Fantasy football: Put preconceived notions aside, focus on points

By Jeff Agrest

A fantasy sage once told me that points are points. It doesn’t matter where they come from, as long as they come from somewhere.

In these crazy days when running backs can’t stay healthy and scoring stability is at a premium, owners must disregard all preconceived notions. Rip the names off players’ jerseys and base your judgments on production.

Here’s an exercise along those lines. What follows are comparisons of two players at the same position, but their names won’t be revealed until each comparison is complete. The results might surprise you (points are based on basic-scoring formats).

Quarterback A: He has thrown for 2,972 yards and 20 touchdowns with nine interceptions. He has the eighth-most pass attempts with 370 and has thrown multiple touchdown passes in five games. He has scored 20-plus points three times and ranks seventh at the position with 180 points.

Quarterback B: He has thrown for 2,623 yards and 20 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. He has the fifth-most pass attempts with 386 and has thrown multiple touchdown passes in seven games. He has scored 20-plus points four times and is tied for ninth at the position with 169 points.

A: Drew Brees, Saints; B: Blake Bortles, Jaguars. Brees isn’t what he used to be, but he’s still a low-end QB1 because of his potential for a monster game. Bortles is a better fantasy quarterback than a real quarterback, but that’s fine with us. He’s helped by 212 rushing yards, and even being comparable to Brees in several categories shows how far he has come in a short time. Consider him a matchup play in deep leagues and an intriguing dynasty option.

Running back A: Since Week 4, he has carried 149 times for 766 yards and six touchdowns. He also has 15 receptions for 127 yards.

Running back B: Since Week 4, he has carried 142 times for 765 yards and three touchdowns. He also has 18 receptions for 166 yards.

A: Todd Gurley, Rams; B: Doug Martin, Buccaneers. Everyone knows Gurley has been a beast since his first start in Week 4, but Martin, who had an average draft position of 97 in ESPN leagues, is right with him as a top-10 running back the rest of the way. For the season, Martin ranks third at the position with 126 points. Gurley is sixth with 117 in three fewer full games.

Wide receiver A: He has caught 63 passes for 863 yards and eight touchdowns, ranking fourth at his position with 130 points.

Wide receiver B: He has caught 50 passes for 871 yards and seven touchdowns, ranking sixth at his position with 125 points.

A: Odell Beckham Jr., Giants; B: Allen Robinson, Jaguars. Robinson is another Jaguar who might not be getting the attention he deserves, but he’s right there with one of the best receivers in the league. In fact, teammate Allen Hurns is eighth in wide-receiver scoring (108), giving the Jaguars

the highest-ranked receiving duo in the league.

STOCK

MARKET

RISING

RB Robert Turbin, Cowboys

He’s the handcuff to Darren McFadden, whose injury history is well-documented. Turbin had 35 yards on seven carries Sunday.

WR DeSean Jackson, Redskins

He’s making big plays again, averaging 18.7 yards per catch in the last two games. And the Giants’ shaky pass defense is next.

FALLING

WR T.Y. Hilton, Colts

Matt Hasselbeck didn’t do a lot for Hilton’s prospects the first time around. On Sunday, they connected on two passes for 21 yards.

RB James Starks, Packers