28. New England Patriots
You could make an argument that the Pats should be lower on this list. In the interest of transparency, I had them at 32 when Jarrett Stidham was the assumed starter. But there’s something about a Cam Newton/Josh McDaniels partnership that has me interested. I don’t expect Cam to be the player he was when he was the MVP in 2015, but he’s still one of the best short distance runners in the league, and we know how valuable he can be near the goal line.
Related | Cam Newton’s Dynasty Value after signing with Patriots
Sony Michel probably hasn’t been the player he was drafted to be, but he’s expected to be the workhorse in the backfield and will hope that his injury concerns are now behind him. James White should still feature heavily in the passing game. Newton used Christian McCaffrey effectively in Carolina, and fantasy owners will hope that he can do the same with White.
N’Keal Harry’s impact was minimal in an injury-disrupted rookie season. Still, he was a first-round pick, and the team will be keen to get him involved with limited competition at the outside receiver positions. Julian Edelman could be the player most impacted by Tom Brady’s departure. The two had an almost-telepathic connection at times, and Brady relied heavily on the slot receiver as his safety blanket. He was targeted heavily, but he’s in the twilight of his career and will need to find chemistry with Newton quickly.
27. Indianapolis Colts
After a disappointing end to the Jacoby Brissett experiment, the Colts signed Philip Rivers in another attempt to replace Andrew Luck. Rivers is interesting for redraft leagues, but it’s difficult to say in which direction the needles move in dynasty. Rivers has had an outstanding career, but he’s coming off his worst season yet. The Colts have one of the best offensive lines in football, so he’ll get far more protection than he’s used to, but it’s difficult to see him as much more than a bridge QB for a year or two before they decide to invest heavily in the draft.
Jonathan Taylor rushing behind Quenton Nelson sounds like a dream come true. Taylor is one of the best running backs in college football history and should be the team’s lead back from day one. Marlon Mack has been a solid player for Indianapolis and won’t let the team down when given the opportunity, but Taylor has the potential to be one of the top running backs in the league, and it shouldn’t surprise anybody if we’re talking about him as a first-round pick in a year.
Related | Colts Fantasy Running Back Battle
T.Y. Hilton is coming off a down year ruined by injury, but he still should lead the team in targets and has shown how dangerous he can be if given the opportunity. He’s 30 years old, but other receivers have been productive at that age. If he can stay healthy, then he could bounce back in a big way. Michael Pittman Jr. is an exciting addition to the Colts’ receiving corps. He was productive in college, and his Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 8.29 illustrates his physical talent. He’s one of the rookies who could produce early and become his team’s top receiving option.
26. Miami Dolphins
It’s an exciting new era for the Dolphins, and Tua Tagovailoa is going to be the face of it. With Ryan Fitzpatrick still on the roster, Tua won’t need to start immediately, but he’ll be in consideration once he’s proven that his past injury is behind him.
Matt Breida and Jordan Howard make up an intriguing backfield partnership and are a huge upgrade from Kalen Ballage and Patrick Laird, both of whom were relied upon at stages last season. Breida was very efficient with the San Francisco 49ers, averaging over five yards per carry, but Howard has always had the ability to find the end zone. The expectation at the moment is that both will see an opportunity, but they will likely remain part of a committee, which will limit their fantasy appeal.
DeVante Parker and Preston Williams made up one of the league’s more intriguing receiver pairings last year. Parker has always flashed ability, but 2019 was undoubtedly his breakout season, and he benefited with a new long-term contract. Williams’ rookie season ended prematurely due to injury, but he could have flirted with 1,000 yards had he stayed healthy.
The question mark for both will be whether they can remain productive with Tagovailoa at quarterback. The former Alabama signal-caller is incredibly talented and likely would have challenged Joe Burrow for the number one pick had it not been for a hip injury, but Fitzpatrick’s gunslinger mentality has always produced fantasy points for receivers.
At tight end, Mike Gesicki took a big step in his second year. He’s one of the most athletic players in the league at his position, and if he can continue to develop, then he could become a perennial top 10 fantasy TE.
25. Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders are now fully underway with the Jon Gruden era. Derek Carr may not be flashy, but he’s had a good career and doesn’t lose games for his team. He’s a top 20 fantasy quarterback in most years and has the weapons around him to sneak into the top 10 if things go to plan. Gruden and General Manager Mike Mayock could move on from Carr after this season with very little cap consequence, but if he’s able to put together a strong season and the team commits to him long-term, then his dynasty stock will increase.
Josh Jacobs impressed as a rookie, handling a heavy workload and showing why the Raiders coveted him so highly. Unfortunately for Jacobs, he was effectively a non-factor in the passing game, frequently being taken off the field. Jacobs’ versatility and ability to play all three downs were one of his strengths when he was drafted, but the Raiders don’t look as if they view him that way.
Veterans Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington both saw considerably more targets, and while Washington left to join the Kansas City Chiefs, Richard was given a contract extension. When you add dynamic rookie playmaker Lynn Bowden into the mix, it looks as if Jacobs could be an afterthought as a receiver once again.
Henry Ruggs is one of the few rookies who can be expected to come in and take over as his team’s WR1. The Raiders have solid complementary pieces – Tyrell Williams has flashed throughout his career, Hunter Renfrow produced the highest grade of any wide receiver in PFN Offensive Share Metric (OSM), and Bryan Edwards had a productive college career.
But Ruggs was drafted to be the focal point of the Raiders passing attack. He’s a touchdown threat every time he touches the ball, and while he may not see a huge number of targets, he should produce right away.
Darren Waller has had his share of issues since landing in the league as a sixth-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. A move from wide receiver to tight end and multiple suspensions followed, but Waller finally delivered on his potential in 2019. Disappointingly, the Raiders signed Jason Witten in free agency. While Waller should still be the top tight end on the team, his playing time and opportunity could fall just enough to damage his fantasy production.
Thanks for reading part one of my team by team dynasty rankings for 2020. Be sure to come back next week for the teams who rank 17-24!
Andy Gallagher is a writer for the Pro Football Network covering fantasy football. You can follow him @AndySGallagher on Twitter and the PFN fantasy team @PFNDynasty.