AAF Fantasy Preview & Top 100 Player List

Draft guide

So you didn’t win your NFL fantasy league. Feels like 20 plus weeks of preparing for a first class ticket to the consolation bracket. Fear not for the AAF will give you ten more weeks of Pro Football. Wednesdays are still going to be called waiver wire Wednesday and Sunday nights will still have football!

For all the commissioners out there listen up, this will be different, difficult and a fresh breath of air. Different because no-one, no, no one has a clue on how this can play out, nor can they tell you a set guideline on how to run it. So be creative. Get out the index cards, excel spreadsheets, draft boards from 2006 and explore the unknown. Be your own pioneers. As of writing this, there’s no app, no endless rules written up. You are now the grandfathers of how the AAF Fantasy Football Season Long leagues run. This will be difficult for some of you if that’s you follow along and I hope to provide some help. Whether you’re 11 and you just played your first NFL ESPN league, or you’re 40 living with mom and you’re the Commish of 8 independent leagues. With hard work, you too can be a champion for the inaugural 2019 AAF season.

First, be a fan. You need to pick one team. You don’t want to get too attached to these players, because you want them to succeed on to the NFL or whatever adventure lies ahead. Once you’re a fan go and be a fan fully invested. There is a lot of great podcasts, Instagram fan pages, Twitter feeds, and articles to read. See any one of our team writers. Here and be invested.

Enough already here’s what you want. Top 8 per team QB’s, RB’s, WR’s, TE’s, K, and Defenses.

When you are drafting, please play the field. If the first two picks in the draft are RB then go RB, if its QB you really should go Qb. Know your opponents!! If everyone is a Fleet heavy fan base in your league, then be diverse and try not going after the popular name, but the sleeper on the team and enjoy watching your sleeper on the field.

Quarterbacks:

1. Garrett Gilbert – Apollos
2. Christian Hackenberg – Express
3. Trevor Knight – Hotshots
4. Aaron Murray – Legends
5. Dustin Vaughan – Commanders
6. Luis Perez – Iron
7. Josh Woodrum – Stallions
8. Mike Bercovici – Fleet

Steve Spurrier knows football. Don’t bet against a hall of fame head coach. A great group of wide outs and an average group of running backs could allow Gilbert a chance of airing it out. Hackenberg shows the most NFL experience out of the group which should show on the field. Knight and Murray proved in college that they could lead an offense, a new system, a new home town could be something to overcome and their backups prove they make a case needing to be on the field. Vaughan, Perez, and Woodrum show they are up for the challenges ahead and are boom/bust talent to watch. These are picks you may consider grabbing an additional Qb to stash depending on how deep your bench and waivers are. Bercovici has the arm strength and talent; however, the Running back group appears to be the strength of the team and may not see the passing yards. Also, five turnovers in the preseason lead me to expect negative points until proven otherwise.

Running Backs:

1. Zac Stacy – Express
2. Trent Richardson – Iron
3. Terrell Watson – Fleet
4. Denard Robinson – Legends
5. D’Ernest Johnson – Apollos
6. Kenneth Farrow II – Commanders
7. Matt Asiata – Stallions
8. Jhurell Presley – Hotshots

Stacy and Richardson have the best possible situation, with big O-Lines up front to open the gap, and will see the most touches this season. They are the notable names you may recognize from the NFL and college. Watson is the front runner with great explosion off the tackles. Robinson, Johnson and Farrow II may have gunslingers so the touches per game may lack the production you look for. They have a high upside for those playing a PPR format and should make up the loss in touches with passing yards. Just not the red zone threat as the team may have vulture options at depth they likely would give the ball too. Asiata still holds the starting job, but still knocking off the rust, and the Stallions have several options to turn to. Pressly appears to be the lead back, but the Hotshots appear to be the biggest pass over run threat team.

Wide Receivers:

1. Dontez Ford – Fleet
2. Mekale McKay – Commanders
3. Fabian Guerra – Express
4. Charles Johnson – Apollos
5. Josh Huff – Hotshots
6. Kenny Bell – Stallions
7. Amba Etta-Tawo- Iron
8. Malachi Jones – Legends

Although it isn’t exactly clear who of the top starting eight will start. I expect each of these guys producing targets and (YAC) yards after catch. Ford, McKay, and Guerra are the front-runners, and by far the most explosive off the line with sticky hands grabbing everything coming near them in a 5-yard radius. Bell is the most intriguing guy to watch in the top 8 having spent the most time with his starting QB playing together on the Ravens practice squad.

Tight Ends:

1. Gavin Escobar – Fleet
2. Brandon Barnes – Express
3. Braedon Bowman – Iron
4. Tanner Balderree – Stallions
5. Cam Clear – Commanders
6. Thomas Duarte – Hotshots
7. Garrett Hudson – Legends
8. Scott Orndoff – Apollos

Tight ends feel like a scarcity in all fantasy football formats. Although it is too early to say who will be the next Gronk or Kittle the only safe name to assume is Escobar. He has the most NFL experience and still looks the part. Clear and Hudson are names to look for in later rounds of your draft, as the young college quarterbacks are prone to dumping the ball off. Bowman is the boom/bust with high upside value until we see an Iron wideout become a true number one.

Kickers:

1. Nick Folk – Hotshots
2. Nick Novak – Iron
3. Nick Rose – Commanders
4. Cole Murphy – Fleet
5. Younghoe Koo – Legends
6. Jimmy Camacho – Stallions
7. Elliott Fry – Apollos
8. Josh Jasper – Express*

Nick Folk is the front runner with Nick Novak following close behind. Folk has a stout long snapper, Nick Dooley. Dooley is 6’7” and 269 lbs. Without the extra points, field goal attempts are the kickers only way for points. So why is Dooley being named here? Dooley’s measurements allow a wide center stance and can move the “A” gaps out farther, making defensive tackles to move further away from the hold. Rose and Koo have to prove themselves once again they belong in the NFL, and there’s no better way to do that than in the Alliance. Josh Jasper per the AAF website Roster is listed as a Punter. This will be interesting to see who is kicking for the Express. Don’t draft Jasper.

Be sure and save your copy of the Top 100 player rankings for your AAF Inaugural Fantasy League to go win a title!

Chalupa Batman

AAF Top 100 List ( Printable version)

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