The 2019 season has been a blast. The Lamar Jackson experience, record-breaking efforts from Christian McCaffrey and Michael Thomas, drama from Antonio Brown ... those are just a few of the many highlights we'll remember this year by. But it won't be long before we're taking a look ahead to the 2020 season and beyond. In fact, let's start right now.
The final Believe It or Not of the season will take a look at the 2020 and Dynasty value of four very interesting players.
Saquon Barkley should be a top-2 pick in 2020.
In Week 16 Barkley reminded us why he was the consensus No. 1 pick this year with 279 total yards and two touchdowns. It was his second consecutive game with at least 130 yards and multiple scores after a really disappointing stretch. Even with his struggles, Barkley heads into Week 17 as the No. 6 running back on a per-game basis.
This is likely to be an improved offense in 2020 with Daniel Jones improving as a starter. That makes Barkley a very good choice after Christian McCaffrey.
Verdict: Don't believe it.
I could start considering Barkley at No. 4, but no sooner. Dalvin Cook was a lot better on a per-game basis and didn't miss as many games with injury. I also have more confidence that Cook is going to be in an offense that is conducive to good running back production. In a PPR league, I'd also take Michael Thomas before Barkley. Thomas has a much higher floor and is just 24 PPR points away from Barkley's remarkable 2018.
Josh Allen is a top-10 Dynasty QB.
It isn't always pretty, but it's getting harder to make the case against Allen as a top-10 Fantasy quarterback. He currently ranks seventh at the position in 2019 after finishing 2018 on a tear. While his completion percentage and yards per attempt remain below average, Allen has improved both in his second year. There's still plenty of room for growth as well, which will make him one of my favorite offseason targets.
Verdict: Believe it.
You don't have to be a very good passer if you're going to run for 500 yards a season and Allen is built to take the type of beating running quarterbacks take in the NFL. There's a good chance the Bills add to Allen's weapons in 2020 as well. All signs point to a guy who is currently a top-10 quarterback and has a lot of ways he could get even better.
Allen is one of three quarterbacks I can see making the leap next year along with Kyler Murray and Daniel Jones.
Tyler Higbee should be drafted as a top-6 TE in 2020.
It's pretty amazing Tyler Higbee is going to finish 2019 as a No. 1 Fantasy tight end considering he wasn't even the No. 1 tight end n his own team for most of the year. Four straight 100-yard games can do that.
Over the last month of the season Higbee was the clear No. 2 option for the Rams passing game and delivered on the opportunity he was given. In his last four games he caught 35 of 44 targets for 438 yards. If anything he was a little bit unlucky to only catch one touchdown.
Verdict: Don't believe it.
Not for now, anyway.
This is a team that should still have Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, Brandin Cooks and Todd Gurley in 2020. They may still have Gerald Everett as well. I have to suspect they want to get Cooks and Kupp more involved next year, especially after missing the playoffs this year. Higbee currently looks like a borderline top-10 guy to me.
T.Y. Hilton is no longer a top-25 WR in Dynasty.
Hilton's disappointing 2019 campaign didn't get any better in Week 16. For the seventh time this season he failed to reach 60 yards and he still hasn't scored since Week 7. Unfortunately, Hilton is on the wrong side of 30 and has quarterback concerns moving forward, so there may not be much hope it gets better in the future. He's no more than a No. 3 receiver in Dynasty leagues.
Verdict: Believe it.
This has as much to do with the year this position has had as it does Hilton. D.J. Moore, Courtland Sutton, A.J. Brown, Terry McLaurin and others have vaulted past Hilton in terms of Dynasty value. This was a big year for young players surging while Hilton is moving in the opposite direction. He's battled through injuries each of the past two seasons and his 6.6 yards per target were by far the worst of his carer. This does not look like a buy low situation.