
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
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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