2020 Preseason Rankings

#1

This is a super weird year and I don’t have to go into why, so I won’t, but to say that I’m that I am so so excited for some football (for however long we have it.) With football, comes fantasy and with fantasy, comes Preseason Rankings. This is where we have those sweet rankings where we try not to look like complete idiots as we predict where teams are going to finish the regular season. This year is particularly difficult as we have so much movement in the game with players moving, coved opt outs, the fear of people being out with illness, and with a really large pack of potential playoff teams. This year more than ever has a very little amount of separation between teams trying to make the last couple spots. And with that, I will get to my predictions.

  1. @IanC
    At the number 1 spot is a team that is used to being on top. Now this team may be on a slight decline with aging running backs and a 31 year old Julio, but with the likes of Lamar/Dak at QB, the impossible to guard Mike Thomas, Julio, and TY at WR, and about 6-7 options at RB highlighted by Aaron Jones, Chris Carson, Bell, and Conner. Oh not to forget stud TEs in Ertz and Andrews. This team gets a slight bump over team number 2 due to the depth they have at every single position.

  2. @mikeastock
    Speaking of the number 2 team…this team is looking to repeat with an extremely scary starting line up. Wilson at QB. Saquon, DJ, Todd Gurley or Raheem the dream at RB. Adams, Evans, and McLaurin at WR. And Kelce at TE. This team is so freaking scary. However, this team is hoping that they don’t have a string of injuries or illnesses, because the depth is not there at basically any position unless players step up above expectations.

  3. @ianamunrud
    Hi there, after doing a quick rebuild this team is hoping to compete with the top dogs. A little over a year ago this team looked completely different. Since then they have added big names through trades or the draft, such as Rodgers and Burrow at QB. CEH and Dalvin Cook at RB. Tyreek Hill (garbage human) and AJ Brown at WR, and Kittle at TE. This team isn’t where it wants to be quite yet, but it’s almost there. Just needs a little more consistency and depth, but still has a solid chance this year.

  4. @ventura
    There wasn’t much to separate the top three and this spot starts the beginning of the next tier of teams. This team is all about it’s RBs with Zeke, JJ, and Drake. Along with good QBs of Kyler or Brees and a not laughable trio at WR of Keenan, Woods, and Parker. Oh and Hooper just got a nice vote of confidence with a contract so their TE spot might be solid too. This team is solid and could find itself in the top 3 if there are a sling of outs and could find itself in the bottom 3 if they lose a couple of their RBs for any meaningful time as they are lacking depth.

  5. @awmelman
    This team is seemingly in transition after a big trade, however it still is solid and has a good chance at playoffs. These WRs are dope with newly acquired Godwin, Cooper, and Juju. And with a duo of Mark Ingram and Melvin Gordon there is real potential at the starting RB position, albeit with a large risk as well. TJ Hockenson could take a huge jump this season to help out at TE and well this team looks like it has a real shot at playoffs, barring a string of more rebuilding trades.

  6. @Alex
    I’m giving the last playoff spot to the team with the biggest stud. Christian McCaffery is enough to give any team a shot at winning and well, this team could use that. Chubb is a nice counter point at RB, but it is a bunch of current backups behind them. And then Thielen can certainly be a stud, but they need dionte Johnson, or mecole hardman to make a big leap at WR. Higbee was a nice grab at TE. This team has a shot at playoffs (and more), but if this team loses a single stud…their chances are much much worse.

  7. @jonathan
    To be honest I probably have this team lower than I should, but I already made the rankings and am too lazy to change them, plus this team doesn’t have CMC. However, they do have Sanders and Ekeler at RB. Plus some depth with Hunt, and Howard. At WR they have a solid trio of Krupp, Ridley, and OBJ, along with Landry for some depth. TE could use a little work, but this team has enough solid players to have a shot at playoffs. I have them barely missing out because I think the likelihood of an injury at WR is slightly higher for them than the teams above. And well, an injury at WR is very not good for this team with the lack of depth.

