Gearing Up for 2015 Fantasy Football Means Understanding 2014!
Being successful in Fantasy Football is all about knowing real value. This is the piece that will show you what positions were the most important and least important for the 2014 season. Seeing the value now will help you prepare for all your 2015 draft & keeper needs. There is no such thing as being too early to plan for fantasy.
I went through all the positions to see the point per game differential for starting players and how it relates to the worth of that position compared to the others. I took the 1st-12th for the Quarterbacks, Tight Ends, Kickers, and Defenses because the normal format calls for one starter in each of those positions. Running Backs and Wide Receivers I did 1st-24th due to the fact that you have to play at least two for a standard lineup.
Quarterbacks
The best fantasy QB of the year was Andrew Luck of the Indianapolis Colts. He averaged 27.11 points per game (PPG) for the season. He had only one game less than 17 points but unfortunately it was during fantasy playoffs. The twelfth best QB was none other than Philip Rivers of the San Diego Chargers. He managed to get 20.44 PPG but was very inconsistent. He had one game where he had negative points. That is a good way to lose a fantasy game.
The difference between those two per game is 6.67 points. Think back to how many games you lost by less. It could have been as easy as getting Andrew Luck. Guys like Jay Cutler, Cam Newton, Matthew Stafford and Colin Kaepernick who were taken before some players in the top 12 came back to haunt fantasy owners everywhere.
Running Backs
This position did not go how many of us planned, including myself. The twenty-fourth best running back this year was Steven Jackson of the Atlanta Falcons. He only scored double figures in seven of the fifteen games he played in this season and averaged 7.91 PPG for the year.
The number one running back for 2014 was DeMarco Murray of the Dallas Cowboys. He managed to stay healthy the entire season which was his first time doing so since he was a junior in college. He managed 19.81 points per game and led the Cowboys to first place in the NFC East and many fantasy teams to a trophy.
That is a difference of 11.90 points per game, which is a sizable difference for one position. It might be a passing league but fantasy is still about the running backs.
Wide Receivers
The new rules were the hot topic at the beginning of the 2014 fantasy season. This was the year for with wide receivers but we did not expect to have the best rookie receiving core of all time (not just Beckham).
Antonio Brown lived up to the bold prediction of being the best wide receiver in the NFL averaging 17.98 PPG for 2014. He beat out all the big names taken before him and will make 2015 interesting for ranking wide receivers.
This is called the deepest position but the numbers do not support that claim. The 24th ranked receiver was Jordan Matthews, a rookie on the Philadelphia Eagles. He racked up 9.48 points a game and kept getting better as the year went on.
This made for 8.50 PPG difference between starters. This was over three points less than the running back position. It is still good enough for second place for valued position.
Tight Ends
Rob Gronkowski might have started the season off a little slow but he finished right where he was before the injuries added up. He was the best fantasy tight end in the league with 12.74 points per game. Playing at a high level for 75 percent of the season was enough to regain the top spot.
The twelfth player at this position was Larry Donnell of the New York Giants. He averaged 6.43 PPG but his season was a roller coaster of a ride. He scored ZERO points multiple times.
The difference is 6.31 PPG and it should keep shrinking in difference with more spread formations and rules helping the passing game.
Kickers
Stephen Gostkowski was the best fantasy kicker this year getting 10.63 points per game while the 8.75 PPG averaged by Caleb Sturgis landed him twelfth. This was the smallest differential at 1.88 PPG and making kickers worthy of the last round selection that they should be.
Defenses
This position escapes last place by squeaking past kickers. The Bills were the top of the class for 2014 with 18.81 points per game. The 49ers managed to hang onto the twelfth spot by averaging 14.88 PPG leaving the difference at 3.93 PPG. Maybe we should think twice before selecting the Seahawks defense in the seventh round. It is a safe bet to wait till the end.
Summary
The old adage stayed true, running backs are key. Drafting two running backs in the first three rounds and three in the first five rounds will give you a great foundation to be competitive year in year out.
Wide receivers are getting deeper but the value of the position is increasing due to some players underachieving. It is worth stacking up in this position as well to get the depth for a miss in the earlier rounds.
Quarterbacks and Tight Ends are very similar. Grabbing the elite ones is good. If you miss out on one of them, wait until later rounds to fill the position.
Defense is great but the game is scored by points. Grab value early and often. Make sure to come back throughout the off-season for rankings and other fantasy information.
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