After every season there are disappointing names who failed to live up to the hype. This can create a negative cloud over their name, which is reflected in fantasy football rankings and their ADP. Players might have failed to adjust to a new system, battled injuries, or just flat out stunk. A new year is their opportunity can turn things around, and there are quite a few names that fit the bill for 2020. Speaking of fantasy rankings, check out Razzball’s fantasy football rankings and Lineups fantasy football rankings for a complete breakdown by position and scoring system.
Drew & Odell
Let’s get some of the obvious picks out of the way because there are a few that jump right off the page and most will be able to figure it out. Drew Brees finished as QB21 after playing just 11 games last season. He had nearly 3,000 yards and 27 touchdowns. He ranks inside the top 12 quarterbacks this season and projects to be one of the better mid-range quarterbacks. Odell Beckham Jr. is the other one as he finished WR31 where he still produced a 74-1035-4 line despite being hindered by injuries all season. As long as he is healthy, the volume will be there, and he can get back to big numbers.
Running Back Candidates
Le’Veon Bell has struggled to be fantasy relevant of late, given the injuries and holdout year. He is now in his second year with the New York Jets and had 245 carries and 78 targets in his first season. There were only nine running backs last season that had over 300 touches. Bell is going behind all of them with his current ADP. Everything sets up perfectly for volume again, and the offensive line should be slightly improved. Bell is also game script proof which helps when the Jets are trailing most Sundays. Bell can rebound to being a top 15 back and is being drafted in the RB 20-23 range.
With the move to the Houston Texans, David Johnson was injured after Week 6 and then found himself second to Kenyan Drake. Johnson will come into Houston as a clear lead back and Houston as produced three straight backs with a top 25 scoring season. Those backs were Lamar Miller and Carlos Hyde. Johnson can play a role in the passing game and will also be a goal-line back. Johnson has top 15 scoring upside this season among backs, especially in PPR formats. James Conner was a part of the many Pittsburgh injuries from the 2019 season. While the Steelers have a lot of depth at the position, Mike Tomlin has made it clear Conner is the guy when healthy. Health will play a big part in Conner’s season, but so will Ben Roethlisberger’s. The offense tanked with him out, and Conner’s efficiency dropped as well. Conner is a rebound candidate who’s ADP took a major hit last season.
Wide Receivers
There are a few wideouts that finished outside of the top 50 in scoring last season, mainly because they missed time. T.Y. Hilton and Adam Thielen are the two names to keep an eye on as both are the WR1s within their offense. Hilton will get an upgraded quarterback, but as an older wideout, health will dictate his season more than Philip Rivers. Hilton has been one of the top fantasy wide receivers over the last decade and is usually drafted as a WR2. I am not as worried about Thielen’s health, and his target share in Minnesota is massive. While they did replace Stefon Diggs with Justin Jefferson and are a run-heavy offense, the targets are centered on Thielen.
Despite playing 14 games, Brandin Cooks finished WR60. His targets dwindled towards the end of the season as he was near non-factor for the Rams offense. After DeAndre Hopkins departed for Arizona via a trade, Houston landed Cooks to fill in. Hopkins will vacate a lot of targets, and Cooks will certainly be involved in the passing game. Cooks is a strong value in drafts and auctions right now as he will also get a bump with Deshaun Watson throwing to him. Sterling Shepard, Will Fuller, and JuJu Smith-Schuster are other names that can bounce back after a down 2019 season.
Trust a Jets Tight End?
One of the major bounce back tight ends is Chris Herndon of the New York Jets. Ryan Griffen isn’t a real threat after the injury, and while the Jets added a few wide receivers, they should be throwing more based on how their defense is shaking out for the 2020 season. In 2018 we saw the connection he had with Sam Darnold towards the end of the season. He had issues off the field, and Adam Gase will need to get him on the field more. That is the big question mark given Gase isn’t exactly the most well-rounded coach. He has a big upside if there are regular snaps and targets for the third-year tight end.
