and behemoth-sized rookie RB AJ Dillon will operate as a TD-vulture. Jones' possible salvation comes in the form of an increased passing game role. GB has foolishly not fully embraced his dual threat skillset but Rodgers' favoritism of Jones, combined with the team's nonexistent WR depth could bode well for the dynanmic back. |
| 23 | Chris Godwin - TB | WR7 | The 2019 Pro Bowler/2nd-Team All Pro slot receiver is the perfect weapon for lover-of-slot-weapons Tom Brady. Expect TB to gift Godwin the team lead in targets. |
| 24 | Austin Ekeler - LAC | RB15 | Ekeler's peak was likely in 2019. The Chargers had a tough schedule and will likely play ball-control offense all year long, enhancing the need to get either Justin Jackson or Josh Kelley onto the field. Tyrod Taylor is much less likely to overload Ekeler with receiving game work, the way Philip Rivers did. |
| 25 | JuJu Smith-Schuster - PIT | WR8 | The ascension of Diontae Johnson, operating as Pittsburgh's X, and the return of a healthy Ben Roethlisberger signals the impending JuJu-slot-target-bonanza that we were robbed of in 2019. Sharp Football pegs the Steelers as having the easiest passing game schedule of 2020*. |
| 26 | Calvin Ridley - ATL | WR9 | Calvin Ridley and Julio Jones will cement themselves as the NFL's premier WR duo. As mentioned in the Julio section, 2020 will be The Year of The Shootout in Atlanta. Ridley has developed into one of the league's best route runners and should challenge Julio for the primary receiver role in the Falcons offense. Draft him aggressively in Round 3 or 4. |
| 27 | Allen Robinson - CHI | WR10 | Hat tip to Evan Silva of Establish The Run for convincingly talking all offseason (on their Establish The Run Podcast*) about Allen Robinson's potential to lead the league in targets. Per Sharp Football, Chicago is set to face the 7th-softest pass defense schedule of 2020*. Should the front office not block Nick Foles from taking over the starting QB job, A-Rob will be playing with the best QB of his career. |
| 28 | Kenny Golladay - DET | WR11 | Golladay is unlikely to enter elite target territory (150+) given the Lions' balanced offense. However, Golladay can reasonably hit 120+ targets, many of them coming in high-value, downfield situations. |
| 29 | DJ Moore - CAR | WR12 | The high-octane system Joe Brady is set to unleash on the NFL will be a sight to behold. Moore is an ascending, potent talent who will lead the passing-game-charge. The Panthers may field the NFL's worst defense, patched together by rookies with no preseason experience. Shootouts will be plentiful, enhancing the fantasy prospects of Carolina's offensive players. |
| 30 | Odell Beckham Jr. - CLE | WR13 | Beckham Jr. is set to take on the Stefon Diggs downfield passing game role in Kevin Stefanski's analytically-informed play-action-heavy offense. 120 targets, many coming in high-value field depth and Sharp Football's 5th-softest passing game slate add up for a big time 2020 Odell Beckham Jr. season. |
| 31 | Mike Evans | WR14 | Brady brings a lower volume of passes to town and Godwin is the best bet to take the target lead. Still though, passing on the man who's tied Randy Moss's record of hauling in 1,000 receiving yards in each of their first six seasons is a mistake*. The offense will have fewer possessions and pass-positive game scripts, but they'll live in the endzone all year long. |
| 32 | DeAndre Hopkins - ARI | WR15 | Hopkins should have a decent year. An elite receiver in an ascending offense with a bad defense that ensures frequent shootouts indicates a safe floor. However, receivers (and their box score production) often take a season to fully acclimate to a new team -- that could be compounded with no preseason. Fantasy owners are also used to Hopkins being in contention for the lead league in targets. Being on a team that deploys 4-WR sets at a league-high rate, teamed up with the rapidly developing Christian Kirk, slot receiver Larry Fitzgerald, and frequent RB passing game usage, it's likely that Nuk's target total comes down to the 120 range. That's more than enough for him to achieve WR1/2 fringe production, but not nearly enough for him to retain his high-end WR1 prospects. |
