By Jared Williams
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As we have now almost made it to the halfway point of the NFL season, and passed the halfway point in most fantasy leagues, it is a good thing to compare who is at the top of their game and who will finish at the top of their positions in point totals. So for guys leading their respective positions, here is who I would pick going forward for the rest of the season.
QB - Deshaun Watson vs. Lamar Jackson vs. Russell Wilson
The QB race is very close, with these three guys within nine total points of each other after seven games played. Currently, Jackson leads the pack, with Wilson in second and Watson just behind him in third. With Jackson’s ability to run the ball, he has the highest floor among the three, having posted one game under 21 fantasy points. Wilson and Watson both have had three weeks of scoring less than 20 fantasy points. Jackson’s insane ability to score rushing touchdowns gives him a slight edge over Wilson and Watson, as rushing touchdowns account for 2 more points in standard leagues. He also has only two remaining tough matchups, one against the Patriots and one against the 49ers, hopefully leading to some very high scoring weeks from him in the future. With this in mind, I would rate Lamar Jackson as the best fantasy scorer moving forward.
RB - CMC vs. Dalvin Cook vs. Ezekiel Elliott
This group of players has the most distinct layered I have ever seen in fantasy football. With CMC currently outscoring all other skill position players, and almost outscoring all quarterbacks (Despite having a bye already), it is clear to see that this season could go down in history as the best in recent memory. After CMC, the clear number two option is Dalvin Cook, as he has shown his ability to perform at a higher level than before his ACL injury. Besides Ezekiel Elliott, I do not see any players coming close to Cook, much like I can not foresee Cook coming close to CMC in any regard. This makes the RB rankings very simple, with CMC above Cook who is above Elliott.
WR - Michael Thomas vs. Chris Godwin vs. Cooper Kupp vs. Amari Cooper
Despite losing his Hall of Fame QB in week 2, Michael Thomas has continued to show what consistency looks like at the receiver position. He has double-digit targets in all but two games, and the return of Drew Brees this week should lead to a slight uptick in production. However, the second most scoring receiver, despite having his bye week already, is Chris Godwin. The Bucs keep losing, and therefore they keep having to throw the ball plenty. Godwin has been a red-zone threat all year, currently with 6 touchdowns. His QB being terrible has seemed to show no downsides to his production, unlike Cooper Kupp, who has Jared Goff overthrowing him time and time again. While Amari is close to the top in points scored, the other three players have shown much more consistency as a whole. My rankings ROS would be Thomas, Godwin, Kupp, and finally Cooper.
TE - The FIeld
The TE field is wide and full of competent players, with at least 6 of them contending for top spot ROS. It seems odd listing Travis Kelce has the number one and Zack Ertz as the number 2, but here we are. Darren Waller and Austin Hooper have taken the position over for the first half of the year, both of them averaging over 13 ppg in half ppr leagues. I do not see this slowing down, as they are both the most reliable targets for their teams (Including Julio Jones). Hunter Henry has also come back strong, posting two touchdowns and 197 yards in two games. Most importantly though, George Kittle looks primed to break out this week. After playing in the rain last week, having multiple touchdowns called back, and a heavy run game against bad opponents, things are looking up for Kittle’s production. I expect him to be the number one fantasy scoring TE moving forward. Following him, I have Waller, Hooper, Henry, Kelce, Andrews, Engram, and Ertz. Man, this position is loaded with depth this year compared to last.