Fantasy Football Projections 2018: Early Rankings for Top Sleepers

Let's be honest—you're already thinking about your fantasy team for next year. That's the kind of passion you have for the game. I get it.

So for you, I've compiled my early rankings for each of the skill positions next season before breaking down a few sleepers to keep an eye as well.

Quarterbacks

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1. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

2. Tom Brady, New England Patriots

3. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks

4. Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers

5. Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans

6. Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles

7. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

8. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings

9. Alex Smith, Washington

10. Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans

Sleeper Candidate: Marcus Mariota

Obviously, if Deshaun Watson and Carson Wentz aren't ready to go to start the regular season, they can safely be removed from the top 10. If they are, however, they should be among the first quarterbacks off the board in your draft.

The quarterback sleeper also happens to hit the top 10, as I think Marcus Mariota is due for a major bounce-back year. Quite frankly, the offensive system head coach Mike Mularkey utilized in 2017 wasn't ideal for Mariota. Neither was the fact that he was clearly hobbled at times this past year.

His new offensive coordinator, Matt LaFleur, helped spark the offensive resurgence with the Los Angeles Rams last year.

And head coach Mike Vrabel made it clear the team wants to utilize Mariota's strengths as a player next season, as he said in his press conference after he was hired, per Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com:

"The vision is that we're going to do things that are going to help him. We're going to get guys around him that are going to help him. We're going to get him to play with confidence, we're going to get him to play energetic and bring the passion of football out that he's so capable of showing. That's my idea for him. There's not going to be a greater relationship that I need to foster and develop than the one with our starting quarterback."

He added:

“I think we are going to run the football. We’re going to run it from the quarterback being under center, we’re going to run it from the quarterback being in (shot) gun. We’re going to give Marcus some easy-access throws, whether that be RPOs (Run-Pass Options), or run relief—we are not going to run it into eight or nine guys, and we’re not going to be silly. I believe in screens, I believe in play-action, things that (Mariota) does well."

Expect a solid bounce-back campaign from Mariota.

Running Backs

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1. Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams

2. Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys

3. David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals

4. Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers

5. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

6. Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville Jaguars

7. Melvin Gordon, Los Angeles Chargers

8. Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs

9. Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints

10. LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills

11. Jordan Howard, Chicago Bears

12. Dalvin Cook Minnesota Vikings

13. Saquon Barkley, Rookie

14. Devonta Freeman, Atlanta Falcons

15. Lamar Miller, Houston Texans

16. C.J. Anderson, Denver Broncos

17. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers

18. Orleans Darkwa, New York Giants

19. Carlos Hyde, Cleveland Browns

20. Derrius Guice, Rookie

Sleeper Candidates: Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans; Jamaal Williams, Green Bay Packers

We don't even know what team Saquon Barkley will be playing for, and depending on where he lands, his final ranking could be higher. But he should be considered a top-15 option. Ditto for Derrius Guice, who has the talent to be a top-20 option (though keep an eye on where he's drafted).

Now, to the sleepers.

Ask any Titans fan and they'll tell you Derrick Henry should have seen the majority of the workload in 2017, not DeMarco Murray. Despite receiving eight fewer carries, Henry outrushed Murray (744 to 659) and had more yards per carry (4.2 to 3.6).

Murray was also far more utilized in the passing game than Henry, though the latter posted a solid 12.4 yards per reception (compared to 6.8 yards per catch for Murray). It should be Henry's time to shine in Tennessee, and with Vrabel suggesting the running game would be a major part of the offense, Henry is in line for a major fantasy bump in 2018.

The reason Henry doesn't quite crack the top 20 is the presence of Dion Lewis. It's unclear how precisely that duo will split the carries, with Vrabel not offering many details on his backfield on Tuesday, per Wyatt:

"I think we all have hopes and visions of what that might look like (with Derrick and Dion). But I think until they get back and come in our building, and we start to practice and line up, I don't think we'll really know. But certainly we’re excited about Derrick—can’t wait to see him come back. And then Dion, kind of incorporating himself into our team.

"… There's only one football, and there’s a quarterback, and there’s five eligible receivers. So I think everybody understands they are not going to get the football every single time. And Dion has been with other runners at other places he has been. So we're hopeful and confident that will continue in Tennessee."

Keep an eye on Jamaal Williams in Green Bay, meanwhile. He came on strong after the team's Week 8 bye, hitting seven or more fantasy points in standard-scoring leagues seven times and posting double-digit points four times.

With Rodgers back under center, Williams should see even more work and could be utilized more heavily in the passing game. Assuming he heads into the season as Green Bay's No. 1 option, he could be in line for a solid season as your RB2.

Wide Receivers

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1. Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steeles

2. DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans

3. Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons

4. A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals

5. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

6. Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers

7. Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers

8. Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs

9. Brandin Cooks, New England Patriots

10. Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints

11. Marvin Jones Jr., Detroit Lions

12. Doug Baldwin, Seattle Seahawks

13. Amari Cooper, Oakland Raiders

14. Alshon Jeffery, Philadelphia Eagles

15. T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts

16. Jordy Nelson, Oakland Raiders

17. Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings

18. Stefon Diggs, Minnesota Vikings

19. Robby Anderson, New York Jets

20. Jarvis Landry, Cleveland Browns

Sleeper Candidates: Allen Robinson, Chicago Bears; Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams; Mack Hollins, Philadelphia Eagles

It's easy to forget that Allen Robinson caught 80 passes for 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2015. In 2016, he had a down year as Blake Bortles took a step back, catching 73 passes for 883 yards and six touchdowns. And last year, he missed nearly the entirety of the year with a torn ACL suffered in September.

Robinson has the talent and the past pedigree to bolt up these rankings and become a top-10 receiver once again. It's hardly a guarantee given his last two years, but given that he'll likely be drafted in the middle rounds, it's a risk worth taking.

Cooper Kupp has nowhere to go but up after a promising rookie season that saw him catch 62 passes for 869 yards and five scores. Receivers generally take solid steps forward after their rookie season, and if Jared Goff continues to improve, Kupp could emerge as a No. 1 target in the passing game of a truly dangerous Los Angeles offense.

Finally, Mack Hollins is a gut feeling. He has excellent size and downfield speed and should see a bigger role in the team's offense in his sophomore campaign. While Zach Ertz and Jeffery are the main targets and Nelson Agholor is a solid underneath threat, Hollins should offer Wentz another field-stretching option, especially if he earns the No. 3 wideout role over Mike Wallace.

Keep an eye on his progression come training camp. He could be a diamond in the rough and emerge as a solid flex option.

Tight Ends

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1. Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots

2. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

3. Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles

4. Jimmy Graham, Green Bay Packers

5. Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers

6. Evan Engram, New York Giants

7. Jordan Reed, Washington

8. Hunter Henry, Los Angeles Chargers

9. Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans

10. Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings

Sleeper Candidate: O.J. Howard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tight end lacked any sort of depth at all in 2017, though if players like Greg Olsen and Jordan Reed are healthy, the position will get a major boost in 2018.

O.J. Howard is a player to keep on your radar. He's oozing with upside, though it largely went unrecognized in 2017 as the Bucs struggled across the board on offense.

As Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com wrote: "He's got all the tools, he's a hard worker and an intelligent player and he's only going to get better. And we know how much Dirk Koetter likes to use his tight ends and his multiple-TE sets. If Howard starts off his second season hot, he's just going to get more and more opportunities."

As he should. Do not sleep on Howard in 2018.

All fantasy stats via Yahoo.