With the NFL season well underway, one of the most popular activities is fantasy football. For those who do not know what fantasy is or how it works, here is a brief explanation: Fantasy football gives fans the opportunity to draft players from various NFL teams to create a “fantasy” team of football players. Players join fantasy leagues, usually of around eight to twelve people and pit their teams up against friends and other league members. Each week, players in a league are matched up against one another. The winner of a matchup is determined by which teams’ NFL players get the most fantasy points, which are earned by a player’s in-game stats that week. For instance, if I have Tom Brady on my fantasy team and he throws a touchdown pass, my team would get four fantasy points. Members of a league will match up against a different opponent each week of the season until the teams with the best records compete in a playoff for the league championship.
Given the popularity of fantasy football, I will be publishing a biweekly column reviewing a fantasy football team and giving some general fantasy opinions for the week. If you would like your team to be reviewed, send a screenshot of your squad along with league details (how many members, PPR, etc.) to [email protected]. For my reviews I will give teams grades by position and an overall grade. The first team I will be reviewing is in the league I am currently in. The league is a 12-team, full PPR (point-per-reception) league with members mostly being juniors or seniors at Hamilton.
Team: Yung Kimosabe
Manager: Nicholas Ng ‘23
Quarterback: B
Tom Brady struggled so far this season but I still have hope that he can return to the form that allowed him to be the third highest scoring fantasy quarterback last year. While he may not rank that high among quarterbacks this season, he is still a good starting quarterback in any league. Jared Goff is also a solid backup in a 12-team format.
Running backs: B-
Despite a great performance last week, Aaron Jones is still a low-end running back. Jones was the 11th ranked back last year but seems to be splitting more time with AJ Dillon in the backfield this season. Darrell Henderson is not good for a running back, even in a 12-team league. Cam Akers got a considerable amount of work last week as the Rams went with a committee approach in the backfield. If this trend continues I would look to bring in a better option at the second running back spot.
Wide Receiver: A-
Justin Jefferson is an elite fantasy wide receiver and is my pick to finish as the top wide receiver this year. He gets consistent targets and makes big plays. There are few, if any, better options than him at the position. Amon-Ra St. Brown has looked phenomenal this year, coming in as the fourth ranked receiver after the first two weeks. While I do not expect him to remain in the top 10 at his position all year, he still is a great second starter at reciever. The only reason this group does not have an A is because Tyler Lockett and JuJu Smith-Schuster are not great flex options. They both lack consistent production but can have big days.
Tight End: B+
Kyle Pitts has not put up many fantasy points this year so far, but he is too talented to give up on just yet. He’s the best player on the Falcons offense and they will find ways to get him involved. Don’t bail on Pitts just yet, I anticipate he will consistently improve his production as he builds a rapport with Marcus Mariota.
Overall Grade: B
Overall, this is a strong team with a few holes, especially at running back. I think this team has playoff potential but without a few upgrades during the season, I don’t know if I see this team reaching the championship. I suggest keeping an eye out for trades and wavier wire adds to improve your running backs.
Fantasy Starts of the Week
Gabriel Davis of the Buffalo Bills didn’t play last week, opening the door for Stefon Diggs to have one of the best fantasy performances so far this year. After that great performance, much of Miami’s defense will be focused on Diggs, giving Davis the opportunity for a lot of one-on-one matchups. In an offense that throws deep as much as the Bills look for Davis to have a performance to rival the 18.8 points he put up in Week one.