Category Archives: Various

Fantasy Football Position Breakdowns: Wide Receivers

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Heading into the 2017 season, the top fantasy option at receiver on almost everyone’s board is Antonio Brown. After Brown, everyone has Odell Beckham, Julio Jones, Mike Evans, and A.J. Green to round out the top five at receiver. The order of these players depends on the analyst. You can see my pre-training camp rankings here. These are slightly out of date, but I am hoping to post updated rankings sometime soon.

This past week, the receiver class was fairly lively for the preseason. First, Quincy Enunwa was placed on season-ending injured reserve (IR). After playing a very solid 2016 season, Enunwa was in line to be the number-one receiver for the Jets. Enunwa’s injury pushes Robby Anderson up the depth chart and into the number-one role.

This past Friday, the Bills made two moves involving receivers. The first sent their former 2014 first round pick to the Rams. The second brought Jordan Matthews to Buffalo from Philadelphia. Reports indicate that Matthews will take over for Sammy Watkins as the number one receiver. The Bills also made a splash in free agency earlier in the week when they signed Anquan Boldin.

READ: Fantasy Football Positional Breakdown: Running Backs

A lot of fantasy leagues start three receivers each week, which is the most of any position. Therefore, you obviously want to draft quite a few receivers. For this reason, I personally draft more receivers than any other position for my team each year. Receivers also tend to miss one or two games each year due to injury, so I like having guys that I can sub in if I need them.

I personally feel as though you do not need to focus heavily on receivers early in drafts this season. I think the receiver class is deep enough that there is a lot of value to be drafted later on in drafts. However, if high-end receivers slide to you early, you should absolutely pull the trigger on those guys and not let them fall any farther.

I’m going to get into some of the guys that I like or dislike based off of their current average draft positions (ADP). Before I do so, I will run through some terms that I will use when describing players.

Boom – A player who will exceed expectations according to their current ADP. Not to be confused with a breakout. Boom players have produced in the past but are most likely being undervalued.

Bust – A player who will fail to live up to expectations according to ADP.

Breakout – A player who will have a career year this season and exceed expectations. This player has possibly not lived up to expectations so far in their career, and is most likely still early on in their career.

Lets dive into a few players and their outlooks for this season.

Dez Bryant (Bust) – I had Bryant tabbed as a bust even before Ezekiel Elliott’s announced suspension. Since the six-game suspension was announced, I have not changed my opinion on Bryant at all. In seven NFL seasons, Bryant has only played in 16 games three times. He did play in 15 games in one other season. Bryant’s health has always been a concern and I see no reason why this season will be any different.

With Elliott’s suspension, I think it hurts Bryant even more. Without Elliott in the backfield for the first six weeks of the season, defenses are going to take that extra defender out of the box and focus their efforts on the pass. I think they might even double Bryant a lot of times, which would make things even more difficult for him. Having Elliott in the backfield helps the passing attack. Removing him from the offense will reduce the productivity of the running game as well as the passing game. I think Dez will be impacted the most by this. That is if he is even on the field.

Davante Adams (Bust) – Most people may completely disagree with me on this one. How could I possibly say that a receiver who has Aaron Rodgers as his quarterback a bust? Last season, Adams caught 12 touchdown passes which is an unbelievable number. I see no way for him to keep up that pace. It’s just that simple for me. I think Adams can have a solid and productive fantasy season. I am not using a fourth or fifth round pick on Adams, which is where he is currently being drafted. I will let someone else take the chance on Adams. I would much rather have him reproduce his 2016 season on someone else’s roster than bust as a fourth-round pick on my roster.

Stefon Diggs (Breakout) – Diggs had a very good 2016 season, and is poised to breakout in his third year. With a full year of work with Sam Bradford, and another year of experience under his belt, Diggs could be a league winner for a lot of fantasy players. In 2016, Diggs ended with 84 receptions, 903 yards, and 3 touchdowns, in only 13 games. Had he played 16 games he would have had 95+ receptions, 1000+ yards and at least one more touchdown. As long as Diggs stays healthy, I look for him to have a great season with the Vikings. Adding Dalvin Cook to the backfield should help the passing game a little too. Diggs is currently being drafted between the eighth and eleventh rounds depending on the site you use. Either way I think he outproduces his draft position by a wide margin.

