
Photo via: Rams/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
Mike Nowak/Chargers.com
1 Deshaun Watson
2 Russell Wilson
3 Tom Brady
4 Jared Goff
5 Aaron Rodgers
6 Matthew Stafford
7 Josh Allen
8 Kirk Cousins
9 Carson Wentz
10 Jacoby Brissett
11 Ryan Tannehill
12 Kyler Murray
13 Gardner Minshew
14 Philip Rivers
15 Andy Dalton
RB
1 Saquon Barkley
2 Dalvin Cook
3 Leonard Fournette
4 James Conner
5 Christian McCaffrey
6 Le'Veon Bell
7 Chris Carson
8 Aaron Jones
9 Todd Gurley
10 Nick Chubb
11 James White
12 Latavius Murray
13 Josh Jacobs
14 Austin Ekeler
15 Sony Michel
16 Derrick Henry
17 Marlon Mack
18 Devonta Freeman
19 Carlos Hyde
20 Tevin Coleman
21 LeSean McCoy
22 Melvin Gordon
23 Phillip Lindsay
24 Ty Johnson
25 Royce Freeman
26 Jamaal Williams
27 Chase Edmonds
28 David Johnson
29 Miles Sanders
30 Joe Mixon
WR
1 DeAndre Hopkins
2 Cooper Kupp
3 Stefon Diggs
4 Chris Godwin
5 Michael Thomas
6 Julian Edelman
7 T.Y. Hilton
8 Tyreek Hill
9 Tyler Lockett
10 Julio Jones
11 Kenny Golladay
12 Allen Robinson
13 Mike Evans
14 Courtland Sutton
15 John Brown
16 Robert Woods
17 Golden Tate
18 JuJu Smith-Schuster
19 Keenan Allen
20 Brandin Cooks
21 D.J. Chark
22 Corey Davis
23 Marvin Jones
24 Odell Beckham Jr
25 Kenny Stills
26 Larry Fitzgerald
27 Terry McLaurin
28 Tyler Boyd
29 Emmanuel Sanders
30 Dede Westbrook
31 Calvin Ridley
32 Robby Anderson
33 D.K. Metcalf
34 D.J. Moore
35 Alshon Jeffery
36 Phillip Dorsett
TE
Photo via: Chiefs/Facebook
1 Travis Kelce
2 George Kittle
3 Hunter Henry
4 Darren Waller
5 Austin Hooper
6 Evan Engram
7 Zach Ertz
8 Jimmy Graham
9 Gerald Everett
10 Greg Olsen
11 T.J. Hockenson
12 Jared Cook
13 Eric Ebron
14 Vance McDonald
15 Darren Fells
Defense/ST
1 Patriots
2 Steelers
3 Jaguars
4 Vikings
5 Rams
6 Saints
7 49ers
8 Lions
9 Packers
10 Bears
11 Bills
12 Seahawks
13 Colts
14 Chargers
15 Titans
Kicker
1Greg Zuerlein
2Wil Lutz
3Robbie Gould
4Chris Boswell
5Mason Crosby
6Matt Prater
7Mike Nugent
8Josh Lambo
9Ka'imi Fairbairn
10Zane Gonzalez
11Joey Slye
12Cody Parkey
13Harrison Butker
14Jason Myers
15Dan Bailey
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SportsMap Emails
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The Houston Astros are in the middle of a midseason surge that’s turned heads across the American League, but don’t let the win streak distract from one key truth: they’re doing this with less.
So what’s powering the Astros’ recent run? It starts with elite pitching. Despite an offense that's been merely middle-of-the-pack — 14th in OPS, 20th in runs scored, and 17th in slugging — Houston ranks fifth in team ERA and leads the majors in batting average against (.218). That’s how they’re winning series while missing key pieces of their core.
Still, there’s more to this run than numbers. Is the resilience we’re seeing tangible evidence of the Astros’ winning culture? Absolutely — especially lately. Rookie Cam Smith is the latest example. He delivered the first walk-off hit of his career over the weekend and looks like he belongs in the big leagues. Meanwhile, the lineup has caught fire over the last week hitting:
- Jose Altuve: .429
- Jeremy Peña: .417
- Cam Smith: .304
- Yainer Diaz: .292
- Christian Walker: .278
And all of this has come without one of Houston’s top two hitters being unavailable for the Twins series, Isaac Paredes, who remains sidelined with a sore hamstring.
With 71 games in the books, the conversation around second-year manager Joe Espada is beginning to shift — from quiet confidence to serious consideration for AL Manager of the Year. The case is strong. Espada has navigated a bruised and bruising season that’s seen Yordan Alvarez miss extended time with a fractured bone in his hand and three key starting pitchers (Spencer Arrighetti, Hayden Wesneski, Ronel Blanco) land on the shelf — two of them for the year.
So, what would it take for Astros owner Jim Crane to give GM Dana Brown the green light to aggressively pursue help at the deadline? History suggests pitching would be the priority. But with young arms like Colton Gordon, Ryan Gusto, and Brandon Walter stepping up, a move may not feel necessary, especially if it means exceeding the luxury tax threshold.
The Astros might be banged up, but they’re thriving and proving they don’t need to be at full strength to play like contenders.
There's so much more to cover! 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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