Welcome to the next round of analyzing our 2016 fantasy football rankings here at RotoBaller, as our best and brightest have put their minds (and numbers) together to drop some serious knowledge on the world. The rankings come from Nathan Powell, Zach Wilkens, Bill Dubiel, Frankie Soler and myself, Nick Mariano.

This will be the first look at the overall PPR rankings, where we’ll analyze some tiers and check in on some polarizing names and trends as draft season descends upon us. More in-depth breakdowns by position will follow for both standard and PPR formats, so don’t touch that dial after this episode ends!

First order of business - for those that want to play along, you can also click here to access our rankings assistant page (for all types of formats). I've pasted the entire table in this article below, but it's a long list. Our handy rankings tool shows you all of our staff rankings, player news, ADPs, tiers, target rounds and more. You can easily filter, sort, and export all sorts of ranks – standard, half-PPR and PPR leagues, tiers, rookies, dynasty formats, keeper values and more. It's all in one place, and all free.

 

2016 Fantasy Football Preseason PPR Rankings Analysis: Overall

Tier One is comprised of six names, with DeAndre Hopkins joining the five that we had in the top tier within our standard ranks. Hopkins is simply a volume-based beast, who obviously is no slouch when it comes to scoring either, but in PPR formats he really closes the gap. The top three target totals for wide receivers belong to Julio Jones (203), Antonio Brown (193) and Hopkins (192), then Demaryius Thomas checked in with 177 in fourth place. Yes, Hopkins had 25 less receptions than Jones or Brown, but the groundwork is here for the jump.

Tier Two starts with A.J. Green, who not only benefits from a healthy Andy Dalton, but also from the departure of Mohamed Sanu and the reports that Tyler Eifert will miss the beginning of the season. That leaves Green as the unquestioned go-to guy for Dalton and the Bengals offense. Jamaal Charles is the last name here, with the ceiling of an RB1 but the obvious floor of a guy who has quite a few red marks on his bill of health. “Going Gronk” in the first round has always been a question to ponder, and being Tom Brady-less through the first four weeks only increases the opposition to doing so. I still see him as a steady target who provides stability in a world of chaos, though his durability hasn’t been 100% either.

Tier Three sees Ezekiel Elliott drop into it from standard’s Tier Two, as most don’t see him being heavily involved in the passing game. Mike Evans has a real chance at greatness this season if he can rein in the drops, as second-year QB Jameis Winston is down 20 pounds and showed lots of potential in his first season. Keenan Allen is a PPR stud, providing a trigger-happy Philip Rivers with a steady outlet to move the chains while racking up the yards. Brandon Marshall’s stock is obviously contingent on the Jets’ QB situation, but his talent level will play in any scenario.

Tier Four begins with Amari Cooper, who has proven to be fairly polarizing as 2016 approaches. On the one hand, he’s a very talented receiver that’s only 22 years old in a pass-heavy offense, but on the other hand he’s still a young player whose game needs further refining (especially with drops/consistency). Lots of his upside is baked into the price tag at first glance, but that doesn’t make him a bad choice at all. Another intriguing name is Jarvis Landry, who is a known PPR asset but now has Devante Parker breathing down his neck for "wide-receiver workhorse" duties. Adam Gase and the Dolphins should generate plenty of volume though, so he’s still a mighty safe investment here.

Tier Five houses one of the flashiest players of 2015, Dion Lewis. Before his ACL injury, Lewis caught 36 of 50 targets for 388 yards (55.4 yards per game) alongside averaging 4.8 yards per carry. Of course, it’s difficult to project how New England will utilize its weapons outside of Gronk and Julian Edelman, but Lewis’ upside as an effective runner/pass-catcher in a potent Patriots offense cannot be ignored. Jordan Matthews is another name not to be forgotten, because despite underwhelming in his sophomore campaign, he still posted an 85-997-8 line. The Eagles offense will undoubtedly have a different look, but Matthews’ ceiling in PPR formats is still very high as he enters his third season.

