Fantasy Football 2015 Offseason Big Board

Fantasy football draft day is like Christmas. We might as well take the time on this holiday to party like it is 2015.

This is Bleacher Report's 2015 Offseason Big Board, where we project what a draft would look like going into the winter. The roster shuffling will certainly make a mess of things and rookies will have to be added, but you could use a blueprint of all of the rankings before it kicks off.

We rank the early-round candidates overall, in addition to outlining the elite at each position. Let this be your GPS before the winding road of the NFL's silly season.

Top 50 Overall: Consider DeMarco Murray the No. 1 Pick for 2015

Tim Sharp/Associated Press

Fantasy football is a "what have you done for me lately" business. People tend to draft the players who have served them well.

No one has served his owners from start to finish better than the Dallas Cowboys' DeMarco Murray.

As I wrote in B/R's Fantasy Football 2014 Awards on Wednesday, Murray's toughness and grit playing just days after hand surgery earned him MVP honors. It should also earn him the nod as the No. 1 pick for 2015.

Not only will Murray be the reigning rushing champion, but he has arguably the best offensive line in the business to work behind. Boy do the Cowboys look smart now, picking run-game mauler Zack Martin over Johnny Manziel in Round 1 last May.

We rank Murray No. 1 in fantasy, but Pro Football Focus has the rookie Martin as the Cowboys' highest offensive grade through 15 games, as Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News wrote. Martin told Machota:

"

I can't believe we've played 15 games already. It's gone by fast. It's allowed us to keep rolling. We've lost games here and there, but we've never really got in slump, so hopefully we can keep this thing going. ... I couldn’t ask for better teammates, better coaches. I really feel like I hit the lottery coming down here and being a part of this.

"

Murray's fantasy owners couldn't have asked for a better line to run behind, anchored by the rookie guard. If you win the fantasy lottery next August, Murray is the guy you should go with.

2015 Top 50 Overall Rankings
RK	Player	TM
1	DeMarco Murray	DAL
2	Le'Veon Bell	PIT
3	Eddie Lacy	GB
4	Jamaal Charles	KC
5	Adrian Peterson	MIN
6	Marshawn Lynch	SEA
7	LeSean McCoy	PHI
8	Demaryius Thomas	DEN
9	Andrew Luck	IND
10	Antonio Brown	PIT
11	Aaron Rodgers	GB
12	Rob Gronkowski	NE
13	Jeremy Hill	CIN
14	Dez Bryant	DAL
15	Odell Beckham	NYG
16	Julio Jones	ATL
17	Jimmy Graham	NO
18	Jordy Nelson	GB
19	Matt Forte	CHI
20	Arian Foster	HOU
21	Julius Thomas	DEN
22	Josh Gordon	CLE
23	A.J. Green	CIN
24	Peyton Manning	DEN
25	Tre Mason	STL
26	Jeremy Maclin	PHI
27	Calvin Johnson	DET
28	Randall Cobb	GB
29	Drew Brees	NO
30	Lamar Miller	MIA
31	Alfred Morris	WAS
32	Andre Ellington	ARI
33	T.Y. Hilton	IND
34	Mike Evans	TB
35	Emmanuel Sanders	DEN
36	Alshon Jeffery	CHI
37	Mark Ingram	NO
38	Isaiah Crowell	CLE
39	Kelvin Benjamin	CAR
40	Montee Ball	DEN
41	Ryan Mathews	SD
42	DeAndre Hopkins	HOU
43	Frank Gore	SF
44	Justin Forsett	BAL
45	C.J. Anderson	DEN
46	Victor Cruz	NYG
47	Brandon Marshall	CHI
48	Latavius Murray	OAK
49	DeSean Jackson	WAS
50	Tom Brady	NE

Quarterbacks: Andrew Luck Is Still Just Getting Started

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

As great as Andrew Luck has been this season, he didn't do himself or his fantasy owners any favors with his Week 16 performance. It cost his owners countless fantasy championships.

We do not believe it should cost him the No. 1 spot among quarterbacks for fantasy football 2015, though.

Unlike the slew of 30-something veterans you have to weigh over him, we still haven't seen the best of Luck. That is a scary thought, especially for those fantasy owners who swear off picking their fantasy quarterback early.

Luck looks like a 5,000-yard, 40-touchdown candidate after his breakthrough third season this year. Here is a list of the quarterbacks who have accomplished that feat in NFL history:

1. Dan Marino, Miami Dolphins (1984)
2. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints (twice)
3. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions (2011)
4. Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos (2013)

You can make a case that Stafford's breakthrough didn't elevate him to No. 1 status. He hasn't come close after that year, but no one will argue Luck's arrow isn't still pointed up.

It is why we project Luck to be picked before Aaron Rodgers and the other aged vets in fantasy's first round next year. Here are B/R's projected quarterback rankings.

