Early NFL Fantasy Football Preview

     Ryan Dowell

The 2017 NFL offseason has been quite the roller coaster ride. From teams losing their top talents to free agency to the anticipation of the 2017 NFL Draft, this offseason has been one for the ages. The veteran player has found that locating staying power is something that is difficult to find. Adrian Peterson, Jamaal Charles, Danny Woodhead, and Eddie Lacy will all have new homes come the 2017-18 season, a large shake up at the running back position we haven't seen before.

Another trend we have seen is that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Take the New England Patriots for instance. The Patriots brought in Stephon Gilmore, re-signed Dont'a Hightower, and brought in defensive lineman Lawrence Guy. They are bringing new meaning to rubbing in their winning ways. On the opposite side of the spectrum we find the New York Jets. The Jets are clearing house, parting ways with Brandon Marshall, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Geno Smith, and Darrelle Revis. Their record wasn't great last year and they are once again on the descent. What fantasy impacts have these off-season moves carried with them? Below we'll discuss some signings that we like and highlight key areas for you to target for the upcoming fantasy football season.

The teams that have started clearing house carry some strong fantasy impacts. It has been reported that Adrian Peterson will not return to the Vikings. The Vikings’ backfield will be without one of the most dominant names in fantasy football for the first time in the past decade.The team is also struggling with the quarterback position with Teddy Bridgewater making a potential comeback and Sam Bradford facing one of the worst second-half of a season. The team also got rid of Cordarrelle Patterson this offseason. Who can that team turn to? Stefon Diggs.

Diggs led the team in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns last seasons. He remained a solid performer no matter who was under center. Clearing both Peterson and Patterson out of his way will give him all the opportunities he can handle. The unanswered quarterback questions will not stop Diggs from putting up some big numbers this season. Make sure to grab him in your draft.

The Chicago Bears have also opened some opportunities for players to shine. The player we like best from their roster is Jordan Howard. Howard was brilliant last year, posting some monster games against some of the league's best defenses. Howard stole the show from Jeremy Langford and basically made him an afterthought for that team. Howard will excel again this upcoming season with new quarterback Mike Glennon at the helm.

Glennon lacks experience and now has to find new targets with go-to Alshon Jeffery leaving for Philadelphia. This bodes well for Howard because he will be leaned on heavily. This team loves to run the football and Howard can provide that fuel that Glennon needs to gain some traction in an unfamiliar offense. Keep Howard high on your running back draft list.

One offense that we are intrigued to see next season is that of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs brought in deep threat DeSean Jackson this offseason. He is a veteran talent who hasn't lost his wheels throughout his 9 years in the league. This is a nice option for Jameis Winston to turn to. Winston is already climbing draft boards with this new acquisition. This team loves to air it out, as made evident by some of the highlight reel catches Mike Evans hauled in last year. Look for some deep connections this year in this fast-paced offense. Tampa Bay's wide receivers make for fine targets in fantasy football. Winston should be highly owned and is a quarterback you want to target as a sleeper to propel your team to glory.

To Blog