You have done your preparation for who to select in your fantasy football draft, and now it is time to find an amazing team name to match your squad. What better way to win over your competition than by having the best name in the league. Heavy has traveled far and wide (on the internet) to find the best fantasy football team names for 2018.
We have also coupled the ideas with some fantasy advice on why the players paired with the name could be a good target during your draft. If there was ever a doubt, running backs are back after a few years of receiving their fair share of doubters. According to Fantasy Pros, there are nine running backs being selected in the first round of drafts in 12-team leagues. Overall, 11 of the first 15 players currently being drafted are running backs. Todd Gurley, Le'Veon Bell, Ezekiel Elliott and David Johnson are all candidates to be the No. 1 selection in most drafts.
Based on the data, the only wide receivers in the running to be selected in the first round are Antonio Brown, DeAndre Hopkins, Odell Beckham Jr. and Julio Jones. What is the reason for the uptick in value of running backs? There are several contributing factors.
The NFL continues to be more of a passing league, and it is difficult to find a back who is guaranteed to get a lot of carries each game. The consensus names at the top of rankings are all players expected to be on the field for the majority of snaps. There are also more teams relying on multiple backs, making the true bell-cow running backs a lot rarer. At the same time, the last several NFL drafts have seen a heavy influx of talented running backs. For example, Saquon Barkley is going in the first round of drafts despite being a rookie.
What position should you prioritize during your draft? There are a lot of different theories, and many ways to win your fantasy league. ESPN fantasy analyst Matthew Berry broke down the rosters of playoff teams (10-team leagues) from the last two years.
Looking at the past two years, the average playoff team out of the millions of ESPN fantasy teams that played in our standard format (10-team re-draft, 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, TE, flex, K, D/ST, seven-man bench, PPR scoring) scored 121.5 points per week. (It's around 94 points a week for non-PPR playoff teams.)
Some will score more, some will score less, but if you average 121.5 points a week this year in ESPN PPR leagues, you're gonna have a really good shot at making the playoffs. Here's how the PPR scoring breaks down by position the past two years:
QB: 18.34
RBs: 30.6
WRs: 30.62
TE: 11.53
Flex: 11.88
K: 9.75
D/ST: 8.79
Total: 121.51
You may need a little bit of good fortune to win your fantasy league, but having a great team name can last the entire season. Click the next arrow to see our rankings for the best fantasy football team names for 2018.
No. 10 InstaJimmyGraham
Jimmy Graham's fantasy value is seeing a nice boost with his off-season move to the Green Bay Packers. Graham never really fit with the Seahawks, who do not have a great history of using their tight ends in the passing game. The Packers have been looking for a premier tight end to pair with Aaron Rodgers, and it looks like they have found their man.
With Jordy Nelson now with the Raiders, there is even more opportunities for Graham to get targets this season. Football Outsiders' Scott Kacsmar spoke with SB Nation about how he expected the Packers to utilize Graham.
"I think it depends on how they want to use Jimmy Graham," Kacsmar told SB Nation. "In recent years he has been much more effective when lined up in the slot as opposed to a traditional, in-line tight end position. So in this offense, he could serve as a third receiver in the slot to go along with Randall Cobb and Davante Adams, while someone like Marcedes Lewis or Lance Kendricks plays the in-line role. I think that could work well, because unless a young wideout (J’Mon Moore perhaps?) steps up, this is probably the weakest the wide receiver depth chart has been in the Aaron Rodgers era. So I think they’ll want to look at Graham in the slot a lot, and he has always been a fantastic target in the red zone. That’s an area where Rodgers was so good with Nelson despite the receiver’s physical limitations in recent years, but I think Rodgers and Graham can have a great red-zone chemistry right away in 2018."
This would explain why Graham is being selected the highest we have seen since he was with the Saints. According to Fantasy Pros, Graham has an ADP of 52.6 as the fourth tight end being selected. Graham is being drafted in the early fifth round in most 12-team leagues. Rodgers appears to be thrilled with his new weapon.
