IT'S HUMP, ER, DRAFT DAY!
When you hear the expression "a camel is a horse designed by committee," it's usually meant as a slam on committees. And
camels. But if the committee had been tasked to create a horselike animal that could thrive in some of the harshest conditions
on earth, then the design was a complete success. When we assembled our fantasy football committee in Bristol on the Tuesday
following the NFL draft, it was our intention to create an initial set of rankings that will help you survive even the harshest drafting
conditions. They may not be tailored to your specific drafting style or league depth, but just like the noble creatures of the desert, they'll get you where you need to go. Here's a look at how we tackled the rankings, position by position. —PIERRE BECQUEY
QUARTERBACKS You'll never guess, but Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees are in a fantasy tier all alone. Below them, Matthew Stafford leads a group with Cam Newton and Andrew Luck—their week-winning potential is tantalizing. Sure things are harder to find after that, which is why these six will fly off the board. A few names absent from our top 10? Matt Ryan, Ben Roethlisberger and, yes, Tom Brady. We ranked Gisele's squeeze 12th. (Seriously.) Listen, Brady is a perfectly fine real-life quarterback, but would you feel comfortable having him as your Week 1 fantasy starter without Rob Gronkowski on the field? Me neither.
RUNNING BACKS Drafters with scars from last year's first-round RB bloodbath—Trent Richardson, anyone?—might stay away from taking a big-money ball carrier. Don't. The risk of bust gets far greater after you get past Eddie Lacy, who's our No. 6 back. Lacy and Zac Stacy were two of 2013's best hidden gems—and our second and third tiers of backs are again riddled with breakout candidates. Andre Ellington and Joique Bell both have feature-back ability; all they need is more touches. And rookie Bishop Sankey has the look of a bruiser in Tennessee's run-heavy scheme. There's value to be had everywhere. You just have to know where to look.
THE SECOND TIME AROUND
It's inevitable: Rookies often
get us all excited only to
disappoint and disappear
from our consciousness as
soon as the next class rolls
into town. Sometimes that's
for the best. (Goodbye,
Isaiah Pead!) But other
times, one more year—one
more chance—is all they
need. So how about it? Here
are 15 post-hype sleepers
that warrant another look. —CHRISTOPHER HARRIS
2 TERRANCE WILLIAMS COWBOYS WR Dez Bryant and Jason Witten will attract most defenses' attention, giving Williams plenty of opportunity to bust out as a clear starter in Scott Linehan's pass-heavy scheme. If he stays healthy, a 60-catch season is his floor.
1 CORDARRELLE PATTERSON VIKINGS WR Norv Turner did wonders for Josh Gordon in his second season, and now he'll get a crack at the 6-foot-2 Patterson, who runs a 4.42 40. His route-running is still suspect, but if he learns how to get open deep, watch out.
3 KHIRY ROBINSON SAINTS RB For the zillionth year in a row, the Saints will feature a backfield committee. Don't let that scare you away from Robinson. His tape shows he has more potential as an early-down rusher than Pierre Thomas or Mark Ingram.
ESPN FANTASY FOOTBALL 7
WIDE RECEIVER Player A finished last season with 92 catches for 1,430 yards and 14 TDs. Player B racked up 84/1,492/12. Coming into 2014, you'd think the gap between the two would be minimal. Well, you'd be wrong, because Player B is Calvin Johnson. We gave Megatron an auction value of $51, nearly 30 percent more than Player A, Demaryius Thomas. Johnson is tantalizing, but you'd be wise to dig deep into this list. Here's a sampling of players we ranked as WR3s or lower: T.Y. Hilton (No. 22), Michael Floyd (No. 26), Golden Tate (No. 34) and Riley Cooper (No. 41).
TIGHT END There's a top tier among tight ends, and his name is Jimmy Graham. That's what happens when you score two more TDs (16) than any other pass catcher. (Yes, that includes wideouts.) But don't let Graham's otherworldliness sour you on Julius Thomas or Rob Gronkowski, both of whom are proof that stud tight ends often blossom overnight. Heck, we had Thomas ranked as the No. 20 TE going into last season. So who are this year's waiver-wire sensations? Our experts seemed to think Zach Ertz (No. 14) and Ladarius Green (No. 16)—with 57 career catches between them—fit the bill.
4 AARON DOBSON PATRIOTS WR Dobson was dogged by foot injuries his rookie year, but he flashed separation skills and improving hands as he got healthier. If he can become Tom Brady's top outside receiver— not impossible!—he could be a difference maker.
8 TAVON AUSTIN RAMS WR The first WR drafted last year, Austin fell flat in the pros, as he struggled to get the ball in space and take advantage of his crazy quicks. He'll play from the slot and hopefully have a bigger role, but do you trust Sam Bradford?
12 EJ MANUEL BILLS QB The Cam Newton comparisons remain, but Manuel's rookie campaign was far short of Newtonian. His potential as a scrambler is negated by poor accuracy (58 percent completion rate, ranked 28th) and decision-making.
6 DEANDRE HOPKINS TEXANS WR "Nuk" was second among rookie WRs with 52 catches, and he has a great mentor in Andre Johnson. But with Ryan Fitzpatrick at the helm, the Texans could be hard-pressed to feed multiple fantasy-relevant receivers.
10 LATAVIUS MURRAY RAIDERS RB Maurice Jones-Drew and Darren McFadden are ahead of Murray on the Oakland depth chart, but they're a one-two punch of age (MJD) and fragility (DMC). Murray's nasty size/speed combo makes him a legit sleeper.
14 GENO SMITH JETS QB Smith's rookie year was all over the map. The signing of Michael Vick signals that the Jets aren't sold on last year's second-rounder as their QB of the future. Maybe Smith puts it together as a soph and makes Vick ride the pine.
5 ZACH ERTZ EAGLES TE Ertz's blocking limited his snaps as a rookie, but he's in an enviable system for his elite pass-catching (36 catches for 469 yards). Brent Celek is still around, but Chip Kelly would love for Ertz to win the every-down job.
9 TYLER EIFERT BENGALS TE Under new OC Hue Jackson, Cincy will be more balanced on offense, meaning the 6-6 Eifert will have even fewer chances to bust out. His fantasy relevance is tied to whether the overly underwhelming Jermaine Gresham gets cut.
13 KENNY STILLS SAINTS WR Darren Sproles and Lance Moore are gone. Marques Colston is fading fast. So passes are up for grabs in New Orleans. Stills (20 ypc) may show he's more than a burner, though rookie Brandin Cooks intrigues. (Don't they all?)
7 JUSTIN HUNTER TITANS WR At 6-4, with 4.44 speed and a 39½-inch vert, Hunter is a ready-made red zone threat. It's conceivable he'll develop into a truly uncoverable big-play receiver. Heck, four of his 18 catches as a rook went for scores.
11 CHRISTINE MICHAEL SEAHAWKS RB The calendar says Marshawn Lynch isn't old (he's 28), but he leads the NFL in carries over the past three years. And as his handcuffs go, Michael's size and speed make him far more enticing than Robert Turbin.
15 MARCUS LATTIMORE 49ERS RB If Lattimore can rebound from his horrific knee injury to become the rusher he used to be, he's a feature back. But the Niners drafted Carlos Hyde—and still employ
