Post by Pittsburgh Steelers (Malachi) on Sept 7, 2020 23:47:25 GMT -5
Jerry Rice Division Preview:
Like most other divisions in the league this division will be a tight battle and most likely will see 3 if not all 4 teams fighting for the crown by the end of it. Currently I would lean SF as the favorite but all 4 teams are so similar in builds and strength it is hard to say that with any conviction. By all 4 teams being close it might end up costing them all at a shot for a top 2 seed and a bye in the conference, but with this being our first season, who knows, and crazy circumstances around the season will also play a role in who wins the division, I believe. Make sure you guys vote for your pick to win the division!
Arizona Cardinals (Chris):
Chris has the most open roster spots in the league currently as he has 5 bench spots open, but with that being said his starters are all very strong and has his offensive bench depth in a good spot, the defense is where he likely needs to add some depth. Starting off at the QB spot Chris is set, as long as Stafford plays the whole season, had he done that last season Stafford would have easily had his best career year, Chris will hope that is the case this year. Chris appears to have a dynamic duo at RB with Josh Jacobs and David Johnson, then if anything happens to Kenyan Drake, Chris has his backup with Chase Edmonds. Reggie Bonnafon is on the roster, but currently on the Panthers practice squad. Moving to the WRs, Cooper Kupp and Tyler Lockett are the big names, but N’Keal Harry and Cordarrelle Patterson (at least early) should be valuable guys behind those top 2, and Demarcus Robinson will be a nice piece in KC likely next season. With Kelce at TE the position is on lock for as long as Chris decides to keep him, and when Kelce doesn’t play Nick Boyle shouldn’t hurt Chris. Matt LaCosse in NE still doesn’t appear to know his role on the offense at this point. On defense we will start with the DL group as it is the only spot that Chris has depth for currently. The 3 players in the group are Carlos Dunlop, Jeffery Simmons, and Olivier Vernon who all will put up solid points at the DL spot. The LB guys are all productive guys as well, De’Vondre Campbell and Thomas Davis will spearhead the unit with Whitney Mercilus provided useful depth. All 3 units for Chris currently have 3 players in them, the DB group’s 3 are Shawn Williams, Kareem Jackson, and Rodney McLoud. Those 3 are gonna be in the running for the top DB group in the league as all 3 will rack up a lot of points and will be the strength of Chris’s defense.
Predicted Division Finish: 4th
Los Angeles Rams (Thomas):
Diving into Thomas’s team he is definitely gonna need his defense to carry his offense, the guys on offense are all in tough spots with their teams or are behind guys on their depth charts, but I can attest to the fact that defense can carry you to the playoffs in leagues like this. The QB spot for Thomas is certainly the one spot offense in a good spot as he has both Dak Prescott, who has a ton of weapons in Dallas this year, and Ryan Tannehill, who should be very solid all season for Tennessee. The main RB of Devin Singletary is a very nice start, but with only backups behind him on the roster the position is a little thin. Alexander Mattison, Mike Boone, Darryton Evans, Damien Harris, and Bryce Love will all need to make a big impression when given chances to possibly elevate themselves to be fantasy relevant for Thomas this season. JuJu is the only WR, I would say is set to receive a significant amount of targets this season, but Kendrick Bourne could be useful for a couple weeks with SF possibly missing a couple WRs in that span. Miles Boykin, James Proche, and Gabriel Davis are buried on their depth charts and will be nothing other than pieces that might pop for next season, but will not offer much this season. The clear stronger side of the ball for Thomas is the defensive side, starting with DL. Sam Hubbard and Da’Ron Payne will be strong options as starters, with Dexter Lawrence being decent enough to do a job when needed for the other 2 when they are on a bye. The duo of Shaq Thompson and Jaylen Smith will for sure be in the running for best duo at LB as both are very likely to top the 200 point mark at the position. Behind them the rookie Kenneth Murray will grow into a relevant role, Oren Burks, Rashan Gary, and Hasson Reddick will be depth, but knowing how good of depth they will be is still in question. After Derwin James went down the DB spot went from a very strong unit to scratching their heads for answers, Jessie Bates will be a strong DB option, but DeShon Elliot and Ashtyn Davis are not looking like good options for Thomas and will leave Bates wanting help there. DB could hinder this defensive unit from being a top one in the league, but if Thomas can find a guy to pair with Bates the defense is very strong.
