Party Time: Where You Should RSVP This Fantasy Football Season
Too often I hear fantasy “experts” say something that makes my skin crawl. Every time I hear it on a podcast I want to throw my phone out the window, but I don’t because I don’t want to go to a Verizon store and be upsold on a $65 phone case. The infamous line I’m referring to is: “I need to see it first.”
Let me tell you something right now.
You can’t wait for great shit to happen and then believe. By that point, you’ve missed the boat. FantasyUnleashd Chairman Rob “Cash” Lowry equates it to the first mover’s advantage in business. Here at FU, for fantasy purposes, we call it getting to the party early.
Think of an NFL Sunday where there’s one game where the crowd is going wild, the action is back and forth, and the players are producing tons of fantasy goodness… that’s the party! That’s where you need to be!
If you’re more of a stock market person, you know some of the biggest stock parties were around companies that many people completely dismissed or said “That’ll never happen” or “I need to see it first.” Think of Apple, Amazon, and now Tesla. If you weren’t able to see the party coming and get in line before the doors opened, there’s no getting in once the music’s really bumping.
Maybe you’ll be able to sneak in around the edges to stand awkwardly in the corner with your friend Jeff who’ll be complaining that it’s too loud and dark, but you ain’t getting a drink, and you’re definitely not dancing with any of the smiling people out there living it up on the dance floor, having the time of their lives.
Luckily we’re here to help. But you need to help us help you. You need to BELIEVE. This can’t be one of those things where someone’s having a party and you’re like, “Wahhh, who’s gonna be there? I don’t know if I feel like it. What if I don’t know anyone?”
“What if Amazon goes bankrupt?”
“What if it doesn’t work out?”
Take the leap, friends! Find the parties you like the most, and get there early. We’re not saying we think all of these potential party scenarios will work out; they’re simply the type of situations you want to target to find ways to have a hell of a good time this fantasy season.
Potential Fantasy Parties For The 2020 NFL Season
Devin Asiasi: What’s more of a party than having someone on your team with that last name? Asiasi is likely to be the Patriots’ starting tight end week 1, and even though rookie tight ends don’t usually produce in fantasy, all you need is a few touchdowns to make this one worth it. Because any big play will be an instant party...
Seahawks passing game: We all want the Seahawks to “let Russ cook,” but the Seahawks and Grandpa Pete are determined to have a run-heavy offense. However, there have been some rumblings that they really could pass more this year, and if that happens, look out. Russell Wilson, Tyler Lockett, and D.K. Metcalf could be hosting quite a show this year. Mr. Unlimited? Maybe, just maybe.
Cardinals offense makes the leap: Kyler Murray is being drafted as a top 5 quarterback this year because people see the upside. The former Heisman winner has the ability to improve into an MVP-caliber player, especially with Deandre Hopkins in town. This may be a case where this group needs another year before we see the ceiling, but if the Cardinals get back to a more pass-oriented offense that’s hitting on all cylinders, Kyler’s high ADP could still pay off in a huge way.
Josh Jacobs passing down work: To be honest, this isn’t one I’m really believing in. I just don’t get the sense that the Raiders will utilize Jacobs as much in the passing game as many would hope. But the possibility is there that the second-year RB — who was already one of the most effective runners in the league as a rookie despite playing through injury — sees a significant bump in targets, and that could propel him into top-5 RB status.
Diontae Johnson: This one is important, because the hype is crazy for Johnson. Almost everyone by now knows he’s an elite separator, evidenced by Matt Harmon’s Reception Perception and multiple big plays as a rookie on an offense without a QB. Johnson’s rising ADP is proof that people are already RSVPing to this party. However, this is a case where the breakout could shatter even the now-steep ADP for Johnson. He has WR2 potential, and it wouldn’t be surprising to us if next year you’re drafting him in the third or fourth rounds.
Will Fuller: Another mid-round WR who’s seen his ADP rise fast. Still, there’s no denying a healthy Will Fuller, especially when you get him in the 7th round, would be quite a party in 2020.
N’Keal Harry: N’Keal Harry did nothing his rookie season and that’s why he’s being drafted in the 14th round. However, the Patriots also did nothing to improve their WR group this offseason, leaving room for the former first round pick to emerge in his second year. We see a potentially SPECIAL redzone connection between Harry and Cam Newton, which could propel Harry into weekly starter territory.
