Biology reminds us that males of the species are naturally competitive. Having kids reminds me that anything–no matter how seemingly pointless or banal–can be a competition. For someone in competition, the fabric of the game is as tangible and meaningful as Chinchilla. Swiftly now approaches the season of Fantasy Football.
Fantasy Football isn’t a sport. It is quite a stupid pursuit, actually. The act of engaging in Fantasy Football play is utterly pointless and steals valuable time, energy, and money from those who engage in it. Unless you win. Then Fantasy Football is pretty darn awesome. This season presents a new set of challenges to me as I’ve come to rely on Tight Ends to provide a point advantage week to week. The trouble is there aren’t more than two sure fire TE options, a 3rd who could be legit depending on who winds up under center and, well, Gronk.
1st Look: Julius Thomas
The absence of redzone target Eric Decker means two things for Denver. 1) There is more pressure on JT 2) Wes Welker has value again. I’m thinking the JT targets go up, and if last year’s skill level wasn’t a fluke, the fantasy ppg go up as well.
2nd Best and Climbing: Jimmy Graham
This is more about Brees vs. Manning then about the TEs themselves. Graham is the top TE in the league, but I believe the number of weapons Brees has is a disadvantage. Unlike Manning, Brees can get myopic week to week, focusing on one type of player and excluding others. That usually benefits Graham, but he is the guy everyone will be keying on, so I wonder if it will benefit other pass catchers more.
3rd is a poor man’s first: Jordan Cameron
900 yards and 7 TDs later, the world knew J. Cam was legit. Unfortunately, between Hoyer and Johnny Football, the QB situation is far less certain. We know that Josh Gordon won’t be there to catch passes, so Cam is going to be the target of some serious D
And Gronk
If healthy, Gronk will be prolific. The opportune word being if. I expect him to be a mid round selection and to produce late in the season.