Fantasy Football Rankings 2017, Top 101 PPR Players: No. 1

With our list of fantasy football’s top 101 PPR players of 2017 coming to a conclusion, who is the last remaining player?

After over a month of ranking the top 101 PPR players for 2017, the list finally comes to an end. I’m not going to pretend like you don’t know who the No.1 ranked player is. I’m sure you saw his picture as you clicked on the article and/or noticed the one obvious name missing from the list as you followed along.

Instead of creating an anticlimactic “ta-da” moment, let’s just get to it.

To be clear, the top 101 PPR players are for re-draft leagues only. Here’s a look at our No. 1 ranked player:

Dec 4, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson (31) celebrates after a touchdown against the Washington Redskins at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

1. David Johnson, RB – Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals running back David Johnson was not only the best PPR running back last season, but he also generated more fantasy points than any player at any position. He also was the first running back since 2006 to score more than 400 fantasy points in a single season. Just how remarkable was his season last year you ask? Well, let’s take a look.

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Last year he led all running backs in receptions (80), receiving yards (879) and offensive snaps (964) according to Sporting Charts. He led the entire NFL in yards from scrimmage (2,118), touches (373) and rushing/receiving touchdowns (20). Johnson had 100+ yards from scrimmage and/or a touchdown in 15 out of 16 games. If he wasn’t force to leave Week 17’s game against the Los Angeles Rams with an injury, he surely would have made it 16 out of 16. Heading into 2017, we should see more of the same from the former third-round pick.

The Cardinals core set of offensive players and coaches virtually remain the same from a season ago so there’s no reason to believe Johnson’s role will change. In fact, ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss reported head coach Bruce Arians would like to get Johnson 30 touches a game in 2017. Personally I don’t think there’s anyway in hell Johnson averages 30 touches a game, but it’s clear the Cardinals coaching staff has no intentions of scaling back his workload.

Don’t think Johnson is a one-year wonder either. In 2015 he had five starts between Weeks 13-17. During that span he was the No. 1 PPR running back and averaged 22.6 points per week. Despite only totaling 161 touches in 2015 (10 touches/game), Johnson finished as the eighth PPR running back.

If you’re an owner picking first overall in fantasy football drafts this year do yourself a favor and don’t overthink it: Draft David Johnson. After that, give yourself a firm pat on your rear end (preferably in private) and start preparing for your next pick.

Next: Fantasy Football Rankings 2017, Top 101 PPR Players: No. 3-2

Since we revealed players 101-99 in our list of the top 101 PPR players of 2017 over a month ago, a lot of changes have happened around the NFL. Due to those changes, my fantasy football rankings have changed. Be sure to check back early next week to see the updated list in it’s entirety.

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