Kickoff is just around the corner. The bulk of fantasy drafts happen in the next week and most people are crunching stats, projections, and the most current auction draft values. Every year there’s a Jordan Howard success story and a Todd Gurley disappointment. Below are some bold predictions coming into the 2017 fantasy season.
Five Bold Fantasy Football Predictions for 2017
Andy Dalton is a Top-10 Quarterback in 2017
We’ve seen the “Red Rifle” Andy Dalton aspire to greatness before. He’s been a top-12 quarterback in three of the last five years for fantasy purposes. He had over 4,000 yards last season despite missing two of his top targets. The Cincinnati Bengals have surrounded him with talent and weapons. Entering the 2017 season he’s got a healthy A.J. Green and a healthy Tyler Eifert. Sprinkle in a three-headed beast in the backfield of Giovani Bernard, Jeremy Hill, and Joe Mixon. Dalton is on his way to a top-10 finish at the quarterback position. He’s a sneaky pick at a “too-good-to-pass-up” ADP of 11.09.
Cameron Meredith Eclipses 1,000 Yards
Cameron Meredith is going to build on the success he found last season. The offense struggled last season and Meredith emerged with 888 yards and 4 touchdowns. Kevin White should be the number-one in Chicago, but between injury and inexperience, many project Meredith to be the focus of what will serve as an aerial attack in the Bears scheme. Quarterback play will struggle with inconsistency, but Meredith will finish the season with over 1,000 yards and six-or-more touchdowns.
Todd Gurley Bounces Back
There have been many comparisons between Todd Gurley and Trent Richardson lately on social media, and fantasy Twitter conversation. For a high draft pick, the 2016 season was a major bust. Hopefully, there is more talent in Gurley than in Richardson. Some analysts believe 2017 will see Gurley returning to form. The offensive line should show some improvement with the addition of left tackle Andrew Whitworth. Goff has more time in the system and will more comfortable. Lastly, the Rams have added a deep threat in Sammy Watkins. Gurley is a lock for 290 touches and he’s going to make something happen with them. I’m projecting him just over 1,000 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins is a Top-10 Tight End
Austin Seferian-Jenkins’ talent has never been the question. After wrestling with some substance-abuse issues, he’s back to football and a new team. The New York Jets are not very exciting on paper for 2017, other than Seferian-Jenkins that is. Granted, he still has a two-game suspension to get through, but once he returns to the field, he should be a steady target over the middle. Seferian-Jenkins obviously took the event of last season very seriously. He sobered up and has gotten himself into the best shape of his career. The fact that the Jets will perpetually be playing from behind only serves to bolster his value. Seferian-Jenkins slides into the top-10 tight ends by season end.
Dalvin Cook has 250-Plus Touches.
There is not much in the way of praise about the Minnesota Vikings offensive line. It’s porous and held the Vikings to the least amount of rushing yards in the league last season. The Vikings inked a deal with Latavius Murray and then drafted Dalvin Cook. Cook will establish himself early if the role becomes a time-share. He’s built for the three-down role and a better overall runner than Murray or McKinnon. Fans may worry about Cook getting the work between the twenties only to have the bulk of the touchdowns taken away by Murray. Once Dalvin Cook gets going though, he’ll steal the lead back role and finish with more than 250 touches.
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