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Click here to enter the 2017 Lester’s Legends Fantasy Football Team Name Contest!
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Here is an early look at tight end fantasy football rankings.
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1. Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots
2. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
3. Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers
4. Tyler Eifert, Cincinnati Bengals
5. Jordan Reed, Washington Redskins
6. Jimmy Graham, Seattle Seahawks
7. Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans
8. Martellus Bennett, Green Bay Packers
9. Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles
10. Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings
11. Hunter Henry, Los Angeles Chargers
12. Eric Ebron, Detroit Lions
13. Coby Fleener, New Orleans Saints
14. Jack Doyle, Indianapolis Colts
15. C.J. Fiedorowicz, Houston Texans
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Also check out:

• 2017 Early Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings
• 2017 Early Fantasy Football Running Backs Rankings
• 2017 Early Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings
• 2017 Early Fantasy Football Kicker Rankings
• 2017 Early Fantasy Football Team Defense Rankings
• 2017 Early Fantasy Football IDP Rankings

Click here to enter the 2017 Lester’s Legends Fantasy Football Team Name Contest!
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With the NFL Draft behind us it is time to start thinking about next year’s fantasy football landscape. Here is an early look at quarterbacks.
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1. Tom Brady, New England Patriots
2. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
3. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
4. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
5. Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
6. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
7. Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers
8. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
9. Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
10. Marcus Mariotta, Tennessee Titans
11. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
12. Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins
13. Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers
14. Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders
15. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
16. Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles
17. Eli Manning, New York Giants
18. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals
19. Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals
20. Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins
21. Tyrod Taylor, Buffalo Bills
22. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens
23. Sam Bradford, Minnesota Vikings
24. Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars
25. Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs
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Also check out:

• 2017 Early Fantasy Football Running Backs Rankings
• 2017 Early Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings
• 2017 Early Fantasy Football Tight End Rankings
• 2017 Early Fantasy Football Kicker Rankings
• 2017 Early Fantasy Football Team Defense Rankings
• 2017 Early Fantasy Football IDP Rankings

Click here to enter the 2017 Lester’s Legends Fantasy Football Team Name Contest!
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With the NFL Draft behind us it is time to start thinking about next year’s fantasy football landscape. Here is an early look at running backs.
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The Elite (Interchangeable)
1. Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers
2. Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys
3. David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals
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The Rest
4. Melvin Gordon, Los Angeles Chargers
5. LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills
6. Jay Ajayi, Miami Dolphins
7. DeMarco Murray, Tennessee Titans
8. Lamar Miller, Houston Texans
9. Devonta Freeman, Atlanta Falcons
10. Jordan Howard, Chicago Bears
11. Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams
12. Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville Jaguars
13. Spencer Ware, Kansas City Chiefs
14. Ty Montgomery, Green Bay Packers
15. Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings
16. Marshawn Lynch, Oakland Raiders
17. Eddie Lacy, Seattle Seahawks
18. C.J. Anderson, Denver Broncos
19. Carlos Hyde, San Francisco 49ers
20. Isaiah Crowell, Cleveland Browns
21. Samaje Perine, Washington Redskins
22. Tevin Coleman, Atlanta Falcons
23. Bilal Powell, New York Jets
24. Adrian Peterson, New Orleans Saints
25. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers
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Also check out:

• 2017 Early Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings
• 2017 Early Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings
• 2017 Early Fantasy Football Tight End Rankings
• 2017 Early Fantasy Football Kicker Rankings
• 2017 Early Fantasy Football Team Defense Rankings
• 2017 Early Fantasy Football IDP Rankings

