9. Drew Brees, Saints
No, I didn’t forget about Drew Brees. The New Orleans Saints run game will have one of the better 1-2 punches in the NFL this year in CJ Spiller and Mark Ingram. That, along with the departure of All-Pro tight end Jimmy Graham are clear signs that the Saints are planning to switch their offense to one that revolves around the run game.
10. Tony Romo, Cowboys
Following the best season of his career in 2014, Tony Romo returns to an offense that lost star running back DeMarco Murray, wide receiver Dwayne Harris, and offensive tackle Jeremey Parnell. Ouch. On the plus side, the Cowboys were able to resign Dez Bryant and bring in veteran running back Darren McFadden.
Romo will have a good year, but I wouldn’t expect a MVP candidate season again this year.
11. Philip Rivers, Chargers
The San Diego Chargers grabbed RB Melvin Gordon after trading up to the no. 15 pick in the draft, and assuming they had the ball off to him a lot, that means less passing attempts for Rivers.
Last season Rivers had one of the best seasons of his career, partially due to the fact that the Chargers running game featured Branden Oliver and Danny Woodhead as the No. 1 and No. 2 backs. Rivers also has to deal with not having Gates following his suspension.
If backup tight end Ladarius Green can’t step up and Gordon impacts the number of passing attempts Rivers takes, you could see a decline in the fantasy points he puts up his year.
12. Joe Flacco, Ravens
Every year fantasy owners tend to count Joe Flacco out and and every year he finds a way to prove them wrong. This year looks to be no exception.
Although he lost tight end Owen Daniels and veteran wide receiver Torrey Smith, the Ravens took to the draft and selected rookie receiver Breshad Perriman out of Central Florida to pair with All Pro veteran receiver Steve Smith and tight end Maxx Williams to replace Owen Daniels. Flacco has the weapons around him to have another solid year. He is a decent starter in fantasy, and a great guy to have come off the bench.
