Hope. That is what July and August are filled with. GMs across the IFL are beaming with joy and admiration for the work they’ve put in over the last six months. Like a newborn babe, everyone is looking at their rosters with twinkly eyes. This is the time where shit talk is at its highest, as everyone and their mother thinks they have the secret sauce just right for a magical run for an IFL ring. Who will take the baton and run with it?

Now it’s time to take a deep dive into each GM’s rosters and how they stack up. Keep in mind this is a pre-season projection and much can happen in the subsequent weeks leading up to the regular season. But without further ado, let’s take a look at our next IFL roster…

Hope. That is what July, August and September are filled with. GMs across the IFL are beaming with joy and admiration of the work they’ve put in over the last six months. Like a newborn babe, everyone is looking at their rosters with twinkly eyes. This is the time where shit talk is at its highest, as everyone and their mother thinks they have the secret sauce just right for a magical run for an IFL ring. Who will take the baton and run with it?

Now it’s time to take a deep dive into each GM’s rosters and how they stack up. Keep in mind this is a pre-season projection and much can happen in the subsequent weeks leading up to the regular season. But without further ado, let’s take a look at our next IFL roster…

After 7 months out of commission, I’m bringing back the illustrious annual article series, that rivals any projection series you will find out on the Internet about fantasy football. Something I’ve noticed is analysts come hot and heavy with educated hot takes, but nothing truly encompasses what a player’s value is worth in our scoring. Especially on the IDP side, which the gurus of that world are still steaming piles of dog shit, even for the most basic of IDP leagues. That’s what makes this 30,000-word exercise so fun because it’s unique to the most in-depth league in fantasy football.

Surely there will be rampant disagreements on valuations of players and overall projections on wins and losses, but that’s what makes this so fun. It’s just one troll’s opinion!

Read these and ask yourself if your team can contend this year, as selling now can help your chances for future seasons… but as one famous General would say ‘Never Give up, Never Surrender!’

Coach: Zac Taylor 4 PPG

QB: Kyler Murray 30 PPG

It was expected for Kyler Murray to ball out for fantasy owners due to his dual threat ability. True dual threat quarterbacks in air raid offenses don’t just grow on trees and Murray has #1 overall QB upside. Murray’s rookie season in NFL terms was right in the middle of the quarterback rankings in interception percentage, completion percentage, passing yards and passing touchdowns. If Murray improves as a passer even slightly and keeps his rushing numbers flat, it’s evident he’s joining the Watson/Mahomes/Lamar tier as true difference makers at the position. With a top 5 receiver now in town, improved offensive line play and natural skill progression, Murray should be expected to finish as a top 5 QB.

RB/WR/TE: Joe Mixon 24 PPG, Davante Adams 20 PPG, DJ Chark 17 PPG, Tyler Lockett 17 PPG, Mike Gesicki 15 PPG 6^th men: Jonnu Smith 13 PPG, Gerald Everett 12 PPG, Nyheim Hines 10 PPG, Boston Scott 11 PPG, Allen Lazard 11 PPG

Joe Mixon’s 2019 certainly didn’t go as planned, but he made the most of it despite one of the league’s worst offensive lines. Despite struggling through injuries to both himself and 1st round draft pick LT Jonah Williams, Mixon’s season bounced back in the 2nd half, eclipsing 20 points in six of the final eight games. With an offense now surrounding him full of potential, the expectation is he takes a step forward in every category. In particular, Mixon’s rushing touchdowns are in line for progression after a measly three through week 16. If the Bengals offense can be at least average, with his usage staying the same as it likely will, he’s a solid bet to be a top 16 RB/WR/TE.

Davante Adams is a target hog and ranked 2nd last year in targets per game at 10.5. He’s the only reliable receiving option other than Aaron Jones in Green Bay, which is simply unforgivable from their revamped front office. Adams’ opportunity profiles him as a top-five receiving threat and hauled in double-digit touchdowns from 2016 thru 2018. Still only 27 and signed through 2021, Adams is one of the safest investments in dynasty receivers over the next couple of years, so long as he’s on the field. Adams has only played a full 16 game season twice in six years, but has avoided a truly catastrophic injury. Start this top 32 RB/WR/TE with confidence.

Fantasy football is a funny game as you can never predict who will end up becoming stud muffin delux. Seemingly left for dead after being a 2nd round pick in 2018, DJ Chark became Jacksonville’s go-to option at receiver for good ol’ boy Gardner Minshew. Breaking down Chark’s future outlook appears positive, as Minshew had an offseason to grow and develop out of his inconsistencies. With the Jags poised to be utter garbage, Chark will certainly be tasked with garbage time targets. Expecting him to become anything more than a top 20 option may be asking too much, but Chark is poised to be firmly established as a #1 receiver in the NFL.

