Fantasy Footballers I Love (To Draft, That Is)

The nature of fantasy football allows for the development of what are commonly referred to as 'man-crushes.' These encompass strong [though asexual and often one-directional] feelings from one man to another--in this case, professional athletes who reward our faith in them with on-field heroics. Highly irrational, but very common.

Last year, for instance, I had two such man-crushes. One developed in Week 7, when a number of inopportune bye weeks forced me to helplessly plug into my lineup an unproven rookie running back making his first career start for the Cowboys. On his first carry of the game, this back, DeMarco Murray, ripped off a 91-yard touchdown run and proceeded to break Emmitt Smith's single-game Cowboys rushing record with 25 carries for 253 yards. Blind faith in someone I've never met named DeMarco paid off. A man-crush was born. The second one, a quarterback, came later in the season. I acquired him in a trade, though the cost was dear: I had to give up my dear DeMarco. Fortunately, the return was worth it. Over his final seven games, he averaged a whopping 366 passing yards per game and threw 16 touchdowns. So I remain forever in Matthew Stafford's debt.

However, one reality of the man-crush is cruel: it can fade away as the seasons change. Both Matthew Stafford and DeMarco Murray are being taken in the second round of this year's drafts. I don't envision owning them on my fantasy team for that price. Instead, I thank them for their services and move on, in search of this year's potential breakouts and future man-crushes.

And therein lies the ultimate objective of fantasy football. It's resisting the temptation to draft last year's studs at their going price; there's no value to be found there. Instead, one must search for this year's breakout stars. Who will be the 2012 versions of Victor Cruz, Jordy Nelson, Cam Newton, and Rob Gronkowski? Though there are many candidates--and more are listed below--four in particular stand out to me as the most irresistible of the crop. They are:

Julio Jones, Falcons WR: The player I target more than any other. He's a freak, a star in the making. Finished with eight TDs and nearly 1,000 yards despite playing in just 13 games last year, his rookie season. When he came back healthy in his last four games, he averaged basically 100 yards per game and caught six touchdowns. He's got a more-than-competent quarterback (see below), the Falcons want to throw the ball, and Roddy White attracts defensive attention across the field, too. This is the last year I'll have the chance to draft Julio Jones as late as the third round. I'm doing it while I still can. Julio For President.

Matt Ryan, Falcons QB: My love of Julio Jones has a residual effect: very strong feelings for Matt Ryan. There's a perception that Ryan has disappointed relative to expectations, but not everyone can be Cam Newton and succeed instantly on the NFL stage. This is the year Ryan takes the "next step" the same way fellow late-bloomers Matthew Stafford and Eli Manning did last year. Like Julio Jones, Ryan showed star potential in the back half of last year: he threw 17 TDs and just three interceptions over his final eight games, while averaging 277 yards per contest. The Falcons are throwing this year, their divisional rivals should force a lot of high-scoring shootouts, and Ryan has Jones, Roddy White, and Tony Gonzalez as his targets. A big season is in the cards. If I miss out on Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady in a draft, I'm passing on the likes of Eli Manning, Michael Vick, Tony Romo, Philip Rivers, and Peyton Manning in favor of the cheaper Ryan. I'm all-in on the Falcons.

Percy Harvin, Vikings WR: Another player I feel supremely confident about. He quietly had a great season last year that was simply deflated by his first six games. The Vikings were limiting his offensive snaps and his quarterback was Donovan McNabb, for goodness sake. Christian Ponder took over as QB in Week 7; from then until the end of the season, Percy Harvin had 100 offensive touches. No other receiver in football even had 75. He scored all eight of his all-purpose touchdowns over that span. Plus, Harvin actually finished with 345 rushing yards last year. Those count, too. He's the Vikings' best offensive player with Adrian Peterson hurt and they'll find ways to get him the ball.

Brandon Lloyd, Patriots WR: I'm trying to contain my excitement about his new situation, but I'm not succeeding. Here's why.
1. Lloyd was a nobody before being invented by Josh McDaniels, his head coach in Denver.
2. Over the past two seasons, mostly with McDaniels, Lloyd has accumulated nearly 2,500 receiving yards even though his quarterbacks have been Kyle Orton, Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford, A.J. Feeley, and Kellen Clemens.
3. Lloyd signed with the Patriots this offseason, where his quarterback will be Tom Brady, who is, um, better than those other dudes.
4. Also, Lloyd will be reunited with his Creator, Josh McDaniels, who was rehired to be the Patriots' offensive coordinator this year.
5. Josh McDaniels was also the offensive coordinator for the Patriots back in 2007, when the Pats broke every offensive record in the book and Randy Moss caught 23 touchdowns.
So the stars seem to be aligned for Lloyd, who's catching passes from the best quarterback he's ever played with for a coach who not only loves him, but who also happened to orchestrate the greatest passing offense in the history of football a few years back. Lloyd won't be as good as Moss was in 2007 because the Patriots have a diverse stable of weapons, from Wes Welker to Rob Gronkowski to Aaron Hernandez. But the massive upside here is so totally worth a fifth round pick, which is where Lloyd is going. At his very worst, Lloyd will be a downfield threat on a prolific passing offense. At his very best, if he clicks with Brady....Lloyd can be the best receiver in football.

