2017 Fantasy Football: Positional Rankings and Top 100 After the NFL Draft
Can you smell that? That delicious aroma wafting through the air?
That's the perfume of victory. The fragrance of conquest. The scent of glory.
Or it could be nachos. I like nachos.
With the NFL draft in the rearview mirror, fantasy football fanatics far and wide have already started fantasizing about the championships they are going to win in 2017. Imagining where they will put their shiny new trophy. Daydreaming of what they'll do with their prize money.
Hopefully not while they're operating heavy machinery.
Of course, to win their leagues those fantasy owners will first have to draft a roster filled with championship potential. Assemble a team dripping with upside and short on risk. Load up on players about to embark on successful seasons.
And put together a bowl of lucky nachos.
I can't help you with that latter pursuit (I'm still cleaning cheese out of my CD-ROM drive), but to assist with the former, here's an early look at the top players at each position in fantasy football for 2017.
With a top 100 overall thrown in for good measure—like the proverbial jalapenos on top.
Spicy.
NOTE: These rankings are for standard-scoring (non-PPR) fantasy football leagues.
Quarterbacks
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I've been beating this drum for years, but I'll hit the skins again.
It may be tempting to spend an early-round fantasy pick on the likes of Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers or Tom Brady of the New England Patriots. They are Hall of Fame players who will all but certainly have wildly productive seasons.
But when you can wait a round or two longer and get Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints, a couple more for Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers or longer still for Derek Carr of the Oakland Raiders, it just doesn't make sense. The gap in production between the elite options and other weekly starters at quarterback just doesn't justify the pick required to obtain them.
Under center, patience is a virtue.
Top Dog: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers: Buoyed by last year's wild stretch run, Rodgers was fantasy's top quarterback in 2016. It's his second top-two finish in the last three years, and if he stays healthy Rodgers will make it three out of four this season.
Sleeper Special: Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The hype train is only just beginning for Winston after the Buccaneers spent the offseason adding offensive weapons. Sadly, that means his average draft position will probably climb steadily this summer.
Buyer Beware: Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins: Cousins was a surprise top-five fantasy option a year ago after throwing for over 4,900 yards. Those numbers are going to be hard to back up in 2017 given Washington's losses at receiver. Don't get caught chasing ghosts.
TOP 25 FANTASY QUARTERBACKS
| Rank | Player | Team |
| 1 | Aaron Rodgers | GNB |
| 2 | Tom Brady | NWE |
| 3 | Drew Brees | NOR |
| 4 | Andrew Luck | IND |
| 5 | Russell Wilson | SEA |
| 6 | Matt Ryan | ATL |
| 7 | Cam Newton | CAR |
| 8 | Ben Roethlisberger | PIT |
| 9 | Derek Carr | OAK |
| 10 | Jameis Winston | TBB |
| 11 | Marcus Mariota | TEN |
| 12 | Philip Rivers | LAC |
| 13 | Matthew Stafford | DET |
| 14 | Kirk Cousins | WAS |
| 15 | Dak Prescott | DAL |
| 16 | Eli Manning | NYG |
| 17 | Andy Dalton | CIN |
| 18 | Carson Palmer | ARZ |
| 19 | Tyrod Taylor | BUF |
| 20 | Blake Bortles | JAX |
| 21 | Ryan Tannehill | MIA |
| 22 | Joe Flacco | BAL |
| 23 | Carson Wentz | PHI |
| 24 | Alex Smith | KCC |
| 25 | Sam Bradford | PHI |
Running Backs
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The running back position in 2016 was all about youth being served.
The league's leading and second-leading rushers (Ezekiel Elliott of the Dallas Cowboys and Jordan Howard of the Chicago Bears) were rookies. The top-scoring fantasy option (David Johnson of the Arizona Cardinals), was in his second season in the NFL.