Tier Six is where we find some standard-type running backs for those going “zero-RB” to open their drafts, namely Ryan Mathews and Jonathan Stewart. Both should chip in solid value, but their pass-catching opportunities are not great. Travis Kelce and Delanie Walker are both solid, with Kelce’s high ceiling and Walker’s high floor really buoying their ADP here. Giovani Bernard is another beneficiary from the aforementioned “lack of playmakers to open the season” issue in Cincinnati.

Tier Seven sees Danny Woodhead and Duke Johnson rise up, as they are the significant pass-catchers out of their respective backfields. Woodhead obviously has the trust of Rivers, and Johnson now has Robert Griffin at the helm, who could really prosper with a fresh start. DeSean Jackson is a sneaky high-upside option, though he falls in PPR formats with his game relying on big strikes rather than volume. All the same, he makes for a nice flex play due to his game-breaking abilities.

Tier Eight has two older running backs in Frank Gore and Chris Ivory, though Gore is obviously higher within the tier due to his starting and having a healthy Andrew Luck at the helm. Ivory makes for a nice passing-down and red-zone threat out of the Jacksonville backfield, with a very high ceiling should T.J. Yeldon get hurt. Aside them are three young RBs, as Ameer Abdullah and Melvin Gordon come off of disappointing rookie campaigns while Charles Sims surged upwards with 51 catches on 70 targets (4.9 YPC as well!) in his first full season. Abdullah and Gordon will need to show growth early, but could become decent RB2s out of the eighth/ninth round for owners.

Tier Nine holds three tight ends, two quarterbacks and one huge wide receiver in Dorial Green-Beckham. DGB is pretty much synonymous with “raw” at this point, as the 23-year-old has tremendous intangibles but was called out on many mental errors by his coaches. Zach Ertz came on strong in the final three weeks, tallying 30 receptions on 39 targets for 352 yards and a TD in that stretch, but the loss of Chip Kelly has to be factored in here. All the same, he’s a huge target for Philly and showed why he should be heavily involved entering his fourth season in the NFL.

Tier 10 is home to “running back” Theo Riddick, whose receiving stats on pro-football-reference are listed before his rushing stats, pointing to his wild 80 receptions (tied with Woodhead for most as an RB) on 99 targets last season. While his 697 receiving yards and three TDs aren’t up to Woodhead’s 755 yards and six TDs (plus Woodhead is a more effective rusher), getting Riddick late in deeper PPR formats can really pay off.

Notable Names from Lower Tiers:

Tier 11: Willie Snead, Torrey Smith, Rashad Jennings.

Tier 12: Sterling Shepard, Isaiah Crowell, Travis Benjamin, Josh Doctson.

Tier 13: Tyrod Taylor, Javorius Allen, Jason Witten, Eric Ebron, Michael Thomas, Justin Forsett.

Tier 14: C.J. Prosise, Bilal Powell, DeAngelo Williams, Shane Vereen.

Tier 15: Kendall Wright, Arian Foster, Mohamed Sanu, Jimmy Graham, Ryan Tannehill.

Tier 16: Jordan Howard, Martellus Bennett, Devontae Booker, Kamar Aiken, Zach Miller.

Tier 17: Pierre Garcon, Darren Sproles, Phillip Dorsett, Charles Clay, Seattle Seahawks.

Tier 18: Jerick McKinnon, Chris Thompson, James White, James Starks, Denver Broncos.

Tier 19: Will Fuller, Ted Ginn, Rueben Randle, Jordan Cameron.

Tier 20: Clive Walford, Chris Johnson, DeAndre Washington.

Tier 21: Tyler Boyd, Alfred Morris, Wendell Smallwood, Kyle Rudolph.

Tier 22: Los Angeles Rams, Chris Hogan, Andre Ellington, Justin Hardy, Steve Johnson.

Tier 23: C.J. Spiller, Spencer Ware, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets, New England Patriots.

Tier 24: Jamison Crowder, Josh Gordon, Jaelen Strong, Shaun Draughn, Sam Bradford.

Tier 25: Tim Hightower, Robert Griffin, Ka’Deem Carey, Seth Roberts, Jace Amaro, Lance Dunbar.

Tier 26+: Jermaine Kearse, DeAndre Smelter, Cole Beasley, Pharoh Cooper, Leonte Carroo.

