Pre-Season Team Rankings for 2015

Opinion
#1

In the same way that you are encouraged to put your Draft Grades in the post @ianamunrud started, this can be a place to put your rankings out for what the season’s end will look like.

Feel free to:
Add commentary as to why the teams are where you put them
Put your guesstimate W-L Record
Take a wild guess as to who gets the injury bug or who starts hot, but cools off
Think of some silly (yet totally valid) thing that could happen, like that one time Matt Prater was dumb

I could only find Amunrud and my Pre-Season rankings from last year. He and I both got 2 and 3 of the top 4 players correct, respectively. We both correctly had Melton and Paul at the bottom. I incorrectly had Chasen in the bottom 3 (he ended up in 3rd in the playoffs). Amunrud had Chasen in the bottom 4 and put Ventura in second.

How close or far off will this year’s pre-season rankings be? Let’s find out!

#2

@IanC’s pre-season rankings. Commentary to follow later. This is really hard to do - it’s easy think of a circumstance that allows each team to find victory on its quest for THE JACKMAN.

Subject to change in the next week:

First: Amunrud
Second: Cook
Third: Charbonnet
4th: Stock
5th: Rogers
6th: Hart
7th: Johnson
8th: Ventura
9th: Miyake
10th: Melton

  1. @ianamunrud I think Ian’s seemingly infinite amount of time to study, research, and dwell on football gives him a great advantage year in and year out. He is also able to make trades like acquiring Kenny Stills for the second overall pick in drafts. These traits alone grant him top-5 status every year in my eyes. As far as his actual TEAM is concerned, the #1 dynasty QB (as far as we can tell) cannot be ignored. A lot of his season hinges upon Lamar Miller, and his WR3 spot is currently Sammy Watkins, but these are both players capable of producing in the places Ian has them. His current setup with Green and Thomas mixed with Luck plus a stupid amount of time to research as the season progress makes Ian my favorite in pre-season rankings this year.

  2. @jonathan The current THE JACKMAN holder, Jon naturally has a team ready to compete again. His current RB setup plus Beckham and Brown make him a contender every single week against every single team. I don’t like the depth of the bench as much, but it’s the starting roster that gets you points week in and week out. Carson Palmer can be that if Newton can’t. I think this team is a glass cannon however, and has the greatest potential of falling given 1 or 2 injuries.

  3. @IanC Forte, Bell, Jones, Hilton, Cooks… with production from either Matt Ryan or Ryan Tannehill, this team has the makings of long-term greatness. As with last year, the biggest issue with this team is the decision-maker himself who will have to figure out FLEX week-in and week-out with Jennings, Maclin, and Marshall all currently on the bench. Bell’s out for 2 games and Abdullah’s success can give this team either a great start, or a deficit to come back from. The weekly competitive of this team earns it top-5 expectations.

  4. @mikeastock Previously placed in 2nd, but bumped down to 4th with Jordy Nelson’s injury, Stock’s team is STACKED at WR. Even with the loss of arguably his best player, Stock’s team is still looking to be playoff bound. Russell Wilson can step up (and DID during fantasy playoffs last year) to take this team deep - deep enough for opponents to say, “I just got burned! I just got burned!” Acquiring CJ Anderson last year now looks like Stock had a crystal ball in the 2014 draft. RB’s on Peyton’s teams typically fare very well. The biggest factor each week with this team is Frank Gore’s play in Indianapolis and his 4th WR/Flex spot. “HandCuff City” has enough quality starters to go deep into the playoffs.

  5. @chasenrogers Though known for under-performing, any team with Marshawn is competitive by default. Lol, this website thinks that “Marshawn” isn’t a real weird because of the red squiggles. I digress. 2 solid RB’s and 2 solid WRs (with the do-or-die DeSean Jackson) put this team in the competition each week. The two most interesting things with this team will be the usage of bench RBs in Latavius Murray and TJ Yeldon as well as whether this team finishes its season with Kaepernick starting or with Bradford.