Predicted Division Finish: 2nd
San Francisco 49ers (Mike):
Mike has put together a strong team that looks set to fight for the division crown and possibly the NFC crown. While putting that team together it looks like he has young guys that will set this team up even better for next season as well, but we will look at this season. Aaron Rodgers being your QB will put you in a spot to put up a lot of points on a weekly basis at the position. With Joe Mixon, JK Dobbins, Justin Jackson, and Jerick McKinnon at RB, Mike is set up for this year with Mixon and Dobbins towards the end of the year more likely. Also Jackson and McKinnon are in situations where they could see touches, but also could see a significant amount more if the guys in front of them miss time. WR is a little questionable this year, because outside of Mike Evans the options are not great. Sammy Watkins and John Ross are not top options for their teams in a crowded WR room, so will see limited production most weeks, but can take the top off a defense any given week. Hamler and Bowden being rookies will be guys to wait for next year as their situations are not ideal for the year, but will be better next, Jalen Hurd is also there, but out for the season after tearing his ACL. Ian Thomas, now that Greg Olsen is out of Carolina, could see a breakout year at TE and NJoku could potentially be traded from Cleveland, but if not it sounds like he will see a role despite Austin Hooper’s presence in Cleveland, so the 2 TE options are good. I am gonna start at LB for Mike, switch things up a little here. The duo of Roquan Smith and Fred Warner is as good as it gets, they are both young and uber talented. Jarred Davis and Sean Lee round out the unit nicely. At DL, LJ Collier, Melvin Ingram, Taven Bryan, and Takkarist McKinley are a solid 4 pack of DL options with the first two being strong starters. The DB unit is gonna put up a lot of points thanks to the top 3 guys. Budda Baker, John Johnson, and Jalen Mills are all gonna be high scoring DB options, with Marcus Maye likely needing to be very productive to cover for the Jets trading away Jamal Adams this off-season. This defense will also fight for the top unit as a whole in the league.
Predicted Division Finish: 1st
Seattle Seahawks (Justin):
With the roster Justin has put together this division is gonna be brutal, but whoever comes out of it should be sitting nicely to make a playoff run. Justin is also sitting on a dynamic duo at LB like a couple others in his division, so unlike some divisions, this one seems to have been watching each other when building their rosters. Running out arguably the GOAT at QB is always a good starting point for a team even if he isn’t as great for TB as he was in NE, with Brady and Tua on the roster Justin is set at QB even when Brady does retire. RB is interesting for Seattle, he should have the top RB in the division in Zeke, but behind him Kerryon Johnson is a question as it is unclear what his role will be to open the season for the Lions, especially after they went and signed AP. Darwin Thompson is on the roster, but likely will not make an impact for Justin. At WR there are a lot of things to like about the team. Diggs and Metcalf currently hold the starting spots and will be top 15-20 guys for sure this season. Then Jalen Raegor when healthy should see plenty of work and Mecole Hardman continues to grow into the juggernaut KC offense. Antonio Brown if signed and plays this year will be a huge addition late in the year for Justin, while Funchess’s absence this season likely will not be felt. Dawson Knox in his 2nd season will be looking to have that break out year that establishes him as a relevant TE option, likewise his counterpart Will Dissly will be looking to have a full healthy 2020 after an injury riddled career to date, if both hit this season, that TE duo will be very strong this season. Flipping to the other side of the ball, Justin has a strong defense on paper, the duo at LB of Vander Esch and Tremaine Edmunds will be around for a while and will put up high end LB point totals. Nathan Gerry and Kenny Young look to be starters for their teams so should provide more help to the top 2 at the LB spot. Kiko Alonso, who is on the PUP, and Alec Ogletree, who is a FA, round out the LB unit. Maxx Crosby and Ed Oliver will be a solid duo at DL, but with only rookie AJ Epenesa, who does not appear set to play a lot, behind them, Justin will have to hope both guys stay healthy. At DB, Justin Reid and Jonathan Abram will hold things down well, while Marquise Blair, Adoree’ Jackson, and Sean Davis will be the depth pieces and will play a role at some point for the Seahawks.
