Ah, yes, Darrel Williams who was inactive for 2 of the last 7 games of the season specifically for Le’Veon to be active, and out-touched by Le’Veon in 4 of the other games. “Beat out by Darrel Williams,” indeed. This took 3 minutes to confirm, for the record.
When you have to lean on “yards per carry” as a stat, on one of the worst teams/regimes of the last 25 years… yikes
Remind me again; which one is still on the Chiefs?
Don’t let me talk you out of your LeVeon Bell enthusiasm. Thanks to two injuries, he’s got a great opportunity, and you can be thrilled to have him on your team.
That would be the guy they saw play, and then signed Le’Veon Bell to replace. The guy who costs less to sign now, and the guy who was fine signing there to be a reserve because he’s only ever been a reserve. Whether a player signs somewhere is the result of a dozen variables aside from on-field play that aren’t equal, and many of them unknowable. What is knowable is how Bell feels about Andy Reid, which was public, and explains why he was not interested in signing there again.
I’ll trade him to you for your 2nd next year 
I think Bell is done. His schtick of pausing while the OL engages and then running to the hole was great in Pittsburgh, but was double-plus awful on the Jets. Not only did the OL suck, but he’d already lost a step so his after-pause “burst” wasn’t fast enough to capitalize even when the Jets’ OL miracled their way into effective blocking.
The biggest thing going for him is opportunity, but I expect to see him lose the starting job to a no-name street free agent pretty quickly. I wouldn’t be surprised if his (let’s say) week 4 replacement is currently sitting on the couch hoping for the phone to ring.
What makes me think Le’Veon won’t be more than an emergency flex this season is that Baltimore never throws to their backs, and what Bell can still definitely do well is catch the ball. Realistically, he is probably no better than a 50% split in Baltimore’s backfield, and they will probably adjust their offense a bit away from running as much. If he gets 150+ touches over the season, that’s pretty much striking gold for a sixth round pick
(Agreed on Bell. He can still catch.)
I’m wondering how bad my all-time team draft would be. As in, fill your starting slots with the best players you ever drafted. No trades. For crappy players I guess count their best single-season fantasy total. (This is all hypothetical.)
My RB1 (CMC) and TE1 (Kelce) would be unparalleled, but it would be tough to properly capture the immense drop-off after that. My best QB performance might be Mayfield’s rookie season. Yikes. (I traded for Big Ben and had Romo briefly but don’t think I drafted him.) WR1 would probably be Victor Cruz, then Jarvis Landry for WR2. Ouch.
RB2 would probably be Carlos Hyde’s last year with the 49ers: rushed for 938 with 8 TDs catching 59 passes for another 350 yards, no TDs. It’s something, I guess, but not much.
My flex would be too depressing to ponder except to say I’d almost certainly be starting two TEs.
Does “beat out by” have some different definition that me and the rest of the world are unaware of? Two guys on same team. Then one isn’t. How in the world is that anything else than “beat out by”? And please don’t make me mention who got the starts in the playoffs last year.
Only if you throw in that scrub CMC.
Thank God real football starts tonight.
Yes. Whether a player signs somewhere has a lot to do with politics within the league, the agent and owner/GM relationships, their cap, etc. It isn’t just their on-field fit. Bell not being in KC is much more likely because he came out and said he would rather retire than play for Andy Reid again (not speculation), than it is because a guy who couldn’t see the field ahead of him beat him for a job (speculation). It’s not like Bell was in camp and got cut, which would be direct evidence he got beat. Also, coaches very often would rather play a guy who fits their culture over a malcontent, regardless of talent. As an Eagles fan, I can think of several (unfortunate) examples of this, just on my team, in recent memory.
Interesting!
I’ve had phenomenally good luck in the draft the last few years, so it would probably be my current lineup (Kyler, AJ Brown, Chase Claypool, Aaron Jones, Miles Sanders, Austin Hooper) plus one of Alshon Jeffrey’s better seasons.
I guess I do have to mention that, after seeing both players and when the fucking playoffs were on the line, Darrel Williams got 2 starts and 36 touches. Guess how many a healthy Bell got all playoffs. Go ahead.
2 fucking touches. In the playoffs. Even when CEH wasn’t playing.
36 to 2 touches when the games really mattered.
I may have missed something because I was just skimming over it, but I think my all-time team would look like this
QB Josh Allen, 2020, 425 points (Rodgers 2011 is close at 421)
WR Demaryius Thomas 2014, 285 points
WR Jordy Nelson 2011, 278 points
RB LeSean McCoy 2011, 304 points
RB Nick Chubb 2019, 237 points. Tied with David Montgomery 2020, 237 points.
TE Rob Gronkowski 2011, 286 points
W/T FLEX WR JOSH GORDON 2012, 271 points
W/R Flex Allen Robinson 2015, 264 points
Kicker who cares
Chargers D 2017, 199 points
Good point on kickers. Love seeing Josh Gordon make your squad.
Everyone’s favorite posts of the year!
As a reminder, these ratings are based on a special projection blend I’ve created, but they don’t factor in my own projections. The only aspect I have added is I project age-related decline in future seasons, which is for the Youth category only. The Youth grade can get wonky, but it is a snapshot of your strength over the five years.
