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Fantasy Football 2020: Updated Dynasty Rankings and Rookie Sleepers to Watch
May 20, 2020
One of the beautiful things about fantasy football is that it comes in a variety of flavors. From best-ball formats and PPR leagues to daily fantasy and dual-quarterback formats, there's no wrong way to play pretend general manager. However, dynasty leagues can often be the most rewarding.
Sustained fantasy success is all the sweeter when a winning roster is built over time. It's much harder to luck into a successful season, and it's far easier to ruin things with one bad selection. Draft a player like Johnny Manziel or Mitchell Trubisky to be your future franchise quarterback and you could set your franchise back for years.
In this way, dynasty leagues mirror the real NFL—though you're a lot less likely to get fired for screwing things up.
Here, you'll find updated 2020 dynasty rankings based on factors like player potential, projected role, health and age. You'll also find a look at some incoming rookies who might not provide immediate impact but who are worth stashing for the future.
All choices are based on PPR scoring.
2020 NFL Dynasty Rankings
1. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers
2. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants
3. Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans Saints
4. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys
5. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints
6. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings
7. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Arizona Cardinals
8. Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers
9. Tyreek Hill, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
10. Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns
11. Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
12. Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
13. Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
14. DJ Moore, WR, Carolina Panthers
15. Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
16. George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers
17. Amari Cooper, WR, Dallas Cowboys
18. Miles Sanders, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
19. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans
20. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
21. A.J. Brown, WR, Tennessee Titans
22. Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens
23. Kenny Golladay, WR, Detroit Lions
24. DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks
25. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs
Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts used a second-round pick on former Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor despite already having a strong stable of running backs. With players like Marlon Mack, Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins on the roster, Taylor may not immediately see a heavy role. However, this could change in the not-too-distant future.
Mack is scheduled to be a free agent next offseason. Hines and Wilkins are both scheduled to be free agents in 2022. Taylor is well-suited to be Indianapolis' workhorse back of the future.
"He should go on to become a very good NFL running back, following in the footsteps of [Melvin] Gordon, the last Badger back picked in Round 1 (in 2015)," NFL Media's Gil Brandt wrote of Taylor just before the draft.
Boosting Taylor's future stock is the fact that new starting quarterback Philip Rivers is only on a one-year deal. If he leaves next offseason, Taylor could become the true centerpiece of the offense.
CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys
Former Oklahoma wideout CeeDee Lamb was considered one of the top receivers in this year's draft class, and for good reason. He has plenty of proven production—he caught 62 passes for 1,327 yards and 14 touchdowns this past season—and he has the skill set of a future No. 1 receiver.
"Lamb has the potential to play any of the three receiver positions as a pro and should benefit greatly from the NFL's continued movement toward college-style passing attacks," NFL Media's Lance Zierlein wrote of Lamb.
The issue with drafting Lamb too early is that he may not be an immediate star for the Dallas Cowboys. He'll begin his career behind Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup, both of whom topped 1,100 receiving yards in 2019.
Between Cooper, Gallup, Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, there simply might not be enough touches left for Lamb to make a significant fantasy impact right away. However, that should change in the next few years. If Lamb is able to harness his potential, he'll likely overtake Cooper as the team's No. 1 target.
D'Andre Swift, RB, Detroit Lions
Like Taylor and Lamb, Detroit Lions rookie back D'Andre Swift may not earn a starting job out of the gate. The former Georgia running back will likely begin his career behind Kerryon Johnson on Detroit's depth chart. However, he may not remain there for long.
Johnson has flashed plenty of promise as a pro, but he's also struggled to stay healthy. In two seasons, he has missed a total of 14 games. If he cannot stay healthy, he'll have zero chance of keeping Swift out of the starting lineup.
Swift, who racked up 1,218 rushing yards last season, is simply too talented for that to happen.
The other thing to consider here is the future of quarterback Matthew Stafford. While he is under contract through 2022, he could realistically be released or traded after next season. After 2021, Stafford will have just $6 million in dead money remaining on his contract.
If the Lions do decide to move on from Stafford, it's likely that they'll also move away from a pass-first offensive scheme. If so, Swift could become a fantasy all-star.