Fantasy Football Preseason Rankings (PPR)

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Can you believe it? It is that time of year again. The NFL preseason has already kicked off and the regular season will start before you know it. Most people will be participating in their season-long drafts so I want to give you my thoughts on the players I think will be the best picks for your teams (I will update these rankings throughout the preseason).

So why take Fantasy Football advice from a Fantasy NASCAR guy? Actually I spent more time covering Fantasy Football than I have in Fantasy NASCAR. I started playing Fantasy Football in 1986 (Yes, my first pick was RB Roger Craig from the S.F. 49ers). I wrote a Fantasy Football newsletter from 1997-2004. In 2006 I started to cover Fantasy Football for Bleacher Report. I switched to NASCAR in 2010. In 2014 I was inducted into the Yahoo Sports Fantasy Football Hall of Fame and have been recognized by the Fantasy Sports Writer’s Association for my work in Fantasy Football. So I have a lot background in this sport.

* Be sure to sign up to get the DFS Fantasy Football picks for the 2019 season, plus DFS NASCAR for 1 year and DFS PGA picks for 1 year. It is a great value! FantasyRacingTips Membership

These rankings are based on a 12-Team league, with 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 FLEX, 1 DEF and 1 K. Scoring is 1 point per 25 yards passing, 10 yards rushing and 10 yards receiving. 4 points per passing TD, 6 points per rushing / receiving TD and 1 point per reception.

Here is my preseason ranking…

 

ROUND 1

PLAYER

POS.

TEAM

1.      Christian McCaffrey

RB

CAR

2.      Ezekiel Elliott

RB

DAL

3.      Saquon Barkley

RB

NYG

4.      Alvin Kamara

RB

NO

5.      David Johnson

RB

ARZ

6.      Leveon Bell

RB

NYJ

7.      DeAndre Hopkins

WR

HST

8.      DeVante Adams

WR

GB

9.      Julio Jones

WR

AtL

10.   Michael Thomas

WR

NO

11.   James Conner

RB

PIT

12.   Odell Beckham

WR

CLV

 

My philosophy in the first round is to make sure I hit a home run. That is why Christian McCaffrey is my number one player. There is absolutely no risk with McCaffrey. He never comes off the field; he will likely total 1,600 yards, have 90+ receptions and 8+ TDS. Also he usually does not get injured. Ezekiel Elliott is my No.2 pick for now. August 6th is an important date for Zeke. If he does not report to camp by the 6th he will not earn credit for the year towards free agency. He is probably the best player in Fantasy Football but McCaffrey is the safer pick. Saquon Barkley is a stud on a crappy team. Every defense will focus on Barkley and that is the only reason why he is No. 3 (but it is close with the top 3). I am higher on LeVeon Bell than others. I think there is a lot of tread on his tires and he will be extra motivated to perform. Also, who else is going to lead the Jets offense? DeAndre Hopkins, DeVante Adams, Julio Jones, Michael Thomas and Odell Beckham Jr. are all stud WRs. I think you can win your league with any of these pass-catchers as your first pick. I know the Steelers are talking about using a committee at RB to keep James Conner fresh but I am not buying it. Pittsburgh has been a one-back team and they are going to need Conner if they want to win games this season.

 

ROUND 2

PLAYER

POS.

TEAM

13.   Travis Kelce

TE

KC

14.   Tyreek Hill

WR

KC

15.   Todd Gurley

RB

LAR

16.   Joe Mixon

RB

CIN

17.   Melvin Gordon III

RB

LAC

18.   Delvin Cook

RB

MIN

19.   JuJu Smith-Schuster

WR

PIT

20.   Antonio Brown

WR

OAK

21.   Mike Evans

WR

TB

22.   Aaron Jones

RB

GB

23.   T.Y. Hilton

WR

IND

24.   Leonard Fournette

RB

JAX

  • Keenan Allen was mistakenly excluded from these rankings. Allen should be No. 24 on the list.

