4 Redskins Make The Top 100 In MMBQ’s Fantasy Rankings

MMBQ has released its top 100 fantasy players for 2017. The list was put together by well-respected MMBQ / Sports Illustrated writer Gary Gramling and featured 4 Redskins. The full list can be found here but let's go over which Redskins made the cut.

31. Jordan Reed, TE, Washington: If it weren’t for durability concerns, he’d be my No. 1 tight end. He’s the focal point of Washington’s offense, a big red-zone producer, and might be relied on even more heavily considering the turnover at wide receiver.

Jordan Reed is the first Redskin to make a list and two tight ends are featured before him: Travis Kelce at #27 and Rob Gronkowski at #31. Given Gramling’s explanation on Reed, I find his ranking more that fair. We all know that when Jordan Reed is healthy he is the most dangerous tight end in the league and arguably one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the NFL as well with the volume of catches, yards, and touchdowns he can accumulate. I agree that if Jordan Reed did not come with injury concerns every year he would be the #1 tight end in the rankings. I think the same thinking applies to Rob Gronkowski and its why Gramling rated Kelce #1 at the position.

56. Robert Kelley, RB, Washington: We’ll see what happens in training camp, but to my untrained eye rookie Samaje Perine is basically a poor man’s version of Kelley. (They don’t do tackling so much in the Big 12.) I think Kelley holds his spot atop the depth chart.

This is an interesting ranking. Rob Kelley is ranked above other runnings backs like Christian McCaffery, Marshawn Lynch, and Tevin Coleman. Not to be too down on Kelley but I really do not view him as a fantasy option and I think he is at best an RB4 in all standard leagues mostly because the Redskins in the past haven't relied on their run game in the red zone to get the touchdowns that are important for fantasy production and value. Gramling has him rated quite high here and all but rules out the impact of Samaje Perine. While Perine will have to work and push for carries I don’t think it is out of the question he can win the starting job outright or at a minimum split time with Kelley. I’d view both of our backs in the RB4 range and if I did the rankings they would be out of the top 100.

65. Jamison Crowder, WR, Washington: I think he emerges as the No. 2 option behind Jordan Reed, and he has already carved out a role as a secondary red-zone option when Reed draws a ton of attention.

I think Crowder is criminally underrated here. I would have put him in the top 50 and certainly above receivers such as Donte Moncrief, Stefon Diggs, and Devonte Adams. I don’t think it's a stretch at all that Crowder will be the #2 option behind Jordan Reed. Crowder was a solid WR3 option last year with his 67/847/7 line and I think those numbers can go up further with the departure of Pierre Garcon and Desean Jackson. In standard leagues, I think Crowder is worth a flier as a WR2 and is certainly worth that value in non-standard leagues that reward catches, first downs, and points for kick and punt returns.

89. Terrelle Pryor, WR, Washington: He’s immensely talented but still a work-in-progress at wide receiver, and now he has to pick up a new offense and establish rapport with Kirk Cousins (when Cousins is already quite comfortable with Jordan Reed and Jamison Crowder).

I think this a fair ranking for prior. We all know he can put together some splash plays and while his gamble on himself this year is encouraging from a production potential standpoint I’d take the under on an 85/1200/7 season or whatever combination of stats he may be looking for to facilitate his next pay day. I think Pryor is also a fine WR3 option and if the redskins can improve their red zone scoring percentage he can pay real dividends for the price he’ll command in fantasy.

A Redskin missing from the list.

Kirk Cousins is the obvious snub here. Cousins has now proved he can play at a high level for an entire season. With typical names like Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and Matt Ryan on the list I would think that Cousins deserves a spot somewhere between those top tier guys and the other QBs who made the list: Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson, Cam Newton, Jamies Winston, and Derek Carr.

What do you guys think of these rankings? Are they fair? Would you have put another Redskin on the list?