graphic credit: USA TODAY Sports
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front)
1 Obviously, top receivers are gaining a good bit from PPR- this isn’t new news
2 Two tight ends, Kyle Rudolph and Zach Ertz, jump considerably (4 pts/wk) due to PPR scoring
3 Target (in this order) Emmanuel Sanders, Pierre Garcon, Randall Cobb, Devante Parker & Brandon Marshall to take advantage of PPR scoring for WR rounds 8 and beyond
Leagues with a points per reception (PPR) scoring system are becoming more common. As one can imagine, having a PPR league changes the valuation of every player. It is obvious that a lot of the top receivers in standard scoring leagues get a lot of receptions. With them, the story is the same: they’re good.
Running backs, like David Johnson and LeVeon Bell, become even more valuable, as they gain even more on their counterparts with around four catches each game.
Adding in receptions makes tight end, Rob Gronkowski, score more like a top wide receiver than a tight end. Barring any injuries, Gronk has a ceiling well above others at his position. Kelce, Olsen, Reed, Rudolph and Ertz are all gaining an average of 4 each week, along with the aforementioned Gronk.
A typical website would stop with this and share the visual below. The amount gained for each player is on the left, along with average weekly scores. It’s pretty. But there’s more to this story (enters exciting background music here).
The story with receivers gets more interesting when you observe what happens with the mid to low tier options. Players in the sub-10 points/week category sometimes gain on those ranked higher than them in standard scoring. Who is better in standard scoring: A) 1 catch for 80 yards and a touchdown or B) 6 catches for 90 yards? I do not intend to insult anyone’s intelligence. I am just trying to prove the point. Most owners want touchdowns out of skill players. Well, player A would have been the right choice in standard leagues. Player A and B are equivalent in PPR leagues. So who should you draft and play? Player B, of course. Player B is getting many more opportunities to score points, while player A relies upon home runs. Home runs are less likely than shorter first down catches. Go after the consistent player each week.
Enough with the fictional stories. Who should be on your radar?
Emmanuel Sanders (ADP 8.05) scores like a sixth round receiver once you take PPR benefits into account. Pierre Garcon (8.08), Randall Cobb (10.01) and Mike Wallace (13.05) separate themselves well from their counterparts within their respective rounds of the draft as well.
Bilal Powell (6.04) was likely already on your list. How about Theo Riddick and Duke Johnson? These two go from around 7 points each week, which isn’t anything to get excited about, up to more than 10. With PPR, players like these two go from undrafted to flex potential.
Tight ends Kyle Rudolph (9.04) and Zach Ertz (10.09) become more appealing options than several picked in front of them most of the time: Tyler Eiffert (7.07), Delanie Walker (8.03) and Martellus Bennett (9.06). I know, you caught me. Bennett is picked before Zach Ertz. The point remains the same: PPR pushes Rudolph and Ertz up to what Jimmy Graham (6.06) is providing several rounds earlier. Use this knowledge to let someone else take Graham, while you focus on filling more depth at running back and wide receiver.
Analysis Ingredients
Projections are gathered from ESPN, NFL and FFtoday. The top 20 quarterbacks, as rated at their respective source, were used. Those not included in more than one ranking source will only include a projection from the source from which they were listed. Not all fields, such as receptions, are included in all three sources of information. The data from other sources are used in these instances to ensure all fields have complete values, even if from another source. ADPs are gathered from FFtoday, which credits FantasyFootballCalculator as the source.