The 2018 fantasy football season was full of surprises.
From Patrick Mahomes taking over the league to Le'Veon Bell not playing a single snap, no one could have guessed how the last few months have played out across the NFL.
As we have learned year after year, fantasy football is incredibly unpredictable. But that isn't going to stop us from taking a crack at what next year's fantasy rankings may look like.
While the 2018 fantasy season may be officially in the rearview mirror, it is never too premature to take a look at next season.
Here are the way-too-early 2019 fantasy football rankings.
1. RB Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams -- To put it simply, Gurley was unbelievable yet again this season. The All-Pro running back averaged nearly 5.0 yards per carry on 256 rush attempts, gaining 1,251 yards on the ground along with 17 touchdowns. Gurley played a big role in the Rams' passing game as well, catching 59 receptions for 580 yards and another four touchdowns. The Georgia alum has been the most consistent player in fantasy football for the past two seasons now. As the star player in one of the NFL's best offenses, there is no reason to believe he won't be able to make it three consecutive dominant seasons. Oh yeah, he only turns 25 in August... Gurley should be the first player off the board in fantasy drafts next season.
2. RB Saquon Barkley, New York Giants -- What a rookie campaign for the second overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Despite running behind a subpar offensive line for most of the season, Barkley was still able to thrive in his first NFL action. The 21-year-old ran for 1,198 yards and 10 touchdowns on a 4.9 yards per carry average while catching 87 passes for 688 yards and four touchdowns, proving the Giants right for selecting him over a quarterback in last year's draft. Upgrading the offense line will once again be New York's number one priority this offseason, and with better guys up front, Barkley should find even more success in his second season.
3. RB Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers -- Some will argue that McCaffrey should be the first overall pick in fantasy drafts next season, and honestly, those people would have a great argument. The second-year back played on another level this year, and looked like the dual-threat stud that the Panthers were hoping he'd be when they selected him eighth overall in 2017. McCaffrey finished the season with 1,080 rushing yards and seven touchdowns with a 5.0 ypc, but it was his role in the passing game that truly separated him from the pack. The 22-year-old set an all-time RB record with 106 receptions, gaining 845 yards and catching six touchdowns. His usage in the pass offense will make him a top 3 pick.
4. RB Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys -- Elliott was able to accomplish the impressive feat of 2,000+ yards from scrimmage this season, picking up 1,434 on the ground to go with his 567 receiving yards. The running back's nine touchdowns were a little lower than fantasy owners would have liked, but there is no denying the excellence of the Cowboys' young back. Dallas will certainly look to improve the offensive line during the offseason, as injuries did a number on that group throughout this campaign. After yet another stellar season, Elliott is locked in as a top 5 pick next year.
5. RB Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints -- Even with Mark Ingram taking a significant amount of touches away from him, Kamara was still able to put together a strong season. Last year's Rookie of the Year ran for 883 yards on 194 carries (4.6 ypc) with 14 touchdowns, while catching 81 passes for 709 yards and another four touchdowns. Drew Brees and the Saints offense has shown no signs of slowing down, and with Ingram likely taking his talents elsewhere next season, Kamara is set to become the feature back in New Orleans. With a role like that, Kamara could find himself at the very top of this list next year.
6. RB James Conner, Pittsburgh Steelers -- While Le'Veon Bell's holdout was the biggest story in the NFL for the first two months of the season, Conner made it very easy for Steelers fans to quickly forget about their former All-Pro RB. The second-year back appeared in just 12 games this season, but boy did he look good in his shortened season. Conner took 201 carries for 909 yards (4.5 ypc) and 12 touchdowns to go with his 52 receptions for 467 yards and a receiving touchdown. He actually had better numbers through the first two months of the season than Bell ever had. The 23-year-old should thrive even more next year without having to look over his shoulder worrying about Bell.
7. WR Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers -- Finally, a wide receiver. There will be plenty of debate on who should be the first WR off the board in 2019, but I'm giving the nod to Adams after his monster season. The former second round pick caught 111 passes on a whopping 169 targets for 1,386 yards and 13 touchdowns, proving yet again that the number one receiver in an Aaron Rodgers-led offense is almost guaranteed a breakout campaign. Adams was as reliable as they get in 2018. After Green Bay's disappointing season, you can bet your bottom dollar that Rodgers and the Pack are going to be itching all offseason to get the 2019 campaign started. Look for Adams to put together another big year.
