Welcome to our 2019 Player Profiles series. We are going through the top 100 in the consensus PPR rankings of Heath Cummings, Jamey Eisenberg and Dave Richard to give you the case for and the case against drafting each player. By the time you're done, you'll know everything you need to know for drafting in 2019.
The 80-71 range is stocked with a prime upside quarterback and a two rookie backs and some veteran receivers with high ceilings:
80. Hunter Henry, TE, LAC
The Case For: Henry was our favorite breakout tight end a year ago before suffering a torn ACL that cost him the season, but the injury happened early enough in the offseason, and Henry is young enough that we can just repeat that call. Henry is still just 25 years old and already has an eight-touchdown season on his resume. Antonio Gates is no longer in the way and Philip Rivers has a long history of leaning on his tight end.
The Case Against: The Chargers fix last year was to target their running backs more and use Mike Williams in the red zone. Williams, Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler are all still there, and there's no guarantee they won't stand in the way of Henry's breakout. Henry is a fine late-round tight end to settle for, but don't go reaching. There are still plenty of weapons in Los Angeles.
79. Sterling Shepard, WR, NYG
The Case For: Shepard has a legitimate chance to be the No. 1 receiver for the Giants now that Odell Beckham is in Cleveland. He's averaged better than eight yards per target each of the past two seasons, so if he can get to 125 targets he should approach 1,000 yards and be a borderline No. 2 receiver.
The Case Against: Shepard does have the potential to lead the Giants in targets but with Saquon Barkley, Evan Engram and Golden Tate there it's really hard to see an enormous upside. Every indication the Giants have given us this offseason is that they want to go more run heavy so Shepard may struggle to reach 120 targets. You're better served if he's your No. 4 receiver.
78. Allen Robinson, WR, CHI
The Case For: It's hard to believe, but Robinson is still a young receiver, not turning 26 until just before the start of the season. He has a creative head coach and a young, improving quarterback. In 10 full games with Mitchell Trubisky last year, he was on pace for 75 catches and over 1,000 yards. He'll be more productive in his second year in the system and should be a solid No. 2 receiver in Fantasy.
The Case Against: This is a good system, but the things that make it good aren't great for Fantasy. Seemingly every week there was a new target leader for the Bears. That could be even worse if Anthony Miller continues to develop and demands a larger share of the targets.
77. Darrell Henderson, RB, LAR
The Case For: Some evaluators' top running back in the class, Henderson has good size for his 5-8 frame, checking in at 208 pounds for an 80th percentile BMI among running backs. He rushed for over 3,000 yards and 31 touchdowns over his final two collegiate seasons, with a ridiculous 8.9 yards per carry. The Rams traded up for Henderson, suggesting legitimate concern about Todd Gurley's health. Even with Gurley's injury limiting him to 14 games last year, he led the NFL in rushing touchdowns for the second straight season, and C.J. Anderson's late-season production further drives home the running back value in Sean McVay's offense, which by its nature creates a high rate of rushes against light defensive fronts. There are few handcuffs with more obvious upside than Henderson.
The Case Against: Prior to Gurley's injury, No. 2 backs rarely saw the field for the Rams over the past two seasons. And before drafting Henderson, the Rams matched an offer sheet on Malcolm Brown, their No. 2 entering 2018 before his own injury opened the door for the team to sign Anderson. Should Henderson struggle to earn the No. 2 role, or should Gurley prove to be healthier than feared, Henderson might not see the field enough as a rookie.
76. Will Fuller, WR, HOU
The Case For: When Fuller has played with Deshaun Watson, they've been virtually unstoppable. He has 1,000-yard potential over a full season and has posted a ridiculous touchdown rate with Watson. Teams simply cannot stop him while also giving DeAndre Hopkins the attention he deserves.
The Case Against: There is really very little reason to believe Fuller can handle a full 16-game season. He's recovering from a torn ACL right now and has only played 17 games over the past two seasons combined. He's a fine bench option with upside but certainly not someone you want to rely on.
75. Miles Sanders, RB, PHI
The Case For: You could make the argument Sanders landed in the best spot of any rookie. The Eagles have a high-powered offense and Sanders can handle both the running and the passing downs. Jordan Howard shouldn't stand in the talented rookie's way.
The Case Against: The Eagles do have a high-powered offense, but they have been reluctant to lean on any one back. Josh Adams led the team with 120 carries last year. LeGarrette Blount's 173 carries are the most any back has earned in Doug Pederson's tenure in Philadelphia. It doesn't help that Sanders missed a chunk of summer workouts with a hamstring injury. The expectation should be the he starts the year behind Howard.
74. Baker Mayfield, QB, CLE
The Case For: Mayfield was fantastic as a rookie. In his 13 starts he was on pace for 4,337 yards and 33 touchdowns. In the final eight games after Hue Jackson left, he was on pace for 4,508 yards and 38 touchdowns. You could make the argument he didn't need any type of boost at all. Then the Browns went out and got Odell Beckham. Mayfield is one of a handful of quarterbacks who has the upside to challenge Patrick Mahomes in 2019.
The Case Against: It's still the Browns? Seriously, it's hard to find a bad thing to say about Mayfield right now. He does throw too many interceptions and there is some chance the league fares better against Kitchens' offense with a half season of tape on it, but the talent the Browns have accumulated may make that a moot point.
73. Dede Westbrook, WR, JAC
The Case For: Westbrook is the most talented receiver in Jacksonville, and this passing game got a major upgrade in the offseason. For starters, new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo actually wants to throw the football. Maybe more importantly, new quarterback Nick Foles is actually capable. Westbrook has top-20 upside in the new offense if he bonds quickly with Foles.
The Case Against: DeFilippo was fired by the Vikings before the Jaguars hired him. And are we really upgrading a receiver because of Nick Foles? This is still a run-first team with a below-average quarterback. No one receiver is going to get enough targets to be a difference-maker.
72. Jarvis Landry, WR, CLE
The Case For: Even in a down year Landry was a decent starting option in PPR. Now he gets Odell Beckham to draw coverage away. This could be the most exciting offense in the league in 2019, and Landry should benefit from the attention drawn by Beckham.
The Case Against: This offense was pretty exciting in 2018 with Baker Mayfield and Freddie Kitchens, but it didn't help Landry at all. In fact, he got worse. He averaged 11.8 targets per game before Kitchens took over and just 6.9 in the final eight games. That number could shrink further with Beckham on the team. Landry's value in Fantasy has always been based on volume. You don't want a low-volume slot receiver who rarely scores touchdowns in your lineup.
71. Alshon Jeffery, WR, PHI
The Case For: Jeffery didn't catch as many touchdowns last season, but he was a better football player than in 2017. He caught 70 percent of his targets and was on pace for more than 1,000 yards. He's a No. 1 receiver in one the most exciting offenses in the league and should see 120 targets.
The Case Against: We can make too much of injury concern, but both Jeffery and his quarterback, Carson Wentz, have been plagued by them. Wentz's risk is exacerbated by the fact the Eagles lost Nick Foles this offseason. And Jeffery actually had his best game in 2018 with Foles. Also, the Eagles like to spread the ball around and they added two more weapons in DeSean Jackson and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside. This could severely limit Jeffery's target upside.
