Assessing the "Old Guys" in Fantasy Football This Year

While we get excited about rookies and breakout players every year in fantasy, there are certain guys who are just main stays. Let's check in on how we should assess the 28 and older crowd that has populated fantasy football rosters for years and years.

I have a list here of some guys that are main stays in fantasy, some of them I like. Some of them I avoid completely. Let's take a look:

·Aaron Rodgers- 39 years old. Last year, 14th overall QB in fantasy, and this year he’s being drafted around 12th at the position. (MVP back to back seasons prior to 2022, 37 and 48 TD’s those years). I'll never forget the year I drafted Brett Favre in fantasy in the double digit rounds, must've been around 2007. Everyone avoided him in drafts because they just assumed he was getting old, and the dude carried me to a championship. Many people experienced the same with Brady and the Bucs in 2020. Remember, Rodgers had a hand injury last year and his #1 receiver was Romeo Doubs. Now he has Garrett Wilson and a new lease on life. I wouldn't be surprised if he returned to something close to his MVP form.

·Alvin Kamara- 28 years old. Been crushing it in fantasy since 2017. Lowest fantasy PPG average of his career last season – saw some breaking down. But man, he looked spry in preseason. I might have to change my evaluation.

·James Conner- 28 years old. In the worst offense in the NFL potentially. Has never played more than 14 games in a season. Not for me.

·Ezekiel Elliott- 28 years old. Clear goal line role. RB40 off the board. Totally worth it. He doesn't have a ton left in the tank, but he still scored double digit TD's last year, and Belichick has a way of squeezing out that last ounce of juice in these old guys.

·DeAndre Hopkins- 31 years old. No thanks. He is being wayyy overdrafted. Right now his ADP is higher than Keenan Allen, DJ Moore, Christian Watson, Terry McLaurin. He’s played 19 games total in the last 2 seasons, his burst is gone. This is not the same player.

·Brandin Cooks- 29 years old. Statistically identical to D-Hop last year. In a better offense. Significantly cheaper, by about 5 rounds. The Cowboys #2 WR has always returned good value with Dak at QB. Michael Gallup, Amari Cooper, Cole Beasley, Terrence Williams. All viable fantasy options, and Cooks is as good as any of them.

·Travis Kelce- 33 years old. I probably don’t need to say anything here.