XFL Fantasy Rankings Updated 2/7 to reflect XFL Official Depth Chart release – WRs & TEs will be updated Friday Afternoon
The darkness of the NFL offseason can be overwhelming for us Fantasy Football Addicts. Suddenly, our real lives slap us in the face on Sunday. At best, we have the NBA and NHL. At our worst, we create Fantasy PBA Bowling league, or bet on our younger brother’s youth games. We’re really just floating around, like empty vessels, with no meaning or purpose…
WAIT! Is that Vince McMahon’s MUSIC! BAH GOD! THE XFL is BACK! MERCY! Football is back just in time for us to get an XFL Fantasy Football fix.
No, the level of competition and gameplay won’t rival the NFL. Still, this rendition of the XFL features some high-end offensive coaching, some really intriguing ex-NFL castoffs, and interesting rules that’ll bring scoring in bunches. Certainly XFL Fantasy features plenty of more promise than the AAF, and you need the right XFL Fantasy Football Rankings to help dominate.
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For more detailed breakdowns on the players and teams, be sure to check out our Ultimate XFL Team Guide here.
XFL Fantasy Football Rankings
XFL Quarterback Rankings
Note – We recommend using “Team QBs” in case of injury, given there’s only 8 teams to choose from.
Tier 1 – High End Talent in High-Flying Attacks
1) Cardale Jones (DC Defenders)
2) Josh Johnson (LA Wildcats)
3) Aaron Murray (Tampa Bay Vipers)
4) PJ Walker (Houston Roughnecks)* No.2 if using “Team QB”
Cardale “12-gauge” Jones has the cannon arm and strong weapons cabinet to spray all over the XFL field. He’s the no-brainer top-QB, particularly with Josh Johnson nursing an injury that has his early-season status in doubt… When he returns, Johnson will challenge for QB1 status, particularly with the leg points… Former Georgia standout Aaron Murray is set to light up scoreboards in Marc Trestman‘s high-octane aerial attack. His weapons cabinet is a bit unclear, otherwise he’d be higher… Perhaps no offense is more intriguing than the Houston Roughnecks “Run-n-Shoot” under June Jones. For now, PJ Walker will engineer the attack, and presents as the top-QB value. Despite his No.1 QB upside, his job may be insecure though after only narrowly beating out Connor Cook for the starting role. If using the Team QB setting, the Roughnecks are my No.2 choice.
Tier 2 – Upside with Question Marks
5) Landry Jones (Dallas Renegades) * Four if “Team QB”
6) Matt McGloin (New York Guardians)
Landry Jones would be No.1 on this list, but suffered a knee injury in camp and his early season status is in doubt. Should he pan out, you’d get a steal at No.5 here, as he’ll be operating Bob Stoops‘ Air Raid bonanza that he already has excelled within… Matt McGloin has the most NFL experience among the bunch, but his weapons cabinet is pretty barren after numerous preseason injuries. Kevin Gilbride is also one of the least inspiring coach hires in a sea of creative offenses.
Tier 3 – Last Options
7) Jordan Ta’amu (St. Louis BattleHawks)
8) Brandon Silvers (Seattle Dragons)
Both the BattleHawks and Dragons invested far more heavily in their backfields, giving both Ta’amu and Silvers the feel of no-names in run-heavy offenses. Unlike NFL Fantasy, I’d invest early in a top-tier guy to avoid this group.
XFL Fantasy Running Back Rankings
Tier 1 – Locked-in Horses in Top Attacks
1) Cameron Artis-Payne (Dallas Renegades)
2) Christine Michael (St. Louis BattleHawks)
3) Elijah Hood (LA Wildcats)
All three of these horses have NFL experience. Cameron Artis-Payne ranks highest because he landed in the top overall offense. Samaje Perine racked up 17-20 TDs routinely in Bob Stoops aerial bonanza, and CAP could do the same… Christine Michael is easily the biggest name in the XFL, and the highest drafted NFL talent to play. This doesn’t guarantee success, and Matt Jones is talented enough to form an RBBC, so I’m not crowning him King like all others based on name alone… Elijah Wood is “expected to be the Wildcats workhorse.” He’s certainly built for it as a 240 lbs bruiser with adequate pass-catching skills. If/when Josh Johnson returns, Hood will benefit from the gaping cutback lanes.
