Fantasy Football Power Rankings 2.0 (2020)

Fantasy Football Power Rankings 2.0 (2020)

Beyond our fantasy football content, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you prepare for your draft this season. From our free mock Draft Simulator – which allows you to mock draft against realistic opponents – to our Draft Assistant – which optimizes your picks with expert advice – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football draft season.

With all the madness of free agency behind us, multiple trades for big-name wide receivers, and the NFL Draft less than two weeks away, now is as good of a time as ever to take a look back to see how the offseason has shaken out from a fantasy perspective. If you missed the version 1.0 of these Power Rankings from back in January, they only factor in the skill position players and the offensive side of the ball. Sorry, no IDP, Kickers, or DSTs here. I’m raking these teams purely from a fantasy perspective.

In the initial version of these rankings, I included teams’ strength of schedule and highlighted all of the coaching changes that would affect offenses in 2020, so if you missed it, be sure to check it out. At the time, I also had to make some assumptions about how teams would handle the offseason, but now we have a pretty good idea of what teams will have entering the NFL Draft later this month. So, let’s take a look at how this shook out!

Draft Contest: Enter for FREE to Win a FantasyPros Subscription partner-arrow

Note, the number in parentheses represents the change in rankings from the January rankings.

#1 Kansas City Chiefs (Even)

The Chiefs have had a quiet offseason so far, but it’s for the right reasons. With Kansas City returning almost all their starters on both sides of the ball, they’re primed to defend their Super Bowl Championship. With top-5 options at quarterback, wide receiver, and tight end, this is the elite fantasy offense.

#2 New Orleans Saints (Even)

With Drew Brees returning (as expected) and a nice complimentary piece in Emmanuel Sanders now on board, this team should continue to produce in 2020. Brees was great on a point per game basis last season, and with Thomas and Kamara both being top-end options at their position, this team is solidly in the No. 2 slot for me.

#3 Baltimore Ravens (Even)

The top three in my rankings are fairly close at this point. Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews should remain near the top of their positions in 2020, and regardless of who plays at running back for the Ravens this season, they’ll have some serious upside. We’ll see if Baltimore pulls the trigger on a rusher in the draft later this month, but if there is enough clarity for fantasy owners, there should be at least three high-end fantasy options to come from this offense.

#4 Dallas Cowboys (+1)

The Cowboys haven’t added anything new to the offensive side of the ball this offseason, but they did retain their big-time playmakers by signing Amari Cooper to a long term extension and placing the Franchise Tag on Dak Prescott. The surprising retirement of All-Pro Center Travis Frederick isn’t an ideal situation for this offense, but they should still be able to produce at a high level. Also factor in that the Cowboys might be worse on defense in 2020, as they have lost four starters from a year ago, including their top cornerback in Byron Jones and their sack leader from 2019, Robert Quinn.

#5 Seattle Seahawks (-1)

The Seahawks didn’t have a lot of holes to fill this offseason, and they have remained quiet with only a few complementary signings. Fantasy owners will need to keep their ear to the ground on Rashaad Penny this offseason to determine how much of a split this backfield might be. However, the passing game weapons should be even more consistent this year as D.K. Metcalf enters his second season.

#6 Atlanta Falcons (+2)

Losing the TE3 on a points per game basis might hurt the number of fantasy-relevant players on this offense, but the Falcons should still have three to four every-week starters this season. The loss of Hooper in this offense might open the door for even more production from Calvin Ridley, who averaged four more targets and three more receptions per game with Hooper out of the lineup in 2019. Even if you consider Gurley more of a question mark at this point, Ryan, Jones, and Ridley should provide solid fantasy production this season.

#7 Green Bay Packers (+2)

The Packers moved up a couple of spots from their initial ranking back in January without doing much so far this offseason. Moving up in the rankings is more about other teams falling than the Packers improving, but last I checked, the Packers will still have Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Jones, and Davante Adams, so they’ll stick around the top 10. Keep on eye on that No. 2 receiver spot for this offense in the draft. We could be looking at another solid fantasy option if the Packers finally decide to spend some draft capital on an offensive playmaker. 

