Welcome to the inaugural Charm City Bird Watch positional rankings. This is not so much an article as it is a guide for you to use as a reference moving forward into your mock drafts and live drafts. Below you will find my personal rankings for each of the main positions used in fantasy football (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, and DEF). I apologize to the IDP league players. I have played in IDP leagues before and I am not against them. However, they just are not very common and it is relatively easy to figure out which players you should target on defense.

You will also notice that I have not written any explanation for my rankings at this time. Have no fear, as I will be breaking down each individual position in its own separate article over the next six weeks so be on the lookout for them. I will also be updating my rankings two more times throughout the pre-season. The first update will be released sometime around August 20 and the second update will be released sometime around August 31.

All of these rankings are for PPR leagues. These rankings do not include current free agents. Therefore, you will not see players such as Anquan Boldin or Gary Barnidge. Once free agents are signed they will be added to the following rankings.

QB
Rank
Player
Team
Bye
1 Aaron Rodgers GB 8
2 Tom Brady NE 9
3 Drew Brees NO 5
4 Andrew Luck IND 11
5 Russell Wilson SEA 6
6 Kirk Cousins WAS 5
7 Matt Ryan ATL 5
8 Marcus Mariota TEN 8
9 Jameis Winston TB 11
10 Cam Newton CAR 11
11 Philip Rivers LAC 9
12 Derek Carr OAK 10
13 Andy Dalton CIN 6
14 Matthew Stafford DET 7
15 Ben Roethlisberger PIT 9
16 Tyrod Taylor BUF 6
17 Dak Prescott DAL 6
18 Eli Manning NYG 8
19 Carson Wentz PHI 10
20 Carson Palmer ARI 8
21 Ryan Tannehill MIA 11
22 Sam Bradford MIN 9
23 Blake Bortles JAC 8
24 Joe Flacco BAL 10
25 DeShaun Watson HOU 7
26 Jared Goff LAR 8
27 Alex Smith KC 10
28 Mike Glennon CHI 9
29 T. Siemian DEN 5
30 Brian Hoyer SF 11
31 Cody Kessler CLE 9
32 Josh McCown NYJ 11

 

RB
Rank
Player
Team
Bye
1 Le’Veon Bell PIT 9
2 David Johnson ARI 8
3 Ezekiel Elliott DAL 6
4 LeSean McCoy BUF 6
5 Melvin Gordon LAC 9
6 Jordan Howard CHI 9
7 Devonta Freeman ATL 5
8 Jay Ajayi MIA 11
9 DeMarco Murray TEN 8
10 Lamar Miller HOU 7
11 Todd Gurley LAR 8
12 Christian McCaffrey CAR 11
13 Leonard Fournette JAC 8
14 Carlos Hyde SF 11
15 Eddie Lacy SEA 6
16 Joe Mixon CIN 6
17 Marshawn Lynch OAK 10
18 C.J. Anderson DEN 5
19 Spencer Ware KC 10
20 Isaiah Crowell CLE 9
21 Mark Ingram NO 5
22 Mike Gillislee NE 9
23 Ty Montgomery GB 8
24 Bilal Powell NYJ 11
25 Adrian Peterson NO 5
26 Dalvin Cook MIN 9
27 Paul Perkins NYG 8
28 Danny Woodhead BAL 10
29 LeGarrette Blount PHI 10
30 Samaje Perine WAS 5
31 Ameer Abdullah DET 7
32 Theo Riddick DET 7
33 Tevin Coleman ATL 5
34 Doug Martin TB 11
35 Frank Gore IND 11
36 Jonathan Stewart CAR 11
37 Kenneth Dixon BAL 10
38 Matt Forte NYJ 11
39 James White NE 9
40 C.J. Prosise SEA 6
41 Duke Johnson CLE 9
42 Kareem Hunt KC 10
43 Derrick Henry TEN 8
44 Terrance West BAL 10
45 Robert Kelley WAS 5
46 Latavius Murray MIN 9
47 Jonathan Williams BUF 6
48 Thomas Rawls SEA 6
49 Joe Williams SF 11
50 Jacquizz Rodgers TB 11
51 Robert Turbin IND 11
52 DeAndre Washington OAK 10
53 D’Onta Foreman HOU 7
54 Jamaal Williams GB 8
55 Jamaal Charles DEN 5
56 James Conner PIT 9
57 Jalen Richard OAK 10
58 Jeremy Hill CIN 6
59 Wendell Smallwood PHI 10
60 Alvin Kamara NO 5
61 Chris Thompson WAS 5
62 Darren McFadden DAL 6
63 Kenyan Drake MIA 11
64 Darren Sproles PHI 10
65 Dion Lewis NE 9
66 Lance Dunbar LAR 8
67 Shane Vereen NYG 8
68 Giovani Bernard CIN 6
69 Donnel Pumphrey PHI 10
70 T.J. Yeldon JAC 8
71 Ka’Deem Carey CHI 9
72 Charles Sims TB 11
73 Zach Zenner DET 7
74 Devontae Booker DEN 5
75 Alfred Morris DAL 6
76 Corey Grant JAC 8
77 Jeremy Langford CHI 9
78 Marlon Mack IND 11
79 Rex Burkhead NE 9
80 Ryan Matthews PHI 10

