Players I'm Targeting This Season

Football season is upon us with the Hall of Fame game tonight and I don't think I can express in words how happy I am. Let me try... I'm CRAZYYYYYYYYY happy. Honestly, I have no idea how I made it this long without football, but that doesn't matter anymore. With preseason starting, there's only one thing to think about, and that's fantasy football drafts. I think I'm done with the team previews, but I'm going to dive into draft prep from here on out. In this post, I'm going to talk about a few high-upside players I'm targeting this year that can potentially win a season.

Damien Williams can produce big numbers as a rusher and receiver on the top offense in the league

Damien Williams (RB Chiefs) - Other than Todd Gurley, who has way more risk involved with a player than I like, Damien Williams seems like the ultimate boom or bust pick this year. He has a hefty price tag going in the mid 20s in the draft, ahead of more proven guys like Devonta Freeman, TY Hilton, Keenan Allen, etc. Yes, I know he played 5 games last year as a full time started. Yes, nobody knows if his body will hold up. But come on man, this guy is a talented NFL player who can make plays. Andy Reid has said time and time again that Williams is the started and for anyone who doesn't know what that means, the starting RB on an Andy Reid offense usually does good things. It also helps a little that he has a QB who can throw sidearm, left hand, and no look throws better than most NFL QBs can throw regularly. If this guy falls to the you at the end of the second or even third round, don't think twice and thank me later.

Aaron Jones is a high upside, high floor player who will exceed his third round ADP

Aaron Jones (RB Packers) - A lot of people think this is another boom or bust pick, but I think Jones has a way higher floor than most people realize. Jones has a superstar quarterback, which is always a good thing for the running back. Jones won't be stacked like Saquon or Mixon this year and while he won't get the insane volume those guys will get, he's going to get the lion's share. Literally every running back stat says that Aaron Jones is a solid back and Jamaal Williams is a JV player, so count on Jones to produce with his high efficiency and volume.

Devonta Freeman, a TD machine from years past, will look to return to 2015 form

Devonta Freeman (RB Falcons) - I'm sure you can see a trend. I love this year's running backs, especially the guys drafted as high end RB2s. Williams, Jones, and Freeman all have the change to produce top 5 numbers at a good price. The only difference with Freeman is he's already proven he can be a high end RB1. I guess people have entirely forgotten about the 2015 Devonta Freeman, but the dude's a beast. Finally, Tevin Coleman isn't there to suck up touches and on an offense with no shortage of weapons and a revamped offensive line, Freeman is in the perfect situation to succeed. Don't let ADP fool you, he's worthy of an early third round pick.

Before an ACL tear, Hunter Henry was a future superstar tight end

Hunter Henry (TE Chargers) - Don't get me wrong, if you want to spend a second or third round pick on the big three, don't think twice. At least you won't have to worry about that position for all but one week this season. However, in a very shallow position, I think there are a few lower drafted guys who can crack the first tier this year. Yes, Evan Engram might, but the only player I can remotely trust on the Giants is the 30 touch a game super stud. OJ Howard might, but the Bucs have a lot of weapons and a quarterback who hasn't proven he's ready to lead a high scoring offense. Henry was on his way to being a top tier tight end before an ACL tear took his season, but he's in a prime situation to succeed. The team is built to win, the offense will be high scoring, and he has a hall of fame QB who loves his tight ends. If you want a high-upside tight end, you can get this guy in the sixth.

Curtis Samuel offers big upside at receiver for a cheap price

Curtis Samuel (WR Panthers) - Like I said before, I like the higher end running backs this year. In an ideal world, I'll have 3 stud running back, a good tight end, and a certain chiefs QB by the fifth round. At that point, I'm just going to draft a lot of receivers with good upside and hope that some of them pan out. Samuel is definitely going to be someone I get. With the departure of Devin Funchess and the decline of Greg Olsen, there will be a lot of targets that open up. DJ Moore is assumed to take over as the lead receiver, but I have a feeling that Samuel and Moore will have similar stats this season. The only difference is Samuel is going in the 9th round and can easily become a solid WR2.