2018 Bloggin Hood Fantasy Football Preview – New York Giants and Jets Depth Charts

Every year, thousands of fantasy players win their leagues. Not only do they receive a giant trophy, they also receive a champion’s pay check and the right to mock the rest of their league mates until next season. Few things in life are more rewarding than winning, but even fewer top winning when you’ve done nothing but start virtual players. Truly, it’s the reason many of us get out of bed in the morning.

However, for every winner, there are hundreds of thousands of losers. Some of these poor unfortunate souls finish in second place. Others just miss the playoffs. But a select few come in dead last. These outcasts are mocked by even the next to last place finisher, forced to suffer through unending punishments and shamed to the point of severe confidence loss. There’s a reason you see a bunch of Viagra commercials during the NFL season. That will put those images of people sitting in adjacent tubs outside in a whole new light.  

The 2018 Bloggin Hood Fantasy guide doesn’t look to help the first place winner. No, that’s not the Bloggin Hood way. Instead, we intend to give to the poor(poorly informed) by taking knowledge through tons of research(the rich). Now, who actually did this research? Why me, Bloggin Hood of course. If you don’t trust my work, go ahead suck a rock, or kick lemons. Do it in reverse and see if I care.

The Blogging Hood Fantasy guide is not for the faint of heart. The word count would make George RR Martin blush, mostly because he’s forgotten how to write. This year, we’re not even stopping at one preview. Welcome to Part 1 of the 2018 fantasy guide – Team Previews.

Over the next 16 weekdays, right until the last day in July, we’ll be looking at two NFL depth charts for potential breakouts, busts, and deep names to consider. What we will not be doing in part one is addresses ADP, or any actual rankings. I haven’t looked at any of that stuff yet. At this point in the year, it’s irrelevant. If you’re drafting in July, it means you’re baseball team has probably tanked to 12^th place. It’s way too early to hone in on ADP. We’ll save that for part two.

If you followed the Bloggin Hood Fantasy Baseball guide and find yourself in 12^th place, no refunds.

Without further ado, let’s dissect two team’s depth charts, as per rotoworld.com.

New York Giants

Few things gave me more joy then the performance of Fairfield’s own Ben McAdoo last season. It was a coaching clinic that would have made Rick Pitino blush. McAdoo was overmatched seconds after taking the job. He had no control of the locker room and ran the Giants into the ground. It was hysterical.

Remember, McAdoo was a TE coach in 1997 at a university who’s program went defunct. 20 years later, he was the head coach of an NFL team. I mean, that’s the worst decision making I’ve ever heard, short of running Eli Manning out there every week. At least McAdoo had the sense to end Eli’s iron man streak… for Geno Smith.

I might pee myself from laughing so hard.  That was one of the three greatest accomplishments in Fairfield University history by the way. Fear the deer indeed.

And speaking of being delusional, the Ginats think they can win the Super Bowl. Instead of drafting their future QB and shipping Eli to Jacksonville where he belongs, they drafted a running back with the second overall pick. I assume McAdoo was consulted for that selection. Don’t get me wrong, this is great news for fantasy players as Sequon Barkley had no real competition for touches. But didn’t we just decide two years ago that RBs aren’t that valuable? Since that announcement, we’ve taken about 27 of them in the first round and multiple with top 10 picks. No, no, NFL teams, don’t worry about your lines. Start with the running back. That don’t need any sort of blocking. The Giants actually started 4 bags of sand on the line last year as a result of another McAdoo innovation. Each of these bags played significantly better than Erick Flowers. Things were not very rosy for the boys in Blue.

All excellent jokes aside, the Giants have two first round picks and a multitude of other interesting pieces, so this is a team that will matter in fantasy, which is a shame. At least I’ll have 2017 to look back on fondly.

Except for the Jets season, but that’s always implied.

QBs

Eli Manning – We’re not big fans of Math at Bloggin Hood, but in a rare moment of intellect, let’s crunch some quick numbers. The Giants have three players everyone expects to finish in the top 10 at their position. They have a fourth player who’s a fringe option as a starting WR, but at worst is a premier bench option. That’s four very relevant players for fantasy. Typically, a single WR or RB can be valuable without good QB numbers. Examples of this are AJ Green and Jordan Howard. However if there’s four players going to be good, the team’s QB would also have to be fantasy relevant and a top 12 option. So, based on the transitive property (hey now), does this mean Eli Manning is a top 12 QB for fantasy?

