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

Reviewing Pierre Camus's Bold NFL Predictions of 2016

Pierre Camus reflects on his six bold predictions prior to the 2016 fantasy football season.

Making predictions is truly a double-edged sword - it hurts so good at first, but when you bleed out later the results aren't so fun. Then again, sometimes you hit the nail right on the head and you can look back and say, "Maybe I do know a thing or two about fantasy football!" Before the 2016 season began, I made six bold statements that I firmly believed would come true. Let's see how that worked out.

Editor's Note: Our industry-leading NBA DFS Lineup Optimizer/Generator tool helps you build winning DFS lineups in seconds. Try it now for free, and get an edge on your competition.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Reviewing 2016's Bold Fantasy Football Predictions

RG3 won't start more than 10 games for the Browns

That was easy. Week 1 wasn't even over before this prognostication was confirmed. Robert Griffin III suffered a serious shoulder injury in his first action as a Brown, forcing him to miss the next 12 weeks. From Week 14 on, he was given a chance to show what he had to offer. It wasn't much, apparently, with an average of 177 passing yards per game and a 2/3 TD/INT rate on the season.

You have to feel bad for Griffin at this point. Playing for the Browns is bad enough, but the guy can't seem to catch a break when it comes to staying healthy. If you rolled the dice on him as a backup QB, you knew going into the season it was a high-risk pick. At least you didn't have to wait it out before dropping him.

 

There won't be a single San Francisco player worth starting on fantasy teams

This was mostly true, but not completely. Carlos Hyde started out on fire, which appeared to undermine my months-long declaration of him as a bust for the 2016 season. After scoring six touchdowns and compiling 443 yards in the first five weeks, he pulled a Houdini act. Injury forced him to miss three weeks, but when he returned the value wasn't the same. He wouldn't score again on the ground, but did catch three TD. His biggest moment came in a 200-yard performance against the Jets in Week 14. Otherwise, he was a marginal RB2 from Week 10 on.

Colin Kaepernick had his moments too, providing solid streaming value and making for a tremendous DFS play in Weeks 9, 12, and 16. That's about it, though. Kap was not worth starting in single QB leagues unless you happened to get lucky because your regular starter was on bye in Week 9 or 12. As far as the receiving corps, it isn't even worth getting into details. Let's just say we all feel badly for Torrey Smith and hope he finds a better home in the near future.

 

The Texans' offense will be maddeningly inconsistent

Bingo! I'm pretty proud of the way I worded this one because I think it rings very true when you describe the Texans' season. I did not claim that Houston would be the worst offense, but I knew that trusting any of their starters, including first-rounders like DeAndre Hopkins and Lamar Miller, would make for a (sometimes nauseating) roller coaster ride for fantasy owners. They started out great... for exactly two weeks. Miller was getting more carries than anyone in the league, Will Fuller was making big plays and Hopkins had 167 yards and two TD in two games. Then, in Week 3 they were shutout completely, losing 27-0 to a team quarterbacked by Jacoby Brissett.

It was hit or miss from that point on. The team scored 13 points against Minnesota, nine against Denver, 12 against Cincinnati and 13 against defensive non-stalwarts Green Bay and San Diego. They also managed to score 24 or more points on four other occasions. Ultimately, Hopkins turned out to be a draft-day bust, Miller was a mild disappointment, Fuller disappeared and Osweiler was simply unplayable. With the same offensive personnel returning in 2017, will it be any different? It's too early to say, but as far as 2016 goes, don't say I didn't warn you.

bingo

 

Arian Foster will be a fantasy starter and top-15 RB

Maybe the Dolfan in me came out, but I really had high hopes for Foster. All accounts of his health in the preseason were positive and he did beat out Jay Ajayi for the starting RB job straight up. Foster was not so spectacular in Week 1, rushing 13 times for 38 yards, but he did catch three passes for 62 yards. This came on the road in Seattle, so it was excusable. After that, it was bust city for Foster. He carried the ball exactly three times in his next three games, not including the three weeks he missed in between due to a groin injury. Once Jay Ajayi exploded against Buffalo, pride forced Foster to hang up his cleats mid-season.

By drafting both Foster and Jamaal Charles this year (in separate leagues at least) I will now be gun shy when it comes to injury-prone veterans. It probably shouldn't have taken this experience to learn that lesson, but sometimes stubborn fandom gets in the way.

