49ers TE Vance McDonald Associated Press

Fantasy Football 2016: Skill Position Rankings and Top Sleepers

Andrew Gould

NFL quarterbacks usually hog the spotlight—except in fantasy football drafts.

At this point, a column preaching patience when selecting a signal-caller is as commonplace as saying not to draft a kicker before the final round. Since the league is more pass-friendly than ever, the position is littered with quality options.

Avoiding the top-tier passers isn't always the correct strategy, especially if everyone else is doing it. Anyone who takes Coby Fleener over Andrew Luck is getting too clever for his or her own good. 

Quarterbacks matter, but football fans know them well by this point. So let's give everyone else a chance to shine with rankings for the other skill positions tailored to standard-scoring leagues.

              

Running Back

Running Back Rankings
Rank Player Team
1 Todd Gurley LA
2 David Johnson ARI
3 Adrian Peterson MIN
4 Lamar Miller HOU
5 Ezekiel Elliott DAL
6 Le'Veon Bell PIT
7 Mark Ingram NO
8 Devonta Freeman ATL
9 Jamaal Charles KC
10 LeSean McCoy BUF
11 Doug Martin TB
12 C.J. Anderson DEN
13 Eddie Lacy GB
14 Carlos Hyde SF
15 Matt Forte NYJ
16 Thomas Rawls SEA
17 Latavius Murray OAK
18 Jonathan Stewart CAR
19 Jeremy Hill CIN
20 Ryan Mathews PHI
21 DeMarco Murray TEN
22 Frank Gore IND
23 Jeremy Langford CHI
24 Rashad Jennings NYG
25 Melvin Gordon SD
26 Matt Jones WAS
27 Danny Woodhead SD
28 Chris Ivory JAC
29 Arian Foster MIA
30 Giovani Bernard CIN
Author's Rankings

Sleeper: Isaiah Crowell, Cleveland Browns

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Isaiah Crowell saved and buried handfuls of fantasy players last year.

Heading into Week 14—when most leagues begin the playoffs—the Cleveland Browns running back had not rushed for a touchdowns in his last 10 contests. That changed when he delivered a season-high 145 rushing yards (topping his previous high of 72) and a pair of touchdowns.

Crowell accrued 309 rushing yards over 60 carries in Cleveland's final four games. Duke Johnson, ranked 12 spots (No. 27) ahead of his teammate on FantasyPros, averaged 6.5 carries per game and 3.6 yards per rush. He'll stay in a pass-catching role as new head coach Hue Jackson pounds the rock with Crowell.

Under Jackson's watch, the Cincinnati Bengals finished in the top 10 in rushing attempts in 2014 and 2015. For all of his inconsistencies, Jeremy Hill received all of the goal-line touches over Giovani Bernard, scoring 21 times with Jackson as his offensive coordinator over the past two seasons.

As numberFire's Joe Redemann noted, Crowell's added touches should extend into the red zone:

The Bengals have also had a team average of 4.12 yards per carry over the past two years, while the Browns have averaged just 3.80. Added ground volume mixed with extra rushing efficiency means that the Hue Jackson offense could truly help Crowell’s skill set to thrive.

In particular, these additions should help Crowell thrive in the goal-line scoring role, which is exclusively his. In 2015, Isaiah Crowell saw 11 rushing attempts in goal-to-go situations; Duke Johnson saw just 2. Crowell picked up 18 yards and a touchdown on those carries; Johnson earned -2 yards and no scores.

An effective Robert Griffin III would also create bigger holes as defenses focus on the speedy quarterback. Considering all of these factors, it's easy to see why Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot predicted a 1,000-yard season for Crowell.