These grades only factor in your starting lineup plus a single bench spot. Aside from TE, the position grades take into account your maximum number of possible starters plus a bench spot. So, for RBs, I am counting your top 4, etc.
•12. Overly Sentimental - Overly Sentimental
2021: 62.6
2020: 73.5, 9th
2019: 75.6, 4th
2018: 67.3, 11th
A merry band of spelunkers charting the depths. How low can they go?
QB Strength: 12th
The Deshaun Watson saga affects not only this team’s upside, but their future. If he sits out this year, he can avoid the Commissioner’s List… but what if he is put on it next year? Is he worth holding onto facing a year or more absence? Drafting Mac Jones makes a lot of sense, because I can’t imagine a year of watching Jared Goof would be any fun at all, heaven forbid on a team with no receivers and a meathead coach.
WR Strength: 9th
Even Davante Adams can’t help this group much. DeVante Parker is the only WR I’ve ever seen who was a perennial break out candidate, finally broke out, and is right back to having everyone wonder if he’ll break out again. With two speed threats around him to draw defensive attention, maybe it works out, but it looks like 2019 was the fluke. I wouldn’t want him anywhere but in best ball. Antonio Brown is a favorite to bounce back into the WR2 range, but even if both Parker and Brown hit their best case scenario, it still might not be a top half quality group. I genuinely don’t know who the 4th starter would be.
RB Strength: 12th
There has been a funny trend where one of the bottom two teams in these rankings over the years has risen up to make the playoffs and challenge for a title. I think my rankings are safe from the humiliation, this year. I don’t see how that can happen with the worst QB and RB groups in the league. I don’t want to be Overly Harsh, but this is a dire situation in desperate need of aggressive, immediate action. Overly won the recent lottery with the Dobbins injury, and then Gus Edwards became the next to fall to the Ravens RB curse. I do like Trey Sermon quite a bit, and his situation is dripping with potential, but he hasn’t won any work yet. What does this team do until he does? Or, what if he doesn’t?
TE Strength: 3rd
George Kittle remains awesome, but his style forebodes injury struggle, and that has come to pass. The theme among every position group on this team is a single, older stud doing heavy lifting for a team that can’t possibly take advantage of it.
Youth: 12th
Being the bottom feeder of the league is fine if you are making a deliberate effort to rebuild and acquire future assets. There does not seem to be any direction towards doing so, here. The road is clearly laid out for it, it is just a matter of turning onto it. Better start brushing up on the top college prospects now
•11. The Great Old Ones - Ol’Gaffer
2021: 70.8
2020: 67.2, 12th
2019: 75.6, 4th
2018: 77.7, 1st
A shining example of how an in-progress rebuild should look
QB Strength: 8th
Stafford is everyone’s favorite veteran pick to blow up this year and set career highs on his first functional team of his career. This projection is probably too low, but for a team which looks a year or two from contending, Stafford is a poor fit. Drafting Trevor Lawrence, then, was wise. I’m not the biggest TLaw fan, but the talent profile is undeniable. This position group is right on schedule for Gaffer’s rebuild strategy.
WR Strength: 11th
I love Terry McLaurin. I drafted him, so I deserve most of the credit for his success. But he was an older rookie, and while he’s an elite WR asset, his fit on a rebuilding team is also somewhat miscast. It will be interesting to see what he can do with a competent QB throwing to him, but even if he takes yet another step forward, it probably won’t be enough to carry the rest of the WRs here. Robby Anderson is a fine flex, but his team just drafted a better player to eat into his targets, so his future value is low. Laviska Shenault is a popular sleeper, but he looks like a shittier, less durable Percy Harvin. Maybe Lawrence can help him ascend? There’s nothing else promising here, otherwise.
RB Strength: 6th
This is where Gaffer’s efforts rebuilding has really shined. By the time the rest of the roster is ready to compete, Jonathan Taylor and D’Andre Swift will be in their primes and a fearsome duo. Unless Swift really did murder a dude, then, well, not good! James Robinson surprised everyone last year, but he should have no trouble repeating his 2020 with little competition for touches. He makes an outstanding 3rd RB. There’s even Mike Davis as a no-doubt lead back as Gaffer’s 4th RB. Even the depth pieces are startable in a pinch. Very well constructed, this group.
TE Strength: 9th
Hunter Henry is very good, but his situation is not. If he doesn’t command the better half of the TE work in New England, relying on Jared Cook to play matchups isn’t the worst strategy, but it isn’t going to make for any sort of advantage.
Youth: 10th
Lawrence over Stafford in the starting spot would bring this ranking up a spot or two alone, but the issue is more that the mid-level starters occupying the flex spots don’t have much projected future value. Laviska projects as a perennially underused gadget player, Robinson is playing above his head and the team drafted a player at his spot in the 1st, and both Robby Anderson and Hunter Henry have probably hit their ceilings. The foundation is set, it will just take another year or two to build atop it, but this team is on the way.
•10. JB’s Gusterrhoids - Justin_Bailey
2021: 72.8
2020: 71.5, 11th
2019: 68.7, 11th
2018: 68.1, 10th
Aw shit, here we go again.
