#melvin Jr Hydes

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios Adventures

"It's nice to actually see you in Arkhelios. You're always off at school when I come by."

Melvin Jr Hydes smiled at Theo. It really was nice to see the Bellamy child closest to his own age. Melvin was going to college in a few weeks, so he wasn't sure when the next time he'd see Theo would be. Arkhelios certainly talked about Theo often, and Melvin couldn't resist seeing the infamous demon hybrid for himself.

Of course, Theo had come home with his boyfriend, Adam, who never seemed to be far from his side, as well as Adam's cousin Eero. The three of them joked about magic and Pleasantview and demons, all things that Melvin knew very little about but was interested in learning more about. Soon, he'd be leaving for adventures of his own in the world beyond Arkhelios.

"You're lucky that you get to go to school in Pleasantview," Eero grumbled. "Aunt Edana says we can't transfer from the Arkhelios coven's 'classes' until next year. We're 'helping her keep an eye on them' or something."

"Well, you are," Adam insisted. "She always has a plan for everything. You're there for a reason."

"And that reason is because she can't stand looking at us," Eero shot back. "We're practically the same age, Adam. She raised you and your sister and half-siblings, but when she was given custody of me and Despina, we were the ones who were raised by the coven, not you."

"She was young and just lost your dad," Adam protested. "How many kids could you raise by yourself? It's not like she abandoned you. She's paid for everything you and Despina need and you guys were always at the house."

"Geez, you're overly defensive. She's your mom, not your girlfriend."

"You wouldn't know what having a mom is like, considering yours died in a cult that was trying to sacrifice you to the Grim Reaper!" Adam snapped, only to regret his words when he saw the look on his cousin's face. "Shit, I'm sorry, Eero. That was uncalled for. I don't know why i said that. My mom did the best she could for you guys, that's all I meant."

"So, the kids are behaving, Theo hasn't said anything snarky since he got home, and dinner was great. I think we should celebrate."

Abe took his husband in his arms, swaying to the music of the stereo that the teens were blasting to muffle their conversations.

"I agree," Abe murmured, spinning his husband around when the song sped up. "Things may finally be settling down. At this rate, we may be able to go on a date if we wanted. Imagine leaving the house for something other than groceries, work and pediatric check ups. It's unthinkable."

"That sounds wonderful," Roman agreed, nuzzling into Abe's shoulder. "A real date, for grown-ups only. A bar maybe. It's been ages since I've been drunk in public, staggering my way back home."

"You're only twenty-nine once. You have to live a little before you hit thirty."

"Oh, trust me, I've lived plenty," Roman laughed. "Having a kid at sixteen and murderous mother will do that to you. I'm so glad that you're still here beside me after all these years."

"Me too."

"So, uh, Melvin. What are you taking in college?" Adam asked, awkwardly changing the subject.

Melvin shrugged.

"My dad wants me to take police foundations and follow the family business," he replied. "I'm not so sure that that's for me though. I'll see what I like when I get there. I applied for philosophy. Whatever I end up studying, I'm sure it will be something that I'm just as passionate about as he is policing."

"Hey, the kids are asleep, and Theo seems to be pretty distracted with his friends. I might, uh, retire to the bedroom for a bit, if you wanted to come with me," Roman offered, kissing his husband passionately.

Abe smiled against Roman's lips and nodded.

"That sounds like a great idea."

[alliluyevas]

I was joking about doing an AI Mormon apostle name generator but for your perusal I just spent forty minutes doing a list of all Mormon apostles ever. They���re in order that they were appointed to that office, plus birth and deaths, information about any of them that left the church/got kicked out, and info about any of the other ones that they’re related to. People who became prophet are bolded!

Thomas Baldwin Marsh (1800-1866) (left the church due to conflict with Joseph Smith)

David W. Patten (1799-1838)

Brigham Young (1801-1877)

Heber C. Kimball (1801-1868) (father of a plural wife of Joseph Smith)

Orson Hyde (1805-1878)

William E. McLellin (1806-1883) (excommunicated due to conflict with Joseph Smith)

Parley Parker Pratt (1807-1857)

Luke S. Johnson (1807-1861) (brother-in-law of Orson Hyde, brother of a plural wife of Joseph Smith) (excommunicated over conflict with Joseph Smith)

William Smith (1811-1893) (Joseph Smith’s brother) (left the church over conflict with Brigham Young)

Orson Pratt (1811-1881) (brother of Parley Pratt)

John F. Boynton (1811-1890) (excommunicated over conflict with Joseph Smith)

Lyman E. Johnson (1811-1856) (brother of Luke Johnson, brother-in-law of Orson Hyde, brother of a plural wife of Joseph Smith) (excommunicated over conflict with Joseph Smith)

John E. Page (1799-1867) (excommunicated over conflict with Brigham Young)

John Taylor (1808-1887)

Wilford Woodruff (1807-1898)

George A. Smith (1817-1875) (Joseph Smith’s cousin)

Willard Richards (1804-1854)

Lyman Wight (1796-1858) (left the church over conflict with Brigham Young)

Amasa M. Lyman (1813-1877) (excommunicated over theological differences)

Ezra T. Benson (1811-1869)

Charles C. Rich (1809-1883)

Lorenzo Snow (1814-1901) (son-in-law of Wilford Woodruff, brother of a plural wife of Joseph Smith)

Erastus Snow (1818-1888)

Franklin D. Richards (1821-1899) (nephew of Willard Richards)

George Q. Cannon (1827-1901) (son-in-law of Brigham Young)

Joseph F. Smith (1838-1918) (nephew of Joseph Smith)

Brigham Young, Jr. (1836-1903) (son of Brigham Young)

Albert Carrington (1813-1889) (excommunicated for adultery)

Moses Thatcher (1842-1909) (kicked out of the Quorum due to his opposition to church involvement in politics, but remained a church member) (son-in-law of Erastus Snow)

Francis M. Lyman (1840-1916) (Amasa Lyman’s son)

John Henry Smith (1848-1911) (George A. Smith’s son)

George Teasdale (1831-1907)

Heber J. Grant (1856-1945)

John W. Taylor (1858-1916) (John Taylor’s son) (excommunicated over continued support of polygamy)

Marriner W. Merrill (1832-1906)

Anthon H. Lund (1844-1921)

Abraham H. Cannon (1859-1896) (son of George Q. Cannon)

Matthias F. Cowley (1858-1940) (resigned due to his continued support of polygamy)

Abraham O. Woodruff (1872-1904) (son of Wilford Woodruff)

Rudger Clawson (1857-1943)

Reed Smoot (1862-1941)

Hyrum M. Smith (1872-1918) (son of Joseph F. Smith)

George Albert Smith (1870-1951) (son of John Henry Smith + grandson of George A. Smith)

Charles W. Penrose (1832-1925)

George F. Richards (1861-1950) (son of Franklin D. Richards)

Orson F. Whitney (1855-1931) (grandson of Heber C. Kimball)

David O. McKay (1873-1970)

Anthony W. Ivins (1852-1934) (cousin of Heber J. Grant and son-in-law of Erastus Snow)

Joseph Fielding Smith (1876-1972) (son of Joseph F. Smith)

James E. Talmage (1862-1933)

Stephen L. Richards (1879-1959) (grandson of Willard Richards)

Richard R. Lyman (1870-1963) (son of Francis M. Lyman and grandson of Amasa Lyman) (excommunicated due to continued practice of polygamy)

Melvin J. Ballard (1873-1939)

John A. Widtsoe (1872-1952)

Joseph F. Merrill (1868-1952) (son of Marriner W. Merrill)

Charles A. Callis (1865-1947)

J. Reuben Clark (1871-1961)

Alonzo A. Hinckley (1870-1936)

Albert E. Bowen (1875-1953)

Sylvester Q. Cannon (1877-1943) (son of George Q. Cannon)

Harold B. Lee (1899-1973)

Spencer W. Kimball (1895-1985) (grandson of Heber C. Kimball)

Ezra Taft Benson (1899-1994) (great-grandson of Ezra T. Benson)

Mark E. Petersen (1900-1984)

Matthew Cowley (1897-1953) (son of Matthias F. Cowley)

Henry D. Moyle (1889-1963)

Delbert L. Stapley (1896-1978)

Marion G. Romney (1897-1988)

LeGrand Richards (1886-1983) (son of George F. Richards, grandson of Franklin D. Richards)

Adam S. Bennion (1886-1958)

Richard L. Evans (1906-1971)

George Q. Morris (1874-1962)

Hugh B. Brown (1883-1975)

Howard W. Hunter (1907-1995)

Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008) (nephew of Alonzo A. Hinckley)

N. Eldon Tanner (1898-1982)

Thomas S. Monson (1927-2018)

Boyd K. Packer (1924-2015)

Marvin J. Ashton (1915-1994)

Bruce R. McConkie (1915-1985) (son-in-law of Joseph Fielding Smith)

L. Tom Perry (1922-2015)

David B. Haight (1906-2004)

James E. Faust (1920-2007)

Neal A. Maxwell (1926-2004)

Russell M. Nelson (b. 1924)

Dallin H. Oaks (b. 1932)

M. Russell Ballard (b. 1928) (grandson of Melvin J. Ballard and Hyrum M. Smith, great-grandson of Joseph F. Smith)

Joseph B. Wirthlin (1917-2008) (cousin of Gordon B. Hinckley)

Richard G. Scott (1928-2015)

Robert D. Hales (1932-2017)

Jeffrey R. Holland (b. 1940)

Henry B. Eyring (b. 1933) (nephew of Spencer W. Kimball)

Dieter F. Uchtdorf (b. 1940)

David A. Bednar (b. 1952)

Quentin L. Cook (b. 1940)

D. Todd Christofferson (b. 1951)

Ronald A. Rasband (b. 1951)

Gary E. Stevenson (b. 1955) Dale G. Renlund (b. 1952) Gerrit W. Gong (b. 1953) (one of the first non-white apostles) Ulisses Soares (b. 1958) (the other first non-white apostle)

[unclescurvy]