#8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+11)

The addition of Tom Brady to this offense should allow Tampa Bay to produce fantasy gold once again in 2020. Originally ranked at #19 back in January, my concern was that there could be uncertainty at the quarterback position, even if Jameis Winston was retained. Well, those concerns are no more. The Buccaneers won’t be getting “prime” Tom Brady, but he should provide stability and enough production to keep Chris Godwin and Mike Evans near the top of the wide receiver rankings.

#9 Arizona Cardinals (+8)

The Cardinals are the second-biggest mover in the Power Rankings, as they were able to pull off arguably the biggest trade of the offseason. Not only did this roster just add DeAndre Hopkins, but from a fantasy perspective, we now have a lot more clarity at the running back position. We saw glimpses of Drake’s fantasy value in the second half of the season with Arizona, and based on that, we could be looking at a guy with RB1 upside if he’s the unquestioned lead back this season.

#10 Houston Texans (-3)

Yes, the Hopkins/Johnson trade wasn’t well-received by pretty much anyone, but strictly from a fantasy perspective, I think this offense is still in decent shape. The loss of Hopkins is tough, which is why they dropped three spots in the rankings. However, we could still be looking at an offense with multiple starting options for fantasy. Yes, there are some big question marks with David Johnson and Will Fuller, but Brandin Cooks moving to Houston from the Rams could bring him back to fantasy relevance. Before 2019, Cooks was a top-15 receiver in each of the previous four seasons.

#11 Tennessee Titans (+4)

Jumping up four spots in the Power Rankings, the Titans answered all the fantasy questions we had back in late January. Bringing back both Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry solidifies the offense that the team found success with during the second half of 2019. The loss of offensive tackle Jack Conklin could have an impact on this offense has a whole, but retaining their two biggest playmakers should give fantasy owners hope that this offense can continue to produce at a high level.

#12 Buffalo Bills (+1)

The addition of Stefon Diggs this offseason should get Bills fans excited! That trade, combined with Tom Brady no longer being apart of the AFC East for the first time in 20 years, should give Buffalo fans hope that their time has finally come. However, for a fantasy perspective, I think this could be a marginal upgrade. With both Stefon Diggs and John Brown, the Bills could have two solid fantasy options at receiver, but with the limited production through the air during Josh Allen‘s first two seasons, I’m not sure there is some top-12 upside for Diggs in his new home.

#13 Philadelphia Eagles (-3)

The Eagles fall a few spots in this edition of the Power Rankings, but that’s based more on other teams shoring up some offseason questions and making the jump. The Eagles still have three solid fantasy options at quarterback, running back, and tight end, but they’ve still got a big question mark at wide receiver. Many expect Philadelphia to address the position in the NFL Draft, so the Eagles have some room to improve at the position — we’ll just have to wait and see where the chips fall.

#14 Carolina Panthers (-2)

In the initial rankings, I had the Panthers a couple of spots higher based on the idea of Cam Newton returning as the starting quarterback in 2020. Now, with Teddy Bridgewater as the projected starter, I still think Carolina found an upgrade over what they had to roll out there in 2019. Bridgewater’s familiarity with Offensive Coordinator Joe Brady should help this offense as a whole. However, I think we’re looking at just two fantasy options coming out of this offense. They’re two good ones, but I’m unsure who else will be fantasy relevant.

#15 Los Angeles Rams (-9)

The loss of Todd Gurley dropped the Rams quite a ways in my Power Rankings. I still think Kupp and Woods should continue to be higher-end options at wide receiver, but the uncertainty at the running back position is a problem for fantasy owners. Brandin Cooks could be addition by subtraction, as we could see the tight end position have a bigger role in this offense as it did in the second half of last season. But there could still be a question as to who will be the tight end to own for the Rams — Higbee is the front runner, but Gerald Everett had moments last year as well.