8. WR DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans -- Hopkins could easily be the top receiver taken in next year's fantasy drafts after another amazing season. He reeled in 103 receptions on 147 targets, gaining 1,425 yards along with 11 touchdowns. The talented receiver proved to be one of the most consistent guys in all of fantasy this season. In 15 games, Hopkins either scored a touchdown or caught at least five passes for 74 yards in every single one. Deshaun Watson has developed a strong connection with his number one receiver, and both are primed for huge seasons in 2019. It's a true coin flip between Adams and Hopkins for the top fantasy WR next year.
9. RB Melvin Gordon, Los Angeles Chargers -- If these rankings were done at the midway point of this season, Gordon likely would have been right up there with Gurley for consideration for the top pick. However, as we have seen in previous seasons, an injury caused the Chargers' back to miss a few games, leading to his drop in the rankings. Gordon has now missed at least two contests in three of his four NFL seasons, which highlights the durability concerns surrounding the 25-year-old back. Still, it's hard to argue with over 1,309 yards from scrimmage and 14 total touchdowns in just 11 games, which is why Gordon will likely be a top 10 pick in all 2019 fantasy drafts.
10. WR Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers -- Brown put up just as strong numbers this year as 2017, which led to him being the first wide receiver taken in all fantasy drafts this past season. The four-time First-Team All-Pro caught 104 balls on 168 targets, gaining 1,297 yards and scoring a career-high 15 touchdowns. So why the drop in the rankings? One word: JuJu. As good as Brown has been, Smith-Schuster's emergence will likely lead to a slight decrease in production for Brown moving forward, hence the small drop in the WR rankings. Brown is still one of the best receivers in all of football, and should still find his way into the top 10 in next year's drafts.
11. RB Le'Veon Bell, TBD -- With the offseason just a little ways down the road, Bell will be one of the most interesting storylines to follow. After two consecutive seasons of 1,250+ rushing yards, 610+ receiving yards and 9+ total touchdowns, the 26-year-old back will return to the NFL after sitting out an entire year. While saving a year of mileage on his legs should certainly help the talented back, there will undoubtedly be some rust to shake off at the start of next season. And one monumental question still remains; where does Bell play next year? The back should have his choice of suitors, and where he decides to sign should help determine whether he rises or falls on this list.
12. WR Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints -- Thomas has been in the NFL for three seasons now and has managed to catch at least 90 passes in each one. The 25-year-old receiver led the NFL in receptions this year, catching 120 passes on 140 targets for 1,376 yards and nine touchdowns. His incredible catch rate is why Brees has so much trust in him, and the connection between the two should only grow stronger as they have another offseason to train together. Once New Orleans brings in another receiver to take some of the opposing defenses' attention away from him, Thomas could become the NFL's top WR, an honor the third-year player out of Ohio State is already close to attaining.
13. RB Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals -- Cincinnati has looked atrocious in 2018, but Mixon appears to be one of the team's lone bright spots. The second-year back carried the rock 224 times in 13 games this season, gaining 1,063 yards while finding the end zone eight times. Mixon proved his worth in the passing game as well, snagging 42 passes for 294 yards and an additional score. The 22-year-old is one of the few, true three-down backs remaining on the list, and it's no guarantee that his partner in the backfield, Giovani Bernard, will be back with the team next season. If Cincinnati can fix its issues on the offensive line and find an upgrade at quarterback, Mixon has the talent to possibly crack the top 5 RBs next year.
14. WR Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons -- It's kind of crazy that Jones finds himself so low on this list despite putting up another stellar season. The six-time Pro Bowl receiver finished with 104 receptions on 157 targets for a league-high 1,539 yards, adding seven touchdowns, all of which came in the second-half of the season. Now imagine Jones' numbers had the Falcons made a genuine effort to get their best player the ball in the red zone over the first seven games. Changes are coming in Atlanta this offseason, and you better believe that Jones will be the focal point of Atlanta's offense, and more importantly their red zone offense, in 2019.
15. WR Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs -- Anyone with two eyes and even a slight sense of the NFL can see that Hill is the most electric playmaker in all of football. The 24-year-old caught 82 passes on 130 targets for 1,378 yards and 11 touchdowns, contributing 136 rushing yards and a return touchdown to his season stats as well. His 82 receptions put him well behind the other receivers on this list, but of all the wide receivers on these rankings, there is no denying that Hill is the biggest deep threat. With another year catching passes from Patrick Mahomes under his belt, Hill could take the leap into the upper echelon of elite fantasy WRs next season.