2019 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet

QB

12 Patrick Mahomes (KC)

- 

7 Ben Roethlisberger (PIT)

10 Deshawn Watson (HOU)

11 Aaron Rodgers (GB)

9 Matt Ryan (ATL)

9 Jared Goff (LAR)

7 Cam Newton (CAR)

9 Drew Brees (NO)

6 Andrew Luck (IND-INJ)

 -

10 Carson Wentz (PHI)

11 Russell Wilson (SEA)

12 Philip Rivers (LAC)

6 Mitch Trubisky (CHI)

7 Jameis Winston (TB)

7 Baker Mayfield (CLE)

12 Kirk Cousins (MIN)

10 Tom Brady (NE)

6 Josh Allen (BUF)

4 Sam Darnold (NYJ)

8 Dak Prescott (DAL)

9 Andy Dalton (CIN)

10 Nick Foles (JAX)

4 Jimmy Garoppolo (SF)

10 Joe Flacco (DEN)

11 Eli Manning (NYG)

6 Derek Carr (OAK)

5 Matt Stafford (DET)

 -

8 Lamar Jackson (BAL)

11 Marcus Mariota (TEN)

12 Kyler Murray (ARZ)

5 Ryan Fitzpatrick (MIA)

10 Case Keenum (WAS)

 -

10 Dwayne Haskins (WAS)

5 Josh Rosen (MIA)

6 Jacoby Brissett (IND)

11 Ryan Tannehill (TEN)

9 Taysom Hill (NO)

4 Nick Mullens (SF)

-

RB

11 Saquon Barkley (NYG)

7 Christian McCaffrey (CAR)

9 Alvin Kamara (NO)

 -

7 James Conner (PIT)

4 Le’Veon Bell (NYJ)

 -

10 Leonard Fournette (JAX)

7 Nick Chubb (CLE)

 -

11 Derrick Henry (TEN)

12 David Johnson (ARZ)

9 Todd Gurley (LAR-INJ?)

9 Devonta Freeman (ATL)

8 Ezekiel Elliott (DAL-HOLDOUT?)

9 Joe Mixon (CIN)

10 Phillip Lindsay (DEN)

10 Sony Michel (NE)

12 Melvin Gordon (LAC-HOLDOUT?)

 -

8 Mark Ingram (BAL)

11 Chris Carson (SEA)

12 Dalvin Cook (MIN)

6 David Montgomery (CHI)

5 Kerryon Johnson (DET)

6 Marlon Mack (IND)

12 Damien Williams (KC)

6 Josh Jacobs (OAK)

11 Aaron Jones (GB)

6 Tarik Cohen (CHI)

10 Lamar Miller (HOU)

 -

6 LeSean McCoy (BUF)

10 Derrius Guice (WAS-INJ?)

7 Ronald Jones (TB)

10 Miles Sanders (PHI)

10 Duke Johnson (HOU)

5 Kalen Ballage (MIA)

12 Austin Ekeler (LAC)

5 Kenyan Drake (MIA-INJ)

 -

10 James White (NE)

4 Tevin Coleman (SF)

10 Jordan Howard (PHI)

10 Adrian Peterson (WAS)

4 Jerick McKinnon (SF-INJ)

11 Rashaad Penny (SEA)

10 Chris Thompson (WAS)

7 Kareem Hunt (CLE-SUS 8)

4 Matt Brieda (SF)

6 Mike Davis (CHI)

7 Peyton Barber (TB)

9 Giovani Bernard (CIN)

6 Nyheim Hines (IND)

11 Dion Lewis (TEN)

9 Latavius Murray (NO)

9 Darrell Henderson (LAR)

8 Tony Pollard (DAL)

7 Jaylen Samuels (PIT)

4 Ty Montgomery (NYJ)

12 Justin Jackson (LAC)

12 Carlos Hyde (KC)

10 Royce Freeman (DEN)

11 Jamaal Williams (GB-INJ?)

6 Frank Gore (BUF)

8 Gus Edwards (BAL)

10 Devontae Booker (DEN)

9 Ito Smith (ATL)

12 Ameer Abdullah (MIN)

6 Jalen Richard (OAK)

9 Malcolm Brown (LAR)

-

WR

10 DeAndre Hopkins (HOU)

11 Davante Adams (GB)

9 Julio Jones (ATL)

9 Michael Thomas (NO)

7 Mike Adams (TB)

 -

7 Odell Beckham, Jr. (CLE)

7 JuJu Smith-Schuster (PIT)

6 T.Y. Hilton (IND)

12 Keenan Allen (LAC-INJ)

12 Tyreek Hill (KC – SUS? TRADE?)

6 Antonio Brown (OAK-INJ)

12 Adam Theilen (MIN)

9 Cooper Kupp (LAR)

 -

10 Julian Edelman (NE-INJ?)

9 Brandin Cooks (LAR)

12 Stefon Diggs (MIN)

5 Kenny Golladay (DET)

9 A.J. Green (CIN-INJ 3)

7 Chris Godwin (TB)

12 Mike Williams (LAC)

9 Tyler Boyd (CIN)

8 Amari Cooper (DAL)

9 Robert Woods (LAR)

 -

10 Will Fuller (HOU)

7 D.J. Moore (CAR)

9 Calvin Ridley (ATL)

6 Allen Robinson (CHI)

7 Jarvis Landry (CLE)

11 Tyler Lockett (SEA)

10 Alshon Jeffery (PHI)

10 Courtland Sutton (DEN)

5 Marvin Jones (DET)

11 Sterling Shepard (NYG-INJ)

10 Emmanuel Sanders (DEN-INJ)

12 Sammy Watkins (KC)

 -

11 Marquez Valdes-Scantling (GB)

10 Desean Jackson (PHI)

4 Robby Anderson (NYJ)

12 Christian Kirk (ARZ)

7 Curtis Samuel (CAR)

10 Nelson Agholor (PHI)

4 Jamison Crowder (NYJ)

4 Dante Pettis (SF)

6 Devin Funchess (IND)

10 Dede Westbrook (JAX)

10 Keke Coutee (HOU-INJ)

10 Josh Gordon (NE-SUS)

6 Tyrell Williams (OAK)

8 Randall Cobb (DAL)

10 Chris Conley (JAX)

6 John Brown (BUF)

5 DeVante Parker (MIA)

12 Larry Fitzgerald (ARZ)

10 Trey Quinn (WAS)

11 Golden Tate (NYG-SUS 4)

4 Deebo Samuel (SF)

8 Michael Gallup (DAL)

9 Tre’Quan Smith (NO)

6 Anthony Miller (CHI)

11 Corey Davis (TEN)

7 James Washington (PIT)

11 D.K. Metcalf (SEA)

7 Donte Moncrief (PIT)

4 Quincy Enunwa (NYJ)

9 Mohammed Sanu (ATL)

7 Breshad Perriman (TB)

5 Kenny Stills (MIA)

12 Demarcus Robinson (KC)

8 Marquise Brown (BAL-INJ?)

10 Paul Richardson (WAS)

11 Adam Humphries (TEN)

-

TE

12 Travis Kelce (KC)

10 Zach Ertz (PHI)

4 George Kittle (SF)

 6 Eric Ebron (IND)

9 Jared Cook (NO)

7 O.J. Howard (TB)

11 Evan Engram (NYG)

 7 Vance McDonald (PIT)

12 Hunter Henry (LAC)

10 Jordan Reed (WAS)

11 Delanie Walker (TEN)

11 Jimmy Graham (GB)

 8 Mark Andrews (BAL)

7 Greg Olsen (CAR)

11 Will Dissly (SEA)

6 Trey Burton (CHI)

12 Kyle Rudolph (MIN)

8 Jason Witten (DAL)

10 Dallas Goedert (PHI)

9 Austin Hooper (ATL)

7 David Njoku (CLE)

-

7 Cameron Brate (TB)

6 Darren Waller (OAK)

9 Tyler Eifert (CIN)

10 Noah Fant (DEN)

5 T.J. Hockenson (DET)

6 Mo Alie-Cox (IND)

10 Matt LaCosse (NE)

5 Mike Gesicki (MIA)

-

K

8 Justin Tucker (BAL)

9 Greg Zuerlein (LAR)

9 Will Lutz (NO)

10 Stephen Gostkowski (NE)

 -

10 Ka’imi Fairbairn (HOU)

12 Harrison Butker (KC)

12 Kaare Vedvick (MIN)

11 Aldrick Rosas (NYG)

11 Mason Crosby (GB)

8 Brett Maher (DAL)

11 Jason Myers (SEA)

9 Giorgio Tavecchio (ATL)

12 Michael Badgley (LAC)

 -

12 Zane Gonzalez (ARZ)

6 Stephen Hauschka (BUF)

7 Graham Gano (CAR)

6 Eddy Piniero (CHI)

9 Randy Bullock (CIN)

7 Austin Seibert (CLE)

10 Brandon McManus (DEN)

5 Matt Prater (DET)

6 Adam Vinitieri (IND)

10 Josh Lambo (JAX)

12 Ty Long (LAC)

5 Jason Sanders (MIA)

6 Daniel Carlson (OAK)

10 Jake Elliott (PHI)

7 Chris Boswell (PIT)

7 Matthew McCrane (PIT)

4 Robbie Gould (SF)

4 Jon Brown (SF)

7 Cairo Santos (TB)

7 Matt Gay (TB)

11 Ryan Succop (TEN)

10 Dustin Hopkins (WAS)

4 Taylor Bertolet (NYJ)

-

DEF

6 Chicago

 -

9 LA Rams

7 Cleveland

10 Jacksonville

12 LA Chargers

10 Houston

12 Kansas City

 -

5 Miami

10 Denver

4 NY Jets

12 Minnesota

11 Seattle

7 Pittsburgh

10 New England

10 Washington

9 New Orleans

8 Baltimore

9 Cincinnati

[overthinkingfantasy]

A Look at 2020 RB Floors

  All numbers are projected to a full 16 games, even if they played less.

  Here are the top 60, the rest can be found on my Full Spreadsheet Here

  Rank Player 6 * 10 * 15 * 20 * 25 * 30 * 35 * 1 Dalvin Cook 16 16 15 9 7 2 2 2 Alvin Kamara 16 15 14 10 5 4 3 3 Derrick Henry 15 12 11 7 6 4 4 4 James Robinson 16 16 8 6 3 2 0 5 Aaron Jones 16 15 9 5 1 1 1 6 Nick Chubb 13 13 11 5 3 0 0 7 David Montgomery 15 13 9 7 4 0 0 8 Austin Ekeler 14 13 10 5 2 2 0 9 Jonathan Taylor 14 12 10 3 2 2 1 10 Chris Carson 15 13 8 4 1 0 0 11 Myles Gaskin 16 14 6 3 2 2 0 12 Ezekiel Elliott 15 11 9 4 1 0 0 13 David Johnson 15 13 7 4 1 0 0 14 D'Andre Swift 14 12 7 4 2 0 0 15 Josh Jacobs 15 12 5 5 2 1 1 16 Joe Mixon 16 11 5 3 3 3 3 17 Melvin Gordon III 13 11 7 3 1 0 0 18 Ronald Jones II 14 11 7 2 1 0 0 19 Antonio Gibson 15 10 6 3 1 1 1 20 Mike Davis 15 9 6 4 2 0 0 21 Miles Sanders 15 11 5 4 1 0 0 22 James Conner 12 11 7 2 0 0 0 23 Clyde Edwards-Helaire 15 12 5 2 0 0 0 24 Kareem Hunt 14 9 6 2 1 0 0 25 Salvon Ahmed 11 11 5 3 0 0 0 26 Kenyan Drake 14 10 4 2 1 0 0 27 Nyheim Hines 13 9 4 3 2 0 0 28 Jeff Wilson Jr. 9 7 5 5 3 1 0 29 J.D. McKissic 13 8 5 2 1 0 0 30 Raheem Mostert 14 8 4 2 2 0 0 31 Todd Gurley II 11 7 4 2 1 0 0 32 Chase Edmonds 11 8 4 2 0 0 0 33 Leonard Fournette 9 7 5 2 1 0 0 34 J.K. Dobbins 12 9 3 1 1 0 0 35 Rex Burkhead 10 5 5 3 2 2 0 36 Giovani Bernard 11 5 4 4 0 0 0 37 Darrell Henderson 10 5 4 2 0 0 0 38 Damien Harris 13 8 2 0 0 0 0 39 Devin Singletary 11 7 3 0 0 0 0 40 Wayne Gallman 10 7 3 0 0 0 0 41 Latavius Murray 11 5 2 2 1 0 0 42 Cam Akers 11 5 3 1 0 0 0 43 Sony Michel 11 4 4 2 0 0 0 44 Kalen Ballage 10 6 3 0 0 0 0 45 Jamaal Williams 9 5 3 1 0 0 0 46 Jerick McKinnon 7 6 3 1 0 0 0 47 Carlos Hyde 8 5 3 0 0 0 0 48 Zack Moss 9 6 1 1 0 0 0 49 James White 10 6 1 0 0 0 0 50 Justin Jackson 7 7 2 0 0 0 0 51 Duke Johnson Jr. 10 3 3 0 0 0 0 52 Adrian Peterson 8 5 2 0 0 0 0 53 Gus Edwards 11 4 1 0 0 0 0 54 Alexander Mattison 6 4 2 1 1 0 0 55 Tony Pollard 8 4 1 1 1 1 0 56 Frank Gore 10 4 1 0 0 0 0 57 Malcolm Brown 5 4 2 1 1 0 0 58 Phillip Lindsay 7 3 1 0 0 0 0 59 Boston Scott 8 2 1 0 0 0 0 60 Brian Hill 6 2 2 0 0 0 0

Take Aways

I'm not projecting next year, this is only last year's data, which may be helpful for projecting next year.

Christian McCafery would have finished in a tier of his own as expected (though there are many problems projecting 3 to 16 games, which is why he wasn't included)

Huge drop-offs in constancy, especially when you compare them to WRs which were more linear. The main drop offs were RB #2(122) to #3(102), #3(102) to #4(94), #30(54) to 31(48)

Joe Mixon is one of 5 players to score 40+ points, and he did it 3 times, more then any other player

  The Math

The formula for ranking their consistency was I took every stat, divided it by their games played then multiplied it by 16.

[ ({15+}*3) + ({10+}*2) + ({6+ & 20+}*1.5) + ({25+ & 30+}*1) + ({35+}*0.5) + ({40+}*0.25) ]

I wanted to weigh the odds of them getting 15+ points really high, while keeping my formula relevant for lower tier players, while also factoring in their boom potential slightly to sort similar players. I added in this time their total season score divided by a really small amount in order to differentiate the players who had the same score reaaaly far down in my rankings. If you have ideas to improve the rankings, I'd love to hear them.

  Original Reddit Post

[junker-town]

The NFL’s best remaining free agents, by position

Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images

The new league year is here, but not every big name has been signed yet.

The official start to the new NFL league year is here, with a new collective bargaining agreement and all. It also comes at a time when the world is upended by the coronavirus pandemic, but other than changes to travel and locking down team facilities, NFL free agency is continuing unabated.

With the legal tampering period beginning on March 16, many deals were already agreed upon before free agency actually began. Some became official right at 4 p.m. ET when the new league year kicked off, while others have yet to be finalized until teams can conduct physicals. We’ve also seen a high number of franchise tags this offseason, with players like Dak Prescott and Chris Jones sticking with their teams.

Even after all that, there are a slew of free agents looking for a landing spot in 2020. Below, we’ll point you to the best available players at each position, with updates throughout free agency. Note that not every signing is included, namely for players at the bottom of the roster.

Quarterback

Signed: Kyle Allen, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Teddy Bridgewater, Chase Daniel, Blaine Gabbert, Chad Henne, Taysom Hill, Brian Hoyer, Case Keenum, Marcus Mariota, AJ McCarron, Colt McCoy, Sean Mannion, Nick Mullens, Nathan Peterman, Dak Prescott, Philip Rivers, Nate Sudfeld, Ryan Tannehill, P.J. Walker, Jameis Winston

Best available: Blake Bortles, Joe Flacco, Josh McCown, Matt Moore, Cam Newton, Kyle Sloter

A strong group of free agent quarterbacks has been quickly depleted, with Dak Prescott getting the franchise tag and Tom Brady, Teddy Bridgewater, and Marcus Mariota landing with new teams. Cam Newton’s reported release made him a late addition to the list and an intriguing option for teams that. missed out on the first wave of QB signings.

Running Back

Signed: Ameer Abdullah, Peyton Barber, Matt Breida, Kenyan Drake, Austin Ekeler, Melvin Gordon, Todd Gurley, Derrick Henry, Jordan Howard, Kareem Hunt, Dion Lewis, J.D. McKissic, DeAndre Washington, Jeff Wilson

Best available: Devonta Freeman, Frank Gore, Carlos Hyde, LeSean McCoy, Lamar Miller, Ty Montgomery, C.J. Prosise, Wendell Smallwood, Chris Thompson, Jonathan Williams

The value of the running back position continues to swing wildly, but that didn’t stop the Titans from putting the franchise tag on Derrick Henry. Other names like Austin Ekeler and Jordan Howard were quickly locked down, too.

Wide Receiver

Signed: Geronimo Allison, Nelson Agholor, Danny Amendola, Robby Anderson, Travis Benjamin, Kendrick Bourne, DeAndre Carter, Randall Cobb, Keelan Cole, Amari Cooper, Phillip Dorsett, Keelan Doss, Larry Fitzgerald, Devin Funchess, A.J. Green, David Moore, Zach Pascal, Breshad Perriman, Demarcus Robinson, Emmanuel Sanders, Tajae Sharpe, Laquon Treadwell

Best available: Taylor Gabriel, Rashard Higgins, Johnny Holton

We already saw two blockbuster wide receiver trades involving DeAndre Hopkins and Stefon Diggs. The Cowboys didn’t let Amari Cooper hit the open market, as they signed him to a lucrative long-term deal. The Bengals tagged A.J. Green, but that still left some compelling names on the market.

Tight End

Signed: Ross Dwelley, Eric Ebron, Tyler Eifert, Darren Fells, Jimmy Graham, Demetrius Harris, Hunter Henry, Jacob Hollister, Austin Hooper, Blake Jarwin, Marcedes Lewis, Greg Olsen, Quinton Spain, Levine Toilolo, Jason Witten

Best available: Charles Clay, Jordan Reed, Luke Stocker, Geoff Swaim, Delanie Walker

A weak draft class at tight end put a premium on the free agents who became available. Hunter Henry got the franchise tag, while Austin Hooper was quickly snatched up. Veterans Greg Olsen, Jimmy Graham and Jason Witten had no troubles landing with teams, either.

Offensive Line

Signed: Daniel Brunskill, Bryan Bulaga, Anthony Castonzo, Jack Conklin, Rashaad Coward, George Fant, Cam Fleming, Ereck Flowers, Marcus Gilbert Graham Glasgow, Joe Haeg, D.J. Humphries, Joey Hunt, Roderick Johnson, Ted Karras, Alex Lewis, Justin McCray, Connor McGovern, John Miller, Justin Murray, Cedric Ogbuehi, Andrus Peat, Ty Sambrailo, Brandon Scherff, Brandon Shell, Matt Skura, Xavier Su’a-Filo, Joe Thuney, Ricky Wagner, Andrew Whitworth, Elijah Wilkinson, Daryl Williams, Stefen Wisniewski, Andrew Wylie

Best available: Demar Dotson, Cordy Glenn, James Hurst, Ronald Leary, Jason Peters

The Colts held on to left tackle Anthony Castonzo with an extension. Guards Joe Thuney and Brandon Scherff would have been next to new deals, but both received the franchise tag fairly quickly. Still, there’s a lot of beef out there!