READ: Fantasy Football Positional Breakdown: Quarterbacks

Tyrell Williams (Boom) – After last season’s breakout season, I look for Williams to continue building on his success. After Keenan Allen tore his ACL in week one, Williams ended last season with 69 receptions, 1,059 yards, and seven touchdowns. Yet he is still being completely disrespected in drafts so far this season. Williams is currently being drafted in the eleventh round of drafts. Heading into the season, he is the clear-cut number-two receiver on a high-powered offense with a very low chance of getting demoted. On top of that, Allen, the team’s number-one receiver, has been very prone to injury in his young career.

If Allen were to go down again this season, Williams would immediately slide into the number-one role and become a top 15-20 fantasy option at the position once again. If Allen were to stay healthy for a full season, I still look for Williams to have at least 60 receptions, 900 yards, and five touchdowns which should make him a steal for where he is currently being drafted.

For those worried about rookie Mike Williams, don’t be. The guy is already hurt and still hasn’t practiced. The Chargers are expecting to have him back around October but it will take him some time to get up to speed. I don’t think Williams will impact Williams’  production at all this season.

 

Image Credit: Bleacher Report

Fantasy Football Position Breakdown: Running Backs

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Heading into draft season, the most interesting topic of conversation among running backs is certainly Ezekiel Elliott. The majority of fantasy analysts had him as their third best running back and third best overall player heading into the season. However, recent reports have fantasy players scrambling to figure out how they will be handling Elliott in their drafts.

For those of you who have not heard, rumors are swirling that Elliott could end up being suspended by the NFL for violating their personal conduct policy. I won’t get into that here. There are plenty of articles online about this matter.

What if he does get suspended? How much does it drop him in drafts? We are still uncertain about the length of the potential suspension. Most believe that it will not be any longer than two games. If he ends up without a suspension, then it obviously does not change his draft status. However, if he does get a suspension, and it is no longer than two games, Elliott should drop down into the middle-to–late first round.

If we look back to last season, Le’Veon Bell was given a three-game suspension. Bell dropped from a top two or three overall pick into the second round. In some cases, he lasted into the late second round. With a one or two game suspension I think it is reasonable to think that Elliott averages getting drafted anywhere between five and ten overall instead of the top three or four like he would without a suspension.

This season, the top three running backs in everyone’s rankings are David Johnson, Bell, and Elliott. The order changes depending on the analyst, but nearly everyone has these three guys as their top three. You can see my pre-training camp rankings here.

Most people will probably have an issue with me having Bell ranked higher than Johnson. Let me explain my thinking. First, the gap between the two is extremely narrow. Bell has still not reported to Steelers camp due to a contract dispute. He believes that he should be paid like a number one running back and a number two wide receiver. He will be going into a contract year and running backs generally play very well in contract years.

If he wants to be paid like a number one back and a number two receiver after this season, he needs to have a record-breaking year. That is why I currently have him at number one.

However, the longer he holds out, the more I become concerned with his health. As it gets closer to week one, I may consider making Johnson my number one running back if Bell has still not reported to camp.

I’m going to get into some of the guys that I like or dislike based off of their current average draft positions (ADP). Before I do so, I will run through some terms that I will use when describing players.

Boom – A player who will exceed expectations according to their current ADP. Not to be confused with a breakout. Boom players have produced in the past but are most likely being undervalued.

Bust – A player who will fail to live up to expectations, according to ADP.

Breakout – A player who will have a career year this season and exceed expectations. This player has possibly not lived up to expectations so far in their career, and is most likely still early on in their career.

Lets dive into a few players and their outlooks for this season.

Marshawn Lynch (Bust) – Many people are extremely high Lynch this season. I am not one of those people. Some may argue that a full season away from the game was good for Lynch, and that he will come into this season well rested. That may be true, but I see no way how he stayed in shape during his time off.

Lynch’s current ADP on Yahoo is reasonable (38.1). However, he is being drafted entirely too early on ESPN (27). There is no chance that I will even consider drafting him that high in my drafts. Lynch may come out hot during the first few weeks. After several weeks, I will look for him to start wearing down.

Isaiah Crowell (Bust) – This running back is listed as a bust only because of where he is being drafted. His current ADP isn’t terrible on ESPN (47) and Yahoo (37.7) but I have noticed in most of my mock drafts that he is going before that.

I do like Crowell this season. The Browns should have one of the best offensive lines in the league after addressing the need this offseason. Crowell was successful last season behind a subpar offensive line, and it has only improved. I just can’t trust drafting a Browns running back early in my drafts when there are other great players available. If he slides a little bit, I will gladly take a chance on him.