Tailbacks aren't the unquestioned kings of fantasy football they once were. But with the number of "bellcow" lead backs dwindling, finding a ball-carrier who can both stay healthy and average 20-plus touches a game is a key ingredient to a successful campaign.
However, running backs also "bust" at a higher percentage than at wide receiver, and given the heavy workloads Elliott and Johnson saw last year and Le'veon Bell's injury history one of this year's top options in the backfield is probably going to be a season-killer.
Top Dog: David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals: Johnson's 373 total touches a season ago are a legitimate concern, but it's hard to pass up the upside present with a player who topped 2,100 total yards and scored 20 touchdowns in 2016.
Sleeper Special: Eddie Lacy, Seattle Seahawks: Lacy's weight will no doubt be a big (pardon the pun) topic of conversation in fantasy circles this summer. But if he's in any sort of shape but round, he's a great fit in the Seahawks' power running game.
Buyer Beware: Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys: It pains me to write this as a big a fan of Zeke as you're going to find. But the reigning rushing king has now carried the ball over 270 times in three straight seasons dating back to his time at Ohio State, and he had over 300 carries last season. That's a red flag.
TOP 40 FANTASY RUNNING BACKS
| Rank | Player | Team |
| 1 | David Johnson | ARZ |
| 2 | Ezekiel Elliott | DAL |
| 3 | Le'Veon Bell | PIT |
| 4 | LeSean McCoy | BUF |
| 5 | Devonta Freeman | ATL |
| 6 | Melvin Gordon | LAC |
| 7 | DeMarco Murray | TEN |
| 8 | Jordan Howard | CHI |
| 9 | Jay Ajayi | MIA |
| 10 | Lamar Miller | HOU |
| 11 | Todd Gurley | LAR |
| 12 | Isaiah Crowell | CLE |
| 13 | Leonard Fournette | JAX |
| 14 | Carlos Hyde | SFO |
| 15 | Mark Ingram | NOR |
| 16 | Eddie Lacy | SEA |
| 17 | Spencer Ware | KAN |
| 18 | Marshawn Lynch | OAK |
| 19 | C.J. Anderson | DEN |
| 20 | Tevin Coleman | ATL |
| 21 | Frank Gore | IND |
| 22 | Christian McCaffrey | CAR |
| 23 | Ameer Abdullah | DET |
| 24 | Matt Forte | NYJ |
| 25 | Dalvin Cook | MIN |
| 26 | Ty Montgomery | GNB |
| 27 | Derrick Henry | TEN |
| 28 | Doug Martin | TAM |
| 29 | Joe Mixon | CIN |
| 30 | Paul Perkins | NYG |
| 31 | Adrian Peterson | NOR |
| 32 | Jonathan Stewart | CAR |
| 33 | Bilal Powell | NYJ |
| 34 | Rob Kelley | WAS |
| 35 | Latavius Murray | MIN |
| 36 | Giovani Bernard | CIN |
| 37 | Mike Gillislee | NWE |
| 38 | Kenneth Dixon | BAL |
| 39 | Duke Johnson | CLE |
| 40 | Danny Woodhead | BAL |
Wide Receivers
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The evolution of the National Football League has had a substantial impact on the wide receiver position in fantasy football leagues. Once a clear second fiddle to the running backs, the wideouts have ridden the increase in passing to a similar increase in fantasy value.
It was a wide receiver (Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers) who was the leading choice as the No. 1 overall pick in fantasy leagues last year. Brown will most likely repeat that feat in 2017.
The reason why is simple: Today's pass-happy NFL means fewer wide receivers failing to meet fantasy expectations. And pass-catchers don't take the pounding tailbacks do.
Of course, there's a flip side. The wide receiver position is also much deeper than at running back. Fantasy owners willing to roll the dice on running backs early have a better shot at finding viable fantasy starters at receiver in the middle rounds than vice versa.
Decisions, decisions.
