Lately we’ve broken down the importance of understanding how to effectively draft in Points Per Reception (PPR) leagues at the wide receiver and running back positions. Next up are the fantasy football TEs. PPR can add a particularly interesting dimension to fantasy TE’s because their scoring outputs become less important, allowing high volume targets who don’t score a lot to blossom.
Fantasy Focus: Cleveland Browns
For the purposes of web traffic it might make sense just to type JOHNNY MANZIEL over and over again in this space. The thing is, the rising second-year player simply might not be more than divisive talking point until further notice. Then again, considering the rather blah fantasy options elsewhere on the Cleveland Browns roster other perhaps at running back, maybe discussing Manziel is the way to go. Nah, let's get going with thoughts on Josh McCown, Dwayne Bowe, Isaiah Crowell and others.
Stop me if you’ve heard these statistics thrown out there this offseason in fantasy news: “Last season, Kenny Stills ranked third in the league in catch percentage (minimum 50 receptions). His 14.8 yards per reception was the most of anyone with at least a 70% catch rate. The only other players that had at least 14 yards per catch and a 70% catch rate last year were Odell Beckham Jr and Randall Cobb.”
Fantasy Focus: Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers have always been one of the Super bowl contending teams ever since Aaron Rodgers has established himself as an elite quarterback. The Green and Gold didn’t change their offensive outlook from last season after they resigned Randall Cobb their impressive young receiver and Bryan Bulaga an offensive tackle who was extremely effective in 2014. There isn’t a lot of new things going on for the Packers and that’s a good thing because they have one of the most complete offensive rosters in the NFL.
Depending on the composition of your league, wide receivers may provide the most fantasy points. While there are many top receivers to choose from, you can also make huge gains by finding the right receiver later in your draft or off the waiver wire. Since this game is won by finding the best value, here’s a look at some of the best fantasy WR values spread around the draft.
Fantasy Focus: HOUSTON TEXANS
The Houston Texans are coming off of a 9-7 2014 season plagued by injuries and an inconsistent QB rotation. Though the Texans had a “winning record,” Head Coach Bill O’Brian has spent the offseason working on making the team strong enough to be a 2015 playoff contender. A decision for a starting QB and a nearly complete returning offense will have the Texans off to a solid start. Star J.J. Watt will also add to the complete playoff package that the Texans are trying to assemble. Fantasy owners should watch for the starting QB announcement to see how the offense will shake out, however, the Texan defense is a must add for this fantasy season.
RB Fantasy Football News
Points per Reception Leagues, or PPR leagues, reward players with either half a point or a full point for catching a pass, and are trending upward as the upcoming season approaches. With so many league commissioners changing their formats to PPR, it is important to get a leg up in drafts, and not fall behind. We broke down some of the best PPR fantasy RBs to target.
Fantasy Focus: New York Jets
To wrap up the AFC East, let’s take a look at the New York Jets. The Jets suffered a dismal season in 2014, finishing with a record of 4-12. This prompted them to make major changes in the offseason.
Fantasy Focus - St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a new-look team, but it’s hard to see significant improvement from their 6-10 record last season. They traded for starting QB Nick Foles and fired previous OC Brian Schottenheimer after three years of unproductive offense with Sam Bradford and the bevy of other signal callers who replaced Bradford. The Rams’ passing game will remain weak due to a lack of outside weapons on this defensive oriented roster. Coach Jeff Fisher has made it clear that the ground game is the priority. St. Louis has stockpiled lineman and running backs. The Rams are still the worst team in the NFL for fantasy football purposes.
Fantasy Focus
The Tennessee Titans went 2-14 last season, tying with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the worst record in the NFL. However, the Titans are a young team that has potential. This offseason the Titans have focused on building a better running game and preparing first round, rookie QB Marcus Mariota for their season opener. The Titans are looking to redeem themselves this season, and with the new strategies that Tennessee coaches hope to put into place, fantasy owners can hope to find some surprising picks late in the draft.
