MLB Best Bets – Free (Wednesday 7/24)
Josh Gross
As we head into Week 5 of the fantasy football season, lineups need to be set, and with that comes some tough decisions. Start/sit decisions are some of the biggest calls fantasy managers make each week.
One of the most popular tools here at FTN is our fantasy football rankings. Each week, we bring you non-PPR, PPR and half-PPR rankings to help you win your league.
Throughout the season, I will break down what players our FTN rankers prefer more (or less) than the expert consensus rankings at FantasyPros. For this article, I will be looking at the half-PPR format.
Quarterback
QBs the FTN rankers like more than ECR
| Player | Team | ECR Rk. | FTN Rk. | Difference |
| Ryan Tannehill | TEN | 19 | 17 | 2 |
| Joe Burrow | CIN | 6 | 5 | 1 |
| Kirk Cousins | MIN | 10 | 9 | 1 |
QBs the FTN rankers like less than ECR
| Player | Team | ECR Rk. | FTN Rk. | Difference |
| Teddy Bridgewater | MIA | 17 | 21 | -4 |
| Geno Smith | SEA | 16 | 19 | -3 |
| Justin Herbert | LAC | 5 | 6 | -1 |
- When it comes to the quarterback position, FTN and the ECR are fairly aligned within the top four. At five, though, our FTN crew has Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert flipped.
- Ryan Tannehill is a player that the FTN crew will take advantage of a softer matchup and finish as a mid-level QB2, while the ECR believes he is barely a top 20 QB.
- On the flip side, the FTN crew believes the lights may go out on the storybook start for Geno Smith this week against a stout Saints defense.
Running Back
RBs the FTN rankers like more than ECR
| Player | Team | ECR Rk. | FTN Rk. | Difference |
| Khalil Herbert | CHI | 17 | 13 | 4 |
| Najee Harris | PIT | 20 | 17 | 3 |
| Miles Sanders | PHI | 14 | 12 | 2 |
| J.K. Dobbins | BAL | 24 | 22 | 2 |
| Austin Ekeler | LAC | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| Joe Mixon | CIN | 7 | 6 | 1 |
| Leonard Fournette | TB | 9 | 8 | 1 |
| James Robinson | JAC | 11 | 10 | 1 |
| Clyde Edwards-Helaire | KC | 16 | 15 | 1 |
| Breece Hall | NYJ | 25 | 24 | 1 |
RBs the FTN rankers like less than ECR
| Player | Team | ECR Rk. | FTN Rk. | Difference |
| Rhamondre Stevenson | NE | 23 | 27 | -4 |
| Rashaad Penny | SEA | 28 | 32 | -4 |
| Travis Etienne | JAC | 35 | 38 | -3 |
| Damien Harris | NE | 19 | 21 | -2 |
| Derrick Henry | TEN | 3 | 4 | -1 |
| Dalvin Cook | MIN | 6 | 7 | -1 |
| Aaron Jones | GB | 8 | 9 | -1 |
| Jamaal Williams | DET | 10 | 11 | -1 |
| Dameon Pierce | HOU | 15 | 16 | -1 |
- This week, the FTN crew is more bullish on Khalil Herbert, ranking him as a fringe RB1, as it appears he may be in line to handle the lead role for the second week in a row. (Obviously, that is subject to change based on whether David Montgomery is active)
- Even in a very tough matchup the FTN crew believes Najee Harris is still a top-20 option as the Steelers start a rookie against a stout Bills defense.
- Both Miles Sanders and J.K. Dobbins have earned a little more respect from our FTN crew this week as well as both are ranked two spots higher than the ECR.
- The ECR is significantly higher on Rhamondre Stevenson and Damien Harris is what appears to be a solid matchup against a struggling Detroit defense, as they have them both as top-24 options.
- Rashaad Penny is another player that the ECR is more bullish on against a stout Saints run defense as opposed to our FTN crew who believes he’s not even in the top 30.
Wide Receiver
WRs the FTN rankers like more than ECR
| Player | Team | ECR Rk. | FTN Rk. | Difference |
| Curtis Samuel | WAS | 28 | 26 | 2 |
| A.J. Brown | PHI | 8 | 7 | 1 |
| Jaylen Waddle | MIA | 13 | 12 | 1 |
| Drake London | ATL | 21 | 20 | 1 |
| Brandin Cooks | HOU | 22 | 21 | 1 |
| Amari Cooper | CLE | 23 | 22 | 1 |
| Terry McLaurin | WAS | 25 | 24 | 1 |
WRs the FTN rankers like less than ECR
| Player | Team | ECR Rk. | FTN Rk. | Difference |
| JuJu Smith-Schuster | KC | 35 | 39 | -4 |
| Chris Godwin | TB | 20 | 23 | -3 |
| Tyler Lockett | SEA | 24 | 27 | -3 |
| Robert Woods | TEN | 28 | 30 | -2 |
| Deebo Samuel | SF | 7 | 8 | -1 |
| DK Metcalf | SEA | 17 | 18 | -1 |
| Brandon Aiyuk | SF | 36 | 37 | -1 |
| Romeo Doubs | GB | 32 | 33 | -1 |
- Our FTN crew is a tick higher on A.J. Brown this week than Deebo Samuel, as they have them flipped in the rankings compared to the ECR.
- On the flip side, our FTN crew does not have faith in JuJu Smith-Schuster this week, as they have him as a high-end WR4 as opposed to the ECR who has him as a WR3.
- Chris Godwin is also a player who our FTN crew is a bit lower on than the ECR, though they still have him as a top-24 option this week.
- Curtis Samuel is a player our FTN crew who believes in more than the ECR in a nice matchup against a weaker Titans secondary.
- The Seahawks draw the Saints this week, which is a tough matchup. That’s why our FTN crew have both DK Metcalf (-1) and Tyler Lockett (-3) ranked lower than the ECR.
Tight End
TEs the FTN rankers like more than ECR
| Player | Team | ECR Rk. | FTN Rk. | Difference |
| Logan Thomas | WAS | 17 | 15 | 2 |
| George Kittle | SF | 8 | 7 | 1 |
| David Njoku | CLE | 12 | 11 | 1 |
TEs the FTN rankers like less than ECR
| Player | Team | ECR Rk. | FTN Rk. | Difference |
| Robert Tonyan | GB | 15 | 18 | -3 |
| Tyler Higbee | LAR | 7 | 8 | -1 |
| Gerald Everett | LAC | 11 | 12 | -1 |
- The FTN crew prefers George Kittle this week opposed to Tyler Higbee, and they also prefer David Njoku over Gerald Everett this week.
- Logan Thomas is a player that our FTN crew thinks has a chance to be a fringe top-15 option his week as opposed to the ECR.
- On the flip side, the ECR believes Robert Tonyan is the fringe top-15 player while our FTN crew believes he’s closer to a top-20 option this week.