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The tight end position remains top heavy with the most talented option a risk of his own due to injury history. Whether you are checking out new betting sites or trying to figure out which keepers you should hold on to, a little research is needed. Here’s a look at the tight end landscape
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The Elite
Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots – When healthy and not making White House press briefing appearances, he is in a league of his own. Gronk was limited to eight games last year, finishing with 540 yards and three touchdowns. Every season that he plays in at least ten games he has had double-digit touchdowns. He has to be the first tight end to come off the board, but he is accompanied by a massive risk.
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The Next Tier
Jimmy Graham, Seattle Seahawks – Returned to form with 65 catches for 923 yards and six scores. Graham is capable of even more.
Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs – Led all tight ends with 1,125 yards and finished second with 85 receptions. A little light on the touchdowns (4) to share a spot with Gronk in the elite status.
Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers – Like Kelce he was light on the TD front (3), but caught 80 passes for 1,073 yards. This while Cam Newton was not at his best.
Jordan Reed, Washington Redskins – 66 catches for 686 yards and 6 touchdowns. Limited to 12 games. Has never played a full season. Huge talent with health risks.
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Strong Options
Martellus Bennett, Green Bay Packers – 55 catches for 701 yards and seven TDs. Going from Brady to Rodgers won’t hurt his value.
Tyler Eifert, Cincinnati  Bengals – Limited to 8 games. Finished with 394 yards and five TDs. Strong bet for double-digit scores if he stays healthy.
Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles – 78 catches for 816 yards and four touchdowns. Should continue to be on the rise.
Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings – Jived with Sam Bradford to the tune of 83 catches for 840 yards and seven scores.
Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans – 65 catches for 800 yards and seven scores.
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Up and Coming
Dwayne Allen, New England Patriots – Just 35 catches for 406 yards and 6 TDs. Brady will likely make him a star.
Cameron Brate, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 57 catches for 660 yards and eight TDs.
Eric Ebron, Detroit Lions – 61 catches for 711 yards and a touchdown.
Ladarius Green, Pittsburgh Steelers – 18 catches for 304 yards and a touchdown in six games.
Hunter Henry, Los Angeles Chargers – 36 catches for 478 yards and eight scores. Ready to surpass Antonio Gates.
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Veterans
Coby Fleener, New Orleans Saints – 50 catches for 631 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Antonio Gates, Los Angeles Chargers – 53 catches for 548 yards and seven TDs.
Dennis Pitta, Baltimore Ravens – Quietly led all TEs with 86 receptions to go along with 729 yards and a pair of TDs.
Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys – 69 catches for 673 yards and three TDs.
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Also check out:

• 2017 Early Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings
• 2017 Early Fantasy Football Running Backs Rankings

By Josh Williams

 

One of the great things about the National Football League is that there are always headlines and stories throughout the entire year, including the offseason. With free agency already starting and the NFL Draft approaching, this is a great time to look forward to the start of the season. With that said, here is a look at who you should be targeting for your Fantasy Football team next season.

Must Have Players

 

Pittsburgh Steelers Running Back Le’Veon Bell

At age 25, Bell will be entering the prime of his career. Bell should be healthy after having groin surgery to repair the injury that bothered him during the playoffs. Bell is known for his patient style of running and rushed for over 1,200 yards last season. Bell also caught 75 passes out of the backfield. He should have another big season. Of course, everything is depending on quarterback Ben Roethlisberger returning.

 

Arizona Cardinals Running Back David Johnson

Johnson sprained his MCL in the final game of the season, but should be healthy for the start of training camp. Johnson had a fantastic season and made a lot of fantasy football owners very happy. Johnson scored 20 touchdowns and nearly gained a 1,000 yards both rushing and receiving. Stud running backs are hard to come by in fantasy football, so if you have the chance to draft Johnson, do so without blinking. With defenses making him the focal point of their game plan, he may not score 20 touchdowns again, however Johnson will still make fantasy owners rejoice this season.

