Coach: Frank Reich 6 PPG
QB: Jared Goff 30 PPG
Just two offseasons ago, everyone and their mother thought Jared Goff was a bust. Notorious for not knowing which direction the sun rises, Goff may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but he doesn’t need to be with Sean McVay making the offense easy to understand. Goff’s 2019 season should mirror what he did in 2018, which is a fringe top 10 fantasy quarterback without an elite ceiling.
RB/WR/TE: TY Hilton 19 PPG, Brandin Cooks 17 PPG, Amari Cooper 17 PPG, Evan Engram 17 PPG, OJ Howard 17 PPG 6th men: Tyler Boyd 16 PPG, Alshon Jeffery 15 PPG, Marvin Jones 14 PPG, Curtis Samuel 14 PPG, Mohamed Sanu 12 PPG, Tyrell Williams 11 PPG
TY Hilton rediscovered his elite form with Luck’s resurgence. The receiver has been the Colts’ go-to weapon for the last few years and that isn’t expected to change heading into his age 30-season. While they added weapons with Devin Funchess and Parris Campbell, Hilton is still the man to own in Indy. A top 5 receiving season isn’t out of the question, especially if he can continue to score touchdowns.
Brandin Cooks continued to do his thing, with another 1,000 yard season. Dude has been beyond lucky to play with Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Jared Goff as his quarterbacks. While the yardage likely isn’t going anywhere, there is hope for an increase in touchdowns as he only scored six times. Entering year six and only twenty-six-years-old, the best may be yet to come.
Ugh, I’m triggered writing about Amari Cooper. Dude is beyond frustrating to own and to be honest, isn’t worth even close to the contracts he has in our league. With that being said, hopefully, he can turn things around in Dallas and started to showcasing more consistency in the 2nd half of the year. Always prone for the horribly timed dud or blow-up game for the ages, this could be Coopers’ MO. A top 16 season is the goal, but if you’re paying him over $20 million (and soon to be over $30) hopefully he becomes a top 5 option at the position.
With no more OBJ in town, Evan Engram is slated for a ‘Gigantic’ liftoff. The target split with and without Beckham in the lineup was extreme and he’s shaping up to be ready to settle in as a top 5 option at the position. At 17 PPG, Engram will likely be the #1 option in the Giants’ receiving game and security blanket for whatever wet blanket QB throws him the football.
I can’t wait to see the development of OJ Howard come full circle in his third year, as he was in full breakout in 2018 before a season ending injury. Howard was already averaging 17 PPG before he went down, but keeping the pace is the expectation as Jameis is a big fan of other TE Cameron Brate. With a variety of weapons at Arians’ disposal, he will likely ask for the ball to be thrown around to a variety of targets. Howard with definitely be a big part of the offense and a key weapon in the red zone.
PK: Matt Prater 8 PPG
PN: Logan Cooke 11 PPG
DT: Chris Jones 15 PPG
Chris Jones showcased his upside last season with a top 5 defensive end finish in a 3-4 defense. That is not an easy feat to do, but that Kansas City BBQ is very high in protein. Heading into 2019, the scheme is completely different and Jones is appearing to hold out for a new contract to begin camp. I’m not betting on a repeat of last year’s numbers as he will be playing more inside, but he is no doubt a top 5 option at the tackle position.
DE: Aaron Donald 18 PPG, Stephon Tuitt 12 PPG (Robert Quinn)
Back-to-back defensive player of the year Aaron Donald went buck wild last season, posting a wild 20.5(!) sacks. Simply insane numbers, especially for a 3-4 defensive end. Those numbers are likely unsustainable, but it’s not like Donald is all of a sudden, not a generational talent. I have him posting similar numbers, but don’t be surprised if he’s sadly around 300 points and not 350.
Stephon Tuitt is just entering his prime and like his pal Cameron Heyward, he’s a solid, but unspectacular 3-4 defensive end. Dude gets his 6-8 sacks and goes about his business. A 12 PPG projection is solid low-end DE1 numbers and that’s what you expect.
LB: Fred Warner 15 PPG, Jayon Brown 13 PPG, Raekwon McMillan 13 PPG
Good ol’ Fred Warner leads Green Dot University’s linebacking corps and he had a superb season after winning the starting middle linebacking job as a rookie. Dude started out on fire to begin the year, but tailed off in the 2nd half. As we head into this season, the obvious question is what his numbers will look like next to tackle machine Kwon Alexander. Honestly, I don’t know, but I expect Warner to be startable, likely as a top 32 option.
Jayon Brown’s role is a bit in flux, as the Titans have three solid linebackers to put on the field. Wesley Woodyard isn’t going anywhere on running downs, but it appears it’s possible he could be taken off the field in nickel. Rashaan Evans was the Titans’ 1st round pick in 2018, but he wasn’t the opening day starter for the Titans. To end the year, none of the three linebackers owned 90% of the snaps and this could be a frustrating situation for all owners of these players.
CB: Stephon Gilmore 12 PPG, Shaq Griffin 10 PPG
Stephon Gilmore is an annual solid starter at the cornerback position on a team that generally produces solid contributors. Gilmore’s tackles are how he annually produces his production. That is safer to project than turnovers.
Shaq Griffin is on the field for 100% of the time and is one of 1000 cornerbacks that will produce 10 PPG. He’s an average starter for the Seahawks.
S: Derwin James 18 PPG, Kevin Byard 14 PPG, Johnathan Abram 14 PPG
Derwin James’ role heading into last season was in flux and there was talk that he would be a free safety. That is exactly what didn’t happen and he played the box safety role in Gus Bradley’s scheme and he paid his owners handsomely that were willing to bet on him. I like James to continue his incredible production and he could be the only 300 point safety in our league. He’s an all-pro talent and the no brainer best safety in our format.
Keven Byard’s free safety role doesn’t appear to keep him as a valuable asset in our league, but the dude is just talented. He has a knack for making big plays and tends to rack up a decent amount of tackles. The last two years have seen him as a top 16 option and that seems to be where he’s going to settle in for the foreseeable future.
Johnathan Abram is incredibly overrated and with the Raiders’ first round picks, I’m very worried that Mayock and Gruden are in over their heads. Abram is weak in coverage, so he will have to be a traditional box safety. This role could be valuable, especially in Oakland next to a weak linebacking corps. A Landon Collins career arc would be the absolute best case scenario.
Off: Los Angeles Rams 15 PPG
PPG: 311
2019 W-L: 9-7
I like Kyle’s squad. It’s a mirror image to what he had in 2018. Dude has the goods to make a wild card berth with extreme offensive depth and few holes. Issues at linebacker and lack of starpower on the offensive side cap his upside. Kyle should also be wary of regression from Chris Jones and Aaron Donald. The AFC is shaping up to be a tough conference with many teams looking to take the next step. Kyle will be in the thick of it, but he could be one of those teams that deserved to make it that just barely didn’t have enough.