 

WR
Rank
Player
Team
Bye
1 Antonio Brown PIT 9
2 Odell Beckham NYG 8
3 Julio Jones ATL 5
4 Mike Evans TB 11
5 A.J. Green CIN 6
6 Jordy Nelson GB 8
7 Michael Thomas NO 5
8 T.Y. Hilton IND 11
9 Dez Bryant DAL 6
10 Doug Baldwin SEA 6
11 Amari Cooper OAK 10
12 DeAndre Hopkins HOU 7
13 Demaryius Thomas DEN 5
14 Brandin Cooks NE 9
15 Sammy Watkins BUF 6
16 Terrelle Pryor WAS 5
17 Alshon Jeffery PHI 10
18 Allen Robinson JAC 8
19 Keenan Allen LAC 9
20 Golden Tate DET 7
21 Davante Adams GB 8
22 Julian Edelman NE 9
23 Tyreek Hill KC 10
24 Jamison Crowder WAS 5
25 Martavis Bryant PIT 9
26 Jarvis Landry MIA 11
27 Michael Crabtree OAK 10
28 Emmanuel Sanders DEN 5
29 Stefon Diggs MIN 9
30 Donte Moncrief IND 11
31 DeSean Jackson TB 11
32 Brandon Marshall NYG 8
33 Larry Fitzgerald ARI 8
34 Willie Snead NO 5
35 Rishard Matthews TEN 8
36 DeVante Parker MIA 11
37 Cameron Meredith CHI 9
38 Pierre Garcon SF 11
39 Tyrell Williams LAC 9
40 Quincy Enunwa NYJ 11
41 Eric Decker TEN 8
42 Kelvin Benjamin CAR 11
43 John Brown ARI 8
44 Randall Cobb GB 8
45 Taylor Gabriel ATL 5
46 Kenny Britt CLE 9
47 Corey Coleman CLE 9
48 Adam Thielen MIN 9
49 Marquise Lee JAC 8
50 Breshad Perriman BAL 10
51 Cole Beasley DAL 6
52 Tyler Lockett SEA 6
53 Corey Davis TEN 8
54 John Ross CIN 6
55 Marvin Jones DET 7
56 Will Fuller HOU 7
57 J.J. Nelson ARI 8
58 Sterling Shepard NYG 8
59 Chris Hogan NE 9
60 Mike Wallace BAL 10
61 Jeremy Maclin BAL 10
62 Zay Jones BUF 6
63 Josh Doctson WAS 5
64 Cooper Kupp LAR 8
65 Mohamed Sanu ATL 5
66 Michael Floyd MIN 9
67 Kenny Stills MIA 11
68 Danny Amendola NE 9
69 Kevin White CHI 9
70 Jordan Matthews PHI 10
71 Allen Hurns JAC 8
72 JuJu Smith-Schuster PIT 9
73 Terrance Williams DAL 6
74 Robert Woods LAR 8
75 Curtis Samuel CAR 11
76 Marquise Goodwin SF 11
77 Leonte Caroo MIA 11
78 Jeremy Kerley SF 11
79 Brice Butler DAL 6
80 Ted Ginn NO 5
81 Travis Benjamin LAC 9
82 Kamar Aiken IND 11
83 Chris Conley KC 10
84 Malcolm Mitchell NE 9
85 Victor Cruz CHI 9
86 Dontrelle Inman LAC 9
87 Amara Darboh SEA 6
88 Braxton Miller HOU 7
89 Phillip Dorsett IND 11
90 Torrey Smith PHI 10
91 Robby Anderson NYJ 11
92 Demarcus Ayers PIT 9
93 Tyler Boyd CIN 6
94 Tavon Austin LAR 8
95 Eli Rogers PIT 9
96 Andre Holmes BUF 6
97 Tajae Sharpe TEN 8
98 Geronimo Allison GB 8
99 Jermaine Kearse SEA 6
100 Mike Williams LAC 9

