Fantasy Football Draft Advice 2015: Get the Edge to Win Your League

May 1, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams first round draft pick Todd Gurley poses for a photo after a press conference at Rams Park. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Guys To Avoid

I thinking Cam Newton is not going to have the weapons to allow him to produce starter level numbers this season. I get he’ll have great rushing numbers but I wouldn’t count on him being in the elite. You can let him sit your bench and wait for him to break out. With his already weak weaponry losing Kelvin Benjamin for the year I think you can find better starting QB’s for your fantasy team week to week.

Another bust in terms of where he could be drafted is Jimmy Graham. Whether or not he was traded from New Orleans to the Seahawks, I think his value would be down regardless. Don’t think Graham is worth drafting before you pick up your RB1, WR1, and possibly your QB1.

I no longer think you can consider Lesean McCoy an elite Fantasy RB now that he’s in Buffalo. Matt Cassel the QB, Rex Ryan the coach. No thanks. He’s now a solid RB2 maybe RB1 depending on how you draft.

Dec 14, 2014; Seattle, WA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back

(28) carries the ball on a 289-yard run in the first quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

I don’t see Carlos Hyde breaking out this year. I really just see San Francisco struggling to get first downs with all the changes to the roster and coaching staff, as well as Kaepernick’s inconsistency at QB. I wouldn’t touch any 49er in general, but I  think Hyde could really burn you if you draft him as a RB1 or an early RB2.

Russell Wilson is a great quarterback but is he really a top 5 fantasy QB? If you can fill in a few slots before taking Wilson you should go that route as I believe he should go after guys like Brees and Peyton Manning.

A.J. Green‘s numbers most likely won’t reach the fantasy elite among receivers because of his team’s offense. The Bengals will want to run the ball and Green won’t exactly have Joe Montana as his QB with Andy Dalton starting for Cincy. I would wait until the 3rd round for Green.

Andre Johnson will have a bigger impact in wins and losses than he does statistically. Andrew Luck is now his quarterback but I don’t see Andre being someone you can start weekly with confidence. He’s probably a Flex at best so draft him with that in mind.

He might be worth a shot in a keeper league, but don’t think about investing in Todd Gurley in earlier rounds. I would have both RB spots covered and my flex filled before going after Gurley as he is: A. a rookie B. out for up to a month or longer and C. sharing the backfield with Tre Mason when he returns to a weak St. Louis offense.

Jordan Cameron is a huge injury risk at TE. Not really the position I’d want to have to dig through scraps for. If you are willing to take Cameron, make it towards the end of the draft and be sure to have a backup tight end lined up to cover an injury.

LeGarrette Blount is not someone I’m willing to count on to start leading into this year. The Patriots have Jonas Gray, Travaris Cadet, Brandon Bolden and Aaron Dobson as options in their backfield. When he returns from suspension I’m still not fully confident he’ll have that job every single week. I have him as a possible flex with bust or RB2 potential.

Finally my biggest No-No is the Seattle D/ST. They aren’t a top fantasy defense. Once Houston, St. Louis and Buffalo possibly the Jets are gone it’s a matter of preference for defenses. My preference would be to pass on the Seahawks in the top 5.

Next: Necessary handcuffs