For all of those unfamiliar with my Big Boards, allow me to explain the color-coding system before we start:

SSI (Success Score Index) - A single number that reflects a score based on meticulously grading and assigning certain weights to several attributes that I feel are critical to fantasy success at a position. It is the number that allows me to compare apples to oranges across the positions.

Red – For lower-level players, a red matchup is the most difficult one a player can face. For a second- or third-tier player, drop your expectations for them at least one grade that week (i.e. from WR2 to WR3). For elite players, expect them to perform one level lower than their usual status (i.e. RB1 performs like an RB2).

Yellow – For lower-level players, he is a borderline start at best. For a second- or third-tier player, the slight edge goes to the defense in what is essentially a toss-up. For the elite players, expect slightly better than average production.

White – This one can go either way, but I favor the player over the matchup. In some cases, I just don’t feel like I have a good feel yet for this matchup. Generally speaking, these matchups are winnable for all levels of players.

Green – For non-elite players, the stage is set for a player to have a productive day. For the elite player, this matchup could produce special numbers.

Note: This week, I will release my Top 200 Big Boards for PPR, standard and 0.5 PPR leagues. In the coming days, I will present my final rankings for kickers and defense/special teams as well. Next week will feature Top 200 Big Boards for The Fantasy Championship (TFC) and the Fantasy Football Players Championship (FFPC). The colors in the "Pos" represent the tiers in which I have placed each player.

Here is the scoring system that I used to rank the players in the PPR format:

It's going to take a full season for me to be convinced Christian McCaffrey will be given a Devonta Freeman-like (or better) role in the Carolina backfield. With that said, setting a draft board is as much about predicting what will happen as it is about what could happen. McCaffrey could very well finish with over 200 carries and nearly 100 targets. If that happens, he will almost certainly be a first-round pick in fantasy next year. If he doesn't, let's remember he wasn't a bad second-round selection as a rookie despite seeing only 197 offensive touches. It bears repeating he scored on both of his carries inside the 5 last season, while four of his six catches inside the 10 went for touchdowns as well. While McCaffrey may not have appeared to be a good bet to top his seven offensive TDs from 2017 earlier this summer, it's not hard to imagine him pushing for 10 as a sophomore. Oh, but that offensive line … thank goodness Cam Newton still offers a more than viable run threat to make the backside pursuit think twice about crashing down on McCaffrey too hard.

Sometimes opportunity is created because of talent, while other times a lack of competition on the roster essentially forces a player to become a featured performer. In a way, Alex Collins has both factors working in his favor. While Collins is not an elite talent by any stretch, he is just the kind of physical, hard-nosed runner with enough explosiveness that a defensive-minded team like the Ravens want to embrace. Buck Allen seems entrenched as a change-of-pace back who can spell a back on occasion, but Baltimore seems to understand that is all he is. Kenneth Dixon was supposed to push Collins in training camp this year, but injuries and suspensions have clouded his standing with the team. Unless Gus Edwards, De'Lance Turner or Mark Thompson are poised to make some noise over the final two weeks of the preseason, Collins has essentially no competition entering the season. OGs Marshal Yanda and Alex Lewis return from season-ending injuries as well, giving one of the more physical backs in the league an even better opportunity to thrive. One stat I mentioned a couple weeks ago bears repeating here: Collins became the featured back in Week 8 last season. His 16-game pace stats over that stretch were 282 carries, 1,103 rushing yards, 12 touchdowns, 44 receptions and 344 receiving yards - good for 260.7 PPR fantasy points and an RB8 finish.