  8. @gbhart
    Okay now this team should be even higher too, but man they were last overall last year so that brings them down a smudge. But with Kamara, Henry, and JT at RB, DJ Chark, AJ Green, and Hopkins at WR, Henry at TE, and Stafford at QB, this team has a chance at finishing much much higher than this.
    Like most teams in this league there isn’t much depth, but this team has a lot of potential to boom unlike how it busted last year.

  9. @PaulDawg
    WILDCARD BABY. This team along with all the others in this tier show how hard it is to rank these teams. With the likes of Golloday, Lockett, Boyd and Diggs this team is solid at WR. Rojo/Vaughn are in a bad situation at Tampa and Mack has a stud rookie fighting for touches which brings this team down some. Waller and Watson are two studs at their position which helps round this team a bit, however those RBs scare me. And this team could be forced to put up several backup RBs at some point this season if Rojo and Mack lose their spots and Akers doesn’t win the starting job in LA. Overall, this team has a shot, but needs help at RB.

  10. @chasenrogers
    The People’s Champion. The spot I hope I’m wrong the most. However this team is hurting. Mahomes is a genuine stud, which is great. However this team’s RBs are taking a hit with Fournette in a crowded backfield, and Montgomery dealing with an injury already and no depth at the position, unless Harris can get a lot of usage in NE. Metcalf is a potential stud at WR, but is accompanied by aging veterans in Edelman, Marvin, Fitz, and Sanders. Ceedee Lamb could have a big rookie year to help out, but even that may not be enough for this team. Cook is a solid option at TE, but this team is hurting for some RB and WR depth and starters. Again, I hope I’m wrong here, but this team may be looking for the top overall pick to help turn things around.

#2

Alright folks, here are my rankings!

  1. Stock - I think this team could go all the way this year again if healthy. There’s a lack of depth at QB and RB, but the starters are excellent up and down the roster. Wilson, Saquan, Evans, Adams, Kelce, and McLaurin are all capable of exploding into the 25+ point realm any given week and that makes this team dangerous.
  2. Amunrud - This is of course after a monster trade, which has helped this team with their depth and rounded out a WR heavy roster. This has been a good offseason for this team, and it is well positioned to take the number 1 slot in future years. Faded from 1 just because CEH is a rookie RB starter which is variable and the QB spot is talented, but with results that aren’t as stable as Russell Wilson.
  3. Charbs - Maybe controversial, but I’m not that sold on the RB/WR group here compared to the above teams. I don’t think these players are as capable of monster games that crush other’s playoffs hopes like the top two (I’m looking at Jones, Hilton, and Bell in particular). This team has great bench talent at WR, so I think the toughest part of the season for the manager will be when the starting lineup will need a shakeup.
  4. Ventura - Starting off my next tier with a team with great RBs and capable QBs. The WRs are reliable but not game breaking (maybe bone breaking though, watch out), and the starting roster can certainly compete.
  5. Cook - Putting myself here on the cusp of the playoffs after a 8-1 finish to last season. There’s capable RB starters like Howard, Ekeler, Hunt, and Sanders and reliable pass catchers in Kupp, Landry, OBJ, and Ridley. TE is a big question mark, and the upside of many starters is limited. Set for a season of close games and a highly variable record in an uncertain season.
  6. Miyake - Team Wildcard BABBBBYYY!!! This team could win it all if a series of well done trades pans out. I like the passcatchers here a lot (Waller the baller, Diggs, Golladay, Lockett), but the Colts, Bucs, and Rams backfield arrangements will determine a lot about how this team does with the presence of Akers, Mack, and RoJo.
  7. Melton - This team has been sliding towards rebuild, and the RB room shows it. Gordon has moved to mile-high and will split carries with a rookie probowler (Lindsay!), and Ingram is being threatened by a rookie RB - that situation worked out for him in NO, but we’ll see if there’s enough carries to go around in BAL with a QB that I hear likes to run too. The WR room is stocked up for the future, and looks great. If this team misses the playoffs, the roster construction will have him come roaring back.
  8. Hart - Maybe I should have this team higher. Kamara and Henry look great as starting RBs, and Jonathan Taylor could contribute this year in a big way. Hopkins, Chark, and Gallup look to be the starters at WR and is a good group, but depth and the QB situation are limited. Definitely will be in the mix for playoffs.
  9. Rogers - The People’s Champion! A SB winning young QB, a reliable group of older WRs, and a tight end with my last name keep him from the bottom slot. Fournette and Montgomery are solid RB starters, but Lenny seems to have a tough time making friends.
  10. Johnson - CMC can’t save this team, especially in a year with a brand new QB, coach, and system plus the offseason distraction of a burgeoning romance with a former Miss USA and a puppy named Oliver Sprinkles (both of which I am in full support of). In a league with 4 passcatcher only slots, Adam Thielen as your best player isn’t good for the team. Jerry Jeudy could contribute this year to shore up the position, and Harry needs to step it up, but even with that the roster couldn’t overcome an injury to a starter, a bad schedule, or an unlucky start to the season (which has sadly happened to this team before).
#3