QB Strength: 11th
Kyler Murray is a top dynasty asset for obvious reasons. He’s young, talented, athletic, and in a good system to farm fantasy points. Yet, I don’t really trust him. He’s a little skittish, not as accurate as advertised, and minor injuries seem to derail him and his offense. Cam Newton proved that a running QB can consistently produce fantasy value, but Kyler is much, much smaller. I think the double digit rushing TDs is very unlikely to be duplicated, and his passing (while good) is probably not good enough to compensate. I can’t see him finishing in the top 5 at QB this year. Andy Dalton won’t have a job long, so Big Ben comes in to be that reliable 15-19 point scorer that every team needs to miss the playoffs.
WR Strength: 12th
It is hard not to really like a top two of A.J. Brown and Chase Claypool. With just a little attention, this could be a top WR room in the league. After those two, there is very little to rely on. Jakobi Meyers is that annual unrealized breakout candidate, but he has a QB who can actually throw now, so that could work. It was smart to double down on WR in the draft, though I’m not sure the choices actually made will make a difference. The picture is coming into focus as to why this team is rated so low, after these two spots.
RB Strength: 5th
QB and WR depth is to the point now where just about every team has viable options and some interesting depth. TE is a competitive bonus if you have a top option, but you can win without one. Your competitive window, then, comes down to your RBs. I like to see a stud anchoring the position, and Aaron Jones fits that perfectly. He isn’t likely to start breaking down soon, and he has week-winning upside. I also like to see an ascending RB2. Miles Sanders kinda sucks, but there’s no doubt he has the majority of snaps coming his way and he can’t do worse than he did last year. Finally, you need someone who can take over in bye weeks and potentially score double digit fantasy points. I don’t like Kenyan Drake in that role, but if he really is used the way he has been promised in Vegas, he’s definitely a high-upside flex. I don’t buy that Jamaal Williams is going to come in and have a meaningful role, but I also didn’t think Swift was very impressive as a rookie, so maybe he can be an emergency flex. Otherwise, there is nothing else here. A single injury ends even the faint mirage that this team is in contention.
TE Strength: 10th
Last year, Austin Hooper was coming off a breakout season, and Hayden Hurst moved into the system which produced said breakout. Neither player repeated their 2019, and now this duo represents a low-upside, boring situation. Now that Pitts is in town, Hurst lacks much reason to be rostered, and Austin Hooper isn’t really enough to want to start every week. Things change quick around here.
Youth: 8th
This rank is a little surprising considering the core of Kyler, A.J., Claypool, Aaron Jones, and Sanders. But there’s so little in the other spots right now, it brings the grade down. This should look a lot better next year.
•09. Ides of Martz - Omniscient
2021: 74.1
2020: 80.9, 3rd
2019: 72.9, 9th
2018: 69.7, 9th
Fresh off their first playoff berth, this snake-in-the-grass is deceptively dangerous
QB Strength: 10th
The Fitzpatrick draft pick may have saved this team, because when you have only one QB on the roster, you’re pretty much 12th. When that single option isn’t even a starter yet, you’ve got the worst situation in the league by a mile. So, hopefully Fitzmagic has another year of tricks left up his sleeve. Fields is going to be awesome, and he’s my favorite fantasy QB and real life QB of this year’s class, but it could be a while before they go to him. Next year, this will be significantly better. It’s just impossible to compete in this league if you have a QB without weekly top 5 potential. I guess Omni just grabbed Jimmy “G-zus Christ not again!?” Problem solved, or something.
WR Strength: 8th
This is still a very strong quartet, even if it looks more vulnerable and unstable now compared to a couple years ago. Julio Jones is still one of one, but he’s on a new team where he isn’t the de facto target hog, and he can’t stay healthy anymore. There’s risk there. Golladay is an outstanding talent stuck on a team with little offensive potential and a
QB who is decidedly below-average. He also can’t stay healthy anymore. Adam Thielen is the type of player who can stick around forever, milking elite red zone route running and maintain fantasy relevance for a while. But he’s older, too, and while he has not yet broken down like Jones and Golladay, it’s coming. There’s hidden risk there. For a fourth WR, Bobby Trees is almost certainly going to outproduce the other 3 starters. Plus, there’s lots to like about the bench players here with Mooney, Mims, and preseason darling Marquez Callaway. Relying entirely on older players is risky, but there is enough in the cupboard to get by when they all inevitably break down. Hopefully it isn’t all at once.
RB Strength: 9th
Honestly, I think this projection is nonsense. CEH has top-10 potential and his rookie season was not nearly as disappointing as everyone claims. Antonio Gibson is an athletic marvel who could also be a top-10 mainstay if he refines his game just a little bit. That’s a really good top two! Behind them is Chase Edmonds, who is a starter on an offense that should compile stats, and… I guess Sony Michel? Okay, now I see why this ranking is lower. Still, this isn’t the group that would hold this team back like the ranking indicates, and it should be higher.
TE Strength: 6th
Mark Andrews is very good. Behind him is a guy. I hope Mark Andrews doesn’t get hurt
Youth: 9th
This ranking seems fair, considering the age of the WRs. The next generation is waiting in the wings with Fields, Gibson, and CEH. For this team to keep the window open, they need to infuse the WR group with some youth and upside soon.
