The fantasy football season is here and names like Alshon Jeffery, Frank Gore, Dez Bryant, Rashad Jennings, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning as well as Darren Sproles, Michael Crabtree and Jamaal Charles are some of the best names to draft as soon as possible in 12-team leagues, as those players can put up points to get owners over the top and win this season in 2014.
Brees and Manning are obvious choices, but often times teams will pick players ahead of those guys because they are RBs or WRs, but after the way they played last season, those two should be off the board quickly. Brees and Manning could help win a matchup on their own and after the numbers they put up last season, fantasy owners would be smart to pounce quickly.
Darren Sproles has the chance to be one of the most productive backs catching the ball in the NFL, as he was traded in the offseason to the Eagles from the Saints and now he is operating in the Chip Kelly offense. Sproles caught a ton of balls with the Saints over the past three seasons and while he is getting older, he should end up as the primary backup to LeSean McCoy and that makes him a great draft option. Kelly has said that he wants to give McCoy more rest this season and that could lead to a big year for Sproles.
Reports also have Sproles lining up at wide receiver at times in practice and that means he could have even more chances at getting receptions this season. Sproles is a fantastic pick in PPR leagues and there is a chance he will be getting more opportunities to rush the ball as well. Last season he had 71 catches for 604 yards while playing with Drew Brees and in the past three seasons he has not had less than 71 catches, putting up 75 and 86 over the past two seasons.
Alshon Jeffery is a player to grab right away, as he put up amazing numbers last season and now has the chance to be even better. He went from 24 catches to 89 from two years ago to last season and he also had 1,421 yards and 16 touchdowns. Jeffery could be one of the best players in fantasy in 2014 and he should go early.
Andre Ellington has the chance to perform as a top back and he is looking like a number one in Arizona. The team loves his speed and he played well last season and now he should take over as the number one back.
Josh Gordon is an interesting player to keep an eye on because his situation is so fluid and until his suspension comes down, teams should be able to snag him late in drafts. The Giants could be a fantasy dream or a nightmare depending on how things play out and the way the offense runs likely will depend on Eli Manning and the offensive line. Andre Williams is a great sleeper option along with Rashad Jennings, as those two players should get plenty of opportunities now that David Wilson is retired and Peyton Hillis is injured.