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Fantasy Football 2016: 1st-Round Mock Draft, Team Names and Sleepers

Fantasy Football
September 1, 2016

For those of you who haven’t drafted your fantasy football team yet, it’s time to get a move on, as the NFL season is one week away from its opener between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers. 

Just like a new season, there has been a new trend emerging in fantasy football. Emphasis for running backs near the top of the draft has been replaced by the need for playmaking wide receivers, as pass-catchers have made their way toward the top of many draft boards. 

When it comes to picking your roster or even your team name, here is a little cheat sheet you can refer to when you’re on the clock:

   

Sleepers

Tyler Boyd, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals will attempt to replace 98 receptions and 1,210 yards in 2016 after they lost Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu in free agency during the offseason. 

They attempted to add a threat via the draft, taking Tyler Boyd in the second round after he put up 3,361 receiving yards in three seasons at Pitt. 

Given the lack of skill behind star A.J. Green, there’s a good opportunity for the rookie to make a big impact for your fantasy team. 

A solid preseason that saw him post three catches for 78 yards and a touchdown makes him a big-play threat, via the NFL:

His skill set has impressed backup quarterback AJ McCarron, via Nick Shook of NFL.com:

Yeah, awesome player, does an awesome job of being in the right place, knowing what to do and how to do it and you can’t say enough good things about ‘T.B.’ I mean, he’s a workhorse and he listens to everything. If I have anything to say he’s always all ears and doesn’t question it. He’s awesome, can’t say enough good things about him.

It also has him heading into the regular season as the team’s No. 3 wide receiver behind Green and veteran Brandon LaFell, who missed five games last season due to a nagging foot injury. The Bengals already saw Brandon Tate as expendable, cutting him on Tuesday. 

If you’re stuck in the deeper rounds of your draft and not content with your wide receivers, Boyd is a player who has shown the promise of contributing quickly in the NFL. 

    

Robert Griffin III, QB, Cleveland Browns

Before you start grabbing your pitchforks and lighting your torches, just take a moment and bear with me as I begin this portion with a disclaimer: This is all reliant on if he is able to stay healthy. 

Robert Griffin III has a chip on his shoulder regardless of if he’s said it or not. Once the future face of the NFL after a stellar rookie year in 2012, injuries and his benching for Kirk Cousins left the dual-threat quarterback in the football Siberia that is Cleveland. 

But since winning the starting job with the Browns, Griffin has looked solid in preseason action, via the NFL:

His arm is still plenty powerful and his legs still mobile, though it’s imperative he tries to stay in the pocket at all times to preserve his health. 

However, there is the possibility of some big-point outputs if he can succeed in both the passing and rushing aspects. 

Griffin will be without No. 1 receiver Josh Gordon for the first four weeks of the season, but it’s unlikely that a fantasy owner will need him so early in the season. 

Whether it be deeper in the draft or even on the waiver wire, Griffin could be an investment that pays off if something were to happen to your starting arms. 

    

Team Name Ideas

It doesn’t matter how good your roster is if it isn’t backed up with a witty team name. You can go 12-2 and lead the league in points while drafting a kicker in the third round, but it’s all for naught if your peers don’t give your title a sensible chuckle. 

So let’s take a look at some of the best fantasy team names of 2016:

    

Do you have any good fantasy football team name ideas? Feel free to share below in the comment section.

Read more Fantasy Football news on NerdyFootball.com

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