Top 10 Fantasy Player Changes

Saturday, Aug 16, 2014 at 12:00 pm ET


With fantasy football drafts underway, here's a quick rundown of some of the players that have changed teams and are fantasy-relevant.

DeSean Jackson and RGIIIDeSean Jackson – Washington Redskins
What the Redskins were missing was a deep threat. Garcon is fast with great hands, but bringing in Jackson will help Robert Griffin III spread the field much more effectively. Most of Jackson's touchdowns over the past few years have come on throws of 20 yards or more. This compliments nicely with RGIII's ability to throw downfield. Jackson is currently ranked 27th (PPR) on FFN making him a WR3 or a low WR2. He has the potential to end the season much higher.

Chris Johnson – New York Jets
OK, so maybe he's no longer CJ2K, but when he's in the open, there are few better than Johnson. The running game for the Jets is suspect with both Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell. Johnson is currently ranked 24th (PPR) on FFN making him a low-end RB2 or flex play.

Knowshon Moreno – Miami Dolphins
First things first: this is not going to be the Knowshon you remember from last year. There's no Peyton Manning to keep the defenses honest. The offensive line is also very, very different than what Moreno had in Denver. There's also the little problem of Lamar Miller battling for the starting job. Moreno is ranked 42nd (PPR) on FFN making him a bench stash at best. If you're looking at him as your RB4, I'd suggest looking one spot ahead of him and grabbing someone like Devonta Freeman who has much more upside.

Ben Tate – Cleveland Browns
All the talk out of Cleveland so far has been about the quarterback situation. I'm more interested in the running back situation though. Ben Tate made his name as the handcuff to Arian Foster. Out from underneath Foster's shadow, Tate has the ability to shine in an otherwise lackluster offense. I expect a solid workload out of Tate, and barring any injury, he could have fantasy relevance here. He's ranked 27th (PPR) on FFN making him an attractive flex option.

Rashad Jennings – New York Giants
This should be Jennings' big coming out party. David Wilson is no longer playing in the NFL so the hold on the starting gig belongs to Jennings. Watching him in preseason action was encouraging. He should get the bulk of the carries this year and he's being ranked 20th (PPR) on FFN making him a solid RB2.

Darren Sproles PhiladelphiaDarren Sproles – Philadelphia Eagles
You would think that hopping from one dynamic offense (Saints) to another (Eagles) would be good news for Sproles. It likely would be except that there's no reason to think that LeSean McCoy won't be the man in Philly. Barring an injury to McCoy, Sproles' value is only interesting within a PPR setting and only in the flex spot. His 35th ranking (PPR) on FFN puts him in class with MJD, Stevan Ridley, and Bernard Pierce.

Toby Gerhart – Jacksonville Jaguars
Another player moving out from the shadow of a superstar is Gerhart who leaves behind Adrian Peterson and the Vikings for the warmer climate in Florida. Peterson sang Gerhart's praises and thinks highly of the running back. We saw Gerhart shine when given the opportunity to start in Minnesota averaging 4.5 yards per carry. There's a different offensive line in Jacksonville, but with the expected workload, Gerhart could be a solid RB2 for your fantasy team. He's currently ranked 21st (PPR) on FFN.

Emmanuel Sanders – Denver Broncos
Sanders has left the confines of Pittsburgh and will fill the void left by Eric Decker. Nobody spreads the ball around better than Peyton Manning and that bodes well for Sanders. Decker saw 136 targets last season, and with any concussion concerns surrounding Wes Welker, that number has the potential to go up. We have some additional concerns with the rookie Cody Latimer eating in Sanders' playing time, but with a 36th ranking (PPR) on FFN, Sanders should remain a WR3/4 with upside.

Eric Decker – New York Jets
It's hard to get excited about any Jets receivers over the past few years. Mark Sanchez was clearly not the answer for the Jets, but neither Geno Smith nor Michael Vick makes us confident in that passing game. I expect significant regression from Decker this year even though he's going to be the number 1 wide receiver on that offense. Decker is ranked 30th (PPR) on FFN right now.

Golden Tate – Detroit Lions
Let's face it. The Lions like to pass. With Matthew Stafford under center and Calvin Johnson basically commanding double coverage, this looks like a great opportunity for Golden Tate to come into his own. The Lions throw the ball more than any other team in the NFL, so the number of targets that Tate should see will definitely go up, and he's talented enough to make the most of those targets. He's currently ranked 34th (PPR) on FFN making him a WR3/4. He has the potential to finish higher than that when the season is over.

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