FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

September 2nd, 2023

Saturday Late-Evening Edition

2023 Fantasy Draft Day: On the Clock

(12-Team, PPR format, Fantasy Calculator ADP)

WR-Tyreek Hill, Current ADP 1.04 - the Dolphins dynamic wide receiver has finished 2nd (2022), 6th (2021), and 2nd (2020) in fantasy scoring over the past three seasons. He’s coming off a season with career highs in yards receiving (1,710), receptions (119), and targets (170). He’s an elite WR1 that is going early in the 1st round of fantasy drafts.

WR-Stefon Diggs, Current ADP 1.08 - the Bills wideout finished the 2022 season as the No.4 fantasy receiver. In his three seasons with the Bills Diggs has the most receptions (tied with Davante Adams) of any receiver with 338 and has averaged more than 160 targets per season. He’s a mid-to-late first rounder in fantasy drafts this season.

That's my take!

~David G. Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

September 2nd, 2023

Saturday Late-Evening Edition

2023 Draft Day Watch

As you are preparing for your imminent fantasy draft, you should  be thinking about what players will fall to your spot throughout the draft and be prepared to adjust on the fly as picks from left field occur.

The Draft is not a sprint, it’s a marathon and you should not be playing checkers, but more like chess as you make your selections and navigate your way to your perfect draft.

As the draft gets started, if you are in position with an early pick, one of the first two running backs you need to be looking at is Austin Ekeler. Ekeler was the No.1 fantasy scoring running back in 2022 and has played in 33 of the teams past 34 games. With 107 receptions last season he is the premiere fantasy ppr receiving back.

Where people are currently ranking wide receiver Davante Adams, he’s a great early to mid 2nd round or beyond pick. Adams has been prolific his past three seasons and even if his numbers take a slight hit with a new quarterback in Las Vegas, he’s still a top 5 or 6 fantasy receiver. In the 2nd round he is coming off most boards as the WR9.

A little further into your draft, you can look for the Browns Amari Cooper to be available in the 3rd round to pair up with your Adams pick. Cooper is coming off a strong 2022 season where he finished as the No.15 fantasy receiver grabbing 78 balls for 1,160 yards receiving and 9 touchdowns. In 2022 Cooper only had his quarterback DeShaun Watson for six games. With a full camp under their belts, Cooper is a strong candidate to make a jump forward.

The Packers running back Aaron Jones was last season's No.11 fantasy running back and he’s currently being drafted as the RB16 around the mid-4th round. Last season Jones totaled over 1,500 yards of offense and scored 7 total touchdowns in 2022, very reachable numbers in 2023.

In a new city and a new opportunity, the whispers coming out of the New York Giants training camp about their starting tight end Darren Waller are getting louder. Waller had a down year in 2022 playing in only 9 games, but he was still scoring as a Top-10 fantasy tight end. He’s in a new place and certainly has the talent to be a Top-5 Fantasy, just as he was in 2020, when he finished as the No.2 fantasy tight end. He’s currently coming off draft boards as an early 6th round pick, but he’s moving up.

Steelers wide receiver George Pickens' star is on the rise this season. He finished 2022 as the No.45 fantasy receiver, but there’s no question about his talent and ability, he just needs the opportunity. Pickens was targeted just 84 times last season, a number he will surely surpass in 2023. Currently coming off the draft boards as the WR34, he is an early 7th round pick.

As we truck along into the mid-rounds of your draft a possible steal also in the 7th round could be quarterback DeShaun Watson. Watson returned to action in 2022 after sitting out the entire 2021 season. He only played six games last season, but it was enough to shake the rust. If he regains his 2020 form (finished as the No.5 fantasy QB), he’s the 9th quarterback coming off the board in round 7th, VALUE. 

That's my take!

~David G. Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

September 1st, 2023

Friday Late-Evening Edition

My Top 10 Fantasy Football 

TE Rankings for 2023

Often considered the safety blanket for the quarterback position, today’s tight ends have morphed into much more than that. Viable weapons in the passing game, many of today’s tight ends are proving to be exceptional pass catchers with big fantasy upside.

Here’s my Top-10 at the tight end position:

The Top-10

1. Travis Kelce

2. Mark Andrews

3. TJ Hockenson

4. Darren Waller

5. George Kittle

6. Evan Engram

7. Dallas Goedert

8. David Njoku

9. Kyle Pitts

10. Dalton Schultz

The Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has separated himself into his own tier at the position. Kelce has finished as the No.1 fantasy scoring tight end four out of the last five seasons. He is King of the Hill until someone comes along and knocks him down.

With his arrival to New York in the off-season, the Giants tight end Darren Waller has a chance to return to his elite play. If Waller stays healthy, he has the tools and ability to produce at a high level. Back in 2020 Waller was the No.2 fantasy scoring tight end catching 107 passes (led all tight ends), finishing right behind Kelce.

My number 10 ranked tight end is Dalton Schultz. The former Cowboys tight end finds himself in Houston with very little competition for the leading receiver spot. Schultz finished 2022 as the No.13 fantasy scoring tight end and could easily improve his position this season with a young rookie quarterback (C.J. Stroud) under center.

That's my take!

~David G. Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

September 1st, 2023

Friday Evening Edition

My Top 10 Fantasy Football 

WR Rankings for 2023

We are moving right along with my 2023 Fantasy Rankings. I’ve looked at the ball carriers, the passers, now it’s time to look over my Wide receivers.

