Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson tries to elude Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Jake Ryan during the first half Sunday, Dec. 27, 2015, in Glendale, Ariz.
When Aaron Rodgers' final fling into the end zone on Sunday night of Week 17 hit the ground, the regular season came to an end.
Playoff seeds were determined, season stat titles were decided, and fantasy championships were won.
Believe it or not, the fantasy season didn't end there.
Now, with only 12 teams competing for a chance to play in Super Bowl 50, you can restart your fantasy football world by redrafting and restructuring your league.
However, because the player pool is reduced, I suggest that you keep your leagues to a maximum of six teams. That way, every team is guaranteed two quarterbacks, kickers, and defenses.
One thing to remember as you view my rankings is that I'm not necessarily putting them in order of who I think is better. Instead, the players are ranked in the order I believe they'll finish the tournament by fantasy points scored. For example, I don't think C.J. Anderson or James White are better running backs than Adrian Peterson on the field. But, I think both the Broncos and Patriots have a good chance at playing multiple games and accruing more points than Peterson in his likely one start.
Teams:
AFC
1. Denver Broncos
2. New England Patriots
3. Cincinnati Bengals
4. Houston Texans
5. Kansas City Chiefs
6. Pittsburgh Steelers
NFC
1. Carolina Panthers
2. Arizona Cardinals
3. Minnesota Vikings
4. Washington Redskins
5. Green Bay Packers
6. Seattle Seahawks
Before you see my rankings, it is important that you adjust based on which teams you believe will play the most. I think Denver and Arizona will meet in the Super Bowl, so I have the Broncos and Cardinals ranked higher than other teams. Also, mix that prediction with the second team you think has a chance. Again, mine is the Patriots and Panthers. Finally, throw one wild card team from each conference high in your rankings: Pittsburgh and Seattle for me.
RANKINGS
QB:
1. Cam Newton, CAR
2. Carson Palmer, ARI
3. Russell Wilson, SEA
4. Tom Brady, NE
5. Peyton Manning / Brock Osweiler, DEN
6. Ben Roethlisberger, PIT
7. Aaron Rodgers, GB
8. Alex Smith, KC
9. Andy Dalton / AJ McCarron, CIN
10. Kirk Cousins, WAS
11. Brian Hoyer, HOU
12. Teddy Bridgewater, MIN
One thing you must decide before you and your league drafts is, "Can we package the Denver and Cincinnati quarterbacks into one draft pick?" Naturally, to make it fair, you should do this with all quarterbacks. The team who drafts Brian Hoyer should also be given Brandon Weeden (and T.J. Yates, and B.J. Daniels, etc.). Also, while Cam Newton tops this list, his point total from my sixth quarterback (Roethlisberger) isn't much. Remember, the Panthers could play Seattle, Arizona, and Denver in three-consecutive games. Roethlisberger could double Newton's total if the Steelers make the AFC Divisional Round. So, don't start the quarterback-drafting trend in your league. However, don't wait too long to draft a QB. Getting stuck with Brian Hoyer and Teddy Bridgewater could make for a short "season."
RB:
1. David Johnson, ARI
2. Marshawn Lynch, SEA
3. Jonathan Stewart, CAR
4. Ronnie Hillman, DEN
5. James White, NE
6. C.J. Anderson, DEN
7. DeAngelo Williams, PIT
8. Charcandrick West, KC
9. Eddie Lacy, GB
10. Jeremy Hill, CIN
11. Adrian Peterson, MIN
12. Alfred Blue, HOU
13. Christine Michael, SEA
14. Andre Ellington, ARI
15. Cameron Artis-Payne, CAR
16. Steven Jackson, NE
17. Brandon Bolden, NE
18. Giovani Bernard, CIN
19. Fitzgerald Toussaint, PIT
20. Mike Tolbert, CAR
21. Spencer Ware, KC
22. James Starks, GB
23. Alfred Morris, WAS
24. Jonathan Grimes, HOU
25. Chris Polk, HOU
If you aren't in a PPR fantasy league, David Johnson might be my second-highest player overall (Antonio Brown would still be number one). I'm not worried about Arizona's potential matchups of either Minnesota, Washington, or Green Bay. As for the other RBs, Marshawn Lynch will be a boom-or-bust option. Will Seattle give Lynch his usual 20 carries or do they not rush Lynch back into the mix and stick with Russell Wilson's arm. I expect a full return of Beast Mode. Last year, he rushed for 318 yards and two TDs in three postseason games. Two years ago, Lynch tallied 288 rushing yards and four touchdowns. For a sleeper pick, don't forget about backup running backs on winning teams. Cameron Artis-Payne and Steven Jackson may not sound better than Jeremy Hill or Eddie Lacy, but both of those RB2s could be playing in February.
