Fantasy Football 2018: Full Position-by-Position Rankings, Creative Team Names

As teams sort out starting lineups and player roles through the preseason, fantasy football owners continue to adjust their boards before draft day.

At this juncture, it's important to keep an eye on injuries and recovery timetables. Washington Redskins running back Derrius Guice, who pushed for early-down responsibilities, went down with a torn ACL Thursday. For now, head coach Jay Gruden isn't expected to add a ball-carrier.

Fantasy owners should monitor Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz's recovery from a torn ACL and LCL. He's not expected to play during the preseason, per NBC Sports Philadelphia reporter Reuben Frank. If the coaching staff feels the need to give him more time on the sideline during the regular season, Nick Foles will continue to start in his place. 

Aside from injuries, pay close attention to position battles. The Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos have notable competitions for a starting role at running back. 

To keep everyone up to date with all the happenings across the league, here's a position-by-position listing following Week 1 of the exhibition period. Managers can also check out some creative team names for their squads.

Creative Team Names

1. Rollin' With Mahomies (Sports Feel Good Stories)

2. Kelce Grammar (Sports Feel Good Stories)

3. Dak in the Box (Sports Feel Good Stories) 

4. Mercedes Wentz (Sporting News)

5. Light, Kamara, Action (Sporting News)

6. DakStreet's Back (Sporting News) 

7. PokeMoncrief (Athlon Sports and Life)

8. Golden Tate Warriors (Athlon Sports and Life)

9. Le'Veon La Vida Loca (Athlon Sports and Life)

10. Roethlisberger Helper (Athlon Sports and Life)

Player Rankings

Quarterback 

1. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints 

2. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

3. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks 

4. Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans 

5. Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers

6. Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams

7. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons 

8. Tom Brady, New England Patriots 

9. Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers

10. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers

11. Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders 

12. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions

13. Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles 

14. Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers 

15. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings

Player to Watch: QB Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings

Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

In the first quarter of the Minnesota Vikings preseason opener, quarterback Kirk Cousins drove the ball downfield on a perfect drive, throwing 4-of-4 for 42 yards and a touchdown. It's the exhibition period, but the 29-year-old signal-caller looked comfortable with his new squad. 

However, Cousins stands behind an offensive line with some questions marks. Who's going to start at left guard after losing Nick Easton to a potentially season-ending neck injury? There's also a battle for the right tackle spot between Rashod Hill and rookie second-rounder Brian O'Neil. If the Pro Bowl quarterback remains unflappable in the pocket, his stock will rise before Week 1. 

Running Back

1. Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys

2. Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams

3. Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers

4. David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals

5. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

6. Melvin Gordon, Los Angeles Chargers

7. Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings 

8. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers 

9. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants 

10. Jerick McKinnon, San Francisco 49ers

11. Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs 

12. Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville Jaguars 

13. Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals 

14. Devonta Freeman, Atlanta Falcons

15. Lamar Miller, Houston Texans

16. LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills 

17. Jordan Howard, Chicago Bears 

18. Jay Ajayi, Philadelphia Eagles

19. Alex Collins, Baltimore Ravens

20. Kenyan Drake, Miami Dolphins

21. Dion Lewis, Tennessee Titans

22. Marshawn Lynch, Oakland Raiders 

23. Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks 

24. Isaiah Crowell, New York Jets

25. Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints

Player to Watch: RB Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Viewers didn't see much from new starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the Kansas City Chiefs' preseason opener. He completed 5-of-7 pass attempts for 33 yards and took a sack against the Houston Texans. We'll see a lot more of the second-year signal-caller, but running back Kareem Hunt could go into the season as the offense's most reliable asset.

Hunt led the league with 1,327 rushing yards in 2017. As Mahomes goes through growing pains, it's fair to expect new offensive coordinator and former running backs coach Eric Bieniemy to rely heavily on the ground attack. The second-year ball-carrier's fantasy arrow points upward.