| 33 | Tyler Lockett - SEA | WR16 | The Russell Wilson/Tyler Lockett mind-meld is historically recognizeable at this point. Lockett's route running is top-tier. His .5PPR ADP currently sits in the low WR20s, yet he's posted back-to-back Top 15 seasons in that scoring format. Low volume passing attacks, like Seattle's, can still be usable if the number of passing options stays small. |
| 34 | AJ Brown - TEN | WR17 | AJ Brown is on an elite upward trajectory. Numerous advanced stat indicators suggest he's set to become a dominant NFL receiver for years to come. The only hinderance is the low-volume nature of the Titans' passing offense. Still he will be the alpha receiving option in a highly efficient offense. A Top 12 finish is well within his range of outcomes. |
| 35 | Melvin Gordon - DEN | RB16 | Gordon will continue his trend of operating as a 1A back, with Phillip Lindsay featuring as the change of pace rusher. Gordon is a talented dual threat back and will be used as such. Lindsay is more of a rush-only weapon, if a talented, undersized one. Denver's offense is mid-tier, which lowers Gordon's scoring likelihood from what it was in LA. A regular dosage of 15-18 touches, with a few 20+ weeks sprinkled in, projects Gordon as a solid RB2. |
| 36 | TY Hilton - IND | WR18 | H/t to Rotoworld's blurbs: Colts OC Nick Sirianni declared Hilton the "main piece of this offense"* and cited 2018, where Hilton received a team-high 120 targets (76 catches, 1,270 yards, 6 touchdowns)*, as their ideal 2020 for Hilton. |
| 37 | Terry McLaurin - WAS | WR19 | Rookie's in 2019, McLaurin and QB Dwayne Haskins continued developing the rapport they started back in 2017 at Ohio State. Entering Year 2 of their professional careers, McLaurin is the top dog in Washington's passing game. A jump from 93 targets in 2019 to the 120-130 range is reasonable desire. He's confidently a WR2 as the Washington Football Team takes on Sharp Football's 9th-easiest pass defense slate*. |
| 38 | DJ Chark - JAX | WR20 | Chark enters 2020 as Jacksonville's newly established No. 1 receiver. He was easily QB Gardner Minshew's favorite passing game option and the two should find more box score success in 2020. Jax's paltry defense will keep the offense plenty busy against Sharp Football's 2nd-softest pass defense schedule*. |
| 39 | Will Fuller - HOU | WR21 | Will Fuller's range of outcomes is somewhere between IR and Top 3. His connection with Deshaun Watson is impeccable and the departure of DeAndre Hopkins opens up massive target volume. Last year, Hopkins totalled a team-leading 150 targets. Fuller was second on the team with 71. If Fuller is healthy, he needs to be in your lineup. Draft him aggressively, a round ahead of his ADP. |
| 40 | Cooper Kupp - LAR | WR22 | With the impending influx of 2-tight end sets, Kupp's redzone dominance and slot route snap share are likely to somewhat decrease. He'll still be Goff's go-to guy but expecting Kupp to return to early-2019 form is foolhardy. Draft him as a rock solid WR2. |
| 41 | DK Metcalf - SEA | WR23 | Metcalf is perhaps the NFL's premier deep threat. What he lacks in target volume, he makes up for in Average Depth of Target (aDOT). Locked firmly in as Seattle's 1B passing game option with a high target market share, he has a chance to surpass Tyler Lockett in the yardage and touchdown departments. |
| 42 | Robert Woods - LAR | WR24 | Woods has been a model of consistency over the last two seasons, peaking as the WR10 in 2018 when Cooper Kupp missed much of the year with a torn ACL. Woods primarily plays on the outside but kicks inside when Kupp is off the field, keeping Goff's slot-safety-blanket whole. |
| 43 | Mark Ingram - BAL | RB17 | Ingram faces negative touchdown regression in 2020. The addition of 2nd Round RB J.K. Dobbins provides competition for carries, and more importantly targets -- the latter of which Ingram sees too few of. Still, as the lead back in the NFL's premier rushing offense, it will be hard for Ingram not to maintain RB2 status, especially given Sharp Football projects the Ravens to face the NFL's 3rd-softest slate of run defenses. |