Edge

Signed: Mario Addison, Arik Armstead, Shaquil Barrett, Vic Beasley, Ronald Blair, Bud Dupree, Dante Fowler Jr., Rodney Gunter, Bruce Irvin, Quinton Jefferson, Matt Judon, Roy Robertson-Harris, Branden Jackson, Carl Nassib, Yannick Ngakoue, Robert Quinn, Stephen Weatherly, Leonard Williams, Derek Wolfe

Best available: Jadeveon Clowney, Markus Golden, Everson Griffen, Clay Matthews, Cameron Wake

Getting to the quarterback is becoming more and more important as crazy-athletic passers continue to enter the league. The 49ers gave Arik Armstead a huge extension, while the Jaguars were quick to tag Yannick Ngakoue.

Defensive Tackle

Signed: Beau Allen, Andrew Billings, Michael Brockers, Adam Butler, Maliek Collins, Tyeler Davison, Sheldon Day, Brandon Dunn, Javon Hargrave, Shelby Harris, Chris Jones, Linval Joseph, Star Lotulelei, Gerald McCoy, Michael Pierce, Dontari Poe, Mike Purcell, D.J. Reader, Jarran Reed, A’Shawn Robinson, Danny Shelton, Ndamukong Suh, Josh Tupou, Antwaun Woods

Best available: Damon Harrison, Margus Hunt, Brandon Mebane

Chris Jones got the franchise tag, which is unsurprising because of how important he was to the Chiefs’ Super Bowl win. After him, D.J. Reader got a huge contract with the Bengals, and the market is beginning to be pretty depleted.

Linebacker

Signed: Vince Biegel, Jon Bostic, De’Vondre Campbell, Jamie Collins, Brandon Copeland, Thomas Davis, Kyler Fackrell, Leonard Floyd, B.J. Goodson, Jordan Jenkins, Devon Kennard, Christian Kirksey, Nick Kwiatkoski, Sean Lee, Cory Littleton, Blake Martinez, David Mayo, Kevin Minter, Nicholas Morrow, Denzel Perryman, Kevin Pierre-Louis, Reggie Ragland, Elandon Roberts, Joe Schobert, Danny Trevathan, Kyle Van Noy, Nick Vigil, Tahir Whitehead, Kyle Wilber, Eric Wilson

Best available: Mark Barron, Anthony Chickillo, Kareem Martin, Alec Ogletree

There are a lot of tackling machines available this year, even after guys like Jamie Collins, Cory Littleton, Thomas Davis, and Joe Schobert got big deals elsewhere.

Cornerback

Signed: Mackensie Alexander, James Bradberry, Bashaud Breeland, Anthony Brown, Ronald Darby, Michael Davis, Pierre Desir, Grant Haley, Vernon Hargreaves, Chris Harris Jr., Byron Jones, Nevin Lawson, Jalen Mills, Emmanuel Moseley, Brian Poole, Xavier Rhodes, Nickell Robey-Coleman, Bradley Roby, Jimmy Smith, Desmond Trufant, Levi Wallace, Trae Waynes

Best available: Prince Amukamara, Eli Apple, Darqueze Dennard, Johnathan Joseph, Logan Ryan

It’s unbelievable that someone as good as Byron Jones hit the open market, and he wasn’t there for long, signing a megadeal with the Dolphins. There are still quite a few corners worth kicking the tires on, however.

Safety

Signed: Vonn Bell, Tre Boston, Chuck Clark, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Anthony Harris, Jeff Heath, Eddie Jackson, Malcolm Jenkins, Karl Joseph, Devin McCourty, Jordan Poyer, Damarious Randall, Andrew Sendejo, Justin Simmons, Jimmie Ward

Best available: Morgan Burnett, Blake Countess, A.J. Howard, Tony Jefferson, Colin Jones, Reshad Jones, Eric Reid

Several big names at safety, like Devin McCourty, Anthony Harris, and Jimmie Ward, were scheduled to be free agents. Unfortunately for teams in need of safety help, all three are staying put, leaving the next tier of safeties for the rest of the league.

[breakingnewsandsports]

Position rankings, sleepers, bargains, breakouts and potential busts (06/28/2017)

The 2017 Fantasy Football season is just around the corner. Join SEC Country as we dive into position rankings for quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends kickers and defenses.

We’ll also take a look at sleepers, bargain, breakouts and potential busts for your upcoming fantasy draft.

You can find consensus rankings from over 40 industry experts at Fantasy Pros, get the latest rankings from ESPN expert Matthew Berry and weigh the opinions of the Yahoo! Sports Fantasy experts all for free.

Here’s a look at our rankings, which are for a non-PPR, standard scoring format:

2017 Fantasy Football: Quarterback (QB) rankings

RANKPLAYERTEAMBYE1Aaron RodgersGB82Tom BradyNE93Drew BreesNO54Ben RoethlisbergerPIT95Andrew LuckIND116Matt RyanATL57Russell WilsonSEA68Cam NewtonCAR119Kirk CousinsWAS510Derek CarrOAK1011Dak PrescottDAL612Jameis WinstonTB1113Philip RiversLAC914Eli ManningNYG815Carson PalmerARI816Marcus MariotaTEN817Matthew StaffordDET718Carson WentzPHI1019Andy DaltonCIN620Joe FlaccoBAL1021Tyrod TaylorBUF622Blake BortlesJAC823Mike GlennonCHI924Ryan TannehillMIA1125Deshaun WatsonHOU726Alex SmithKC1027Sam BradfordMIN928Brian HoyerSF1129Cody KesslerCLE930Jared GoffLAR8

2017 Fantasy Football: Running Back (RB) rankings

RANKPLAYERTEAMBYE1Le’Veon BellPIT92David JohnsonARI83Ezekiel ElliottDAL64LeSean McCoyBUF65DeMarco MurrayTEN86Jordan HowardCHI97Melvin GordonLAC98Devonta FreemanATL59Lamar MillerHOU710Leonard FournetteJAC811Todd GurleyLAR812Jay AjayiMIA1113Mark IngramNO514Isaiah CrowellCLE915Marshawn LynchOAK1016LeGarrette BlountPHI1017Carlos HydeSF1118Eddie LacySEA619Christian McCaffreyCAR1120Spencer WareKC1021Rob KelleyWAS522C.J. AndersonDEN523Ty MontgomeryGB824Doug MartinTB1125Dalvin CookMIN926Frank GoreIND1127Tevin ColemanATL528Adrian PetersonNO529Ameer AbdullahDET730Jonathan StewartCAR11

2017 Fantasy Football: Wide Receiver (WR) rankings

RANKPLAYERTEAMBYE1Antonio BrownPIT92Julio JonesATL53Odell Beckham Jr.NYG84Mike EvansTB115A.J. GreenCIN66Jordy NelsonGB87Dez BryantDAL68T.Y. HiltonIND119Amari CooperOAK1010Demaryius ThomasDEN511Alshon JefferyPHI1012Keenan AllenLAC913Michael ThomasNO514Brandon MarshallNYG815Brandin CooksNE916Doug BaldwinSEA617DeAndre HopkinsHOU718Terrelle PryorWAS519Davante AdamsGB820Michael CrabtreeOAK1021Allen RobinsonJAC822Sammy WatkinsBUF623Golden TateDET724Larry FitzgeraldARI825Stefon DiggsMIN926Jeremy MaclinBAL1027Tyreek HillKC1028Jordan MatthewsPHI1029Julian EdelmanNE930Jarvis LandryMIA11

2017 Fantasy Football: Tight End (TE) rankings

RANKPLAYERTEAMBYE1Rob GronkowskiNE92Jordan ReedWAS53Travis KelceKC104Greg OlsenCAR115Delanie WalkerTEN86Jimmy GrahamSEA67Tyler EifertCIN68Hunter HenryLAC99Zach ErtzPHI1010Kyle RudolphMIN911O.J. HowardTB1112Zach MillerCHI913Jack DoyleIND1114C.J. FiedorowiczHOU715Cameron BrateTB1116Julius ThomasMIA1117Evan EngramNYG818Eric EbronDET719Martellus BennettGB820Jason WittenDAL6

2017 Fantasy Football: Kicker (K) rankings

RANKPLAYERTEAMBYE1Stephen GostkowskiNE92Justin TuckerBAL103Mason CrosbyGB84Dan BaileyDAL65Matt BryantATL56Adam VinatieriIND117Matt PraterDET78Sebastian JanikowskiOAK109Steven HauschkaBUF610Cairo SantosKC1011Chris BoswellPIT912Graham GanoCAR1113Chandler CatanzaroARI1114Brandon McManusDEN515Nick NovakHOU7

2017 Fantasy Football: Defense/Special Teams (D/ST) rankings

RANKTEAMBYE1HOU72NE93DEN54KC105SEA66ARI117BAL108GB89MIN910OAK1011CAR1112PIT913OAK1014TEN815CIN6

2017 Fantasy Football: Bargain players

The 10 best values for your fantasy draft this season, per NFL.com’s Michael Fabiano:

1. Golden Tate, WR, Detroit Lions 2. Ameer Abdullah, RB, Detroit Lions 3. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals 4. Frank Gore, RB, Indianapolis Colts 5. Doug Martin, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6. Pierre Garcon, WR, San Francisco 49ers 7. Adrian Peterson, RB, New Orleans Saints 8. Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers 9. Tyrod Taylor, QB, Buffalo Bills 10. Andy Dalton, QB, Cincinnati Bengals

2017 Fantasy Football: Sleeper players

The 10 best sleepers for your fantasy draft this season, per NFL.com’s Michael Fabiano:

1. Martavis Bryant, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers 2. Willie Snead, RB, New Orleans Saints: 3. Samaje Perine, RB, Washington Redskins 4. Kareem Hunt, RB, Kansas City Chiefs 5. Kenneth Dixon, RB, Baltimore Ravens 6. Cameron Meredith, WR, Chicago Bears 7. Corey Coleman, WR, Cleveland Browns 8. Quincy Enunwa, WR, New York Jets 9. DeVante Parker, WR, Miami Dolphins 10. Carson Wentz, QB, Philadelphia Eagles

2017 Fantasy Football: Breakout players

The 10 best breakout players for your fantasy draft this season, per NFL.com’s Michael Fabiano:

1. Leonard Fournette, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars 2. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers 3. Isaiah Crowell, RB, Cleveland Browns 4. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings 5. Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals 6. Terrelle Pryor, WR, Washington Redskins 7. Tyreek Hill, WR, Kansas City Chiefs 8. Sammy Watkins, WR, Buffalo Bills 9. Bilal Powell, RB, New York Jets 10. Stefon Diggs, WR, Minnesota Vikings

2017 Fantasy Football: Potential busts

The 10 players who could bust your fantasy draft this season, per NFL.com’s Michael Fabiano:

1. Alshon Jeffery, WR, Philadelphia Eagles 2. Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers 3. Eddie Lacy, RB, Seattle Seahawks 4. Mark Ingram, RB, New Orleans Saints 5. Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers 6. Julian Edelman, WR, New England Patriots 7. Brandon Marshall, WR, New York Giants 8. Jeremy Hill, RB, Cincinnati Bengals 9. Latavius Murray, RB, Minnesota Vikings 10. O.J. Howard, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios Adventures

Remy stared in her brother's direction, trying to make him do something fun by sheer force of will. All Adam did all day was mope and read, and sharing a room with him was beginning to grate on her nerves.

Adam moved, and Remy had a brief moment of hope where she though he might do something interesting. She was immediately let down however, when he simply grabbed a school book and started to read. Remy had thought sharing a room with him briefly as a kid had been rough, but she was wrong. Her younger twin brother had the exciting life of a shriveled up old warlock whose main excitement in life was the daily crossword puzzle. Clearly Theo had been a large part of Adam's adventurous side and if he didn't come back to make her brother fun again, she had the feeling that Adam would forever be as dull as he was now.

"A book? Why are you doing schoolwork? It's after hours and you could be doing anything! Literally, anything. Why don't you watch a movie or whatever you think is fun? Teenagers have fun, boring ass adults do schoolwork after class. You're only young once, Adam and you're blowing it."

"I don't know, it's hard to say what's fun these days. Theo liked watching movies with me. The really scary ones so he'd have to hold me when we watched them. Everything I could do, I did it with him first. Reading about magic might be the only way I can see him again. If I want to, that is."

"That's it! I can't take any more of this. You stay here and die of old age, while you figure out if you still love your boyfriend. I'm going to have fun. At least one of us should."

Remy cast a quick spell to freshen her makeup and hair, daring her brother to say something. Anything.

"Where are you going? You know you're not supposed to leave the school grounds," Adam cautioned. "Dad will be pissed if he finds out."

"No, he won't. He'll never catch me and if he ever did, I could just blame your constant moping making me insane. Seriously, if you went downstairs to even have a game of chess with a stranger, Dad would probably throw a party of his own."

"He would not," Adam grumbled defensively. "I'm not that bad."

"Yeah, you are," Remy confirmed, looking at her phone. "Don't worry, I have some fun planned for you despite your aversion to anything interesting. You can't just stay in here mourning Theo forever."

"Oh god, what have you done now, Remy?" Adam groaned. "I don't need your idea of fun. That usually leads to hangovers and possible academic suspension."

"You'll see," she teased, putting on a revealing dress in an instant and rechecking her hair. "I got your boy crush's phone number, why don't you try entering it on your new phone? Oh wait, I already did while you stared at the wall all day."

"Boy crush?" Adam repeated. "I don't have any crush, you're being deluded again."

"I've seen the way that you look at Josh from Crystal Cove," Remy laughed. "Oh, Josh, help me find this rare crystal. Josh, do you want to help me study? My boyfriend just can't answer questions like you can. Let's have little crystal babies together."

Remy made an obnoxious kissing noise and Adam whipped a pillow at her.

"That's not true!" he shouted. "Josh and I are just friends. He's dating someone from Arkhelios!"

"Just like you, see this is working out," Remy replied. "You have so much in common. I told him that you wanted to spend some alone time to talk about rocks and he was into it. Dad might not have told you, but he called the coven nearly every day after you got hurt. He likes you."

"Remy! You didn't!"

Adam's mind reeled as he thought of the damage Remy had done. Josh was an attractive, powerful warlock who Adam looked up to. He was a couple years older than Adam and currently had a boyfriend in college, Melvin Jr Hydes. Josh and Melvin always seemed so happy together, just like he and Theo used to be and the thought of Josh thinking that Adam wouldn't respect that relationship was horrible.

It wasn't like Remy was too off base though, if Adam was honest with himself. Josh was the great-nephew of the king of Strangetown and was named after Master Toyonaga, someone he had always longed to have as a teacher. In an alternate world, Adam would learn under Master Toyonaga and continue to pursue crystal magic as a major. The fact that Josh would also be there was just a bonus.

Josh didn't make Adam feel like he did when he was with Theo, but Adam could still feel his heart race when Josh helped him with a project. The fact that Remy had picked up on this fact was dangerous. If she knew about his silly crush, how obvious was it to everyone else? Did Josh know? Did Theo?

