Fantasy Football 2016: Updated Rankings and Advice for Team Names

We’ve reached the halfway point of the 2016 NFL preseason, which means, well, not that much.

Week 3 will answer most of our biggest questions, as starters will get their most extended action. Hints at the winners of battles at quarterback and running back will provide the most intrigue, especially given the fantasy implications.

But what if your league is drafting this week? Before all of that?

Well, um, sorry to hear it. But in the meantime, here are some pre-Week 3 rankings to get you through your draft and some rules to live by.  

QB

The Rule: Wait It Out

You might be tempted to take Cam Newton. After all, what other quarterback doubles as his team’s goal-line running back? Newton has had at least 500 rushing yards and five scores in each of his five NFL seasons and is the reigning MVP; there’s a lot to love here.

But value matters. Newton’s 2015 season stands out as a sore-thumb outlier, in part because it was a historically great year and in part because we’d never seen him play like that before. Newton nearly doubled his touchdown passing total from 2014 and literally doubled his rushing touchdowns.

A regression to the mean is inevitable.

This isn’t meant as a rebuke of Newton, who is great, but as a representative sample of a quarterback position that’s largely fungible within its top eight.

If I had to bet, I’d pick Newton to be the top-scoring QB this year. Do I feel great about it? Absolutely not. There isn’t enough of a difference between him and Drew Brees to offer much of a concern in waiting a few rounds.

RB

The Rule: Do Not Go RB-RB

For years, this was the preferred draft strategy. Get your …

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