Predicted Division Finish: 3rd
The last divisional preview will be the Lawrence Taylor Division, I will try to get it done tomorrow, but if not it will definitely be up Wednesday, so it is up before the 1st game
Like most other divisions in the league this division will be a tight battle and most likely will see 3 if not all 4 teams fighting for the crown by the end of it. Currently I would lean SF as the favorite but all 4 teams are so similar in builds and strength it is hard to say that with any conviction. By all 4 teams being close it might end up costing them all at a shot for a top 2 seed and a bye in the conference, but with this being our first season, who knows, and crazy circumstances around the season will also play a role in who wins the division, I believe. Make sure you guys vote for your pick to win the division!
Arizona Cardinals (Chris):
Chris has the most open roster spots in the league currently as he has 5 bench spots open, but with that being said his starters are all very strong and has his offensive bench depth in a good spot, the defense is where he likely needs to add some depth. Starting off at the QB spot Chris is set, as long as Stafford plays the whole season, had he done that last season Stafford would have easily had his best career year, Chris will hope that is the case this year. Chris appears to have a dynamic duo at RB with Josh Jacobs and David Johnson, then if anything happens to Kenyan Drake, Chris has his backup with Chase Edmonds. Reggie Bonnafon is on the roster, but currently on the Panthers practice squad. Moving to the WRs, Cooper Kupp and Tyler Lockett are the big names, but N’Keal Harry and Cordarrelle Patterson (at least early) should be valuable guys behind those top 2, and Demarcus Robinson will be a nice piece in KC likely next season. With Kelce at TE the position is on lock for as long as Chris decides to keep him, and when Kelce doesn’t play Nick Boyle shouldn’t hurt Chris. Matt LaCosse in NE still doesn’t appear to know his role on the offense at this point. On defense we will start with the DL group as it is the only spot that Chris has depth for currently. The 3 players in the group are Carlos Dunlop, Jeffery Simmons, and Olivier Vernon who all will put up solid points at the DL spot. The LB guys are all productive guys as well, De’Vondre Campbell and Thomas Davis will spearhead the unit with Whitney Mercilus provided useful depth. All 3 units for Chris currently have 3 players in them, the DB group’s 3 are Shawn Williams, Kareem Jackson, and Rodney McLoud. Those 3 are gonna be in the running for the top DB group in the league as all 3 will rack up a lot of points and will be the strength of Chris’s defense.
Predicted Division Finish: 4th
Los Angeles Rams (Thomas):
Diving into Thomas’s team he is definitely gonna need his defense to carry his offense, the guys on offense are all in tough spots with their teams or are behind guys on their depth charts, but I can attest to the fact that defense can carry you to the playoffs in leagues like this. The QB spot for Thomas is certainly the one spot offense in a good spot as he has both Dak Prescott, who has a ton of weapons in Dallas this year, and Ryan Tannehill, who should be very solid all season for Tennessee. The main RB of Devin Singletary is a very nice start, but with only backups behind him on the roster the position is a little thin. Alexander Mattison, Mike Boone, Darryton Evans, Damien Harris, and Bryce Love will all need to make a big impression when given chances to possibly elevate themselves to be fantasy relevant for Thomas this season. JuJu is the only WR, I would say is set to receive a significant amount of targets this season, but Kendrick Bourne could be useful for a couple weeks with SF possibly missing a couple WRs in that span. Miles Boykin, James Proche, and Gabriel Davis are buried on their depth charts and will be nothing other than pieces that might pop for next season, but will not offer much this season. The clear stronger side of the ball for Thomas is the defensive side, starting with DL. Sam Hubbard and Da’Ron Payne will be strong options as starters, with Dexter Lawrence being decent enough to do a job when needed for the other 2 when they are on a bye. The duo of Shaq Thompson and Jaylen Smith will for sure be in the running for best duo at LB as both are very likely to top the 200 point mark at the position. Behind them the rookie Kenneth Murray will grow into a relevant role, Oren Burks, Rashan Gary, and Hasson Reddick will be depth, but knowing how good of depth they will be is still in question. After Derwin James went down the DB spot went from a very strong unit to scratching their heads for answers, Jessie Bates will be a strong DB option, but DeShon Elliot and Ashtyn Davis are not looking like good options for Thomas and will leave Bates wanting help there. DB could hinder this defensive unit from being a top one in the league, but if Thomas can find a guy to pair with Bates the defense is very strong.
