We continue our coverage of fantasy football"s top 101 PPR players for 2017 with players No. 89-87. Who will make the list today?
A couple articles ago we saw our first rookie, Kareem Hunt, grace the top 101 PPR list. Today we hit the AARP portion of the list with three veterans who are at least 30 years old. Two of the players are with a new team in 2017 and other could be playing his final season in the NFL.
Will these aging players be able to help out of their offenses like years before or are they too old to make a significant impact? Let's take a closer look.
To be clear, the top 101 PPR players are for re-draft leagues only. Here's a look at players ranked No. 89-87:
Nov 23, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount (29) runs against the Detroit Lions during the fourth quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports
89. LeGarrette Blount, RB – Philadelphia Eagles
A couple days ago we featured Philadelphia Eagles running back Darren Sproles at No. 95 on the list. Today we are seeing another Eagles running back on the top 101 list in LeGarrette Blount.
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Blount joins the Eagles in 2017 after setting career highs in rushing attempts (299), rushing yards (1,161) and rushing touchdowns (18) last year in New England. Although those numbers were great, nobody should expect Blount to reach those numbers with the Eagles. We've seen many players do well in New England, but then they'll underwhelm with other teams. Blount will no different.
It appears Blount is locked in as the Eagles early-down running back as well as the team's goal-line running back. He should average 10-13 touches per game with those touches mostly being carries. Blount does not offer much as a receiver as he's averaged only five receptions per season since 2012.
The reason I have Blount ranked slightly above Sproles even in PPR is because his weekly floor for touches is higher and he has the added benefit of being the team's goal-line running back. Either way, the running back by committee situation in Philly puts a damper on all of their running backs' ceilings.
Dec 6, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall (15) runs the ball past New York Giants defensive end Damontre Moore (98) and New York Giants corner back Prince Amukamara (20) during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. The Jets defeated the Giants 23-20 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
88. Brandon Marshall, WR – New York Giants
I'm lower on Brandon Marshall than others because, even though his name carries a lot of weight, there's a lot of factors working against him.
At the age of 33, Marshall enters his 12th season in the NFL and his first with the New York Giants. For the first time in a long time Marshall will not be his team's No. 1 wide receiver. That honor will obviously go to Odell Beckham Jr. Marshall will take a backseat to OBJ in targets and receptions and will also have to fight with second-year man Sterling Shepard and 2017 first-round pick Evan Engram for targets.
In two out of the last three years Marshall has had less than 62 receptions and 790 receiving yards. As a result, he hasn't been a top-34 PPR wide receiver in two seasons since 2014. Part of the reason for that is because Marshall was dealing with injuries. But at 33 years old, it's hard to imagine his body is more durable than years prior. Also, keep in mind Marshall already has one foot out the door in the NFL. He has been working on a career as a television football analyst and personality.
A lot players play football until they physically can't anymore because they don't have a Plan B after football. It's fair to wonder how willing Marshall will be to jeopardize his body and mind (concussions) with him already waist deep into his career after the NFL.
Dec 27, 2015; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Frank Gore (23) is tackled by Miami Dolphins cornerback Brent Grimes (21) during the first half at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
87. Frank Gore, RB – Indianapolis Colts
There's a difference between real life impact and fantasy football impact. In real life, Frank Gore hasn't been the same running back he was when he was with the San Francisco 49ers. Who can blame him though? The man just turned 34 years old and has 200+ carries in 11 straight seasons. In fantasy football however, Gore has still been a solid asset.
Despite averaging less than 4.0 yards per carry (YPC) in back-to-back seasons, Gore has still been a top-14 PPR running back in each of those two seasons. The reason for that is because volume has been on his side. Over the last two seasons Gore has had 260+ carries and 34+ receptions. Will volume be on his side in 2017?
The Colts re-signed running back Robert Turbin to a two-year contract in March. Over the team's final seven games Turbin scored six touchdowns. Gore on the other hand only scored one. The Colts also went out and drafted running back Marlon Mack in the fourth-round of the 2017 NFL Draft. It's possible these two severely cut into Gore's playing time. If that happens, the volume-dependent running back will be just another name in the shuffle.