| 44 | Todd Gurley - LAR | RB18 | Gurley has no real competition for touches with the likes of Qadree Ollison, Brian Hill, and Ito Smith behind him. He's likely to receive all the work he can handle -- and his box score production will benefit from it -- however, the reality is that his degenerative knee will not hold up for a full season. Backup plans must be made if drafting him. |
| 45 | Chris Carson - SEA | RB19 | Seattle rolls into the season with Carson's backups injured (Rashaad Penny -- PUP list: ACL and Carlos Hyde -- recovering from shoulder labrum repair). Carson, himself, is rehabbing a hip injury but is on track to be ready for Week 1 as Seattle's lead back. |
| 46 | Jarvis Landry - CLE | WR25 | Landry should slide into the Adam Thielen role in new HC Kevin Stefanski's offense as the team's featured slot receiver. However, Dr. David Chao has called into question the likelihood of the receiver being ready for Week 1*. Draft with a backup plan in mind for the first few weeks but be ready for Landry to smash later on as the Browns graded out with the 5th-softest slate of 2020 pass defenses, per Sharp Football*. |
| 47 | Courtland Sutton - DEN | WR26 | Sutton is a tremendous talent, stuck in an unfortunate situation. With Denver likely to run a ball control/stout defense system, staring down the barrell of Sharp Football's 2nd-most difficult pass defense schedule* his 2020 ceiling is stunted. |
| 48 | Jonathan Taylor - IND | RB20 | Taylor's exceptional rushing ability combined with Indy's top-notch offensive line and Sharp Football's No. 1 easiest overall 2020 schedule/No. 4 easiest run defense schedule erases concerns over the cancelled preseason*. |
| 49 | Patrick Mahomes - KC | QB1 | The NFL's best QB in one of the most efficient, pass-happy offenses we've ever seen. It's worth noting though, per Dr. David Chao, Mahomes' choice to not have his medial patellofemoral ligament repaired puts him at a significantly higher risk of injury that could result in long term damage to knee cartilage*. |
| 50 | Lamar Jackson - BAL | QB2 | Research has proven that rushing QBs are not at an elevated risk of injury*. Per Sharp Football, the Ravens face the NFL's 4th-softest overall schedule, the 6th-softest passing schedule, and the 3rd-softest run defense schedule*. Draft him confidently. |
| 51 | Mark Andrews - BAL | TE3 | Andrews produced at an incredible rate, despite only playing 43% of Baltimore's snaps last season. That he hogged 24.3% of the team's targets is absurd*. For reference, Chris Godwin's target rate in 2019 was 22.2%*. Assuming Andrews' playing time increases to a more normal rate (For examplte: Zach Ertz was on-field for 90% of Philly's plays*), it's reasonable to expect Andrews keeping a strangehold on his target share. All aforementioned percentage info comes courtesy of Matthew Kelley's PlayerProfiler.com. Worth noting, during Kelley's appearance on Ian Hartitz's PFF Fantasy Football Podcast, Kelley mentioned that Andrews is diabetic, placing in a higher-risk category of those who contract COVID-19*. |
| 52 | Zach Ertz - PHI | TE4 | Ertz will likely lose a few more targets to Dallas Goedert and the dearth of deep threats that now populate Philly's roster. However, his proven rapport with Carson Wentz and Sharp Football excitingly projecting the Eagles to face the NFL's 9th-softest slate of 2020 pass defenses* keeps Ertz locked-in as one of the tight end top dogs. |
| 53 | Marquise Brown - BAL | WR27 | Marquise Brown may not have played a single game at full health in 2019. Expect Brown to challenge DK Metcalf for the Deep Threat Crown. Sharp Football projects Baltimore to face the NFL's 6th-softest slate of pass defenses in 2020*. |
| 54 | Michael Gallup - DAL | WR28 | Gallup quietly caught 66 of his 113 targets, clearing 1,100 yards and finding the endzone times*. Dallas has a real deal downfield weapon on their hands, now guaranteed frequent 1-on-1 deep coverage while Sharp Football's 11th-easiest slate of pass defenses* try to cover Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb. |
