Green Bay Packers – Aaron Rodgers, quarterback
Aaron Rodgers is good for 4,000-plus yards and upwards of 40 total touchdowns per season. He limits himself to single-digit turnovers with consistency, completes 65-plus percent of his passes, and is consistent on a week-to-week basis. All in all, Rodgers is about as good a fantasy option as it gets without question.
Houston Texans – DeAndre Hopkins, wide receiver
DeAndre Hopkins may have had a down year in 2016, but that was primarily because of the Texans’ issues at the quarterback position. And while some questions still linger, there’s no doubt about the sort of impact Hopkins can have. Fresh off an $81 million extension, expectations are that Hopkins returns to the player he was in 2015 when he gained over 1,500 yards with 11 touchdowns.
Indianapolis Colts – T.Y. Hilton, wide receiver
Andrew Luck could have just as easily been the guy here even in the face of potentially missing regular season time, but T.Y. Hilton’s 1,448-yard, six-touchdown performance in 2016 helped propel him to the top of the Colts’ fantasy charts. And while missing Luck for any extended period of time could hurt the team, it will only serve to benefit Hilton from a numbers perspective since he’d be the default security blanket offensively.
Jacksonville Jaguars – Leonard Fournette, running back
The Jaguars are building their entire offense around rookie Leonard Fournette, and even with other talented runners in their backfield, he’s likely to get the workload in 2017. Going with a rookie is always a potential gamble and it may come with a few setbacks throughout the year, but when all is said and done, Fournette will put up some big numbers this season.
Kansas City Chiefs – Travis Kelce, tight end
This space would have been designated for running back Spencer Ware, but a knee injury has ended his season before it began. With few other standout options, Travis Kelce seemed like the right choice from a fantasy perspective. He ended last season with a career-high 1,125 yards and four touchdowns. He’s expected to put up similar or better numbers in 2017.
Los Angeles Chargers – Melvin Gordon, running back
Like many of the other league’s multi-purpose backs, Melvin Gordon provides value on the ground and through the air. Is he at the level of Le’Veon Bell or David Johnson yet? Not quite, but his 1,416 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns a season ago are a good indicator of what’s to come.
Los Angeles Rams – Todd Gurley, running back
The Rams simply don’t provide a lot of fantasy value, so if you were forced to choose someone, it’d be running back Todd Gurley despite his down year in 2016. If, however, Gurley can run the ball as well as he did in 2015 and continue to improve as a receiver out of the backfield, he immediately propels himself up the fantasy value charts at running back.
Miami Dolphins – Jay Ajayi, running back
Jay Ajayi burst onto the scene in 2016 with 1,423 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns in 15 games. With a full season now under his belt, Ajayi is poised to be even better in 2017, especially when considering he’s likely the featured man offensively. So long as he can remain healthy, the multi-purpose back will provide a solid fantasy option.
Minnesota Vikings – Stefon Diggs, wide receiver
There are a lot of question marks facing the Vikings offensively and the argument could be made that Dalvin Cook should be the guy here. Ultimately however, Stefon Diggs is a speed demon who’s essentially guaranteed his catches, so that warrants serious fantasy consideration even if it’s not in the early rounds. So long as Minnesota can string together some consistent offensive line play, Diggs could put up some quality numbers.
New England Patriots – Tom Brady, quarterback
Who else could have possibly gone here? Tom Brady was the only correct answer and is arguably the best fantasy option in all of football, alongside a few others on this list. He completes nearly 65% of his passes on a yearly basis and is good for over 4,300 yards with relative ease. He’ll toss between 30-40 touchdowns per season and, on occasion, will give fantasy players a bonus touchdown or two with his legs.
