Fantasy Football-Players I Want on all Teams

In fantasy football, it’s nice to get your favorite players and rep your favorite team. But love and admiration don’t equal a good fantasy football team. When you’re looking at 14 or even 16 team leagues, there will not be enough superstars to go around, and, depending on scoring, you may get a much better deal with the guy without the hype. Here are some unsung heroes at each position who I will be looking at this year.

QB-Matt Ryan Atlanta Falcons

Yes, Matt Ryan is well-known in fantasy and football, but at his current draft position, sign me up. Blessed with having one of the best wide receivers in the league, Julio Jones brings Ryan value in fantasy. But then you add one of the best pass-catching backs of all time, Todd Gurley to the mix, up and coming WR Calvin Ridley and pass-catching TE Hayden Hurst; Ryan is golden. 

All of these weapons are going to make the Falcons one of the best offenses in all of the NFL. And at the center of it all, Matt Ryan. The Falcons were one of the hottest teams in the second half of the season last year going 6-2 after a 1-7 start and won their last four games. Through those last eight games, Ryan got 2,296YDS 11TD 6INT, and with the addition of Hurst and Gurley, those numbers can only go up. 

Ryan is ranked behind Josh Allen, Deshaun Watson, and Drew Brees. I will gladly take Ryan in every league, especially if he falls to the 7th or 8th round when I see him having a top 5 QB fantasy season this year. 

RB-David Montgomery Chicago Bears

David Montgomery had a lot of hype going into last season as a rookie RB, which boosted him to be a fourth-round pick on average. He didn’t quite live up to expectations. 

Both Montgomery (889YDS 6TD 3.7AVG 25REC 185YDS 1TD) and the Bears were huge disappointments.  With expectations reduced, Montgomery (and the Bears) are in for a huge bounceback season. When the Bears had their huge 2018 season, they went 12-4 and won the NFC North. They had a well-balanced offense, and no defense was able to key on the pass or run, but last year Matt Nagy had zero patience for the run game and would abandon it as quickly as possible. This led to a very uneven offense and hurt Montgomery’s development; his rookie season was lost. 

This season the Bears are focusing on the basics and what made them super bowl contenders. This ensures Montgomery has a place to flourish in this offense. He is also rumored to have slimmed down from last year because he felt he lost his explosiveness. 

I love Montgomery as a high upside RB 2 or flex option, and he is going as RB 25 right now, so he is a bargain for what should be a three-down back. 

WR-Deebo Samuel San Francisco 49ers

Samuel had a great rookie season and became the 49ers go-to WR on their run to the super bowl last season. Samuels stats (57REC 802YDS 14.1AVG 3TD) may not look eye-popping, but he really didn’t establish himself as the number 1 WR for the 49ers until the second half of the season. Once he was incorporated into the offense, he was a must-play for the 49ers team. 

Injury concerns have him falling this year, as his opening week status is up in the air, but where he is ranked, he is one of the best gambles to take. Coming off a solid rookie campaign, look for Samuel to take the next jump with another season of rapport with Jimmy Garrapolo. Samuel is getting drafted as the 92nd player off the board, and that is an absolute steal for a guy who can be as good as low-end WR1.

TE-T.J. Hockenson Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions missed their starting QB and leader Matt Stafford last season. Without Stafford, the offense and development of Hockenson really took a hit.  

Rookie tight ends seem to take the longest to develop into NFL stars and contributors. Still, regardless of the plethora of quarterbacks the Lions ran out,  Hockenson showed flashes of potential.  

Now with Stafford back under center, he will utilize Hockenson to help the Lions offense do some damage this NFL season. The Lions have some good WR’s, Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr., which should allow for plenty of light coverage for Hockenson to work with. I can easily see Stafford slinging the ball a lot for the Lions this year, and Hockenson will benefit.

Hockenson is currently going as the 12th TE off the board, which is a bargain for a guy that can offer the same production as a TE at 8th, allowing teams to concentrate on other positions.