"Hey, Adam. I was just wondering if you wanted to do something together? Your sister said you might want to hang out?"

Adam's heart froze in his chest when he saw Simon Toyonaga appear in their doorway, looking optimistic. From the way his sister was beaming, Adam assumed that this visit was also her idea. Had she invited every member of the Toyonaga family in their age group to cheer him up?

"Remy!" Adam hissed, unsure if he was more angry or terrified by his sister's meddling. How on earth was she doing all of this?

"Oh, hi, Simon," Remy said sweetly. "Good timing. I was just going out and Adam could use some company. His boyfriend is still missing and he's feeling so hurt by him. Maybe you could cheer him up."

"Yeah, I can try," Simon said eagerly. "What do you want to do?"

Behind Simon's back, Remy was making obscene gestures with her hands, giving her brother suggestions for what they could do in her absence.

"Remy! Uh, yeah, I guess we could go for a walk or something," Adam said politely. It wasn't Simon's fault that Remy was out of control.

Simon was cute, and even Adam could figure out that Simon had a crush on him. Theo had always acted like he was oblivious to this fact if he did know. Unlike his father, there weren't several family stories about Theo going mad with jealousy and taking his anger out on people who simply looked at his partner. Roman was always the parent who made Adam nervous when he was at Theo's house because he was so predictably unpredictable. There was no way that Adam could picture Theo dumping Simon into a section of the Void because Adam thought he was attractive. No matter how Theo eventually returned to him, Adam knew that Simon would be safe if Remy tried to convince Theo that something had happened while he was gone.

But i thought that he would never hurt me. Maybe the Theo I thought I knew never really existed.

"It's nice out here," Simon commented.

After forcing Remy to go to her party or whatever she had planned so that she'd leave him alone, Adam and Simon had walked in near silence down to the outdoor balconies. Simon watched Adam in case he wobbled or needed assistance, but it wasn't needed. The majority of his physical wounds had healed, though Adam supposed that people couldn't have known that if they never saw him out in public.

"I never really come out here at night," Simon continued awkwardly. "It's peaceful."

"Theo and I always sat out here. You can see a lot of cool birds and there's a pretty good view of some of the royal residences."

"So, uh, do you know when Theo will be back in school?" Simon asked carefully. "Is he coming back? I've heard a lot of conflicting things."

"He'll be back," Adam promised. "Evren might burn down the school if he doesn't. All the adults talk in hushed whispers when Theo's mentioned, so I'd imagine that something is happening. Maybe he'll come back early."

"So you are still dating him? Remy made it sound like-"

"Remy doesn't know what she's talking about," Adam said quickly. "I don't know how I'll feel when I see him again, but I owe it to him to not break up with him while he's not here to know that we're done. Remy means well, but sometimes she goes too far."

"That's admirable," Simon replied. "Theo's lucky to have you...that is if you decide to stay together. Relationships aren't easy."

"No, they're not," Adam agreed. "I learned that the hard way."

"So what are you up to lately?" Simon asked, redirecting their conversation away from the topic of Theo. "You miss a lot of class, are you having trouble keeping up? I can always try to help, though my grades have never been as good as yours. Do you have any hobbies?"

Adam paused, trying to think of a response.

"No, not really. I haven't been doing much of anything lately. It's too hard to focus on anything but Theo...and everything that happened."

"You like crystals, though, don't you?" Simon pressed. "You made Theo that ring he's always showing off and I remember your year-end project from last year. It was the prototype for a new wand, right? Did you ever get that to work?"

Adam frowned, unsure of the answer to that question.

"I don't know, I dropped it after I could use the Maricourt wand," he replied. "To be honest, I've kinda forgotten about it. My dad gets upset if I don't show off the Maricourt wand in class."

"Well, what would you rather wield? I like my trusty carved wand personally. I don't think I'll ever use the Maricourt wand after I can summon it. It's bulky and too much of a hassle."

"Yeah, I've never really thought about it," Adam said. "It's just what my dad told me to do. It's tradition. It's how you prove yourself to the coven." He paused. "Now that you mention it, the Maricourt wand is bulky and hard to maneuver. I smacked myself in the head a few times when i first tried to cast a proper spell with it."

"You worry too much about what adults think," Simon declared, staring up at the night sky. "Forget about Theo for now and focus on yourself. I mean, that's what he's doing, isn't he? He's finding out who he is and how to be that person going forward and you're just crying about him. I'm not trying to be mean, Adam, but you should use this time to grow in your own power. Try something new. Take a risk."

Adam thought carefully about this advice. Sure, Remy and his father had told him basically the same thing, but it felt different coming from an outsider to their family. Maybe he really was missing a silver lining with Theo's absence. When Theo came back, did he really want to see his boyfriend miserable and barely leaving his dorm room? Adam's body and magical skill had been transformed and he wasn't even experimenting with his abilities or how they could interact with the power of crystals. Why did he use the Maricourt wand in class when he could barely feel the difference in magical power when he used it? His magic had always felt amplified when channeled through a crystal prism. Whenever he searched for his limited connection to Theo, a crystal wand always made him easier to find. His feelings for Theo always seemed to be perfectly in tune with a crystal, vibrating together with perfect clarity.

"You're right," Adam said slowly, a powerful thought beginning to crystalize in his mind. "No one is going to bring Theo back here or let me talk to him. If I want to get closure, I need to find Theo myself."

"I'm not sure that was my point exactly," Simon replied. "You should find out about yourself and then when you're ready-"

"I can feel him faintly. If I could get a wand that would amplify that, I might be able to talk to him. I could take charge of this situation and fix all of this."

For the first time in months, the tightness in Adam's chest began to ease. Why was he sitting around waiting for someone else to bring Theo back to him? He had all the tools he needed to try to fix this. He was so preoccupied with all the changes that had happened to him, that he'd forgotten all the things that had stayed the same. He was connected to Theo magically, which not only gave him a clue to find Theo, but also borrowed some of Theo's insane power for himself. He was a Maricourt and a Darktide and he could do whatever he put his mind to.

"You're right, Simon!" Adam exclaimed, feeling hope trickle back into his heart for the first time in months. "I know just who to help me find Theo."

"Please don't tell your sister that this was my idea," Simon whimpered. As much as he liked Adam, he was rightfully frightened of Remy, Bronwen and Elowen. If they thought that he had influenced their brother into something rash and dangerous, Simon was doomed.

Adam summoned one of his practice wands for dueling class and immediately waved it in a basic summoning spell. Using a practice wand dulled the spell's power so that the target wouldn't be summoned against their will. They could choose to ignore the summons if it was inconvenient for them. The last thing Adam wanted was to summon his guest if he was getting ready for bed.

"Adam? So are you are alive! I was starting to have my doubts."

A glowing figure emerged from nothingness before the two boys' eyes. Adam beamed seeing his visitor, consciously trying not to look too excited.

"Josh! Remy mentioned that you were looking to talk with me," Adam said, brushing his hair slightly so less of his scar was visible. "Simon and I were just talking, and I may have a project for us. I need to talk to Theo and there's no traditional way of finding him. From what my dad says, he's in a place we can't even summon him. His dad already tried and it's like wherever he is has some kind of shielding. I can barely feel my connection to him, but with the right crystal, I might be able to enhance it. So I was thinking-"

"Slow down, Adam, I haven't seen you in months and you're talking a mile a minute about a crystal? How are you? What happened? Your dad gave me your new phone number and you've been ghosting me. I texted you. Are you doing any better?"

Adam froze, the weight of his memories steamrolling over the limited confidence he'd felt.

"I'm fine," he said shortly. "I can walk like normal now, and I've gone back to regular classes. I'm fine."

Josh nodded, realizing that he'd pushed too hard in his excitement to hear from his friend. If he wanted to help Adam, he would have to slow things down.

"I'm glad to hear that. You can catch me up to date while we're working on this project of yours."

Adam's face brightened once more. As long as he didn't have to think about what had happened, he could maybe start to see a path forward.

"I need a new wand," he explained. "I was hoping that you or Master Toyonaga could help me make that wand I was working on before. If I can get the right wand, I might be able to talk to Theo. All I need is some help."

"And I can help you," Josh replied. "I made my own wand last year. Just about everyone in the coven has at least one wand that they've made themselves. It's surprisingly easy with the right crystals."

"I knew I could count on you."

Adam beamed with a new excitement now that he had a tangible plan in front of him. Finally, something in his life that he could control. Josh was going to help him find Theo and then things would finally change. He'd know just how he felt about both his boyfriend and his future once he could make a stronger wand.

"Well, I think we could start with coffee first before we jump right into magic," Josh laughed. "I get that you don't want to talk about certain things, but it's been forever since we hung out. Crystals resonate stronger when you are honest about your feelings and intentions, so let me help focus your magic. Does the coffee machine in the kitchen still work or did Travis break it again?"

"Travis broke the coffee machine?" Adam repeated. "I don't think he did, but-"

"It was about a month ago," Simon said. "He was testing whether he could brew coffee with the attributes of a potion he was working on. The kitchen was a disaster and the new machine only came in last week. There were a lot of pissed off people in the mornings."

"Really? I don't remember that."

"Because you haven't been outside your bedroom in ages," Josh replied. "The world kept turning despite Theo being gone. This is what I'm saying, let's get you back into society and when you're back, your magic will take care of itself. You know crystals are stronger when they're surrounded by others in tune with you."

"Yeah, I know. That makes sense." Adam paused, trying to summon the courage to move forward when the past was still so overwhelming. Crystals did need clarity and focus and if he wanted to find Theo and find himself again, Josh's suggestion made sense.

"Okay, one cup of coffee. But that's it."

[unclescurvy]

2021 FANTASY FOOTBALL CHEAT SHEET

QB

Patrick Mahomes II (KC-12)

-

Aaron Rodgers (GB-13)

Josh Allen (BUF-7)

Russell Wilson (SEA-9)

Kyler Murray (ARZ-12)

Lamar Jackson (BAL-8)

Dak Prescott (DAL-7 INJ)

-

Matt Stafford (LAR-11)

Justin Herbert (LAC-7)

Joe Burrow (CIN-10)

-

Matt Ryan (ATL-6)

Ryan Tannehill (TEN-13)

Baker Mayfield (CLE-13)

Kirk Cousins (MIN-7)

Tom Brady (TB-9)

Derek Carr (LV-8)

-

Jameis Winston (NO-6)

Ben Roethlisberger (PIT-7)

Carson Wentz (IND-14-INJ)

Daniel Jones (NYG-10)

Jalen Hurts (PHI-14)

Jared Goff (DET-9)

Tua Tagovailoa (MIA-14)

Teddy Bridgewater (DEN-11)

Jimmy Garoppolo (SF-6)

Ryan Fitzpatrick (WAS-9)

Zach Wilson (NYJ-6)

Mac Jones (NE-14)

Sam Darnold (CAR-13)

Trevor Lawrence (JAX-7)

Andy Dalton (CHI-10)

Tyrod Taylor (HOU-10)

-

Taysom Hill (NO-6)

Trey Lance (SF-6)

Cam Newton

DeShaun Watson (HOU-10-SUS?)

-

RB

Christian McCaffrey (CAR-13)

Derrick Henry (TEN-13)

Dalvin Cook (MIN-7)

Alvin Kamara (NO-6)

-

Nick Chubb (CLE-13)

Ezekiel Elliott (DAL-7)

Aaron Jones (GB-13)

Saquon Barkley (NYG-10)

-

Jonathan Taylor (IND-14)

Najee Harris (PIT-7)

Austin Ekeler (LAC-7)

Antonio Gibson (WAS-9)

Joe Mixon (CIN-10)

Josh Jacobs (LV-8)

Clyde Edwards-Helaire (KC-12)

David Montgomery (CHI-10)

Miles Sanders (PHI-14)

Gus Edwards (BAL-8)

-

Chris Carson (SEA-9)

Kareem Hunt (CLE-13)

James Robinson (JAX-7)

Mike Davis (ATL-6)

Darrell Henderson (LAR-11)

Raheem Mostert (SF-6)

Michael Carter (NYJ-6)

-

Zack Moss (BUF-7 INJ)

Myles Gaskin (MIA-14)

Damien Harris (NE-14)

Melvin Gordon (DEN-11)

Sony Michel (LAR-11)

Phillip Lindsay (HOU-10)

Ronald Jones (TB-9)

Leonard Fournette (TB-9)

D’Andre Swift (DET-9 INJ)

Chase Edmonds (ARZ-12)

Javonte Williams (DEN-11)

Trey Sermon (SF-6)

David Johnson (HOU-10)

Malcolm Brown (MIA-14)

Nyheim Hines (IND-14)

James Conner (ARZ-12)

Ty’Son Williams (BAL-8)

Tevin Coleman (NYJ-6)

Jamaal Williams (DET-9)

A.J. Dillon (GB-13)

Devin Singletary (BUF-7)

James White (NE-14)

Rashaad Penny (SEA-9)

-

Rhamondre Stevenson (NE-14)

J.D. McKissic (WAS-9)

Mark Ingram (HOU-10)

Marlon Mack (IND-14)

Giovani Bernard (TB-9)

Alexander Mattison (MIN-7)

Boston Scott (PHI-14)

Kenyan Drake (LV-8)

Carlos Hyde (JAX-7)

Jaret Patterson (WAS-9)

Ty Johnson (NYJ-6)

Latavius Murray (NO-6)

Qadree Ollison (ATL-6)

-

WR

Davante Adams (GB-13)

DeAndre Hopkins (ARZ-12)

Tyreek Hill (KC-12)

Stefon Diggs (BUF-7 INJ)

Calvin Ridley (ATL-6)

Keenan Allen (LAC-7)

D.K. Metcalf (SEA-9)

Justin Jefferson (MIN-7 INJ)

-

Mike Evans (TB-9)

Julio Jones (TEN-13 INJ)

Chris Godwin (TB-9)

A.J. Brown (TEN-13 INJ)

-

Terry McLaurin (WAS-9)

Tee Higgins (CIN-10)

Allen Robinson (CHI-10)

CeeDee Lamb (DAL-7)

Odell Beckham, Jr. (CLE-13 INJ)

D.J. Moore (CAR-13)

Adam Thielen (MIN-7)

Cooper Kupp (LAR-11)

Robert Woods (LAR-11)

Diontae Johnson (PIT-7)

Jerry Jeudy (DEN-11)

-

JuJu Smith-Schuster (PIT-7)

Kenny Golladay (NYG-10 INJ)

Mike Williams (LAC-7)

Brandin Cooks (HOU-10)

Corey Davis (NYJ-6)

Jaylen Waddle (MIA-14)

Robby Anderson (CAR-13)

De’Vante Parker (MIA-14)

Brandon Aiyuk (SF-6)

Tyler Lockett (SEA-9)

Tyler Boyd (CIN-10)

Jamison Crowder (NYJ-6)

Darnell Mooney (CHI-10)

Courtland Sutton (DEN-11)

Amari Cooper (DAL-7 INJ)

