Ian Allan answers your fantasy football questions. Special welcome back issue. Assessing the league's new kickoff rule. Is Jayden Daniels better than Caleb Williams. The most productive receiving tandems. And more.
Question 1
Long time subscriber. With the new kickoff rules, will you have a section on kick returners in this year’s edition of Fantasy Football Index?
Allan Miller (Mc Kees Rocks, PA)
This rule was tried in a spring league a few years ago. In 60 games, there were 3 touchdowns scored on kickoff returns (with one of those coming on a reverse). If that ratio holds (a touchdown in 5 percent of games) then there should be about 14 touchdowns scored on kickoff returns. That’s the number we’re using as a baseline for now. That’s less than a half a touchdown per team. That rate would suggest there probably will be a couple of teams that will score 2 TDs on kickoff returns, maybe 10 that score one 1 TD, and maybe 20 that don’t score any touchdowns.
As far as individual returners to target, there isn’t one right now that I can point to and guarantee he’ll score on a kickoff return. Cordarrelle Patterson has scored a record 9 kickoff returns, but he’s 33 (the Steelers signed Patterson shortly after this rule was voted in). KaVontae Turpin has been a very good kick returner for the Cowboys, but he hasn’t actually scored on a return yet in a regular-season game. Kene Nwangwu scored 3 TDs on kickoff returns in his first two seasons (but none last year). The Jaguars signed Devin Duvernay, and I think that move was fueld in part by his kick return prowess. Marvin Mims scored on a kickoff return last year and also had a 52-yard punt return. The Ravens have two returners on their roster who scored on returns last year. We’ll be firming up our returner listings in August, and we’ll put together a 1 thru 32 list at that time.
Question 2
Why is Caleb Williams considered almost unanimously as the #1 overall pick? Didn't the kid from LSU win the Heisman? I assume the Bears have done their homework but the last LSU Heisman winner, Joe Burrow did quite well.
Matt Morse (Glennallen, AK)
I think pretty much every team would have taken Williams over Daniels. He’s thicker, and he’s shown more as a passer, I think. More ability to look at defense and problem solve, I think. With Daniels last year, there were a lot of plays where he was either throwing to his primary option or pulling it down to run. I think he’ll need more work.
Question 3
12 team, 1/2 PPR, 1 QB, auction, $200 budget, and I can keep 3 or 4 players. I have both Anthony Richardson ($11 cap) and Jordan Love ($1). Do I keep both for total $12 in QB budget? Other options include McBride $1, Jayden Reed $1, Shakir $1, Ty Chandler $1, J.Conner $20.
Richard Micheli (Washington, DC)
I don’t know what the running back market is in your league. Conner for 10 percent of the cap looks like a good deal (he’s a top-20 back on my board) but it’s not necessarily a great one. Certainly, the keepers should include Love, McBride and Reed, all at the minimum. For the final spot, I think I’d be inclined to take an $11 swing on Richardson’s upside. With his run-pass playing style, he might be a top-5 quarterback when healthy.
Question 4
I came across a quiz that may make a fun trivia question: Name the only 3 current NFL franchises that have not selected at least 3 quarterbacks in the first round?
Mike Craig (Kokomo, IN)
Thanks for the tip; I will keep that background in mind when composing future questions. I would be leery, however, of using the Cowboys as an answer. They selected Troy Aikman No. 1 overall and Craig Morton just before the start of the Super Bowl era, but they also used a supplemental pick on Steve Walsh. While Walsh wasn’t used with a traditional pick, he cost Dallas the No. 1 overall pick of the 1990 draft.
Question 5
Please put together a list of top 10 pass catcher team duos for 2023, by total yards and TDs for each duo. I think great info for 2024 season.
Craig Leedy (Sacramento, CA)
The Dolphins had the top receiver duo last year. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle had more catches and yards than any other pair of receivers, and with the 2nd-most touchdowns.
| WIDE RECEIVERS DUOS (2023) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RECEIVERS | No | Yds | Avg | TD | PPR |
| Hill-Waddle, Mia. | 191 | 2,813 | 14.7 | 17 | 574.3 |
| Lamb-Cooks, Dall. | 189 | 2,406 | 12.7 | 20 | 549.6 |
| Brown-Smith, Phil. | 187 | 2,522 | 13.5 | 14 | 523.2 |
| Evans-Godwin, T.B. | 162 | 2,279 | 14.1 | 15 | 479.9 |
| Adams-Meyers, L.V. | 174 | 1,951 | 11.2 | 16 | 465.1 |
| Brown-Reynolds, Det. | 159 | 2,123 | 13.4 | 15 | 461.3 |
| Nacua-Kupp, LAR | 164 | 2,223 | 13.6 | 11 | 452.3 |
| Aiyuk-Samuel, S.F. | 135 | 2,234 | 16.5 | 14 | 442.4 |
| Diggs-Davis, Buff. | 152 | 1,929 | 12.7 | 15 | 434.9 |
| Jefferson-Addison, Min. | 138 | 1,985 | 14.4 | 15 | 426.5 |
| Metcalf-Lockett, Sea. | 145 | 2,008 | 13.8 | 13 | 423.8 |
| Collins-Dell, Hou. | 127 | 2,006 | 15.8 | 15 | 417.6 |
| Chase-Boyd, Cin. | 167 | 1,883 | 11.3 | 9 | 409.3 |
| Pittman-Downs, Ind. | 177 | 1,923 | 10.9 | 6 | 405.3 |
| Allen-Palmer, LAC | 146 | 1,824 | 12.5 | 9 | 382.4 |
| Ridley-Kirk, Jac. | 133 | 1,803 | 13.6 | 11 | 379.3 |
| Olave-Shaheed, N.O. | 133 | 1,842 | 13.8 | 10 | 377.2 |
| Reed-Doubs, G.B. | 123 | 1,467 | 11.9 | 16 | 365.7 |
| Cooper-Moore, Cle. | 131 | 1,890 | 14.4 | 7 | 362.0 |
| Pickens-Johnson, Pitt. | 114 | 1,857 | 16.3 | 10 | 359.7 |
| Moore-Mooney, Chi. | 127 | 1,778 | 14.0 | 9 | 358.8 |
| McLaurin-Samuel, Was. | 141 | 1,615 | 11.5 | 8 | 350.5 |
| Thielen-Chark, Car. | 138 | 1,539 | 11.2 | 9 | 345.9 |
| Sutton-Jeudy, Den. | 113 | 1,530 | 13.5 | 12 | 338.0 |
| Rice-Watson, K.C. | 106 | 1,398 | 13.2 | 10 | 305.8 |
| Flowers-Beckham, Balt. | 112 | 1,423 | 12.7 | 8 | 302.3 |
| Hopkins-Moore, Ten. | 97 | 1,481 | 15.3 | 7 | 287.1 |
| Wilson-Lazard, NYJ | 118 | 1,353 | 11.5 | 4 | 277.3 |
| Slayton-Robinson, NYG | 110 | 1,295 | 11.8 | 5 | 269.5 |
| Brown-Wilson, Ari. | 89 | 1,139 | 12.8 | 7 | 244.9 |
| London-Hollins, Atl. | 87 | 1,156 | 13.3 | 2 | 214.6 |
| Douglas-Bourne, N.E. | 86 | 967 | 11.2 | 4 | 206.7 |