I’m actually in pain typing this, but I think it’s in play.

You can throw out Manning’s awful 2017 since he was handicapped by the worst professional coach not named Jeff Fisher in recent memory. If you look as recent as 2015, Manning threw for 4,400 yards and 35 TDs. He’s never going to be consistent, and please don’t think this is me saying he’s even a passable NFL QB. He’s basically the luckiest person in the NFL who isn’t Mike McCarthy. But there’s too many weapons for even Eli to fail. He has Barkley as a safety valve, Engram as more or less a slot receiver, Beckham who’s probably the 2^nd or 3^rd best receiver in football and Shepard who’s not bad at all. That’s a lot of firepower.

Look, you don’t want to watch Eli play. You don’t want to think he’s any good. But, unless he’s completely Osweiler-ian, he’s going to finish as a top 15 QB. I don’t think I’d plug and play him, since I have self respect, but he’s going to be at worst, the heavy part of a fantasy platoon. Now excuse me, I have to shower off the disgust.

RBs

Sequon Barkley –  Potentially franchise ruining pick aside, there’s a ton to like about Barkley. He’s got speed, power and good hands, and should be a true workhorse back. I think people are being a little overzealous drafting him from what I’ve seen though. Is he a top 10 back and a first round pick? Sure, I think so. But he’s being drafted over players like Kamara and Hunt. That’s aggressive. I mean, do people remember the Giants offensive line last year? Those bags of sand probably aren’t helping run counters.

To the Giants credit, they did pick up a few lineman in the offseason. Not a QB for the future, but that’s ok. Even if the blocking isn’t great, Barkley will still be tremendously valuable catching passes, getting goal line work, and creating chunk plays on his own if needed. With my little ADP knowledge at this point, I’d have him at the 7^th or 8^th RB. I think a real decision people will have is choosing between Giants – Beckham or Barkley? I think I’d take Beckham today, but that could easily change by draft season.

Jonathan Stewart –  In theory, Stewart should be the handcuff for Barkley. In practice, Stewart has barely been able to outrun the cones and first down markers. On 198 carries, Stewart only managed to total 680 yards. That’s 3.4 per attempt. That’s not good. I don’t think there’s much left in the tank, but don’t be surprised if Stewart is involved early, potentially to vulture goal line work. He will not be on any of my teams, but he’ll be a nuisance to Barkley owners.

Wayne Gallman – If there is going to be a second Giants back to own, it’s Gallman, but it would be strictly as a handcuff. Gallman averaged 4.3 yards a carry behind a bad offensive line, and also caught 34 passes (for less than 200 yards. That’s not good). He’s a significantly worse all around back than Barkley, so it would take a Barkley injury, or surprise retirement for Gallman to have relevance. Still, he’s the next back to own if the unspeakable were to occur.

WRs

Odell Beckham – I understand you may not like his attitude, and that’s probably fair. And sure, there’s fear of a holdout for a contract extension that in theory could get ugly. You also have to worry about the recovery from his ankle injury last year. But are you really going to pass on a 25 year old receiver who’s scored 38 TDs in 47 games? That’s not a fluke. That sample size proves scoring is part of his skill set, and I don’t just mean hjs leaked photo from a few years ago. He’s a reception machine and has always been a target monster. Any fear of lowered volume because of the added weapons is silly. The increased skill around him should loosen defensive focus, and may free him up for bigger plays, which he’s no stranger to. So yeah, he’s not my favorite personality, but he’s a top 3 WR. Plus, you might get bonus points if he re-enacts his infamous dog pee celebration.

Sterling Shepard – Shepard is in a weird situation where he’s the clear #4 target on his team, so he really shouldn’t have much value, but there’s a chance he does. Shepard has been around 700 yards in his first two seasons, with his TDs fluctuating greatly. Now, in this preview, I’ve been very anti these 700 yard guys, hunting for upside instead of average. The difference with Shepard is that he’s entering his third season, the typical breakout year for wideouts. Also, his 731 yards came in just 11 games. Granted, some came without Beckham, but the wealth of options should free up Sheppard as well. I don’t think he’s going to explode, but depending how the TDs fall, he could be a back end WR3.

