DLF’s 2017 Predictions: Fantasy MVP
Most rookie drafts are in the rearview mirror and the NFL Preseason is winding down. We’re all busy combing the news sites trying to keep abreast of all the important developments as we prepare for the best time of the year, the NFL season. That can only mean one thing – it’s time for us to put a bow on those reams of off-season content with DLF’s 2017 Fantasy Predictions. As we do every year, we have several different prediction articles for you in the following categories:
- Fantasy MVP
- Fantasy Rookie of the Year
- Sleeper Rookie of the Year (outside our top 24)
- Bust of the Year
- Fantasy Sleeper
- Best Dynasty Buy
- Best Dynasty Sell
- Fantasy Comeback Player of the Year
We start off our series with one of the most important – Fantasy MVP.
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Le’Veon Bell, RB PIT
The Steelers offense is complete for the first time in a long time. With Big Ben, Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant on the field at the same time, the Steelers will be near unstoppable. Bell will be the biggest beneficiary with plenty of carries, targets and goal line looks. – Anthony Santigate
Odell Beckham Jr., WR NYG
The additions of Brandon Marshall and Evan Engram, combined with the emergence of Sterling Shepard may initially seem like impediments to Beckham’s potential target share. In reality, the threat these players present will force defenses to play OBJ straight-up more often than they have in year’s past. For a player who’s open, even when he’s double-covered, this will only lead to more splash plays and a greater fantasy output. – Mo Brewington
David Johnson, RB ARI
Ezekiel Elliot is facing a suspension and Le’Veon Bell hasn’t even reported to camp. Johnson once again shows us the most important ability of all among the elite running backs – availability, en route to a repeat finish as RB1 and overall top fantasy scorer. – Curtis Patrick
Amari Cooper, WR OAK
The WR12 in 2016 with only six touchdowns, Amari Cooper had double digit fantasy points in 11 of 16 games but only seven targets inside the ten. That might just be how they use him. But in a year where I’m expecting receiver points to increase (and the team is due for at least a little receiving touchdown positive regression) I think the Cooper could easily volt himself into that bullet proof class of wide receivers with Antonio Brown, Julio Jones, and Odell Beckham. – Peter Howard
David Johnson, RB ARI
David Johnson said one of his goals this year is to gain 1,000 yards rushing and another 1,000 receiving. He was pretty close last season and as crazy as it sounds, I think he does so this year. On top of that, Bruce Arians said he wants to get Johnson 30 touches per game while still protecting his star back. Sign me up. – Kyle Holden
Le’Veon Bell, RB PIT
Bell’s per game output topped all running backs last season, even David Johnson. I see the same two-horse race between the two for the top spot once again, ultimately with Bell coming out on top. The Steelers offense is considerably better than Arizona’s, meaning there will be more snaps and yardage to go around while opponents can hone in less specifically on stopping Bell. Furthermore, entering what appears to be quite the contract year, it wouldn’t be surprising at all if Pittsburgh chose to run him into the ground with carries before moving on this off-season. – Steve Gill
Le’Veon Bell, RB PIT
Ultimately, I view this as a two horse race in PPR leagues between Bell and Cardinals back David Johnson. With the versatility they bring week in and week out both in the run and passing game, their weekly floor is as high as most RB2 ceilings. I give the edge to Bell because I trust the Pittsburgh offense just a little more than the Cardinals at this point. With Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant at Ben Roethlisberger’s disposal, Bell should have plenty of space to operate. – Eric Olinger
AJ Green, WR CIN
Green is priced outside the range of Brown/OBJ/Julio, but a healthy Green should put up fantasy numbers to match the elite, as he was on pace to do so last season before he got injured. Getting that kind of value in the mid/late first should give a big advantage. – Nick Canzanese
AJ Green, WR CIN
After beginning the 2016 season on a tear, Green suffered a serious injury that cut short his impressive campaign. We can’t predict injury, but we can see a path for Green once again being the overwhelming focal point of the Cincinnati offense. While the Bengals added to their backfield with the addition of rookie Joe Mixon, there are serious concerns about the team’s offensive line. Unfortunately for Bengals fans, this might be another long year with many games coming down to the wire with the team behind, which means plenty of targets for Green. Factor in the very reasonable ADP (in the late first-round of both dynasty and redraft data) and Green’s case is even better. – Ryan McDowell
David Johnson, RB ARI
I was about to go with Aaron Rodgers here, but then I kind of came to my senses. Johnson should be the unquestioned MVP once again. The only thing holding him back is injuries and with Carson Palmer back, it should open up more lanes for him to run through. Lock him up for a cool 70 receptions (at least) and surpassing 2,000 total yards again. – Bee Salamat