  6. @gbhart Peyton Manning is still Peyton Manning until proven otherwise. If Peyton Manning somehow isn’t Peyton Manning, Tony Romo makes for a great (albeit seemingly taboo) play off the bench. As with last year, the biggest question with this team is at WR, but the drafting of Nelson Agholar makes for a very intriguing look into the future of this team. Barring 30 point games from Peyton, I don’t expect this team to be blowing the competition out of the water, but if it can win the close games, the playoffs are a very attainable goal.

  7. @Alex Jamaaaaaaaal. Cobb’s targets are up and Jamaal Charles is the real deal. With the pickup of Mariota, this looks like a do-or-die team going into the future as Brady gets older. 2 (currently) quality RBs plus Cobb and Gronk means that this team should be in it each week. However, this team is structured very similar to last year’s squad. Though Alex had the longest winning streak last year (6 games) and scored the most points by the end of the year, it also had the lowest scoring week (58.1 Week 3) last year. The team SEEMS stable, but it very likely could be volatile. This is a “go big or go home” type team, my predictions put it just outside the playoff 6.

  8. @ventura Somehow, accidentally maybe, this team had a solid draft in the off-season. Eddie Royal or Devin Funchess should make the starting lineup this year and keep this team solid in light of a waning Colston :frowning:. Markus Wheaton could be a big surprise this year and Jonathan Stewart currently has a starting role with a Panthers team that doesn’t look to be taking to the air. To that extent, Stewart’s success may decrease Funchess’ short-term usefulness. I love Brees and Rivers, but even with those two, there are more “what if” factors on this team than any I have in the current top-6.

  9. @PaulDawg Paul, I can’t say I have any clue what your strategy was in the draft this year. However, if Winston ends up being an NFL stud, you can look back on this time with a big, “I told you so.” For the time being, you’re using what you have. Roethesburger can win you weeks, as could Peterson and Alshon Jeffery. I think if Arian were healthy the whole year you would be higher on this list. As it stands, this team will have to battle through the first half of the year. If it could somehow secure a playoff spot, Foster’s return could mean the best 2 RB combo of any team in our league.

  10. @awmelman To this day, I have idea what your team name means. I also don’t really know what’s going on with your team in general. But what do I know? There could be some super secret Melton plan going on that is lulling everyone into a false sense of security. Here’s what I think: Aaron Rodgers, Jimmy Graham, and Melvin Gordon need to be great. Like top 2 at their position great for this team to think about playoffs this year. Vincent Jackson needs to be best buddies with Winston, Gerhart needs to get out of your starting lineup, Alfred Morris would need to get injured that you could play Matt Jones, Brady needs to throw to Wayne a ton, and Nick Foles needs to be a stellar QB for Brian Quick and then MAYBE top 6 is for you. That’s a lot of qualifiers though. The whole league looks forward to your success Andrew Melton. Best of luck this year.

These opinions generated on 8/25/15 after 2 weeks of preseason play.

#3

I feel pretty good if after losing one of my top receivers from last year to a season-ending ACL injury, I’m still in the number two spot. I agree about bench depth, as least for RB. Injuries during the season can change that though (if Murray gets injured, Mathews value goes up; if Yeldon doesn’t recover quick enough Robinson’s value goes up, etc). Current RB pool is guys setup to take advantage of injuries, rather than guys who are starters but just don’t perform as well (like Ivory, Miller, Crowell, Sankey, Martin, Jennings, etc).

If each of us was an actual NFL team, who would you be? Based on last year’s fantasy league and this year’s offseason changes, @PaulDawg is like the 49ers. A lot of talent that ends up not playing for the team.

#4

Rankings based on currently available information

  1. Amunrud
  2. Cook
  3. Rodgers
  4. Charbonnet
  5. Johnson (yeah, I put myself this low)
  6. Hart
  7. Stock
  8. Ventura
  9. Miyake
  10. Melton(down)

Ratings based 100% on speculation that I will rise from the ashes and defy even my own odds.