 

PPR League Rankings (August)

Rank	Tier	Player Name	Pos
1	1	Antonio Brown	WR
2	1	Odell Beckham Jr.	WR
3	1	Le'Veon Bell	RB
4	1	Julio Jones	WR
5	1	DeAndre Hopkins	WR
6	1	Todd Gurley	RB
7	2	A.J. Green	WR
8	2	David Johnson	RB
9	2	Rob Gronkowski	TE
10	2	Dez Bryant	WR
11	2	Adrian Peterson	RB
12	2	Allen Robinson	WR
13	2	Lamar Miller	RB
14	2	Jamaal Charles	RB
15	3	Devonta Freeman	RB
16	3	Jordy Nelson	WR
17	3	Ezekiel Elliott	RB
18	3	Alshon Jeffery	WR
19	3	Brandon Marshall	WR
20	3	Mike Evans	WR
21	3	Keenan Allen	WR
22	3	Demaryius Thomas	WR
23	3	Doug Martin	RB
24	3	Mark Ingram	RB
25	3	Brandin Cooks	WR
26	4	Eddie Lacy	RB
27	4	Amari Cooper	WR
28	4	LeSean McCoy	RB
29	4	Julian Edelman	WR
30	4	Matt Forte	RB
31	4	Sammy Watkins	WR
32	4	Randall Cobb	WR
33	4	T.Y. Hilton	WR
34	4	Golden Tate	WR
35	4	Jarvis Landry	WR
36	4	Cam Newton	QB
37	4	Aaron Rodgers	QB
38	4	C.J. Anderson	RB
39	5	Kelvin Benjamin	WR
40	5	Jordan Reed	TE
41	5	Dion Lewis	RB
42	5	Carlos Hyde	RB
43	5	Jeremy Maclin	WR
44	5	Greg Olsen	TE
45	5	Latavius Murray	RB
46	5	Thomas Rawls	RB
47	5	Jordan Matthews	WR
48	5	Andrew Luck	QB
49	5	Russell Wilson	QB
50	5	Eric Decker	WR
51	5	Doug Baldwin	WR
52	6	Larry Fitzgerald	WR
53	6	Ryan Mathews	RB
54	6	Jonathan Stewart	RB
55	6	Emmanuel Sanders	WR
56	6	Michael Floyd	WR
57	6	DeMarco Murray	RB
58	6	Ben Roethlisberger	QB
59	6	Jeremy Langford	RB
60	6	Devante Parker	WR
61	6	Travis Kelce	TE
62	6	Jay Ajayi	RB
63	6	Drew Brees	QB
64	6	Donte Moncrief	WR
65	6	Delanie Walker	TE
66	6	Giovani Bernard	RB
67	6	John Brown	WR
68	6	Allen Hurns	WR
69	7	Jeremy Hill	RB
70	7	Matt Jones	RB
71	7	Danny Woodhead	RB
72	7	T.J. Yeldon	RB
73	7	Michael Crabtree	WR
74	7	Tyler Eifert	TE
75	7	Duke Johnson	RB
76	7	DeSean Jackson	WR
77	8	Carson Palmer	QB
78	8	Frank Gore	RB
79	8	Ameer Abdullah	RB
80	8	Gary Barnidge	TE
81	8	Tom Brady	QB
82	8	Marvin Jones	WR
83	8	Tyler Lockett	WR
84	8	Charles Sims	RB
85	8	Kevin White	WR
86	8	Melvin Gordon	RB
87	8	Chris Ivory	RB
88	8	Corey Coleman	WR
89	9	Ladarius Green	TE
90	9	Zach Ertz	TE
91	9	Blake Bortles	QB
92	9	Julius Thomas	TE
93	9	Eli Manning	QB
94	9	Dorial Green-Beckham	WR
95	10	Coby Fleener	TE
96	10	Theo Riddick	RB
97	10	Karlos Williams	RB
98	10	Laquon Treadwell	WR
99	10	Tony Romo	QB
100	10	Derek Carr	QB
101	10	Philip Rivers	QB
102	10	Andy Dalton	QB
103	10	Markus Wheaton	WR
104	10	Stefon Diggs	WR
105	11	Steve Smith	WR
106	11	Willie Snead	WR
107	11	Antonio Gates	TE
108	11	Tavon Austin	WR
109	11	Torrey Smith	WR
110	11	Rashad Jennings	RB
111	12	Derrick Henry	RB
112	12	Sterling Shepard	WR
113	12	Isaiah Crowell	RB
114	12	Kenneth Dixon	RB