2015 Quarterback Rankings
RK	Player	TM
1	Andrew Luck	IND
2	Aaron Rodgers	GB
3	Peyton Manning	DEN
4	Drew Brees	NO
5	Tom Brady	NE
6	Ben Roethlisberger	PIT
7	Russell Wilson	SEA
8	Cam Newton	CAR
9	Tony Romo	DAL
10	Matt Ryan	ATL
11	Matthew Stafford	DET
12	Nick Foles	PHI
13	Philip Rivers	SD
14	Ryan Tannehill	MIA
15	Eli Manning	NYG
16	Joe Flacco	BAL
17	Colin Kaepernick	SF
18	Jay Cutler	CHI
19	Carson Palmer	ARI
20	Sam Bradford	STL
21	Derek Carr	OAK
22	Andy Dalton	CIN
23	Robert Griffin	WAS
24	Alex Smith	KC
25	Blake Bortles	JAC
26	Teddy Bridgewater	MIN
27	Johnny Manziel	CLE
28	Josh McCown	TB
29	EJ Manuel	BUF
30	Geno Smith	NYJ

Running Backs: Le'Veon Bell Makes Great Case vs. DeMarco Murray in PPR

If you play in a PPR fantasy format, you are laughing at our No. 1 selection of the Dallas Cowboys' DeMarco Murray. Le'Veon Bell trumped him in formats that give points for pass receptions, per FFToday.com.

Bell will not wind up being the reigning rush leader like Murray, but he is the champion of the proverbial "most complete back" honor. He should be your No. 1 overall pick in PPR leagues.

But we keep Murray atop the running backs rankings here. After all, there is a reason fantasy is broken down in the vernacular as "standard" vs. PPR. The standard leagues still don't give a point per reception in fantasy.

This is the position that figures to undergo the most change between now and draft day 2015. Heck, you can change the rankings here daily based on news, injuries, signings or the draft—and that won't change leading up to the final seconds before your draft, if not between each round.

For now, here are B/R's projected top 35 running backs for 2015.

2015 Running Back Rankings
RK	Player	TM
1	DeMarco Murray	DAL
2	Le'Veon Bell	PIT
3	Eddie Lacy	GB
4	Jamaal Charles	KC
5	Adrian Peterson	MIN
6	Marshawn Lynch	SEA
7	LeSean McCoy	PHI
8	Jeremy Hill	CIN
9	Matt Forte	CHI
10	Arian Foster	HOU
11	Tre Mason	STL
12	Lamar Miller	MIA
13	Alfred Morris	WAS
14	Andre Ellington	ARI
15	Mark Ingram	NO
16	Isaiah Crowell	CLE
17	Montee Ball	DEN
18	Ryan Mathews	SD
19	Frank Gore	SF
20	Justin Forsett	BAL
21	C.J. Anderson	DEN
22	Latavius Murray	OAK
23	Denard Robinson	JAC
24	Terrance West	CLE
25	Joique Bell	DET
26	Giovani Bernard	CIN
27	Doug Martin	TB
28	Bishop Sankey	TEN
29	Carlos Hyde	SF
30	Stevan Ridley	NE
31	Jerick McKinnon	MIN
32	Andre Williams	NYG
33	Rashad Jennings	NYG
34	Vick Ballard	IND
35	Lorenzo Taliaferro	BAL

Wide Receivers: Legendary Rookie Class Helped Stock the Position

We wrote in B/R's Offseason Fantasy Football Guide for Dynasty and Keeper Leagues, this rookie receiver class might go down in history as the equivalent of the 1983 quarterback class. It is that impactful already.

Heck, we even went so far as to rank the New York Giants' Odell Beckham among the top five fantasy wideouts based on something less than a full season in B/R's Week 16 Biggest Takeaways.

Call it a knee-jerk reaction for Beckham's string of clutch performances in the fantasy postseason if you want, but we don't believe the hype is going to die down in the offseason. That replay of his bending-like-Beckham touchdown catch will be replayed in everyone's mind hundreds of times during the offseason.

That image is indelible, even if you might believe such a lofty ranking of a rookie receiver who hasn't even played a full season won't be. Remember, Beckham missed the first four games due to a hamstring issue, but who is going to hold the injury stigma against him now?

We give Beckham his due and drop the likes of Calvin Johnson in B/R's projected wide receiver rankings for 2015.

