Baltimore Ravens

At 8-8, 2016 was a marked improvement for the Ravens on their ever-disappointing 5-11 2015 season, however the fact remains that they missed the playoffs for the second consecutive year. Defense wasn’t the issue, as they finished in the top-10 in every defensive metric, while rather their lack of offensive firepower is what ultimately held them back. Their outside weapons were limited, Joe Flacco saw his interceptions rise, while they finished 28th in the league in rushing. Weapons were added for the 2017 season, which makes me more optimistic, but the question remains whether they did enough. The defense should come to play, but fantasy owners need to wonder if there are offensive players worth owning in Baltimore this season.

Fantasy MVP: Danny Woodhead

Woodhead was one of those aforementioned offensive additions… This pick may seem like a bit of a sleeper, but the fact of the matter is that he will be filling a highly important role in this Ravens offense – receiving back. The recently departed fullback Kyle Juszczyk just signed the richest fullback contract in NFL history with the Niners this offseason, and for good reason, as over the last few seasons with the Ravens he developed into one of the league’s best blocking backs and one of the better receiving backs as well.

In Woodhead, the Ravens aren’t getting a fullback who is capable of opening lanes like Juszczyk was, but rather they are getting one of the league’s most accomplished receiving threats out of the backfield, which should prove to be more important anyway, considering the state of the Ravens downward trending run game. If an expected identity shift takes place in this Baltimore offense, and passing takes full priority over running the football, then an elite receiving back who is capable of supplementing the run game will be more important to them than ever. Woodhead has the chops to do that, and considering the fact that Kenneth Dixon will be suspended for the first few games of the season, he should have every opportunity to seize the feature role early on in his Ravens career.

Fantasy Rookie of the Year: Tim Williams

Truth be told, the Ravens have no offensive rookies capable of making fantasy noise, so I apologize in advance for giving you an IDP as the pick here. Having said that though, for those of you playing in IDP leagues, Williams may be worth a stash.

It was long agreed upon by scouts and pundits alike that Williams was the best pure edge rusher in this past April’s draft. Because however, of his limited frame, off the field issues, and utter lack of capabilities other than attacking quarterbacks, Williams fell into the third round. Luckily, for our sake as fantasy owners we don’t care about anything other than tangible statistics, and the fact remains that Williams should be in store for a double-digit sack season right out of the gates. 1) He’s lightning fast. 2) He has excellent pass rush moves, and 3) he will be positioned opposite future hall of famer Terell Suggs. Need I say more?

Most Improved Fantasy Player: Breshad Perriman

He’s big, he’s strong, and he’s lightning fast. Yes, Perriman may be all of those things, but when he was drafted in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, it was no secret that also he was incredibly raw. Now with three offseasons of NFL preparation under his belt, Perriman should be ready to unleash his incredible gifts. Paired next to two veteran wideouts in Jeremy Maclin and Mike Wallace should also help keep the attention off of Perriman, but the reality is that he is the most talented out of the bunch. The way I see it, even if he has an okay season, there is no way that Perriman doesn’t improve significantly on 33 receptions, 499 yards, and three touchdowns.

Biggest Fantasy Disappointment: Jeremy Maclin

I just mentioned Maclin above, and while he has the reputation of a onetime star wideout, I think his days are past. At 29, he should be entering the end of his prime, but with tons of mileage and coming off of an injury riddled 2016, chances are that Maclin may be already beyond it. Last season in an offense that improved, his numbers and involvement regressed to the point of being outright cut this offseason. The Ravens feature an offense arguably more anemic than the Chiefs, so it’s hard to imagine this change of scenery making a huge difference in his ultimate decline.  

Cincinnati Bengals

Last season the Bengals played a first place schedule and paid for it, as they tumbled to 6-9-1 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010. Beyond the tough schedule, the loss of two of their top-three wide receivers contributed to their woes, as Andy Dalton suffered one of his more underwhelming statistical seasons. While the passing game struggled, so too did their once feared rushing duo, as neither Gio Bernard or Jeremy Hill played in 16 games or averaged over 4.0 yards per carry. Simply put, 2016 was a massive disappointment for the Bengals and they will be looking to greatly rebound in 2017.