#16 Cleveland Browns (+5)

Quantity over quality might be the name of the game here. There are some big-time names in this offense, as Cleveland retained Kareem Hunt and made Austin Hooper the highest-paid tight end in the league. Unfortunately, we also found out that Jarvis Landry’s status to start the year might be in doubt. Purely based on talent, the Browns would be in the top 10, but I still have concerns as to if this offense can produce two-to-three high-end fantasy starters. Is there enough to go around?

#17 New York Giants (-3)

Back in the first edition of the Power Rankings, I had the Giants at #14. I’m still high on this offense for 2020, but I think I underestimated the lack of clarity as to who we can truly trust. Barkley aside, these pass catchers could eat into each other’s production on a weekly basis, so while I like the talent, I need a little more clarity before I can pencil the Giants in for multiple starting fantasy options.

#18 San Francisco 49ers (Even)

I think this one is pretty simple. Kittle should continue to be a top-end tight end option, and Deebo Samuel showed flashes in his rookie campaign — but the 49ers’ willingness to ride the hot hand at running back could drive fantasy owners crazy. I expect this to be one of the better offenses in the league, but oddly enough, there could be fewer fantasy options than people might expect out of San Francisco.

#19 Minnesota Vikings (-8)

Dropping eight spots in this version of the Power Rankings, the Vikings have room to move back up depending on how they chose to spend their two Round 1 picks here in the upcoming draft. Dalvin Cook should continue to be a high-end running back, but there’s still uncertainty for me around the upside of a secondary fantasy option in this offense.

#20 Cincinnati Bengals (+7)

It’s been a relatively quiet offseason for the Bengals on the offensive side of the ball. Bringing back A.J. Green is intriguing, but I doubt people will be quick to forget how miserable it was to be an A.J. Green owner in 2019. As of now, I like the supporting cast for Joe Burrow and think this could be one of the more surprising offenses in 2020.

#21 Los Angeles Chargers (+4)

I probably had the Chargers a bit too low last time around, and as of now, Los Angeles has yet to replace Philip Rivers or Melvin Gordon, but I still love the skill-position players in this offense. With the Chargers re-signing restricted free agent Austin Ekeler and retaining Hunter Henry, there’s some nice upside in this offense. But for now, they’re outside the top 20 if they’re really going to go with Tyrod Taylor as their quarterback to start the season.

#22 Pittsburgh Steelers (-6)

Ben Roethlisberger’s health is a storyline to monitor this offseason. If he can stay healthy, JuJu Smith-Schuster’s return to fantasy relevance would provide fantasy owners another high-end receiving option they didn’t have in 2019. There’s some upside here, but for now, there are just a few too many question marks around the Steelers to have them any higher.

#23 Detroit Lions (-3)

Another team with a fairly quiet offseason on the offensive side of the ball, the Lions’ offense could look very similar to the 2019 version. Which isn’t a bad thing as long as Matthew Stafford can stay healthy. I think there are a lot of similarities between the Steelers and Lions from a fantasy power rankings perspective.  

#24 Denver Broncos (+2)

Many NFL mock drafts have Denver selecting a wide receiver in the upcoming draft, so there could be some room for improvement if the Broncos add a high-end receiving option to this offense. Adding Melvin Gordon to this backfield was probably a downgrade for Gordon’s value, but I think it will be an upgrade for this offense. I still expect Phillip Lindsay to stay involved, but it gives the Broncos a better 1-2 punch than what they had in years past.

#25 Indianapolis Colts (-1)

It’s pretty status quo here for the Colts even with the addition of Philip Rivers. At this point in his career, he should still be an upgrade over Jacoby Brissett, but it might not be as huge as some might think. Rivers did throw the ball a lot more in Los Angeles last season, so we’ll see if the Colts lean on Rivers more than they did Brissett last season.

