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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.

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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!




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