August 31st 2017
Thursday Night Edition
Fantasy Draft Watch
Draft day is winding down as we inch
closer to kickoff, just a little under a week away. Even with only one weekend
left before the season starts, there are plenty of drafts to be had and to be
dominated.
I’m not saying any of these guys will put
you over the top, but here are a few players that I believe are going to ball
hard this season.
There’s been a lot of changes in Philly
this off-season, but one staple 2nd year quarterback Carson Wentz will have to
rely on is tight end Zach Ertz. Last season Ertz turned in a line of 78-816-4
on 106 targets, good enough for the No. 6 fantasy tight end in PPR. The talk
around the water cooler is Ertz should be even more involved in the passing game
seeing an even larger share of targets this season. With good enough numbers
for the number six spot last season, Ertz
has an ADP of 7.06 (the No. 8 tight end) according to FFC, making him a solid value around the middle of the 7th or early 8th round.
In Minnesota there’s not been a lot of
talk, or at least I am not hearing a lot about wide receiver Stefon Diggs. The
Vikings 3rd year receiver has been on the rise since he arrived in 2015 with
his targets, receptions, and yards receiving increasing each season. Last
season he posted an 84-903-3 line on 112 targets and could easily see a bump in
volume and better numbers. Last season Diggs finished as the league’s No. 30
fantasy receiver in PPR and is currently being drafted as the No. 25 fantasy
receiver (according to FFC); he's going off the board around players like Sammy
Watkins, Brandon Marshall, Allen Robinson, and Jarvis Landry. He’s in pretty
good company, but I like Diggs potential especially returning this season with
quarterback Sam Bradford under center. I am taking Diggs ahead of the others
mentioned here.
Plodding along, another receiver who has
been hyped in the past, so fantasy owners have to ask is there more smoke this
season or do we actually have a fire? In the case of Dolphins wide receiver
Devante Parker, it could finally be fire we see this season with the arrival of
quarterback Jay Cutler. Parker is a big target and it’s no secret that Cutler
likes those big targets downfield. The Dolphins big wideout is going to be
Cutler’s primary downfield target which is why I love Parker at his current ADP
(5.06 according to FFC), the No. 27 fantasy receiver off the board. He’s being
drafted as a high-WR3 who easily has a high-end WR2 upside in PPR formats (and a
tick higher in standard). I am high on this kid.
Deep Sleeper
Now this one may be nothing more than a
dart throw and best in Best Ball drafts or deeper leagues, but there’s
something to be said about Niners wide receiver Marquise Goodwin. It’s not a
large sample size, but Goodwin and quarterback Brian Hoyer have shown some nice
preseason chemistry. Goodwin has been targeted 8 times this preseason with a
line of 5-104-1. I don’t see him as a heavy volume guy, more of a big play guy.
In 2016 he caught 29 balls for 431 yards receiving and three touchdowns, good
enough for 14.9 per catch. His career high in touchdowns is the three he posted
last season, but I can easily see him surpassing that total this season, maybe
double. Again, I see him as a late round flier in deep leagues or or a sneaky
Best ball play, but he’s definitely worth keeping an eye on as a possible streaming
option through the byes.
IDP Notes
For those of you that enjoy fantasy
football as much as I do, there is also the IDP (Individual Defensive Players)
format to enjoy. And yes plenty to talk about there with the season fast
approaching.
Dynamic Duo
With 2nd year player Joey Bosa showing so
much promise last season (his fantasy stock is rising fast) finishing with 10.5
sacks, he’ll anchor one side of the Chargers defense with teammate Melvin
Ingram (8.0 sacks last season) on the other side. Last season Bosa closed out
his 2016 campaign with at least a half sack in 6 straight games. He has the
look of a game-changer as an elite pass-rusher and there’s no reason fantasy
owners shouldn’t expect to see him take another step forward in 2017. He should
go early in IDP drafts, first rounder in IDP only drafts.
On the other side, defensive lineman
Melvin Ingram is another stud pass rusher coming off a solid campaign last season. Ingram is
entering his 6th season, having turned in 18.5 sacks over the past two seasons.
His production has been steady since
2015 and with the arrival of Bosa, 2017 looks to be another solid year for
Ingram. Like Bosa, he’s an early IDP selection; in IDP only leagues he’s a
mid-to-low 2nd rounder in my opinion.
That’s My Take
~David Ortega
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