Fantasy Focus: NFC North Assets/Liablities

At the end of the day, the NFL is a business. Team owners and executives try to find the best players for a reasonable price, so they can win and draw fans that buy their tickets and merchandise. In a way, fantasy football is also a business. Every year we scour the internet for information on players to find out who we should draft, and which round they should be drafted in to get value from our precious picks. 

Some may play fantasy football for money, but everyone does it for pride. No one wants to be the guy at the end of the year that has to get the awful haircut as a punishment. So, to help you avoid this embarrassment, here are a few NFC North players that may prove to be either assets or liabilities (yes, we’re keeping the business theme) to your teams this year. 

Asset: RB D’Andre Swift (Espn Position Rank: 23)

The rookie out of Georgia turned heads in college for his dynamic playmaking ability both in the rushing and passing games. This is a welcomed sight for a Detroit team that ranked 21st in the run game last season. However, there are concerns with Swift early in the season due to his leg injury that has kept him out of practice the past week, and he is still sharing carries with Kerryon Johnson. That said, Swift’s superior abilities in the passing game will get him more touches and expect him to earn more carries throughout the season. Pick him up as a flex option in the middle rounds and watch him turn into a potential RB2 or even RB1 later in the season.

Liability: Chicago Bears D/ST (ESPN Position Rank: 8)

After acquiring Khalil Mack in 2018, the Bears defense has been one of the best units in the league. This team may still prove to be great in the pass rush with Mack, Robert Quinn, and Akiem Hicks, but outside of that, this team has noticeable holes, specifically in the secondary and rush defense. Seven of their top 12 defenders in terms of snaps from 2019 are gone, and Hicks is now 31 with an injury history. There are much safer defensive choices out there.

Asset: TE Jace Sternberger (ESPN Position Rank: 23)

The tight end position has become notorious for its lack of depth. The field can quickly dry up if everyone in a league decides to pick a tight end all at once. If the top names have disappeared, consider a look at Sternberger. The second year player was behind Jimmy Graham his entire rookie season, but he managed to make himself a larger part of the offense in the playoffs, including scoring a touchdown in the NFC Championship game. While Aaron Rodgers has never made a tight end a focal point of the offense, Green Bay again failed to give Rodgers a secondary receiver behind Davante Adams this offseason. That could open up more opportunities for Sternberger in 2020. 

Liability: RB Aaron Jones (ESPN Position Rank: 12)

Jones showed what he could do last year in an offense where he could run free. He racked up a league-leading 19 touchdowns from scrimmage and over 1500 yards. While he may put up similar yardage numbers, he seems due to drop in touchdowns. He was also very inconsistent last year for someone who is valued as a first round pick, posting seven games with 60 or fewer yards from scrimmage. With so many running backs with high potential in this area, such as Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Miles Sanders, avoid drafting Jones in the first two rounds.

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