DeAndre Hopkins proved he’s elite no matter who’s throwing him the ball
In our Lessons Learned series, we’ll be providing feedback from our NFL News Desk Correspondents as to what they’ve learned following the 2015 season. They’ve shared their takes per position. Next up is the running back position.
No matter the QB … DeAndre Hopkins is elite
Coming into the season, DeAndre Hopkins was just outside of the top-tier WR class behind Dez, Julio, Antonio and Demaryius. Now even with Ryan Mallet, Brian Hoyer, T.J. Yates and Brandon Weeden, DeAndre Hopkins is seen amongst the top-tier ELITE class. Next year Hopkins should be one of the top WRs selected! Can you imagine how good Hopkins would be with a solid starting QB or at least some consistency at that positions around him?
Charlie Finn – @chaz1499
Research your injuries before labeling someone as ‘injury-prone’
It seemed lots of experts were down on Brandon Marshall coming into the year as he was labeled as ‘injury prone’ despite having a freak kidney laceration to end his 2014 season prematurely. As a consensus fifth-round pick, he returned ridiculous value and finished the year as a top-five WR for those who remembered what a dominant player he could be. Researching real debilitating versus non-football related injuries is a key to coming out ahead of your opponents.
Kyle Borgognoni – @kyle_borg
Emmanuel Sanders produces in the spotlight
Sanders is one of the most up-and-down players in fantasy football. No matter who was under center in 2016, Sanders has shown flashes of greatness along with straight up duds. Sanders has proven to show up and go big in the spotlight. In six games (five Primetime, one revenge game vs Pitt) Sanders caught 36 passes for 557 yards and three touchdowns. That’s nearly half his production on the season.
Anthony Cervino – @theRealNFLguru
Antonio Brown could rewrite the record book
In the four games Ben Roethlisberger missed during the regular season, Antonio Brown caught 17 passes for 235 yards. In the other 12 games in which Big Ben was under center, Brown caught 119 passes for 1,599 yards, which put him just shy of the receiving title. If Big Ben’s health holds up, Brown has the potential to break both Marvin Harrison’s single-season receptions record (143) and Calvin Johnson’s single-season receiving yards record (1,964). He’s a justifiable top-five pick next season.
Derek Norton – @mdereknorton
Keenan Allen takes next step
After earning the Pepsi Next Rookie of the Year in 2013, Keenan Allen followed it up with a massive sophomore slump. Determined to bounce back in his third NFL season, he reported to camp lighter and faster. His work paid dividends in 2015 before he went down with a kidney injury. Through nine games he was averaging over 90 yards per game receiving and was on pace for a jaw-dropping 119 receptions. Often overlooked, Keenan Allen is worth targeting as a borderline WR1 in 2016.
Paul Maland – @paulmaland
Don’t forget about Eric Decker
In his last two years in Denver as a real-life WR2, Eric Decker produced 24 total touchdowns. After he left for the Jets and a big payday, he dropped down to five touchdowns as defenses keyed in on him. With the addition of Brandon Marshall to the Jets’ passing attack, Decker is back as the second wide receiver. With Ryan Fitzpatrick and Chan Gailey, Decker produced 12 touchdowns this season without a massive multi-touchdown game to buoy his numbers. He will likely be criminally underrated next season, and isn’t going to get the respect that his 80 receptions, 1,027 yards and 12 touchdown line should receive.
Jeff Krisko – @jmkrisko
Beware of Jimmy Graham
Jimmy Graham is no longer a first- or second-round lock. After being traded to Seattle, Graham struggled to fit in. In 11 games, Graham caught just 48 passes for 605 yards and two touchdowns. His season was limited, however, due to a torn right patellar tendon. It was his worst statistical season since his rookie year in 2010. Next season, don’t expect Graham to be an integral part of the Seahawks’ offense. If Marshawn Lynch or Thomas Rawls come back healthy, expect Seattle to maintain their run-heavy approach.
Joe Barca – @BarkeyCat
Martellus Bennett is inconsistent after the month of September
If you take a look into the history of Martellus Bennett, you will see numbers at the end of the season that may not be what they seem. Bennett caught 24 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns through the first four games of 2015. His production tapers off after the first quarter of the year and if you didn’t draft a quality backup, you may be trouble. In the remaining seven games he played before being placed on IR, Bennett caught 29 passes for 238 yards and one touchdown.
Anthony Cervino – @theRealNFLguru
If you don’t get Gronk, wait
Going into the season, the tight end position was framed as Gronk, Graham/Kelce/Olsen, then Bennett/Witten, then everyone else. It did not play out this way. Only three of the top 10 tight ends (by fantasy points per game) were drafted in the top 100 picks. The position has grown very fungible, and unless you get Rob Gronkowski, it isn’t worth drafting a tight end until at least the ninth round. Even then, you may be overpaying for Gronk.
Jeff Krisko – @jmkrisko