“The guy understands the game as well as just about anybody we’ve had around here," Rodgers told USA Today. "The same category as a John Kuhn, Jordy Nelson. Those guys who really understand the game, who see it through the quarterback’s eyes and want to be right all the time. … I’m really pleased with him, he’s played great.”
Fans of Instagram may find this name from Athlon appealing. If you want to end up with Graham on your fantasy team, it looks like you will have to draft him early #FortheGraham.
No. 9 Inglorious Staffords
Matthew Stafford has traditionally been one of the most undervalued fantasy quarterbacks, despite being one of the more consistent options. According to Fantasy Pros, Stafford has an ADP of 96 putting him as QB11, which is typical for where the Lions quarterback traditionally goes in drafts. Stafford has thrown for at least 4,200 yards in every season since 2011. Last season, he threw for 4,446 yards, 29 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. Stafford manages to do this every year despite not having amazing weapons around him. The Lions have a receiving core of Golden Tate, Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones. These are all solid options, but do not compare to the weapons of some of the other top quarterbacks.
Stafford has been so consistent that you know what you are getting from the Lions quarterback. ESPN ranked Stafford as the No. 8 most valuable quarterback to his team.
"It is well-known that Detroit hasn't had much of a running game since Barry Sanders retired after the 1998 season," ESPN's Scott Kacsmar explainED. "Last year, the Lions finished last in rushing yards (1,221) and yards per carry (3.4), so it's no surprise to see Stafford finish with the third-worst EPA from his non-QB teammates. At least the defense (ranked 13th) and special teams (seventh) were more respectable last year and might improve now that Matt Patricia has taken over as coach."
This name comes from Athlon, and is a play on the Brad Pitt hit Inglorious Basterds. New Lions coach Matt Patricia spent years trying to defend Stafford as a defensive coordinator, and he spoke to M Live about why Stafford has been so successful.
"As a guy trying to coordinate against him, he's very difficult to defend," Patricia explained to M Live. "Sometimes you look at quarterbacks and say, 'OK, is this a cerebral quarterback? Or is this a system quarterback? Is it a guy that has a really good arm? Is it strong? Is it accurate? How does he make his throws? Is he mobile? Is he not mobile? Does he have command of the offense or is it more coordinator-led? You kind of look at all of that. And this is a guy that's more along the lines of just totally complete...When you're looking at that as a defensive coordinator, he's checking all those boxes, like, 'yup, yup, yup, yup. Oh [expletive].' He's just very difficult from that standpoint."
Patricia's hire does not do much for Stafford's fantasy value, but it also does not hurt it. The Lions retained offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, who has helped Stafford maintain his fantasy relevance. While I don't expect Stafford to be a top-five quarterback, he should end the season inside the top 12. This puts Stafford right in line with where he is being drafted. He may not have the upside of some of the younger quarterbacks, but he also does not carry the same amount of risk.
No. 8 It's a Hard Gronk Life
Having Rob Gronkowski as your tight end was seen as a cheat code at one time in fantasy football. Gronkowksi is still one of the best fantasy tight ends, but owners have to worry about his durability. Gronkowski played in 14 games last season, and just eight games in 2016. The good news is this has caused his price to go down from a borderline first round pick down to a late second, or early third round selection. When Gronk is on the field, he produces as his 69 receptions for 1,084 yards and eight touchdowns show.
Gronkowski and the Patriots had a complicated off-season as the tight end wants a new contract, while the Patriots reportedly shopped him on the trade market. Pro Football Talk reported the Patriots were exploring potential trades leading up to the draft.
"Per a league source, the Patriots were calling other teams about a possible Gronkowski trade as recently as three days before the draft," Pro Football Talk reported. "Coincidentally (or not), Gronkowski ended nearly three months of uncertainty regarding his future by declaring publicly that he would play in 2018 only two days before the draft."