•08. Nine Inch Neils - Really Not All That Bright
2021: 75.7
2020: 72.0, 10th
2019: 73.9, 7th
2018: 73.3, 5th
The only place where nine inches is average at best
QB Strength: 6th
I think I would rate this a bit higher considering the whole. Herbert is an ascending star, but I do want to see it a second time to put me at ease with him being a centerpiece. His college tape didn’t sell me. In the unlikely event he does regress, there’s high upside streaming potential between Matt Ryan and Jameis Winston. In fact, this group seems torn between two strategies and could benefit from a reconfigure and a trade, I think.
WR Strength: 8th
If we only count the top two WRs on each team, this team would come out 4th. I love Stefon Diggs, and I regret trading him away even if it ultimately was necessary to win a championship. Godwin was a bit disappointing last year, but he has everything working for him to rebound and be as good a #2 as any team has in this league.
I love Marvin Jones this season, but his future outlook is pretty grim. I don’t believe in Mecole Hardman, and it seems clear to me at this point that he doesn’t have “it.” His ceiling may just be tiny Robby Anderson, but he has everything he could ask for to turn that around this season. I just don’t see it.
I think Rondale Moore is an awesome football player. Everyone is trying to find the next Tyreek Hill, and I think Rondale comes the closest of anyone since. However, for an owner that once said “I am not a huge fan of Jules’ wideouts because it feels like a roster of Little Fast Guys who get injured a lot and fade quickly once they do. Not coincidentally, I owned (and traded away) both Brandin Cooks and Tyreek Hill,” RNATB has drafted a lot of Little Fast Guys.
Diggs and Godwin are set. If a team is competing now, Marvin Jones can get it done if needed. I don’t think this team is competing, so this team needs a 3rd to emerge for next season, and even then a 4th is just as needed because both flexes are underwhelming. I don’t see those guys on this roster.
RB Strength: 7th
Najee Harris couldn’t have come at a better time. While I had him graded 3rd in this class, he was the clear top choice considering opportunity, skill, and talent. Character aside, Kareem Hunt has been a boon of a RB asset. Your contending window opens when you draft an elite RB, but this team isn’t really built to contend now. Leonard Fournette won’t cut it as a flex in this league. There’s work to be done here, and not a lot of time to do it or resources to do it with.
TE Strength: 7th
Tyler Higbee can work, but ponying up for Noah Fant was smart (cost aside). Fant has almost identical elite athleticism of Kyle Pitts, and he has proven upside in the league, too. He’s an outstanding current and future TE. This grade will be a lot higher next season.
Youth: 5th
Herbert, Diggs, Godwin, Najee. That is a foundation worthy of excitement and putting in the effort to supplement. This season may not go so well with the holes elsewhere, but it will be a critical season to determine whether this team is a playoff contender next season. Standing pat won’t cut it, and it could spoil a strong opportunity to turn the franchise around quickly.
•07. Peteys - PeteyPart2
2021: 75.9
2020: 76.7, 6th
2019: 69.9, 10th
2018: 71.6. 6th
A new challenger emerges.
QB Strength: 5th
I remember being really excited by the challenge of rebuilding an inherited team and crafting it into something of my own. Being gifted Lamar Jackson in fantasy is just about as good as you can hope to do. He may not be the elite deep passer or to the sideline, but no one can deny he is an elite fantasy asset. If Trey Lance looks like Lamar 2.0 by the end of this season, I can’t imagine anyone has a better QB group. I guess Derek Carr exists, too, though I don’t know if anyone cares anymore.
WR Strength: 3rd
This was a potentially dominant group before trading away Mike Evans, but that was the smart move. Clearly, there is enough here to still be an advantage over the rest of the league. If we drafted a dynasty league from scratch, you would pass out from the boner caused by landing Jefferson and Metcalf on the same team. This allows so much roster construction flexibility. This team can rebuild for a season or two and still almost certainly have elite options at WR1 and WR2, or contend this season on the backs of that outstanding duo.
Cooper Kupp is being slept on, and while he is surprisingly older than you might guess, he will be considered one of the best WR3s in this league this year. While the 4th and 5th WRs hold the grade down, between Beasley, Waddle, and Agholor, there is absolutely a good matchup to be found week to week for the final flex spot. This group is absolutely fine.
RB Strength: 10th
I don’t think it took long to see that this team was going to have to deal with this torn sail of an RB corps. Al was aggressive here, and it paid off. Behind Jacobs, Myles Gaskin is a good enough RB2 if he holds his job all season. Nyheim Hines is plenty good enough to hold down that spot, if not. Hines finished RB16 last season, and clearly you can win with him starting for you. AJ Dillon is a really good reserve with decent flex potential this season and league-winning upside if Aaron Jones is hurt at any point. This unit needs work, but it is probably just barely good enough to contend, as is.
TE Strength: 11th
There was a gigantic mess here when ownership changed. Again, you can punt this position and win, but Al took a chance on Zach Ertz. This is a good enough option in a pinch. He either sees the same work in Philly as he has before, which is around a back end TE1; or he is traded and gets a boost in opportunity. My personal theory is that Carson Wentz quit on the Eagles last season and pouted his way through a Manchurian season. As Wentz’s best friend on and off the field, I think Ertz followed suit. I have no evidence for this, but I would be shocked if it weren’t true. Ertz will be fine this season.