Top Dog: Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers: Even an admitted backaholic like me has a hard time arguing Brown as the pick at 1.01. The 28-year-old's average stat line over the last three seasons is 123 receptions, 1,605 yards and 11 touchdowns. That's a spicy meatball, son.
Sleeper Special: Alshon Jeffery, Philadelphia Eagles: Looking for WR1 upside available for a WR2 price tag? Look no farther than Jeffery, who has millions of reasons to try to reclaim past glories playing on a one-year deal with the Eagles in 2017.
Buyer Beware: Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers: There's no bigger red flag among fantasy receivers than a player whose finish the year before was held up by a huge spike in touchdowns. They are prime regression candidates the following season.
TOP 50 FANTASY WIDE RECEIVERS
| Rank | Player | Team |
| 1 | Antonio Brown | PIT |
| 2 | Julio Jones | ATL |
| 3 | Odell Beckham | NYG |
| 4 | Mike Evans | TAM |
| 5 | A.J. Green | CIN |
| 6 | Jordy Nelson | GNB |
| 7 | Dez Bryant | DAL |
| 8 | T.Y. Hilton | IND |
| 9 | Michael Thomas | NOR |
| 10 | Amari Cooper | OAK |
| 11 | DeAndre Hopkins | HOU |
| 12 | Brandin Cooks | NWE |
| 13 | Doug Baldwin | SEA |
| 14 | Demaryius Thomas | DEN |
| 15 | Alshon Jeffery | PHI |
| 16 | Allen Robinson | JAX |
| 17 | Keenan Allen | LAC |
| 18 | Jarvis Landry | MIA |
| 19 | Larry Fitzgerald | ARZ |
| 20 | Sammy Watkins | BUF |
| 21 | Michael Crabtree | OAK |
| 22 | Golden Tate | DET |
| 23 | Davante Adams | GNB |
| 24 | DeSean Jackson | TAM |
| 25 | Julian Edelman | NWE |
| 26 | Kelvin Benjamin | CAR |
| 27 | Brandon Marshall | NYG |
| 28 | Emmanuel Sanders | DEN |
| 29 | Terrelle Pryor | WAS |
| 30 | Stefon Diggs | MIN |
| 31 | Eric Decker | NYJ |
| 32 | Willie Snead | NOR |
| 33 | Tyreek Hill | KAN |
| 34 | Donte Moncrief | IND |
| 35 | Randall Cobb | GNB |
| 36 | Martavis Bryant | PIT |
| 37 | Jamison Crowder | WAS |
| 38 | Corey Davis | TEN |
| 39 | Pierre Garcon | SFO |
| 40 | Jeremy Maclin | KAN |
| 41 | Rishard Matthews | TEN |
| 42 | John Brown | ARZ |
| 43 | Adam Thielen | MIN |
| 44 | Corey Coleman | CLE |
| 45 | Jordan Matthews | PHI |
| 46 | Marvin Jones | DET |
| 47 | DeVante Parker | MIA |
| 48 | Kenny Britt | CLE |
| 49 | Sterling Shepard | NYG |
| 50 | Mike Wallace | BAL |
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Tight End
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The tight end position has become the most maddening in all of fantasy football. It's a position headlined by the king of risk-reward fantasy options, and the top end features more than a few players whose chances of falling flat match their prodigious upside.
There are essentially three roads that can be taken with tight ends. You can spin the wheel with one of those high-risk, high-reward options, hopeful they can stay on the field. If they do, you'll have a sizable edge at the position.
You can wait a bit longer and select a mid-range weekly starter like Cincinnati's Tyler Eifert or Delanie Walker of the Tennessee Titans. Walker has a bit lower ceiling, but he's a durable, high-floor type.
Eifert is Gronkowski-lite: Great if he can can stay healthy, but it's a big "if."
Or, fantasy owners can wait even longer and platoon the likes of Hunter Henry of the Los Angeles Chargers and Kyle Rudolph of the Minnesota Vikings. They aren't going to win any weeks for you, but they'll also be available later on draft day.