From a fantasy perspective, Gronkowski is battling Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce to be the first tight end selected off the board in drafts. Gronkowski has an ADP of 23, while Kelce is going a few spots lower at 28.6. Kelce offers a bit more stability, but the Chiefs loaded up on weapons this off-season, causing some fantasy owners to wonder whether Kelce's production could take a hit.
Few NFL players have the personality of Gronkowksi, which is why Athlon's suggestion of "It's a Hard Gronk Life" fits perfect for your team name if you land him in your fantasy draft. Off the field, Gronkowski is now offering players financial advise.
"I had this one guy this year, he came up to me," Gronkowski told Uninterrupted (via Sporting News). "He was like, 'Hey, Rob, you've got a Hummer. I see it. I want to get a Hummer. But my agent is telling me that I shouldn't get a Hummer. It costs too much. It's like $22,000.' He’s like, 'What do you think? You've got a Hummer. How much gas does it take?’
"And I was like, 'Dude, if you want a Hummer, you've played one year, you can get a Hummer. It's $22,000. It's not like you're paying for luxury. You can pay for the gas and everything.' And I was like, 'What are you doing right now? What's your car?' And he was like, 'Oh, I got a rental.' I'm like, 'How much you paying for the rental a week?' He was like, '$400.' I was like, 'Dog, hurry up and buy that damn Hummer.'"
No. 7 Baby Got Dak
It was a disappointing 2017 for Cowboys fans, but there is hope the team can turn things around with Ezekiel Elliott back for a full season. If you are still backing Dak Prescott, Athlon has the perfect name for you, especially if you are into old school hip hop. Prescott did lose top weapon Dez Bryant this off-season, and it is unclear how the Cowboys are going to replace his production this season. Fantasy owners are taking notice as Prescott is going dreadfully low in drafts.
According to Fantasy Pros, Prescott has an ADP of 140.6 making him QB20. Given his ability to give you a few rushing touchdowns, Prescott is not a bad gamble, even if you pair him with another late-round quarterback. We may see more of Prescott in the run game given the uncertainty at receiver. Even though the Cowboys have a roster full of under-the-radar receivers, Prescott believes things are starting to come together for the offense.
"We're starting to click," Prescott explained to the Dallas Morning News. "Starting to hit the deep ball a lot more in some of these last practices than we did early on. But we knew that would be a part of it, working out the kinks. And we're all getting comfortable with each other. It's fun to do it."
Getting Elliott back for an entire season should also help take some of the pressure off Prescott as the Cowboys can lean on their run game. The Cowboys traded for Tavon Austin this off-season, and Prescott believes the wideout will be an every-down factor.
"I didn't know he was as good of a receiver as he was and could run routes as well as he does, and catch the ball every single time," Prescott told the Dallas Morning News. "For me, from that standpoint, he's not just a gidget, gadget guy. You don't have to run him on speed sweeps and all that. ... He's a guy you can put out there, inside, outside and trust he's going to get open."
Prescott's numbers were down in nearly every major statistical category in his sophomore campaign. Prescott went from throwing just four interceptions his rookie season to 13 picks last year. His completion percentage was down nearly five percent. It was not just Prescott, as the entire Cowboys offense struggled. With veterans like Bryant and Jason Witten no longer on the team, Prescott's fantasy value mostly depends on a group of young, unproven skill players. It may be a risk, but it is hard to imagine Prescott's fantasy stock being much lower.
No. 6 Deshaun of the Dead
This name has made its rounds, but it is too good to pass up. Deshaun Watson may be coming back from a serious injury, but that is not stopping fantasy owners from buying into his sophomore season. We are in an era where owners are waiting to draft quarterbacks, but that is not the case for Watson. According to Fantasy Pros, Watson is going off the board as the second quarterback in drafts trailing only Aaron Rodgers. Watson has an ADP of 39.2, which means he is going in the third round in most 12-team leagues. For as much as I like Watson, this is a steep price to pay for a second-year quarterback coming off an injury. This means he won't be on many of my redraft teams, but I can see why people are buying into Watson.
