(The Fantasy 5 is a quick-hit wrap-up of some of the biggest news topics of the day for fantasy football players, giving you advice you need to improve your team.)
The final week of the slowest month in football is coming to a close, but the news is heating up nonetheless. Today’s Fantasy 5 covers ground on some important fantasy players — and some players who are poised to be important within a year or two.
1. Russell Wilson slims down to increase mobility
Wilson a had a down year in 2016 for fantasy purposes, and his decrease in rushing production was largely to blame. That could change in 2017 and beyond.
Wilson has reportedly put himself on a meal plan that has reduced his weight from 225 pounds with 16 percent body fat to 214 pounds with 10 percent body fat. Apparently, he partially blamed his injuries last season on feeling too heavy and not mobile enough.
If the numbers are true, Wilson is definitely entering 2017 in better condition. If his rushing numbers increase as a result (up from just 259 rushing yards last year), he’ll be a steal at his current ADP of 7.07.
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2. Browns wideout coach praises Corey Coleman’s progress
Second-year wideout Coleman flashed potential during his rookie campaign, but injuries and overall inconsistent play held him back from relevancy on the fantasy scene. His position coach says he now understands the NFL offense much better, his route tree has improved, and he has generally “come a long way.”
Coleman has the potential to skyrocket in fantasy this season. Terrelle Pryor is no longer in Cleveland, and while the Browns did add Kenny Britt this offseason, Coleman’s chance to step up as the team’s No. 1 option is alive and well. Coleman isn’t exactly a steal at his current ADP (9.10), but that’s a fair price to pay for the potential upside.
3. Jamaal Charles is cutting again
Charles is 30 years old and definitely over the hill, but he’s getting on his knee again and says he feels back to normal.
Charles doesn’t exactly face the stiffest of competition in Denver’s backfield that features C.J. Anderson. There’s no chance Charles assumes a full-time workload, but even a diminished Charles can do a hefty amount of damage. We currently have Charles projected to 144 carries and 638 rushing yards to go along with 30 receptions and 230 receiving yards.
That’s nearly 1,000 total yards, and would be good enough to make Charles a weekly flex option for your fantasy squad. If he really is “back to normal,” he’d only rise from there. Charles definitely has a capped ceiling, but he’s also a bit cheaper than his upside would typically warrant.
4. Linebacker Zach Orr visits Lions, Jets
On Wednesday, we noted that linebacker Orr was considering a return to the NFL just months after retiring. He was a top-10 linebacker in all IDP formats last year.
The former Raven is now free to join any team, and he has visited the Detroit Lions already, with stops scheduled with the Jets and another unnamed team on Friday.
For fantasy purposes, a stint with the Jets could give Orr the potential to rack up a load of tackles. Davis Harris, New York’s top tackling linebacker ever year from 2009 to 2016, is no longer with the team.
5. Marshawn Lynch back in the news … running on the beach in boots
All right, so the above stories are actually pretty relevant. Meanwhile, this one has “late June!” written all over it. But Marshawn Lynch is doing Marshawn Lynch things in the offseason, like training on the beach in boots and looking good doing it.
Lynch isn’t cheap in fantasy — his ADP sits at 2.04 and it has been rising — which has him projected to be a tail-end RB1 in fantasy. That’s almost a given at this point, given the fact that Lynch is clearly Oakland’s primary running back and that he’s on a high-powered offense. Some may be wary to pull the trigger on Lynch in the middle of the second round, but it’s absolutely worth it. If he rises into the late first, that’s when you have to worry about it.
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