2017 NFL Preseason Awards
With kickoff only 2 months away I thought it would be appropriate to give you my 2017 NFL preseason awards. I selected a few topics that I thought were both football fan and fantasy fan related. I’m not going to come out and give fantasy numbers, but my awards can be directly related to the fantasy success of players on teams that are mentioned. I decided to go with the following awards: Most improved team, best receiving corps and biggest buster (player). I will be giving out these awards over the next 2 weeks so be sure to read all of them. Remember, these are my awards so I’ll give them to whomever I want!
Most Improved Team
I’ll start with the award that will ultimately produce the most flack. I’d also like to preface this by saying that this award doesn’t go to a team that is going to win their division, make playoffs or win the Super Bowl. This award is going to a team that I think will improve the most season to season. Now that I have that out of the way I’d like to present this 2017 NFL Preseason Award to: The Cleveland Browns.
There is no arguing that the Cleveland Browns have one of the best offensive lines in the league. Isaiah Crowell will be a top 10 running back behind them. During the draft they were able to select three players in the first round and I believe they did a damn good job. Obviously Garret was the best talent coming out of college this year and the Browns scooped him up. They were able to add David Njoku and Jabrill Peppers to finish out the 1st round. STUDS! I know we will have our doubts about Brock, but he will put up solid numbers compared to the previous injury prone QBs the Browns had in the past few years. The also added a veteran receiver in Kenny Britt. Again, I’m not saying that they will win their division, but they finished 1-15 last year. They were the worst in the league in points for (264) and worst in points against (452). I believe they finish around the .500 mark awards them my 2017 NFL preseason award for most improved team.
Honorable mention:
San Diego Chargers & Indianapolis Colts
Best Receiving Corps
This award might be the toughest award to give. There are a lot of teams out there that have a solid group of receivers. Some people might give me the business because I’m going with raw talent and not based on how a team utilizes them. The Patriots would be top 3 if it were based on utilization because they are usually stacked with a bunch of number 2 receivers put up borderline WR1 numbers. My 2017 NFL preseason award for best receiving corps goes to: The New York Football Giants
This was a tough one to pick with so many teams stacked at the receiver position. I went to the Giants for a few reasons. The first reason is the talent that Beckham Jr, Marshall and Shepard bring to the table. Obviously Beckham Jr has been statistically a top 3 receiver since he entered the league. You add that big body of Marshall to handle those red zone targets and remove some of the defensive pressure from Beckham Jr. Finally, Shepard has one more year under his belt and showed that he can play WR2 on any other team. Eli has averaged just north of 600 attempts over the last 3 seasons so we know these guys will get their looks.
Honorable mention:
Pittsburgh Steelers, Tampa Bay & Atlanta Falcons
Biggest Buster (Player)
My biggest buster (player) award is based on someone’s current ADP and how I see them finishing the year. They might put up solid numbers, but not the numbers you expected to get when you drafted him in the round you did. This award goes to a guy I mentioned in one of our first podcasts this fantasy season. @TheFFAdvantage told me I was an idiot, but I have a championship and he doesn’t. My 2017 NFL preseason award for biggest buster (player) goes to: Jay Ajayi
Ajayi is currently going as the 13th pick off the board in the fantasy world. 9 of the 13 games that he received the bulk of the carries, Ajayi rushed for under 79 yards. 6 of those 13 games he rushed for under 60 yards. Sure, he had 3 games over 200 yards, but that would only account for 23% of your fantasy season. I don’t trust a RB1 that showed the inconsistency that Ajayi showed last season. I’ll allow this guy to pass considering his inconsistencies and busted up knees. I see him outside the top 12 RBs for sure.
Honorable mention:
Dak Prescott & Brandin Cooks
Conclusion
Well there you have my first three 2017 NFL preseason awards. Again, everyone is entitled to an opinion so don’t be too hard on me for mine. Give me your feedback and be sure to look for my other 2017 NFL preseason awards articles that will be coming out in the near future. Thanks!