By this level you’ve most likely locked your Week 1 rosters for fantasy soccer, and that’s a very good factor. Fact be advised, I’m actually fairly horrible at fantasy soccer. It’s a world that calls for a really completely different thoughts to that of simply appreciating NFL video games. It’s like watching somebody good play Madden, somebody actually good, who has an innate understanding of what breaks the A.I. and can all the time choose up an enormous achieve on offense.
As an alternative I need to speak concerning the gamers I simply can’t cease enthusiastic about. The fellows who I do know will do one thing unbelievable each week, and who I can not wait to see again on the sphere.
Justin Jefferson
God, I’m such a sucker for LSU extensive receivers. I do not know what’s in that Baton Rouge water however the Tigers must bottle it and provides it to each move catcher across the nation. It feels prefer it’s been such a very long time since we’ve really seen a receiver so good he makes up for his quarterback, however that’s precisely what Jefferson did for the Vikings in his rookie season.
I’m not right here to litigate the abilities of Kirk Cousins, as a result of Kirk Cousins is just too boring to even warrant time on the courtroom docket. As an alternative we must always concentrate on a dude who caught 88 passes for 1,400 yards in his friggin’ rookie season. Know the final time that’s occurred within the trendy period? How about by no means.
Anquan Boldin: 1,377 yards
Odell Beckham Jr.: 1,305 yards
The GOAT himself, Randy-freaking-Moss: 1,313 yards
I would like nothing extra on this world that to see Jefferson dominate once more, as a result of frankly it’s been too rattling lengthy because the league had a must-watch receiver. Hell, it’s most likely been since OBJ was making silly one-handed catches and flexing on your entire league, and go determine, he was from LSU too.
I’m a sucker for feeling like I’m part of historical past, and the opportunity of seeing the emergence of one of many biggest receivers of all time is sufficient of an attract that I’ll truly topic myself to watching Kirk Cousins play soccer.
Derrick Henry
I’ve been attempting to restrict my pink meat consumption underneath the belief that decreasing my carbon footprint will assist the world, so Derrick Henry is my large weekly serving to of beef.
Every part about soccer is time and place. Return a decade and Henry could be within the combine with numerous stellar, league-defining operating backs. Now, he’s an iconoclast in a league that retains pushing an increasing number of in direction of passing, and ignoring the candy science of mashing a dude into the turf with a stiff arm and a steely grin.
The season, maybe greater than every other, I can not wait to see what Henry does in Tennessee. With Julio Jones within the combine it’s going to be an enchanting weekly drama of “who’s defending who?” with Henry greater than probably getting an opportunity to do his personal factor and obliterate folks, as a result of that’s favorable to giving up 20+ within the air.
If Derrick Henry turns his personal teammates into sacrificial lambs, then what the hell is he going to do to his opponents?
Each single poor sap on the Texans
Okay look, I do know this breaks my conventions somewhat as a result of “58 gamers I’m watching this NFL season” doesn’t have the Web optimization-friendly ring to it, however I’m lumping your entire Texans workforce into this state of affairs as one sorry participant.
I actually didn’t consider issues may worsen for Houston than final season, however by gawd they discovered a approach, didn’t they? You understand David Johnson? The operating again they traded DeAndre Hopkins for? He’s their backup operating again to a 31-year-old Mark Ingram now.
I truthfully really feel barely dangerous for the person gamers on the Texans, as a result of there are a ton of genuinely pleasant people on this workforce. Collectively their depth chart seems to be like Santa’s workshop if all of the elves determined to run off and develop into dentists, so dolls have been items collectively by unskilled labor.
The elves actually ought to have unionized.
Daniel Jones
Let or not it’s recognized that above all else I’m a petty, petty bitch — and whereas Daniel Jones is, by all accounts, a pleasant gentleman, he does characterize one thing I like to hate on with the fury of 1,000 suns: Dave Gettleman.