Youth: 6th
As far as QB and WR, I don’t think this team would trade their best 3 for anyone else’s. The choice now is whether to try to compete or start over. Trading for Hines, Gaskin, and Ertz indicates the plan is to compete now. I don’t see that happening this season, which makes preparing for 2022 a question. Can incremental change really turn it around here?
•06. New York Fanboys - Ellis Dee
2021: 77.1
2020: 78.4, 4th
2019: 73.9, 6th
2018: 66.8, 12th
Can this team still compete after trading away Atlas himself?
QB Strength: 9th
I’m surprised the combo of Baker, Danny Dimes, and Sammy Disease ranked as high as 9th. I know Baker is fine, but I think his real life value has eclipsed his fantasy value at this point. He’s a perfect example of just how deep QB is. Where would you guess he was ranked in a consensus dynasty ranking among QBs? If you guessed 13th, you were right about where I thought. But it is 19th! And that is the best option here!
No team has won in this league without a top 5 QB finish in that season. For as deep as the position is, it may also be the most critical in that you probably have no chance if you don’t have one of, say, 8 guys? TE has fewer elite options, but you can win without one of them. Not so without an elite QB. I fear this team’s season projection looks more promising than the result can actually can be.
WR Strength: 10th
I am guessing Ellis agrees with this ranking, as evidenced with his comments earlier in this thread. He’s never had someone even as good as DJ Moore. But DJ Moore is awesome! Still, I’d be concerned if he was my #1 unless he finds a way to overcome his TD lack. After him, this WR experience is like going to Dunkin Donuts at 1am and ordering donuts. There is a surprising amount to choose from! But it’s all stale and you’ll be disappointed by your choices no matter what. Faced with the choice of starting Marquise Brown, Sterling Shepard, or Jamison Crowder, I would be looking into the going rate of dynamite.
RB Strength: 11th
But, but, but! Saquon Barkley! Joe Mixon! And yes, those two are outstanding dynasty options. How many teams have two RB1s? Remember, however, that this grade factors in 4 RBs. And there is no 3rd here. Sorry, Carlos Hyde is here. So, in others words, there is no 3rd. Luckily, the top two guys are iron men who can be counted on to start 17 gam… what’s that? Oh, and there are bye weeks? Interesting, interesting. Dynamite is how much, again?
TE Strength: 1st
As always and forever, if you have Travis Kelce and a non-corpse, you have the #1 TE ranking. This is the only team that would consider starting two TEs, as they did last season, and Ellis may be wishing he could start 3 with his WRs.
Youth: 4th
Barkley and Mixon are so valuable, that this ranking is higher than it may seem like it should be. DJ Moore is also surprisingly young, and the projection shows little age-related decline for Kelce because even Father Time can’t guard him.
•05. No Use For A Name - RetroVertigo
2021: 80.3
2020: 78.3, 5th
2019: 75.0, 5th
2018: 77.5, 2nd
The triumvirate is crumbling, is there enough time to win before it falls apart entirely?
QB Strength: 7th
I guess we just have to accept that Tom Brady can throw for 4,500 yards and 40 TDs until he is 50. Probably after 50. He will chuck 40 TDs when the robots conquer us and Brady’s team is the only one in the league not fielding cyborgs. Let’s say, unlikely and blasphemous as it may be, that Brady does retire at some point before the NFL is dissolved. I don’t think Cousins and Tua are the answer behind him. I guess this team has a decade to figure out their #2, though, so no rush.
RB Strength: 2nd
I am doing these out of order because there is a pretty fascinating change in the weather happening in slow motion here. Long has this team been 2nd at RB Strength. Since 2018, actually, when I started these rankings. 2nd now 4 years in a row! This may be the last one, though, because it looks like Melvin Gordon doesn’t have another starter season in him. Dalvin Cook was an awesome pick, and there is a chance Ezekiel Elliott will rebound to his usual top 8 place. For years, Retro has drafted high upside WRs to round out this starting unit, and wisely so. And it looks like the timing just never quite worked out, like two ships passing in the night. Now Zeke is older and might be washed, Gordon is no longer the quality of a regular starter, Latavius Murray is cut, and Michael Carter is a rookie and in a Cerberus timeshare. RIP in peace, RB corps.
(This was written before the Thursday night game and Latavius Murray being signed as yet another piece of the “band gets back together for one last tour” RB room in Baltimore)
WR Strength: 7th
You don’t need a superpower to see the future in which CeeDee Lamb is the alpha in Dallas and a top 5 dynasty WR, Maybe Ja’Marr Chase reasons his way to the conclusion that the limit does not exist and becomes the generational WR prospect promised to us,. Then somehow this team is starting Courtland Sutton as their 3rd WR. That is an embarrassment of riches. That future may indeed be this season. If it is, and Cook and Zeke are still studs, this is a championship quality team. If it is next season that this WR group really takes off, it may be too late. This team will always stand as a lesson in dynasty roster construction. Either way, the top 3 WRs here will give Retro a decade of chances for the stars to align and win it all.
