Is James Washington a bust? Are you ready for the Deebo Samuel show in San Francisco?
Is George Kittle the rightful No. 1 tight end in dynasty? How soon until Kyler Murray breaks into the top-5 dynasty quarterbacks?
While his 2017 season didn’t inspire confidence, new Colts starting QB Jacoby Brissett has a lot more to work with this season. His Protection Rate should skyrocket from the No. 25 rank that he saw in 2017, up to the No. 4 rank that Andrew Luck saw last season. His improved weapons should also boost his Supporting Cast Efficiency from No. 32 to the No. 13 that Luck enjoyed last season.
With multiple offseasons under his belt, Brissett’s connection with WR T.Y. Hilton should improve. Hilton only saw a 67 percent Catchable Target Rate in 2017, which ranked No. 90. When his efficiency rises with his typical volume, he’ll return value on his falling ADP. The same goes for RB Marlon Mack, who is primed to see bell-cow work this season.
With a price tag at around the 50th overall pick, as the 18th receiver off the board on average, fantasy gamers have to answer the question of whether Kenny Golladay will be a breakout or a bust in 2019. In this range of drafts, we need to pick players with the upside to finish in the top 12 at their position.
Golladay is a size-speed specimen at 6-4, 218-pounds, with a 110.7 (93rd-percentile) Speed Score that draws comparison to the great Calvin Johnson. He has been productive at every opportunity and was consistently productive from an early age. He is a precocious producer with athleticism to match.
The Zero-WR draft strategy will prove to be fruitful in 2019. The largest edge in fantasy last season was premium tight ends and bell-cow running backs. Fantasy gamers need to target these guys in the first few rounds before switching their attention to receivers.
The breakout wide receivers available after round four highlight the need for Zero-WR drafts. Tyler Lockett and his other-worldly efficiency step into a high-volume role as Russell Wilson’s No.1 target. Don’t forget about Christian Kirk, who finished No. 5 in Target Premium with Josh Rosen as his QB. Now with Kyler Murray slinging passes, he’s primed for a breakout in 2019.
Melvin Gordon is more at-risk of missing games than Ezekiel Elliott. What is the Kerryon Johnson’s downside?
Justice Hill will be a top-15 fantasy running back. Amari Cooper’s foot injury is not insignificant.
Calvin Ridley looks ready to carve out a bigger target share on one of the most pass-happy offenses in the NFL. That will translate into a massive amount of fantasy points. The Falcons attempted the fifth-most passes (617) last season when Ridley managed a 15.2-percent target share. However, there’s a clear path forward to more targets for the sophomore heir apparent.
Despite his flashes of efficiency, Courtland Sutton struggled with six drops, recorded a -3.5 (No. 54) Production Premium and garnered a 14.9-percent (No. 75) Target Share in his rookie season. His path to more targets is unclear with the return of Emmanuel Sanders and the development of fellow sophomores DaeSean Hamilton and Tim Patrick.
Leonard Fournette hasn’t been a featured weapon game through two injury-plagued seasons of his NFL career but that can still change. Dating back to his time at LSU, Fournette looked the part of an every-down back. He accounted for 11.9-percent of his team’s targets.
The Washington offense will stifle any chemistry built between Dwayne Haskins and Terry McLaurin. They threw the 24th most passes last season and have been a conservative passing game for most of Gruden’s tenure in Washington. In the past four seasons, the leading receiver in Washington has had a target depth no higher than 10.7.
Fresh off a productive rookie season, Chris Herndon is among the most obvious breakout tight ends heading into 2019. It’s rare for rookie tight ends to be fantasy factors. Herndon went so far as playing runner-up to Robby Anderson in every important receiving category last year.
While Kliff Kingsbury has stocked the cupboard with several new weapons for Kyler Murray to play with, Ricky Seals-Jones sticks out as the biggest body for him to target. Whether it be in the middle of the field, down the seam or in the red zone.
Matt Ryan finished 2018 with a 79.5-percent (No. 25 among qualified players) Protection Rate. The Falcons rectified this, brigning in five free agent linemen and selected two more in the first round of the NFL Draft. His protection will bounce back, giving him more time to connect with his receivers deep.
Calvin Ridley’s touchdown total is bound to regress, being that he was only expected to score 3.6 based on his minimal usage in the red zone. The good news is that he will see a bump in volume as the Falcons phase out Mohammed Sanu in favor of the dynamic sophomore. The increase in target share will offset the touchdown regression, meaning a more productive second year is within his reach.
Fading James Conner because of Jaylen Samuels feels like bad process. With Gary Jennings looking like a bust, is David Moore percolating?
Alex Barnes deserves an opportunity. Packers – Darrin Hall finally found a home in Green Bay.