The Top-10

1. Justin Jefferson

2. Ja'Marr Chase

3. Tyreek Hill

4. Stefon Diggs

5. Davante Adams

6. Cooper Kupp

7. CeeDee Lamb

8. AJ Brown

9. Amon-Ra St. Brown

10. Garrett Wilson

There’s no shock here with the Vikings Justin Jefferson sitting in the top spot, a well-deserved honor after his epic 2022 season. While Jefferson appears to be the consensus number one wide receiver in most drafts and overall, it’s hard to argue the obvious number two receiver is the Bengals Ja’Marr Chase. The Bengals explosive receiver is a highlight reel in his own right and last season his No.4 fantasy receiver finish has made him one of the top options to target in your draft.

I’ve seen a few of the Expert mock drafts and not to my surprise, I have been seeing Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams getting selected in the 1st round. Now I have him as my number five, where I believe he belongs, but some Experts are in my opinion undervaluing Adams. I’ll just say I believe in his talents, skill, and abilities and his 100 receptions and 14 touchdowns from a year ago.

But as I go down the list it’s worth noting, I have adjusted Rams receiver Cooper Kupp down a couple of spots due to his recent injury. He’s still a top six fantasy receiver as long as his current injury doesn’t linger. It’s hard to bet against a kid that has proven to be as good as Kupp has played. Over the past two seasons Kupp has been the number one fantasy scoring receiver.

The Next 10.

11. Jaylen Waddle

12. Chris Olave

13. DeVonta Smith

14. Amari Cooper

15. Tee Higgins

16. DK Metcalf

17. Calvin Ridley

18. DeAndre Hopkins

19. Keenan Allen

20. Deebo Samuel

Rounding out the bottom 10 and slotting in at the number 14, is the Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper. Last season Cooper finished as the No.18 fantasy scoring receiver with his 2023 starting quarterback (DeShaun Watson) playing in only six games. This season Cooper will team up with Watson for the full go and has the potential of putting up strong numbers in 2023.

There is a lot of hype around the Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley. While Ridley was fantastic a few years ago (in 2020), he’s returning from missing an entire season and will be playing with a new team. There’s no question about the talent and ability, but I need to see it first. He’s still a Top-20 receiver in my book, but with other mouths like Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, and Evan Engram to feed, it could be tough for him to rise much higher.

I have DeAndre Hopkins at number 18, ranking a little higher than his current ADP (Fantasy Calculator). He’s coming off a subpar and shortened 2022 season, but even though he only played in 9 games his numbers are worth noting. Hopkins finished the season as the No.9 fantasy receiver (minimum 90 targets) and from weeks 7 through 15 he was the No.6 fantasy receiver. Hopkins ceiling may take a slight hit playing on the Titans, a team that likes to run with ball with running back Derrick Henry.

That's my take!

~David G. Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

August 31st, 2023

Thursday Late-Evening Edition

My Top 10 Fantasy Football 

RB Rankings for 2023

With the signal-callers out of the way, it’s time to look at the workhorses in the backfield. Here are my Top-10 for the start of the 2023 season.

The Top-10

1. Christian McCaffrey

2. Austin Ekeler

3. Nick Chubb

4. Saquon Barkley

5. Bijan Robinson

6. Tony Pollard

7. Derrick Henry

8. Josh Jacobs

9. Rhamondre Stevenson

10. Najee Harris

With running back Kareem Hunt no longer in Cleveland, this paves the way for running back Nick Chubb to improve upon his No.7 fantasy scoring (points-per-game) finish in 2022. Last season the Browns running back posted 1,525 yards rushing (career high) and 12 rushing touchdowns (tying-career high). Chubb will be running behind one of the best O-lines in the game this season and at the youthful age of 27, he’s primed for a big year.

The Giants running back Saquon Barkley is coming off a bounce back year in 2022 (finished as the No.5 fantasy running back) after his disappointing 2021 season (finished as No.29), minimum of 10 games played. Last season Barkley set a career high with 1,312 yards rushing while posting 10 rushing scores (2nd most in his career). More than a full season removed from his ACL tear that cut his 2021 season, Barkley is a Top-10 fantasy running back heading into the 2023 season with Top-5 tendencies.

The Steelers running back Najee Harris rounds out the Top-10, coming in at number 10. Harris was disappointing in 2022 for fantasy owners finishing as the No.19 fantasy scoring running back (minimum 10 games). Harris took a step back in 2022, rushing for over 160 yards less than the previous season and catching 33 fewer balls. It’s no secret Harris played with an injury last season which could have played a big role in his regression. The Steelers offense looks a bit different this preseason (improved) and could be set up to take some big steps forward when the regular season starts. Now healthy, Harris figures to again lead the ground attack and should benefit greatly.

The Next 10.

11. Breece Hall

12. Travis Etienne Jr.

13. Aaron Jones

14. Joe Mixon

15. Dameon Pierce

16. Jahmyr Gibbs

17. Kenneth Walker

18. Alexander Matison

19. JK Dobbins

20. Alvin Kamara

The Texans running back Dameon Pierce slots in at number 15 in my rankings. He’s coming off a shortened 2022 season where he finished as the No.20 fantasy scoring running back. Pierce totaled over 1,000 yards with 5 touchdowns in his rookie campaign. Pierce has the talent and ability to improve upon last season’s numbers and if he plays a larger role in the offense than originally thought, he’s got a chance at finishing as a borderline RB1/RB2.

Notably missing is running back Jonathan Taylor. In a 12-Team format, I am not willing to risk the draft capital with an early round pick. I’d rather sit on him and get him as my third RB or pass altogether.

Another notable back absent from my Top-20 is Miles Sanders, just missing the cut. Last season he finished as the RB22 in fantasy scoring, so I am pretty comfortable where I have him. 

That's my take!

~David G. Ortega