There may not be a more polarizing player inside the top two rounds than Jerick McKinnon. By now, most of us know or have heard the criticisms: he doesn't have good vision and/or anticipate holes very well, he's never done "it" before for a full season, he's too small, he couldn't "hold off" Matt Asiata or Latavius Murray for the full-time gig when he had his "opportunity," San Francisco can get out of his contract after one year, etc. At this point, it almost feels like most in the industry is reaching on excuses to pass on a lead running back in a system run by Kyle Shanahan, who handpicked the player and asked the front office to pay him like a top-five player at his position. Look, it's not like there isn't a shred of truth to some of those negatives, but some of them have been hammered home so much and so long that it feels as if they have to be true at this point. I've said it before and I'll say it again: there isn't a ton of difference between McKinnon and McCaffrey - the biggest separator being McCaffrey runs between the tackles better. If McCaffrey was a decent second-round value to owners last year and wasn't used properly, imagine what McKinnon's upside is with a coach with the reputation of Shanahan has who will make sure he sees roughly 230 to 250 touches.

Outside of the first three rounds

There simply hasn't been enough discussion this summer about Chris Hogan. Over the first half of the season (through Week 8), he was the WR10 - between Michael Crabtree and Jarvis Landry and ahead of the likes of Julio Jones and Davante Adams. Rob Gronkowski is still "injury-prone." Julian Edelman is "injury-prone" and set to serve a four-game suspension. Danny Amendola left for Miami. Brandin Cooks was traded. The one receiver who is expected to contend for targets has been released (Jordan Matthews). Even Malcolm Mitchell is gone. If Hogan is making out of the fourth or even fifth round in fantasy drafts, he is an incredible value. I suppose the case can be made he also hasn't done "it" over a full season, but I'm not sure three years in Buffalo, one year getting used to the heavily nuanced offensive playbook in New England (2016) and an injury-shortened season in 2017 really count as being given a chance. I believe he's one of six receivers who could legitimately score 10 touchdowns this season.

What are the chances Jimmy Graham was just beat up last year? If there is still a year or two of the elite athleticism he showed in New Orleans left in his body, it's not out of the realm of possibility he could make a run at Gronkowski and Travis Kelce for TE1 honors. One of the more lazy narratives pushed out regarding Graham's prospects for this season is that Aaron Rodgers doesn't look for tight ends. Really? Somehow, over the course of his career of not looking for tight ends, two have scored eight touchdowns in a season. I guess that must mean the legendary group of Donald Lee, Jermichael Finley, Andrew Quarless, Richard Rodgers, Jared Cook and Martellus Bennett were supposed to attract 100 targets while Rodgers was also busy feeding the likes of Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams, James Jones and Randall Cobb. The simple truth is none of the aforementioned six tight ends ever had the resume or athleticism Graham does. Green Bay's receiving corps has arguably accomplished less coming into a season since Aaron Rodgers took over the starting job for good in 2008. In four of the five full seasons Graham has played, he has scored at least 10 touchdowns (the one exception was when he played through injury in 2016 and finished with six). Should we really expect Graham to do less with arguably the best quarterback in the league in an offense where Davante Adams is the only receiver to consistently get it done over the last two years?

Before this season, I didn't think it was possible for a player's value to increase after his suspension was announced. It seems as though Mark Ingram may be doing just that. Ingram carried roughly a fifth-round ADP prior to the announcement of his four-game suspension in large part because it became clear Alvin Kamara would be the 1A back in the offense while Ingram would serve as the 1B. For fantasy leagues in which the postseason starts in Week 14, Ingram will not be allowed to participate in 33.3 percent of the regular season. Let's suppose his owners use him in Week 5 prior to his bye and posit he has a reduced role in that game because he will be coming off a month-long layoff. This means owners may not get any value from their fifth-round pick until Week 7 or 8 - when the Saints visit Baltimore and Minnesota. Do owners really think they will get an RB2 effort from the complementary half of a backfield committee in those games? I've laid out a pretty realistic scenario in which Ingram doesn't approach last year's value until at least Week 9 - against what should be a dominant Rams' defensive line. Yet, Ingram's current ADP is 4.12.