#26 Las Vegas Raiders (-4)

If I was putting these rankings into tiers, this is where we start entering the bottom of the barrel, in my opinion. Obviously, Josh Jacobs will be a solid starting option, and the hope is that Darren Waller can continue to produce at a high level. But, with Derek Carr under center, even if the Raiders add a receiver early in the NFL draft, I think the upside of this offense is capped.

#27 Jacksonville Jaguars (-4)

Shipping Nick Foles to Chicago gives Gardner Minshew the clear path to the starting job at quarterback, but I’m going to have to see a bit more from this offense in 2020. Fournette should continue to dependable starting option based on workload, and fantasy owners will hope to see at least a repeat performance from D.J. Chark this season. I think adding Jay Gruden to the coaching staff will benefit this offense, but I’m unsure if there’s enough here to have this team ranked any higher.

#28 Chicago Bears (Even)

Well, as someone who currently lives near Chicago, I can tell you there’s not a lot of optimism around this team entering 2020. However, I think the addition of Nick Foles could provide some stability, as he has ties to many of the members of this coaching staff. The upside is still probably limited, but if we can at least get the same production from Allen Robinson again in 2020, we should be grateful.

#29 New York Jets (+1)

Another team that could see their fantasy options improve after the NFL Draft, the Jets still find themselves near the bottom of the fantasy Power Rankings. There’s not a ton to get excited about as of now, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed that they could find a playmaker (or two) in this upcoming draft.

#30 Miami Dolphins (+2)

If you told me that Miami would draft Tua Tagovailoa, redshirt him for a year, and let Ryan Fitzpatrick run the show for 16 games, this team would probably come in around mid-pack in the Power Rankings. However, unless they let the gunslinger do his thing, I have questions regarding how consistent the fantasy options will be in this offense with volatility at the quarterback position.  

#31 Washington Redskins (Even)

The Redskins have added a lot of names this offseason, but no one of major significance, in my opinion. This offense will go as Dwayne Haskins goes in his sophomore season. I’d love to see Washington add a few more weapons around him via the draft, but for now, I’m not expecting much from this offense.

#32 New England Patriots (-3)

It’s a fairly easy decision to have the Patriots here at #32. Not that it’s an easy task, but New England has yet to attempt to fill the starting quarterback spot vacated by Tom Brady, and by not adding much else to the offensive side of the ball, it’s tough to find fantasy production from just about anyone in this offense. It will be interesting to see if Bill Belichick and work his magic this season with this group. 

Draft Contest: Enter for FREE to Win a FantasyPros Subscription partner-arrow


Subscribe: iTunes | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | SoundCloud | TuneIn | RSS

Kyle August is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Kyle, check out his archive and follow him @kyleFFfellas.

NFL

More Articles

Thor Nystrom’s 2024 NFL Draft Big Board: Top 500 Rookie Rankings & Comps

Thor Nystrom’s 2024 NFL Draft Big Board: Top 500 Rookie Rankings & Comps

fp-headshot by Thor Nystrom | 10 min read
19 Consensus Early Breakout Candidates (2024 Fantasy Football)

19 Consensus Early Breakout Candidates (2024 Fantasy Football)

fp-headshot by FantasyPros Staff | 8 min read
Thor Nystrom’s 2024 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Tight End

Thor Nystrom’s 2024 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Tight End

fp-headshot by Thor Nystrom | 1 min read
Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: Superflex, Four Rounds (2024 Fantasy Football)

Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: Superflex, Four Rounds (2024 Fantasy Football)

fp-headshot by Pat Fitzmaurice | 7 min read

About Author

fp-headshot

Kyle August

|

Host of the Fantasy Football Smackdown. Writer for FantasyPros and Redshirts Fantasy Football.

Hide

Current Article

|

8 min read

Thor Nystrom’s 2024 NFL Draft Big Board: Top 500 Rookie Rankings & Comps

Next Up - Thor Nystrom’s 2024 NFL Draft Big Board: Top 500 Rookie Rankings & Comps

Next Article