Fantasy Football 2018: Top-100 Player Rankings to Know for Mock Drafts

The NFL preseason enters Week 2 this week, which means now is the time for fantasy football owners to get back into the swing of things ahead of fantasy drafts. 

It's easier said than done, of course. For those who only tuned into the NFL draft itself, they missed free-agency signings and their implications, waves of preseason news, undrafted free agents, coaching changes and who is receiving what sort of snap attention in training camps, among other details. 

Written another way—owners have missed quite a bit if they haven't been following along. 

Like a head coach stalking the sideline with a massive play sheet, though, it doesn't hurt for owners to have a cheat sheet before they head into battle. These are the top 100 players in standard scoring 12-team leagues. 

Top 100 Player Rankings 

1	Todd Gurley
2	Alvin Kamara
3	Ezekiel Elliott
4	Le'Veon Bell
5	Antonio Brown
6	Odell Beckham Jr.
7	David Johnson
8	Saquon Barkley
9	DeAndre Hopkins
10	Melvin Gordon
11	Kareem Hunt
12	Julio Jones
13	Dalvin Cook
14	Michael Thomas
15	Devonta Freeman
16	Keenan Allen
17	A.J. Green
18	Davante Adams
19	Leonard Fournette
20	Joe Mixon
21	Rob Gronkowski
22	Mike Evans
23	Josh Gordon
24	Jordan Howard
25	LeSean MacCoy
26	Christian McCaffrey
27	Russell Wilson
28	Doug Baldwin
29	Stefon Diggs
30	Larry Fitzgerald
31	T.Y. Hilton
32	Allen Robinson
33	Alex Collins
34	Amari Cooper
35	Adam Thielen
36	Travis Kelce
37	Zach Ertz
38	Jerick McKinnon
39	Kerryon Johnson
40	Tyreek Hill
41	Kenyan Drake
42	Derrick Henry
43	JuJu Smith-Schuster
44	Jay Ajayi
45	Golden Tate
46	Marvin Jones
47	Brandin Cooks
48	Royce Freeman
49	Aaron Rodgers
50	Alshon Jeffery
51	Demaryius Thomas
52	Mark Ingram
53	Jarvis Landry
54	Lamar Miller
55	Tom Brady
56	Cam Newton
57	Marshawn Lynch
58	Deshaun Watson
59	Chris Hogan
60	Greg Olsen
61	Drew Brees
62	Corey Davis
63	Sammy Watkins
64	Dion Lewis
65	Rashaad Penny
66	Rex Burkhead
67	Michael Crabtree
68	Evan Engram
69	Tevin Coleman
70	Jimmy Graham
71	Robert Woods
72	Emmanuel Sanders
73	Delanie Walker
74	Carson Wentz
75	Sony Michel
76	Pierre Garcon
77	Devin Funchess
78	Kyle Rudolph
79	Kirk Cousins
80	Robby Anderson
81	Ronald Jones II
82	Marquise Goodwin
83	Matthew Stafford
84	Cooper Kupp
85	Jamison Crowder
86	Andrew Luck
87	Will Fuller
88	Duke Johnson
89	Jamaal Williams
90	Chris Carson
91	Randall Cobb
92	C.J. Anderson
93	Marlon Mack
94	David Njoku
95	Marcus Mariota
96	Sterling Shepard
97	Philip Rivers LAC
98	Jimmy Garoppolo
99	Mohamed Sanu
100	Josh Doctson

No. 1: Todd Gurley

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A fantasy football ranking without Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley at No. 1 in 2018 is just plain wrong. 

Granted, hindsight might have something to say about such a statement. But Gurley erupted into a fantasy force last year, not only rushing for 1,305 yards and 13 touchdowns on a 4.7 per-carry average, but catching a career-high 64 passes and turning the looks into another 788 yards and six touchdowns. 

That's over 15 games, by the way. 

In ESPN standard leagues, Gurley was No. 1 overall with 383.3 points. Only the magical heroics of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson really came close. Gurley posted 20 or more points nine times, boosting owners to the playoffs almost on his lonesome. 

There's a reason the Rams decided to open up the checkbook: 

And the thing is, the Rams aren't going to deter from the plan next season despite teams knowing it's coming—what's wrong with predictable if opponents can't stop it? 

Gurley should be right at the top in scoring again, giving owners who pick there an easy decision. 

Sleeper to Know: David Njoku

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One doesn't have to watch HBO's Hard Knocks to know Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku is headed for a huge season. 

Njoku didn't do much as a rookie, catching 32 passes for 386 yards and four touchdowns. But a better quarterback and offense around him is bound to create massive production for the athletic tight end. 

The Browns themselves have been expecting a breakout for a while now: 

This isn't coach speak, provided the Browns are serious about letting the 2017 first-round pick spread his wings. Njoku had to split chances with Seth DeValve a year ago and had to catch passes from DeShone Kizer, Kevin Hogan and Cody Kessler. 

Now Njoku gets to operate in an offense directed by a veteran like Tyrod Taylor while Josh Gordon and Jarvis Landry funnel attention their way. 

Tight end is a tough position to get right each year outside of the top names, though Njoku has all the makings of one of those valuable boom performers. 

Rookie Watch: Kerryon Johnson

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It's almost hard for a running back to stand out in a draft class headlined by Saquon Barkley and to a lesser extent, Derrius Guice. 

But owners will want to get to know the name Kerryon Johnson. 

Second-round pick by the Detroit Lions or not, Johnson is one of those players who just happened to fall into the perfect situation, and those owners smart enough to pounce all over it will reap the benefits all season. 

First, Johnson's introduction: 

It's not hard to see the sheer talent, right? Keep in mind Johnson spent last season at Auburn rushing for 1,391 yards and 18 touchdowns while also flashing some ability as a receiver via 24 catches for 194 yards and two scores. 

Outside of bullying the SEC into submission, it's important to keep in mind Johnson doesn't have much in the way of competition in Detroit. LeGarrette Blount has a specialized role and Ameer Abdullah has had plenty of chances to prove himself. 

It means Johnson should be the primary back right away in an offense that has desperately needed a talented runner to take pressure off Matthew Stafford. There should be a positive symbiotic effect here, with Johnson owners who get him at a good value emerging as the biggest winners.