2018 Bloggin Hood Fantasy Football Preview – Oakland and Philadelphia Depth Charts
July 26, 2018Every 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 12th 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 12th place, no refunds.
Without further ado, let’s dissect two team’s depth charts, as per rotoworld.com.
Oakland Raiders
“How much has the NFL game evolved past your coaching ability, Jon”
It seems like years ago that the Raiders were trended Super Bowl picks ready to take the next step. It turns out that was just one calendar year. Boy did things change. The team is revamped, the coaching staff was overturned and Jon Gruden turns his overly positive broadcasting career back to being a old school smash mouth football coach. I’m pretty sure this is like a reverse John Madden situation. Remember how bad Madden was in the booth toward the end of his career? Imagine if he stepped down and was paid to be the coach and GM of an organization. That would not be good for anybody except the bloggers. The bloggers loved the move. Don’t forget, Gruden said on National TV that Christian Hackenberg should have been a first round pick. With a straight face! Old Chucky might not have his fastball anymore.
Gruden will install a run heavy offense that will look like it’s out of the 1990s. There’s reasonable concern that this team will mirror the Jeff Fisher and John Fox offenses that led to just awful football. That would not be enjoyable for anyone. Hopefully Gruden has a little more sense than that, but I just heard him call games for a decade. Oakland, you shouldn’t feel too bad losing your team anymore.
This is a team with talent, and it could go anywhere from being a title contender to looking for a new coach and GM in two years. I really have no idea what to think about them. This is why I only handle the fantasy angle. Let the people who know what they’re talking about, like Skip Bayless, handle the real questions on our minds.
QBs
Derek Carr – While Carr was nowhere near the QB that fantasy players hoped for, he wasn’t as bad as you remember. He still completed 63% of his passes, but with low yards per attempt and with significantly less TDs. You also have to factor in that Carr broke his leg at the end of the 2016 season. Research shows that it usually takes over a year to fully recover. Carr could have a bounce back season, but it depends on how the offense is run.
If the Raiders truly do go to an old school attack, Carr will likely be extremely efficient on play action, but the volume won’t be there for him to be useful. If the offense is open and high flying, Carr could regain his QB 1 status. I remember the old Raider and Bucs offense being run heavy, but not boring, so I don’t think the offense will be as conservative as some pundits believe. But I was also like 13 when Gruden was at his peak so I’m not a great source here. My advise is to not draft Carr and see how the team starts the season. Remember, he is missing his favorite target in Michael Crabtree. That could be a huge factor. If Carr looks like the 2016 version, he’s worth playing in a lot of matchups. The division is not as defensively tough as it used to be. I think he’ll top out as a high end streamer, but not a hold for all season.
RB – Marshawn Lynch – When he had the opportunity, Lynch was really good. He averaged 4.3 yards per carry and scored 7 TDs. He just wasn’t unleashed until the end of the season. There were a lot of games where the Raiders fell behind quickly, removing Lynch from the gameplay. They also seemed to save him for a playoff run that never happened. If Gruden is really going old school on us, and I don’t see why not, he will be a value pick. Nobody wants to own a 32 year old running back. There’s also nothing in Lynch’s profile that shows he can’t be useful other than his age. As an RB3, or maybe even an RB4, you’ll likely profit. He could finish as an RB2 at a fraction of the cost of all the rookies. I will be ranking him aggressively.
Doug Martin – There’s rumors that Doug Martin might wrestle the starting job from Marshawn Lynch. Stop it. Doug Martin is terrible. He hasn’t been good since 2015, and in his career he’s only been good for two season. Over the past two seasons, he’s averaged 2.9 yards per carry and he stopped catching passes after his rookie year. I think the guys behind Martin are much better at this point, and I don’t even understand why the Raiders signed him. I’m going to pass on drafting him. I recommend you do the same. You’d be better drafting current day Bo Jackson. At least he looks intimidating.
DeAndre Washington/Jalen Richard – As of now, it’s tough to see either of these players getting involved, but once Martin is benched or hurt, the door will open up for these talented backs. Both have pretty much been split down the middle, so I can’t tell who’s the preferred late round pick. All I know is I’d much rather land one of these guys than old busted Doug Martin. Hopefully I have a better feel for this in August when I do full on rankings.
