Every year, each of us has a list of players we want on as many of our fantasy football teams as possible. These aren't the highest-ranked players on my board. These aren't sleepers or names you don't know. These are just players that I'm in on this year for a variety of reasons.
Field's Fantasy Favorites, if you will. This year, the list goes eight deep.
CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys
This is my first year writing this piece, but I'm already inclined to come up with what will be annual traditions. And one of them is naming a captain of this arbitrary roster of favorites that I'm currently assembling. This is the player I'm most excited about in the group, one who oozes stardom in fantasy this season. You don't need me to tell you that Lamb entered the NFL with hype; it was an act of divine Dallas intervention that he slipped to the 17th pick in the 2020 NFL draft, and I suspect other teams will rue that day for quite some time. It's really hard to be a top 10 wide receiver in preseason rankings given the abundance of stars at the position, almost all of whom are several years Lamb's senior. But Lamb ranks 10th on my board, and the possibility of looking back in January and saying to myself, "You were simply too low," is one I fear already. He plays on an offense that has another star wide receiver in Amari Cooper, but I believe Lamb is the one heading for the moon this season in fantasy. Lamb's catch radius has a diameter comparable to planet Earth, he is amazing after the catch, he is a precise route runner ... the traits go on and on. Again, CeeDee Lamb to the moon!
Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals have what could form the AFC's best trio of wide receivers for the next five or so years, and plenty are enjoying the buzz surrounding Ja'Marr Chase, the team's top selection in this past April's draft. And while I love me some Chase, Higgins is the player who feels to me like the forgotten star of the 2020 NFL draft wide receiver class. Higgins posted a rookie-season slash of 67 catches for 908 yards and six touchdowns, which was essentially in 14 games played. (He managed a combined 18 snaps and one target in Weeks 1 and 17.) And while it's easier to identify targets for a wideout in an offense that doesn't have three fantasy-relevant receivers, volume should be no issue for Higgins: The Bengals' porous defense last season led Joe Burrow to throw at an historical rate, before his season-ending injury. I don't forecast much of a change this season. There's plenty for all three wideouts, and Higgins' high-flying skill set should push him past 1,000 receiving yards.
Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers
During what was a lost season in some ways, the 49ers found a gem in 2020 in Aiyuk. The second of their two first-round picks blossomed during a year when San Francisco was desperate for pass-catchers amid a litany of injuries on offense. Signs of stardom became consistent in Week 7, when Aiyuk surpassed 100 yards in a game for the first time, and things went up from there. Over a six-game stretch, Aiyuk posted 45 catches for 568 yards and four touchdowns while displaying a necessary trait to success with the San Francisco offense: elite run-after-the-catch skills. Aiyuk is a strider in the open field, displaying contact balance, vision and burst. Feed him. More.
Jonnu Smith, TE, New England Patriots
The Patriots' offseason spending spree started by inking Smith to a four-year, $50 million contract, immediately making him one of the highest-paid tight ends in football. Those who scan previous stat lines might think that's a heavy price for a player who has never had 500 receiving yards in a single season; I think of it as a reminder that Smith's skill set is one of the most special for any tight end in football. Seriously. Go back and watch a Smith highlight from his Tennessee days and you'll find a tight end who looks like a wide receiver at times and a running back at others in the open field. As a matter of fact, Smith even took a pitch out of the backfield for 57 yards in 2019. He is an incredible player who is exceptional in the red zone and a mismatch waiting to happen. Yes, the Patriots double dipped at tight end, which has some cautious about either Smith or Hunter Henry becoming a weekly lineup staple. I'm of the mind that both can be useful, but I'm going in on Smith. This dude is unique.
Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts
A dominant stretch to close last season -- including a 253-yard effort in Week 17 -- showed the star potential that Taylor possesses. He was a record-setting back at Wisconsin whose college production was no accident: he is a certified baller. And while there's been a bit of skepticism this preseason around Taylor's standing as a potential Tier 1 running back, I'm in on him. The root of the skepticism was due to the injuries to All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson and quarterback Carson Wentz, as each could miss time early in the season. Marlon Mack being re-signed also means some competition in the backfield for carries. Those points are on my radar, but they're not enough to dissuade me from expecting a mammoth second year for Taylor. His ferocity as a runner, open-field speed and power have the Colts salivating over his prospects this season; I suggest fantasy managers follow their lead.
David Montgomery, RB, Chicago Bears
Montgomery is no stranger to the fantasy spotlight, as it was just two seasons ago that he looked to be set up for instant success as a rookie in Chicago. Things didn't go as planned in 2019, as Montgomery posted 889 rushing yards and six touchdowns, short of the massive hype that surrounded him that year. But Montgomery polished off his second season with a six-game stretch in which he rushed for 598 yards and seven touchdowns to go along with another 226 receiving yards and a score. Montgomery was the main man for the Bears, and coach Matt Nagy's confidence in him is well-rooted. While the team did sign Damien Williams and drafted Khalil Herbert in the sixth round, I'm of the strong belief that Montgomery is headed for a hefty workload this year, especially as Tarik Cohen continues to recover from a right ACL tear suffered last season. (As of this writing, Cohen is still on the physically unable to perform list.) With good footwork, vision, patience and power, Montgomery will show his late-season surge in 2020 was a sign of things to come.
Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins
When I'm not gearing up for my fantasy drafts, I spend several months preparing for the NFL draft each year. And throughout the pre-draft process this year, there was one player who I paid more attention to and found myself more enamored by than any other: Jaylen Waddle. The man is the definition of an explosive play waiting to happen, as my favorite stat from the draft involves Waddle: He had 17 receiving touchdowns during his career at Alabama, and the average length of those touchdowns was more than 44 yards. Think about that for a second. Yeah, he's absurd. But Waddle is far from just a downfield threat, as he showed fearlessness and strength in competitive-catch situations in the middle of the field, as well. This year's class of rookie wide receivers looks chock-full of stars in the making, and the overall depth of wideouts makes it hard to declare Waddle as an immediate weekly fantasy starter. But I do believe his upside is limitless, and he is a favorite rookie target of mine as a result.
Trey Lance, QB, San Francisco 49ers
I aimed to avoid quarterbacks on this list, because there are really a lot to choose from. Given that year over year we have more "starter worthy" quarterbacks than there are weekly starting spots in a fantasy league (unless you're in a two-quarterback league), it just feels like there aren't cases for many quarterbacks to crack this list. But I'm making room for Lance, even though he has not yet been named the starting quarterback in San Francisco. The promising rookie will take that job in time, and I suspect it'll be by Week 1; that's where the fantasy fun begins. Lance's physical ability is exceptional, and he has the power to show shades of Cam Newton or Josh Allen near the goal line. While San Francisco has a deep number of running backs, you just know that coach Kyle Shanahan is salivating at the prospect of folding in designed runs for Lance in a way he hasn't been able to with any quarterback since Robert Griffin III's rookie season in Washington. Lance should push for dynamic rushing upside each week, and his rocket arm is going to result in some "wow" moments this season.