Fantasy football season is right around the corner, and this year is poised to be one of the most interesting ones in recent history.
A crop of young, talented rookies enters the NFL this season, while some elite stars will be looking to come back from injury and shine again.
With multiple players changing teams and entire team dynamics shifting, many squads will have a completely different look and feel.
Many questions will need to be answered this fall.
Is having two talented wide outs a good thing for both receivers? Just one of them? How about the running back that needs to compete for attention in that said offense?
That being said, here is my list I call my “five outside five.” This list highlights five players I love at each offensive position, and every player on the list is currently ranked outside of the top five at their listed position.
I had to wait until my own draft was over to publish this article so my friends wouldn’t snag my picks, but the wait was worth it.
I believe in these players heavily, and I think they can all have a major impact this season.
Without further ado, here is my list:
Quarterbacks (QB):
- Justin Herbert
- Tom Brady
- Matthew Stafford
- Matt Ryan
- Justin Fields
Running Backs (RB):
- Jonathan Taylor
- Najee Harris
- Mike Davis
- Javonte Williams
- Michael Carter
Wide Receivers (WR):
- Terry McLaurin
- CeeDee Lamb
- DJ Moore
- Brandon Cooks
- Corey Davis
Tight Ends (TE):
- Kyle Pitts
- Dallas Goedert
- Irv Smith Jr.
- Cole Kmet
- Mike Gesicki
Now, while I won’t rank kickers and defenses, here are some strategies I try to utilize:
Kickers:
I don’t believe in drafting a specific kicker. I like to use an idea called “fly-by-night.” I simply add a new kicker each week, and I target the guy with either the best matchup or the player that pairs up with a great offense.
If you really want to draft a kicker and keep him, look for two things:
- A high-powered offense that will rack up points
- An offense that will get down the field; however, they seem to struggle in the red zone, which will lead to lots of field goals
Defenses:
I like to use a “fly-by-night” strategy here, too. You can have an elite defense, but if you go up against potent offenses every week, you’re going to struggle. Take a defense that will be the best each week.
If you need the same defense every week, target a team that will go up against poor offenses in their own division. Each team plays six division games, so if your division is poor, your defense has a better chance at being great.
Eric Fenstermaker 