Jeff Ratcliffe's Articles

Our 2022 pre-draft fantasy football dynasty rookie rankings continue today with a look at running back. This year’s class doesn’t quite have a standout at the top like we’ve saw last year in Najee Harris, but Breece Hall isn’t that far off. There’s also some interesting depth that could mean a number of these players […]

Our pre-draft 2022 dynasty fantasy football rookie rankings continue today with a look at tight end. This isn’t the best class we’ve seen in recent memory, but there are some intriguing names on the list. Let’s be clear that players like Kyle Pitts do not come around very often, and there is no player of […]

With the 2022 NFL Draft rapidly approaching, it’s time to get a lay of the land with some dynasty fantasy football rookie rankings. Today we’ll attack quarterback. This year’s class is an interesting group that is headlined by upside in Malik Willis.   Quarterbacks tend to offer some of the most value in dynasty rookie […]

The USFL is almost here, and that means the chance for some more fantasy football. If you’re thinking of starting an USFL fantasy football league, we have you covered here at FTN.   To be clear, alternative pro football leagues don’t necessarily have the best track record, given the AAF’s complete flame out in 2019 […]

With just over two weeks until the 2022 NFL Draft, it’s time to unveil my first mock draft of the year. As you read through the picks, keep in mind that my focus isn’t to get each pick correct.    Rather, I treated this like an academic exercise where I aim to address team needs […]

The internet is wrong. Shocking, I know. But in the wake of the blockbuster trade that sent Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins, many had the same take. It went something like this: “Hill is going to take the top off the defense and be used as a downfield threat for Tua Tagovailoa and the […]

The most compelling offseason in NFL history got even more compelling Wednesday, as the Kansas City Chiefs are trading Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for five draft picks that include a first- and second-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft. That’s a hefty haul for the Chiefs, but they’re now left without […]

The most active offseason in the history of the NFL continued on Monday with the Atlanta Falcons trading Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a third-round pick. The Falcons then went and inked Marcus Mariota to a two-year deal. (Follow along with all of the big free agency reactions here!) Despite rumblings […]

The AFC West continues to be the league’s most compelling division in NFL free agency, as the Kansas City Chiefs got into the mix and signed JuJu Smith-Schuster to a one-year, $10.75 million contract Friday. Still just 25 years old, Smith-Schuster will get a chance to prove it in one of the league’s most explosive […]

Finally. The Deshaun Watson trade saga is over. Watson shocked nearly everyone Friday afternoon, waiving his no-trade clause for the Cleveland Browns after it had been widely reported that the Browns were out of the mix. Watson and the Browns agreed to a massive five-year pact worth a reported $230 million. The entire contract is […]

It seems every year we get a big head-scratcher in NFL free agency, and we now have the leader in the clubhouse for 2022 after Allen Robinson signed with the Los Angeles Rams Thursday. The deal is a reported three-year pact worth $46.5 million. At $15.5 million per year, that’s well south of the $18 […]

Just when we thought we’ve seen it all with this NFL offseason, the Packers and Raiders went and sent a seismic shockwave through the NFL. Green Bay is trading all-world WR Davante Adams to Las Vegas in exchange for two 2022 picks. For his trouble, Adams is getting a massive five-year, $141.25 million contract. (Follow […]

What once looked like a bleak future for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has turned around quite dramatically over the last week. Following Tom Brady’s unretirement, the team was able to re-sign C Ryan Jensen and CB Carlton Davis. Tampa then bolstered their wide receiver corps Tuesday with the addition of former Falcons WR Russell Gage, […]

The Detroit Lions addressed a glaring need at wide receiver Tuesday, agreeing to a one-year, $10 million contract with D.J. Chark. That’s by no means a massive deal for Chark, especially given the $18 million annual contract Christian Kirk netted from Chark’s former team the Jacksonville Jaguars. But he will get a chance to prove […]

All gas, no brakes. The Jets are going full-blast into 2022 and made a key addition on the offensive side of the ball Monday, signing TE C.J. Uzomah to a three-year, $24 million deal. While not quite the money we saw Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith fetch in free agency last year, this contract positions […]

The overhaul is in full swing in Jacksonville. After signing Christian Kirk to a hefty deal, the Jags will also be bringing in TE Evan Engram on a one-year, $9 million deal. Engram instantly vaults to the top of the Jacksonville pecking order at tight end and gives Trevor Lawrence a dynamic weapon at the […]