I had a really difficult time ranking this year. I think teams 4-10 could finish anywhere in that range. Team 10 could jump to 5, 4 could fall to 10, 7 could rise to 4. Idk. It’s 2020. Maybe Charbs will finish 10th and Amunrud will start his next massive rebuild in week 3 by trading away all his players for 2022, 23, & 24 draft picks.

Amunrud - 1

I had a hard time placing this team, and honestly I didn’t want to rank it at the top since I got blasted in his rankings. I’m not crazy about Robinson/Moore/Brown; they are on teams that could limit their production. However, David Montgomery’s injury gives Robinson upside, and the others produced last season while flying under the radar. The starting RB game speaks for itself. Mahomes to track star Tyreek Hill. Rodgers has high upside but has underwhelmed the past couple of seasons IMO, and the rest of the QB’s are meh/untested. That said, I think he will always have 1 solid option each week to play. It will just be a matter of picking the right match ups. Kittle is a beast and will repeat, and lastly, some player(s) on his bench will emerge as potential weekly starters. I give team hot wheels and deals the top spot with the potential to drop 2-3 spots.

Charbonnet - 2

If Aaron Jones and Chris Carson don’t produce, then this team drops to 4 imo. Carson underwhelmed a lot of last season so it’s certainly possible, but the Seahawks had various off-field struggles that may have led to his performance. This team has always been stacked but is aging…good thing he acquired Pittman Jr, Mims, and Higgins. Julio Jones will do Julio Jones things….which includes getting injured. I really don’t like Detroit RB’s but hopefully Swift’s talent wins out over this team’s recent RB woes. I’ve always been a believer in Lamar Jackson; 2 times I almost had him. Once in the rookie draft and once upon a time in a coulda-shoulda trade. I like seeing him on a team with other studs though; a man of that talent should not dwell at top alone. I imagine a repeat performance with him, especially since Hollywood Brown has a season under his belt. This team could easily win the season again, so I give it spot 2 with a +1, -2 potential.

Stock - 3
Amazing team but lacking depth imo. One injury could have a big effect. Not much more to say. Russel Wilson, Saquon Barkley, Mike Evans, and Devante Adams will carry the team. Scary Terry is the most interesting piece of the puzzle that will determine much for this team. How will he fare in his sophomore year on the Washington-we’re-no-longer-racist-because-it’s-cool Football Team?

Cook - 5

I think this team’s receivers rebound this year; I can imagine the Brown’s getting their act together, and I think Kareem Hunt will have healthy contribution in the Brown’s offense. I would guess Mayfield put work in the off season after a disappointing 2019, similar to how Lamar Jackson put in the work after a mediocre 2018 (not that Baker is at all a similar QB; it’s just I think he will improve significantly). If the RB’s stay healthy then they will produce for this team and push them higher up the rankings. The TE position is very concerning IMO. The QB situation has a lot of unknowns but a high upside. I give this team 5 +/- 2.

Miyake - 5

Bold. Yes. Biased? Maybe. But hear me out. Solid receiving corps and a healthy QB situation. The right choice in QB each week will put up ~25 points per week. Tight ends are healthy, and Gronk has been looking like he was in past seasons during training camp. The RB situation is the biggest question - Akers/Malcolm Brown results in a solid play each week, Mack will start the season as the lead back, and Rojo will still get plenty of touches. Tarik Cohen rebounds and James White remains integral to the Pats offense. Derrick Henry Jr (AJ Dillon) could be a TD vulture. Tevin Coleman is still a human with lungs and legs. Because the depth at receiver and TE, only two RB’s need ever need to play, and there’s enough options for two decent RB plays each week. It’s just a matter of picking the right guys. I give this team a 5 +/- 2.

