Results for: ""

Avoid these 4 empty calorie running backs in fantasy football drafts

by Josh Crocker, August 19, 2019

What we get in Derrick Henry is a size/speed specimen the likes of which the world has never seen. What he isn’t, is a receiver. This works if the running back is a Nick Chubb-level talent in an offense with top-five scoring potential. Sadly, the Titans haven’t shown us that. In 2018, Henry averaged a mere 9.9 (No. 45) Weighted Opportunities per game.

Lamar Miller received more touches than Melvin Gordon last year, and yet he only averaged 12.3 (No 23) Fantasy Points per game. Bill O’Brien offenses run at a quick pace and have a high volume of rushing plays. 76-percent of his 235 total touches were empty calorie touches. Despite the team lacking other pass-catching backs, he earned only 2.5 targets a game.

READ MORE

Major Fantasy Football Average Draft Position (ADP) Trends to Follow in Preseason

by Sean McClure, August 16, 2019

Miles Boykin saw more volume than expected in his first NFL action, but fantasy owners should not overrate this performance. Boykin only played three of 12 snaps with Lamar Jackson and was not used until the second unit took over. Baltimore wants to know what they have in the third-round rookie and thus peppered him with force-fed targets from Trace McSorley.

Irv Smith played 25 of the offense’s 29 first half snaps including three where he lined up in the slot. In that substantial action, he hauled in three of seven targets for 21 receiving yards. Smith was also running deep routes and barely missed a few big gains. Despite a good showing, Smith is falling because he continues to play behind Kyle Rudolph on the depth chart.

READ MORE

3 sneaky-high upside tight ends to target in fantasy football drafts

by Matt Dunleavy, August 15, 2019

Austin Hooper’s ADP has been on the rise all summer and for good reason. This Atlanta passing attack is one that people want to have a piece of. Their tight end is the cheapest option, going in the 11th round, and he is not done progressing.

Lamar Jackson’s inability to move the ball vertically in year one has masked Mark Andrews’ true value. The narrative that he will not progress and that none of the Baltimore pass catchers have value is overblown. After a historically efficient rookie season, expect the snaps to rise and the production to follow.

READ MORE

Don’t Overdraft Volatile Satellite Backs

by Taylor Smith, August 14, 2019

Satellite backs are incredibly reliant on splash plays to make their fantasy points. This lack of consistent volume leads to unstable production, just like Tarik Cohen and his 9.6 Weekly Volatility, No. 9 among RBs. Undersized pass-catchers like Cohen and James White need to be devalued in drafts because of this.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is Jaylen Samuels. Samuels has featured back size at 6-0, 225 pounds. His 20.2 percent (97th-percentile) College Target Share hints that he is capable of doing immense damage through the air to complement his ground game. He will see touches at James Conner’s expense in 2019.

READ MORE

3 cornerstone players for Zero RB fantasy drafts this season

by Jesse Reeves, August 13, 2019

Ceding a nearly identical Opportunity Share to Frank Gore in 2018, Kenyan Drake still managed a 12.5 Fantasy Points Per Game floor for fantasy gamers and had five top-12 RB performances. A wrinkle in his game that goes unnoticed, and one that helped his fantasy production, was his efficiency level on a Yards Created and Evaded Tackles basis.

Tevin Coleman’s ability to create for himself yielded plenty of efficiency and big play ability. He racked up 327 (No. 13) Yards Created and averaged 1.64 (No. 12) Yards Created Per Carry on his 167 carries. His independent success untethered from his offensive line resulted in 13 (No. 7) Breakaway Runs and a 7.8-percent (No. 7) Breakaway Run Rate.

READ MORE

5 fantasy football handcuffs to draft before Darrell Henderson

by Matthew M. Stevens, August 12, 2019

Handcuffing Todd Gurley with Darrell Henderson makes zero sense in seasonal fantasy football leagues. The drama surrounding Gurley’s arthritic knee skyrocketed Henderson’s FFPC ADP this summer to 82.04. Drafting him at his current ADP to pair with Gurley limits gamers’ exposure to drafting players with secure roles and more upside.

With Ezekiel Elliot looking like a holdout candidate, Tony Pollard works with the first-team offense in camp gaining valuable experience for a rookie. His FFPC ADP (256.6) screams buy, and Pollard offers gamers a high upside handcuff in the late rounds. Pollard’s pass-catching prowess trumps that of Elliot, so he should carve out a role in the Cowboys backfield regardless if Elliot plays.

READ MORE