Tier 2 – Starters with Workhorse Upside, but More ?s
4) DeVeon Smith (Tampa Bay Vipers)
5) Jhurell Pressley (DC Defenders)
DeVeon Smith has the upside to finish as the top-overall back, given how heavily Marc Trestman utilizes his RBs in the pass game. Unfortunately, his hands are uncertain after minimal receiving usage in college, and all the Vipers RBs were impressive enough to potentially form a committee… Jhurell Pressley led the AAF in rushing, and has to be considered a candidate to do so again in the XFL. Speedster Donnel Pumphrey is likely to form an RBBC, though, potentially capping his upside from the elite tier.
Tier 3 – Starters in RBBCs
6) Tim Cook (New York Guardians)
7) Andre Williams (Houston Roughnecks) – RISER Listed as Starting RB
Tim Cook should give Kevin Gilbride his next “Brandon Jacobs” style bruiser. Still, Darius Victor has reportedly received 50% of the reps throughout camp, which has the makings of an ugly RBBC… Andre Williams was surprisingly named the starter in this “Run n Shoot” offense, despite being a misfit on paper due to his poor hands (only 18 rec. on 37 pro targets). Still, he could plod into the endzone 10+ times if he’s the GL hammer for this explosive attack.
Tier 4 – Upside Backups / Tough RBBCs
8) Kenneth Farrow (Seattle Dragons)
9) Ja’Quan Gardner (Seattle Dragons) *Current Starter, 3-headed nightmare
10) Donnel Pumphrey (DC Defenders)
11) Nick Holley (Houston Roughnecks) – Listed as a Starting WR
12) De’Angelo Henderson (Houston Roughnecks)
13) Darius Victor (New York Guardians) RISER – Ascender to No.2 in Depth Chart and reportedly even split
14) Matt Jones (St. Louis BattleHawks)
The above backs all have talent on their sides, but are trapped in highly uncertain workloads. Kenneth Farrow is the biggest name of the bunch after he was a brief Waiver Wire hero with the Chargers, and finished third in rushing for the AAF. Still, he’s listed second on the Dragons depth chart behind Ja’Quan Gardner, while their first round pick Trey Williams also looms to make this a three-headed nightmare… Matt Jones might have the most talent on this list, but is firmly behind Christine Michael. He’s more of an upside handcuff… the Houston Roughnecks will be so pass-happy that their RBs could struggle for meaningful value. Nick Holley is listed as a starting WR, so he makes an intriguing upside selection, though De’Angelo Henderson has the most all-around talent and upside to carve out a full role.
Tier 5 – Other Names to Monitor
14) Jacques Patrick (Tampa Bay Vipers)
15) Lance Dunbar (Dallas Renegades)
16) Trey Williams (Seattle Dragons)
16) Mack Brown (Tampa Bay Vipers)
XFL Fantasy WR & TE Rankings
*Note – given how thin TE is in the XFL, with really only 3-4 draftable options, we recommend combining into a WR/TE flex spot.
Tier 1 – Locked-in Target Hogs with Solid QBs
1) Sammie Coates (Houston Roughnecks)
2) Jeff Badet (Dallas Renegades)
3) Mekale McKay (New York Guardians)
Behind only Christine Michael, Sammie Coates was the second-highest NFL selection to now play in the XFL (23rd pick of Round 3 in 2015). Though he only recorded 29 receptions in the NFL, he remains a size-speed freak at 6’1″ with a 4.43 second 40, and should blaze all over the field in June Jones‘ high-flying “Run n Shoot” attack… Jeff Badet is set for a true target-hog role within Bob Stoops‘ Air Raid offense, and seems like one of the highest floor, highest ceiling WRs in the game with minimal competition around him… The 6-5 Mekale McKay was listed specifically as the “X” WR, a role Plaxico Burress feasted within Kevin Gilbride’s attack. He should push for the XFL lead in receiving TDs.