Johnson - 6

This team is better than it looks and has underperformed imo. I could see Brady having an amazing year with a healthy Gronkowski among a plethora of offensive weapons at TB. If Jameis could put up 3 TD games every other week then Brady can do 4/5 TD games but without throwing 5 picks in the interstitial games. I think Danny Dimes steps up and makes Golden Tate more valuable. Jeudy is a great prospect, and I think N’keal Harry starts to shine. I actually see Kareem Hunt advantageous to Nick Chubb; Chubb may get less touches, but I can see Chubb doing a little less work to get the ball up field and getting more goal line work. If Dissly can get fully healthy and play the majority of games this season, then this team could go a long way.

Melton - 7

I had the hardest time with this team. Receiving corps could be fuego. I’m curious to see Juju in action; he shined while Brown was present, but hasn’t proven himself as the top WR of the team since Brown’s inglorious departure…granted, Roethlisberger went out early last season. I don’t like this team’s RB situation, but Gibson was a great pick up. QB situation isn’t terrible but certainly is not great. I also do not like the team’s TE situation. I think this team is set up for success in future years with some really solid draft pick ups, but I don’t see that manifesting immediately. This team will be boom or bust weekly. I give this team spot 7 with a high upside and potential to jump up to 4 or 3.

Ventura - 8

This team lacks depth, but if the starters stay healthy then it has a high upside. The starting receivers are great, but again, lack of depth will cost him when the bye weeks or injuries come along. I could easily see this team pushing up to 5 or 6 no problem though. This team’s vibe is clearly over 9000, so don’t be surprised if he outperforms and makes playoffs.

Rogers - 9

The People’s champ is facing a pivotal test in his hero’s journey. His team is an allusion to a quality superhero movie. It just feels like we’re at the very end of Infinity War or stuck in that random dungeon pit and getting our back realigned while thinking about how Bane is eating keto bagels and lox in Gotham. But rest assured, da Peoples-Jones is going to carry this team to victory. Real talk though, this team could finish 2-3 spots up. If Ceedee has a good season and Newton connects with Edelbro, this team will exceed expectations. I also like the McFarland Jr. pick up; some think he could be serve an Alvin Kamara role.

Hart - 10

This team confuses me so much. A healthy Stafford and JT does wonders for this team. The receivers are the biggest question. Dirty Deandre will shine in the air raid offense no doubt, but I question the performance of all the others. This team has a high volatility and could rise 2-3 spots easily.

#4

Time to see how wrong we can be!

  1. @ianamunrud - The funny thing about calling the turnaround here a rebuild is that this is one of only two teams that has made the playoffs every single year. The starting lineup is fresh and this team is now a top contender and will continue its streak of making the playoff every year for the foreseeable future. They’ve got 3 potential RB1s in the starting lineup, the always quality Aaron Rodgers at the helm w/ Joe Burrow in the wings. They’ve acquired dynasty’s #1 TE and have a consistent top WR (Hill) and dynasty favorite (DJ Moore) alongside the very startable Allen Robinson. This team is ready to win this year and has four 1st round picks next year! Ya’ll better be used to seeing this name here.

  2. @IanC - If this wonky season ends up being one where depth plays an extra advantage, that could play well for this team. I think this team has the most solid WR lineup week-in and week-out in Thomas, Julio, and Sutton/Hilton and that will keep games competitive each week. A lot will rely on whether or not Lamar Jackson can repeat with both his arm and legs and if a 3rd RB from this roster can break into that top 10 or 15 space as the season progresses.

  3. @mikeastock - No surprise here at who rounds out the top 3. Led by Russell Wilson and Saquon Barkley, the reigning league champion is back at it. Davante Adams, Mike Evans, and Travis Kelce led the pass catching group as this team will be tough to beat each week. I’m curious how DJ plays out in Houston and while I think McLaurin is talented, I’m also curious to see how “The Washington Football Team” performs given all the issues with both the head office, the coaches/players, and public opinion on a team that finally removed its controversial name.