Bilal Powell (Boom) – Powell will not get the credit or recognition he deserves because he plays for the Jets. Yes, they will be one of, if not the worst team in the league this season, but someone in the offense is going to need to do something for them. The team will most likely be playing from behind most of the time, so Powell will get a lot of receptions, making him more valuable in PPR leagues.

Most people probably don’t realize that Powell had 58 receptions last season and totaled over 1,000 offensive yards from scrimmage. For a guy currently being drafted anywhere between the sixth and eleventh rounds, he should turn out to be a major steal and by far outproduce his current draft position.

Like what you’re reading? Check out my positional breakdown for quarterbacks. 

Dalvin Cook (Breakout) – Some people may be concerned with Latavius Murray possibly taking goal line carries away from Cook this season. I am not concerned with that possibility. The Vikings used a second round draft pick on Cook and they are hoping he will turn into their feature back for years to come. My guess is Cook will work two complete series for every one series that Murray works. I don’t anticipate that there will be a designated goal line back.

In college, Cook showed that he has the ability to be a three-down feature back that can catch the ball out of the backfield. I don’t foresee Cook having an Ezekiel Elliott type rookie season, but I think he could have around 1,200 total offensive yards from scrimmage and eight total touchdowns.

Murray is currently on the PUP list which is helping Cook get more reps with the first team. The longer Murray stays on the PUP list, the stronger I feel about Cook this season. Don’t worry too much about Murray this season. Cook will be a solid fantasy option.

Danny Woodhead (Boom) – I really liked Woodhead before Kenneth Dixon went down for the season. Since then, my love for him has only grown. Woodhead has proven year after year that he is PPR gold. He does have a history of injuries, and this season will be no different. If you take a chance on Woodhead you will be taking a big risk. If Woodhead can stay healthy for the entire season, he will be one of the biggest steals in any position. His current ADP sits at 67 on ESPN and 117.5 on Yahoo.

Now in Baltimore with Joe Flacco as his quarterback, it is not out of the question to think that Woodhead could catch 80 passes this season. That will only be possible if he stays healthy the entire season. With Joe “the check-down king” Flacco throwing him the ball, Woodhead will get plenty of targets. There are over 400 targets available from last season that are no longer on the team, suspended, or injured heading into this season. Woodhead will take a fair amount of those.

Image Credit: Sporting News

Fantasy Football Position Breakdowns: Quarterbacks

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To wait on a quarterback, or to not wait on a quarterback?

That is the age-old fantasy question that players ask each year around draft time. Simply put, both strategies can work and work very well. Most fantasy players are on one end of the spectrum, or the other. They don’t sway much from their beliefs.

Personally, I lean more towards waiting on my quarterback. That way, I can load up on receivers and running backs in the early rounds, while other players take their quarterbacks. This benefited me greatly two years ago when I landed Carson Palmer in the twelfth round. Palmer ended that season as a top six fantasy quarterback. Last season, I took Drew Brees early when he fell to me in the fifth round. In this league, I never thought that he would be there for me in the fifth round. I didn’t love any of the other players available, so I took Brees early. Brees ended up working out great for me too.

Both strategies can work, as long as you don’t reach for players, or wait too long. Taking Aaron Rodgers in the first round of a one-quarterback league sets you up for failure. Waiting to take a quarterback until the last round, when everyone else already has two, is not the route to take either.

This season, the consensus top two quarterbacks are Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady. Everyone’s rankings are different after that. You can see my pre-training camp rankings here.

I’m going to get into some of the guys that I like or dislike based off of their current average draft positions (ADP). Before I do so, I will run through some terms that I will use when describing players.

Boom – A player who will exceed expectations according to their current ADP. Not to be confused with a breakout. Boom players have produced in the past but are most likely being undervalued.

Bust – A player who will fail to live up to expectations according to ADP.

Breakout – A player who will have a career year this season and exceed expectations. This player has possibly not lived up to expectations so far in their career, and is most likely still early on in their career.

Lets dive into a few players and their outlooks for this season.

Andrew Luck – Luck is an interesting player heading into the season. He’s currently on the PUP list and is noncommittal on providing a date for his potential return. After Luck underwent shoulder surgery back in January, the Colts announced that he would be ready for the start of the season. At this point, one would think that Luck should at least be throwing. Reports indicate that he hasn’t begun throwing footballs at this time.

Luck isn’t a player that will need preseason game reps in order to be ready to play week one, but it would be nice to see him out there. If you are drafting early in the preseason, be cautious with Luck. Uncertainty is something that I tend to steer clear of in fantasy. Therefore, I will not draft Luck at his current ADP (ESPN: 60.2; Yahoo: 45.7). If, by the time I draft, Luck returns to practice and shows signs of being ready for week 1, he will be in play for me.

