👉 TAP TO SAVE 30% WITH CODE NEW
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Pre-Week 1 Post-Draft: Risers and Fallers for 2016 Fantasy Football

This past weekend made a huge impact on the fantasy landscape. Normally, the final cuts that take place a week before the season starts are pretty quiet for the fantasy world. The controversies that usually occur normally amount to debates over how many reserve nose tackles a team will keep or whether anyone on the team actually knows the long snapper’s name. But this past weekend has shaken everything up.

So here are some of the players whose stocks have risen or fallen following one of the most topsy-turvy Pre-Week 1’s ever.

Editor's Note: Purchase a full season NFL Premium Pass (including Draft Kit + DFS Premium), and also get MLB Premium + DFS for free through the playoffs. Premium DFS lineup picks, expert lineups, tools and more - seven days a week. You can see screenshots of our NFL Premium and MLB Premium and DFS tools. What are you waiting for?

Featured Promo: Looking for some more fantasy football action? Adopt a dynasty orphan team over at FFPC. Sign up today and get $25 off any FFPC league. Sign Up Now!

 

Pre-Week 1 Fantasy Football Risers

Riser – Devontae Booker

Booker has frequently been mentioned in just about every sleeper conversation this year. This sleeper status has been driven by speculation that Booker may eventually overtake C.J. Anderson for the starting job. All the reports about him from camp were glowing but it was difficult to see where Booker would fit in a crowded backfield. Well that backfield is no longer quite so crowded.

The Broncos released RB Ronnie Hillman this past weekend. Hillman was a part of a running back by committee last year with CJ Anderson. Booker had clearly overtaken Hillman as the backup running back during training camp but cutting Hillman is a big show of confidence from management. You can expect Booker to start getting touches right out of the gate. If CJ Anderson were to go through another disappointing slump, Booker may become the starter sooner rather than later.

 

Faller – Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers played pretty poorly last year by his standards (but still pretty exceptionally by mortal human standards). It was pretty clear that the causes of his poor play were largely external. Most of those external problems had been fixed so there has been a lot of optimism that Rodgers would have a nice bounce back year. But last weekend the Packers cut Three Time All-Pro Guard Josh Sitton.

Some of Rodgers’ roughest patches last year were the result of poor protection from the offensive line. Green Bay’s line was banged up last year but was looking to come back fully healthy. It is still unclear exactly why Sitton was cut. But even if his faulty back had not fully healed, he still arguably would have been the best pass blocking interior lineman in the NFL. He will likely be replaced by untested prospect Lane Taylor. Taylor has a lot of raw physical tools to excel in the run game, but he has had difficulty in pass blocking. Expect Rodgers to struggle more than expected with this drop off in pass protection.

 

Riser – Blaine Gabbert

Chip Kelly announced that Blaine Gabbert will be the 49ers’ starting QB in Week 1. While this doesn’t come as much of a surprise, a little certainty can provide a lot of value in fantasy football. There may be reasons not to get too excited, but Chip Kelly has worked fantasy magic in the past with QBs. Nick Foles was briefly an elite fantasy QB before he was traded away. Foles then failed to beat out a group of journeyman for the starting spot in St. Louis.

If Kelly can make Foles into an All-star than I have faith he can fix Gabbert’s career. Gabbert is now a prime streaming option. The 49ers start off with what looks to be a very rough stretch. They play the Rams, Panthers, Seahawks, and Cardinals in their first 5 weeks. All of those teams had top defenses last year. But remember that defenses play the pass very inconsistently one year to the next. All of those teams lost significant pieces this summer. In particular, he may be a sneaky Week 1 play. The LA Rams have lost just about all of their secondary this offseason. If Gabbert starts to play well right out of the gate, it may not just be noise.

 

Faller – Justin Forsett & All Baltimore RBs

Justin Forsett was cut by the Ravens over the weekend. This came as a big shock as Forsett was the presumed starter. While it was surprising it did at least provide some clarity into Baltimore’s RB situation. Terrance West was projected to be the starter with Javorius Allen as the passing down back. That clarity went right out the window when it was announced that the Ravens will be re-signing Forsett.

So now no one has any idea of who will get the majority of carries or in what situations they will get them. Forsett could retake his starting spot or he could eat into Allen’s passing downs. He could just sit on the bench. The whole situation will get even murkier when rookie Kenneth Dixon returns from an injury. Unless you are in a very deep league I would do my best to avoid Baltimore RBs. Definitely do not look to start them. Even just stashing them on your roster may not end up yielding all that much.

 

Riser – Adrian Peterson

The Minnesota Vikings were hoping to expand their offense’s passing game this year. But with the injury to Teddy Bridgewater, the Vikings are going to have to refocus their offense on the running game. “Yes, but won’t the Bridgewater injury also mean more 8 and 9 man boxes?” Adrian Peterson has been eating stacked boxes for lunch since he was drafted. It is basically all he has ever known and it hasn’t slowed him down yet.

