CURTIS HENRY
Assistant Sports Editor
After six and a half long, dreary months without a single game of professional American football, the NFL is set to kick off on Thursday night with a Super Bowl rematch between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers. The triumphant return of the sport brings with it the return of fantasy football.
Last year’s fantasy season was riddled with uncertainty, and nothing points to this season being any different. However, there are plenty of players available in the later rounds of drafts or in free agency that are poised to make a huge splash in the opening month of the season. This is due to a variety of factors, including injuries, timing and strength of schedule.
Le’Veon Bell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Seeing as Bell has gone anywhere between picks 10 and 20 in drafts, this is a seemingly weird way to begin the list. However, Bell has produced at an above-the-cut pace the past two years when he has been healthy. If you’re drafting at the end of the first round or the beginning of the second, Bell is a no-brainer.
Despite the suspension he has to serve to begin the season, Bell is by far the best talent on the board once the first few picks have gone by. In addition, he’s the only player available in the second round who you may have the option of trading after week three to get one of the elite receivers. If you draft Bell and follow up with another stud running back, and then address running back depth in the later rounds, he will be a huge asset. He’s a great commodity to have on the roster, even if his sole purpose is trade bait.
Derek Carr, QB, Oakland Raiders
If you’re someone who, like myself, drafted Tom Brady, and then needed to scoop up another quarterback late in the draft, look no further than Carr. Carr produced at a steady top-15 pace a season ago, but his schedule for the first four weeks (the time frame that you need him in your lineup while Brady is suspended), is more than generous.
While Brady rides your fantasy bench, Carr will see matchups against the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens. Those teams ranked 32nd, 7th, 27th and 25th a year ago in fantasy points given up to opposing quarterbacks. Carr could legitimately be a top-five quarterback a month into the season, and if he is sitting high up on the rankings list when Brady returns, you will be able to trade Carr at a high price before his strength of schedule begins to limit his ceiling. He’s a great buy-low, sell-high investment for the first month of the season.
DeSean Jackson, WR, Washington Redskins
Speaking of scheduling, no one in the league has a more generous schedule in the first six weeks than DeSean Jackson. Jackson starts the season with Washington’s first six opponents being the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, the Ravens and the Philadelphia Eagles. Those teams ranked 31st, 8th, 28th, 30th, 29th and 32nd in fantasy points allowed to receivers a year ago.
Essentially, Jackson will play the worst five defenses against the pass from a year ago in his first six games. His eighth round draft price could result in him being a top 10 receiver in the first month and a half of the season, and if that’s the case, he’ll be in a perfect position for you to trade him with a big price tag.
Torrey Smith, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Torrey Smith is being criminally ignored in fantasy drafts in all formats this year. His inconsistent past and the mess of a quarterback situation in San Francisco are key factors for his low price tag right now, but no. 1 receivers in Chip Kelly’s offense historically have out-produced their fantasy draft values.
In 2013, when Kelly first arrived in Philadelphia, DeSean Jackson had the best statistical season of his career. Jackson hauled in 82 balls for 1,332 yards and nine scores.
A year later, Jackson left for Washington, and Jeremy Maclin stepped into the role of Kelly’s no. 1 receiver. Maclin accounted for the best statistical season of his career in 2014, catching 85 passes for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns. Maclin then left for Kansas City.
Maclin’s departure left Jordan Matthews as the no. 1 target last year in Philadelphia. Matthews’ statline was less impressive than Maclin and Jackson before him, but the second-year pro still amassed 85 catches for 997 yards and eight trips to the end zone.
Each of Kelly’s past no. 1 receivers have posted the best statistical years of their careers, lending to the thought that Smith could be in for his best pro season. For Smith to top all of his previous career highs, he’ll need a 16 game statline of 66 catches, 1,129 yards and 12 touchdowns. The past successes of Kelly’s top targets suggest that this is certainly possible. Should Smith encroach on those numbers, his 10th round draft price would result in quite the payoff.