The NFL season is around the corner, which means that fantasy football is coming back! Yup, that’s right, soon it will be time to spend your Sundays in the living room creating hopeless scenarios for your team to orchestrate a miracle comeback, all to have it fall flat as some no-name receiver inexplicably drops 35 points on you. For most people, the ins and outs of the NFL offseason can be tough to follow, injuries, trades, and free agency work together to create a NASDAQ-esque market for players as their fantasy values rise and fall by the minute. I, however, spend an abhorrent amount of time watching and following football. And so with nowhere to put all the useless stats and rosters that I’ve memorized, I write this short fantasy guide to you, the reader, with some Rebel favorites in the mix.
Quarterback – Trey Lance, San Francisco 49ers
When the Niners mortgaged their future and made Trey Lance the No. 3 pick in the draft, they committed themselves to at some point give Lance the chance to win the starting job. Lance has all the makings to be a terrific fantasy quarterback, he has deep accuracy, incredible arm talent and the blazing speed to pick up those ever-valuable rushing yards and touchdowns that make Lamar Jackson a fantasy force. Now, Lance is not a proven commodity and it’s possible he doesn’t win the starting job until midway through the season, but once he does he will fly off the waiver wire fast so there’s no problem with taking him with your last pick, especially if you’re in a dynasty league.
Wide Receiver – Elijah Moore, New York Jets
The former Rebel has been making noise for himself all camp and likely will have a role carved out for himself when the Jets travel to Charlotte to take on the Panthers in Week 1. In addition to his technically sound route running, which guarantees a steady number of points per week, Moore has the ability to run past just about anyone on the football field which makes his “boom” probability high. Moore is another rookie on this list who could have every fantasy owner in America kicking themselves for passing on him round after round as he plays his way into Wide Receiver 1 status.
Tight End – Anthony Firkser, Tennessee Titans
Yes, in an offense with superstars such as Derrick Henry, Julio Jones, and AJ Brown, expect a breakout fantasy season for the tight end. The Harvard product will be the starting tight end for the first time in his four year career, setting him up for career highs in catches, yards, and touchdowns. It is true that Firkser is the fourth option on a loaded offense, but given that teams will need to give the safety help to the poor souls tasked with covering AJ Brown and Julio Jones, Firsker will be in 1v1 situations with linebackers almost every down. Additionally, the presence of Derrick Henry will force linebackers to stay home for the run, creating a lot of space for Firkser to slip into uncovered.
Running Back – D’Andre Swift, Detroit Lions
D’Andre Swift is one of the least talked about backs in the league mostly due to being on the Lions. However, their lackluster performance should not distract you from the special skill set that Swift possesses. Last season, Swift put up 878 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns despite starting just four of the 13 games he played in. Swift also managed to snag an impressive 46 catches, which shows his ability to stay on the field for all three downs. In a boost of confidence, the Lions cleared out their running back room and now have Swift as the all-purpose starter, setting him up for a big season. Additionally, the Lions lost their No. 1 receiver in Kenny Golladay and his production must be replaced. Who better to do that than the shifty second round pick?
