Fantasy Football Rankings 2017, Top 101 PPR Players: No. 77-75
By Dan Thomas
On today’s list of the fantasy football top 101 PPR players of 2017 we feature two tight ends and two players on the same team. Who are they?
If you’ve been keeping up with this year’s list of the top 101 PPR players of 2017, you’ve heard me say before I don’t put a lot of value in the tight end position. It’s the biggest crapshoot position in fantasy football (No, I’m not counting kickers). Most weeks after about the first five ranked tight ends, it’s either a touchdown or bust situation.
With that said, the two tight ends on the list today I do like and they both were a top-five tight end in 2016. Keep in mind neither of the two finished among the top 50 players who were eligible for the FLEX position. That’s why in terms of value, it’s still probably not a good idea to reach on either of them.
To be clear, the top 101 PPR players are for re-draft leagues only. Here’s a look at players ranked No. 77-75:
77. Delanie Walker, TE – Tennessee Titans
Since joining the Tennessee Titans in 2013, Delanie Walker has been a top-11 fantasy tight end or better. Since Marcus Mariota took over as the team’s starting quarterback in 2015, he has been a top-five fantasy tight end or better. In those two seasons with Mariota at the helm, Walker has averaged 118 targets, 80 receptions, 944 yards and 6.5 touchdowns per season.
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Walker is a safe option with a high floor, but he doesn’t have the ceiling of a top-two fantasy tight end. The addition of 2017 first-round pick Corey Davis will probably negatively impact Walker but it’s far from a death sentence. Walker and Mariota have developed some nice chemistry over the last two years and I don’t see it disappearing.
76. Corey Davis, WR – Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans used their fifth-overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft to select Western Michigan’s Corey Davis. He is projected to be the team’s No. 1 wide receiver in an offense that is rapidly improving. The Titans No. 1 wide receiver last year, Rishard Matthews, finished with 945 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. As well as Matthews played last year, he’s not a true No.1 wide receiver in the NFL. That is why the Titans selected Davis so high in the draft.
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The downside with Davis is he’s still recovering from ankle surgery he had a few months ago. If he’s 100 percent by training camp and is able to go to work, he could be the team’s No. 1 wide receiver going into Week 1. If he has a setback with his ankle or isn’t able to participate in training camp as early as expected, Matthews might hold onto the job a little longer.
Davis’ ankle and training camp reports will go a long way in projecting his success in year one. If all goes well, he should move up the rankings when I revise them in July. If not, he might find himself falling down the ranks and behind Matthews who checked in at No. 86 on the list.
75. Jimmy Graham, TE – Seattle Seahawks
“Tight end Jimmy Graham’s career is in jeopardy. He might not be able to return to the field and if he does, he won’t be the same.”
That’s what I thought (and wrote) about a year ago when Graham was recovering from a torn right patellar tendon. Well, he shut me up with his remarkable performance last season.
Graham finished 2016 with 65 receptions, 923 yards and six touchdowns. He was the fourth-best fantasy football tight end in PPR leagues. He was the only tight end to accumulate top-five fantasy numbers with less than 100 targets. I feel like I owe Mr. Graham a Happy Gilmore-like apology.
“I’m stupid. You’re smart. I was wrong. You were right. You’re the best. I’m the worst. You’re very good-looking. I’m not attractive.”
Next: Fantasy Football Rankings, Top 101 PPR Players: No. 80-78
Going into 2017 Graham will be over a year removed from his patellar tendon injury. His quarterback, Russell Wilson, will back to 100 percent after dealing with nagging ankle and knee injuries all of last season. With these two back to full strength, Graham has a chance of reaching 1,000 yards receiving for the first time since 2013.