#5

Here are my preseason rankings

  1. Myself (duh)
  2. Stock
  3. Amunrud
  4. Chasen Rogers
  5. Charbonnet
  6. Johnson
  7. Hart
  8. Ventura
  9. Melton
  10. Miyake
#6

And based on average ranking:

T-1) Cook 1.67
T-1) Amunrud 1.67
T-3) Charbs 4
T-3) Rogers 4
5) Stock 4.33
6) Johnson 6
7) Hart 6.33
8) Ventura 8
9) Miyake 9.33
10) Melton 9.67

#7

avg. as per Jon, Alex, and Ian C’s rankings?

#8

Yessir

#9

Paul Miyake’s Preseason Projections

We’re all wondering who’s going to take home the Jackman this year. On the eve of an epic stretch of battle and glory week after week, all of us wonder who’s hot and who’s not, who will be victorious and who will meet their demise, who will rise and who will die trying. All seems up in the air, but if there’s one thing that’s certain its this: many who have laid up hope within the projected strength of their team will fall victim to injuries and circumstance. Just look at my team last year preseason before we found out AP would be out - not the best team but certainly not the worst. But when Foles, AP, Arian Foster, Victor Cruz, and Knowshon Moreno are suspended or injured for more than half the season, your knee deep in a puddle of mud without the shoes for it. This brings me to my predictions.

  1. Chasen “Federer” Rogers - Tennis court-esque swag, JFK good looks, a smile that will knock your socks right off, and a Mother Teresa sized heart - who says nice guys finish last? Many people do. And that’s why you’re the top spot.

  2. Cookie doe - solid team, though with the Packers O-line suffering a bit of injury, I am worried Eddie Lacy might not find the holes he needs for a break out performance. We’ll see what he’s made of when the season starts. Cook still gets a top spot because he’s resourceful and will figure out a way to fill any holes in his already bangin’ roster to get the job done. But once again, circumstances, injuries, drugs, and court cases tend to surface at inconvenient times. For that I bump him down to number two.

  3. Amunrud - Prepared perhaps too adequately and is very text-book. This NFL mogul is like an old man at the beach with a metal detector, constantly perusing in the nooks and crannies of the internet to find information and strike gold. His hard work will pay off, but I think his team relies too much on data in game that is largely dictated by chance. You can predict who will do well, but its only a matter of time before someone breaks an arm or gets busted for puff-puff-passin’ that bong. But he’s the only one who cares to trade with me and cares for the well being of my team, and for that I give him number 3.

  4. The commissioner himself. Charbonnet. I’m all about Julio Jones, he’s got hops and style like the number 3 spot on 1989. Steady team, steady players gives him a solid fourth on my rankings. Kudos on that Tebow pick btdubbs. No one appreciates his talent.

  5. Garrett Hart - Not prepared for the draft but clearly well informed and clutch. I loved the rookie picks he made, and I also love the wild card Tony Romo sitting on his bench. There’s much uncertainty in the performance of some players on his team, but I believe in the Manning explosion and in Torrey Smith’s sweet, sweet black licorice-esque dreads.

  6. Paul Dawg - rolling the dice on this pick. Rookie QB first in the cycle and Matt Prater first in the snake? Da fuuuuuu? Wild card. I’m hoping (really really hoping) my team stays healthy and that one of my rookies breaks out. Small chance of success, small chance of survival. But I always play the odds. 2-7 off suit? I’m all in pushes chips to the middle of the table

  7. Johnson - I feel an injury coming on. But mostly I just forgot to evaluate your team and don’t want to go back and adjust the rankings. You get far more crap for being a Pats fan than you should, don’t let the haters keep you down. Rise to the top or die trying, as my mom always said. I predict either 7th or 1st, and I am hoping for the latter.

  8. Stock - good team…on paper. Jordy Nelson’s out and I think Megatron is past his prime but still going to be under double coverage. Hopefully you have some sleepers on your bench who wake up and drink some haterade to prove everyone wrong that told them “they couldn’t do it”. Also, Sammie Coates is not available.

  9. Ventura - how your team squeaked by last year is beyond me. I think this year will be sobering. Don’t get me wrong, I love the kicker store and am behind you. But I think that Funchness was much to bank on as awesome as your team name is.

