Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings Review

Our dynasty fantasy football rankings page is one of our most popular landing spots for dynasty degenerates. Not only do we provide in-depth consensus rankings provided by some of the best minds in the dynasty fantasy football community, we offer an assortment of rankings to cater to various formats.

We have the basics covered with 2017 dynasty fantasy football rankings, a list which goes 200 players deep, and dynasty rookie rankings as well as positional rankings, but we also boast two-quarterback rankings, devy rankings and dynasty IDP rankings.

Simply put: if you want up-to-date dynasty rankings, you’ve come to the right place.

Today, we’re going to dive into our 2017 dynasty fantasy football rankings review and take a brief player-by-player look at the top 20 dynasty assets – according to the consensus totals from our six rankers – as things stand right now.

Here’s the list of the top 20 players from our dynasty fantasy football rankings. Our complete 2017 dynasty rankings include tiers, comments, sorting and other features.

 

1) Odell Beckham, WR, NYG

In a startup draft, you have to do some real mental gymnastics to take someone other than Beckham at 1.01. His track record is pretty much flawless. In points-per-reception (PPR) leagues, Beckham has been a top-seven wideout in each of the past three seasons, going for at least 91 catches, 1,305 yards and 10 scores in his only three NFL campaigns. With the off-season arrival of Brandon Marshall, Beckham will finally have another viable receiver on his team who may lessen the amount of double coverage he receives. Entering his age-25 campaign, Beckham’s best years should be in front of him. Barring injury, Beckham will be a top-level producer for the foreseeable future, which is exactly what you’d expect from the consensus top-ranked dynasty fantasy football player.

2) Antonio Brown, WR, PIT

Brown has been the PPR WR1 in each of the past three seasons, and he was WR3 in 2013. Starting with his 2013 breakout campaign, Brown’s average yearly output has been 120.5 catches for 1,578.75 yards and 10.75 scores. It’s impossible to overstate how great those numbers are. Brown has seen an average of 11.03 targets per game across the past four years, which gives him an incredible weekly floor. He is a high-volume wideout who is a threat all over the field and can strike for a big play at any moment. The only negatives here revolve around his age (Brown will be 29 in July) and his eccentric quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, who seems to have at least some interest in an early retirement.

3) Mike Evans, WR, TB

Entering his age-24 season this fall, Evans already has a trio of 1,000-yard campaigns under his belt. Similar to Beckham, he’s an incredibly safe bet to keep producing big-time numbers for the better part of the next 10 years. Evans’ 2016 campaign, which saw him put up 96 catches for 1,321 yards and 12 scores, felt like a breakout, but it wasn’t really a huge step up. That’s not a slight; it’s a testament to how good Evans has been since coming into the league. Last season’s touchdown total tied his rookie-year mark, and the 1,321 yards were a career-high by just 115 yards. The real difference was his reception total of 93, a career-best clip by 22 grabs and one that was made possible because Evans was targeted 25 more times than ever before. Paired with a good young passer in Jameis Winston, it’s hard not to love Evans’ situation, and the only concern is that the skill-position talent Tampa Bay added this offseason — namely wideout DeSean Jackson and tight end O.J. Howard — may eventually eat away at Evans’ target share. On the flip side, an improved Buccaneers’ attack could also lead to more red-zone looks for Evans.

4) Julio Jones, WR, ATL

When Jones was drafted sixth overall in 2011, the dynasty community was expecting greatness, and he has delivered. Outside of an injury-marred 2013 season, Jones’ track record is beastly. He has averaged 107.7 catches, 1,624.3 yards and 6.7 touchdowns over the past three seasons. With Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan taking a step forward in 2016 and the offense reaching new heights, Jones is in a fantastic spot to continue putting up gaudy stats. Jones’ only blemish is health as he has played in all 16 games just twice in six career seasons, but he’s only missed three total games since the start of 2014.

5) Ezekiel Elliott, RB, DAL

Elliott is our first running back, and two of our rankers have him placed inside the top three overall players. Zeke was drafted into a what seemed like the ideal situation as Dallas had a solid offense with a great offensive line. Well, Zeke certainly excelled in his rookie year, leading the NFL in carries (322), rushing yards (1,631) and rushing yards per game (108.7). He tacked on 15 rushing touchdowns and finished as the RB2 in PPR formats. As a running back, injury is always a concern, and Dallas’ line could take a step back as they did lose two starting linemen. However, entering his age-22 season, Zeke is already in the discussion to go first overall in redraft leagues, and he has the potential to be a generational dynasty running back.

6) David Johnson, RB, ARI

The second of three straight running backs, Johnson is coming off a historically great 2016 campaign, especially as a pass catcher. On the strength of 80 receptions for 879 yards and four scores as a receiver — in addition to 1,239 rushing yards and 16 more scores on the ground — Johnson was the RB1 in PPR formats last year, out-scoring the RB2 (Zeke) by a touch more than 80 points. That monster campaign came a year after he was the PPR RB9 as a rookie in 2016. Heading into his age-26 season, Johnson’s receiving and rushing ability should enable him to continue to put up silly numbers.

