2018 superlatives: Fantasy's breakout star, waiver wire hero, best bromance and more
With the start of the NFL season days away, it’s time to make our 2018 Fantasy Football predictions. We had a lot of fun putting together our 2018 yearbook style predictions (photos courtesy of our graphics guru Amber Matsumoto).
We hope you enjoy them, too. Please leave your predictions in the comment section or hit us up @YahooFantasy.
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James Conner looks much improved in Year 2 and would immediately step into a big role in Pittsburgh’s offense should Le’Veon Bell go down, something not entirely unlikely given the top pick’s injury history, heavy workload and holdout situation. — Dalton Del Don
Don’t drop John Kelly if you nab him late in your draft! I don’t normally advocate handcuffing before Week 10, but DANG does Kelly look good. Considering Todd Gurley‘s hefty draft price, in tandem with the rookie’s talent, stashing Kelly makes good sense. — Liz Loza
Alshon Jeffery is probably out for two weeks at minimum, and his efficiency was a mess last year. The first second you find a selling opportunity (is there an Eagles homer in the house?) you take it. Don’t let Jeffery obstruct you for a month or more. — Scott Pianowski
It’s no stretch to think Bengals burner John Ross sprints out to a top-30 start. His first three opponents, Indy, Baltimore (down Jimmy Smith) and Carolina, present favorable matchups. — Brad Evans
Royce Freeman has delivered highlight runs throughout the preseason and his primary competition for touches is multi-year disappointment Devontae Booker, king of the 2-yard gain. — Andy Behrens
If you’ve taken a ride on the Amari Cooper train before, you know the story here. While he could push for a career-high in targets, he should remain a volatile asset unless he sees a big jump in slot snaps and red zone work. — Matt Harmon
Lamar Miller is a boring pick (not always a bad thing), but you’re playing not lose here. Averaging 15 (ish) total touches per start in Miami, fantasy footballers were thrilled to see Miller move to Houston and receive a subsequent boost in volume. While he handled the ball over 20 times per game the past two seasons, his efficiency plummeted. Heading into 2018, Miller figures to remain one of the league’s least exciting workhorse backs. — Liz Loza
Tyler Lockett is finally healthy, and it comes in a season where Doug Baldwin isn’t. Jimmy Graham and Paul Richardson vacated a boatload of targets and scoring opportunities in Seattle. One last double-down bet on Lockett going from sleeper to solid contributor. — Scott Pianowski
On the straight and narrow, the former All-Pro is about to recapture the magic from five seasons ago. In a much improved environment and with competent passers on roster, a final tally in range of 70-1100-8 is reachable. On the other hand, the Josh Gordon hype could look bad in a few months. — Brad Evans
Adam Thielen who? Case Keenum has moved his heart-shaped eyes to Emmanuel Sanders in Denver, who dominated slot snaps in the preseason and owned a massive 40 percent market share of Keenum’s passes in the exhibition games. — Matt Harmon
Patrick Mahomes steps into a role that produced the QB4 in fantasy last year, only he has more upside given his rushing ability and cannon arm (a perfect fit with Tyreek Hill). Kansas City has a bunch of weapons and a shaky defense, so Mahomes is primed for a breakout. — Dalton Del Don
Much like everyone’s favorite least favorite meme that’s made its way to your relatives’ Facebook feed by now, Jarvis Landry just won’t fade away. Despite slipping down draft boards, you can expect Landry to be a featured piece in Cleveland and lead the team in targets. — Matt Harmon
Lamar Jackson is unpolished as a passer, but his dual-threat abilities pour a high floor. If Joe Flacco sleepwalks through the season’s first half, the rookie could emerge as this year’s Deshaun Watson. — Brad Evans
If we’re talking the total destruction of your season, then we have to look exclusively at players selected in the opening 2-3 rounds. Rob Gronkowski presents the greatest injury risk within that group. (And arguably the greatest positional advantage. It’s complicated. I’ve drafted him twice myself.) — Andy Behrens
With LeGarrette Blount gone and Alshon Jeffery injured, there’s a touchdown void on a team with arguably the best offensive line in football. Jay Ajayi is going to put up a big season as the feature back for the Super Bowl champs, yet he doesn’t cost an early pick. That’s the definition of a Fantasy MVP — Dalton Del Don
