'Tis the (Pre-pre-)Season.

Article written by Gordo

Every season we look forward to this time of year where we prepare for Fantasy Football.  We check our favorite sources, pick our friend's brains for information, and start throwing around words like "studs" or "duds", "risk/reward" and talking about teams and players in terms of "well he's good, but that team's awful."  But what do we really get from all that other than a false sense of tossing around buzz words and pretending to know what we're talking about?

So let's educate the uninformed.

• Stud Players:  A stud consistently produces at a higher level than his peers.  They are the elite.  You can count on them every week.  "Set 'em and forget 'em!" (just don't forget about bye weeks).  Think an average of +/- 20 FP a week.
• Good Players: This is the largest pool of players to choose from.  Just about every player in the NFL is "Good". Fantasy wise, these players don't always shine but they are still consistent - just on a slightly lower level.  Think an average of +/- 12-15 FP a week.
• Streaky Players: any player that can and does put up "good" and "stud" numbers but is inconsistent and will have a fare share of low or dud weeks. They could score 20 pts three weeks in a row then only 5-10 the next 5 weeks.  Think of a spectrum of +/- 5-20 FP any given week.
• Depth/Sleeper Players: Players that have potential to reach "good" or even "stud" levels at least once or more if, or when, given the right circumstances or opportunity.  For example, in 2013 Julius Thomas actually went un-drafted in some leagues but ended the year as a Top TE and potential stud.
• Bad Teams: Teams that just don't win, especially when it counts.

Now that we have some base knowledge we can better assess this years player pool.  One of the most interesting, and sometimes unnerving, things about fantasy football (ff) is that bad teams still produce ff relevant players.  If you think someone's going to produce this year, don't be afraid of their team's track record.  Some of these guys just know how to get it done even if they lose every week.

This phenomenon occurs simply because these players get all the work; they practically carry the team.  The best example is Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings.  The Vikings haven't been much of a playoff contender in recent years but Peterson continues to dominate at the RB position.  I mean, they need someone to generate offense and he's typically their only option. He's THE definition of stud.

Studs on bad teams are a bit of rarity though so I took it upon myself to compile a list of them to show that you don't need to hesitate.  And, while I'm at it, I've included other players on bad teams that I consider to be great draft options as well.

American Football Conference:

Good Players:
Browns (4-12, 4th in division)
Fantasy Options: Josh Gordon (WR), Jordan Cameron (TE)

The Browns are historically awful.  They just never seem to have the right pieces to the puzzle.  But recently their Defense has been shining, and their relentless pursuit of a successful first round quarterback has lead to the assembly of possibly the best o-line in football.  Now, Johnny Manziel may or may not become FF relevant this year but the passing game is still worth looking at and in fact has two of the best FF options out there.  If Gordon can win his appeal and get some playing time this season he has the potential to put up great numbers.  Complimentary to this is the potential for last years breakout TE Jordan Cameron who is certainly a good player and worth drafting.  Wait and see with Gordon but don't hesitate with Cameron.

Bills (6-10, 4th in Division)
Fantasy Options: Fred Jackson (RB), C.J. Spiller (RB)

These two RBs have been vying for position for a couple years now.  Grandpa F-Jax just won't quit, and Spiller just can't keep consistent.  Thankfully the FF world sees this and their ADP has zeroed in on a more acceptable price with a current ADP of 32.5 for Spiller, which is better than his top 10 position last year, and 121.9 for F-Jax (in 12 team leagues).  Don't be afraid to draft either as an RB3 this year, just don't plan on relying on them as an every week starter.

Streaky and Depth/Sleeper Players:

Raiders (4-12, 4th in Division): James Jones (WR), Maurice Jones-Drew (RB), Darren McFadden (RB)
Jaguars (4-12, 3rd in Division): Cecil Shorts III (WR), Toby Gerhart (RB)
Titans (7-9, 2nd in Division): Bishop Sankey (RB), Kendal Wright (WR), Delanie Walker (TE)

These guys are on the list because there's no one else on the team who will rack up any relevant FF numbers.  They've all had success on other teams or their current teams before, or are young and have the potential to break out this season.  With the exception of Bishop Sankey, I would not draft many of the please players before the 6th or 7th round at best.  McFadden and James Jones might be potential steals in the later rounds (10-13).

National Football Conference:

Stud Players (plus honorable mentions):
Vikings (5-10-1, 4th in Division)
Fantasy Options: Adrian Peterson (RB), Cordarelle Patterson (WR)

Adrian Peterson is a stud!  Enough said.  Patterson is an exciting choice as a second year player with potential for a break out season but we don't know who's going to be tossing him the ball yet.  As the leading WR he can still pull in good player numbers so don't shy away from drafting him at the right price.  I think Patterson's a bit overrated at this time.

Lions (7-9, 3rd in Division)
Fantasy Options: Calvin Johnson Jr. (WR), Reggie Bush (RB), Matthew Stafford (QB), Joique Bell (RB), Golden Tate (WR)

Calvin Johnson is a STUD!  He's like the studliest of FF studs.  Enough said.  Reggie Bush can be a great option at RB even with Bell on his heals.  The two share the work quite well because of their differing styles of play.  Stafford is a great QB option but is often gone by the 5th round in 12 team leagues.  Bell is a great middle round grab to add some great depth, and Tate could become more than just a bye week filler running alongside CJ with Stafford tossing him the ball.

Great, Good, Streaky and Depth Players:
Bucs (4-12, 4th in Division): Doug Martin (RB), Vincent Jackson (WR)

Redskins (3-13, 4th in Division): Robert Griffin III (QB), Alfred Morris (RB), Pierre Garcon (WR), DeSean Jackson (WR)

Rams (7-9, 4th in Division): Zac Stacy (RB), Tre Mason (RB), Tavon Austin (WR)

Each of these teams have had a high point during one season or another but just have the worst track records.  Vincent Jackson is a great receiver and has only gotten better with the Bucs but he does get streaky here and there.  The same can be said in a way for the streaky play of DeSean Jackson, Tavon Austin, and RGIII.  They all can produce at a high level but there's always a risk of a dud game or two.  Guys like Martin, Morris, and Stacy are great RB2's in 12 team formats.  Garcon is a great player but not many people realize that he only broke out last year...his 6th season!  I like this guy now that he's in a lead role with Washington.  He's more likely to be consistent so you don't have to rely on the big play like you would with D-Jax or Tavon Austin.  As always, draft without fear if you can get them for the right price.  Tre Mason could potentially push Stacy out of the way if given the opportunity.  Keep an eye on him and don't hesitate to grab him in the middle to later rounds for some bench depth.