Tier 2 – Big Upside with Question Marks
4) Rashad Ross (DC Defenders)
5) Kahlil Lewis (Houston Roughnecks)
6) Nick Truesdell (Tampa Bay Vipers., TE)
7) Nelson Spruce (LA Wildcats)
8) Keenan Reynolds (Seattle Dragons)
Rashad Ross was atop these rankings… until the official Defenders depth chart release. Though his blazing speed and Cardale Jones’ cannon arm remain a fantasy wet dream, we need to see his role before ranking him alongside the elite …. When with the Falcons, Jones had three of four Falcons offenses feature three WRs with 100+ targets. This will be the largest Aerial Pie in the XFL, and Kahlil Lewis was actually selected ahead of the more-heralded Sammie Coates. He’s among my favorite value plays…. Nick Truesdell might be the only TE worth drafting as the only seam-stretcher selected inside the Top-25, let alone Top-5. Air Guru Marc Trestman clearly has a lead-role in mind, and his target share should only grow with Antonio Callaway now done… Nelson Spruce finished third in AAF targets, and seems set to again vacuum looks from arguably the top QB talent in the XFL in Josh Johnson … Keenan Reynolds seems like the Dragons clear-cut top guy, especially with Kasen Williams banged up. Still, the QB questions and run-heavy attack limit his appeal
Tier 3 – Throw Enough Against a Wall And…
9) Eli Rogers (DC Defenders)
10) Daniel Williams (Tampa Bay Vipers)
11) Jalen Tolliver (Tampa Bay Vipers)
12) DeAndre Thompkins (DC Defenders)
13) L’Damian Washington (St. Louis BattleHawks)
14) De’Mornay Pierson-El (St. Louis BattleHawks)
15) Brandon Barnes (LA Wildcats)
16) Tre McBride (LA Wildcats)
17) Khari Lee (DC Defenders)
You’d think Eli Rogers would be among the more popular plays, but he’s listed at No.5 on the Defenders depth chart. Still too much upside, and that could all be shenanigans anyways… Then we play the game of who’ll be Marc Trestman and Aaron Murray‘s Alpha Hog. According to camp reports, Daniel Williams was most impressive, but who the the hell knows… Missouri wideout L’Damian Washington was labeled “a standout” in camp, and is well-worth a late round flier after being listed as the top-WR, while De’Mornay Pierson-El is a notable former AAF guy who can fill a high-volume slot role… Tre McBride hung around the NFL due to his deep speed, and brings an enormous ceiling — they traded away AAF great Rashad Ross to acquire him. Still, he’s concerningly listed deep on the depth chart, and feels like an upside stash for now…. outside of Truesdell, Brandon Barnes and Khari Lee are the only TEs worth rostering
Tier 4 – Who?
17) Colby Pearson (New York Guardians)
18) Sean Price (Dallas Renegades)
19) Freddie Martino (Dallas Renegades) –
20) Keith Mumphrey (St. Louis BattleHawks)
21) Jazz Ferguson (Renegades)
22) Donald Parham (Dallas Renegades)
23) Flynn Nagel (Renegades)
24) Reece Horn (Vipers)
25) Kasen Williams (Dragons) OUT Week 1
26) Malachi Dupre (Defenders)
27) Cam Phillips (Roughnecks)
28) Jordan Smallwood (Wildcats)
29) Austin Duke (Guardians)
These guys are either all starters or carry freakish athleticism. Pick a name, any name. Donald Parham is 6’8″ and dominated in Red Zone drills, so he might be an intriguing TE flier. Jazz Ferguson also makes a ton of sense as an upside stash.
XFL Fantasy Top-25 Big Board
1) Cardale Jones (QB – Defenders)
2) Josh Johnson (QB – Wildcats)
3) Aaron Murray (QB – Vipers)
4) PJ Walker (QB – Roughnecks)
5) Cameron Artis-Payne (RB – Renegades)
6) Sammie Coates (WR- Roughnecks)
7) Christine Michael (RB – BattleHawks)
8) Elijah Hood (RB – Wildcats)
9) Jeff Badet (WR – Renegades)
10) Mekale McKay (WR – Guardians)
11) De’Veon Smith (RB – Vipers)
12) Landry Jones (QB – Renegades)
13) Rashad Ross (WR – Defenders)
14) Jhurell Pressley (RB – Defenders)
15) Matt McGloin (QB – Guardians)
16) Kahlil Lewis (WR – Roughecks)
17) Nick Truesdell (TE – Vipers)
18) Nelson Spruce (WR – WIldcats)
19) Keenan Reynolds (WR – Dragons)
20) Tim Cook (RB – Guardians)
21) Andre Williams (RB – Roughnecks)
22) Jordan Ta’amu (QB – Battlehawks)
23) Brandon Silvers (QB – Dragons)
24) Eli Rogers (WR – Defenders)
25) Kenneth Farrow (RB – Dragons)
Be sure to get in on the Fantasy XFL Action! Set Up the perfect league, check out our full XFL team previews, and dominate all season with our Weekly Rankings and DFS Previews.
