Everyone loves power rankings. I love rankings. Favorite Burger. Favorite Candy bar. Whatever. There’s a plethora of fantasy football rankings that you can look at to get your weekly squad ready (Mine will be released Thursday mornings during the season starting 8/18). But we don’t often see team power rankings for fantasy football.
So let’s answer the question…
Which NFL offense is the best for fantasy football?
I’ve tried to answer by breaking down the top 200 players according to the cumulative rankings at fantasyPros.com from August 9th, 2016.
The Scoring
| Players ranked 1-10 overall | 30 points |
| Players ranked 11-30 overall | 20 points |
| Players ranked 31-60 overall | 10 points |
| Players ranked 61-100 overall | 5 points |
| Players ranked 101-200 overall | 1 point |
| Players ranked in the top 10 at their position | 2 each |
So with that, let’s break it down.
The Elite
What’s obvious from our top 5 here is they each have elite quarterback play, which raises the game for everyone around them.
As you can see here, the Pittsburgh Steelers rank number 1, and it’s not close. They have a player in the top 3 categories while also contributing players for your fantasy team deep in the draft as well. Were it not for Le’Veon Bell’s drug suspension, the Steelers would boast two players in the top 10, overall.
The Arizona Cardinals would rank higher on this list, but they have a trio of wide receivers that divide the fantasy community: Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd, and John Brown are all drafted on average between 60th (Floyd) and 71st, overall (Brown). I’ve been leaning toward Fitzgerald, mostly based on history and his bounce back year last year. Floyd has been up and down in his career, and Brown is a Carson Palmer favorite.
Your Team
For your Dallas Cowboys, they get helped by Ezekiel Elliott and that awesome offensive line.
If not for Elliott’s situation, he wouldn’t be a top 10 overall player. Rookies never figure that high. But he’s a rookie you want to take a chance on if you’re picking in the 5-9 range of the first round.
Dez Bryant just misses the top 10, sitting at number 11, or the Cowboys would be higher on this list.
of the Dallas Cowboys during the Cowboys 17-3 win over the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Photo by James D. Smith/Dallas Cowboys
Not Elite, but Still Very Good
These teams also have very good offensive outputs, with players that’ll be cornerstones for your team.
Cam Newton, in Carolina, is the first quarterback taken in most drafts. The rest of the Panthers offense has good depth in Jonathan Stewart and Kelvin Benjamin. Greg Olsen is a tight end you could target early, if you tend to do that sort of thing.
Houston is in a similar boat as Dallas. The Texans had one player in the top 10 overall (DeAndre Hopkins) and one player just outside the top 10 overall (Lamar Miller).
The Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons hang around because they have a couple of tall, lanky, elite receivers in AJ Green and Julio Jones.
The New England Patriots are hurt by Tom Brady’s suspension. A player you would probably draft in the 31-60 range with the likes of Cam Newton, Andrew Luck, and Aaron Rodgers, isn’t drafted until the 80’s in most drafts.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have an offense on the rise. Jameis Winston had an excellent year in his rookie campaign and has two big time receivers, Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson. Add in dual threat running backs — Doug Martin and Charles Sims — and the Buccaneers are a force to be reckoned with.
Rock Solid
With this group of teams, you’re getting good, but not elite, offensive production.
Despite having an elite weapon in Odell Beckham Jr., the New York Giants ranked so low because they don’t feature another player in the top 60. If you’re looking for a running back to draft outside the top 100 who could finish inside the top 15 at his position, draft Rashad Jennings. This isn’t a committee anymore.
With the Kansas City Chiefs, you’re probably only drafting Jamal Charles, Jeremy Maclin, and Travis Kielce. The backup running back position is questionable.
The team that surprised me was the Seattle Seahawks. The retirement of Marshawn Lynch left them with zero players ranking in the top 30. Russell Wilson, Doug Baldwin, and Thomas Rawls were very good — at times — last season, but how this offense clicks going into 2016 is still a bit of a question.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are another team, like Tampa Bay, that’s trending up. Blake Bortles threw for over 4,000 yards last season and finished second in touchdowns to Tom Brady. Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns both went for at least 1,000 yards and double-digit touchdowns. They will be better on the defensive side of the ball, which means they probably won’t have to throw so much. You can expect a little regression, but I’m still taking Robinson and Bortles.
On the Cusp (of Greatness or Despair)
The Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills, San Diego Chargers, and Chicago Bears provide solid choices throughout the draft, while the Minnesota Vikings are a team on the rise.
These teams have a chance to be very good. Don’t count me as a Washington believer. They still have very solid options at wide receiver in Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson. However, they turned the running game over to a group of unproven backs. The Washington Redskins are led by Matt Jones, who was very inefficient last season averaging 3.4 YPC in 2015. With Kirk Cousins, Washington isn’t as set at quarterback as many might think. One season does not a career make.
Aside from Todd Gurley, there isn’t much to like about the Los Angeles Rams. They are likely starting Case Keenum and their top wide-out at the moment is Tavon Austin, who is more of a gadget receiver. He is the 4th running back on my board behind Adrian Peterson, David Johnson, and Ezekiel Elliott.
Low Risk, High Reward
These teams don’t have any players who are going to cost you. With zero players in the top 30, you can wait to get value, depth, and upside players in the later rounds.
the Detroit Lions are probably the most shocking team in this group. Matthew Stafford — not long ago — was a top-15 quarterback throwing for over 4,000 yards every year. The retirement of Calvin Johnson has dropped confidence levels for the Lions offense. They still have some usable pieces, but nothing of the elite group.
Avoid Town
Notice that I haven’t mentioned the Philadelphia Eagles here. It’s because they are on my personal “avoid list.” I’d just rather not.
First, it’s the Eagles. I shouldn’t have to say much more than that. They’re a mess. Their offensive line is a mess. The quarterback play isn’t much better. If you just have to have one, the only one I’m drafting in redraft leagues is Jordan Matthews. Otherwise, steer clear.
I’d recommend waiting till the end of training camp to see what shakes out of San Francisco and Baltimore. Unless you play in dynasty leagues, you don’t really need to go there. In redraft leagues, Carlos Hyde (San Francisco), Benjamin Watson and Justin Forsett (Baltimore) are the only ones on your radar.
Sleeperville
A favorite sleeper team of mine, offensively, is the Cleveland Browns. Yes, the Browns. I know what you’re thinking; “It’s the Browns!”
Let me try to convince you.
Robert Griffin III is getting a fresh start with the Cleveland Browns. He isn’t as bad as his last couple of years in Washington played out. He gets arguably the most athletic player in the draft to throw to in Corey Coleman. Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson were both useful running backs last season for your fantasy team.
Gary Barnridge finished in the top 5 at tight end. And if Josh Gordon can keep himself from getting suspended, the Browns get a guy who led the league in receiving yards just a few seasons ago. This is an offense that is on the rise. There is good value in Johnson, Coleman, Gordon, Crowell, and Barnridge after pick 70.
For more detailed insight about the Dallas Cowboys Outlook, check out the positional previews linked below.
