In these uncertain times, we are certain of one thing…we need football, specifically fantasy football more than ever. As usual, RB’s dominate the top of my draft board, occupying 5 of the top 6 spots. My top 2 spots are pretty cut and dry with McCaffrey and Barkley. The real fun starts at number 3. Here is my draft board:
1. Christian McCaffrey (RB1) Panthers: The biggest dual threat RB in the game. McCaffrey had an absurd 116 catches for 1005 yard and 4 receiving TD's to go along with 1387 yards and 15 TD's on the ground in 2019. CMC not only has 40-50 point upside, he also has the highest floor of any player in the game. This is an easy 1-1 pick for me.
Photo credit: LA Times
2. Saquon Barkley (RB2) Giants: 2019's consensus #1 overall pick, was a bit of a letdown for those who drafted him. Having said that, I expect Saquon to live up to the hype this year. He will get plenty of opportunities behind an improved O-line in New York. Saquon posted 52 catches in 2019, a number which I believe will only increase going forward. Look for a major bounce back in 2020.
3. Michael Thomas (WR1) Saints: Thomas was targeted early and often in 2019, piling up 185 targets on the year. His 149 catches and 9 TD's were everything you could have hoped for. With a healthy Drew Brees back in New Orleans, Thomas should see similar targets this season. Look for another huge year for MT.
4. Ezekiel Elliott (RB3) Cowboys: Zeke is one of the true bell cow RB's in the NFL. The Cowboys want to establish the run to set up the pass. Look for Zeke to carry the ball over 300 times again in 2020. Elliott has found the end zone 48 times in his young career and I look for that number to increase by 15-18 TD's in 2020.
5. Alvin Kamara (RB4): Saints: It's hard to call a Top 5 pick a "buy low" candidate, but I think Kamara is exactly that in 2020. He rushed for a respectable 1,357 yards and 12 TD's in 2020. Where Kamara disappointed was in the receiving game. I expect Kamara to bounce back in 2020. Look for 1300-1400 yards on the ground to go along with 75-80 catches thru the air.
6. Dalvin Cook (RB5) Vikings: Cook is a monster when he is healthy. As we all know, staying healthy has been the issue. Cook was relatively healthy in 2019, playing in 13 games. While we may never see him play a full 16 games, Cook is as steady as they come when he is on the field. A nice combination of power and speed on a run-first team.
7. DeAndre Hopkins (WR2) Cardinals: Hopkins was targeted 150 times in Houston last season, while consistently facing double coverage. A change of scenery, mixed with playing in Kliff Kingsbury's offense should lead to major production for Hopkins. Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk are great compliments to Hopkins and should open things up for him. Hopkins will be on a mission this year, looking to show Houston that they made a big mistake.
Photo Credit: SI.com
8. Devante Adams (WR3) Packers: The whole world thought the Packers would take a WR in the 1st round of the 2020 draft. Instead, they drafted their QB of the future. This leaves Adams as the only proven threat for his star QB. The targets will come in bunches for Adams, who should put up huge numbers this season.
9. Julio Jones (WR4) Falcons: Julio was targeted 157 times last season and we should expect more of the same this year, even with an emerging Calvin Ridley in this offense. The knock against Julio the past few years has been his lack of TD's, as he only had 6 in 2019. It's a mystery that no one can really understand, but I expect Jones to improve on last year's numbers. Look for 10+ TD's from the big WR in 2020.
10. Chris Godwin (WR5) Buccaneers: Godwin piled up 1,333 yards and 9 TD's with Famous Jameis under center in 2019. It will be interesting to see how the addition of Tom Brady effects the passing game in TB. I look for Godwin to have a Julian Edelman type role in this offense. The difference is, Godwin is more of a big play threat than Edelman. I look for Godwin to become Brady's favorite target underneath and in the redzone.
11. Kenyan Drake (RB6) Cardinals: Drake flourished after last season's trade to Arizona. It seems like Kliff Kingsbury knows exactly how to use Drake in this offense. He is the clear-cut number 1 back in what should be a high-powered offense. Look for Drake to be a dual threat out of the backfield, with potential for 12+ combined TD's in 2020.
12. Tyreek Hill (WR6) Chiefs: Hill is the definition of a homerun threat. As we know, he can take any given play to the house. I look for Hill to improve on his 7 TD performance in 2019. He will continue to flourish as the deep threat in the league's best offense.
13. Derrick Henry (RB7): Henry was an absolute monster in the regular season and playoffs last season. I expect a slight down tick in 2020, but he is still capable of putting up 1,300 yards and 13-15 TD's.
14. Miles Sanders (RB8) Eagles: Sanders is the lead back in this multi-dimensional offense. He showed down the stretch last year that he is more than ready for the challenge. I expect 1300 and 10 TD's on the ground for this young back. The future is bright in Philly.
15. Nick Chubb (RB9) Browns: Chubb averaged 5.0 yards per carry while piling up nearly 1,500 yards on the ground last season, while playing behind a very weak O-line in Cleveland. While Kareem Hunt will be on the field in passing situations, I still think Chubb is a clear cut RB1. I look for Chubb to put up 10+ TD's in 2020.
Photo Credit: ProFootballTalk.com
16. Aaron Jones (RB10): Packers: Jones should be the bell cow RB for the Packers in 2020. I look for him to improve on the 1,084 rushing yards he put up in 2019, while adding 13-15 TD's as well.
17. Austin Ekeler (RB11) Chargers: Ekeler started off fast in 2019, becoming a trusted RB1 out of the gate. That all ended with the return of Melvin Gordon. Having said, that Ekeler was still reliable pass catching back, putting up nearly 1,000 receiving yards on the season. Justin Jackson will steal some touches, but Ekeler should be relied on heavily, especially in the redzone.
18 Mike Evans (WR7) Buccaneers: The ying to Chris Godwin's yang. It will be interesting to see how quickly Evans develops chemistry with his new QB. As we know, Brady loves big targets in the redzone and Evans will provide that. I look for Evans to put up similar numbers this season, with possibly a slight uptick in TD's.
19. Travis Kelce (TE1) Chiefs: Kelce provides the one thing that is so hard to find out of the TE position, which is consistency. He has developed great chemistry with his QB and is Mahomes' favorite target, in this high-powered offense. Look for Kelce to pile up 100 catches and 1,200 yards in 2020. I also expect the big TE to surpass his 5 TD's from a year ago.
20. Clyde Edwards-Helaire (RB12) Chiefs: Edwards-Helaire takes over as the RB1 in KC for Damion Williams, who has opted out of the 2020. I don't expect this offense to miss a beat and CEH will be the benefactor of that. I expect 1,100 yards and 12 TD's for the young back out of LSU.
As you can see, I went very RB and WR heavy with my rankings. While, Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson are the two most valuable players in the NFL, I choose to wait until a bit later in the draft to get my fantasy QB. The top of the WR board is particularly deep this year and I would be thrilled to have any of these 7 as my #1 at the position. It is also extremely important to grab one of these RB’s as you start off your team. This year, like most years, I prefer to pick near the end of the first round to guarantee that I start my team with two studs. Best of luck with your drafts and keep yours fingers crossed that we have football in 2020!