According to Fantasy Pros, Watson scored 30 or more fantasy points in three of his last four games before suffering a season-ending injury. Watson is lethal with his legs, giving you a few extra points each week thanks to his rushing stats. For those concerned about Watson's injury, it appears neither Watson or the Texans share this concern. Texans coach Bill O'Brien spoke with The Washington Post about what he has seen from Watson in his return.
“I’m very pleased with how he goes about his business every day,” O’Brien told The Washington Post. “He’s really attacked that rehab to put himself in position to be able to be out here and practice. I think having, unfortunately, done it before, he had a real good understanding of the timetable for the rehab to be able to be ready to practice. And he’s gone out here and been able to do everything we’ve asked him to do...I think we do a good job of monitoring his reps and guys are doing a good job of not getting near him on the pass rush and things like that. But he’s been full-go.”
If you want Watson on your team, it looks like you are going to have to draft him in the first four rounds. Given where other quarterbacks are going, this is a high price to pay, but if you are willing to take the risk there is a chance it pays off based on the limited sample size we saw from Watson in his rookie year. It helps that Watson has a legit WR1 in DeAndre Hopkins to take off some of the pressure the quarterback has as he shakes off the rust.
"It felt normal," Watson told ESPN. "It felt natural. It didn't really bother me at all. I didn't really think twice about it. I'm just kind of going out there and performing, playing and practicing."
No. 5 Hot Chubb Time Machine
There are more popular rookie running backs, but Nick Chubb offers great value for where you will find him in your fantasy draft. This name comes courtesy of Reddit user MJCflipdascript, and is a nod to the movie Hot Tub Time Machine. After suffering one of the most gruesome injuries in college football, Chubb worked his way back into reaching his NFL dream. He has not had the kind of preseason that some of the other backs have had, but that also means you can get him later in your draft. Chubb may not be a contributor right away, but he is a great stash candidate. Even with his slow start, I am bullish on his chances to win the starting running back job by the end of the season.
This summer, Browns running backs coach Freddie Kitchens spoke highly of Chubb, and explained why the team targeted him in the second round.
“I think the one thing that we liked about Nick during the evaluation process, during his interviews and during the draft process, he is all business,” Kitchens told ClevelandBrowns.com. “He has a great work ethic. He is physical in everything that he does. He will take a handoff, and the handoff is violent. I think that is a very unique perspective from a running back standpoint that everything he does is violent. I think that he brings that to the table.”
Chubb rushed for 1,345 yards and 15 touchdowns his final season at Georgia despite finding himself in a crowded backfield. Chubb rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of the three seasons he was healthy in Athens. Chubb has earned the nickname "Old School" among his new teammates thanks to his all-business approach to the game.
"I am who I am," Chubb told Cleveland.com. "I really don't wear chains or anything flashy. I put my pads on and my gear and whatever I need and just go to work."
According to Fantasy Pros, Chubb has an ADP of 103.6 as RB38 in fantasy drafts. Chubb is a perfect stash candidate that could come in handy during the stretch run of the fantasy season.
No. 4 Mariota Kart
Anything that is a reference to the legendary video game Mario Kart, I am going to nominate as a top fantasy name. This name suggestion from Sporting News has lots of potential logo designs with Marcus Mariota playing as your favorite Mario Kart player.
It looks like people are sleeping on Mariota's fantasy upside. According to Fantasy Pros, Mariota has an ADP of 130.6, making him the 17th quarterback off the board. This means, in most leagues, teams are beginning to pick their second quarterback before Mariota is selected. What's the reason for his low draft spot? Mariota had a difficult 2017 throwing more interceptions (15) than he did touchdowns (12).
