Tim Tebow is unemployed once again. Caleb Sturgis, the 11th-best fantasy kicker in fantasy football last season, was cut by the Dolphins. Terrance West, the Browns’ third-round NFL Draft pick from 2014, is now worth a seventh-round pick on the open market. Jonas Gray, the Patriots’ one-hit wonder of 2014, was not considered one of New England’s top 53 players. Although, Gray may also get a shot with the Tennessee Titans as they cut and paste together a running back committee.
Aside from, perhaps, Brandon LaFell to the PUP list, the final weekend of the preseason headlines didn’t diminish previously held fantasy football league drafts. Now, we can look forward to digesting regular season fantasy contests with a side of antacid.
Weekly Fantasy Football Rankings
Here are five fantasy football players I’m looking forward to observing Week 1:
David Johnson – Cardinals RB vs. Saints
The rookie out of Northern Iowa still has some red tape to slice through to earn regular work in the NFL. He finished the preseason with 5.1 yards per touch (Rush/Rec) with 119 yards and a touchdown in three appearances. However, the addition of Chris Johnson and debut of CJ2K in the preseason finale against Denver – 11 carries for 45 yards – creates a three-headed committee in Arizona with Andre Ellington leading for now.
The good news for the Cardinals is a Week 1 matchup against arguably the worst defense in the league in the Saints. If Bruce Arians and company want to get creative in ground-game play calling, it would be interesting to watch DJ get some (goal-line) reps against the fourth-worst rush defense of 2014.
Michael Crabtree – Raiders WR vs. Bengals
I don’t think I’ll ever forget Crabtree’s fantasy football timeline the past three seasons:
2012: Crabtree and Colin Kaepernick made sweet fantasy football love down the stretch. He caught 35 passes on 55 targets for 538 yards with four touchdowns the final five weeks of the season. This doesn’t include 20 receptions for nearly 300 yards with three touchdowns in the 2012 playoffs.
2013: Crabtree tore his Achilles during OTAs the following May. He did manage to return to the field by December and racked up 102 receiving yards in Week 16 along with 125 yards on eight receptions against the Packers in the playoffs. However, the positive momentum of 2012 seemed to stall quite a bit following the injury.
2014: Despite 108 targets, and a microcosm of the 49ers struggles on offense, Crabtree failed to record one 100-yard performance last season and only scored two touchdowns over the season’s final three months.
Heading into 2015, Crabtree will play second fiddle to rookie Amari Cooper in the passing game at the very least. But if you are of the opinion that the Raiders’ defense will continue to allow mucho pointos, then the second half is where Derek Carr and Crabtree can really make an impact in fantasy football this season. Latavius Murray and Amari Cooper will have balanced workloads in the first half, but Carr may need to spray the ball around the yard during rally aka garbage time.
Oh, and Crabby is also playing for a new contract. So, keep that in mind, folks.
Stevie Johnson – Chargers WR vs. Lions
No Antonio Gates the first four weeks of the season (suspension) presents an opportunity for Johnson to remind us why fantasy owners once loved him. Chances are Malcom Floyd picks up a case of the injury bug at some point and we’re still not completely sure what Melvin Gordon will provide us on the first two downs – assuming Danny Woodhead has earned third-down work. Keenan Allen posted some decent numbers down the stretch, but fell well shy of the “Hello, world!” fantasy impact production of 2013.
He was furious. So i lifted up my shirt like "Why so serious?" All about my bills. I'm on my Stevie Johnson pic.twitter.com/0UiJkgUg
— Charlie Davis (@C_DavisJr) December 8, 2011
So, why not Johnson?
Why couldn’t we see 700-900 yards and six, seven touchdowns from the guy who posted three straight 1,000-yard campaigns with the Bills?
Hell, Eddie Royal as Exhibit A.
Allen Hurns – Jaguars WR vs. Panthers
A thinner version of 50-Cent, Hurns made some noise in Week 1 of 2014. The rookie hauled in four passes on nine targets for 110 yards with two touchdowns.
Now, all eyes are on Allen Robinson as second-year quarterback Blake Bortles’ favorite target, but let us not push Hurns to the back burner just yet. He may see a few more targets in September, too, with Julius Thomas out due to injury (finger).
I’m not saying, in a league filled with WR2's and 3's, that Hurns is going to jump into your starting lineup, but merely stating that I’m interested to see what he can produce as an encore.
Tyler Eifert – Bengals TE vs. Raiders
Eifert was out of sight, out of mind last season as he recovered from a gruesome elbow injury. Well, he’s back in sight and Jermaine Gresham is gone – now with the Cardinals. So, Andy Dalton’s circle of trust is A.J. Green, Jeremy Hill and Eifert in that order. Marvin Jones must work his way back into the circle and that hasn’t happened yet. Against the Raiders, one of the worst defenses against the tight ends last season, I expect Eifert to see six-to-eight targets and then watch his 39 percent ownership on FOX Sports leap over 50 heading into Week 2.
Weekly Fantasy Football Rankings
