Fantasy Superlatives: Predicting 2019's breakout star, biggest bust, top rookie and more
We are mere days away from the start of the 2019 NFL season, so the Yahoo fantasy football crew has made their final player predictions for the year.
Check out the “Class of 2019” — and a special shoutout to our graphics guru for these incredible photos, Amber Matsumoto, who never ceases to amaze.
Remember to leave your predictions in the comment section or hit us up @YahooFantasy!
The only players who can truly wreck a season are first- or second-rounders who are unbenchable, uncuttable and — relative to their draft price — unproductive. Todd Gurley's situation is far too murky for me; there's a non-trivial chance he sees only 50 percent of the backfield work. - Andy Behrens
Darrell Henderson just set a college record for best YPC throughout his career at Memphis. He has only an arthritic Todd Gurley standing in the way of making a big impact on one of the NFL’s most productive systems. - Dalton Del Don
Seal-slippery, equipped with sticky fingers and deceptively powerful, David Montgomery is about to flex on the competition in both fantasy and reality. If he doesn't reach at least 1,300 combined yards and 7-9 TDs, this face-for-radio will welcome the troll sucker-punches. - Brad Evans
The easiest lock of this assignment. If the shot of Antonio Brown's ravaged feet doesn't already count as a meme, the highly combustible but social media-friendly Raiders receiver will find a way to go viral. Brown's time with the Raiders feels like it could be legendarily epic or felled with pitfalls, so this could be a good or bad meme. - Matt Harmon
The Bears openly admit they want to scale back Tarik Cohen’s usage, and the Chicago depth chart is overflowing with quality options. Cohen still might have a handful of splashy games, but good luck predicting when they come. - Scott Pianowski
Don't let the Shady McCoy news tilt you too hard. After all, Darwin Thompson already beat out one washed vet. The rookie may not be the biggest or fastest back in KC, but he's got plenty of wiggle and soft hands. He'll eventually get his in what's shaping up to be a crowded backfield. - Liz Loza
Kyler Murray, if he simply remains healthy, is guaranteed to produce silly first-year numbers. He's surrounded by terrific offensive weapons and will play in a fantasy-friendly system. - Andy Behrens
Drew didn't “Lock” down the starting gig, but he is going to see the field in 2019. And don't @ me about a sprained thumb. I'll take an iced digit over a bad back. Or over a QB who's already lost his job to a rookie once, and who's averaged under 6.4 YPA since 2015. - Liz Loza
Matt Breida’s efficiency was off the charts in 2018, and the San Francisco backfield isn’t as crowded as you think, given the injuries to Jerick McKinnon. Tevin Coleman has the big check, but Breida can return the biggest stats. - Scott Pianowski
The former Colorado St. standout has logged numerous highlights throughout training camp and the preseason. Michael Gallup’s budding chemistry with Dak Prescott combined with his elite leaping ability and separation skills have the WR on the precipice of a breakthrough top-30 campaign. - Brad Evans
Look, is DeAndre Hopkins the true BFF of Deshaun Watson in this Texans offense? Yes. But as we know, sometimes a wolf-pack is at its best when it welcomes a third member. If Will Fuller can stay healthy, he's going to way outkick his 2019 ADP and help Watson to a top-two fantasy quarterback finish. - Matt Harmon
Damien Williams hasn’t eclipsed 50 carries in a season during his career, but he’s set for a bigger workload in the league’s best offense. He’s plenty capable of producing monstrous numbers as a result. - Dalton Del Don
When I pan Jordan Reed, it’s really a proxy for all tight ends on the back-nines of their careers. Reed has never played a full season and even in 13 games last year, he was merely the TE17. Low floor, low upside. Washington has the NFC’s worst offense on paper. - Scott Pianowski
Damien Harris has lost a lot of buzz during the summer, but he’s a third-round pick dripping with upside in New England’s system, and Sony Michel’s knee is something of a ticking time-bomb. - Dalton Del Don
Doug Pederson is committed to spinning the roulette wheel at RB, but place your chips on No. 26 and you could boost the bank account come the holiday season. Elusive, versatile, running behind the best o-line in the game, and blessed with a highly exploitable December schedule (at Mia, NYG, at Was, Dal, at NYG), Miles Sanders could be this year's Derrick Henry. - Brad Evans
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