 

Faller – Minnesota WRs

I don’t care where you line up on the Bridgewater vs. Bradford debate, the fact remains that Bradford does not have any chemistry with the Minnesota WRs. He also only has limited time to learn the playbook. So it really doesn’t matter if you think Bradford is a better option long term than Bridgewater, Minnesota’s passing game is going to be hurting at the start of this season. Stefon Diggs, Charles Johnson, and Laquon Treadwell all had their stocks drop as a result of the injury and after the trade for Bradford. While Diggs is still clearly the best option of those three, you should avoid placing any of them in your starting lineup.

 


Check out RotoBaller's famous fantasy football draft sleepers and waiver wire pickups list, updated regularly!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Owen Tippett

Multi-Point Effort Leads Philadelphia to a Victory
Drake Batherson

Scores Twice Versus Montreal
Bradley Chubb

Reaches Agreement on Three-Year Deal With Bills
Osa Odighizuwa

49ers Acquire Osa Odighizuwa From Cowboys on Wednesday
Kyler Murray

to Visit With Vikings on Thursday
Julian Hill

Patriots Agree to Terms With Julian Hill
Lucas Krull

Broncos Re-Sign Tight End Lucas Krull
Carson Wentz

Looking Unlikely for the Jets
LeBron James

Questionable Thursday Against Bulls
Foster Moreau

Texans Sign Foster Moreau to Add to Tight End Room
Dallas Goedert

Eagles Buy Some Extra Time to Negotiate With Dallas Goedert
Matas Buzelis

Probable Thursday After Career Night
Lamar Jackson

Ravens Still Hopeful They Can Reach Extension With Lamar Jackson
Ryan Kalkbrenner

Added to Injury Report as Probable
Josh Giddey

Likely Active Thursday
Isaiah Hartenstein

Remains Out Against Boston
Chet Holmgren

Ready to Play Thursday
Josh Hart

Won't Play Wednesday vs. Jazz
Victor Wembanyama

Questionable vs. Nuggets
Keyonte George

Set to Suit Up Wednesday
Jakob Poeltl

Cleared to Play Wednesday vs. Pelicans
Kelly Oubre Jr.

Out at Least Two Weeks
Grant Williams

Sidelined Against Kings
John Metchie III

Signing One-Year Deal to Join Panthers
Chris Rodriguez Jr.

Jaguars Signing Chris Rodriguez Jr. on Wednesday
Coby White

Active On Wednesday
Stephen Curry

Expected to Miss 10 More Days
Jake Browning

Plans to Sign One-Year Deal With Buccaneers
Dylan Parham

Jets Agree With Dylan Parham on Two-Year Deal
Durham Smythe

Ravens Agree to Terms With Durham Smythe
Sean Tucker

Buccaneers Tender Sean Tucker on One-Year Deal
Kyler Murray

Officially Released by the Cardinals
Kirk Cousins

Falcons Officially Release Kirk Cousins
Jake Tonges

49ers, Jake Tonges Agree to Two-Year Deal
Bryce Miller

Shuts Down Bullpen Due to More Oblique Discomfort
Zac Gallen

Named Arizona's Opening Day Starter
Kyle Teel

Could Miss 4-6 Weeks With Hamstring Strain
Jaylinn Hawkins

Plans to Sign Two-Year Deal With Ravens
Chig Okonkwo

Commanders Agree to Three-Year Deal With Chig Okonkwo
Patrick Taylor Jr.