TE Strength: 10th
Eric Ebron is still in the league! Oh, wait, the starter is Robert Tonyan. Here’s the thing. We all know is isn’t catching all those TDs this year. But efficiency like that breeds opportunity, so he should be fine with the increased targets even if he does regress. I would not trust Ebron as my only reserve as the rookie there will take his job, but you can live with that vulnerability.
Youth: 11th
The age-related decline has a feature which will basically predict when you retire based on your production and age. Tom Brady should have retired ten years ago, according to this. If your QB has a 0 future value, you can’t really compete in this metric. Ignoring that, Cook is in his prime, and the WRs are all young and fantastic. I don’t think the future is nearly as dire as this ranking suggests. Continuing the status quo, however, probably misses the boat.
•04. Exploding Pancakes - SenorBeef
2021: 80.7
2020: 75.4, 8th
2019: 73.4, 8th
2018: 74.5, 4th
The dead shall live, and their bodies shall rise. Hark, for the end days cometh, and he who hath been vanquished shall be reborn.
QB Strength: 2nd
Boy, did I call it about how Diggs would help Josh Allen? Forget Beef’s roster, let’s sing my praises for a while. I mean, even the experts weren’t predicting that! Oh, I traded Diggs? Right, carry on.
Let’s say, for a moment, that Josh Allen is who he was last season. I heard somewhere he made the biggest jump in completion percentage of any starter in NFL history from one season to the next, but nothing else really jumps out as anomalous in his 2020. So, no regression, okay? Is he the dynasty QB1? I know Mahomes is Mahomes, but Allen beat him last season in points without a second WR half as good as Kelce or Tyreek, and no viable RBs. Allen is slightly younger, too. The only think keeping Allen from that ranking is that, at some point, the rushing has to slow down. Then again, Cam Newton ran for 12 TDs in a season in his 30s.
Ryan Tannehill continues to be a revelation and defy logic and analysis. This is an outstanding top 2, and there’s not much reason to think it will change any time soon.
WR Strength: 5th
Allen Robinson is underrated, every year, consistently. I hope Justin Fields starts soon so we can finally see what ARob can do with a legit QB. I can’t believe the Bears have a legit QB! Nothing I am typing right now can possibly affect the future in any meaningful way that could make anything go wrong with the Bears having a legit QB! We did it guys, we lived long enough to see the Bears with a legit QB.
Tyler Lockett is underrated, every year, consistently. I don’t think we will ever see a WR as efficient, unassuming, and unheralded as Lockett.
Odell Beckham is und… okay, he’s a mystery. His skill and technical prowess did not disappear, and he has always had enough of that to be a WR1. The talent, the physical advantages, those may have come and gone. His fit on his team may be even worse. I imagine the most likely scenario is that he is startable this season with a lot of irritating inconsistency and ends up as a WR3. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up riding the fantasy bench the second half of the season, either.
Between Chark, Deebo, Jalen Reagor, and Rashod Bateman, there is a top 24 WR. I don’t know which one it will be, and I imagine it will be hard to know until halfway through the season. Lots of depth here, and interesting players to watch.
RB Strength: 8th
This still counts JK Dobbins as his full projection, which is clearly no longer accurate. Ignoring that, Nick Chubb is unbelievably good. I’ve heard about a hundred times how he is the best pure runner in the league, and I don’t know what that means. What I do know is that runners Chubb’s size shouldn’t be that fast, but unlike Derrick Henry, Chubb has outstanding vision and is rarely stopped for no gain. It’s really awesome the way the Browns have developed this 2-headed rushing attack, but I fear it will depress Chubb’s perceived value. Yes, Kareem Hunt has cost Chubb some fantasy points, but I’m more concerned with the “perceived” part. Chubb looks to me every bit the type of player who is going to eventually make Canton. Can he keep that up losing half the work to Kareem Hunt? That would be a shame, if not.
David Montgomery is a fat, slow mirage, and I don’t trust him as a RB2. He wouldn’t be, if not for Dobbins going down, but still. Maybe he can keep getting insane volume and maintain his value. When it comes to competing in this league, you just cannot punt RB. If Monty falls back to where he was the first half of last season, zombie Beef may be DOA.
TE Strength: 5th
I don’t understand this ranking because there’s nothing noteworthy or valuable here. Evan Engram? One of the more disappointing talents of the last half decade. Mo Alie-Cox? Is it Mo-Alie Cox? Or Mo Alie-Cox? Do we give fantasy points for blocking? Somehow Beef dropped at least 9 TEs before the draft and still ended up with a blocking TE clogging up his roster. This should be 12th. Scratch that, 13th. All right, we’re done here. I think that just about covers it.
Youth: 3rd
This ranking is carried by the astronomical actual value of Josh Allen. This isn’t relative value, or factoring in scarcity, or anything like that. Just how many points will you score in the next 5 years. Josh Allen is going to score like Wilt. The rest of the roster has a decent mix of younger players and prime-age veterans, but the top WRs are starting to climb up in age. You can count on one of the bench WRs stepping up based on talent and numbers in the next year or so, but 3 of them? I doubt that.
