Fantasy Football 41-60: Ski/NotSki

Ski

Andre Ellington
RB – Arizona Cardinals
Current Position: 53
My Position: 47

Ellington, an actually talented running back on an actually talented team, is for some reason ranked behind Tevin Coleman, T.J. Yeldon and Todd Gurley.  And this is because….. I have no idea.  I’m not really sure about how those three running backs will perform in the NFL (and nor does anyone else), as they’re all rookies, but I’m always going to pick a player who I know can actually produce – or at least has done so in the past.  In addition, I’ve always liked Ellington as a player.  He plays on a team with no clear cut number one wide receiver and a rapidly aging quarterback, so the passing game is always going to be mediocre at best, so he’s going to get plenty of work. This is both a positive and a negative.  His injury problems have been well documented in the past and are defiantly a concern, which is why he is not higher on this list to begin with.  If he can stay healthy though, and that’s a big if, he can be not only a great flex play but also pretty solid RB2, which is a steal at a pick around 50.

Giovani Bernard
RB – Cincinnati Bengals
Current Position: 54
My Position: 49

Last season, Bernard was one of the Top 10 running backs in the fantasy draft – before getting hurt and losing his job to rookie Jeremy Hill. There’s a reason he was in the top 10 in his position at the start of last year – the guy has talent.  Too much talent to just sit on the Bengals bench all season while Hill gets all the caries.  Many have speculated that Bernard is, in fact, the more talented runner.  Hill’s tape is not exactly great and, if the past few years has taught me anything when it comes to rookie running backs, is that one hit wonders can and do happen (I’m looking at you Zac Stacy and Doug Martin).  It is possible that Hill just had one of those seasons and is the next Doug Martin waiting to happen.  I don’t know, and neither do you – but what I do know that IF that does happen, Bernard will be right there waiting in the wings to retake his starting job.  Bernard, unlike Hill, is a proven running back and I trust him completely with a roster spot on my team, whether he’s the Bengals starting running back or not.  Look for him as one of the top flex picks during this year’s draft, with the possibility of being a borderline RB2 if he gets more playing time throughout the season. 

Golden Tate

WR – Detroit Lions
Current Position: 59
My Position: 52

When Calvin Johnson went down last year, for the brief time that it was, it was former Seattle Seahawk Golden Tate that stepped up as Matt Stafford’s top target for the Detroit Lions.  Tate, who never really shined in Seattle’s weak offensive system, proved to be up to the task, posting 1,300+ yards – 13.3 per game – in 2014.  Even though he only had 4 TD’s to show for those yards, any wide receiver that can post up that kind of yardage is worth another close like in next year’s draft – and that’s exactly what I intend on doing with Tate.  Even with Johnson back in full capacity for next year, the Lion’s depth at WR is not exactly fantastic in that after the two of them there’s basically a gaping black hole.  With that in mind, I still feel that he’s going to get plenty of targets next season, with the possibility of putting up another 1000+ yard season.  Also, those kickoff returns are always a bonus.

Amari Cooper
WR – Oakland Raiders
Current Position: 58
My Position: 53

Oakland is not a good team.  In fact, they’re really, really bad.  That being said, if you’ve paid any attention to college football the past few years you know that Amari Cooper is an absolute freak – in the good way.  The man has ridiculous athletic talent and, even though Oakland is not what one would consider a good offensive team, he has the skill set to produce where ever and with whoever is throwing him the ball.  I put him in the same position as Sammy Watkins was last year, except with a slightly better QB and a much higher skill set.  As a flex, even as a WR2, he’s worth the risk. 

LaGarrette Blount
RB – New England Patriots
Current Position: 63
My Position: 56

Owning a New England running back is always interesting.  Bill Belichick has a habit of waking up on any given game day and playing whatever running back’s name pops first into his head.  That being said, Blount seems to be Bill’s go to guy the past couple of seasons and should get the starting job at the start of the season…well, at least after his suspension is up (#LaGarretteBlounts).  It’s never a bad thing to be the running back on a Tom Brady run offensive.  If you can deal with the fact that Blount may not play some weeks then he actually ends up being a higher end flex play than many are giving him credit for. 

Greg Olsen

TE – Carolina Panthers
Current Position: 64
My Position: 57

The tight end position is a barren wasteland of fantasy nothingness.  After Gronk and Jimmy Graham, what else do you have exactly?  Olsen is a higher end play at the position as the Panthers still don’t have a ton of great receiving options.  He’s one of the few TEs beyond the top two that I actually wouldn’t mind throwing out there week after week.  It’s not a sexy pick, but hey, it’s better than what the alternatives would be (Jason Witten, Julius Thomas, etc.).

Not Ski

Jonathan Stewart
RB – Carolina Panthers
Current Position: 40
My Position: 48

On any other team, Stewart would be nothing more a back-up.  But, on the Panthers, a team with very little offensive depth, Stewart is the starting running back and is being drafted in the Top 40. Why?  Yes, having a guaranteed starter is always better than having a backup, so picking him over say Bernard or Spiller would make sense – but even then what exactly is this guy going to give you?  Seriously just think about picking him and seeing him in your RB2 spot. Picture that right now.  Ya, doesn’t exactly instill a lot of confidence in you, does it?  And that’s exactly why you shouldn’t pick him.  Sometimes, you just have to go with your gut – and my gut says Stewart is not a RB2 and nor is he a strong flex play.  Draft with extreme caution – or better yet – not at all.

Letavius Murray
RB – Oakland Raiders
Current Position: 47
My Position: 55

The only player worth drafting on the Raiders is Amari Cooper. End of story.

T.J. Yeldon and Todd Gurley
RBs – Jacksonville Jaguars / St. Louis Rams
Current Positions: 49 / 51
My Positions: 58 / 59

Because drafting Jaguars and Ram’s running backs the past few years have worked out so well, right? You could ignore the past and take a gamble on one of them but me? – I’m done with Jagaur/Ram running backs.  You can have them, and watch as they consistently disappoint you throughout the season.