| 55 | Julian Edelman - NE | WR29 | The signing of Cam Newton instantly solidified Edelman's FLEX viability. |
| 56 | Keenan Allen - LAC | WR30 | Since posting 8 TDs in his rookie year, Allen has never gone higher than scores in a season*. An inside-outside dynamo who thrives on a high-volume of targets for fantasy goodness in unfortunately a bad fit in the ball control/stout defense that is to come, quarterbacked by Tyrod Taylor. Sharp Football projects the Chargers to face a significantly hard slate of pass defenses than rush defenses, an aspect that ensures a low-volume Chargers offense*. |
| 57 | Le'Veon Bell - NYJ | RB21 | Bell's in a bad spot. Adam Gase's impossibly-bad offense coupled with Gase's infatuation with 37-year old Frank Gore's immortality set Bell up for 18-ish touches per week in a low scoring offense. Do not draft unless it's an emergency. |
| 58 | David Montgomery - CHI | RB22 | Matt Nagy's usage of Montgomery last year was baffling. Instead of frequently utilizing dual threat's multifaceted (if average) skillset, Nagy mostly restricted him to a banger role. Perhaps the most important factor for Chicago's overall offensive success will be whether or not Ryan Pace sets his ego aside and benches Mitchell Trubisky in favor of Nick Foles. |
| 59 | David Johnson - HOU | RB23 | A back injury derailed DJ's 2019 season. Whether he can recover for 2020 is unkown. What is known though is that his best asset is his passing game ability -- something Donkey-Head Coach Bill O'Brien has not typically utilized in his running backs. DJ's 2020 season is not promising. |
| 60 | Kareem Hunt | RB24 | In the 8 games that Hunt played last year, he averaged 5.5 targets and 5.4 carries per game*. New HC Kevin Stefanski embraces 2-tight end and 2-running back sets in his scheme. It's likely Hunt maintains his 10+ touches per game, at worst. At best, he sees closer to 12 touches with half coming via high-value passing game looks. He's a rock-solid flex play with RB1 upside, should lead back Nick Chubb get hurt. |
| 61 | Diontae Johnson - PIT | WR31 | Diontae Johnson broke out as the Steelers' X-receiver in his rookie year, despite playing almost the entirety of the season without Ben Roethlisberger. With Sharp Football projecting Pittsburgh's passing game schedule as the easiest in the NFL*, expect Johnson to smash his ADP. Draft him aggressively. |
| 62 | DeSean Jackson - PHI | WR32 | We saw one game with Carson Wentz throwing to DeSean Jackson last year and it was gorgeous. If we can get any decent number of games out of D-Jax this year, he has a Will Fuller-like ceiling. The Eagles getting the 10th-softest passing game schedule, per Sharp Football* boosts this already high stock. |
| 63 | Jamison Crowder - NYJ | WR33 | Although he's stuck in the Adam Gase offense, he's Sam Darnold's go-to guy. 10 targets per game is a serious possibility this year. |
| 64 | A.J. Green - CIN | WR34 | It might take some time for rookie QB Joe Burrow to get on the same page as A.J. Green. Burrow's 2019 season at LSU is perhaps the single greatest collegiate performace we've ever seen though. Green's willingness to play another down for Cincy is a concren. Last season, he essentially pretended his ankle never recovered from an early season injury to show the team that he wanted a new contract and never retook the field. |
| 65 | Christian Kirk - ARI | WR35 | Kirk's impending WR1/2 2020 season was derailed by the trade-addition of All Pro WR DeAndre Hopkins. Kirk and QB Kyler Murray have established rapport though and Kirk should retain rights to frequent slot usage. |
| 66 | Tyler Boyd - CIN | WR36 | Bengals rookie QB Joe Burrow helped slot receiver Justin Jefferson post gaudy numbers in their 2019 campaign. Boyd is likely to take the team lead in slot snaps this year and an immediate safety blanket connection should be formed. |
| 67 | Marvin Jones Jr. - DET | WR37 | Injuries have slowed Jones Jr.'s last two seasons, however, when on field he continues to thrive in Detroit's downfield-centric offense. |