•03. Warner’s Brothers - dalej42
2021: 83.1
2020: 76.0, 7th
2019: 63.8, 7th
2018: 70.5, 12th
It’s a brand new day, and the once down-trodden has a quota of revenge to commit
QB Strength: 3rd
There’s a real debate to have whether Dale’s group of QBs is the best in the league. I think Russell Wilson having set his kitchen on fire after finally getting to cook, and Dak’s injury concerns, are fair to keep this ranking at 3rd. I find it hard to believe that Wilson regresses and Dak can’t get healthy at the same time, so there’s probably no reason for concern here. Probably.
WR Strength: 1st
You know, sometimes I make stupid trades.
Thanks to a truly generous benefactor, Dale has the best top 2 WRs in the league between DeAndre Hopkins and Calvin Ridley. Hopkins is older, and if Kyler Murray isn’t exactly right, he’s going to disappoint like he did in the last half of last year. I wouldn’t bet against Nuk for this season, though. The rankings don’t reflect it, but I suspect Diontae Johnson is a top 12 WR this season. That makes Amari Cooper almost certainly the best 4th WR in the league, and Brandin Cooks in the conversation as the best 5th WR this league has ever seen. Four of those five came from my roster, and the fifth was the guy I very infamously passed up due to a bad brain.
RB Strength: 4th
Derrick Henry defies reason. It isn’t that nobody saw this coming, because he was my first ever draft pick in this league and I very specifically (and correctly) predicted his career arc. It’s just that nobody saw this coming. Like, this, the 2,000 yards from a guy who is brought down by arm tackles like the skinny kid playing Red Rover in school. This guy, who accelerates slower than a VW Vanagon atop flat tires, rushed for 2,000 yards?
We all expect Henry to regress under the burden of the workload he has endured the last two seasons. I am not sure he is capable of fatigue, so let’s pencil him back in for a top 5 finish.
After Henry, I don’t trust Mostert. I don’t think he’s the best back on his team. Damien Harris could be the recipient of a sudden surplus of available rushing scores, but in NE, I don’t trust Harris to be given a chance to capitalize. Same with James White. I don’t trust James Conner to be startable in Arizona when he might not even be the 2nd best back on the team. I don’t trust… you get the point. Once again, can you compete in this league punting the RB2 spot?
TE Strength: 10th
Logan Thomas surprised everyone last season. Part of me thinks he’ll be better off with a better QB who is more capable of slangin’ some pigskin. The other part of me thinks young, subpar QBs rely on their TEs as safety blankets, and maybe a better QB can more effectively use his WRs down field instead of his TE. Even if you pencil Thomas in for a repeat of last season, there’s no backup who will see the field, which tanks this grade.
Youth: 2nd
The ranking system sees no meaningful regression from DeAndre Hopkins over 5 years, which is possible but unlikely. Same with Derrick Henry, which is very much unlikely. However, with Ridley being young and a stud, and Dak being one of the younger top dynasty QBs, this ranking is fairly well deserved. However, it should be noted that Dale’s average starter has 5.3 years in the league, which is second oldest behind Retro’s roster (which includes Tom Brady). So, maybe not so young.
•02. Moridwon - Hamlet
2021: 83.6
2020: 85.5, 1st
2019: 85.7, 2nd
2018: 69.9, 8th
Always a championship favorite, can this squad secure their second title in three years? Does 2 out of 3 a dynasty make?
QB Strength: 1st
Would Patrick Mahomes go #1 overall in a new dynasty startup, if you could guarantee that the league would not dissolve for 15 years? I’d take him there. Regardless, no asset is more valuable in terms of pure scoring output. And while Hamlet’s championship aspirations would take a hit were Mahomes to go down, it isn’t hard to see how a team with Joe Burrow and Zach Wilson could still compete, even this season. As much as a healthy Mahomes makes for a dangerous foe in any given week, I might just prefer he stay healthy because otherwise we would never, ever hear the end of it.
WR Strength: 4th
This used to be a strength unmatched in the league. Last season this group ranked #1, but I wrote at the time, “If you take the time to pull out a microscope, some cracks have appeared in the foundation.” That was prescient. Michael Thomas went from unquestioned dynasty WR1 to maybe insane? He could be traded, he could miss the season, he could come back halfway through the season and still finish in the top 15 WRs. Hard to really know what to expect, so let’s count him out. Keenan Allen was just outside of the top 12 last season, and probably won’t finish far above or below that this season as his game should age gracefully for another season or three. Juju isn’t who we thought he was after his breakout season, and Mike Williams is as generic and uninteresting as his name. Brandon Aiyuk could be awesome! But Jimmy G kinda sucks. And Trey Lance isn’t ready. That doesn’t add up to someone you can count on to start as a WR2 this season. Michael Gallup and Tyler Boyd are both very talented and very much not the 1 or 2 on their own teams, let alone on this fantasy team. Lots of names, not lots of points.
RB Strength: 3rd
I was surprised by this ranking. Ekeler is somehow both overrated (in standard fantasy) and underrated (in PPR), but he’s a stud here if he stays healthy. Risky, that. Chris Carson is Joey Knish from Rounders, just grinding out yards. For a RB2, he might be just the wrong side of underwhelming, and, yes, he also cannot stay healthy. Javonte Williams was a fortunate result of what will be the last 5th pick awarded to the consolation bracket winner. He may save this team’s season. If either Ekeler or Carson go down again, there is no one else worth starting.
