Fantasy Football Rankings 2017, Top 101 PPR Players: No. 74-72
By Dan Thomas
We continue our fantasy football rankings of the top 101 PPR players with No. 74-72. Which of these three players has the biggest upside?
Fantasy football rankings are constantly changing. Yesterday we saw the Kansas City Chiefs release their No. 1 wide receiver Jeremy Maclin. Also, the Baltimore Ravens lost their starting tight end, Dennis Pitta, for the entire 2017 season with a hip injury.
Although the lost of these two players doesn’t directly affect the players on the list today, it does show you nobody’s ranking is written in stone.
To be clear, the top 101 PPR players are for re-draft leagues only. Here’s a look at players ranked No. 74-72:
74. John Brown, WR – Arizona Cardinals
Going into last season, Cardinals wide receiver John Brown was coming off the best season of his NFL career. In 2015 his 65 receptions, 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns helped him finish as the 26th-ranked PPR wide receiver. Many were expecting Brown to put up similar numbers last year, but unfortunately it didn’t work out.
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During the 2016 season Brown was dealing with a sickle-cell trait issue. He also was playing with a cyst on spine which was removed in January. It appears Brown will be heading into 2017 at 100 percent and should look like the 2015 version of himself. Brown might only average 4-5 receptions per game but his big play ability makes him a threat to score a touchdown every time he touches the ball.
One notable difference from Brown’s breakout season in 2015 is the Cardinals no longer have Michael Floyd on their roster. That season Floyd finished with 52 receptions, 849 yards and seven touchdowns on 89 targets. With Floyd no longer with the team, there will be more targets to go around and Brown could set career highs in 2017.
73. Dalvin Cook, RB – Minnesota Vikings
About three weeks ago when I did my initial fantasy football rookie rankings for 2017, I had Titans wide receiver Corey Davis ranked ahead of Dalvin Cook. Since then, I’ve moved Cook ahead of Davis.
In my opinion, Cook is the best running back on the Vikings roster and that was never up for debate. He’s a dynamic three-down back who can do just about everything. Yet, the thought was Cook was going to lose touches to free-agent addition Latavius Murray. Not to mention, some of those touches might be near the goal line with Murray’s 6-3 and 230-pound frame.
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Since then, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press has reported Murray hasn’t even been cleared to run yet and he may not be available at the start of training camp. If Murray continues to recover from his offseason ankle surgery at a snail’s pace, Cook might have a stranglehold on the starting job before Murray has a chance to take the field.
72. Spencer Ware, RB – Kansas City Chiefs
Last season when Jamaal Charles failed to recover from injury, it was Spencer Ware who took over starting duties. As the starter, Ware totaled 1,368 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns across 14 games. Right now Ware is penciled in as the team’s starter, but thinking he’ll average nearly 18 touches per game like last season might not be reasonable.
Just over a month ago, the Chiefs traded up in this year’s NFL Draft to select Kareem Hunt. The rookie running back out of Toledo (who checked in at No. 93 on our list) should see immediate playing time. Exactly how much playing time has yet to be determined. He could start out only seeing 5-6 touches per game. If he does well with those touches, they could gradually increase. Yet If he doesn’t show well with his touches, they could drop.
Next: Fantasy Football Rankings, Top 101 PPR Players: No. 77-75
Personally, I believe Hunt will turn the backfield into a 50/50 committee before the halfway point of the season. For now, Ware is the team’s starting running back who is projected to get the most touches and that’s why he’s ranked 21 spots ahead of Hunt. Keep in mind that all could change before Week 1.