 

Dallas Cowboys Running Back Ezekiel Elliott

The fourth overall pick in last year’s NFL Draft, Elliott took the league by storm as a rookie, leading the league in rushing by gaining 1,631 yards to go along with 15 rushing touchdowns. Will Elliott suffer a sophomore slump? It is extremely unlikely given the talent that surrounds Elliott in quarterback Dak Prescott, tight end Jason Witten, and wide receiver Dez Bryant. The Cowboys also have arguably the best offensive line in football, so Elliott could potentially surpass his rookie year.

 

Atlanta Falcons Wide Receiver Julio Jones

Julio Jones has a scary combination of size and speed that makes him a matchup nightmare for defenses. Jones was impacted by a painful foot injury in the playoffs and still dominated. When healthy, Jones is one of the NFL’s most dangerous weapons and should be targeted early in the fantasy league draft.

 

Cincinnati Bengals Wide Receiver A.J. Green

Due to injury, Green failed to gain over 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career last season, which is a sign of how great a player Green is. Green makes great use of his 6’4” frame to win jump balls over smaller defensive backs. If healthy, Green should have another outstanding season.

 

Quarterbacks To Target

 

Green Bay Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers

Rodgers remains the most talented quarterback in the NFL. Despite the major injuries on offense, Rodgers almost single handedly lead the Packers to the Super Bowl. Even in a down year, Rodgers still threw for 40 touchdowns and over 4,000 yards passing.

 

New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady

At this point, you can make a strong argument that Brady is the best player of all-time. Looking for his sixth Super Bowl ring this season, Brady could have one of his best seasons as the team recently acquired speedster wide receiver Brandin Cooks.

 

Breakout Players

 

Los Angeles Chargers Running Back Melvin Gordon

Gordon could be primed to cement himself as one of the best running backs in the NFL. Entering his third year, Gordon should rush for over 1,000 in his career for the first time and record his second straight season of scoring double digit touchdowns.

 

Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Carson Wentz

Wentz had a solid if not spectacular rookie year. However, The Eagles have given Wentz some weapons this offseason in wide receivers Torrey Smith and Alshon Jeffery to go along with Jordan Matthews. Wentz could have a big year.

 

Players To Avoid

 

New York Giants Wide Receiver Sterling Shepard

Shepard enjoyed a nice rookie season, scoring eight touchdowns. His role seemed like it would be increasing following the release of Victor Cruz, then the Giants went out and signed Brandon Marshall.

 

Cincinnati Bengals Running Back Jeremy Hill

Hill has stagnated since his nice rookie season, and now he’ll try to get back on track behind a Bengals offensive line that just lost its two best linemen in Kevin Zeitler and Andrew Whitworth during free agency. You should avoid Hill even as a low round pick.

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The New England Patriots have been one of the most difficult teams to predict the fantasy value of their running backs. Dion Lewis led them in the Divisional Round with three touchdowns and 64 total yards. LeGarrette Blount had 31 yards and James White had just one touch (19-yard TD). In the Conference Championship Round Blount led the way with 55 total yards and a score. Lewis had 19 total yards and White had eight. In the Super Bowl it was White’s turn with 139 total yards and three touchdowns. Blount and Lewis each had 29 yards.
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Blount won’t return, but the Patriots will still have a three-headed monster with Lewis, White and newly signed Rex Burkhead. At first glance you wouldn’t expect Burkhead to take on a major role, but his contract suggests otherwise as he became the Patriots’ first $2 million runner since 2010.
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Burkhead had just 344 carries for the Bengals, sharing the load with Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard. Burkhead’s 4.6 yards per carry was better than Hill’s 3.8 and Bernard’s 3.7 respectively. He caught 17 passes for 145 yards, which was less than Hill’s 21 for 174 and Bernard’s 39 for 336.
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What is Bill Belichick thinking? For starters, he is not conventional. He saw something in Wes Welker, Chris Hogan, James White the list goes on and on. He has a great history of picking little known players and making stars of them. Danny Woodhead, Julian Edleman, again the list goes on and on.
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What would draw Belichick’s interest? He had 31 rushing yards and 143 receiving yards with a pair of touchdowns prior to last year. Why I wouldn’t call 489 total yards and a pair of touchdowns a break out year, he did show a little something. It couldn’t have been their 2016 meeting as Burkhead had just 16 yards on two carries. My guess is that his payday was in part to a fit that Belichick sees in their system and a 144 total yards effort to close out the season against the Baltimore Ravens.
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Should you trust Burkhead as your RB2? I would have to say no. The potential is there, but track record is not. Plus, with Dion Lewis and James White on roster, any hold on a starting job is pretty weak. If Burkhead coughs up the ball or struggles, Belichick will likely turn to the hot hand. I’d pencil him in as a RB3 with Lewis and White serving as RB4s.  It is going to be frustrating owning any of the Patriots backs. It may be worth letting someone else have that headache.

