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9 Players the Experts Like/Dislike

9 Players the Experts Like/Dislike
Martavis Bryant has both talent and the upside of becoming a starter that he could be ranked higher

Martavis Bryant has both talent and the upside of becoming a starter that he could be ranked higher

July is here and we’re another month closer to the football season starting. As drafts begin to become more frequent, it’s always good to look at the consensus rankings. However, there are times where looking for outliers may be valuable pieces of information to consider.

To do so, we have our Dissenting Opinions tool which points out players an expert may be high or low on compared to the consensus. After announcing our draft accuracy results recently, we felt we should ask some of the top-rated experts over recent years to chime in on some of their dissenting opinions.

Draft Wizard: Mock in minutes vs. the most accurate experts >>

Likes More:

MARTAVIS BRYANT (WR – PIT)
Consensus ECR: WR27
Likes Him More: John Paulsen WR18

 
“Bryant averaged 2.8 catches for 56 yards and 0.82 TD in the final 11 games of the season (including a 5-61-1 outing against Baltimore in the playoffs). Thanks to the incredible touchdown rate, those are high-end WR2 numbers in standard formats and solid WR2 numbers in PPR. What’s more, he didn’t play 60% of the snaps until the postseason, so there’s upside here from a playing time standpoint. With the news that Markus Wheaton is moving to the slot full time, it appears that Bryant will be getting starter’s snaps in 2015.”
John Paulsen (4for4)

AMEER ABDULLAH (RB – DET)
Consensus ECR: RB32
Likes Him More: Jake Ciely RB21

 
“Abdullah is a very talented running back. He has a muscular, compact build giving him surprising power for his size. Abdullah is the perfect replacement for Reggie Bush. In 2013 when Bell was healthier (he’s dealing with Achilles’ and knee issues), Bush actually led the team with 223 carries, finishing with 1,512 total yards and as RB11. Bell checked in at RB17 with a respectable 166 carries and 1,197 yards. While most expect the carries to be reversed, Abdullah still has RB2 upside, as both Lions running backs had over 50 catches and 500 yards that year. Imagine the potential if Bell struggles with his health into the season.”
Jake Ciely (RotoExperts)

Charles-Johnson-55x75CHARLES JOHNSON (WR – MIN)
Consensus ECR: WR42
Likes Him More: Matthew Hill WR28

 
“Johnson combines physical tools (6’2”, 225 lbs, 4.4 forty) with a featured role in Minnesota’s passing attack to be one of this season’s breakout candidates. Offensive coordinator Norv Turner has heaped praise on Johnson this offseason calling him “far and away our best receiver” and saying, “He’s got everything you need to be a productive player in this league”. The return of Adrian Peterson as the focal point of the offense, along with the addition of premier deep threat Mike Wallace ensures plenty of single coverage for the talented ‘X’ receiver. Johnson has added value in PPR leagues as a high-volume player and offers WR2 upside at a late 7th/early 8th round price tag.”
Matthew Hill (Fantasy Team Advice)

ALLEN ROBINSON (WR – JAC)
Consensus ECR: WR30
Likes Him More: Pat Fitzmaurice WR19

 
“Robinson’s ADP suggests that fantasy owners are reluctant to sift through the Jacksonville sewage, but sometimes it’s worth rummaging amongst the trash to unearth a truffle. A-Rob was on pace for 77 catches and 130 targets as a rookie before sustaining a stress fracture in his foot in Week 10. The 6-3, 210-pound Robinson offers an enticing size-speed combo, he dazzled onlookers in OTAs, and he’ll have just turned 22 when the new season begins. Far and away the best wideout on the Jaguars’ roster, Robinson should enjoy an all-you-can-eat buffet of targets this year for a team that’s destined to spend a lot of time playing from behind. For a WR3 sticker price, you have a magnificent chance to get WR2 or even WR1 production.”
Pat Fitzmaurice (The Football Girl)

