Welcome to the 2016-17 football season. I have officially done nothing to prepare for the upcoming fantasy season. I haven’t watched football players above the age of 11 in quite some time and let me tell you the complexity of NFL (even college) offenses is getting me pumped. I coach in a youth tackle league and see a whole lot of wing offenses ranging from the traditional T to doubles to Wing/Pistol hybrids. All of it is designed to get a speedy little dude out in space and doing work. Now that has my juices flowing for the pro game because there are more options available to offensive coordinators and more opportunity for mismatches and–in the preseason especially–for a young nobody to pop off and score three TDs. Watch this season for a handful of dudes you never heard of or straight forgot about to make an impact. This is especially true because of the number of suspensions and injuries ravaging the sport. Even Brady is in the pen for 4 weeks.
So, what do I have by way of predictions? I’ll start with my beloved Jets. They picked up yet another 2-back near the end of his prime. This one is as versatile as the ersatz Ladianian Tomlinson or moreso. Now while many thought this LT would be a shell of his former self, being so close to the end of career, he turned out to be not ersatz at all, but a legit #1 option for the Jets. This trend will continue and the Bears will be crying into the loss column, pissed they screwed things up so badly.
The Giants don’t have a definable run game. They do have a legit second option in the pass attack and barring another recovery setback, a third as well. Expect Macadoo to open up the passing game in vintage Manning style and work the ball downfield as a way to clean up the edges and free up running room for whoever totes the rock.
That’s it for the opening edition of 2016-17. More to come in a week.