Top Dog: Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots: It was tempting to list Travis Kelce here. Make no mistake—Gronk's durability (or lack thereof) is a huge risk. But when healthy, he stands head and shoulders above every other fantasy option at the position.
Sleeper Special: O.J. Howard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: It's relatively rare for a first-year tight end to make a big fantasy impact. But Howard isn't your typical tight end prospect either. The former Alabama star is exactly the sort of high-upside late-round pick who can win you your league.
Buyer Beware: Martellus Bennett, Green Bay Packers: There's been plenty of hullabaloo about "the Black Unicorn" joining Aaron Rodgers in Titletown. But it's been a good long while since the Green Bay offense had a consistently productive fantasy tight end.
TOP 25 FANTASY TIGHT ENDS
| Rank | Player | Team |
| 1 | Rob Gronkowski | NWE |
| 2 | Travis Kelce | KAN |
| 3 | Greg Olsen | CAR |
| 4 | Jordan Reed | WAS |
| 5 | Jimmy Graham | SEA |
| 6 | Tyler Eifert | CIN |
| 7 | Delanie Walker | TEN |
| 8 | Zach Ertz | PHI |
| 9 | Martellus Bennett | GNB |
| 10 | Hunter Henry | LAC |
| 11 | Kyle Rudolph | MIN |
| 12 | Jason Witten | DAL |
| 13 | Eric Ebron | DET |
| 14 | Jack Doyle | IND |
| 15 | Coby Fleener | NOR |
| 16 | O.J. Howard | TAM |
| 17 | Jared Cook | OAK |
| 18 | Zach Miller | CHI |
| 19 | Antonio Gates | LAC |
| 20 | Julius Thomas | MIA |
| 21 | C.J. Fiedorowicz | HOU |
| 22 | Dennis Pitta | BAL |
| 23 | Dwayne Allen | NWE |
| 24 | Austin Hooper | ATL |
| 25 | Charles Clay | BUF |
Kicker
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Repeat after me.
I will not, under any circumstances, draft a kicker before the final round.
I will not, under any circumstances, draft a kicker before the final round.
I will not, under any circumstances, draft a kicker before the final round.
There. Don't you feel better?
It's really that simple. Drafting a kicker before the last round is a wasted pick. Kickers are a dime a dozen. They are also unpredictable.
The slight advantage you just might get with an "elite" kicker isn't worth it. Draft depth. Take a late flier on a young player brimming with upside.
Just do not, under any circumstances, draft a kicker before the final round.
Top Dog: Stephen Gostkowski, New England Patriots: Gostkowski is one of the best kickers in the NFL and plays for one of the most potent offenses in the league. He's a fine choice—as the first pick of the last round.
Sleeper Special: Nick Folk, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs brought in Folk to battle second-year pro Roberto Aguayo in camp. Whichever kicker wins that competition will be punching them through for a Tampa offense that looks potent on paper.
Buyer Beware: Any kicker taken before the last round. Have I mentioned that?
TOP 20 FANTASY KICKERS
| Rank | Player | Team |
| 1 | Stephen Gostkowski | NWE |
| 2 | Justin Tucker | BAL |
| 3 | Matt Bryant | ATL |
| 4 | Dan Bailey | DAL |
| 5 | Mason Crosby | GNB |
| 6 | Adam Vinatieri | IND |
| 7 | Cairo Santos | KAN |
| 8 | Brandon McManus | DEN |
| 9 | Matt Prater | DET |
| 10 | Graham Gano | CAR |
| 11 | Chris Boswell | PIT |
| 12 | Sebastian Janikowski | OAK |
| 13 | Wil Lutz | NOR |
| 14 | Blair Walsh | SEA |
| 15 | Josh Lambo | LAC |
| 16 | Dustin Hopkins | WAS |
| 17 | Caleb Sturgis | PHI |
| 18 | Phil Dawson | ARZ |
| 19 | Steven Hauschka | BUF |
| 20 | Nick Novak | HOU |
Team Defenses
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There isn't a harder position to predict in fantasy football from year to year than team defenses.
