It's somewhat
difficult to become bullish on certain fantasy players with Organized Team
Activities just barely underway, and depth charts 3 1/2 months from being established.
Inevitably, players will swing (sometimes wildly) up and down my monthly Top
150 Rankings as we glean meaningful information from practice and beat writer
reports. So this is very much a rough draft. A place to start.
As for criteria,
keep in mind I place special value on non-quarterbacks I believe will be
week-to-week difference makers in head-to-head fantasy matchups. Non-QBs who
can swing scoring with monster box-score stats. Hence my high ranking of elite
tight ends Jimmy Graham and Julius Thomas. Still only 26, I expect Thomas to
continue his ascent with Eric Decker's 87-1,288-11 removed from Denver's offense. As for
Graham? He puts fantasy football teams on his back.
I bump down
quarterbacks because they are most replaceable. Almost like a fantasy defense,
you can field a championship-caliber squad streaming quarterbacks as matchup
plays week to week. Try doing that at other positions and you're liable to end
up with zeroes. Would I love to have Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, or Drew
Brees on my team? Yes. I'd just rather use my first- and second-round fantasy
picks on RB1s and WR1s. Or Graham. Or Thomas.
There are many
ways to win in fantasy football. This is how I think it's best to do it.
