The world will be tuned Sunday into Super Bowl LII between the Patriots and Eagles. Casual sports fans will watch, as will those who don't really like sports but want to catch a glimpse of Tom Brady (and those always-interesting commercials).
And you know die-hard Fantasy Football fanatics will watch as well. Some of them might even be scouting for 2018 drafts.
Before you settle into your couch, chair, or if you're really lucky, seat at U.S. Bank Stadium, we thought we'd give a quick 2018 preview of every key player who will figure into Fantasy Football drafts next summer.
Quarterbacks
Tom Brady, Patriots: He'll be 41 when next season starts. Eventually, he's going to start to decline, but with no evidence of that happening, Fantasy owners will still consider him a no-brainer top-three Fantasy quarterback.
Expected draft range: Rounds 3-4
Carson Wentz, Eagles: Wentz tore his ACL in December after throwing for 33 touchdowns and 253.5 yards per game in 13 outings. Quarterbacks tend to come back from ACL injuries quicker than running backs and receivers, so there's some hope Wentz will be ready for the start of the season. Provided that's the case, Wentz will be among the top-five Fantasy quarterbacks taken.
Expected draft range: Rounds 3-4
Nick Foles, Eagles: Foles gets the chance to start the Super Bowl but isn't promised to start any games next season. That's because he's under contract with the Eagles through 2018 and seemingly is the insurance policy for Wentz in case he's not ready for the start of the season.
Expected draft range: Undrafted
Running backs
Dion Lewis, Patriots: Slated to be a free agent, Lewis has earned a new contract with the Patriots after totaling 1,311 yards and nine touchdowns over 18 games during the season and playoffs. If he stays in New England, he should lead the way for the run game, but even if he leaves, he'll still likely be given a decent chunk of work.
Expected draft range: Round 4
James White, Patriots: White is locked into a part-time, passing-downs role with the offense. He's never had even 50 rush attempts in any of his first four seasons but topped 50 receptions in each of his past two. Locked up through 2020, he appears to be a better bench option for a Fantasy squad than anything else.
Expected draft range: Late-round pick
Rex Burkhead, Patriots: For the one-year, $3 million deal the Patriots gave him, Burkhead returned 518 total yards ... and eight touchdowns in 10 games. Injuries cost him six games, but his versatility offers endless possibilities. If the Patriots don't bring him back, expect another team to snap him up and use him in similar ways (the Colts could be one of those squads). Point being, Burkhead has a lot of potential.
Expected draft range: Round 7
Mike Gillislee, Patriots: In Week 1, Gillislee produced 11 percent of his total yards and 60 percent of his total touchdowns in 2017. It was all downhill from there, and now there's a legit chance the Patriots cut Gillislee and save themselves a few million bucks in cap space. Time will tell if he can regain a starting role somewhere in the league.
Expected draft range: Undrafted
Jay Ajayi, Eagles: Ajayi should be the team's lead back next season, which is a pretty good spot to be given the offensive line and offensive scheme. In his past five with Philly (including the playoffs) he's averaged 14.8 carries and 2.2 catches per game. That's the kind of workload you'd expect from a No. 2 running back, which is exactly how Ajayi will be drafted.
Expected draft range: Rounds 3-4
Corey Clement, Eagles: Don't be surprised to see Clement in a larger role moving forward, especially if the Eagles move on from veterans LeGarrette Blount and Darren Sproles. Clement has proven to be both a good passing-downs back and a solid red-zone option (six total touchdowns, more than any other Eagles rusher). Don't be surprised to see him become a mid-round target.
Expected draft range: Round 8
LeGarrette Blount, Eagles: The Super Bowl figures to be Blount's last game as an Eagle. Set to be a free agent this spring, the 31-year-old figures to draw minimal interest as a two-down power runner with 1,467 career carries. Maybe he ends up in a rotation somewhere, but it's not like Fantasy owners will be giddy with the idea of having him in a starting lineup.
Expected draft range: Late-round pick
Wide receivers
Brandin Cooks, Patriots: Cooks posted three-year lows across the board but still topped 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns, albeit on an inconsistent basis. But if he's still the No. 1 outside receiver in an offense piloted by Tom Brady, Fantasy owners will be amped to take him.
Expected draft range: Round 3
Chris Hogan, Patriots: Hogan was a stud until a shoulder injury took him off track, costing him six games. He hasn't looked the same since and might not until this fall. Before the injury he was on track for a career-year with 70 receptions, nearly 900 yards and 10 touchdowns. That seems like an unattainable ceiling, pushing Hogan into the group of No. 3 receivers.
Expected draft range: Rounds 8-9
Danny Amendola, Patriots: Not a lot of people were targeting Amendola in Fantasy drafts to begin with, not even after a 61-catch campaign and some huge plays in the playoffs. He's slated to test free agency and would have to fight for playing time with Julian Edelman, a fight he'd probably lose. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Amendola follow Josh McDaniels to Indianapolis, in which case he'd get eyeballed with a late pick.
Expected draft range: Late-round pick
Julian Edelman, Patriots: I'm young enough to remember when Edelman was good! Seriously, Fantasy owners shouldn't sleep on Edelman despite him missing all of 2017 with a torn ACL. Over his past four regular seasons he's averaged 6.5 catches and 69.6 yards per game with 20 touchdowns in 55 games. Expect him to hit those benchmarks again.
Expected draft range: Round 7 (Round 5-6 in PPR)
Alshon Jeffery, Eagles: Jeffery made good as a No. 2 option thanks to his nine touchdowns. It's a little alarming that he posted a three-year low in receiving average and a career-low catch rate of 47.5 percent while failing to produce even one 100-yard game. Can he keep up the touchdowns? If he can't, there's a chance he'll disappoint. Don't be the guy to overdraft Jeffery.
Expected draft range: Rounds 3-4
Nelson Agholor, Eagles: Agholor's third season was his best, posting massive career-highs in every stat including catch rate (65.3 percent) and touchdowns (eight). He had one fewer game with 10-plus Fantasy points than Jeffery. Next year is a contract year, so there's plenty of optimism for Agholor to build off his breakout and become one of the best slot receivers in the NFL.
Expected draft range: Round 8
Torrey Smith, Eagles: He looks the part of a No. 1 receiver and has the speed to stretch defenses, but he just doesn't deliver enough. He's had seven games with 10-plus Fantasy points over his past three seasons! Even if he somehow becomes the MVP of the Super Bowl, Fantasy owners shouldn't buy into Smith as a stable starter.
Expected draft range: Undrafted
Tight ends
Rob Gronkowski, Patriots: The playoffs have been a microcosm of Gronk's career: dominant when he's on the field, but prone to injuries that keep him sidelined. It's that injury-laden downside that will keep Gronk out of Round 1 next year, but not out of Round 2. There's just too much touchdown-laden upside to ignore what he can do to help your squad win.
Expected draft range: Round 2 -- and top-20 overall
Zach Ertz, Eagles: You're looking at the most consistent Fantasy tight end of 2017, albeit not the most productive. Ertz gave you eight or more Fantasy points 11 times, one more than Gronk and Travis Kelce. He's locked in as the Eagles' top tight end and a bona fide red-zone machine (17 of 21 touchdowns from the 20 or closer).
Expected draft range: Round 3
Trey Burton, Eagles: Keep an eye on Burton this offseason -- he's slated to be a free agent and flashed when he played in place of Ertz. Heck, he even had some nice numbers when he played with Ertz, finishing with five scores. The former Gator could find himself with another playoff contender (perhaps Green Bay or New Orleans) next season.
Expected draft range: Late-round pick