WR:
1. Antonio Brown, PIT
2. Demaryius Thomas, DEN
3. Doug Baldwin, SEA
4. Julian Edelman, NE
5. Emmanuel Sanders, DEN
6. Larry Fitzgerald, ARI
7. Michael Floyd, ARI
8. Tyler Lockett, SEA
9. Martavis Bryant, PIT
10. A.J. Green, CIN
11. DeAndre Hopkins, HOU
12. Jeremy Maclin, KC
13. Ted Ginn Jr., CAR
14. Brandon LaFell, NE
15. Randall Cobb, GB
16. James Jones, GB
17. DeSean Jackson, WAS
18. Devin Funchess, CAR
19. Markus Wheaton, PIT
20. John Brown, ARI
21. Jermaine Kearse, SEA
22. Stefon Diggs, MIN
23. Danny Amendola, NE
24. Keshawn Martin, NE
25. Corey Brown, CAR
Look at this list. There are plenty of quality receivers in the player pool. DeAndre Hopkins, a WR who finished the year third in targets and receptions, is 11th on my rankings. As I mentioned in the RB write-up, Antonio Brown is my No. 1 pick overall. It is a huge risk, but having Brown could single-handedly win your league. After my top three receivers are off the board, I have numbers 4-12 in the same tier. Getting two of those nine WRs might make up for not having Doug Baldwin, Demaryius Thomas, or Brown. Even though I listed the Top 25 receivers in my eyes, there are still plenty of options not listed: Davante Adams, Jordan Norwood, and Albert Wilson, to name a few.
TE:
1. Rob Gronkowski, NE
2. Greg Olsen, CAR
3. Jordan Reed, WAS
4. Tyler Eifert, CIN
5. Luke Willson, SEA
6. Owen Daniels, DEN
7. Travis Kelce, KC
8. Heath Miller, PIT
9. Richard Rodgers, GB
10. Vernon Davis, DEN
11. Darren Fells, ARI
12. Scott Chandler, NE
13. Kyle Rudolph, MIN
14. Cooper Heifet, SEA
15. Ryan Griffin, HOU
Rob Gronkowski was a Top 12 draft pick in season-long leagues this season. So, naturally, he's a first round option in the shortened slate, too. But, don't be too depressed if you miss out on Gronk. Jordan Reed scored five touchdowns between Weeks 14-16. In those three games, Reed also recorded an average of 111 yards per start. As for late-round options, Cooper Heifet was targeted six times in back-to-back games to end the regular season. Without Jimmy Graham, Luke Willson took over as the main TE. With Willson suffering from a concussion, Heifet could steal the job.
K:
1. Stephen Gostkowski, NE
2. Graham Gano, CAR
3. Brandon McManus, DEN
4. Steven Hauschka, SEA
5. Chandler Catanzaro, ARI
6. Chris Boswell, PIT
7. Cairo Santos, KC
8. Mason Crosby, GB
9. Mike Nugent, CIN
10. Dustin Hopkins, WAS
11. Blair Walsh, MIN
12. Nick Novak, HOU
D/ST:
1. Denver
2. Carolina
3. Seattle
4. Arizona
5. New England
6. Kansas City
7. Houston
8. Pittsburgh
9. Cincinnati
10. Green Bay
11. Washington
12. Minnesota
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