TEs

Evan Engram – For a rookie TE, Engram was tremendous, catching for over 700 yards. TE is not an easy position to transition to, so that’s a great sign. However, Engram isn’t really a TE – he’s a wide receiver with TE eligibility. He’s not really good at blocking, which is a key feature of a TE position. Of course, this doesn’t matter in fantasy. It’s probably good news for player, since he’ll be running patterns instead of missing blocks (Let’s see how much Sequon likes him). Engram will serve as the team’s second option and while there is an adjustment with Beckham returning, there’s plenty of value here. He’s likely a top 5 TE and he could be the team’s red zone option. Eli tends to lock into Beckham, so I doubt this increases too much beyond 6, but 8 scores isn’t out of the question.

New York Football Jets

The Jets have been on a downward spiral since 1969, but eventually things have to turn around. Perhaps a franchise fold might be the best move. However, not since Mark Sanchez was overdrafted have the Jets had hope, which is where they find themselves in 2018.

Thanks to the Browns being the Browns, the Jets got the consensus #1 QB in the draft. This doesn’t mean much of course. Don’t forget that many of the same experts put Ryan Leaf over Peyton Manning back in 1998. But any way you slice it, it’s a lot more hopeful than bringing in aging QBs that were never any good to begin with. In fact, it’s through one of these God awful monstrosities that Sam Darnold will learn how to play the position. That seems like the road to a successful career.

Oh, no offense Josh McCown. I mean, you’re still the best McCown at least. That’s a good title to bring to family BBQs.

The Jets offense comes in with some underrated offensive players. On paper, their offense isn’t bad actually. There’s decent backs and receivers here that they might put up a below average league offense. That would be their best finish in team history.

Don’t mistake not awful as a sign for good fantasy plays. The team is filled with middling options that don’t move the needle, with the potential exception to 2 players (and 1 will result in a few offended readers). Remember the Seahawks receiving core before the emergence of Doug Baldwin? There were four guys who you could play in a pinch, but not much else. That’s what the Jets are looking like. In fact, one of those very receivers is on the team. He’s being typecasted.

So yeah, another mediocre season is upon us, Jets fans, but at least there’s hope. USC QBs never fail in the NFL, now do they?

QBs

Josh McCown – I know I’ve already mocked McCown but for fantasy last season, he really wasn’t bad as a streamer. In plus matchups, he delivered useful lines. Granted under 3,000 yards and 18:9 TD to INT ratio isn’t anything to write home about, but you’re not drafting a Jets QB. You’re only plugging them in against the dregs of the NFL, notably 75% of the AFC East. He also chips in a bit with his legs, though often leads with his head as if he’s trying to get injured. At the back end of the streamer class, McCown could be useful on bye weeks early in the year. He shouldn’t be starting by the second half. Good God, I hope he’s not.

Sam Darnold – Let’s start this preview by saying you’re not drafting Darnold, nor are you playing Darnold for any reason other than a large 2 QB league. Darnold will need time to develop and is turnover prone. As a fan, I want to see him take over the starting gig after the Jets bye and learn on the job. Anything he does this year should be viewes as part of the learning curve. However, the one fantasy aspect you need to worry about Darnold is how he affects the other Jets. Some of the WRs could have value, but if Darnold is shaky in his rookie year, they might not have any. The hope is Darnold is an upgrade over McCown, and certainly sooner than later it should be true, but this year, it’s a coin flip.

RBs

Isaiah Crowell –  Crowell has been a solid back in his career, average a decent YPC and catching the occasional pass on abysmal offenses in Cleveland. Despite being the main running back on the team, he only topped 200 carries once, last season. The biggest problem with Crowell isn’t the talent, it’s the opportunity. The Jets will need to be in games for Crowell to remain relevant each and every week, and I don’t think that’ll happen. I think he’ll be useable in games, but not a weekly play. Chances are he’ll slip in drafts where he’ll be a value. He could finish as a low end RB2, but I see him more of an RB 3, and he might not be the best back on his team.