| 68 | Leonard Fournette - JAX | RB25 | Fournette predicably saw a massive uptick in passing game usage in 2019, under one-year OC John DeFilippo. With new HC Jay Gruden bringing favored pass catching back Chris Thompson with him from Washinton to Jacksonville though, Fournette's buoying .5PPR/PPR production is long gone. |
| 69 | Stefon Diggs - BUF | WR38 | Last year's most talented downfield receiver finds himself on the receiving end of Josh Allen's scattershot cannon. Diggs is a Best Ball-preferred option, given the likelihood of up and down production. Allen stands to benefit from Diggs, more so than Diggs from Allen. |
| 70 | Raheem Mostert - SF | RB26 | Mostert is a talented pure-rusher on a team with Tevin Coleman, Jeff Wilson, and Jerick McKinnon -- all talented backs that at one time or another has been the apple of HC Kyle Shanahan's eye, most notably Tevin Coleman who Shanahan brought from ATL to SF ASAP. Mostert's ADP is far too high. |
| 71 | Marlon Mack - IND | RB27 | Although Jonathan Taylor is capable of doing more with his rushes, given his natural rushing ability, the COVID era puts an emphasis on drafting proven veterans. Almost any halfway decent back can run behind Indy's dominant offensive line -- especially against Sharp Football's 4th-easiest slate of run defenses in 2020. Draft Mack aggressively in the later rounds. |
| 72 | Tevin Coleman - SF | RB28 | Kyle Shanahan loves this guy. His ADP is far, far preferable to Raheem Mostert and they may end up splitting Shanahan-system carries equally. |
| 73 | D'Andre Swift - DET | RB29 | Perhaps the most talented rookie back, Swift's ascension to committee lead was stalled with the abbreviated training camp and lack of a preseason. He will be given ample opportunity to seize the job in Week 1, but his ceiling is not what it was a few months ago. |
| 74 | Malcolm Brown - LAR | RB30 | Darrelle Henderson was a bad scheme fit and Cam Akers, although a freaky athlete, is a rookie without a real training camp/preseason. Brown is the proven, if unsexy, vet in this backfield. |
| 75 | Henry Ruggs - LV | WR39 | A best case scenario is that Ruggs is brought along similarly to D.K. Metcalf last year. Start him off as a deep threat and slowly throw more and more responsibilities at him. Gruden is a far more creative offensive mind that Pete Carroll is though so we can hope for some gadgetry near the line of scrimmage early on. Ruggs might be best viewed as a waiver wire add ahead of Week 4. He viable to pop off in Week 1 against Carolina, but after that he'll have to contend with the defenses of New Orleans, New England, and Buffalo before a likely shootout in Week 5 against Kansas City. A Week 6 bye and a date with Tampa Bay in Week 7 make his short term schedule unappetizing, which could lead to his owner dropping him early on. The schedule opens up after that. |
| 76 | Boston Scott - PHI | RB31 | Scott's proficient dual threat back, giving Eagles coaches the ability to spell workhorse Miles Sanders without altering the offensive scheme. 8 touches per game is possible and he becomes a fringe RB1/2 should Sanders get hurt. |
| 77 | Cam Akers - LAR | RB32 | As far as athetecism is concerned, Akers' 1.47 10-yard split* places him squarely between Tyreek Hill (1.50)* and Chris Johnson (1.43)*. Sky's the limit on his potential but the lack of a real training camp and zero preseason games tilts things to his disadvantage. |
| 78 | J.K. Dobbins - BAL | RB33 | Dobbins' brings a pass catching ability to the table that Mark Ingram lacks. It may take some time for him to learn the offense, but one of the league's most potent rushing attack life is made easy. Dobbins should nab the 8-10 touch role a few weeks into the season. |
| 79 | Kerryon Johnson - DET | RB34 | Kerryon's stock rose with COVID-19 taking away the preseason and shortening training camp, thus hurting Swift's ability to take the committee lead from him. Vets like this will be valuable late in drafts. |
| 80 | John Brown - BUF | WR40 | John Brown quietly had himself a nice 2019. Unfortunately he'll be a matchup-based-start only this year, with Stefon Diggs coming to town. Still, he'll be worth a FLEX when facing team's whose safety play is lacking. |