A.J. Brown: The Titans are a run-first team and that’s pushed freak talent A.J. Brown into the 4th round of drafts. That’s probably a fair price tag given the team’s run-heavy approach. But there’s a scenario where this stud gets more targets than people are expecting if the Titans have to throw more, especially since there’s really no WR competition. Brown’s insane big-play ability means any type of consistent target share could lead him to a top 5 WR finish in year 2. He’s a fun guy to bet on, and the party would be insane. There may even be White Claws.
Mecole Hardman: Another one of those mid-to-late round WRs that has monster potential. Hardman did extreme damage on his limited opportunities as a rookie, and an increased workload, even in a crowded offense, could lead to some monster weeks for the speedster. If something happens to Travis Kelce or Tyreek Hill? Look out, the party’s gonna start fast, and everyone’s gonna be blackout by 9 pm. This makes Hardman a risky, yet immensely appetizing, target this year in fantasy.
Panthers offense clicks: Coming into 2020, the Panthers have the most personnel turnover in the entire NFL, on both sides of the ball. Combine that with a first-year head coach, offensive coordinator, and defensive coordinator, and you have plenty of reasons to be cautious of the Panthers in 2020. However, even crap teams can give us good fantasy production, and that first-year offensive coordinator just happens to be Joe Brady, who helped Joe Burrow and LSU steamroll the NCAA in unprecedented fashion.
If this offensive group can gel just enough by week 1, there’s potential for a real party scene in Carolina, with Teddy Bridgewater dumping the ball off to D.J. Moore, Curtis Samuel, and Christian McCaffrey. He also has deep threat Robby Anderson and a serviceable athletic tight end in Jonnu Smith. Teddy is particularly interesting given his easy early season schedule and free ADP.
Josh Allen to Stefon Diggs: The opinions are all over the place on Josh Allen, and rightfully so. His deep passing was atrocious in 2019, yet he can throw the 500 yards in the air and has crazy rushing ability. The question is whether another year in the league and the addition of Stefon Diggs can help Allen improve throwing the ball down the field.
I personally see this situation in Buffalo as one that could resemble the Browns in 2019: Lots of offseason hype, addition of a stud WR, and an up-and-coming quarterback, only to see the floor fall out beneath them. Beaver, on the other hand, wants to move to Buffalo and take Josh Allen our for a nice seafood dinner.
To be sure, the potential is there for Allen to take the next step as a passer, and for Diggs to carve out enough valuable targets despite a likely run-heavy offense. If that happens, the Allen-Diggs stack could lead to some outrageously productive weeks, and likely some winning Milly Maker lineups.
Jonathan Taylor dominates snaps: Only a few days into real practices, the hype is growing around Jonathan Taylor. Marlon Mack is effective, topping 1,000 yards in 2019. His presence, along with Taylor’s lack of experience in pass blocking, a tendency to fumble in college, and questionable pass-catching ability, could limit his upside, at least early in the year.
Even with all those cons listed, there’s an even more important factor to consider: Taylor is a freak talent. So as “solid” as Marlon Mack is, a 9 always beats a 6, if you catch my drift. Not to mention, it’s a little ironic that Philip Rivers was once paired up with another Wisconsin running back that people said couldn’t catch passes, and how’d that work out? There are a lot of rookie running backs to be excited about, but few likely have the upside of Taylor behind the Colts offensive line, should things break his way… and Taylor could be the one doing the breaking himself.
Antonio Gibson: Not to sound cool, but we’ve been on Gibson all offseason. But then Derrius Guice got cut, and Gibson’s ADP skyrocketed into the 8th round. That’s pretty steep for a guy that barely played in college. But someone needs to step up in Washington’s backfield, and there’s plenty of targets to be had in an offense needing serious help in the pass-catching department. Gibson could turn out to be useless for fantasy purposes, but his crazy college tape and lack of strong competition in an offense that will likely be playing from behind quite often could translate into PPR goodness.
Alright folks, those are the main parties we’re trying to RSVP to this fantasy season. The main idea is you probably need to reach a bit in your drafts to get these guys, but the potential payoffs could be quite fun… and isn’t that what this is all about?