Mariota threw for 3,232 yards and rushed for another 312 yards along with five rushing touchdowns. Mariota offers a nice dual-threat option, in fantasy if he is able to cut down on the turnovers that plagued him last season. Back in 2016, Mariota threw 26 touchdowns and just nine interceptions. If the Titans quarterback can have a similar season this year, it would put him in the running to be a top-12 quarterback. Titans Online reported that Mariota looked faster during practices this off-season.
"Quarterback Marcus Mariota is still getting used to the changes around him, from the new scheme to the new coaching staff to new players," Titans Online noted. "Minus the bulky knee brace he’d worn previously, however, he’s sure looked fast on the occasions when he’s taken off. Mariota also made progress while working to clean up some technique issues. It should pay off when training camp rolls around."
One of the things that would help Mariota's numbers would be for second-year wide receiver Corey Davis to have an uptick in production.
"Multiple reporters at Wednesday’s joint practice with the Buccaneers noted that Davis and Mariota were a dominant duo in team drills thanks in large part to their improved timing," USA Today reported. "So much of a successful quarterback-wide receiver relationship relies on timing. However, Davis isn’t limiting his on-field work to his time with Mariota. He’s also been a regular participant on the Jugs Machine after practice."
Mariota's formula for fantasy success involves a decrease in turnovers, increased production from Davis and a natural progression in some of the other key statistical categories. If some combination of this happens, the Titans quarterback will live up to the Mariota Kart name.
No. 3 Fournettteflix and Chill
You may have heard of "Netflix and Chill", but this fantasy name from Sports Feel Good plays homage to Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette. Fantasy owners are hoping that a trimmer Fournette can be even more productive in his second season. Fournette has always been known as a bruising back, but he lost 15 pounds this off-season which could lead to more involvement in the passing game. Fournette rushed for 1,040 yards and nine touchdowns in his rookie season. The Jaguars running back also had some involvement in the passing game with 36 receptions for 302 yards and a touchdown.
According to Fantasy Pros, many fans are high on Fournette this season as he has an ADP of ninth overall, putting him firmly in the first round as the seventh running back off the board. As the numbers show, Fournette was already sneakily involved in the passing game, and it is reasonable to expect to see an uptick in this category in 2018. Fournette told ESPN that taking care of his body is a big point of emphasis for him in his second NFL season.
"I feel healthier," Fournette explained to ESPN. "I would say it is probably one of my first years feeling healthier than I ever did before...If the out of bounds is right there, I have to take it. It comes with the experience of your game. I think we practice that a lot more. Also, that is what our OC [Hackett] wanted, for me to save my body."
Count Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles as one of the players impressed with how Fournette came into camp.
"Obviously the season he had last year was awesome as a rookie," Bortles told ESPN. "I think what has been impressive is that I think it is easy in that situation to take an offseason off. He just went through a whole [season]. That is the longest year of your life when you come from college and you train for the combine and then you go right into rookie minicamp and [training] camp. That is a really long year. I think it is easy to kind of get lazy in the offseason. That is not what he did."
Fournette is one of several young running backs going in the first round of most fantasy drafts. Saquon Barkley, Alvin Kamara and Kareem Hunt are all backs that will be entering their first or second season that are going in the first two rounds.
No. 2 Rollin' With Mahomies
Since Kansas City moved up in the 2017 NFL Draft, Chiefs fans have been waiting for the Patrick Mahomes era to begin. This got a jump start this off-season after the Chiefs traded away Alex Smith to clear the way for Mahomes to take over the offense. We have already seen glimpses of what he is capable of becoming. Mahomes threw a 70-yard bomb to Tyreke Hill in their preseason game against the Falcons. There is reason for optimism from a fantasy perspective as Mahomes can hurt teams with his legs, as well as his strong arm.
There will always be a place for players like Tom Brady, but quarterbacks that give you rushing yards are extremely valuable in fantasy. Mahomes seems to be in this camp, and looks like a nice sleeper candidate for where he is being selected in drafts. According to Fantasy Pros, Mahomes has an ADP of 120, and is just QB16.