| 81 | DeVante Parker - MIA | WR41 | Sharp Football projects the Dolphins to face the NFL's most difficult slate of pass defenses*, but the likely team leader in targets has to be on this list somewhere. The longer Ryan Fitzpatrick stays at the helm, the better. Parker benefits from Fitz's willingness to launch bombs, no matter the situation. |
| 82 | Jalen Reagor - PHI | WR42 | Even if DeSean Jackson has a mostly healthy 2019, Reagor should eat against Sharp Football's 10th-softest slate of pass defenses*. Wentz flashed major downfield talent when D-Jax was on the field for one game last year. It'll be a smoke show in Philly this season. |
| 83 | Darren Waller - OAK | TE5 | Although the additions of Jason Witten and Henry Ruggs hurts Waller's ceiling, Waller should retain rights to the team's lead in targets. He should see positive TD regression too. The only knock on him vs. Ruggs is that his targets will likely come far closer to the line of scrimmage. It really is a toss up as to whose box score will be most fruitful. |
| 84 | Zach Moss BUF | RB35 | Moss would be higher than Devin Singletary on this list if training camp and the preseason hadn't been nuked. Moss's physique and dual threat ability profile as a stronger lead back than Singletary. He might start slowly as he learns the playbook but he's a good bet to steal the starting job in-season. |
| 85 | Evan Engram - NYG | TE6 | A smattering of concussions, muscle pulls, and MCL injuries has stunted Engram's box score production thus far. The tight end possesses a startlingly similar profile* to Marques Colston* though, and it's apparent on the field. Engram's receiving ability is likely the highest ceiling on the team, wideouts included. |
| 86 | Phillip Lindsay - DEN | RB36 | Lindsay is an inferior rusher and pass catcher to newly acquired Melvin Gordon. He's likely relegated to 8 or so rushes per game with a 1-2 targets sprinkled on top. |
| 87 | James White - NE | RB37 | The more positive news we see regarding Cam Newton's health, the higher White will climb on this list. Cam's always been willing to throw to his backs when he has a talented pass catching back to throw to. |
| 88 | Dak Prescott - DAL | QB3 | Dallas' mid-tier defense won't slow good offenses, forcing Dak and Co. into guns-free mode with Sharp Football's mouthwatering projection of the 11th-softest slate of pass defenses in 2020*. Replacing Ranall Cobb and Jason Witten with CeeDee Lamb and Blake Jarwin is the stuff of dreams. |
| 89 | Josh Allen - BUF | QB4 | A beast in the rushing department and proficient in short-to-midfield passing, Allen's noteworthy deficiency was his downfield accuracy. The Bills went ahead and signed 2019's best downfield receiver, Stefon Diggs. |
| 90 | Kyler Murray - ARI | QB5 | Damiere Byrd, KeeSean Johnson, Pharoh Cooper, Trent Sherfield, and Dan Arnold accounted for 144 of Kyler Murray's target last year*. Insert DeAndre Hopkins and factor in the fact that Arizona was not able to utilize 4-wide sets as often as they wanted to, given the aforementioned personnel, and you can see 2020 will be a monster season for Kyler Murray. |
| 91 | Deshaun Watson - HOU | QB6 | The departure of DeAndre Hopkins should force Watson to utilize his plethora of downfield weapons (Will Fuller, Brandin Cooks, and Kenny Stills) more often, which could lead to more long TDs -- and more INTs, forcing Watson into God Mode/sandlot football. Combine that with his likelihood to tuck and run more often without the ever-available Hopkins and you can see a gritty, great box score performance from Watson in 2020. |
| 92 | Parris Campbell - IND | WR43 | The leading candidate for the Colts' slot duties should be a catch-happy fantasy option. Philip Rivers was locked onto slotster Keenan Allen for the duration of their time together with the Chargers. We can hope for 60% of that connection in Indy. Adding to the plus-side is Indy facing Sharp Football's 4th-softest slate of pass defenses*. |
| 93 | Golden Tate - NYG | WR44 | Tate's run-after-catch ability keeps him as a constant flex option. That he may add a few yards via kick returns from time to time is a nice bonus. |