D.J. Chark (JAX-7 INJ)

Chase Claypool (PIT-7)

DeVante Smith (PHI-14 INJ)

Darius Slayton (NYG-10)

Ja’Marr Chase (CIN-10)

Marvin Jones (JAX-7 INJ)

Tyrell Williams (DET-9)

Michael Thomas (NO-6-INJ 5)

-

Marquez Calloway (NO-6)

Will Fuller (MIA-14)

Russell Gage (ATL-6)

Marquise Brown (BAL-8 INJ)

Henry Ruggs III (LV-8)

Curtis Samuel (WAS-9)

Michael Pittman (IND-14)

Deebo Samuel (SF-6)

Mecole Hardman (KC-12)

Jakobi Myers (NE-14)

Gabriel Davis (BUF-7)

Laviska Shenault (JAX-7)

Nelson Agholor (NE-14)

A.J. Green (ARZ-12)

Jarvis Landry (CLE-13)

Michael Gallup (DAL-7)

Emmanuel Sanders (BUF-7 INJ)

Marquez Valdez-Scantling (GB-13)

Antonio Brown (TB-9)

Christian Kirk (ARZ-12)

Randall Cobb (GB-13)

Anthony Miller (HOU-10 INJ)

Van Jefferson (LAR-11)

Tre’Quan Smith (NO-6 INJ)

Bryan Edwards (LV-8)

Quintez Cephus (DET-9)

-

Cole Beasley (BUF-7)

Adam Humphries (WAS-9)

Allen Lazard (GB-13)

Donovan Peoples-Jones (CLE-13)

Albert Wilson (MIA-14)

Zach Pascal (IND-14)

K.J. Hamler (DEN-11)

Jalen Reagor (PHI-14)

Parris Campbell (IND-14)

Demarcus Robinson (KC-12)

Hunter Renfrow (LV-8)

Desean Jackson (LAR-11)

Sterling Shepard (NYG-10)

Sammy Watkins (BAL-8)

Josh Reynolds (TEN-13)

Kendrick Bourne (NE-14)

Rashard Higgins (CLE-13)

Tim Patrick (DEN-11)

Denzel Mims (NYJ-6)

Dede Westbrook (MIN-7)

Nico Collins (HOU-10)

Kadarius Toney (NYG-10 INJ)

Devin Duvernay (BAL-8)

Preston Williams (MIA-14)

T.Y. Hilton (IND-14 INJ)

N’Keal Harry (NE-14 INJ 2)

-

TE

Travis Kelce (KC-12)

George Kittle (SF-6)

Darren Waller (LV-8)

-

Mark Andrews (BAL-8)

-

Robert Tonyan (GB-13)

Logan Thomas (WAS-9)

T.J. Hockenson (DET-9)

Noah Fant (DEN-11 INJ)

Kyle Pitts (ATL-6)

Jonnu Smith (NE-14)

Dallas Goedert (PHI-14)

Jared Cook (LAC-7)

Tyler Higbee (LAR-11)

Hunter Henry (NE-14)

Gerald Everett (SEA-9)

Rob Gronkowski (TB-9)

-

Tyler Kroft (NYJ-6)

Mike Gesicki (MIA-14)

Hayden Hurst (ATL-6)

Austin Hooper (CLE-13)

O.J. Howard (TB-9)

Cole Kmet (CHI-10)

Eric Ebron (PIT-7)

David Njoku (CLE-13)

Zach Ertz (PHI-14)

-

Evan Engram (NYG-10 INJ) 

 Anthony Firkser (TEN-13)

Blake Jarwin (DAL-7)

Jack Doyle (IND-14)

Dan Arnold (CAR-13)

Donald Parham (LAC-7)

Adam Shaheen (MIA-14)

Will Dissly (SEA-9)

Noah Gray (KC-12)

Cameron Brate (TB-9)

C.J. Uzomah (CIN-10)

Pat Freiermuth (PIT-7)

Tyler Conklin (MIN-7)

Christopher Herndon IV (MIN-7)

Juwan Johnson (NO-6)

-

K

Justin Tucker (BAL-8)

Harrison Butker (KC-12)

Younghoe Koo (ATL-6)

-

Jason Myers (SEA-9)

Rodrigo Blankenship (IND-14)

Matt Prater (ARZ-12)

Tyler Bass (BUF-7)

Mason Crosby (GB-13)

Robbie Gould (SF-6)

Daniel Carlson (LV-8)

Greg Zuerlein (DAL-7 INJ)

Ryan Succop (TB-9)

Dustin Hopkins (WAS-9)

Cairo Santos (CHI-10)

Evan McPherson (CIN-10)

Brandon McManus (DEN-11)

Ka’imi Fairbairn (HOU-10)

Matt Gay (LAR-11)

Jason Sanders (MIA-14)

Greg Joseph (MIN-7)

Chase McLaughlin (CLE-13)

Graham Gano (NYG-10)

Jake Elliott (PHI-14)

Chris Boswell (PIT-7)

Sam Ficken (TEN-13)

Quinn Nordin (NE-14)

Ryan Santoso (CAR-13)

Josh Lambo (JAX-7)

Matt Ammendola (NYJ-6)

Tristan Vizcaino (LAC-7)

Aldrick Rosas (NO-6)

-

DEF

9 Washington

9 Tampa Bay

7 Pittsburgh

8 Baltimore

-

11 LA Rams

14 New England

14 Miami

7 Buffalo

13 Cleveland

14 Indianapolis

-

12 Kansas City

6 New Orleans

6 San Francisco

12 Arizona

7 Minnesota

11 Denver

9 Seattle

13 Tennessee

13 Green Bay

10 Chicago

13 Carolina

10 NY Giants

7 LA Chargers

14 Philadelphia

8 Las Vegas

7 Dallas

6 NY Jets

7 Jacksonville

10 Cincinnati

9 Detroit

10 Houston

6 Atlanta

[fantasysportsbrain]

Scott Fish Bowl Strategy #SFB7

I'm in the Rafiki division this year, and I'd love to paint for you a picture of how it went and what I was thinking every step of the way.  I seem to have employed a unique strategy, and I'll explain every bit of it.  I also tweeted "Assante Samuel, Squashed Emmanuel" after one of my picks.  Crickets.  It's an NFL-themed ode to Rafiki.  Right?  Anyone? Okay, so if you are unfamiliar with Scott Fish Bowl or not up to date on what is going down this year, let me bring you up to speed.  It is one mega-league consisting of sixty 12-team leagues... so 720 total teams.  Most of them are owned by industry experts, pundits, and writers but there are is a healthy number of selected fans in there too.  You can win your league and you can also win the whole thing out of 720.  It's kind of crazy. For scoring, the big change is points for first downs instead of PPR.  And bonus points to tight ends.  The biggest thing strategically is that it is best ball scoring so the computer will assign your best lineup after the games are played each week and you'll get your maximum score. For rosters, there are 22 players but no trades and no waivers.  So with a fixed roster and best ball scoring, the (held in July) draft is everything.  Each week your top 11 players will score for you.  No kickers or defenses.  Your top 11 must include one quarterback, one tight end, two running backs, and three wide receivers.  That's seven.  The last four are flexes.  One of those flex spots can be filled with any position, including quarterback ("superflex").  The other three can be any non-quarterback. My pick in the Rafiki league ("The Brain... has returned."  Anyone?) was number eleven.  That meant no David Johnson, LeVeon Bell, or Ezekiel Elliot.  No Gronk (bonuses to TE's). No Aaron Rodgers since superflex makes quarterbacks so valuable... Pretty much every team will want to start two every week because QB's score the most points.  (Even a bad QB will outscore a great RB most of the time.)  Anyway, #11 also meant no Shady, Devonta, Melvin, Brady, or Antonio Brown.  I'll get back to what I decided, but first... Let's talk strategy! QB:  I want three of the top 18 quarterbacks.  I see Joe Flacco at 18 and he had a million pass attempts last year and they added Jeremy Maclin... after Flacco I just don't trust any of those dudes.  If I get three of the top 18 and they all have different bye weeks I'll always have two studs starting at QB and superflex.  Plus, you know, injury insurance.  This is a massive advantage which is why I listed it first.  Lots of guys took two QB's early and a couple of guys, mysteriously, only took two total.  Only one other drafter (in Rafiki) had the same strategy here - Derek Yoder from Fantasy Pros (shoutout... give him a follow @Derek_Yoder_FP).  In fact Derek was even more aggressive than I was, going QB in rounds 2, 4, and 5.  Might have been overkill, but the thinking is strong. TE:  I'll talk about this second since the bonus points made this position buzzworthy.  I think it was a little too much hype, though.  I'm not sure bonus points on first downs will make those TE's in the #13-#24 range that much more valuable (if at all) than WR's in the #37-#48 range or RB's in the #25-#36 range.  Incidentally, if you're wondering about those number ranges I'm using them because those are the top 12 'flex-ranked' at each position... With one TE, two RB's, and three WR's as mandatory starts, your top flexes will be in this range.  It also shows you how scarce top options at RB and WR will be.  Those mandatory starters need attention, as does the one TE here.  My strategy is to get a dependable top 10 guy who looks like a reliable safety outlet for 1st downs for a young QB... and then wait until late to scoop some upside guys.  I've got a few late picks in mind who give reason for optimism. WR:  I want two studs and then to fill in that third spot and probably one or two flexes with some high quality tertiary options.  I was surprised to see so many great WR's fell in the draft so regularly.  More on who I picked in a minute.  Even with two every week starters I felt like I still wanted to invest in three or four fill-in guys who provided really good upside.  Remember, one of these guys must start alongside my two every-weekers and I'm also counting on one or two as flexes.  I've got three regular flexes to fill.  With my RB strategy (more in a moment) I expect to get one to pop each week and then start two WR's... or maybe a backup TE has a nice week instead.  Options. RB:  Okay, well, see... this is sorta where things get a little dicey.  With the top six RB's off of the board I felt like I'd be reaching a bit at #11 and #14 if I went with the venerable RB-RB strategy (still my preference in most redraft leagues).  I'd be taking Jay Ajayi and Todd Gurley.  Or maybe Isaiah Crowell.  Point is, I like those guys but I don't love them as my team's foundation.  Also, I started thinking... Running backs get injured a lot.  Backups are cheap.  Also, many teams have a 1st and 2nd down back getting a bulk of the carries and then a 3rd down back catching passes for 1st downs... which means bonus points in SFB7.  Also, a lot of those backup RB's are also the regular 3rd down option.  Hmm... Maybe I could grab a whole bunch of these guys and let best ball scoring take it from there.  I only need two to start each week.  Usually those mid-round WR's will outscore mid-round RB's anyway... and with the way WR's are devalued here I should be able to get some I can count on. Kicker:  Haha... just kidding.  We don't need no stinkin' kickers. Putting it all together:  Okay, #11 rolls around and I go Julio Jones.  Even without Kyle Shanahan calling the offense I still see a guy in his prime with a great quarterback.  And I'm not scared of Austin Hooper or Taylor Gabriel snagging too many of his first downs.  People seem to be scared of his most recent foot surgery... but it was to remove a bunion.  I don't worry about that.  Looking at ADP, this was a bit of a reach... so we'll see... but Odell Beckham, Jr. at #14 was a steal.  So, I get the #2 and #3 WR's in the whole league.  Since I decided to go away from stud RB's and instead take my two WR's (and top two QB's... stay tuned) this was as great outcome.  I did think about Drew Brees at #11 and I had hoped for Ajayi at #14... but I'm pretty happy with it.  Ya gotta start three WR's each week so this is an exceptional foundation.  I expect to go with four or five most of the time. And yeah, I went QB-QB with the next two.  Kirk Cousins and Philip Rivers.  I am not a Cousins fan but his production has been really good two years in a row and I really like the additions of Perine and Pryor.  Rivers... well, who can argue?  His track record is exceptional and his weapons are incredible.  I also wonder what playing in a 30,000 seat soccer stadium will do for on-field communication, if anything.  Can't be a negative.  His draft value is suppressed for some reason, but I continue to like him. I had to address RB at #5.11 and I went with Carlos Hyde.  Controversial pick, that.  I don't love it myself and hoped to grab Joe Williams later but missed out.  At #6.02 I got at TE that fit my strategy perfectly in Delanie Walker.  I don't love Walker at age 32, but he fits what I'm doing just right.  Good value on both of these guys, too.  At this point I still feel naked at RB, I need my fill-in WR's to go with the big two, and I've got to invest in QB3 real soon.  And it's 20 picks until I go again.  Tick tock. Guys I considered start flying off the board...  Christian McCaffrey, Paul Perkins, Eric Ebron (already?), Mark Ingram, Doug Martin, Dalvin Cook, Sammy Watkins, C.J. Anderson, Pryor, Spencer Ware... it's a bloodbath. Pick #11 has one advantage though... you can watch #12's roster and pick your #11 pick accordingly and take an educated risk on who will still be there for the even round #2 pick.  So, I got my QB3 here in Flacco.  Some might say it's a reach but my strategy was to lock down a top 18 QB as my QB3 and I knew I had to invest.  On the comeback I get Ameer Abdullah at #8.02.  Ugh.  RB is a wasteland... maybe the other teams will stop drafting them? Hey, maybe!  Only three RB's go off in the next 20 picks.  Including Derrick Henry and Bilal Powell... I might have drafted them.  We also lost out on David Njoku who I was hoping to get later.  So, at #9.11 I got Samaje Perine which I see as excellent value for an RB3.  At this point I still need a whole bunch of RB's... but I feel great at QB and at TE plus I've got my ultra-stud WR1 and WR2.  Another RB is a good idea but I'm going to start 4-5 WR's most weeks... and they can't slip forever... and I really like Stefon Diggs... and he's great value... and the next best RB is Danny Woodhead or Matt Forte... so, okay... Diggs at #10.02. Not a whole lot of damage in the next 20 picks...  We lose out on Garcon and Kareem Hunt, but overall it's not too bad.  With #11.11 and #12.02 I grab Duke Johnson and C.J. Prosise who fit my 3rd down running back + backup starter strategy pretty well.  Okay, well, Duke for sure.  People hate the Browns but that o-line is amazing.  And they'll be facing a ton of 3rd-and-7 type of situations.  With Prosise, he does have two guys in front of him but he did pretty well as a rookie and he'll be the 3rd down guy most of the time.  Good value here I think... especially at RB4 and RB5.  I'm starting to build a stable of guys who could pop any given Sunday.  I'm thinking I'll start three each week (well, between the minimum of two and probable max of four).  I'm thinking that the flexes will usually be one RB and two WR's with room for upside RB's and TE's. Okay, 20 more picks... waiting... waiting... John Brown, Joe Williams, Quincy Enunwa... not too bad.  Though it does show how thin the talent pool is getting.  I seriously considered Brown over Prosise but figured there were a lot of WR's in this tier and Prosise has some upside any given week. I looked at the #12 roster (Alec Snyder from Fantasy Jocks - @FantasyJocks) and saw that he didn't have any TE's yet.  I feel pretty solid with Walker, but I remember from my research in writing the Buffalo Bills preview for the RotoWire magazine that Charles Clay really turned it on late last year and the Bills are very thin at the 'pass-catcher' positions.  Look at his game logs... In weeks 15 and 16 combined he had 15 receptions for 157 yards and three scores.  Both of those weeks would have made it into my flex spot, so at #13.11 he provides good TE insurance and potential for flex-worthy weeks.  I may have sniped Alec here, too... since he went with back-to-back TE's with the next two picks.  At #14.02 I took Kenny Britt.  He's big, fast, is a #1 WR, and went over 1,000 yards last year in an arguably worse situation.  At #14.02?  Yes, please.  So, I've got my WR4 (finally) and one who sets a pretty solid floor as a probable starter.  In the 14th round.  Not bad!  People really hate the Browns, but do you remember how good Pryor was last year? I just went two more rounds without adding to my group of RB's though.... which isn't great.  I thought the pick of Clay was justified and Britt as my WR4 in the 14th is fantastic.  If I'm going to count on my WR depth I can't wait forever... but what havoc will happen at RB over the next 20 picks?  Jonathan Williams, Thomas Rawls, Marlon Mack... some good ones went down.  I wanted Mack. I settled for DeAndre Washington at #15.11.  He fits my strategy pretty well, especially if he can out-snap Jalen Richard this year.  Oakland has an amazing o-line so this is a nice get for RB6.  He could pop a flex-worthy week at any time.  At #16.02 I get Zay Jones.  Okay, so back to that thin Buffalo receiving corps... Jones is just a rookie but he led the NCAA in receptions last year and he's really just battling injury-prone Sammy Watkins for targets.  And, say what you want about Tyrod Taylor, but he's at least competent and he's behind a solid o-line.  I'm willing to bet he looks Jones' way quite often this year.  Not a bad WR5, especially in the 16th round. My next two picks were risk/reward plays in Giovanni Bernard and Allen Hurns.  Gio has to get healthy but he has obvious upside.  Hurns needs to bounce back from a down year but he was really good in 2015.  Upside.  The big thing here is that I can see either one of them getting a flex start for me at some point.  I would actually prefer to see Gio start the season on the PUP, come back fully healthy, and perform like Gio in the second half. At #19.11 and #20.02 I took TE3 and TE4, both with some upside.  Jermaine Gresham and Vance McDonald.  And, really, with all of the emphasis on TE's I'm pretty surprised to see them still around this late.  Both got sizable contracts in the off-season (especially Gresham) and both have undeniable talent.  Gresham, like Clay, was really good down the stretch last year and is still reasonably young.  The Cards don't like throwing to the TE, but they changed course a bit late last year, paid big to keep him around, and it is possible that Carson Palmer will regularly look to him at the 1st down marker.  It is rumored that McDonald might not make the final 53, but with his contract I don't buy it.  In real-life football, he's actually one of Brian Hoyer's best options.  Certainly he is a big target for first downs, even if they will be scarce for the Niners. With my last two picks I wanted RB's that have some sort of story that could put them in a position to get touches.  Orleans Darkwa is behind Paul Perkins plus rookie Wayne Gallman, but he's been running with the 1's in OTA's.  The coach has had nice things to say.  So, I think he's worth a flier in round 21.  Andre Ellington in round 22 is interesting too...  He's largely failed as an RB so far in his career and they tried moving him to WR, but they ended that experiment and Ellington is still listed at #2 on the depth chart behind David Johnson.  Does he get the #1 job in the event of an injury?  Will he see action on 3rd downs?  It's a good gamble in the final round.  The bottom line with these late-late-round guys is that I can see a situation where they have a flex-worthy week for me. Post-mortem:  Okay, the RB's are scary... but I did what I had to do.  I couldn't grab a super-stud so I took nine guys who all have a chance to pop at any time.  My favorites are Perine and Duke Johnson... though I did start with a couple of interesting picks in Hyde and Abdullah.  This is unquestionably my Achilles heel, but I did grab nine guys so maybe in a best ball format the bulk of options will make up for the lack of quality on top.  I only require two per week.  I'm set at quarterback, including bye weeks and the occasional down week by any of the three.  Cousins is a top fantasy QB, but if (when) he has one of those 227 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT types of games the computer will just best-ball-plug-in both Rivers and Flacco at QB and superflex.  This is a huge advantage.  At WR I'll start Julio and ODB every week and then one of Diggs, Britt, Jones, or Hurns.  Should be okay.  At TE I'm set with Walker but in case of a down week I get Clay or Gresham who both showed signs of studliness last season.  For my three non-super-flexes it's likely to be some combination of Britt, Jones, Perine, and Duke Johnson with the occasional pop from Prosise, Washington, Hurns, Clay, or Gresham.  I have a bulk of guys with defensible narratives that show a path to flex-worthiness.  I avoided handcuffs and guys with difficult paths to playing time, especially rookies or big injury risks (with the exception of a super late gamble on Gio).  I feel like this is a flexible lineup that can weather injury storms and has enough upside depth to keep me chugging along through 16 weeks. via Blogger http://ift.tt/2tjvUiA

