Last-minute fantasy football advice for all 32 NFL teams

Baltimore Ravens fantasy advice

Unless he somehow falls three rounds, don’t take Lamar Jackson. He’s a fantastic fantasy option, but you can get solid starters later. Use the first few rounds to stock up on the thinner positions, such as running back and tight end (and running back again).

Mark Ingram could be a reliable starter for a few weeks but Baltimore didn’t take J.K. Dobbins in the 2nd round just to sit him all year. Expect Dobbins, who is a great player, to eventually unseat the 30-year-old. I’d rather have Dobbins than D’Andre Swift or Cam Akers two rounds earlier.

Marquise Brown was wildly inconsistent as a rookie, which may have been a result of his limited usage. He has some great traits and flashed at times but I’m going against the grain and fading Brown. The Ravens are too run-heavy for my tastes and they drafted two rookie receivers again. Devin Duvernay and Miles Boykin are intriguing late-round Dynasty selections.

I love Mark Andrews and I think he’ll be clearly viewed as a top-three tight end after the season. With Hayden Hurst in town, Andrews still finished as TE5 in 2019 despite seeing the field 43.9% of the time. Don’t be that guy who takes Justin Tucker before filling out your bench. In case you couldn’t tell, I’m very pro-streaming when it comes to defenses and kickers.

Cleveland Browns fantasy advice

Baker Mayfield has the weapons, will he be able to use them? Selecting him is betting on new coach Kevin Stefanski, which is something I’m not willing to do yet. Nonetheless, his situation is an intriguing one. He’s a fine pick at the right price.

Nick Chubb may finish the season as the NFL’s leading rusher, but he’ll see very limited usage in the passing game. He’s a fantastic running back, but his PPR value is heavily capped. Kenyan Drake, Aaron Jones and even Austin Ekeler could give you more due to their pass-game usage.

Kareem Hunt is the Browns’ running back to target in PPR leagues. Not only did he average 12.6 PPR points when he came back from the suspension; he’s an immediate RB1 if Chubb were to miss games. He’s a rare safe running back who could be had as your Flex or RB3.

Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry are very talented players who may not see the ball enough to make a big dent in fantasy. I can’t see either being a top-ten player. Look for players with a bigger target share in that range, instead. The same can be said for Austin Hooper. The only way all three players enjoy fantasy success is if Stefanski increases the pace of the offense. In Minnesota last season, his offense had the fiftth-slowest offense in the NFL.

However, new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt — and former Bengals’ quarterback coach — comes from the eighth-fastest offense in 2019. If you’re willing to bet that Cleveland takes off this season, this could be the offense for you. After all, high-scoring offenses tend to breed top fantasy options.

Cincinnati Bengals fantasy advice

Rookie quarterbacks rarely return good fantasy production, unless they’re a dual-threat quarterback in a fast-paced system (RE: Kyler Murray). Joe Burrow has solid weapons, but there are better options near his range. He probably won’t offer enough on the ground to become a high-end fantasy starter, anyway.

Joe Mixon is incredibly talented and should be consistent enough to take in the second round. With a slight increase in offensive production expected from Cincinnati, Mixon could outplay his RB13 status from a year ago. Unless the Bengals increase their offensive pace from a year ago, Mixon may lose some targets to Gio Bernard and possibly AJ Green or Tee Higgins. At least he can still be a consistent producer.

Tyler Boyd should continue to be a reliable option in the Bengals’ offense. Per ESPN’s Matthew Berry, Boyd has led all receivers in yards from the slot since 2018. And slot receivers tend to get lots of receptions. Tee Higgins’ addition impacts AJ Green more than Boyd because Boyd is locked in as the slot receiver, whereas Higgins and Green both play along the boundary. Auden Tate may eventually blossom into a fantasy option, especially if Green gets hurt again.

Speaking of which, be cautious of Green: He’s 32 and coming off a season-ending injury. He’s one of the few players I always avoid when drafting. No tight ends to see here, move along.

Pittsburgh Steelers fantasy advice

Even if he returns to form following his shoulder injury, Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t offer much intrigue for fantasy purposes. He’s not a running threat and age has clearly caught up to him, unlike Drew Brees and Tom Brady. I just like to bet on the younger guys with clearer upside, especially ones who aren’t coming off a major injury.

James Conner is a sneaky good option in the fourth round. If he stays healthy — that’s a big if — he can be an RB1. He was averaging 17.8 PPR points per game prior to his injury last season, though his involvement in the passing game may take a slight hit.

Juju Smith-Schuster could flourish again with Big Ben’s return, but he should not be the 10th wide receiver off the board. His ADP drastically lowers his value. I prefer Diontae Johnson nearly five rounds later. I already explained why he could have a breakout season. James Washington and Chase Claypool may only become fantasy relevant if Smith-Schuster and/or Johnson falter enough, which is a lot to bank on.

I’d rather take younger tight ends with more upside than take Eric Ebron with one of my last picks. He doesn’t offer much in a Pittsburgh offense that features plenty of promising weapons. Don’t overdraft their defense; they won’t repeat the Patriots’ success from last season.