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These No. 2 running backs can be fantasy football league winners

by Alex Johnson, July 29, 2019

Jaylen Samuels poses a real threat to James Conner’s passing downs work and is a much better athlete. At 6-0, 225-pounds, Samuels possesses a 105.9 (83rd-percentile) Speed Score with a 119.2 (53rd-percentile) Burst Score and 11.21 (72nd-percentile) Agility Score. In comparison, Conner lands in the 63rd-, sixth-, and 18th-percentiles, respectively.

In the two seasons Mark Ingram shared a backfield with Alvin Kamara, he averaged 14.75 fantasy points per game. Latavius Murray is a more explosive version of Ingram and an elite goal line bacl. There is a good chance he tops that weekly average. Since entering the league in 2014, Murray’s 25 rushing touchdowns from inside the 10-yard line rank fifth among all active RBs.

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Using touchdown trends to mine tight end value in fantasy football

by Denny Carter, July 29, 2019

Over his injury-plagued career, Jordan Reed has averaged nearly seven targets a game for a seasonal pace of 112 targets, and an average of .38 touchdown catches per game. That works out to about six touchdowns per season. Best of all: he costs nothing in redraft.

Maybe Jimmy Graham is simply and plainly washed. Maybe all the injuries and subsequent surgeries have taken their toll and he’s never again going to be the machine sent from the future to score touchdowns. But it’s hard to ignore the discrepancy between his 2018 touchdown rate and his career numbers, bolstered by otherworldly touchdown production in New Orleans.

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The 5th Annual Late Round Tight End Roulette

by Ray Marzarella, July 26, 2019

There are two main factors that go into locating a Late Round Tight End Roulette candidate: elite age-adjusted college production and exceptional weight-adjusted agility. Mike Gesicki’s 10.86 (99th-percentile) Agility Score ranks only behind converted wide receiver Derek Carrier and George Kittle in the PlayerProfiler database.

Mark Andrews smashed expectations in his rookie year. His 552 receiving yards were the fifth-most by a rookie tight end in the last decade. His 16.2 (No. 2 among qualified tight ends) yards per reception and 11.0 (No. 2) yards per target ranked only behind O.J. Howard.

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The Golden Rule for Avoiding One-Hit Wonders in Fantasy Football

by Kyle Dvorchak, July 25, 2019

Phillip Lindsay ended the season with a wrist sprain which required surgery. The Broncos should rightfully see this as a reason to dial down the diminutive back’s workload next season. Between a downtick in touches and the subtraction by addition known as Joe Flacco, Lindsay will struggle to be a valuable pick inside the first six rounds of fantasy drafts.

The biggest threat to James Conner will be Jaylen Samuels. Samuels played a mix of tight end and running back at North Carolina State but made the full switch to running back after joining the NFL. In his three starts for Pittsburgh, as a rookie, Samuels was targeted 12 times and went for 105 receiving yards.

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Summer Heat Index: Decoding Offseason NFL News for Fantasy Football (Pre-Training Camp Edition)

by Kyle Dvorchak, July 24, 2019

The good news for J.J. Arcega-Whiteside is that his best comparable player is Keny Golladay. The bad news is that, regardless of how much the Eagles like him, a season similar to Golladay’s rookie outing (28-477-3) is his most likely outcome.

Damien Williams’ lack of prior production is a concern. He was an undrafted free agent in Miami who has yet to breakout or even top 50 carries in the NFL. Dating back to 2,000, nine backs who went undrafted produced a 200-point fantasy season six years into their careers.

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5 bell cows-in waiting who look like fantasy football league winners

by Marc Mathyk, July 24, 2019

Bell-cow running backs come at a high cost, usually picked in the first or second round of redraft leagues. But there are a handful of later-round players that could reach bell cow status due to injuries ahead of them or by winning the job outright.

As good as James Conner was in 2018, Jaylen Samuels had a better Production Premium and True Yards Per Carry than his teammate. He also had 26 receptions and never dropped the ball. Conner’s skills as a pass-catcher are limited, while Samuels’ skills are elite. Think of him as a bell cow-sized satellite back who has showed he can carry the load when called upon.

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If Melvin Gordon holds out, draft Keenan Allen

by Josh Crocker, July 23, 2019

In three games without Melvin Gordon in 2018, Keenan Allen’s Target Share jumped from 28-percent to 34-percent. His PPR points per game jumped over five points, reaching 21.93. His weekly finishes in that stretch included a 34.8-point week as the number one receiver in Week 13. If he gets a chance to play a full season without Gordon, he could be an absolute monster.

Hunter Henry has been a very effective tight end when on the field. His 406 Air Yards earned in 2017 placed him third among TEs. He was able to convert those yards into 9.3 (No. 4) Yards Per Target, and he logged eight end zone targets in only 12 games, good for No. 16 overall. Henry’s presence didn’t have a significant impact on Keenan Allen’s production when they’ve shared a field in the past.

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4 bust candidates to AVOID in fantasy football this season

by Matthew Gajewski, July 22, 2019

Dallas Goedert’s late-season breakout further lowered Ertz’s ceiling. Goedert was highly efficient while receiving a 54.7-percent snap share, evidenced by a 111.7 (No. 7) QB Rating When Targeted and a +21.5-percent (No. 6) Target Premium. Combined with Goedert’s breakout and Philly’s recent additions in the pass game, Ertz looks like a reach with his 25.6 ADP in early best-ball leagues.

Looking at PlayerProfiler efficiency metrics, Phillip Lindsay appears bound for regression. Despite recording 4.9 (No. 7) True Yards per Carry, Lindsay only notched 0.98 (No. 45) Yards Created per Carry. Coming off the board inside the top 50 picks, he remains a strong avoid in fantasy football.

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