[tkmedia]

Fantasy RB Rankings Week 4: Who to start, sit at running back in fantasy football

Fantasy football owners should be used to running backs getting injured, but it never gets any easier. No. 1 pick Christian McCaffrey is the latest casualty, and it's safe to say he's conspicuous by his absence in our Week 4 fantasy RB rankings. Of course, when one back goes down, another gets an opportunity, and all eyes will be on Chuba Hubbard as he tries to graduate from mere handcuff to breakout.  Of course, Hubbard isn't the only sleeper this week. There are plenty of matchups that other backs should be able to exploit, including whoever starts for the 49ers (vs. Seahawks), Zack Moss (vs. Texans), Kenneth Gainwell (vs. Chiefs), and Peyton Barber (@ Chargers) if Josh Jacobs (ankle, toe) is out again. WEEK 4 STANDARD RANKINGS: Quarterback | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | KickerThose aren't the main attractions, though -- those are merely flex backs you might have to start if you've been getting hit by the injury bug. The top backs are still sorting themselves out, as uneven performances have been common early in the season from even some of the biggest names. Fantasy owners are still trying to figure out who they can count on, and while you're not going to give up on guys like Saquon Barkley (vs. Saints), Jonathan Taylor (@ Dolphins), and Ezekiel Elliott (vs. Panthers) just yet, you might be getting close with David Montgomery (vs. Lions) and Myles Gaskin (vs. Colts). WEEK 4 PPR RANKINGS: Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | KickerThe good news with those guys is they're not in committees (yet). However, there are still plenty of annoying timeshares causing start 'em, sit 'em headaches every week. The Broncos (vs. Ravens), Bucs (@ Patriots), Ravens (@ Broncos), Cardinals (@ Rams), and Jets (vs. Titans) are some of the most difficult to navigate, especially in weeks in which they have bad matchups. That would apply to the Bucs, Ravens, and Cardinals this week. and it's tough to recommend starting any in standard leagues. The Ravens are a total mess for fantasy owners, and Leonard Fournette and Chase Edmonds figure to be better suited for PPR leagues. The Bucs have a good enough offense that Fournette or Ronald Jones II are always candidates for short TDs, but against the Pats, they're tough to trust. A few other backs are in tough spots this week. Mark Ingram (@ Bills), Damien Harris (vs. Bucs), Darrell Henderson/Sony Michel (vs. Cardinals), and Mike Davis/Cordarrelle Patterson (vs. Washington) all have statistically neutral or unfavorable matchups. We're not too worried about whoever starts for the Rams against the Cardinals, but Ingram and Harris are risky in any format, while Davis and Patterson are also better situated for at least half-PPR setups.About the only thing we know with RB is that there will continue to be injuries. It's an unfortunate fact with this position more than any other. The best you can do is stock up on backups, try to keep a high waiver claim, and get the most out of the guys on your roster. That starts with examining the matchups and usage trends more closely now that we're getting a large sample size. We'll be here to help along the way.Note: We'll be updating these RB rankings as needed throughout the week. so check back for the latest changes.

Fantasy RB Rankings Week 4: Who to start at running back

Rankings are based on standard, non-PPR scoring.Rank Player 1 Derrick Henry, TEN @ NYJ 2 Nick Chubb, CLE @ MIN 3 Dalvin Cook, MIN vs. CLE 4 Alvin Kamara, NO vs. NYG 5 Miles Sanders, PHI vs. KC 6 Aaron Jones, GB vs. PIT 7 Austin Ekeler, LAC vs. LV 8 Joe Mixon, CIN vs. JAX 9 Antonio Gibson, WAS @ ATL 10 Najee Harris, PIT @ GB 11 Saquon Barkley, NYG vs. NO 12 David Montgomery, CHI vs. DET 13 Chris Carson, SEA @ SF 14 Jonathan Taylor, IND @ MIA 15 Ezekiel Elliott, DAL vs. CAR 16 D'Andre Swift, DET @ CHI 17 James Robinson, JAX @ CIN 18 Josh Jacobs, LV @ LAC 19 Elijah Mitchell, SF vs. SEA 20 Chuba Hubbard, CAR @ DAL 21 Clyde Edwards-Helaire, KC @ PHI 22 Melvin Gordon, DEN vs. BAL 23 Myles Gaskin, MIA vs. IND 24 Kareem Hunt, CLE @ MIN 25 Javonte Williams, DEN vs. BAL 26 Zack Moss, BUF vs. HOU 27 Darrell Henderson, LAR vs. ARI 28 Jamaal Williams, DET @ CHI 29 Devin Singletary, BUF vs. HOU 30 Leonard Fournette, TB @ NE 31 Latavius Murray, BAL @ DEN 32 Mike Davis, ATL vs. WAS 33 Damien Harris, NE vs. TB 34 Mark Ingram, HOU @ BUF 35 Cordarrelle Patterson, ATL vs. WAS 36 Kenneth Gainwell, PHI vs. KC 37 Trey Sermon, SF vs. SEA 38 Tony Pollard, DAL vs. CAR 39 Chase Edmonds, ARI @ LAR 40 James Conner, ARI @ LAR 41 Michael Carter, NYJ vs. TEN 42 James White, NE vs. TB 43 Ty'Son Williams, BAL @ DEN 44 Tevin Coleman, NYJ vs. TEN 45 JD McKissic, WAS @ ATL 46 Nyheim Hines, IND @ MIA 47 Kenyan Drake, LV @ LAC 48 Ty Johnson, NYJ vs. TEN 49 Sony Michel, LAR vs. ARI 50 Alexander Mattison, MIN vs. CLE 51 Royce Freeman, CAR @ DAL 52 Ronald Jones II, TB @ NE 53 Phillip Lindsay, HOU @ BUF 54 David Johnson, HOU @ BUF 55 Darrel Williams, KC @ PHI 56 AJ Dillon, GB vs. PIT 57 Tony Jones Jr., NO vs. NYG 58 Damien Williams, CHI vs. DET 59 Carlos Hyde, JAX @ CIN 60 Giovani Bernard, TB @ NE 61 Malcolm Brown, MIA vs. IND 62 Peyton Barber, LV @ LAC 63 Devonta Freeman, BAL @ DEN 64 Alex Collins, SEA @ SF 65 Larry Rountree III, LAC vs. LV 66 Travis Homer, SEA @ SF 67 Justin Jackson, LAC vs. LV 68 Samaje Perine, CIN vs. JAX 69 J.J. Taylor, NE vs. TB 70 Jeremy McNichols, TEN @ NYJ Read the full article

[junker-town]

The top 100 NFL free agents in 2020 and where they’re signing

The 2020 NFL free agent class includes Jadeveon Clowney, Dak Prescott, and Tom Brady.

We ranked the best players who hit the open market and we’re keeping track of their new deals.

rThe 2020 NFL free agent market is loaded with big names — and a surprising number of veteran quarterbacks. Players ranging from Marcus Mariota to Dak Prescott to Tom Brady all headed into this offseason with expiring contracts.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg, though. The free agent class of 2020 is stacked from top to bottom.

There were plenty of rumors in advance of the official start to the 2020 league year on March 18. At that point, we knew what was next for a majority of the stars. Several of the NFL’s top free agents won’t change addresses as their current teams happily re-signed them, either through long-term contracts or the one-year franchise tag. Others have found new homes — or will eventually.

We took this year’s 600+ free agents and boiled them down to the top 100. These rankings don’t just reflect talent, but also age and potential. The list will be updated with signings and some new candidates, depending on which veterans get released as the offseason wears on.

1. Dak Prescott, QB

2020: Staying with the Cowboys (franchise tag)

2. Chris Jones, DT

2020: Staying with the Chiefs (franchise tag)

3. Drew Brees, QB

2020: Staying with the Saints (two years, $50 million)

4. Tom Brady, QB

2020: Patriots —> Buccaneers (two years, $50 million)

5. Jadeveon Clowney, Edge

2020: Seahawks —>

6. Byron Jones, CB

2020: Cowboys —> Dolphins (five years, $82.5 million)

7. Arik Armstead, Edge

2020: Staying with the 49ers (six years, $102 million)

8. Shaquil Barrett, Edge

2020: Staying with the Buccaneers (franchise tag)

9. Justin Simmons, S

2020: Staying with the Broncos (franchise tag)

10. Amari Cooper, WR

2020: Staying with the Cowboys (five years, $100 million)

11. Yannick Ngakoue, Edge

2020: Staying with the Jaguars (franchise tag)

12. A.J. Green, WR

2020: Staying with the Bengals (franchise tag)

13. Ryan Tannehill, QB

2020: Staying with the Titans (four years, $118 million)

14. Everson Griffen, Edge

2020: Vikings —>

15. Derrick Henry, RB

2020: Staying with the Titans (franchise tag)

16. Philip Rivers, QB

2020: Chargers —> Colts (one year, $25 million)

17. Anthony Harris, S

2020: Staying with the Vikings (franchise tag)

18. Matt Judon, Edge

2020: Staying with the Ravens (franchise tag)

19. Kyle Van Noy, LB

2020: Patriots —> Dolphins (four years, $51 million)

20. Joe Thuney, OG

2020: Staying with the Patriots (franchise tag)

21. Anthony Castonzo, OT

2020: Staying with the Colts (two years, $33 million)

22. Austin Hooper, TE

2020: Falcons —> Browns (four years, $42 million)

23. Brandon Scherff, OG

2020: Staying with Washington (franchise tag)

24. Hunter Henry, TE

2020: Staying with the Chargers (franchise tag)

25. Devin McCourty, S

2020: Staying with the Patriots (two years, $23 million)

26. D.J. Reader, DT

2020: Texans —> Bengals (four years, $53 million)

27. Chris Harris Jr., CB

2020: Broncos —> Chargers (two years, $20 million)

28. Bud Dupree, Edge

2020: Staying with the Steelers (franchise tag)

29. Dante Fowler Jr., Edge

2020: Rams —> Falcons (three years, $48 million)