(To drive home this point further, let's use the results from the King's Classic - Blanda Division that I participated in over the weekend. Ingram went 4.07 in the snake draft and for $25 in the auction.) Let's put the latter into some perspective because it is the one that feels the most outrageous. McKinnon went for $23. Kenyan Drake went for $25. Despite what anyone thinks about how many games LeSean McCoy will play this year, he went for $25. Collins went for $24. Each of these backs would seem to have a pretty clear path to lead-back duties, at least 200 - if not 250-plus touches - and could be available all season. I'm not sure I would be bullish on Ingram this season even if Kamara wasn't around, but to treat a player who we know will miss most of the first six weeks of the season as an RB2 is asking for a headache.

Running backs with significant question marks

The preseason often acts as its own little stock market. Players and can move up a round or so on some boards based on a good game, while others can slip a round or more based on injury information or any other number of circumstances. Such is the case for Rex Burkhead, who was moving into fourth-round territory as recently as last week. As luck would have it, a report about a "slight tear" in his right knee sends owners into a bit of a panic, although it is supposed to be an injury he can play through and not something that will keep him from practicing. With New England, a "slight tear" can mean anything from a legitimate sprain that can heal fully in a couple of weeks to an actual tear of one of the less "important" ligaments in the knee. Depending on your risk tolerance, this news either creates a buying opportunity or is the final nail in the coffin when it comes to avoiding the Patriots' backfield in the first half of fantasy drafts.

Sometimes the best play in a muddled backfield is taking the last one on the board, especially if he already has an established role in the offense. While folks dream of Burkhead becoming a plus-version of Mike Gillislee or Sony Michel mimicking Kamara, James White would appear to be locked into about 60 catches and 40-50 carries. I specify "locked into" because that should be his floor; if Michel and Burkhead continue to struggle with injuries, I think it's pretty clear Jeremy Hill isn't going to run the ball 25-plus times per game. The bigger point to be made here is White might as well be Tom Brady's favorite running back. In an offense that that relies so heavily on "easy" passes to the running back, slot receiver and tight ends, White isn't going away.

I'm starting to warm up to the possibility that Jamaal Williams will emerge as the lead back in Green Bay. As much as fantasy football owners hate it, the starting running back job in most NFL cities is often decided by which one of the contestants is the most durable and can be trusted the most to protect his quarterback against the blitz. The answer to both of those questions in Green Bay appears to be Williams. It goes without saying that even if the Packers don't utilize the running back much inside the red zone this year, their starting running back is still going to have a ton of value. I want that guy to be Aaron Jones, but his opportunity to stake his claim to the job may have been sabotaged the moment the league handed him a two-game suspension. It also did not help his cause when he suffered a hamstring injury early in camp. If Jones has seen a first-team rep this preseason, I haven't seen it. Ty Montgomery will be involved, but it seems as though Green Bay has settled on him serving as a movable chess piece/change-of-pace option.

Peyton Barber is finally picking up steam as a likely Week 1 starter in Tampa Bay. As much as the pundits are crushing Ronald Jones at the moment for averaging less than a yard per carry, people need to understand running backs with such ridiculously low averages are almost always small-sample marks and usually reflect how poor the line play was when he was in the game. Jones is not dancing in the backfield and generally getting what he can/should on. If anything, he's done well to gain 11 yards on his 12 preseason carries. And as for him being a liability in the passing game, he has seen two targets. One was thrown at his feet and the other was one in which the quarterback led him into the direct path of a linebacker. While coaches want to see their backs make those catches, they are hardly unforgettable errors. HC Dirk Koetter has said all along he expects Barber to be the starter and is hoping his backfield tandem can eventually replicate (or at least mimic) what Ingram and Kamara have going on in New Orleans. I still ultimately expect Jones to be the better fantasy player at the end of the year, but owners should have a quality flex option if they invest in Barber.