  4. @ventura - I don’t know if I wanted to put this team here, but I did. That’s what happens when you have 3 very capable RB’s in your starting lineup and a potential fantasy stud at QB. Kyler should only get better in year two (assuming he doesn’t go the Baker route) and I think Robert Woods has another breakout year. Not a ton of depth on the roster, but I think this team has one of the most intriguing starting lineups in the entire JACKMAN League.

  5. @awmelman - I originally ran an analysis on each team before the recent big trades went down. In that analysis, I had a four-team contending race at the top. However, after losing both an RB1 and a WR1 to acquire future capital, this team moves down my list. To me this is a good team, but every player in the starting lineup has question marks. I think Ingram has another good season if he stays healthy and I think Amari gets his like he always does, but the other 2 receivers need to prove that either their last year was the new norm (for Godwin) or last year was a fluke in a bad way (JuJu).

  6. @gbhart - After losing Godwin, AJ Brown, and George Kittle, and 1st round capital it’s kind of amazing that I’m projecting this team as a playoff bubble team. It’s no secret Kamara, Henry, and Nuk Hopkins are the lifeblood of this team - and are strong weekly plays at that! If either of those three falter, this team drops. BUT this team could climb if: Jonathan Taylor gets a starting role early and lives up to the hype, AJ Green has a full healthy season, DJ Chark does it again, Michael Gallup becomes the 1b in the Cowboy’s offense. It’s a lot of ifs, but it is in the realm of possibility.

  7. @jonathan - This one’s funny because my gut tells me that this team makes playoffs. So apparently I’m ranking them not with my gut, so maybe I’m just being rude to Jon. The starting lineup is really solid, it just doesn’t have that flashy play to propel it into the next projected tier. That said, Sanders could totally blow up, Ekeler could play out is 2019 season all over again, OBJ could get back to form, Kupp could thrive now that Cooks is out of town, so I definitely won’t be surprised to see this team outperform my projections.

  8. @Alex - This ranking brought to you by CMC.
    (also Nick Chubb and Thielen). NEXT.

  9. @PaulDawg - Super interesting team here lead by Deshaun. 3WRs are all solid plays. If the Lions offense can take that next step forward, Golladay could be a stud. I want to see the Waller Baller do it twice before I see him as a top 5 TE - but it could be done! Honestly, this team could sneak into the playoffs if Marlon Mack holds onto the starting RB job in Indy or Cam Akers takes over for LAR. I could see it. And you know Paul loves proving the haters wrong, so not only can I see him outperforming my rank, but I’m super into it as well.

  10. @chasenrogers - I just want to see this Underdog Story happen. Everyone wants it. I put this team here so they can make their way to the top against the odds. I look forward to this team making history. The People’s Champ will rise and it’s gonna be a huge party when it happens.

#5

Hey guys did some number crunching and came up with these rankings. First time thanks to us finally buttoning up our proprietary algorithm*. Available for licensing starting 2021

  1. @ianamunrud - This team gets good marks because of the team name. This team gets bad marks because I was woefully unaware that there’s a guy named “C. Edwards-Helaire” (I am not going to google him to find anything out about him. His first name is “C.”). On balance, lots of opportunity for good names here all season long, unless one of the names gets injured. Lack of depth on the Hyphen front (our pro analysts usually like to see 2-3 hyphens per team, as insurance) makes this a bit of a riskier pick in the later weeks of the season, but we’re optimistic on chances to add other punctuation as the season evolves.

  2. @chasenrogers - I’m putting Chasen here because I have faith that one day, if I’m nice enough, he will invite me to the beautiful nature places he always seems to be in. So bud, ball’s in your court.

  3. @gbhart - I’m a little surprised to see that other analysts aren’t taking Coach Hart’s unique situation more into consideration. Honestly, I think the time difference between him and our other coaches gives him a slight edge here. Does anyone doubt that Taipei’s GMT +8 temporal designation (as compared to the admittedly substandard league average GMT -7) won’t play a net positive role in his team’s output? The difference in rotational forces from his relative equatorial proximity alone are enough to cause this analyst’s head to spin (pun intended). I think we can expect to see the future in the future from this team.