30. Teddy Bridgewater, QB

2020: Saints —> Panthers (three years, $60 million)

31. Javon Hargrave, DT

2020: Steelers —> Eagles (three years, $39 million)

32. Jack Conklin, OT

2020: Titans —> Browns (three years, $42 million)

33. Jordan Phillips, DT

2020: Bills —>Cardinals (three years, $30 million)

34. Bryan Bulaga, OT

2020: Packers —> Chargers (three years, $30 million)

35. Cam Newton, QB

2020: Panthers —>

36. Todd Gurley, RB

2020: Rams —> Falcons (one year, $6 million)

37. Cory Littleton, LB

2020: Rams —> Raiders (three years, $36 million)

38. Jamie Collins, LB

2020: Patriots —> Lions (three years, $30 million)

39. James Bradberry, CB

2020: Panthers —> Giants (three years, $45 million)

40. Logan Ryan, CB

2020: Titans —>

41. Jimmy Smith, CB

2020: Staying with the Ravens (one year, $6 million)

42. Leonard Williams, DE

2020: Staying with the Giants (franchise tag)

43. Connor McGovern, OG

2020: Broncos —> Jets (three years, $27 million)

44. Karl Joseph, S

2020: Raiders —> Browns (1 year, $2.5 million)

45. Maliek Collins, DT

2020: Cowboys —> Raiders (terms tbd)

46. Graham Glasgow, OG

2020: Lions —> Broncos (four years, $44 million)

47. Ndamukong Suh, DT

2020: Staying with the Buccaneers (one year, $8 million)

48. Melvin Gordon, RB

2020: Chargers —> Broncos (two years, $16 million)

49. Austin Ekeler, RB (RFA)

2020: Staying with the Chargers (four years, $24.5 million)

50. Blake Martinez, LB

2020: Packers —> Giants (three years, $30 million)

51. Quinton Jefferson, DT

2020: Seahawks —> Bills (two years)

52. Jameis Winston, QB

2020: Buccaneers —> Saints (one year)

53. Malcolm Jenkins, S

2020: Eagles —> Saints (four years, $32 million)

54. Robby Anderson, WR

2020: Jets —> Panthers (two years, $20 million)

55. Robert Quinn, Edge

2020: Cowboys —> Bears (five years, $70 million)

56. Michael Pierce, DT

2020: Ravens —> Vikings (three years, $27 million)

57. Shelby Harris, DT

2020: Staying with the Broncos (one year, $3.25 million)

58. Matt Skura, C (RFA)

2020: Staying with the Ravens (tendered as a restricted free agent)

59. Jason Peters, OT

2020: Eagles —>

60. Andrew Whitworth, OT

2020: Staying with the Rams (three years, $30 million)

61. Jason Pierre-Paul, Edge

2020: Staying with the Buccaneers (two years, $27 million)

62. Shaq Lawson, Edge

2020: Bills —> Dolphins (three years, up to $36 million)

63. Emmanuel Ogbah, Edge

2020: Chiefs —> Dolphins (two years, $15 million)

64. Bradley Roby, CB

2020: Staying with the Texans (three years, $36 million)

65. Jimmie Ward, S

2020: Staying with the 49ers (three years, $28.5 million)

66. Vonn Bell, S

2020: Saints —> Bengals (three years, $18 million)

67. Emmanuel Sanders, WR

2020: 49ers —> Saints (two years, $16 million)

68. Kenyan Drake, RB

2020: Staying with the Cardinals (transition tag)

69. Derek Wolfe, DE

2020: Broncos —> Ravens (one year, $3 million)

70. Kelvin Beachum, OT

2020: Jets —>

71. Kendall Fuller, CB

2020: Chiefs —> Washington (four years, $40 million)

72. Damarious Randall, S

2020: Browns —> Raiders (one year)

73. Kareem Hunt, RB (RFA)

2020: Staying with the Browns (second-round tender)

74. Demar Dotson, OT

2020: Buccaneers —>

75. Breshad Perriman, WR

2020: Buccaneers —> Jets (one year, $8 million)

76. Michael Brockers, DT

2020: Staying with the Rams (terms TBD)

77. Vic Beasley, Edge

2020: Falcons —> Titans (one year, $9.5 million)

78. Mario Addison, Edge

2020: Panthers —> Bills (three years, $30.4 million)

79. Markus Golden, Edge

2020: Giants —>

80. Marcus Mariota, QB

2020: Titans —> Raiders (two years, $17.6 million)

81. Tre Boston, S

2020: Staying with the Panthers (three years, $18 million)

82. Brian Poole, CB

2020: Staying with the Jets (one year, $5 million)

83. Tony Jefferson, S

2020: Ravens —>

84. Damon Harrison, DT

2020: Lions —>

85. Joe Schobert, LB

2020: Browns —> Jaguars (five years, $53.8 million)

86. Nick Kwiatkoski, LB

2020: Bears —> Raiders (three years, $21 million)

87. Rodney McLeod, S

2020: Staying with the Eagles (two years)

88. Eric Ebron, TE

2020: Colts —> Steelers (two years, $12 million)

89. Ronald Darby, CB

2020: Eagles —> Washington (one year, $3 million)

90. Daryl Williams, OT

2020: Panthers —> Bills (one year, terms TBD)

91. Eli Apple, CB

2020: Saints —>

92. Jordan Howard, RB

2020: Eagles —> Dolphins (two years, $10+ million)

93. Ted Karras, C

2020: Patriots —> Dolphins (one year, $4 million)

94. Danny Shelton, DT

2020: Patriots —> Lions (two years, $8 million)

95. Carlos Hyde, RB

2020: Texans —>

96. Leonard Floyd, LB

2020: Bears —> Rams (one year, $10 million)

97. Demarcus Robinson, WR

2020: Staying with the Chiefs (one year, $2.3 million)

98. Taysom Hill, QB (RFA)

2020: Staying with the Saints (first-round tender)

99. Christian Kirksey, LB

2020: Signing with the Packers (two years, $16 million)

100. Linval Joseph, DT

2020: Vikings —> Chargers (two years, $17 million)

*Unrestricted free agents can sign with any team. Restricted free agents (RFA) can be given a tender from their current team.

[dailykhaleej]

NFL free agency grades 2020: The best and worst strikes, from Tom Brady signing to DeAndre Hopkins trade

Minus one high edge-rusher (Jadeveon Clowney) and two first overall-drafted quarterbacks (Cam Newton and Jameis Winston), groups have completed making their massive strikes in NFL agency within the 2020 offseason. Three weeks into the brand new league 12 months, a variety of rosters look considerably completely different at key positions.

From the frantic first wave of the open market by way of the most recent signings and trades, Sporting Information acquired superlative to grade the best and worst strikes by place.

MORE: Grades for all notable free agency offers

Quarterbacks

Best deal: Buccaneers signal Tom Brady (2 years, $50 million)

The Titans saved Ryan Tannehill, the Colts went with Philip Rivers and the Panthers added Teddy Bridgewater. The stars aligned for “TB to TB,” because the GOAT QB and Tampa Bay rapidly developed into an excellent personnel, teaching and philosophical match.

Brady and Bucs step right into a mutually helpful relationship that offers them each a good Tremendous Bowl window. Grade: A

Worst deal: Bears trade for Nick Foles

The Bears gave up a fourth-round choose to assist the Jaguars get out of a jam. They don’t seem to be protecting Foles for a similar cash Jacksonville wasted on him, however he’s nonetheless getting $21 million assured to be a shaky aggressive various to MItchell Trubisky.

It is onerous to consider Chicago would have needed him that a lot as that contingency over Newton or Winston. Grade: D

Todd Gurley

https://ift.tt/3bHLDd2 quality=80

Working backs

Best deal: Rams signal RB Todd Gurley (1 12 months, $5 million)

There’s a variety of unknown with Gurley durability-wise, and on the whole, we do not like compelled free-agent offers for veteran backs, particularly for a staff reminiscent of Atlanta that reduce one other one (Devonta Freeman). However the worth is good, making it a medium threat however high-reward transfer.

The Falcons appear like they plan to keep away from overloading Gurley as a workhorse and see him as a part of a brand new efficient committee, probably with a rookie. Grade: B-

Worst deal: Texans trade for David Johnson

With a swap of fourth-rounders being a part of the take care of the Cardinals, the Texans basically acquired Johnson and a second-rounder for DeAndre Hopkins. So that they did not need to pay Hopkins later, however on the identical time took on Johnson’s inflated contract with which he’s assured $10.2 million for 2020.

The Texans made it work with Carlos Hyde main the backfield final season, and there is no good feeling Johnson, at 28 with indicators of damage and tear, generally is a large enough receiving asset once more to mitigate the lack of Hopkins, which leaves Houston with a middling wideout corps. Grade: D

Vast receivers

Best deal: Cardinals trade for DeAndre Hopkins

The Cardinals did not want to even hand over a first-rounder for a bona fide, seasoned No. 1 for Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury. Hopkins makes Christian Kirk, Larry Fitzgerald and Andy Isabella all more practical due to the ensuing trickle down protection.

He was the ultimate piece to their unfold passing recreation, which in flip will maintain the working recreation dynamic with Kenyan Drake. Additionally they have been ready to escape the Johnson contract within the course of. Grade: A

Worst deal: Payments trade for Stefon Diggs

The Payments acquired Diggs and a seventh-rounder however gave up fairly a bit, together with their 2020 first-rounder, fifth-rounder and sixth-rounder and a 2021 fourth-rounder. The Payments now have their outdoors No. 1, however a part of the rationale Diggs needed out from the Vikings was his frustration over utilization and Kirk Cousins not getting him the ball. And that was with Cousins having a extremely environment friendly season.

Now Diggs attracts the erratic Josh Allen, who discovered chemistry with John Brown and Cole Beasley final season. in the long run, the return is probably going to be disappointing for the associated fee, whereas the Vikings merely can get Diggs’ alternative early within the draft. Grade: C

Austin Hooper

https://ift.tt/2R2Xs5H quality=80

Tight ends

Best deal: Browns signal Austin Hooper (Four years, $44 million)

The Browns made the previous Falcon the highest-paid tight finish within the league. Hooper is not in the identical echelon as George Kittle, Travis Kelce and Zach Ertz, however Cleveland’s funding backs up the truth that Kevin Stefanski will function the place extra to assist Baker Mayfield considerably in 2020 with a dependable intermediate and pink zone menace. Grade: A

Worst deal: Bears signal Jimmy Graham (2 years, $16 million)

The Bears ignored the truth that Graham is 33 and failed to do something of be aware with Aaron Rodgers and the archrival Packers final season. They paid him as a lot because the Saints did extensive receiver Emmanuel Sanders. And that is after they acquired burned badly with the signing of Trey Burton two offseasons in the past. Grade: D

Offensive tackles

Best deal: Browns signal RT Jack Conklin (Three years, $42 million)

The Browns have been fairly liberal with their spending, however once more, it was centered within the proper manner to tackle certainly one of their two main deal with weaknesses. Conklin offers a significant improve in right-side safety for Mayfield whereas additionally being a large enhance to Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt after serving to escort Derrick Henry to the speeding title final season. Grade: A

Worst deal: Jets signal LT George Fant (Three years, $30 million)

Good for Fant to money in like this after being the Seahawks’ additional swing deal with. The Jets threw some cash at shoring up certainly one of their two deal with voids, and just like the Browns, they’re certain to draft the participant for the opposite aspect. It is simply unusual to have this a lot confidence in Fant to be a powerful starter. Grade: C-

Guards/facilities

Best deal: Broncos signal C Graham Glasgow (Four years, $44 million)

Glasgow addressed Denver’s weak point on the inside offensive line and now offers the staff an anchor in entrance of Drew Lock and a sound spherical blocker who may help create holes for brand new function again Melvin Gordon. Grade: A

Worst deal: Dolphins signal LG Ereck Flowers (Three years, $30 million)

Good for Flowers for resurrecting his profession at guard with the Redskins after being a first-round deal with bust with the Giants. This can be a good restoration contract-wise for the 25-year-old. The drawback for the Dolphins is that he’s extra of a mean resolution for a giant drawback. There was a little bit of desperation with this transfer, spending simply to spend. Grade: D

Defensive tackles

Best deal: Eagles signal Javon Hargrave (Three years, $39 million)

The former Steelers 3-Four nostril deal with stays in state to wreak havoc with Fletcher Cox and Malik Jackon within the Eagles’ 4-Three rotation underneath Jim Schwartz. Hargrave can get to the QB and additionally stuff the run at a excessive stage.

Worst deal: Cardinals signal Jordan Phillips (Three years, $30 million)

Phillips made certain he would get a giant payday with a career-high 9.5 sacks in 2019. However going into his age-28 season, a lot of that manufacturing spike was associated to scheme and supporting personnel. The Cardinals will get good returns towards the run however won’t get a lot bang for the buck within the go rush.

Edge rushers

Best deal: Falcons signal Dante Fowler Jr. (Three years, $48 million)

Dan Quinn will get an excellent pass-rusher for his scheme on the proper time, as Fowler nonetheless is simply 25 and coming off an explosive, 11.5-sack season for the Rams. Grade: A

Worst deal: Bears signal Robert Quinn (5 years, $70 million)

This Quinn additionally had 11.5 sacks final season, however he’s coming into his age-30 season, and there is a good probability he begins to fade again in a 3-Four after getting overpaid. The Bears will likely be upset within the return as an costly older complement to Khalil Mack. Grade: D

Linebackers

Best offers: Raiders signal Cory Littleton (Three years, $36 million) and Nick Kwiatkoski (Three years, $21 million)

Las Vegas’ first two massive offers reworked one of many league’s worst linebacker corps into one of many best. Littleton is a rangy, elite cowl man, and Kwiatkoski emerged final season as an lively, all-around playmaker. Their video games complement one another nicely on the weakside and center, respectively. This was an excellent two-step plan by Mike Mayock. Grade: A

Worst deal: Lions signal OLB Jamie Collins (Three years, $30 million)

Collins made some good cash with the Browns the final time he left the Patriots. He timed his team-high seven sacks nicely in 2019 to earn one other hefty payday going into his age-30 season. Brian Flores and the Dolphins acquired the higher former Patriots pickup with Kyle Van Noy, whereas Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn reached somewhat bit out of scheme familiarity and place desperation. Grade: C

Chris Harris Jr.

https://ift.tt/2QYyxQy quality=80

Cornerbacks

Best deal: Chargers signal Chris Harris Jr. (2 years, $20 million)

The Chargers did not seem to be the apparent alternative for Harris given they already had Casey Hayward and slot ace Desmond King. However with an inexpensive short-term deal for Harris coming into his age-31 season, they now have three high cowl corners to higher deal with explosive passing video games, together with that of the Tremendous Bowl-champion Chiefs. Between that trio and Derwin James behind a powerful go rush, it acquired more durable to throw on a go protection that ranked No. 6 in 2019. Grade: A

Worst deal: Dolphins signal Byron Jones (5 years, $82.5 million)

Jones is an excellent and versatile cowl man although he did not contribute many massive performs within the type of interceptions to the Cowboys. However between back-to-back contracts that reset the nook market with Jones and Xavien Howard, the Dolphins now have a ton invested in a single place for a protection that also has a variety of holes elsewhere regardless of the Van Noy signing. The Dolphins’ spending energy wasn’t wielded as practically in addition to that of the Browns given Miami is extra of a rebuilding staff. Grade: C

Safeties

Best deal: Bengals signal Vonn Bell (Three years, $18 million)

Cincinnati paid an inexpensive quantity to shore up sturdy security subsequent to rising playmaker Jessie Bates. Bell is an distinctive run defender, and the Bengals desperately wanted extra cleanup males after ending No. 32 in run protection. Bell is a tackling machine who can also get to the QB and make just a few performs in protection, too. Grade: A

Worst deal: Texans signal Eric Murray (Three years, $20.5 million)

The Texans signed Tashaun Gipson for Three years and $22 million final offseason. They’re additionally set on the different security with Justin Reid making loads of performs on his rookie deal. Murray served largely as a backup for the Chiefs and Browns and is coming off a season curbed by a knee damage. This can be a lot for Invoice O’Brien and the Texans to spend on a 3rd security, however then once more, his normal supervisor abilities have taken a worse beating in 2020. Grade: D

!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window,document,'script', 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', 235247967118144); fbq('track', 'PageView');

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3axZvGH via IFTTT

[yourtokentony]

7 Guys Who Will Outscore Your Starters in Week 1

I’m having some serious issues with my editing software, so we’re doing this text style!