Well, hello Adrian Peterson! Fantasy football isn't worth playing unless I can rest my championship hopes on a 33-year-old running back coming into camp in late August. (OK, I'll admit that's a bit overly dramatic.) And frankly, there's not much recent evidence he's going to be able to hold up for a full season. With that said, he didn't sign with Washington on Monday to share carries, making him a bit of a waiver-wire gift for early drafters and zero-RB advocates. Unlike his time in Arizona, Peterson should benefit from a strong offensive line and more positive game script. The largest downside to Peterson is he may not be a great fit for an offense with Alex Smith as the quarterback. (The Washington Post does a fine job of explaining why.) Another huge downside is a brutal schedule. All in all, Peterson projects to be a high-volume back for as long as he can absorb the punishment, although I clearly prefer Chris Thompson in a PPR setup. If I know owners like I think I know them, he's probably not lasting until the 98th pick in most drafts.

Outside the top 100

Ranking players who have very few flaws outside of health/durability issues is one of the most difficult tasks for owners each season. Upside doesn't score points in fantasy unless it's on the field. When owners/analysts don't get to see much evidence of potential upside in the form of preseason action with such a player, the positive reports coming out of camp for said player tend to ring hollow. However, we've seen John Brown be productive before. Would it be all that surprising if he doesn't emerge as Joe Flacco's favorite target? Brown is exactly the type of player owners need to target in the later rounds because there isn't much stopping him from becoming his team's most dangerous weapon in passing game, he doesn't require a lot of volume to make a big impact on a fantasy box score and he doesn't have any real competition for his job. Owners may recall Flacco was at the helm in 2016 when three of his pass-catchers (Steve Smith, Mike Wallace and Dennis Pitta) topped 70 receptions. There isn't a lot stopping Michael Crabtree and Brown from doing the same this year.

No one wants a 35-year-old back. I get it. The problem is Miami has one and he isn't ready to retire. Almost regardless of how good Kenyan Drake looks, Frank Gore is probably going to see at least 125 carries. He's well-regarded for his ability to pick up the blitz and makes a living running between the tackles. Much like Larry Fitzgerald, Gore has reached a point where we probably need to see a noticeable physical drop-off in his play before we declare his usefulness in fantasy over. This is not to say he is going to be a regular starter in fantasy, but let's also not forget one of the major reasons Drake lasted until the third round in 2016 was because of his lack of durability. Did one five-game stretch change that? At the moment, I have Drake and Gore separated by 26 carries and 21 targets. If Gore ends up being named the goal-line back (which I have not assumed) due to his ability to run inside, the gap between the two becomes that much thinner. In most drafts, there are 10 rounds of separation between the two. Gore may not be a player that helps owners take home a league title, but I'd be willing to bet he helps owners get there by being a very capable flex option. Gore is available late in drafts almost without fail. Not bad for a potential bye-week fill-in with the upside to be a potential low-end flex.

More longshots … and enough with the running backs

About the only thing holding me back from ranking Anthony Miller higher is the presence of a red zone threat (Allen Robinson), a dynamic weapon out of the backfield (Tarik Cohen) and a highly athletic tight end who could do a pretty good job of imitating Travis Kelce in the passing game (Trey Burton). Can Mitch Trubisky keep all three of those players reasonably involved and make room for a fourth? That remains to be seen, and not something I'm willing to bet on in from such an inexperienced quarterback. I have no question we will see flashes of greatness from Miller, who I suspect will bump Taylor Gabriel from the starting lineup sooner than later. If Robinson were to get hurt early again this year, Miller could become a 100-target, every-week starter in fantasy shortly thereafter.

Ben Watson needs to be getting drafted with more regularity. Prior to last season when Coby Fleener became an afterthought, a New Orleans tight end hadn't finished lower than 15th in PPR leagues since Jeremy Shockey in 2010 (25th) - and that was due in part to an up-and-comer named Jimmy Graham, who finished 27th. Watson has an ADP of 14.03 and is the 24th tight end coming off the board on average. I have him as my TE18 and that feels too low. Prior to last year, owners could generally count on at least 4,800 passing yards and 30-plus touchdowns from Drew Brees. Isn't there the slightest possibility with Ingram taking a lesser role in the offense and pass-catching weapons galore that the Saints revert to a more pass-heavy team in 2018 against a schedule that figures to stop the run reasonably well? If so, there's going to be enough at the fantasy table for Michael Thomas, Cameron Meredith, Kamara and Watson to get their fill.

