3 Surprise Top Ten Players for 2019
I wanted to explore this year’s (2018) Fantasy Football rankings, and attempt to locate 3 players that ranked outside the top 20 players at their positions (QB, RB, WR), who could reside inside the top 10 of their respective positions at this time next year.
*Stats are based on ESPN .5 PPR point calculations
QB Position
There were many names that jumped out at me regarding this position who could make a big leap next season. Players such as Matthew Stafford, who has many years of success to rely on as an indicator of a bounce-back campaign next season. There is also a young player, such as Josh Allen who could to take a giant leap forward next season as his team continues to build around him and procure more weapons to add around him.
I do not think they have as encompassing an argument, however, as Jameis Winston.
There is a ton of drama that always seems to follow Winston, both on the field and off. Although there are some character concerns with this player, the upside is irrefutable.
In 2018, Winston finished as the 22nd ranked fantasy QB in the league. He was suspended for 3 games and his playing time was up and down even when he was active, mostly because of the play of Ryan Fitzmagic. When Winston was on the field, however, he was productive. This has been the case since he has been in the league. In 2016, for example, he threw for 3800 yards and 28 tds.
In 2019, he will have Bruce Arians, and offensive-minded head coach, who will replace another offensive-minded head coach in Dirk Koetter. Arians is best known for the work he has done with Ben Roethlisberger and Carson Palmer, and runs a very Fantasy-friendly system. His system is predicated on a good running game that then allows for deep chunk plays off of play-action passes.
Winston will also have many play-makers surrounding him in Tampa in 2019. He has always had good chemistry with Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin and Adam Humphries round out a productive WR core (this assumes that Desean Jackson will not return). He also has a very good receiving TE duo, in O.J Howard and Cameron Brate.
I believe, barring any significant drama, that Winston can be a top 10 Fantasy QB in 2019.
RB Position
It is very difficult to win a league Championship in Fantasy Football without a solid stable of RBs. There is a dearth of RB consistency once you get passed the top 5 usual assets. The ability to find a sleeper or two later in our drafts is essential to enhance our chances of winning. There is typically great fluctuation concerning the RB position, because of the higher injury risk and the current trend of using multiple backs. After the first tier of RBs, there is a glut of 60/40 type backs.
My choice from this group that can become a top 10 back in 2019, is Marlon Mack.
Mack was a highly touted prospect coming out of South Florida, where he averaged 1200 yds and 10 tds in 3 seasons. He drew comparisons to a young Jamaal Charles once he got to Indy, for his stature and speed combo. In 2018, Mack totaled over 1000 yds and scored 10 tds , despite missing 4 games.
The Colts have one of the better Offensive Lines in the NFL, ranking as Football Outsiders number 4 unit. The line is built around mauler Quenton Nelson, who was a second team All-Pro in his rookie season. This unit will help open up holes for Mack in 2019. The Colts also have a dangerous passing game, led by Andrew Luck, T.Y Hilton, and Head Coach Frank Reich, which will keep defenses from aligning themselves to slow down the running game. The one knock on Mack is his inefficient past as a receiver, which could lead to Nyheim Hines stealing those opportunities from Mack and limiting his ceiling by cutting into his playing time. This flaw of Mack’s, however, should be improved upon next season and will not deter his potential to be a top 10 back in 2019.
WR Position
There is an abundance of solid pass catchers , even past the perennial top 10 options so it could be a sound strategy to wait till the mid-rounds to select one. If this is your strategy, then I believe that Kenny Golladay would be a wise choice.
The Lions have had a strong passing attack for the last few years, before cratering last season. In fact, it was the first time that Matthew Stafford passed for fewer than 4000 yards in a season since his injured 2010 season. This caused a shake up on the lions coaching staff, as Darrell Bevell replaces JBC. Bevell has a history of leading more run-oriented type offenses, but he also guided Russell Wilson to two 4000 yard seasons in 2016 and 2017, so he is capable of opening things up.
Although the Lions might not throw the ball as a top 5 unit, Golladay might be the recipient of an inordinate and inflated amount of the times they do throw. With Golden Tate now gone, and Marvin Jones possibly becoming a cap casualty and with the team being void of a pass catching TE, there will be an abundance of opportunity for Golladay.
Golladay caught 70 balls in 2018, for over a 1000 yards and 5 tds. These stats settled Golladay as a WR2 for fantasy purposes, as he finished as the 21st ranker WR in football last year. These numbers seem to represent a good enough floor, and when you consider his athletic ability and spike in opportunity, then it becomes easy to see that there is the potential that he can far exceed his 2018 results.
These are my 3 Surprise Top 10 Fantasy Players for 2019. Let me know what you guys think, and since this is the first time that write about this type of content I am curious to see if there is any traction.
Thanks for reading.