Fantasy football strategy, rankings, and podcasts

With so many options to choose from, sometimes fielding a fantasy lineup can be quite the headache. Obvious are the starts akin to Antonio Brown, Brandon Marshall, Matthew Stafford, Adrian Peterson and the games other bigger names. However, it’s the tougher choices – namely the less obvious starts – that will end up winning your league.

Here are a few names you might want to consider:

Johnathan Dwyer RB Arizona – Lead back Andre Ellington is out for a significant amount of time – 4-6 weeks or more. If you drafted the injury prone Ellington, you would have been smart to draft Dwyer, but if he was on your waiver wire – snag him and start him when the matchup is right. This week, the matchup could be right. Arizona plays at home against San Diego, whose team defense finished near the bottom last season (especially on the road) and they haven’t really done much to improve for 2014. Dwyer might not catch a lot of balls in the backfield, but is a big, plodding runner who was already expected to handle a good amount of goal line duties. Now, with Ellington out of the picture, he will get the chance to rack up some serious yards, especially with Arizona’s pass attack opening up the run game. Stephan Taylor will also see some reps, but I expect Dwyer to hit the 100-yard mark with a few catches and at least one score as a strong RB2 play.  

Darren Sproles RB Philadelphia – Philadelphia didn’t sign the super versatile Sproles to sit on the bench. This week the Eagles take on what could be the worst NFL defense this season and Sproles will certainly get his shots in Chip Kelly’s high flying offense and when he does the Cowboys will have a tough time containing him. It might be a stretch to start Sproles as your number two running back in Week 1 (although he could pay off), but he will make a nice flex option as a lower-end RB2 with a ton of upside. Starting running back LeSean McCoy has already admitted he expects Sproles to get a good amount of action, and in Kelly’s fast-paced offense, there is certainly room for both.   

Ryan Fitzpatrick QB Houston – If you are in a league that starts two quarterbacks or more, Fitzpatrick could be a sneaky QB2 pick. Apparently, there is still a quarterback competition going on in Houston with Ryan Mallett standing by if Fitzpatrick falters – talk about incentive. Houston plays at home against a Washington defense who struggled against the pass last season and any quarterback who has an Andre Johnson to throw to can never be discounted. I like Fitzpatrick as a QB2 with big game potential. 250 passing yards and a couple of scores are not out of the question.

Emmanuel Sanders WR Denver – Talk about a year with breakout indications written all over it. Sanders now is hooked up by one of the game’s best quarterbacks in Peyton Manning, Eric Decker has split to New York and Wes Welker a concussion away from retirement and is currently serving a four game suspension due to breaking the NFL’s substance abuse policy. Let’s not forget that Sanders has always had speed and talent. Week 1 has Denver hosting Indianapolis in what should be a shootout. Sanders will certainly benefit. He was dealing with a minor thigh issue, but fantasy owners should not worry as he has already practiced in full in will be a full go on Sunday. Sanders should be started as a WR2 with confidence and WR1 potential in this very favorable match-up. 

We're on to week 5, and I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that I am welcoming my Packers and Eagles back with open arms. This week we won't have our Jaguars, Chiefs, Saints or Seahawks - lots of guys that will be fill-ins this week. We recommend making sure that Latavius Murray and Darren Sproles find their way into your lineup, rather than warming your bench. On the receiving side, Eddie Royal might be a good option to pick up and start right away if you have bye week troubles, but stay away from DeSean Jackson if you can.