C.J. ANDERSON (RB – DEN)
Consensus ECR: RB8
Likes Him More: Jake Ciely RB1

 
“Maybe it’s the 847 rushing yards, 319 receiving yards and 10 total touchdowns over his nine final games (including the playoff game against the Colts). If you project Anderson’s final nine games to a full season, you get 1,506/567/18. Truthfully, I’m not even projecting Anderson for those numbers, but Gary Kubiak has shown his propensity to lean on the run. While in Houston, Kubiak had Arian Foster attempt 327 and 351 rushes in his two 16-game seasons. Foster also caught 66 and 40 passes on 84 and 58 targets. Kubiak likes his main back and has no qualms about working him hard. The only concern we have with Anderson is the “one year wonder” fear, which I don’t buy for one second, as Anderson will be 2015’s best running back.”
Jake Ciely (RotoExperts)

Likes Less:

ANDRE ELLINGTON (RB – ARI)
Consensus ECR: RB21
Likes Him Less: Jake Ciely RB35

 
“It’s not that I don’t like Ellington. Heck, last year he was one of my picks to break out. The problem is I like David Johnson more, and I believe the Cardinals will share duties and/or push Ellington into a Gio Bernard type role. Johnson is a terrific pass catcher, but he’s also a very smooth runner with power to boot. Word is that the Cardinals love him, and given Ellington’s injury history, the Cardinals would be wise to feature Johnson and mix things up with Ellington. Even if it’s just a 50/50 share and not more for Johnson, it hurts Ellington’s value significantly.”
Jake Ciely (RotoExperts)

TOM BRADY (QB – NE)
Consensus ECR: QB13
Likes Him Less: Johnn Paulsen QB28

 
“Brady is suspended for the first four games, so his current ranking (which is dependent on his full season projections) is not reflective of his true value. If his suspension were completely negated, he would be ranked in the #5-#7 range. He’s currently going in the 9th/10th round, which, given all the depth at the position, is a steep price to pay for a player who is currently out for four games. If he’s still around in the 10th/11th round, an Angry Tom strategy could be effective. Owners can draft Brady along with another quarterback (Carson Palmer?) later in the draft and stream the position until Brady returns in Week 6. Brady should return with a chip on his shoulder and provide good production down the stretch.”
John Paulsen (4for4)

JONATHAN STEWART (RB – CAR)
Consensus ECR: RB19
Likes Him Less: Ken Zalis RB32

 
“Stewart who is now the clear starter in Carolina hasn’t played a full 16 games since 2011. For me, as much as the talent is there, it’s a matter of when, not if, Jonathan Stewart gets hurt. His impressive finish to 2014 with over 100 yards in Weeks 14 and 16 came vs. New Orleans and Cleveland. Both of those teams allowed over 20 points per game to RBs in 2014, with New Orleans the 4th most generous and Cleveland the 12th. Call me skeptical, but in his 8th year in the league at the age of 28 and almost 1,000 career carries, I find it hard for Mr. Stewart to be relied upon or trusted as anything more than an RB3 or RB4. We have seen this movie before.”
Ken Zalis (PressBox)

GOLDEN TATE (WR – DET)
Consensus ECR: RB23
Likes Him Less: Justin Boone RB31

 
“Tate was a revelation in 2014, finishing with career highs in receptions (99) and yards (1,331). However, if you’re looking for Tate to produce similar numbers this season, you should start sticking pins in your Calvin Johnson voodoo doll immediately. After Megatron returned from injury, Tate failed to post a 100-yard game over the final seven weeks of the regular season, and found the end zone just once during that stretch. While there is always a possibility that Johnson misses time again, his 13 games played last year was a career low. Owners who draft Tate will get a reliable WR3, who can flirt with WR2 numbers, but don’t be fooled by his inflated production from a year ago.”
Justin Boone (theScore)

Thank you to the experts for explaining their dissenting opinions. For more from the experts, be sure to follow them on Twitter.

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