Latest news with #VORP
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
The fantasy football tight ends to draft … and those to avoid
In the final 'Draft Chasms of Doom' installment, we shift our focus from quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers to tight ends — and look at the significant value drop-offs in my Value Over Replacement Player (VORP) rankings. And man, do they drop. At the top of the rankings are major dips among the top four picks, a sharp decline at No. 5 after Travis Kelce, and then another after TE13. Advertisement However, I don't (and won't) consider Kelce part of Tier 1, despite the projections saying he could be. I put him in the next group, as his best days are behind him. The only caveat would be if Rashee Rice is suspended six games or more. Then my ranks will come closer to the projections shown here. Everyone from Kelce to Mark Andrews could finish as TE4 or miss the Top 10, and it wouldn't be a surprise. That's why, despite Tier 1 showing a solid group of options, I'm unlikely to end up with any of them, as there are similar ceilings with many end-game options. So, it's the same strategy as with the quarterbacks for me: If a Tier 1 tight end is there in Round 3-5, I'll pounce (maybe I'd even use the last pick or two of Round 2 for Brock Bowers). Otherwise, the Tier 2 options would need to reach Round 8 or later for me to draft them, and most don't. LaPorta currently has a Round 5 ADP, while T.J. Hockenson, Kelce, Andrews and Evan Engram range from Rounds 6-7. The chart, which visually depicts the drop-offs, illustrates that Hockenson, Andrews, Engram, and even LaPorta are in the same value tier, while Kelce is in Tier 1 (again, I disagree with the projection). So why reach for LaPorta when the value difference among these players is so little? And that's what we're looking at in this series, where the major cliffs in positional groups are and why drafting the next-best player at a position of need isn't always the best strategy. While rankings show value, they don't show the difference in value between individual players or among a group of players. If I'm looking later in the draft for TEs, some of my favorite late-round fliers include Tucker Kraft, Kyle Pitts (hey, he's free now), Jake Ferguson, Dallas Goedert, Brenton Strange and rookie Colston Loveland. The best part about taking a tight end super late is that the position is 'bleh,' as shown in the positional comparisons chart. It takes a mere 60/500/5 line to crack TE1 status. Whoop-dee-do, Basil! I'm aiming for Top 5 (or close) breakout upside, and if the flier I take misses, I'm off to the waivers for someone who might have it. Jonnu Smith (190 ADP), Zach Ertz (198) and Tucker Kraft (308) were all Top 10 last season and undrafted. Heck, Bowers was TE10-11 in ADP last year! (Photo of Brock Bowers: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)
New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
The fantasy football wide receivers to draft … and those to avoid
Similar to our previous installment in the 'Draft Chasms of Doom' series focused on running backs, we see some steep declines in player value right at the top of the curve when we look at wide receivers. This is particularly true at the very top. So much so that the tiers in the graph below, which are based on some of the biggest drops in my Value Over Replacement Player (VORP) projections, somewhat misrepresent my evaluations of the very best WRs. Advertisement I believe there are only two truly elites at the position: Ja'Marr Chase or Justin Jefferson. The projections will always skew conservative, but those two have a higher and more attainable ceiling. That said, in this series we're mainly focused on avoiding big drops to a low floor. Here's what we mean. We're examining some of the biggest dips within my 2025 positional projections, the aforementioned 'Draft Chasms of Doom,' to show why smart drafting isn't simply selecting the next-highest-ranked player at a position of need. While rankings do illustrate player value, they don't necessarily showcase the difference in value, which can sometimes be vast. The graphs below depict those fall-offs (cliffs, Chasms of Doom, take your pick) and understanding them is essential to drafting deftly. If this is the year of the 'Hero RB' strategy, elite wide receivers may be available later in the first round than usual, which may allow managers to capitalize on the top receivers, particularly if those receivers are Chase or Jefferson, two receivers that project ahead of all but the very best running backs. There's also another very important takeaway for fantasy managers at this position as we move later in the draft. The drop from Amon-Ra St. Brown to Drake London (7.6 points) is among the bigger ones in the projections, but again, I truly believe there's a notable difference between Chase and Jefferson and the rest of the field. Personally, my next tier would break before Tyreek Hill because while the next 6 to 7 wide receivers after Jefferson have WR1 upside, risks and team situations create a tougher path. If I come out of my first three rounds with a Top 10 RB and two wideouts from the top two tiers shown here, I'd be giddy. If I have to dip into Tier 3 due to how the draft plays out, I will likely double down and get another high-end Tier 3 WR. Once the Tier 3 group is off the board — here or in my ranks — I'd probably head back to running backs, maybe even a quarterback or tight end, as the projections become super flat in Tier 4. The difference between WR23 and WR40 was 30 points last year, and we have seen a similar slow decline annually. Obviously, the charts end before the lottery tickets and high-upside fliers come into play, and I'll have my share of those. However, it's interesting to see how we can get overly attached to some of these WR4s (and WR5s) who have very small gaps among them. That same 30-point gap mentioned above also occurred between WR44 and WR64 last year, and is depicted similarly in the projections for 2025. I'm not pointing this out to say 'forget drafting any receivers after Tier 3,' but rather to express that this is the point in the draft that taking high-end bench RBs may be a good option. And if you are drafting a WR, don't fret if your favorite sleeper — Ricky Pearsall — goes before your pick. Instead of reaching two rounds over cost for your guy, aim for another player in a similar situation, or with a quick path to a starting job if something broke right. (Or, well, broke wrong for the wideout in front of them.) (Photo of Amon-Ra St. Brown: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs announces closure of Green Bay's Veteran Housing and Recovery Program location
(WFRV) – Officials with the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs announced on Monday that two Veteran Housing and Recovery Program locations will be closing, including one in Green Bay. According to a release from the WDVA, both the Chippewa Falls and the Green Bay VHRP locations will be closed by September 30, while the remaining location in Union Grove will remain open for both men and women veterans. Wisconsin Humane Society seeks donations for Paws & Claws Gala Auction Officials say the closure of the Chippewa Falls and Green Bay locations comes as the 2023-2025 State Budget passed by the legislature does not provide enough funds to operate all three locations, which each serve military veterans who are either homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Veterans residing at both the Chippewa Falls and Green Bay VHRP locations will be offered alternative placement options and will continue to receive assistance through other various support services. WDVA would like to extend gratitude to the employees of Lutheran Social Services who staffed the two locations for their hard work and dedication to Wisconsin veterans. The Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs Any veteran or anyone who knows any veterans experiencing housing insecurity can use the following resources for potential assistance: 211 – 211 is a free and confidential service that connects veterans with thousands of local programs and services. Simply dial 211 on a phone to reach trained community resource specialists available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 988+1 – Call 988 and press '1' or text 838255 to get connected to the Veteran Crisis Line for 24/7/365 confidential crisis support. Veterans will be connected to a real person qualified to support veterans. Veteran Outreach and Recovery Program (VORP) – VORP is a WDVA program that connects veterans to community services and provides case management and support, with a special focus on treatment and recovery. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Resources – Call 1-877-4AID-VET (1-877-424-3838) to access veteran homeless resources or visit More information about the VHRP location closures can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