Let's wrap this thing up with a few more of my favorite late-round targets at receiver:

John Ross is a younger and more technically savvy version of DeSean Jackson in my opinion. Whether or not that matters in Cincinnati is another story. Still, we've seen Marvin Jones and Brandon LaFell enjoy good years with Andy Dalton throwing the ball, so we've seen production before from A.J. Green's sidekicks - players with less talent and speed than Ross. It's hard seeing Ross being a red zone threat with Green and Tyler Eifert around, but he should be able to deliver a few splash weeks.

Keelan Cole refuses to go away, even when the Jags continue to put obstacles in his way. Thought to be stuck behind "starters" Marqise Lee and Donte Moncrief, the Kentucky Wesleyan product is reportedly receiving the "majority" of starter reps in training camp alongside Lee. Dede Westbrook and second-round pick D.J. Chark have also stood out, according to First Coast News' Mike Kaye. Cole appeared to be on equal footing as Lee by the end of the season and it's hard to find any teammate or reporter say something negative about him. Jacksonville appears content with a "catch by committee" approach to begin the season, but it really feels as if it's only a matter of time before Cole and (possibly) Westbrook force their way into starting jobs.

Geronimo Allison "has quietly established himself as the team’s No. 3 receiver," per Ryan Wood of The Green Bay Press-Gazette. As I have said many times over the years, Aaron Rodgers can make three receivers viable in fantasy. Wood notes in the aforementioned article Allison " is always in the right place, and his combination of size (6-3) and sure hands make him a reliable target." While no one should ever expect a player to replicate the season James Jones had in 2013 (64 catches, 14 TDs), Allison reminds me a bit of him. Stash him as a WR5/6 for the first two to three weeks and see if he hits.

While making his mark as a return specialist in college, Christian Kirk also overcame sub-par quarterbacking at Texas A&M to become one of the top receivers in school history. He's making quite an impression in his new (old) home of Arizona and may be making a play to start opposite Larry Fitzgerald in the opener. I gave Kirk an NFL comp of a "slightly quicker Sterling Shepard" in April and believe that still to be an accurate representation of what he is capable of moving forward. Of course, that is not to say he'll draw 105 targets and finish with 65 catches and eight touchdowns like Shepard did as a rookie, but Kirk should emerge from the pack he finds himself in at the moment (J.J. Nelson, Chad Williams and Brice Butler) before long.

Taywan Taylor was a player I picked up in the deepest of my leagues last year because the talent was undeniable. With Rishard Matthews blocking his path to the lineup, Eric Decker presumably more trustworthy in Corey Davis' absence than a "little slot guy" like Taylor and a coaching staff married to a philosophy that did not really suit its personnel anymore, Taylor's opportunity to make a move up the Titans' depth chart was stunted. This year, it would seem Tennessee is embracing an offense more willing to embrace the passing game. It hasn't hurt Taylor's case that Matthews has yet to practice this summer. Meanwhile, Taylor has been running with the first team in camp and is coming off a game over the weekend in which he showed just how much explosiveness he has. One would have to assume if the reason behind Matthews' continued non-participation in camp isn't revealed soon, Taylor will open the season as a starter and have a great shot to keep a substantial role in the offense even if/when Matthews returns. Like John Brown earlier, these are the kind of lottery tickets owners should want to scoop up in the final rounds.

Make the Le'Veon Bell owners in your league really upset and pick up James Conner. If Bell breaks down as my research suggests he will, Conner could pay off in a huge way. He's not the talent Bell is, but his game has made noticeable strides in the last year. He is the clear handcuff in Pittsburgh and one Bell injury away from potentially being a top 10-15 back in fantasy.

Non-PPR Big Board | Half-Pt PPR Big Board