WR – Amari Cooper – Last season, it was not fun hanging with Mr. Cooper. Touted as the player to breakout into a full-blown superstar, Cooper did more than just flop. He only played 14 games, and in 5 of those, managed to total less than 10 yards, including a total goose egg. Imagine a player of Cooper’s caliber having five games where he barely outscored me or you. In fact, outside of two blowup games, his 210 TD game in KC and a 115 yard week 17 performance, you got nothing, You probably didn’t even get to enjoy the week 17 game. So, it’s with no irony that I say Cooper might be a value and a player who swings leagues positively this year.
Part of the issue is the game plans last season seemed to avoid Cooper. It’s like they forgot he was on the roster. His best games were when he was featured in the slot and targeted repeatedly. This year, with Michael Crabtree gone, Cooper should see plenty more action. With the acquisition of Martavius Bryant (and maybe Jordy Nelson), he doesn’t have to play the deep threat. Instead, he can be the focus that he should have been. What’s great is Cooper should come at a discount. Ideally, he’d be your WR3, but that’s unlikely. As a 4th round pick and a sky-high upside WR2, I think it works. Few players offer Cooper’s range of outcomes, but he can’t as as bad as he was last year right?
Right?
Please be right.
Jordy Nelson – Speaking of disappointments, Jordy was so bad that most people assume he’s cooked. Nelson was significantly better last season when Aaron Rodgers was healthy, scoring all his TDs in the first five weeks. After Rodgers went down, Nelson didn’t have a game with more than 35 yards – insane for a player with his track record. It’s understandable why people think he is done. However, I think there’s a little left in the tank and some of Nelson’s poor play was a result of bad QBs. Derek Carr is an upgrade over any Packers backup, but he’s obviously no Rodgers. Nelson’s not a deep threat anymore, but he should be a sure handed option who might grab some goal line work. Plus, Jon Gruden loves old guys, so couldn’t you see him being force fed targets? I think Nelson will be a meh WR3 but a solid WR4/Flex player, and nobody wants him. He’s worth a risk if he can be drafted as a bench guy for your team.
Martavius Bryant – Ironcially, it’s Bryant who frees things up for Cooper and Nelson, even if he himself doesn’t have a great year. Few players in the league are bigger home run threats then Bryant, who fell out of favor with the Steelers after failed drug tests had him miss all of 2016. Currently, it’s unclear what’s going on with Bryant – who may have another test fail, but also may not. There’s a lot of conflicting reports here. I’m going to assume no suspension for this exercise, but obviously if he’s busted, he’s useless.
In a world where Cooper and Nelson’s trajectories are trending down, Bryant offers a cheap, late round flier to relevance. He managed 600 yards last year on a Steelers team that didn’t look to feature or use him at all. Should Cooper or Nelson falter, Bryant will find himself in a great situation on what should be at least a decent offense. I’m not drafting Bryant, especially with the suspension rumors now looming, but there’s a clear path to fantasy stardom again. It’s not a straight line, but when is anything with him? Other than his routes of course.
TE – Jared Cook – No really, go ahead and draft Jared Cook. Sure his numbers looks ok last year. But he will hurt you. He always finds a way to hurt you. He might even rank as a top 12 option, but there’s no way you feel good about this selection. And you know he’s going to follow up any big game with a complete, total dud. Draft Jared Cook and his radioactive fantasy game at your own risk.
Philadelphia Eagles
Sure, the fans are rude and mean, but at least the Always Sunny Super Bowl Episode will be awesome
It wasn’t just shocking that the Eagles won the super bowl, but it was more surprising when you considered what happened. The team lost near MVP lock Carson Wentz to an ACL injury in week 14 of the season. Nick Foles took over and honestly looked outmatched. Even though the team was the #1 seed in the NFC, they were prohibitive underdogs every round. All they did was steamroll the competition and win the Super Bowl with Nick Foles!
As good of a team the Eagles are, the fantasy options they have are somewhat limited. While they do have elite options, they are not at the premier positions. The team could have top 5 players at QB, TE and even Def, but there’s a little lag behind at RB and WR. Now, this isn’t to say there’s no talent, it’s just there’s a lot of it. I don’t feel great starting anyone out of the backfield, or out wide, except for maybe Alshon Jeffrey. Remember, the fantasy game is a lot different than real life. This is an offense that will score, just not always in a way that us nerds wants to see.
QBs
Carson Wentz – Before we all jump back on Wentz as the top tier QB he was in 2017, consider he is recovering from an ACL tear. While scrambled aren’t his most important skill, it does matter. He won’t have the same mobility as last season, at least for September. Then, factor in how efficient he was last season. He threw 33 TDs on just 440 attempts, and his completion percentage actually went down 2 points. He won’t be throwing as many TDs, but I’m not trying to talk you out of Wentz. He’s very good and somewhere in the top 8 options at the position. He has a bunch of solid weapons and a good offense, so there’s no reason to think he won’t be valuable.
