It is the first day of August and football is just around the corner! While everyone is excited to see their team back out on the field, many are even more excited that fantasy football is back. While many people stress over who to draft on their team and spend hours researching player, here are a few tips to help ease the stress.
Many already know that Adrian Peterson is an ideal first pick, but what if he is already off the board? Who else is out there to take? This league is become a pass first league and a quality running back is hard to come by. Newly acquired Lions running back Reggie Bush is a good pickup, especially as the Lions look to rely more on the run this year. The Lions are notoriously known for their passing game, but if they want to become a playoff team they need to become a duel threat.
Tight end might be a tricky position draft this year as two of the best, Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski, are expected to miss significant time. San Francisco’s Vernon Davis is a good pickup as he has the ability to catch the ball and fly down the field. He has also been taking reps with the wide receivers after Michael Crabtree tore his Achilles tendon. Expect Davis to be targeted many times this year by Colin Kaepernick. The Seahawks are also in a similar position with their top receiver, Percy Harvin, going down during training camp so tight end Zack Miller could also see more touches this year. While Cowboys tight end Jason Witten has been very reliable for Tony Romo, his touchdown production has gone down every year since 2010. This coincides with Dez Bryant’s production going up every one of those years. Romo and Bryant have developed a great chemistry and I expect Romo to stick to his wide receiver. A sleeper pick could also be new Giants tight end Brandon Myers who will do even better with Eli Manning throwing to him. If he could collect over 800 yards on the Raiders last season, imagine having a great quarterback throwing to him.
While quarterback is the most important player on the field, there are many good options that can allow you to use a later pick on one. While Rodgers, Brees, and Manning will come off the board early, many good quarterbacks will still be available. RG3 is a very flashy pick, but may not be the smartest as he is coming off major knee surgery and will wear a knee brace for the surgery. However, it could be a risk worth taking as he is also an accurate passer. Many are predicting Miami’s Ryan Tanehill to have a good sophomore year especially after the addition of wide receiver Mike Wallace. Be weary of Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson, and Colin Kaepernick falling into the sophomore slump this year.
Not many receivers will put up Calvin Johnson numbers, but there are many good receivers in the league. Look to Dez Bryant, AJ Green, Wes Welker, and Victor Cruz to continue their success on their respective teams. With Percy Harvin out for most of the season and Sidney Rice possibly right behind him, Golden Tate could be a good bench player. With Greg Jennings going to Minnesota, expect Jordy Nelson to have more balls thrown his way this season. With the loss of Anquan Boldin and the injury to Dennis Pitta, Torrey Smith will now become Joe Flacco’s favorite target, especially down field.
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