There is an unknown element to how Mahomes will produce at the NFL level given he played sparingly in his rookie season. If you are willing to take a risk on Mahomes, it could pay off, and other quarterbacks will be available on the waiver wire in most leagues if he struggles in his first season as a starter. As an added bonus, Sports Feel Good Stories provided a great name to go with your team.
Mahomes should benefit from an increase in offensive weapons as the Chiefs invested in their offense over the off-season, including signing wide receiver Sammy Watkins. ESPN's Matt Bowen listed Mahomes as one of his breakout year two candidates.
"When free agency opened, the Chiefs surprisingly paid a premium price to land wide receiver Sammy Watkins," Bowen explained. "But when we look at the Kansas City offensive system under coach Andy Reid, Watkins is yet another weapon -- in an offense loaded at the skill positions -- to build around Mahomes. And the young quarterback brings the big-time arm, the ability to make off-schedule plays and the movement skills that mesh with Reid's playcalling...The Chiefs' creative system will feature the West Coast route tree, play-action, run-pass options and even some QB-designed runs for Mahomes, and he has players around him who will get open."
Let's review why Mahomes is a great sleeper candidate for you to select. Mahomes is a dual-threat quarterback that is likely to give you rushing yards in addition to his passing stats. He is playing in a fantasy-friendly offense under Andy Reid, and the Chiefs beefed up their offense to give Mahomes every opportunity to succeed this season. Mahomes is going in the 10th round in most 12-team leagues, making him one of the steals of the draft at quarterback.
No. 1 Nothin' But a Jimmy G Thang
After years of backing up Tom Brady in New England, Jimmy Garoppolo finally got his opportunity thanks to being traded to San Francisco last season. The 49ers turned over the offense to Garoppolo late in the season, and the results were positive. Garoppolo threw for 1,560 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions. Given Garoppolo's play in this small sample size, expectations are high for the quarterback and potentially a bit unrealistic. San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan admitted to the USA Today that there is room for improvement for his new quarterback.
“It’s not always perfect,” Shanahan explained to USA Today. “That’s what we’re trying to get him to do better and better each week. Sometimes he doesn’t always go through it right and still makes some plays. So we’re hard on him about that stuff. … There’s a number of times he didn’t do perfect on and he made a play and kept us on the field also. So you got to take the good with the bad and continue to keep coaching.”
According to Fantasy Pros, Garoppolo is being drafted as QB10 with an ADP of 92.4. The Niners quarterback is going off the board in the seventh round in 12-team leagues. If you are one of the fantasy owners that have faith in Garoppolo, this name courtesy of Sporting News is perfect for your team. For Garoppolo to live up to being a top-12 quarterback, he will need the Niners young receiving core to step up in a big way. Since emerging as a starting NFL quarterback, Garoppolo admits that his life is a bit different now with more scrutiny than when he was a backup.
"Life is different now," Garoppolo told ESPN. "My life off the field, I've never really been very big on being very public with things. Even social media, I'm not out there a ton, but my life is looked at differently, [and] I'm under a microscope."
Garoppolo made ESPN's Matthew Berry's Love list for this upcoming season. A big reason for Berry's optimism is Garoppolo playing in Shanahan's fantasy friendly offense.
"Shanahan's offense is complicated, but once [Matt] Ryan mastered it, he had the greatest fantasy season of his career," Berry explained. "With an improved offensive line, a full season to master the playbook, Pierre Garcon back healthy and a nice pass-catcher such as Jerick McKinnon added in the backfield to go with nice young pieces such as George Kittle, Trent Taylor and, of course, Marquise Goodwin ... the sky is the limit. Although Garoppolo is currently going outside the top 10, I have him as a starter in ESPN leagues, and frankly, I might not be high enough on him."
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