• Can Tony Pollard settle as a full-time starter?: PFF's projections have Pollard finishing as the overall RB4, a sign that he can take the leap as the Cowboys' starting running back.
• Effective but maybe not exciting: JuJu Smith-Schuster is projected to finish as the WR28, just one spot lower than his WR27 rank in Kansas last season. He can become a consistent option for Mac Jones.
• Bijan Robinson has RB1 potential: Everyone knows Robinson has RB1 potential, but PFF’s projections back up the claim with a slated RB3 finish.
Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes
Projections are a helpful tool to plan out a fantasy football draft strategy, but different outlets — PFF, Yahoo, ESPN, etc. — adjust their projections a little differently. Occasionally, that means the consensus on certain players is a little cloudy and it’s hard to get a reading. Sometimes, you know to expect a little more. However, there are some key fantasy players whose projections are higher on PFF than other fantasy outlets that you should pay attention to.
Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys
• PFF fantasy projections: 273.8 points
• Yahoo fantasy projections: 228.3
• ESPN fantasy projections: 244.6
PFF, Yahoo and ESPN are in lockstep when it comes to Pollard’s distinction as a top-10 fantasy running back for the 2023 season. However, PFF’s projections have Pollard finishing with 273.8 points — the RB4 — compared to ESPN and Yahoo, who have him finishing as the RB6 and RB10, respectively.
Pollard is in an excellent position to succeed in 2023. He earned an 88.9 rushing grade last year, ranking fourth in the NFL, while rushing for 1,007 yards and nine touchdowns at a 5.2-yards-per-rush clip. He’ll also be positioned behind one of the better run-blocking offensive lines in the league — all while getting the bulk of the available carries without much competition.
That increased workload is a big reason for the lofty projection for Pollard. He split carries with Ezekiel Elliott last season, but with no one standing in his way this season, PFF projects that Pollard is in line to get just over 271 carries, 78 more than he got last season, compared to 245 by ESPN and 230 by Yahoo.
Pollard will be boosted by consistently featuring on passing downs, too. He caught 39 passes last season, and PFF’s projections have him catching around 47 passes in 2023. The higher snap count is well deserved for Pollard, who has been one of the most explosive runners in the NFL in recent seasons. He looks set to crush expectations.
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