Five League Winners
Tue Jun 4 12:29pm ET
By JEFF PAUR @jeffpaur
Sr Fantasy Writer
There are players every year that end up being real difference makers for fantasy teams. I like to call them league winners. These are guys that can help you win your league and separate you from your league mates. There are never any guarantees, but I think the following five players can be real difference makers this year. I am targeting all of them come draft day.
Bijan Robinson, RB, Falcons. Some kind of think Robinson had a down season his rookie year, but he was eighth overall in fantasy running back scoring. He wasn’t a bust by any means. And he did this losing out on more carries than he should have, seeing Tyler Allgeier get a decent amount of work on a regular basis. That isn’t likely to be the case this year with a new coaching staff in place. Robinson is expected to get more of the work and be more of the workhorse back for the Falcons. He is setup to improve on last year.
Plus, Robinson has the fourth easiest fantasy schedule for running backs during the regular season and easiest for the playoffs. This is great news for Robinson. And we can’t forget to mention he has a legit starting quarterback this year to keep defenses honest. Kirk Cousins should be a huge benefit for all Falcons offensive players. Robinson is going to have a monster year two. We wouldn’t be surprised if he leads all fantasy backs in scoring.
Terry McLaurin, WR, Commanders. McLaurin was just alright last year. He was 29th overall in fantasy receiver scoring but had his fourth straight 1,000-yard season. McLaurin had 10 games with double-digit fantasy points. He had just one 100-yard game, having few big games along the way. He will have a new quarterback and offensive coordinator calling plays this season, which should be big positives for McLaurin. He could see a jump in production as the No. 1 receiver for the Commanders.
McLaurin has an ADP of 73.44, so you can get him pretty cheap, especially if you consider he is the top target in what could be a good passion game. There aren’t many No. 1 receivers you can get this late come draft day. He can certainly outperform his ADP and maybe even set some career highs along the way.
Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys. Prescott was third overall in fantasy quarterback scoring last year. He had a monster season, posting the best numbers of his career. He led the league in passing touchdowns (36) and had multiple touchdowns 12 games. Prescott had 20-plus fantasy points 11 times, showing great consistency. Prescott led all of football in on-target percentage (82.6 percent). He also was second overall in bad throw percentage (11.7 percent), missing on very few throws.
Prescott has an ADP of 82.96, making him the ninth quarterback off the board on draft day. This is great value for a guy that was top-three overall last season. Plus, the Cowboys have issues at running back this year, meaning the offense could be even more pass-heavy this year. And Prescott has the fifth easiest fantasy schedule for quarterbacks during the regular season and third easiest for the playoffs. It is looking like Prescott can have a repeat season because of all these factors. Prescott also is in a contract season, giving him even more incentive to produce big.
Dalton Kincaid, TE, Bills. Kincaid had a good rookie season. He was 11th overall in fantasy tight end scoring. He had 73 receptions for 673 yards but scored just two times. His lack of scores really hurt his fantasy production. The Bills lost their top two receivers this offseason, so the opportunities are there for Kincaid to get more targets and red-zone looks. His numbers could take a big jump forward. It would not surprise if Kincaid led the Bills in receptions and receiving touchdowns in year two.
Kincaid has an ADP of 53.37, so you have to pay up a little to get him but he doesn’t go quite as high as the other elite tight ends. You can get him in round five or six compared to two or three for Sam LaPorta and Travis Kelce. And we think Kincaid is capable of leading all fantasy tight ends in scoring, posting similar numbers to LaPorta and Kelce. By that thinking, he is a much better value than those guys, going later come draft day while posting similar production.
Devin Singletary, RB, Giants. Singletary is the biggest wild card on this list, but for his cost (77.23), we think his ceiling is as high as any at this point of the draft. Singletary signed with the Giants to take over as their No. 1 back this season. He had a decent first season with the Texans last year, topping 1,000 total yards while finishing 32 overall in fantasy running back scoring. He moves to a team with next to no competition for running backs. He can see his reception totals and rush attempts increase with the Giants. Singletary might struggle some weeks but the volume makes him a very intriguing fantasy back. His weekly floor should be solid.
Singletary also reunites with his old offensive coordinator, which should be a plus for his production. Head coach Brian Daboll should know how to use him and get the most of him. Plus, he would not have signed Singletary if he didn’t think he could be the top back for the Giants. Daboll should have faith in Singletary. He could emerge as a dependable No. 2 back for fantasy teams and be a top-20 fantasy back.