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The Minnesota Vikings closed the chapter on Adrian Peterson’s tenure with the club with the signing of Latavius Murray. While Peterson is still looking for a home, we’ll take a look at the fantasy football impact of the signing.
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Murray ran for 788 yards last year and 12 touchdowns, sharing the load with Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington. Richard finished with 491 yards while Washington had 467 yards. Murray ran for a decent 4.0 yards per carry, but some of that success can be contributed to running behind one of the best offensive lines in the league last year. Richard (5.9 ypc) and Washington (5.4 ypc) were more effective per touch, minus the scoring of course.
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Murray did a nice job in the passing game with 33 receptions for 264 yards.
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In 2015 Murray ran for 1,066 yards at 4.0 ypc and six touchdowns with 41 receptions for 232 yards. In 2014 he had 424 yards at 5.2 ypc and two touchdowns with 17 receptions for 143 yards.
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He should see his fair share of carries as the primary running back, but will likely see his production in the pass game see a dip. Jerick McKinnon, who ran for 539 yards at 3.4 ypc and a pair of touchdowns with 43 receptions for 255 yards and two more scores, should remain the Vikings’ primary pass catching running back.
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The Vikings have made some upgrades to their offensive line, but they were dreadful last year, averaging 3.2 yards per carry as a team. Peterson had a 1.9 average, McKinnon was 3.4 and Matt Asiata was 3.3. While they will be better, it’s pretty safe to say Murray will be running behind an inferior line in 2017.
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Despite that fact, Murray still figures to be a solid RB2 thanks to his ability to get in the end zone. Asiata had six scores last year and Murray is most certainly a preferred back. McKinnon, meanwhile, falls to RB4-5. He really only has value in PPR leagues.

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Eddie Lacy has been a major disappointment the past couple of years. He played just five games last year, finishing with 360 yards (28 receiving) while failing to score a touchdown. This is after a down year with 758 yards (188 receiving) and five total touchdowns. Despite those struggles he landed on his feet with the Seattle Seahawks.
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The Seahawks finished 25th in the league last year in rushing and 24th in yards per carry. Injuries to Russell Wilson, which limited his scrambling, and Thomas Rawls took a toll. In 2015 the Seahawks finished 3rd in rushing and 7th in ypc. During Marshawn Lynch’s run the Seahawks were a premier rushing team, finishing in the top five 2011-2014.
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Seattle’s banking on Lacy to provide that physical running style that made Beast Mode a national sensation.
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Lacy has the chops if he can keep his weight under control and stay on the field. He finished with 1,178 yards (257 receiving) and 11 touchdowns as a rookie and 1,139 yards (427 receiving) and 13 total touchdowns in his second year. Despite struggling the past couple of seasons, Lacy still maintains a healthy 4.4 yards per carry average and 29 touchdowns in 51 games.
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Lacy’s arrival puts a serious hamper on Thomas Rawls’ fantasy prospects. He came in with high expectations, but busted out on fantasy owners with 349 yards (96 receiving) and three touchdowns on a 3.2 ypc average. Christine Michael, with 469 yards (96 receiving) seven total touchdowns and a 4.0 ypc was actually more productive. Rawls will get a chance if Lacy falters, but it’s Lacy’s job to lose.
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C.J. Prosise, who finished with 172 yards on 5.7 yards per carry to go with 19 catches for 208 yards will serve as the change of pace back. He won’t be on fantasy radars either.
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I’ve been burned by Lacy the past two years. I’m not sure I have the stomach for a third year of him. He’s a risky play, but there definitely is upside.