 

Devonta Freeman won't be a top-20 RB

Freeman wasn't a top-20 running back - he was top-10. In PPR leagues, he was the 6th-highest scoring RB all season. It turns out that Freeman was able to match his 11 TD from last season and rush for almost the exact same amount of yards. A slight dip in receiving production, thanks to the emergence of Tevin Coleman, is the only thing that made him slightly less valuable than last year. So yeah, I got this one completely wrong.

The Falcons, who incidentally are playing in the Super Bowl next week, were an unstoppable offensive machine. Whether that continues to the same level once Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan leaves for San Francisco is up for debate, but Freeman has officially proven all the doubters wrong about his ability.

 

Martellus Bennett will be a top-10 TE

True and false. Statistically speaking, Bennett was seventh in fantasy scoring at the tight end position, so my statement was factually correct. It was still a disappointing year for him, however. There exists no logical explanation for how Bennett, in the prolonged absence of Rob Gronkowski, did not put up huge fantasy numbers for the AFC's Super Bowl representative. Bennett's stats somehow got worse after Gronk wasn't on the field any more. All three of his 100-yard games came between Weeks 1-10 and he only caught more than three balls or 35 yards once the rest of the season.

His overall stats don't look too bad for a razor-thin TE position, but Bennett did little on a weekly basis to help fantasy owners. Three of his seven touchdowns came in one game and nearly half of his receiving yards came in four games. Worst of all, he was a huge bust during the fantasy playoffs. An ankle injury that never fully went away throughout the season may be to blame. Still, that is little solace for fantasy owners who were expecting Gronk-like numbers. Where he lands next year will play a big part in his preseason value. Hopefully it isn't San Francisco...


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

Tyler Soderstrom

Returns to A's Lineup
Tyler Warren

Sidelined on Wednesday with Toe Injury
Jaylen Waddle

Questionable for Week 3 Against Buffalo
Joe Burrow

Bengals Not Closing the Door on Joe Burrow Returning This Year
CFB

LaNorris Sellers to Play Against Missouri?
Kyle Tucker

Progress has "Plateaued"
Isaac Paredes

has "Outside Chance" to Return This Weekend
CFB

Kaidon Salter Expected To Start for Colorado on Saturday
Willson Contreras

Goes on 10-Day Injured List, Done for Season
Justin Fields

Ruled Out for Week 3 Due to Concussion
Jayden Reed

Out Indefinitely After Foot and Shoulder Surgery
Washington Commanders

Preston Smith Signs With Commanders
Trey Jemison III

Joins Knicks on Two-Way Contract
Kevin McCullar Jr.

Signs New Two-Way Deal With Knicks
Matt Ryan

Returns to Knicks on Exhibit 10 Contract
New York Knicks

Alex Len Signs Exhibit 9 Deal With Knicks
Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Expected to Take on Larger Offensive Role With Hawks
Thomas Sorber

Undergoes Surgery
Dominic Canzone

Has Five-Hit, Three-Homer Game Tuesday
Cal Raleigh

Sets Single-Season Home Run Record for a Switch-Hitter
Jayden Reed

Undergoes Clavicle and Foot Surgeries, Out for Foreseeable Future
Bo Bichette

to Miss Rest of Regular Season
Zach Neto

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Hand Injury
Yordan Alvarez

Out on Tuesday, Dealing With "Significant" Ankle Sprain
Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Place Aaron Jones Sr. on Injured Reserve With Hamstring Injury
CFB

Diego Pavia Refutes Report of Seeking Seventh Collegiate Season
Christian Kirk

Expected to Return in Week 3
CFB

Diego Pavia Seeking Another Year of Eligibility
Tarik Skubal

on Track to Start Thursday
CFB

Kevorian Barnes Questionable Against SMU
Bo Bichette

has Short-Term Knee Injury, Could Return for Postseason
Tosan Evbuomwan

Joins Knicks
NBA

Kai Jones Links Up With EuroLeague Team
Bismack Biyombo

Returns to Spurs
Bones Hyland

Rejoins Timberwolves
Kobe Bufkin

Moves to Brooklyn
Trey Yesavage

Sets Franchise Strikeout Record On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

To Receive MRI For Sprained Left Ankle On Tuesday
Willson Contreras

Exits Early Monday With Right-Biceps Tightness
Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
Dustin Stoltzfus

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Progressing in Recovery
Jonathan Kuminga

Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Garrett Crochet

Punches Out 12 in Win
Cole Ragans

to Return on Wednesday
George Kirby

Strikes Out 14 in Win
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP