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This piece kicks off a series of articles where RotoBaller's football writers will throw out their predictions for the upcoming season.
In this article, we will get the predictions on who will be the Fantasy Football MVP in 2016. What does that mean exactly? The Fantasy Football MVP is the player who gets described as a "League Winner" at seasons end and provides one of the best values in fantasy football.
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2016 Fantasy Football MVP Predictions
Russell Wilson, Seahawks QB
Joey Christopoulos (Tudddyguy)
Russell Wilson will be one of the first quarterbacks taken in the draft and chances are he will be taken between rounds 2 or 3. However, Wilson has gone from surprising game manager, to Super Bowl winner to eventual 2016 superstar. He threw 34 touchdowns last season and is coming off rushing for 6 touchdowns in 2014. From Week 11 on last season, he put up a 24-1 TD-to-INT ratio. His passer rating was 110 and he was so-so at best the first half of the year. He could easily score 40+ total touchdowns and and accumulate 4,500+ all purpose yards. Wilson has the potential to be a top-5 player in all of fantasy this year.
David Johnson, Cardinals RB
Andrew Bua (@Andrew_Bua)
Not a completely bold choice here, but for a guy who hasn’t carried the load for a full season it certainly isn’t a safe one either. Starting only five games last season for the Cardinals, Johnson still managed to finish as the 7th fantasy RB in standard leagues. Now in a position to be the go-to running back on the team, Johnson will benefit from open lanes all year long considering opposing defenses have to account for Larry Fitzgerald, John Brown, and Michael Floyd (not to mention Carson Palmer throwing to them). Johnson could edge out Le’Veon Bell as the top dual threat RB in the NFL; if you’re in a PPR league than his chances for fantasy MVP are even higher.
Derek Carr, Raiders QB
Pierre Camus (@Pfunk00)
Carr is being criminally undervalued with a 9th or 10th round ADP. 4,000+ yards and 35 TDs would only be a slight improvement over last year. This third-year QB could make a third-year leap akin to Andrew Luck in 2014. Armed with one of the best young receivers in the league in Amari Cooper, as well as sure-handed Michael Crabtree, there is a lot to like in Oakland. Waiting for a QB in drafts is more advisable than ever, but when it comes time to pull the trigger, Carr is the man you should aim for.
Aaron Rodgers, Packers QB
Tyger McGuiggan (@Tyger_McG)
If Aaron Rodgers can score more than 360 points this year, and I think he has the potential to scrape up against 400, he will have been worth a first round pick. While he has been going in the second or third rounds in most drafts, there are plenty of leagues where he drops as far as the fifth. Anytime a player who isn’t taken until the third, fourth, or even fifth round, yet returns top 5 overall production, then that player is going to be on a lot of championship teams.
Donte Moncrief, Colts WR
Nate Williams (@FFCatalyst)
Moncrief is a great value, and is built like a stud wide receiver. He's 6-foot-2, 220-pounds, runs a 4.4, and plays for a team that will throw the ball 600+ times. He averaged 14 points per game in PPR last season while recording eight touchdowns. This season he will be more than a position player and big-play maker. He will be Andrew Luck's go-to WR -- and you're getting him on average in the fifth round!
Lamar Miller, Texans RB
Bryan Levin
Lamar Miller has always been a talented back, but lacked opportunity while simultaneously being severely under-utilized. Leaving Miami for Houston was a great move for his fantasy stock, as he now will be relied upon to carry the offense and take some pressure off of still-unproven QB Brock Osweiler. The sky is the limit for Miller, who could very well end up being a top-three fantasy RB at the end of the year.
Golden Tate, Lions WR
Andrew C. Lovell (@Andrew_Lovell)
If we're measuring the best value in fantasy football this season, it's Lions wide receiver Golden Tate. He's ranked 44th overall in RotoBaller's rankings, but his RotoBaller average ADP is 55.7. He's a borderline WR2 that could produce 100-plus receptions and 1,200-plus yards, yet he's being drafted in the middle of the fifth round. Denver Broncos wideout Demaryius Thomas is also being similarly undervalued (No. 25 in rankings; 32.9 average ADP).
Antonio Brown, Steelers WR
Ben Ruppert (@Ben_Ruppert_21)
Antonio Brown will find a way to best his insane fantasy season from 2015. Brown has an excellent opportunity in his age-28 season to break 2,000 yards in an offense that likes to pass the ball, as he's shown the ability to dominate and perform when it counts. Brown had Martavis Bryant on the other side of the field and still caught 136 passes for 1,834 yards and 10 scores. With Bryant gone and Bell out for three games, Brown is going to take over the entire league. Watch for the Ben Roethlisberger-to-Brown connection to happen early and often all season long.
Jarvis Landry, Dolphins WR
Cliff Clinton (@CliffClinton)
I’m looking at players who are drafted outside of the Top-20 here, guys whose success makes you go “I did not see that coming, and I will happily benefit from this all season!” And I have a (frankly, astounding) amount of faith that Jarvis Landry is your fantasy MVP for the 2016 fantasy football season! Landry is being drafted outside of the top-50 on average, despite having the fourth most catches in 2015. While guys like DeVante Parker are getting more buzz, Landry has proved himself to be a consistent fantasy option who should only improve. With an improved offensive line, a coaching staff that is more willing to task risks, and a quarterback who's trying to stretch the field, expect this to be one of the last years that Jarvis Landry is taken outside of the second round.
Devin Funchess, Panthers WR
Nathan Powell (@NPowellFF)
When I am searching for the Fantasy Football MVP, I'm looking for a double-digit round RB/WR who has the opportunity to finish top-15 at his position. Devin Funchess qualifies as that in 2016. Funchess showed flashes in his rookie season and has had a great training camp, putting him into a position where he could possibly supplant Kelvin Benjamin as Carolina's #1 wide receiver. Funchess has 10+ touchdown upside in one of the NFL's best offenses and is well worth his 11th round ADP.
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