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