Fantasy Football: Who You Should Get And Why

Fantasy football season is upon us and I want to give you a breakdown of who you should be targeting and why.

We all have the picks like Aaron Rodgers, Adrian Peterson, Arian Foster, or hell even Peyton Manning as obvious desires, but let's look a bit deeper into the depth and value spots on your team this year.

Quarterback: At quarterback you're either a fantasy dream or nightmare, and of course, some of us have late-round picks, so who do we take at quarterback? Well, one of my favorite late round choices heading into his second year is Russell Wilson out of Seattle. He had a phenomenal rookie season and should fly under the radar in the fantasy world. Other than that, I think you have to look at straight performers, substantial team players that aren't necessarily the faces of the franchise. So who else is a value pick here? Someone like Joe Flacco from the Ravens and, though he did just get a monumental deal this offseason, Matt Ryan from Atlanta. Keep an eye out for second year man Andrew Luck, too.

Running Backs: There's always the debate between whether you should take a running back or QB first, but let's look at some value at the ball-carrier position here. My two main guys that are sleepers in my opinion, are Rams new starter Daryl Richardson and New England's Stevan Ridley. Both of these guys are quick, lean, and have good vision. Behind some offensive upgrades, these two backs could be the best value overall at the running back position, easily.

Wide Receiver: Obviously, there's a deep pool of receivers to take but the biggest standout this year poised for a breakout year has to be Danny Amendola. Newly acquired by the Pats, he's basically the new number one for Tom Brady to throw to, and with an oft-injured Gronkowski and a now jailed Hernandez, he'll be looking for a comfort target; Amendola's that man. Elsewhere, I like Kenny Britt from the Titans to get picked up in the later rounds. He's had a great offseason and is finally playing without an ailment holding him back or making him overthink. At 24, he says he feels like he's playing at 21. Can't go wrong there.

Tight End: There are a handful of permanent names at the top of the TE list. Jimmy Graham, Vernon Davis, Tony Gonzalez, and so on, but look for Kyle Rudolph of the Vikings to have a big year with a more solid offense around him. Maybe even Antonio Gates can keep off the injury report and stay consistent.

Kickers: There really aren't any "sleepers" here, but you have to be targeting kickers like Blair Walsh of Minnesota, Stephen Gostkowski of New England, or even tried and true Sebastian Janikowski of Oakland.

Defenses: The Bears, Texans, Patriots, and Ravens defenses all look to be absolutely dynamic again this year, but you'll probably have to look at teams like the Bengals, Rams, or even the newly-coached Chiefs for some very late round value.

There ya have it. I hope this has helped you get a little game-plan in your head as we lead up to the flurries of draft day and the forthcoming preseason. Happy drafting!

I look forward to defending the Lubbock Town Square Media championship.