Fantasy Football

Fantasy Football Roster Reset: NFC

Published: May 20, 2020 at 08:39 PM

Marcas Grant

Fantasy Analyst

We've virtually gone through the entire NFL offseason. By that, I mean we've done all of it virtually. Free agency. The draft. Schedule release. All of it done while keeping our distance. This is the world we currently live in. But there's one place you can see a bunch of players grouped together -- depth charts! Now that teams have made most of their roster-building moves, I've done my best to put together the list of fantasy relevant players on every roster. Of course, we'll get a better idea once teams put out their official(ly unofficial) depth charts later this summer. But for now, hopefully this gives you an idea of who's who when you start to put together your fantasy draft big boards.

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals

Outlook: Year 2 of the Kliff Kingsbury Experience starts with a huge addition to the offense in DeAndre Hopkins. It puts a bona fide superstar at the head of a deep wide receiver corps that includes emerging talents (Kirk, Isabella) and steady veterans (the immortal Fitzgerald). The cost was moving on from one-time star David Johnson but it's a loss that shouldn't be noticed if Kenyan Drake continues to play the way he did after being acquired in a mid-season trade. The biggest boost has been to Kyler Murray, who long ago lost any late-round value fantasy managers hoped to get from him.

Los Angeles Rams

Outlook: 2019 was a disappointment on the field for the Rams and a mixed bag in fantasy circles. Todd Gurley and Jared Goff were notable underperformers while Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, and later, Tyler Higbee all were coveted players. This season, there is tempered optimism about rookie Cam Akers in the wake of Gurley's departure but Darrell Henderson still lurks. The targets in the passing game still hold quite a bit of draft value but fears of Sean McVay going with more 12 personnel could have an impact on Kupp's target share in 2020.

San Francisco 49ers

Outlook: What we thought the Niners offense would look like in August was turned around by November. This year, breakout star Raheem Mostert looks to be at the front of the line in a slightly rejiggered running back committee. We found an answer at wide receiver last season when Deebo Samuel became a favorite target and it looks like rookie Brandon Aiyuk is poised to become the Oates to Samuel's Hall. Meanwhile, George Kittle is the one TE to rule them all (non-Kelce division). As for Jimmy Garoppolo, well, he is what he is. Which is a quarterback that won't start outside of a lot of two-quarterback leagues.

Seattle Seahawks

Outlook: Every season, we find reasons to downgrade Russell Wilson and every season, DangeRuss still ends up in the QB1 tier. The emergence of rookie (and comic book superhero body double) DK Metcalf helped -- especially after a late-season disappearance by Tyler Lockett. Similarly, Chris Carson might be perennially underrated but he continues to hold off Rashaad Penny and be productive. There shouldn't be much changing with the 'Hawks offense heading into 2020.

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys

Outlook: The football world at large might be debating how valuable Dak Prescott is but the fantasy world is pretty unanimous that he should be drafted as a top five quarterback. That belief was solidified when CeeDee Lamb -- arguably the top receiver prospect in the draft -- fell into Dallas' lap. Jason Witten's move to Las Vegas opens the door for Blake Jarwin's sleeper potential. And while we argue over how much running back matters in the real game, Ezekiel Elliott will continue to be a top five draft pick in the fake game.

New York Giants

Outlook: Daniel Jones took over the starting QB job last season but with Eli Manning now retired, it's officially the start of the Danny Dimes era. Big Blue has an intriguing core of young(ish) talent. The issue will be staying healthy. Emphasis on building the offensive line should help. It's made Jones a popular sleeper option, especially in dynasty formats.

Philadelphia Eagles

Outlook: Speaking of staying healthy ... hello, Eagles. Last season, the wide receiver corps was decimated. This season, Philly is still hoping for big things from Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson -- all of which could impact rookie Jalen Reagor. Much of fantasy twitter is looking for a big step forward for Miles Sanders. That can be achieved if Doug Pederson believes in making Sanders a workhorse back. But that's never been his modus operandi. If the stars align and everyone can stay on the field, maybe Carson Wentz can again be the top five quarterback we've dreamed of.

Washington Redskins

Outlook: If it weren't for Terry McLaurin's breakout rookie campaign, there would have been no reason to think about this squad in fantasy. Admittedly, there isn't a lot of fantasy buzz around this roster in 2020, either. Apart from McLaurin, everyone else comes with major risk of some kind, be it injury or general underperformance. You won't see many Washington players drafted before the middle rounds.