7) Le’Veon Bell, RB, PIT

If there’s any running back who could rival Johnson in terms of receiving chops, it’s Bell. Similar to Johnson, Bell is a high-volume weapon who racks up immense touches on the ground and in the air. Bell finished as the PPR RB3 in 2016 despite being suspended for the first four games, finishing the campaign with per-game averages of 105.7 rushing yards and 51.3 receiving yards to go with nine total touchdowns. As a key part of one of the league’s top offenses, Bell’s week-to-week upside is as high as any player. The only negative is his injury history as he played just six games in 2015 thanks to a serious knee injury, and he suffered a significant groin injury at the end of the 2016 season. When he’s healthy, though, he’s as good as it gets.

8) A.J. Green, WR, CIN

Last season was the first year in Green’s illustrious career in which he didn’t top 1,000 yards as he finished with a 66-964-4 line in an injury-shortened 10-game season. However, going by his rate stats, Green was in the midst of the best season of his career when injury struck. He was averaging 6.6 catches and 96.4 receiving yards per game, both of which were career-high marks, and he ended the season with a career-best 66.0 percent catch rate. Entering his age-29 season, Green is in the prime of his career, and the Bengals’ additions on offense — Joe Mixon, John Ross and the return of a healthy Andy Dalton — should only make the unit even more explosive.

9) Amari Cooper, WR, OAK

Cooper is the first player on the list who hasn’t actually put together a truly elite season; rather, he’s ranked this high because of his potential and upside. Let’s not get it twisted, though, the kid has been impressive. Only three wideouts in NFL history have put together back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns before their age-23 season. Those receivers are Randy Moss, Evans and Cooper. Outside of touchdowns, Cooper’s numbers improved across the board from Year 1 to Year 2. As part of an up-and-coming Oakland offense, Cooper should only get better, and he’s got a great chance to have a long, productive career.

10) DeAndre Hopkins, WR, HOU

Hopkins was inside the top five at this time a year ago, but he got caught up in the disaster that was Brock Osweiler playing quarterback in Houston. After going off for 111 catches, 1,521 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2015, Hopkins’ numbers fell to a 78-954-4 line last year. That resulted in a WR26 finish in PPR leagues, well below what his owners were expecting. In addition to Osweiler’s shoddy play, Hopkins’ output was hurt by a huge drop in targets as he saw 41 fewer looks than he did in 2015 (192 to 151). He still ranked seventh in the NFL in targets, so it’s fair to wonder if Hopkins can post another massive season without the insane target volume he got in 2015. He’ll also have a new signal caller throwing his way — either Tom Savage or rookie Deshaun Watson — after Houston traded Osweiler. There are some question marks here, but Nuk is still a supremely talented wideout who has played four seasons (suiting up for all 16 games in each) prior to his 25th birthday.

11) Allen Robinson, WR, JAX

Similar to Hopkins, Robinson broke out in 2015, but he failed to produce at the same level last season. A-Rob led the league in receiving touchdowns in 2015, scoring 14 times as he hauled in 80 catches for 1,400 yards. Last season, his production plummeted to 73 grabs for 883 yards and six touchdowns. The whole Jacksonville offense was a mess, but Robinson isn’t without blame as he averaged 5.4 fewer yards per catch in 2016 (compared to 2015) despite seeing the exact same number of targets (151). At this time a year ago, Robinson was a consensus top-five pick, per our average draft position (ADP) data, so he’s trending down. Robinson’s PPR WR6 campaign in 2015 will prop up his value to a certain point, but there’s enough question marks in Jacksonville — namely with quarterback Blake Bortles — to make him a little risky as a first-round investment. On the flip side, now could also be the opportune time to invest if you think his 2015 output is more of what we’ll see going forward.

12) Michael Thomas, WR, NO

Thomas is the first player on this list who was nowhere near the top 20 a year ago. Entering his rookie season, Thomas was coming off the board as the 60th overall player in startups, according to our June ADP. His value shot up quickly thanks to a PPR WR7 finish last season as he made 92 receptions for 1,137 and nine scores. Anytime a rookie does that well, he’s sure to become a hot commodity in dynasty fantasy football. Thomas was Drew Brees’ top guy last year, leading the Saints in targets (121), and then New Orleans dealt Brandin Cooks, who saw 117 looks, to the Patriots, further entrenching Thomas as the team’s top weapon. Being the top dog in a Brees offense is a perfect situation for a fantasy wideout, and the only reason for pause here is the uncertainty around what will happen down on the Bayou when Brees — who is going into his age-38 season — calls it quits.

13) T.Y. Hilton, WR, IND

After being underappreciated by the dynasty fantasy football community for most of his career up to this point, Hilton is finally getting his due. Despite his still young age, excellent track record and ideal situation in Indianapolis, Hilton couldn’t crack the top 20 in our 2016 June ADP. He came out last season and led the league with 1,448 receiving yards while tallying 91 catches and six scores — posting his fourth straight 1,000-yard season. Now he’s a borderline first-round pick. Heading into his age-28 campaign and attached at the hip with Andrew Luck in a high-volume passing attack, Hilton is a very safe investment.