Bilal Powell – Typically around this time of the year, Powell is being hyped as a sleeper, but this season, he needs to worry about losing his touches. Powell has served as the main pass catching back for the past few years, though that number dipped from 58 all the way to 23 in 2017. He wasn’t bad on the ground, averaging 4.3 yards a carry, though even that’s down from his robust 5.5 in 2016. Reports are his carries will be heavily cut into by Crowell, and he’ll likely lose out on some receiving downs. Part of the problem steps from Powell’s age as he’s almost 30. If Powell is the passing down back, he’ll have value here, and probably outpace Crowell. But there are rumors that Powell is going to be cut. Rarely does that help land a significant role.

Elijah McGuire – I honestly was not going to include McGuire, but with a lot of buzz that Lizzie will be the receiving back on a team likely to be trailing a lot, well, I have to be interested. The Jets RB coach recently compared McGuire to LaDainian Tomlinson which might be the most outlandish remark of the offseason. Keep in mind the Jets RB coach goes by Stump and take it for what you will. If the Jets do cut Powell, McGuire becomes an interesting PPR sleeper. If Powell makes the team, McGuire barely sees the field. You can’t draft him now, so it’s a wait and see situation.

Thomas Rawls – It’s been a couple of rough seasons for Rawls after his great 2015. The man cannot stay healthy.  Part of me wants to declare Rawls a sleeper, but then I realized they paid Crowell 12 million and my excitement disappears. He’s not a pass catcher so this is strictly a two down back handcuff to Crowell who might not dress all season. Don’t let visions of 2015 cloud your judgment.

WRs

Robby Anderson – From week 7 through week 13, Robbie Anderson provided either 100 yards, a TD, or both. It was an incredible run that propelled him to a top 20 WR finish. He was shy 50 yards of 1,000 yards, and he does seem like a productive NFL receiver. However, there’s several reasons to cool expectations. The Jets receiving core is not elite, but there’s four good to decent options. Anderson was the main show in town but now his target share to decrease. Anderson’s TDs also seemed a bit fluky. I don’t think they’ll repeat. Finally, and probably most importantly, Anderson got in trouble with the law in the off season, and while the charges and processing is complete without any jail time, the league will likely suspend him a game or two. That could matter, especially with a potential rookie starter trying to develop rapport with targets. He’s a WR4 with the potential for more, but he doesn’t even have the highest ceiling on this team.

Quincy Enunwa – Enunwa not only has the most fun name to pronounce in the league, but he’s actually pretty solid. At least he was the last time he played football in 2016. A neck injury took away his 2017, but I think it was partially because they Jets were trying to tank. He’s not cleared yet, but all sign point to him being fine for the season. What makes Enunwa interesting to me, other than chanting, is he’s a hybrid WR/TE. Now, he’s listed as a WR and wants to be known as one, but I expect he’ll be running a lot of short route and serving as the defacto TE for passing plays. The Jets, yeah, they don’t do the TE thing so well. Enunwa could serve as a security blanket, and he’s capable of big plays. I wouldn’t draft Enunwa, but if he’s being used how I expect, he’ll be a good PPR play, with outside potential of a WR3.

Jermaine Kearse – When you factor in how late in the preseason Kearse was traded, the year he had was remarkable. The 65 catch, 810 yards were career highs, and he looked the part of a 2^nd WR. Unfortunately for him, I don’t think he gets the same role this year. I think this is the line Enunwa puts up, and Kearse takes a back seat, or potentially gets cut. I wouldn’t have any issue with Kearse returning, and if he gets his role from last year back, he’s slightly better than the 700 yard receivers I avoid, but I wouldn’t be jumping for joy to land him. He’s too risky for the modest upside provided.

Terrelle Pryor Sr. – Speaking of upside…

Maybe it was the change of scenery. Maybe it was the ankle injury. Or maybe it was Kirk Cousins not caring at all. All I know is Terrelle Pryor was awful the year after he recorded 1,000 yards on the Browns. Personally, I’m thinking that Pryor’s 2016 was the oddity and not the norm. I don’t blame the Jets for taking a shot on Pryor, and I wouldn’t blame you for taking a shot as well. However, I can’t see him coming anywhere close to his best season. Some other team would have tried to use him before if he was that gifted. I’d love to see the revival, but it’ll be on somebody else’s roster.

TEs

The Jets haven’t had a relevant TE since they drafted Anthony Becht over Warren Sapp. And that wasn’t good relevance. Also when the Jets traded a first round pick for Doug Jolly. That was also bad. Jets TEs don’t catch passes. That’s not changing in 2018, or you know, forever.