Fantasy Football 2020: Early Cheat Sheet for Choosing Best Team Names

Training camps have begun around the NFL, and the regular season is set to kick off in just over a month. This means that real, meaningful football is waiting in the not-too-distant horizon. It also means, of course, that we're approaching peak fantasy-draft season.

Smart fantasy owners will spend the next few weeks following teams' training camps and deciphering the projected roles and opportunities for fantasy studs, sleepers and value picks. In a year that isn't going to feature a preseason, the information gleaned during training camp will be more vital than ever.

Fantasy managers are also likely to spend some time in the coming weeks thinking of names for their virtual squads. Managers have an opportunity to add some personal flair to their fantasy teams by coming up with creative and unique names—and there are several approaches that fantasy enthusiasts can take.

If you're in a workplace or family league, inside jokes or occupational humor can fit well. However, in more general leagues, names based on NFL players are usually the way to go. These tend to be pun-based and quite often groan-worthy, but that's ok. There's nothing wrong with eliciting a chuckle and an eye roll when your fantasy team crops up on an opponent's schedule. After all, while fantasy can be serious business, it's also meant to be fun.

With this in mind, here is a cheat sheet for position- and theme-specific fantasy names for the 2020 season.

Rookies

• In it Tua Win It
• Friends in Burrow Places
• Baskin Dobbins
• Judge Jeudy
• Fresh Princes of Helaire
• Tua and a Half Men
• Chaisson Glory
• Okudah Matata
• Silence of the Lamb
• Akers Breaker One Nine

Managers looking to kick off dynasty leagues or base their season-long leagues around first-year players often use team names based on rookies. Here, we have names based on incoming rookies like Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, Cincinnati Bengals signal-caller Joe Burrow and Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins.

Quarterbacks

• What's Up Mahomes
• Action Jackson
• Feel the Brees
• Tompa Bay
• Brady's Bucs
• Roethlisbergers With Cheese
• Baker's Bunch
• Mahomes' Millions
• Cry Me a Rivers
• Mahomes and Watson

Fantasy teams are typically centered around running backs and wide receivers rather than quarterbacks, but signal-callers are the most recognizable players in the NFL. Therefore, punny names based on quarterbacks tend to land quickly and efficiently.

If your team boasts a prolific fantasy passer like Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson or Drew Brees, a quarterback-centric name might be right for you.

Running Backs

• Hot Chubb Time Machine
• O' Henry!
• The Hatfields and the McCaffreys
• Mixon It Up
• Josh Jacobs Jingleheimer Schmidt
• Dalvin and the Chipmunks
• Cold as Guice
• Put Some Mostert On It
• Hines and Mack Sauce

In fantasy, and especially in standard scoring leagues, running backs are often the stars of the show. Here, we have some names based on running backs like Nick Chubb, Derrick Henry and Christian McCaffrey. Obviously, managers will want to name teams after their own running backs, and not those drafted by opponents—unless, of course, they're changing names weekly in order to troll opponents.

Wide Receivers

• Do What You JuJu
• Bend It Like Beckham
• JuliO! I'm Good
• Every Day's a Golladay
• That Lovin' Thielen
• Can You Diggs It?
• Michael Thanos
• Storm Coopers
• DJ Chark On the 1s and 2s

Like running backs, wide receivers can be the centerpiece of a strong fantasy squad. This is especially true in PPR leagues, where pass-catchers like Julio Jones, Michael Thomas and Kenny Golladay reign supreme.

Music

• Kerryon My Wayward Son
• Country Road, Take Mahomes
• Baby's Got Dak
• Peaceful, Easy Thielen
• That's What I Like About JuJu
• Knockin' on Evans Door
• Guice, Guice Baby
• Luck Be a Brady Tonight
• JuJu Tang Clan
• Pock Lockett Drop It
• Tua Legit To Quit
• Zeke and Destroy

Film and Television

• Tua and a Half Men
• The Brady Bunch
• Pretty Kittle Liars
• Deshaun of the Dead
• Inglorious Staffords
• BoDak Horseman
• The Ruggs Really Tied the Room Together
• Lock, Stock and a Smoking Burrow
• Mayfield of Dreams

These are fairly self-explanatory. Sometimes, going topical with a television, movie or music theme is the best route to take. Not only does it tend to land, but it can provide insight into a manager's interests outside of football and therefore add an even more personal aspect to a fantasy team.

Plus, some of these are just too pun-tastic to pass up.