Kirk Cousins (Boom) – Cousins is a guy, who is currently being undervalued. His current ADP sits at 95.1 on ESPN and 98.7 on Yahoo. I understand the hesitation from some people with Cousins. He lost his offensive coordinator, Sean McVay, to the Los Angeles Rams. He also lost two 1,000-yard receivers in Pierre Garçon and Desean Jackson. However, taking over for McVay at offensive coordinator is Matt Cavanaugh.

Cavanaugh joined the Redskins coaching staff prior to the 2016 season as the quarterbacks coach, and has a good working relationship with Cousins. In free agency, the team signed Terrelle Pryor and Brian Quick in an attempt to replace Garçon and Jackson. Pryor could turn out to be a huge addition for this offense. Let’s not forget that 2016 rookie Josh Doctson and 2016 breakout player Jamison Crowder will also return this season. Doctson struggled with injuries during the 2016 season but showed off during offseason workouts and into training camp so far.

Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis will line up at tight end to help out Cousins in the short passing game Davis and Reed make up a good red zone duo. Last season, the two combined for top-of-the-line tight end numbers. They should do close to the same this season if there avoid injury. I fully expect Cousins to pick up right where he left off at the end of last season end up as a draft day steal this season.

Matt Ryan (Bust) – I am avoiding Matt Ryan this season. After last season’s career year, fantasy players will most likely over-draft Ryan this year.  Sometimes, you simply have a hunch about certain players, and Ryan is one of those players for me this season.

Losing his offensive coordinator, Kyle Shanahan, will hurt Ryan from a production standpoint. Shanahan is now the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. Going into the season, we don’t know what new offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian will bring to the Falcons offense compared to Shanahan.

The uncertainty at offensive coordinator, combined with Ryan coming off a career year, is scary. Nobody in fantasy should be completely off limits. However, Ryan will have to slide quite far from his current ADP (ESPN: 40.6; Yahoo: 49.7) for me to take a chance on him.

Marcus Mariota (Boom) – Mariota might seem like a given to some people but I feel as though he needs to be pointed out. For his career, Mariota has thrown 33 touchdown passes and zero interceptions in the redone. The Titans added Eric Decker and Corey Davis to their receiving corps this offseason which adds two great redone targets for Mariota. Add in Mariota’s running ability and you have a valuable fantasy asset on your hands. I would not be surprised at all if Mariota ends this season as a top five fantasy quarterback. At this time, in my opinion, he is being accurately valued on Yahoo (ADP: 58) but is extremely undervalued on ESPN (ADP: 119.1).

Dak Prescott (Bust) – Let’s get something straight with Prescott: I think he is a very solid quarterback. In a few years, he will be a darn good quarterback. This year, he will be a fantasy bust.

Last season was made possible by Ezekiel Elliott. The ability to run the ball effectively in an NFL offense helps out the passing game tremendously. The Cowboys will not have a problem running the ball this season, but when they do need to pass, defenses will stifle Prescott. With a full season of film on Prescott available, defensive coordinators will be prepared. At his current ADP (ESPN: 72.2; Yahoo: 81.4) I am not willing to take a chance on Prescott. He is currently being drafted ahead of quarterbacks such as Ben Roethlisberger, Kirk Cousins, and Jameis Winston.

Carson Wentz (Breakout) – As a rookie last season, Wentz wasn’t supposed to see the field. The Eagles forced him into action when they traded Sam Bradford to the Vikings a week before the season started. Wentz ended up playing surprisingly well, and I think that he can continue to build off his success from last season.

Contrary to Prescott, the Eagles improved the pieces around Wentz. They signed Legarrette Blount, Alshon Jeffery, and Torrey Smith during free agency which should help Wentz out tremendously. With a full season of NFL experience under his belt, along with some key additions to the offense, I look for Wentz to have a breakout season in 2017.

Jared Goff (Breakout) – I will keep this short and sweet. The new head coach for the Rams is the one responsible for Cousins. I believe that he can do the same with the former number one overall pick. That being said, don’t over draft Goff. I would not draft Goff as anything more than a second quarterback, but I do expect Goff to have a breakout season with Sean McVay now as his coach.

Image Credit: NY Post

Fantasy Football Positional Rankings: Pre-Training Camp Edition

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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

2017 Fantasy Football Introduction

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It’s mid-July, which means that football season draws near. In just two short weeks NFL players begin to report to training camp and the preseason gets underway.

