Last-minute fantasy football advice for all 32 NFL teams

Denver Broncos fantasy advice

Drew Lock showed some flashes down the stretch last season, and he offers intriguing potential thanks to his rejuvenated supporting cast. However, he likely won’t throw nor run the ball enough to become a reliable, weekly option. He seems more like a game manager to me.

Why are people drafting Melvin Gordon in the fourth round? I’d prefer nearby players who are getting all the snaps in his offense, like Chris Carson or James Conner. Gordon will be splitting carries with Phillip Lindsay, who you can get for nearly four rounds cheaper. On top of that, their roles in Denver’s offense are largely unknown. It’s tough to see either getting the ball enough to be considered a solid fantasy starter.

Courtland Sutton is a fine pick as WR18. I worry a bit about his target share decreasing after Denver invested heavily in a wide receiver, but Sutton is good enough to where he has a relatively high floor. Jerry Jeudy will be good, but like with Sutton, I’m not sure he’ll get the ball enough to reach his ceiling yet. Give Jeudy another year. Despite his recent injury, K.J. Hamler offers some late-round intrigue, especially in Dynasty leagues.

Noah Fant faces the same issue that the other guys have: target share. For a team that A. just paid a veteran running back $8 million a year and B. shows no signs of upping their eighth-slowest tempo from a year ago, the Broncos give me caution about selecting any of their players this year.

Kansas City Chiefs fantasy advice

Like with Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes is a great quarterback who you should not waste an early pick on. You can always snag a passer because there will still be guys in later rounds who can finish as top-ten fantasy players. Only a few running backs fit the mold, and you’d have to take them early. Save your first few roster spots for positions with less depth later on.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire is my fantasy man-crush this year. When he was drafted by Kansas City, you just knew he would be a stud. Multiple factors guarantee his success: A clear path to the starting job, superb receiving ability and a high-scoring offense.

Also, Andy Reid had a dominant bellcow four times in his coaching career (Brian Westbrook, LeSean McCoy, Jamaal Charles, Kareem Hunt). Across those 12 total seasons, those four players finished on average as RB4 in PPR leagues, never finishing below RB8.

As for other Chiefs, Tyreek Hill is a boom-or-bust superstar who’s too inconsistent for my liking. Mecole Hardman fits Hill’s mold, though he has obvious upside. There are better players being drafted around Sammy Watkins, who always seems to miss a few games anyway. Travis Kelce should be an early priority because having a top tight end is — somewhat surprisingly — an important investment. Every season, only three to four tight ends put up double-digit points each week. Be the person with a good tight end.

Los Angeles Chargers fantasy advice

Tyrod Taylor offers sneaky upside as a veteran quarterback with dual-threat ability. I doubt he lasts the season as the starter, even though there’s no pressure from rookie (and fantasy irrelevant) Justin Herbert.

Austin Ekeler should again solely be relied on in PPR leagues. He bulked up, which is good he’s to take over the coveted bellcow role, but the presence of 4th-round running back Joshua Kelley and Justin Jackson caps his upside a bit.

I wouldn’t want Ekeler as my RB1 until he proves he can make a consistent, sizable impact in the ground game. By the way, Kelley and Jackson are not bad bench options, but there’s other guys who have a better path to an impactful role, like Duke Johnson or Chase Edmonds.

Keenan Allen is still a very good NFL receiver, but he’s already hit his peak in fantasy. It’s more about his age and the loss of Philip Rivers than anything. I believe he can be a reliable WR2 at best. Shoot for upside elsewhere. By drafting Mike Williams, you’re betting on him to become more consistent and to overcome his injury issues. That’s not a safe bet.

The same goes for Hunter Henry, who has yet to play a full season in his four NFL seasons. His upside is there; my confidence in him is not. Besides, there are far better players in his range, including some at the tight end position.

Las Vegas Raiders fantasy advice

If I’m taking a late-round quarterback, I’m not taking a quarterback who’s averaged four rushing yards in the last two seasons. While Derek Carr has tossed 33 passes per game in that time span — seventh-most of eligible passers — he also put up 15.3 fantasy points per game in 2019. I’m not confident in Carr suddenly blossoming into a weekly starter.

Like with Nick Chubb, I love Josh Jacobs as a football player, but I’m not super high on him as a fantasy player in PPR leagues. Jacobs offers clear stability in standard leagues, though I’m scared off by his lack of involvement as a receiver. To be fair, he isn’t seeing much competition for targets with Theo Riddick and Lynn Bowden both gone. I’d be fine with Jacobs as my RB2 now.

It’s a dart throw amongst which young receiver will break out. My money is on third-round pick Bryan Edwards. He’s well-rounded and has been reportedly balling at camp following his rehab from a knee injury. Henry Ruggs fits the Tyreek Hill/Marquise Brown mold: He’s a clear boom-or-bust prospect who should not be one of your top receivers, yet he’s worth a look at his ADP. Ruggs isn’t my preferred option, although his upside is undeniably high.

With the new additions in the passing game, don’t expect Darren Waller to average 13.8 PPR points again. He’s still a talented player who should see enough involvement, though. I’ll be shocked if he’s not a top-10 tight end again.