Predicted Division Finish: 2nd
San Francisco 49ers (Mike):
Mike has put together a strong team that looks set to fight for the division crown and possibly the NFC crown. While putting that team together it looks like he has young guys that will set this team up even better for next season as well, but we will look at this season. Aaron Rodgers being your QB will put you in a spot to put up a lot of points on a weekly basis at the position. With Joe Mixon, JK Dobbins, Justin Jackson, and Jerick McKinnon at RB, Mike is set up for this year with Mixon and Dobbins towards the end of the year more likely. Also Jackson and McKinnon are in situations where they could see touches, but also could see a significant amount more if the guys in front of them miss time. WR is a little questionable this year, because outside of Mike Evans the options are not great. Sammy Watkins and John Ross are not top options for their teams in a crowded WR room, so will see limited production most weeks, but can take the top off a defense any given week. Hamler and Bowden being rookies will be guys to wait for next year as their situations are not ideal for the year, but will be better next, Jalen Hurd is also there, but out for the season after tearing his ACL. Ian Thomas, now that Greg Olsen is out of Carolina, could see a breakout year at TE and NJoku could potentially be traded from Cleveland, but if not it sounds like he will see a role despite Austin Hooper’s presence in Cleveland, so the 2 TE options are good. I am gonna start at LB for Mike, switch things up a little here. The duo of Roquan Smith and Fred Warner is as good as it gets, they are both young and uber talented. Jarred Davis and Sean Lee round out the unit nicely. At DL, LJ Collier, Melvin Ingram, Taven Bryan, and Takkarist McKinley are a solid 4 pack of DL options with the first two being strong starters. The DB unit is gonna put up a lot of points thanks to the top 3 guys. Budda Baker, John Johnson, and Jalen Mills are all gonna be high scoring DB options, with Marcus Maye likely needing to be very productive to cover for the Jets trading away Jamal Adams this off-season. This defense will also fight for the top unit as a whole in the league.
Predicted Division Finish: 1st
Seattle Seahawks (Justin):
With the roster Justin has put together this division is gonna be brutal, but whoever comes out of it should be sitting nicely to make a playoff run. Justin is also sitting on a dynamic duo at LB like a couple others in his division, so unlike some divisions, this one seems to have been watching each other when building their rosters. Running out arguably the GOAT at QB is always a good starting point for a team even if he isn’t as great for TB as he was in NE, with Brady and Tua on the roster Justin is set at QB even when Brady does retire. RB is interesting for Seattle, he should have the top RB in the division in Zeke, but behind him Kerryon Johnson is a question as it is unclear what his role will be to open the season for the Lions, especially after they went and signed AP. Darwin Thompson is on the roster, but likely will not make an impact for Justin. At WR there are a lot of things to like about the team. Diggs and Metcalf currently hold the starting spots and will be top 15-20 guys for sure this season. Then Jalen Raegor when healthy should see plenty of work and Mecole Hardman continues to grow into the juggernaut KC offense. Antonio Brown if signed and plays this year will be a huge addition late in the year for Justin, while Funchess’s absence this season likely will not be felt. Dawson Knox in his 2nd season will be looking to have that break out year that establishes him as a relevant TE option, likewise his counterpart Will Dissly will be looking to have a full healthy 2020 after an injury riddled career to date, if both hit this season, that TE duo will be very strong this season. Flipping to the other side of the ball, Justin has a strong defense on paper, the duo at LB of Vander Esch and Tremaine Edmunds will be around for a while and will put up high end LB point totals. Nathan Gerry and Kenny Young look to be starters for their teams so should provide more help to the top 2 at the LB spot. Kiko Alonso, who is on the PUP, and Alec Ogletree, who is a FA, round out the LB unit. Maxx Crosby and Ed Oliver will be a solid duo at DL, but with only rookie AJ Epenesa, who does not appear set to play a lot, behind them, Justin will have to hope both guys stay healthy. At DB, Justin Reid and Jonathan Abram will hold things down well, while Marquise Blair, Adoree’ Jackson, and Sean Davis will be the depth pieces and will play a role at some point for the Seahawks.
Predicted Division Finish: 3rd
The last divisional preview will be the Lawrence Taylor Division, I will try to get it done tomorrow, but if not it will definitely be up Wednesday, so it is up before the 1st game
