You’re probably thinking, “Did I read that right? 2018 rankings?” Yes, yes you did. In dynasty leagues, we often project a player’s long-term upside by evaluating the perceived ceiling for that player. But rarely do we give much thought to when that career year may occur.
When participating in a start-up draft or auction, I’ll typically target players that should have at least 3 production left or will enter their prime within the next 3 years – call it my “Rule of 3”. For example, I’ll rarely draft or bid on a running back over 30 years old like Adrian Peterson, but likely also won’t target a quarterback like Carson Wentz who may not even start in the NFL during his rookie year.
Having a three year plan in dynasty is as important as planning for the upcoming season. Having your team projected to finish .500 is not where you want to be. If in contention, I’m always going to seek opportunities to buy. If I realize by-mid season or before that a championship isn’t probable this year, I’ll reach out to each owner in my league and shop the players least likely to help me in future seasons. Taking a small step back could result in your team take a huge step forward in the years to come. With all that said, let’s dive into my WAY TOO EARLY rankings for the 2018 season…
Quarterbacks
1) Andrew Luck
2) Russell Wilson
3) Cam Newton
4) Derek Carr
5) Aaron Rodgers
6) Jameis Winston
7) Marcus Mariota
8) Blake Bortles
9) Jared Goff
10) Matthew Stafford
*We’re seeing the dawn of a new era for the elite fantasy quarterbacks. For plenty of years, we grew familiar with seeing Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, and Drew Brees occupy the top tier of quarterbacks. It’s now time for a similarly prolonged stretch for Luck, Wilson, and Newton. Baring injury, I don’t see anyway these quarterbacks aren’t top 10 in 2018.
Running Backs
1) Ezekiel Elliott
2) Leonard Fournette
3) LeVeon Bell
4) Todd Gurley
5) David Johnson
6) Nick Chubb
7) Derrick Henry
8) Lamar Miller
9) Dalvin Cook
10) TJ Yeldon
*What is there not to like about Ezekiel Elliott? He’s one of the best running back prospects to enter the league in a long time, plays behind the best offense line in football, and excels as a receiver and in pass blocking. He should be a true three down back for an offense that will give him as much work as he can handle. See, DeMarco Murray‘s workload in 2014. Derrick Henry should take over for DeMarco Murray as the Titans‘ primary ball carrier in 2017, if not sooner. He should immediately become a top 10 RB once given 250 carries in a season as a potential touchdown machine. However, Henry won’t be too involved in the passing game and should be lowered slightly in rankings for PPR leagues.
Wide Receivers
1) Odell Beckham Jr.
2) DeAndre Hopkins
3) Amari Cooper
4) Sammy Watkins
5) Allen Robinson
6) Keenan Allen
7) Julio Jones
8) Mike Evans
9) Brandin Cooks
10) Donte Moncrief
*This group of wide receivers is special. Pay what it takes to acquire any of them…you won’t regret it while they’re filling up the stat sheet for the next 5+ years.
Tight Ends
1) Rob Gronkowski
2) Jordan Reed
3) Tyler Eifert
4) Zach Ertz
5) Ladarius Green
6) Travis Kelce
7) Coby Fleener
8) Clive Walford
9) Hunter Henry
10) Austin Hooper
*It’s Gronk and everybody else. I’m a huge fan of Jordan Reed who’s basically a 6’2″ wide receiver playing the tight end position, but his injury history scares me. He could be #1 or #2 on this list or could just as easily fall completely outside of the top 10.
Let me know your thoughts on Twitter @DaveSanders_RSO! Would love to hear who you think I am too high on or should have included in my Top 10s!
My next article will explore the likelihoods that rookie QBs, RBs, WRs, and TEs put together a top 10 season within their first 3 years in the NFL. Look for that to drop later this month!
Bio: An avid fan of all things NFL, Dave has been playing fantasy football since 1999. Though Dave participates in all types of fantasy football including redraft and daily, he prefers keeper and dynasty leagues as talent evaluation and scouting are integral components of each.