Maddeningly disrespected by the national media and honestly by IFL owners to his true value, Tyler Lockett’s game is tailor-made for the high floor 5th spot on a contending team. I would be doing a disservice if I didn’t mention Brad and Andy’s (RIP) 2019 vision to trade for Lockett after Russell Wilson’s 158.3 (perfect) passer rating when targeting Lockett in 2018. Before Lockett’s week 11 leg injury, he was performing as the #17 RB/WR/TE in PPG. After their week 12 bye, however, he was never the same, clocking in at an unstartable 9 PPG. Lockett’s target share is likely to decrease just a tad with Metcalf bound to take a step forward as a receiver, but Lockett should stay as Wilson’s #1. His kick and punt return duties are huge boots to his value and can’t be overlooked, rounding him into a top 50 RB/WR/TE.

It was like a flip switched for both the gameplan and on the field play for Mike Gesicki, who turned into a top 50 RB/WR/TE from week 12 onward in 2019. The last 5 weeks saw Gesicki eclipse seven targets every week except one, including a twelve target, two touchdown explosion in week 16. With Preston Williams returning from an ACL and DeVante Parker only being relevant for a season, the target distribution in Miami is very much in flux, but this offense is starving for a playmaking tight end. At a bit of a projection, Gesicki turns into a top 10 tight end with over 100 targets and he continues to develop into one of the better receiving weapons in the league.

PK: Robbie Gould 8 PPG

PN: Logan Cooke 10 PPG

DT: Jarran Reed 12 PPG

The Jarran Reed saga of 2019 likely weighs heavily on his fantasy owner’s minds. He missed the first six games for violating the personal conduct policy, stemming from a domestic violence incident where he was never arrested or charged. Also coming off an April hernia surgery, Reed’s offseason was certainly tumultuous and his play reflected that after his return. With just 2.5 sacks, it was a major disappointment after a breakout 10.5 sack campaign the year before. An encouraging sign is Reed played 80% of the snaps (a quality percentage for a defensive lineman), so opportunity is there to return to relevance after a pathetic 8.6 PPG. If he can return to even 6-7 sacks he’ll slide right back into a top 16 play at DT.

DE: Joey Bosa 18 PPG, Trey Flowers 14 PPG

From his first game, the senior Bosa bro has been a terror along the Chargers’ defensive line, recording double-digit sacks every year sans his broken foot shortened season. If there’s anything worth improving, it’s his subpar run defense skills, which has held the Chargers defense back from becoming a dominant unit. One thing you love to see as when projecting players is consistency and with his last two healthy campaigns producing over 70 pressures, he’s locked and loaded to be a top 5 defensive end for the next 3+ years.

Trey Flowers took a big money deal with the Lions to become their best defensive player and he did not disappoint. Despite missing a pair of games last year, his 62 total pressures wreaked havoc among offensive lines and he kept along with his career averages in total tackles with 3.7 a game. While not one of the flashiest pass-rushing names due to never hitting over double-digit sacks, his total pressure stats point to a player that is annually in the top 10 in pressure rate. Flowers is bound for a top 5 DE end year if he has an above-average season in connecting with sacks. At 14 PPG, he’s a very safe top 16 option at DE.

LB: Jayon Brown 18 PPG, Ja’Whaun Bentley 14 PPG, Von Miller 13, Alex Anzalone 13 PPG, *Insurance Matt Judon 13 PPG, Blake Cashman 13 PPG, Kyle Van Noy 13 PPG

Jayon Brown has solidified himself as your traditional high-floor play at linebacker. He has exactly what you look for in a dynasty linebacker, full-time snaps, at least two years of sustained production and youth. Now at 25, Brown enters a contract year and things could be getting dicey in Tennessee if they feel like they can replace him with someone cheaper, especially with Rashaan Evans continues his strong play in 2020. Brown is one to watch upcoming in March, but for now, plug him in for LB1 numbers.

The New England Patriots will have a completely different look to them in 2020, after the GOAT left, but the defense will also have a fresh feel with Dont’a Hightower, Elandon Roberts, Kyle Van Noy and Patrick Chung all departing for various reasons. One of the young leaders to take a step forward is former 5th round pick Ja’Whaun Bentley, who is expected to slide into Van Noy’s old spot. While Pats’ linebackers aren’t known for large PPG’s this role comes with a decent amount of pass rushing opportunities, albeit a low floor in tackles. Bentley also has some competition concerns with the Pats selecting Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings, who are seen as possible replacements if anything were to happen to Bentley. As of now, Bentley is a decent LB4, but his role is a bit uncertain with the Pats catering to the strengths of their players, resulting in a wide variety of formations on defense.