This week’s list is all “prove it or lose it”. The preseason and draft hype is over and now it’s time to put product on the field. You might think...”I drafted these guys first, they’re in my starting lineup” and you’d be right. Play it safe. It’s seriously how the Patriots win all the time. But also, sometimes you risk, and that’s how you end up being the Eagles, or the Giants. I’m not saying they will be #1 scorers at their position for the week, but if you’re iffy on someone’s matchup, play these guys.

Jarvis Landry

If anyone is more prove it or lose it (other than the Raiders, HAHAHAHA #ftr) it’s the Browns. Can any team be more hyped right now? And to that effect, I’m going with the “#2″ receiver on this team. OBJ will be doubled (I would if I was TEN) so Landry should be open across the middle for lots of catches. Bonus points for PPR.

Kyler Murray

“This guy couldn’t win with Patrick Mahomes at QB in the Big 12, what makes you think he can win with Kyler Murray at QB in the NFC West, where defenses are tougher?” There are lots wrong with this sentence, but people say it a ton. Arizona gets to play against Detroit! And Kingsbury will be putting his offense, including Larry Fitzgerald, on display.

Duke Johnson Jr.

OK...who’s the starting RB in Houston right now? Probably Deshaun Watson, right? But let me tell you...this guy has more to prove than the whole team. He asked out of Cleveland because he knew that Hyde/Kareem Hunt (post suspension) would be seen higher and got his wish. Then Hyde comes to Houston. But he’s had a chance to prove his stuff to the coaches before his competition and should show that in week 1 versus a Saints Defense that will be loading up against the pass.

Jordan Howard

A bellcow back in Chicago, although nothing flashy, in a new offense with some real pressure. That’s not prove it enough, right? How about the Eagles offering him and picks for Melvin Gordon? Oh, that’s prove it all over it. He’ll rack up the yards and a TD against a woeful Redskins team.

Dallas D

Who has Dallas starting this week, and in a league with less than 16 people? You should answer that with “me”. Dallas gets to play the Giants, and while stopping Saquan is a really tough ask, stopping (insert garbage NYG WR here) is easy. Eli will give them the ball twice. And the Boys are going to wear Zeke out since they paid him, whether he is good or not, meaning a low scoring game and defensive points.

Emmanuel Sanders

Homer pick, sure. But coming off of an injury in 2018-2019, Sanders (and Flacco) will be lighting up the receiving situation while Noah Fant clears out the middle and Courtland Sutton goes deep. Look for lots of screens (PPR!) and some impressive cuts from Emmanuel Sanders.

I’ll come back next week to see how right I was...I expect accountability!

[unclescurvy]

2018 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet

QB

7 Aaron Rodgers (GB)

11 Tom Brady (NE)

10 Deshaun Watson (HOU)

-

6 Drew Brees (NO)

7 Russell Wilson (SEA)

8 Philip Rivers (LAC)

7 Ben Roethlisberger (PIT)

4 Cam Newton (CAR)

8 Matt Ryan (ATL)

6 Matthew Stafford (DET)

9 Andrew Luck (IND-INJ)

12 Jared Goff (LAR)

12 Patrick Mahomes (KC)

-

9 Carson Wentz (PHI-INJ)

10 Kirk Cousins (MIN)

8 Marcus Mariota (TEN)

9 Eli Manning (NYG)

-

7 Derek Carr (OAK)

5 Jameis Winston (TB-SUS 3)

11 Jimmy Garoppolo (SF)

11 Ryan Tannehill (MIA)

9 Andy Dalton (CIN)

5 Mitch Trubisky (CHI)

8 Dak Prescott (DAL)

10 Case Keenum (DEN)

4 Alex Smith (WAS)

9 Blake Bortles (JAX)

10 Joe Flacco (BAL)

11 Tyrod Taylor (CLE)

11 Sam Darnold (NYJ)

11 Josh Allen (BUF)

9 Josh Rosen (ARZ)

9 Sam Bradford (ARZ)

10 Lamar Jackson (BAL)

-

RB

12 Todd Gurley (LAR)

8 Ezekiel Elliott (DAL)

7 Le’Veon Bell (PIT-HOLDOUT?)

9 David Johnson (ARZ)

-

12 Kareem Hunt (KC)

9 Saquon Barkley (NYG)

9 Leonard Fournette (JAX)

6 Alvin Kamara (NO)

8 Melvin Gordon (LAC)

10 Dalvin Cook (MIN)

5 Jordan Howard (CHI)

-

4 Christian McCaffrey (CAR)

8 Devonta Freeman (ATL-INJ)

9 Jay Ajayi (PHI-INJ)

10 Alex Collins (BAL)

11 LeSean McCoy (BUF-SUS?)

11 Kenyan Drake (MIA)

10 Lamar Miller (HOU)

8 Derrick Henry (TEN)

6 Mark Ingram (NO-SUS 4)

9 Joe Mixon (CIN)

11 Jerick McKinnon (SF-INJ 1)

-

11 Carlos Hyde (CLE)

7 Jamaal Williams (GB)

5 Peyton Barber (TB)

11 Isaiah Crowell (NYJ)

9 Marlon Mack (IND-INJ)

4 Chris Thompson (WAS)

7 Chris Carson (SEA)

8 Dion Lewis (TEN)

7 Marshawn Lynch (OAK)

6 Kerryon Johnson (DET)

4 C.J. Anderson (CAR)

7 Rashaad Penny (SEA-INJ 2?)

4 Samaje Perrine (WAS-INJ)

10 Devontae Booker (DEN)

5 Tarik Cohen (CHI)

4 Adrian Peterson (WAS)

-

7 Doug Martin (OAK)

8 Tevin Coleman (ATL)

10 Royce Freeman (DEN)

6 LeGarrette Blount (DET)

11 Duke Johnson (CLE)

5 Ronald Jones II (TB)

9 Nyheim Hines (IND)

11 Nick Chubb (CLE)

9 Giovani Bernard (CIN)

11 Sony Michel (NE-INJ)

6 Theo Riddick (DET)

7 Ty Montgomery (GB)

11 Frank Gore (MIA)

7 C.J. Prosise (SEA)

11 Chris Ivory (BUF)

9 Darren Sproles (PHI)

11 Matt Breida (SF-INJ)

-

WR

7 Antonio Brown (PIT)

10 DeAndre Hopkins (HOU)

-

8 Julio Jones (ATL)

9 Odell Beckham, Jr. (NYG)

8 Keenan Allen (LAC)

9 T.Y. Hilton (IND)

-

7 Davante Adams (GB)

12 Tyreek Hill (KC)

6 Michael Thomas (NO)

9 A.J. Green (CIN)

5 Mike Evans (TB)

12 Brandin Cooks (LAR)

7 JuJu Smith-Schuster (PIT)

10 Stefon Diggs (MIN)

11 Jarvis Landry (CLE)

7 Amari Cooper (OAK)

12 Sammy Watkins (KC)

-

7 Doug Baldwin (SEA-INJ)

11 Marquise Goodwin (SF)

10 Michael Crabtree (BAL)

10 Adam Thielen (MIN)

9 Larry Fitzgerald (ARZ)

5 Allen Robinson (CHI)

6 Marvin Jones (DET)

10 Demaryius Thomas (DEN)

-

10 Will Fuller (HOU)

12 Cooper Kupp (LAR)

8 Corey Davis (TEN)

9 Nelson Agholor (PHI)

11 Kelvin Benjamin (BUF)

4 Jamison Crowder (WAS)

6 Golden Tate (DET)

-

8 Allen Hurns (DAL)

8 Mike Williams (LAC)

4 Devin Funchess (CAR)

9 Sterling Shepard (NYG)

6 Cameron Meredith (NO)

11 Josh Gordon (CLE-HOLDOUT)

10 Emmanuel Sanders (DEN)

4 D.J. Moore (CAR)

-

11 Pierre Garcon (SF)

11 Julian Edelman (NE-SUS 4)

11 Chris Hogan (NE)

9 Keelan Cole (JAX)

11 Robby Anderson (NYJ-SUS?)

11 Kenny Stills (MIA)

9 Alshon Jefferey (PHI-INJ 2)

7 Randall Cobb (GB)

11 Danny Amendola (MIA)

9 Dede Westbrook (JAX)

7 Jordy Nelson (OAK)

4 Josh Doctson (WAS-INJ)

5 Chris Godwin (TB)

11 DeVonte Parker (MIA-INJ)

9 Christian Kirk (ARZ)

8 Taywan Taylor (TEN)

8 Rishard Matthews (TEN)

8 Calvin Ridley (ATL)

10 John Brown (BAL)

9 Mike Wallace (PHI)

9 Ryan Grant (IND)

6 Kenny Golladay (DET)

11 Quincy Enunwa (NYJ-INJ)

4 Paul Richardson (WAS)

9 John Ross (CIN)

11 Jermaine Kearse (NYJ-INJ 1)

7 Brandon Marshall (SEA)

8 Michael Gallup (DAL)

12 Robert Woods (LAR)

9 Chad Williams (ARZ)

7 Tyler Lockett (SEA)

11 Zay Jones (BUF-INJ)

8 Terrance Williams (DAL-SUS?)

8 Tyrell Williams (LAC)

7 Martavis Bryant (OAK-SUS?)

5 Desean Jackson (TB)

7 Geronimo Allison (GB)

11 Terrelle Pryor (NYJ-INJ)

8 Mohamed Sanu (ATL)

11 Antonio Calloway (CLE)

9 J.J. Nelson (ARZ)

10 Courtland Sutton (DEN)

11 Dante Pettis (SF)

5 Anthony Miller (CHI)

11 Corey Coleman (BUF)

10 Willie Snead (BAL)

8 Cole Beasley (DAL)

9 Brice Butler (ARZ)

5 Adam Humphries (TB)

6 Michael Floyd (NO)

11 Phillip Dorsett (NE)

-

TE

11 Rob Gronkowski (NE)

9 Zach Ertz (PHI)

12 Travis Kelce (KC)

-

7 Jimmy Graham (GB)

4 Greg Olsen (CAR)

9 Evan Engram (NYG-INJ)

-

10 Kyle Rudolph (MIN)

8 Delanie Walker (TEN)

4 Jordan Reed (WAS)

11 David Njoku (CLE)

5 O.J. Howard (TB)

5 Cameron Brate (TB)

9 Austin Seferian-Jenkins (JAX)

5 Trey Burton (CHI)

11 Charles Clay (BUF)

10 Jake Butt (DEN)

7 Jared Cook (OAK)

9 Eric Ebron (IND)

9 Ricky Seals-Jones (ARZ-SUS?)

-

8 Virgil Green (LAC)

6 Benjamin Watson (NO)

9 Jack Doyle (IND)

8 Austin Hooper (ATL)

11 Mike Gesicki (MIA)

6 Luke Willson (DET)

7 Nick Vannett (SEA)

9 Tyler Eifert (CIN-INJ)

8 Jonnu Smith (TEN)

8 Blake Jarwin (DAL)

9 Dallas Goedert (PHI)

10 Jordan Aikens (HOU)

12 Tyler Higbee (LAR)

11 George Kittle (SF-INJ)

12 Gerald Everett (LAR-INJ)

4 Vernon Davis (WAS)

10 Ryan Griffin (HOU)

7 Ed Dickson (SEA)

11 Jordan Leggett (NYJ)

7 Jesse James (PIT)

10 Hayden Hurst (BAL-INJ 2)

-

K

11 Stephen Gostkowski (NE)

12 Greg Zuerlein (LAR)

12 Harrison Butker (KC)

-

10 Justin Tucker (BAL)

6 Wil Lutz (NO)

7 Chris Boswell (PIT)

4 Graham Gano (CAR)

11 Robbie Gould (SF)

9 Josh Lambo (JAX)

5 Cody Parkey (CHI)

8 Caleb Sturgis (LAC)

8 Ryan Succop (TEN)

4 Dustin Hopkins (WAS)

9 Phil Dawson (ARZ)

11 Steven Hauschka (BUF)

-

6 Matt Prater (DET)

9 Jake Elliott (PHI)

9 Adam Vinitieri (IND)

10 Ka’imi Fairbairn (HOU)

10 Daniel Carlson (MIN)

5 Chandler Catanzaro (TB)

10 Brandon McManus (DEN)

8 Dan Bailey (DAL)

8 Matt Bryant (ATL)

7 Sebastian Janikowski (SEA)

9 Randy Bullock (CIN)

7 Mason Crosby (GB)

9 Aldrick Rosas (NYG)

11 Zane Gonzelez (CLE)

8 Matt Bosher (ATL)

11 Jason Sanders (MIA)

7 Eddy Pineiro (OAK-INJ)

11 Jason Myers (NYJ)

-

DEF

9 Jacksonville

12 LA Rams

-

9 Philadelphia

7 Seattle

10 Baltimore

6 Detroit

8 LA Chargers

-

6 New Orleans

5 Chicago

4 Carolina

7 Pittsburgh

12 Kansas City

-

4 Washington

10 Houston

9 Cincinnati

10 Denver

5 Tampa Bay

8 Dallas

7 Green Bay

11 Buffalo

11 New England

8 Tennessee

9 Arizona

11 Miami

8 Atlanta

10 Minnesota

9 NY Giants

11 San Francisco

9 Indianapolis

11 Cleveland

11 NY Jets

7 Oakland