NFC North

Chicago Bears

Outlook: Trubisky is listed here as the starter but we're giving him the benefit of the doubt as the incumbent. In reality, Nick Foles is positioned to be Chicago's starter when Week 1 rolls around. That's encouraging news for Allen Robinson, who doesn't have any real competition for targets. David Montgomery wasn't what many of us expected in his rookie season which will likely depress his draft value this season. The upside is that is could make him a sleeper. The Bears have 10 tight ends on the roster -- and likely none of them will be drafted on fantasy rosters.

Detroit Lions

Outlook: The Lions have plenty of weapons to be excited about. Kenny Golladay proved he could be a WR1 and Marvin Jones provided solid later-round value. T.J. Hockenson is a favorite as a sleeper tight end this season and Matthew Stafford continues to be a favorite of fantasy managers that like waiting on quarterbacks. If there's something to keep an eye on, it's in the backfield. Detroit drafting D'Andre Swift in the second round could signal that the team is growing tired of waiting for Kerryon Johnson to develop. Worst case scenario turns this into another committee.

Green Bay Packers

Outlook: We were all so certain that the Packers were going to draft a wide receiver. We were all wrong. However, that's great news for the fantasy value of Davante Adams, who could get elevnty targets in 2020 -- give or take. It's not great news for Aaron Rodgers, whose status as an elite fantasy quarterback has slipped recently and isn't likely to rebound this year. The word "regression" is following Aaron Jones like a foul odor. But that's what happens when you score 19 touchdowns. It's highly unlikely he hits that number again yet even an 8-10 touchdown campaign would still be pretty nice if he keeps a similar number of touches.

Minnesota Vikings

Outlook: We got our Dalvin Cook breakout season in 2019, though much of it came at the expense of Minnesota's passing game. The Vikes still project as a run-heavy offense which won't do much to inspire confidence in Adam Thielen after a disappointing season. But the departure of Stefon Diggs (Bills) has made rookie Justin Jefferson an interesting prospect. The days of Kirk Cousins sneaking in as a top 10 fantasy quarterback could be over if Minnesota isn't interested in throwing the ball nearly as much.

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons

Outlook: Matt Ryan was a top 10 quarterback last year, but the path to getting there wasn't easy. That inconsistency is likely to keep him off a lot of draft boards despite still having a quality supporting cast. Part of that cast is Todd Gurley, who lands back in the state of Georgia after being let go by the Rams. While he isn't the top-of-draft lock he once was, there is optimism that he can rebound to fringe RB1 status with the Falcons. Calvin Ridley and free agent pickup Hayden Hurst are both poised as sleepers in this attack.

Carolina Panthers

Outlook: Carolina's 2019 offense could be summed up in two words: Christian McCaffrey. CMC handled more than half of the Panthers' touches last season on his way to nearly setting a single-season fantasy scoring record. It's hard to imagine McCaffrey getting that same workload this season after the Panthers signed Teddy Bridgewater to succeed Cam Newton and added Robby Anderson as a deep receiving threat. Nonetheless, with this team likely to be trailing in most of its games and Bridgewater not exactly known as a gunslinger, the highly-paid running back should again be featured heavily.

New Orleans Saints

Outlook: The Saints have been a go-to for fantasy production and as long as Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas are vibrant, that's not going to change. What has changed is that New Orleans might have the most talented 1-2 punch at quarterback after Jameis Winston moved to a division rival to become Brees' understudy. Fantasy managers might groan at the idea of rolling with Jared Cook at tight end but in a world where we're just looking for consistent production from the position, you could do much worse.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Outlook: We're not sure if you've heard this, but a pair of New Englanders have become snowbirds in Florida. Tom Brady surprised nearly everyone by signing with the Bucs then convincing his pal Rob Gronkowski to step out of the WWE ring and join him back on the football field. Throw in third-round draft pick Ke'Shawn Vaughn and Tampa Bay has become a must-see offense. This time, they're likely to achieve some of that success without their quarterback forcing them to play from behind.

Marcas Grant is a fantasy analyst for NFL.com and a man who is aiming to become the king of peanut butter and honey sandwiches. Send him your tales of kindergarten lunch items or fantasy football questions on Twitter @MarcasG or Instagram at MarcasG.