115	12	Travis Benjamin	WR
116	12	Josh Doctson	WR
117	13	Tevin Coleman	RB
118	13	Tyrod Taylor	QB
119	13	Vincent Jackson	WR
120	13	Javorius Allen	RB
121	13	Jason Witten	TE
122	13	Eric Ebron	TE
123	13	Michael Thomas	WR
124	13	Justin Forsett	RB
125	14	Devin Funchess	WR
126	14	Jameis Winston	QB
127	14	C.J. Prosise	RB
128	14	Bilal Powell	RB
129	14	LeGarrette Blount	RB
130	14	Marcus Mariota	QB
131	14	DeAngelo Williams	RB
132	14	Kirk Cousins	QB
133	14	Shane Vereen	RB
134	15	Matt Ryan	QB
135	15	Paul Perkins	RB
136	15	Kendall Wright	WR
137	15	Arian Foster	RB
138	15	Mohamed Sanu	WR
139	15	Jimmy Graham	TE
140	15	Ryan Tannehill	QB
141	16	Jordan Howard	RB
142	16	Dwayne Allen	TE
143	16	Martellus Bennett	TE
144	16	Nelson Agholor	WR
145	16	Devontae Booker	RB
146	16	Kamar Aiken	WR
147	16	Breshad Perriman	WR
148	16	Zach Miller	TE
149	16	Terrance Williams	WR
150	16	Matthew Stafford	QB
151	17	Pierre Garcon	WR
152	17	Darren McFadden	RB
153	17	Rishard Matthews	WR
154	17	Austin Seferian-Jenkins	TE
155	17	Darren Sproles	RB
156	17	Phillip Dorsett	WR
157	17	Charles Clay	TE
158	17	Seattle Seahawks	DST
159	18	Jerick McKinnon	RB
160	18	Zach Miller	TE
161	18	Chris Thompson	RB
162	18	Jay Cutler	QB
163	18	Kenyan Drake	RB
164	18	James White	RB
165	18	James Starks	RB
166	18	Sammie Coates	WR
167	18	Denver Broncos	DST
168	19	Benjamin Watson	TE
169	19	Will Fuller	WR
170	19	Ted Ginn	WR
171	19	Ronnie Hillman	RB
172	19	Carolina Panthers	DST
173	19	Arizona Cardinals	DST
174	19	Rueben Randle	WR
175	19	Will Tye	TE
176	19	Jordan Cameron	TE
177	19	Mike Wallace	WR
178	19	Houston Texans	DST
179	20	Jeff Janis	WR
180	20	Clive Walford	TE
181	20	Ryan Fitzpatrick	QB
182	20	Victor Cruz	WR
183	20	Joe Flacco	QB
184	20	Chris Johnson	RB
185	20	DeAndre Washington	RB
186	21	Tyler Boyd	WR
187	21	Alfred Morris	RB
188	21	Wendell Smallwood	RB
189	21	Charcandrick West	RB
190	21	Jared Cook	TE
191	21	Kyle Rudolph	TE
192	22	Alex Smith	QB
193	22	Los Angeles Rams	DST
194	22	Chris Hogan	WR
195	22	Brock Osweiler	QB
196	22	Davante Adams	WR
197	22	Andre Ellington	RB
198	22	Danny Amendola	WR
199	22	Justin Hardy	WR
200	22	Steve Johnson	WR
201	23	Vance McDonald	TE
202	23	C.J. Spiller	RB
203	23	Spencer Ware	RB
204	23	Kansas City Chiefs	DST
205	23	New York Jets	DST
206	23	New England Patriots	DST
207	24	Jamison Crowder	WR
208	24	Austin Hooper	TE
209	24	Josh Gordon	WR
210	24	Teddy Bridgewater	QB
211	24	Kenny Britt	WR
212	24	Richard Rodgers	TE
213	24	Mark Sanchez	QB
214	24	Jaelen Strong	WR
215	24	Shaun Draughn	RB
216	24	Sam Bradford	QB
217	24	Christine Michael	RB
218	24	Cincinnati Bengals	DST