One of the great players of our generation, Von Miller doesn’t like to sit around in the VIP areas of the Hard Rock in Vegas or be seen frequenting celebrity parties in LA. Instead, he spends his offseason tending to his robust chicken farms, as he developed a love for the little birds as a kid. Now one of the richest players in the NFL, he has quite a few chicken farms across a couple of states and will likely be set for the rest of his life based on his chicken farm income alone. Miller heads into 2020 off his worst year in seven years with just eight sacks, due in part to Bradley Chubb tearing his ACL early in the season and Miller being the only major threat along Denver’s weak line. Hopefully, this will be a get right year for Miller, and return to a startable asset in our league.

Dating back years, Alex Anzalone’s promise as a 5-star high school recruit has never been in question, but his ridiculous amount of injuries throughout his life displays its tough to trust he’ll be tough to trust as anything more than a quality part time player. Slated for the starting WLB role after missing almost all of 2019 with a shoulder issue, totaling 24 of a total 48 games he’s played since he was drafted in 2017. With his rookie contract coming to an end, now is the time to finally stay healthy to earn that coin. At 13 PPG, he has upside to be much higher should he play 100% of the snaps and his big play ability, which he showcased in his time at Florida.

Matthew Judon is certainly an underappreciated league-wide as Baltimore’s number one pass rusher, but the dude has quietly been a steady contributor for the last several years. With modest totals averaging just under 10 sacks a year, he’s pretty much the linebacking version of Carlos Dunlap. Turning 28 in August, you can expect Judon to keep up his fringe startabiity for the next several years on the Ravens quality defense.

CB: Byron Murphy 11 PPG, Jaire Alexander 11 PPG

Byron Murphy was preparing to slide into a comfortable nickel corner role he was expecting to play in Arizona, it appears he’ll be playing outside again after Robert Alford tore his pectoral early on in training camp. While it may not be positive news for the Cardinals, it’s fantastic news for his fantasy owners, as his opportunity for tackles increase. Murphy was a top 20 cornerback as a rookie and with Patrick Peterson still opposite of him and the Cardinals hopefully being competitive in most of their games, Murphy should be in line for a similar season.

Jaire Alexander turned into a stud muffin delux in 2019 and was a main reason why the Packers’ defense took a major step forward last year. His 17 pass deflections and 58 total tackles returned a top 16 score, but he was a bit boom/bust with 50% of his games under 10 points. Still, he profiles as a decent option due to his penchant for deflections and if he continues to be peppered with targets, he’ll remain near the top.

S: Tracy Walker 17 PPG, Khari Willis 13 PPG

Tracy Walker was an absolute beast of a safety last season and was one of the best players for the Lions last year. Despite missing three games, Walker posted over 100 total tackles, while throwing in eight pass deflections, one interception and forced fumble. Walker is tasked with taking a step forward, particularly in pass coverage against tight ends. The Lions defense received a major overhaul with seven of eleven starters expected to be different, but Walker, the leading tackler of the team should be a consistent presence as he’s looking to cash in like Budda Baker did this training camp. With limited talent in front of him, Walker is likely to recreate last season and should post close to top 5 safety numbers again.

Khari Willis received positive reports all through his rookie year, despite having to split time with incumbent Clayton Geathers. His talent won out, and with Geathers now in… well he’s no longer with the team and Willis is the full-time starter. With Willis playing behind tackle monster Darius Leonard and a revamped defensive line, he’ll need to impact the game other than with high tackle numbers. He was completely deficient in that area on limited snaps, so the upside may be a bit capped, but he’ll still be startable as a top 32 option.

Off: Dallas Cowboys 14 PPG

PPG: 313

W-L: 7-9

Vic, when not making entertaining hot sauce vids with GMs who grow rat tails, is turning a dumpster fire into a respectable squad. The last three years, as you can see below has ranked the 9ers as by far the worst team in the league. The offense is filled with young, ascending talents, with adequate depth. The defense is built well across most positions, but don’t think the linebacker choices will keep Vic in contention in the toughest division in the league. This team has the makings of a future playoff team, but an extra year of development is needed before taking the next step.

2016 Projected Record: 9-7, Actual Record: 9-7

2017 Projected Record: 6-10, Actual Record: 4-12

2018 Projected Record: 0-16, Actual Record: 2-14

2019 Projected Record: 2-14, Actual Record: 3-13