              

Wide Receiver

Wide Receiver Rankings
Rank Player Team
1 Antonio Brown PIT
2 Julio Jones ATL
3 Odell Beckham Jr. NYG
4 A.J. Green CIN
5 DeAndre Hopkins HOU
6 Allen Robinson JAC
7 Dez Bryant DAL
8 Jordy Nelson GB
9 Brandon Marshall NYJ
10 Brandin Cooks NO
11 Demaryius Thomas DEN
12 Alshon Jeffery CHI
13 Keenan Allen SD
14 Mike Evans TB
15 Randall Cobb GB
16 Sammy Watkins BUF
17 Amari Cooper OAK
18 T.Y. Hilton IND
19 Eric Decker NYJ
20 Doug Baldwin SEA
21 Jeremy Maclin KC
22 Julian Edelman NE
23 Jarvis Landry MIA
24 Golden Tate DET
25 Donte Moncrief IND
26 John Brown ARI
27 Kelvin Benjamin CAR
28 Jordan Matthews PHI
29 Michael Floyd ARI
30 DeVante Parker MIA
Author's Rankings

Sleeper: Travis Benjamin, San Diego Chargers

Gregory Bull/Associated Press

It feels weird classifying Travis Benjamin as a sleeper candidate when he already broke out last year.

After three underwhelming seasons in Cleveland, the wide receiver grabbed 68 receptions for 966 yards and five touchdowns. He immediately drew attention as a top waiver-wire add by amassing 528 yards and four scores in the first six games.

He enjoyed some of his best success with Johnny Manziel under center, and it's safe to say Philip Rivers is a substantial upgrade. Benjamin expressed his excitement over working with his new quarterback in a blog post on Chargers.com.

"I know I made the right decision to sign here," Benjamin wrote. "I can tell from the mentality of the team, and having 17 with the way he throws the ball and runs the offense, the sky’s the limit for us. I really believe that."

The deep-play target now has a veteran passer who's capable of finding him downfield. There's also high-volume potential; Rivers led all quarterbacks with 661 pass attempts last season, and Benjamin should serve as the No. 2 target after Keenan Allen.

Despite his advantageous change of scenery, he remains easily accessible as a bench selection. Don't be surprised if he proves to be more valuable as a flex play while producing a 1,000-yard season.

             

Tight End

Tight End Rankings
Rank Player Team
1 Rob Gronkowski NE
2 Jordan Reed WAS
3 Greg Olsen CAR
4 Travis Kelce KC
5 Delanie Walker TEN
6 Coby Fleener NO
7 Gary Barnidge CLE
8 Zach Ertz PHI
9 Antonio Gates SD
10 Julius Thomas JAC
11 Zach Miller CHI
12 Tyler Eifert CIN
13 Dwayne Allen IND
14 Martellus Bennett NE
15 Jimmy Graham SEA
16 Jason Witten DAL
17 Vance McDonald SF
18 Jordan Cameron MIA
19 Eric Ebron DET
20 Clive Walford OAK
Author's Rankings

Sleeper: Vance McDonald, San Francisco 49ers

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

If the chorus keeps growing louder, gamers may not have the opportunity to snag Vance McDonald as an end-of-draft flier or waiver-wire acquisition.

One of several tight ends boasting all of the tools without the matching production, he quietly hit his stride late last season. During the San Francisco 49ers' final six games, all with Blaine Gabbert under center, McDonald corralled 21 of 31 targets for 262 yards and three touchdowns.

The 6'4", 267-pounder carried over his rapport with Gabbert into his first two preseason games, recording 92 yards and a score. Rotoworld's Rich Hribar highlighted the duo's success compared to San Francisco's other pass-catchers:

So far in preseason Blaine Gabbert is 5/6 for 92 yards and a TD targeting Vance McDonald and 5/13 for 40 yards on all other throws.

— Rich Hribar (@LordReebs) August 22, 2016

McDonald also caught the eye of ESPN's Louis Riddick:

With new head coach Chip Kelly calling the shots, the 49ers will run more plays. Kelly's uptempo offensive scheme led to Zach Ertz collecting 75 catches for the Philadelphia Eagles last year. If Gabbert wins the starting job over Colin Kaepernick, McDonald should interest all drafters who are seeking a high-upside No. 2 tight end.

   

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