I watched firsthand whereas Gettleman systematically destroyed my beloved Carolina Panthers are turned away workforce legends like Steve Smith with a bedside method greatest described as “think about if Jason Vorhees was your orthopedic surgeon.”
Jones represents his greatest roll of the cube. The man Gettleman took and advised the world to “belief him.” He handed on Josh Allen, gave Jones the rope to let Justin Herbert fly by a yr later, now he’s getting another yr to show he’s the man, following a draft the place New York may have chosen Justin Fields.
I do know Giants followers have reached the identical level Panthers followers did with Gettleman. He made us all chuckle along with his outdated man phrasing to begin his tenure, then it grew to become abundantly obvious he was nonetheless taking a look at soccer as if it was being performed through the Reagan administration with no appreciation for what was taking place within the trendy recreation.
I don’t assume this story goes to finish properly, and whereas I’m sorry for Giants followers, I promise it’ll be price it to eliminate Gettleman.
Justin Herbert
Hey, it’s the man I simply talked concerning the Giants passing on. Cool.
Anyway, I really like watching Justin Herbert play … rather a lot. He seems to be like a 12-year-old and performs like a 40-year-old veteran. In actual fact, I’m not 100% positive Herbert actually is getting into his second yr, and he’s not some wily veteran like Peyton Manning growing old backwards like Benjamin Button.
I’d actually like Herbert to succeed as a result of dammit, I would like the Chargers to succeed. I don’t know if there’s a extra traditionally likable workforce than this one, however who by no means, ever appears to catch a break. Philip Rivers was a very nice man, LaDanian Tomlinson was additionally a pleasant fellow — I would like Herbert to succeed the place they didn’t and at last, FINALLY pull the Chargers out of the doldrums.
Additionally, it could be enjoyable as hell if we get one other elite quarterback within the AFC West for the following decade subsequent to Patrick Mahomes.
Brian Burns
Right here’s a man who no person outdoors of the Carolinas actually talks about, however completely ought to. Positive, Burns doesn’t have a double-digit sack season to his identify … but, however I feel it’s about to occur.
The rationale I simply need to see him play is baked fully inside that sentence: I simply need to see Brian Burns play. Final season he registered 9.0 sacks, however these weren’t effort, struggle his approach into the pocket sort sacks. Burns flies off the road with unnatural pace and even and not using a large array of move dashing strikes, he’s in a position to overwhelm defenses along with his first step.
Burns ranked High 10 within the NFL in whole QB pressures final season, and I feel that may leap forward once more. This might be a breakout season, and it’s simply enjoyable to see how this man performs soccer.
Trevor Lawrence
I’ve simply gotta know. I’ve to know if all these years of watching, and ready for the most effective school QB since Andrew Luck truly materializes in Jacksonville and FINALLY will get that workforce over the hump.
The Jaguars bought so monumentally fortunate to have this example fall of their laps and get to take Lawrence, and this was a franchise in dire want of luck. Oh god, that’s three mentions of “luck” in two paragraphs, my editor goes to hate me (sorry Ricky). Shit, now it’s 4. Higher give up whereas I’m forward.
I simply need Jaguars followers to be completely happy in a approach that doesn’t require copious quantities of pre-game liquor and vandalism. Is that a lot to ask?
Kyle Pitts
In the same vein to Lawrence I’m simply fascinated by seeing what Kyle Pitts does this season. The rookie tight finish is being requested to fill some tremendously giant cleats with Julio Jones being traded away, however fortunately he’s a big man who I presume has toes to match.
Earlier than I get too carried away with toes references and y’all begin rumors about me on the web, let me simply say that I feel Pitts might be a type of iconic, league-defining gamers that makes us completely re-think the tight finish place. I consider he’s that rattling good.
Now, I do know there’s additionally a studying curve right here and that transitioning to tight finish within the NFL is rattling, rattling troublesome (I imply hell, no rookie TE has damaged 1,000 yards since Mike Ditka), however there’s simply one thing transcendent about how Pitts performs soccer. I want to observe him play and develop this season to satiate my very own curiosity.
