If you’re a football fan, one way to make the NFL season even more interesting is to join in on the fantasy football craze. Playing fantasy football gives you the chance to build your own team with any quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, kicker, and defense from any team in the NFL. Each week, you put together the best team possible in an attempt to rack up the most fantasy points and beat out the other players in your league. If you do well enough during the regular season, you can make playoffs and then make a run for the league championship. You can join fantasy leagues on Yahoo!, ESPN, NFL.com, Draft Kings, or FanDuel, to name a few, playing for a huge chunk of change or for no money at all.
For those of you who have never played fantasy, points come from players’ statistics. When the offensive players on your team get yardage or score, you get points. Likewise, when defensive players get sacks, force fumbles, or get interceptions, you also get points. However, if your quarterback throws a pick, or your running back loses yards on the run, be prepared to watch your point total go down.
While mid-season trades and free agency pickups are important, starting out with a strong roster of players is essential to how your team will perform throughout the season. So over the next couple of weeks as fantasy drafts are going on, make sure you know which players are going to shine and which ones are going to be a bust. According to various fantasy football rankings, here are the best players at each position.
Running Back:
1. LeVeon Bell (Steelers)
2. Adrian Peterson (Vikings)
3. Eddie Lacy (Packers)
4. Jamaal Charles (Chiefs)
5. Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks)
Wide Receiver:
1. Antonio Brown (Steelers)
2. Demaryius Thomas (Broncos)
3. Dez Bryant (Cowboys)
4. Odell Beckham Jr. (Giants)
5. Julio Jones (Falcons)
Quarterback:
1. Aaron Rodgers (Packers)
2. Andrew Luck (Colts)
3. Russell Wilson (Seahawks)
4. Peyton Manning (Broncos)
5. Drew Brees (Saints)
Tight End:
1. Rob Gronkowski (Patriots)
2. Jimmy Graham (Seahawks)
3. Greg Olsen (Panthers)
4. Travis Kelce (Chiefs)
5. Martellus Bennett (Bears)
Kicker:
1. Stephen Gostkowski (Patriots)
2. Adam Vinatieri (Colts)
3. Steven Hauschka (Seahawks)
4. Connor Barth (Broncos)
5. Justin Tucker (Ravens)
Defense:
1. Seattle Seahawks
2. Buffalo Bills
3. Houston Texans
4. St. Louis Rams
5. Denver Broncos
While having knowledge of which players are predicted to have a great season is important, sometimes you don’t even have to really follow football to play fantasy. I know plenty of people who have done fairly well just by drafting blindly or auto-drafting. Knowledge of the game is crucial, but luck plays a big part as well. After all, players get injured every week and then there are players that are slept on during the preseason who end up having a breakout year. But for the most part, you can’t go wrong with these players listed above. So whatever strategy works for you, use it, and may the best player in your fantasy league win!
