Target the following players in all fantasy football point per reception, or PPR, drafts in 2018. In order to keep this simple, each player will be listed with their team, position and average draft position, or ADP, followed by bullet points describing my reasons for liking said player and my final projections.

All ADPs were found at Fantasypros.com 

Melvin Gordon

Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon (28) runs against the Oakland Raiders during the second half of an NFL football game in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 15, 2017. (AP Photo/D. Ross Cameron)

Running Back

Los Angeles Chargers

ADP: RB7

• 25-years-old, entering his fourth NFL season
• Third most carries in the NFL in 2017 with 284
• Third in the NFL in 2017 in carries inside the twenty, ten and five-yard lines, showing elite red-zone opportunity
• Has scored 12 total touchdowns in his last two seasons, despite playing in only 13 games in 2016
• Has seen a major increase in targets every season since entering the NFL; 37 (2015), 57 (2016), and 83 (2017)
• Since 2016, has finished within the top-8 of fantasy running backs, once again, despite playing in only 13 games in 2016
• With the addition of Mike Pouncey and Forrest Lamp’s recovery from injury, Gordon will be running behind the best offensive line of his career

Projections:

PPR Scoring: 312 PTS

Joe Mixon

Running Back

Cincinnati Bengals

ADP: RB15

• From weeks 10-14, Mixon averaged 4.3 yards, which would have made him the 15th most efficient runner in 2017
• Had the second highest catch rate among running backs at 88.2 percent behind only Dion Lewis
• 92nd percentile in weight-adjusted speed score
• The only competition is Giovani Bernard, who despite being labeled as a third-down back, caught only 71 percent of catchable targets in 2017
• Also, with the addition of Mixon, Bernard saw his targets per game drop by 1.2, which will continue to decrease

Projections:

PPR Scoring: 223 PTS

Chris Hogan

With Julian Edelman suspended, Chris Hogan (15) will be the New England Patriots primary wide receiver in 2018. (Photo by A/P Adrian Krause)

New England Patriots

Wide Receiver

ADP: WR26

• Tom Brady’s primary wide receiver for the time being (Yes, I know Rob Gronkowski exists)
• Averaged 6.55 targets per game in 2017
• Scored five touchdowns in his first five games in 2017
• Edelman’s suspension, along with the release of Malcolm Mitchell, Jordan Matthews and Kenny Britt will force Hogan to be a key cog in the Patriots offense
• Tom Brady’s percentage of touchdowns thrown when attempting a pass hasn’t dropped below 5.5 percent since 2013, showing at 41-years-old, he is still one of the NFL’s elite touchdown passers

Projections:

PPR Scoring: 180 PTS

Corey Davis

Tennessee Titans

Wide Receiver

ADP: WR28

• Was the 5th overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft
• Averaged 6.3 targets per game in 2017
• In the playoffs, turned 15 targets into nine receptions for 98 yards and two touchdowns in two games
• With Eric Decker’s departure, there will be 83 targets left over, which will guarantee an increase in Davis’s target share
• Is guaranteed to increase his atrocious 52.3 percent catch rate from a year ago

Projections:

PPR Scoring: 179 PTS

Emmanuel Sanders

Emmanuel Sanders (10) enters the field of play through the fog. (Photo from 247Sports.com)

Denver Broncos

Wide Receiver

ADP: WR35

• Denver Quarterbacks ranked second to last in combined passer rating in 2017 at 73.0
• Case Keenum’s passer rating was 98.3 last season
• Sanders had three consecutive seasons with at least 136 targets, 1032 yards and five touchdowns from 2014-2016
• Sanders missed four games in 2017 due to an ankle injury, although over a 16-game span, would have been expected to see upwards of 120 targets

Projections:

PPR Scoring: 184 PTS

Cooper Kupp

Los Angeles Rams

Wide Receiver

ADP: WR38

• Finished tied for third in the NFL in red-zone targets with 23 in 2017
• Standing 6-foot-2, weighing upwards of 205-pounds, Kupp is the most physically gifted Rams receiver, and will continue to demand red-zone and ten-zone targets
• The Rams offense was in 11 personnel, or three-receiver sets, more than any other team in the NFL at 81.4 percent
• Sammy Watkins departure off-sets Brandin Cooks arrival

Projections:

PPR Scoring: 189 PTS

You can ‘Like’ The Game Haus on Facebook and ‘Follow’ us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from other great TGH writers along with Avery!
“From Our Haus to Yours”