Football Analysis

We've updated our rankings following several key injuries and based on preseason performances as Week 1 of the regular season gets closer. Read more »

Losing Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner means Bill Belichick will have to once again re-tool his defense around a different strength. Meanwhile, the offense is heavily dependent on Tom Brady and oft-injured Rob Gronkowski to carry an otherwise middling cast. Read more »

Twitter posts on Christian Hackenberg were included in ESPN The Mag's college football preview. Here's the deeper context on how the viewpoint materialized and how the prospect is still writing his NFL resume. Read more »

This defense, while depleted, still has real teeth. Colin Kaepernick is a variable capable of unexpected greatness, and he's got what looks like a sound run game supporting him. These Niners are going to lose more than they win, but they're going to be competitive. Read more »

Dan Quinn can only take the defense up after a horrible season on that side of the ball. There is some intriguing potential all-around, but the line and the depth are troubling. Read more »

Miami features one of the more talented young rosters in the league. With Ryan Tannehill steadily improving and some intriguing new weapons on the perimeter, the offense has the potential to put up a lot of points. Read more »

Adrian Peterson, Le'Veon Bell, Eddie Lacy, Jamaal Charles, Marshawn Lynch, Antonio Brown, Dez Bryant, C.J. Anderson, Demaryius Thomas and Jeremy Hill comprise this year's top-10. Read more »

As long as the quarterback can effectively manage the offense and not lose games on their own, a good receiving corps and tough defense can keep this team right in the mix in the wide-open AFC. Read more »

The Seahawks will again be a dominant defense in fantasy football, but they are joined this season by the Rams, Bills and Texans in Tier 1. Read more »

The expected production falls off quickly after Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham, meaning you should be patient if you can't get either of those players. Read more »

Green Bay is the odds-on favorite to win both the NFC and the Super Bowl. The offense is absolutely loaded with a perennial MVP candidate running the show. They've made several playoff runs with this core group, and expectations are higher than simply making it back once again. Read more »

With the passing game dominating the landscape of NFL offenses, the crop of high quality wide receivers runs deep. The pass catchers in tier 1 carry first round value, with the tier 2 receivers similarly providing second round value for your draft. Read more »

While the faces in Tier 1 remain familiar, there is a lot of new blood at the rest of the running back position. Read more »

The defense is good enough to win as a legit top 10 overall unit with depth and playmakers. Running back is also above average, but the passing game could slow them down. Read more »

We've got a deep pool of QBs once again this season. Andrew Luck has made his move into the top echelon of fantasy QBs alongside Aaron Rodgers, and Russell Wilson and Ben Roethlisberger have moved up as well. Read more »

The faith in an offensive resurgence, on the back of a better line and more efficient Drew Brees, trumps the grave concerns about Rex Ryan's underachieving defense. Read more »

Given the uncertainty in San Diego, it's hard to see this talented but flawed team finding the success the fans covet. The collapse at the end of last season does not inspire confidence, even though I do like the offensive upgrades. Read more »

These Giants are a cloudy forecast. There are so many variables, with the health of Jason Pierre-Paul and the two star wideouts foremost. The lines are relying on young players showing more than they ever have before, though they have the potential to accomplish very good things. Read more »

Teddy Bridgewater, Peyton Manning, Justin Forsett, LeSean McCoy, Davante Adams, Kevin White, Dwayne Allen and Julius Thomas are sleeper and bust candidates this season. Read more »

The young nucleus has a new leader who is a proven winner with talent that could transcend. It probably won't result in a lot of wins early, but the elevator is going up. Slowly. Read more »