I do not mind taking TE Travis Kelce at the top of round 2. He will likely put up WR1 numbers. You will have a huge advantage over your competition each week at the TE position with Kelce in your lineup. Tyreek Hill is a freak. He can score so many ways that he could easily be a first round pick. I am a Chiefs fan and I am a little concerned that his off-the-field issues are not over yet. That is the reason why I have the Cheetah in round 2. I heard enough about Todd Gurley’s knee. He is still the Rams No. 1 RB and if he did not have arthritis in his knee he would be the No. 1 pick in the draft. I will draft Gurley in the 2nd round and ensure I handcuff him with Darrell Henderson in the 7th round. Joe Mixon, Melvin Gordon III and Delvin Cook all have their issues. I rather take a risk with a high-end RB1 in round 2 because it is easier to find value at the WR position then it is at the RB position. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Antonio Brown, Mike Evans and T.Y. Hilton are elite WRs. I like them more if you got a RB in the first round. I did many mock drafts and going WR-WR to start a draft always leaves me thin at the RB position. Aaron Jones and Leonard Fournette should get enough work to be good picks in the 2nd round.

 

ROUND 3

PLAYER

POS.

TEAM

25.   Zach Ertz

TE

PHI

26.   George Kittle

TE

SF

27.   Stephan Diggs

WR

MIN

28.   Nick Chubb

RB

CLE

29.   Kerryon Johnson

RB

DET

30.   Damien Williams

RB

KC

31.   Julian Edelman

WR

NE

32.   Amari Cooper

WR

DAL

33.   Adam Thielen

WR

MIN

34.   Josh Jacobs

RB

OAK

35.   Marlon Mack

RB

IND

36.   Devonta Freeman

RB

ATL

 

If you did not get Travis Kelce in round 2, then round 3 is your last chance to get an elite TE (Although I prefer to wait until rounds 5 or 6 for a TE). Zach Ertz and George Kittles will put up big numbers and give you an advantage at the TE position most weeks. I really like Nick Chubb and Kerryon Johnson. Both of these RBs will likely be No. 1 picks next year. No, I am not worried about Kareem Hunt taking Chubb’s job. The Browns will be dumb to take Chubb out of the lineup if he gets off to a hot start (and I think he will). Julian Edelman may get 150 targets from Tom Brady because who else is he throwing to? (Besides James White). Amari Cooper has talent that Oakland could not find. Dallas will get the best out of Cooper this year. Adam Thielen scares me a little because teams shut him down in the second half of the 2018 season when they figured out they could shut him down with their No. 1 CB. Josh Jacobs has a brutal schedule against the run but he should still put up good numbers. Marlon Mack and Devonta Freeman are underrated. I would be happy with either player as my No. 2 RB.

 

Round 4

PLAYER

POS.

TEAM

37.   Patrick Maholmes

QB

KC

38.   Robert Woods

WR

LAR

39.   Brandin Cooks

WR

LAR

40.   Mark Ingram II

RB

BAL

41.   Tyler Locket

WR

SEA

42.   Kenny Golliday

WR

DET

43.   Alshon Jeffrey

WR

PHI

44.   Chris Godwin

WR

TB

45.   Derrick Henry

RB

TEN

46.   Chris Carson

RB

SEA

47.   Tyler Boyd

WR

CIN

48.   A.J. Green

WR

CIN

 

I am a big believer in waiting on a QB. I never draft one before round 8 but Patrick Mahomes is worth a pick at the top of round 4 if he is still available. The two L.A. Rams WRs are next on the list. It is splitting hairs to decide who is better. Baltimore is going to run the rock a lot. Even if RB Justice Hill cuts into some of Mark Ingram’s carries, there is plenty of work to make Ingram a solid round 4 pick. Tyler Locket and Kenny Golliday are No. 1 WRs for teams who do not plan to pass too much. They still have value in round 4. Derrick Henry will not catch many passes but he will get plenty of carries and goal line work. He is worth a 4th round pick even in a PPR league. The two Bengal WRs are my final picks in round 4. Tyler Boyd is in for a breakout season and A.J. Green will miss some time with his ankle injury but if he returns healthy you will be getting an elite WR in round 4 for 10 weeks this season.