2015 Wide Receiver Rankings
RK	Player	TM
1	Demaryius Thomas	DEN
2	Antonio Brown	PIT
3	Dez Bryant	DAL
4	Odell Beckham	NYG
5	Julio Jones	ATL
6	Jordy Nelson	GB
7	Josh Gordon	CLE
8	A.J. Green	CIN
9	Jeremy Maclin	PHI
10	Calvin Johnson	DET
11	Randall Cobb	GB
12	T.Y. Hilton	IND
13	Mike Evans	TB
14	Emmanuel Sanders	DEN
15	Alshon Jeffery	CHI
16	Kelvin Benjamin	CAR
17	DeAndre Hopkins	HOU
18	Victor Cruz	NYG
19	Brandon Marshall	CHI
20	DeSean Jackson	WAS
21	Denard Robinson	JAC
22	Keenan Allen	SD
23	Sammy Watkins	BUF
24	Michael Floyd	ARI
25	Mike Wallace	MIA
26	Torrey Smith	BAL
27	Julian Edelman	NE
28	Golden Tate	DET
29	Roddy White	ATL
30	Jordan Matthews	PHI
31	Vincent Jackson	TB
32	Brandin Cooks	NO
33	Brandon LaFell	NE
34	Eric Decker	NYJ
35	Percy Harvin	NYJ
36	Michael Crabtree	SF
37	Kendall Wright	TEN
38	Cecil Shorts	JAC
39	Cordarrelle Patterson	MIN
40	Andre Johnson	HOU

Tight Ends: Rob Gronkowski Reclaims the Top Spot over Jimmy Graham

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

The composition of the top three fantasy football tight ends didn't change this year, but the order did. While Julius Thomas succumbed to injury, Rob Gronkowski proved healthy after a pair of injury-plagued years.

Gronk, unlike Jimmy Graham, also proved matchup-proof. Fantasy owners have to love his consistency.

Gronk's worst fantasy performance was his four-catch, 32-yard effort when he was still tender off reconstructive knee surgery in Week 2. Graham and Thomas had multiple goose eggs.

It is the reason we project Gronk as the only tight end worth picking in Round 1 and the No. 1 at his position for 2015 in B/R's early rankings.

2015 Tight End Rankings
RK	Player	TM
1	Rob Gronkowski	NE
2	Jimmy Graham	NO
3	Julius Thomas	DEN
4	Greg Olsen	CAR
5	Martellus Bennett	CHI
6	Jordan Cameron	CLE
7	Coby Fleener	IND
8	Antonio Gates	SD
9	Dwayne Allen	IND
10	Travis Kelce	KC
11	Delanie Walker	TEN
12	Jason Witten	DAL
13	Mychal Rivera	OAK
14	Larry Donnell	NYG
15	Kyle Rudolph	MIN
16	Vernon Davis	SF
17	Jordan Reed	WAS
18	Zach Ertz	PHI
19	Tyler Eifert	CIN
20	Ladarius Green	SD

Defense/Special Teams: Seattle Seahawks Are Still the Reigning Champs

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

In case you had forgotten who the defending champions of the Super Bowl are, the Seattle Seahawks served a huge reminder Sunday night of Week 16. They dominated the Arizona Cardinals in prime time and positioned themselves to potentially take the NFC's No. 1 seed over the Detroit Lions.

Those three teams are the only ones with the case to be the No. 1 defense/special teams unit in fantasy football for next season.

We have to hand it to the Seahawks, even if they don't get the sacks and turnovers some of the rising units like the Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Texans, Buffalo Bills and St. Louis Rams do. The Seahawks have to be ahead of the Cardinals and Lions—and those upstart units—at No. 1 in B/R's early rankings for 2015.

2015 Defense/Special Teams Rankings
RK	Defense	TM
1	Seattle Seahawks	SEA
2	Arizona Cardinals	ARI
3	Detroit Lions	DET
4	New England Patriots	NE
5	St. Louis Rams	STL
6	Denver Broncos	DEN
7	Buffalo Bills	BUF
8	Houston Texans	HOU
9	Miami Dolphins	MIA
10	San Francisco 49ers	SF
11	Baltimore Ravens	BAL
12	Carolina Panthers	CAR
13	Philadelphia Eagles	PHI
14	Green Bay Packers	GB
15	Kansas City Chiefs	KC

Kickers: Stephen Gostkowski Retains Some Remarkable Consistency

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

Last but most certainly least we have the kickers. Remember those days when you used to hear this: "All of the top players are gone, at least I have the top kicker."

Ah, we laugh and laugh.

No one cares about kickers, but you have to give the New England Patriots' Stephen Gostkowski credit for his year-to-year consistency. You should care about that.

Gostkowski stays atop the rankings in B/R's initial projections for 2015.

2015 Kicker Rankings
RK	Player	TM
1	Stephen Gostkowski	NE
2	Steven Hauschka	SEA
3	Justin Tucker	BAL
4	Dan Bailey	DAL
5	Adam Vinatieri	IND
6	Mason Crosby	GB
7	Cody Parkey	PHI
8	Caleb Sturgis	MIA
9	Connor Barth	DEN
10	Blair Walsh	MIN
11	Matt Prater	DET
12	Greg Zuerlein	STL
13	Phil Dawson	SF
14	Dan Carpenter	BUF
15	Chandler Catanzaro	ARI

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Eric Mack, one of the giants among fantasy writers, is the Fantasy Football Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, where you can ask him endless questions about your team, rip him for his content and even challenge him to a head-to-head fantasy game.