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A look at the recent NFL signings and their fantasy football impact.
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Buffalo Bills
The Bills signed both Mike Tolbert and Patrick DiMarco. DiMarco will be a full back and Tolbert will be a running back. LeSean McCoy should get excellent blocking from his fullback, but he could lose some goal line touches with Tolbert’s arrival. McCoy remains a strong RB1. Steven Hauschka’s should remain a quality kicker in Buffalo’s offense.
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Chicago Bears
The Bears broke the bank to bring in Mike Glennon. Good for Glennon. I don’t think he’s the answer in Chicago. Probably the next in a long line of overpaid free agent signings at the QB position. Ahem, Brock Osweiler.
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Cleveland Browns
Kenny Britt left a bad situation with the Los Angeles Rams for a bad one in Cleveland. He’ll be a WR3-4 at best. Speaking of Brock, he won’t look any better in a Browns uniform.
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Philadelphia Eagles
Alshon Jeffery was a nice addition for Carson Wentz. He should be a WR2 with WR1 potential. Torrey Smith was a nice deep threat add as well. He figures to be a WR4. Wentz should move up to the middle of the QB2 landscape.
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New England Patriots
The Pats must be out on the Martellus Bennett Sweepstakes after acquiring Dwayne Allen in a trade. He’s a solid low-end TE1 bet if he can stay healthy.
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San Francisco 49ers
The Niners added Brian Hoyer at QB. It is not all that exciting for fantasy purposes. He’ll be a QB2 at best if he wins the starting gig. Pierre Garcon was brought in as a new weapon. Solid signing. He’ll be in WR3 territory.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs made a splash signing deep threat DeSean Jackson to pair with Mike Evans. Great 1-2 punch. Jameis Winston should take another step forward into QB1 territory next year. Jackson should be a solid WR2 as well. Washington’s passing game definitely took a hit losing Jackson and Garcon.

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The New York Giants made a splash by signing Brandon Marshall to join forces with Odell Beckham, Jr. to give the G-Men one of the best wide receiver duos in the league.
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The clear winner in this signing is Eli Manning. He now has two top 20 receivers at his disposal. The Giants offense is heavily geared towards the passing attack and this will help. If receivers try to take Odell away, Marshall will make them pay. Play Odell without help over the top, you’ll pay. It’s great news for Eli.
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Brandon Marshall also gets a boost. He gets an upgrade at quarterback and is in a more favorable offense. He finished with just 59 catches for 788 yards and three touchdowns. In 2015 he had 109 catches for 1,502 yards and 14 touchdowns. Look for Marshall to land somewhere in the middle of those two campaigns. He’s a solid WR2 going into 2017.
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You would think that Odell Beckham, Jr. takes a little hit as Marshall will command a lot of targets, but I think there is plenty to go around. Beckham had 101 catches for 1, 367 yards and 10 TDs. He wasn’t as dominant as he was in previous years, but it’s hard to be upset about his production. He should be able to match last year’s production. Marshall will take some of the attention away from Beckham. He should also push him to be at his very best
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Sterling Shepard’s value takes a hit. He caught 65 passes for 683 yards and 8 touchdowns as a rookie. I think he can match or beat the receptions and yardage totals, but he likely takes a hit in the touchdown department. One would have predicted he take a major leap in his second year, but that isn’t likely to be the case now that Marshall is in town. He’ll likely remain on the WR4-5 radar.