David Johnson, RB ARI
The only thing that can stop David Johnson is him getting hurt. Johnson was quoted as saying he wants to get “30 touches a game.” He is a safe bet to get close to 400 touches and 70+ catches while eclipsing 2,000 total yards and 12-16 touchdowns. You can’t beat that production. – Eliot Crist
Le’Veon Bell, RB PIT
Big Ben has been fading a little over the last couple of years and has openly flirted with retirement. Now is the time for the Steelers to try and help him out by lessening the load. If Bell can play all season (and I appreciate that’s a big if), Bell can be one of only a handful of difference-makers at running back. The sheer positional advantage there would make him MVP for me. He’s still an enormously risky long-term asset, but for 2017 I want Bell. – Tom Kislingbury
David Johnson, RB ARI
It’s hard for me to stomach listing a running back here, but Johnson basically produced last year as if he was two players– a running back and a receiver — as he hauled in 80 catches for 879 yards and four scores through the air. He’s going to be heavily utilized by Arizona, and the only thing that can keep him from another massive campaign is injury. – Austan Kas
Antonio Brown, WR PIT
I was going to go with Ezekiel Elliott but his suspension doomed that idea. These used to be much easier, but now everything is up in the air. I will go with Antonio Brown. Just pure dominance and plays like he is a pinball machine when Ben Roethlisberger is on the field. Over the last four seasons, he has caught over 100 passes and has double-digit touchdowns in the last three. – Mike Valverde
Le’Veon Bell, RB PIT
Bell should be fresh and will command a heavy workload in both the running and passing attack for the Steelers. The dynamic receivers will command too much attention keeping opposing safeties away from the line of scrimmage and Bell could well churn out a career high in rushing attempts, receptions and touchdowns. – Jeff Haverlack
David Johnson, RB ARI
Just going to regurgitate the obvious here. Johnson is uber talented, his role in the running game is secure, his role in the passing game is rock solid and he has a G.I. Joe with Kung Fu Grip style strangle hold on goal line carries. If he stays healthy for at least 80% of the season, fantasy MVP is a lock. – Leo Paciga
Mike Evans, WR TB
I’ve been enamored with Evans ever since he entered the league and proved he wasn’t the product of a system and/or connection with his college quarterback. Now hitting his mid-20s and having more offensive talent around him than ever before, I expect him to have a monster season. It doesn’t hurt that his quarterback is a gunslinger that isn’t afraid to push him the ball even when it’s a terrible idea. Piling on, Evans is exactly the type of physical profile that might make something out of those terrible decisions. – Trevor Bucher
Larry Fitzgerald, WR ARI
… is a future Hall of Famer. This prediction pays homage to the ageless wonder and his competitiveness, his situation with Carson Palmer, and his coach’s ability to gameplan. Fitz is still capable of providing that 20-25 PPG that we’ve taken for granted. His price is a factor here. – Bob Brannon
Antonio Brown, WR PIT
Brown has finished as the top wide receiver in two of the last four years. When he didn’t finish first, he finished second. Brown is the Jerry Rice of this generation, and his ADP and value is falling as if he is nearing the end of his career. At age 33, Rice had his best season hauling in 122 receptions on 176 targets for 1,848 yards and 15 touchdowns. Brown has no injury history, and no sign of slowing down. Many believe the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger is reason to fade Brown. To this I say the fear of the end is worse than the end itself. Give me Brown for 2017, and for as long as he suits up to play, no matter who his quarterback might be. – Kevin O’Brien
Julio Jones, WR ATL
He was a top seven receiver last year even though he missed two games and was banged up for parts of others. If he’s healthy and he starts getting more red zone looks like they are talking about, he could be huge! He’s the top WR on the board for me in redraft leagues. – Jacob Feldman
AJ Green, WR CIN
When healthy, AJ Green has been nothing but consistent since entering the league. With the Bengals offensive line taking a hit in free agency, it’s likely the run game suffers, leading to additional passing attempts. Green is the clear-cut target leader and could be setup for a massive fantasy season if he can stay on the field. – Eric Dickens
Antonio Brown, WR PIT
Yeah, I know I’m going out on a limb here. But with Le’Veon Bell holding out and always getting hurt, and the rest of that wide receiver corps being a mixed bag of whatever, Big Ben will target Brown early, often, and beyond. – Doug Green
Julio Jones, WR ATL
The Atlanta offense was historically great in 2016 and is due for regression across the board. Julio Jones, however, plays above that board. The one knock on Julio has been his touchdown production, managing just one double-digit total in his career. Earlier this off-season Falcons’ Offensive Coordinator Steve Sarkisian stated he wants to get Julio Jones more involved in the red zone in 2017. If Julio gets to double digit touchdowns it’s possible he is the overall WR1 in 2017. – Matt Price