 

TE
Rank
Player
Team
Bye
1 Rob Gronkowski NE 9
2 Travis Kelce KC 10
3 Jordan Reed WAS 5
4 Greg Olsen CAR 11
5 Jimmy Graham SEA 6
6 Tyler Eifert CIN 6
7 Kyle Rudolph MIN 9
8 Delanie Walker TEN 8
9 Zach Ertz PHI 10
10 Hunter Henry LAC 9
11 Eric Ebron DET 7
12 Jack Doyle IND 11
13 Cameron Brate TB 11
14 C.J. Fiedorowicz HOU 7
15 Julius Thomas MIA 11
16 Jason Witten DAL 6
17 Austin Hooper ATL 5
18 Coby Fleener NO 5
19 Antonio Gates LAC 9
20 Zach Miller CHI 9
21 Dwayne Allen NE 9
22 Martellus Bennett GB 8
23 Gerald Everett LAR 8
24 O.J. Howard TB 11
25 Jesse James PIT 9
26 David Njoku CLE 9
27 Vance McDonald SF 11
28 Evan Engram NYG 8
29 Charles Clay BUF 6
30 Ben Watson BAL 10
31 Jared Cook OAK 10
32 Vernon Davis WAS 5
33 Jordan Leggett NYJ 11
34 Seth DeValve CLE 9
35 Tyler Higbee LAR 8
36 Jermaine Gresham ARI 8
37 Mychal Rivera JAC 8
38 Bucky Hodges MIN 9
39 C.J. Uzomah CIN 6
40 Virgil Green DEN 5
41 Ryan Griffin HOU 7
42 Anthony Fasano MIA 11
43 Nick Boyle BAL 10
44 Xavier Grimble PIT 9
45 Adam Shaheen CHI 9
46 Trey Burton PHI 10
47 Darren Fells DET 7
48 Jake Butt DEN 5
49 Levine Toilolo ATL 5
50 Austin Seferian-Jenkins NYJ 11

 

K
Rank
Player
Team
Bye
1 Justin Tucker BAL 10
2 Stephen Gostkowski NE 9
3 Dan Bailey DAL 6
4 Adam Vinatieri IND 11
5 Matt Bryant ATL 5
6 Wil Lutz NO 5
7 Mason Crosby GB 8
8 Ryan Succop TEN 8
9 Caleb Sturgis PHI 10
10 Matt Prater DET 7
11 Dustin Hopkins WAS 5
12 Sebastian Janikowski OAK 10
13 Graham Gano CAR 11
14 Brandon McManus DEN 5
15 Chris Boswell PIT 9

 

DEF
Rank
Team
Bye
1 Denver 5
2 Houston 7
3 Kansas City 10
4 Minnesota 9
5 Arizona 8
6 Seattle 6
7 New England 9
8 Carolina 11
9 Atlanta 5
10 Philadelphia 10
11 New York Giants 8
12 Baltimore 10
13 Tennessee 8
14 Los Angeles Chargers 9
15 Los Angeles Rams 8

Image Credit: Sporting News