  4. @IanC - Genuinely not sure what this team is doing. So many odd choices and questionable moves. For starters, it seems like this guy just picked players based on “how good they’d perform” and “what they can offer the existing team roster”, which point to a decidedly subpar decision tree in the highest levels of management. Remains to be seen how this pans out, though I suspect we’ll see some points being put up in the beginning of the season, and then maybe some more points in the middle, followed finally by some more points being scored in the end of the season. Seems like a solid enough plan on its face but look deeper - is it that really the way to win games? And even if it is (sources say: hmm), what happens then? A win? Multiple wins? Also, I can see at least three players whose names are just regular nouns.

  5. @PaulDawg - I think Paul’s favorite McNugget shape is probably the boot. Now if he were more of a bell guy, I could see that factoring in to boost him a little higher in the rankings, but alas, the boot is admittedly a scrappier shape. It evokes Italy - and Italy, notably, doesn’t host any of the top 10 NFL teams (or even any of the top 15). However, I think there’s some real upside if his team manages to crank up the spiciness, as proprietary internal testing methods show a modest increase in point output from boot shapes once spice level is taken into consideration. We’ll have to wait and see what kind of “sauce” team Miyake can whip up in the kitchen.

  6. @jonathan - This! Team! Made! Its! Own! Logo!!! 20 free points.

  7. @ventura - ⓞⓗ ⓖⓞⓓ ⓗⓞⓦ гР₮Ⱨł₴ ₲Ɇ₮ ⱧɆⱤɆ ⓘ ⓐⓜ 𝓃🌞𝓉 ⓖⓞⓞⓓ ω𝒾Ťн ⓒⓞⓜⓟⓤⓣⓔⓡ

  8. @mikeastock - Huey Lewis and the News burst out of San Francisco onto the national music scene at the beginning of the decade, with their self-titled rock pop album released by Chrysalis, though they really didn’t come into their own, commercially or artistically, until their 1983 smash, Sports. Though their roots were visible (blues, Memphis soul, country) on Huey Lewis and the News they seemed a little too willing to cash in on the late seventies/early eighties taste for New Wave, and the album—though it’s still a smashing debut—seems a little too stark, too punk. Examples of this being the drumming on the first single, “Some of My Lies Are True (Sooner or Later),” and the fake handclaps on “Don’t Make Me Do It” as well as the organ on “Taking a Walk.” Even though it was a little bit strained, their peppy boy-wants-girl lyrics and the energy with which Lewis, as a lead singer, instilled all the songs were refreshing. Having a great lead guitarist like Chris Hayes (who also shares vocals) doesn’t hurt either. Hayes’ solos are as original and unrehearsed as any in rock. Yet the keyboardist, Sean Hopper, seemed too intent on playing the organ a little too mechanically (though his piano playing on the second half of the album gets better) and Bill Gibson’s drumming was too muted to have much impact. The songwriting also didn’t mature until much later, though many of the catchy songs had hints of longing and regret and dread (“Stop Trying” is just one example).

  9. @Alex - At this point I’m not sure if Tom Brady is cool or weird, but I give him a few extra points because of the one time he was in this internet video that I liked. Fun fact, one time I managed to win a trivia night final round because of that video, and I impressed the cute trivia host. Never really got to talk to her after that but you know what that’s life I suppose. Anyway this team is really coming into its own, which just seems like something people say when they’re doing these write ups. I believe that’s why this team is going to either do good or bad, depending on if their own is any good or not. I’m gonna go with probably good, or also probably bad, final answer.

  10. @awmelman - Profile picture is a dog, looks like a good one. Is it Melton’s dog? We don’t know. Or at least, I don’t know. I haven’t seen any dogs within a fifty meter radius of Melton in the past few months. That could be because I haven’t seen Melton in a few months. Or it could be that he’s trying to launder his team’s sleeper performance behind that picture of a dog. Really excited to find out how this team performs this season, because then at least one team run by an Andrew might do well. Great prospects!

*google sheets’ rand() function