It isn't just a matter of the personnel changes or unforeseen injuries that can turn last year's stud into this year's dud. There's also often a disconnect between what makes a good NFL defense and what makes a good fantasy defense.
Take the Houston Texans, for example. In 2016, the Texans led the NFL in total defense. But thanks to a lack of the big plays that lead to fantasy points in most scoring systems, the Texans finished the year 20th in fantasy points in NFL.com default fantasy scoring.
As such, while it might be tempting to grab what appears to be an "elite" team defense in the middle rounds, the smarter play is to "stream" defenses—pick one late with a couple of favorable matchups to open the year and then swap them out on the waiver wire once the matchups dry up.
Top Dog: Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals possess an aggressive unit that finished a quiet first in the NFC in 2016. Over the last two seasons they've tallied plenty of sacks, takeaways and two straight top-three fantasy finishes.
Sleeper Special: Carolina Panthers: The Panthers were second in fantasy points among defenses in 2015 and open the season with two juicy matchups—a Week 1 trip to San Francisco followed by hosting the Buffalo Bills.
Buyer Beware: Houston Texans: Now, it could be the return of a healthy J.J. Watt will result in a spike in sacks that boosts Houston's fantasy production. However, they remain a prime candidate to be overdrafted by folks who hear "league's No. 1 defense" and don't dig any deeper.
TOP 20 FANTASY TEAM DEFENSES
| Rank | Team |
| 1 | Arizona Cardinals |
| 2 | Denver Broncos |
| 3 | Seattle Seahawks |
| 4 | Minnesota Vikings |
| 5 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 6 | New England Patriots |
| 7 | Carolina Panthers |
| 8 | Houston Texans |
| 9 | New York Giants |
| 10 | Baltimore Ravens |
| 11 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 12 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 13 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 14 | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 15 | Green Bay Packers |
| 16 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 17 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 18 | Buffalo Bills |
| 19 | Oakland Raiders |
| 20 | Atlanta Falcons |
Top 100 Overall
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Before we get to the big board, a quick note.
Scoring is a vital consideration when ranking players in fantasy football. This list was assembled with a fairly straightforward system in mind—no PPR, 10 rushing/receiving yards and 25 passing yards per point, with six-point touchdowns all around.
If your scoring differs significantly, odds are your top 100 will too.
TOP 100 OVERALL
| Rank | Player | Pos. | Team | Rank | Player | Pos. | Team |
| 1 | Antonio Brown | WR | PIT | 51 | DeSean Jackson | WR | TAM |
| 2 | David Johnson | RB | ARZ | 52 | Russell Wilson | QB | SEA |
| 3 | Ezekiel Elliott | RB | DAL | 53 | Tevin Coleman | RB | ATL |
| 4 | Le'Veon Bell | RB | PIT | 54 | Frank Gore | RB | IND |
