Fantasy Football Rankings 2017, Top 101 PPR Players: No. 80-78
By Dan Thomas
In today’s article of the top 101 PPR players of 2017 we see our first quarterback and second tight end on the list. Who will they be?
When it comes to the NFL, quarterbacks are the players who typically get the most attention. In fantasy football that’s not usually the case. Instead, it’s running backs and wide receivers who are the most sought-after players by owners.
Even with that being the case, should I have this MVP quarterback ranked higher on my list?
To be clear, the top 101 PPR players are for re-draft leagues only. Here’s a look at players ranked No. 80-78:
80. Kyle Rudolph, TE – Minnesota Vikings
The last tight end to appear on the list of the top 101 players of 2017 was Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert when he checked in at No. 101. Rudolph checks in as the second tight end on the list because he offers upside in both receptions and receiving yards.
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Last year Rudolph set career highs in targets (132), receptions (83), receiving yards (840) and touchdowns (7). His receptions and touchdowns ranked third among all tight ends while his 132 targets led all tight ends. As a result, he was the second-best PPR tight end in 2016. A big part for his breakout season was the combination of quarterback Sam Bradford and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur. Both of these men are returning to the Vikings in 2017.
I’d be lying if I said I believe Rudolph will repeat as a top-two fantasy tight end in 2017. Yet, I do believe he’ll see 100+ targets for the second season in a row. That type of volume should make him a relatively reliable and safe player for fantasy owners.
79. Matt Ryan, QB – Atlanta Falcons
Last season was the best year of Matt Ryan’s nine year career. He set career highs in completion percentage (69.9), passing yards (4,944) and passing touchdowns (38) while setting a career-low in interceptions (7). His eye-popping stats helped him finish as the NFL’s 2016 MVP and the second-best fantasy football quarterback. So you’re probably wondering why I have him ranked kind of low on this year’s list of top 101 PPR players of 2017 aren’t you?
Well, it’s simple. The Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator for the last two seasons, Kyle Shanahan, left his position with the Falcons to become the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. Instead of him calling the plays in 2017 it will be former college coach Steve Sarkisian.
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Sarkisian only has one year of NFL coaching experience and that came way back in 2004 when he was the quarterback’s coach of the Oakland Raiders. I know the Falcons said they are going to “run the same system” as last year, but it’s not that easy.
Don’t forget, the first year Shanahan and Ryan paired up in 2015, Ryan was a disaster as he threw 16 interceptions compared to only 21 touchdowns. It’s going to take Ryan and Sark some time to get on the same page. The switch in offensive coordinators is the main reason I have Ryan’s stock trending down in 2017.
78. Doug Martin, RB – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In 2016, Doug Martin experienced the worse season of his five-year career. The former All-Pro managed just 119 total yards and zero touchdowns over his first two games. After that, he missed the next six games with a hamstring injury. Over the next six games, Martin went on to average less than 3.0 yards per carry (YPC) in five of them. He also never went over 87 yards rushing in any of them. Just when it looked like it couldn’t get any worse for Martin, it did.
In late December, Martin was suspended for four games after he violated the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. At the time Tampa Bay only having one game remaining on their schedule so Martin will be suspended for the first three games of 2017.
Next: Fantasy Football Rankings, Top 101 PPR Players: No. 83-81
Over the last few months all the reports coming out of Tampa Bay about Martin have been positive. The team also didn’t add a big-name running back in free agency and didn’t use a draft pick on a running back until the fifth-round. When you combine the reports with the Buccaneers not showing any urgency to add a running back, it appears they still have faith in Martin. When he returns from suspension, I truly expect to see the Pro Bowl version of the Muscle Hamster.