In this upcoming season, fantasy owners should have cause for optimism in regards to the Bengals offensive players, as they spent two top selections on playmakers on that side of the ball. Both John Ross and Joe Mixon figure to play a huge role in the Bengals retooled offensive identity, which should bode well for the team’s overall fantasy output.

Fantasy MVP: A.J. Green

In only nine games of good health last season, Green was a handful of yards shy of 1,000 and was well on his way to over 100 receptions. In his five seasons prior, Green has always been near double-digit touchdowns and 100 receptions, while he has been comfortably past 1,000 yards in each one of them. With added weapons surrounding him and a body that seems to be back to 100-percent, there is no reason to believe that a receiver entering his peak at 28 years of age won’t have his best season yet in 2017. In all honesty, it’s really hard to think of a more consistent fantasy option over the last half-decade, which is why he was a no-brainer for the Bengals fantasy MVP prediction going into this season.

Fantasy Rookie of the Year: Joe Mixon

By the accounts of many scouts, Mixon was the best running back in this past April’s draft, so to say that the Bengals got a steal in the second round is an understatement. He’s a back who is big enough to take a pounding inside and handle the goal line responsibilities, while he’s fast, agile, and polished enough to serve as an elite receiving option out of the backfield. Mixon’s combo skillset is one that may end up rendering the Bengals once heralded two-headed monster of Bernard and Hill moot, so fantasy owners better take notice. Mixon is the Bengals rookie to own this season, not John Ross.

Most Improved Fantasy Player: Andy Dalton

By most accounts, Dalton had a disappointing 2016, as he saw a dip in most of his significant statistical categories. Completion percentage, down; QBR, down; touchdowns, down; passer rating, down… You get the picture. This was no doubt a product of the loss of two of his top-three wide receivers to free agency in 2016, however with the addition of rookies John Ross and Joe Mixon, I believe that those voids have been properly filled headed into 2017. He’ll near 30 touchdowns again, he’ll be over 4,000 yards again, and his completion percentage should be over 65-percent again. Consider him a mid-round QB option in your drafts this summer.

Biggest Fantasy Disappointment: Jeremy Hill

As I said, the addition of Joe Mixon will threaten what Jeremy Hill and Gio Bernard have had for the last few seasons – an even and complimentary backfield split. The back who is slated to take the biggest fantasy hit is likely Hill because he not only has been on a bigger downward trajectory than Bernard prior to Mixon’s arrival, but also because he has a noted fumbling issue. One thing that coaches hate more than anything out of their backups is the lack of ball security. Hill has been in the coaches’ dog house before and the addition of Mixon is only further proof that he is bound to be again.

Cleveland Browns

To keep it brief, there hasn’t been much of anything nice to say about the Browns for the last twenty years. They currently have four quarterbacks and no starter, which should tell most of what you need to know about their real and fantasy prospects headed into 2017. Keep in mind though that they did have a nice offseason with some solid additions, while if they can settle on a capable quarterback, their offense may figure out a way to come together.

Fantasy MVP: Isaiah Crowell

Crowell was the lone bright spot on an otherwise underwhelming Browns offense last season, as he racked up an impressive 952 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on an even more impressive 4.8 yards per carry. Slated to see even more touches in 2017, Crowell should become a legitimate top-10 running back option.

Fantasy Rookie of the Year: David Njoku

It was tough to talk about playmakers in this past draft without mentioning Njoku because he is just oozing that much physical potential. Already, Njoku seems to have the chops to block at the NFL level, while his speed and athleticism with the ball in the air are his true calling cards. Offering whoever is the quarterback an over the middle and down the seam option with the talent of Njoku can do wonders for their career vitality. With little competition at the position, consider Njoku a top-12 TE option in all formats this season.