| 5 | Julio Jones | WR | ATL | 55 | Jimmy Graham | TE | SEA |
| 6 | Odell Beckham | WR | NYG | 56 | Julian Edelman | WR | NWE |
| 7 | Mike Evans | WR | TAM | 57 | Matt Ryan | QB | ATL |
| 8 | A.J. Green | WR | CIN | 58 | Christian McCaffrey | RB | CAR |
| 9 | LeSean McCoy | RB | BUF | 59 | Kelvin Benjamin | WR | CAR |
| 10 | Jordy Nelson | WR | GNB | 60 | Brandon Marshall | WR | NYJ |
| 11 | Devonta Freeman | RB | ATL | 61 | Ameer Abdullah | RB | DET |
| 12 | Dez Bryant | WR | DAL | 62 | Tyler Eifert | TE | CIN |
| 13 | Melvin Gordon | RB | LAC | 63 | Matt Forte | RB | NYJ |
| 14 | Rob Gronkowski | TE | NWE | 64 | Cam Newton | QB | CAR |
| 15 | DeMarco Murray | RB | TEN | 65 | Emmanuel Sanders | WR | DEN |
| 16 | T.Y. Hilton | WR | IND | 66 | Terrelle Pryor | WR | WAS |
| 17 | Michael Thomas | WR | NOR | 67 | Dalvin Cook | RB | MIN |
| 18 | Jordan Howard | RB | CHI | 68 | Ben Roethlisberger | QB | PIT |
| 19 | Amari Cooper | WR | OAK | 69 | Stefon Diggs | WR | MIN |
| 20 | DeAndre Hopkins | WR | HOU | 70 | Ty Montgomery | RB | GNB |
| 21 | Jay Ajayi | RB | MIA | 71 | Derrick Henry | RB | TEN |
| 22 | Lamar Miller | RB | HOU | 72 | Doug Martin | RB | TAM |
| 23 | Aaron Rodgers | QB | GNB | 73 | Eric Decker | WR | NYJ |
| 24 | Todd Gurley | RB | LAR | 74 | Delanie Walker | TE | TEN |
| 25 | Travis Kelce | TE | KAN | 75 | Willie Snead | WR | NOR |
| 26 | Brandin Cooks | WR | NWE | 76 | Derek Carr | QB | OAK |
| 27 | Doug Baldwin | WR | SEA | 77 | Tyreek Hill | WR | KAN |
| 28 | Demaryius Thomas | WR | DEN | 78 | Donte Moncrief | WR | IND |
| 29 | Alshon Jeffery | WR | PHI | 79 | Zach Ertz | TE | PHI |
| 30 | Isaiah Crowell | RB | CLE | 80 | Joe Mixon | RB | CIN |
| 31 | Allen Robinson | WR | JAX | 81 | Randall Cobb | WR | GNB |
| 32 | Keenan Allen | WR | LAC | 82 | Martellus Bennett | TE | GNB |
| 33 | Jarvis Landry | WR | MIA | 83 | Martavis Bryant | WR | PIT |
| 34 | Leonard Fournette | RB | JAX | 84 | Paul Perkins | RB | NYG |
| 35 | Tom Brady | QB | NWE | 85 | Hunter Henry | TE | LAC |
| 36 | Carlos Hyde | RB | SFO | 86 | Marcus Mariota | QB | TEN |
| 37 | Larry Fitzgerald | WR | ARZ | 87 | Adrian Peterson | RB | NOR |
| 38 | Mark Ingram | RB | NOR | 88 | Jonathan Stewart | RB | CAR |
| 39 | Drew Brees | QB | NOR | 89 | Philip Rivers | QB | LAC |
| 40 | Greg Olsen | TE | CAR | 90 | Kyle Rudolph | TE | MIN |
| 41 | Eddie Lacy | RB | SEA | 91 | Jamison Crowder | WR | WAS |
| 42 | Jordan Reed | TE | WAS | 92 | Corey Davis | WR | TEN |
| 43 | Sammy Watkins | WR | BUF | 93 | Pierre Garcon | WR | SFO |
| 44 | Andrew Luck | QB | IND | 94 | Jeremy Maclin | WR | KAN |
| 45 | Michael Crabtree | WR | OAK | 95 | Bilal Powell | RB | NYJ |
| 46 | Spencer Ware | RB | KAN | 96 | Jason Witten | TE | DAL |
| 47 | Marshawn Lynch | RB | OAK | 97 | Rob Kelley | RB | WAS |
| 48 | Golden Tate | WR | DET | 98 | Matthew Stafford | QB | DET |
| 49 | Davante Adams | WR | GNB | 99 | Rishard Matthews | WR | TEN |
| 50 | C.J. Anderson | RB | DEN | 100 | Latavius Murray | RB | MIN |
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