TE Strength: 2nd
Darren Waller. I’m not sure what else to say. We all saw him on Hard Knocks, but not everyone took what they saw seriously. I didn’t. Those that did were gifted a boon, and he may be getting better. Behind him, Mike Gesicki profiles as an ascending TE. I think the Dolphins’ recent investment in their passing game will prevent him from going much higher than he did last season. He’s a fantastic #2 behind an elite option, though.
Youth: 1st
You can see the results of elite QBs on these rankings. Otherwise, Keenan Allen is getting older, Waller is in his prime but at 28, and both starting RBs are 26. I don’t think this ranking is accurate, but such is the benefit of Mahomes on your roster.
•01. HungryHungryHaruspex - Jules Andre
2021: 89.0
2020: 84.6, 2nd
2019: 87.5, 1st
2018: 77.3, 3rd
QB Strength: 4th
Only I could make an all-in push for the final piece of a championship run and trade for Aaron Rodgers during his MVP season, and then not start him in the championship game. I got stones, though.
Rodgers will be just as elite this season, motivated by showing the NFL just what is about to walk out the door in Green Bay. I think Rodgers wants to show off what he has to make the league’s courtship of him after this season all the more spectacular. I can’t see him disappointing this season with his motivation to scorch the frozen tundra. Any questions he had were there last season, and he won the MVP.
Jalen Hurts is unfairly maligned for his passing. I could write 3,000 words about just that, but we all know this is going to run long without that detail. Hurts came into the starting gig late last season and immediately became a historically great runner. He’s not that, probably, but his running will make him an elite starter this season. For this season, this is a better situation that it may appear. His per game numbers as a starter were better than Lamar Jackson’s last year, which would make him a top-10 fantasy QB without any improvement in his passing. I am guessing, wildly, that having a healthy O-Line after it was the most injured O-Line in the league (according to football outsiders) and drafting Devonta Smith will help your passing numbers.
WR Strength: 2nd
This was 1st, but sometimes I make stupid trades. Had I not done that, I would have also had the first 90+ team ranking since starting this foolishness.
What I lost in elite production this season and next, I gained in youth. Mike Evans is getting older, but his game projects to age more gracefully than normal, much like DeAndre Hopkins’. A downgrade, but not outrageously so. Tyreek Hill is the most explosive and unstoppable WR in the league, and he’s just entering his prime. Behind that there is a lot of young upside. Tee Higgins, Jerry Jeudy, Devonta Smith, and Elijah Moore could very well be my 4 starters soon and they have a combined 2 years of experience. I talked about Terrace Marshall upthread. My 8th WR was recently compared to a mix of Terrell Owens and Randy Moss. I’m sure that will prove accurate and reasonable.
I can see how Mike Evans starts his decline, and aside from Tyreek, nobody else is ready to ascend and this ranking suffers a bit. There’s just so much depth it’s hard to see it tank the season.
RB Strength: 1st
I can’t imagine there is a better feeling than waking up Sunday morning and knowing you get to watch Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara start for your fantasy team in a PPR league. As much as I love Saquon Barkley, it is likely CMC and Kamara are getting picked 1 and 2 at RB if we start the league over. My hope is that their playstyles and exceptional elusiveness keep them both in space, away from big hits, and both of them maintain high value longer than RBs typically do.
For this season, there isn’t much else to rely on if either get hurt. Tony Jones would be a league winner if Kamara goes down, and he’s startable at flex if I get desperate somehow. Ronald Jones was surprisingly valuable last season, and I think his skill and talent are severely underrated. I’ve tried to acquire him for a couple seasons now. He’s a pending free agent, and I can see his value skyrocketing if he lands in the right spot next season. For this season, he’s a liability if I have to start him.
Speaking of my RBs next season. Yeah, you already know.
TE Strength: 4th
It took years, but I finally got a top 5 TE. TJ Hockenson is everyone’s breakout darling, and I’ve heard him referred to as Kelce’s heir a few times. That would be nice. If not, I still think when it comes to all-around skill, Dallas Goedert is as good as they come. His hands are outrageously good, his routes are fairly clean for a TE, he has some YAC ability, and he’s a plus blocker. He just needs Ertz to get the hell out of town and he’ll explode in the rankings.
Youth: 7th
This would be first if my QB was not projected to retire after this season, which will definitely not happen. Right? Probably not. Put in Carson Wentz at starter instead, middling at best as he is, and this ranking goes to 1st. The depth I have is all young, with only 3 players on my bench having more than a year of experience. Long live the king.
You know what, fair. I have no idea what kind of production I can expect from nearly half my team and it’s probably going to kill me this year.
I traded for Kenyan Drake under the assumption he was a starter on the rise. Instead, he’s in some kind bizarre committee in Las Vegas. Chase Claypool might be the third option behind JuJu and Diontae Johnson, but he might not be. Jamaal Williams is a great flex (I think he’ll continue what he did in Green Bay), but he could be more. I just don’t know about any of them.
And I probably should have reached for Mac Jones in the second round this year.