If the millions of people who play season-long fantasy football every year includes you, the time to prepare for league drafts already began. To be honest, if you failed to start preparing by now, you might already stand behind the rest of us.

If you find yourself in this situation, fear not, because you came to the right place.

So why should you trust me and come here for your fantasy related questions/advice?

In 2006, I began playing in season-long fantasy football leagues. I took it a step further in 2010, running my own leagues as well as continuing to play in leagues belonging to other people. I generally play in paid leagues consisting of 12-14 teams. My three most recent paid leagues all consisted of 12 teams. In those leagues, I finished no lower than second.

Over the last four years, in 12-team paid leagues, third place marks my average finish. I work tirelessly during the offseason and preseason to improve each year. My ultimate goal is to make a career out fantasy football. This year, I want to start branching out into new formats that I have not played before.

Put your faith in me for this upcoming season and I promise that I will not disappoint. Over the next six months, I will provide you with pre-draft insights as well as weekly articles, rankings, and so on. I also encourage you to follow me on Twitter – @Tyler_Feeser – as well this site’s account – @charmcitybw.

If you want me to answer any draft or sit/start questions, please let me know. If you’re pondering any suggestions or ideas please let me know those as well.

Disclaimer: I do not claim to be an expert nor will I at any point during the season. Expert descrived a level that I hope to get to one day, and owning the title of Lead Fantasy Analyst of Charm City Bird Watch will help me start reaching that level.

I will limit the amount of content that is posted related to daily fantasy this year. If you look for consistent daily fantasy advice you will need to look elsewhere this season. I apologize for any inconvenience. If you would like my opinion on any daily fantasy matters I am more than happy to provide it so please reach out.

Finally, I will fall wrong many times throughout the season. I will own up to my mistakes when I make them. It’s up to you to decide what information, stats, and so on you use. I will serve as your delivery service. Ultimately, you make the decisions. Not me.

Welcome to Charm City Bird Watch Fantasy Football 2017. Good luck this season and look for my first article, coming soon.

Image Credit: Draftkings

Robinson Cano’s go ahead homer lifts American League to fifth straight All Star Game win

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MIAMI — The 88th annual Major League Baseball All-Star Game took 10 innings to complete, and pitching dominated throughout, but Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano became the headline late Tuesday night with his go-ahead solo home run that lifted the American League to a 2-1 victory over the National League.

Cano, 34, competing in his eighth career All-Star Game, became the first player to hit a home run in the mid-summer classic since Tony Perez in 1967, according to MLB Yankees reporter Bryan Hoch.

Following the game, Cano was named MVP.

Schoop leaves his mark: Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop, the lone O’s representative in the 2017 show-casing, made an impact in his opportunity. Schoop entered the game on defense in the fourth, scoreless at the time, after Astros second-baseman Jose Altuve received the start.

In his lone at-bat in the fifth inning, hitting off Alex Wood of the Dodgers, Schoop laced a double to left field that bounced off third base and remained fair. Twins third baseman Miguel Sano got the American League on the board with a bloop single that landed in-between a pair of Nationals players in shallow right field – first baseman Ryan Zimmerman and right fielder Bryce Harper.

The lead did not last long for the American League, because an inning later the National League tied the game up when catcher Yadier Molina (who is 34-years-old) crushed a home run to right-center field off Ervin Santana of the Twins.

Cano’s go-ahead homer came at the dispense of Cubs reliever Wade Davis, who pitched in his third straight All-Star Game. He picks up the loss, while Boston pitcher Craig Kimbrel racked up the win with two strikeouts. Indians closer Andrew Miller earned the save in the 10th after Cano’s heroics. Red Sox star pitcher Chris Sale started the game for the American League, while Nationals ace Max Scherzer gained the nod for the National League.

For the first time since 2003, the All-Star Game will not decide who gets home field advantage in the World Series. Instead, the benefit goes to whichever team has the better regular season record.

Next year’s All-Star Game takes place on July 10, 2018 from Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.

Lawrence Elliott Jr. Responds To Mini-Camp Opportunity With Cardinals

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BLOOMSBURG, PA. – Recently, Bloomsburg University running back Lawrence Elliott Jr. was invited to Arizona Cardinals’ rookie mini-camp, which takes place May 12-14.

Charm City Bird Watch founder Jake McDonnell, who works as a student assistant in BU’s sports information office, got the chance to sit down with the star running back and get his reaction to the opportunity. Best of luck to Elliott Jr. in mini-camp!

Check out the story on BUHuskies.com.