This weekend on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio I discussed players who I termed as league winners, aka guys who have the upside to help you win your league. These players are often volatile in that they can explode in your face, too. But as I have often said, no one remembers who came in second or third in your fantasy league except you!
Here are some players I deem as this year’s league winners:
Matt Modica, a talented high-stakes player, mentioned on X that Richardson reminded him of Reds 3B Elly De La Cruz. De La Cruz is an amazingly talented player, but in the preseason, fantasy managers were worried about his contact rate, his propensity to strike out, and a host of other things. What they forgot to remember is that De La Cruz is insanely talented and could run and hit better than 99% of the league. Richardson has that type of talent. He can rush for 900+ yards and get 10-12 rushing TDs; he also has a gun for an arm and can throw for 3500+ passing yards and 25 TDs. Those are the kinds of numbers that win leagues.
Imagine everything I said about Richardson and apply it to Daniels, who is going three to four rounds later in drafts. His upside is immense, and in every draft, I don’t take him, I have FOMO.
Admittedly, I have been worried about Williams’ desire to play the game, but the more I watch Hard Knocks, the more I am convinced that he has what it takes to lead a team. The skill players around him are top-notch (arguably the best receiving room in the league), which makes Williams a potential league winner at his current 11th-round ADP.
Just a few weeks ago, Gibbs was being hailed as the next great running back, capable of finishing with a top-five season. Then he injured his hamstring, and he started dropping on draft boards. Gibbs might be ready for Week 1, and the worst case seems to be that he will be back for Week 3 at the latest. Buy the dip in his ADP and bank on talent, as his is undeniable.
Achane is difficult to handicap, which makes him incredibly frustrating. There will be games where he goes 8 carries for 27 yards and doesn’t score, and there will be games where he goes 12 carries for 145 yards and 2 TDs. He is the epitome of a league winner, as the volatility is immense, and he becomes a “must-have” player when he breaks off a huge gain. The second round this year is filled with landmines, and Achane might be the biggest one. I like to play what I call No Fear fantasy, so I am not afraid of taking Achane and seeing him shine.
Supposedly, Brown and Zack Moss are going to split carries 50/50 to start the season. But what if Brown realizes his true potential and breaks off explosive plays like he did regularly in college and becomes the bell cow back for the Bengals? If that happens, Brown becomes a league winner that was available in Round 8.
I get that Daniel Jones sucks, but let’s look at the numbers. Assuming Nabers stays healthy for an entire season, he should get, on average, eight targets a game (136). If he catches 85% of those passes, that is 115. If he averages 12 yards per reception, that is 1380 yards. If he scores 8 TDs, his point total in PPR formats would be: 115 + 138+ 48= 301. That number could have him finish in the top 3 overall at the position. Sounds like a league winner to me!
I am completely buying into new OC Ryan Grubb’s offense. Grubb comes from the University of Washington where they played inspired football, and three different receivers were drafted within the first three rounds of this year’s NFL draft. Metcalf is virtually impossible to cover, and when he is included early in the play calling, he often plays inspired football. Seattle will surprise many people this season with their aggressiveness, and Metcalf should be an integral part of that philosophy.
Washington just traded Jahan Dotson last week, opening the door for McLaurin to get even more opportunities as the WR1. Jayden Daniels throws a very accurate deep ball (he led LSU’s high-octane offense last season), and McLaurin should have tons of chances to make huge plays downfield. McLaurin has had over 1000 yards for the past four seasons with horrible QBs throwing him the football. With Daniels under center, McLaurin might come close to 100 receptions and have a huge season.
I had Falcons beat writer D. Orlando Ledbetter on my show this weekend, and he told me that Pitts is going to be the Falcons first look in the air on offense. I know that Pitts has burned us for years, but what if he is finally invested and breaks out? A contract year is brewing, and he wants to get paid.
How many tight ends can rush for 7 TDs, throw for 5 TDs, and catch 3 TDs? No one other than Hill. I don’t care if Juwan Johnson is playing or not. Dennis Allen loves Hill, and I do as well.