  10. Melton - a potentially injury-plagued O-line scares me. I hope your team takes off and wins it all though. Your team is like the Lakers when Shaq, Kobe, Fisher, and good’ol Phil Jackson were struttin their best stuff. But that was 10+ years ago. You have some all-stars, but they’re the old school.

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#10

If I were to base the rankings on who has the best team it would look differently, probably closer to the projection ranking, actually. However fantasy football is not just about who has the best team. Having the best team is great if there are no bye weeks, injuries, etc. As I mentioned on slack, fantasy football is based on luck management. You must be good at valuing quality, understanding injury probability, understanding O-lines, match-ups, being able to have some idea of where the league is headed by paying attention to injuries, trends, etc. So basically there are FAR more variables to fantasy football than how good your team is. Although with that said: having a good team is definitely important. So I will base my rankings on three things: how good your team is, how much time you have/are willing to use to research the above, and your nfl street smarts. Luck can change anything so I will be surprised if my list is 100% accurate. I will also include a range on where I see the team landing if I’m wrong.
My rankings:

  1. Amunrud. Everyone knows I think I have one of the best teams, but since I’m being routinely ranked in the top three it’s all your faults. YOU MADE ME DO IT! However I also spend the most time on fantasy, because while I work around 45 hours a week I have less work time per day which means more free time per day than most. I also have a pretty analytical mind like a lot of the league so I’m on par with all of you there. With all that said I have myself 1st, but could see myself landing anywhere between 1-4.
  2. Cook: The man is a legend. The only winner of the Jackman so far. So props there! Also his team is legit, 2 legit 2 quit. He’s pretty motivated so he’ll find enough time to do his research and will use his time there well. Also he’s got maybe the most analytical mind in the league. For these three things I see him in the 1-4 range. Misses out on the top spot just cuz of my ego and cuz he’s in europe for the start of the year. :wink:
  3. Charbonnet: Also missing the first part of the season while in europe. The Big Commish has a real good squad, has good NFL street smarts, and I’ve seen him post enough during the work that I expect him to spend a lottttt of time researching while “pooping.” Could finish in the top spot, but I want to limit that my range to 4 spots so I’m putting his range from 2-5.
  4. Rogers: The man is motivated! Consistently being ranked on the bubble, he’s out to prove people wrong! He’s got himself a playoff fighting team (probs 5th spot in my mind), and knows the NFL real well. However time is a question, again. I think he’ll blow off katie JUSTTTT enough to succeed. 2-5.
  5. Stock: The man missed the playoffs last year and so he’s motivated to show his team is better than it was last year. He’s got the mind for it, and the team for it too. However, will he be motivated enough to stay focused throughout the year? He also is busy so we’ll see how that affects things too. Those two questions have him dropping in the rankings but his range is 2-5, don’t see him dropping anymore.
  6. Johnson: Good team, but if the patriots have a superbowl hangover, he will have some trouble. He has players for other teams, of course, but his ideal starting roster includes at least 4 patriot (players). Time isn’t too much of a worry, he’ll procrastinate well. And I think he will manage this team to playoffs for sure. 3-6 range.
  7. Hart: Sorry bud, your team dropped off a lot from last year making the plunge in the rankings to the first non playoff team. He’s got a good mind, and will spend some good time on research, however is also going to be in europe for the start of the season and will have school to focus on when he comes back. He’ll procrastinate some, but i expect him to be a good student. 4-7
  8. Miyake: Wildcard! The man has time this year, and he’ll research a ton to have the street smarts to match it. His draft next year will look LOADS different than his first 2 drafts. And he’ll make some solid FA acquistions this year, i have a feeling. Range is 7-10 though. No playoffs, bud.
  9. Melton: Boom not last! Look at this! Not last! I think he’s gonna come to play! He’s here to improve and I think he’ll do it! 1 spot at a time for the next 9 years! 2024 champ, count it! 7-10.
  10. Ventura: Sorry bud, you last. You’re the other kind of wildcard. The bad kind. You’re going down! I just have seen DGAF mode for too long and think it will sink your team. You can definitely end up higher, however, I still don’t see playoffs even if you do well. 7-10 range.
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