 

* Round 5 is where I like to target my TE…

Round 5

PLAYER

POS.

TEAM

49.   Hunter Henry

TE

LAC

50.   Evan Engram

TE

NYG

51.   Phillip Lindsay

RB

DEN

52.    Allen Robinson

WR

CHI

53.   Cooper Kupp

WR

LAR

54.   D.J. Moore

WR

CAR

55.   Sammy Watkins

WR

KC

56.   Jarvis Landry

WR

CLV

57.   DeSean Watson

QB

HST

58.   James White

RB

NE

59.   Kenyan Drake

RB

MIA

60.   O.J. Howard

TE

TB

 

The three TEs in this round are good values. No, they are not as good as Travis Kelce, Zach Ertz or George Kittle, but if you have two RBs and two WRs to pair with Hunter Henry, Evan Engram or O.J. Howard, you are in good shape. Phillip Lindsay was a diamond in the rough last year. He will likely have more competition from Royce Freeman but until we see it on the field, I will leave Lindsay in round 5. Allen Robinson and Cooper Kupp are good value picks in round 5 because of the amount of work they will receive in their offenses. Sammy Watkins and Jarvis Landry are is high-power offenses and should get enough work to justify a 5th round pick. DeSean Watson is my No. 2 QB in my rankings. Houston will put up a lot of points this season and that means a lot of fantasy points for Watson. James White will be the No. 2 WR for the Patriots and you get him at a RB position.

 

Round 6

PLAYER

POS.

TEAM

61.   Calvin Ridley

WR

ATL

62.   Miles Sanders

RB

PHI

63.   Lamar Miller

RB

HST

64.   Aaron Rodgers

QB

GB

65.   Andrew Luck

QB

IND

66.   Robby Anderson

WR

NYJ

67.   Tevin Coleman

RB

SF

68.   Darius Guice

RB

WAS

69.   David Montgomery

RB

CHI

70.   Will Fuller V

WR

HST

71.   Marvin Jones Jr.

WR

DET

72.   Mike Williams

WR

LAC

 

I like taking a shot at some RBs with upside in the 6th round. The word out of the Eagles camp is that Miles Sanders “looks the part” (Got to love the scout talk). It may take a month for Sanders to earn the #1 RB position from Jordan Howard, but he could lead your team in the second-half of the season. Tevin Coleman and David Montgomery are great value picks too. Robby Anderson said he worked hard to be the best WR in the NFL. That is not going to happen, but he would be a good No. 2 or No. 3 WR for your Fantasy Team. Will Fuller V is great value “if” he can stay healthy. Mike Williams is a WR I will be targeting in every league. This will be his breakout year. Aaron Rodgers has been the No. 1 QB for many years. I expect him to bounce back in a big way in 2019. Andrew Luck is very good but very injury prone. I probably will not draft him this season.

 

Round 7

PLAYER

POS.

TEAM

73.   David Montgomery

RB

LAR

74.   Jared Cook

TE

NO

75.    Dante Pettis

WR

SF

76.   Sony Michel

RB

NE

77.   Larry Fitzgerald

WR

ARZ

78.   Matt Ryan

QB

ATL

79.   Austin Eckler

RB

LAC

80.   Corey Davis

WR

TEN

81.   Dede Westbrook

WR

JAC

82.   Sterling Shepard

WR

NYG

83.   Christian Kirk

WR

ARZ

84.   Curtis Samuel

WR

CAR

 

If you drafted Todd Gurley in rounds 1 or 2, you need to be targeting David Montgomery in late round 6 or early round 7. Locking up the Rams backfield is a great move. Dante Pettis, Christian Kirk and Curtis Samuel are three breakout candidates who could be a steal in round 7. Larry Fitzgerald, Dede Westbrook and Sterling Shepard are safer picks in this round. I prefer to take the young WRs with the upside at this point of the draft. Austin Eckler will see his draft price go up the longer Melvin Gordon holds out. The word from the Chargers is that Justin Jackson will get a lot of time too so I prefer to wait and take him after round 10. Matt Ryan would be a great QB to have this late in the draft.