Amari Cooper, WR OAK
Cooper has tallied 150 receptions for 2,180 yards in his first two seasons. To put that in perspective, only Randy Moss, Odell Beckham, Marques Colston, Larry Fitzgerald and A.J. Green have produced 150 or more receptions and 2,100 or more yards in the first two years of their careers. With this being his third season, there’s a good chance that Cooper will take his game to another level. – Bruce Matson
Dez Bryant, WR DAL
In my mind, the MVP is going to be someone who provides “elite” production, but can be had for a price that doesn’t equal that. Sure, Dez is still a second round startup pick, but he can score like Julio Jones or AJ Green. With Ezekiel Elliott out for a short period, a more confident and improved Dak Prescott and a full bill of health, I expect Bryant to return to his 2012-2014 high WR1 numbers. He could win leagues. – James Simpson
David Johnson, RB ARI
I am really stretching the boundaries of reality with this selection. While there’s always reason to worry following a monster season, the incredible receiving floor he offers along with his innate ability to find the endzone has me believing we could see a multi-year fantasy stretch in line with what see from the likes of Ladainian Tomlinson or Priest Holmes back in the running back heyday. If I had to pick my selection in the first round, I’d go 1.01 as I feel Johnson is the easy call there. – Rob Willette
Melvin Gordon, RB LAC
I’ve made quite a few bets this off-season based around one Melvin Gordon. I really like what I’ve seen from him in flashes, and I’m a strong believer that new head coach Anthony Lynn will once again get the most he can get out of his running game. I know we don’t classically see the Chargers as a running team, but I think after this season we will. – Ryan Finley
Jordy Nelson, WR GB
Granted, this heavily factors in cost, but it’s usually the picks outside the first round that offer the most in-season benefit. Coming off a season in which he began playing at a severely reduced level, Jordy dropped over 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns. He’s the one veteran over the age of 30 that I believe has a strong chance of finishing the WR1 overall. – Dwayne Brown
Mike Evans, WR TB
I’m willing to go out on an island here on this one. Evans won’t cost as much as Antonio Brown, Odell Beckham or Julio Jones but he’s also the only one on that list whose quarterback hasn’t reached his full potential yet. Evans is going to get peppered with targets this year and I believe he’ll put up numbers as solid as any wide receiver out there, albeit at a slightly lower price tag – that’s MVP-like for me. – Ken Kelly
Le’Veon Bell, RB PIT
As good as David Johnson was last year, Bell still topped him in PPG by nearly a full point. That he did it while only scoring nine times in 12 games, versus Johnson’s 20 in 16, shows how dominant Bell is. To my point, Bell had more rushing yards and only five fewer receptions than the Cardinal’s ace, all while playing four fewer Sundays. Give me the better player in the better offense on the team with the worse defense and I’ll enjoy historical production all the way to a title. – Jeff Miller
Le’Veon Bell, RB PIT
Bell is going to play out of this world this season so that when he becomes a free agent (something I fully expect to happen) he will be able to name his price. Whether that is with Pittsburgh or not could come down to how massive those statistics are. – The FF Ghost
Antonio Brown, WR PIT
With Bryant back in the mix, I think it’ll be another stellar season for Antonio. Their offense should be firing on all cylinders and he will continue his massive year to year production. Move over David Johnson, the OG is back. – Adam Tzikas
DeMarco Murray, RB TEN
DeMarco Murray is on the verge of falling off the running back age cliff and has Derrick Henry nipping at his heels, but is still so impressive in all phases of the game. Last season, he piled up the second-most carries and most targets of his career and still earned 4.4 yards per carry and 7.1 yards per reception. I also take value into consideration, and this top-five fantasy back is going at 12th overall in ADP. He’s a league-winner that is being drafted nearly a round too low. – Joe Redemann
Melvin Gordon, RB LAC
I will admit, I was wrong on Gordon. I had Todd Gurley comfortably ahead of Gordon before and after their rookie seasons, and I wrote the latter off heading into their sophomore seasons. Talent meets opportunity meets a reinforced offensive line (albeit without the services of their rookie inside lineman for 2017), and I fully expect Gordon will have a huge season. There are scenarios where David Johnson and Le’Veon Bell aren’t the top two running backs, and Gordon is easily the most likely to supplant either one at the top of the list. – Jaron Foster
The Final Vote Count
- Le’Veon Bell, David Johnson – 7
- Antonio Brown – 4
- AJ Green – 3
- Amari Cooper, Mike Evans, Julio Jones, Melvin Gordon – 2
- Odell Beckham Jr., Larry Fitgerald, Dez Bryant, Jordy Nelson, DeMarco Murray – 1
Who do you think will win the award? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
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Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK
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