Every year someone has to stare down the top pick in their fantasy football draft. Regardless of league size or type, the daunting task of picking that can’t-miss fantasy option can weigh on you. A year ago you could have swung and missed big time if you had picked someone like Adrian Peterson. However, this year Peterson just might be back in the mix, along with four other guys that carry low risk and unbelievably high reward.
Of course, you’re probably wondering who those guys are. Let’s take a look at the five safest picks you’ll want to consider if you’re the one to start your fantasy football league’s draft and custom football jerseys this summer:
5. Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings
It’s got to be tough to trust a guy who played one game a year ago and is 30 years old. Throw in that he plays a rigorous position like running back and we still don’t know for sure who he’ll play for this year, and it’s idiotic to put him on a top-five list with any positive light. Right? Maybe, but not when his name is Adrian Peterson. Despite all of the negativity and questions, this is still a guy that ran for over 2,000 yards in 2012 and was still a highly productive fantasy running back in 2013. Had he not gone through that ordeal and been suspended last year, we may have very well seen another huge season from one of the best fantasy options of all-time.
Now think of him as an angered man, out to prove all of his critics wrong. Some say he’s too old or that a year off will hurt him, but neither of those notions carry much weight. Peterson remains in the best shape of his life and we’ve seen plenty of running backs put up solid numbers heading into age 30. It also helps that he’s not a normal person, too. All things considered, there is enough reason to not draft him as the #1 option in fantasy football (which is why we rank him #5 overall) but as the picture gets a little more clear, our hesitance to name him the top guy to trust in grows weaker by the day.
4. Calvin Johnson, WR, Detroit Lions
Megatron took a break in 2014 as Golden Tate got acquainted, but it feels like fantasy football owners are forgetting just how dominant this guy has been. He missed three games and was banged up last year, yet he still finished as a top-15 producer. Going into the 2015 fantasy football season we can’t forget about Johnson, as he’s still very much in his prime and capable of taking over games on a weekly basis.
Johnson’s size, speed and ball skills continue to make him the top wide receiver in football, and despite the rise of guys like Antonio Brown, Jordy Nelson and Demaryius Thomas, he still needs to be seen as the #1 option at his position. History tells us this, as Johnson has finished as the top option two times in the last five years and inside the top-five three times during that span. The only thing ever holding Johnson bag is injury, yet he’s never missed more than the three games he missed a year ago.
Healthy again, Johnson could be set to take over the wide receiver ranks again. The depth at wide receiver may keep you from making him the top overall pick on draft day, but he’s absolutely at least worth considering.
3. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers
Don’t want to put your trust in a 30-year old running back or a wide receiver? Perhaps last year’s top fantasy quarterback will do the trick. Rodgers took a dip in 2013 due to a broken collarbone, but stormed back in 2014 to take back a first place crown he had already held twice before. A-Rod has been so good, in fact, that in the two healthy seasons he wasn’t #1 or hurt, he was the #2 fantasy passer.
We have history and productivity on our side here. If you want a stable, elite presence on your team that gets it done every week, Aaron Rodgers is your guy and it might not be all that close. Rodgers even worked his way through a troublesome calf issue last year and still took the top spot, which makes his 2014 run all the more impressive.
The only reason to not take Rodgers with your first pick in 2015? Quarterback is as deep as positions get in fantasy football. While Rodgers was awesome with over 354 fantasy points in 2014, a whopping five other quarterbacks joined him with over 300 fantasy points. That being said, he’s the best of the bunch and worth heavy consideration for the top pick.
2. Le’Veon Bell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Thought to be the top running back for 2015 by many, we may need to pump the breaks on loving Bell’s fantasy upside just a tad due to a three-game suspension. He’ll start the first three games of the year on the sidelines, forcing fantasy football managers to ponder how that could impact their team to start 2015. On top of that, they’ll have to weigh the risk of Bell sitting out to start the season. Would that make him less ready to take on a big role and lead to a slow start? It’s possible, and those are some tough red flags to tackle for a proposed #1 pick in fantasy football.
That being said, Bell was a machine in 2014 and really stepped up as one of the more versatile and productive backs in the entire league. That obviously translated to the fantasy realm, too, as he nailed down the second overall spot among running backs. Back to back elite seasons are tough to put up – especially when you’re out for three games – so it’s hard to completely back Bell as the top choice going into the next season. As a per-game option, though, he’d still have a terrific chance at returning great value.
1. Jamaal Charles, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Charles is one of the few fantasy football studs you can trust. Despite seeing 53 less rushing attempts in 2014 than he had the year prior, Charles still topped 1,000 rushing yards, notched his usual 5.0 yards per carry and scored 14 total touchdowns. Even when his role lessens, he’s still the focal point of his offense and it was all good enough to land him at the seven spot in last year’s rankings.
Charles was probably even better than the end of season ranks suggest, too, considering he had a rough start to the 2014 season (23 rushing yards and no scores in the first two games). With the Chiefs adding supporting talent and Charles much healthier now than he was in 2014, he could be set for another huge year. If his seventh place finish was a “down” year, we can only imagine what he would deem to be elite. You can make a strong argument for any of these five guys, but Charles is the most tried and true option. He should be the top pick in fantasy football drafts in 2015, and it may not even be that close.
Think we got it wrong? Let us hear who you would take first in your fantasy football draft via the comments below!