Nick Foles – If Wentz proves not to be ready for week 1, although it seems like he will be, consider Nick Foles as a temporary solution. It’s not often a back up QB is fresh off winning Super Bowl MVP, but that’s the scenario Foles finds himself in. No, he wasn’t great in the regular season, but he played probably the two best games of his life when it mattered. It was as though he was a different QB. I don’t know how good Foles actually is, but in this offense, he could put up points if the Eagles change their minds and go conservative with Wentz early. A good streaming options if available.
RBs
Jay Ajayi – The biggest problem for Ajayi after the trade to the Eagles was volume. He was brought along very slowly, receiving single digit carries until week 15, where he rose to double digits. His high in Philly was 15. He does seem like a good running back, but the team has a lot of options they like. Working in his favor is the departure of LeGarrette Blount, who took away goal line work. This should free up more opportunity for him, and maybe clear the way for carries. Ajayi has said he wants to be the workhorse, and the Eagles have responded in kind, but without any sort of prayer of handling receiving work, he’s a two down back at best. He could still be a worse version of Jordan Howard, a mid range RB 2, but I won’t feel good starting him until I see the volume and the Touchdowns.
Corey Clement – I’m definitely overrating his super bowl performance, but I think Clement needs to get more touches. He totaled 444 yards from 84 touches in the regular season, including a robust 12.3 yards per catch. At the very least, he should be the clear and away front runner for the pass catching work and spelling Ajayi, with the potential for more. The only concern I have is the Eagles re-signing Darren Sproles. That should only be a depth play. Clement is much more skilled and Sproles at this point, but organizations have done worse. I still like Clement as a late round flier.
Darren Sproles – Part of me knows Sproles is a depth add and nothing more, and he won’t interfere with the 1-2 punch the Eagles have going. But why else would you bring back a 35 year old unless he was going to play? Nostalgia? I mean, this isn’t the Mets running out Jose Reyes over Amed Rosario and setting the franchise back even more. This would be an odd move for a team. Obviously, Sproles should not be drafted but some nagging part of me thinks he messes with Clement’s time. We shall see.
WRs
Alshon Jeffrey – Jeffrey is, surprise surprise, hurt currently after off season shoulder surgery. This is the story with Jeffrey. He’s as talented as they come but he can’t avoid getting hurt no matter what he does. The real problem now is the production isn’t as great as it’s been when he was a risk. Last season, he only had 57 catches and 789 yards. Partially, this was joining a new team. But maybe he doesn’t have a great rapport with Wentz, who throws the ball around to all targets and favors Zach Ertz. This could also be a sign the injuries are catching up. His 9TDs saved his season, and he’ll be drafted as a top flight WR2 but that seems aggressive to me. He’s at the point now where without TDs he might not be worth his injury risk. Personally, I’ll look elsewhere when he’s being drafted.
Nelson Agholor – Talk about a career saving season. Agholor went from punchline to reliable player. He doubled his career yardage and scored 8 times. But boy was he boom or bust. He even managed a -2 yard performance last season. Since he’s still young, I could see more development, possibly even passing Jeffrey on the depth chart due to injuries. But I don’t think I want to rely on him. He’s an exciting bench option on the hope he makes another leap, but don’t count on him as more than a WR4.
Mike Wallace – Few players have ever received less respect than Mike Wallace. This is a player who has 3 career 1,000 yard seasons, as recently as 2016. He has 2 career 10 TD seasons, and is always a threat to burn the defense deep.
But do I respect him for 2018? No, of course not. I’m not an idiot. This is a decoy field stretcher for the Eagles and nothing more.
TEs
Zach Ertz – For the third straight year, Ertz topped 800 yards received. Also for the third straight year, he’s missed at least 1 game. You can take that trade off as long as Ertz continues to catch TDs. He had 8 in 2017, double his previous career high. Perhaps this is a result of Wentz’s development. It might also be a flukey year. Personally, I think Ertz is far too valuable not to be involved in the red zone. He is this team’s most consistent weapon and as long as he’s healthy, he could lead the team in all major receiving categories. For a TE , especially in this era, he’s elite and likely worthy of a 3rd round pick. I would only take Gronk ahead of him.