Agrees to Extension With 49ers
Hideki Matsuyama

Brings Strong Course History to TPC Sawgrass
Josh Hader

to Start the Year on the Injured List
Adam Scott

in Strong Form Ahead of The Players
Shayne Gostisbehere

to Remain Out for "Couple of Games"
Robert Thomas

Blues Hopeful Robert Thomas Can Play Through Upper-Body Injury
Ross Colton

Suffers Upper-Body Injury Tuesday Night
Connor Ingram

"Feeling Well" After Tuesday's Early Exit
Dylan Larkin

Doubtful for Rest of Road Trip
Andrew Copp

Sustains Lower-Body Injury Tuesday
Justin Brazeau

Out Week-to-Week
Ace Bailey

Cleared to Play Wednesday
Keyonte George

Still Dealing With Illness, Questionable Wednesday
Mitchell Robinson

Available for Wednesday's Tilt
Josh Hart

Questionable for Wednesday Night
Jarrett Allen

Remains Out Wednesday
Cameron Johnson

Considered Probable Wednesday
Kyle Teel

Exits Tuesday's Game With Hamstring Injury
Jamal Murray

Probable for Matchup With Rockets
Rickie Fowler

on Quite the Run Heading to TPC Sawgrass
Sepp Straka

Needs to Forget What Happened Sunday at Bay Hill
Jordan Spieth

an Enigma Heading to The Players Championship
Justin Rose

Trying to Pick Up the Pieces in Florida
Maverick McNealy

Bounces Back at Arnold Palmer Invitational
Brooks Koepka

Continues His Florida Swing With Some Momentum
Nicolai Hojgaard

in Strong Form Ahead of The Players
Robert MacIntyre

a Volatile Option at The Players
Matt Fitzpatrick

Looks to Return to Top Form at The Players
Sam Burns

a High-Risk, High-Reward Option at The Players
Keegan Bradley

Hard to Trust at The Players
Xander Schauffele

Rounding into Form Heading to Players Championship
Rory McIlroy

Set to Return at Players Championship to Defend Title
Jake Knapp

Set to Return at Players Championship
Viktor Hovland

Continues Strong Start to 2026 Season
Jakub Dobes

Makes 17 Saves in Victory
Rasmus Hojgaard

Looking for Bounce-Back at Players Championship
Tommy Fleetwood

Will Need to Find Putter to Compete at Players Championship
Akshay Bhatia

Continues Improving Heading to Players Championship
Alexis Lafrenière

Alexis Lafreniere's Hat Trick Leads New York to Victory
Carter Verhaeghe

Wins it for Florida on Tuesday
Merrill Kelly

Set to Make Spring Training Debut on Friday
Francisco Lindor

"100 Percent Optimistic" he Can be Ready for Opening Day
Justin Thomas

Continues Competitive Return at The Players Championship
Colton Parayko

Rejoins Blues Lineup
Shayne Gostisbehere

Unavailable Against Penguins
Marcus Johansson

Returns From Two-Game Absence
Darren Raddysh

Sits Out Tuesday's Game
Sam Reinhart

Out Tuesday
John Gibson

Available Tuesday
Dylan Larkin

Misses Second Consecutive Game
Corbin Carroll

Set to Play in Cactus League Game on Wednesday
Kyle Stowers

to Make Grapefruit League Debut on Saturday
Hunter Greene

to be Sidelined Through July
James Reimer

Posts Shutout With Seventh Franchise
Tim Stützle

Tim Stutzle Stretches Point Streak to 13 Games
Jesús Luzardo

Jesus Luzardo, Phillies Agree on Five-Year Extension
Corbin Carroll

Could Make Spring Debut This Week
Max Holloway

Drops Decision At UFC 326
Charles Oliveira

Becomes The New BMF Champion
Caio Borralho

Bounces Back
Reinier de Ridder

Reinier De Ridder Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Rob Font

Gets Dominated
Raul Rosas Jr.

Extends His Win Streak
Michael Johnson

Suffers Second-Round Knockout Loss
Drew Dober

Knocks Out Michael Johnson
Rafael Devers

Back in Cactus League Lineup on Monday
Ryan Blaney

Earns his Second Consecutive Phoenix Cup Series Win
Christopher Bell

Falls Short of Victory Despite Dominating at Phoenix
Kyle Larson

Earns Hard-Fought Finish of Third at Phoenix
Denny Hamlin

Quietly Gains Another Top-Five Finish at Phoenix
Joey Logano

Crashes out at Phoenix Despite Strong Run
Tarik Skubal

Could Make Another Start in World Baseball Classic
Jackson Chourio

Should Return to WBC Lineup on Monday
Byron Buxton

"Fine" After Being Hit by Pitch
Ryan Blaney

is Always A Top Favorite to Compete for the Win At Phoenix
Denny Hamlin

Is Denny Hamlin Worth Rostering for Phoenix?
Christopher Bell

is Likely to have Another Solid Phoenix Run
Chase Briscoe

has Plenty of Upside for DFS Lineups at Phoenix
Joey Logano

Could Dominate at Phoenix This Weekend
Chase Elliott

has Plenty of Upside for Sunday's Race at Phoenix
Chris Buescher

Is Chris Buescher Worth Rostering For Phoenix DFS Lineups?
Ross Chastain

Has Found Speed Again at Phoenix
Josh Berry

a Solid Sleeper at Phoenix
Brad Keselowski

Skips Qualifying After Practice Crash at Phoenix
Tyler Reddick

Spins in Practice at Phoenix
William Byron

Should Be a Contender at Phoenix
Kyle Larson

Is Always a Threat at Phoenix
NASCAR

Could Bubba Wallace Be Playable for Phoenix DFS Lineups?
Anthony Alfredo

Is A Favorable DFS Option In A Substitution Role At Phoenix
Brandon Woodruff

Making Cactus League Debut on Saturday
Byron Buxton

Leaves WBC Game After Being Hit by a Pitch on his Elbow
Jackson Chourio

"Fine" After Suffering Hand Contusion
Max Holloway

A Favorite At UFC 326
Charles Oliveira

Set For BMF Title Fight
Reinier de Ridder

Reinier De Ridder Looks To Bounce Back
Caio Borralho

Set For UFC 326 Co-Main Event
Rob Font

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Raul Rosas Jr.

Looks For His Fifth Consecutive Win
Drew Dober

Returns At UFC 326
Michael Johnson

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Rafael Devers

Could Return to Game Action Next Week
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena Hopes to be Ready for Opening Day
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF