Every manager in fantasy football is looking to have the perfect draft. A big part of this is landing a great player early on, if you can get Lesean McCoy or Jamaal Charles in the first round by all means do it. Just remember that one player is not enough to win your league. On the other hand, grabbing a couple of guys at a huge discount may just have you in first place.
Also: Avoid This Top Ten Running Back
Quarterback: Tony Romo DAL - I think that Tony Romo is going to have a solid year in 2014 and right now he's being drafted as the 11th quarterback and 75th player overall. (I have seen him go much lower than this by the way.) There are health concerns, but his weapons are on the cusp of being elite. Dez Bryant is one of the best wide receivers in the league and Jason Witten is a consistent performer although he is at the tail end of his career. Terrance Williams could also be poised for a breakout this season. Put these factors together with a dynamic running back in Demarco Murray and an improved offensive line and it could spell a big year for Romo.
Running Back: Toby Gerhart JAX - It seems like Gerhart is being overlooked a bit because he will be playing for a weaker offense. Of course it makes a difference where a guy will be playing, but Gerhart will see a lot of touches and the vast majority of goal line carries. This is more than owners can say for some of the backs going before him. Right now drafters are seeing him go 18th among running backs and 35th overall. For a player who is likely to go for about 1100 yards and 8-10 touchdowns, this is a nice value.
*Steal Alert*: Joique Bell DET - Bell put up almost 1200 total yards and 8 scores last year. Now the coaching staff are
Joique Bell can be had at a very nice ADP right now.Photo: Gavin Smith
saying that they would like to increase his role in the Lions offense. This sounds like a recipe for success, but Bell is still being overlooked in drafts. On average, Bell is the 27th running back off the board and the 58th player overall. Even in our staff mock draft Bell hung around until Kurt Turner stole him with the 60th overall pick. If the other owners in your league don't catch on to this trend, enjoy stealing an explosive running back in the 4th or 5th round.
Wide Receiver: Emmanuel Sanders DEN- Sanders has been almost a non-factor as a fantasy option throughout his years with the Pittsburgh Steelers. This factor keeps his ADP lower than it should be as Sanders is being taken 24th among wide receivers and 67th overall. Last season he provided moderate value as a threat to score, but little else. In 2014 that will be changing as Peyton Manning will be at the helm. Sanders has great speed and quickness along with Demaryius Thomas across the field to shift coverage away. Every factor is in favor of Sanders breaking out in 2014.
Tight End: Greg Olsen CAR - Despite what has been written about the Panthers offense, Olsen is not the only receiver on the team. He is, however, about the only option with an established rapport with the team's superstar quarterback. Olsen is not a flashy pick and he won't be on many highlight reels, but he will provide consistent play and solid value. At his current ADP of 8th among tight ends and 82nd overall he makes a very nice pick. I see his value just under Vernon Davis rather than being lumped in with Dennis Pitta and Jordan Reed.
As fantasy drafts move closer be sure to keep an eye on the movement of players' ADPs. Breaking news and articles like this one will tend to shift the trends around. Of course it is important to understand the tendencies of leaguemates as well. There are always deals to be found at the draft, those who can sniff them out will be the owners to bring home the hardware.
Also: IDP Rankings
