We are in the Information Age, friends.
Whether you're looking for which place kicker won an NFL MVP (Mark Moseley, 1982), why cilantro tastes like soap to some (it could be genetic) or why I hear "Laurel" and not "Yanny," the answers are right at your fingertips. The same is true in fantasy football. Each season, you'll be able to find more predictions, rankings, prognostications, and articles to sort through and absorb. In an effort to give you the information you want in the simplest form, here's a list of my top 10 breakouts, sleepers, deep sleepers, bargains and players to avoid for the upcoming NFL campaign ... all in one column.
These lists will be updated throughout the offseason, into training camp and right up to the start of the season, so be sure to check back often for updates. Each list is ranked based on my latest Top 200 list.
Breakouts
1. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants: Barkley might be just a rookie, but he has massive upside based on his impressive skill set and what is projected to be a giant workload for Big Blue.
2. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings: Cook's breakout season was delayed due to an injured knee, but he has everything it takes to fulfill expectations this season. He has high-end RB1 upside.
3. Jerick McKinnon, RB, San Francisco 49ers: Coach Kyle Shanahan has produced a top-10 PPR back in three straight seasons. At worst, McKinnon is a good bet to push for high RB2 value.
4. Stefon Diggs, WR, Minnesota Vikings: Diggs is coming off his best fantasy season, but I think he's capable of even better numbers with Kirk Cousins at the helm of the Vikings offense.
5. Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals: Mixon is a good bet to reach the 275-touch mark as the lead back in Cincinnati. Giovani Bernard's presence could limit his upside, but he has RB2 potential.
6. Alex Collins, RB, Baltimore Ravens: Collins looked great in the second half of last season, and now he's the likely featured back for the Ravens in 2018. He's worth a top-50 pick.
7. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers: JuJu averaged just four targets in his first seven games as a rookie, so there is plenty of room for him to make a major statistical move in 2018.
8. Josh Gordon, WR, Cleveland Browns: Gordon has the skills to become a dominant wideout much like he was in 2013, just keep tabs on his status with the team over the next few weeks.
9. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans: Despite the addition of Dion Lewis, I still expect Henry to lead the Titans backfield in carries this season. Target him as a flex starter in the middle rounds.
10. Royce Freeman, RB, Denver Broncos: Freeman projects to lead the Broncos backfield in touches this season, and his skill set could make him this year's version of Kareem Hunt.
Sleepers
Deep sleepers
Bargains
Players to Avoid
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on NFL.com and NFL Network and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Do you want the most up-to-date fantasy news and analysis? You can follow Michael on **Twitter**, **Facebook** and **Instagram**!