Jones, Ryan, Harvin, and Lloyd are merely the four players I feel most strongly about for 2012. There are many others, and though their shine is not quite as bright as the four listed above, their potential shall not be ignored:

Darren McFadden, Raiders RB: There's very little doubt in my mind that McFadden is the best pure rusher in football. He catches passes too, and with Michael Bush gone, he may be in line for more touchdowns. He will get hurt at some point--but if he can stay healthy for just 13 or 14 games, he'll be fantastic.

Antonio Brown, Steelers WR: The closest thing to a 'lock' for a breakout season. Deep threat Mike Wallace keeps defenses off of Brown, who has emerged as Ben Roethlisberger's go-to receiver when he needs a first down. As a multi-dimensional threat, he could be very similar to Percy Harvin.

Titus Young, Lions WR: Similar to Brown and Harvin, though with less certainty and a lot more boneheadedness. The Lions are going to throw all day long, but someone besides Calvin Johnson needs to catch Matthew Stafford's passes. The speedy Young finished strong last year and should benefit from all the defensive attention aimed towards Calvin.

Peyton Hillis, Chiefs RB: Hillis is coming off a miserable year with the Browns, deflating his stock. He's healthy now, reunited with the offensive coordinator who oversaw his breakout 2010 campaign. Plus, the Chiefs are going to run a whole lot and their offensive line is very strong. A bounceback season is in store for the target of last year's Madden Curse.

Stevan Ridley, Patriots RB: Yes, the Patriots prefer to throw, but they don't ignore their ground game. The efficiency of Tom Brady's offense has allowed the Pats to score the most rushing touchdowns in football over the past three seasons. Ridley is talented enough to easily reach double-digit touchdowns if he doesn't fumble the ball too much.

Reggie Wayne, Colts WR: Wayne feels like this year's Steve Smith: a proven veteran coming off a bad year who will rebound thanks to a very talented rookie quarterback. Wayne almost finished with 1,000 yards last year with a batch of terrible quarterbacks under center; what if Andrew Luck is as good as advertised?

Eric Decker, Broncos WR: He's going to be that trusty guy Peyton Manning looks to when he needs a third-down conversion. Decker caught eight touchdowns with Tebow last year and I'd say Peyton is an upgrade.

Steven and Fred Jackson, Rams/Bills RB: Both are undervalued because they're older and perceived as safe. Both are actually very durable and safe. Steven will be helped by Jeff Fisher's arrival in St. Louis and Buffalo's offense runs through Fred.

Jeremy Maclin, Eagles WR: He's coming off a subpar year because of injuries, to himself and to his quarterback, Michael Vick. With a little luck for the two of them, Maclin can return to (and perhaps best) his 2010 numbers, when he caught 10 touchdowns and almost 1,000 yards.

Torrey Smith, Ravens WR: He's lightning-fast and once erupted for a three-touchdown quarter in his first NFL start. The Ravens say they want to go up-tempo. Joe Flacco can throw a deep ball. Anquan Boldin looks done. This could be interesting.

Aaron Hernandez, Patriots TE: Heading into last year, many thought that Hernandez was the better tight end to own over Rob Gronkowski. He's an excellent red zone threat in his own right. Wouldn't be surprised if the numbers for these two tight ends evened out significantly this season.

Greg Olsen, Panthers TE: If opposing defenses are keying in on Steve Smith, then Cam Newton has to throw to somebody, right? Jeremy Shockey is gone, so that should give Olsen more room to shine.

Kyle Rudolph, Vikings TE: Physically, he's nearly on par with monster tight ends Jimmy Graham and Rob Gronkowski. Minnesota needs someone else to throw to besides Percy Harvin and Rudolph looks like an elite red zone threat with serious potential.

Andrew Luck, Colts QB: Why not, right? Cam Newton did it last year, and while Luck won't run like Cam did, he's obviously considered far more polished as a passer than Newton was ever thought to be. Indianapolis will be playing from behind and Luck could end up posting some gaudy yardage totals for a rookie.

Josh Freeman, Buccaneers QB: Freeman took a huge step back in 2011, throwing 22 interceptions to just 16 touchdowns. This year, his supporting cast is much stronger. Vincent Jackson and Dallas Clark are his new pass-catchers, promising rookie Doug Martin is the new halfback, and the offensive line improved. Freeman will be asked to do a little less, and his numbers will improve as a result.

Rashad Jennings, Jaguars RB: A somewhat obvious pick given Maurice Jones-Drew's holdout. His replacement, Jennings, will be relied upon the same way Jones-Drew was, because no way is Jacksonville throwing with Blaine Gabbert under center. Jennings has shown flashes of talent in the past; this is his chance.

Ryan Williams, Cardinals RB: Most people assume Beanie Wells is the starter in Arizona; he did score 10 TDs last season. However, his knee is giving him problems and he's never been able to stay healthy. Williams could easily be the starting back in Arizona before too long. There are concerns about his health too, as well as his miserable offensive line, but it's all about the opportunity.

Randy Moss, 49ers WR: For whatever completely irrational reason, I still believe in Randy Moss.