 

Round 8

PLAYER

POS.

TEAM

85.   Courtland Sutton

WR

DEN

86.   LaTavius Murray

RB

NO

87.   Eric Ebron

TE

DET

88.   Tarik Cohen

RB

CHI

89.   Baker Mayfield

QB

CLV

90.   Vance McDonald

TE

PIT

91.   Keke Coutee

WR

HST

92.   Cam Newton

QB

CAR

93.   DeSean Jackson

WR

PHI

94.   Delanie Walker

TE

TEN

95.   Carson Wentz

QB

PHI

96.   Golden Tate

WR

NYG

 

This is typically where I start to target my starting QB. I really like Baker Mayfield (but he has only fallen this far in about half of the mock drafts I have done so far). If Mayfield is available in round 8, pull the trigger and get him. Cam Newton is an injury risk who offers top 4 QB upside if he is fully healthy. Carson Wentz is the QB I have been drafting the most. He is also an injury risk, but he puts up good numbers when he is under the center. If you have been waiting on a TE, this is a good round to get your starter. Eric Ebron had a breakout season last year and Vance McDonald should do the same in 2019. These two TEs and Delanie Walker are good values at this point of the draft. Tarik Cohen and Keke Coutee are PPR value picks.

 

 

Round 9

PLAYER

POS.

TEAM

97.   John Brown

WR

BUF

98.   Rashaad Penny

RB

SEA

99.   Geronimo Allison

WR

GB

100.  Devin Funches

WR

IND

101.  Drew Brees

QB

NO

102.  M. Valdes-Scantling

WR

GB

103.  Anthony Miller

WR

CHI

104.    David Njoku

TE

CLV

105.    Donte Montcreif

WR

PIT

106.    Emmanuel Sanders

WR

DEN

107.    Ronald Jones

RB

TB

108.    Payton Barber

RB

TB

 

You need to be building your depth at this point of the draft. There are some WRs who should have good seasons. John Brown has been the talk of the Bills camp so far, Devin Funches could be the end-zone target for the Colts and Donte Montcrief should be a steady WR for the Steelers. Whichever WR wins the battle in Green Bay (Geronimo Allison or Marquez Valdes-Scantling) will be a steal in round 9. If you still need a TE, you could do much worse than David Njoku. I probably will not touch the Tampa Bay backfield this season but if you are in need of a 3rd or 4th RB, Ronald Jones or Payton Barber should be available.

 

Round 10

PLAYER

POS.

TEAM

109.    Dak Prescott

QB

DAL

110.    Jameis Winston

QB

TB

111.    Kyle Murray

QB

ARZ

112.    Royce Freeman

RB

DEN

113.    Austin Hooper

TE

ATL

114.    Marquise Brown

WR

BAL

115.    Nyheim Hynes

RB

IND

116.    Trey Burton

TE

CHI

117.    Jerick McKinnon

RB

SF

118.    Kalen Bllage

RB

MIA

119.    Jordan Howard

RB

PHI

120.    Tyrell Williams

WR

OAK

 

If you decided that you were going to stock your team with RBs and WRs in the early rounds (not a bad strategy at all), it is now time to find that QB to lead your team. Dak Prescott, Jameis Winston and Kyle Murray will put up enough points each week to lead your team to the championship. I really like the rushing points Prescott and Murray offer this season. Royce Freeman, Jerick McKinnon and Kalen Ballage are in camp battles. Even if they do not win the starting RB position for their teams, they should get enough work to have value in the 10th round.

 

 

Feel free to ask me any Fantasy Football questions you may have in the member’s forum. There are a lot of opinions out there in the Fantasy Football industry and I would like to give you mine and provide you the reason why I feel the way I do about a player.

 

Good luck this season!

 

Follow me on Twitter: @MrFantasyNASCAR