The next stop on Christian Kirk’s NFL journey is officially Jacksonville, as the veteran receiver agree to what NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport is calling a “large deal.” Kirk was expected to fetch north of $15 million per year, which would position him among the 20 highest-paid wide receivers in the league. (Follow along with all […]

The King is dead. Long live the King. With Ben Roethlisberger retired, the Steelers took a step to address the cavernous void he leaves on the depth chart by signing QB Mitchell Trubisky to a two-year deal. All sarcasm aside, Trubisky does figure to be the starter with Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins also in […]

James Conner is staying put in Arizona after agreeing to a three-year, $21 million deal that includes a hefty $13.5 million in fully guaranteed money. This news comes on the heels of Chase Edmonds bouncing for Miami, which essentially locks Conner in as a three-down back for the Cardinals. (Follow along with all of the […]

Former Arizona Cardinals RB Chase Edmonds will be taking his talents to South Beach with a reported two-year agreement in place with the Miami Dolphins. The deal is worth $12.6 million across the two seasons with $6.1 in guaranteed money.  As far as landing spots are concerned, this is one of the better destinations for […]

A very active week of trading in the NFL continued Saturday, with the Dallas Cowboys shipping veteran WR Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a fifth-round pick in April’s draft. The two teams also swapped places in the sixth round.  That’s a meager return for the Cowboys, but Dallas wasn’t in a […]

The NFL Scouting Combine is here, so it’s time to set our first big board for 2022 rookie fantasy football rankings. Keep in mind that we’re still very early in the process. A lot can change in these rankings between now and the NFL Draft, and things may even change during the Combine. However, it’s […]

The 2022 NFL Draft features a very interesting crop of rookie quarterbacks. While there’s certainly the potential for future fantasy football standouts in this bunch, this year’s class does not rival some of the recent groups of signal-callers to enter the league. At the same time, we’re not talking about a 2013 draft class of […]

We’re heading into the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs, and eight teams remain standing. While fantasy football isn’t quite the same during the playoffs as it is in the regular season, there’s still plenty of opportunity to play in DFS contests and one-and-done leagues. Regardless of which format you’re in, we have you covered […]

The NFL’s Wild Card weekend means another opportunity to play some fantasy football. That means draft-and-hold postseason fantasy football leagues, DFS, salary cap formats, playoff challenge contests and one-and-done contests. Regardless of which format you’re in, we have you covered here at FTN. Like we do every week in the Report, let’s break down every […]

Just when you thought you were out of the fantasy football season, we’re going to pull you back in. It’s time for the NFL playoffs, which means another month of fantasy before the offseason.  Postseason fantasy football is not a new idea, but it has been increasing in popularity over the last few years. At […]

It’s time for the Week 18 fantasy football waiver wire. Fantasy waivers can often make or break your season. Making the right decision on which players to add and drop is crucial, so we have you set up with a deep list of potential waiver wire adds for Week 18. Of course, this is weird […]

Staring at your roster isn’t going to reveal a magical set of answers to the test that will tell you all of the “right” plays to make this week. I know, You want to squeeze every possible point out of your lineup, and that’s fair. But sometimes, you get thrown a curveball that you didn’t […]

Fantasy football is all about the matchups, especially when it comes to WR vs. CB. Remember when fantasy matchup analysis used to be “Team A gives up the most fantasy points to wide receivers”? Well, we’ve moved from analog to digital and now look at matchups on an individual level.  Each week, I dig through […]

It’s Wednesday, and that means it’s time to break out the flex fantasy football rankings for Week 17 of the 2021 NFL season. If you’re new to the concept of flex rankings, these are simply the combined overall rankings for running back, wide receiver, and tight end for each week during the fantasy football season. […]

It’s time for the Week 17 fantasy football waiver wire. Fantasy waivers can often make or break your season. Making the right decision on which players to add and drop is crucial, so we have you set up with a deep list of potential waiver wire adds for Week 17. We cast a wide net […]

The No. 1 enemy of fantasy football players is overthinking. Heading into this weekend with the fantasy semifinals on the line, take a step back from your fantasy lineups. Sure, you could tinker with things a thousand times and research every possible angle. But your initial lineup is typically your best lineup. Like we said […]