
Photo via: Saints/Facebook
These are my very early ranks, so keep in mind I post these on Thursday. Make sure you check the injury report on Sunday for players that have missed practice. If it doesn't look like a player will play this week, I typically won't rank him. Keep in mind, these are PPR rankings, and don't forget to set your lineup for Thursday Night Football.
If you have any questions, feel free to hit me up on Twitter. Be sure to check out my show MoneyLine with Jerry Bo on ESPN 97.5FM. We're on every Sunday morning from 10-noon, and we'll talk a lot of fantasy football and NFL gambling getting you ready for kickoff every Sunday.
QB
Rodgers should bounce back after a tough loss against the Chargers. Photo by Andy Lyons/GettyImages
1 Lamar Jackson
2 Drew Brees
3 Patrick Mahomes
4 Russell Wilson
5 Aaron Rodgers
6 Philip Rivers
7 Kyler Murray
8 Dak Prescott
9 Jimmy Garoppolo
10 Jameis Winston
11 Josh Allen
12 Matt Ryan
13 Jared Goff
14 Matthew Stafford
15 Derek Carr
RB
Feed Zeke...Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images
1 Christian McCaffrey
2 Saquon Barkley
3 Ezekiel Elliott
4 Dalvin Cook
5 Aaron Jones
6 Alvin Kamara
7 Josh Jacobs
8 Mark Ingram
9 Derrick Henry
10 Marlon Mack
11 Melvin Gordon
12 Le'Veon Bell
13 Nick Chubb
14 Jaylen Samuels
15 Chris Carson
16 Austin Ekeler
17 Tevin Coleman
18 David Johnson
19 Todd Gurley
20 David Montgomery
21 Damien Williams
22 Devin Singletary
23 Devonta Freeman
24 Ronald Jones
25 Latavius Murray
26 Jamaal Williams
27 Matt Breida
28 J.D. McKissic
29 Joe Mixon
30 Tarik Cohen
WR
Thomas comes in at No.1 this week. Photo by New Orleans Saints/Facebook
1 Michael Thomas
2 Chris Godwin
3 Amari Cooper
4 Julio Jones
5 Cooper Kupp
6 Tyreek Hill
7 Mike Evans
8 Tyler Lockett
9 Keenan Allen
10 Davante Adams
11 Stefon Diggs
12 Kenny Golladay
13 Emmanuel Sanders
14 Allen Robinson
15 D.J. Moore
16 John Brown
17 Mike Williams
18 Golden Tate
19 Calvin Ridley
20 Christian Kirk
21 Michael Gallup
22 Odell Beckham Jr
23 Marvin Jones
24 Zach Pascall
25 Sammy Watkins
26 Jamison Crowder
27 Devante Parker
28 Robert Woods
29 Marquise Brown
30 JuJu Smith-Schuster
31 Tyler Boyd
32 Larry Fitzgerald
33 D.K. Metcalf
34 Tyrell Williams
35 Danny Amendola
36 Jarvis Landry
TE
It's hard not to like Henry against the Raiders. Photo via:Chargers/Facebook
1 George Kittle
2 Travis Kelce
3 Hunter Henry
4 Austin Hooper
5 Darren Waller
6 Mark Andrews
7 Greg Olsen
8 Gerald Everett
9 Jared Cook
10 Jonnu Smith
11 Jack Doyle
12 Jason Witten
13 T.J. Hockenson
14 Mike Gesicki
15 Vance McDonald
DEF
1 Ravens
2 Colts
3 Bills
4 Saints
5 Bears
6 Cowboys
7 Rams
8 Giants
9 Chargers
10 49ers
11 Steelers
12 Vikings
13 Packers
14 Lions
15 Browns
KICKER
1 Justin Tucker
2 Wil Lutz
3 Robbie Gould
4 Harrison Butker
5 Brett Maher
6 Zane Gonzalez
7 Michael Badgley
8 Greg Zuerlein
9 Matt Gay
10 Mason Crosby
11 Matt Prater
12 Adam Vinatieri
13 Joey Slye
14 Dan Bailey
15 Steven Hauschka
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipeline
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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*ChatGPT assisted.
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