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2020 Fantasy Football Boom-or-Bust Team

  • Fantasy football owners always fear drafting a bust. No matter what, they'd like to avoid the player who tears his ACL in Week 1 orflames out so terribly that they basically lose their league on draft day. But the thing about sleepers and busts is that it's never black and white -- there's always a gray area. That's why we've returned with this year's version of our Boom-or-Bust Team. That title is meant to acknowledge that the players on this list aren't undraftable -- they could all have good seasons -- but at their current rankings and ADPs, , we wouldn't want them (and yes, we have analysis and reasons why).If you like the players below more than us, have at them. Hopefully by reading names like Dak Prescott, Aaron Jones and Rob Gronkowski, you join us in recognizing the inherent risk selecting them at their present prices. Succe sful fantasy drafts aren't just about avoiding total flops; they're also about maximizing value.DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Some of last year's list was spot on. Cam Newton headlined the group, and we all know how fun he was to own in fantasy Lance Lynn Jersey in 2019. Adam Thielen and Sammy Watkins and Vance McDonald definitely had their valleys, too. Of course, Derrick Henry was awesome. So was Courtland Sutton. You're never going to bat 1.000 when you swing for the fences, but below we make our case --and you might just want to listen.2020 STANDARD FANTASY RANKINGS: | | | | | | | 2020Fantasy QB BustDak Prescott, CowboysQuarterback ADPs this preseason have aligned pretty well with , so our selection here isn't based on some major difference in opinion. Most rankings are higher on Prescott than we are, and there's some fairne s to that -- Prescott scored the third-most fantasy points per game among QBs in 2019. Dallas even added CeeDee Lamb to the equation.On some levels, that huge season might be Prescott's peak, though. Dallas pa sed on the 21st-highest percentage of pa s plays in 2019, opting to throw the ball 58 percent of the time. That means 20 QBs, in a similar year, will get the chance to throw more than Dak. Prescott's obviously talented and has weapons around him, so he makes the most of those chances, but he'll have to continue to be efficient to put up the same kind of numbers. His double-digit interceptions from a year ago suggest his efficiency could still use some work.Again, like a lot of players on this list, Prescott isn't anywhere close to undraftable. He' Chris Carpenter Jersey s probably a top-10 quarterback. He's just le s likely to finish top-three than ADP would suggest and could easily be surpa sed by a bunch of QBs who will go several rounds later.DRAFT STRATEGY AND RANKINGS TIERS:|||| 2020Fantasy RB BustsMiles Sanders, EaglesSanders was picked for this list moments before the Eagles announced he's week-to-week with a lower-body injury (What is this, hockey? Lower-body injury?). An injury only strengthens his cause as a risky player with bust potential.Doug Pederson apparently doesn't care about fantasy owners feelings when it comes to his running backsbecause he loves to mix it up. Some games last year were Jordan Howard showcases, and other times Sanders was more involved (Yes, Howard is gone, but the point remains). Late in the season, Boston Scott got heavy involvement even when Sanders was apparently healthy.Sanders' big-play ability does give him solid upside week-to-week, but Pederson's volatility and Sanders' potential dependence on home-run plays makes him a riskier proposition than most RBs you're getting as a high-end RB2.Aaron Jones, PackersHere's one fact: Aaron lex Reyes Jersey Jones finished as the third-highest scoring RB in fantasy football last season. Here's another: A whopping 42.9 percent of Jones' fantasy points in 2019 came via touchdowns. That was the highest percentage among the top-11 finishers in RB fantasy scoring (Todd Gurley at No. 12 benefited from 44 percent of his fantasy points being via touchdowns).Of course, some running backs are more apt to score touchdowns than others, but Jones almost certainly has some regre sion coming. He benefited in 2019 from some time spent as the lone lead back as Jamaal Williams dealt with injury. At least right now, Williams is healthy. The Packers also added Boston College standout AJ Dillon early in the draft, so that's more company in the running back room.It's safer to bet on yardage season-to-season than it Adam Wainwright Jersey is to bet on touchdowns, especially now that Jones might see a bit le s opportunity than he did in 2019. That makes looking elsewhere at the RB position in the first or early second round isthe way to go. Similar to Prescott, Jones isn't a "bad" pick, but there are plenty of better RB values.2020 FANTASY SLEEPERS: | | | | | 2020Fantasy Football WR BustsStefon Diggs, BillsDiggs isn't nece sarily being overdrafted, as he's going off the board as a back-half WR2. There just should be some legitimate concern about how big his role can really be in Buffalo's offense.Both John Brown and Cole Beasley surpa sed 100 targets last year. Beasley grew into a super security blanket for Josh Allen, so his targets will likely drop by le s than many expect. Brown might move into more of a deep-threatrole, but he'll still get looks, too. Diggs has only ever really had to deal with one other good receiver on his team at a time. There will also be all the questions about whether Diggs and Josh Allen can click right awayand if Allen can be consistently accurate enough to help Diggs produce.Buffalo's offense will remain committed to running the football, too. That's leaving Diggs looking more at a season like 2017, when he had 64 catches and 849 receiving yards. You'll want him in your fantasy lineup, but there's just a le s exciting ceiling on Diggs' most likely outcome than most realize.A.J. Brown, TitansHow much do you believe in Ryan Tannehill? And how much do you trust big plays to repeat themselves year-to-year? Those are the questions we're grappling with when it comes to Brown. He's obviously an exciting young talent, but he doesn't come without risk, making himthe true definition of boom Jedd Gyorko Jersey -or-bust.Ten of Brown's 16 games a year ago featured him catching fewer than fourpa ses. Only five times did he receive more than five targets. He made it work, averaging 20.2 yards per catch and not mi sing a chance to make a big play, but if the Titans remain as ground-heavy as they were and Brown's target share doesn't change much, he has the potential for a lot of quiet weeks.In the weeks Brown goes off, he might win you your matchup, but with his role in Tenne see's offense, all it takes is one or two more quiet weeks than last year for his ADP to be too pricey.A.J. Green, BengalsSpeaking of boom-or-bust, that'sGreen in a nutshell. He was injured in the preseason last year and never made it back to the field for game action. Injuries aren't new for him, either, and at
      August 15, 2022 7:11 PM PDT
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