Wide Receiver 

1. Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants 

2. Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers

3. DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans

4. Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons

5. Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers

6. Brandin Cooks, Los Angeles Rams

7. Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints

8. A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals

9. Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers

10. Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs

11. T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts 

12. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals 

13. Amari Cooper, Oakland Raiders

14. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

15. Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings 

16. Marvin Jones, Detroit Lions 

17. Doug Baldwin, Seattle Seahawks 

18. Michael Crabtree, Baltimore Ravens 

19. Stefon Diggs, Minnesota Vikings

20. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh Steelers

Player to Watch: WR Michael Crabtree, Baltimore Ravens 

Nick Wass/Associated Press

Wideout Michael Crabtree became a touchdown machine with the Oakland Raiders over the last three seasons, catching 25 passes for scores in that period. Now, he joins the Baltimore Ravens offense, which needs a go-to receiver for quarterback Joe Flacco, who's attempting to keep rookie Lamar Jackson on the sideline as a backup.

Crabtree will share targets with wideouts Willie Snead and John Brown. Rookie tight ends Hayden Hurst and Mark Andrews could also factor into the aerial attack. Nonetheless, the 30-year-old pass-catcher has an established NFL resume with the potential to emerge as a top-10 wide receiver if he continues to see looks in the red zone.

Tight End 

1. Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots

2. Jimmy Graham, Green Bay Packers

3. Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers

4. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs 

5. Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles 

6. Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans

7. Evan Engram, New York Giants

8. Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings

9. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers 

10. Jack Doyle, Indianapolis Colts 

11. David Njoku, Cleveland Browns 

12. Cameron Brate, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

13. Mike Gesicki, Miami Dolphins

14. O.J. Howard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

15. Tyler Eifert, Cincinnati Bengals

Player to Watch: TE Jack Doyle, Indianapolis Colts 

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

With quarterback Andrew Luck on the field, the entire Indianapolis Colts offense should see a rise in stock, especially the pass-catchers. Other than wideout T.Y. Hilton, tight end Jack Doyle is the only offensive fantasy asset who possesses a strong rapport with the returning signal-caller under center.

Doyle broke out for 59 catches, 584 yards and five touchdowns during the 2016 campaign with Luck leading the offense. Despite the addition of Eric Ebron at the position, the Pro Bowl tight end should have another 50-plus catch season with several opportunities to score.

Defense/Special Teams

1. Jacksonville Jaguars

2. Los Angeles Rams

3. Minnesota Vikings

4. Los Angeles Chargers 

5. New Orleans Saints

6. Baltimore Ravens 

7. Houston Texans

8. Philadelphia Eagles 

9. Denver Broncos 

10. Carolina Panthers

11. Atlanta Falcons

12. Pittsburgh Steelers

13. Tennessee Titans 

14. Chicago Bears

15. Cincinnati Bengals

Unit to Watch: Houston Texans 

Chris Tilley/Associated Press

Most fantasy owners will select one of the following three defenses: Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams or Vikings. Keep your eye on the Texans. Injuries plagued this group last season. Defensive end J.J. Watt and linebacker Whitney Mercilus missed 11 games apiece.

According to NBC's Peter King, Watt thinks he's in good enough shape to replicate his Defensive Player of the Year campaigns. While it remains to be seen, the Texans will have three healthy pass-rushers with Watt, Mercilus and Jadeveon Clowney in the front seven. Fantasy owners can capitalize on the potential sack count in Houston.

Kicker

1. Greg Zuerlein, Los Angeles Rams

2. Wil Lutz, New Orleans Saints 

3. Matt Bryant, Atlanta Falcons 

4. Mason Crosby, Green Bay Packers 

5. Chris Boswell, Pittsburgh Steelers 

6. Stephen Gostkowski, New England Patriots

7. Jake Elliott, Philadelphia Eagles

8. Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens

9. Matt Prater, Detroit Lions 

10. Adam Vinatieri, Indianapolis Colts

11. Robbie Gould, San Francisco 49ers

12. Ka'imi Fairbairn, Houston Texans 

13. Eddy Piñeiro, Oakland Raiders 

14. Dan Bailey, Dallas Cowboys

15. Josh Lambo, Jacksonville Jaguars 

Player to Watch: PK Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens

Gail Burton/Associated Press

Already regarded as one of the best kickers in the game with two All-Pro seasons, Justin Tucker could see a boost in fantasy production for the 2018 season. The Ravens loaded up on receivers to improve their 29th-ranked passing offense.

The decision to add Crabtree, Snead, Brown and two rookie tight ends with soft hands should bode well for the offense. If Baltimore can move the ball efficiently through the air, Tucker will see an increase in extra points and field-goal attempts.