Lucky 7’s – The 2019 Fantasy Football Edition

As a fantasy football writer and analyst, there is no one better than Matthew Berry. As an homage to him, I wrote up this article that is a variation on his article “Ten Lists of Ten.” Now, these are seven lists of seven and they hope to give you some insight into the fantasy season in a different sort of approach. None of the players on these lists repeat. So this article should give you some different ideas when it comes to putting together your fantasy draft strategy. Read these lists with enjoyment and have a great draft!

Lucky 7’s – The 2019 Fantasy Football Edition

Seven Fantasy Team Names

1. Cold as Guice 
2. Kerryon My Wayward Son
3. Jared and Dalvin Catering Services
4. Gurley-Bird gets the Worm
5. Second Mouse gets the Brees
6. Kittle and Bits
7. Odell Wreck’Em Jr.

Players I’m Drafting Consistently In Leagues

1. Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers – Matt LaFleur is going to do wonders for this offense. This begins with Jones being more involved during the whole game.
2. Delanie Walker, TE, Tennessee Titans – After missing all of 2018, Walker looks to be the number one option again for Marcus Mariota in the passing offense.
3. Mike Williams, WR, Los Angeles Chargers – With Tyrell Williams moving on to Oakland, Williams looks to improve on a stellar 2018 season.
4. Philip Rivers, QB, Los Angeles Chargers – Rivers never gets respect as a top-flight fantasy option. Look for him to buck that trend one more time and be a great fantasy starter again.
5. Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks – Doug Baldwin retiring is the best thing for Lockett. He now assumes the number one role and will flourish in it.
6. Tevin Coleman, RB, San Francisco 49ers – His familiarity with the offense should separate him from the crowded San Francisco backfield.
7. Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks – Sure, the Seattle offense will be run-first. Still, Wilson finishes among the top-10 fantasy quarterbacks every season.

Players I’m Avoiding Consistently in Leagues

1. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans – His success last season came at the end of the season in four games. His track record speaks to him being mediocre at best in 2019. 
2. Matthew Stafford, QB, Detroit Lions – Long gone are the days where Stafford is an elite fantasy option at quarterback. This offense will flow through Kerryon Johnson now, not Stafford and the passing offense.
3. Jared Cook, TE, New Orleans Saints – Although Cook had a great year in Oakland, there is more balance in the New Orleans offense. He might be last on the totem pole to get involved in the offense.
4. Leonard Fournette, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars – His injuries are getting the best of him and it does not look good for 2019 either. Best to avoid him and find other options. 
5. Brandin Cooks, WR, Los Angeles Rams – Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp move the chains in this offense more consistently. Cooks might get a few games with a good number of points, but it won’t be regular enough.
6. Tyrell Williams, WR, Oakland Raiders – Leaving Rivers and the deep ball offense in Los Angeles, Williams is going have a hard time adjusting to the Oakland offense. Expect a down year from Williams.
7. Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals – While this offense is built around Murray, NFL defenses will be ready for it. He may have a few good games, but he trends towards being a bust instead of a breakout fantasy star.

Lesser-Known Rookies Poised To Make An Impact

1. Irv Smith Jr., TE, Minnesota Vikings – He looks to replace Kyle Rudolph in the passing offense.
2. Ryquell Armstead, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars – Playing behind Fournette, it won’t be long before he establishes himself in the Jaguars offense, and vulture a lot of carries.
3. Hunter Renfrow, WR, Oakland Raiders – Renfrow is a chain mover and he will do the same thing in the NFL that he did back at Clemson.
4. Jalen Hurd, WR, San Francisco 49ers – A former running back and wide receiver, Kyle Shanahan will find ways to get the ball in his hands.
5. Dawson Knox, TE, Buffalo Bills – A good blend of speed and power, Knox will give Josh Allen a good safety net option in the Bills offense.
6. Marquise Brown, WR, Baltimore Ravens – Lamar Jackson will look to get the ball down the field and Brown fits that mold perfectly.
7. Trayveon Williams, RB, Cincinnati Bengals – Williams brings a more tough running style to the Cincinnati offense, compared to the finesse style of Giovani Bernard.

Watchlist Candidates

1. Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers – He was drafted in the second round for a reason. An expert route runner that will find his way onto the field easily.
2. Dallas Goedert, TE, Philadelphia Eagles – A small-school prospect last season, he looks to be more involved this season and eat into Zach Ertz‘s targets.
3. Noah Fant, TE, Denver Broncos – Joe Flacco loves throwing to his tight ends. Expect Fant to be on the receiving end of those passes more often than the other tight ends on the roster.
4. Justin Jackson, RB, Los Angeles Chargers – The Melvin Gordon Saga continues and Jackson can provide a great running option to pair with Austin Ekeler‘s passing skills.
5. DeVante Parker, WR, Miami Dolphins – A new offense can be what Parker needs to finally break out in the NFL. Expect the two new Dolphins quarterback options to looks his way to get the ball down the field.
6. Robert Foster, WR, Buffalo Bills – John Brown is currently making news as the first option in the passing offense. It won’t be long before Foster replaces him.
7. Sam Darnold, QB, New York Jets – Adam Gase can bring the best out of the young quarterback. This can lead to big numbers and loads of fantasy points.

Players To Stash On Your Bench That Will Become Fantasy Starters

1. Jordan Howard, RB, Philadelphia Eagles – Did everyone seem to forget that Howard had back-to-back 1,000 yards season in 2016 and 2017?
2. Kalen Ballage, RB, Miami Dolphins – He learned from one of the greats in the league, Frank Gore. Expect him to take those tips and be an emerging stud in the league.
3. Dwayne Haskins, QB, Washington Redskins – Case Keenum won’t be the starter for long and Haskins will prove why he went in the first round in the 2019 NFL Draft.
4. James Washington, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers – A former Fred Biletnikoff award winner, he will soon take that number two role in a high-scoring offense.
5. Dion Lewis, RB, Tennessee Titans – Don’t believe the hype on Henry. The Titans might be playing from behind a lot and Lewis will benefit from that the most.
6. John Brown, WR, Buffalo Bills – Although Foster is looming for his job, Brown will continue to be involved in this offense because Allen loves the deep ball.
7. Greg Olsen, TE, Carolina Panthers – Olsen may have aspirations to be a commentator someday, but he is too good to be going so late in fantasy drafts.

Jump Off These Hype Trains

1. Baker Mayfield, QB, Cleveland Browns – On paper the Browns offense looks great. I don’t buy that he is a top-five fantasy quarterback though.
2. Kenny Golladay, WR, Detroit Lions – Golladay has the talent but I worry that Stafford may limit his appeal.
3. DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks – He sure looks great running straight down the field. Can he expand his route tree?
4. Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers – Sure the shoulder looks good after surgery. That doesn’t fix inconsistent play and questionable throws.
5. Hunter Henry, TE, Los Angeles Chargers – The talent is there, but he needs to stay healthy. So far, he hasn’t been able to prove that.
6. Devonta Freeman, RB, Atlanta Falcons – This offense is going to go pass-heavy and this could hurt Freeman’s fantasy stock.
7. Mark Ingram, RB, Baltimore Ravens – While we expect this offense to go run-first, Ingram may have his job stolen by the young-gun Justice Hill.