We are here today to point out the differences between the Razzball rankings and those that Yahoo has released to the masses. (Not to be confused with Yoohoo, which I do all the time. Then again, I usually confuse most things with chocolate drink. Totally normal.) Since we’ve already compared our rankings with ESPN, the next logical step is to have some amazing chocolate drink. Err, see what I mean? IT HAUNTS ME. I meant: the next logical step is to compare our rankings to Yahoo, THEN have some chocolate drink. Exactly. Maybe I’m just thirsty. Or hungry. Or all these things. All of the time.
Note: Obviously, there are going to be some players that ESPN and Yahoo both like that I do not and vica versa, so I’ve avoided players I’ve already covered, because who likes re-runs? I mean, besides Star Trek and Futurama re-runs? Nobody does. Nobody.Â
Quarterbacks
Jake Locker (QB19, +7) — I was actually a little suprised with this one, as most experts tend to think very highly of Bishop Sankey, Kendall Wright, Justin Hunter, aaaand pretty much the entire offense. While I agree with that assessment, and I believe that Ken Whisenhunt is a big part of that (heck, I’m one of the few people who think Dexter McCluster is PPR viable this season, more on that below), I wonder why you wouldn’t invite, you know, the guy who feeds the ball to all of these players to the party? I’m not saying he’s a top-15 QB, seeing as how I have him at a QB19 right there in parenthesis, but it’s no secret that the offensive scheme he’s now a part of feeds off of high-accuracy short and mid passes, and with the majority of his running backs and receivers having yards-after-carry potential, well, let’s just say I’m one of those crazy people who thinks that if the team’s offense does well, so will the quarterback. TOO CRAZY.
Running Backs
Dexter McCluster (RB40, +27) — As touched upon in the Jake Locker blurb above, the offense the Titans will be running will be eerily similar to that of the 2013 San Diego Chargers. Whether you want to give all or some of the credit to either Ken Whisenthunt or Mike McCoy, it was pretty obvious that they shared the same philosophy in terms of scheme and distribution, and both teams will continue to benefit from it. Thus enters McCluster, who can essentially be a Danny Woodhead clone, sans all that grit. Trust me, Woodhead has that in reserves. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Woodhead was actually a belt sander in disguise. But there’s no reason why McCluster can’t be that guy. He’s small, speedy, and can catch, and apparently, that’s all you need.
Jonathan Grimes (RB47, +18) — This is more of a commentary on what I think of Arian Foster than what I think of Grimes. Who, for some reason, sounds very grimy. Who knows why… That being said, I have Grimes ranked 18 spots higher than Yahoo, with that 18 being more symbolic in nature. In that, I’ve never seen Arian Foster do anything 18 times in a row without pulling something, so expect at least some kind of production similar to what Andre Brown would have produced in the same spot.
Montee Ball (RB22, -15) — It’s pretty common knowledge how I feel about Ball, but in case you’re late to the Ball (see what I did there?), here’s me quoting me: “Yes, he’s probably a good player who is part of a really good offense, and that should be reason enough to want him on your team. I’m not going to argue that. But the same things I said about why Tre Mason was overrated rings true here as well. Ball control and pass protection, while not really things fantasy football attributes points to, are an integral part of a running back’s game, and those who have shown weakness in these areas early in their careers, no matter the promise, always gives me pause.”
Frank Gore (RB31, -8) — I’m not predicting an immediate collapse here, but I feel like I’m not seeing what my peers are. There was an obvious fade last year, and out of just three 100+ yard rushing games last season, just one of them came after week 6. I think he can still contribute, but it’s only a matter of time before Carlos Hyde becomes Gore 2.0… which sounds like a sequel to a horror movie, that, you know, takes place in Silicon Valley.
Wide Receivers
Kenny Stills (WR28, +29) — It’s simply amazing that I’ve been able to draft Stills at all, seeing as how when it’s time to select him, I either end up with Kenny Chesney or Kenny Britt on my team. And I’m not quite sure which is worse. 29 spots is a big difference, and I couldn’t tell you why Yahoo is so low on him. Just the fact that he’s in an offense led by Drew Brees, who throws the ball at least 234 times a game, you’d have to think that Stills will get some production from that. Then again, this could also be because of his chronic quad injury this preseason, one that I haven’t entered into my rankings and projections yet, but I might soon.
Rod Streater (WR46, +23) — We went over how Streater is a sleeper, and I agree with Seth. Here’s what he said: “Last year, in his second season, Streater caught 60 passes for 888 yards and four touchdowns.  He also finished with a minuscule 6.2 percent drop rate, ninth-best among qualified receivers.  Not bad for a guy who went undrafted out of Temple in 2012.  In fact, his 1,472 career yards are fourth-most for any undrafted wide receiver during his first two seasons in the NFL.”
Reggie Wayne (WR21, +14) — Not sure what the issue is here. Well, I mean, I know, his ACL is the issue, but there’s a lot to like here. The value you’re getting should mitigate any injury concerns. Remember, in just seven games last year, he already had 38 receptions for 503 yards and 2 touchdowns. That’s a 86 receptions, 1,149 yards, and 5 touchdowns in a full season. True, he might have been born around the same time fire was invented, but he showed no signs of slowing down last year.
Miles Austin (WR82, -16) — Granted, once you get this deep, there’s not much difference in terms of a 16-spot gap, but there’s enough to make me question it. I mean, we all know what Miles Austin can do, and that’s produce a week 4 season-ending injury. The only difference is, he gets to do it in Cleveland, which makes the first three weeks even less relevant in terms of fantasy production.
Tight Ends
Antonio Gates (TE7, +12) — Not many people realize this, but Gates was a top-10 tight end last season. And while the presence of Ladarius Green certainly may be a negative for Gates owners, I think that belief is a bit overblown. Don’t get me wrong, I think Green will be a special talent, but there’s something to be said of Rivers relationship with Gates, and in an offense that should be, at the very least, the same, if not better than last season, another top-10 finish is possible, even with a late-season fade. Remember, there are such things as two-tight end sets in the NFL. Two I tell ya!
Rob Gronkowski (TE10, -7) — Can anyone check to see if he got injured while you were reading this post?