| 94 | Russell Wilson - SEA | QB7 | Perhaps the NFL's 3rd-most talented QB, Wilson is forever held back by Pete Carroll's refusal to get with the times. Still though, Russell Wilson hasn't finished outside of the QB1 ranks in Fantasy Pros' database, dating back to 2012*. |
| 95 | DeAndre Washington - KC | RB38 | Washington immediately steps into an 8+ touch as CEH's backup. While CEH aborbs the playbook in real time to start the season, Washington will play the role of steady, dependable NFL backup. It's fair to point out that Washington is also new to the team, but Andy Reid will undoubtedly appreciate the presence of the 5th-year pro and his proficient receiving game abilities. |
| 96 | Derrius Guice - WAS | RB39 | The wheels have to fall off of Adrian Peterson at some point. |
| 97 | Duke Johnson Jr. - HOU | RB40 | It's possible David Johnson's back injuries have robbed him of his abilities. Duke will likely retain 8 or so touches per game and it's worth noting that even when healthy, he's very likely a better interior rusher than DJ. |
| 98 | Jared Cook - NO | TE7 | A talented pass catching tight end in a Drew Brees offense will always have value. |
| 99 | Ronald Jones Jr. - TB | RB41 | The best bet for 12+ touches per game. Rookie Ke'Shawn Vaughn has a drastically higher upside but until we know that he's earned Tom Brady's trust, Jones is good late round pick. |
| 100 | Austin Hooper - CLE | TE8 | David Njoku's trade request is very good news for Hooper's 2020 prospects. The proficient receiving tight end has access to 50 or so targets with Njoku there and 70+ if he leaves. New HC Kevin Stefanski frequently deploys 2-tight end sets so Hooper will always have some form of positional competition. 2019 John Mackey Award winner Harrison Bryant is no slouch as a potential No. 2 TE option but it does take time for tight ends to develop in the pros. Hooper will duke it out with RB Kareem Hunt for the team's No. 3 target total. |
Sources: Derrick Henry - Sharp Football: Titans rushing Strength Of Schedule, Miles Sanders - Sharp Football: Eagles overall SOS, Dalvin Cook’s injuries and Dr. David Chao’s thoughts on them, Joe Mixon - Sharp Football: Bengals rushing SOS, Julio Jones - Sharp Football: Falcons passing SOS, James Conner - Sharp Football: Steelers overall SOS, Amari Cooper - Sharp Football: Cowboys passing SOS, George Kittle YAC and overall stats, evidence-free report on Josh Jacobs’ 2020 passing game usage, JuJu Smith-Schuster Sharp Football: Steelers passing SOS, Establish The Run Podcast episode featuring Evan Silva’s Allen Robinson talk and Sharp Football: Bears passing SOS, Mike Evans and Randy Moss in the 6 x 1,000-yard receiving club, T.Y. Hilton Rotoworld Report and 2018 stats, Terry McLaurin - Sharp Football: Washington passing SOS, D.J. Chark - Sharp Football: Jaguars passing SOS, Dr. David Chao’s thoughts on Jarvis Landry’s injury and Sharp Football: Browns SOS, Courtland Sutton - Sharp Football: Broncos passing SOS, Clyde Edwards-Helaire combine, Jonathan Taylor - Sharp Football: Colts rushing SOS, Dr. David Chao on Patrick Mahomes’ knee, Lamar Jackson and rushing QB injury rates, Mark Andrews Player Profiler, Chris Godwin Player Profiler, Zach Ertz Player Profiler, Matthew Kelley’s thoughts on Mark Andrews and COVID-19 via Ian Hartitz’s PFF Fantasy Football Podcast, Zach Ertz - Sharp Football: Eagles passing SOS, Marquise Brown - Sharp Football: Ravens passing SOS, Sharp Football: Cowboys passing SOS and Michael Gallup stats, Keenan Allen stats and Sharp Football: Chargers passing SOS, Kareem Hunt average touches, Diontae Johnson - Sharp Football: Steelers passing SOS, DeSean Jackson - Sharp Football: Eagles passing SOS, DeVante Parker - Sharp Football: Dolphins passing SOS, Cam Akers combine, Chris Johnson combine, Tyreek Hill combine, Jalen Reagor - Sharp Football: Eagles passing SOS, Evan Engram combine, Marques Colston combine, Dak Prescott - Sharp Football: Cowboys passing SOS, Arizona Cardinals passing game targets, Parris Campbell - Sharp Football: Colts passing SOS, and Russell Wilson’s 2012-2019 QB1 finishes.