14) Sammy Watkins, WR, BUF

Watkins was a much-hyped prospect coming out of Clemson who started his career decently enough, averaging 62.5 catches, 1,014.5 yards and 7.5 touchdowns through his first two seasons. He had a frustrating 2016 campaign, however, playing in just eight games due to a foot injury and not performing especially well when he was on the field, finishing with 28 grabs for 430 yards and two scores. Watkins can be volatile on a week-to-week basis due to running a lot of low-percentage deep routes, but he also just turned 24 and has every reason to show out with Buffalo playing hardball in potential extension talks. Despite the down year last season, Watkins’ value has held pretty steady, but this upcoming campaign feels like a swing year for him. If he does well, it’ll cement his status as one of the game’s top young weapons. If he struggles, his value could take a big hit.

15) Todd Gurley, RB, LAR

Gurley was dubbed as a generational talent during his pre-draft process back in 2015, and he’s been a highly-coveted dynasty fantasy football asset from the word go. He only fueled the hype with a quality rookie season as he ran for 1,106 yards and 10 touchdowns despite missing the first three games. Gurley did it on what was a pretty poor Rams offense, too. Things didn’t go so well last year despite Gurley getting 49 more carries. The Rams’ attack was again putrid, and Gurley was part of the problem, totaling 885 rushing yards and six touchdowns. His yards per attempt went from 4.8 as a rookie to a horrific 3.2 in 2016. Unless Jared Goff turns it around, the Rams should again struggle to move the ball, and it’s fair to question whether or not Gurley can overcome defenses aligned to stop him. With that said, he did more than double his reception total last year, pulling down 43 passes for 327 yards, which helped him finish as PPR RB15 despite the nightmare season.

16) Brandin Cooks, WR, NE

One of this off-season’s big moves was the deal which moved Cooks from New Orleans to New England. There’s been a lot of debate about how the change in scenery impacts Cooks’ value, and so far, the dynasty fantasy football community has bumped him down a few spots as a result of the trade. Cooks was the 15th overall player in January ADP, and he’s the 19th overall player in June. Cooks averaged 81 receptions, 1,155.5 yards and 8.5 touchdowns across his age-22 and age-23 seasons, so there’s no debating his track record. The issue comes with the surplus of talent New England has on offense and if that’ll prevent Cooks from seeing the necessary target volume to keep putting up similar numbers. Time will tell, but even if his production suffers a bit, he’ll still be a valuable player as a young, talented receiver with a proven résumé.

17) Dez Bryant, WR, DAL

Going into his age-29 season, the explosive Bryant has seen his value take a hit as a result of two injury-shortened campaigns. At this time a year ago, Bryant was the 13th overall player in our startup ADP data, but he checks in 21st overall in June 2017 ADP. After playing all 16 games from 2012 to 2014, he’s missed a combined 10 games over the past two seasons. Bryant’s per-game stats — namely his catches and receiving yards per contest — have dipped these last two years. He may be past his prime, but as a proven red-zone machine in a quality offense, Bryant should still have a few more good years in him.

18) Melvin Gordon, RB, LAC

After a putrid rookie season which caused his value to slip outside the top 70 overall players at this time a year ago, Gordon exploded in 2016, and his value has skyrocketed. Danny Woodhead’s season-ending injury in Week 2 gave Gordon a monopoly in the San Diego backfield, and he rode the monster workload to an RB7 finish, scoring 12 total touchdowns after failing to find the end zone as a rookie. Gordon still wasn’t very efficient, though, registering a lowly 3.9 yards per carry, which ranked 28th among qualified backs. Those struggles have made him something of a polarizing player in the dynasty fantasy football community as one can easily argue now is a great time to sell Gordon. However, as long as he gets the volume, it’ll compensate for any efficiency issues.

19) Corey Davis, WR, TEN

Davis is our first rookie, and as a talented wideout who landed in a good situation, his arrow is pointing up. It’s right to be a little uncomfortable placing a rookie this high, but you can’t quibble with his college numbers. Davis racked up at least 1,400 receiving yards in each of his last three years at Western Michigan, and he accounted for 19 of the team’s 33 receiving touchdowns (57.6 percent) in 2016. As a receiver who was top-five pick in the NFL Draft, Davis’ value is extremely insulated, and if he has a good rookie season, he’ll be a top-10 asset in no time.

20) Devonta Freeman, RB, ATL

Freeman’s 2015 breakout was met with some skepticism, but he validated it with another outstanding season in 2016. He’s firmly entrenched in the second tier of running backs after Bell, Johnson and Elliott. Even with teammate Tevin Coleman siphoning touches, Freeman’s receiving ability and Atlanta’s high-powered offense make him a lock for top-notch production. Freeman has averaged 63.5 catches per year over the last two seasons, and the Falcons led the NFL in yards per play and points in 2016.