Most Improved Fantasy Player: Corey Coleman

When healthy and on the field, Coleman made an impact – and that’s saying something considering the horrendous quarterback situation that he had to deal with as a rookie – the problem was that he was only healthy and on the field for 10 games in 2016. The expectation is that Coleman will enter his second season fully healthy and ready to take on a complete season as a true number one option after the departure of Terrelle Pryor. That alone should improve his stats, but with Kenny Britt by his side – more of a traditional number two – Coleman shouldn’t see many double-teams either. Simply put, Coleman should live up to his former first round billing this season after a rather disappointing rookie campaign.

Biggest Fantasy Disappointment: Kenny Britt

I mentioned above that Kenny Britt joined the Cleveland fray this offseason, and while the addition was nice, fantasy owners better not get the idea that he will live up to his large contract or his last season numbers. Britt – while he had his best season in 2016 – just barely eclipsed 1,000 yards and only caught five touchdowns as the team’s number one option. Joining Cleveland as a number two option should only decrease his targets, which will in turn decrease his fantasy production. It’s that simple, especially when considering the Browns current quarterback situation.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers won the division last season despite dealing with a banged up Ben Roethlisberger and a suspended Le’Veon Bell (first three games of the season) and Martavis Bryant (entire season). That alone should tell you about the talent on this team. Headed into 2017 fully healthy and without threat of suspension, the Steelers look poised to take the league and fantasy football world by storm, as their ample offensive stars will largely be taken in the first few rounds.

Fantasy MVP: Le'Veon Bell

Despite the fact that Bell is hard to count on for a full 16 game slate, he is well on his way to finishing as one of the greatest fantasy players of all time. For proof, here are some stats on him across his career: 87 rushing yards per game, 43 receiving yards per game, five receptions per game, and nearly one touchdown per game. Add onto the heap of reasons to love Bell the fact that he’s playing under the franchise tag this season and you’ve got the makings of another monster fantasy campaign for the fifth year running back.

Fantasy Rookie of the Year: James Conner

After his 2014 season at Pitt, Conner was considered a first round prospect, and rightfully so, as he tallied some ridiculous numbers (1,765 rushing yards, 26 touchdowns, 5.9 yards per carry). As cruel as life can be at times though, Conner was diagnosed with cancer the following season and missed nearly all of 2015. 2016 – a season in which no one knew what to expect – Conner returned cancer free and regained his draft stock with 1,100 rushing yards, over 5.0 yards per carry, and 16 touchdowns. As D’Angelo Williams proved true over the last few seasons, Conner will enter the Steelers organization in one of the better spell back situations. On top of the ample opportunities that he was set to get by default due to his number two listing on the depth chart, Conner’s mauling skillset is almost a perfect compliment to the nimble and graceful style of Le’Veon Bell. Going forward, there is a chance that Conner and Bell can form a fearsome “thunder and lightning” tandem, which fantasy owners should take as a sign of good fantasy fortunes to come from the rookie back.

Most Improved Fantasy Player: Martavis Bryant

While his story doesn’t exactly fit the mold here of “most improved” I needed a place to inform fantasy owners not to forget Martavis Bryant in their drafts this summer. He’s one of the elite field stretchers in the game today, and he sports the build of Randy Moss. That is a deadly combination for touchdown production, and listed as the second option on the Steelers wide receiver depth chart, touchdowns are a matter of when, not if. Just because he was suspended for all of 2016 doesn’t mean that the Steelers won’t welcome him back into their offensive repertoire with open arms. Keep Bryant in mind come August. 

Biggest Fantasy Disappointment: Eli Rogers

As it stands, Rogers is listed as the starting slot receiver for the Steelers, and the fear is that fantasy owners will draft him as such. Don’t be fooled, JuJu Smith-Schuster will supplant him sooner rather than later and it’s nothing personal; JuJu is just that talented. Keep in mind that even without the presence of a better player behind him or a high volume target across him not named Antonio Brown, Rogers failed to make a significant impact last season. Once training camp starts, Smith-Schuster will prove his superior talent to Rogers, rendering Rogers a useless draft pick.