219	25	Brandon LaFell	WR
220	25	Cameron Artis-Payne	RB
221	25	Tim Hightower	RB
222	25	Robert Griffin	QB
223	25	Anquan Boldin	WR
224	25	Tyler Ervin	RB
225	25	Ka'Deem Carey	RB
226	25	Zach Zenner	RB
227	25	Seth Roberts	WR
228	25	Tre Mason	RB
229	25	Buffalo Bills	DST
230	25	Brandon Coleman	WR
231	25	Robert Woods	WR
232	25	Stephen Gostkowski	K
233	25	Colin Kaepernick	QB
234	25	Blaine Gabbert	QB
235	25	Khiry Robinson	RB
236	25	Jace Amaro	TE
237	25	Lance Dunbar	RB
238	25	Minnesota Vikings	DST
239	25	Jared Goff	QB
240	26	Jermaine Kearse	WR
241	26	Jacob Tamme	TE
242	26	Lance Kendricks	TE
243	26	DeAndre Smelter	WR
244	26	Brian Quick	WR
245	26	Robert Turbin	RB
246	26	Maxx Williams	TE
247	26	Eddie Royal	WR
248	26	Hunter Henry	TE
249	26	Keith Marshall	RB
250	26	Cole Beasley	WR
251	26	Paxton Lynch	QB
252	26	Ty Montgomery	WR
253	26	Green Bay Packers	DST
254	26	Pharoh Cooper	WR
255	26	Carson Wentz	QB
256	26	Leonte Carroo	WR
257	26	Nate Washington	WR
258	26	Pittsburgh Steelers	DST
259	27	Jeff Heuerman	TE
260	27	Chandler Catanzaro	K
261	27	Dan Bailey	K
262	27	Mason Crosby	K
263	27	Justin Tucker	K
264	27	Oakland Raiders	DST
265	27	Roberto Aguayo	K
266	27	David Cobb	RB
267	27	Graham Gano	K
268	27	Adam Vinatieri	K
269	27	Philadelphia Eagles	DST
270	28	Josh Brown	K
271	28	Geno Smith	QB
272	28	Steven Hauschka	K
273	28	Alfred Blue	RB
274	28	Miami Dolphins	DST
275	28	Josh Lambo	K
276	28	Cleveland Browns	DST
277	28	Josh McCown	QB
278	28	San Francisco 49ers	DST
279	28	Matt Bryant	K
280	28	Philly Brown	WR
281	28	Dan Carpenter	K
282	28	Chris Boswell	K
283	28	Jacksonville Jaguars	DST
284	29	Phil Dawson	K
285	29	Baltimore Ravens	DST
286	29	Brandon McManus	K
287	29	Jimmy Garoppolo	QB
288	29	Brian Hartline	WR
289	29	Braxton Miller	WR
290	29	Detroit Lions	DST
291	29	Cairo Santos	K
292	29	Greg Zuerlein	K
293	29	Marques Colston	WR
294	29	Nick Novak	K
295	29	Blair Walsh	K
296	29	Marqise Lee	WR
297	29	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	DST
298	29	Connor Barth	K
299	29	New York Giants	DST
300	29	Antonio Andrews	RB
301	29	Washington Redskins	DST
302	29	Tennessee Titans	DST
303	29	Cody Latimer	WR
304	30	Indianapolis Colts	DST
305	30	Chicago Bears	DST
306	30	Robbie Gould	K
307	30	Albert Wilson	WR
308	30	Chris Conley	WR
309	30	Josh Hill	TE
310	30	Atlanta Falcons	DST
311	30	Cecil Shorts	WR
312	30	Jason Myers	K
313	30	Owen Daniels	TE
314	30	Benny Cunningham	RB
315	30	Denard Robinson	RB
316	30	Kenny Stills	WR
317	30	Caleb Sturgis	K

 

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Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.